Be Good. Be Orange.

Chelsea Albertson

PHL 205

Being orange is about being apart of something that is bigger then yourself. It is about being apart of an evolving community built upon a historic foundation. A historic foundation meaning that this establishment was built upon a set of principles that has since changed over time. Students are the muse of Oregon State University; they are the ones who embody the meaning of being orange. This is a very important thing to know before you commit to attending this university. You have to be willing and in somewhat of an agreement with what the school stands for. Of course I say somewhat of an agreement because there are always going to be people who disagree in some regard and they might want to come here to change that.There are different layers to the meaning of Orange but I don’t necessarily think you need to be apart of every aspect. I guess you could say that attending OSU and receiving your degree would be the representation of you being apart of the orange community, however, it runs a lot deeper than that.

Who you are as a person within the community as you go about your education is going to say a lot about what you can do in the future. Being an engaged student is one aspect of being orange. An engaged student at Oregon State University means that one actively participates in class, demonstrates a sense of open mindedness and the ability to challenge ideas with new ones that can be applied. Demonstrating these qualities in the classroom will definitely be a way for you to achieve a high grade, to get that degree you desire, but also to show that you are apart of something that is transforming. By being diverse in a classroom setting, you are showing that you are capable of formulating these new ideas and hopefully will be able to act upon them. I think that being apart of the Orange community means that you are one to take initiative and lead by example. This also means that you are willing to take on projects that aren’t just about the University but that are apart of helping transform the world.

At Oregon State we are very into creating a more healthy environment for everyone and creating a green campus (meaning sustainable).  We have implemented new policies on campus more recently which call for a more sustainable way of running the University and addressing the effects of smoking that can be harmful to everyone, even nonsmokers. These actions that have taken place have not always been apart of Oregon State, this is a perfect example of how we have transformed over the years. The issue with second hand smoke might not have been as much of a problem when the institution originally started up, however, at this point in time it is a big issue. By implementing a new policy, enforcing it and respecting it, the orange community has come together to create a welcoming and smoke free environment for anyone who wishes to be on campus. Oregon State has also stepped up their role in creating a more sustainable campus. More efforts to get people more actively involved in recycling and even having solar panels to help keep this university running in a more environmentally friendly way. This is another issue that has grown into a more serious problem that effects everyone and that the orange community wanted to be apart of changing.

Now these layers of being orange are just simply some examples of more basic ways of being apart of such an amazing community. However, being orange and being transforming is a much more personal experience that people have on an individual level. People who are orange have a certain amount of integrity and they hold themselves to a certain standard which is how they evolve over the years. You have to remember that not everybody is going to be orange when they first arrive at OSU. They might have an idea of what it means, they might have read policies and maybe have even have taken steps to be apart of some type of club or Greek life community within the university. However, they will not truly grasp what it is to be orange until they have those individual experiences and are able to reflect and form their own opinions as they go through college. As a person who is transforming themselves it is so common that everywhere that they turn, they are seeking opportunity. The opportunity they may seek will vary from person to person but nonetheless, if the are orange, they will attach themselves to that idea and stop at nothing to obtain it. That’s what being orange is all about, it’s about transforming into the person you most desire to be and building a community around you that will help you get there.

An orange community is one that is transforming and molding into what it needs to be for every single student who attends this institution. It’s an advantage to be apart of the campus experience and really engage in all that is offered and get involved in making changes as they see fits. Those who are enrolled online or are at the smaller Cascade campus don’t get the full affect of what it really means to be orange. In that case it would be solely up to them to read policies and know what the school stands for and maybe would have to be more defined by professors. However, I don’t believe an administration or faculty makes Oregon State University what it is today. The student body, the ones who ooze beaver pride, get involved, are successful in the classroom and are apart of making changes are the ones who have created OSU as it is now. As each year goes by, I think that more of the University policies and standards are in the hands of the students and why shouldn’t it be? The ones who are truly going to care the most are the ones who are paying the tuition, the ones who see the good and evil within. They are the ones who are going to help guide their children, friends, friends’ children about where to go. I believe that if past and present students didn’t see this University transforming then they probably wouldn’t have gone here in the first place.

Being orange is going to mean something for everyone who attends in some way or another. I want it to mean that I was apart of a transforming community that is active in all areas of things that will make this entire world a better place. I want it to mean that on an individual level, that I came from a place and got a degree somewhere that challenged my thoughts and ideas. A place where almost everyone would know that I had to somehow be apart of the University positively because those are the ones who were most successful there. Employers and people who you engage with on a daily basis want to have people who are constantly looking to the future representing their companies or just apart of their lives. People who have already been apart of something that has changed so positively in just the past couple of years are going to be the ones who don’t have a problem with accepting new ideas. People who are open minded and want things to evolve appropriately are the ones who are going to reverse the bad that has been done to our environment, economics, and social society. The ones who will stand up for what needs to be done and won’t stop at anything to get there. Oregon State University is where it started for me and there is no other way to go other than to: Be Transforming, Be Orange.

