Be Full of Purpose Be Orange

Submitted by Margo Botti

Each student at Oregon State University has different reasoning as to what it means to Be Orange. For me, being Orange means having a purpose. Not just having a purpose, but also being full of purpose. Each of the 27,925 students have a reason and a purpose for being at this University; whether they know it now or figure it out in the future, there is a purpose. Living with a purpose while attending one’s time at Oregon State requires engagement with what’s going on. Posted all around campus are “Be Orange Banners” symbolizing what it means to Be Orange. We each have different values and attitudes, which decipher the degree to what we see Orangeness as. When we come together as one community, the characteristics OSU values according to their Strategic Plan are: accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. There is a purpose behind how students live those values out each day. There is a purpose we are here at Oregon State, in the community each of us are in, and behind the legacy we will leave. We all have a purpose, and I believe we should live our purpose out to the fullest of our ability and capacity.
There is a reason I, and all of the other students are here at Oregon State. We all got accepted. The term accepted goes along way. Sometimes we lose thought of what it means to be here at the University, myself included. An amazing division one University wanted each one of us- we were picked by a group of people because they wanted us and chose us. It is our responsibility to make ethically sound decisions while we are here and to be aware of the core values OSU stands for helps to create a healthy successful community of students. We are chosen to be here and have a purpose behind that choice. We are accepted here, as one community and one body of people. With the diversity among the students, there is something we all have in common; we all got in to the same University. There is something special about feeling wanted and accepted and I think we forget that when we feel lonely or rejected. There’s a purpose that we were chosen an accepted and that is not something to take lightly. Knowing that we are all chosen to be one community makes us Orange. At OSU we each live out a different purpose, but we are all apart of one community- the community of Orangeness. We live out Orangeness in the many reasons why each of us are here. Being Orange may look different for all of us, but there is a purpose behind the activities we engage in, the paths we take in college, and the communities we are attracted to. Looking at it from a counteractive viewpoint, some students may not want to be here, and do not see the opportunity and positive experiences available to them. But I would argue to step back and see the purpose that will come from it. I believe we are all here for a purpose. At Oregon State we are people with a purpose, and should desire to live that out to the full.
I have been so incredibly blessed by the community I have at Oregon State. To me, there is so much meaning and purpose in that. Community is something I value immensely. I always tell people that the most important elements to have in college are community and accountability. My community encourages me and builds me up in my life and in my faith, and I in return am able to be a blessing to them. I have seen the purpose in why I have the community I have here and I want that for every student. Being involved in a community gives the opportunity to be compassionate towards other around you, and also compassionate to oneself, because they are plugging in to an environment where they feel they belong and are loved. The friends we choose in college are the ones who share in the triumphs, and mourn through the trials. We have a purpose for the people whom we affect and influence in our communities, and those who affect and influence us at OSU. Other people may not say that community is something that they think of when faced with the concept of being Orange, but I can assume that it is a part of their life here at Oregon State.
After leaving OSU, we will all leave behind a legacy. We are here for a purpose, and will leave with a purpose. After college everyone goes in different directions, but one thing we all have in common is that we get the opportunity to leave a legacy. If there is a purpose for us being here, what we leave behind is purposeful. Being Orange is something one can identify with for a lifetime. Being part of the Orange community also involves leaving the physical state of the Orange community as a student. I want to leave behind a legacy that makes people feel blessed because they knew me; I want them to remember me for the positive impact I made in their life. We were here, and we were Orange, how do you want to make the years here purposeful? What will your legacy be?
After asking people around me what it means to be Orange, some of the answers I received were: “being a Beaver fan,” “being concerned for the campus,” “being present,” “welcomed,” “being a student here,” “diversity,” and “people who are always friendly.” We all define Orange with different ethical values and attitudes we have. I value living life with a purpose, not just in my four years at OSU, but in the years I have lived and continue to live. Because I have compassion for myself, I will take what I think it means to be Orange and lay it at the world’s feet. I’m living life full of purpose, being Orange is living full of purpose. We have a purpose whether we see it now or see it in a year. Find your purpose and leave your legacy.

