Be Good. Be Orange.

Submitted by Laura Borgen

“Being Orange” represents many values, which vary from person to person depending on their experience and role in the OSU community.   I personally believe that one of the most important aspects of Being Orange is to be diverse and accept diversity, which Oregon State University also recognizes as one of its core institutional values.

There are many ways that Oregon State University is diverse. The University currently is home to students from all 50 states, in addition to 89 countries. It offers diverse learning opportunities as well, including a variety of study abroad programs and over 200 different graduate degree programs.

As stated in Oregon State University’s Administrative Leadership Strategic Plan – Phase II, “By building a diverse community rich and varied in its talents, OSU seeks to attain excellence and to enrich the human spirit in fields ranging from bioengineering to the visual and performing arts, while capitalizing on its world class engineering and science programs and its distinctive programs in education for entrepreneurship to responsibly address society’s most challenging problems.” It goes on to further explain, “OSU understands diversity is essential to excellence and therefore commits itself to integrating core institutional values of diversity, integrity, respect, social responsibility, and accountability into every dimension of the University’s life.”

But does this mean that it is a good value? I think the answer is yes. At OSU we have the opportunity to engage in a variety of learning environments and interact with people from many different backgrounds. These different backgrounds offer the potential for a wider range of ideas and discussions with more opportunities to practice compassion. As we’ve discussed during class, OSU is full of individuals and shouldn’t be treated as a “degree factory.” Each individual has unique things to contribute to the Orange community and these things should be valued.

One could attend a school exclusive to a certain area of study, but this may also mean potentially limiting oneself socially and intellectually. By including the Baccalaureate Core to students’ educational plans, the University is requiring that students explore their possibilities and broaden their horizons.

I am a Fine Arts major, which associates me with the artistic community at OSU. This includes daily interaction with students pursuing degrees in Art and Graphic Design. Though it is not one of the University’s most accomplished areas of study, it is an important component to ensure that OSU is offering its students an experience rich in the arts as well as science and professional pursuits. My studio classes include a generous mix of non-major students who bring their varied interests and talents into the studio with them for others to learn from. With a patchwork of backgrounds, we are exposed to an enhanced experience as compared to a class of exclusively Art majors. The instructors bring their own backgrounds and styles into the mix, producing a richer education and a broader understanding of the concepts we are taught.

I received a Diversity Scholarship when I chose to attend Oregon State University.  By conventional definition, as a white female I don’t represent ethnic diversity. But as a white female art student from a remote, rural and economically depressed area of Oregon, Oregon State University encouraged me to Be Orange. We at OSU appreciate the value of many voices, many backgrounds, different aspirations and ideas. I could have attended a school exclusive to art study, but this would also mean potentially limiting myself socially and intellectually.

This term I was a student in the figure drawing class offered by the Art Department. This class, like other studio classes, is open to all majors and non-majors who have taken the prerequisite classes. The course objectives include understanding and rendering of human anatomy and gesture, to be learned mostly by live observation. There were multiple class periods spent in the cadaver lab located on campus. During this time we were encouraged to draw our subjects (the cadavers) from different angles and observe the elements of human anatomy that were otherwise hidden on our live models, such as bones, muscles, etc. The experience offered an in-depth and realistic understanding of what happens underneath our outer layers, which has proven to be very useful knowledge when rendering the human body. This kind of collaboration wouldn’t have been possible at an art institute. It is made possible by the fact that we belong to a varied community that thrives on diversity. It is also an example of the continuation of the long-standing relationship between art and science, from which both parties benefit.

Though my Orange experiences deal mostly with academic diversity, there is no denying the ethnic, religious, and overall cultural diversity that can be found throughout campus. Not only are there thousands of international students, but also people from a broad spectrum of religious backgrounds as well as intellectual and recreational interests.  In the two years that I’ve attended Oregon State, I’ve noticed the “Powered by Orange” banners around campus that feature people who have made particular accomplishments that exemplify the University’s “Orange” vision. These people are intentionally from a wide variety of disciplines, physical appearances, and stages in life, communicating the diversity on campus. Though it may seem cliché, the posters represent the things I see and hear about all the time – my fellow Beavers accomplishing great things. There is an incredible amount of realized and potential talent here at OSU, accompanied by an impressive array of skills and knowledge.

Such an environment not only allows casual interaction between people of different backgrounds, but it also encourages it. These interactions may cause you to re-examine your beliefs, which may solidify them or make you come to a new realization about yourself. I believe that one of the best ways to discover things about yourself is to practice compassion. By trying to understand others, we see how we are alike and different and the reasons why.

To Be Orange is not just recognizing and accepting the diversity at OSU, but taking that value and skill and applying it to the rest of your life. To hold it as a value you have to appreciate the opportunities it presents and be willing to open your mind to things you may not understand. With diversity comes collaboration, cooperation, and a more effective and productive environment, whether at the University or anywhere else in the World.

When I leave OSU with a degree in hand, I expect to be a skilled professional in my field. But I also want to feel like I have the proper tools to be successful and be prepared to enter the next stage in my life.  My experiences with the differences of individuals, learning communication with a goal of understanding, and practicing  compassion will go hand in hand with acquiring classroom knowledge and wisdom. When I tell someone that I earned my degree at Oregon State University, I want them to be able to appreciate my variety of experiences and knowledge as well as the degree I acquired. I think that these are the things that it means to Be Orange – to represent and champion strong values such as diversity.

By Alexa Chappell

This ideal, Be Orange, isn’t just a color you call yourself, it’s a set of morals that students at Oregon State should want to take part in. These morals and ideals help our university to better itself and be shown in a positive light. When I think of Oregon State, I think of what it means to have pride. Proud of the obstacles you’ve cleared to get to OSU, the late nights you’ve stayed up studying in order to stay here and the degree you’ve earned in order to graduate. When I think of Oregon State and what it means to Be Orange, I think of the improvements this school has made on my life academically and socially, as well as accountability, and how it is a necessary contribution to a community like Oregon State. When graduation rounds the corner my senior year here, I will be waiting with open arms, proud of my accomplishments and improvements, ready to start the next chapter of my life.

