The Pledge of Allegiance has encountered some controversy from both students and teachers who think it’s outdated and has no place in school. But do all Maize teachers and students share this view?

Many schools, including all Maize schools, continue to recite the Pledge, even a century after its creation. This can become a problem as the U.S experiences an increase of people and ideas from other countries.

Maize South social science teacher Emily Snyder believes the Pledge is important to keep in our schools.

“The Pledge is an intricate part of the school system and very American. It’s something we should preserve,” Snyder said.

This sentiment resonates with many American-born citizens.

However, there are those who believe that, if not completely removed, the Pledge requires modification.

“I don’t think certain lines should be there, as it does not represent all Americans.” Maize South English teacher Jennifer Peterson said.

The text itself has been heavily debated, especially after the addition of “Under God” in 1954, which has caused multiple legal challenges, some even going all the way to the Supreme Court. Still, there have been no changes made to the Pledge since 1954.

“I think the Pledge is a bit outdated, but I really don’t know what changes I would make,” Peterson said.

Even though many are open to changing the Pledge, few know how they would approach it.

This often comes from the Pledge’s important role in American society, and values that many already agree on, making any text removal or addition difficult. And something that needs to reflect the opinion of the majority.

The reasoning behind the lack of changes often is the feeling of patriotism. And that’s why the consensus is for keeping the pledge.

For many, reciting the Pledge is a crucial part of their daily routine, and its complete removal would be against their beliefs.

For the question, why do we say the Pledge?

Assistant Principal at Maize South, Dave Nash, states, “We do the pledge of allegiance to show our respect for the United States and what our flag stands for.”

Maize South student Ayden Wiggins wants to keep the Pledge.

“I plan on joining the military once I’m out of high school, so patriotism is a big deal,” Wiggins said.

So is there any way to either change or remove it? Or has the pledge become a part of our daily life? For now it seems that it is here to stay.