With the onset of a new football season, perhaps it is time to reconsider the institutional culture of the MSU flag corps. It has struck me that although these stalwarts perform excellently, they never look like they’re having any fun. While the twirlers are giving the spectators their charming smiles, the flag corps members march with a stern visage that reminds us of the Young Communist League we used to see in old newsreels from the time of the Cold War. If their grim, determined features are meant to frighten the opposing players, there is no evidence of success. So, I urge the organizers of this splendid group to lighten up and let the kids smile!

Daniel Moran
Retired mathematics professor