It’s obvious that everyone is going to have their own ideas and perspectives of what it means to Be Orange and different views on what a degree should represent. A few of my friends said that when they thought about Be Orange, they thought of tradition and how their family and relatives are alumni of OSU. Another friend also said that when they think of Be Orange, they think of commitment and dedication, the drive it takes in order to makes things happen for yourself when you didn’t even know what you were working towards in the first place. I agree with both of these meanings for Be Orange; however they don’t fully apply to me. Everyone will have their own ideas of what it means to Be Orange because different people have different perspectives of what moral ideals they take part it.

At the beginning of PHL 205, I was unsure of what the outcome of the class was going to look like. Although, after putting in time and effort, I was able to accomplish what was needed to be done and soon began to grasp the concepts we had been learning in class. This in a way can be related to the accomplishments that can be made at Oregon State. A lot of the time, myself as an example, students come to college not knowing what they want to do with their future, but with a little time and effort put forth, you soon find out what areas fit your interests and how you can use those interests to make your future brighter than it was before.

It’s hard to decipher who all Be Orange can apply to. I think that it can be applied to anyone who has ever been a student or employee of Oregon State University. This includes current students, alumni, professors, advisors, coaches and even the janitorial staff. Anyone who has put time, energy and effort into Oregon State University should be able to consider themselves Orange. I could see where some people might consider themselves Orange if they grew up around Oregon State, whether that means locally living in Corvallis or constantly being surrounded by relatives and family members who raise you to Be Orange and encourage you to attend this college when you’re of age. It’s an honor to call yourself Orange and anyone who chooses to use this as their title should do it with pride. I believe that if someone wants to Be Orange and show their pride for Oregon State in a positive light, they should be able to do that regardless of where/if they’re in college or how much time they put in to this school.  Those who take on the title of “Orange” should show their pride and represent Oregon State University with responsibility and a sense of community. Beaver Nation should be meant for everyone who represents OSU to come together as one and show pride and support for everything this school has to offer; not only in athletics, but in academics and the community as well.

Being a member of Oregon State has shown me what accountability means and how without it, there would be no improvements made. If there were no improvements being made, it would be difficult to be proud of any accomplishments. Being Orange helps show students and others at Oregon State what building blocks are needed in order to succeed. These building blocks are not the same for each person who steps foot on this campus. Being Orange can be altered to mean whatever it takes for you to become a better person and help yourself, and also the university, grow as a whole. If we all were living an Orange lifestyle, we would be able to create the strongest Beaver Nation that Oregon has ever seen. Take pride in everything you’ve gained so far at Oregon State University. Be Proud. Be Orange.

Gabriella Nanson

To be orange means to be responsible.  Being responsible is taking care of yourself and others and taking responsibility for your education, your friendships, and your role in the community.  To attain a degree from OSU is responsibility at its finest.  To graduate with my degree from OSU, installs in me pride, in knowing I can do anything I set my mind to, but also to go forth and share my knowledge of what it means to be responsible, whether that be with coworkers, friends, or family.  Taking responsibility is to only be responsible for actions that have positive outcomes, not actions that have negative effects.  Each year we grow older and more mature, we have a new and improved sense of what responsibility is and what we should be doing to fulfill that duty.  Just like this class, as we grew and became more open to ideas, we are constantly learning what it means to be responsible, and how over time our perceptions can change for the better as long as we are open to change.  We all have different meanings of what it means to be orange.  That’s what is unique about ethics is that there is never one right answer, just like there is no right answer to what it means to be orange, but I think we all have a good idea of what it means to ourselves.

Anyone who attends Oregon State University, as an undergrad, or a graduate can be orange, as well as faculty members.  Being responsible also is to demonstrate skills that a student has learned in his or her major and minor, and any extra skill or concept one may have learned while acting and participating in extra curricula’s on campus such as a club, sport, job, or volunteer activity.  Taking skills learned in classes and applying them to various situations while having a basic understanding of knowledge to share ones own morals is to be orange.

To help others succeed and be responsible is also being orange.  To go beyond the call of duty when not called upon to help and to just be there for others when they need it is demonstrating responsibility.  Sacrificing what one might want to help another in ones community demonstrates being orange.  This could be shown as going out to frozen yogurt when a friend who is having a bad day after finding out they failed their midterm, when you in fact need to be studying for your own midterm.  Giving of oneself to others in a time of need, and also when not in time of need, out of the kindness of ones heart is to be orange.  The professor student relationship is the definition of orange, as they are constantly pushing each other to be better, yet helping one another succeed every day.

I have an idea of what it means to be responsible, but what do others think about responsibility?  Dictionary.com “believes responsibility is the ability or authority to act or decide on one’s own, without supervision.”  I agree with this definition, to an extent.  We as humans do have choices in life that we alone have to make, whether it be to give the money back to the person who dropped in it line ahead of you at the supermarket who did not know they dropped it, to wait another two minutes at the red light at three in the morning, or to even go to class.  We have lots of choices, and we make them based on what our morals and values are.  Actions that are prohibited under the definitions of what it means to be responsible include taking responsibility for something such as mass murder.  Being responsible is to take responsibility for good deeds that have positive outcomes, for yourself and for the community.  So committing crimes and then taking responsibility for them is not what I mean by being responsible, since that does not have positive outcomes by committing a crime.  We have rules and laws for a reason, and we are responsible for following them, and making sure our neighbors follow them too.

