Forum probes mail problems

About 30 students attended a forum in McClelland Hall Monday night to voice concerns about the Quadrangle mail service and to find out what the administration is doing to fix the problem. Several officials -- including Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone, Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich and University Police Detective Supervisor Mike Carroll -- discussed changes in the mail service, the extent of the problem and its origin. The forum's coordinator and moderator, College senior Jonathon Held, said he organized the forum because of the failure of the Undergraduate Assembly and administration to respond to students' complaints. Students have filed hundreds of complaints with University Police in the past month detailing stolen mail, tampered packages and inappropriate behavior by mailroom employees. Administrators were given about 10 minutes each to speak about their department's efforts to correct the problem and after each speaker, students' questions were answered. In the course of the hour-and-a-half forum, almost every student in the room raised his or her hand for an opportunity to ask the speakers questions. One student questioned the willingness of the administration to change their ways, another asked about the lack of results from a University Police investigation and another wanted to know why the mailroom workers were so rude to students. Carroll said his department has been investigating the Quad mail service since October, when three students found a garbage bag full of mail and packages outside the Quad mailroom. "We are inundated with mail [complaints]," Carroll said last week. "We have the tip of the iceberg." Simeone said a rash of complaints in February about missing Valentine's Day cards and open mail alerted her to the need for action. She announced at the meeting that her office is "seriously considering" installing video cameras in mailrooms across campus. Last week, Simeone, Morrisson and Kuprevich implemented several plans to protect student mail, including installing glass windows in all campus mailrooms. After the forum, students said after hearing all sides of the story, they believed the problem was internal and not with the U.S. Postal Service. "Personally, I don't think the U.S. Postal Service is responsible," one student said. "I think it is the employees sorting the mail. We should be concentrating more on the mailroom." Morrisson said the University is operating under the assumption that the problem lies within the University and is responding accordingly. "We're working as if we do [have a problem]," she said. "In the end if it turns out that we don't, we will still have improved service. If we do [have a problem], we will take steps to correct it." But the student coordinator Held said that he did not believe that everyone's attitudes were as sincere as Morrisson's. "Of all the representatives, the only one who really showed interest in the problem was Dr. Morrisson," he said. "I think Dr. Simeone was trying to tell students it was not the University's fault. I think that was the only reason she was there." But, Morrisson said while she appreciates Held's commentary, she believes all administrators care about students' problems. Simeone could not be reached for comment last night. Carroll noted that 313 students reported problems to University Police about campus mail service before the forum. University Police Sergeant Larry Salotti said officers took down another 10 to 20 complaints last night. Carroll said that some of the problems can be attributed to misaddressed mail. In one day, nearly 100 letters were sent to the post office at 9th and Market streets, rather than to the University. Morrisson promised to look at all the students' suggestions, including how to inform students about addressing mail and if the University should have a central mailroom. Morrisson said yesterday that the forum enabled administrators to elaborate on what was being done to solve the problem and allowed students to raise concerns. "I think students had the opportunity to ask questions and from my point of view it was useful," she said. "I was glad to hear what students had to say." Held called it a "real shame" that one student had to go through all the trouble to hold the forum. "The administration didn't initiate it and the UA didn't respond either," Held said. "For some reason, I'm just not convinced that student government is making Penn a better place." Recently-elected UA Chairperson Seth Hamlin called Held last night to hear his concerns. Staff Reporter Peter Morrison contributed to this story.