Be Good. Be Orange.

“Submitted by Devereaux Filipe”

What’s Your Why?  What’s Your Orange?

            Being orange… What does it mean to be orange?  Is it a value our school puts on a pedestal? Is it just statement that makes the students of OSU feel a sense of community?  It could represent our schools strategic plan that values accountability, diversity integrity, respect, and social responsibility?  Well that’s interesting because the OSU strategic plan just summed up our ethics class.  It contains the importance of knowledge, responsibility, community, citizenship, and being good.

In the world of psychology orange represents our gut instinct or gut reaction, going after your dreams and not looking back. Orange is a positive color the represents optimism and relates to keeping us motivated and helping us look on the bright side of life during tough times.  Try to think of anything negative that has to do with the color orange.  It is definitely a tough task.  It also relates to adventure, risk-taking, confidence, competition, and independence.

The funny thing is to me being orange is much more then a set a values, or a sense of community because you are doing what your suppose to do. I believe being orange is more of an ideal, and emotional connection to our self and our school.  All these other answers to what it means to be orange our based on group for example “the students of OSU are different, we different races, religions, backgrounds” well so does every other college in the world.

We go to school, of course we are held accountable for our actions we pay money to be here they don’t pay us, it’s our job to be honest and respect one another we have been taught that since we were born, and responsibility, if we weren’t responsible we would’ve never put in the effort to be here.  What I am trying to say is being orange is not our duty as students it’s not our job, it’s not something that we can be taught, it’s a choice, it’s our individual why.

Why we worked so hard to get good grades in high school so we can get accepted here, why we get up for early morning classes when we don’t have to, why we study long hours just to make sure our teacher believes we work hard even though we ain’t going to remember half the stuff we learn anyways, why we choose to be here, why we want to succeed as a student here at OSU.  To me being orange is being you… being a teacher who stays up late to correct exams losing precious family time, being a student far away from home fighting to be somebody who will change the world, or being an athlete working hard on and off the field to prove something.

Being orange is being motivated, being passionate, being a believer, having faith in why you choose to be here no matter how tough it gets, being orange following your dreams even your the only one who believes in it.  Being orange is more than some values written on paper, being orange is being you, becoming who want to be, it’s what drives you, because you believe in yourself and your dreams.  Being orange represents your why, your reason for doing what you do every day, so tell me what you want to be?

What’s your why? What’s your orange?

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Submitted by Brian O’Neal

It must first be said that there are two distinct methods in determining the values of Oregon State University; the method of looking for the information that the University claims to itself, and the method of observation and experience.  These two can appear to be quite contrary at times.  I will first address what the University claims as values for itself, and then state what the values actually appear to be.  This is not to say that the University is going about its obligation poorly, it is merely to say that it is very difficult to implement core values throughout an entire University system.

The OSU strategic plan claims that the values of Oregon State University are to be a diverse, honest, accountable, respectful, and socially responsible environment.  Accountability seems to be referring to the University’s stewardship with the resources that they are being trusted with. This is in reference to the fiscal and physical resources that are given to the school for its use. Cultural diversity is seen by OSU as a means to greater excellence.  The goal of having diversity as a priority is intended to increase the quality of the school’s teaching, the scholarship of the students, and the services that the University is capable of providing.  The claimed value of Integrity is slightly more inclusive than merely integrity, extending also to freedom.  Respect is valued in terms of the way that we treat each other.  The final value set forth by the University as a whole is that of Social Responsibility.  This is to say that we, as a University, contribute to society’s intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and economic progress and well-being to the maximum possible extent.

The mission statement is a great place to look and see where an organization is attempting to go.  That of OSU indicates that, by means of teaching, research, and outreach and engagement, they promote economic, social, cultural and environmental progress throughout the world.  There are three signature areas that OSU focuses on in terms of economy competitiveness: Advancing the science of Earth’s ecosystems, improving human health and wellness, and promoting economic growth and social progress. It is also expressed within the goals that OSU desires to increase funding while strengthening their ability to utilize these resources.

These are a few of the claimed values and initiatives from the top, where the University is when addressed at its core. In order to compare ideals to reality, we must make observations on a more applied level. First to address is where the University stands physically.  In order to see how it is acting out its values toward world progress (intellectual, cultural, etc.) it might be enlightening to see how the University’s money seems to be spent, although this cannot be a complete reflection of the school, as benefactors have the final say as far as where they want there money spent (for example, just because Phil Knight has a strong emphasis on sports, does not necessarily mean that the top core of the University of Oregon has that as a primary value, although they may).  In the time that I have been a student at OSU I have seen various buildings going up as well as the intermural field.  The other buildings are mostly residential, with a couple educational buildings as (research, classrooms etc.). This would suggest a value on health, teaching, technology (Linus Pauling Building), diversity (the INTO building and cultural centers), and, generally, a desire to have a higher student capacity.  These seem to be in good alignment with the core values and mission.

Another source we can look at for clues of the University’s values, are how it portrays itself via the course website.  Throughout my years here, the suggested focus on the website, by observing the headlines posted, has been the accomplishments of OSU students and faculty.  Quite a few of the highlighted achievements are technology based, indicating this as a value.   Publicizing circumstances for underrepresented or minority groups (ethnic minorities, student parents, military, etc.) suggest the value of diversity.  I have also noticed headlines emphasizing social and cultural values, such as students studying abroad and outreach events for young children.

The final method for determining the values of Oregon State University is just the overall feeling after being a student here for four years.  The values of OSU are almost impossible to actually implement.  At the end of every syllabus you see the teachers warning against academic dishonesty.  The teachers rarely even cover this and whether they cover it or not, some students will cheat and some will not.  Respect cannot be regulated by a University to any significant extent.  Some people are respectful some are not, this is a reflection of one’s personal morals, not a particular school.  The other three can be better monitored and improved upon.  Diversity is difficult because even if there are students of different backgrounds, there is no regulating how they intermingle.  Accountability and Social Responsibility seem to be in good control based on the physical direction the University is headed.

