Newspaper Page Text
University of Georgia Thursday, January 18, 1979 Volume 8$, Number 4b
"Gk rgia's only collegiate daily newspapei ”
News 542-3441 Advertising 542-3414
Legal drinking age may change from 18 to 19
Little effect on high schools Campus leaders don’t see change
By MARY THURSTON
Assistant city editor
The consensus of local high school officials and liquor store
managers is that the General Assembly bill to raise the drinking
age in Georgia will have little effect
Sen Joe Lee Thompson, sponsor of the bill to raise the
drinking age from 18 to 19. said the measure is designed to
"curb drinking in the state's high schools " The bill has passed
the Senate Consumer Affairs Committee and will now go to the
full Senate. Thompson told the committee Wednesday that he
would “support prohibition if I know it bad a chance " A second
bill, sponsored by Sen. Julian Bond, proposes raising the
drinking age to 20
The Oconee High School principal said he didn't know why the
drinking age should be changed “I didn't think it was a good
idea when they changed it from 21 to 18.“ he said “They’ll find
a way to get it if they want it,” he added
Clarke Central principal Francis Malinowski said he thought
the higher drinking age "might help delay drinking to a more
appropriate age ” Younger students, he said, are probably
“doing it for a lark
Malinowski said the legislation should include enforcement
measures, such as monitoring drinking establishments more
closely and prosecuting violators who sell to minors 1 The high
school student can buy. regardless of his age They’ve got to
enforce the laws better than they do now "
Neal Condon, manager of the Copper Kettle Liquor Store on
Baxter Ave disagreed "They can have all th** regulations they
want, he said, “but the real problem with teenage drinking is
that people want the retailers to take care of their k'ds."
Condon said that parents “need to be more aware of what iheir
kids are doing " He added that there is unnecessary pressure
on the retailer to watch out for the underage liquor buyer
“Education is everything." Condon said “If we could get the
parents and the kids in on it. we would have 60 percent
improvement The last thing we want to do is sell to kids, but
until parents g«-t ..inre responsible we're going to have
problems.”
Steven Woody, an employee at the Normal Package Store on
Prince Ave.. called the proposal to raise the drinking age
“absurd.”
“There's always someone who will buy it for them," he said
He also stressed education as the primary solution, "before
reaching the drinking age. that is.” he said But Woody
suggested that no matter how much education there is. people
still learn best by experience
Fiank Booth. Director o.' the Upper School at Athens
Academy on Highway 441. said he thought the measure should
not bo passed “Most kids do the bulk of their maturing during
the years between 16 and 18. not so much 18 and 20.”
H> KRIS YOUNG
Assi? ant campus editor
“It won't make any difference" is the general opini >n on
campus of state senator's efforts to curb drinking alcohol abuse
in high schools by raising the legal drinkig age from 18 to 19
Sen Joe l^ee Thompson, L. Smvma. is sponsoring the bill in
an attempt to curb drinking among minors, a problem which he
said has oecome "critical "
However, most students and administrators on campus
interviewed Wednesday feel students will be able to obtain
alcohol regardless of the legal drinking age
“It won't make any diiierence." sa*d Jerry Puckett,
orientation director for the University. “The legal age was 21
v hen I was a student here ten years ago and almost everyone I
knew drank 'Hiey (motors) will get it regardless of the legal
age. They always have."