Tags: be orange, OSU, Purpose
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Submitted By: Patrick Foley
Be Orange
Being orange can be classified into a lot of different categories and will be different from person to person. In general I think it means how you would want to be classified as a person graduating from Oregon State University, meaning what are your values, education and career goals, and how you interacted and contributed to the campus community.
I believe that everyone is different in what they want people to think about them. If someone doesn’t care what other people think then that person would most likely not be very friendly, but they could still have good values. But for me I have high values which I think can rub off onto other people. I try to be very respectful and nice to everyone I meet, hold the door open for people, try to start conversation with kids in my classes, the list goes on and on. I feel like if everyone was to try and do one of these things then the campus as a whole would be a nice place to be, just like it is. This could tie into utilitarianism, see everyone as equal and do an act that produces more pleasure than pain. Also we can relate to Kant’s universal law theory which states to act in a way that you would want people to act towards you, basically the same thing as the golden rule we learned when we were young.
Being orange can is something that people should want to associate with their career goals. If you wanted to get a job and the employer knew you graduated from Oregon State then you would want him to associate you with a school that has a good reputation. Having a good reputation starts with the students and how they act which ties back into Kant’s universal law. Being orange can also tie into your educational goals. For instance you couldn’t really have a successful time in school if everyone was rude to you or you weren’t having fun. The University has a reputation to uphold and all the professors play just as big of role in it as the students do, so if you want to get the most out of your education then having the professors try and teach in a way will benefit the students the most. But in order to do so the students have to want to learn and be respectful towards the professors which is a definition of good, act in a way that produces more pleasure than pain.
All the points stated above on how to be orange contribute to the OSU community are dependent on how engaging students are. This can be done in a lot of different ways, for instance the increasing diversity at schools in across the country can be a good thing because it gives the opportunity for students to learn about different cultures and become friends with those other kids. There are also lots of different clubs that students can join to help with different things around campus. For instance all the art and posters around campus different student organizations are in charge of all of it. This can also help tie in with future careers, it can demonstrate to employers your leadership and organizational skills while maintaining the ability to carry out important tasks.
I think there is a variety of different ways to get being orange across. It can’t simply just be implanted in one day, it has to be done in many steps and can take a long time but it all has to start with each person wanting to be orange and to do what they feel would benefit the OSU community as a whole.
In conclusion I would like being orange to mean a wide range of things. The most important though is for each individual to be able to express good character traits, like being respectful. I would also like for the school to have a good reputation with people that didn’t attend, for instance future employers. I would want them to believe that OSU is a credible school that had lots of good people that showed me how to work hard and gave me the knowledge required to work there. I also think it means doing things out of your comfort zone like engaging with people from other countries and even different ethnicity. If we get a majority of the school acting in this manner or even a similar one it would be even more enjoyable then it already is, and it would give the school an even better reputation.

Tags: OSU, respectful, values
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Submitted by: Colter Rodman

            My senior year of High School I applied to 3 colleges; Oregon, Oregon State, and Northern Arizona.  I was accepted to all 3 but eventually chose Oregon State because I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in engineering.  Since moving to Corvallis I could not be happier with my decision.  Oregon State has a campus filled with intelligent, hard working, good natured people.  This does not come from the individuals that Oregon State accepts into their university, but from the community it fosters.

College is a very important time in a person’s life, we move away from home and experience life on our own and it is around this age that we become adults.  We are responsible for our own actions and lose the protected environment of high school and home.  This is where our moral compass is forged.  Our parents have influenced us and sent us in the right direction.  Now we must make our own decisions on time management, dedication, we must find a balance between work and play, but more importantly, right and wrong.  The environment you are placed in (which school you choose) can heavily influence you as a person.

This is the reason the “Be Orange” campaign is so important, through this campaign Oregon State intends to help us on our moral journey.  The campaign encourages students to be personally proud of their school.  Through school and personal accomplishments Oregon State encourages students to have a “head held high” mentality.  If each person has this mentality, then the Oregon State community will have this mentality, and if the school has this mentality, we can start to make a visible difference to those around us.

If you were to walk around Oregon State and ask students what they thought it meant to be “orange” common descriptions would include the words commitment, spirit, hard work, and care.  These are all values that students feel we encourage and embrace as a school.  You can see this on a day to day basis as well.  Whether you walk into a class room on a Monday and see the work students put out or head down to Gill Coliseum on an evening to catch a basketball game.  Students here care about their school as well as those they go to school with.  The community that this school creates benefits everyone around it and is one of the main factors for the growth of its students.

Until this term I had not thought seriously about the community I was a part of, I went through my day thinking about what I had to do to make it through college.  This class, however, has opened my eyes.  I now see that I cannot think of just myself as I progress through this institution, but must do my best to help others around me.  Oregon State is more just a University, it a community which we must all actively take part in to improve.  The community is much larger than most students notice, we are comprised of not only students, but faculty and alumni as well.  All of us play our own roll, allowing our university to grow from all fronts, and the more we interact, the more we grow.