From my own observations as a student, I would say that the values of Oregon State University are technology, physical and mental well-being, international diversity, having fun/getting a full “college experience”, and most of all, being economically competitive.

For the most part, I think that the values OSU already have are good.  My values as an individual would not necessarily be the best for a University.  My opinion on the values of OSU is the same for this country as a whole.  The emphasis is on being as busy as possible to maximize the time that you have, all the time.  This even extends to the time when you are not working.  If we are not working we should be actively socializing, or actively attending our personal needs (spiritual, physical, emotional), and then getting back on track towards our goals.  Even the valuable self-realization times have turned into a thing of efficiency.  When we are working, we must be working, when we are sleeping, we must be sleeping, when we are socializing, exercising, or just relaxing, we must be doing these things.  To my observation, the majority of people are going through this path of life to “success” having absolutely no idea why they are doing it.  Some excuses you receive at times can be “so I can better my life”, “so I can have a better paying job”, “I do not have anything else to do”, “stability” or things of the like.  There is this emphasis on being as efficient and hardworking as possible, “bettering the quality of life” and “bettering the world”, with the inevitable end.

Partially, I think this is because we live in a culture that is so seldom faced with death. We see our lives as things that we deserve, or that we work for. We say that the end justifies the means, not remembering the ultimate end.  We see our life out before us and we make plans for it (some people just go with the flow), taking for granted that they will all eventually happen if we work hard enough.

I am by no means indicating that going to college does not help with all of these priorities, nor that these priorities are inherently bad.  If we go to college we are better equipped to solve the big problems of the world.  It leads to a more satisfying life because we have the opportunity to have a career that we choose and enjoy.  There is liberation about it.  The wisdom comes, however, when you approach the grave of the most successful person, or that of the most influential, or the happiest.  Should the goal of life be any of these? I think most people of this society, at some age, at some point in their life, realize what really matters to them.  The devastation fact is that it is often the people who were top in college, and in their career, that find it out last, or never.

This should raise many questions about where our priorities are.  It begs the question as to whether or not the five values of the college are actually in conflict with each other.  It is possible that the value of accountable stewardship and social responsibility, are in conflict with integrity, respect, and diversity.  It could be the case that to strive on toward our goals of world betterment that we destroy the world internally as we are reaching out.

There are many solutions to this problem but none are easy, and indeed, fairly impossible.  It is so difficult because it is the practically successful that control the world, not the wise.  Personally, I think time off before going to college should be the norm.  When you finish high school, you have the basic requirements needed to perform a task.  The emphasis should not be for students to continue on and directly enter into more education, but rather to self-assessment.  This is a term I need to be careful with.  I am not talking about self-assessment in terms of finding out what you want to do with your life, but rather the assessing of what is a life.  The emphasis should be on what it means to be respectful, honest, and loving, and then stop. Not these, and then go and be successful with your life. These can easily be in conflict.  The values should give rise to doing something with your life, rather than doing something with your life giving rise to the values.

I will note a second time, however, that I am not suggesting that education is inherently a bad direction, I am merely stating that the emphasis is in the wrong order.  To teach a student Physics, Math, and Electricity, and then say, “go be an ethical engineer”, will create a person who is capable of performing tasks and the ability to act ethically as an engineer.  The trade came first, and then the values.  Tell as student “behave morally, and do something” will more likely create a person who is mindful of their values as a person, having this be what defines them, the “what” they do is less important than the “who”.

Like I said, the practical implementation of this is difficult if not impossible.  The difference would have to be a societal turnaround.  Teachers in high school and college will need teach differently than how they were taught.  High schools will need to somehow teach students NOT to emphasis education, as their education.  Essentially what I am suggesting is a theocracy, but I do not necessarily believe that theocracies will ever work.  There has been a separation of church and state and we live in the result. The emphasis comes not only from the educational system, but from families, which get their values from the educational systems and then give it back.

Sometimes I wonder how people do not ask bigger questions about themselves.  Not merely what they are, but who they are, and why they are.  The faster the pace of a society, the less likely these questions will ever be addressed.  To exacerbate this problem further, not only are people increasingly less comfortable talking about bigger issues at the fear of offending or persecution, but it is frowned upon.  “Do not impose your beliefs onto others”.  Where does this leave us? In a society where the beliefs are so diminished that most people have none at all.  This leaves a people that are practically fantastic, but spiritually lost.

In an excerpt from Kant’s “Foundations of the Metaphysics of the Morals”, Kant explains that there is only one categorical imperative, and that is that we should only act if we wish that action to become a universal law.  This is the only way in which this implementation of morals could occur.  If it were not a universal implementation that morality was taught above all practical knowledge, the ones being primarily taught the practical knowledge would dominate over those that emphasize morality.   John Stuart Mill in his essay on Utilitarianism, explains that the most correct path is the one that leads to optimum “happiness” for the most amount of people.  Although I do not believe this to be important, I completely believe that if the value of morality was to be emphasized above practical knowledge, the level of “happiness” would increase universally.  This would be a result of the way people treated each other, the sense of satisfaction that people would get from the care of others, as well as the satisfaction that comes from knowing why you are doing what you are doing, and that it is a result of who you are.

This would be difficult to label as a “virtue” in the way Aristotle describes in his second book in “Nicomachean Ethics”.  The good in his mind is the mean between two extremes.  In these terms it may be said that the extremes would be someone who is entirely moral but not at all practical, or the one who is all practical but completely immoral.  This is a stretch, but it could be said that this would then be considered a virtue, even though the extreme is also the label for the mean.  I agree that everyone should be practical to some degree, but not above their morality to any extent.

