Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross to Drop Knight Imagery as Mascot

The president of the College of the Holy Cross says the Jesuit school will stop using the image of a knight as a logo and mascot even though trustees last month decided to keep the nickname Crusaders for its athletic teams.

“This in-between decision is so political that it’s ugly,” said student Nick Guarracino.

He went on to say, “Personally I would prefer to keep it as the Crusaders with the knight."

The Rev. Philip Boroughs wrote in a letter to students, alumni, and staff at the Worcester, Massachusetts school that the depiction of a knight with the moniker Crusader is an inevitable reminder of the religious wars and violence that marked the Crusades.

Boroughs said such imagery "stands in contrast to our stated values," but also noted the word "crusader," in its modern sense, means someone who stands for positive principles.

In Febrauary, the president and colleges trustees announced they’d keep crusaders pointing out that a crusader suggests a noble effort to support a cause.

“If he wants to take away the knight, that makes sense. You don’t want to offend people for sure,” said student Nina Sparre.

But others aren’t so convinced.

”I almost say nitpicking,” said Jean Pierre Tetreault. "Cause then we can look around and find problems with everything.”

In place of a knight, Holy Cross will use an interlocking HC on a purple shield as its primary logo.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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