Neither rain, nor snow

by Megan McClure
Chances are, we’ve all heard the United States Postal Service’s unofficial motto, “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Okay, maybe not all, but at least part.

It seems they may soon need to toss in an asterisk at the end of that phrase, as the Postmaster General announced yesterday that a one-day cut in postal delivery services may loom in the future. Sure, rain and snow may be no problem, but a crumbling economy? That’s another story entirely.

Given the troubling economic situation in the United States, it’s not surprising that financial woes have extended to the postal service. Although this proposed reduction in services may be an inconvenience, it’s a small price to pay compared to other sacrifices that may be necessary in the future. 

This begs the question: if one day is cut out of the delivery schedule, which day gets the ax? Saturday seems like the most logical choice, yet I’ve read that another low-volume day – Tuesday, perhaps – may end up being selected instead.

I was with them until that point. If these service reductions are necessary, fine; but don’t cut a day in the middle of the week. Choosing Saturday – a day that falls on a weekend, when many businesses are closed – makes so much more sense.

A different kind of Cold War

by Megan McClure

When I crawled out of bed this morning, the temperature hovered around zero. With the wind chill well into the negative digits, I knew most area school districts had taken the day off, but I reluctantly bundled up and trudged to class.

Yep, it was cold today. Coldest in ten years, they say. However, as cold as it was today, I knew we were the lucky ones.

More than a week ago, Russia shut off natural gas service to 18 Eastern European countries. (Read: no heat.) I won’t pretend to fully understand the intricacies of this international dispute, but I can tell you this is a massive problem affecting millions of real – cold – people.

In fact, just a month ago, I was in Bulgaria, completing the final month of a semester-long study abroad program. To think that the place that was my home away from home is now facing such a crisis, my heart sinks.

What’s more, this problem isn’t confined to Eastern Europe. Sure, we aren’t in the midst of a national utility disaster, but there are people in our own community who are battling this bone-chilling predicament in their own homes.

According to Heat-Up St. Louis, Ameren’s shut-off rate for 2008 was 12 percent as of September. For a multitude of personal reasons, thousands of customers were unable to pay their heating bills and were, as a result, cut off from the system. Charitable organizations throughout the metro area have worked to keep people warm throughout the winter season – particularly during this cold snap – but it’s not enough. There are still people without heat.

So, for as cold as it was today, we were lucky. Sure, when I stepped off the Cougar Shuttle this morning, my face burned as the wind whipped across my face… but the pain only lasted a few minutes. Once I walked into the Morris University Center, I was back in the comfort of a heating system.

Others, it seems, aren’t so fortunate.