As Riley takes the “Stockman-Urquidez” (boxes 2400-2499) stack of invitations to the Institute of Politics open house, McClary prepares to meet the UPS shipment.

He’s hoping to convince the UPS driver to bring several packages to Wadsworth House. The mailroom receives packages not only for students and proctors, but for the Science Center and all the buildings in Harvard Yard.

If McClary is successful, he will save University Mail Services from coming to pick up the large packages.

“It won’t be easy,” he says to Riley, bracing to meet the elements and the bigger challenge posed by the UPS driver.

“David, I need a favor today, is that possible?” he asks the brown-uniformed driver.

As he helps the UPS worker unload the 105 packages—many from online vendors like Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon.com and Books-A-Million—he asks the unresponsive driver over a dozen times if he will bring the packages to the Yard.

He also recalls the most interesting package he ever received: a full-sized harp in a wooden crate for a student in the orchestra.

“It’s almost on your way to Widener, David,” McClary pleads, before the UPS employee finally relents—much to McClary’s relief.

“That’s why I help him with the packages,” he laughs as he weaves through the 105 UPS parcels filling the loading dock platform.

McClary almost trips over a box of four folding chairs, then has a revelation.

“No, let me change the harp to hammock,” he declares. “We got it about two months ago.” He pauses. “It had to be assembled, though.”

Mailroom Magic

Back in the mailroom, the whirring of combination locks and the clicking of boxes opening and closing can be heard over the music of WMJX-Magic 106.7 emanating from a small radio. Disembodied hands seem to shoot in and out of the squares in the mailbox grid.

The students have arrived.

Most first-years drop by between classes, according to McClary, and a few minutes after noon the cacophony of voices can be heard through the wall of mailboxes.