Following Sunday's election of Undergraduate Council Chair Michael P. Beys '94, council members said the near future of the council looms as uncertain as the flip of a coin.

Many representatives provided one of two disparate descriptions of their new leader, while others questioned which Michael Beys will emerge this week to lead the council.

Some members said they hope Beys will continue his recent commitment to the small, service-oriented projects which have typified his time on the Council this year.

But others fear Beys will revert to his larger, riskier projects which drew considerable criticism last year--including the De La Soul debacle that lost the council $10,000.

The answer to that question may determine the success and overall reputation of the council, which has regained respectability after Vice Chair Maya G. Prabhu '94 was forced to resign for tampering with the bal- lots of a social committee co-chair election.

"My basic sense is that if it's the Beys of this [fall] semester, then the council will be okay," a council member said yesterday. "But if it's the Beys of last [spring], then the council's in trouble."

Malcolm A. Heinicke '93, who relinquished his post Sunday night when Beys defeated Steven N. Kalkanis '93, said Beys has learned from the past, and would be a positive force for the council.

"Beys is an outspoken bold leader he has the knowhow and vision to lead the council."

Carey W. Gabay '94, who was re-elected Sunday night as council treasurer, said he thinks Beys will continue his ways of this fall, and will not revert his past style.

In the past, beys had employed unorthodox tactics such as proposing legislation in full council session rather than "doing things the committee way," Gabay said. He said Beys was "perceived as too ambitious."

"But there has been a change in [Beys]" since last semester, Gabay said. "He will try to build up the image of the council and he will remain service-oriented."

While many council members said they were pleased with the result of the election, some said Beys's victory will pose a credibility problem for the council.

Former council member Mark P. Parisi '93 said he doubts Beys can fully shake his dubious reputation and improve the esteem of the oft-maligned council.

"Most people figure that the council is ineffective anyway," Parisi said. "This will add to that perception."

Beys's record on the council, some members said, represents a philosophy of "any means justify the ends." They said beys's past tactics could hurt public perception of the council.

"People are going to wonder how someone who lost $10,000 on De La Soul was elected council chair," said another representative. "I personally couldn't believe it after the lack of integrity he has shown."

Still, Beys has the support of the majority of the council, as demonstrated by the outcome on Sunday.

Mikes election signifies the council's confidence in the direction the U.C is going, which began last year, said David A. Aronberg '93, referring to his 1991-1992 term as chair.

Aronberg said he and his successor Heinicke ushered in a "new approach to student government," leading the council to emerge from a quiet, behind the scenes organization into tackling high profile and sometimes controversial issues.

Recently the council has debated date rape and ROTC and ventured into big social events Rico Reyes '93, who also ran against Beys affirmed that a general trend of assertiveness and activism had begun to develop over that last semester.

Beys said that in the past, he "thought extensively about what the council should be doing and [its] missing ingredients". It was over the last semester that the council began to "add those ingredients, and we've really made a lot of progress."

While recent consensus on the council has supported more smaller concerts. Beys did promise that the council will not "shy away from decisive campus issues" this spring.

On Sunday night, Beys spoke of ambitious plans for the council. "I think the council's starting to like guts and act assertively. We're going to tackle big issues head on."

Ivy A. Wang contributed to the reporting of this article.