By Shim Keum-jo
Ewha has a market that is open 24/7 all year around. The market sells everything from intangible to tangible goods. Freshmen newly admitted to Ewha who may be wondering the location of this market will be surprised to find out that it is accessible everywhere—that is, with the click of a button.
For some time now, the discussion board in the Ewha Portal Information System has been functioning as a place to buy and sell things. Although the number varies, each day about 100 new messages are posted on the board with the name of the item, its features, attached photos, and comments like “Discount is possible,” or “Direct trading on campus preferred to home delivery.”
Students normally buy and sell used textbooks, clothes, and cosmetics. But each day the goods being traded are becoming more and more diverse which to some extent leaves one puzzled as to why such item would be put up for sale.
Some of the most unusual items traded include clothes hangers, portable refrigerators, coupons collected from a coffee shop, and ID’s for websites (for which a fee is required) that helps locate part-time tutoring jobs for university students. There are even advertisements saying, “I design homepages.”
But there is also trading going on among students which don’t require monetary transactions. Some students find language exchange, while others look for roommates or housemates, or search for an extra team member interested in taking part in a research project to be conducted overseas
There seems to be a popular item taking the center stage every now and then. Especially in the beginning of a semester, after the course registration period, the board becomes overloaded with used textbooks and books. During the season when seniors take their pictures for graduation albums, here and there you can see messages saying “Willing to lend an outfit for the photo shoot.” During the vacation period, the board once again changes its color for the holiday theme and messages selling musical tickets, TOEIC or TOEFL textbooks, and snowboards fill the board.
Although the market does not change with brand new items each season like other market or department store, it is interesting that the changes on what is posted reflect the “trends” or what is going on in the lives of students.