We don’t have mom and dad to hold our hand throughout life, so we have to rely on the values we have been taught growing up to be able to make those educated decisions.  Educated decisions are those decisions that we make based on our set of knowledge and how much we know about a certain subject, and our experiences that we learn from here at OSU.  Values are what we live by each day, that help us chose right from wrong.  Choosing decisions that are considered ‘right’ will lead us in the direction we want to head in life and choosing decisions that are ‘wrong’ are those that will hinder us in a way we do not want to head.  With the global warming that is happening, we cannot say that one specific human being is responsible for causing it.  We all are responsible for causing it.  Even people who recycle, ride their bike instead of driving a car, and take quicker showers, they all have the responsibility to tell their neighbor how to be more environmentally conscious.  When discussing issues of responsibility, we all have a part to play, as long as that part has a positive outcome and we are helping.  Responsibility cannot and should not hurt, or else that is not being responsible, in my eyes.

Being a responsible student is taking matters into your own hands and learning as much as you can to get good grades and that diploma.  Being a good student in the university is sharing your ideas with other students and growing off each other.  Being a good student in the community is to give back your time to those who need it.  If we are orange, that means we have made it a lot farther than others in this world, and we have a responsibility to give back to the community, and make sure it is a better place.  We take our knowledge we have acquired over the years and use it for the better, tell others, and do good deeds with it.  We are responsible and do good deeds because those actions have positive outcomes and help others, and in return helps ourselves feel good about ourselves because we enjoy doing good for others.

The goal of responsibility is for everyone to take charge of their life and realize that no one else is going to do it for them.  We all have to grow up at some point, and take responsibility for our actions, and learn from our mistakes.  We are constantly growing and learning as human beings, and finding out our responsibilities, in which OSU and being orange helps us find.           

Being orange also takes place in the form of nonverbal communication.  Certainly one of the most important skills one will learn is how to communicate effectively, but we are also taught how to communicate nonverbally.  With the recent change in Oregon State’s logo, we as a community are showing the rest of the nation what it means to be orange.  By changing our logo sends a message that it is time for a change and to revamp what we already have going.  Now, we don’t all necessarily need to love the new logo, but we all have a responsibility to live up to the values that it represents, which are fierce, unstoppable, and headstrong.

The new beaver logo shows a the value of headstrong, as it keeps fighting and never gives up just like the athletes never give up when competing, and as students never give up in the classroom.  When students develop new ideas or show bravery each day, they show this by going to practice and to class.  When students or athletes fail, they get back up and try again, showing bravery.  Students at OSU don’t give up, we keep pushing ourselves to be better and strive for the best.  When we fail, we know we can keep trying, as our classmates and professors want to help us succeed.  Our professors give us the tools to be confident in our studies, just as our coaches prep our athletes to strive for the best and have confidence.  Students show fearlessness in their studies, extra curricula’s, and work on campus and off, just as athletes show fearlessness at practice, while competing, and in their studies as well.  The logo represents many of OSU students and professors values such as responsibility, just as it should.  As an outsider looking to come to OSU, and become ‘orange’ they can see what the school has to offer scholastically and athletically just by looking at the logo.  I am a proud student wearing the new logo and showing everyone I know and the rest of the student body I am fearless, headstrong, and brave.

Responsibility is an important value because the world runs on expecting everyone to be responsible and without it, there would be no order in life.  We assume that as human beings we all trust one another to be a responsible person.  Without responsible people, nothing would get done.  We would have no laws, no rights, no freedom, and much more.  What comes with responsibility are experiences and failure.  We know we are responsible when we fail, then we try again to be better next time, so we can prove we are responsible, such as doing better on the next midterm.  Being responsible applies to small and big actions, moral decisions, and everyday individual choices we make here at OSU and outside of school.  This is where everyone is forced to choose whether or not to go beyond the call of just being responsible.  We all have choices to make each day, and we base those off what we think it means to be responsible.  Everyone that is orange has a duty to tell others what it means to be orange, and within that what it means to be responsible.

Lauren McCutcheon

  Being Orange symbolizes an assortment of qualities and values for different people.  Whether it be solely for the name of “being a beaver” versus being a duck or some other college mascot.  It could be from a competition aspect for those people; they want to be a part of a sports team community.  Being orange embodies victory, and intimidation; we beat other teams and therefore we are stronger and more elite than people from other schools.  For other people it’s a part of tradition; their siblings and parents went to OSU, and they happen to be next in line.  Then you have the students who come because it’s a party school, and the whole idea is to party hard and see how far you can make it by only meeting the bare minimum for everything you do.  There are people who actually go because of the programs, or because OSU has their major and it’s thought of to be a good school.  For those groups, the value that OSU holds for them is being a success.  Success is a broad term if you don’t explain what it stands for.  Earning your Bachelors’ or Masters’ degree is a vision of achievement for some.  For others, it’s a step beyond that.  It’s the hope of being in the career of your dreams because of your degree, and with other journeys you’ve been through along the way.

Then you have the values and characteristics that OSU wants its students, administrators and other faculty to have and take away when their experience at Oregon State comes to an end.  They put these goals and core values on their website and on other places where the community inside and outside of OSU can view them.  They tell you why going to OSU is deemed a better choice than going to U of O, or WOU or some other school. But if you dig deeper, below the bait they propose to lure people in to either support Oregon State or enroll, what do you get? What do you get out of the school that makes it a better decision than others? One of the core values listed on OSU’s missions, goals and values webpage, is ‘respect’, saying that it means to “…treat each other with civility, dignity, and respect.” Following that is social responsibility; “we contribute to society’s intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and economic progress and well-being to the maximum possible extent.”  Then you ask what “being orange” means for me, and I tell you the two biggest values that I think of: being open-minded and portraying respect alongside being open-minded.   Sure, the two values I say could line up with the goals OSU already bestows upon me, but I would not say that they’re the same.  In fact, the reasoning and substance between “my” respect and what OSU believes to be is respect may be similar in some areas, but there is definitely a different objective behind each one.

