Though many DePauw students don't bother to look past the backs of those waiting in line to pick up a package, there are many things going on behind the mailroom's small front desk in the basement of the Union Building.
DePauw's mailroom is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the process of getting packages to students is an on-going one.
Packages start their DePauw journey after being delivered to the university's off-campus mail center located at the corner of Jackson and Hill Street. There, they use their own internal label that corresponds in the system with the tracking label from the carrier.
"When we pick up the package from the post office or it's dropped off here by Fed Ex or UPS, we have to process those packages by recording the barcode numbers that are on them," said Angela Thompson, the mail center manager.
The system groups the packages into carts. The UB then shelves the packages alphabetically, according to the recieving students name. Once all packages from each cart have been shelved, the labels are scanned and the "NOREPLYPACKAGE" email that students are all so familiar with is automatically sent out. Even if a student receives word of their package being delivered from the shipping company, it is not officially available to them until they receive the email from DePauw.
Many students are unaware of all that goes into getting their package from its shipping location to their hands. Students tend to be upset when they know their package has arrived, but are unable to pick it up until they receive an email.
Sophomore Ciera deCourcy says that things like this happen to her often.
"I'll get emails that I have a package so I'll go to the
Hub, which is kind of out of my way, and I try to pick up the package and they won't have it there," deCourcy said. "Or, I'll be expecting a package, and I won't get an email."
Sophomore Erin Crouse, who is a work study student in the mailroom, clarifies why this could be happening.
"One persistent problem we have, which should be fixed by now, is technical issues due to a new system," said Crouse.
Most of the technical problems were occurring earlier in the year and are mostly ironed-out at this point.
"We get a lot of packages," Thompson said. "Some days, we'll have hundreds of them, and it can take all day to get through them, which is why sometimes packages aren't available until the next day."
Once the email is received, students are able to use their Tiger Cards to pick up the packages.
"I think it is really good that they check for your ID because I would prefer someone not taking my package," said senior Christine Webster," and I don't feel like there is ever a huge problem with them."
Other students are concerned with the timeliness that the e-mail notifications are sent out. First-year Zachary Golay, is such a student.
"I really dislike how the mailroom typically sends emails notifying students that their packages are in at the same time they close," Golay said. "Then, it forces us to wait an extra night to get something that may be potentially time-sensitive or urgent."
Thompson said that they will stay after hours to make sure that packages are shelved and ready to be distributed the next day.
"Sometimes, because we have such a huge volume of packages, we don't get them all put on the shelf and ready to pick up until after we close the student union post office," Thompson said. "But, we want to go ahead and get them processed."
Thompson said that they aim to have all packages ready to be picked up within 24 hours, but at the start of the year or major holidays, the time to process it all can take longer.
First-year Lobsong Tashi ordered his textbooks from Amazon Prime, which includes free two day shipping.
"I went to get my books after four days, and the lady said I had to wait for the email notification," said Tashi. "I waited for the notification for a month."
Others have a more positive experience like senior Madeline LeClaire.
"I got my Valentine's Day package on the day it was supposed to arrive," LeClaire said. "I ordered it two days before Valentine's Day, and I got it before the mailroom closed. They did a really good job of processing everything quickly."
While package problems may not necessarily be the mailroom's fault, many students are unsatisfied with the type of service they are receiving from the workers.
First-year Ray-Nathan Gray talks about an unpleasant experience he had with the mailroom.
"I went to the mail room once waiting for service," said Gray. "I rang the bell three times, five minutes in between rings, and no one showed up. Finally the lady came out and gave me my package without even a simple 'thank you'."
Gray is not the only student who has had such an experience.
"I like the mailroom," said deCourcy, "but the people that work there are rude. I've had multiple occasions where they are very short with me. It happens all the time."
But Crouse, who is a student on the other side of the desk, has had the opposite problem: students being short with those working in the mailroom.
"It's interesting interacting with students in a different way," Crouse said. "They almost don't think of me as a student. They think of me as a person on staff here."
She added, "It's quite interesting to hear what [other students] say while they don't know that we can hear them."
Both Crouse and Thompson noted that students coming to pick up a package before receiving the email can both be a cause of frustration and a slower processing time.
"Our policy is if a student comes, we're going to check the shelf," Thompson said. "Whether they've got the email or not, we're going to check and make sure they don't have a package."
They both said that checking for packages that have yet to be processed slows down them processing the very package that they might be looking for.
"If you have a package you know arrived, give me 24 hours, and then if you don't have an email come check," Thompson said, adding that during particularly busy times, it's best to wait for 48 hours. "But, don't think that just because its on campus, it's ready for you."
Thompson said that she has been pleased with the patience and willingness to work with the mail center that students have shown.