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Happiness Assignment

By Terrence Gleason

The Science of Happiness video was really interesting and I agree with a lot of what he says about how we create our own happiness instead of gain it through material things. There is no recipe for what happiness is regardless of what everybody thinks it is determined and synthesized from what each individual person makes it out to be. The point where Mr. Gilbert talked about the paintings was particularly interesting to me, but it was the people with the short term memories that surprised me. That even without knowing which painting they had the subconscious literally took control and made “their” painting more liked than before it was theirs. That blew my mind and I would not have seen that coming. This really proves that humans make their own happiness and that it is not at the jurisdiction of material objects to define our happiness.

I believe his theory on happiness does require ethics, but there is a very fine line between the two that has to be reached. Take psychopaths for instance say that they synthesize happiness from doing harm to others or destruction of property, ethically we have to say that behavior is wrong when we speak from an outsider’s perspective. If you are the psychopath however this makes you happy and if someone tells you that it is not okay to do these things then they are then denying you happiness. Granted this is a very extreme example, yet I still think it is relevant. It is relevant because it brings up an important point as to where do we draw the line between what makes someone happy and what is destructive to themselves/ others?  Most would suggest it is a case by case basis, but other people might say well do whatever makes you happy.

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Madelyn Miller

PHL 205

Be Orange. Be a contribution.

To me, being orange means being a contribution. Not just any contribution, but one that is positive and welcoming by nature. The act of contribution involves individuals, peers, communities and the world in general. With the act of contribution being so all encompassing, it is hard to see how our orange community could have an influence on the world through contribution; however, I argue that without the contributions bestowed upon us by the people around us we would be less successful. This is why it is important for an orange OSU student to be receptive to contributing to the world. In other words, I would hope that if you are going to be Orange, you are respectful to the fact that your success is not entirely your own doing. I think it is only when we can recognize how influential others have been on our lives that we begin to feel the importance in imparting the same type of contribution to others.  When I say others, I am not specifically referring to only one’s peers or fellow OSU affiliates. Instead, in order to be orange and to contribute, one should bestow this type of contribution onto everyone around them, both literally and figuratively. I hope that when someone is given a degree from Oregon State University, they understand the endless possibilities within their own agency to affect the people around them, and not just their ability to better themselves.

Unfortunately within our generation I have to admit that not all people come to universities with the hopes to contribute to their surroundings. It seems to me that a lot of students around the nation see higher education as a necessity in order to make money or be happy as individuals. This is unfortunate to me, because I know that our opportunity to have higher education is a privilege. I spent time in South America, where I realized the immense amount of people who would do almost anything to have the education that we are given in the United States. The realization that I am in a position that I should feel privileged to be in makes me understand my duty to contribute my knowledge and passions that I have gained in my time at Oregon State University to the best of my ability.

My passion is working within the health field. As a pre-medicine undergraduate, with a focus on public health and a minor in Spanish, I feel that my goals provide for a clear potential path. As my time as an undergrad student comes to a close, I am confident that I want to work with people who are unrepresented within the health field, such as the immigrant community. The university has given me so many amazing opportunities to explore my interests and begin to comprehend my passion. I hope this realization of incredible privilege also exists for my peers. I think that Oregon State University has a unique way of helping people find their passions. With the wide variety of required baccore courses, I would attest that majority of graduating four-year students have an idea of what they are passionate about; some may even have a concrete path towards the utilization of their passions. With this said, I would hope that someone who has graduated from our university seeks out ways to use their degree and passions in a beneficial and productive way. To be productive in your contribution, I believe that an Oregon State student, who wants to be Orange, needs to see their education as a significant privilege that gives them the ability to share what they have learned and accumulated form their experiences here to the world. If you are not using your knowledge and sharing it with the world, how significant can you argue that your time at Oregon State University really was?

As previously stated, I am aware that some people see higher education as something they are entitled to, and something they seek to only benefit themselves. What the university needs to instill in students is that our education is not entitlement to success. In order to have success and be Orange, one must be humble in his or her experiences here. Jumping to the conclusion that having a degree gives you superiority over others in the world gives an image of egocentric pride in one’s own knowledge. Once you see yourself as a part of a whole, vs. something that can stand alone, you start to see the profit behind contributing to others. This comes back to my Orange statement; when you make a positive contribution centered on your knowledge and experiences from OSU, you are Orange.

If Oregon State University’s community members choose to share their knowledge and make a positive contribution to the surroundings, they will in return create and become part of new communities. Once you seek a community or try to draw people into your ideas, there is soon a larger body of individuals who are gaining from your knowledge. When you are contributing on a community-based level, you are embodying the morals behind the purpose of contribution. Once this happens, there becomes a level of responsibility and accountability that you hold within your community. That duty of beneficence combined with accountability provides for a moral obligation to contribute to others.

In conclusion, I think that someone is Orange when they see it as a moral obligation to contribute positively to their community and surroundings. An Orange person is someone who can be successful in his or her academia, yet understands his or her role in society as a privilege. They would be accountable to use their knowledge and experiences from their time at Oregon Sate University in a way that benefits a larger pool of knowledge and would be receptive to being a part of the whole vs. seeking individual success. Someone who is Orange contributes to not only their peers but also to people who are underrepresented, or different from them, because they understand that their success relies on the collective knowledge and success of others who may or may not be similar to them. I am Orange; I do my best to contribute with passion and conviction for the benefit of all the people within my reach.

