Mandela Hall campaign: QUBSU Council support demolition

Following the news that Queen’s have sanctioned major changes to the Student’s Union, the QUBSU Student Council have released a statement supporting the proposed refurbishment.

In her official statement, Student President Caoimhe McNeill positions herself as a mediator between the University and the student body. Stating that the changes have been proposed since 2011, having only gained momentum in the last few months, McNeill and her team worked with the University to investigate the feasibility of a major refurbishment or redevelopment of the building.

In the statement, Caoimhe McNeill said: “No formal decisions have been made about what might be included in any new redevelopment. The discussion on the size and shape of office space, social space, commercial space, campaigning space, Clubs and Societies resources and entertainments venues is still very much ongoing. But let me ensure you that this Student Officer team will be actively involved in the conversations and planning of what will go into the building and will make it a priority that these facilities best reflect the need of our members.”

The demolition of Mandela Hall has been proposed by QUB management

Whether this will affect the layout of the Union remains allusive, with many speculations appearing to centre around the loss of student venues such as Mandela Hall, Bunatee Bar, Bar Sub and the Speakeasy. Speaking of the changes, SU employee Paul Fletcher said: “I feel very concerned that such a massive change to the Queen’s landscape could so suddenly begin to be considered. Working in the SU for the past 8 years, I can’t understand people’s comments about the building being in such disrepair or needing a complete overhaul. The SU is a busy hub of student activity, with societies and clubs needing the space to hold events, meetings, and even conventions like QCON which attracted 5000 people last year and has been running for 23 years.

“With so much up in the air about the proposed developments, it’s hard to know if it will be for the benefit of the students, or simply Queen’s bank accounts.” Whether the plans go ahead remains to be seen, but what is certain is that Queen’s have divided opinions with this move. The future of the Student’s Union still remains in the balance.

Support the campaign against the Mandela demolition. Sign the petition here.