U-LOSE, Students
A building stands upon Malet Street. To many freshers, it is innocuous: ‘Student Central’, a repository of shops, bars and cafes. A club night with a confusing membership system. Others, however, remember what once was, and what can never be again: The University of London Union.
ULU. An acronym which sends shivers down the spine. Nostalgia, regret, anger. For a year, the residents of campaigned against the impending closure by the University of London, but to no avail. Protest was shouted from the streets, but not heard. Occupations were made, but not heeded. Petitions were delivered, but not regarded.
Functionally, there is little difference between now and then. Canteens, cafes and Bars operate much as they once did. The upper floors, however, which once housed democratically elected officers overlooking the interests of students are now empty, or maybe smeared in pigs blood or something. You never know with bureaucrats.
One of the things now absent from students’ lives in this new reality is the London Student newspaper, purported to have been Europe’s largest student publication before its defunding, coin- cidentally following a year of rabid op- position to UoL management. Funny, that.
Rabid Packs Of Actors Roving The Streets
UCL’s thespians suffered further heartbreak this summer as their attempt to commandeer the Harrie Massey Lecture Theatre was thwarted by an angry physics department.
After the Garage Theatre was swallowed up by the Architecture department and turned into an electricity substation last year, former Activities and Events Officer (AEO) Doris Chen led a campaign to find a new performing space.
In March, Chen triumphantly announced the relocation of the Garage Theatre to the Harrie Massey. However, this was met with vehement opposition, as the Physics Department, including their Head, Dr. Jon Butterworth, coalesced to save their crown jewel.
Chen, in an open letter published on the UCLU website, called for students “not to take a divisive approach”. Not everone took heed, though, and one student complained about the use of the space “for some idiotic hippy activity”.
Eventually, the plans were scrapped. Current AEO Sabeeh Rasool now has the unenviable task of finding a pocket of space on UCL’s already crammed campuses for performances to take place.
A permanent location is yet to be found, and Rasool refused to divulge any proposed plans, saying, “We don’t want a physics part two”.
So for now, UCLU Arts societies will have to lead a nomadic existence in the form of a “roaming garage” to create a temporary theatre for each show.
The Lecturers Strike Back
The University and College Union (UCU), which represents academic, lec- turers and researchers, have announced another day of strike action, which will see lessons disrupted, banners raised aloft, and awkard sidling across the picket lines for non-participating mem- bers of staff.
Contrary to the discussion in the UCL Academic board meeting in May, where a settlement was apparently reached to prevent further industrial ac- tion, October 14th will see yet another protest for fair pay.
External Affairs & Campaigns Officer Omar Raii told The Cheese Grater “UCLU fully supports the public sector strikes and the demand for fair pay. It is unacceptable that as the government peddles the idea that there’s been some sort of economic recovery, ordinary people are not feeling it in any way in terms of their wages”.
But if one day of action isn’t enough to whet your anti-establishment appetite, worry not, for on November 19th there is a national anti-cuts, free education march attempt- ing to emulate the protest of 2010. Come one, come all…scratch your protest itch, just don’t be too surpised if a light case of kettling breaks out.