Students at the normally-staid Pennsylvania campus have reacted with a pumpkin-sized yawn. "Nobody's really angry," said senior Anthony R. Ibrahim. "It hasn't been that much of an issue."
"It has not caused any kind of major controversies on the campus," Roth commented.
Harvard's Halloween harvest heists have gone unreported, security officials said. SALEM STATE COLLEGE
Septuagenerian Swinger
Joe Sweeney made the varsity tennis team at Salem State College as a sophomore-after 50 years of practice.
Sweeney, 71, is believed to be the oldest intercollegiate athlete in the nation, the Associated Press reported. The white-bearded septuagenerian played in three singles matches for Salem State, losing all of them.
He fared better with doubles, however, as he and his partner finished the season with a 2-1 record.
"I've competed and coached in 10 different sports and tennis is the toughest," Sweeney, in blue sweats and cap in the orange-and-black school colors, said during a recent fast-paced practice session with a 19-year-old teammate whom he finally beat 6-4. "That's why it's such a good game."
Sweeney, a retired cost estimator for a defense contractor, came to Salem in 1983 to give private instruction to a young protegee and then was hired as the women's team coach. Last year, he decided to get a college education for himself but waited a season before trying out for the team.
"For someone of his age, he's incredible," said Salem Coach Grant Longley, 45, who needed players after four former team members were knocked out of competition by poor grades. Sweeney, studying French and piano, and majoring in physical education so he can eventually return to coaching, is a solid B student. BOSTON COLLEGE
But Does He Have to Pay an Overdue Fine?
A Boston College librarian accused of peddling hundreds of works stolen from the school's rare books collection surrendered to the FBI Monday after missing a hearing because of a mixup between lawyers.
Magistrate Robert B. Collings ordered the arrest of Ralph Coffman when the 46-year-old curator and his attorney failed to appear in federal court for a pretrial hearing.
But attorney Robert Griffith said his client was released and the case was continued to Nov. 10 when he and the prosecutor apologized. Both had meant to ask for more time to prepare for the hearing, but neither had done so, Griffith said.
Coffman is accused of trying to sell two 15th century books by Thomas Aquinas and other valuable works from the Boston College library that he supervised for five years.