Submitted by Barret Neumayr

If you take a look around the Oregon State University campus, you can see how often the phrase “be well. be orange” is used. There is no specific definition to what being orange actually means. It could be used in a variety of ways, I believe the school’s definition is that of the strategic plan. The strategic plan has a set of core values, they believe these values are fundamental to our success. There are five core values on the strategic plan; accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. Each of these values could mean a variety of things, although they all have one thing in common and that is being orange.

I think being orange means following the Oregon State strategic plan. I would say I don’t really have a true definition of being orange. It is not something you do, but something you are. I do believe that as students of this University we should treat everyone with respect and integrity. Being orange is much more than that. It is the ability to do what is right, no matter what the scenario. Being orange is having the courage to do what you believe is right. Being orange is being yourself and not following a crowd just to fit it. Being orange is going after your goals, but not pushing people out of your way to do so. Being orange is not being number one to everyone else, but being number one to yourself.

From a day to day basis a key example of being orange is going out of your way to help someone. If you see a person struggling to carry their groceries out to their car, we should help them. It doesn’t need to be some big event to help someone, but just little things. This would follow the social responsibility of the action plan. I think we all have a responsibility to help others that are obviously struggling with something. Sometimes it may be harder to really see if someone is having a hard time with something or someone who is being bullied. This is why Oregon State needs to have students take courses that help students spot this situations. If we are able to seek out those in need of help we will be able to engage with those people and really try to help them. Some people don’t always need help with physical issues like carrying out their groceries to the car, some people just need to talk to someone. That’s where being orange comes in, if we can show compassion to others just by taking a minute and listen to their problems we can help them find a solution. This can improve their life and of course improve yours. Those little acts of kindness add up, they make yourself feel better as well as the people around us.

We can take being orange into our careers as well as everything else. I will use my field of study construction engineering management for example. There are many ethical decisions that we must make in this field. A major problem in the industry is bid shopping. Bid shopping is when an owner allows a contractor to see another contractors bid in hope for that contractor to bid lower than that so they can get a lower price for their project. This is against all the laws and codes about the bidding competition for jobs. Now, when I am in a situation like that I need to be orange. I need to make the decision to do the right thing. If I work for the company that is doing the bid shopping then I should tell them that I do not agree with what they are doing and will not continue to work for them if they continue this unethical practice. If I was working for the contractor then I should not give them a lower bid, but in fact inform other contractors what they are doing. Allowing the other contractors to make a decision if they want to continue working with them. I make the right decision, even though it could cost me my job. It is my responsibility just like how Mill said that we should seek pleasure, but not at the cost of others pain.

Besides the social responsibilities and accountabilities, being orange also brings together a community. We all have a particular characteristic that brings us all together, no matter what are major or passion is. Of course, that characteristic is being a student at Oregon State and being orange. Along with any community there is citizenship to that community. We all have rights and duties to ourselves, our school, and our community. As we go through our education, we are constantly getting moral values and ethics drilled into our head. At some points I tend to find it repetitive, but it is better to drill it into our heads now, then to have to learn it the hard way in the future. If we can’t show the core values of the strategic plan on ourselves, there is no way we can use them in our community. Everything starts with yourself, you can’t be respectful to someone else if you can’t even respect yourself. That is what being orange means, being able to have personal integrity, self-respect, and self-accountability and then being able to take those values and use them out in the community.

If we take accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility and mix them with courage, compassion and ethic spotting, we get the true definition of being orange. We could go through hundreds of examples of what being orange is, but at the end of the day being orange is all about just making the right decision. If you know you can help someone, no matter what the problem or situation is, help them. It is being respectful to everyone, no matter who they are. It is having the courage to step up and do what you believe is right, even if everyone else disagrees with you. Every person that graduates from Oregon State will have their own passions, their own career path, and their own life, but at the end of the day, no matter what they do, we will always “be orange”.

