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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1981)
Page 7 Local / State THE BATTALION THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1981 Possible new drinking age causes varied local reaction iM 111 tutio:- By TED TREAT Battalion Reporter A proposed bill changing Texas’ legal drinking age from 18 to 19 is bringing varied reaction from the Texas A&M University and the College Station community. Charles Greenawalt, principal i of A&M Consolidated High School said a higher legal drinking age in Texas would give him “one more control” over the alcohol ; problem in his school. And the Texas Senate took a I step towards giving him that con- ; trol by voting to raise the legal | drinking age from 18 to 19 last [: month. If this bill is passed by the f House and signed by the gov- [ ernor, teen-agers will have to wait an extra year to buy alcoholic be verages. Col. Thomas Parsons, director 1; of security and traffic at Texas Woman sues to recover JFK photos United Press International DALLAS — A Texas woman is I suing the federal government to ■ regain two photographs she took during President John F. Ken- Inedy’s assassination. One of her s attorneys said the government is I keeping them because they may prove the “grassy knoll” theory a 1 second gunman was involved. Mary Ann Bortoni filed suit Tuesday in an effort to get the pic tures from the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations, f which subpoenaed them in 1978 {and has now ended its investiga tion. Bortoni’s attorney, Frank Shor, said the photos were taken with a Polaroid camera and “may sub- ' stantiate the grassy knoll theory. ” “I think they show a rifle,” Shor said, even though he has not seen the pictures. Bortoni was on the south side of Elm Street, about 15 feet from Kennedy’s limousine when the . shots were fired. She supposedly took one of the pictures the mp- A&M says that while the proposed law may sound good, it probably will not do much toward decreas ing the drinking of 18-year-olds. Greenawalt says he thinks the new law would be helpful in de creasing high school drinking be cause a smaller amount of high school students are 19 year olds. “If it’s enforced it should cut down on high school drinking,” he said. Yet, the effect of the proposed law on businesses selling alcoholic beverages in College Station seems more uncertain. B. J. Browning, owner of B. J.’s Li quor, said it’s too early to tell how much of an effect this proposed law could have. “To a certain extent it will have an effect on us, he said. “But I can’t tell how much.” Parsons said, “It (the law) won’t get rid of anything, it just makes it illegal. I don’t think it’s going to keep 18-year-olds from getting drinks if they want them. You’re going to file more cases but you’re not going to have any less drinking. ” Browning said that since the majority of college freshmen are 18 at least part of the year, sales are bound to be lowered, “We (B. J.’s Liquor) are a college business and freshmen are college stu dents,” he said. Tim Kelly, manager of the Ala mo Bar and Grill at Northgafe agrees that it’s too early to predict the effect of the possible new law. “All I can tell you is that we will lose a lot of freshmen customers, ” he said. Kelly said that the proposed law could be helpful in eliminating the high school crowd from local bars, though. Parsons said the University Police will continue to follow the University policy of not allowing consumption or possession of alco holic beverages in public places on campus. Public places include ev ery place on campus except for dorm rooms. If the proposed law is put into effect. Parsons said, any 18-year- old Texas A&M student caught with an alcoholic beverage will be referred to academic affairs for possible disciplinary action. Cri minal charges may also be filed, he said. Ron Blatchley, director of stu dent affairs at the University, said his department is looking at how the University of Florida is deal ing with that state’s new legal drinking age of 19. The University of Florida hand led the new law the following way: 1. Identification: The university altered its computer program so that the date of birth is automatic ally generated as part of the infor mation on the fee card. Thus the fee card became the student’s offi cial means of age certification. 2. Residence Halls: In resi dence halls the new drinking age was included in all standard notices on rules and regulations that went to students. Also, the staff was careful to point out the law during floor meetings and how it would be enforced in the halls. 3. Enforcement: The resident advisers are not trained to search out violations of the drinking poli cy, but to report violations that they became aware of in the nor mal course of their duties. Also, the RA’s are allowed discretion in giving a warning for first-time in fractions, but are required to write up subsequent infractions. 4. Action: Any violations of the legal drinking age are handled by the University of Florida the same as violations of the marijuana laws with a first time offender receiving either a reprimand or conduct probation. 5. Campus Drinking Establish ments: The University of Florida has two on-campus facilities that serve beer. All students are re quired to show their fee cards, verifying their age, prior to being served. Texas A&M does not have any drinking establishments so this step would not apply. 6. Information: The Campus Alcohol Information service pub lished and made available to all students brochures on coping with the new drinking age. Blatchley said his department has sent for a copy of this brochure. Clements says schools must teach work ethic United Press International AUSTIN — Gov. Bill Clements told a sympo sium on career education today that American productivity is declining and career education can help restore productivity and rejuvenate the na tion’s work ethic. The governor also said the conference schools in Texas must return to the basics in education, because a good grounding in basic education is an essential part of career education. “All too often we have divorced public educa tion from the world of work,” Clements said. “We need to align the requirements of schools with the requirements of the work place. “This is not vocational training, but giving students the skills to pursue their career choices. .This is preventive medicine. Career education should start much earlier.” Clements said educational systems cannot con tinue as they have in the past, and said changes are necessary to meet changes in society. He made the comments to about 300 representatives from business and education attending the sym posium. “We must try to develop skills and attitudes so students will understand the work ethic. There is a critical need for the understanding of the work ethic, because American productivity is declin ing,” Clements said. “Career education can help turn us around in this regard.” The governor said the number of students in public schools in Texas will increase by 50 percent by the year 2000, and there will be 170,000 new jobs created in the state by that time. “All those conditions — more people and new jobs — translate into a lot of pressure on the educational system to provide trained, competent workers. Is our educational system ready? If it was we wouldn’t be here today. We must put forth a better effort, schools must be more attuned to the needs of our society.” Clements said Texas began developing career education 10 years ago, and it is now a high prior ity with the State Board of Education. MSC OUTDOOR R€CR€RTION General Meeting Film: "JournGY to The Outer Limits" Thurs. Mar. 5 — 7:30 301 Rudder ALSO: RBl€-DISR8l€ BACKPACKING Trip March 7 For more info., check ORC , iU* - Cubicle Rm. 216 MSC Are In! 2 Layer or 3 Layer Culpepper Plaza Open 10-8 Mon.-Fri. Open 10-6 Sat. £PS' » g/tOe gfored