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Priority Mail?

Students may find getting their mail in the Campus Center next year more convenient, but faculty worry things will get worse

by Tiffany Au

Hordes of impatient students shoulder their way past each other, brushing against a jury-rigged fence of chicken wire. A line stretches up a staircase, partially blocking the main door, as students wait to get their packages. Most Grinnellians go through this scene on a regular basis in the post office tucked beneath Carnegie Hall.

When the post office, like many other college services, moves into the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Campus Center next year, the cramped space appears to open up. But students and staff are concerned about how changes could affect them.

“I’ve heard the post office is not designed by ‘post office guys,’” said Andrea Matter ’07. “The first thing is that it must be designed as a post office ... not just a pretty thing.”

The new post office is a “functional space,” according to Tom Crady, vice president of Student Affairs. “It will be much bigger, nicer ... and has more storage,” he said. “The window is much bigger, and the floor-to-ceiling mailboxes will make it easier for student access.” The new post office has an ATM and two entrances, one facing toward South Campus and one into the Center.

Currently, professors have their mail delivered to them in their department offices. With the post office moving away from the academic buildings, professors and staff members worry that this could change.

“The staff brings the mail up to me and it’s accessible ... because of my disability,” said Eliza Willis, Political Science.

Post office employee D.L. Stevens ’07 said that he had heard that some faculty members would have their mailboxes in the Campus Center. According to Vice President of College Services John Kalkbrenner, mail deliveries to faculty will continue. “If a faculty member feels strongly about having a mailbox in the Campus Center, [we] can work with that,” he said.

Crady hoped that many professors would choose to get their mail with students. “It would be great to have people come to the Center,” said Crady. “We want it to be a vibrant place ... [that] encourages interaction.”

Support staff worried that sending large packages would become more difficult with the new location. “The problem is with getting mail out,” said Academic Support staff member Karen Groves, whose office is in Carnegie. “If we have overnight delivery and packages, we can’t just go downstairs any more.”

Some students and staff are looking forward to the new post office. “The post office sometimes floods,” said Adam Barrett ’08. “When I worked as a dispatcher I kept getting these calls that water collected because of a huge rain storm ... since it’s in a basement below ground level.” The new post office is raised above the ground.

Ed Phillips, Classics, is also looking forward to the change. “[The current post office] is cramped and difficult to get in and out of,” he said.

“I think it will be a good transition,” Kalkbrenner said. “[A] nicer facility, bigger space, because students will ship a lot of things in the fall and spring from home. There will be more light and it will be cleaner.”

Sidebar: Mail Myths

Rumors have been circling about the possible changes to the campus mail system when it moves from Carnegie to the Joe next year. Here’s the truth behind some of the rumors.

Rumor: The new post office will actually be smaller than the current one.

Status: FALSE. According to Tom Crady, the new post office is much larger, with easier access to mail and more storage.

Rumor: Faculty and staff won’t have their mail delivered to department offices next year, but will have to pick it up in the campus center.

Status: FALSE. Mail deliveries will continue, but any professor who wants to pick up their mail with students can arrange to do so.

Rumor: The new post office won’t flood.

Status: TRUE. The post office is elevated above the ground.

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