by Jordan Houser
After 54 years touting the Crusader name, faculty, staff, and students are rethinking the university mascot.
Although the debate has been ongoing for quite some time, a recent story shared nationally by Fox News about another university’s mascot change fueled the controversy.
Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, Wis. recently dropped their Crusader mascot, but a representative from the university told Fox News, “the heartbeat behind [the name change] was not political correctness, but expanded opportunities for our students.”
The origin of the Crusader nickname traces to militant disputes between Christians and Muslims over land in and near Jerusalem. These crusades lasted from the late 11 to 13th century.
Fox News quoted Capital University representative Nichole Johnson as having said, “If it ever did become a divisive issue or a dominant one on campus, we would be happy to have that conversation.”
Likewise, Student Government Executive Vice President Grant Sharratt claims that despite quiet conversation on campus, there has not yet been a formal discussion brought to student government.
“There are small chatters on the side, but nothing formal,” Sharratt said. “We haven’t discussed [the crusader mascot issue] as an executive board or as a senate, but I think that if it became an issue, we would create a formal stance on it.”
Despite these claims, faculty and students would argue that the crusader mascot certainly is a divisive and dominant issue on campus.
Carolyn May, a senior religion major, has worked steadily since her freshman year to elicit a mascot change. She and several other students became concerned of the alleged insensitivity of the crusader name in a Liberation Theology course and immediately began researching, meeting with professors, and investigating the situation.
“We did a bunch of research on what the crusades actually were, what that entailed, and what it means that we claim them as our identity,” May said.
Of the professors with whom they spoke, Drs. Loopstra and Dr. Belcastro were most adamant about their concern.
Dr. Loopstra, who spent time teaching in Iraq, connected May with a contact in Iraq, with whom she soon exchanged emails.
“[When we talked] it was super interesting,” May said. “She was like ‘that would be like our mascot being the jihadist. When I hear ‘crusader’ I think of those wars against my people,’” May said.
Despite her ongoing work, May feels as if administration has given little recognition.
“It sort of feels like we’ve been ignored, and we have been ignored, clearly,” May said. “I have been working with a group of other students and we were meeting with these professors.”
These professors passed the information along, according to May.
“I know for a fact that they are professors who have brought it up to administration,” May said. “Dr. Belcastro worked a lot with us, and he has continually brought it up to President Bowman and Dr. Ashbrook. They’re like, ‘yeah, we get that it’s in issue’ and we just keep doing the same things over and over.”
For May, the fundamental issue with the university nickname goes much deeper than alumni contributions to the university, which she believes to be the actual source of administration hesitancy.
“I feel like maybe we need to lose a little bit of funds in order to embrace the human dignity as one of our values,” May said.
Despite these efforts, Johnson maintains that the university has no plans to drop the affiliation with the crusader name, but would listen if the issue became more apparent.
“Capital’s never really been shy about having conversations about this, and if it were to become a divisive issue on campus, I think that is something that we would be glad to talk about,” Johnson said.
When asked what would classify as a ‘divisive issue,’ Johnson pointed to a formal, organized effort for change.
“There’s been anecdotal conversation throughout the years,” Johnson said. “Maybe one or two students, or a classroom might come up with ideas about changing it, but it hasn’t, to my knowledge, been ongoing, long-term conversation or a campaign,” Johnson said.
“Usually when there’s some type of an organized effort to make a change, that’s usually when we make a move and take up the conversation.”
In the event of a mascot-change, Capital’s beloved Cappie may not necessarily require a transformation. The costume of the university’s mascot is not an accurate representation of a crusader, but instead embodies a roman centurion.
To drop the crusader name, Johnson says that the university would take into consideration the feelings of all those affected.
“It would probably be a broader conversation,” she said. “It’s important to understand the student perspective, the faculty perspective, and the alumni perspective.”
If university administration seeks evidence of the crusader name as a divisive issue before approaching such a change, May is happy to provide that evidence.
“I’m actually thankful for [Nichole Johnson’s] comments, because it’s sort of the kick in the butt I needed to start doing stuff again,” May said.
“If she doesn’t think it’s an issue yet, I’ll make it an issue before I leave.”
jhouser@capital.edu
