Valpo drops ‘Crusaders’ team name
The Valparaiso University Victory Bell as seen in 2012. (Photo used via Creative Commons License)
Valparaiso University announced on August 10 that it has adopted the Beacons as its new team name, replacing the Crusaders, a term school officials dropped this year after saying it had been embraced by hate groups.
University president José D. Padilla said the private Lutheran school’s new nickname “directly connects to the University’s motto, ‘In Thy Light We See Light,’ and represents the Valparaiso University community in many ways.”
“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,” Padilla said in a news release.
