USU needs boost in flag etiquette
The United States flags at Utah State University are being flown without special attention to conventional flag etiquette.
According to www.usflag.org, the flag is ordinarily displayed only between sunrise and sunset. It should be illuminated if exhibited at night.
According to www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html#1, “The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled or damaged in any way.”
The flags in front of Old Main, the Military Science Building and the Edith Bowen Laboratory School fly at night, but without proper lighting or attention to weather. This week the Old Main flag hung plastered to its pole in the rain.
LaWrell Cook, USU Army ROTC Sgt. 1st class, said, “The flag shouldn’t be flown at night if there are just street lights around it. A good attempt should be made to point out the flag. Lights should be aimed on the flag.”
Jason Clark, one of the janitors in charge of maintaining the Old Main flag, said there are four spotlights on at night that are aimed toward the flag.
“I live in Richmond, and I can see it at night,” he said.
However, some students feel the spotlights are mistaken for the lights lined along the sidewalk and the flag should be lit brighter than it already is.
Adell Simmons, USU alumna said, “If I didn’t know [the flag] was there in the first place, I don’t know if I would have noticed it [at night]. I can tell that it is lit up at night, but it’s not like the Macey’s flag.”
Of the several flags lit up around Logan, the flag flown in front of Macey’s is lit with particular effort to make sure it can be seen from a distance at night.
Eric Lindberg, Macey’s assistant store director, said, “We have lights that shine up on the flag to illuminate it, and the parking lot lights shine down to bring out the flag.”
Some students do not pay particular attention to whether the flag on Old Main is lit at night at all.
Matthew Ethington, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering and former ROTC member, said, “I haven’t noticed if the flag on Old Main is lit, but I have noticed when the flag in front of the ROTC is lit [at night].”
The flag flown in front of the Military Science Building has one spotlight on the corner of the building aimed on it.
Cook said, “A light needs to shine on it at night. It is a symbol of our country and we don’t want to fly it in obscurity.”
However, the debate still remains whether the flags around campus are illuminated enough so students will recognize it as they drive or walk by.
Luana Petersen, trading post manager for the Boy Scouts of America in Logan, said flag etiquette shows respect.
“That’s the main thing with something that is the symbol of your country. It deserves respect. [The flag should be displayed with] a spotlight at night,” she said.
There are many rules and regulations concerning flag etiquette that may or may not be observed throughout campus.
According to www.usflag.org, the flag should be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously. When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object. It should be received by waiting hands and arms. The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
Ethington said, “I learned a lot of respect for the flag while I was in the ROTC. Everyone stopped when they took down the flag, and everything was silent. However, I do think they should replace the flag in front of the ROTC more often because it gets a little ragged.”
Lindberg said, the Macey’s flag is given to the Colonial Flag Company to be mended and repaired every month. It is also taken down during windy weather to prevent damage.
The flag in front of the Forestry Sciences Lab is larger than the flags next to it, positioned higher and illuminated well, thus abiding by flag etiquette.
Peterson said people generally observe flag etiquette, but there are still some misperceptions. For example, a worn out flag needs to be burned over a fire and not thrown in the garbage.
“Flag etiquette helps to treat the flag the way we should treat our nation,” Cook said. “It is proper, respectful observance to our nation’s emblem.”
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu
The U.S. flag flies without illumination Thursday night in front of the Edith Bowen Laboratory School. (Photo by Scott Davis)