The Flag Circle is one of the first things new students and visitors see when they arrive at BYU–Hawaii with the flags fluttering high on their poles, representing a diverse student body. Despite the dedication to diversity and respect for all the cultures and nations the school represents, a few BYUH students said they have seen their flags being hung upside down.
The custodial staff who put up the flags each morning said the flags are marked to show what is the top and what is the bottom, but sometimes mistakes are made. They said if people call them when they see a problem with a flag, they will fix it immediately.
What flags mean to students
Maclean Sauseru, a sophomore from the Solomon Islands majoring in political science, who brought attention to the issue, explained why having the flags hung incorrectly concerns him. “I have met some students who told me the people who put up those flags have to get up early in the morning to do that. Here’s my take. All the students who have jobs, whether on PCC or on campus, have the same struggles with their time and schedules. Some students stay up late doing assignments, or have a bad day, or have some personal problems.
“When they go to work, they’re expected to put smiles on their faces and work the same as everyone else. So I don’t think there’s any difference or anything to do with them having to put up the flags … The flag of a country is more than just a flag. It represents a person’s culture, family, and land.”
Viriya Si-Ara, a freshman from Cambodia majoring in computer science, said she has never seen her flag flown incorrectly. Speaking about her country’s flag, Si-Ara said, “Our flag has Angkor Wat, the heart of our country. It represents the heart, the soul, and the santification of my ancestors to me.”
When asked what her reaction would be if her flag was flown incorrectly, Si-Ara responded “People from my country would probably be sad. Our flag is our heart and soul. It is much more than just a piece of cloth on a pole. Imagine what American students would do if the American flag was flown incorrectly.”
When David Bannister, a freshman from California majoring in political science, was asked what the American flag meant to him, he shared, “It represents one of the countries I am a citizen of. As I learn more about it, I relate this particular flag to different things. The 13 stripes represent the revolutionary struggle the 13 colonies had with England. The 50 stars symbolize the 50 states. White is for purity, red is for valor and blue is for justice.”
According to an article on newsmaven.io., in the United States, flying the American flag upside down is seen as a symbol of distress, according to the United States Flag Code, Title 4, Chapter 1. In several states and counties, it is illegal to fly the American flag upside down. An Army veteran from Iowa was arrested after flying the flag upside down to protest an oil pipeline being built near his house.
X Llewel Galapon Angala, a junior from the Philippines majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said “My flag is very important because it symbolizes freedom, unity, and patriotism. Moreover, it brings peace to everyone.
“If it’s hung incorrectly, it means the country is at war. In the Philippines, if the red color is above the blue color, it means war. According to Republic Act No. 8491, the flag should only be flown upside down during war.”
The flag raisers
Janeen Kaka, a custodial supervisor, explained how the flags are hung up, and how sometimes some of them may be hung incorrectly. “On most of the flags we receive for the circle, the side that goes up has a tag on it to tell the person hanging it which side is up and which side is down. The name of the country will be on the tag. Of course, when the students are out there at 4 in the morning, it’s pitch dark.
“The students who work the morning shift are trying to raise the flags as fast as they can. It isn’t their only job,” Kaka explained. “They have been trained to put it up according to the tag and the name on the tag.”
Kaka said certain flags come with the label on the opposite side, thus creating confusion.
Rodney Salanoa, the primary custodial supervisor for the morning, said, “If the flag comes to us without a label, we go online and look up a picture of it to make sure we write ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ onto the flag ourselves.”
Salanoa stressed when flags are hung incorrectly “it’s always an accident. There was one instance where the Indonesian flag was raised upside down. An upside own Indonesian flag looks exactly like the Polish flag. So we had to fix that quickly.
“Every time we get a call about something like that, we are very quick to respond. All of our morning workers are students. They are working by 4a.m. and put up the flags around 6 a.m. A lot of it is the deadline to put the flags up by sunrise. Sometimes the students get a head start.”
Kaka said, “They try to do their very best. Once in a while we’ll get some news about a flag being flown incorrectly and fix it right away.”
Writer: Elijah Hadley