In our society today, we define ourselves primarily by our practical character and less by our moral character.  This is evident in our educational system, including Oregon State University.  I suggest the change of direction to emphasize the morality of our character by means of our home lives and our educational system.  This will be a very difficult change and will require a massive turnaround, but this does not mean that each individual should not make this decision for themselves to attempt this radical change, leading to an exponential proliferation.

References:

http://oregonstate.edu/leadership/strategicplan

http://oregonstate.edu/main/mission

http://oregonstate.edu/

http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.2.ii.html

https://www.uta.edu/philosophy/faculty/burgess-jackson/Kant’s%20Four%20Examples.pdf

http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/161mill_util.html

Tags: Brian O'Neal, phl205, The Value of Value
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Be Orange. Be Bright Orange.

Riley McCoy

By definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Bright is an adjective commonly connected with the following descriptions: radiating or reflecting, radiating with happiness, beautiful, lively, intelligent, auspicious, and illustrious. To be labeled as bright, you are also being associated with those same descriptions that are considered admirable qualities to most. Using these descriptions as subcategories, I hope bring to light what exactly it means to “Be Orange”.

Before I took this ethics class, the idea of reflecting or reflection to me was its physical properties. The disfigured image of the moon at night shining on a lake, A bike reflector, or even a mirror all bring the word reflect into my mind. But rethinking how to self-reflect was a skill I learned this term that I changed me. Self-mindfulness taught me how to think, feel, and live in the present moment more efficiently. As the term began, the daily task was a struggle; but the struggle transformed into my favorite “Homework” each day. While practicing mindfulness ceased to fixate on the worries bouncing around in my head and instead focused on my breathing, washed the dishes, or played the guitar. Reflecting continues to ease my stress, fine my focus, and increase my happiness. As a construction Engineering Management major, I constantly focus on difficult classes that Oregon State has designed in order to make our engineering degree stand out in the crowd filled with engineers across the world. OSU’s high expectations for us require a lot of self-dedication and sacrifice in order to maintain academic excellence. Learning to take care of myself allows me to excel mentally, physically, and scholastically.

Happiness is another concept that frequently came up to topic throughout our term to ethics. As stated in class, 60 percent of happiness is based off of personal perception. Being happy is something that is based off of personal perception and I believe OSU strives to have a happy university. They incorporate many student amenities to maintain student happiness. Dixon is the campus workout center that allows a variety of activities for all different students to do. Rock climbing, basketball courts, a pool, weights, aerobic machines, and even an indoor track all provide students a place to work out. I personally find Dixons services extremely helpful and go there almost every single day. Being able to use physical activity is a management technique I use to eliminate stress from classes. Oregon State believes in activities students and so they make it a requirement that every student take a Physical Activity Class (PAC) that allows their students to stay active. The mind spa is also available yet much less popular on campus. As a class assignment, we were required to visit the spa to see all the activities offered. I come from a family that has had generations of unhealthy and overweight people. A combination of poor life style habits like smoking, chewing tobacco, and drinking have resulted in my grandpa, two uncles and one aunt all suffering from heart attacks. My grandpa had 3 heart surgeries and lung cancer from his years of treating his body terrible. My family’s past has provided me with the motivation to live a healthy lifestyle and Oregon State provides with the tools to do so.

To be beautiful can apply to so many scenarios but one way that Oregon State incorporates their beauty is how they keep the campus. OSU is an extremely pretty campus. The layout and architectural detail of the buildings are accented by the seasons as the trees on campus change. Going to school at such a beautiful place draws in the attention of out-of-state students as well as international students. Oregon State’s beauty also comes from its diversity. One of the schools goals from its strategic plan is to promote a culture of collaboration across campus. International students, out of state students, in state students, transfer students, and nontraditional students make up their diverse population of students. I, myself am a transfer student from the University of Montana. Born and raised in Oregon, I left the state as a freshman to gain a new experience and challenge my comfort zone. My love for the outdoors drove me to the beautiful state of Montana where I could hunt, fish, hike, bike and snowboard. Ultimately I decided to return to Oregon and attend OSU for engineering. Corvallis feels just like the town of Missoula and offers many of the outdoor active things that I enjoy so much to do. Personally, I believe college is the time when I should force myself to try as many things as I can. I am lucky enough to attend a school that fulfills most of my desires.

Intelligence is found at Oregon State in the academic excellence that is asked out of every student. The university prides itself on producing students who thrive and wear there OSU degree proudly. As an engineer I take extra pride in achieving a degree from OSU. Nationally Oregon State is renowned for the great engineers that they produce. Graduating with my degree is something I hold very valuable to me. I will be the first person in my family to graduate with an engineering degree and the first grandchild to graduate despite being one of the youngest. My family is very important to me and I share most of their same values. My grandpa was a principle/superintendent of Central Point, the southern Oregon town I am from. My aunt and cousin are both elementary school principals and my grandma was a teacher for over 40 years as well, so saying I come from a family of educators is an understatement. To us intelligence comes in the form teaching and caring for those who are being taught.

The word auspicious has additional value to me besides its definition. Growing up my dad constantly said, “You are a very auspicious son.” He repeated this statement more times than I can recall. He did so to instill confidence in me while challenging me to educate myself by learning a vast vocabulary. Oregon State takes people and transforms them into auspicious adults who are more than capable to flourishing after college. A degree from Oregon State suggests that your future will likely be successful; which is definition of auspicious verbatim.

Saying you are an Oregon State student proudly is the goal of the university on a large scale. While their strategic plan gets more precise with specific goals, OSU vows to continue their efforts in producing students who improve the brand name that is incorporated with being a beaver, being part of the Oregon State family, and being Bright Orange.

