Why I Display the U.S. Flag

When I was a business teacher in New Jersey, the sponsors of the annual balloon festival at Solberg Airport would offer four free tickets to teachers who submitted 50 student essays. My class essays were always mailed before the deadline, especially when the topic every year was “What Does the U.S. Flag Mean to You?”

Students reflected on the topic, which stipulated that the essays could not exceed 50 words. To deter the smart asses from handing in an essay with only a few words, I refined the guidelines to at least 40 words but no more than 50 words. Prizes were awarded in different grade categories for elementary, middle school, and high school students. Balloon festival sponsor judges evaluated the best written essays, and teachers were notified if their students were selected.

Some of the prizes were worthwhile enough for students to strive for a winning spot. I recall one of the top prizes was two tickets to see the Jonas Brothers. I never told my students that all I needed to do was submit 50 student essays and I would receive four free tickets to the balloon festival. My wife and two daughters would look forward to the festival, especially all the free samples of snacks and drinks that were given to attendees.

I always read my student submissions before neatly organizing them in a large manila mailing envelope. For the most part, many students recounted the significance of the red, white, and blue colors as well as the stars and stripes. Many students wrote about the symbolic meanings of the U.S. flag and…