Valpo Brand

[78crusader]

I've looked at the VU website regarding our new Brand Identity. I quote from the "Shield of Character": "At its center is the Light, the source of all truth, serving as a reminder of who we are and what we strive to be."

Here is my question, which is not intended to be disrespectful or smart-alecky: How is this in any way consistent with the VU motto of "In Thy Light We See Light?" What is "the Light" referring to in the Shield of Character? Whose light? The light of Christ? Allah? George Clooney?

Or maybe the question should be: Is "In Thy Light We See Light" even our motto anymore?

Paul

[stlvufan]

Aug 25, 2010 11:35:43 GMT -5 78crusader said:

I've looked at the VU website regarding our new Brand Identity. I quote from the "Shield of Character": "At its center is the Light, the source of all truth, serving as a reminder of who we are and what we strive to be."

Here is my question, which is not intended to be disrespectful or smart-alecky: How is this in any way consistent with the VU motto of "In Thy Light We See Light?" What is "the Light" referring to in the Shield of Character? Whose light? The light of Christ? Allah? George Clooney?

Or maybe the question should be: Is "In Thy Light We See Light" even our motto anymore?

Paul

Excellent question, Paul.

[vu72]

Aug 25, 2010 11:35:43 GMT -5 78crusader said:

I've looked at the VU website regarding our new Brand Identity. I quote from the "Shield of Character": "At its center is the Light, the source of all truth, serving as a reminder of who we are and what we strive to be."

Here is my question, which is not intended to be disrespectful or smart-alecky: How is this in any way consistent with the VU motto of "In Thy Light We See Light?" What is "the Light" referring to in the Shield of Character? Whose light? The light of Christ? Allah? George Clooney?

Or maybe the question should be: Is "In Thy Light We See Light" even our motto anymore?

Paul

It seems you might be trying find a fault where none exist. If you need to question "whose light", you ignor the entire history of the University during its ownership and identity with Lutheranism.

This paragraph comes from the news release:

The research drove the design of two new visual identity elements nicknamed “the crest” and “the shield,” which have strong ties to quality and character and stem from the long heritage of Valpo as an independent Lutheran university. “The research has enabled us to identify the strong linkages between Valpo character and Lutheran character,” said Mark Schwehn, University Provost and nationally recognized Lutheran scholar. “It is exciting to see the Lutheran characteristics of quality, freedom, thoughtfulness, servant leadership and sense of purpose integrated so strongly into the new Valpo identity.”

The "light" is the same light that has always been a part of the University Seal. The character described depicts and requires action on the part of the community, not just reciting beliefs.

Not trying to be difficult but find the necessity to pick away, a few days after the new images have been released, troubling.

Perhaps you should take up your concerns with Mark Schwehn.

[stlvufan]

Aug 26, 2010 12:14:02 GMT -5 vu72 said:

Aug 25, 2010 11:35:43 GMT -5 78crusader said:

I've looked at the VU website regarding our new Brand Identity. I quote from the "Shield of Character": "At its center is the Light, the source of all truth, serving as a reminder of who we are and what we strive to be."

Here is my question, which is not intended to be disrespectful or smart-alecky: How is this in any way consistent with the VU motto of "In Thy Light We See Light?" What is "the Light" referring to in the Shield of Character? Whose light? The light of Christ? Allah? George Clooney?

Or maybe the question should be: Is "In Thy Light We See Light" even our motto anymore?

Paul

It seems you might be trying find a fault where none exist. If you need to question "whose light", you ignor the entire history of the University during its ownership and identity with Lutheranism.

This paragraph comes from the news release:

The research drove the design of two new visual identity elements nicknamed “the crest” and “the shield,” which have strong ties to quality and character and stem from the long heritage of Valpo as an independent Lutheran university. “The research has enabled us to identify the strong linkages between Valpo character and Lutheran character,” said Mark Schwehn, University Provost and nationally recognized Lutheran scholar. “It is exciting to see the Lutheran characteristics of quality, freedom, thoughtfulness, servant leadership and sense of purpose integrated so strongly into the new Valpo identity.”

The "light" is the same light that has always been a part of the University Seal. The character described depicts and requires action on the part of the community, not just reciting beliefs.