When I think of being “orange” the word that comes to mind is help.  Oregon State and its students do a tremendous job of helping others.  From the classroom, to the streets of Corvallis and beyond, students from OSU help each other and those around them.  Acts range from helping classmates on homework assignments or volunteering at a boys and girls club.  A fantastic example of students helping others happened on Friday; the surprising snow dump left many cars deeply embedded.  No matter where you went around town you could see students helping get cars out of deep piles or helping put chains on others cars.  If someone is in a tight spot, help will be provided from the community.

These acts don’t stop once a student graduates either; the values that a student learns at Oregon State are also taken in to the professional world.  As a Construction Engineering student I am in a field where a lot of the professionals I interact with are graduates of Oregon State.  When I talk to someone who is not, they could not speak more highly of our institution.  Our graduates are known to be enjoyable, spirited employees as well as embracing a strong work ethic.  This demonstrates the lasting effect Oregon State has on its students.

When people ask me where I go to school or what I think about my time at Oregon State, I could not give a more positive response, which is saying a lot since I come from a family of ducks.  I am proud to be a part of this community, of what this university has taught me, and what I have learned from others along the way.  I would consider this the place where my moral compass was forged, where I learned to make many of the decisions that make me who I am today.  The community at Oregon State is strong and supportive and has given me a great college experience.  GO BEAVS!

Tags: be orange, Be Proud, values
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Submitted by: Christopher Hathaway

Be Orange. What does it mean to Be Orange? This is not a simple question with one sole answer because, as a value, everyone will define Orange differently and in their own way. OSU as a community is made up of many different people from all different backgrounds of religion, race, ethnicity, moral upbringing, and personal values that are individual to each person. To some Orange may mean freedom in the way of being out on their own and experiencing life through this community in a way they have never experienced life before. To another the value of being Orange may mean bettering themself by being the first generation of their family to attend college. As a whole, Orange can really encompass any value to any person.

If I were to define Orange as it relates to my values I would say that being Orange means doing everything I can to succeed in this community. I define this as my value because I am one of the lucky ones; my parents have worked their entire lives and saved up the money to pay for me to go to college without me having to know the burden of debt. Because of this I want to repay them through my success and well-being. So while being Orange means that I am creating a better future for myself, it is also a way of saying thank you to my parents. Aside from each individuals Orange value, I would say that being Orange as a citizen of this community cannot be boiled down to one certain value, but instead I think it is more of a set of virtues that allow all of our fellow citizens to realize their values and their individual definitions of being Orange. The virtues that I believe are involved in being Orange are compassion, respect, integrity, and honesty. Being compassionate to the members of this community I feel reaffirms every individual’s choices and creates a sense of acceptance which facilitates everyone’s different values. Respect in the community and understanding that we are all different is vital if the community is to be successful because if members of the community feel that they are not respected it may discourage them from achieving their full potential for fear of unacceptance. By integrity I mean doing what is right and for the better of the community while understanding the outcomes and consequences that may come with doing the right thing. Finally, honesty includes being honest to your fellow citizens and not being dishonest for the pleasure of self-promotion, it also means being honest with ourselves and knowing our values and not expecting too much from the community. I believe that when we become members of this community, we assume the responsibility of these virtues and being Orange to help our fellow human beings be Orange according to their own value.

Some things that could help promote being Orange would be community activities or gatherings that promote the Orange community. All inclusive activities such as pep-rallies in the quad create a sense of community and promote compassion and respect. Banners around campus that define these virtues could act as a daily reminder of what being Orange is and might even prompt self-honesty when students see the banners and ask themselves if they have been being Orange lately. There is no single intervention that could cause everyone in the community to act according to these virtues but continually practicing them as individuals helps us move from acting Orange to truly being Orange. Other ways to practice being Orange requires ethics spotting in the community and in our daily lives and reaffirming actions that coincide with being Orange and recognizing and discontinuing actions that do not. Brochures for incoming students that define being Orange and define each of the values involved would supply members of the community with a knowledge of what Orange is so that they can make informed decisions when faced with community based moral dilemmas.

If this definition of being Orange were promoted I believe it would create a better sense of community and create an environment in that each member of the community is supported making it easier for everyone to be Orange! So when you go out today think about your fellow citizens values and help them be Orange by being Orange yourself.

Tags: #besuccessful, #gobeavs, beorange
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It’s that time of the year!

PHL 205 students: Here are the instructions for your assignment!

Be Good. Be Orange.

Your assignment: Demonstrate your ability to use your ethics skills (as defined in syllabus and class) to answer the question: “What does it mean for you to Be Orange?”

