麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 Mail Center struggles with influx of ordered books
Long lines of impatient students have occupied the Student Mail Center this month, anxiously awaiting personal mail and packages from online bookstores.
The post office 鈥� located in the Russell House basement 鈥� has received 7,125 packages from UPS this January and has expanded its hours for package pickup this week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. due to increased demand.
Post office employees are currently working 12- to 14-hour shifts, including weekends, to accommodate the high volume of mail intake. The office should be back on schedule this week, according to Barry Meyers, the director of 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒鈥檚 postal service.
鈥淭o say we鈥檙e busy is an understatement,鈥� said Meyers. 鈥淎 lot of students are frustrated, and there鈥檚 always some anxiety that goes with getting your mail, but we鈥檙e really trying to reduce it.
First-year public relations student Jessica Rowe had difficulty receiving her textbooks for upcoming classes.
鈥淢y packages were delivered Saturday to North Carolina,鈥� Rowe said. 鈥淚 had to go to the book people to find out where they were; the post office didn鈥檛 even help me.鈥�
According to Meyers, January is the center鈥檚 鈥淏lack Friday,鈥� the supposed busiest shopping day of the year, and the closings have not made the situation easier.
鈥淭here鈥檚 usually more mail coming in the spring term, and there鈥檚 been a huge increase in online book rentals,鈥� said Meyers. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had to play catch-up for a couple of days.鈥�
The Mail Center has also opened up employment to students to alleviate the influx of packages coming in each day.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e some of our best employees,鈥� Meyers said. 鈥淭he mail room is kind of like basketball 鈥� it鈥檚 so busy.鈥�
Second-year student Patricia Dowbiggin said she did not receive her books by the first day of class but did not mind the wait.
鈥淚 waited for about 30 minutes in line to get my books, but the mail people were really friendly,鈥� Dowbiggin said. 鈥淚 know things are slow right now.鈥