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Submitted by Keaton Kirkpatrick

The OSU community at large would define the act of “being orange” as retaining those values that reflect the spirit of our school, and the character of our faculty, staff, and students. “Being orange” involves primarily being tolerant and accepting: embracing the differences in the Beaver community and recognizing those differences as strengths. I also think that “being orange” is commonly described as having an undying school spirit, especially regarding sports. This value is important to those within the OSU community because it helps build camaraderie and a sense of connection within our little sub-culture. With being orange comes a communal responsibility to help out fellow Beavers regardless of sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, or race, and to understand that we are all here in the pursuit of higher education and thus are essentially all working towards the same goal. When an individual chooses to strengthen the OSU community by engaging in thoughtful interactions with his or her peers, we all benefit as a result. As we are all active (and paying) members of this university any improvements to the community in general is a positive thing for all people involved.

            One of the reasons that I chose Oregon State in the first place was the fact that the values exemplified at the university coincided closely with my own. For example, I am a proponent of human equality and the values of tolerance and diversity widely believed to be associated with “being orange” fit nicely with what I hope to gain from my experience here at Oregon State. My educational goals extend beyond just obtaining a degree at the end of four years, in preparation for law school after my undergrad studies I am trying to absorb and retain as much information as possible. I am interested in actually expanding my breadth and depth of knowledge, instead of just going through the motions for four years and coming out on the other side with a degree. I would like the value of being “orange” to also refer to academic focus and ambition in that if I am in an environment where the people around me are focused on school, it would prompt me to be focused on my studies as well. As far as interacting with people in the OSU Community, I would love to see everyone embrace the ideals of tolerance and acceptance, for I believe that an environment that allows people to be proud of themselves is an environment that breeds creativity and ambition.

            Being Orange is more than just maintaining an attitude of tolerance, being orange entails taking meaningful action to promote an atmosphere of diversity and foster a positive environment for all members of the OSU community. Members of any community have a responsibility to care for each other and make decisions based on the appropriate contextual morality. In the context of a university, contextual morality would define moral actions as those that do not hinder anyone’s goals (academic or otherwise) and that do not infringe upon any rights of any students. Since we have been accepted to the university, and paid our tuition, we are then endowed with certain rights that pertain to this idea of contextual morality. My idea of what being “orange” differs from Kant’s ideas of morality in that the idea of a universal maxim does not necessarily apply. For example, a moral act within the context of a university would include appreciating the struggles that are unique to students and acting accordingly, such as being less disruptive during dead week and finals week. This act of kindness is moral and relevant because of the context in which the act is committed in (the context of a university).

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Submitted by Lindsey Naylor

What does it mean to “Be Orange”?

When I asked Oregon State students this question, I received quite a few different answers. But the answers mostly centered around these concepts:

• Being committed to and loyal to Oregon State University and what it represents to the students and the community
• Following and supporting Oregon State University Sports teams
• Being a dedicated Oregon State University student

In the media, Oregon State University is known primarily for our football team. Secondly, we are known for our academics. However, someone who isn’t affiliated with Oregon State will have no knowledge of the ethics and values that are important within our community.

The leaders of Oregon State University have created a list of core values that we need to demonstrate in order to build a successful community. The values are accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. If we were to truly incorporate all of these values into our daily lives, our community would be an incredible place. However, even though this is a great plan, if no one is participating, nothing is going to change. I think the most important thing that we can focus on at OSU is the way we interact with each other.

I would like to see Oregon State become known for the way we treat each other; I want “orange” to mean kindness. By kindness, I mean putting others before yourself and keeping an eye out for someone who needs a hand. In the future, if I ask someone what it means to be “orange”, I want them to say something like, “looking out for each another” or “helping someone in need”.

So, how can we create a kind, accepting, non-discriminating community at OSU? 

The best way to spread a message in today’s society is through social media. What we need to do is get a group of people who are passionate for this cause to create memes, write in their blogs, and post on their facebooks and twitter accounts. That way, all of their friends that go to Oregon State can be aware of what we’re trying to accomplish and they can get involved.

The message that we want to get across is that being kind to others doesn’t have to be a huge effort, but can make a huge difference. People in the OSU community can make small changes in their daily routine to be kind to everyone they come into contact with throughout the day.

Examples of small ways to be kind to others:

• Stopping your car to let a pedestrian cross the road when they aren’t at a crosswalk
• Paying for the coffee of the customer behind you at a coffee shop
• Be actively looking everywhere you go for people who could use a hand
• Giving a “pat on the back” to someone else who does something kind
• Smile at people when you pass them on the sidewalk
• Opening a door for the person walking behind you

The more people we can get to embrace being kind to others, the further and faster our message will spread.

Tags: be kind, be orange, Oregon State University
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Submitted by Samuel Schimke,

At first glance, the notion of “being orange” may sound confusing to a random person. What does this mean? Does this mean acquiring an awfully overdone spray tan? While that may be the meaning for some, the concept of being orange is different to the people who make up the population at Oregon State University. At OSU, being orange means being a part of a unique community. Being a college population, members of the orange community share common traits, virtues, and goals that are not common among other more generic communities. The citizens of the OSU population are encouraged by their community to carry out these actions and values. How we the citizens carry out these conditions reflects the ethical and moral standing of the orange community as a whole. In order to engage these qualities in an active and positive way, there are a few skills and values that must be upheld by each member here at OSU, such as knowledge, responsibility, and moral goodness.

First off, in order to portray the values that OSU upholds, we must be equipped with the knowledge involved with these values. Well what does this really mean? Well simply put, it relates to the understanding of any type of subject matter related such as facts, description, and ethical concepts. The knowledge of subject matter is most easily learned through being taught, but most importantly experiencing the concepts first hand. In order to uphold the virtues portrayed by the orange community, it is of great importance to have the knowledge and experience necessary so that we do not act irrationally on the matter.

When we have attained adequate knowledge of the necessary concepts, we next have the option to act on them with responsibility. In a general sense, responsibility can be described as an obligation toward someone or something, as well as a degree of accountability of your action/inaction. By being orange, we naturally become responsible for upholding such ethical traits that are upheld by the college as a whole. However each individual portrays themselves within the orange community directly reflects the values and virtues that represent OSU. We have a responsibility to not act in a way that will reflect the orange community in a negative manner.

