Susquehanna U loses 'Crusaders,' donations

SELINSGROVE, Pa. - Some donors have told Susquehanna University that they intend to keep their cash now that the "Crusaders" nickname and logo are being replaced.

Others offered donations in support of Monday's decision to move on from the moniker that dates to 1924, according to university president L. Jay Lemons.

The issue has split opinion in three directions: approval, refusal, and apathy.

By Wednesday, a day-old change.org petition to keep the name had passed 1,500 signatures. Supporters are rallying on Twitter and Facebook. There's been a run on Crusader merchandise at the campus bookstore.

The Crusader name was bestowed by a newspaper in honor of a university administrator working to maintain amateurism in collegiate athletics.

Over the years, the imagery changed to mirror the Crusades in the Middle Ages - Maltese crosses were added to football helmets, a knight riding a horse was used as a logo. The letter "S" is now more prominent than anything else.

Critics contend the board of trustees' vote was a case of preemptive political correctness. Supporters say it is sensitive to Muslims and Jews, among others, who were persecuted during the Crusades. - Sunbury (Pa.) Daily Item