Skills being assessed:

• Compassion (for self & others)
• Moral imagination
• Ethics spotting
• Epistemic accountability (remember: accountable ignorance, appropriate use of evidence, proper citation, etc.)
• Value Communication
• Evaluation & Argumentation
• Engagement

Successfully completing this assignment will require:

•  Identifying existing definitions of “Orange” as a value (e.g. OSU Strategic Plan, University marketing and news materials, OSU logo, etc.)
• Clarifying and communicating your own values and educational goals within the context of the OSU community (What do you want orange to mean?)
• Determining and using the most “effective” format/method for communicating your value message (consider: style, media, format, etc.)
• Demonstrating “engagement” and action skills. One possibility: revisit other ethics “actions” or “interventions” discussed in class and your “OSU Report Card assignment”

Guidelines

Audience: your professor (remember course goals!) and blog readers

Objective: Provide student accounts of the value of “Being Orange” for the purpose of refashioning higher education (e.g. PHL 205 as back core requirement)

Format: Reflective blog entry on Be Orange website (*approximately* 3 pages).  Other formats welcomed but must be cleared with professor.

Assessment: Creative Thinking Values rubric (see course syllabus) and in-class checklist (12/5)

Deadline: 12/13/13 by 5pm

Posting Instructions (MAKE SURE TO READ THIS!)

1. Login with ONID information: Be Orange.  Start a new post (using dashboard on left side of page).

2. Title post as: “Be [your value]. Be Orange.”

3. First line of post should be: “Submitted by [your name]”

4. Include text in box provided.  You may save and edit prior to submission.  Insert media and links, as appropriate.

5. Tag post by clicking “begood” category (in right side box)

6. Add three “tags” to identify your post, using the box on the right side of the submission page.  One of your tags must be the value identified in your post title.

Tags: be orange, values
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What it means to Be Orange

To me, being a part of Oregon State University means being a part of a community, both on campus, in the city of Corvallis, as well as the international stage. A community is a group of people that have something in common, whether it is their occupation, residency, status, such as current education status, hobbies, and the like. To Be Orange reflects the value of community care, which means to have the ability to be aware and conscious of community members around you and to be able to respect them. These cares are in consideration for the community, and as I said, communities such as neighboring towns, states, and countries. For the Be Orange campaign, it is any community that is affiliated or affected by OSU. Great examples of the OSU community include, but are not limited to, the OSU Cascades Campus in Bend, the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, or even the OSU ROTC program here in Corvallis. Each example represents OSU, therefore are a part of OSU’s community.

As stated by the Office of the Dean of Student Life website, awareness

“is knowing what’s going on around you. This includes in the world, at the university and within your immediate vicinity. Awareness prepares you to make well-informed decisions. Self-awareness is recognizing your own needs, desires and your purpose in attending OSU.”

To be aware of one’s self, what’s going on in the world, and what is going on at our university can help make a person more rounded and alert of situations in their community. One example of being aware with regards to community care can be shown through research that happens both on campus and that represent the campus, no matter the department the research occurs in. Dialogue that occurs between the researcher and the community shows that the researcher wants the community to be aware of what’s going on, and in essence, become more rounded individuals. Oregon State is always trying to get word out there about what they are doing as a community, for my community, to represent my community; what it is to Be Orange. To be aware is to be conscious, to be conscious is to think, to think is to learn, and to learn is to grow. Therefore, when a person is aware, they are learning and are growing, which is another aspect of the Shared Student Values here at OSU. Growth is why we are here at OSU, to learn and to prepare ourselves for the outside world and to become contributing members of society.

Honesty and trustworthiness are another aspect of what it means to Be Orange. According to the Office of the Dean of Student Life, honesty and trustworthiness

“go hand in hand. Honesty is telling the truth. Trustworthiness is establishing a reputation for honesty. Together, these are the foundations of our academic and social associations. In the academic arena, it is paramount that you do your own work and credit others when appropriate. In the social realm, honesty and trustworthiness create the space for strong and lasting relationships.”

One thing that drew me to go to college was the lasting relationships people have with folks they met at school. My uncle went here and still sees his fraternity brothers all the time. This lasting bond is something that I value and cherish, because it makes me feel included, a part of something, and united with fellow community members. In order to gain this relationship, a person has to be honest and trustworthy, or else the relationship is based off lies, and is not as satisfying.

