Sometimes, I get complacent about racism at Penn State. This weekend, I saw a person dressed as a KKK member for Halloween. Worse, he made his costume out of a banner from Martin Luther King Day. Don't be fooled, Penn Staters, racism is alive and well in our community.

I didn't see anyone tell this guy that his costume was inappropriate. Infuriatingly, he was proud of it. Don't be complacent about prejudice. If someone says or does something that is based in prejudice, say something. That racist person is not a lone voice. Fight that collective racist voice, because racism hurts our community and draws painfully meaningless dividing lines. We all know that groups tend to characterize other groups based on the acts of individuals.

Don't allow outsiders to group you in with those who are prejudiced because you didn't feel like saying something. Keep our name proud and stand up to those who tarnish it with racism.