During this class, I’ve changed the way I look at the surface of things. In the beginning of the course, I’ll admit, I was definitely hesitant about staying in the class; I approached the beginning discussions like they were a joke.  I didn’t get the objective behind the subjects.  I had accepted that there had been problems with the way the university has been run for a long time, but I didn’t quite understand how this particular “Ethics 205” class would put a dent in the pattern that everyone was used to.

After going through the first few weeks, I started to understand why we were doing what we were doing.  I started to get how as students, in this Ethics class, we could change the way we think and potentially change the minds of the other students around us, and then, if we were lucky, that tidal wave of thinking could reach up into the higher faculty of OSU and beyond.

Being Orange resembles me being a sponge; I absorb the knowledge that will help me, or help me grow in a certain area, and I expel the parts that are unnecessary.  Being open minded is one of the most significant values a person can accomplish.  I now consciously focus on the things that make up the whole picture, and then the picture last.  The values that Oregon State conveys to me are being able to hear ideas that are not your own, and information you haven’t heard before, and being able to engage in understanding what it is you’re learning.   This could also mean retrieving previous information or thoughts that are buried in your brain and mixing it with the new to create something that is your own.

When I said that I think that respect weaves itself into being open minded, it’s because it does.  The amount of respect that you exhibit when communicating with someone else speaks volumes into how much you will learn and how much they will learn.  You can be as intelligent as you desire, but if you don’t have respect for yourself or others, your knowledge is of waste.  People won’t take you seriously because you may come off as not being ethically engaged to what’s important to them, and you won’t take yourself seriously after a while because you won’t care about how the information affects you.

Many people forget that the most powerful weapon that they can use sometimes can be them selves. But our selves can also be dangerous if we aren’t certain of who we are, what we want or what we are afraid to admit.  Being open minded isn’t correlated with being absent of a backbone.  It isn’t about taking everything you hear or read and believing it as sound information.  It’s having the ability to be teachable; to be humble; to realize that more often than not, you’re wrong and someone else is right.  It’s being able to learn and build upon the knowledge you have, and then going out into society and taking action, whether it means inhibiting it, observing it or pushing it forward.

When we went out on our field trip to the Gay-Marriage petition signing, it was good practice for taking considerable notice into what others are involved in.  This includes the evidence they have to support their cause and more importantly, the way they communicate to those who are unaware.   Seeing people fight for what they want personally or empathetically towards someone else is an important reminder that our humanity isn’t failing and we shouldn’t give up on it.  The Gay-marriage event was of good cause, but a major ingredient that lacked in the overall potency of the event was the evidence supporting it.  If the hosts’ of the event had come up to me and told me their story, and why I should sign their petition, I would have maybe signed it, or at least had a change of heart.  But for the hosts’ to prematurely assume that it’s visitors would just sign the paper because “it was the right thing to do”, exemplifies their lack of moral imagination.

A growing issue in our present society is not being ethically engaged or interested in what happens outside of our bubble, or even a bigger issue for some; being ignorant of our inner most selves.  Oregon State represents a foundation for students, administrators, faculty and alumni, to obtain the knowledge they need for their degree or their personal lives, and then use it.  I used to not enjoy Bacc core classes or even find them necessary; why should I be forced to take classes that I don’t want to take, especially when they don’t have anything to do with my major or what I want my specialty to be?  But I think I have philosophically figured out what they hold for those who want to take something away from them.  They provide people with the opportunity to be thoroughly developed in a range of ideas and perspectives.

OSU wants it’s students to be able to be accountable to their ignorance, and absorb the information they will perhaps need eventually.  Taking a speech class may seem obnoxious during the time you are involved in it, but being able to communicate effectively and support yourself when people ask why they should sign your Gay-Marriage petition definitely makes it worthwhile in the end.  Or being able to write to the OSU President and explain why you don’t think tuition should be raised can be a lot more beneficial and operational if you’ve previously learned how to write a good argument in a past Writing 121 class.

Being able to grow in the areas of being open minded and displaying respect can heap respect and relativity from others towards yourself.  And that’s what we’ve been learning in this class during the whole term; how to learn something and be able to show others how to think about it more ethically, and in turn enlarging the spectrum of the cycle.  That being done as students at OSU. That’s how people will know that we are different from other schools.  Being orange envisions that we are open to change, we are open to “different”, and more importantly we are open to growth.  And if someone doesn’t agree with us along the way, then we will show them respect, because sometimes all humanity needs to remember is that respect exists. And sometimes, respect is the very thing that prompts people to grow because they remember that it is possible.

By Monica Farrar

As a twenty year old, first time acquaintances ask me where I go to college to which I respond “None other than Oregon State University.”  A moment of recognition crosses their face as they form an opinion about who I am, what I know, and where I am headed with my life.  A couple sociology classes into this four year adventure have taught me that each person’s interpretation of my response is different.  To be fair, that is how it should be, but more importantly, I want one value to be self-evident when someone hears that I am an OSU Beaver.  I want them to know that I have enormous potential.

When I think of the slogan Be Orange, I think of it as a challenge that has been put forth to me by the university.  This idea of Being Orange encourages me to put my all into every piece of work I ever submit, every sporting event that I attend, every rally that I take part in, and every memory that I hope to make during my short amount of time here.  Being Orange serves as a reminder that the people I meet at OSU and the moments that I am a part of are forever changed because I made it so.  My favorite artist once wrote:

“You’ll meet people whose paths intersect
But you don’t know how long you’ll walk with them,
Cause’ the truth is, and it’s so hard, but you’ll never know
How long we’ll continue with our loved ones down this rugged road.”

These words preach to me that each and every person that makes up the ideal of Orange (students, professors, staff, administrators, alumni) also has a role to play in my life.  Each individual will become my teacher, my supporter, my inspiration, my entertainer, or my influencer.  As a total composition, they will provide me with the skills I need to succeed and be happy in this life.  This journey is not one I can fly solo, but rather blesses me with the people that sit in the same chair as me, just as hungry for knowledge and experience as I am.  Through these people, I have slowly discovered that Being Orange is not about being the best student, winning every game, or even getting an “A” in every course.  Being Orange means learning from the lives and actions of others, applying those lessons, and unleashing the true potential that is YOU.

