QUB’s appeal for grads to fund SU demolition is despicable

It demonstrates their blatant lack of regard for what we want


Yesterday, it was quietly revealed in a questionnaire sent to QUB graduates that the university is looking for methods of funding for it’s new (entertainment devoid) Student Centre – along with the demolition of Mandela Hall.

More specifically, they are looking for funding from past students at the university. The same students that I’m sure have happy memories in Mandela Hall and all the other venues that Queen’s looks to get rid of.

Ben Clock playing at his sold-out show

Queen’s Student’s Union has been the host to key events in the musical history of Belfast, from a number of gigs from punk legend’s Stiff Little Fingers (Who tweeted in support of cancelling the demolition), to the now mythic Radiohead secret show, to more recently the rise of Bicep, currently the most important musicians today in Belfast. All of them came to Mandela. There is magic in that place. Magic that is not found in any other Belfast venue. If we lose it, there is nothing that can replace what it offers.

Mandela gives us both scale and intimacy. Perfect for intense DJ sets, hundreds crowded together, all sharing in the same experience. It’s perfect for up and coming bands, not quite ready to fill the Odyssey, but too big for anywhere else. At Mandela you get the chance to see a band right before they take over the world (like the aforementioned Radiohead, for example). It’s Belfast’s answer to Prague’s Lucerna Music Bar.

A post on the Save Mandela Hall facebook page

We have seen Belfast go from strength to strength as a city in the last few years. From a place most people wanted to get out of, to a place they want to grow in. We have seen it go from a fractured, anxious, post-war city to recently being voted the Guardians “Best UK Travel” city. This is thanks to the bars and entertainment venues, and spirit that we have to offer. Belfast will continue to grow, and if it’s allowed to, Mandela Hall will be an important part of that – as it always has been.

 

I don’t think you’d be far wrong in saying that Queen’s fantastic Student’s union is one of the reasons it’s so respected, and if it was gone, it would definitely lose some of that respect. Arthur Caulfield, Computer Science student at Magee said: “I’m a student at Ulster university and I know the pain of a deteriorating Students’ Union. Queen’s SU is the only place left for students to go in Northern Ireland.”

Not only will the destruction of Student’s Union damage university life as we know it, it will damage the cultural life of Belfast as a whole.

This is a clear signal that Queen’s does not listen to the wishes and needs of it’s student body. Nearly 9,000 people have signed a petition to cancel the demolition, and yet we have not heard one peep from university staff behind the proposal. There needs to be significant discussion before anything goes ahead, because as a whole this is not what we want.

Mandela Hall also offers cinema and comedy nights

The Students’ Union is a vital part of life at Queen’s. Populated and ran by students, the Union offers a place to socialise, run clubs, campaign and a whole host of other activities important to becoming a well rounded individual. It employs students, gives them experience working behind a bar or as stage crew which can be valuable if they want to go travelling or work in these environments after graduation. And it is populated by students, not just from Queens but all over.

I hope none of these graduates help fund these plans. I hope they remember their days at the SU. Post lecture pints, post-formal parties, concerts, clubs, romances in the Speakeasy. I hope they remember all this and decline Queen’s request. Because if they need to see how much the SU means to Belfast, they can go at around 10pm on a Friday, and look at how many people will line up for hours just to get in.

If you’d like Queen’s to hear your voice, you can fill out the questionnaire sent to graduates.

You can also sign the petition here and keep up-to-date on their Facebook page