Council May Retain Handwriting Analyst

The Undergraduate Council may hire a professional handwriting analyst to identify the person who tampered with the ballots in a social committee election last week.

Steven N. Kalkanis '93, a member of the four-person panel appointed by council Chair Malcolm A. Heinicke '93 to investigate the election, said the panel will discuss the option of retaining a graphologist at a meeting with the council's executive committee today.

"We have to decide what the repercussions of our actions will be, whether or not it will be conclusive if we do decide to [engage a graphologist], whether or not it's worth the cost, and whether or not it's within our jurisdiction to do that," Kalkanis said.

If the handwriting on the questioned ballots were to be analyzed, members of the social committee would likely have to turn in samples of their handwriting, he said.

Kalkanis added that several committee members had expressed their willingness to participate in such an investigation.

On Sunday, council member Marc D. McKay '94 called for the impeachment of Vice Chair Maya G. Prabhu '94, charging her with trying to rig the election against him and his co-candidate, Spyros Poulios '95.

Prabhu--who prevailed in the recall--had presided over the contested election in her capacity as vice chair. Prabhu declared committee members Danielle D. Do '93 and Tree F. Loong '94 winners by a tally of seven to six over McKay and Poulios.

In response to a complaint from Poulios, Heinicke asked Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 to supervise a re-vote. In the second election, McKay and Poulios won by a vote of nine to four.

On Monday, two students advanced a new theory suggesting that one of three members of the social committee--and not Prabhu--tampered with the ballots.

The theory is based on an anonymous letter, received by Heinicke on Saturday, in which the author claims responsibility for the election fraud.

Members of the investigatory panel said Monday that they would study the theory and question social committeemembers to determine whether they participated inthe fraud.

The panelists said at the time that they alsoinvestigating other theories on the origin of thefraud, but wound not elaborate.

Kalkanis said last night that the panel isdiscussing with Jewett what action might be takenagainst a suspect in the election tampering.

"We're not sure how the [College'sAdministrative Board] plays into this at themoment," Kalkanis said.

Jewett, who chairs the Ad Board, said on Mondaythat he would not intervene in the matter unlessasked to do so by the council.

"In some ways it may be that sanctions ought tobe taken [against a perpetrator] by the councilitself since this is...primarily an internalmatter," Jewett said. "If the council submitted acomplaint against people to the College, then we'dhave to consider that.

The panelists said at the time that they alsoinvestigating other theories on the origin of thefraud, but wound not elaborate.

Kalkanis said last night that the panel isdiscussing with Jewett what action might be takenagainst a suspect in the election tampering.

"We're not sure how the [College'sAdministrative Board] plays into this at themoment," Kalkanis said.

Jewett, who chairs the Ad Board, said on Mondaythat he would not intervene in the matter unlessasked to do so by the council.

"In some ways it may be that sanctions ought tobe taken [against a perpetrator] by the councilitself since this is...primarily an internalmatter," Jewett said. "If the council submitted acomplaint against people to the College, then we'dhave to consider that.