Be Good. Be Orange.

Published by: Ariel Chadbourne

Here at Oregon State we have a very specific message to potential and current students: that the students here aim to “Be Orange”. There is no definition as to what it means to “Be Orange”, but as an Oregon State student I think that being “orange” is what you make it. To me, when I think of the term “Be Orange”, I think success, equality, and opportunity. It is amazing how two little words can give students something to strive for. What is more intriguing is that every person at Oregon State has a different vision of being “orange”, so this term can be inspirational to every individual here. But what is it about getting a degree at Oregon State that is so valuable? Ever since I was a little girl I knew that I was going to go to Oregon State when I grew up and it had absolutely nothing do with what classes Oregon State had to offer, it was more about the tradition. It wasn’t until later when I got closer to graduating from high school that I realized that I needed to pick a school that was going to benefit my future the most. After applying and getting accepted into 5 different universities, I picked Oregon State because I thought that it would give me the best opportunity to succeed. I want a degree that will open up doors for me that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. So Oregon State isn’t just a university, it is an opportunity. Be an Opportunity, Be Orange.

Opportunity as a value can be very broad. What kind of opportunity am I looking for? Just the word opportunity can mean so many things, but to me it means the chance to advance in not only my education but also in my business ventures and my ability to build relationships with people here on campus. Being able to expand my education has always been a priority in my life, and after changing my major once already I know that Oregon State really allows me to do that. Also, I am aspiring to be a business woman, and Oregon State has some great connections to internships which would give me the opportunity to gain some knowledge on starting my own business. Also, why does “Be opportunity, Be Orange” not really flow right? This is a value that is really important to me and I almost changed the value that I was using so that it would flow better.  I ended up going with “Be an Opportunity, Be Orange” which isn’t the normal format but I think that in order for the phrase to be versatile it should be able to include every value.

What does being “orange” have to do with opportunity? Well, other people that are “orange” all have the same opportunities as me when it comes to the classes they choose and the places they go around campus. When someone starts at Oregon State they start with a blank slate so they are an opportunity in themselves to grow as an Oregon State student and they could be an opportunity for Oregon State to add another doctor or lawyer or biologist into the world. Whatever route you decide to go as a student here it will open up an opportunity for you to succeed.

The great thing about opportunity as a value is that it is for everyone, and in this case it is for everyone at Oregon State, including the staff. This can apply to present and future instances. We decide on a major which opens up opportunities to take certain classes and gain knowledge in certain fields, then later down the road allows for us to get a job. The opportunities are almost endless with every decision you make while you are at Oregon State. This value is important because it gives students something to strive for and with every university being a little bit different the opportunity here is different than the opportunity that you would get anywhere else.

If an alien crashed from the sky I would probably first off tell him that his name is going to be Bob. Simply because I think it would be awesome to meet an alien named Bob. But from there I really believe that I could push the importance of opportunity on Bob by showing him that he could start with a blank state and have the same opportunity at Oregon State to learn as we do, as long as he could speak English. I would show him all the great things that people can learn here at Oregon State and make him want to have that opportunity. Could you imagine an alien being a sports caster or a therapist?

There are some requirements though in order to take advantage of opportunity including the want to move forward and having dreams or goals that you aim to reach. If somebody were to go out and start doing drugs and things that make them back-track in their goals then they probably won’t have the same opportunity as those who are focus specifically on school and succeeding. Also, depending on the roles of people at Oregon State the values vary minutely. For example, opportunities for students are focused more toward education and building relationships, but as a staff member the opportunity is the ability to spread your knowledge.

In the end, I really want Oregon State students to take this value and let it trigger the light bulb in their head that they have so many options while they are in school and that if they don’t like the path they are currently on then they have the opportunity to change their major and take a different path. That being said, I really would like to see people triggering their talents and go to school for that rather than going for a field they aren’t even interested in because it could give them the opportunity to have a bigger paycheck.

With all of that being said, in order to “Be Orange” you must be a student or staff member here at Oregon State. In order to be a member of Oregon State I really think it is crucial to accept the value of opportunity because it is a big part of moving forward in life and being successful at Oregon State because it means taking advantage of what the campus has to offer. Now this means that people who don’t go to college or want to grow as a person would not be “orange” and therefore would not have the same opportunity that I am referring to.

With all that being said, I whole-heartedly believe that the value of opportunity is crucial for everyone’s future. Opportunity can be anything from the food you choose to eat while you are here on campus or your decision to exercise or not all the way to big life decisions like your career. Every choice you make can come with a different opportunity whether it be big or small it is still significant.

I do think that my choice to reword the phrase in order to fit my value rather than fitting my value to the phrase was a good idea because I think that it is important that students really take advantage of all that Oregon State has to offer in order to get the whole experience. The value of opportunity is one that students should not take for granted and need to be opened up to. In order for students to really see what is out there I think that part of your BAC core should include joining a club for a term. Students get so stressed and think that they don’t have time to go out and join clubs or sororities and really miss out on many opportunities. You could be the next doctor, lawyer, or finder of a cure for cancer. It is up to you to take the opportunities given to you at Oregon State and, in-turn, be an opportunity yourself. Be an Opportunity, Be Orange.