Council Censures Liston

Students will go to the polls over the next three days and vote in a referendum that could rescind the Undergraduate Council's recent $10 term bill hike and dramatically alter its entire structure.

The referendum, which begins today, will contain five yes-or-no questions on whether to:

. rescind the fee hike

. eliminate the option students have to check a box on term bills to waive the council fee

. restore distribution of unspent funds to the house committees

. hold general elections at the beginning ofeach semester.

. elect the council president, vice president,secretary and treasurer in a campus-wide vote,rather than from within the council.

A sixth series of questions, designed to gaugestudent opinion on the state of lighting in thehouses, will be placed on the ballot. The councilmade this addition last night by a vote of 24-13,with two abstentions.

The results of the referendum will be bindingon the council if half the student body votes.

But even if voter turnout is 50 percent orhigher, the council can overturn the results ofthe referendum by a three-fourths vote, asspecified in its constitution.

The council decided to hold the new referendumafter Anjalee C. Davis '96 presented fivepetitions to the executive board last week.

The petitions were each signed by a tenth ofthe student body, the specified number needed tohold a referendum.

The questions as they appear on the ballot areworded exactly as they appeared on Davis'petition, according to council President Carey W.Gabay '94.

The council held a referendum on the fee hikeon April 20-22. That referendum was invalidated bythe council due to numerous improprieties,including illegal tabling by delegates in theirwon houses and the failure to take safeguards toprevent multiple balloting.

And in marked contrast to the push precedingthe original referendum, the council has madelittle effort to publicize its view on any of thefive issues.

According to press Liaison Jonathan P. Feeney'97, there were no new posters advertising themovement.

The only money spent on publicity was for afull-page ad in the independent presenting bothsides of the fee hike, Feeney said.

"I thought we covered it pretty adequately thefirs time around," he said.

To reduce the potential for improprieties, thecouncil has adopted a series of regulationschecking its behavior on this vote.

Rather than running the referendum by itself,the house committees and various independentstudents will help council members administer thevote.

While tabling, council members may not offerany opinions, information or advice, except toanswer technical questions on how to vote.

Voters will be required to show identificationbefore casting their ballots

. hold general elections at the beginning ofeach semester.

. elect the council president, vice president,secretary and treasurer in a campus-wide vote,rather than from within the council.

A sixth series of questions, designed to gaugestudent opinion on the state of lighting in thehouses, will be placed on the ballot. The councilmade this addition last night by a vote of 24-13,with two abstentions.

The results of the referendum will be bindingon the council if half the student body votes.

But even if voter turnout is 50 percent orhigher, the council can overturn the results ofthe referendum by a three-fourths vote, asspecified in its constitution.

The council decided to hold the new referendumafter Anjalee C. Davis '96 presented fivepetitions to the executive board last week.

The petitions were each signed by a tenth ofthe student body, the specified number needed tohold a referendum.

The questions as they appear on the ballot areworded exactly as they appeared on Davis'petition, according to council President Carey W.Gabay '94.

The council held a referendum on the fee hikeon April 20-22. That referendum was invalidated bythe council due to numerous improprieties,including illegal tabling by delegates in theirwon houses and the failure to take safeguards toprevent multiple balloting.

And in marked contrast to the push precedingthe original referendum, the council has madelittle effort to publicize its view on any of thefive issues.

According to press Liaison Jonathan P. Feeney'97, there were no new posters advertising themovement.

The only money spent on publicity was for afull-page ad in the independent presenting bothsides of the fee hike, Feeney said.

"I thought we covered it pretty adequately thefirs time around," he said.

To reduce the potential for improprieties, thecouncil has adopted a series of regulationschecking its behavior on this vote.

Rather than running the referendum by itself,the house committees and various independentstudents will help council members administer thevote.

While tabling, council members may not offerany opinions, information or advice, except toanswer technical questions on how to vote.

Voters will be required to show identificationbefore casting their ballots