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Be Respectful. Be Orange.

By: Terrence Gleason

            Respect is something that everybody should be familiar with just from everyday life. We experience respect and disrespect everyday some of us more than others, but most people have not experienced the respect of what it means to be Orange. The typical definition of respect includes definitions such as these: to show regard or consideration, to relate or have reference to, or to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with. (dictionary.com) These are all valid definitions, but when you are a student at Oregon State respect takes a whole new meaning.

This respect is felt once you become a seasoned Oregon State University Student. When I say seasoned OSU student I define that as anyone who is pursuing a higher education at Oregon State and has been for here for more than one year. It is after the first year in higher education and then continuing their education at OSU that the individual then becomes Orange. Not only did they make it through their first year of college, but they also decided to continue, for transfer students, or resume their education at Oregon State.  The best way to think of this is like the life cycle of the caterpillar. The first year the freshman spend the year crawling around, sometime literally, living the tasteless life of terrible dorm food, quiet hours, dorm living, learning life lessons, and taking responsibility for themselves. After the year is over they go back home, the cocoon stage, to reflect on what the year meant to them and if they will be returning to OSU or if they will pursue their education somewhere else. The students that chose to return to Oregon State for their second year will be in the early butterfly stages. Their wings will be relatively plain and simple, but year after year they will continue to become more complex with the experiences and knowledge that they are continuously gaining from being an OSU Beaver. With that being said there are some exceptions to the rule such as transfer students. These students usually become “seasoned” faster than freshman because they already have been through a year of college and developed their own seasoning not found at Oregon State. So once they get to Oregon state they must take their previous experiences and combine them with the ones that they have at OSU to find the perfect blend of seasoning.

Now that the seasoned OSU student has been defined lets evaluate respect, but not as defined by society but rather as defined by Oregon State.

To be respectful and be Orange you must treat fellow students and the campus as you would like to be treated. This includes but is not limited to no destruction of property or harm to individuals, not judging an individual based solely upon looks, showing compassion for and accepting each other’s flaws, helping those in need even when nothing is directly gained in return, and finally it is the loyalty of the individual to our school, ourselves, and each other.

The respect that is seen and felt at Oregon State is truly one of a kind and once it has been experienced you will not forget the feeling or Orange respect.  It goes far above and beyond what respect is defined as. It really cannot be put into words so the best and really only way to know what Orange Respect means is to personally experience it firsthand so you fully grasp the true greatness of it. People can tell you what respect is or isn’t and give you endless examples using techniques such as ethics spotting or show and tell, but this will not be able to give an outsider the full Orange experience he/she is seeking.

As students leave Oregon State the Orangeness they gained from their time here does not merely fade away, but rather it goes with them. Once a student has gained their Orangeness it goes with them where they go and will be easily be recognizable by any other seasoned OSU student. For individuals who are not Orange it is a particularly hard quality to put your finger on specifically because it is such a unique group to be a part of. These Orange students are confident in all situations and will go through life always finding a way to complete any task they are given simply by the drive OSU has given them. Will on the diverse travels that Oregon State students will endure all of us will have a home here in Corvallis even if we no longer officially live here and on our travel we will never be alone because all of our fellow alumni will be in the world with us as we spread the word about becoming Orange.

With all that being said it is very difficult to put a definition on being Orange, especially to those who have not experienced it directly. The dedication, work ethic, compassion, and confidence can be seen in daily actions, but the biggest give away of an Oregon State student is the Orange Respect that they give to all those who are not Orange. So the best way to define being Orange and what it means is to not define it at all, but to live it. Live it so you can feel what it truly means and know how it feels to give and get this unique type of respect so you can define for yourself what it means and find your own Orangeness.

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Submitted by: Sierra Land

People have been fighting for pride since the beginning of time.  What is it that drives us to be proud of something?  Perhaps it’s having something to be proud of.  When someone has nothing in this world to offer, they will always have their pride.  Pride is something that can’t be taken away, which is why people should value it.  When I hear the phrase “Be Orange” I assume it means to be proud of your school.  You can be proud of your school by doing things such as going to class, studying hard for exams, going to sporting events, and wearing school colors.  If this is true then I am the epitome of what being Orange is all about.  Looking deeper into the meaning, when you hear the word Orange you affiliate that with the school colors.  In this sense, being Orange means being a part of the school, the community of OSU, and beaver nation as a whole.

What does being a part of beaver nation mean?  It means that you attend a school whose goal is to improve the state, the country, and the world.  It means you go to a school that has the best looking females in the country.  It means you are being taught by the best professors in Oregon.  It means you are part of a community that loves to compete in sports.  It means you belong to a community that is driven by educating people so they can make the environment better.   The main focus of OSU is to advance, promote, and progress in areas of distinction.  I’m proud to be a part of this nation because I believe in making the world a better place.  A good theory to live by is to leave this world better than when you found it.

