Editor’s Note: It is not generally our policy to print editorials, opinion articles or letters in the news section. However, given the gravity of the situation, we are running this letter alongside its news article.

The Dickinsonian has confirmed that this letter is in fact from the student who wore the costume. He has asked that we not include his last name in the printing of this article. In order to get permission to run this letter, The Dickinsonian has decided to honor this request.

The student who is holding the gun in the photo has also submitted a letter, which can be found on page 6.

Dickinson Community,

My name is Matt, and I am writing this letter as an apology for my actions last weekend.  For Halloween, I decided to dress up as the controversial football player Colin Kaepernick. My outfit consisted of a wig and a 49ers Kaepernick jersey. Around 8 o’clock that night, a snapchat story video was taken of me striking Kaepernick’s infamous kneeling pose while another individual jokingly pointed a  toy gun at several people around the room. The gun was not pointed at my head.

The toy gun was in no way, shape, or form a part of my costume or any larger theme. It was purely coincidence. Also, there are rumors that I was in black face; this is not true.  I am a genuinely darker-skinned person and the lighting of the photo may have accentuated that. I know that dressing in black face is offensive, and I would never want to do that.  .

In any case, several apologies need to be made by me for my actions that night.  As a result of your response, I now understand that my donning of the wig and “taking the knee” were insensitive towards a huge group of individuals whose background, story, and struggles I can never fully understand. In no way did I mean to ridicule Kaepernick’s stance against police brutality – I’m a firm believer in his first amendment right to free speech and expression.  And, I actually agree with protest and support him.  I am deeply sorry for hurting individuals in our Dickinson community and here in Carlisle.

One of the many things I noticed in the aftermath of my decisions that night were people’s responses on social media. I see now that individuals in the community undoubtedly had a right to be upset and outraged at my costume and actions – however, in this day and age it is very easy for people to misunderstand the facts and make assumptions about my character. I firmly believe that I need to meet this issue head on, and that I need to use this as a learning opportunity for me and others in my position; however, for that learning to take place, there needs to be a willingness on all of our parts to engage each other in ways that allow for constructive conversation and debate.

Anyone and everyone in this community and beyond who might feel offended or insulted by my actions that night is more than welcome to contact me or approach me with their thoughts. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Ignorance of the kind I demonstrated is not something that gets fixed with angry Facebook posts or tweets – rather, it is something that can only be repaired through constructive dialogue.

I am so sorry for the hurt this has caused this community.

Matt, Class of 2021