Be Good. Be Orange.

Submitted by Tyler Day

Some people may ask, what does it mean to be orange? While there are many different answers to the question, I believe one must be proud in order to be orange. Some may feel that orange is just any ordinary color. However, when you look closer, you see the pride these students have for their school. One look at the student section in any sport will tell you what I see. These students have pride and passion in their school, and their yelling and cheering is just evidence that they do. Why would someone paint him or herself orange or wear bright orange? Around Corvallis the answer is usually because of OSU. Here at OSU not only do we have pride in our sports, even though we may not be the best at all of them, but we also have pride in our academics. Even if I see orange outside of school, I feel the pride of being a part of the OSU community because it is a great place to be and grow.
The other day I saw a kid walking through campus with a packet in hand, and he was smiling ear-to-ear shaking that packet. Now we can assume that he did well on a paper or test, and that happiness flying through the air really spreads a positive vibe throughout. That is what I would love to see, because I would love to see there be more pride going around about the academics. When a lot of people think of college, they usually think of frat parties, and (around here) football. I think that more pride and attention should be towards education, since we are here to get a degree and ready ourselves for the world outside of the classroom. However, when I say people should put more pride in their school work I am not saying everyone should go around the campus bragging about the A they got on their physics test. It wouldn’t be the best idea if everyone were egoistic, because then that could lead to putting other students or schools down. I believe in some utilitarianism actions, which is to find what does the largest amount of good, and that is to not only be prideful in ones work, but also find pride in others. I don’t think it’s a good idea to put others down for not being the best at what they do. Instead people should show pride in how their community breaks through educational barriers or growth in academics. Showing pride in one’s fellow students is just as showing growth in one’s self. And I believe OSU does just that. I feel like the pride that OSU shows, in not only their athletics, but also in their academics really shows that we as a school have real pride, and that it why I think that being orange is also being full of pride.

Submitted by Sarah Howey

Within the Oregon State University community there are several values that are identified with the campus and beaver life. These include such values as: accountability, diversity, integrity, respect and social responsibility (“Strategic Plan”). These are indeed appropriate values to have when incorporating the entirety of the students within the university. By having these common goals and ideals to that the students can aspire to achieve, it makes the entirety of the university unified.

I personally believe in the values that have been previously listed. However, there is one value that I think is the primary value that represents the OSU community and that is compassion. Though, with this being said, the values that are identified in the OSU Strategic Plan are the backbone to this value of compassion. One cannot have compassion without having integrity or respect. I feel that Oregon State has those qualities. We embrace them during our time on campus and it is my hope that we continue to embody those values after graduation. OSU students practice compassion through our progressive studies in being energy efficient and creating new ways of being environmentally friendly. Examples include minimizing parking spaces to encourage students and faculty to bike, walk or take the bus. Another example is the system of renewable energy in Dixon; having the treadmills wired to produce energy that is reused for campus operations.

To be compassionate, based on my personal definition, is to practice thoughtfulness towards others. In terms of OSU, this means actively being conscious of the environment and being stewards of the earth. Being compassionate is being respectful to those around you, whether human or animal. “OSU’s agricultural programs have received national top-tier rankings from the Chronicle of Higher Education for research, with wildlife science and conservation biology ranking 1st, fisheries science 2nd, botany and plant pathology and forest resources at 5th, and agricultural and resource economics 7th” (“Oregon State ranks 8th best worldwide in agriculture and forestry”). Other scientific research towards our common goals of energy efficiency and compassion towards all life includes the Oregon Sea Grant, which enabled the community to harness power from the ocean waves and wind (“Power from Ocean Waves and Wind”).

Pride is an Aristotelian virtue and I believe that being compassionate encompasses pride. Aristotle states that pride is a man who is and thinks of himself doing great things; in addition, being a Beaver is something worthy of having pride. Pride is having honor and love and loyalty for something that is of importance and within this community, sustainability is considered to be of great importance. We have to embody compassion first, before we can begin to understand and make progressive movements towards sustainability and energy efficiency. I understand why the values of accountability, diversity, integrity, respect and social responsibility are incorporated into the ideals of the university. We have to accept our impact in this world and accept that we all have a role to play in improving the lives of all. In order to do this, we have to accept diversity, practice integrity and respect. We all have a social responsibility to the earth and to each other. But most of all we have to be compassionate to all: we are Beaver Nation!