Not trying to be difficult but find the necessity to pick away, a few days after the new images have been released, troubling.

Perhaps you should take up your concerns with Mark Schwehn.

All well and good, except: like it or not, we live in a post-Christian era, where generic words like Light can, like fine art, be interpreted according to the hearer's own experiences, and if someone wants to interpret "Light" in a non-Christian way, there's nothing that would stop them from doing so, because there's nothing explicit tying "Light" to "Christ" (or even "The Word Made Flesh").

I'm a lay-preacher on the side, and I've heard my fill of generic sermons passing as Christian. You do not want to get me started

Anyway, I don't know if I agree with whatever conclusion Paul has in mind. For that matter, I don't even necessarily agree that VU should exclude other religions from its mission statement.

All I am saying is that I think Paul's question is perfectly valid and deserves an answer.

[fwalum]

Aug 27, 2010 12:25:18 GMT -5 stlvufan said:

All well and good, except: like it or not, we live in a post-Christian era, where generic words like Light can, like fine art, be interpreted according to the hearer's own experiences, and if someone wants to interpret "Light" in a non-Christian way, there's nothing that would stop them from doing so, because there's nothing explicit tying "Light" to "Christ" (or even "The Word Made Flesh").

I'm a lay-preacher on the side, and I've heard my fill of generic sermons passing as Christian. You do not want to get me started

Anyway, I don't know if I agree with whatever conclusion Paul has in mind. For that matter, I don't even necessarily agree that VU should exclude other religions from its mission statement.

All I am saying is that I think Paul's question is perfectly valid and deserves an answer.

I have to agree with Paul and stlvufan. The question is perfectly valid and deserves an answer. My own opinion, after talking to some VU staff, is that the board and President Heckler are very concerned about the declining trend among Lutheran colleges and universities and perhaps rightfully so. Many of the church sponsored schools are in deep trouble. VU appears to be accelerating a continued move to blur its more conservative Lutheran roots. Roots that might be considered a little more intolerant and perhaps not politically correct in order to reach out to the non Lutheran potential student. In the past there was concern about the declining percentage of Lutheran students but that concern is now probably "out the window" as the goal to increase enrollment starts in earnest. Is that new attitude having some influence on the generic use of terms that in the past would not have been used so generically? Time will tell.

[melmellis]

"At its center is the Light, the source of all truth, serving as a reminder of who we are and what we strive to be" seems much less distinctly Christian than "In Thy Light We See Light." I say Christian because "In Thy Light We See Light" certainly applies to denominations besides Lutherans. I think the student body still largely identities with the Christian tradition, but it seems like the student body is much less interested in the Chapel than it used to be ....from what I have heard from professors and the changes I saw between my freshman and senior years at Valpo.

[vuweathernerd]

Sept 4, 2010 21:28:58 GMT -5 melmellis said:

but it seems like the student body is much less interested in the Chapel than it used to be ....from what I have heard from professors and the changes I saw between my freshman and senior years at Valpo.

truth. when my father was at vu, he said that the chapel was full every sunday. currently, we average roughly 150-200 people on sunday mornings.

[fwalum]

If those numbers are accurate they are pretty shocking to me.

[vuweathernerd]

Sept 4, 2010 23:40:43 GMT -5 fwalum said:

If those numbers are accurate they are pretty shocking to me.

i didn't think to count this morning, but i'll try to remember next week.

[govalpogo]

Chapel attendance was once mandatory, particularly for freshmen. Since that policy was done away with some 20-30 years ago attendance has naturally dropped. (Though more than we would like it to.)

This week's count was 274 by the way.

[vu72]

Sept 5, 2010 20:20:49 GMT -5 govalpogo said:

Chapel attendance was once mandatory, particularly for freshmen. Since that policy was done away with some 20-30 years ago attendance has naturally dropped. (Though more than we would like it to.)

This week's count was 274 by the way.

While there is no doubt that fewer students attend chapel on a weekly basis than was the case many years ago, we should also remember that the students have more choices than just Sunday morning. There is now a Sunday evening service and other choices for those students who find getting up on
Sunday difficult.