Be Proud. Be Orange. By: Matthew Guzman

“What does it mean for you to be Orange?” That is the question most people ask students and alumni from Oregon State University. Many people respond with different answers such as: “We’re known for our sports programs”, “Our engineering program is one of the best on the West coast”, or even “The community is so large, yet close with one another”. Whatever people think about the Orange community, we think about it in a positive way that is mostly true because whatever one thinks, most people of the same community think the same way. Being in a community means that people grow with one another and when the opportunity arises, they will not hesitate to help those that are in need. The academics aspect are true, we do have one of the best university engineering courses in the PAC 12. Including the many academic clubs that continue to excel, there are many social and athletic clubs that bring people closer together through sister and brother hood that form bonds into the working environment. But being Orange, first and foremost, to other students that attend Oregon State would be that we’re a school that takes school pride seriously; an example is that we wear and represent our school colors proudly. Being proud about our school is one of the reasons why people like our school. A lot of peers from different schools wear our shirts even though they go to schools like UW, USC, or UCLA. Something else about school pride is that when people ask “what college do you go to?”, tell them “Oregon State”, and if they respond ‘the ducks’, we will always proudly say, “No we’re beavers, get it right”. When coming from a small island community such as Hawaii, it’s safe to say that people bond when you know someone else is from the same place. You mostly have the same values and interest, therefore you feel comfortable with them. Oregon State is the same way, when someone says that they are from Oregon State, most people will always feel comfortable in a stressful environment.

Currently, being Orange as I have explained it is the best example of how I want it to be. Being proud about where a person comes from is great for confidence in making other choices that translate to the real world. Making key choices that affect your life positively can make one more ambitious, which is what employers look for when interviewing potential candidates for positions. I want Orange to mean that everyone part of our community is accepting of others that aren’t apart it, to also instill the positive values that we have learned to them so that we can let them feel what we feel. If students of Oregon State don’t feel the close bonds of being classmates, lab partners, roommates, athletes etc., after graduating, then I don’t think that the institution hasn’t done its job. It hasn’t made one come in contact of others that can potentially help guide people through college and make it a more enjoyable experience. What I want Orange to be is that to get the best education that I can possibly get, in order to fulfill on of my goals of getting a job for a successful career in a field that I want to go into. When people fulfill their duties when graduating, I want them to continue acting how they would if they were still at Oregon State.

The phrase “Be Orange” can be spread how anybody sees fit in a positive way that it should be. Even if it’s just helping someone with a small task, that person is representing Oregon State University, because if that person happens to be in the work environment and asks where you’re from, you’ll impact the school’s reputation in a positive way. Being proud is setting the tone for any activities that you undertake, whether it is a personal project or an altering decision that affects other individuals. It creates a positive mental attitude that other people can feed off of and therefore create a team that can accomplish difficult feats. When creating this team, one inadvertently creates an environment of a community, which comes back to the first and foremost value of my definition of “Be Orange”. There is a purpose about how people act in a community, they provide for it and reap the benefits of those actions when presented.

Be YOU. Be Orange.

By Katelyn Miller

Oregon State is a community that values diversity, so how do we identify a common value within a community with so many different individuals? I think the value that all Oregon State students share is the ability to be undoubtedly themselves. Being Orange is being YOU!

Oregon State University has over two hundred different degree programs and a student body from one hundred different countries. These two statistics exemplify just how diverse our community is! An Oregon State student is an individual who tries to be the best version of themself, whether that be the best engineering student they can be or the best business student they can be. It’s about being YOU and taking care of yourself!

Not all of us are going to be the next President or Nobel Prize winner or be the very best in our respective fields. It’s ok not to be “number one” – being the very best doesn’t always entail happiness for everyone. Being the very best often includes extreme amounts of pressure and expectation. Just because you aren’t “number one” doesn’t mean you are a failure, rather what matters is that you are the best you can be.