When I say potential, I am talking about our deepest fear on a human level.  Author Marianne Williamson says it best:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? … Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do… It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This quote fully encapsulates my definition of potential as a description of what it means to Be Orange because it is true that we all try to conform to what should be “normal” or “acceptable.”  Newsflash: No one who is simply normal or just acceptable ever made history.  From my own perspective, my potential to do what no one else can makes me special.  It is time that Oregon State starts capitalizing on what makes each student unique rather than put our tuition dollars into a cookie cutter system that molds us to be identical. For me, Being Orange is about being someone that others do not expect you to be.  Being Orange is about being a forewarning of what is to come.  Being Orange is about proving that my biggest contribution is still in the making and that OSU was my supplier of necessary tools towards greatness.  When someone hears that I have a degree from Oregon State University two years from now, I want them to grab a seat so they can witness what will happen next.

On the classroom level, my peers and I have already demonstrated that we have the potential to surprise our Ethics professor.  We worked together as a group to put a puzzle together much faster than she anticipated and we improved drastically over the course of a few weeks in skills that make us effective ethicists.  If we can shock one, imagine the multitude we could astonish.

Having potential extends far beyond the realm of the OSU campus.  It is the most important value I can hold once I go out onto the job market, because it will be obvious to employers of what I have done in the past and what I am capable of.  These employers will want to know “what can she do next?”  As a person with potential, I will never stop growing, and therefore I will never stop bettering myself: this is what makes me truly happy.  I want new acquaintances to recognize a member of the Oregon State community, shake my hand when they meet me, and ask me “what’s next for you?”  Likewise, I want every OSU Beaver to experience the same encounter, and I want the world to know that we are the symbol of potential.

By: Tiffany Cicerchi

Be Orange Essay

For the past couple of years Oregon State University (OSU) has been adopting and implementing the phrase “Be Orange” to encourage people to support Oregon State. Aside from the new logo, the phrase says something different to me, and comes across more positive than the beaver logo. I personally see posters on campus with pictures of students; working in the lab, engaging in class discussions, cheering for athletics, working on campus, studying, and participating in clubs. While looking at these posters from a Be Orange stand point, it would mean being associated and involved with OSU in anyway. The value that I see the most is involvement, and I believe being orange can be students, professors, staff anywhere on campus, athletes, fans, alumni, online students, etc. When I look at the advertisements on campus for being orange I see a positive community that will support you in the event that you choose to be orange and be involved with OSU in some way. Another way of looking at being orange is understanding that it means to be connected to the school or people associated with the school.

It is hard for me to determine and assume how others define Orange as a value, so instead of assuming I asked some of my roommates what they thought. To them being orange means contains the value of unity. They see being orange as everyone associated with OSU learning to be united with one another, whether it is for academics, athletics, or clubs through the school.

Students practice being orange everyday once they step foot on campus or do assignments outside of class. OSU students are orange by being in class, learning at OSU, and engaging in class work. Similar to students, professors can practice being orange as well and it happens when they come to campus and teach the students, because they are actively engaging in the learning process and benefiting the students, in the hopes of gaining the title of an OSU degree.

Athletes are one of the largest components to being orange in my opinion just because sports are so widely broadcasted. I think that our athletes are orange because they are playing their sport to represent OSU. Individuals outside of our institution do not normally see students and staff members being orange, but they do see athletes being orange, because of the media surrounding the subject. Without fans, who knows what orange would look like. Fans are another huge component to showing yourself being orange. By supporting OSU you are taking part in the be orange campaign.

Now when I was looking at our new school beaver logo that was designed, I did not feel that it accurately represented my definition of what it meant to be orange. When I see the new logo the things that come to mind are; aggressive, winning is everything, football, sports, where the logo cause we look the best. I do not think that this is what it means to be orange, and I feel as though the logo is directed more at athletics and leaves out everyone else who is involved with OSU. When I where our logo I do not feel like I am being orange, but I feel like I am only allowed to be a sports fan with it. The logo does not want me to be engaged in class, or being involved with the school outside of sports.

Although my two definitions do not match up based on the new logo and the be orange campaign, I still believe that being orange is a more positive outcome and does not relate to the logo at all. Being orange as proved above, is being involved with OSU in anyway, including, students, staff, fans, in-class activities, etc. Being orange is positive and gives you a sense of community support for all to feel welcome. I hope that when I graduate from OSU that my education says “involved”, which in turn shows experience. I believe that if my education shows this value of being orange it will open up more doors and help prepare me more for the real world.

“Be Adaptable, Be Orange”

By: Justin Archield

Oregon State! Fight! Fight! Fight! O-S-U home of the Beaver Nation located right here in cow-town or as we all know of it to be Corvallis, Oregon. Where the campus comes alive the first few weeks of Fall term then hits a dreadful depressing Winter, and jumps right into Spring term with the sun and the beaver community playing on the IM fields and trying to soak up as much sun as possible. Being reminded everyday as you step on campus that Orange and Black are our school colors, with banners along the roads asking us what our Orange moment is. What is our Orange experience? I never would have thought I would actually have to answer this question; I always just saw the banners with different people being represented and kept on pushing throughout my day. That is until I registered for this Philosophy class known to be Ethics 205 where Professor Jenkins has challenged us to define what does being Orange even mean? At first I thought hell I don’t know we simply go to Oregon State so that makes us Orange right? We study here, work here, hangout here, doesn’t that define what that means? When she later went on to unpack the assignment like she has been telling us to do all term “unpack this, explain in more detail what you mean.” She stated what does it mean to be Orange here and what do you want your degree to mean after you graduate? So that simply proposed the next initial thought in my head of well I guess I never really thought about what my degree wanted to mean you know. I always thought the degree was just a ticket into the real world saying you took the time out to learn about your profession and you got a certificate, saying that you successfully completed 4 years of college course work, now hurry up and get a job so you can pay off your school loans.