[valporun]

From 1999-2004, I saw chapel attendance by students being more attended for the 10PM Candlelight Service because it didn't follow the traditional church settings of the liturgy that many of us, including myself, use to separate out how we follow the understandings of church liturgy. Many students now attend churches where there is no organ, it is all "Sing for Show", with arena style lighting, and a praise team that plays contemporary music played on Christian radio. Many of them don't know the traditional or classic hymns, or traditions on which the church was built. It is sad, but even as a person of the current generation, it is their way of making church comfortable for them. I'm not really certain that I like all the contemporary liberalness in the church, but I often attended morning prayer services or Sunday morning services, whether as a common churchgoer, usher, acolyte, sound board operator, or some other capacity.

[govalpogo]

Most students do indeed go to either Candlelight on Sunday nights or to Celebrate on Wednesday nights. Unlike Sunday mornings, those two services are almost exclusively students in attendance and offer very healthy and vibrant faith communities to be a part of.


With each generation the theology and worship style will ebb and flow. The Holy Spirit is still at work though and the gospel of Jesus Christ is still being preached. That's the important part. We should learn to celebrate the beauty of both low and high liturgy and be amazed that God can speak to us in many and various ways.

[vu72]

Sept 6, 2010 0:09:52 GMT -5 govalpogo said:

Most students do indeed go to either Candlelight on Sunday nights or to Celebrate on Wednesday nights. Unlike Sunday mornings, those two services are almost exclusively students in attendance and offer very healthy and vibrant faith communities to be a part of.


With each generation the theology and worship style will ebb and flow. The Holy Spirit is still at work though and the gospel of Jesus Christ is still being preached. That's the important part. We should learn to celebrate the beauty of both low and high liturgy and be amazed that God can speak to us in many and various ways.

Well said indeed. Still, I hope students come to recognize the amazing place the Chapel is and has been. With one of the world's greatest organs and most beautiful altar settings, it is still a great honor and privilege to worship there when ever possible.

The Choral remains one of the greatest college choirs anywhere.
"High" church will make a come back and has in many places. At my sizable Lutheran church probably 2/3 of the members chose traditional worship over contemporary, and we have a very young and growing parish.

[valpo95]

The issue of form, format and attendance for Sunday services is interesting, but not one we'll solve here. However, the question about the Valpo Brand is very relevant. I participated in the alumni survey in advance of the new branding campaign. One of the concerns I noted at the end of that survey is that much of the wording was very generic: Things like faith, character, mission and Lutheran heritage are all well and good, but say very little about the distinctives of the Christian faith.

Even if you search the Valpo website, you'll see few references to anything specific about the Christian faith -- you might see things like "preparing for Christian vocation" or an occasional reference to living with the Christian gospel, but again those are pretty generic. There is nothing specific about what it means to be a Christian, to be a university under the cross of Christ.

I'm reminded of the vision of O.P. Kretzmann:

"...Only the school with a Christian orientation can today stand before the rising generation and say: We have something to offer you which you can find nowhere else. Others may try to make men scientific; we must do that-and make them wise. Others may give men knowledge; we must give them that-and understanding. Others may try to make men useful; we must do that-and we must make them noble... We are able to give you the fellowship of men and women whose respect for Truth is not vitiated by doubts concerning its reality and permanence. We are able to offer you a school which recognizes the supreme dignity and worth of the individual human being. We are committed to the principle that the destiny of a Christian University lies in the quality of the men and women who are graduated from its halls rather than in quantitative production. Our future lies in the development of men and women, perhaps relatively few in number, whose quality will be so high that they will exert an influence on society which cannot be measured in terms of numbers. Above all, we are deeply committed to the recovery of the one great fact which our wayward world has forgotten: The reality of God and the individual's personal responsibility to Him, a responsibility which can be met only by the fact of the Atonement and the re-establishment of an intimate relationship with the Ruler of the Universe through Him who once entered the stream of time in order to tell men that they could know the Truth and that it would make them free. We can build here a school whose greatness is the greatness of freedom under God, the greatness of the free preservation and transmission of Truth, the greatness of an intelligent and dynamic application of a militant faith. It is our destiny "to enter into the labors and sorrows of the world in order to carry into it the flame of a faith truly free from the world." (from Kretzmann's inagural address, 1940)

If we lose the reality of God and the centrality of Christ's atonement, I fear that Valpo becomes just one of many.