But Barro dismissed fears of inefficiency and delays.
“I say that FiCom meetings will be run with a stopwatch, and I’m not joking,” he said.
Last night’s decision came as a surprise to some members of FiCom.
Last Thursday, the committee informally voted against the project-based system by a tally of eight to four.
“I think it’s funny that [last night’s] vote counted, while Thursday’s did not,” Chapa said.
Former council Treasurer Eric J. Powell ’03, who was part of a subcommittee that offered an alternative plan to Barro’s, said he was perplexed by the outcome.
“Frankly, I think it was a poor decision. I’m upset,” he said. “Part of it is people were just kind of tired of listening to Josh.”
The plan offered by Powell’s subcommittee would have had a rolling semester-based grant system with rigorous interviews for all student groups.
—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer William B. Higgins can be reached at whiggins@fas.harvard.edu.