Some Faculty Members are trying to get rid of the Crusader & Change the Mascot..

[VU2014]

I thought this deserved its own thread. I saw ValpoPal's post that mentioned it.

Personally I am not for changing the Mascot. There is sometimes change that is needed to be respectful in my eyes but then there are people who want to see change because they think society should be "overly-sensitive" and I think this creeps into that territory...

ValpoPal's Post from before:

More important than the name on the back of the uniforms, those away from campus should be aware there is a movement organized by activist faculty members to change the name of the team and the mascot, as well as the Valparaiso University logo. In this week's Torch, a letter appeared from one of the faculty after a "teach-in" by the "Compassionate Campus Faculty Learning Community" titled "Islamaphobia and the Crusader Mascot." The group has a Facebook page, "VU-FLC Creating a Compassionate Campus Series," where they have posted photos of the "teach-in" and a poll intended to create artwork for a new VU logo.

How about if we alter the name from "the fighting Crusaders of Valparaiso University" to "The Compassionate Crusaders of Vaplaraiso University" ?  We could still use the mascot but have him smiling.

Maybe he mascot is smiling under the armor. How about we assume that and move forward?

In the meantime, we should have a set back the clock game, wear the puke orange jerseys from the Smith era,  play a game at Hilltop and flip the bird at the officials in honor of Rob Harden? Ok, maybe not the last suggestion. How about play without a shot kick and win 35-33 over a div 3 Indiana foe?

Just what we need...the faculty running the University!  I've had it with the politically correct crap.  Maybe we could change our colors to pink and blue and change our nickname to "The fighting Jeans" to eliminate the gender thing too.

[valpo4life]

This is infuriating.

[VULB#62]

I voted to keep the Crusader, but I thought it relevant to point out that before we became Crusaders we actually were the Uhlans. At the time, I would assume, we, as a Lutheran institution,  changed to Crusaders, in keeping with the "onward Christian Soldiers" philosophy with little thought to who the enemy might be, forgetting that these 'Christian Soldiers' only fought in the Holy Land.

Uhlans are, according to Wikipedia:

uhlan  or ulan
n
1. (Historical Terms) history a member of a body of lancers first employed in the Polish army and later in W European armies
2. (Military) history a member of a body of lancers first employed in the Polish army and later in W European armies
[C18: via German from Polish ulan, from Turkish ōlan young man]

Essentially they were light calvary as memorialized in "The Charge of the Light Brigade."

[usc4valpo]

This is ridiculous. Valpo is a Christian school!  Also, Crusaders was used for a legendary R&B group.

and please, do not compare thIs to the Washington redskins situation.

[VU2014]

If you vote yes or no or idc, I encourage you to share your reasoning.

I personally voted no, because I thought it was being way to politically correct, but I respect opposing opinions.

My thought process:
-It just seems like a bit of virtue signaling by the people actively trying the change the mascot.

-In life you can't make everyone happy. Someone will always be "offended" (or get worked up in their head about something) and by trying to change
everything to try your best not offend anyone is an unaccomplishable goal. This push by one small side of the spectrum to make everything in society to be politically correct is particularly concerning to me.

-From what I've heard, is that the small group trying to change the mascot gave a very one-sided run down of the history/pre-history/post-history of the Crusades. Apparently it was being spun to just say Christians were the aggressors/oppressors in the whole situation and completely did not want to acknowledge the Islamic Conquests into Europe that provoke religious wars. I am not very religious but I do care very deeply about history and ignoring and picking & choosing parts of history you don't like is intellectually dishonest (particularly shameful when it comes from University Faculty) and wrong.

[FieldGoodie05]

If you vote yes or no or idc, I encourage you to share your reasoning.

I personally voted no, because I thought it was being way to politically correct, but I respect opposing opinions.

My thought process:
-It just seems like a bit of virtue signaling by the people actively trying the change the mascot.

-In life you can't make everyone happy. Someone will always be "offended" (or get worked up in their head about something) and by trying to change
everything to try your best not offend anyone is an unaccomplishable goal. This push by one small side of the spectrum to make everything in society to be politically correct is particularly concerning to me.

-From what I've heard, is that the small group trying to change the mascot gave a very one-sided run down of the history/pre-history/post-history of the Crusades. Apparently it was being spun to just say Christians were the aggressors/oppressors in the whole situation and completely did not want to acknowledge the Islamic Conquests into Europe that provoke religious wars. I am not very religious but I do care very deeply about history and ignoring and picking & choosing parts of history you don't like is intellectually dishonest (particularly shameful when it comes from University Faculty) and wrong.

Offense is taken where offense is meant.  I'd vote "No" but I quit FaceBook in 2010 to simplify life.

[jsher3141]

Maybe we should just stop being a Christian or Lutheran university too while we are at it.  Don't want to offend any other religions...

[beaner]

Maybe we should just stop being a Christian or Lutheran university too while we are at it.  Don't want to offend any other religions...

I agree with your statement. Just remove from Valpo's literature and website that they are a private Lutheran University.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

[VULB#62]

Maybe we should just stop being a Christian or Lutheran university too while we are at it.  Don't want to offend any other religions...

Yeah, we could take a page from UC Santa Cruz and change to the Banana Slugs. 

