Be Good. Be Orange.

To be Orange is to practice being wise, respectful, all around good person, as well as to uphold Oregon State Universities’ core values.

Such subjective terms as Orange and good must be defined if we are expected and encouraged to act accordingly:

What does it really mean to be good? Good can be defined as any wise and conscious act or thought that is made with intentions to benefit or cause no harm to any person, place, or thing. A good person is one who practices this mentality is his or herself day in and day out. A good person is one who applauds righteous behavior, and challenges all other sorts.

Accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility are the core values that all within the OSU community are challenged to learn and uphold in order to be Orange. In the community, socially being Orange would mean to be uphold these values in their lives; to be respectful, proud, and accepting of all people, as well as the environment, and the university itself.

These values create a safe, healthy, and accepting environment for students to feed off of and grow as individuals. What I want Orange to mean socially is for the students attending to become gentlemen and ladies; respectful, wise, present, and happy. Educationally, I want Orange to represent a thirst for knowledge and truth, which will translate to a large benefit for mankind.

The most effective method to communicate my value message of being Orange is to act accordingly and be myself. This is because the most effective way to influence others is to be charming. If I can portray being Orange in a natural and charming way, I can influence others to strive for becoming Orange themselves. The goal is to make being Orange infectious; more people will have a mentality in line with these values, and those who don’t will be influenced by those around them in positive ways, which will help them become Orange themselves, which will only make the Orange fabric of the OSU community stronger.

A uniformity of Orange behavior within the OSU community will create of snowball effect of wisdom and righteousness. This will create happiness and connectedness that will benefit all people. As scholars, we are the small group of people who have a strong voice that can influence many more than just those who are part of this University. We can spread these values for the rest of our lives and serve as a hub of wisdom and respect that radiates outward to the rest of those connected to us.

The goal of being Orange starts with me. Being the change I want to see in the world is how I will do my part to spread these values discussed. I challenge all those who read this to consider what I have said with an open mind, and realize that every person counts and can have an impact on those around them.

#BeGood #BeRespectful #BeOrange #GoBeavs

Evan Lange