In addition, Gabay says, downsizing wouldaffect sophomores most, since they're leastwell-known in the houses.
The result, he says, is that the council wouldbe composed largely of seniors, many of whom havewhat Gabay termed "senioritis."
Another proposal would shift the elections fromthe beginning of the year to the middle.
This would eliminate second-semester seniors,who many council members believe represent a largeportion of the dead weight.
It would also make council members moreaccountable to their constituents, Gabay says, byproviding an incentive to work hard in the fallwith elections imminent.
But the proposal has kinks as well. Gabay sayshe believes a high turnover in February would slowdown whatever momentum had been picked up by thecouncil in the fall.
But Bonfili disputes that interruption ofmomentum is a problem.
"When the executive board changes in the middleof the year, it's either because a given executivedidn't want to do the job or because the peoplefeel they made a mistake the first time around,"Bonfili says. "The same argument holds for thecouncil as a whole."
Some council members suggest more modest andinternal proposals to alleviate the problems ofdeadweight.
Gabay says one idea being examined by there-evaluation committee is to outline specificallythe duties of each council member.
"If they're responsible for A, B, C and D, thenthe council can reproach them [for not performingduties]," Gabay says.
Liston says that rather than reducing the sizeof the council, the council should giverepresentatives more to do.
He says several suggestions are in the works,including "reprioritizing the council's budget andmaybe charging for events we haven't in the past."
Label agrees that council members are willingto work, but aren't adequately assigned enough todo.
"In the past, we took volunteers for projects,"Label says. "A lot of the time, I don't thinkpeople don't want to work; people just don'tvolunteer."
"We want to see everyone on the committeeworking on a project," Label says. "That kind ofprocess could get rid of a lot of the deadweight."
"A Fact of Life"
Former council Chair Michael P. Beys '94 sayshe recognizes dead weight as a problem, butdoesn't think any measures, no matter how strict,can cure the council.
"There's a distinction between representing andworking," Beys says. "By showing up and raisingyour hand, you're doing an adequate jobrepresenting. Working hard is above and beyond thecall of duty."
"I wish council members had a little more pridein their work," Beys adds, "but I don't think anyof this discussion can translate into action--thisis how it is, and it's a fact of life."