Another example of value of community care is the social responsibility the university has for fellow community members. According to the office of Human Resources: Learning and Organizational Development website, social responsibility is defined by the way “[w]e contribute to society’s intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and economic progress and well-being to the maximum possible extent.” In essence, it is the positive impact OSU has on the community, with an addition of flavor in the execution.

As I’ve stated before, the top values that I use when defining Be Orange is community and community care, honesty and trustworthy, awareness, and social responsibility. These are important to me because they provide a purpose, or telos, for the community as a whole, as well as the individuals within the community. The purpose for me personally, is to gain knowledge and understanding of those around for future use. The ability to do so with honesty and trustworthy shows that I am credible, which can get a person far in life.

Overall, each value works together to bring about a community and an overarching aspect of honesty and trustworthiness. Each value requires an individual to think, whether consciously or subconsciously, about the community and the positive and negative consequences their actions have within the community. The worth of each value, to me, means something different to each member of the community. For a faculty member, the social responsibility towards their students is going to be different than that of the garbage man: a faculty member’s career choice is to better the future lives of their students, whereas a garbage man’s duty is to clean the town. Both are important when talking about the success of a community; however one is highly sought for, whereas the other is not.

To clarify, this is not to say that these careers options have different moral worth; if a person is doing their duty to the best of their ability, their moral worth is positive, whereas a person who is not working to the best of their ability achieves negative worth when talking about moral and ethical standards. In a sense, it doesn’t depend on the career, but the amount of energy that is put into the job, that defines the moral compass of career choice.

Because of the skills I have acquired, I appreciate Oregon State University, and their Be Orange campaign, for it represents who I am in a community, and what I want to achieve in the future. Whether I become a professor or a garbage woman, because I will get my degree here, it will show my future employers how responsible I am when it comes to community care, how I am aware of my surroundings, the honesty and trustworthiness that Oregon State University has empowered me with, and the social responsibility I have towards my growing community. Oregon State University has given me the tools to be prosperous in the future; that is a goal of mine, to be successful and my values can help me with the process of becoming a successful woman.

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BE ONE. BE ORANGE.

Oregon State University as an institution set up a “Strategic Plan” comprised of goals for the university in the coming century. The reasoning behind this is to earn high status (top ten) in the ranks of colleges across the nation. The main objective stated by OSU is to continue the “tradition of excellence” at the university. Some of the goals include improving student learning and experience, research activity, interdisciplinary approaches, sustainability, and promoting human health. While I agree that these areas are all very important to earning a college degree, I know the university has a much bigger impact on the people involved with it. These goals focus solely on education and research, which makes sense for the university, but maybe they don’t understand the full scope of influence OSU has.

Oregon State University’s strategic plan for OSU is important to the goals of the university. However, I believe that being a member of Oregon State has more meaning than just earning grades, graduating (or dropping out), and being sent off for the next part of life. Oregon State is a community, whether the administration realizes it or not, and I think that is a very important idea to recognize. Being a student, faculty, or even a fan of Oregon State University means something, something more than just learning and getting a job later in life. The goals presented in the strategic plan are crucial for the university in that things must be done, but I believe that knowing what it means to “Be Orange” is a much more important experience.

Being Orange represents a certain character and atmosphere that the university represents across the campus, the city of Corvallis, the state, and even the country. Being orange is participating in OSU. The values I think OSU should symbolize are community, responsibility, and opportunity.

The first value that should describe Oregon State University is community. Whether or not people realize it, being a part of OSU is being part of a community. It is built by its members, not just a place. Community is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a unified body of individuals; people with common interests; an interacting population of various kinds of individuals,” which I believe defines Oregon State. We are a population, a group of people who are brought together by the institution. There are many different people: students, staff, administrators, athletes, engineers, mathematicians, etc. but we all come together to represent OSU. As a community, I think we should represent unity and citizenship. All members of the community should be united and work together. We are united by the fact that we are affiliated with the university, but also by an effort to represent the school with these values that bring the members to become one. Citizenship follows the same lines—it is the membership of being in a community, AND the quality of that. How much are you involved? How can you contribute? These values of citizenship and unity are vital because they make up the community and the members must take ownership of them before they can be established. I think that the members must realize that they are part of something bigger than themselves before they will be able to contribute to the community as an orange citizen. An example of this type of community is what you may see on a fall Saturday at Reser Stadium. Thousands of people from the OSU community come together, wear orange, and cheer for their football team to show their support. This is an example of a community and the unity and citizenship that is being displayed through it.