With pride comes respect.  You can show respect to yourself and to your school by doing your best work for your professors, and cheering as loud as you can at sporting events.  You get respect when you do these things and more.  People respect you if you go all out for something.  If you show pride in your work then you have something worth honoring.  If you cheer as loud as you can for your school at sporting events, then you are showing pride.  There is no feeling like being the part of the roar of the crowd at a football game after your team scores a touchdown.  Not to mention what happens before the game; all the laughter and good times being had while tailgating.  Being all you can be for your school is what being Orange is all about.

People show respect around school on a daily basis.  For instance, people hold the door open for someone that is right behind them.  This is a simple gesture and it normally follows with a quick “thank you.”  I’ve seen people return something that someone else just dropped.  I’ve witnessed several occasions when someone says “you forgot this” and then hands the person the thing they forgot.  I’ve seen students say “hi” to their classmates when they see them around campus, and because we are all good people we say “hello” back. All these things and more are how people at OSU show respect.

You can also show respect by understanding what it is that your professors are trying to teach you.  Don’t just go to class to earn the A.  Go to learn the material and the concepts that your professor is teaching.  The school entrusts the professors with their superior wisdom.  The students are at school to get more knowledge in the field of their choosing.  Therefore, it is only right for students to put their trust into learning everything their professors teach them.  Another key value is trust.  You need to trust that everything your professor is teaching you is beneficial to your learning.  You need to trust that you are paying for the proper education.  You need to trust that you are learning the skills necessary to be successful in life.

The system is not set up for you to only take classes in the area of your major.  Instead we are told to take baccalaureate classes that shape us into being well rounded individuals.  One can assume that means that we should gain knowledge not only in our field of study but other areas as well.  This notion leads us to believe that if you are a well-rounded individual you are ready for the real world and all real world situations.  That means that the more knowledge you have, the better off you are.  We trust that all the knowledge gained at a University is good knowledge and can be applied to real life situations.  I want to gain as much knowledge as I can while attending OSU because I can use that knowledge to be successful in life.  All of this may be true, but is being a well-rounded individual all we want from attending OSU?

When I graduate I want my degree to mean that I have all the knowledge and skills necessary to make the world a better place, especially in the field of Exercise and Sport Science.  I want it to mean that I made lots of memories at OSU that I can tell my grandkids.  It’s a common saying that college years are the best times of your life and if that’s true then I will have some great stories by the time I graduate.  I want it to mean that I have more education than any of my family members before me.  It means a lot when the next generation is more educated than the previous generation.  I want to hang my degree proudly and say that I was smart enough to achieve that.  I want to honor my degree by honoring everything I had to do to get the degree.

Another value that I affiliate with being Orange is success.  What I want most out of life is to be successful.  Sadly, one of the main ways people measure their successes is by how much money they make.  Sure I would love to make a lot of money but that shouldn’t be what makes me successful.  I measure my success by determining how far I have come and how much I have accomplished.  If I do what I set out to do then I will be successful.  If I obtain a degree from OSU and get into a career related to sports I will be successful.  If I improve the Science of Sport in any way I will be successful.  If I am kicking back with my dad overlooking Lake Tahoe from my condo then I know I am successful.

I am proud of my school.  I am proud to say that I attend Oregon State University.  I am proud of all the knowledge I’m learning. I am proud to be a beaver.  I respect my school, my professors, and my classmates.  I always strive for success.  I will one day be proud to say that I am successful.  I am Orange.

Tags: pride, respect, success
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Oregon State University was a great choice for me to advance my studies after high school and begin my adult life. Along with the other privileged countries in the world, America shall be thanked for its easy access to education. Now whether or not this particular education is being used to its full potential is another topic. I would like to compare what this school has done for me as an active enrolled student to what it means to be a citizen in the United States of America. Oregon State is a miniature nation that bleeds orange and values the concept of a team.

Being a beaver has taught me what its like to be a young adult growing up in America. I first began in the dorms with plenty of time, money and excitement. Not knowing where and how to use these things was the only challenge I had to conquer. I make this comparison of being part of the student body to being part of the American constituency because we don’t become great students until the fourth or fifth year of college. In the same way we do not become good nationals until we are forty of fifty, when we’ve learned where to invest, when to save, when to work and when to celebrate.

In the simplest terms, to be a part of OSU all you have to do is pay a few dollars. To live in America all you have to do is pay a few taxes. In return the school will provide you with protection such as campus security just as America watches over us with the Navy, Army and Air Force. Now once we have paid our dues to become a citizen or student, it is up to us how we want to spend are time and enthusiasm. We are free to study what we want, when we want and we are free to work for whom we want, where we want. We are free to be involved in the schools council or support the school sports teams and we are free to be involved in America’s legislation or support America’s teams. With an antagonistic view to all this freedom, America and OSU both have their problems, restrictions and regulations that not everyone will agree with. These rules and guidelines set forth by both the Dean and President of the United States may be seen to hinder some groups of people but they are necessary in keeping a functioning academia and democracy.

