University of Virginia Library

Brand, Price Still Undecided

Newcomb Hall To Sell 3.2 Beer

By Tom Adams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Bank Opened In Newcomb Hall

Photo by Bob Gill

A new sight is that of students lining up to
transact business at a regular bank branch. Services offered by
the National Bank & Trust Company of Charlottesville branch,
which opened in Newcomb Hall last Tuesday, September 10,
include checking accounts, saving accounts, check cashing,
traveler's checks, bank money orders and cashier checks. The
bank branch is temporarily established in a booth beside the
Newcomb Hall information desk until its permanent office is
completed on the floor below directly opposite the cafeteria.
The permanent office will include a lobby area, writing desks,
two teller windows, and a day and night depository. Regular
banking hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be in effect Monday
through Friday. However, since the Newcomb Hall branch is
"oriented to the needs of the students, faculty and staff of the
University," it will also be open from 9 a.m. until noon on
Saturday morning, rather than for three hours on Friday.

Beer will be served in Newcomb
Hall this year. The Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board has granted
a liquor license to the University
Food Service.

Bernard Fontana, director of
Food Services, told The Cavalier
Daily yesterday that it would take
anywhere from a week to ten days
before beer can be served in the
Grill. He explained that although
the liquor license has been granted,
the ABC Board still has to brief the
Grill employees on the liquor rules
and the Buildings and Grounds
people have to construct a secure
place in the Grill to store the beer
at night.

Glass Mugs

Mr. Fontana said that the Grill
would begin by serving only a few
brands of beer, and then get more
brands to suit student demands.
The beer will be served from cans at
first, until a tap apparatus can be
installed. All the beer will be served
in glass mugs.

The beer will be the 3.2
(low-proof) variety that can be
served to anyone eighteen years of
age or older. Mr. Fontana did not
yet know how the beer prices
would run. On weekdays, the Grill
will serve beer from 4 in the
afternoon until 11 at night. On
Saturday, the Grill will start serving
beer at 2 in the afternoon until 11
at night. Sunday, beer will be sold
from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Until Classes End

Mr. Fontana noted that these
hours are arbitrary and subject to
change, but said, "we just thought
it would be a good idea not to start
serving beer until classes were
over."

Students will not be permitted
to carry beer from one part of the
building to another. The Grill will
be the only area in Newcomb Hall
that will serve beer at the present
time. However, the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board has given
its approval for beer to be served in
other areas of the student union
building, in the Ballroom, the
Commonwealth Room, the
Dogwood Room and the Informal
Lounge when it is accompanied by
food.

Food And Drink

He said that the general rule
used by the ABC Board in
determining the areas where beer
may be served was that wherever
food is served, beer may follow
and, although some of the areas
above do not have food served in
them very often they were
approved anyway, much to the
surprise of Mr. Fontana. He said
that in these areas beer could be
served, possibly at mixers and other
social functions in Newcomb Hall.

Mr. Fontana said that
the opening of a beer concession
should go to John Herring, Director
of the University Union and its
student board, as well as to former
Dean of the University, B.F.D.
Runk. Mr. Runk will down the first
of what is hoped to be many glasses
of suds in a ceremony, whenever
the concession is ready to operate.

Cleared With Shannon

The plan to serve beer in the
Union was cleared with President
Shannon's office, Mr. Fontana said.

When asked if student
identification cards would be
checked for age, Mr. Fontana said
that this would present a problem
at times, especially in the fall when
many of the first-year students are
not yet eighteen. "We will need
student cooperation in this matter,
both from students who are not yet
of age as well as from those who
don't look it," he said.

Frequent Visitors

Mr. Fontana expects frequent
visits from ABC Board
representatives throughout the
year, checking on the operation.
The liquor license was granted for a
period of one year, but usually they
are renewed automatically, said,
if there has been no trouble.

He pointed out that the license
is not yet valid because the ABC
Board has not given its final
approval. He also said that there
could be some delay because the
beer mugs had not been ordered
and he had not yet contacted local
distributors.

When asked if the beer
concession in the Grill could merely
be in preparation for a real bar,
assuming that liquor by the
passes, Mr. Fontana grinned and
said, "Well, it was the students who
pushed for this, and I suppose they
could push for that too if they
wanted it." He then added, "of
course most of the students here,
are under 21 and wouldn't be able
to use the service."