So later she told us to define a value that we think makes up this whole BeOrange concept and after she gave us a list of some of the values the class created and she separated them into groups the term being well-rounded caught my attention which was in the ‘Unusual values’ group. Myself being unique or liking to think I am wanted to make this my value but I changed that term to being adaptable simply because I feel like coming here to Oregon State through my experiences I have learned to adapt too many different situations college has thrown at me. Through horrible roommates, job responsibilities, course work, and learning to be independent while finally leaving home for the first time to be on my own. There were so many different opportunities and chances to gain knowledge coming my way that I had to learn to put on many different faces to be able to keep up with the many options being presented. So let me explain to you what I think being Orange is.

My values that define being Orange are Adaptability, Accountability, and Diversity. Defining value as something that is important, based on a principle that has worth in pertaining to BeOrange

I say adaptability because having the ability to change environments quickly without being setback and changing your behavior to match that exact moment in time, and to be able to go with the flow is a strong value to have. This being my Junior year into college I have noticed that this is the strongest thing I hold value too, when first coming to Oregon State I had to learn to adapt to this new culture and way of life living in Corvallis. That I was on my own capable of making my own decisions and free to explore and challenge my thoughts and ideas, and Oregon State has done that for me so far. Simply because we all come from different backgrounds and then are dropped off in this Orange community that is already pr-determined before we get to know what it is. And we eventually acquire the skills quickly overtime needed to become one with the Orange community. We all have the ability to be put into a new setting and grow from that experience; we were all willing to be open not only to people but the new ideas and insights on what they may feel life is about or their point of view. We as freshman came in a with a blank slate ready to obtain information to help ourselves grow to not only on a personal level but to obtain social progress. Being Orange is part of us being adaptable to the Oregon State lifestyle, experiencing all of what the university has to offer and allowing you to be vulnerable to different cultures and people. This will all go on to affect our past, present, future, and lifetime growth. When you are adaptable you learn that you can evolve and see yourself in a different light or in a way you never thought was possible.

In being Orange you have to be accountable for your everyday actions, that everything you go about doing is a reflection of not only you but everyone that is a part of this Beaver Nation. That anything that makes the news or a headline we are represented as that. That one bad apple can make the rest of the tree look bad. Taking on a form of responsibility to the projects that you do and are getting yourself involved in. Not only being accountable for having responsibility to someone else but to you as well. Knowing when you should take the initiative on something and when you should step back to give sometime to yourself. We actually end up being more accountable for a lot of things in our daily lives than we think. In class we learned how we used Ethics in all we do and that everything we choose to do or choose not to do has some form of ethical response. I remember doing a lesson on ethics spotting and having to spot at least 100 things in a single day and it was much harder than I could imagine. Simply because it was hard to define it at first simply because what I may have spotted may have been different than the next person. I learned to be more accountable through my employment opportunities of getting a chance to work on campus as an event specialist for the MU. Learning that I am responsible for all the work I do and the outcomes people are supposed to obtain through the events. My boss is always saying that “we are accountable for everything that we do and put on; you have to take the initiative to move things forward.” It was something along those lines but I understand that now through being Orange we are accountable for the whole community it isn’t just an individual thing that we take on.

Going back for just a second I mentioned that Corvallis or Oregon State has a certain way of life. I am referring to the Oregon State lifestyle by being a part of the different traditions this university has to offer and putting forth your existence in the community by being and active citizen and being present in the moment by actively engaging. Whether that being meeting new people through school sponsored events, attending a workshop, which challenges your thinking, or going to Dixon and enjoying the different things that they have to offer. By getting a chance to step outside your comfort zone and getting to know people that are different from you and not restricting yourself to your clique of friends. Attending the many cultural nights that we have on campus every year to try new foods, see different styles of dances’ and traditions. The University may have brought us all here but it should be our duty as students and faculty to go beyond and meet the people; that in the end make up the University it is today. Or if you are interested in experiencing what the Greek life has to offer then go and put yourself out there don’t take into account the stereotypes without engaging it first. We have to open our minds up to these new things in order for us to be considered true citizens of the Orange community. What I mean by being citizens and community I mean being an active member of your town or city recognizing your rights and privileges others may not have a chance to get involved in. I’m taking community as a group of people who are living together in the same place under the same type of conditions with common characteristics. Bodies of people that are taking ownership of the BeOrange campaign and are living together with a basic line of similar interests.

Having the ability to be diverse I think plays a main role in what being Orange is all about in my opinion. Showing that you have a very well developed variety and different layers that make up not just your overall appearance, but that you are different in a way that a lot of people find to be unique. Being able to stand out from the crowd and having the ability to think on your own; it’s what makes you different from the person to the left or the right of you. I think that’s what the greatest part of being Orange is about we are all different and make up so many different aspects of this university. We all have our own compassion for things which helps enhance one another to be greater. I believe through diversity it can show that you have a high level of sympathy and awareness of the people around you.

So in the end what would I want my degree to mean as I progress through life? That I put in all the work that I needed to get to where I am today. That my degree is more than the major that I have chosen to seek a professional job in while here. I have encountered plenty of life experiences and work criteria to help me strive through college and use what I have learned to have the ability to apply it later in life. That I have worked with different cultural groups from across the globe with my employment opportunities, which will stay in my memory for the rest of my life. It’s a learning experience that I have enjoyed and sometimes you don’t get these chances anywhere else but a university. That my degree is beyond the athletic department, the party school, and the Greek community. Even though being a current member in a fraternity I know that my growth and membership won’t stop after I leave there that I take into account the values my fraternity is based on of truth, honor, and personal integrity. Chi Phi shout out! That everything is still a learning process and I have gone through so much in college and have a lot of real world experience that a lot of people have yet to encounter. That even though I have my degree I couldn’t tell you right now what my life goal is because I like to live in the moment and take things day by day but I know there is a greater purpose after college. Graduating with a degree from OSU shows that the institution is still pushing forward thousands of kids that are looking to pursue a career, and is growing to attract more students from all over the globe. I want it to mean more than a piece of paper I put high value on, I want it to open doors for me to be successful and to say I qualify and have the credentials to be placed where I need to be.