From an ethical egoism perspective, “the right action is the theory that advances one’s own best interests” (78). As students and citizens we have a responsibility to ourselves and an obligation to promote positive good. “Pleasure, happiness, power, desire satisfaction, capital, self-actualization” are some of feelings we are accountable to pick on our own level of satisfaction. Everyone will and should have a different level of what a correct action should be and whether it expands their own comfort (78). I respect OSU just like I respect America. I understand now that being orange means being a team player. You have a mutual appreciation for your coach (Dean/President), the referees (Faculty/Governors) and your teammates (Students/Residents). If you do you role in the big play, your team will win. At OSU I can put in any amount of effort into my education as I choose. In return OSU will evaluate my effort and compensate me to level deemed fit. In this same way I can work a minimum wage job or I can exert myself to the extant I want my wealth to go. Many may argue that the cliché ‘you only get out what you put in’ does not apply to everyone but after my college experience I suggest this to be 100% true.

From my freshmen year to my senior year I was provided with the tools I needed to succeed. Whether it is in the form of a computer lab, a gymnasium or tutors, they were there at my expense and I was free to exhaust those resources to their maximum or minimum. It takes sacrifice to earn and prove citizenship in the United States yet we forget we obtain rights such as free speech, voting privileges and the right to start a business. The relationship between OSU and me is more important than my degree. The degree is a perk, just like the right to bear arms. Being orange means we are team players and we know what it takes to win. I know that I can be a bench player or a star and the choice is entirely up to me. From the person who washes the jerseys, to the team’s manager, to the people that build the court, it takes everyone playing their own role to reach victory.

Tags: #Team, Beaver, Responsibility
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One Family. One Orange.

By: Austin Newman

What does it mean to be orange? Everybody has a different idea and perspective about what Oregon States new motto really means. This idea of being orange has brought new inspiration into the lives of everyone who has been touched by Oregon State.  This motto has challenged me to reflect upon what it really means to be part of the Oregon State family. I believe one of the most important concepts of being orange is family. Family is one of my most important values and I think it can be applied to being orange in numerous ways. Oregon State has provided me with a close family for the past four years and I feel inclined to ensure that future students of OSU experience this same feeling. This university has also provided me with a future in more ways than one and I hope to be able to give back one day. Lastly, Oregon State has provided an environment in which I have had more fun than I have at any other time of my life.  To me, the philosophy of being orange encompasses three main overarching traits; family, future and fun.

Webster’s definition of family is, “a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head.” I think this is a horrible definition of family. I believe family can be defined as; a group of individuals with different temperaments, talents and convictions yet striving for one common goal and believing in similar ideal and morals. Being part of a family is a huge ethical obligation in itself. Multiple personal traits are required in order to be a valuable family member.  Responsibility, accountability and integrity are necessary traits when interacting in a family.  Responsibility is the ability to make correct moral decisions based on a set of personal codes and values.  Owning up to your own actions and accepting the consequences for them is an important characteristic of a functioning family. I also think being honest with oneself and with others is what integrity is all about. Family is a broad term and can be applied to many different organizations of people. I have been blessed with a fully functioning family and they are the most important people in my life. Both of my parents went to Oregon State, along with three aunts, two uncles, and five cousins. I have learned from all of them as they have learned from me. Oregon State has contributed to shaping all of their lives in a positive way and I have watched their success emulate through not only themselves but also in the lives of those they influence.  Family is so important to me I wanted to incorporate their thoughts into my reflection. I asked them all what they thought it meant to be orange and all of their responses were remarkably similar. Almost all of them touched on the lifelong friendships they have made here and the quality of life they now have. My cousin Kelsey had an excellent thought regarding being orange, “be true.” Meaning don’t try and be anything besides yourself; and don’t pretend you’re anything other than what you are. I think this is very important in any family atmosphere and I believe Oregon State encourages everyone to be their own person. My dad also had a great point, he said to be orange was to be “a do-er not a talker.” Implying that being orange is about doing something real and putting thoughts and words into action. Oregon State provides countless opportunities for students to apply what they have learned to real life situations. I believe it is essential for students to have these opportunities and experiences in order to be successful after college.

I believe that building a successful future can start at Oregon State. Being orange can teach someone the traits and ideals that serve as a foundation to a successful future. I don’t measure success on a scale of money or based on positions or titles. I measure success based on personal happiness and by the achievement of personal goals. By my definition it is possible for anyone to be successful, but it is difficult to measure happiness or to set goals without a firm basis of ideals and principles. I believe that Oregon States motto strives to instill a basic foundation of values that its graduates can use to build a successful future on. My family members have confirmed this by using the values they have learned at Oregon State in their everyday lives. To me being orange guarantees a basic foundation on which one can build a successful future on. I believe that when people think of the motto, be orange, they can easily relate it to not only a successful person but also the beginnings of a successful future.

Oregon State provides an atmosphere in which anyone can find a way to enjoy themselves and have the time of their life. The idea of being orange and being part of the orange family ensures opportunities for enjoyment will be provided. All it takes is the color orange to bring a smile to my face and countless memories to my mind. All of my family would say the same thing. Singlehandedly, Oregon State has brought new meaning to the color orange and has provided a source of memories containing innumerable experiences. Being orange represents an atmosphere of excitement and happiness. I believe that anyone who has experienced the orange family can say they have had the opportunity to enjoy unparalleled experiences.

