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Page 8-A-Thursday, September 4, 1980-The Michigan Daily
Drive to lower drinking
age gains momentum
I
By ELAINE RIDEOUT
Eighteen-year-old individuals from
Michigan are allowed to vote, get
married without parental consent, take,
out a loan, and even fight in a war. Yet
Michigan state law says they can't
drink. V
In November of 1978, the legal
drinking age was raised from 18 to 21,
thanks to the public's support of a
statewide referendum calling for the
change.
One organization, however, did not
take the matter lying down. The,
Citizens for a Fair Drinking Age has,
worked diligently over the last several
months to collect 290,000 signatures to
allow an amendment-to lower the age
to '19-to appear on the November
ballot. On July 2, the state Senate,
following the actions by the House the
day before, voted overwhelmingly to
place the proposed constitutional
amendment before the voters.
"It was a huge victory," said State
Representative Richard Fitzpatrick.
"The vote passed with a 80 per cent
House majority and a 70 per cent
Senate approval." He added, "The ac-
tion of the legislature recognized the
widespread popular support for
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lowering the drinking age to 19 which is
obvious from our statewide campaign."
Fitzpatrick led the six-month drive to
collect the required 286,000 registered
voters' signatures by a July 7 deadline.
"We had the signatures anyway," he
said, "even without the added 40,000
signatures we expected to get over the
July 4 holiday."
THE BATTLE Creek Democrat said
his organization had hoped to collect
350,000 signatures to allow for
inevitable disqualifications. Persons
who signed "A2" or "Ypsi," for exam-
ple, were disqualified because they
violated a state law requiring signers to
write out the full name of the city.
Fitzpatrick said the petitions will not
be filed but insted will be used to help
organize a grass roots campaign. "We
had 6,000 volunteers working to collect
signatures alone," he said.
Representative Casmer Ogonowski
(D-Detroit) said,;"People are realizing
that 19 is a more practical legal
drinking age than 21. Raising the
drinking age to 21 developed tremen-
dous problems for law enforcement
agencies trying to enforce an almost
unworkable state law."
Citing a research project conducted
by Dr. James Rooney of a Washington,
D.C. university, Fitzpatrick said,
"We've received documentation that
people under 21 are consuming more
alcoholic beverages in states with a 21-
year ninimum drinking age like
Michigan than in those states with legal
drinking at 19.
"The 19- and 20-year-olds have con-
tinued to drink despite the change in
law two years ago. They've simply shif-
ted their drinking from licensed
businesses to the back seats of cars, to
keg parties, ,and crowded public
parks," he said.
Placing the drinking age issue on the
November ballot has the support of
Governor Milliken, the Michigan
Sheriffs' Association, Thomas Sch-
weigert, chairman of the State Liquor
Control Commission and the state
Board of Education.
14
Serenade aily Poto
STEVE OSBURN, AN Ann Arborite who studied music at Interlochen, strums a melody to an unidentified pooch on 4
summer afternoon.
Students roach
annual Hash Bash
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it's you.
-. . - - - - EM - -
By STEVE HOOK
During the past decade, Ann Ar-
bor has gained statewide notoriety
each spring by being the home of the
annual "Hash Bash," an event
which attracts dope-smokers en-
masse to the Diag to celebrate the
activity amid the sheltered security
of Ann Arbor's lenient pot law.
The Hash Bash began a decade
ago, when political activism was
near its peak,hbut the political tone
of the event has declined steadily
ever since. Once a proudly cherished
chance for University students to
gather to make a symbolic
"statement" to the multitude of
media attracted to the event, the
Hash Bash has lost its original ap-
A HASH BASH reveler brings along
his feline friend to share in the
April 1 festivities.
peal to University students in recent,
years, and has instead hosted youths
primarily from outside Ann Arbor.
In fact, the hash Bash has become
the object of scorn among many
students, and in Daily editorials.
Without its assets as a meaningful,
political event, to most students the
Hash Bash has become simply an
unwelcome reason to reroute walks
to classes, and a source of garbage
and vandalism that mars the cam-
pus for weeks to come. Overall,
students have, on the whole, done
their best to ignore the event, which
still drew over 1,000 last April.
"I WAS surprised when I woke up
this morning and there were.a whole
lot of people on the Diag," said one
LSA junior, illustrating the indif-
ferent student attitude that has
taken hold concerning the Hash
Bash. "Not too many people know
what's going on," he added. Another
student expressed his fondness of
the activity which the Hash Bash
bemoans, but planned to celebrate it
in his own way. "If it's nice, I may
celebrate the Hash Bash on the
Diag," he said on the Bash's eve,
but if its crummy out, I'll celebrate
it at home with a few friends."
Indeed, as has been the case in the
past several years, the weather for
the Hash Bash has been
miserable-which has further in-
spired students to spend the day with
books, and to reserve the Hash
Bashing for sunnier days.
Do a Tree
a Favor:
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Your Daily
A
k
ro -
I
10
4
Hey,
e
Uof
Save
Yourself
a Second
Trip
Students.
When you apply for new telephone service, you
will be asked for an advance payment-$20 if your
residence is equipped for modular telephone
service and no installer visit is required; $30 for
non-modular service or if an installer visit is
required. This is not a deposit, and it will be
applied toward your first telephone bill.
This advance payment is a new procedure and is
required on all applications for new residence
telephone service. So bring your money order,
checkbook or cash when ordering service and
save yourself a second trip.
You can piace your order for telephone service,
and make your advance payment, at the Bell
Phone Center Store, 413 E. Huron, Ann Arbor,
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
Is The Home Of These It
" AKTSIA (Action for Sovi
* BELTMIDRASH (15 No
Judaica Courses-Registr
Sept. 15-19)
" GRAD STUDENTS
ORGANIZATION
" ISRAELI DANCING 9
CHORUS
" DORM OUTREACH PA
B'nai
B'rith
HILLEL
Fou ndat ion
ndependent Groups & Activities:
et Jewry) * KOSHER MEAL PROGRAM
n-Credit (Available in Dorms)
ation " JEWISH ELDERLYPROJECT
(Psych. 201, Outreach)
* SHARRATSER VICES (Many
varieties) . MEALS
HEBREW " UJA HAIKVA CAMPAIGN
* UNION OF STUDENTS FOR
?OGRAMS ISRAEL
I
14
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