Poporovitch GS found asleep in library carrel, arrested for major trespassing

Princeton Borough Police arrested University student Anitaleif Poporovich GS yesterday morning on charges of trespassing at Firestone Library, authorities said.

Poporovitch — who is a 12th year graduate student — had spent the night in his carrel on the C Floor for 63 consecutive days, an action that violates University regulations, and rules set forth by the library's access office, according to a police press release.

"When we assign students carrels, we give them a sheet that explicitly says they may keep books there, and nothing else," said May Miller, access office director. "Using the carrel as a personal boudoir absolutely violates all policy."

Borough Police entered the library at 7:45 a.m., before it officially opened, and headed over to C-92-X, where they found Poporovitch lying on an inflatable mattress, atop the blue metallic desk, said Borough Police Chief Charles Davall.

As soon as Poporovitch heard the lock rattling, he jolted up, nearly banging his head against the book shelf and a purple lava lamp, and said he had somehow fallen asleep while working on the last chapter of his dissertation, Davall added.

Poporovitch could not be reached for comment.

According to Davall, Poporovitch said it was the first time he had ever stayed the night in Firestone, but Davall said the two sets of pajamas, boxes of Cheerios and stuffed panda bear piled in the bottom left hand corner of the carrel looked incriminating.

"It definitely looked like he had been using it as a bedroom," Davall said.

Borough Police got a call from Public Safety on Saturday night, after Nancy Saedi '03 called in reporting "suspicious behavior on the C Floor."

Saedi said she saw a man wearing the red high tops she calls "Poporovitch's trademark" dart into the men's room just as the security guards were locking things up. "I never liked him because he was always telling me and my friends we were being too loud," said Saedi of Poporovitch. "But this is just ridiculous."

A graduate student who refused to be named said that the University had kicked Poporovitch out of his apartment a little over two months ago to house a new student, and he has been living in Firestone ever since.

"This is just another example of the University ignoring graduate student needs," said GSG secretary Chia Pette. "Just because someone takes a little bit longer to earn his doctorate, doesn't mean the University should throw him out in the snow. They should find him a place to live."

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But outgoing U-Councilor Jeff Vinikoor '03 took another view of the University's responsibilities. "This is an undergraduate institution after all," Vinikoor said. "Those graduate students can take five, maybe six years. But after that they should be outta here."