Being orange symbolizes a fun family with a promising future. I believe that everyone who has been touched by the orange family can easily say they have had opportunities that not everyone has the chance to have. Those who have not had the chance to be orange can look at those who have and instantly know that it is a fun family to be part of. All of the alumni of Oregon State who exemplify responsibility, integrity and accountability are promoting a strong and successful future for everyone following them. We are all blessed to be part of this family and I believe we should all do our part in keeping this family functioning for many years to come.

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By: Logan Hardt

What is being orange, why is it important, and to be honest, who really cares? Everyone who can associate themselves with Oregon State University either as a student, employee, faculty member, or athlete is told they are orange, they represent orange, and they are powered by orange. And for the most part, we are all proud to call ourselves orange. However, do we all know what it is to be orange?

Oregon State University has defined orange many ways and through many different mediums. For example, in OSU’s strategic plan orange is described as progression, sustainability, and success. Additionally, banners also hang from almost every light pole in the MU quad that suggests that orange is to be diversified and compassion.

For me orange is a way of life. When you attend Oregon State University, visit here, research here, you buy into a life style. More specifically, you are buying the orange product. Oregon State University is the Burger King of colleges, because you can truly “have it your way”.

By a product, I mean an object or idea that a person finds relevant to their lives or current needs and elects to buy it.  Because a product can hold many different dynamic views, ideas, and uses, they sometimes can contradict themselves.  For this reason, the Be Orange campaign is going to have some contradicting ideas and thoughts. To say orange is a product is not to say it’s a bad thing. Naturally, it would be impossible to create a campaign that encompasses all the students, beliefs, and religions represented at Oregon State University without conflicting values .

In order to understand how orange is a product, compare Oregon State University to a bag of Skittles. When you buy a bag of Skittles you know that you are going to get a variety of flavors, lime, grape, lemon, orange, and strawberry. That’s the novelty and fun with the product.  There are flavor options, and you may find that there are some you like and others you don’t care for. We know, for example, that Skittles is a brand and a company that ultimately wants to make money and this happens by growth. This growth comes from evolution of a product. There isn’t just one type of Skittles, there are the original flavors, sour Skittle, tropical Skittles, and others. The goal is to capture as much of the market as possible, through adding variety to their product.

Similarly, there are different values and ideals within the Be Orange product that you buy through OSU.  At OSU you are buying a product, the Be Orange product, this product, like Skittle comes in many different type. There are sour Skittle, Tropical Skittles, the list goes on. The same hold true for OSU, you can choose the engineering type, science type, this list also goes on. With in these types there are going to be flavors you don’t like. Inevitably, like a bag of Skittles, you will pick the values you associate yourself with and throw the others away. There is that saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the same can be said for being orange. Being Orange is what you make it.

Product variety is an ethically neutral decision that has no positive or negative effect on anyone. Skittles, for example, offers variety rather than diversity.  Choosing to only eat the red Skittles violates no ethical principle; it don’t hurt or benefit anyone to do this.  There is a lot of variety offered at OSU.  For example, you have your choice of different career paths, majors, and programs.  The variety of the Be Orange product has spurred tremendous growth for Oregon State University. This growth is very tangible as well; new dorms and education halls are being constructed to keep up with the growing population. It’s a proven business plan: variety equals growth. But is Oregon State University diversifying in a moral way? Be Orange is selling this flavors of diversity, but does it actually believe in its product?

To answer this question, we must distinguish diversity from variety. Diversity is the ability to except differences of value and experience that may not reflect your own beliefs. Oregon State University values diversity as a moral good, which means it is a normative, selective diversity.  There are rewards for supporting and consequences for violating OSU’s core values. While we are diverse with the students that we enroll, there are beliefs we don’t support, murder, pedophilia, and rape.  Moreover, we don’t allow murders, rapists, or other harmful people to establish themselves within OSU’s community. The “Orange” community is defined by the collective thoughts, ideas, and point of views of the Oregon State University population.

This is how “Being Orange” differs from Skittles as a product.  As a community supporting shared values, we select the kinds of differences that we value in the name of diversity.  This means that certain values are supported, while others are left out.  OSU is a very exclusive club.  To be orange, you must either buy into our values or get out. We want sustainability, success, progressions, and passion.

Diversity is allowing thoughts, ideas, and customs that don’t reflect your own take a stance within your community. Your accepting that there is more the one way to think of an idea or solve a problem. Diversity is embracing this, not simply allowing in other ideas and thoughts and then neglecting them, that’s variety.  Having diversity within Oregon State University is crucial to the development of citizens that will impact society. We need to come out of college with a dynamic way of thinking and problem solving that utilizes as many viewpoints as possible, not just our own. This creates solutions that are unique and new, their innovative.

