The Community and Government Relations Committee of the Student Association (SA) gathered in the Colvard Student Union Dawghouse last Wednesday providing students an opportunity to write to their representatives and congressmen. 
The event strived  to raise awareness of  SA’s Resolution 9, which calls forth the reexamination of the state of Mississippi’s flag and how it represents Mississippi State University. MSU’s SA and MSU President Mark Keenum both worked closely to make this issue known. 
This has not been the first time in the university’s history the flag has been called for a change. In 2001, the Robert Holland Faculty Senate and the SA Senate called for a new state flag for Mississippi according to an article published on the MSU website by Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter on Sept. 9.
Controversy over the state flag has made recent news in the past few months. As a sign of equal treatment and forgiveness of the past, many cities and universities around the state have ceased displaying the flag. 
What is now known as the Confederate Flag is not actually the Confederate flag. John Coski, author of “The True History of the Confederate Flag” on HistoryNet.com said the stars and bars were the original flag of the Confederacy, adopted by the Confederate Congress in March 1861 because it resembled the Union flag of the North. 
The problem arose because the flags looked too similar, so commanders employed for more distinctive looks. The Confederate flag known today was the battle flag of the Virginian armies.
Throughout the years, the flag became a symbol for southern, Confederate pride and some associate that with slavery. The flag gained infamy due to its use by hate groups.
The SA event allowed students to get involved with the politics of the flag’s meaning by allowing them to write to the  Mississippi House of Representatives and Senators asking the legislature to reexamine what the flag means and how it represents the state, according Gov. Relations and Community of Student Association co-director Luz Martinez. 
Volunteer student Hunter Ashmore, a non-native of Mississippi, said the current state flag gives Mississippi a poor image.
Martinez said SA also used this event as a tool to teach students how to reach out to voice their opinions and to teach people how to write letters.
 The SA will mail out the letters to the respected congressman of each district so all students have to worry about is coming out and voicing their opinions. 
Ashmore called it “an active teaching tool” so people will know what to do for future occurrences. 
Luz Martinez and Holly Travis are the co-directors of the Community and Government Relations Committee of Student Association at Mississippi State University.
“When I write the letter, I don’t advocate the change because (the flag) is racist, I don’t advocate the change because people are oppressed. To me, that’s not a good reason to advocate change. For me, I’m advocating for the change because I think it is better overall for the sate of Mississippi,” Ashmore said.