MiddBriefs New Mailboxes for Middlebury

Author: Andrea Gissing

By the time Winter Term starts, 288 new mailboxes will fill the alcove across from the mailroom window in McCullough basement, thus restoring Middlebury to a one-student-one-mailbox campus.

The remodeling of McCullough basement is in progress. "Originally construction was planned to finish up during the winter break," said Mail Center Supervisor David LaRose, "but the mailboxes will be coming in next week and should be installed soon thereafter."

The installation came in response to numerous complaints from the student body LaRose received after announcing that some students would have to share mailboxes in the new semester. "When you are used to having your own mailbox, it is frustruating to find out that you have to share with someone else," said LaRose. "[The administration] wanted the problem solved and this was the only way," especially as there are no more walls in the basement that can be torn down to accommodate development.

New mailboxes will be assigned to students during Winter Term at the latest. The mail center has to wait for the Commons Offices life to assign mailboxes to returning students and then notices will be sent out to students currently sharing to see who would like to switch boxes. Preference will likely be given to seniors and juniors.

LaRose said that the increase in the number of mailboxes should solve the problem, as long as the College does not increase the enrollment again.