Meaningless But Fun To Read

[Just Sayin]

https://twitter.com/MattNorlander/status/1448669360663449602

[VUGrad1314]

The gratuitous shots at our new nickname are getting old. It's in every article. We get it. Nobody likes the new nickname. It's here to stay though so can we move on now? Hopefully we can shock a lot of people and start winning consistently so that they have no choice but to talk about something else. #305 (WIU) is very interesting as well. Norlander writes in his blurb "The school is heavily rumored to be joining the OVC. That might help grease the skids for Murray State's arrival. As much as they want to leave I wonder if as a charter member of the OVC they are a little reluctant to put the conference in a spot where they kill the football autobid so they are waiting until the OVC can figure it out by adding another team so that the autobid stays intact. That might be wishful thinking on my part as I've made no secret how much I want Murray State in the MVC but maybe it is a factor possibly the most important one.

[Chairback]

If you are sick of it now, wait till the games start.  Each road game the Beacons will be brought up. 

[valpo64]

You chose  it(the Name) now deal with it.  All the pooh pooh talk about it from every source around ought to tell us something about what a bad choice the name was.  In my circle of friends I have NEVER heard a positive comment about the name...in fact most people just chuckle when the name is mentioned.  As for the public in general I guess the feeling is mutual.

[Just Sayin]

I think students in the stands of our opponents are going to have fun with this, possibly with signs and chants. It ain't over.

[vu72]

Nobody likes the new nickname

Except the students and me!

[VUGrad1314]

You chose  it(the Name) now deal with it.  All the pooh pooh talk about it from every source around ought to tell us something about what a bad choice the name was.  In my circle of friends I have NEVER heard a positive comment about the name...in fact most people just chuckle when the name is mentioned.  As for the public in general I guess the feeling is mutual.

I chose nothing as I had no hand in it. I think because I'm among the younger subset of regular posters here perhaps you're painting my generation with a broad brush. The most charitable thing I ever said on the matter was that I understood why they were doing it but that it wasn't necessary as "Crusader" can have meanings beyond holy war and it was poorly timed as we should not have been doing a rebrand during a time when we were facing a budget shortfall. On the name "Beacons" specifically I thought it was among the least bad and certainly the most culturally appropriate (considering our character as a religious institution) name available. If that's a statement of support it could not possibly be more tepid. It's sort of like the messages I was reading from fans of other MVC teams when we were added to replace Wichita State. "Good I guess" or "The best of a list of bad options," among others. Those aren't exactly ringing endorsements and I would never say that those who said those things were overly supportive of our admission into the MVC based on those statements.

[valpopal]

Nobody likes the new nickname

Except the students and me!

I recently spoke with a faculty member who had been among those promoting the change of the nickname. She informed me that she brought up the topic in her freshman class. She was surprised and disappointed to find the students were almost unanimously in favor of keeping the Crusaders over the Beacons. Most adamant, she reported, were the athletes in her class.


As far as I am concerned, Beacons is not horrible given the connections to light imagery and metaphors at the university, just as long as the silly idea of a lighthouse logo is dropped.

[wh]

I detested the name Beacons when I first heard it, until I read this:

"Our new nickname directly connects to the University's motto, 'In Thy Light We See Light,' and represents the Valparaiso University community in many ways," said José D. Padilla, J.D., University president. "We are beacons of light and hope in our communities. We are beacons of change on campus, in our region and in our country. We are beacons of knowledge for our students' academic, social and spiritual growth. Above all, we are beacons of God's light around the world. We light the way for our students, so that once they graduate, they shine their light for others. We are all Beacons at Valparaiso University."

"In Thy Light We See Light" refers specifically and only to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Anointed One.

John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I can only imagine that the last thing the wokies* who created this unnecessary, divisive drama queen moment had in mind is even more meaningful Christian religion symbolism. Thus, I love the new name, and I've had President Padilla's back from that day forward.

* According to Urban Dictionary, a wokie is someone who wants kudos for performing wokeness – enlightenment.

Thank you to our resident wokies for "enlightening" us that we need a more positive and pure symbol of Christianity - Jesus Christ, The Light of the World.

[Just Sayin]

I detested the name Beacons when I first heard it, until I read this:

"Our new nickname directly connects to the University's motto, 'In Thy Light We See Light,' and represents the Valparaiso University community in many ways," said José D. Padilla, J.D., University president. "We are beacons of light and hope in our communities. We are beacons of change on campus, in our region and in our country. We are beacons of knowledge for our students' academic, social and spiritual growth. Above all, we are beacons of God's light around the world. We light the way for our students, so that once they graduate, they shine their light for others. We are all Beacons at Valparaiso University."

"In Thy Light We See Light" refers specifically and only to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Anointed One.

John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I can only imagine that the last thing the wokies* who created this unnecessary, divisive drama queen moment had in mind is even more meaningful Christian religion symbolism. Thus, I love the new name, and I've had President Padilla's back from that day forward.

* According to Urban Dictionary, a wokie is someone who wants kudos for performing wokeness – enlightenment.

Thank you to our resident wokies for "enlightening" us that we need a more positive and pure symbol of Christianity - Jesus Christ, The Light of the World.

Dear Jesus, let us kick our opponents' ass and shine your light while you guide the ball into the hoop.

