Victoria Salvatore
Starting this year, students living in the Lake Hollingsworth Apartments have been getting their mail delivered directly to the apartment complex rather than having to pick it up at the mailroom.
The mail goes over to the apartments and is put into lockers. Then, students receive an email or text with a code to unlock the locker containing their mail. The process sounds like it would be much more convenient, but in the beginning, it was chaotic for many students.
While some students felt they were well-informed of the changes, a majority felt they weren’t.
“We were told there was a change coming, but weren’t given any specifics,” Lake Hollingsworth resident Amy Wallace said.
Other students offered the same sentiments, but also said that over time the process has become less confusing and is overall very convenient.
“I haven’t had a problem with it and it’s nice because you can get your mail after five,” Lake Hollingsworth resident Olivia Duval said.
One of the biggest positives of having the lockers at the apartments is that students can access the mail 24 hours a day. Oftentimes because students are living off campus they don’t have time to stop by the mailroom before five, so the new system gives them the freedom to pick up packages whenever they have time in their busy schedules.
The lockers are set up in the clubhouse, which means there’s limited space, and as a result, if a package isn’t picked up after three days it has to be removed to make room for other packages. Wallace mentioned that the system was convenient, but for students who are busy it can be difficult to pick your package up within the three day period.
Even though there was some initial negative feedback about the system, most students appreciated the work the mailroom staff did to help them understand the changes. It was a learning process for both the students and the workers.
The mailroom purchased a new system that was supposed to be implemented over the summer, but the new system didn’t come in until the week before classes started. As a result, there was a scramble to understand how it works in order to make the transition smoother for students.
Students who don’t live in Lake Hollingsworth might have noticed that in order to pick up a package you have to swipe your student ID instead of signing your name. Along with that change, students should be receiving texts as well as emails to notify them that their packages have arrived.
The purpose of changing the mail process has been to make it easier for students, and it seems that after the initial chaos, students are appreciating the mailroom’s efforts. If students have further questions about the new mail system, they can contact the mailroom at (863) 680-6222.