The types of things that young people pick up as trends tend to be a reflection of their generational mindset. Considering the extent of our generation’s globalization, it should be no surprise that the things we consider currently trendy reflect a wide array of cultures.

It is precisely because of this global mindset, however, that it is important to consider deeply the reasons behind why we choose to wear the things we do.

Loyola students, we urge you to bear in mind the crucial difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation.

This is important for people of our generation as a whole, but especially for us here at Loyola who have made a commitment to think critically, globally and with respect for the history and mystery of the world. As students at this school, we set the standard for what having a global perspective should look and like.

Most importantly, as young adults, we are the objects of these trends.

Companies such as Urban Outfitters make enormous amounts of money from using non-American cultural symbols as marketing tools. Record labels encourage their artists to adopt racially-stereotypical styles and behaviors because they are guaranteed to make money.

Loyola students, we urge you not to buy into this gross behavior. We urge you to more deeply consider the things you buy and wear. Beyond whether or not they look cool, what are your true reasons for supporting these trends?

As in many other cases, respect is always the most important factor. If you’re casually adopting a style of dress or behavior for the sole reason that you look good in it, then you’re engaging in appropriation.

Bindis, Native American headdresses, Rasta colors — these aren’t fashion statements meant to set you apart from the mainstream or to give you an edgy persona. They’re symbols of an entire group of people that bear within them their own history and stigma.

Authentic appreciation means raising awareness and respect for a culture and the group of people whom it encompasses. It means not trivializing this entire group of people into a single dance move, affected accent or accessory, but instead treating their culture as something complex and human, something deserving of respect.

When we reduce an entire culture into something as trite as an accessory, we’re exercising our privilege in one of the most disrespectful ways possible. This is something to bear in mind as we enter into the season of back-to-school costume parties, Voodoofest and Halloween.

As young adults, we enjoy the privilege of determining what is cool and what isn’t. In the past, it’s been polo shirts, skinny jeans, fedoras — well, maybe not that last one.

Today, it’s culture. But unlike polo shirts or skinny jeans, you can’t put on culture as an outfit. It isn’t a costume. It isn’t a gimmick. And it definitely isn’t a trend.

It’s an entire identity, a complex history and tradition that goes to the very core of how one group of people perceives itself .