Crusader Name Change at Maranatha Baptist (WI) College

[valpo95]

Not sure where to post this, but I saw this article about Maranatha Baptist College changing their name from Crusaders to something else.  Valpo isn't mentioned specifically, but they do mention other universities that have the same nickname.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/31/christian-college-in-wisconsin-drops-crusaders-nickname/?cmpid=edpick&google_editors_picks=true

[a3uge]

"In 1963, Johnson said the university's council voted to change the school's name to the Crusaders from the Fighting Lutherans, which was deemed inappropriate at the time."

Lol, how times change.

[okinawatyphoon]

I was just going to post this! Very interesting...

[LaPorteAveApostle]

"Maranatha Baptist Fighting Lutherans"?

like, a baptist fighting some lutherans?

or is it the

"Maranatha Baptist-Fighting Lutherans"?

(what a difference a hyphen makes, eh?)

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Ah, read the article.  It's CAPITAL that had the moniker.  A little more sense there.

However, how sad for "MBU".  Would anyone have thought that a school named "Maranatha Baptist" would be so limp-wristed?

Belmont Abbey is an authentically Catholic institution.  No danger of historical revisionism there.

[historyman]

It's CAPITAL that had the moniker.

It would almost be more appropriate if they were the Capital Fighting Other Lutherans (but friendly with the Episcopalians & Presbyterians)

[LaPorteAveApostle]

It would almost be more appropriate if they were the Capital Fighting Other Lutherans (but friendly with the Episcopalians & Presbyterians)

[usc4valpo]

The heck with the nickname -- it it possible to change our color scheme from Brown  and Gold?

[a3uge]

The heck with the nickname -- it it possible to change our color scheme from Brown  and Gold?

The heck with the nickname -- it it possible to change our color scheme from Brown  and Gold?

[Dave_2010]

I have a friend who was at Holy Cross and graduated about 5 years ago. I would relay him stories about the "Questioning the Crusader" movement amongst the student body and how they were a very small and extremely vocal minority that accomplished little more than getting on people's nerves. He was always amazed at how the Crusader name could even get mentioned in the same breath as the Native American nicknames and would usually laugh at the student activist group.

Because of this, I had always assumed the "Crusader controversy" was contained entirely to the Valpo community...apparently not.

[ValpoFan]

With the recent growth of the University and the emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness of "Others", I will not be surprised to hear about this issue again.
Not to start a controversy or anything, but the crusades were military actions and do not exactly relate to education or learning communities. I am not sure why a university would want its students to be the crusaders.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Right, because no other university (other than the SIXTEEN OTHERS with the Crusader mascot) has any kind of bellicose mascot, like a Spartan or a Warrior or a Leatherneck or a General or a Rebel or a Raider or a Knight or a Buccaneer or a Pirate or a Colonel or a Marauder or a Lancer or a...

And a good thing we sing only hymn-like alma maters and not any kind of song encouraging fighting.

Because clearly sport is not, nor has ever been, riddled with battle metaphors, let alone a proxy for actual war.

*sets teacup back in saucer, adjusts monocle

[ValpoFan]

Apostle: This is a very delicate subject my friend. I am not trying to pick an argument or offend any body. I am simply trying to be the devil's advocate here and shed a light on the issue from a different perspective.

First of all: I am not aware of a UNIVERSITY with a buccaneer or a pirate for mascot. I am not saying there aren't any, but I am not aware of them so my guess is that it is not that common.

Second: A knight, a fighter, etc... are soldier figures that people from all cultures and backgrounds can support, respect, and admire. A crusader is a little more polarizing. A crusader is a very specific soldier in the army of the pope that was created to fight "others". Those "others" are now some of our students, alums, faculty, and even recruits.

That is a big difference. 

[valpotx]

Seton Hall Pirates, and then a team we played this year, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.  People are too sensitive nowadays.  I agree with LAA on this issue, that unless it specifically offends a culture of people (Native Americans), it should all be fair game.  In reference to knights, that is pretty much exclusive to Europe as well, as the Middle East had Janissary.  I would not be offended one bit if a Middle Eastern school wanted to have a mascot of a Janissary or whatever other names they might have had for their warriors during the part of the wars where they tried to make Jerusalem Muslim.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I am not aware of a UNIVERSITY with a buccaneer or a pirate for mascot

buccaneers:
Barry
Massachusetts Maritime
Charleston Southern
Christian Brothers
Beloit
and UVI (in addition to Tex's point)

pirates:
Armstrong Atlantic St
East Carolina
Hampton
Park
Peninsula
Pensacola
Southwestern
Whitworth

There are more Crusaders than Buccaneers and Pirates put together, for the record.  So clearly there's not a problem with the name, save with hand-wringing liberal apologists who gave the Crusades a bad name; until the 20th century, when revisionist historians reread the Crusades as an early version of "colonialism", Muslims viewed the Crusades with pride, not political correctness; and they should have, since they went 3-1.