On paper OSU is superficially very diverse; there are many flavors offered within the Be Orange product. Unfortunately, in reality, we have variety, not meaningful diversity.  Much like Skittles, Oregon State University has been adding variety and not diversity.  For example, while we accept foreign exchange students, they are housed in a separate, secluded international building. Oregon State University also houses one of the most involved and charismatic Greek systems in the West Coast. This community is responsible for donating thousands of hours of community service and money to charities like Habitat for Humanity. OSU offers Greek life, but doesn’t want students to be evolved with it. This is evident through the freshmen year experience initiative. Which bands freshmen from living in Greek housing there freshmen year.

A vast majority of OSU’s population is here for higher education, including me. We are here to ultimately earn that piece of paper that will be the ticket to a happy and prosperous life. Yet, how do we define happy and prosperous? OSU teaches us different values and beliefs that we might not have previously considered. We do become more diverse citizens while we walk these academic halls. We come here to grow intellectually and this can only happen if we are able to broaden our views of the world, to become diverse citizens.

Oregon State University, last year, relived a professor of his teaching obligation because he had as strong stance against global warming. This is why we need to be more diverse, to allow for many ideas and thoughts to be instilled into the students that attend here. Instead of trying to eliminate these ideas that go against Oregon State Universities ideas, lets nurture them. There is a lot to be learned when you study the opposition. Learning about global warming could have became more in depth and intuitive if two sides of the argument to be voiced.

In ethics class we did an assignment that was titled “get pissed”. Where we had to find an argument that we where very passionate about, then we had to watch an argument that was for the opposition and write a paper on why we agreed with the opposition. It was infuriating, gut wrenching to watch and agree with. However, I learned about my stance from the opposing argument, I didn’t agree with the opposition, but I learned from it. I learned from diversity.

While here at OSU the amount I have learned is immeasurable, I’m becoming well versed in my major and am making crucial connection that will benefit my career down the road. Some of the best lessons I have learned have come from the different people I have met and listening to their life story. That’s the beast lesson you can learn, how to view the world from another person’s eyes. This is also the hardest concept to grasp. Naturally we are all very set in our ways, with our thoughts of how things ought to be.

Moving into my fraternity has been one of the best decisions in college thus far. I say this because of how different all of the brothers are. Brothers are all the members of the house. We all come from different places, background, political views, we all hold similar and different values. This is the best learning tool. We are a house of diverse thinking and problem solving.

Again back to this Skittle idea, when I buy a bag and then tear it open I always go for the strawberry flavor first. Much like when I bought a four-year supply of Be Orange I reached for the diversity flavor. For me to be orange is to be diverse. We are here to gain a broader view of the world, so that we may benefit humanity once we have benefited from Oregon State University. We are the future, it is in our hands. Be Diverse. Be Orange.

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By Tim Moss

What does it mean to be part of the OSU community? What does it mean to be ORANGE? That is the question that students get asked every time they see a “Be orange” flag or ask themselves every time they look at the new logo or walk into Dixon, or Kelley Engineering Center, or even Loco Boyz. All around campus, signs ask you what being orange means to you, and other signs tell you what it means. Being orange means holding a baby koala, or planting a garden, or riding your electric solar powered moped.  Being orange means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. A football player may think that to be orange means to win at all costs! An engineer may think that being orange means to design an innovative machine and sell it to a non-profit organization. A business professor may think that being orange means helping the leaders of tomorrow, their students, gain a firm footing in today’s economic struggle. Our PHL 205 class alone thinks that being orange, among other things, means being hard working, successful, sustainable, honest, responsible, compassionate, having pride, being different both in culture and ideas, and basically infinitely more things. Maybe a Beaver fan thinks that being orange means to support the beavers when they play the ducks. Even though the odds are against us; never give up, never surrender! I think that right there means that being orange is being diverse and free to express your opinions in appropriate ways and with compassion. Being able to understand another’s point of view when it doesn’t match your own is an acquired skill. It is a fluid skill, a skill that promotes constant change and evolution. To me, to be orange, is to be fluid. To always be flowing and striving towards my goal. When a mountain blocks my way, I go around it, I go under it, I go through it. I collect tools along my journey and help others progress towards their goal. I accept help when I need it and I give help when I can. This is much like a river carries animals, boats, sand, dirt and all sorts of things from one destination to another. Some of these things progress the river and some of these things the river progresses.

I am spending these valuable years of my life at OSU in hopes to gain tools and skills to help me progress along the path to success. To me success means graduating with good grades and going on to work in my career, make money, change the world (even on a small scale),  and start a family.  Am I gambling that OSU can provide me with this success? Yes, I am. I don’t believe that anything in life is certain until it happens. Even then it can be difficult to prove. Most things, past, future, and present are all based on the different perspectives and moral understanding of many individuals. However, I have lessened the chances of failure by choosing a school that I think can give me what I want and more with the least amount of suffering and loss.

I think that the new logo supports my idea of a fluid education striving towards self-defined goals along the many waterways, estuaries, rivers, lakes, and oceans that life may take us. The new logo is sleek and determined. It is stretching towards what it wants and isn’t going to let anything stand in its way. Even though it may take a long time, water is extremely powerful and can shape and mold the earth as it sees fit. This new beaver logo has that amount of determination. It tells onlookers that at OSU we will never give up. However just the fact that we have changed our logo tells people in the community that we may not give up but we might change the way we look at things. We are certainly not stuck in our ways. New innovative processes and ideas are welcomed here.

