Mail problems plague on-campus residents

Mail problems are becoming worse for students living on campus, and Residential Living is searching for solutions. According to a letter sent out by Residential Living yesterday, 30 first-class letters sent to students arrived on campus with envelopes slashed open in the last two weeks. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said last night that the mail has been turned over to University Police for further investigation. The University Police are currently conducting an investigation with a United States Postal Inspector, she added. At this point, Simeone said her staff is unsure if the tears are the result of tampering or damage from postal machines. These letters were, to her knowledge, all addressed to students living in the Quadrangle or the high rises, she said. The affected students were individually contacted and invited to come down to the police station to inspect the mail, Simeone said. Half the students went to the station yesterday. She added that so far nothing has been found missing from the envelopes. Complaints about damaged and missing mail on campus have been on-going for the past several years. In 1993, students lodged close to 350 mail complaints with Residential Living and University Police. During the 1993-1994 academic year, over $13,000 worth of personal checks sent to students were lost. Residential Living suggests that students encourage family and friends not to send important letters via first class mail, Simeone said. "If there is anything of value at all it makes more sense to send it through some means that requires a signature, because then it can be traced," Simeone said. Residential Living suggests students use either Federal Express, UPS or certified or registered mail. Simeone said students with complaints about the condition of their mail can call 3-DORM to file complaints. She added that Residential Living staff will be at Stouffer Dining Commons during lunch tomorrow to take complaints. Mail problems are not uncommon for students living on campus. College and Wharton freshman Kenneth Henderson said he experienced problems with his mail earlier this year. He received a damaged birthday card. "It looked like it had been opened," he said. "There might have been money in it." College freshman Jason Karp had a similar experience. "I've received mail that looked like it was slashed open with a knife," he said. Engineering freshman Saisel Khan had a different problem receiving mail this year. "I had a ticket sent for a flight to Los Angeles and it never showed up," he said. Some students are urging campus groups to find solutions to the problem. "If I had a problem I would get in touch with the UA or whoever is responsible," Wharton junior Aris Joshi said.