Being the best version of yourself means that you not only embrace your strengths but your weaknesses too! An authentic person is one who is undoubtedly themselves, flaws and all. Oregon State students are authentic and real!

How do we identify “Orange” on campus? We see “Orange” when that one student raises their hand in a lecture hall of five hundred students. We see “Orange” when we watch students chase each other around campus playing the quarterly “Zombie” game. We see “Orange” when someone holds open a door for someone. “Orange” is being YOU – it can be weird, normal, average, or extraordinary.

The way we promote “Orange” is by creating a welcoming social environment on and off campus.  Creating this welcoming environment starts with each individual. We first must respect ourselves in order to demand respect from others. “Orange” students respect themselves and others. With this respect we allow others to be themselves without the fear of being judged.  

The way I express my  “Orange” is when I’m playing volleyball. As a member of the Oregon State Women’s Club Volleyball team, I find myself undoubtedly being me when I am on a volleyball court with my teammates. I express so many of my values and personality traits when I’m playing, such as passion, dedication, hustle, excitement, and happiness. I’m truly happy when I am doing what I love and I think that’s what being “Orange” is all about: doing what makes you happy.

Being “Orange” is also a mindset – one that’s about being confident in who you are. We don’t all come to Oregon State University knowing fully who we are, but that’s the great part about our community is that we help each other find our “Orange.” College and life are about creating ourselves and finding what makes us happiest. The best version of ourselves is a happy version – find what makes you happy, find what makes you “Orange” and that’s the best version of YOU!

Submitted by Aaron Dosono

What does it mean to be orange? Those of us at Oregon State University understand that being orange can mean much more than just the intermediate hue of red and yellow. Being orange means being a part of the Oregon State University community. The OSU community includes everyone that is or has been a part of OSU. This includes the employees(ers), students, alumni, the extended branches and those that contribute to Oregon State. But how does one become a part this community?

From the Office of the Dean of student life, the OSU student shared values highlight that being a part of the community start with the individual and each individual has many values to follow and uphold. These include and are not limited to being responsible, respectful, open, aware and honest. Following and integrating these values greatly reflect the integrity of the individual. In the community the sum of all individuals reflect the integrity of the community.

It is my opinion that to be orange is to be yourself as best as only you can be. Orange is more than in the words you say but in actions you do; it is the follow through of your words through your actions. Orange is being more than just an individual but as being a part of a community. Typically in a community you are inherently being accountable for yourself and for others. Orange is about being aware of yourself, your surroundings, your actions and their consequences. To me being orange is like going to the gym. When you go to the gym for what ever your reasons whether it be improving physical fitness, relaxation, chillin with friends, or something else, you have a set plan and set responsibilities. You have responsibilities toward yourself to make sure you are performing with proper technique and are aware of your health by proper hydration and managing fatigue. This is an example of self care. In terms of being orange, being orange is also being able to recognize and know yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself in the gym, you are in danger of injury.

In the gym you also have the responsibilities to be aware of those around you, this includes those you spot as well as those whom you share the gym. It is in everyone’s best interest that you keep common courtesies such as patiently waiting for benches and machines rather than being a total a-hole and selfishly taking things without regard for others. It is also in your own interest as well as the gyms(community) best interest that you utilize the equipment correctly and safely. The OSU community offer plenty of resources for each and every individual. Being orange is being able to recognize diversity as strength and by making the most of our resources. Being orange also means having and showing respect by treating others, as you would have them treat you. By being respectful is to treat others with civility, dignity, and by being compassionate towards them. No individual is the same but each should be treated with the same respect. Being orange can be described as being accountable through being loyal stewards of good will toward others. We are able to exercise this by being connected and by taking care of those whether they be out in the community or even those closest to us.