Lastly, we must interpret the meaning of being “good” coming from a moral standpoint. We all have a mental picture in our heads of what a good person looks like. But what does it really mean? It turns out that it is not so easily defined but is rather subjective, depending on ones situational circumstances or personal perspective. The OSU community shares commonalities on what is good versus what isn’t, and these values may or may not be shared by outsiders as well. These commonalities shared by the orange community as a whole are what make up our moral fabric.

Now that there is a solid foundation laid out for understanding what it means to be orange, the only thing left is to actually define what it means to be orange. The interesting thing about this concept is that there is no definite definition. What it means to be orange is a subjective concept, and depends on the opinion and perspective of the person describing it. There are a few important virtues and values that really stand out to me when I think of what it means to be orange, and these are what I would like to share with you, in no particular order.

In the community as a whole, we as orange people share the common trait of honesty. Being a college community, this virtue is especially important as it relates to academic honesty. The policies implemented into our academic curriculum uphold the value in being a graduate of this university. This ensures that we all are responsible for our own coursework that we complete, which upholds more value as a citizen of a different community after leaving this one. On another note, we are honest not only in our academic endeavors, but to each other as well. For example, just the other day I had been eating at one of the restaurants on campus when I accidentally left an expensive jacket of mine alone at a table upon leaving. It wasn’t until hours later that I realized I had left it there. While anyone could have easily came up and scored a nice, free jacket, I was delighted to find that someone had turned the jacket in to the restaurant, enabling me to reunite with it. This strikes me as a unique trait of the orange community as I may have never seen my jacket again if it had been in some other community.

As an individual citizen of the OSU community, we share a common trait that is independence. Now this sounds slightly contradicting at first. The definition of independence is built upon the concept of self-reliance, as well as making our own choices without the influence of others. How are we supposed to be influenced by our community if we are independent? The answer lies somewhere in the middle. While it’s true that we must take some influence from the college’s values, it is equally true that we must create new values and ideals for the community through our own independence. It is through the independence of all the students and faculty where new and innovative ideas and creations arise from within, and it’s these ideas that continue to shape and re-shape our moral persona.

I don’t think that the orange community would be as widely recognized and revered as it is today if it weren’t for the compassion that we show towards others. Many of the clubs within the university reflect this virtue, such as the Global Medical Brigades club, Public Health Brigades Club, and many more. The work done by these organizations within OSU display our compassion not only to the members within our community, but compassion towards foreign civilizations across the entire world that are in need of our help. To me, I feel that any able bodied community such as our university has a moral obligation to give compassion and aid to others who are in need where it is possible. The organizations within OSU that work to give aid to these less fortunate groups of people shows me that we are doing our part in helping the betterment of the world on a global scale rather than just within a confined area. People all across the world know the name of our university and associate us with the compassion and help we have given, and I feel it is an important responsibility for us to continue this work.

One thing everyone loves about being orange is the enthusiasm across campus about being engaged within it. Anywhere you go on campus, there are signs, banners, and statues celebrating what it is to be a Beaver. For example, the “what’s your orange moment?” banners across campus. As well as this, the enthusiasm shown and spread through the sporting events such as football and basketball. Everyone loves to gear up in their orange gear and get hyped about OSU spirit. I believe these propagandistic aspects of our campus are imperative to our ethical and moral fabric as a whole. These banners and events make us closer together, it gives us a way to bond with one another. From this we form a sense of unity, a real sense of community. Common ground is found by everyone within these activities, helping to bring us from a group of strangers to a functioning and collaborating group as a whole.

Above all else, what do I love the most about being orange? Being a member of this special community brings on motivation for the pursuing of excellence and the pride in hard work. As we all know, it is often extremely difficult to find motivation within yourself to get out of bed every day with the intention of working diligently to better yourself and achieve greatness, in whatever aspect of life you may choose. The end rewards of consistent hard work, such as financial success and stability, are dreamed of by just about anyone, but actually getting there isn’t always so easy. In the orange community, we are constantly surrounded by literally thousands of others who are working constantly to achieve the same goals as yourself. This plays a role as a major motivational factor when it comes to actually pursuing that excellence. If it weren’t for the help and support of the faculty members, as well as the friendly competition among my peers, there is no way I could have gotten this far into my academic career. I’ve heard a quote been said before, “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” – Unknown. I like this quote because I think it highlights the notion of never being content with your current career/educational status. The constant striving for more knowledge, more excellence, is what allows each and every one of us to achieve things greater than we ever could have imagined. Being a member of such a large university means that you will almost certainly never be the “smartest” person in the room. We are constantly challenged by others around us, but this is what makes us better at the things that we do.

These are the qualities that I personally believe to be unique and important when I consider what it means to be orange. These values and virtues bring knowledge, as well as a sense of responsibility, and moral goodness to our community. We as citizens of the orange community bring on these qualities to the university, and the university simultaneously brings them on to us. Constantly we are encouraged and challenged to be the best person we can be, whether it be morally or professionally. As I have previously highlighted, it takes a group of individuals and their ideas to make up a successful community. Instead of simply taking in and following my thoughts, I now want you to consider what you feel is important to being orange. What qualities and values are important to you? What traits do you impose on us as members of OSU? Remember, what you do and how you act directly reflects what it means to be orange, so get out there and be the best person you can be.

Tags: independence, unity, virtuous
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Rya Elms-Giudici

Be orange. What exactly does this entail? Are there specific criteria we each must meet in order to be accepted into the university and thus be considered orange?  At first I thought of orange as a straight forward trait such as being good, being motivated or being well. Sure these are all things that are valued in our community and therefore can be considered orange. But each student will attribute their own values and beliefs which they believe represents the community of Oregon State.  That six letter word (orange) that represents a color to many, but a way of life to us. That’s the beauty of it though, each student or professor will all see different positive aspects represented in the community that will shape our understanding of what it means to be orange.

