Special Delivery: Inside Scoop on the Husky Mail Hub

        During the quiet minutes before classes change, the Husky Mail Hub sits in anticipation of the incoming students on a mission to retrieve their packages. The open floor plan stretches across the room, the only obstacle, three locker banks standing on the right. Packages lacking vital information wait to be claimed behind the front desk, joined by a cardboard cutout of Abraham Lincoln, who is counting down the days until spring break. Brian Sweetra and Scott Schaffer can be heard behind the front desk, laughter erupting from the student workers, emitting a lively presence in the seemingly dull room.

    The friendly faces that supervise the mail hub are none other than Brian Sweetra and Scott Schaffer. Brian, a tall, older man with a grey comb-over, has been employed at the mail hub for thirty years. “I was looking for an opportunity to advance here at the university,” Brian explains. Scott, a man of average height, is usually found sporting a cap and occasionally, glasses. After floating around many jobs on campus for many years, Scott grew dissatisfied with his schedule, which only offered weekends or nights. Three years ago, the Husky Mail Hub became much more appealing to Scott, since the hours consisted of a Monday through Friday, consistent schedule. Together, Brian and Scott keep the Husky Mail Hub running efficiently.

    A typical day in the mail hub keeps Scott busy. His day consists of pulling, labeling, and alphabetizing forgotten packages from the lockers to make room for the new, incoming packages. He sorts the letter mail for their 1-week pickup window, and filters out faculty and staff packages. Scott accompanies Brian in delivering faculty and staff packages, then picks up student packages from USPS. In the middle of all this chaos, Brian and Scott spare time to help students, even if that kindness might not go both ways. The pair assist students in locating their packages, typically discovering improperly addressed packages, lacking important information. Despite hundreds of packages arriving at the mail hub during the week, negative interactions have become few and far between. “I feel like years ago it was more common to deal with people who were very short or rude. That’s kind of dissipated over the years, so I don't see much of it anymore,” Brian notes, “However, there was one young lady who accused me of stealing her hair extensions, and she was pretty rude in her interrogation of me.”

    "When we installed the locker system back in 2017, accountability went really high," Scott observed, agreeing with Brian's comment. Even though student accountability had increased, rude interactions were not erased altogether. In the mail hub, students are given two days to pick up their packages. After the allotted time, Scott pulls them from the lockers. Students then have one week to pick their expired package up at the front desk. Once that week passes, Scott gives the student one last chance. He calls them, letting them know that their package may soon return to the sender. “One time, a student forgot to pick up their package. I gave the student a phone call, and in one instance, the student called right back, saying how rude the message I gave them was,” Scott reminisces. While few students of Bloomsburg lack appreciation towards Brian and Scott's devotion to solving their mail-related issues, most students feel grateful for their time.

    Working in the mail hub may seem boring at a glance, but Brian tries to make the job more entertaining. He creates small challenges and competitions for the student staff to participate in. Last semester, the competition was a race around the locker banks, not on foot, but on rolling chairs. While most students were in class, Brian, Scott, and the student workers of the mail hub timed how fast they could lap around the lockers, speeding towards the finish line, also known as the front desk. “We all try to have a good time together,” Brian quips, “we tease each other in good faith and good humor.” Some other challenges Brian invented range from guessing tic-tac flavors to how many steps an employee would take on her twenty-two-mile walk. The staff of the Husky Mail Hub all enjoy the small break from their busy schedules, participating in these fun contests.

    Some students visiting the mail hub tend to jump the gun, attempting to pick up their packages before they're available. Brian and Scott offer some simple advice: patience. Brian encourages students to hold off on approaching the front desk until they've gotten an email or text notification. "If that is not coming in at a reasonable time, then reach out to me, and I'll help you however I can," Brian advises. Scott agrees, assuring that the Husky Mail Hub runs very efficiently. While unknown to some students, the mail room remains open after hours. Scanning their student ID outside, students are granted access to the locker banks during all hours of the day. In a place where hundreds of packages cycle through each week, a little patience goes a long way.