Being orange is a lot more than virtue and traits of character that you achieve by practice;  Knowing yourself through self-evaluation and by recognizing the accumulation of your past and your goals toward the future is also a very important part of the orange-esque. In the gym, if you avidly evaluate yourself and keep track of your progress, it is easy to find areas that need improvement, make gains, and better yourself as a whole. Knowing yourself and knowing your truth is a step in the direction to be orange. Knowing yourself and how to care for yourself reflects your ability to care for others. In the gym before you can spot others, you must first understand the proper lift to understand the proper spot procedure otherwise you may injure yourself or the person you are spotting.

Like in the community, the body needs to be trained with a variety of exercises rather than sticking to ones that you are comfortable with. There are many different exercises for each individual muscle group and each need to be trained equally and properly. In the community you must be open-minded to seek other ways of improving your self and the community. Keeping an open mind allows one to learn and grow. You must be diverse and accepting of new exercises while also understanding the impact of each. Being orange is about learning and growing in virtues and spreading it to others by example. Being orange means being rational, looking at the whole situation rather than in one-sided parts. It is to consider the consequences of each action before doing and by choosing to act in a way that will benefit the greatest number.

Being orange is being a change; it is being an original and having the authenticity and audacity to “shape the mold.” Being orange is being part of the community by having an understanding of your surroundings and your situation. It is to be humble, to listen, and to react appropriately and to be useful. It is to be mindful and to be strong in your beliefs of what is right. Being orange is being an stimulus for positivity. To strive for excellence and inspire others to do the same. It is to challenge yourself to be better, to grow, and to be strong.

Be Orange

            To “Be Orange” is something unique and special to be part of. At the same time being orange had a different meaning to all of us. We all have a different perspective to being orange in our minds. Professors, students and staff have a different image of being orange. It doesn’t have to be the same, but at the same time be meaningful to the person.

To sum, being an alumni is part of being orange. Others being part of a sports team. Clubs, organizations or staff can be also be a part of being orange. Each one has their outlook what means to “Be Orange”, and that fine because that is suppose to happen. We can’t all have the same value what is to be orange. I have a different outlook to being orange.

To “Be Orange” has to come from the heart and become something that we all would be proud of. So to me the value of being orange is pride. Yes pride because its what ignites the love for something special. In more detail, when we become part of a club or organization in campus. First we have to learn as much as possible about what we are getting into. At the same time we have to have a liking before we decide to get into a club, organization or anything in particular group of some kind.

So once we are in it we can build from it. Once the person has finally felt comfortable, that is where it shows. That is when the pride comes out. Where that person feels honored to be in that group and not be ashamed. Where I’m going with this is that’s the same thing about being orange. To be part of beaver nation is something that should bring a smile and pride within us.

Pride in graduating and becoming an alumni. As a Alumni, we show our education and pride by applying for jobs. With that in mind, Alumni show what is to be orange with their degree from OSU. They express their feelings about being orange and the pride that comes with being orange. They can send a message the experience they’ve had at OSU and the people they know can talk about to other people or students. This will enhance the power of recruiting future students and they can become part of being orange.

To be orange comes from a tradition that goes way back and has continued as of now. Where has the pride from being orange? Simple, the students are the reason. They are the key that has built the pride of OSU. They are the reason behind being orange. I’m not saying that the school isn’t a factor, but the students have to be the ones that are happy to be here. Not just the school, but support everything about the school. Whether is the football team, frat or a club. We as students have to stand behind it all the way.

Let’s not forget about the students around us. We have students that come from different countries and from different cultures. So pride also has to be within us. To have the freedom at OSU and express ourselves without the fear what others think. We are part of a big community that should be supportive about their peers. No matter how different they are. We had to stand united to show the pride of being orange.

Pride is my value and feel it is something has been here since the day it w as build and continues to be built on. It is our turn to keep showing our pride of being orange. The best way for my by expressing my message is by spreading the word. Maybe some flyers or spread it through my friends so they can also do the same. This is just an idea, but it could actually work. I am proud of being a beaver and I pride myself on being orange.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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