Some Commons 7 residents have not been receiving mail recently, according to student testimony and South Campus Commons Associate Director Anwar Cruter.
“We are looking into the issue, and will update those people affected, once we have information,” Cruter wrote in an email, noting that three students so far have reached out expressing concern.
The U. S. Postal Service delivers mail to South Campus Commons once a day between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., but sometimes packages are delivered twice a day depending on the mail carrier, Cruter wrote. He added that USPS delivers mail directly to South Campus Commons 1 through 6, but for Commons 7, mail is delivered to the Commons 6 service desk and is then placed in the mailboxes by a third-party vendor.
Students said the issue they’ve had is only with letters, not with packages.
Michael Stern, a junior journalism major, said he started to notice the absence of mail about two months ago and hasn’t gotten any mail this semester.
“Right off the bat what I didn’t get were some tax forms I needed and my first reaction was it was addressed wrong,” Stern said. “But when I talked about it to my employer and it turned out they addressed it correctly, I was confused.”
Stern is missing at least six or seven letters from four different people, including his paychecks and some birthday cards. On April 14 he tried to find out where his mail was going but didn’t have much luck, he said.
“I called the University of Maryland mail place who said it was the College Park post office’s fault, but the post office said they deliver all the mail they get to South Campus Commons,” Stern said. “No one in College Park or Commons is able to explain why … people aren’t getting mail.”
Tanya White, the College Park office’s post master, noted a lot of parents have called about the issue.
Megan Herholtz, a sophomore communication major, has also not been receiving her mail, and said she has noticed this for about a month.
“My mom sent a check in the mail and it’s been a month,” Herholtz said. “I only live an hour from here so it should have been here the next day, but it hasn’t gotten here yet.”
Both of her roommates have also had issues with mail this semester, she said. Herholtz added that she reported this to South Campus Commons, which told her “there is nothing they can do and it is something to do with the College Park post office.”
Ben Hyman, a senior management major, said he has been receiving mail sporadically throughout the semester.
“It’s kind of been an issue off and on, but it was just my birthday and my mom was like, ‘Hey check your mail,’ and I kept checking and there was nothing there,” Hyman said.
Cruter wrote that a possible solution is making sure mail is correctly addressed and formatted.
“Senders of First Class mail should double-check the zip code (20740 for all South Campus Commons buildings),” Cruter wrote. “A few residents are using the 20742.”
At least 15 residents of Commons 7 said they are not aware of the mail issue.