The second value that describes what it means to be orange at OSU is responsibility. This is a responsibility, for yourself and for the community. As a citizen, you are accountable for what you do as a student, professor, administration, staff, etc. by doing what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it—principally, doing your job and doing it to your best ability. A student is responsible for doing their own homework, studying, and taking tests. Professors are responsible for making a lesson plan, teaching their students, and deciding grades. However, on top of this, each person has a responsibility to the community in the way of service.  Service indicates the contribution to the welfare of others. Being part of a community entails the responsibility to serve one another. This can be simple actions such as holding the door open for the next person or giving up a computer in the library or even picking up trash on campus. Though these seem simple and trivial, kindness and compassion can go a long way, and as citizens of the same community, we owe it to each other. In addition, how awesome would it be for other universities and states to look at OSU and recognize this quality of service for one another? It’s truly the responsibility of us as members of the orange community to serve each other.

The third orange quality is opportunity. This value describes the way we engage in our community as citizens. The university provides many opportunities for its members, beyond the service we owe to each other. It’s important for us to participate in the OSU community, especially while we are students because we have a great opportunity to graduate as well-rounded individuals, which I believe many people look for in others. Being broadly developed means that you were open and engaged in the community around you. By participating in every possibly opportunity at Oregon State, you will become a person with important experience and knowledge that others will not understand. I think it is a combination of the university’s duty to provide these kinds of opportunities, such as organized clubs, research programs, and study abroad connections. But I also believe that it is the students’ obligation to reach out and find opportunities too. They could volunteer for an organization, join a club, or reach out to freshman students. All of this engagement with each other is important for the uniting of the community, and is truly the responsibility of its members. I think these values should be lived out each day by the members of OSU to represent being orange.

People who are “orange” could be anyone that is affiliated with Oregon State University. People such as the administration, professors, office employees, counselors, students, and even fans are members of this community. These values are something that members of the orange community demonstrate at Oregon State or OSU events, but there is no paper to sign off that makes it law. I believe it is the obligation of the citizens to live out the values though. People with no connection to Oregon State are excluded from these values when related to being orange. In addition, the person’s status at OSU does not change the orange meaning or make the value more or less valuable. Everyone at Oregon State is old enough to understand the values of community, responsibility, and opportunity and commit to them when joining OSU. However, I realize that it is a personal choice for each individual to actually perform the values.

My values of community, responsibility, and opportunity are very important because they define what people think about Oregon State University. As an institution, the members make up the community and we represent Oregon State by what we do—our everyday actions. People actually notice if we say hello to them or hold the door, and we are judged by simple things like that.  I think it is important to be a community that is recognized for working together through responsibility and opportunity. Also, as an orange member, I want to be in this type of environment where I feel connected to others through community, where I take responsibility and better the lives of others, and where I have opportunities to discover the world—and I think many people do too. Being orange is important for the members inside the community but also for those outside of it, and even for people who may want to join in on being orange!

The goal of my value is not to persuade you that I am right about what it means to be orange because I know there could be many different values that describe an orange person. Instead, my goal is to open up your idea of an orange community and the university. There is much more to college than being a fish in the sea where you go through at least four years of classes, work for a grade, and getting spit back out onto the sand with a degree. Earning a diploma is the main goal, but there is so much more. Imagine the countless chances you have to try something new, help some out, or experience something that you don’t have anywhere else. Being part of a community, owning your responsibilities and taking advantage of opportunities while you are an orange member will mean so much more than a piece of paper.

To further illustrate the meaning of being orange, I designed a logo. The purpose of the logo is to give the members of orange a symbol or picture to remember what it means to be orange. I wanted to create a new brand through this artistic medium to project my values in an interesting and attractive way. On the logo, the “O” contains community, the “S” has responsibility, and the “U” holds opportunity. I think that creating an image will help people of the orange community to recognize and remember the values of being orange.

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There all kinds of different people that make up the OSU community. All these different cultures and backgrounds give us different points of view. Most of these views we cannot understand because we have only seen life through our own eyes.  When someone here’s Be Orange I want them to associate it with open-mindedness and respect.

To be open-minded you have to be compassionate, understanding, and engaging. You also have to be willing to put yourself out there among other strangers of your community. We have an obligation to our community to get to know those around us. Get to know those around us so that we can listen to new ideas and ways of looking at life. These experiences will open up our eyes and help us notice all the ethical skills we may or may not have.

An open-minded person will listen to whomever they are talking to and engage in a conversation. They care about what the other person has to say. They ask questions when they have them, they never hold back. They apply emotions to their conversations so that the other person feels engaged with you. Being open-minded takes a while to develop in this community I would say you’re orange after returning from your 1^st year. If you come back you’re orange. And know you represent something that is not just your top priority but others as well. When someone says they attended Oregon State University it should automatically turn the light bulb on in someone else’s head. They should associate all these great things I’ve been talking about with your degree.

