Here we are in the middle of March and our hockey team is ready to roll over the competition and claim its second NCAA Division 1 Hockey Championship in as many years.

Throughout the season, our fans have stood by our team’s side, cheering them on to victory and showing our school spirit, just like last year.

This year, though, a new cheer took hold of our fans.

Toward the end of the national anthem, we, the fans, would yell the words “and home of the Pioneers” instead of “and the home of the brave.” Clever? Maybe. Appropriate? No.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe strongly in showing support for the team and getting people pumped for the game.

But what we do by yelling this was wrong. Sure, it is just one little phrase out of a song sung before games and on the July 4.

But this isn’t just any song and that phrase isn’t just any group of words.

This song is our identity, our culture, and our national spirit. It represents all 50 states and all 290 million of us.

It’s a recollection of our past, recognition of our present, and a hope for the future.

With the current war on terror, it becomes even more important to remember that which binds us together and builds our nation.

The words themselves seem to have come to life since 9-11 and the subsequent military action.

We have seen the rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air and witnessed proof that our flag is still here.

Yet, we have not seen these words come alive like our soldiers and those in harm’s way, both now and in the past. These men and women have fought for over 200 years for a land of the free, and, for them, the song vibrates with their very being.

Look at the face of a veteran during the singing of the national anthem. You don’t see someone just staring at the flag.

You witness a hand over the heart trembling with pride, eyes with tears for friends and comrades lost in the hell of war, and a smile recognizing that the sacrifice was made for a better tomorrow.

Many in this country first heard the anthem’s words at a ball game or under fireworks, and some heard its words again at the final resting place of a soldier/

“The Star Spangled Banner” is not just a song. It is a living part of this country and of each of her citizens.

It binds us, inspires us, and can even comfort us.

We should always make the extra attempt to show pride for every aspect of our school, but not at the cost of something that is bigger than any of us.

DU is home of the Pioneers, but America is home of the brave.