Aidan Van Nynatten

News Writer

Students who have been hoping to get their hands on a tangible sample of the artistry at our school, seeking out an opportunity to build some experience selling their goods or services, or just looking to add to a novelty collection are in luck.

On Oct. 4, everyone at UNCG can look forward to a novel concept on campus: a student marketplace. The event will occur from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on College Avenue (right outside the Jackson Library) and will feature 25 to 30 UNCG student vendors. Many products will be available, including clothing, crochet goods, body care products, handmade pins, resin keychains, bookmarks, paintings, art prints, and more.

For more information, I spoke with the coordinator of the event, business student Jules Belfi. She cited a multitude of reasons for kickstarting this event. Among the most notable was the idea of having a communal space for the UNCG student body to display their craft and skill in a live setting. It’s also a vital opportunity to practice the interactive elements of selling. The event can help student entrepreneurs build a following, practice networking, and introduce them to other students’ creative endeavors. The communal nature of the marketplace can offer mutual uplift and a venue for circulating ideas amongst a vast group of different craftspeople. Belfi also stressed bringing business and economics into harmony with the arts, which challenges the narrative of ideological headbutting between the two and promotes channeling an artistic passion into a business-savvy framework. An element of engagement tops it off, as one of the goals was to bring together first-year student artists in particular.

To make the student marketplace a reality, Belfi collaborated with the president of the UNCG chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization (CEO), Isaac Miami, to give the event a club through which to organize. With the club affiliated, Belfi could categorize the student marketplace as a fundraiser and have an avenue for university approval. The CEO is where the idea for the student marketplace originated last semester, organized by former club president Yogita Pradhan, of which Belfi was unaware when she conceived the current marketplace project. Unfortunately, the previous event suffered from poor turnout due to fewer vendors and limited space—a cramped room in the EUC rather than a full outdoor area. Before last year, there was no precedent for a student marketplace at UNCG. Belfi and Miami thank Fred Burgess of Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, an organization dedicated to “coming together and making a positive impact on each other and on our communities,” according to their website. The organization is also on the lookout for student interns. 

Belfi laid out a lofty and ambitious plan for continuing and expanding the marketplace concept. She would like to hold it every month or at least more than once per semester. In addition to more frequent events, Belfi hopes to incorporate outreach and involvement from faculty and alums and develop a website or app dedicated to the student marketplace community. The marketplace at UNCG appears to be the first in the UNC system, but Belfi and the CEO club aspire to change that. Spreading this event to other colleges and universities in North Carolina is the most ambitious aspect of their plans.

Signups for vendor spots are ongoing until Oct. 1, and the organizers accept and appreciate any craftwork contributions. For more information, contact jfbelfi@uncg.edu.