Someone who is not Orange or not open-minded is an individual who is selfish in all his decisions and thinking. This type of person believes that there way of thinking is the best way and any other way means nothing to him/her. For example at the beginning of this class some of us in the class were frustrated due to the fact that we weren’t open-minded to this way of teaching. I don’t know how my peers felt but I thought that this way of learning and teaching allows students to think on their own. Being told to due an assignment without any step-step instructions helps your brain think more. It’s not necessarily thinking outside the box but just play with your box.

We are all here for the reason, to get a degree. Whether its your bachelors, masters, or PhD your degree from OSU will be the first thing people have to judge you by. We all judge a book by its cover but we don’t notice that we do it. I want them to judge me as a person with character, open-mindedness and caring for those around me.

When I hear the phrase Be Orange it means to have an open-mind to new ideas, people, events, cultures, and values. If these people want to be a part of the Beaver Nation they have to commit to these values throughout their lives. Once your Orange you can’t go back. You have made a lifelong commitment to not just representing yourself but a community that has established itself. We have to strive for education and to promote higher education to the younger generation.

From class lectures, the book, and having conversations with my colleagues I learned that we shouldn’t be part of the system. We are in the situation that we are in because we follow the system. People shouldn’t have fear; we should use the fear of not knowing what’s going to happen to drive is to put a stop to it. We have to put a end the government and corporations reign of taking advantage of its citizens. It’s a shame that the cost of education drives people away. If you have commitment in what you do, you can accomplish anything. And with this knowledge it means nothing if you don’t share it with others. We all have to know how our system works and how we can change it to improve ourselves and those around us.

I have learned a lot from this class, I have learned a lot about myself and how I can be a better person. If you approach your life goals with ethics in mind you will notice how much we take for granted. We put a value on objects that really have no value. It’s sad to see so many people that are oblivious to these ideas. For that reason we have to take use all the skills that ethics gives us to spread the word and get people the information that they need. It’s time that we take back our pride and put a stop to it.

Be open-minded, Be Orange. When I hear someone say Be Orange I want open-minded to automatically pop up in their thoughts. When people read the signs around campus and look at the pictures of the students and staff. The way we show it by our knowledge and how we choose to use it. For me the correct way of using is by sharing that knowledge with others and helping them understand these new ideas. As long as they have an open-mind I believe our knowledge can lead us in the direction that we want to go. All we have to do is pass on the knowledge to those in our community so that as a whole we can be something more then just Be Orange.

-Francisco Flores

Tags: beopen-minded, beorange, ethics, philosophy, phl205
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My degree from Oregon State University will mean so much more than a diploma could ever say. Being the first person to graduate from a university in my whole entire family will be such an honor and privilege. Now days many people go to college because their parents and grandparents went, it’s already planned in their future they will attend college. Attending college was a choice I had to make for myself. Working hard to get good enough grades to get into college was a decision that I had to work towards. I am putting the responsibility of my life into my own hands. I am putting my own welfare and goals first (78). In that ethical ego state of mind I am trying to make a future for my self. It may sound harsh and that I am being selfish but through my self care practice I have learned that you must take care of your-self in order to best take care of those around you. As an utilitarianism prospective I am trying to make the right decision that gives me the best balance of happiness for everyone concerned (85).  Going to college will not only make my current family proud, but it will allow me to provide for my future family. When thinking about how I fell when attending college I feel that I am making a choice to be successful based on a model of excellence (136). When looking at the state of minds you can be in, ethical ego, consequentialism, non-consequentialism, virtue ethics, you must have a combination of them all. Happiness come when you think of others, the ricks and rewards of action and also sometimes when you think of your own well being.

Being Orange to me is something I can be proud of. When leaving Oregon State University I want other to see the pride and school spirit I hold for OSU. I believe that this value does not just hold true to me. Any student that has graduated or is currently attending OSU has the right to be proud of their school. Along with students, facility and other employees that contribute to the school should take pride and honor in being a part of Oregon State. Oregon State is doing great things and has been for many years, all community members should be proud of the excellent examples set before them.

My value is very important because people are longing to feel like they belong in the world. Being apart of Oregon State University community allows you to be proud of where you came from but also what you had accomplished while you were there. Becoming proud of the Oregon State community comes from many small actions that create a greater action. Each class you take, and work hard to pass is a small action that leads to your overall goal.

