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The Lutheran University, aligning itself with schools and professional sports teams that recently eliminated racist mascots, has announced that it will replace its mascot, the Crusader, due to its use by hate groups.
The Crusades represent a period in medieval history when Christians launched violent expeditions against Muslims and Jews in the Holy Land.
“The negative connotation and violence associated with images of the Crusaders do not reflect Valpo’s mission and values, which promote a welcoming and inclusive community,” Interim University President Colette Irwin-Knott said in a statement. Press.
The decision ended a debate among students, faculty and alumni that had intensified in recent years, the statement said.
Students and alumni have wanted it for decades
The discussion of whether the Crusader faithfully reflected the values of the university had been long, but it gained momentum in June 2020, when a coalition dedicated to replacing the Crusader grew to over 2,000 members on Facebook in a few weeks.
In a press release from the Coalition to Retire the Crusader, university alumnus Linda Funke said she was part of efforts to remove the mascot in the mid-2000s – but the origin of those efforts date even earlier.
“I know there have been several attempts to convince the University’s board of trustees to remove the 1970s mascot, but those efforts have never been as successful as this one,” he said. -she stated in the press release.
A coalition organizer, former student Kevin York, told college newspaper The Torch he felt “good about running the college” after the decision, pending a more mascot. unifying as a source of division.
Many are in favor, but resistance is looming
Jenna Rifai, a student at Valparaiso, told the university newspaper that the mascot had always made her uncomfortable.
“As a Muslim, I was embarrassed to come to Valpo because the school mascot was a crusader, even though my mother and older siblings came here before me,” Rifai said. “I know it looks like a small picture, but this picture holds the power. The symbols hold the power.”
Other students remain reluctant to change.
An anonymous athlete told the newspaper he believed the change in mascot betrayed one of Valparaiso’s “strongest characteristics” as a Lutheran university – tradition.
There are more changes to come
Irwin-Knott said in the press release that the university is, and always has been, a denominational institution.
“… we want to make sure that our symbolism is in line with our beliefs and speaks to the core values of the Lutheran ethos,” she said.
In the coming months, Valparaiso will remove its logos and crossed images while forming a committee to consider a new mascot.
The university will continue to share information with the Valparaiso community on the mascot selection process.
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