Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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Entrance examination Just inside the entrance to Col- dWater Country, sophomore Jason Ware is forced to show some iden- tification. For a large portion of the freshman class, ColdWater and other bars strictly were off-limits for much of the school year. Texas legislators hoped to keep liquor away from high school students by passing a new legal drinking age, but the new law also forced Tech students under the age of 19 to be Barred from Texas bars Eighteen-year-olds got burned on ' crash and burn ' when the Texas State Legislature voted to change the legal drinking age to 19 in September. The law prohibited all persons under 19 years of age from purchasing and consuming alcohol without a parent or legal guardian. State lawmakers hoped to keep alcohol off the high school campus. Tech students who weren ' t 19 also were af- fected by the law. it kind of deprives you of your rights, 18-year-old Eric Werner said. With the rights and responsibilities of voting, marrying and being drafted, you should be able to drink like an adult, said Pam Thomas, also 18. What disturbed some students even more was that businesses where they used to dance and listen to music were suddenly taboo, even if they didn ' t want to drink. Lubbock businesses began making closer identification checks when the law went in- to effect, fearing Lubbock Police and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents would take away liquor licenses. ■ ' We usually card everybody if they don ' t have gray hair or a cane, ex- plained Chris Harmon, man- ager of J. Patrick O ' Malley ' s at 1211 University. Two area clubs, Coldwater Country at 7301 University and Fat Dawgs at 2408 4th St., reported a lO-to-20 per- cent drop in customers in September. We had a slowdown when the law went into effect, but it has been slowly picking up. The younger people have been replaced by a slightly older crowd, Joe Wallace, manager of ColdWater Coun- try, said. Wallace also reported col- lecting several fake identifica- tion cards. Of the Tech 18-year-olds interviewed by La Ventana. most said they either had fake identification cards made or had 19-year-old friends buy liquor for them. The drinking age change also affected fraternities and sororities since many pledges weren ' t 19. In a lot of states a frat can be held responsible, but in Texas the individual is responsible, Wade McGin- nis, president of Interfraterni- ty Council, said. If a policeman comes into a frat house and sees an 18- year-old drinking, only the person in charge can be held responsible, McGinnis said. According to D. L. Vander- vort, district supervisor of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, responsibility for illegal drinking at fraterni- ty and sorority parties will have to be decided by the courts. The law only states that persons under the age of 19 cannot consume alcohol unless in the presence of a parent, legal guardian or adult spouse, Vandervort said. It ' s up to the courts to decide whether the fraternity house is a public or private place and whether that makes any difference. McGinnis said IPC advised fraternities to post signs and discourage minors from drinking. Cynthia Bristol, Panhellenic president, recom- mended the same approach for sororities. We have informed the girls about the drinking age and told them what the law said, Bristol said. So far we have not had any problems. The law forced 18-year- olds to take one of four op- tions: get a fake I.D., get friends to buy liquor, visit more movies, or grit their teeth until they turned 19. — Sid Lowe New Drinking Law — 17

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Sorry, freshmen H Designed primari- IS ly to keep liquor out of the high schools, the new age law also kept a good number of Tech freshmen out of Lubbock bars and liquor I I I COLDWAT 9im OPEN 8 p.m. tie 2am WED.tktuSAT. NO ONE UNDER in YEARS OF ly AGE ADMITTED I D ' REQUIRED ai THE DOOR I ]6 — Hem Drinking Law

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Blazing spirit Silhouetted against the brightness of the Homecoming bonfire, a Tech couple enjoys the spirit of the pep rally. Confessions of a cynic Why make a fuss over a Homecoming game that means nothing in the stan- dings? Maybe there is a reason after all . . . As I sat with my date in 40-yard-line seats Nov. 7 watching Tech ' s mighty Red Raiders fumble and stumble their way to a 39-39 tie against the Killer Frogs of TCU, Homecoming suddenly seemed worthless. By the time the Homecom- ing game started, Moore Ex- citement was a certified flop. There seemed little reason to make any fuss over a game that meant nothing in terms of conference stand- ings, other than deciding which team would land in the cellar. So why make a big deal over something that is only going to give me high blood pressure? Still, at the big game, 1 found myself following the Red Raider model of spirit and vainly yelled my lungs out on Tech ' s behalf. After Tech gave up two on-side kicks and John Greve missed a chip-shot field goal that would have won the game, I was comforted only by my date ' s kind-hearted insistence that it was only a game. After the game, over ex- pensive dinner and drinks at Tara, 1 had begun to mellow considerably and 1 was able to enjoy the rest of the even- ing. I did, however, make a vow to myself never to get worked up over a Tech game again (a vow 1 have broken at every opportunity since). The Tcch-TCU game and dinner that night were the on- ly Homecoming week events in which I willingly took part. The rest of the week ' s ac- tivities — including the bon- fire pep rally, frog-leg-eating contest, frog-jumping com- petition and Homecoming Queen elections — were events in which I was too busy to take part. 1 did hear, though, that the frog legs in the frog-leg-eating contest were actually chicken legs. 1 guess it ' s the thought that counts. Inadvertently, 1 did get a front-row seat at the Homecoming Parade Satur- day morning, but only by be- ing stupid enough to try to drive off-campus from the Broadway exit at 10:30. i got to the Broadway- University intersection pro- bably seconds after police had blocked traffic. I have to admit, though, 1 did have a lit- tle fun watching the bands and floats and pretty girls parade past. It was no Tour- nament of Roses Parade in terms of quality, but it was fun. The saving factor for the Homecoming weekend, for me at least, was the weather. 1 have distinct memories of my previous two Homecom- ings at Tech that I spent shivering in the stands whi snow fell around me. I guess, though, that n basic skeptical nature was z tually responsible for n failure to draw any gre meaning from Homecomin Maybe, in another six seven years, after I lea Tech and go out into the r« world, there may be sor place in my skeptical hei for all the traditional hoop that I ' ve scorned in my yee as a student. 1 know at le I ' ll make an attempt to ke track of the Raiders in th quest for that elusive Cott Bowl berth. And, who knows, sor November afternoon yee from now 1 just might be ba in the stands watching t Raiders slug it out agair some Southwest Confcren opponent. And I just mic enjoy it. — Jeff Tinnell 18 — Homecoming