There’s a new fad at Villanova.  And it has nothing to do with popped collars or ribbons in hair.  It’s easy and accessible for everyone.  It’s a website.

“The DogEars Network offers the most comprehensive and user-friendly solution for student needs,” Derek Martin, founder of the website for Villanova, said. With just one click, students can network across the country with their friends, pick their professors for next semester, and also find out where to move off campus.

“DogEars” isn’t just a Villanova phenomenon; we have shared our vision with students all over the United States,” Martin said. The DogEars Network is a community of students built and run entirely by students.  More than 40 colleges are involved with DogEars.  It is free, localized and contains no advertising.  Some of its most popular features include the FaceBook, which contains personal pictures, profiles and friends; the CourseGuide, which provides ratings and comments on professors; and the TextExchange, which allows students to buy and sell books. These features are all similar to conveniences offered at Villanova, such as the Face Book and text book buy-back. So, why is this website better than those?

“I believe that DogEars is an asset to the Villanova student body because it leverages the power of the Internet in order to provide students with a superior resource,” Martin said. The site connects the student body through features such as the face book. In addition, the web site provides money saving resources for students through the text exchange classifieds and local pages. The local pages and classifieds have over 20 local restaurant menus scanned in and provide job and housing listings.

There is also a school-wide event calendar to which campus organizations can submit dates. The website also offers course and professor reviews.

Six students at Villanova keep the website going. Besides Martin, the others are Maureen Holland, Doug Sasso, Chris Day, Paul Haikali and Stefanie Boyk. These six students collaborate with four students from Columbia to be a part of the DogEars network. The four from Columbia started the website three years ago for students there, then moved to California to work on expanding the site nationwide.

All the work is paying off, according to Martin. As of Wednesday there were over 900 registered users; approximately one in every six Villanova students are members of the DogEars Network.  It offers the student a world of opportunities to meet people, make money and select the right restaurant, among other comforts.