Members of UNM's College Greens made a pact not to spend any money the day after Thanksgiving.
The pact is in recognition of International Buy Nothing Day, which advocates abstaining from making purchases on the biggest shopping day of the year.
"The challenge is to try to live simply for a day," said Clair Long, co-chair of the College Greens in an e-mail. "Spend time with family and friends rather than spending money on them."
Adbusters, an activist group and publication, developed International Buy Nothing Day 13 years ago to protest excessive retail consumption.
Long said she participates because she feels consumerism is one of the main causes of environmental degradation.
"The supermarket or shopping mall might offer choice, but this shouldn't be at the cost of the environment or developing countries," she said.
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Mae Jenne Rescineto, marketing director for Coronado Center, said the retail industry jokingly refers to the day after Thanksgiving as "Black Friday" because of the huge crowds.
Coronado's sales figures for last year's holiday shopping season were not available, but Rescineto said the company's research is expecting sales to increase by 3 to 6 percent.
"People have more comfort in the economy now that the election is over," Rescineto said.
Senior Chris Park said he participates in after-Thanksgiving Day sales every year.
"That's usually when stores offer the best prices," he said. "As a student, I need those discounts."
Park agrees with the Greens that Americans over-consume, but he said holiday shopping isn't about that.
"It's about the opportunity for average American shoppers to get the best value possible," he said.
Buy Nothing Day exposes the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism, Long said.
Only 20 percent of the world's population consumes more than 80 percent of the earth's natural resources, she said, creating a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.
The College Greens are also protesting Shopwise, a mail-out advertisement.
For several weeks, they have been working on the anti-Shopwise campaign by handing out cards to UNM students so they can request removal from its mailing list. Long said once the company receives the request, it cannot send ads to those addresses for five years.
Although the campaign was in preparation for Buy Nothing Day, Long said it will continue into next semester.
Manufacturers do not have consumers' best interests in mind, Long said.
"We must use our common sense to determine what is worth our hard-earned money," she said.
Rescineto said people who object to consumerism are entitled to their opinion but forget the benefits.
"Retail helps keep our country going," she said. "Without it, our economy would deteriorate."
Sophomore Daniel Millis said he doesn't buy anything on the day after Thanksgiving, but not because it's Buy Nothing Day.
"I put off all my shopping until the last minute," he said.
