by BLAKE PIESCHKE, CSU Public Relations Intern
One of the many mysteries as a college student is how things are handled in the lost and found. Tory Kruggel, Office Administrative Assistant of University Security, revealed some of the mysteries of what happens to items in the lost and found that students may not know.
What happens to unclaimed items that have been there for a long time?
“After six months of going unclaimed, they are donated to shelters in the area, Goodwill and the Salvation army just to give back to the community.”
Where are all the possible locations students can look?
“We have 17 satellite locations around campus and our main office that students can check. Every Thursday, we pick up the items from those locations and bring them back to the main office.”
Is there any way to submit information to the Lost and Found about a lost item?
“There is an inquiry on our website that students can fill out describing the item they lost. The student can give all of their personal information and we will contact them if that item was found and turned in.” Lost and Found | Minnesota State University, Mankato (mnsu.edu)
How are students able to claim items?
“A student must be able to describe the item, describe the location they lost it and present their MavCARD to show that they are a student here and we can associate that name with the claimed item. We have a log book of when and where the item was found and if their story doesn’t match what we wrote, chances are they aren’t getting the item back. We have different approaches for how we give items back to students. For example, higher value items like phones and more expensive items require a different way of claiming. If they are there to claim a phone, they must be able to unlock it to claim and show more proof that it is their phone. Along with other high value items, they must match what we wrote in the log book. If it were a lower value item like a pencil case, you would know it was theirs by the reaction they would give because no one would go crazy over a pencil case that wasn’t theirs.”
Are there items that are not collected?
“Even before COVID, we weren’t supposed to collect water bottles because of the germ factors. We are supposed to dump the bottle out and throw it away. However, the satellite location workers can make their own judgment on whether to keep it or not, especially a high value item like a Yeti container. Therefore, there is a chance your water bottle can still be claimed.”
“Masks are also not to be collected during this time. Workers are instructed to throw them away with gloves on, of course.”
How has COVID impacted the way Lost and Found operates?
“Our workers are sanitizing items and wearing gloves when collecting items. We are mostly focusing on collecting higher value items during this time. We are trying not to collect any articles of clothing at the time, but like I said, it is up to the satellite locations whether they want to keep them or not.”
