Authentic Orange

Submitted by Nikki Rieken

The idea of  authenticity and “Be Orange” is to be true to yourself, don’t give into peer pressure, and find others who share your passion for life. The idea of Causa sui to the second power (Lecture 04/09/15) is having a variety of possibilities to choose what you will be and college is the time to utilize that freedom. Likewise, learning what you stand for and what makes you happy in life is the simple view of the Kierkegaard’s three stages of existence. The concept of authenticity is being genuine and true to oneself in both a philosophical standpoint and a way of approaching obstacles in life. Being authentic is simply being who you really are, which can be extremely difficult when it comes to trying not to conform to influential individuals in ones life. College is normally a time to find yourself, what you stand for, and what you believe in. It’s also a time to find individuals that share your same passion and make lasting friendships.

Step One: Be true to yourself; College is a time to learn what you believe in, what you stand up for, and experiencing Kierkegaard’s three stages of existence (Lecture 04/23/15). Not only do you learn the components of authenticity, transcendence, and freedom, also known as bad faith and what it is composed of (Lecture 05/28/15), through these stages but you also learn what the meaning of life means to you. There is no one meaning of life, it’s different for every individual and the lesson you take away from experiencing each phase is also different for everyone. Understanding your point of view on what your desires are, good vs. bad, and the concept of the leap of faith are all important stages to go through to learn who you are. Through each phase you learn, grow, and alter your behavior to build off of each layer obtaining experience that will help you find what life means to you and who you believe to be. I find myself in the ethical sphere; making decisions in regards to good and bad on a daily basis just like every college student out there. Especially since college is the first time many people leave home and have to learn how to make their own choices. I was a person that was very influenced by peers, parents, and family members when I was growing up and was never assertive when it came to what I wanted or believed in. Now, after deciding to pick up my life and transfer to Oregon State University I’ve learned to chase after what I want and stand up for what I believe in even if it’s not what my close friends, parents, or majority of individuals stand for.

Step Two: Don’t give in to peer pressure; The largest obstacle I face at OSU is constant peer pressure. But, having the mentality to step back and think about decisions I make prior to making them has allowed myself to avoid making a decision based off of social norms or peer pressure. It’s easy to decide to skip a class or homework to go out with friends, especially when they don’t have any responsibilities to attend to or are avoiding their work too. If I were to avoid my responsibilities I wouldn’t be abiding by my authentic self and in turn would be conforming to Nietzsche concept of “The Herd”. “But it is the crowd which has power, influence, reputation, and domination… which tyrannically overlooks the single individual as the weak and powerless one…” (Kierkegaard “That Crowd is Untruth” pg. 6) Being manipulated by the majority rule of the group would cause myself to not only be inauthentic but also conform to the idea of mindless and thoughtlessly following the group. Peer pressure is a very real concept that causes many individuals to be inauthentic to themselves because they don’t want to go against the grain of the group.

Step Three: Find people who share your passion for life; Everyone has the right to their opinion and humanism (Lecture 05/07/15) is the individual focused philosophy that allows one to pursue their identity and transcendence. Building relationships with individuals who have your same point of view, ideas, and thoughts represent the utilization of one’s freedom. Likewise, this is a representation of ones transcendence and not putting on a metaphorical ‘mask’ to fit into the crowd. When you be true to yourself and don’t give into peer pressure, the third step of finding others like yourself will ensue on it’s own. Living a life with a perspective of reaching optimal authenticity, with others who wish to do the same, is a simple but amazing way to do it. You’ll gain a support system like no other with individuals who wish to accomplish everything you do in life.

Submitted by Nikki Rieken

The idea of  authenticity and “Be Orange” is to be true to yourself, don’t give into peer pressure, and find others who share your passion for life. Not only are we “condemned to be free” in Sartre’s point of view but college is the time to utilize that freedom. Likewise, learning what you stand for and what makes you happy in life is the simple view of the Kierkegaard’s three stages of existence. The concept of authenticity is being genuine and true to oneself in both a philosophical standpoint and a way of approaching obstacles in life. Being authentic is simply being who you really are, which can be extremely difficult when it comes to trying not to conform to influential individuals in ones life. College is normally a time to find yourself, what you stand for, and what you believe in. It’s also a time to find individuals that share your same passion and make lasting friendships.

