Some students have started wondering about the Flag of Freedom.

Recently, the flag has become tattered on the top and edge.

“I first noticed it was torn three weeks ago,” said Valerie German, sophomore biology major.

German said the tear was pointed out to her while she was giving a tour as a Southern Ambassador.

“I talked to several people on campus, and nothing happened,” she said.

Other students have also noticed the tear.

Ben Horine, junior theater major, said he noticed the flag about a week ago.

He has recently finished a tour in Iraq and said the flag is something special to him.

“If the flag we have is not in good condition, it should be taken down to the VFW and burned properly,” he said.

The Department of Public Safety maintains the flag.

“When we or someone notices it is ripped, we take care of it within a couple of days,” said Ken Kennedy, DPS manager.

When the flag is taken down for repairs, it is replaced by one of two other flags on reserve.

“We like to have three – one on hand, one on display and one on reserve,” he said.

Kennedy said he tries to respond to the tears as soon as possible.

“Sometimes it’s hard to notice it,” he said.

Kennedy said the three flags do get damaged often.

“A flag that big takes a lot of abuse by the wind,” he said. “It’s like a big sail.”

Some faculty members say the flag has not been taken care of properly.

“It’s the symbol of what we fought for,” said Sam Claussen, associate professor of theater.

Claussen said he served in Vietnam, and the flag was special to him as well and the tears in the flag are an insult.

“It raises the hairs on the back of my neck,” he said.

Kennedy said the flag is taken down and repaired by a canopy company on Main Street.

When it is repaired, the tatters are torn off and the edge is sewed back up.

“You can only shorten it so many times,” Kennedy said.

When the flag is too short for use, it is given to a local Boy Scout group to be ceremonially burned.

While Kennedy said the flag will be taken care of, Horine said he still finds flying a tattered flag at anytime to be disrespectful.

“It shows a disrespect for the men and women who fought for us,” Horine said.

DPS is also responsible for lowering the American flags to half-staff when it is called for by Gov. Matt Blunt.

“We don’t have any choice in the matter,” Kennedy said. “We just do it.”

Kennedy said faculty members and students send comments to him about why the flags are at half-staff.

“I normally just respond; it’s not up to me,” he said.

The long periods of time when the flag has been flown at half-staff have some of the students questioning what the orders are for.

“It seems like it’s been a trend since President Ronald Reagan died,” Horine said. “A lot of things have been going on to order the flag to half-staff.”

He said anyone with complaints about flying the flags at half-staff for long periods of time should contact the Governor’s office.