Ask not what Oregon can do for you
The merits of "The Oregon Year," a chance for young Oregonians to develop skills, and, most importantly, serve others around the state.
Editor’s Note: Do your part to Sustain the Way! We’re nearly at $500 raised.
Donate here or subscribe below to create a part-time editor position. Thank you! - kevin
Kevin Frazier edits The Oregon Way between online classes at Berkeley Law. He grew up in Washington County and is a proud Duck.
John F. Kennedy won’t be on the Oregon ballot in 2022. His ideas should be. In particular, candidates for governor should outline their plans to help Oregonians serve one another and their communities.
President Kennedy made clear that our democracy was much more than a one-way street. Yes, local, state, and federal governments should serve the people; but Kennedy made clear that people should also serve one another in addition to serving as a means to advance local, state, and federal goals.
In demanding that Americans “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country,” the President fulfilled his end of the bargain by developing new programs and agencies to empower Americans to meaningfully serve, while also developing meaningful skills and experiences.
Oregonians don’t need JFK, but they deserve someone in office with his focus on service, and his vision to create new institutions and opportunities to make that service possible. One way to apply that vision to Oregon would be through “The Oregon Year.” Two points illustrate why we can make this Year of Service a reality.
First, it’s important to point out that Oregon distinguished itself as a particularly service-oriented state, especially when it came to military service. When Governor Snell spoke to the State Legislature in during the height of World War II in 1943, he ticked off Oregon’s impressive service record:
We are reminded that in the Spanish-American war an Oregon regiment composed entirely of volunteers was the first to land in the Philippines...
In the first World War, Oregon, in proportion to population, led all states of the Union in furnishing volunteers; was first in the nation to recruit all National Guard quotas to full war strength --- mobilization overnight of the first National Guard Regiment in the country to be ready for service; first to complete machinery for the operation of the selective service act, and, in addition, Oregon established the enviable record of over-subscription of each and every one of the four Liberty Loan drives held during that period.
Oregon continues to punch above its weight in terms of miltiary service and other means for serving one another. As conveyed by the map below, compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, Oregon ranks highly in terms of total veteran population:
Notably, Oregon’s service record goes beyond military service. As of 2015, nearly a third of all Oregon residents volunteer in some capacity, placing the state in the top 13 across the nation. In total, Oregonians volunteer about 36 hours annually. This is a good start. But there’s tremendous room for improvement.
Second, it’s key to identify that society has come to identify a prime time for service. You’ve likely heard of a “gap year,” typically described as using the year after high school graduation and before whatever is next to go to some distant place, explore a new culture, and learn new things about yourself. The ideal outcome of the year is enough self-learning and exposure to new ideas to allow the gap-year taker to hit the ground running in their next opportunity, be it more schooling, an apprenticeship, or a job. Historically, the chance to take a gap year has been confined to privileged, passport-bearing individuals. And, frankly, the willy-nilly nature of what a gap year ought to include means that it's easier to fill the time with Instagram photos than meaningful, challenging experiences.
That’s why we need The Oregon Year. During the same time frame, Oregonians should be expected to complete a year of service in another part of the state. Traveling to a different corner of Oregon will be sufficiently far, novel, and important to accomplish all of the self-realization and exploration at the heart of a traditional gap year. Furthermore, these experiences will provide young Oregonians with several opportunities to refine their skills and learn from fellow Oregonians.
Imagine a student from St. Johns spending a year in John Day, perhaps assisting a small business with graphic design work. Picture a Pendleton High student heading to Coos Bay to write columns for The World, a daily newspaper serving Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston, Coquille, Bandon and Reedsport. Query how a student from Harney County could benefit from helping a startup or nonprofit in Portland.
It’s true that these experiences may not fill traditional notions of “service,” but the benefits would be similar: a sense of community across geographical expanses; a chance to do something not solely for financial and personal gains, but also out of pride for place; and, exposure to different ways of life.
To make The Oregon Year an inclusive experience that becomes an expectation of all Oregonians it will have to be financially accessible. There are a couple ways to make that possible: one would be to give all participants a substantial cut on tuition at any Oregon public higher education institution, perhaps by attaching credit hours to the service year; another would be to reduce funding to other social service programs and reallocate those funds to community institutions that could then hire an Oregon Year participant; finally, a novel approach such as the Interest On Lawyers Trust Accounts program could be modeled and implemented in new industries expected to benefit most from Oregon Year participants.
What matters most is that Oregonians come to see service as the default option, come to see the chance to live in a different community in the state as an obligation and opportunity, and come to see one another as connected by our shared Oregonian-ness.
Ask not what Oregon can do for you—ask what you can do for Oregon.
****************************************
Send feedback to Kevin:
@kevintfrazier
Keep the conversation going:
Facebook (facebook.com/oregonway)
Twitter (@the_oregon_way)
Check out our podcast: