New Mexico State University
ER-T2-1: Student Group

The Organization of Aggie Students Inspiring Sustainability (OASIS) was founded in the spring of 2008. The students organized the first city-wide Earth Day festival and began the first fall sustainability film series at NMSU, both of which they continue to organize annually. The club also organized the signing of the Talloires Declaration as well as the World Café event in 2009. Among the top goals of OASIS is to strive to generate widespread awareness of sustainable practices, network within the Las Cruces community (both on and off campus) in order to engage the community and promote green ethics, and focus on agricultural practices, recycling, economic sustainability, community education, awareness and equality. Members of OASIS also participate in Take Back the Tap, which is a program within Food and Water Watch, a national organization. A member of OASIS, was hired in the fall of 2011 to start developing the program. She started by tabling and raising awareness, starting a petition in which students and staff vowed to stop using bottled water, and coordinating with the new Sustainability Officer in ASNMSU.

OASIS is not the only green student organization at NMSU. Another student organization is the Environmental Science Student Organization (ESSO), which is based out of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the NMSU College of Agriculture Consumer and Environmental Sciences. ESSO’s purpose is to advance environmental awareness and knowledge at the university and in the community. The club is committed to participating in community service events on and off campus and extracurricular volunteer activities that benefit the environment or provide learning experiences. ESSO participates in Keep State Great, Relay for Life, the City of Las Cruces E-Recycle day, Earth Day, Toss No Mass, and the RecycleMania competition. The club also facilitates Crush Rush (a Sorority recycle competition), and volunteers with MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement).