I Page 6C - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 6, 1984 Under 21-no problem By SUE BARTO "I don't think people party as much here as people at other schools," says sophomore Sue Kron. "People here take their classes more seriously." Well, Michigan may be better known for its academics than its parties, but you know what they say-when you work hard, you party hard. And yes, ""ere are a few students here who party } harder than they work. . WITH BEER AND booze almost as available as tap water, and no mommy ,.and daddy to say "tisk-tisk", most University students can name at least vane acquaintance whose drinking is a problem. In fact, even Kron, who thinks ichigan is moderate as far as college ,lrinking goes, admits she drinks more now than she did in high school. "I drink a lot more now. It's easier to ,get away with it," says 19-year-old Kron. _ THE STATE'S 21-year-old drinking 1ge is merely a harmless technicality to minors in Ann Arbor.' "Either you ,ind someone who's 21 or you get a fake D," says Kim, a sophomore who asked 'not to be identified. "There's no ,problem." According to Kim, some bars don't .,pven check IDs. Dooley's, like most :jnn Arbor watering holes, requires ID showing that the bearer is over 18 to get ., but it just takes a little ingenuity to ,ket served. Either you take your chan- ,-es at finding a nice bartender or have someone with a stamp on their band-meaning they convinced the bouncer beyond a reasonable doubt that they are at least 21-to purchase your drinks. Outright fake IDs aren't as big of a problem as they once were. S"Nowadays, says John Fowlie, night manager of Marshall's Package Liquor, underage people "wait outside But 1- s still illegal for minors to drink the store for older people who will buy liquor for them." He added, "I know they're still getting a hold of the liquor. They always will." BECAUSE OF this accessible and of- ten tapped supply of alcohol, the University Housing office in the spring of 1983 set up a task force to study student drinking. Last winter, the group, which is composed of University John Heidke, associate housing direc- tor, says the main purpose of the guidelines is to increase student awareness of alcohol abuse. "Our job is to help people choose responsibly," Heidke says. "NO ONE IS telling students they can't drink," Heidke adds. Part of the guidelines' intent is to accommodate non- drinkers, who are entitled to a clean "WE HAVEN'T done anything to study whether drinking patterns have been changed by the policies," says Susan Harris, building director at Mosher Jordan. "Drinking patterns are established much before (students) ever get here." Not only do they drink before they get here, says University counselor Fanny Tropman, some are even headed for alcoholism. "More people are becoming alcoholics younger and faster," says Tropman, who organized a campus chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. She points out that there are upwards of 1'00,000 alcoholics in the United States and that the average age for an alcoholic is in the mid-thirties, down from the mid-forties 10 years ago and the mid-fifties 20 years ago. TROPMAN SAYS the biggest hurdle for alcohol abusers is admitting they have a problem. Sometimes it has come from people around the alcoholic. "We get more freshmen and sophomores because they still live in the dorms and are referred by their resident advisors," Tropman says. "People nowadays do not look at someone and say, 'Oh, he's just having fun' after he's had his second blackout," she adds. But not everyone overindulges. In fact, some students do not drink at all. "I don't think you have to drink to have fun, says sophomore Michael Feuer. He says he can count on one hand the number of times he drank during his freshman year. "I don't enjoy alcohol." That doesn't stop Feuer from going to parties, he says, and it doesn't bother him to see others drinking. But not everyone is that flexible, says Tropman. "Kids who are not into drinking just have to avoid it. There will have to be a drinking contingent and a non-drinking contingent. It's too bad." 5 I drink a lot more now. It's easier to get away with it.' -Sue Kron sophomore Shopping around canL cut costs of beer, wine I counselors and building directors, came up with guidelines dealing with con- sumption in the dorms. The guidelikes include: *No advertising for a party may con- tain reference to alcohol being served. * no house council or house funds may be used to purchase alcohol. *no collection of money to pay for alcohol is to take place at the entrance of a party. and quiet place to live, he says. The bottom line is, what residents do in their rooms behind closed doors in moderation is not affected by these rules, says Heidke. No one really knows yet if the guidelines have curbed the level of student drinking, and some people say they don't think any guidlines ever will. Car key to lower food dollar By LISA POWERS One of the hardest lessons for most students to learn once they move out of the dorms is how to budget their food dollar. Once the tuition and the rent is paid and after a big night at Rick's, there is not much left over for the four basic food groups. Students quickly redefines what the necessities of life are: For some it's toothpaste; for others, beer and pretzels. The comparison shopping chart, left, should give you a quick idea of what items are cheapest at which stores. But remember that the prices quoted will undoubtedly change as supplies fluctuate. It should be no surprise to most that the overall winner in the price wars is Kroger. With the ability to buy in great bulk, Kroger can pass along impressive discounts. And with their own store brands, the supermarket offers astonishing values on certain items, though quality sometimes takes a back seat. The chief problem with Kroger is that all four of its locations (1140. Broadway, 2020 Green, 2603 Jackson, and 2502 Packard) require a car. That's one of the reasons that more local stores can afford to price their merchandise higher. But a convenient location is sometimes worth the increase. VILLAGE CORNER (601 S. Forest) has a good selection of food for what many think of as a liquor store. In particular, their fresh fruit and produce sections are second only to Kroger. Campus Corners, (818 S. State), Marshall's (235 S. State), and White Market (609 E. William) carry only token amounts of fresh produce. Sargeant Pepper's (1028 E. University) and White Market have respec- table meat counters for their size, while none of the others really tries; Kroger, of course, is meat city, with cuts of all kinds. Many stores, like Campus Corners, Marshall's