Speaking of Native Americans, you might ask some of them how they feel about the various types of "Pioneer" or "Trailblazer" mascots, then.

Saying that a "knight" is not a polarizing figure, for example, is interesting when it's a term only specific to Western Europe, not a figure "that people from all cultures and backgrounds can support, respect, and admire".  (Ask a serf, for starters.)  A Crusader is someone MORE can respect and admire--I would venture to say that few in this day and age would support or understand a warrior motivated by religious fervor like the Islamists.

Speaking of them, had you heard about this?  I hadn't until today (two months later):
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/03/nuns-abducted-syrian-rebels/3840091/

Seems like we need more Crusaders, not fewer.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

But please note I'm not suggesting getting rid of the mascot "Knights".

It would be a feudal gesture.

[wh]

Right, because no other university (other than the SIXTEEN OTHERS with the Crusader mascot) has any kind of bellicose mascot, like a Spartan or a Warrior or a Leatherneck or a General or a Rebel or a Raider or a Knight or a Buccaneer or a Pirate or a Colonel or a Marauder or a Lancer or a...

And a good thing we sing only hymn-like alma maters and not any kind of song encouraging fighting.

Because clearly sport is not, nor has ever been, riddled with battle metaphors, let alone a proxy for actual war.

*sets teacup back in saucer, adjusts monocle

Let's see how many colleges/universities have team names mentioned by LAA:
15 Warriors
10 Spartans
1 Leathernecks
1 Generals
2 Rebels
7 Raiders
13 Knights
8 Buccaneers
7 Pirates
5 Colonels
5 Marauders
7 Lancers

Here's more, just from the first 4 letters of the alphabet:
1 Apaches
3 Argonauts
2 Aztecs
3 Barons
2 Battling Bishops
1 Black Knights
1 Blue Demons (offensive to Satanists and atheists)
9 Blue Devils (same)
2 Blue Knights
1 Boxers (Muhammed Ali and certain dog owners)
1 Brewers (promotes consumption of alcohol)
1 Bullets (offensive to antigun, anti-war advocates, family of Roy Rogers)
1 Cadets (promotes military and international aggression)
1 Canoneers
7 Cavaliers (sexist)
1 Claim Jumpers (bullying)
4 Colonials (bigotry)
3 Commodores (promilitary, international aggression)
13 Crusaders (worst of all, obviously)
2 Deacons (Christian only term, exclusionary)
1 Demons (anti-Christian - never mind, that one's ok)
1 Devilettes (sexist - whoops, wrong gender - that one's ok)
1 Dirtbags (offensive to unlikable people)
1 Dutchmen (promotes stereotyping)

This only scratches the surface.  Obviously, we have a lot of work to do.  Personally, I think we should start with making apologies to everyone who has ever been offended by the insensitivity shown by use of these controversial names.  It would probably be best to have one person apologize to the entire world on all of our behalves.  Of course, one apology would never be enough.  I'm kind of picturing this person speaking before groups in several locations worldwide - kind of an "apology tour" if you will.  I wonder who we could get?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_college_sports_team_nicknames#A

[a3uge]

[historyman]

But please note I'm not suggesting getting rid of the mascot "Knights". It would be a feudal gesture.

Did you learn that "serfing" the internet? I stole that one from a website called four letter  "F" words but please don't call me a fief.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

please don't call me a fief

oof.

but call you a fief? domb.

For some reason all this talk of serfing prompted this thought (and it may actually be original for once, since i can't find the phrase on google. which is probably a good thing)

[VULB#62]

We have no recourse.  We must model ourselves after the University of California Santa Cruz Banana Slugs!

http://www.goslugs.com/landing/index

I hope it doesn't mean we have to say we''re sorry to a banana slug.

[a3uge]

"Valpo Insurgents" kind of rolls off the tongue...

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[FWalum]

The "real" history of the Crusades... at least from the catholic perspective.  I don't think that Christianity and the West should be vilified based on a lot of fuzzy history.  The Real History of the Crusades

[crusadermoe]

Wow.....another chance to beat this dead horse.   

Who has that emoticon?   

[LaPorteAveApostle]

EVERYBODY

1) go to preview

2) click [more] in brown below the row of icons

3)   

4)  profit!?!?!

OR just type deadhorse between two colons.