"If I had known [the margin] would only be 80 people," says Seton, who went door-to-door to push the initiative, "I would have coerced another 80 people."

Regardless, the increase's failure represents a huge challenge for next year's council.

Past councils, including last year's--which mysteriously discovered $40,000 in misplaced funds--have had enough money to roll over significant sums to the following term.

But as the number of student groups and their funding requirements continue to increase, the $20 figure set in 1983 may no longer be adequate.

Smith says the fee should be adjusted to $30 just to account for nearly two decades of inflation.

According to Darling, the council's treasurer, it will soon become necessary to decide whether the council ought to show less generosity to student groups or whether it should skimp on Springfest--maybe holding the event once every two years.

This year, the council showed signs of financial restraint in the face of the upcoming drought.

At $15,000, the headlining band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, was a bargain compared to 1999's Violent Femmes.

And to the sadness of many, Springfest 2000 lacked the traditional fried dough because CLC did not feel it was cost-effective.

But in the end, says Redmond and others, the council's penny-pinching just will not get the job done.

Redmond says she thinks Driskell and Burton--or their successors--will have to go the administration for money, and Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 will have to save Springfest by unilaterally raising the term bill fee.

Seton is not quite as pessimistic, though he is "not really sure" how the situation will be resolved.

"Anything they're going to do is going to be a fight, because they don't have the money," Seton says. "But they'll figure it out."

"Fentrice and John will be more effective in [their] second semester," Seton offers. "Everyone is."

But given the black eye the Burton impeachment gave the council, it is hard to say whether "more effective" will be effective enough.