When graduating form Oregon State I want people to know that it was a challenge, that it was hard and I had to stay determined and focused. College was not a plan that was set before me. I had to expectations set on me that I had to finish college, which in a way is making it harder to stay focused. Working hard to achieve my goals is a choice I am proud to make for myself. After leaving Oregon State I will feel proud to be a beaver forever.

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Submitted by Molly Amo

So, we’re faced with this big question, what does it mean to be orange? My opinion of what I think orange is has definitely shifted from the beginning of the term until now, the last week of the term. Throughout the course, I’ve learned so much about the various philosophy terms and myself, a combination that provided me the ability to change my position on what I think it means to be orange.

Coming into this class as a senior, I was not accustomed to the great amount of disclosing and sharing of values with my fellow students. It was all rather a shock to me; though a pleasant shock. This entire term has molded my brain to know how to interpret situations and create well-developed opinions that were indeed morally right. Group and class discussions were very beneficial to me in regards to the values we spent time analyzing. Enrolling into this class, I think I was immature in a way that accepting another’s opinion was somewhat difficult if I saw it as morally incorrect. Morally wrong (according to Molly). One exercise we completed in particular that I really liked had us respond to an argument as if we favored the opposing side. This skill taught me to not only be more open-minded and understanding of situations, but I’ve improved my processing and am able to comprehend why one feels the way he or she does.

Oregon State University is a public, higher education institution that greatly emphasizes an effort in a sense of respect and veracity. The “Be Orange” Campaign means something different to each individual, but to me, being orange has a deep significance. “Be Orange” means be encompassed with integrity and be respectful. Oregon State is devoted to serving its students, staff, faculty, and alumni with full responsiveness. Under Oregon State’s “Office of the Dean of Student Life” webpage, student values are shared and defined. Specifically, I looked at Integrity and Respect, as to me, are the combination of values that define what orange is to a tee. These two values productively create an environment (mentally and physically), in which anyone affiliated with Oregon State is able to prosper and cultivate off one another.

The term “Be Orange” is not just a slogan. To many, it might be just that. But Oregon State did not create this motto for no reason at all. Being orange represents a wide variety of values, but mostly, it represents values of character. As I strive to achieve my life goals, when I receive my degree upon graduation from Oregon State, I want it to represent the hard work and energy I put in during my time here. A degree shouldn’t just exemplify the A’s, B’s, C’s (and maybe even some D’s) you received during your time as an undergraduate. To have a degree from Oregon State, means I’ve experienced many social engagements and have had experiences that people without a degree presumably have not encountered. My degree will symbolize the journey I went on where I learned what it means to be respectful and respected, as well as performing things with great integrity.

Some might think that just the students are expected to use these values of respect and integrity, but I feel everyone (students, faculty, staff, and alumni) are expected to and entitled to practice these values. We have learned that ethics are such a big part of our lives and exist in our day-to-day activities whether we are aware of it or not! Respect and Integrity go together hand in hand and are a part of an ethical relationship we learn to forego in our time here at OSU.  We learn from example but we learn mostly from experiencing things hands on. In our 4 (or 5) years year at this University, we grow and learn to treat ourselves as well as others with dignity and honor.

My value of integrity is important because having a strong set of moral values and living up to them will really take you far in life; whether it be in terms of your career, personal life, in a relationship, or family life. My value of respect is also extremely important because “treating every individual with dignity, honor and generosity while valuing their humanity” is going to better ourselves for the future.

This value requires actions of being true to yourself and doing what is best for your community (in this context: Oregon State University). The telos (goal or aim) of my value is to improve everyone and their outlook on life. After developing a firm belief of principles and ideas throughout this ethics course, I’m able to “spread the love” and continue being orange after I graduate. I will fulfill my mind with integrity and treat not only others, but also myself, with great amounts of respect.

But why? Why is integrity and respect so important? Why is it emphasized so greatly at this college? For one thing, if you have high integrity, you are trustworthy. Oregon State helps mold it’s students, staff, faculty, and alumni, in the way that it communicates the idea that if you can’t trust someone, why would you want to surround yourself with them? Having strong moral principles should be of the utmost importance for each and every individual. On a separate note, respect is important because without this value, we’d probably all be savages. You get what you give in life. Respect should be earned, not demanded! These values are so important to me and apply to big actions and moral decisions in our daily lives. Ethically speaking, these two values exclude no one. Respect and Integrity really applies to us all. Students are vastly affected by these values a bit more than others, because at our average 18-22 year old age, it is easier to instill these values into our young minds.

Tags: #begood, integrity, respect
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