Bill Powell, director of Student Activities, and Dwight
Douglas, dean of Student Affairs, recognize that drinking
among high school students is a problem, but think a possible
solution to the problet.. lies in making minors more aware of
the dangers of alcohol abuse rather than changing the legal
drinking age
I am very afraid of alcohol because I have seen too many
bad things happen because of immature or uncontrolled alcohol
use." Powel. said "I vould like to see more things like our
Alcohol Awareness Co...mittee which tries to help students
realize the real dangers no matter what the use." he added
If passed, the bill coul' 4 effect many 18 year olds who enter
college as freshman and wish to attend local bars with older
f. lends or ittend fraternity rush parties where alcohol is
served
Jay Morgan, president of Teta Beta Tau fraternity expressed
concern over the bill a..d its effects on fraternities this week at
an L.terfraternity Council meeting
“I just wanted to make everyone there at the meeting'
aware of this since it could have interesting ramifications as far
as the Ugalities ol rush. ' Morga . said ' It depends on how the
Athens police will enforce it "
Morgan says he plans to talk to the fraternity’s lawyer about
legal questions and to city police to see how strictly they will
enforce the bill if it becomes a lav.
However. Dale Smith, who is working on his doctorate degree
in the political science department and is a member ot Sigma
Phi Epsilon does not think the bill, if passed, will greatly
change rush parties
“It would he absurd for fr-temities to check ID s a: parties.'
Smith said “The bill may open us to 'egal liability, but as far
as substantially changing rush parties. I don't think it will
happen unless the city becomes aggressive in enforcing it I am
in favor of keeping the age where it is because by changing it
one year, it won't reap enough positive effect."
New flu
discovered
on campus
By ROBIN RINGLER
Staff writer
A strain of Russian flu known as
Influenza A Brazil has been discovered
on campus, according to Dr. Walter
Brown, associate director for University
Health Services. The number of actual
cases is undetermined while the virus is
being studied by the Center for Disease
Control in Atlanta
Last week 40 percent of the walk in
patients had upper-respiratory infections
as compared to 23 percent the same week
last year Monday 41 percent of the
patients had respatory problems and
Tuesday the number rose to 58 percent
(225), according to Brown
The Brazil strain is a minor variant of
the Russian flu and as of yet there is no
vaccine for it. However. Brown said,
“The Russian flu vaccine" will be
adequate protection for this virus, but
getting the vaccine now would not protect
a person from getting the flu since the
virus is already active in the
community ”
The number of inpatients at the
infirmary is double that of the usual load
The use of intravenous feeding has been
necessary in some of these cases due to
dehydration of the patients, according to
Brown. Length of time spent as an
inpatient depends on the seriousness of
the case Most students remain for three
days. Brown said
Some typical symptoms of the
Brazilian flu are a high fever < 100 to 102
degrees), chills, coughing, muscle ache
and some gastro intestinal problems such
as nausea The virus usually lasts about
four day^ and treatment is non-specific
and relates to individual symptoms,
according to Brown
Unless the student is very sick Brown
suggested not missing classes He did
advise instructors to be aware, however,
that there is an active flu virus on
campus and to understand if class
attendance drops slightly
“The flu is hitting people under 25
harder this year." Brown said He
suggests the reason for this might be a
similar virus which spread around the
U.S. in 1957 naturally immunizing its
victims.
