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VALAPARAISO, Ind. (AP) – The University of Valparaiso announced Thursday that it is dropping the name of the Crusaders team, the school’s mascot, and all logos associated with the term it says has been adopted by hate groups.
The decision comes after a decades-long debate that had recently intensified because groups such as the Ku Klux Klan began to use symbols and words. The school’s faculty and student senates each passed resolutions calling for this change, and the university’s alumni board supported reassessing the relevance of the team name.
The Crusades were a series of bloody religious wars beginning in the 11th century between Christians and Muslims. For years, Valpo’s sports mascot has been a helmeted figure in faux armor.
“The negative connotation and violence associated with images of the Crusaders do not reflect Valpo’s mission and values, which foster a welcoming and inclusive community,” said Interim President Colette Irwin-Knott. “It’s the decision that best reflects our values and our community.”
President-elect Jose D. Padilla will oversee a committee that will consider adopting a new team name and mascot for the 3,100-student Lutheran school in northwest Indiana. Padilla is expected to take the presidency on March 1.
Student President Kaitlyn Steinhiser said the Student Senate believed the school mascot should represent the values of the university and help create the spirit of the school.
“The Crusader doesn’t do this effectively,” she said.
Irwin-Knott said Valparaiso was following the lead of other universities, which also abandoned the Crusaders.
“Valpo is and always has been a faith-based institution, and we want to make sure that our symbolism is aligned with our beliefs and speaks to the core values of the Lutheran ethos,” she said. “At Valpo, we strive to seek the truth, to serve generously and to cultivate hope. We do not believe that the Crusader as a mascot exemplifies these values.
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