By David Adams | Echo
Walmart runs could soon be a thing of the past-or at least less common-if Enactus has its way. That's because Enactus, Taylor's chapter of a national nonprofit that focuses on entrepreneurship, will launch TU Marketplace tomorrow.
TU Marketplace is a website where students can place orders for items commonly purchased at Walmart, like snacks and personal care items, among other things. According to freshman Bryan Charbogian, who is managing the project, Enactus members will make weekly Walmart runs to buy the items students order. Then they will deliver the items to each residence hall for students to pick them up.
Typically, Enactus will deliver items on Thursdays, but for their first round of orders they will deliver twice (on Tuesday and Thursday) during Dead Week.
TU Marketplace prices include a 10 percent markup, primarily to cover the cost of Enactus members driving to Walmart each week. Despite the markup, Charbogian said the service will save students time and money in the long run, as they won't have to pay for gas or spend the 40 minutes to get to Marion and back-not to mention the length of the shopping trip itself.
Any money left over from the 10 percent markup after paying for gas and website expenses will fund Enactus' other projects, according to junior David Hershberger, Enactus president. These projects include the club's work with the Lions Club Eyeglass Distribution Center in Upland and Community Cloth, an organization in Houston, Texas, which enables refugee women to sell items they make to support themselves.
Another perk from the project is that students can ask their parents to buy things on the marketplace and have the items sent to them at Taylor.
"'Hey Mom, hey Dad, I could really use a bag of chips over Dead Week,'" Charbogian quipped.
Enactus students working on the project determined the selection of items available on TU Marketplace. Charbogian said they tried to choose items that are the most useful to students, and some items commonly purchased will be grouped into "packages" for easy buying.
At this time, students can only buy the items listed on the marketplace, but Charbogian said Enactus will continually update the choices to reflect students' needs and desires.
A team of 10 students worked throughout this semester to revive TU Marketplace, which was a project managed by SIFE, Enactus' predecessor, several years ago, according to Herschberger and Charbogian. Computer science students in the software studio course worked to update the website for the marketplace's relaunch.
Sophomore Parker O'Leary oversees marketing for TU Marketplace and said the project involved students from a variety of majors collaborating to bring it to fruition.
TU Marketplace also helps Enactus meet its overarching goals, Hershberger said.
"Taylor Enactus is committed to using entrepreneurship to transform lives," he said. "We want to give Taylor students the opportunity to use their God-given gifts and abilities to impact our community and world."