Brown claimed this virus is probably
unrelated to the “crud” which effected
much of the campus last quarter “It's
very rare when a virus resurfaces after
such a short time This is most likely a
completely different thing
The number of cases ot Brazilian flu
will not be determined until the Spring
when the CDC completes its study Fr'
now. Brown foresees no dangers of an
epidemic which would cause cancellation
of classes
Test to set rules for firemen promotion
By TOM KELLEY
Staff writer
The promotions test for the Athens Fire
Department will establish “a new set of
rules to play the ballgame " of promoting
firemen to the level of Driver Engineer,
according to the chairman of the Athens
Personnel Board
Fred Leathers added that the test will
provide more information about the
firemen for the use of promotions than
has ever been possible before
Wednesday evening the board heard
comments from city firemen who had
taken the test in a trial experiment since
November Most fiiemen praised most of
the test, but many objected to the oral
part of the test, in which firemen were
asked to speak for five minutes on
subjects which were not directly related
to their jobs
Dr Wayne Lowther, a psychologist
representing the board, the personnel
department and the fire department,
* explained that the oral part of the test
was intended to measure the men's
ability to communicate with people, as a
fire truck driver would have to
* communicate with a dispatcher But he
agreed that the oral part of the test
should be changed so that firelighters
would discuss topics which related
directly to their jobs, such as how to
operate fire equipment
The Georgia Department of Com
munity Affairs developed the questions
for the test lowther was brought in to
analyze the test results, to weigh each of
the four sections of the test and to decide
how much each part is to be worth
Once the questions have been refined
and Lowther has assigned a percentage
value to each section, tne test will be the
main basis of fire department promo
lions. Leathers said
The only time the te* t would not be the
main basis would be if the top scoring
fireman had some major reprimmand
against him. such as if he were caught
sleeping on the job or arrived at work
drunk. Leathers said Then a lesser-scor
ing man might be chosen for promotion
instead
If two or more firemen taking the test
have tie scores, then seniority or other
variables would decide who receives the
promotion, he added, according to the
board's current proposal
Some firemen thought that seniority
should somehow be included in the tests
Several firemen felt that in«*n wl»o nad
been working with the city deserved
additional credit lor their years of
practical experience But others felt that
seniority w as not as impoi tant because if
test scores showed ihat a man had
learned in a few years what another had
learned in many he shoulo not be
penalized because he hrd spent less time
with the city
Another part of the test which was
disputed by the firemen was ihe section
which required the mer to identify the
city streets by their locations and the
directions in which they ran Rut Lowther
explained that so many firemen hao
complained that the street identification
section had been changed The directions
had been eliminated and only the
locations of streets would be on the t»->t
Leathers commended the fire depart
ment for its cooperation with the
Personnel Board in working out the
problems with the promotion system He
was pleased that the department did not
have to resort to sinking, such as the
Memphis fire department did
Once Lowther has weighted the
sections of the test it will be brought
before the Personnel Board Leathers
could not predict how long this wojld
take, but said that progress would be
reported at the board s next meeting on
Feb 14
SENATE BILL
Sales tax increase possible
ATLANTA (L'PD—An influential Hiuse
committee chairman introduced a bill to
raise Georgia's statewide sales tax from
3 tc 4 percent Wednesday and a crafty
Senate veteran strategically stalled his
bill to open bars on election day
On the House floor, two long ignored
segregation laws were repudiated by an
overwhelming vote. Members sent the
Senate bills repealing Georgia's misc
egenation" law against mixed marriages
and the old “master-servant" code
allowing indentured servitude
The Senate received a constitutional
amendment by Sen. Ed Johnson. D.
College Park, to allow lawmakers to
"pre-file" leg.slation during the interim
between legislative sessions so commit
tees could clear them for floor action in
the opening days following election years
The Senate industry, labor and tourism
committee scheduled three days of
hearings next week on workmen's
compensation insurance rates, with
chairman Don Ballard of Oxford
complaining that a pending 19 7 percent
insurance rate increase would cost
Georgia employers $30 mill.on
House. Ways and Means Chairman
Marcus Codings. D Pelham, introduced
the bill to hike the sales ax from 3 to 4
percent statewide—and from 4 to 5
percent in Atlanta and other areas
alread. paying the 4 percent levy Lt
Gov. Zell Miller, wl.o has been fighting
with the House leadership for weeks over
spending policy and tax relief, issued a
statement saying he woulo "never"
suppoii a sales tax hike unless it is
coupled with exemption of groceries and
medicines from the existing tax
Miller said Collins anu other House
leaders, who are pushing a 175 lillion
property tax-cut package with Gov
George Busbee's support, apparently
misread th< mood of the voters last year
in proposing the '.ales tax boost Some
House members h ave also suggested
kiting the gasoline tax “float" at 18
percent of wholesale prices- rather than
a fixed 7 cents per gallon
“I think we've got it backward, sai'
Miller “This was supposed ) be a
tax-cutting sess >n. not me for increasing
taxes."
