How the times have changed....

Posted Thursday, May 24, 2012, at 6:55 PM

What do you see when you look at this picture? At first glance it looks like a few guys at a bar having a good time. You may think that this picture could have been taken on a weekend outing, a bachelor or birthday party maybe, who knows right? A few of you might know the guys in this picture and you may have even been there. What I find interesting about this picture however is where I found it and it may surprise you too. It wasn't in a shoebox of old photographs or in a family photo album, it was in a high school yearbook! Yes, that's correct a high school yearbook.Do you find that hard to believe? Some people may, but it is true. This picture was printed in the Central High School Aquila from 1976. When you think of the rules and regulations that are in place in our school system today it is kind of hard to imagine that once upon a time placing a picture of high school students posing at a bar with alcohol in hand would ever be approved for the high school aquila. My how the times have changed!

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I am guessing, it was high school Seniors who had their picture taken at a local place that became an ad of support for the yearbook? Since they are both holding Jack Daniels, I would guess it was for a JD ad?

It would probably make National news nowadays and JD would be both accused and maybe even fined for placing an ad promoting alcohol with underage drinkers. Forget the fact that probably 10+- families were working for JD at the time and all they were trying to do is support the graduating class.

Yeh, times have changed.

-- Posted by stevemills on Fri, May 25, 2012, at 6:24 AM

It was not an ad, it was placed in the section titled "aquila staff" the students in the picture are listed as part of the staff.

-- Posted by Rodney Simmons on Fri, May 25, 2012, at 6:41 AM

Well with so many forms of media and watchdog groups out there today, so amny times innocent things like this are blown out of porportion and also with the "nanny state" mentality that government tends to have lately.

-- Posted by jaxspike on Fri, May 25, 2012, at 7:10 AM

Aquila staff? I am surprised the advisor missed this. Wonder if it was added after final approval. Kids will kids. :-)

A few years later I was "adult advisor" to a high school fraternity even though I was only about 10 years older than the kids. Drinking was on their mind and while I could not stop it, I tried to keep them safe when I found out about it.

We lost a fraternity "little sister" to an auto accident, but to the best of my recollection it was not alcohol related. If any of you fellows are reading this, I hope you remember her name, I do.

-- Posted by stevemills on Fri, May 25, 2012, at 8:49 AM

I graduated in 1976 ( from a different state) and the drinking age was 18 at the time..... it was changed the following year back to 21, so we were the "youngest" at the bars for 3 years since they did not take the "right" away from us, only changed it for everyone who had not at that point yet turned 21. I was married and had children so it did not change my life as a home body much but it was a big deal to many.

-- Posted by wonderwhy on Mon, May 28, 2012, at 9:33 AM

Yep, times have surely changed! I left Shelbyville in 1971, and the first liquor store had only been in operation for maybe a year. Before that, Bedford was in essence a dry county, with beer the only publicly available alchohol sold in the county.Sure, you could buy illegal liquor, but I am sure that was fairly risky.I remember my dad even having to go to a certain store on sunday to buy beer, since that wasn't sold on the Lords day.

-- Posted by mdstover on Mon, Jun 11, 2012, at 5:19 PM

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Rodney Simmons

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Rodney Simmons is a life long resident of Bedford County. He grew up in the Halls Mill area and graduated from Community High School. Rodney's career has primarily been in the construction industry and he holds a degree in Construction Management. Some of his hobbies include fishing, reading and writing. He presently lives in Shelbyville with his wife and two teenage children.

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