Step One: Be true to yourself; College is a time to learn what you believe in, what you stand up for, and experiencing Kierkegaard’s three stages of existence. Not only do you learn the components of authenticity, transcendence, and freedom, also known as bad faith and what it is composed of, through these stages but you also learn what the meaning of life means to you. There is no one meaning of life, it’s different for every individual and the lesson you take away from experiencing each phase is also different for everyone. Understanding your point of view on what your desires are, good vs. bad, and the concept of the leap of faith are all important stages to go through to learn who you are. Through each phase you learn, grow, and alter your behavior to build off of each layer obtaining experience that will help you find what life means to you and who you believe to be. I find myself in the ethical sphere; making decisions in regards to good and bad on a daily basis just like every college student out there. Especially since college is the first time many people leave home and have to learn how to make their own choices. I was a person that was very influenced by peers, parents, and family members when I was growing up and was never assertive when it came to what I wanted or believed in. Now, after deciding to pick up my life and transfer to Oregon State University I’ve learned to chase after what I want and stand up for what I believe in even if it’s not what my close friends, parents, or majority of individuals stand for.

Step Two: Don’t give in to peer pressure; The largest obstacle I face at OSU is constant peer pressure. But, having the mentality to step back and think about decisions I make prior to making them has allowed myself to avoid making a decision based off of social norms or peer pressure. It’s easy to decide to skip a class or homework to go out with friends, especially when they don’t have any responsibilities to attend to or are avoiding their work too. If I were to avoid my responsibilities I wouldn’t be abiding by my authentic self and in turn would be conforming to Nietzsche concept of “The Herd”. Being manipulated by the majority rule of the group would cause myself to not only be inauthentic but also conform to the idea of mindless and thoughtlessly following the group. Peer pressure is a very real concept that causes many individuals to be inauthentic to themselves because they don’t want to go against the grain of the group.

Step Three: Find people who share your passion for life; Everyone has the right to their opinion and humanism is the individual focused philosophy that allows one to pursue their identity and transcendence. Building relationships with individuals who have your same point of view, ideas, and thoughts represent the utilization of one’s freedom. Likewise, this is a representation of ones transcendence and not putting on a metaphorical ‘mask’ to fit into the crowd. When you be true to yourself and don’t give into peer pressure, the third step of finding others like yourself will ensue on it’s own. Living a life with a perspective of reaching optimal authenticity, with others who wish to do the same, is a simple but amazing way to do it. You’ll gain a support system like no other with individuals who wish to accomplish everything you do in life.

Submitted by Christopher Pavlovich

To be authentic is to act in good faith. The best way to describe this is to explain what it is not. Acting in bad faith is worst when the person does not even realize they are doing so. They are lying in their behavior by denying part of who they are, and at the same time deceiving themselves so they do not even realize it (Lecture, 6/2/2015).
We talked about two big things that make up humans. We have our facticity and our transcendence. Facticity is the part of us that we were born with: physical properties, some parts of our living situation, family, etc. Transcendence consists more of decisions, this is what we chose to be, the part of our existence we make for ourselves. Not being authentic, or acting in bad faith, would be denying either one of these parts of who we are (Lecture, 5/26/15). This is something that really should strike home to students at OSU. Looking at what college I wanted to go to, it came down to where I felt most comfortable. OSU seemed to be the most diverse, laid back, and even bizarre school I toured. Everyone was different and it made me feel at home. To authentically “Be Orange” means people stay true to themselves as well as the people around them, and a huge part of that is overcoming peer pressure.
One thing I found helpful in class was looking at example cases. One of which took a waiter at a restaurant and said he could be living in bad faith if he is hiding his personality to be what he considers a good waiter. In this example, the waiter is denying his transcendence, he is only looking at the fact that he is a waiter. An existential theme we learned about is freedom. This is what makes transcendence possible, it lets us choose who we want to be (Lecture, 5/21/15). Gift or curse, it is real and something we should use to our advantage. In school we can do the same thing as the waiter being students. Sometimes when the work loads get thick, we become absorbed in homework and spend days on end with little to no communication outside our school projects. Yes we are just doing what we need to, but are we denying a part of who we are by shutting ourselves out?
Similarly, students can have the opposite problem. Especially people just coming into college, it can be easy to feel the freedom in full force being away from our parents and feel like the rules no longer apply. In fact, a lot of them no longer do, but the consequences are more real than a grounding or losing your car keys for a week. When students take to partying too much, taking too many nights off school work, skipping too many classes, they are the opposite of the waiter. In this case, students deny their facticity. They ignore that they are in a situation that requires work and put off some things that simply can not be put off. “By means of this unconsciousness and forgetfulness he arrives at his sense of truth.” (Nietzsche, On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense, pg. 1). Through forgetting why we are here in college, as students we are coming to a sense of truth in bad faith as we are denying our situation.
In either of these cases, we are confronted with an obstacle. Whether our friends have perfect GPAs or do not do any of their homework, they are effecting us. Discussing the concept of “the crowd” in class we talked about how much responsibility is lost in our actions when it becomes something done as a group (Lecture, 5/5/15). This concept mixed with a college environment makes living in bad faith very easy. If it was one or two people partying, it would be uncommon. But because it becomes a norm in a group to blow off assignments, people feel much better about it because they are not alone in doing so. Not only do their peers direct their actions, but they lose the guilt that should be involved in doing the wrong thing. Authentically Being Orange is to stay clear of denying either our facticity in our situation or the transcendence through getting lost in the situation and denying who we are.

