Pattern designed by OSU student

Amidst bagpipe players in kilts, steaming mugs of hot cider and plates of orange and black cookies, Oregon State University students past and present gathered in Milam Hall’s Hawthorne Suite on Friday afternoon for the unveiling of the school’s official tartan.

“I think it’s a great idea. I think it’s beautiful,” said Jan Hansen, class of 1965 alumnae, as she studied the winning orange, black and white plaid pattern designed by Krisja Lorenson, a fifth-year student majoring in apparel design.

Beth Ray, wife of OSU President Ed Ray, concurred.

“It’s something else to get people excited about OSU and wearing the colors,” she said.

OSU’s licensing and trademark department is working with various companies to create merchandise featuring the plaid. Proposed products include blankets, kilts, umbrellas, shirts, handbags, scarves, neckties and jackets.

Half of the royalties from all tartan products will go to the department of design and human environment to support student learning. The plaid is already being used on holiday and birthday cards issued by the President’s Office.

“I would love to have a sports jacket in this pattern,” said Ed Ray, after joking that he won’t be wearing a kilt anytime soon.

Last spring, OSU’s department of design and human environment decided to host a Tartan Textile Design Competition to give students practical experience in applying design skills.

Any student could enter up to three designs. A panel of judges narrowed the pool to three finalists.

Photographs of the three finalists were put online for public voting. More than 1,600 ballots were cast, and Beavers fans chose Lorenson’s design as their official plaid.

“It’s really exciting knowing something I did is now going to be a part of Oregon State history,” Lorenson said. “So if I have kids or grandkids, it will be something that will still be around if they come to Oregon State.”

In addition to bragging rights, Lorenson received a $500 cash prize and box seats for today’s football game.

Lorenson drew from her background as a competitive Scottish high land dancer when researching plaids. She used a computer program called Tartan Generator to create various combinations of OSU’s colors.

Describing her winning design, Lorenson said the tartan’s balance of orange, black and white represents how OSU students balance work, school and activities.

A tartan is a cloth woven in a checkered or crossbarred pattern with narrow bands of various colors. Traditionally, tartan materials were worn by members of a particular clan, and came to represent that clan.

“A tartan is a symbol of a family or a clan. I hope (OSU’s tartan) is worn by Beavers fans everywhere as a symbol of their continued membership in the OSU family,” said Leslie Davis Burns, chair of the department of design and human environment.

Burns said her department will sponsor another competition this year to design merchandising hang tags that explain the tartan’s story.

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.