BEFORE ANY NEW referendum takes place--and we hope it will--the constitution's framers should expunge one clause of the document, one which troubles us greatly. The clause allows two-thirds of the council to close its meetings to the public, the press, and even some of its members in the event of an "extraordinary circumstance."

We are as guilty as anyone for overlooking this clause, our attention on the provisions giving student funding and a more centralized structure. But it's difficult to imagine any scenario in which the council's performance would benefit by closed sessions. The consummate provision is that it would permit a body sanctioned percent of the student body to close its meetings the same public whose $10 tuition surcharges council.

The clause could potentially strip the council of all accountability, making it a mere plaything for the student politicos who have already dominated the ratification process to a disturbing degree. They should now eliminate the provision for no good and much harm can come from it.