and Big Market (341 E. Huron) aim more for the package liquor market and thus don't have that great a selection of food. Others, like Food Mart (1123 S. University and 103 N. Forest) and White Market are just too small to offer any competitive prices. For the rest, the question is between great location or better prices. By ERIC MATTSON One of the crucial aspects of college life is, of course, beer. There are plenty of liquor stores in Ann Arbor which carry a wide variety and vast quantities of the stuff, but the naive freshman may end up paying too darn much for the golden beverage. FOR THE all-around best buy on beer, Kroger's can't be beat. There are, however, three problems with buying beer at the great warehouse-like store: It doesn't sell kegs, it doesn't sell alcohol to minors, and it's too plumb far to walk. If you're in a rush, there are two drive-through beer places in Ann Ar- bor: the Beer Depot, located at 114 E. William; and the Beer Vault, located at 303 N. Fifth. Stop 'n' Go, at 615 E. University, is the right place to go if you get a late night thirst (it's open all night), and it's right next to that pillar of late-night- munchieness, Taco Bell. THERE'S A whole slew of beer- selling stores around campus: The Big Ten Party Store, located at 1928 Packard; the Blue Front, just up the street from the Big Ten at 701 Packard; Campus Corners, 818 S. State; the Capitol Market, near Ann Arbor's red light district at 211 S. Fourth; Mar- shall's, next to the State Theatre at 235 S. State; Ralph's, located at 709 Packard; Village Corner, located at 601 S. Forest; and of course, Tice's, located at 340S. State. For those fabulous dorm parties where a keg is indispensable, be prepared to pay a key deposit of ten dollars, a tap deposit of $40 to $60, and a tub deposit of ten dollars. Most places charge a nominal fee for renting all the keg paraphernalia, and they'll often deliver the thing fairly cheaply, too. THE STATE'S 21-year-old drinking age is really a farce. Either you can. find someone to buy it for you, purchase a fake I.D., or hope to meet a friendly proprietor. When your taste for fire-brewed hops goes stale, the area's many wine outlets offer quality drinking at reasonable prices. Remember, wine isn't just for snobbish dinners anymore. Village Corner and Big Ten Party Store are the best all-around wine stores in the area. Both stores have hundreds of bottles from all over the world and knowledgable salespeople tof help locate just the right wine for your needs. Be on the lookout for wines from Spain, Australia, Chile, and other out- of-the-way countries-their wines are good, interesting, and cheap. Believe it or not, Kroger's is also a good place to look for wine. While their selection is only mediocre, they do sell some outstanding values like a Yugoslavian Varietal for $2.29. Beer prices fluctuate faster than the stock market, so be sure to do your own comparing. If you do, you're sure to find some great buys on six-packs and wines that will make your weekend soar. -Richard Campbellfiled a report for this story. " Contribute. to arts IF YOU HAVE ever eaten at a restaurant, seen a play or movie, listened to an album or engaged in any other sort of divertissement and wanted to share it with others, the Daily's Arts section would be pleased to give you the chance. We want competent and skilled critics for the many varied hap- penings that Ann Arbor boasts. Writing for the Arts section will provide practice in writing and analysis, and can be an enjoyable ex- tra-curricular activity. Have fup and share it with others, write for Arts-call 7¢3-0379. lo ' i . I 3 Check out city banks for the best buy I By GEORGEA KOVANIS Back in the third grade, you kept your allowance and birthday money in a porcelain piggy bank on the bureau. But now that you're in college, it's time to move that money to a bank. There are many banks in the city of trees and each one has its own par- ticular version of high financing. Don't pick your bank just on its flashy automated tellers, though; by com- paring the services each offers, you can save a substantial amount of money. THE MOST important figures to check out are what the minimum deposit or monthly averages are to en- sure the lowest monthly service charges. Also check out what the yearly interest rates are for savings and checking accounts; some banks of- fer drastically different plans for ac- counts with higher interest. -First of America Bank requires a minimum of $300 to open a checking ac- count. If your balance dips below that you'll have to pay $3 month in service charges plus 22 cents for each with- drawl. And if you bounce a check, you'll end up paying $11 per bounce. First of America also offers interest checking. These accounts earn 5.25 percent; however, you must keep a $500 minimum balance to avoid the $7 ser- vice charge. SAVINGS ACCOUNTS at First of America earn 5.5 percent interest, but you must have at least $50 to start the account and a minimum of $100 to avoid service charges. The bank allows you four withdrawls per month; $1 for every withdrawl over four. -Michigan National Bank is another popular bank among students. It requires a minimum of $50 to open a checking account. You must have a minimum of $349 or an average of $699 in your checking account to avoid ser- vice charges. The bank charges $2.50 plus 34 cents per check if.your balance falls below this mark. And if you write a check when your balance is way below zero, you'll find youself faced with a $15 overdraft charge. This bank requires that you have a the $1 a month service charge and the 50-cent charge per withdrawal. -Great Lakes Federal Bank requires $100 to open a checking account and a $500 minimum to avoid the $5 monthly charges. This bank now charges $10 for bounced checks; however, bank of- ficials say this is likely to change. INTEREST CHECKING earns 5.25 percent at Great Lakes. And if you have $2,500 or more in your account you earn 7 percent interest. Great Lakes also requires that you have at least $25 to open a 5.5 percent savings account. As long as you main- tain this as an average balance, you will avoid the $1.50 service charge. There is no fee for withdrawls. -If you're working for the Univer- sity, you are eligible to join the Univer- sity's credit union. THE CREDIT union doesn't require any minimum opening deposit to star- ting a checking account. However, you must keep a minimum balance of $199 and have your paycheck direct deposited into your account to avoid paying the $1 monthly service fee. Overdraft charges are $9. Interest rates on credit union checking accounts vary according to U I :°,1, ' \\ Automated Telrer