Banana slug is a common name for three North American species of terrestrial slug in the genus Ariolimax. These slugs are often yellow in color and are sometimes spotted with brown, like a ripe banana.  The students' embrace of such a lowly creature was their response to the fierce athletic competition fostered at most American universities.

The Banana Slug has attracted a good deal of national attention over the years. In 2008, ESPN named it one of the 10 best college basketball mascots. Four years earlier, Reader's Digest named it the best. People magazine once dedicated a full-page spread to the Santa Cruz Banana Slug movement. The National Directory of College Athletics named it the best college mascot and Sports Illustrated magazine once named the Banana Slug the nation's best college nickname.

Sammy the Slug mascot has been appearing around campus at sports events and other functions. And, when the men's tennis team played in the NCAA championships, their T-shirts read: "Banana Slugs-No Known Predators."


There you have it -- no known predators.  Who could be offended by that?

[VU2014]

When I first read 'banana slug' I thought it was honest a parody or a joke or something. Wow....

A public University from California would pick a schools Mascot the banana slugs

https://twitter.com/valpo_hoops/status/846846019614724100

[FWalum]

This is infuriating.

Maybe this group aught to read some of this guys work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Madden
Here is a condensed article based on his book "The New Concise History of the Crusades" The Real History of the Crusades
I think someone else had mentioned his works in another thread about this subject.

[usc4valpo]

If you have ever seen the movie Pulp Fiction, you would notice John Travolta wearing a UC Santa Cruz T-Shirt after cleaning out the car.

[bbtds]

If we end up changing the crusader mascot I vote for a change to the vicuna.






The Valpo Vicunas!

It's unique, like the banana slugs, and it goes with Valpo, as it starts with V also. It's from South America which is also where the name Valparaiso comes from.

[VU75]

I voted to keep the Crusader, but I thought it relevant to point out that before we became Crusaders we actually were the Uhlans. At the time, I would assume, we, as a Lutheran institution,  changed to Crusaders, in keeping with the "onward Christian Soldiers" philosophy with little thought to who the enemy might be, forgetting that these 'Christian Soldiers' only fought in the Holy Land.

Actually the Uhlans mane was dropped in response to Nazi Germany.

[crusadermoe]

Here is a serious proposal.   I would appreciate a quick poll!

We could kill two birds with one stone.  We could appease our sensitive young friends and also make our unique NW Indiana "lake effect" more nationally known.  How about......drumroll........the "VALPARAISO SNOWFLAKES"!!     What would be the trim on our glistening white  uniforms?....light blue?

[valpolaw]

I wish this thread was a joke but sadly it's not. The staff wanting to change it needs to find some better cause to devote their time to.

[swiftmutiny]

I always thought that the "Valparaiso Silkie Chickens" had a nice ring to it.

[crusadermoe]

Compare and contrast Saint Olaf to Valpo as it stands today.   Go.....


.http://www.topix.com/forum/colleges/saint-olaf-college/T1O62TK8EU25J1MAR/conservative-students-at-lutheran-college-say-they

[covufan]

Maybe a throwback to the Strongbow turkey farm days - The Valparaiso Gobblers

[usc4valpo]

seriously, besides a letter to the college newspaper, how much support is this getting on campus?

The university needs to be careful here. Alums get very sensitive when mascots get changed for PC reasons, and this can reduce donations. Look at university of North Dakota as an example. Marquette is another.

[yayphoenixyay]

I'm obviously an outsider, but I would vote yes simply because "Crusaders" and the event the name glorifies was in fact a horrific one. I get that its a private xian school, if you asked any student, fan, or faculty if they morally support what the "Crusades" represent, you'd be hard-pressed to find any real support. Something similar or something that represents Valpo's values or culture would be just fine, trust me, its not an attack on your identity.

[Just Sayin]

Just create a safe space for those faculty members who are offended. The Crusades were a response of self-defense against Muslim aggression. Facts are stubborn things.

[humbleopinion]

Maybe we should just stop being a Christian or Lutheran university too while we are at it.  Don't want to offend any other religions...

Last I heard, the pope encouraged the crusades. The crusaders were Roman Catholics.  Luther and the Roman Catholics weren't of one mind, if my understanding of history is correct. 

Equating the school mascot with the religious orientation of the school is absurd.

[usc4valpo]

Here is the other thing that is absurd - the Valpo mascot is pretty neutral and has cartoony feel where it is not offensive.

There are some things that need to change like Cleveland Indians mascot which is obviously offensive, and likely the Washington Redskins name. But this is absurd

[NativeCheesehead]

I do not think the mascot should, or needs to be changed. But universities are supposed to be a place where ideas are freely exchanged and debated, so I welcome the discussion. Does the PC thing get taken too far at times? Of course. But I think this is a good lesson for the faculty and/or students involved that there's nothing wrong with pointing out what you perceive to be a problem, as long as you're willing to be part of the solution. Don't just grandstand like members of congress claiming something will destroy the country simply because the other party proposed it.

Personally, I say let them propose whatever name they want and let the alumni vote. Alums have the most time (and money) devoted to Vu, and deserve the most say in something like this. My guess is it's a landslide to stay with Crusaders.