Didn't they choose the name Beacons because no one else in D1 had the name? I feel like someone here said so or I saw so elsewhere.
I feel like the knight should have stayed, would have saved a lot of money on rebranding. If we wanted to be original we could have chosen the name "Paladins". Paladin is defined as "A Military leader who fights for a cause". Basically a synonym for Crusader but broader in meaning. Avoids spending money to 86 the crusader and slap the shield everywhere.
I feel like the dogs should be scrapped for a "Lamplighter". No not the guys from Marry Poppins 2, but a figure who carries around a torch, either in the form of a staff or the torch we have on our secondary logo. Could even be a live mascot like the Leprechaun.
Although I see the dissent for the term "Grounded" as a "young mind" I don't really have any issues. If I were to change the motto it would be to what MVC Rothstein on twitter uses whenever the basketball team wins a game. "Beacons of Hope" or kept it to the proverb because religious school.
Here's the thing... We can complain about the motto, or the mascot change and that is fine, but if you drop support for the school altogether because of a name and a motto, that's childish. We can voice our complaints and that is fine, we are all entitled to our own opinions on the matter, but you should NEVER drop your support of the school over these reasons.
Rez, the uniqueness approach, if actually the rationale, was laudable - but only if the selection was more in keeping with competition and athletics. The struggle to come up with a new, suitable logo and the eventual settling on the existing Valpo shield underscores lack of downstream ramifications. But, heck, we compete against two bulldogs in the PFL alone. Roger coached the Gonzaga Bulldogs, aka, the Zags. How many Tigers, Wildcats, Flames, Bears, or Huskies etc. are out there? Few care about uniqueness. You are who you want to be.
BTW, Paladins? Taken — Furman.
Anyway, I wasn’t trying to resurrect the mascot controversy. That is a done deal and, unfortunately, dead. I merely wanted to point out that there have been, IMO, a succession of PR mistakes that seem to build one upon the other.
@vulb62 You mentioned the mascot so I asked a question and gave what I thought should have happened. Mascot twas not the reason for my post anyway. Same with the motto as this is the reason for the thread.
The point I was trying to make was that people are taking mascots and mottos too much to heart when, as you mentioned, are already, or are going to, be dead topics in the coming months/years.
Also, why are there so many bulldogs, tigers, and wildcats in the competition field? Makes it a bit hard to create unique logos and brands rather than just slapping your name under a generic logo or using block letters like 90% of the Block Image Generator Conference
Valpos PR and marketing has been a true dumpster fire since the Crsuader was retired. None of it makes sense.
Scott Ochander successfully led the rebrand in the 2010s. Hate to see all of his hard work wasted by this incompetence.
Folks, seriously, how many students are drawn to a university because of its logo and mascot(s)?
Maybe I'm old school but I didn't give the school logo or the Crusaders nomenclature a thought when I enrolled at VU.
If folks are still riled up about retiring the Crusader name because of the political overtones, I think they have to get over it. Or, they can continue to stew, but the notion that VU's enrollment challenges are due in significant part to that decision just doesn't hold up. (Plus, aside from the need for tuition-paying butts in seats, I'm not sure we want a cohort of students who picks their school based on a mascot, to be honest.)
FWIW, I haven't been pleased about VU's marketing, either, but for different reasons that many of those expressed. I continue to think that VU undervalues the sense of balance and blend that a comprehensive university can offer in terms of both professional & vocational education and the liberal arts.
I don't get everyone's lack of understanding in relation to the word "grounded". Grounded in faith, secure in our beliefs, not subject to the winds of fate, firmly rooted in our belief system and direction.
Psalm 40:2 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."
Ephesians 3:17 "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love..."
Isaiah 33:6 "He will be the firm foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure"
Shall I go on??
I also don't understand the confusion around grounded. I was recently on campus again and they have flags up that utilize both the grounded and radiate words and it seems to make sense. I also chatted with a campus contact who indicated to me that it's less of a full rebranding and more of a continuation of a desire to unite under the framework of Light both with our motto and the beacon brand as well as just to modernize some of the colors/design choices being used in marketing. They're opinions on the mascots seemed to just be "they're fine they're dogs, people seem to like them"
@vu72 , I do not see it as a lack of understanding, and probably most can understand grounded as you describe.
However, grounded in that sense may not be the first thing that comes to mind for the average person. I think the questions are more if it makes sense to pick a word that you have to explain.
Perhaps if the university embraces, "Grounded in Faith" and decided to feature Ephesians 3:17, that would help clear it up! (That would be too far for some, even if it wouldn't be far enough for O.P. Kretzmann.)
While on Campus I noticed some of the banners and one said Grounded in Truth and Grounded in Wisdom. There might have been a Grounded in Faith one as well. IMO that works better than Grounded We Radiate. There were also ones that Said "we Radiate Hope" or other things but I can't remember what else.
You've all probably seen this on tee shirts:
Let’s eat Gramma.
Let’s eat, Gramma.
Punctuation saves lives.
Beacon92’s observations on campus made sense and got me thinking along the tee shirt line above. Add a period.
Grounded. We Radiate.
I was thinking that a period distinguishes between two separate but closely related declarative and decisive statements: [Implied - We are ] Grounded….. (in faith, scholarship, values, etc.). We [Implied - Therefore] Radiate ……. (light, love, happiness, hope, etc.).
But it is kinda fun to see that your reply reflected a different interpretation. And there were other interpretations as well. Is that good? Or does that suggest that the tag line is too ambiguous? IDK, but however they go forward with the concept, I hope that it will be consistent and leaves no doubt about the message.
The irony here is that half a dozen message board posters seem to understand and better articulate the issues than the VU branding and marketing team. Maybe there is a plan to roll this out and better clarify the message, yet that remains to be seen.
Since we are now speaking about grammar and punctuation, what do folks think of the Oxford comma? I was taught to use it and have always done so, but I notice a decent amount of folks in the workplace that do not.