Submitted by Taylor McEuin

Going to college and living on campus can come with many roadblocks and finding yourself can be one of them. Being authentic in a mass of people can be difficult, and at times, may seem impossible. But what does it mean to be authentic? Merriam-Webster.com defines authentic as “real or genuine: not copied or false. True and accurate.”  To fully answer the question “what does it mean to authentically, Be Orange” we must also understand what it mean to be Orange. As a member of the OSU community, I define “Being Orange” as simply, being an active student/faculty member of the Oregon State community. Using existential themes from many different philosophers, you can become an authentic Oregon State student.

Existential theme number one is existence precedes essence. It states that what you are is a result of your choices and you become who you make yourself to be (lecture 5/21/15). Your life is a project. College is a big part of this project that’s going to take a lot of rough drafts, erasing and changing but it’s what you make of it that makes you authentic. Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega states life is “an attempt to carry out a definite program or project of existence.” (“Man has no Nature” pg.154). When we become college students we are attempting our first project to start our whole lives and what we do with it is up to us.

Existential theme number two is existence is temporal. We students only have a minimal amount of time here at school, so we have to plan and get things done before our time as a college student is up and we are pushed into the world. The book The Sickness Unto Death states “Man is a synthesis of the infinite and the finite, of the temporal and the eternal, of freedom and the necessity, in short he is a synthesis.” (pg. 70). The fact that college is only temporal puts us under a lot of pressure and gives us a minimal amount of time to find a way to be authentic to ourselves. Four years is only a small fraction in our life time so we have to make use of the time we have.

Existential theme number three is humanism. People express and carry themselves in many different ways based on the pursuit of freedom and identity. College helps us find who we are and lets us explore things we never thought was out there. One great example is dorm living. We meet new people, live with new people, go to new classes that we are not used to. All in order to show us what path we want to pursue.

Ultimately, life is a canvas and we are the artist and it all begins with the color orange. There are many hoops to jump though and roads to cross but taking into consideration these existential themes and realizing that you are already authentic can help you become the person you want to be in the future. The Authentic You. The Orange You.

Submitted by Bailey Wood

You don’t hear the term “Authentic Orange” until you come to Oregon State University. The definition for “authentic” is “not false or copied; genuine; real” (dictionary.com). Therefore, “Authentic Orange” means to be your truest self. Many of us come to college thinking we already live an authentic life and that we have it all figured out, but it’s during this time that we realize we couldn’t be more wrong. There are five themes of existentialism that we all should be aware of because they can greatly help us grow into our genuine selves.

The first theme is that existence precedes essence. (Lecture, 4/14/15). The main idea of this theme is that what you are (your essence/nature) is a result of your choices (your existence/extra-nature). This theme ties into “Authentic Orange” because when you come to college, people don’t know your past; therefore you can have a fresh start. Your essence is not your fate, you are who you make yourself to be. You can use this new start to your benefit – be kind to everyone, be honest, and be who you truly want to be!

The second theme is that existence is temporal. (Lecture, 4/14/15). We are only on this earth for a finite period of time, and throughout our life we choose how it is spent. We can ignore things with distractions, avoid the afterlife with life extension technology, or allow ourselves to experience every event even if we feel fear or anxiety. At some point or another we practice every action whether it’s ignoring, avoiding, or experiencing. Each action we make affects our future decisions, and we either get closer to becoming our true selves, or stray farther away.

