Homesick freshmen who wish to send letters or packages to their loved ones are popular customers in the local post office, but for those who lack transportation, sending a package can be a hassle.

On campus, students can search near and far to find stamps and will most likely come up empty-handed.

Cynthia Schwartz, postmaster at the U.S. Post Office, 600 E. Lincoln Highway, said these services were provided before, but were hardly used.

“The self service machines were removed from NIU’s campus because of lack of use and revenue,” Schwartz said. “Those had been gone for a few years and there’s no intention to bring them back.”

The closest place to provide most of students mailing needs is Resource Bank 775 S. Annie Glidden Road. Besides the HotSpot, located in the Village Commons, 901 Lucinda Ave., which sells stamps out of a self-service machine, students are left with the hassle because of their mailing needs are not being met.

Senior psychology major Lauren Massey said she was concerned with the availability of postage services for students.

“We do not have these things and we have to go really far away to the post office to mail our packages and letters,” Massey said. “Mailing services should be inside the Holmes Student Center, to make it better for students.”

Although these facilities could be deemed helpful, an actual post office could be better so students could send whatever they needed.

“A self-service machine would be nice, but an actual post office would be better, because it would be more convenient for students on-campus,” said Monique Shelton, senior corporate communications major.

Schwartz said this is not possible.

“It would be nice to work with the university to have this implemented, but because of rules and regulations, this hasn’t been done,” Schwartz said.