You've Got Mail!

After my two classes in the morning, I quickly rushed over to the Hopkins Arts Center. Today was the day of the big arrival – my online order of various rather unnecessary and experimental skincare products.

The Hopkins Center houses the Hinman mailroom of Dartmouth. The Hinman mailroom is basically a big room with tiny P.O. boxes for all students. They’re called Hinman boxes and each student is assigned one box for all their years in Dartmouth. All your mail will be put into your Hinman box, and for packages that are too big for your box, the mailroom workers leave a slip telling you to pick it up at the counter. There is a certain triumphant joy in picking up a huge box from the counter and walking back home with it, letting everybody know that you got a package from home… or in my case, from Sephora. Half the fun of online shopping is that anticipation of getting something in the mail. The complaints about not being able to try on clothes beforehand disappear and it becomes a fun, adventurous activity.

Before coming to college, getting mail was never this fun. Back home, most of the mail was for my parents and all I got was slough of college brochures. But here, your Hinman box is just for you and two weeks into my fall term, I found myself subscribing to all the clothing catalogues online, just to fill up my Hinman box.

Back in my dorm, and some ripped up boxes and bubble wraps later, I had my bit of material, superficial heaven. Yay for self-sent packages!