Corp Plans to Launch Campus Craigslist

Whether seeking furniture, a roommate or a new group to join, students will soon be able to use HoyaTrade, Georgetown’s first classified Web site, as a convenient way to satisfy everyday wants and needs.

As the creators of HoyaTrade, The Corp hopes the new site will serve as a safe, simple and reliable way for students to exchange various items and services.

Similar to the Web site Craigslist.org, HoyaTrade lets users post jobs, goods and services of interest to Georgetown students. Members of The Corp expect the Web site will soon be completed and ready for use.

The site will include pages for general announcements, job opportunities, on- and off-campus events and lost and found items. The Web site will also provide information on openings available in university clubs. Students will be able to buy and sell items such as tickets, appliances and electronics, and can offer and request services such as carpooling, cleaning services and music lessons.

Jesse Scharff (COL ’09), The Corp’s chief executive officer, said he hopes HoyaTrade will bring Georgetown students together.

“HoyaTrade is a way to facilitate the exchange of not only goods and services, [but also to] bring attention to student-specific interests,” Scharff said.

Members of The Corp hope HoyaTrade will promote interaction between students who otherwise would not have been connected, as well as increase student involvement in on-campus organizations.

“Students will be able to list open positions in student groups and events of interest to the Georgetown community,” Scharff said. “[I hope] HoyaTrade will be the ideal place for someone interested in becoming involved in student life at Georgetown to do so easily and efficiently.”

He added that The Corp is considering limiting access to the Web site to only those with a Georgetown e-mail address, which would include students and faculty.

Some students see the site as a sensible vehicle of communication and exchange that has been missing from the Georgetown community.

“HoyaTrade seems like a more practical alternative to Web sites like Craigslist because it’s centered on-campus and will make buying and selling easier [by minimizing] the distance between the people involved,” Emily Owen (COL ’11) said.

For instance, HoyaTrade will help students coordinate housing, such as finding additional roommates or subletting an apartment, which can often be difficult without a common forum for posting advertisements.

“It will be very helpful to students, especially when it comes to finding a roommate or a place to live at school,” said Gary Chung (MSB ’12).

Scharff said The Corp plans to advertise the new site in The Corp’s campus coffee shops, by posting fliers and encouraging student group leaders to use the site to communicate within their groups and attract potential new members.