The key word here is positive, positivity, positiveness, no matter how you use the word the meaning remains a powerful and important one. To be positive encompasses all traits that are reflected within Oregon State, such as kindness, acceptance, love, and motivation.  As students and teachers we strive to find motivation towards our academic and personal goals, which brings about the most positive outcome.

We study so that we will receive a positive grade, we workout so that we will have positive health benefits.  We work hard in sports so that we will win, we join a community (a club, a team, a sorority or a job) so that we can not only better ourselves either financially or academically but so that we feel part of something that will bring about a positive experience for us and overall create a positive experience of our time at the university.

The five core values that the Oregon State strategic plan lays out is: Accountability, diversity, integrity, respect and social responsibility. These five traits are all positive and seek to bring about a positive outcome through interactions. Two phrases that stood out in the universities strategic plan were “ We practice honesty, freedom, truth and integrity in all that we do” and “We treat each other with civility, dignity and respect”.  Theses are positive criteria that are outlined to help guide Oregon State in achieving the best positive outcomes and experiences for those attending this university.  Practicing honesty and freedom in everything we do leaves little room for negativity. Treating everyone you come into contact with respect and dignity allows for a place of positivity.  The university is large but students come together with common values of love, kindness and respect that help achieve their goals and make life long connections that will stay with them through their professional and personal careers.

In this community the university has so many aspects that are here to help each other, from academic advising, counseling services, a workout facility, yoga classes, personal sports trainers to student health.  The main goal of these facilities and faculty is to provide support that will increase both positive outcomes in our academic careers and personal lives.  Most students’ goals when entering college are to work hard towards a career goal and have fun along the way.  When we take a step back however and look at all the little things throughout the day that make a positive reaction or atmosphere within the university it is powerful.  The positive things that we see or experience affects how we perceive the school and how well we are motivated towards our goals. For instance the Christmas lights decorating Kelly were put up to create a more cheerful and festive atmosphere for students while they are studying.  The on campus coffee shops sell a 16 oz. coffee for the price of 12 oz. during finals week to give students a little more caffeine to help with finals.  Free cookies and tea are passed out in the library during finals week to encourage and reward students for studying. I want orange to mean all of these things. Positivity. And the echo that simple acts of kindness can create through the university. I imagine the values of the university that create Orange as positive as a medicine cabinet.  A medicine cabinet is where we go to get a ban aid if we are hurt, or take some vitamin if we are sick.  There are only things that make us feel better or improve us in a medicine cabinet. Just as in Oregon states medicine cabinet there are only things that bring about positivity and change for the better. Boosting our overall moral.  Encouraging us to do better. Focusing us to exhibit love and kindness to everyone around us.  And increasing our overall pride to be a part of an experience and community that values being positive and creating positive outcomes that will reflect throughout the world.

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BE COMPASSIONATE. BE ORANGE.

Final Reflection

Karen Balionis

PHL 205

How would you define “being orange”? To Oregon State University being orange includes five core values:

1. Accountability
2. Diversity
3. Integrity
4. Respect
5. Social Responsibility

Each student enrolled through OSU and each staff member that works for OSU are held to these five values, but what do they really mean?

When we say we are accountable we’re saying we are held to our responsibilities and can be trusted with whatever we do. We will meet deadlines on time, we will meet all requirements and even exceed them, we will be entrusted with documents and information from companies.

Not only are we accountable, but also we are diverse. Oregon State really taught us what it meant to be diverse because of all the different cultures they bring to the university. Having a great exchange student program, you’ll see all sorts of students from China to Saudi Arabia in every class. Being diverse means looking past the gender, race, color, religion, and so on and being able to communicate with people based on their knowledge and willingness to learn. This isn’t a university where being from a different background makes you stand out. We are all people and we are all here for an education.

That brings us to integrity. Integrity is having strong moral principles and being honest. Integrity is going to class everyday and turning in our homework on time and putting in that extra effort. Being a Beaver, and being orange, means we’re hardworking and we do our own work. The projects and tests we take are our own work and not the student next to us.

Then we have respect, respect for our professors, students, staff, everyone and everything. We respect our campus, and our athletics. We are proud to be Beavers. You can see all the respect with everyone wearing orange or Oregon State gear. You can also see the respect we have by how clean our campus is and all the recycling and compost we do.

Not only is keeping our campus clean being respectful, it’s also part of our social responsibility. The people involved with Oregon State are all apart of a community and we all are apart of this responsibility. Also it’s our social responsibility to show everyone the five core values of Oregon State and let everyone know exactly what it means to be orange.

Those five core values (accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility) are how others define being orange, but I define it a little differently. Not only do I believe in those five values, but I also believe in compassion, self-care, and community.

When I say compassion, I mean compassion for others. Being orange means you’re always giving a helping hand. When someone is in trouble you don’t turn your head and ignore the problem, but you step up and help. If someone were to drop their books, you would help to pick them up off the ground. Even doing the smallest gestures such as holding the door open for others or giving someone directions, we’re Beavers and we are here to help one another.

Then there’s self-care we need to acknowledge to be orange. Some times students get so wrapped up in their college course work, social atmosphere or work schedules that they forget about the most important thing, their health. Now days it’s so easy to eat unhealthy, and to be inactive to where we forget about our self-care. We all need to take a little time for us and for our health, whether it’s going to the gym for half an hour every other day or taking a break from homework to just do nothing. There’s enough time every day that we don’t need to just stress about school, work or social activities.

Orange is a community, a community of students, staff and alumni. Being a community means we come together in tough times and support one another when we need it. We may not know all each other, but we can all help one another whether it’s in academics or social settings. We don’t just need a crisis to bring the community together, we just need to know we have support for the smallest of things.