The third theme is humanism. (Lecture, 5/7/15). This is an individual focused philosophy including the pursuit of identity/freedom, and the values/meaning in opposition to social, political, and economic pressure for conformity. It seems as though the main reason we are afraid to be our genuine selves is the pressure from society to conform into someone we are not. We are terrified of being divergent from society, so we try to blend in. College is about finding yourself, so instead of trying to blend in, be yourself and stand out! You will surely find other unique individuals that are much more engaging and intriguing to be around than just your average Joe. You’re more likely to find out who you truly are if you surround yourself with these enthralling individuals. “By means of morality, individuals are led to be functions of the herd and to attribute value to themselves merely as functions.” (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, pg. 116). Nietzsche explains the “herd” as a sickness; we are only valuable as part of the herd, and weak as an individual. While there may be a plethora of diverse moralities, we are still a part of a herd, and cannot stand out by ourselves. Society has conformed us to be part of a group, rather than have the confidence to be unique.

The fourth theme is ethics. (Lecture, 5/7/15). Ethical considerations are vital, this includes varying ethics, shared commitment to authentic living as individuals/society, and a commitment to politics. Stay true to your beliefs, don’t let others opinions on a subject change what you truly feel is right. If you allow others to influence your beliefs, you will lose that authenticity. Eventually you could become just another brainwashed college student that doesn’t stand out. If it’s on a topic such as voting in politics, laws, etc., first do the research yourself before you ask others their opinion. This will prevent your beliefs from being swayed one way or the other before you know all the facts.

The fifth theme is freedom. (Lecture, 5/7/15). Philosophy of freedom includes reflection, transcendence, and responsibility. We are free to create and choose our values. Freedom is “self-surpassing”, meaning that there is a part of you who is undefined, and unknown. Throughout life you are always moving forward, trying to find yourself.

College is the most important time in our lives because it is then that we learn more about ourselves and who we truly are. It’s crucial that we take these themes into account when we strive to being “Authentic Orange”!

Submitted by Nikki Rieken

The concept of authenticity is being genuine and true to oneself in both a philosophical standpoint and a way of approaching obstacles in life. Being authentic is simply being who you really are, which can be extremely difficult when it comes to trying not to conform to influential individuals in ones life. The idea of  authenticity and “Be Orange” is to make decisions for yourself and base those decisions off of your own thoughts and beliefs. College is normally a time to find yourself, what you stand for, and what you believe in. Making decisions based solely off of what you believe to be true and right, and dealing with the consequences or rewards from said decisions are the foundation of becoming your own self. Bad faith, spheres of existence, humanism, freedom, and Nietzsche concept of “The Herd” are all notions from course content that directly relate to my ideology of “Be Orange” and living authentically.

The largest obstacle I face at OSU is constant peer pressure. But, having the mentality to step back and think about decisions I make prior to making them has allowed myself to avoid making a decision based off of social norms or peer pressure. It’s easy to decide to skip a class or homework to go out with friends, especially when they don’t have any responsibilities to attend to or are avoiding their work too. If I were to avoid my responsibilities I wouldn’t be abiding by my authentic self and in turn would be conforming to Nietzsche concept of “The Herd”. Being manipulated by the majority rule of the group would cause myself to not only be inauthentic but also conform to the idea of mindless and thoughtlessly following the group. Peer pressure is a very real concept that causes many individuals to be inauthentic to themselves because they don’t want to go against the grain of the group. But, by doing so one isn’t utilizing their right to transcendence and humanism.

Everyone has the right to their opinion and humanism is the individual focused philosophy that allows one to pursue their identity and transcendence. Having the freedom to be who you wish to be and make your own decisions is what makes them individually authentic to who they truly are. I was a person that was very influenced by peers, parents, and family members when I was growing up and was never assertive when it came to what I wanted or believed in. Now, after deciding to pick up my life and transfer to Oregon State University I’ve learned to chase after what I want and stand up for what I believe in even if it’s not what my close friends, parents, or majority of individuals stand for. Being my own authentic ‘superhero’ and having the mentality that I can do anything I set my mind to has allowed myself to be who I want to be and accomplish what I wish to in life without the need for help or reassurance that I’m making the right decision. Having the freedom to be me is the epitome of what I wanted my life to be. But, freedom isn’t the only concept that you need to achieve the idea of your authentic self, transitioning through the spheres of existence also plays a major role.