In the end of it all I don’t want to limit being Orange to just students. Faculty embraces this campaign just as much as students do. They are here accountable for the university and our learning and they too have the opportunity to engage with what the University is offering. In particular I am glad I have gotten a chance to take this Philosophy class with Professor Jenkins. She was able to challenge my ideas that I presented through assignments with philosophical feedback. So Orange is a community. Orange is a value. Orange is your experience. Orange is whatever you think makes this university unique to you in a sense that applies and challenges your morals and behavior. Being orange will forever go beyond our time here at this university! So ask yourself now what makes up your orange moment?

#Boss

To “Be Orange.” What does it mean? Well, lets simply break down the phrase to the definition of the words. To “Be,” as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, means to “exist.” So lets rephrase this slogan and turn it into “Exist Orange.” This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Jack London, “The function of man is to live, not exist.” What am I trying to point out? Well, the phrase “be” is simply existing, to be something means that you just are that something, no effort needed. I think “being orange”should take more of an effort, almost to “live” Orange. The aura of Orange shouldn’t be something that someone is, but something someone strives for. To “Live Orange” takes a conscious effort, it takes applying mindfulness in everyday actions. For the sake of how I define “Orange” I will define “being” as “living.”

So then, Orange… what does that mean? One might appreciate that it is frankly asking us to get Dorito Chip tans, eat carrots and drink orange juice all day, but I think there is a more significant depth in the word “Orange” that applies to Oregon State University. Who exactly is apart of Oregon State University? I think that would be anyone and everyone even partially involved with Oregon State University. I think that would include fans, students, alumni, staff and faculty, sponsors, future students, and anyone who represents Oregon State University.

So now we have a huge number of people “living orange.” That fact in itself illustrates one of the values around being orange. This value is a sense of unitedness. A huge number of people, even if they barely know each other, all have at least one thing in common, they are apart of Oregon State University. They are apart of this community regardless or not if the want to be. It’s not about people fulfilling a certain characteristic that Oregon State wants, but rather what other people, not involved in this community, see. As members of Oregon State University, it is our responsibility to represent what we want to be known for. It’s a good idea that we all should agree on what to be known for and that’s where we choose to be apart of the community in the first place. I think we can all agree that the first value would be being “United,” the definition of which I take to mean “everyone involved, affected and taken to achieve.” Having everyone in the community involved, affected and taken to achieve by this value thus proves the relevance and importance of this value.

Being united implies another value. This value is something an individual has to choose to do. There is, however, a certain but subtle agreement one makes when they join the community in the sense that they agree to uphold this value; engagement. In order to be united, you need to try to be united, which is in this case, being engaged. Engagement is the kind of value that is lived as opposed to simply existing with. Engagement is the kind of thing that you choose to do or give to a community. What does being engaged look like? It’s an extra step outside of one’s normal routine to give something of themselves to the greater community. When I say “greater community” I mean a cause bigger than themselves, which is in this case Oregon State University. Personally I think it would be fantastic if the majority of the community were engaged in the community, and I don’t just mean physically involved in the matters of Oregon State University. I mean mentally too. If everyone engaged their minds then people wouldn’t see engagement as required but rather, desired. Those who engage their minds more gain more from simply experiences. An engaged mind is thoughtful and mindful. It thinks outside the curriculum and extends beyond the syllabus. It recognizes ability, and attempts to become better than that. Automatically engaged minds are excellent students, and it’s not because they care or over obsess about success, but because they allow themselves to wonder, question and understand the ideas a world has to offer and in so doing, develop an intense interest and desire to find more information about any given topic.

So now we have united and engaged minds at Oregon State University. This creates an excellent image of students and teachers dressed in drapes and sprawled across the marble steps of the Memorial Union, much like Raphael’s painting “the School of Athens.” There is more, however, to this school specifically than simply being an environment to nurture minds. Oregon State University is the kind of community that studies, researches, and thinks, but then they take action. That reveals my last value; action. This then circles back around to my first statement; that “Being Orange” is a form of “Living Orange.” To take action means to take knowledge and understanding gained from engaging minds and develops a plan to create, move, or do something according to those properties gained. These plans to create, move or do is what I call “living” in relationship to the phrase “Live Orange” or rather, “Be Orange.” Creating, moving or doing things is the part of Oregon State University a retiree or alumnus takes with them when they leave. It’s what shows up in a resume, in an expression, or in an idea. Action is taking from Oregon State University what it offers and applying it in their everyday life. That is Living Orange.

The hard part of my take on Oregon State’s values is the issue if getting people to be engaged. How do you teach individuals to engage their minds willingly? How can you guarantee that the involvement of the individuals in a community is good involvement? How can you make sure that everyone who attends this school wants to be engaged? Licensed teachers aren’t the only ones who teach. A community, I would argue, teaches more than an individual person holding a degree in a specific topic. Communities nurture their members. If we want good citizens, we have to be good citizens. If we want someone to walk off campus representing Oregon State University with a good value and moral system, then we have to have good value and moral systems ourselves. Only then we might be able to build a good environment.

Be a Leader. Be Orange.

