Campus flags not up to par with state regulations

As Southern University celebrates its Centennial Homecoming, issues of campus beautification have been noticeable, yet untreated. As many members of the SU community cross the bridge to school each day, torn and ripped flags greet them. Although flags that hang down Harding Boulevard are in fact owned and donated by the city of Baton Rouge, other flags on campus are a direct reflection on our university.
Not only are the visual aspects of the flag important, but along with those visual aspects are rules and regulations that must be followed in accordance to statewide and United States flags.
According to UShistory.org, US Flag Code United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1; Rule 8 letter E states that the flag shall 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.
Since the initial hanging of the flag, it is the responsibility of the caretaker to properly store the flag during inclement weather conditions. Without proper upkeep, violators, if caught, can be fined.
Nicholas Harris, the 2014-15 SGA President said, “To my knowledge, they [the flags] have been up the same amount of time as the [water] fountain, but because they get direct sunlight and weather damage, these things add to the problem.”
As alumni and family return to SU for game day on Saturday, some have made replacing the flags a top priority.
In response to whether or not the flags are a direct impact on students, Marcus Coleman, Dean of Students said, “I don’t think that it affects the students directly; but the university has an obligation to make sure that its grounds and facilities are up to standard and aesthetically pleasing.”
Jordan Hatch, a junior engineering major from Baton Rouge said that although the flags are not currently the biggest problem on campus, they aren’t very “people friendly” either. “The flags demonstrate a sign of respect that our school has for our country, if they’re torn, what does that say about how much we respect our country, ” said Hatch.
Cordell Veal, Facilitator of Grounds for Southern was unresponsive due to late interview scheduling, but has been in contact with administrators on campus. After failed efforts to get in contact with Veal, Dr. Brandon K. Dumas, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management has acknowledged the problem and is working with Veal to try and fix the problem before homecoming weekend.
Harris covered campus beautification in his platform which stated, “More school wide community service and beautification projects on campus and the surrounding Baton Rouge community.”
During an interview, Harris stated that although he didn’t know how many flags needed to be replaced, he was aware of the three flags that hang above the newly installed fountain. “I definitely know that the flags have been up for an extended amount of time and they haven’t been well kept. We’ll have to wait until we get the figures back to see how much it would cost and if we need to use money for that, ” Harris ended.