Through rain, sleet, the Web

Tucked in the A-level of Ackerman is the only campus post office
where students, faculty and visitors will find themselves standing
in line to mail Valentines to loved ones this week.

Kiran Shah, assistant supervisor of the Ackerman post office
branch, said most students don’t have to wait in line for a
long time.

He said during the rush hours, noon to 4 p.m., when mail volume
is the greatest, two employees are in the office in order to make
sure the wait is no longer than a couple of minutes.

For Rhea Cortado, a third-year English student, standing in line
is a better option than going down to Westwood.

“There’s no other way to go. It’s more
inconvenient to drive out,” Cortado said.

For some like Aaron Zeigler, a fourth-year English student,
standing in line is a way to show his girlfriend how much he loves
her.

As the Internet revolutionized the way Americans communicate
with each other, Ziegler said handwritten letters convey feelings
otherwise lost through e-mail.

“It’s more personal. It takes time to write them, to
say that I’m thinking about them,” Zeigler said.

For Zeigler, e-mail is a good alternative only when he is
communicating something trivial. For important matters like sending
love letters to his girlfriend who lives in Santa Barbara or
documents to his parents, the post office is the way to go.

“If it’s something important like letters saying,
“˜I miss you,’ I use the post office,” Zeigler
said. “If it’s something casual like “˜I’m
coming over this weekend,’ I use e-mail.”

Zeigler is not alone on this. Sauro Liberatore, a recent
doctoral graduate of mechanical and aerospace engineering, sends
important documents and personal items like pictures to his family
in Italy by sending them through the post office instead of
e-mail.

For Liberatore, receiving and opening letters “is
beautiful. You get more emotion.”

Medy Sanadidi, a research professor in the computer science
department, acknowledges e-mails are an alternative to regular mail
and phone conversations, but it can not replace the traditional
means.

“This cannot be overcome. You can’t replace it
exactly by e-mail,” Sanadidi said. “Those are emotions
that come from traditions ““ emotions that come from
family.”

While Sanadidi acknowledges e-mails cannot fully replace the
feelings associated with opening letters or receiving a box of
chocolates, he does acknowledge that by carefully writing the
e-mail or attaching pictures and music, it can still convey the
same feelings and emotions.

“In a written e-mail, you can organize your thoughts,
think about your feelings,” Sanadidi said. “It’s
still effective, just not the traditional kind.”

James Muh, director of the mail, document and distribution
services, acknowledges that mail volume has gone down since the
advent of e-mail.

He said first class mail and international mail has gone down as
people use e-mail to communicate with others.

Muh attributes this to speed and cost. Most companies, for
instance, send e-mails advertising their products instead of
sending out flyers.

Muh said his department is currently looking to expand and
better serve students. He said he is looking for a bigger space
both in Ackerman and in Lu Valle. Unfortunately, Muh said there is
no space available.

When asked if e-mail will supplant post office services, Muh
said the two will work hand in hand.

“People will always want to get something by mail. Unless
packages can be beamed from here to there, I don’t think
e-mail can replace the post office,” Muh said.