By James Thomas

To Be Orange is to be a leader of yourself so that you can help lead your community and be an active citizen. Being Orange is being a part of the Oregon State University (OSU) community; the OSU community includes students, faculty and staff, and alumni. To be orange requires the OSU students to understand the value of community and subsequently the value of leadership. Throughout this post I will explore the link of the values of community and leadership and how these values represent being orange. I will also define what my degree will mean to me and I hypothesize that the degree from OSU should represent an individual with a global awareness, the ability to think critically, perform research, and be a leader.  Leadership development opportunities for students is immense at OSU and I will propose that we continue to illuminate opportunities for leadership development to the students.

The values that represent being orange include community, compassion, leadership, health, and sustainability. I will focus on leadership and community and will guide my thoughts on community based on the following definition: community includes a group of individuals who seek to achieve a common goal. In this case, one goal is to be a leader. In order to be an active part of the community and practice citizenship, one must have compassion for the other members of the community and must also be a leader of their self and promote active self-care. To be a leader of yourself, practice self care, and to have compassion for your community is leadership; being an active leader to promote citizenship across your community is being orange. OSU seeks to be a sustainable community with major focus on human health and wellness and sustainable ecosystems. As part of this community at OSU, we are all being Orange and must strive to lead our community to sustainable growth and development.

The value of leadership can be broken up into two parts: leadership of one’s self (knowledge of self identity, and core values) , and leading others (either through a direct leadership position such a director, or through emergent leadership). In order to be a leader, one must have a solid understanding of their personal goals and virtues, and should be able to identify their own place in the world. Once an individual has reflected on their self-identity, they are ready to help their community through leadership and through a compassion for others in their community. I have spent a lot of time as an undergraduate student on exploring my own values, learning how I work with others, and learning about the needs of other college students; these components make up my leadership development and I hope that every student at OSU has the same opportunity.

Leadership can be taught in the classroom, however as like most lessons, applied leadership experience is necessary to “learn” leadership. Leadership is a very important value as it requires people to explore their self-identity and virtues, and then impact their own community through social change and compassion. When I leave Oregon State University I anticipate that I will have broad perspective of knowledge of the world through my bach-core classes, and that I will be an ethical leader well in tune with my personal values and aware of the needs of the community I live in. To be orange is to be prepared to lead your community and in turn, an active citizen. Emergent leadership does not require you hold a position of power but suggests that you can inspire positive change for those around you by your actions; this is the type of leadership I believe being orange represents and than an education at OSU will teach.

When I leave Oregon State University I will still “Be Orange” and I hope to bring my ethical awareness to the world in which I live. Through my leadership development here at OSU I have learned how to work with a variety of individuals that come from diverse backgrounds and I have obtained a sense of compassion for the community I am a part of. Being orange is to be a leader of yourself and a leader in your community to promote active citizenship and engagement. During my education at OSU I have had the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research, and explore student leadership and involvement in both applied and academic fashions. I have been a part of student clubs (Student Dietetic Association – SDA, Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences –  OSUMANRRS, The College of Business Management Club), and I have helped organized events such as the Leadership Fair and Art of Leadership Conference while working at the Center for Leadership Development. I am working on a Minor in Leadership here at OSU which allows me to study leadership theories and apply what I have learned in class and from textbooks to my work with student clubs, student involvement, and leadership development.

I have learned that leadership requires a check in with your personal values from time to time, and identification of your purpose in life. Once you are in tune with your own self, it is then time to inspire others and work with your community to help one another achieve your goals; this concept is compassion, and it follows the social change model of leadership. This value of leadership leads people to be an active member of their community and practice active citizenship by seeking to take care of their own self and be a positive contribution to society and their community; this value of leadership is what it takes to be orange.

An education at OSU should train people to be excellent citizens in their community by working with the students to ensure the students see how they fit in the world, see their strengths, can identify their values, and so the students then feel empowered to help others to the same. I would encourage every student at OSU to get involved on campus in some way, and to explore what it means for them to “be a leader, to be orange”.

Additional Information:

To identify how other students at OSU define “Being Orange” I reached out to the Facebook community; all of the responses indicated or implied the value of community and were from OSU students.  Here is the Facebook post:

(the names and photos have been blurred, but the post is also public so feel free to view online)

Works Cited:

 –http://oregonstate.edu/leadership/strategicplan/

-Our Class Text Book: Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues, by Lewis Vaughn

I watched a video by Dan Gilbert on the “science” of happiness.In this talk he gives evidence that lead to his claim of human’s ability to synthesize their own happiness which is just as effective (if not more) at gaining joy as getting what you want.
This introduces the idea of happiness as a feeling, and perhaps a little as a chemical phenomenon in the brain. Happiness as a feeling is when an individual experiences a subconscious drive towards a positive attitude surrounding a particular situation.
Happiness as a chemical phenomenon, from what I know, is a strong flow of serotonin to it’s receptors. (I am afraid I don’t know enough of that topic to be effective)
I would argue that this kind of happiness most definitely requires ethics, at least to the meaning that I understand of ethics.
Like Dan Gilbert said, someone who became paralyzed for the rest of his life would be just as happy as a man who won the lottery a year after the incident. If we have such abilities to synthesize our own happiness and make ANY situation a “joyful” experience, then whose to say we couldn’t make more controversial situations more joyful? For example, someone could have the power over their minds to force themselves into thinking that murder is joyful. But that is psychotic. The idea is revolting, yes?
Why?
Because we WANT to believe that is wrong. We fear our own abilities to manipulate ourselves into thinking the unfathomable will make us happier. That we would like such things.
That’s where ethics comes in. We have to decided what we believe to be wrong/destructive/evil/bad/negative and what we believe to be right/constructive/holy/good/positive and create lifestyles according to those beliefs.
What is okay and what is not?
That’s really for YOU to decide. Take ethics 205 😉
But ask yourself the question – does this kind of synthetic happiness come from MY suffering, or the suffering of others? Does this happiness only effect me? What does it mean when my ambition causes others to be effected? Is that a problem?
WHY?

Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q1dgn_C0AU