Columns:: Campus Closeup

since 12/15/98

Columns::February 10, 2003

New task force studies information technology on campus
Provost search committee recommends five finalists
Federal Reserve System vice chair to give Charter Lecture
Literary society exhibit chronicles 200-year history on UGA campus
Black History Month celebrates du Bois’s Souls of Black Folk
WUOG’s Spanish-only radio program becomes a local staple
Retirees
Kudos
Looking for the perfect match
Broadening the horizons

Campus News

Campus Closeup

Vice president of the UGA Racquetball Club, Arthur Bastidas also enjoys snow skiing and racing cars in his spare time. (Photo by Peter Frey)

ARTHUR BASTIDAS
Mail Processing Supervisor
Campus Mail Services

JOB DESCRIPTION: “I’m in charge of processing all of the outgoing mail. After the mail is brought in by the route carriers it is weighed and metered, then the first-class letters are bar coded and pre-sorted. I’m also involved in all aspects of bulk mail--addressing, sorting and submitting.”

A TYPICAL DAY: “First thing in the morning I must refresh all of the operational mail accounts and then input postal charges from the previous day. The rest of the day I will work in various tasks ensuring the proper and timely flow of mail. At the end of the day, I collect all of the data from the transactions which have transpired and send them to accounting.”

YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: Four.

OTHER UGA EXPERIENCE: “This started out as a summer job while I was attending UGA, and then I ended up staying here after I graduated in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication. I’ve worked in campus mail for 28 years in a variety of positions. I started out as a substitute carrier and had a route for a few years; I’ve also processed mail.”

MOST REWARDING/CHALLENGING PART OF MY JOB: “The most challenging part is managing and getting the most work out of the people that you’ve worked with for so many years. You have to separate friendship from management and make sure everyone’s getting their job done.
“The most rewarding part has been getting people who previously have had a hard time getting along to see each other’s point of view and be able to better work together and get along.”

OFF-THE-JOB-INTERESTS: “Snow-skiing, playing racquetball or racing cars. I belong to an Internet car club-- Toyota MR2s--and we will rent a track in Birmingham, Las Vegas or even Road Atlanta and go car racing. We go to different national meets. People also come in from everywhere to hang out, race cars and have a good time.
“I also play a lot of racquetball--about three times a week--and am the vice president of the UGA Racquetball Club. We compete in tournaments and just have a good time.”

FAVORITE MUSIC: “I have varied taste in music; I enjoy everything from classical to jazz and even Latin music.”

THE PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: “I really admire people who follow through with their commitments and desires.
“The person I most admire is my father, Dr. Ruben Bastidas. He’s a retired doctor who now gives free medical service to the poor in his native Ecuador.
He’s been doing this for the past six months at his own expense. He spends six months abroad and six months at home. He’s always talked about doing that but I never thought he would.”

THE ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME MOST ABOUT TODAY’S WORLD: “Are we really justified in going to war in Iraq or is it for economic reasons?
“Is it a real issue or something to distract us from our economic problems?”

--Leslie Bakun

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Beth Roberts: Columns editor, Juliett Dinkins: Columns managing editor,
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