Sen Culver Kidd, D Milledgeville,
used the Sena:* rule to keep his
election-day-drinking bill alive until at
least p ext month Kidd, a 30-year
legislative veteran, asked the Sena * to
reconsider its previous defeat of the
bill—a courtesy routinely granted -then
Kidd explained that he harf a
constitutional amendment on the same
subject set f or Feb 6. which will provide
a test vote to indicate whether the matter
is worth pursuing Hi has contended that
it costs the state considerable liquor tax
money to close lounges every time there
is a routine local election, which draws
little public interest
Af.er going along witn Kidd, the S*»nat»*
adjourned with no Other bills on its
calendar
Johnson, a se ond term member and
one of the youngest Georgia senators,
said lawmakers have wasted most of
their fi-st 10 days in session because bills
have had to slowly wind their way
through the committee process Con
versely, he said, the committees and full
Senate will have lutle time to caiefully
consider bills in the closing-day rush of
legislation a few weeks from now
Johnson introduced a constitutional
amendment to let members intnrtuc*
bills in the lb-month interim between
sessions, and to let committees act on
them during that time Thus he said, the
House and Senate ~ould have a full
calendar within a day or so each year
"The way it is now. every other year is
just a mess, right after an election, he
said
Johnson, a la -yer. also introduced a
bill lifting the psychiatrist's "doctor-pa
tient privilege" of confidentiality in civil
suits if the plaintiff claims mental
anguish because of an injury Johnson
said physicians are already required to
discuss a patient’s physical injuries in
damage:-, cases, but that psychiatrists are
still forbidden to divulge what a patient
discusses with them
Rep George Williamson, D DeKalb
County. sponso r ed the two bills repealing
the old segregation laws He said the
statutes—some overridden by courts.
others simply ignored by changing social
custom -wer»* “long overuue” for repeal
The "miscegenation" law against
interracial marriages dates back to the
• ••id ot l)M CIvU War in 1865 T) «
master servant" statute was passed in
1927. establishing the rights o< employers
to train young people and make them
work without pay for a certain tune, and
providing penalties for other employers
enticing bound servants away from their
lawful masters
UGA Today
Library orientation tours
Library onentatio.i sessions for students enrolled in English 101 are scheduled
tnrough January 29 These sessions include a slide-tape presentation and a
talking tout of major areas Individual and self *uided tours are possible, too
Call 542 3251 for additional information
Fricdan on campus
Betty Friedan. considered the
foremost spokeswoman for women's
rights, will speak at Memorial Hall
tonight at 8 p m Student tickets are
free at the Information Booth in
Memorial Hall and $1 00 general
admission tickets are in the Memorial
Business office
Phone connection correction
When calling about the Exit Exam*, call 542-3183 - that's the correct number
for the Counseling. Testing and Evaluation Center (Apologies to the student
who received all of those unexpected calls )
SGA petitions
If you're interested in running lor
president or vice piesident of the
Student 'Government Association, the
first thing you need to do is pick up a
petition
The petitions are available today
through January 31 in tne SGA office
in Memorial Hall and at the
tn'ormation Booth in Memorial
Centerpiece, appearing every other
IT. rsday, will take an in depth loon at
selected local and campus topics and
then relationships and effects on »he
student See pa«;e five
Photographic exhibit
The Gallery of Memorial Hall is the
location of a photographic exhibition
titled "Fichter. Walker. Wood" and
it's running through February 2
This national show is free to the
public from 8 am until 5 pm.,
Monday through Friday
Laugh on eleven
If yo .'re in the mood to laugh
tonight, locate channel 11 and leav*
the di.il there Starting at 8 o'clock it's
“Morkli Mindy " Mork t “aches Mindy
the m* aning of tolerance
Then, at 8 30 there's the • ••rcial
premiere of “Delta House,” a series
based *i “National Lampoon s Animal
House (It is said that “pandemon
ii n reigns" at Faber College—maybe
they need a biggie over their campus,
too')