Oregon State University defines being orange with their five core values, accountability, diversity, integrity, respect and social responsibility. I go a little further in defining orange. I say being orange also includes being compassionate to others, taking some time for self-care, and being apart of the community. How would you define being orange?

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Be Yourself: Be Orange

            One of the perks associated with attending Oregon State University is being a part of the OSU community. Being part of the OSU community means you are connected to OSU in one way or another, whether you are a student or faculty member at OSU, or whether you are just a resident of Corvallis who attends OSU sporting events. The simple act of being a member of the OSU community also means that you have the ability to earn the title of an Orange individual.

Being Orange means something different to everyone who is associated OSU, because OSU harbors diversity by offering around 200 different degree choices, which makes it easy for you to be yourself.  Due to the fact that OSU has such a wide range of classes available, there is a very good chance that by the time we graduate we will have taken a distinct series of courses that no one else has taken.  This means the knowledge we take from OSU will be truly to us.

Therefore in order to earn the coveted title of Orange we must embrace our uniqueness and use it, along with all the skills we learn from our association with OSU as tools to help better our world.  Personally playing a role in helping the OSU community represent it’s core values is one way an individual can contribute to earning themselves this title.  As a student at OSU, I belong to the OSU community and one of my roles is to be the best student/person I can possibly be, while representing OSU through my academic success and my personal success in life.

One of Oregon State University’s goals is to improve human health and wellness.  Due to the fact that I am studying Exercise and Sports Science, specifically Fitness and Nutrition, and the fact that I plan on working in the health and wellness field upon graduation from OSU, I feel I personally will be able to improve the health and wellness of people around me.  I will do this by simply embracing my uniqueness and being myself.  For as long as I can remember I have always had a desire to help others, and I have always had a very strong passion for both fitness and nutrition. Hence, by simply uniting my desire to help others with my passion for fitness and nutrition, I will be helping improve human health and wellness in my own unique way. The actions of personally representing one of OSU’s goals, while at the same time being myself will contribute to me being able to proudly label myself as Orange.

Another one of Oregon State University’s goals is to become a better and a more recognized educational institution. Therefore if you are a member of the OSU community and want to earn yourself the title of Orange you can do so by helping OSU achieve this goal.  Since I became Orange, I truly have the desire to achieve the best that I can academically.  With the choices and guidance provided by OSU I have felt both academically challenged and motivated to achieve at the highest level.  I have grown tremendously as a student and as a person since my journey began.

In order to “pay it forward” I feel it is my duty and responsibility to further the recognition of OSU, because OSU has played a huge role in molding me into the Orange and unique person that I am today.  I plan on helping OSU achieve this goal by being an honorable and contributing member of society and by acting in a ethical and appropriate manner wherever my life path takes me, all the while representing OSU to the best of my ability.  By doing this people around me will be able to see first hand that people who graduate from Oregon State University truly are top-notch individuals.   This is turn will help nurture and support the continued growth and enrichment of OSU and future students, faculty and the community in which it thrives.

In my mind, being Orange means more that just personally representing the core values of Oregon State University, it also means being a unique, well-rounded, knowledgeable individual who acts ethically.  This means taking our education seriously and gaining knowledge while attending OSU, which is done by participating in our classes and acquiring some form of knowledge from every class we take.  With this knowledge that we have obtained we must go out and apply it for the betterment of ourselves and others around us.

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When I am asked what it means to “be Orange”, I think “what does it mean to be from any other school”? We like to think of ourselves as this separate entity, that we’re all unique, but in reality we are just a number. We go through school to get a degree not because we want to better society or become “educated”, but because it is necessary for our survival in today’s society. If you look at the OSU strategic plan, I will list what they expect us to be:

• Accountability. We are committed stewards of the loyalty and good will of our alumni and friends and of the human, fiscal, and physical resources entrusted to us.
• Diversity. We recognize that diversity and excellence go hand-in-hand, enhancing our teaching, scholarship, and service as well as our ability to welcome, respect, and interact with other people.
• Integrity. We practice honesty, freedom, truth, and integrity in all that we do.
• Respect. We treat each other with civility, dignity, and respect.
• Social responsibility. We contribute to society’s intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and economic progress and well-being to the maximum possible extent.

But when you look at us, the student, are we? Was OSU accountable for the snowstorm that closed campus during finals yet left Dixon rec open while the library was closed? Or was it the city of Corvallis who was at fault for not being prepared for this “winter Armageddon”? If we are so diverse, how come I only see Caucasian students on campus and not African American students? And we are so open to embrace diversity, why is it we put all the international students in the INTO building towards the edge of campus instead of putting them in dorms where the can learn to assimilate with citizens of America? If we value integrity so much, then how come we are constantly looked down upon when we protest our discontent with aspects of how the school system operates? And do we really have freedom at school, are we not forced to take baccore classes instead of taking classes that would actually apply to our major? Do we really treat each other with respect here at OSU when student’s opinions are constantly undervalued in the face of the administration? Do we truly respect one another when you get students from U of O throwing snowballs at cars passing through campus; U of O could have been any school. Are we really contributing to the betterment of society when we’re paying so much to become “educated”? Do we care about society when only the select few get to go to college because there family can afford it? Do we care that our students have to go into debt just to get ahead in life? The answer is simply no, but as with everything in life, nothing is as simple as it first appears.

We like to hold each other accountable for actions, but when held under the gun, we simply turn a blind eye. OSU turned its back on its students when the weather got extremely bad this year. They closed campus during finals which could have been for numerous reasons, but the fact still remains. What perplexed me the most is they kept Dixon open instead of the library, which seemed awfully strange. Instead of getting a formal apology from the school, we got a “thank you for your patience”. OSU in some part does take responsibility for the students that drop out by wanting to achieve an 100% attention rate (it’s at 83.5% right now, which seems surprisingly high) but you can’t help but wonder if that is because they want more students “educated” or if they want the extra revenue?