[wh]

I detested the name Beacons when I first heard it, until I read this:

"Our new nickname directly connects to the University's motto, 'In Thy Light We See Light,' and represents the Valparaiso University community in many ways," said José D. Padilla, J.D., University president. "We are beacons of light and hope in our communities. We are beacons of change on campus, in our region and in our country. We are beacons of knowledge for our students' academic, social and spiritual growth. Above all, we are beacons of God's light around the world. We light the way for our students, so that once they graduate, they shine their light for others. We are all Beacons at Valparaiso University."

"In Thy Light We See Light" refers specifically and only to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Anointed One.

John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I can only imagine that the last thing the wokies* who created this unnecessary, divisive drama queen moment had in mind is even more meaningful Christian religion symbolism. Thus, I love the new name, and I've had President Padilla's back from that day forward.

* According to Urban Dictionary, a wokie is someone who wants kudos for performing wokeness – enlightenment.

Thank you to our resident wokies for "enlightening" us that we need a more positive and pure symbol of Christianity - Jesus Christ, The Light of the World.

Dear Jesus, let us kick our opponents' ass and shine your light while you guide the ball into the hoop.

Matthew 27:29
And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

[Just Sayin]

Puhleese!

[valpo64]

School athletic teams nicknames should not reflect some egotistical, academic, philosophically  based "thesis" that makes those that chose the name feel better about themselves, showing how smart they are(or think they are).  Let's face it, the School  blew it!  Enough of the trying to justify it with "higher" thoughts about one's self , expressing one's intelligence and thinking it is a great nickname for our athletic teams.  I don't think we will see the nickname on many of our teams  jerseys and I understand why.  If it wasn't such a poor choice we would not be still talking about it.  GO VALPO!

[vu72]

School athletic teams nicknames should not reflect some egotistical, academic, philosophically  based "thesis" that makes those that chose the name feel better about themselves, showing how smart they are(or think they are).  Let's face it, the School  blew it!  Enough of the trying to justify it with "higher" thoughts about one's self , expressing one's intelligence and thinking it is a great nickname for our athletic teams.  I don't think we will see the nickname on many of our teams  jerseys and I understand why.  If it wasn't such a poor choice we would not be still talking about it.  GO VALPO!

We should have just gone with Bulldogs.  That would have made everybody happy.

[wh]

The decision to get rid of the Crusader was perpetrated by Valparaiso University educators and staff members, brainwashed by the tenets of critical theory and cultural Marxism. It was a selfish, divisive act, intentionally timed to take advantage of a weak interim leader and a board fearful of being victimized by cancel culture tactics. The legitimacy of the survey process was called into question, as well, and for good reason IMO.

Business leadership 501: Divisive, ethically questionable decisions always (let me repeat ALWAYS) yield divisive, untrustworthy results. We are now living in that moment, and all the opinion expressing, philosophizing, and reasoning in the world is not going to make it go away. It's a self-inflicted wound that in time will scab over, but will not be forgotten.

In the meantime, let me suggest that the anger being expressed should be reserved for the perpetrators, and not each other.

[Chairback]

If it wasn't a poor choice national sports writers wouldn't call it out in a blurb that was supposed to be about the team. 

[vu72]

perpetrated by Valparaiso University educators and staff members,

Don't forget about the student body, 2500 members of a Facebook group and the Alumni Association. All voted or wanted it gone.

[wh]

perpetrated by Valparaiso University educators and staff members,

Don't forget about the student body, 2500 members of a Facebook group and the Alumni Association. All voted or wanted it gone.

Right. lol

[FWalum]

Nobody likes the new nickname

Except the students and me!

I recently spoke with a faculty member who had been among those promoting the change of the nickname. She informed me that she brought up the topic in her freshman class. She was surprised and disappointed to find the students were almost unanimously in favor of keeping the Crusaders over the Beacons. Most adamant, she reported, were the athletes in her class.


As far as I am concerned, Beacons is not horrible given the connections to light imagery and metaphors at the university, just as long as the silly idea of a lighthouse logo is dropped.

It amazes me, even on the main stream media, at least once a week or more I hear them talk about how someone is a "crusader" for this or that. I am shocked that this "horrible" word can be used in such revered fashion by even the most woke, yet using it as a nickname is looked on with disdain.

[bbtds]

If you are sick of it now, wait till the games start.  Each road game the Beacons will be brought up. 

Maybe we should have a contest. We could list the stupidest comments about the name Beacons that road announcers make during their broadcasts and at the end of the road season we could vote on what was the dumbest comment of all season.

[valpo64]

Having a contest would be insignificant because all of the negative comments are pertinent and applicable and they are all winners.

[bbtds]

Having a contest would be insignificant because all of the negative comments are pertinent and applicable and they are all winners.

I would say most contests are insignificant but they can be fun.

You really need to lose the negative attitude toward the nickname Beacons. It's here and it won't change.

The gratuitous shots at our new nickname are getting old. It's in every article. We get it. Nobody likes the new nickname. It's here to stay though so can we move on now? Hopefully we can shock a lot of people and start winning consistently so that they have no choice but to talk about something else.

[usc4valpo]

I wasn't enamored with the Crusader mascot name but the Beacons name sucks. It's over, just call them Valpo and move on. Time to win and win now.

[vu72]

Go Beacons! Embrace it. Stop whining! 

[wh]

President Padilla's vision is to differentiate Valpo from myriad other private academic institutions with the same secular world view. One element  of that is a shift toward embracing its Lutheran roots. It's called unique positioning. The name change supports the shift. It would be an appropriate step under any circumstance, but the fact that he took a highly divisive act by a group of nefarious actors and used it as opportunity to effect positive change is brilliant.