Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Evan Andrews [Click to enlarge]

Carl Cooper, who has worked in the Memorial Student Center Post Office since the summer of 1988, is considering retirement once renovations start so that he will always remember the MSC the way it is.

"In 1973 I started in Dallas, then Bryan in 1974, and in 1978 I was transferred to College Station. I started working at the MSC in the summer of 1988," Cooper said. "This is the best place to work in the postal services. All of my kids went here, their husbands too. I've been here a long time and that tells you about how great a place it is to work."

One of his favorite things about working in the MSC is the students.

"You get to meet all those nice kids," he said, "and it's funny because sometimes when the parents come in for freshman conferences, they say, 'I remember you! You handed me a box when I was here.'"

Cooper said the changes in technology have even impacted the post office over the last few years. With more people using e-mail instead of checking their mail boxes or sending mail through the postal service, the MSC Post Office might downsize significantly after the renovation.

"Renovation is a good thing, but the sad part is who knows if we will ever come back to the way it was," he said. "They might not even have a desk clerk. I think the change will be a lot more than they realize."

Cooper was a namesake for Fish Camp in 2004, an honor that allowed him to interact and impact counselors and up to 150 freshmen. Fish Camp receives hundreds of nominations every fall, but can select only a few for the honor.

"I think it's such a good idea for A&M to recognize people that often have a daily impact on us, but we don't always notice or appreciate," said Megan Marks, a sophomore elementary education major.

Todd O'Neal, part of the 2009 director staff of Fish Camp, said the namesakes are people who have had an impact on A&M and its students.

"Those who are nominated are usually either people who work for A&M, students sometimes nominate their professors, or anyone who has impacted A&M in small or large way. We choose them based on their ability to be a resource to freshman, since that is what our program is about," said the senior animal science major.

As for how long Cooper will stay at the MSC Post Office, he is considering leaving when the MSC renovations begin.

"We're going to be gone for three years," Cooper said. "I have 40 years of service, so I think it's time to go."

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