Satisfying immediate desires, learning good vs. evil, and the experiencing the leap of faith are the basic ideas that are encompassed in the three spheres that every individual needs to experience to find meaning in life. Having an encounter with each of the three phases, sometimes more than once, is the learning process of life and in turn understanding your authentic self. Through each phase you learn, grow, and alter your behavior to build off of each layer obtaining experience that will help you find what life means to you and who you believe to be. I find myself in the ethical sphere; making decisions in regards to good and bad on a daily basis just like every college student out there. Choosing between homework or a party, visiting family or hanging out with friends, etc. Likewise, by experiencing all three spheres one learns the concepts of facticity, transcendence, and authenticity and how they make up bad faith. Bad faith is the idea that one is being inauthentic to themselves and not taking advantage of one of the three concepts above. Being true to oneself is authenticity in a nutshell and a lifelong path that every individual embarks upon.

Submitted by Caleb Carroll

Authenticity. The word is derived from the word authentic which, by definition, is of undisputed origin and genuine. From a philosophical standpoint the definition does not change much at all. Essentially to be authentic is to be yourself without being influenced by others. Even though this is true, many people often times become engulfed in their surroundings and become of it. Their actions and feelings are often swayed from what they really are so they are more likely accepted by those around them. In today’s world, the best and most likely way to fit in is to conform to what the world believes you should be. This is the “right” thing to do. To do anything that goes against what is commonplace in the world would be classified as “wrong.” But instead of conforming, people should ask themselves why a feeling has to be right or wrong when in reality it’s just how one feels. Noting more. Nothing less. It is impossible for you to be “Authentically Orange” if your life and the decisions you make are controlled by your fear of judgment. And unfortunately this has become the majority of the world. Countless numbers of people have become fraudulent. A facade if you will. Or as Soren Kierkegaard has said, “the crowd” is untruth (Kierkegaard, The Crowd is Untruth).
When I look out into the crowd I see an ocean of despair. Thousands upon thousands of people shackled and enslaved to be that which someone else says they should be. The situation I mentioned in the first paragraph is, in my eyes, one of three types of Despair mentioned by Kierkegaard. Despair Not to be Conscious of Having a Self (Lecture, 4/21/15). This particular type of despair is the worst type of despair. And I do not say this simply because Kierkegaard said so. I say this because those who are going through this despair are slaves to the world and are completely unaware of it. No originality. No self-made thoughts. Practically no soul. Just a computer made of flesh that has been programmed to be what it is. These people are lacking in two crucial existential themes. The first being humanism (Lecture, 5/19/15). The people I have been describing throughout this essay have yet to pursue their own identity and freedom. The pressure and thought of exclusion from society is too heavy a load to bear. In turn they stay stuck in a box. This brings me to the other existential theme these people are lacking in. Freedom (Lecture, 5/21/15). As I just stated these people are trapped in society’s box. This box is very easy to escape from but on the inside it looks quite splendid. Those who leave are looked at as the odd, the outcasts, the peculiar, the strangers. They are anomalies. Those who have deviated from the common rule. And from the outside looking in they can see the horrid prison like structure that is society’s box. Satre would say that these people, these anomalies, are choosing self, choosing for all humans (Lecture, 5/21/15).
In short, to be the authentic you, you have to do what you want to do without fear of being judged for it. Be happy and proud of who you are. No matter what anyone might say or think you must continue to do that which you love. That which brings you joy. As long as you do not infringe on others to do so, be who you truly are. Anyone who tells you to do otherwise is likely too scared to do what you are doing. So instead they tell you what to do if they were you. Trust yourself and chase your dreams.

Submitted by Emily Burkhart

They say college is where you find yourself. Where you become your authentic you and establish your own personality, character, and spirit regardless of the external pressures and demands of the social and material world.  Everyone here at Beaver Nation is in search of who they are. As a community at Oregon State University, we are one, but as individuals we all have different ideas, thoughts, and motivations that make us who we are and authentic in our own way.

Figuring out who we are is an ever going struggle and we may not find our authentic selves until later on in life. We are constantly asking ourselves the same question almost every day, and that is who am I, and how do I want people to see me for me? With no one truly knowing the meaning of life we are to create our own and this is where our authentic selves are beginning to show. This is where the existential theme: Humanism plays a large role in becoming oneself and creating our own values. (Lecture 5/7/15) Humanism is where we are in the purists of identity and freedom in our thinking and where our values start to emerge when it comes to social, political, and economic pressures from today’s material world arise.