Diversity at OSU is a complete joke in both education and welcoming international as well as ethnic students to our campus. Teachers at OSU are put in the situation where they can either choose their students or their research, but not both. They are not obligated to give a damn about the student and when they do they are forced to go out of their way to do so. There is no diversity in teaching, it’s all the same. We sit in large lecture halls where the teacher talks to the group, then we have a recitation once a week to see if we learned anything. It’s literally the same for every class and there’s no diversity in that. But perhaps the worst aspect of our diversity is our “welcoming” culture for international and ethnic students. The international students are brought into this new country and instead of assimilating with our culture and really taking in America, they are confined to the INTO dorm at the edge of campus, away from everyone else. Here they are encouraged to make friends with their own nationality and are encouraged to use the resources provided at the INTO building rather than the resources the other students have access to. Given they still have a choice on whether or not they choose to do so, but it is much easier than going about campus on their own trying to assimilate; it’s almost sickening that OSU has all these resources for the international students at the INTO building, but don’t bother to help them if they want to live in the dorms with the American students. And I’ll be the first to say it, where the Hell are the African American students? All I see is Caucasian students on campus and I could get into the issue of inequality throughout America, but that’s a whole other topic.

Integrity is great to have but something we do not. We as students are herded like cattle through college doing whatever we’re told because there is no other way. If we argue with the administration over an issue in policy, we will most certainly lose. If we have a complaint about a teacher they (administration) have us fill out a survey for all teachers where what we write is often disregarded. This in a sense, makes these surveys a marketing ploy. The students are happy because we think our voice actually matters but at the end of the day it’s all smoke and mirrors, meant for the college to look like it actually gives a Damn about its students.

As for respect, college has bred an atmosphere of “be the best or die” where it’s a common occurrence for students to think that they weren’t cut out for college. College is too competitive now where if you don’t get the top grades, you won’t get the best scholarships or the best chance of getting into the major you want. Pro-school is dependent on GPA and that’s a lot of pressure for one person. And grades are mostly dependent on tests, which are more of “how much can you memorize” rather than “what do you actually know”? The tests don’t really test our knowledge on a subject but are rather the quickest way to evaluate a student. That’s why I’ve enjoyed this class so much for the fact that out of respect for the student, we don’t take tests. Instead we are evaluated on our ability to comprehend our readings through writing, which is how we should be evaluated on our work. We learn through group work and discussion, instead of sitting in a lecture hall taking notes. The office hours for this class have been some of the best in any class I’ve had, even if I haven’t gone to any. Most teachers you have to schedule an appointment with just to get the help you need, as the college feels it is necessary to stuff as many students as possible into one room and thus give a teacher to deal with for office hours; it’s especially bad for math, where I once waited on hour to get help because his room was completely filled. Like I said before, we are herded around like cattle and that one on one time with the teacher is virtually gone in College. And moving the bookstore next to Reser stadium, is that respectful to the students? The academics section hasn’t improved all that much and now instead of being in the center of campus, where all students can access it, it’s at the edge of campus. The only improvement to the bookstore is the merchandise section, where we can buy all the overpriced beaver gear that we can’t even get a discount on just for being a student.

As of right now, OSU is not fulfilling its objective of social responsibility. Are the students that come out of college today really better than those that came out 20 years ago? Do we know Latin, have we read the odyssey, and do we have the leadership skills necessary to take action for the betterment of society. Maybe, but more likely than not, if a student becomes what OSU wants it (the person) to become, they have to go out of their way to do so. Our education is worthless compared to our parent’s education and the worst part is, it costs a lot more. Sure we might have nicer buildings than we did, but they got the help they needed when they went. Sure they didn’t of the CAPS center or Waldo, but they didn’t really need that back then. College was less stressful as they had time decide what they wanted to do and they had time to take care of their well-being.   They went to college because they wanted to, not because they felt they had to. Sure I could drop out of college and work minimum-wage, nobody’s forcing me to go to college, but I know if that were to happen I would be completely miserable. Minimum-wage is not living wage and at most I might be making 30k a year and if I got extremely lucky, 80k a year. For my first 5 or so years, I would most likely be making 9 bucks an hour, which would net me around 15-17k a year. On this wage I would not be able to have a family and never be able to afford to tend a university. A university costs 20k a year while at its cheapest costs about 10k without financial aid. My math class cost 800 bucks and my poetry class cost 300! Really? As it stands now, the university is ridiculously expensive.

All this said, I believe we do have good people going to OSU. I blame the institution itself and not the people who serve and attend the university. Most of the teachers I have met have genuinely care about my education and have shown the same frustration with the people who run OSU as I have. Most of the students are friendly and I’ve made some good friends since I arrived here. I feel the biggest problem that has happened with College in general is that it is no longer an institution for education but rather now treated as a business. The school has a quota of students to fill and as a consequence we are treated as numbers; we can easily be replaced if we can’t afford college, which isn’t how it should be. And now there is a division among the colleges themselves. You have community college, the cheapest, public universities, very pricy, then private colleges, very expensive but apparently the “best” education. Each college is competing for the best students and as such any new building we see is most likely the result of trying to be “better” than another school. Like the new College of Business building, is that because we have more business majors at OSU or because we want to attract more business majors to OSU that would’ve gone to U of O (which has a better business program) otherwise? Who knows? All I was hoping to accomplish with this post was to offer a unique perspective on the institution people refuse to believe has been corrupted. Given I have not looked through the entirety of the OSU budget plan so take my words with a grain of salt, but I truly believe college should be much cheaper than it is. I wish I could say being Orange was a source of pride for me, but as an ethicist I am bound to say the truth (or at least what I believe to be the truth) no matter how far from popular opinion it may be.

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