Utah’s New State Flag (2022)
In the fall of 2022, discussions about Utah replacing its state flag were frequently in the news, as designs were proposed and developed. Some in the public were for it and some were against it. In November, a final design was proposed, so I wanted to see what my 7th grade Utah History students thought. We had class discussions and votes-by-ballot in all three class periods. Results of the vote showed 61% favored replacing the flag and 55% favored the new proposed design.
Due to the engagement of my students and the timeliness of the topic, I invited a reporter from Fox 13 News to visit my classroom. Below is the resulting news story and here is a link to the video.
Classroom learns civility discussing latest state flag design
By: Darienne DeBrule Posted at 5:39 PM, Nov 10, 2022 and last updated 6:11 PM, Nov 10, 2022
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — As the final design for Utah’s new state flag was being finalized, one classroom in South Jordan held a debate of its own on what the flag should look like.
Students from American Academy of Innovation compared the latest design of the state flag in comparison to the current one.
According to their teacher, Mr. Mark Sanderson, the idea came to him after reading an article written by FOX 13 News reporter Ben Winslow, and felt it would be a good opportunity for his students to engage with one another.
“I thought, ‘Hey, I bet my students would have a good time talking about this and discussing this and sharing their views,’ Sanderson said.
To say the students had a good time would be an understatement as various hands were raised, debates were had along with strong critiques and support of the new state flag were raised.
“The new one is just, it’s ugly for me,” said seventh–grade student Akein Sandev.
But Sandev’s classmate, Tyler Robinson, disagreed stating, “[the old flag] has been here way too long and I think it’s time for a change.”
Sanderson added that the details on a flag are supposed to be symbolic of who we are as Utahns — the details on both the old and new flags are what the students felt most passionate about.
“The old one has a nice eagle on it and everything neat on it like lily flowers, and this one is just a star, I like the old one,” said Sandev.
But Robinson thinks the new state flag design is a better representation, “I like the new state flag it’s more bold and it represents Utah a lot more than just a flower and an eagle.”
As the debate went on and differing opinions were shared, one thing held strong, civility among the students.
“It gives them the experience of ‘can I be civil today?'” Sanderson said. “I tell my students that history is learning about the management and mismanagement of conflict, can we learn from it, and can we do better today, can we manage the problems of today better than the past.”
Overall, the debate was about letting students share their opinions on what will be the new flag for future generations.