This week Eliot House residents will decide whether to restrict voting on all house committee business to house committee officers and entry-way representatives.

According to House Committee chair Jason C. Grillo '97, the committee issued the referendum to prevent abuse of house funds.

"We're letting the students of Eliot House decide this," Grillo said.

But student opinion is divided, primarily because residents have different views of the role the committee should play in house life.

"I like the pure democracy," said Daniel J. Kolodner '97, former Charles Eliot co-chair. "I don't think it should change." The Charles Eliot co-chair is a position designed to foster house spirit.

Eliot has 28 officers who represent the approximately 450 students in the house.

Current Charles Eliot co-chair Jose M. Padilla '97 agreed that residents have a fundamental right to be heard.

"I'm against this, because I think we should be able to vote when we want to," said Padilla. "It all depends on your vision of the house committee: Should it be a congress that works for you, or a true democracy?"

"I think it should be a true democracy," Padilla said.

But some students, based on their faith in the committee's past leadership, support the initiative to restrict voting to committee members.

"I think it's probably a good idea, because I think decisions should be made by people who go to the meetings," said Kevin M. Kilcullen '98.

"I'm sure that the officers would be accommodating of people's needs. It's not a cutthroat organization," Kilcullen said.

But according to Grillo, the initial motion to restrict the vote was provoked by a battle between committee officers and residents to control house funds.

Grillo said some residents stacked a spring 1995 House Committee meeting and successfully voted to spend house funds on their individual interests.

"They passed a vote to appropriate about $800 for some crew shells," Grillo said.