We must be wary in finding our authentic selves because there are so many obstacles that can lead us away from who we want to and are meant to become. As we are all Beaver Nation we all find ourselves becoming part of Nietzsche: “the herd” instinct. (Lecture 5/5/15) Where people will form groups of friends based off of similar interest and disinterest. We go to class, do our homework, and fall into a social life that we see to fit our needs. It’s human nature to want to “belong” As freshman we all worry we will not make friends, so we change some of our beliefs and qualities of ourselves to “fit in with the crowd” and later down the road we become comfortable with our new roles and become lazy in finding out who we really are. These are the external pressures of the world that influences us away from one’s authentic self and a lack of authenticity is considered in existentialism to be bad faith.

Nietzsche, “the herd” is in close relation with Kierkegaard’s, “The crowd”. Kierkegaard goes into discussing, “even if every individual possessed the truth in private, yet if they came together into a crowd, untruth would at once be let in.” (Kierkegaard, The Crowd is Untruth) Being in college this relates to students very well. We tend to have our own opinions and thoughts, and we stand by them, but as soon as we are in a group setting we want to change our mind and go with others thoughts on subjects to fit into “the crowd”. When someone is to open up about their own opinion and it can get shot down and hate from others because their ideas don’t go along side of “the crowds” and in today’s society is a big obstacle for the young adult to overcome.

How are we are to distinguish between our reasoning and our freedom is what it means to be human and where the role of ethics comes into play. (Lecture 5/21/15) Sartre discusses is to choose self, choosing for all humans, or are we only responsible for our own actions that shape the “image” of humanity. (Lecture 11, 5/5/15). It is the responsibility of people having to own up to who they are as an individual rather as who they are not is what makes them different. Each one of us at Beaver Nation reflect as individuals how others see the college as well as how we has a whole community reflect the college.

As college students here at Beaver Nation our transition into adulthood can be difficult, but we all find our way and have the paths set out before us as we choose them. There is no set definition to being “authentically orange” because each one, not only the students, but factually as well here at Oregon State make up what it means to be authentically orange. As long as we put in the effort to be authentic with ourselves and others we will reach our goals. I being one person out of thousands still need to work on myself but I, know I will become my own authentic beaver. I am Beaver Nation. We are Beaver Nation!

Submitted By: Aubrey Hills.

I don’t think there is a way to authentically “Be Orange.” Bad faith is, as we discussed in lecture, lying to yourself or someone else about something. Examples of acting in bad faith would be denying transcendence or facticity (Lecture, 5/26/15). If you think about it, trying to fit students into a box of “Being Orange” or “Being a Beaver” is denying both transcendence and facticity. In my opinion, trying to authentically “Be Orange” is a form of bad faith.

The idea that one can authentically “Be Orange” is denying transcendence. Transcendence is the idea of one’s existence beyond the normal or physical level (Lecture, 5/26/15).  If I were to say that I am currently living “Authentically Orange” I would be lying to myself because I only joined an institution that others has joined before me and other will join after me. Nothing is personal or special about going to a higher level of education in school at this particular institution.

The idea that one can authentically “Be Orange” also denies facticity. By trying to authentically “Be Orange” I am denying that I am not technically affiliated with the institution of OSU. Yes I do pay tuition here and I am a student with finals and summer classes but I just as easily could have been a student at the University of Oregon, paying tuition there and writing an essay on what it means to “Bleed Yellow and Green.” By saying that I live authentically “Orange” I am lying to myself about who I am without an outside institution that educates me and takes my money.

Simone de Beauvoir says in The Ethics of Ambiguity that authenticity is man having the power to lay down “the foundations of his own existence” (Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, conclusion). Just from this I already see flaws in the idea that there is a way to authentically “Be Orange”. For one, everyone that goes to OSU all the way back to the first class of students obviously was not involved in the founding of the university, therefor they did not lay the foundation of his or her existence within the schooling setting.

An obstacle to becoming an individual in the Orange community of Oregon State University can be explained using the idea that Nietzsche had about herds that we talked about in lecture. If Oregon State University is thought of as a single community as it generally is then everyone involved in the community is just part of the herd. As discussed in lecture, there is no way to become an individual while in a herd unless one escapes the herd and becomes a true individual on his or her own (Lecture, 5/28/15). If a student of faculty member at OSU wants to be authentic in his or her identity, he or she has to acquire the conviction to break free of the herd that is the university institution and find a distinct identity without the comfort and support that is always constant in the university environment. The ability to break free from the herd, or in Kierkegaard’s view, the crowd, is diminished and weakened because the crowd makes the individual irresponsible and unrepentant (Lecture, 5/5/15). So the deeper one is enveloped into the crowd the harder it is for one to break free and find what makes them authentic to themselves. Basically stated, the more one tries to authentically “Be Orange”, the harder it will become for one to be authentic to themselves. That is why authentically “Being Orange” is not possible.

