Be Good. Be Orange.

“Submitted by Jeffrey Hendrix”

Being orange means being a reliable person no matter where I am. Most of the students who attend Oregon State University are enrolled solely for the purpose of getting an education and eventually graduating with a degree. When deciding where to attend college, I was not worried about where I would receive my education. I simply based it off of where I would be able to play on the best baseball team. This strategy may seem like a terrible way to choose a college and plan my education, but baseball has always been my ultimate goal.

As a senior in high school, I was never specifically worried about my education, but rather all my attention was toward the best baseball opportunities. My focus was to become a great baseball player and with time, make money in the big leagues.  The thought of sitting through school for at least four more years did not sound appealing to me at all. However, the thought of playing baseball, being a part of the team and eventually making good money doing what I loved sounded great. Baseball was and still is my greatest passion, and this is why I decided to come to Oregon State. Because of the elite baseball program and the quality men who coach the team, I knew playing for the Beavers would make my dreams a reality.

During my time at Oregon State thus far, I have started to define what being orange means to me. Being orange means being a reliable friend and teammate both on and off the field. If any of my teammates ever need help with anything, my desire is to be there in any way that I can. I have heard several stories of people looking back on their lives and realizing that something they will never regret are the times they were a true friend to someone. What they do regret though, is worrying too much about class and not focusing enough on family and relationships. I am not saying that we should not put our best effort into our school work. In fact, I am firm believer that a college education is very important and can be very beneficial. What I am saying, is that life is too short to become completely consumed and overwhelmed by school and forget about the other areas of our lives. In my opinion, the most important things in life are family, friends, and then school. Something that I have learned while being at OSU is the importance of keeping my priorities straight, and it is not easy to do. This does not mean that going to a party with a friend is more important than studying for school. Rather, being there for your family and friends when they need you the most should always come before anything else. Maintaining relationships and supporting one another is a priority.

Being on the baseball team, here at Oregon State, I have a very unique outlook on what it means to be orange. Being reliable does not only apply to my friends and family, it also applies to the entire school and campus. Many times the athletic programs are where schools get a lot of their identity and reputation. Because of this, it is our responsibility as athletes to be reliable and to represent OSU in a positive light. In addition to this, our baseball team often receives a lot of media attention for performing well, both on and off the field. Because of this, we have an amazing opportunity to promote our school and its values to people across the country.

I am beyond blessed to attend such an amazing, diverse school. Being orange means accepting others for who they are, and not just for where they come from or what they have achieved. It means supporting my friends and fellow students in whatever activities they are involved in. Being orange means having a passion for my school. It means representing with respect and integrity. It means making others look better than myself. As an athlete, it means holding myself to a higher academic, athletic and moral standard because I know that I am a direct representation of Oregon State University, and regardless of how it may seem, people are watching.