Congress lends ear to Penn State frat mail troubles

[hoosier]

Oct. 27, 2005

Congress lends ear to frat mail troubles

Post office balks at forwarding to Penn State Greek brothers
By Adam Smeltz
asmeltz@centredaily.com


STATE COLLEGE -- Fraternity complaints against the State College post office are getting an ear on Capitol Hill.

A spokesman for the House Committee on Government Reform, which oversees the U.S. Postal Service, confirmed this week that committee workers are reviewing the grievances. U.S. Rep. John Peterson's staff also opened an official case on the matter, Peterson spokesman Chris Tucker said.

Penn State's Interfraternity Council reported last month that the State College post office denies mail-forwarding service to fraternity brothers. The practice smacks of second-class treatment, fraternity leaders said, because no other local classification of college students is denied the service.

The Postal Service normally provides the forwarding service to any resident for as long as a year after his or her address changes.

But the post office in State College classifies fraternities as businesses, not residences, according to a local postal official.

Postal rules prohibit the forwarding of mail from a business to individuals.

IFC President Brian Bertges confirmed Wednesday that the government reform committee, a branch of the U.S. House of Representatives, has contacted him for information.

Bertges said previously that mail arriving for recent fraternity alumni can put active brothers in a difficult position. "If we throw it away, we're violating federal law," he said. "We're either forced to hold onto the mail or break the law."

About 10 percent to 12 percent of University Park's 40,000 students are active in the Greek community, including more than 50 fraternity chapters.

Postal workers have said that the constant flow of new and departing residents in a college town can create a huge burden on the mail-delivery system. It puts the State College office in a uniquely stressed situation, they've said.

Tucker, the Peterson spokesman, said staff at the government reform committee has heard similar concerns elsewhere. The committee spokesman declined to confirm that, saying the information available to him was too vague to judge.

The Centre Daily Times did spot checks of several fraternity councils at universities in other states, and failed to find evidence of similar postal practices.