Submitted By Taylor Ireland

Authenticity is uniqueness, genuine, real, veritable, and most importantly, being true to one’s self. People strive all of their lives in search of what makes them special. How do you become true to yourself, without knowing who you are? The first step in order to be true to yourself, especially while in Beaver Nation, is the third theme of existentialism; Humanism. Individuals, or “Beavers” are focused on the pursuit of freedom and identity. They search for their own opinions and values on politics, social conformity and their own virtues (Lecture 5-7-15). A true and authentic Beaver searches during their, hopefully four years of college, to find out what makes them so unique. While we are all one Beaver Nation, we all have separate identities, which is what makes us authentic.

As we search for our identity here at Oregon State University, we are also among tens of thousands of other students with the same goal. This agrees with the philosopher Heidegger, and his theory on “The They”. As we walk to our classes with our headphones in, every face a blur as we walk by, we see a larger picture. This is called “The They”. While we think we are the ones unique and separate from “The They”, we are actually a part of it just as much as everyone else is. The other students are there with you, all with the same goal in mind. In Heidegger’s reading, he states that “Others are encountered environmentally” (Heidegger, Being and Time pg. 225). As we walk by these blurry faces, it is in the environment of Oregon State’s campus. From a larger a scale, everyone here at Oregon State, is a small part of an even bigger “The They” which is the entire world. Every Beaver is an everyday mode of being, finding their own identity in an even bigger “The They”.

While we are all part of “The They”, we must also consider the fact of how we look through other’s eyes. Every true Beaver has experienced tour groups consisting of parents and hopefully future Beavers walking past you; a sleep deprived, hungry, hungover, college student trying to get past this small group of “The They” to make it to class. I feel like an animal trapped in a glass cage at the zoo. This brings us to the philosophical  statement, Being for Others (Lecture 5-5-15). In your eyes, the tour group is turning you into an object. Which can be somewhat alienating, for you, a person in search of their own identity to be turned into just another object for that group. This is one of the many obstacles you must overcome as you embark on the journey to be an authentic Beaver. While it may seem like you are being objectified, every other fellow Beaver feels the same way and it ends up being one of the many obstacles you overcome.

As the world progresses, somethings end up being more important than it was twenty years ago, maybe because of social norms, or because it did not even exist. One of these important things that relates to being a true Beaver, is the Facebook page, “Things Overheard at OSU”. While this may seem petty, it correlates perfectly to Kierkegaard’s theory of The Crowd (Lecture 5-5-15). He states that the crowd is one driving force that persuades decisions and it weakens the responsibility of others as the bigger the crowd is, the less important one person is. “Things Overheard at OSU” is a perfect example of this because with the crowd on that page, approximately 15,000 members, each Beaver has less of an impact on the larger crowd. When one post gets over 500 likes and a lot of support, if one Beaver feels opposite of others, they can (and usually) receive a lot of hate for their opinion, because it does not follow the crowd. This is just another obstacle one faces while you attempt to be an authentic OSU student. While you may not always agree with the crowd because it is “untruth” as Kierkegaard states, the crowd is too powerful to face as a single individual.

Finally, every college student, let alone a Beaver faces procrastination. While some cases are more extreme, we all deny transcendence by procrastinating. (Lecture 5-26-15). This is in Sartre’s perspective, that we keep denying and denying starting the simplest of tasks. This is another obstacle we face, and will always be a challenge. The second part of procrastination is the “I’ll start sooner next time” phase. Which is also denying transcendence, because you never really do start earlier next time. It is the same repetitive task over and over of procrastination, sort of like Sisyphus, repeating the same task over and over. This, to me, is one of the hardest obstacles of being a Beaver in search of identity and authenticity. While it may not ever be conquered, it alone will not stop your commitment to being a unique Beaver.

Ultimately, while there are many obstacles and steps of being an authentic and true Beaver, the identity you find in the end is worth all of the time and effort. Hopefully, as I am still continuing through the process of being my very own, authentic Beaver.