Creating traditions students can count on boosts morale and institutional loyalty.
With the Oregon State University-Cascades extensions set for 2015, student government hopes to create traditions with staying power.
Darwin Ikard
The Broadside
“It’s a way to be connected with the main campus,” Activities Coordinator Victoria Odinet said.
During the 2012-2013 school year, members of the Associated Students of Cascades Campus have been working to establish annual traditions that students will be able to count on as the school transitions into a four year university, according to ASCC President Rachel Mayhill.
In fall 2012, students rode the rally bus to Corvallis to attend a Beavers football game, according to Odinet. ASCC orchestrated this event, and there are hopes to do it again for spring baseball.

“These are things we definitely want to pass on. I envision, when we are a four-year school, that rally bus will be full,” Odinet said.
New this year was the creation of club sports, with the introduction of both Alpine and Nordic skiing. To kick-off the 2013 winter season, 20 OSU-Cascades students took the rally bus up to Mt. Bachelor with OSU’s mascot Benny the Beaver making an appearance, according to Odinet.
“Its cool for students to get together,” said Odinet. “It gets people excited about OSU, and gets them involved outside of our campus.”
As the number of students at OSU-Cascades grows, Odinet is hoping that the campus can have a positive impact in the community through volunteer work.
“We are working on incorporating volunteer work in the community at least once a term,” said Odinet. “I would like to see an annual student volunteer day, where students go out side-by-side with student government.”
Rachel Mayhill has also been working to get an annual event implemented.
“One of my largest goals this year is to leave [the students] with an end of the year celebration,” said Mayhill, “where all the entities of OSU-Cascades can come together to celebrate their accomplishments. I’m hoping it will be an annual thing.”
Mayhill has been working with both faculty as well as planners to make sure that the students’ voices are heard in all conversations about the expansion.
“Any [OSU-Cascades] student is invited to participate in the discussion,” said Mayhill. “I hope to have as much input as possible.”
Mayhill and Odinet will be graduating in 2013, and are hesitant to implement anything too constricting on future governments. Still, they both share excitement for the future.
“We are growing and changing and so this is a great opportunity to be a part of that change,” said Odinet. “We all really care about seeing it move forward.”
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