He acknowledged that one student had written aletter to the executive board to protest thereferendum.

"To me, it seems as if the U.C. is caving in toThe Crimson and Archie Epps," Liston said.

Gabay disagreed.

"It's not about students writing letters," hesaid. "We should do something and say 'yeah, wedid mess up."

Rene Reyes '95 said invalidating the referendumwould "make a mockery" outside party who wouldadminister a second referendum "has no incentive"to follow rules to ensure fairness.

"I think this is our one shot," Reyes said. "Wegot a good sample of student opinion."

Melissa Garza '94 argued that the referendumshould be invalidated because the council failedto follow the rules it set for itself.

"If we say we're going to do something, and wedon't do it, what does that mean?" she said.

But many council members, including Liston,said the referendum was "the best we could do."

Council member Elana M. Oberstein '97 evenpraised the effort of the council.

"It's time to congratulate rather than questionourselves," she said. "We pulled off areferendum."

Another referendum

The second referendum is necessary, said Gabay,because "there's no way it will pass the FacultyCouncil without a referendum."

To administer the second referendum, thecouncil will attempt to solicit the committee onCollege Life (COCL), which has called an emergencymeeting tomorrow.

"If they don't follow [the rules], at leastit's not a U.C. scandal," Gabay said.