Talk:Fresno Pacific University

Motto

The motto "Fundamentum Christus" was changed when Latin professor Marshall Johnston pointed out that while "fundamentum" does mean "foundation," it is also a slang term for what we might call a tush or a rear end. The previous university seal employed what might best be described as "bad Latin". This situation has recently been corrected by the change of University graphics and logos. CaliforniaKid 08:06, 14 April 2006 (UTC)

The Latin in the former motto is Latin Vulgate (largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina Gospels used by the Roman Church) and therefore not Classical Latin. Classicists call it "bad Latin," but it is a dialect. Vulgate was chosen for the motto because it was the version of Latin used by Menno Simons, for whom the branches of Mennonites, including the Mennonite Brethren who founded FPU and with whom the university is still affiliated, are named. The motto was translated into English because "Fundamentum" was misunderstood by many as "Fundamentalist," which the university is not. 162.212.34.216 (talk) 16:01, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

My apologies to CaliforniaKid and Marshall, but the Latin translation of the motto was on the way out before Dr. J arrived. The debate--rather, the mindnumbing horror show--was in full swing when I got here 10 years ago. The classic Latin purists were droning on about the "bad" Latin while the Vulgate Latin fans defended their form as the source of the motto since it was a favorite of Menno Simons, from whose name the Mennonite founders of FPU spring, who wrote in Vulgate.

The straw that broke the camel's came when the admissions people pointed out that many prospective students thought "Fundamentum" meant "Fundamentalist." It took awhile for such practical reasoning to pierce the academic fog, but finally it did. FPU Editor

Buildings (sugested addition to the boxed list)

2022 Warkentine Culture and Arts Center A building dedicated to arts that includes an auditorium for performances and other events, a black box theater, an art gallery and support facilities including a green room and prop shop. 162.212.34.216 (talk) 16:04, 10 May 2023 (UTC)