According to the mission statement to be orange means belonging to the Oregon state university community. It means to be sustainable, to be ever advancing human development, and economic growth and social progress. Their mission is to mold future leaders tomorrow. The leadership team that wrote the goals at OSU doesn’t just target OSU students, faculty and staff, it targets the world.  Their OSU community starts with a small group; maybe a philosophy class or the school of engineering, and then those people have an effect on the entire university, who then change the entire city, state, country, and the world. Their mission is to mold the future leaders of tomorrow.

I think that to be considered a part of the OSU community, you don’t have to be a student, teacher, faculty member or even work or go to school at OSU at all. I think parents and friends of OSU students and staff can be orange. The only requirement in my book that one needs to consider themselves orange is to do just that; they need to “consider themselves” a part of the community. I think that it is entirely a personal choice and only requires the right mindset. One’s whole life doesn’t have to be spent on campus or donate a million dollars to be considered orange. A person simply caring enough to say they support us, to me, makes them a part of the OSU community.

Be ORANGE: Be FLUID! This is what being orange means to me. To be fluid and to be orange means to be motivated, accepting of others, and willing to learn.  Fluids can change and adapt with the lay of the land. They always are moving towards their goal, but can have some fun along the way. To be fluid is to let nothing stand in your way. Over time even the strongest barriers can be worn away.

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“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.” -Orson Welles

When you walk around Corvallis Oregon, whether it’s around downtown or around campus everywhere you look there are banners, flags, stickers, posters showing school spirit. I walked down Monroe Avenue yesterday and lost count at how many Oregon State University decals there were in shop and restaurant windows. Orange is all around us, even when we least expect it. Even when I have traveled outside of the state and country no less there were people who commented on my OSU sweatshirt or beaver gear.

To me Oregon State is a privilege. My parents would have preferred that I go to a community college before jumping into a 4 year university, however I refused. I wanted the experience of walking around a college town and seeing people on game day and making friends I never would have met had I not come to OSU. There are so many opportunities I never would of gotten the chance to participate in. By deciding to go Orange and coming to OSU I had the opportunity to experience dorm life, join a sorority, join the DAMchic magazine team, live on my own, and find a major that I love as opposed to just picking one that sounds interesting and go to Las Vegas for the MAGIC Fashion Trade Show.

Whether you are a future student, current student, faculty, alumni, fan, or just a Corvallis resident you are Orange. To be Orange means to have personal growth. In participating in anything OSU you are Orange. When I think of people who are ‘Orange’ I think of people who are unique, responsible, respectful, honest and hard working.

Being a part of the Oregon State community is both a privilege and an opportunity to “find yourself” and become a unique individual. Obtaining a degree, going to sports events, participating in campus activities somewhat define who you are as a person. It is known that no set of fingerprints are exactly alike, well the same goes for being Orange. What you participate in, major in, where you come from all make a unique person. Even if you find someone who participates in everything you do, does this mean you are not unique? Being unique is an important value to have because without it you cannot grow as a person. Anyone thinking of jumping on the “Orange” wagon and attending Oregon State is already making the choice to become Orange and unique.

I am in my junior year of college and have 3 years of class experience and still I find it’s hard to stand out when I go to interviews. At the moment I am having to find an internship for the summer and in order to stand out to the company representatives you have to shine. I have found that in order to shine you have to be unique and create a profile showing that you are different then other applicants and make your application and resume sparkle. By participating in a large range of activities and clubs, jobs and designing your own major you start to build a written picture of yourself that stands out.

By taking the action to be unique you have to step outside your comfort zone and explore new things in order to more forward in life. Introduce yourself to the people in your dorm, sit next to someone new in class, go to information meetings for a club your interested in. By leaving the comfort of your box you will be able to further your knowledge in not only your education but in your personal experiences. One of my favorite quotes is “Better to ask forgiveness then permission.” You don’t want to look back on your life and wonder “what if?”

Our experiences while being Orange may vary depending on the role in the Orange community, whether you’re a student, teacher or fan but even if the experiences are different you can still hold the value of uniqueness. I like the fact that there are no boundaries when it comes to being unique. You don’t have to meet certain standards to be unique and you can determine how much you want to stand out. In school we learn lots of things; mathematics, science, English, and history. What we are not taught we learn through life experiences; how to write checks, have proper table manners, and what is acceptable in social settings. What we are not forced to learn we can choose what we do want to learn.

Elementary, Middle and High school was just a stepping-stone for college. Grades K-12 gave us a box; this box is already 1/3 full with knowledge from school and little things we learned growing up. Now Oregon State helps us to fill the rest of the box. There are clubs, societies, events, jobs, and a whole community of diverse people just like you who came with their boxes ready to continue to fill up the boxes they came with. Choosing to be Orange brought us together, and now we venture out, ready to decide what we want to fill the box with. This box we will carry with us through life, sure something’s we may toss out in a few years or we may make room for new things in the box. But we will never forget what is in the box because the things in the box make us unique and help us shine.

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