"That, I think, is the major selling point ofthis calendar," he said.

Mashtots Professors of Armenian Studies JamesR. Russell said he was "all for" the proposal butstill listed several potential problems with thecalendar.

"A very sizable number of Harvard students areJews who have to celebrate the High Holidays, andthat's a problem," Russell said.

Student participants Michael P. Beys '94 andSean Becker '94 emphasized the calendar'sadvantages.

Beys, a former council chair, said he didn'tsee too many disadvantages from the studentsperspective.

"From the student point of view, I think itrepresents a single tradeoff--a carefree winterbreak or having extra time to catch up andsacrificing time for refreshing," Beys said.

Becker, a former chair of the council'sacademics committee, noted that the council hadworked hard to accommodate faculty wishes andHarvard's late Commencement.

"This calendar is a compromise and animprovement," he said.

Becker also pointed to a council referendumconducted in the spring semester of 1993 whichshowed that 70 percent of the students preferredexams before winter break.

"We want a month to enjoy ourselves and comeback from break refreshed," he said.

Herschbach noted that the calendar could beimplemented in as little as two years, assumingFaculty Council approval.

The panel was moderated by Sarah Bianchi '95,chair of HPU