Submitted by Terra Setzler
Recently there was a racially hateful comment left on a bathroom stall in Milam. When I saw the post on things overheard at OSU I responded saying, “To me this person is not a Beaver. You cannot be powered by orange when you are fueled by hate. This is not acceptable.” Then in my ethics class we were asked to talk about a ‘be orange’ moment we had and to define what it means to ‘be orange.’ Let me take a moment to do that now.
Being Orange means being caring and inclusive to all. Through my almost three years of college I’ve learned a lot about how social, economic and political systems favor some people over others. OSU students take bacc core classes to gain a greater understanding of the world around them. Being Orange means as some signs in the library put it, “the nation is an inclusive community” or “the nation enhances well-being and social progress.” Being Orange and being part of Beaver Nation means being a part of the force that changes these inequalities.
So if being Orange means being accepting and understanding, what does that look like? First, be orange, be open. Be open to the experiences of others and the truths of their lives. Each person has had their own life experience and its important to be open to hearing it and even if it differs from yours, try to accept it without marginalizing or belittling. Second, be orange, be caring. I like many others cannot manage to be politically correct 100% of the time. Be emotionally correct. Try to respect other’s experiences and when you do offend someone, take the time to understand why and to adjust your mindset and actions moving forward.
There are so many obstacles for many people to overcome (gender, race and economic position having a lot to do with it), be a factor that helps fix these inequalities. If you haven’t yet learned how your actions can hurt those around you, check out the ‘I too am OSU’ page on Facebook or walk in to a cultural center. Ignorance of a problem does not make it go away.
Submitted by Galen Hoshovsky
There isn’t a specific word that describes being orange; it’s more of a combination of multiple attributes and actions that have positive effects in a community. One of the reasons that I chose to come to Oregon State University in the first place was because I felt it had a strong community that cared for everyone no matter who they were. I toured many universities and felt that Oregon State had the best environment for my future success.
For many in the Oregon State community, being orange could mean supporting the athletic teams, doing well in classes in order to graduate, or being more sustainable in your daily life. Needless to say, there are countless ways in which someone can be orange or have a positive effect on their community. Corvallis is a community that is very diverse, as the research university attracts people from around the world that want to pursue a professional career. Having that diversity really allows people to explore themselves.
To me, being orange is like being a family, a group that looks out for one another, creating an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable and confident enough to pursue their dreams and goals. Not knowing a single person when I moved to Corvallis, I immediately felt accepted by other students and community members.
I played baseball all throughout high school and when I decided to go to Oregon State; I thought my competitive baseball career was over. Sure enough, the first two weeks at school, I was contacted via Facebook by a student that was interested in starting a club baseball team through the sports club office at Oregon State to further our competitive baseball career. It’s been three years since we started the club and we have seen it grow into something special. This club baseball team has become the most diverse group I’ve been apart of since we have people from all over the country including a French exchange student, yet we all share the love for the game of baseball. We have managed to become a family, helping each other get better on and off the field. This team has given many students at Oregon State the opportunity to play competitive baseball and at the same time, allow them to focus on their academic career. It has also taught all of us how to better manage our time, as most of us are full time students. Everything that goes along with our baseball team can be considered orange because it brings together a great group of diverse people and gives them an opportunity to play baseball and create friendships.
It takes a whole community working together to promote being orange and Corvallis is setting a great example for other cities and towns to follow. Be good to others and to yourself so that an atmosphere is created where everyone feels comfortable and confident.
