Be Ambitious, Be Orange

Have you ever walked through campus and saw a sticker saying Be Orange? Have you seen the posters on lampposts asking what is your orange moment? Have you walked past the library and notice in the windows that it is powered by Orange? Oregon State University is powered by orange, clothed in orange, and recognized by orange.  Yet what does it mean to be orange?

The simplest answer is a mixture of red and yellow. Wikipedia believes it represents amusement, the unconventional, extroverts, fire, activity, danger, or taste. Those might not be the meaning of our orange but, the idea that orange represents more than just a mixture of colors rather it can represent a feeling, emotion, or virtue.

Our orange belongs to beaver nation. To all those that have walked through these storied halls and dedicated themselves to this university. We wear orange yet we also think; breathe; live orange. The creed of this university says it all:

I believe in Oregon State,

Builder of men and women,

Seeker after truth,

Organized for the service of a great commonwealth.

I believe in her traditions,

A heritage from the deeds and dreams of yesterday;

In her sportsmanship and honor,

A reality with the students of today;

In her aspirations and ideals,

The assurance of a magnificent tomorrow.

I believe in her democracy

And her far-reaching bond of Beaver brotherhood;

And I realize that since she has accepted me as a Beaver,

If I degrade myself, I degrade her,

As I honor myself, I honor her.

I therefore pledge to her, my Alma Mater,

My loyalty, my love and my devotion.

President Ed Ray tried to capture the intangibles of being orange in his strategic plan where he lists it to include accountability, diversity, integrity, respect, and social responsibility.

Ambition, having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed, is needed to uphold the creed and uphold those virtues in the strategic plan. Being ambitious comes with a heavy weight on our shoulders. Aristotle once said that a wrongdoing consists of extremes such as not being too ambitious that integrity is sacrificed or being content and unambitious.

Ambition can be seen everywhere on this university from the students spending their Friday nights studying in the library to the grounds keepers shoveling snow to keep the sidewalks accessible. Linus Paling, our greatest alumni, had the ambition to stop nuclear testing in the atmosphere and through much of his life fought that war. Jacuzzi Rogers, a 5’ 6” running back, worked tirelessly to transform from the un-recruited running back from Richmond Texas to a running back for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. Without the strong desire to succeed they keep showing not only beaver nation but the entire nation what it means to be orange.

At times ambition can lead to mistakes since no person or institution is perfect. For instance, the university has misguided ambition with the building of a 4,500-square-foot four-story basketball practice facility. The building is absolutely beautiful and overlooks all over the turf fields. A 15 million dollar investment that may bring championships to this university and returning our athletics back to the famed days of all of the athletes painted inside of Gill Coliseum and recreates the “dreams of yesterday”. The ambition by the university in this scenario is a wrongdoing according to Aristotle. Overly ambitious actions can jeopardize the integrity of what orange stands for. There are improvements that can provide service to the welfare of our community such as uniformed signs throughout campus, proper disability access to all parts of campus, and the improvements to many of the building that are home to small yet important college such as public health, Art, Chemistry, Physics, Ethnic Studies, Language, English, etc.

Even though I gave the university a B in a report card that I wrote that took into account their inability to provide an experience and facilities that are all equivalent no matter the college. Now, I would give OSU an A-, because misguided ambition is better than no ambition at all. In a pursuit for success in all trades decisions are made and its in our nature to be able to adapt since being orange is having a strong desire to succeed no matter the situation and resources provided.

Beaver nation never take down your stickers or signs. No matter the current affairs, no matter the athletics success, this university stands for more. Everyone involved is seeking to improve the commonwealth for today but also for tomorrow. No matter the resources, facilities, or weather, we have a desire greater than any other university to succeed and honor this university through our actions and findings.

There is s saying that you bleed your favorite teams color, well we don’t bleed orange. We don’t keep being a part of this university hidden. We wear it proudly and show everyone what being orange is through our car stickers, clothes, and actions. Be ambitious OSU. Be Orange.