Students who wish to buy Taco Bell but don't want to go themselves may choose to utilize an app new to Ohio University.
JoyRun is an app that allows people to request items from stores and restaurants and have them delivered by a fellow student. The app marketed toward college students was launched at OU more than a week ago.
When a “runner” picks up items requested, the runner pays the total and is paid back through the app by the person who requested the run, Delaney Banda, one of 12 student leaders on campus who promote use of the app, said. A runner can also set a delivery fee from $0 to $5 dollars. People who request a run only have to pay for the items bought, the delivery fee and, if they choose, a tip.
JoyRun was created more than a year ago and is present on 46 college campuses, Banda, a junior studying communication studies, said. Last year, the app only had a presence on 14 campuses nationwide.
Even though the app is mostly used for food runs, people can order supplies from Kroger, Wal-Mart and several other stores. A person even went on a run to Lowes to pick up supplies for someone’s art project, Banda said.
Gina Murphy, a freshman studying music education, does not have a car on campus but is not sure she would use JoyRun.
“I don’t know how likely I would be to use this,” Murphy said. “I would probably just go out and get it myself.”
Even though she does not see herself using the app, she said it is a “neat idea” that could “definitely take off in a college town,” considering the number of places to eat near campus. JoyRun could be useful for those who do not have a car on campus, she said, especially if it is too cold to walk Uptown for food.
“The running aspect is really nice because it just gives you extra cash. My friend made $60 the other night in like four hours,” Banda said. “No one is going to make that money in that time frame in college.”
Banda thinks the app is “a lot safer” because there is no exchange of phone numbers unless something goes wrong with the order. When the run is completed, all personal information disappears, and the runner cannot go back to look at it.
Banda said the app is also convenient because students can arrange a window of time they will make deliveries, which is beneficial for those who have a specific class schedule. Those who want to commit a little more time to JoyRun can apply to be part of the Runner’s Club, which gives people shifts to cover. Those people are employed through JoyRun, whereas people who pick up random runs are not employed through the organization.
Even though it is useful to make runs with a car, those who do not have one on campus but go Uptown for food can notify customers they are getting food from a certain place and deliver to a specific area, such as West Green.
On the app, people have the option to say for what they're earning money. Banda has noticed people run for road trips, rent and textbooks, she said. The app also features the top earners of the day, and most of the time, the top earner makes more than $100, she added.
“It gives extra money without having to be committed to a schedule,” Banda said. “The flexibility is so nice.”
