The rivalry between McIntosh and Starr’s Mill is infamously intense. The stakes are high for each sporting event, whether it is played at home or away.

Recently, Matt O’Neal sent a Letter to the Editor in The Citizen complaining that McIntosh students are displaying “classless and disrespectful” behavior by changing the lyrics of the national anthem from “Home of the Brave” to “Home of the Chiefs.”

Although we can see how this may come across as disrespectful, it has been a part of McIntosh’s history for many years. Students at McIntosh began changing the lyrics of the national anthem sometime between 1995 and 2002, so the fact that students now are being blamed for something that has been going on for many years is unfair to the current students.

Several teachers at McIntosh High School, including Mr. Kienast, Coach Eisele, Ms. Nirenberg, and Assistant Principal Ms. Hammock, informed us that this is not the first time that an article has been written about the supposed “disrespect” McIntosh students uphold.

At the end of the day, there is no reason for Matt O’Neal to blame the administration, the student body, or parents of McIntosh students. Although these people are part of the McIntosh community now, they are not the reason for why the tradition started in the first place.

Changing the lyrics to “Home of the Chiefs” is not any disrespect to the country or to the anthem itself. It is simply a way to show our team spirit as well as show pride for our country all at once.