New Mexico State University
ER-T2-6: Sustainability Events

EARTH DAY: The Organization of Aggie Students Inspiring Sustainability (OASIS), one of NMSU's student groups, organizes and hosts an Earth Day event every year in partnership with the City of Las Cruces, who donates $3,000 to the effort and lets OASIS use one of our City parks. 2012 was the fifth year that OASIS hosted the event. The event consists of educational booths, local vendors, live music, speakers and demonstrations on sustainability.

EARTH WEEK: In 2012, the Associated Students of New Mexico State University (ASNMSU) hosted the first annual Earth Week event following Earth Day. The week consisted of student outreach for a sustainability student fee proposal, a concert by Gabrielle Louise, who tours on alternative fuels, and a plant and flower sale by the Horticulture Forum student organization.

RECYCLEMANIA: NMSU has been among the top five winners for the RecycleMania competition for the last four years. The NMSU Recycling Department and Office of Sustainability engages students from Housing, Auxiliary Services, green student organizations, as well as faculty and staff across campus. The students actively participate in every way possible from the kick-off day to the last day of the competition. The students spread awareness for the competition by tabling, chalking, and working with University’s vendors, such as Coca-Cola, to participate in events. In 2011 an Art Department student created a life size man made out of aluminum cans, titled "Mr. Recyclemaniac". < http://sustainability.nmsu.edu/wasteDiversion.html>

Each year various departments host events for students that focus on sustainability-related issues. For example, in 2012 the History Department hosted a semester long speaker series that focused on immigration issues and trends. Also, the NMSU Confucius Institute hosts speaker series and academic conferences each year. Our Diversity Programs host a GLBTQ Week, American Indian Week, Fiestas Latinas, and Black History Month events each year. Lastly, the student group OASIS hosts a semester long Sustainability Film Series for students, which plays films related to environmental, social, and economic issues, accompanied by speakers (mostly from our faculty and staff) who discuss these issues in more depth after the film.