Goshen Seeks Substitute for National Anthem

Goshen College, which last year started playing an instrumental version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before athletic events, will stop doing so and will seek an alternative way to honor the country in ways consistent with the college's pacifist, Mennonite faith. Goshen students, faculty members and alumni have a range of views (and a range of faiths). But the news Monday that the college will stop playing the anthem follows criticism from some alumni and others that it glorifies war and a kind of nationalism that is inconsistent with the college's values.