FAMU students last month moved into their dorms, decorated their rooms and caught up with friends before classes started. First day of classes came and went, introductions were made and students were now expected to purchase their textbooks before the next class.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, textbooks and packages being sent to students from Amazon, FedEx, UPS and USPS have encountered extensive delays.
Arianna Cromarty, a second-year student majoring in secondary education, has had multiple issues with having her textbooks delivered on campus.
“I feel like since the virus has happened, people haven’t been able to get their stuff on time due to a lack of people working in the warehouse,” Cromarty said.
“Not many employees are there. I’ve seen many places saying they were hiring at UPS, FedEx and Amazon,” she added.
Like many other students, Cromarty needs her textbooks delivered so she won’t fall behind in her classwork or have to borrow the textbook from another student. Some have adjusted to the new changes and have bought e-textbooks to avoid the hassle of package delivery.
In addition to the coronavirus slowing down mail deliveries, USPS will possibly be defunded by President Trump. According to the Washington Post, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, an ally of Trump, will not undo the cost-cutting initiatives he instituted earlier this summer.
DeJoy ordered USPS facilities and truck drivers to adhere to stricter schedules, often leaving mail behind that is running late or hasn’t been sorted. He has also refused to lift the ban on “extra mail trips and the early transportation schedule.”
When asked how employees and management is ensuring that people receive their mail on time despite the cost-cutting measures, a manager at the Main Post Office in Tallahassee —located on Adams Street just south of Orange Avenue — declined to comment.
Many students rely on USPS to receive packages shipped from their hometowns. Jeremiah Nichols, a second-year student majoring in African studies, is worried about not getting his mail delivered to and from his family.
“My mom ships things to me all the time through USPS,” Nichols said. “Sometimes it’s important things or documents that I need while I’m away from home and at school. Other times it’s just care packages, so I won’t have to spend money.”
Nichols is worried that with the recent changes being made to the Postal Service, he will not receive his packages like he normally would. He fears they will possibly get lost in transit.
Most packages that have recently been delayed by Amazon, FedEx, UPS or USPS are expected to be delivered between Sept. 3 and 5.