“Oregon State ranks 8th best worldwide in agriculture and forestry.” College of Agriculture Sciences. Oregon State University, n.d. Web. 10 Mar 2014.

<http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/feature-story/cas-rank-8>.

“Power from Ocean Waves and Wind.” Oregon Sea Grant. Oregon State University, n.d. Web. 10 Mar 2014.

<http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/marine-renewable-energy>.

“Strategic Plan.” Leadership. Oregon State University, n.d. Web. March 10 2014.

<http://oregonstate.edu/leadership/strategicplan/>.

Submitted by: Jacob Deffenbacher
Oregon State defines being Orange by their core values. These include accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. In this case accountability refers to good treatment of what the school had provided. The school provides us with a beautiful learning environment, great classrooms, devoted teachers, and a plethora of tools to improve our learning experience. It is our job as students to be accountable to the school and the student behind us to treat what we have been given with care and gratitude. In the large public college setting we are given the opportunity to study and learn along-side students of different beliefs and backgrounds, this allows us to expand our knowledge of the world and the people in it from the comfort of our own University. Integrity can be often overlooked because it is hard to come by anymore, but it is an important value especially in college. As technology continues to advance it becomes easier and easier to take the easy way out and cheat, whether that be on an exam or homework. It is our jobs as students to be stewards of honesty and to make strong integrity an important value in our lives. While it may be a very self-explanatory, respect is an important value to remember. As the old saying goes treat others how you wish to be treated, but is more than that. As a community we should desire the best for each other, and the starts with respect, respect for the University staff as well as our fellow students. I believe social responsibility refers to our responsibility to not only ourselves but to the University as a whole to put our best foot forward in our classes as well as our actions around campus. To represent strong morals and values in our daily lives.
I want be Orange to mean pride and a desire for growth. I want us to have pride in our school and what we have accomplished while we were here. To be able to look at our student community and be proud of what is represents. But to also be proud of our individualism and how even though we may be going through the same motions here at school we are all unique in our own way. I also want Orange to represent growth. That we aren’t to just sit around and watch the world improve around us but that we desire to be stewards and faces of that growth.
In this speech Jeff Daniels from the T.V. show Newsroom is asked why America is the best Country in the World, his response may surprise you.

Although this speech may come from a television show I believe its message and ideas are very important. As American’s I believe it is very easy for us to claim at being the best before actually think about, and some of the statistics that Jeff Daniels shared were quite staggering. He claimed that America isn’t the best country in the world anymore, but it sure used to be. And I would add that it can be again. But that comes down to us, comes down to how we spend these four plus years at Oregon State. Will we be a part of the, “Worst. Generation. Ever. “, or will we be responsible for improving this country, for bringing about growth and prosperity. It is with that in mind that I say Be Proud, Be Orange. It isn’t an arrogant boastful pride of how great at sports you are, or how many parties you blacked out at, or how many woman you’ve slept with, but a pride in the student body, in what we have and will accomplish.

Pride in the student body starts with the individual. Be proud in who you are and don’t let anyone change that. A community isn’t a bunch of cookie cutter copies of people, but a group of individuals, a group of people with differing beliefs, differing ideals, and differing views on how the world works. “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?” 1 Corinthians 12:17. Everyone has their own role and spot in community, and it is the differences in people that make the community more complete not separated. Each person is responsible not only for their own future but also the future of the community, because it is this generation, our generation that will shape this country for the good or bad in the time to come. It is important to grow as individuals as well as a community and that we direct this growth to help improve the world around us. Whether that be through new technological advances, improvement in the green movement, or even growth in the way we treat and think of others.

It is with that I say be proud, be orange. Be proud of this University and the time you spent here, and when you leave this school live a life that makes the university proud you. When you disperse across the country after your time here be beacons that represent Oregon State and set the bar high for others behind you, show what it means to truly Be Orange.

Image:

http://ericstoller.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/eric-stoller-powered-by-orange.jpg

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!