Res. Living findsRes. Living finds76 opened letters Residential Living obtained 76 pieces of First Class mail that were opened before arrival in the Quadrangle mail room last week, Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said last night. In addition, a pile of priority mail packages, unattended and unsecured, was discovered outside the Quad mail room Saturday by Resident Advisor Christopher Robbins, he said. These incidents mark the continuation of an ongoing problem with the security of mail delivered to the University. Since 1993, there have been multiple reports of damaged, unattended or stolen mail. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said he is confident the University -- including the mail room employees -- is not at fault for the most recent incidents. "It's a problem that precedes the mail's arrival on campus," Moneta said. "We really believe the post office has let us down." Since the beginning of the semester, Residential Living has been inundated with phone calls from parents and students complaining of mail that never reached its recipients, Simeone said. College freshman Roshini Thayaparan said her parents and friends have sent her letters that she says she has never received. "I've [also] been a little concerned that it takes 7 to 10 days to receive mail that normally takes 2 days," Thayaparan added. Simeone said her department continues to investigate the mail security problem at the University. Until the situation is resolved, she recommends that anything with sentimental or monetary value be sent by certified or registered mail. "We have found ongoing problems with mail over the years the most frustrating thing we've faced," Simeone said. "I know how important mail is to students and to their family and friends and we have worked diligently over the years in any way we can think of to try to correct the problem." Immediately after finding the opened mail Friday, Simeone contacted United States postal inspectors, who took the mail for examination and investigation. Students said they were upset with Residential Living for turning over the mail without first notifying the students whose names were on the envelopes. But Simeone said Residential Living was simply cooperating with the requests of postal inspectors in turning over the mail immediately. In a letter to Quad residents, Simeone said notification would take place once the inspectors returned the mail to Residential Living. But Wharton senior Richard Ahrens, a resident of Ware College House, said this is unacceptable. "I'd like to know now," he said. "I don't think that's too much to ask." The postal inspectors have to determine whether the mail was opened by human hands or whether the postal service's automatic sorting machine was responsible for the damage, Simeone said. Moneta and Simeone are planning on meeting with representatives from the 30th Street Post Office in the near future. Similar meetings have been held following past mail delivery difficulties. And Moneta warned that if no headway is made, he will "go higher." But neither Moneta nor Simeone could specify what the next step would be if the problems are not solved after talking with post office officials. Simeone said she has already sent letters to President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and the postmaster general about past mail problems. Representatives from the 30th Street Post Office were unavailable for comment last night.
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