Lately, some students have been turning green, politically anyway.

They stand behind increasing awareness and expanding the minds of other students of the ongoing issues in the world outside college.

Through the Green Party, Colleen and Courtney Moran have educated themselves about the world around them. In these past weeks of the semester, they have been working to bring the same educational opportunities to Eastern.

“We wanted to bring another perspective to Eastern and Charleston,” Colleen said Monday. “We wanted to raise consciousness and awareness.”

That’s exactly what the pair has been doing for the past month as co-founders of Eastern’s chapter of the Green Party.

For the past month, the Morans held weekly meetings and began committees for recycling in Charleston and more vegetarian options in dining services. They are also collecting signatures to stand behind their Green Party state senator candidate.

“I want to change things here,” Colleen said. “Have a more conscious environment.”

The interests of the party lie based on 10 philosophies which include non-violence, ecological wisdom, social justice and feminism.

“From these philosophies is where their main goals come from,” Colleen said. “They’re all about not having a corporate-run government. (It’s about) having people run the government, have a say and be responsible for each other.”

By having a third party chapter at Eastern, Colleen said students can, “take an active role in their life and their community,” and learn, “more than the media presents to us.”

Although the Green Party is similar to other political parties, it takes a more active role here at Eastern and is aimed at not being as political as the others, Courtney said Monday.

“It’s not just about politics, more just about little changes,” she said. “An organization that is about the environment.”

In addition, Courtney said the Green Party is simply a way to become involved on campus and in the world.

“An opportunity to do something with other people with the same interests,” she said. “It gives people something to be involved in if they’re interested into a change on campus.”

So far, 15 students have expressed interest in the third party and came to the weekly meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. Thursdays in Coleman Hall’s third floor study lounge.

As of now, the organization is in its planning stages; however, the Moran’s are optimistic that with the start of another semester more students will become involved and the organization will take shape.

“It looks hopeful,” Courtney said.

For next semester, plans are to invite speakers to educate students of, “the current war, genetically modified foods and the world bank,” and in general the ideals of the Green Party, which is the first step to taking a role in the organization, Colleen said.

“The first step in evolving and changing is having that information to help people learn more,” she said.”