The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition - Thursday, September 5, 1991 - Page 9 BARS" Continued from page 8 the border is almost tantamount to a 21st birthday. Not that you have to drink, but choice is again a key concept. But be careful - never drink 0 and drive, and be nice to the border patrol. Vehicles are routinely searched, and the border guards are experts at assuring sobriety before returning to the States. Oh? None of this matters because you have a fake I.D.? Well, think twice. Ann Arbor is well, into a crack-down on underage drinking and false identifications, as the in- crease in many bar admittance ages attests to. Horror stories abound on campus of fakes relinquished to bouncers and convenience store clerks. Although consequences are most often limited to confiscation of the bogus I.D. and resultant em- barrassment, using a fake can mean hefty fines and a court appearance. Each of the establishments men- tioned above, and an almost infinite multitude of others which could not be given justice in the scope of this article, have their own charac- ter, personality, and style. This di- versity is the essence of Ann Arbor and the college experience in gen- eral. At a large university like this one, it is easy to find a clique and be comfortable to stay in it. However, most students find it rewarding to discover new people, places, and ideas in order to have an enriching, enlightening, and fulfilling campus life - in addition to a hell of a good time! But don't take my word for it, discover for yourself. DELIS Continued form page 5 Is this how you would place an order: "I'll have the brisket, kre- plach soup and a double cappucino"? But if you don't mind the coffee house atmosphere, Amer's food is So many bouncers, so few IDs by Tami Pollak Daily Staff Reporter By the time most first-year stu- dents read this, they will have al- ready begun a three-year struggle to acquire a fake I.D. And while most will fail in their attempt to hoodwink bouncers at campus-area bars, their pursuit nevertheless clearly indicates a lack of alcohol-free alternatives to an evening at the bar. "I think I miss it most because I was able to hang out at the bars when I was 19, and then it was taken away," said LSA senior Laurie Frey. At the beginning of last year's fall term,.many area bars changed their entrance policies, admitting only those patrons ages 21 and over for evening programming. It was not the law but the iiidividual Ann Arbor bar owners that made the policy changes, however. "The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (LCC) only requires that patrons be at least 18-years-old to patronize a bar," said a LCC en- forcement officer. Rick Buhr, a manager at Good Time Charley's, said the owner de- cided to raise the bar's entrance age from 19 to 21 last year because of law-enforcement problems. "Sure, insurance rates were a consideration, but we chose to change our policy because it's really the only way we can control what is going on in the crowd," Buhr said. The fact that Charley's is also a full service restaurant until 9:30 p.m. often invites thirsty minors to devise elaborate schemes to blend in with the late-night bar goers, but Buhr said their plans are easily foiled. "Beginning at 8 p.m., staff goes around and checks and stamps all the customers, and then at 10 p.m., we announce that anyone under 21 must leave and then we sweep the crowd," Buhr said. And while it seems in terms of, sheer volume, the more rigid age re- strictions would have reduced crowds, Buhr said business has in fact increased. A bartender at Rick's American Cafe agreed business was not af- fected by the 21-year-old policy, adding that "even if 18 and 19-year olds packed the house on otherwise slow nights," bar profits w6uld fall due to lessened of alcohol sales. The Blind Pig, perhaps the most popular bar with the underage crowd because of its cutting-edge bands and prevailing 19-and-up pol- Jcy, compensates for lost alcohol revenue by raising cover for patrons under-21. Sean Squire, a bartender at the Pig, said owners decided not to jump on the restricted age bandwagon, be- cause they have never had any prob- lems with enforcing alcohol laws. However, he added that the bar's programming is beginning to turn more and more toward a dance/DJ format because of the high costs of live bands. With or without entertainment, however, Frey maintained bars pre- sent one of the most attractive so- cial scenes on campus. "The policies don't stop anyone who wants to drink from drinking," Frey said. "All the policies succeed at is making the social situation around here more difficult." What lurks behind these doors? Rumor has it great bands and good drink specials, but better ask someone who's 21 just to be sure. quite good and every bit as satisfy- ing as that of Zingerman's. Amer's does not have quite the selection of its main competitor, but in many respects both of their menus are identical, even in price. Like Zingerman's, Amer's flowery, cutesy menu has the readability of a Rorscach test. Customers scanning the menu have been known to con- fuse a turkey and swiss with a giant, killer spider. But despite its pretensions, we highly recommend Amer's. It offers nearly the same food as Zingerman's at a similar level of quality. Most importantly, it is an easy walk from anywhere on campus. ',, - --r- r -w Explore the possibilities of study abroad ! OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 5208 Angell Hall ,any - y . - . n YOUR ON-CAMPU " FRESH S * FRESH M " FRESH Fl VEGETA " COOKIE MUNCHI . ICE CRE YOGURT " FRESHLY DELI SM * BREAD,I " DONUTS & FRESH M 609 E. (ust past Ste 8 am-7 om M- JS GROCERY STORE ALADS HEATS arket RUITS & BLES a ES, CANDY, IES AM & T MADE NDWICHES MILK, EGGS, S,MUFFINS H BAGELSM .0 Willia lve's Ice Cream) F, 8 am-6 pm Sat. . , r '- Jj "i 1 =' a Ct 1P d . + __-- " V i ^ ...- -. m ............. V "4 41-1 mass owl-1 ii m posters that Just because you live in a dreary cubicle doesn't mean that it has to stay that way! Turn your walls into a personal statement! logos can help you turn your dorm room or apartment into a reflection of yourself. We have a large selection of posters and room supplies for you to choose from to make the new pad more like home. logos. 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