Last year, while he was president, Anjalee C.Davis '96-'97 amassed 2,000 signatures in anattempt to force the council to hold a Collegewide referendum on five financial and structuralreform issues, including the popular election ofall four Council executives.
As part of the rules for the referendum, theCouncil stipulated that 50 percent of the studentbody must participate in order to make the vote ofthe students binding on the council.
Just 22 percent of undergraduates participatedin the vote, but an overwhelming majoritysupported the popular election of executives.
David A. Smith '94, who was thenparliamentarian of the council, ruled on May 15that the council's 50 percent requirement wasunconstitutional. But the Council overruled theparliamentarian's decision and the vote of thestudents was ruled advisory.
Members who initially opposed the referendumlast year are currently among the leadingsupporters of popular elections--including Liston himself. "I realized popularelections were a good thing last summer," he said,noting that he included the idea in his positionpaper for president last fall.
His predecessor, Hanselman, agrees, arguingthat administrators are largely skeptical of aCouncil that they believe does not adequatelyrepresent the student body. "I think when thefirst popularly elected president goes intoUniversity Hall," he added, "the administratorswill put more stake in his or her opinions."
Meanwhile, administration officials appear tohave taken a wait-and see attitude, expressing adegree of skepticism about the level of changethat can be instituted within the Council.
"I think (direct election) is something thatought to be tried," said Dean of Students ArchieC. Epps III, "but there are still some provisionsthat have to be worked in. Officers still have tobe members of the Council, so one could still seethings happening now still occurring."
"There may not be any kind-of change from thecurrent system," Epps added.
Andrew A. Green and Marios V. Broustascontributed to the reporting of this article.