December 2011 Student jobs are secured at the Med The Med and the Red Room nighclub are closing down next April, but student jobs are protected by employee regulations the nightlife complex is about now. They Zsuzsanna Matyak said, “Village life wouldn’t be the same News Editor without these unique country inns and beautifully restored village pubs. Wel- tudent part-time jobs will be pre- coming, comfortable and often built served after The Meadowpark, around unique original features and a which incorporates the Med and roaring fire, there’s nowhere better to the Red Room, closes down in enjoy quality real ales and fresh sea- S sonal food.” early April 2012. Despite initial news that the Med will Although the outlet will be completely cease to exist in its current form in Jan- transformed, staff currently working on uary, Meadowpark confirmed to Brig the premises will be carried over under that Mitchells & Butlers will only take the provisions of the Transfer of Un- over the business at Easter next year. dertakings (Protection of Employment) The nationwide hospitality firm, which Regulations 2006, commonly known as runs around 2,000 managed pubs, bars, the TUPE regulations, which provide and restaurants throughout the UK, employment rights to employees when will revamp the building and convert their employer alters as a result of a the popular student pub and nightclub change of ownership. into one of the chain’s Village Pub and Neil Rankin, director of Kenilworth Kitchen outlets. Inns Ltd which currently operates Mitchells & Butlers wrote on its web- Meadowpark, said, “My staff will be site that this kind of business is a unique fully protected in this deal. You will still pub at the heart of the village, suggest- see some of the same faces, and going ing a completely different feel from what forward there will still be plenty oppor- continues on page 4 The Meadowpark will host a series of closing down parties Picture: Rajmund Bakonyi Protesters speak out: “We are here for the rest of the UK students” The new fee cap, which was pro- know, you might like them” and chant- table about the fees without an increase gentlemen’s handshake between univer- Aya Kawanishi posed last summer, means that Scottish ing “£9,000 courses? Are you kidding?” in the them.” sities and with the government, and I News Editor universities could charge as much as Charandeep Singh, the Students’ As- Stuart Tooley, the main organiser of don’t think that is the right way to agree £36,000 for a four-year degree to stu- sociation President at Strathclyde Uni- the protest, said that the RUK fees pro- a policy. oncerned students from Scot- dents from the rest of the UK. This was versity who led the chanting at the front- posals are a “shocking move”, and they He continued, “I think that this build- tish universities united to followed by the fee increase at universi- line, said, “We would urge the [Scottish] should be acting now to stop it from ing here, the Scottish Parliament, should march through Edinburgh to ties in England last year and led to allow Government to rethink the proposals happening. be the place for making decisions so that Cprotest against the maximum Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities and bring a new proposal back to the “The tag line for this whole demon- every MSP can be on record saying, ‘Yes, £9000 cap per annum for the rest of the to announce the maximum fee level, stration is: ‘No matter where you study. I voted for £36,000 courses.’” UK (RUK) students studying towards an making them one of the most expensive Protesters No matter where you are from. No to EUSA President Matt McPherson said, undergraduate degree. higher education institutions in the UK. called for £9,000 fees’, and that’s what we really “Education Secretary Michael Russell Mocking RUK, which stands for “the Ministers to want to be doing.” got together with representatives of eve- Enraged students from various Scot- rethink the rest of the UK”, the demonstration was tish universities gathered in front of new cap for Asked what his message would be to ry university in Scotland and they both called the RUKidding march and was the Scottish Parliament to set off for the RUK fees in the Scottish Government, he said, “It is set their agenda on the fee levels and to- organised by the Edinburgh University march, with placards reading: “SNP, November not fair to treat students this way. We day we are setting ours.” Student Association (EUSA) on 23 No- fight Scotland’s corner. Scrap RUK fee” Picture: weren’t consulted on this change prop- vember. and “Try lowering your fees. You never Rajmund Bakonyi erly. The decision was made through a continues on page 2 THE BEVVY SISTERS / SAT 10 DEC RODDY WOOMBLE’S CHRISTMAS HOOTENANNY / FRI 16 DEC SKERRYVORE / WED 28 DEC STIRLING’S HOGMANAY WITH RED HOT CHILLI PIPERS / SAT 31 DEC 2 Brig | December 2011 www.brignewspaper.com Brig News Editors: Graham Swann, Editorial Aya Kawanishi & Zsuzsanna Matyak News Email: [email protected] To get in touch with a sec- tion, email section and @ brignewspaper.com i.e. [email protected] Editor in Chief Iain Blackwood Editor@ Deputy Editors Daniel Nunan Jeremy Watssman News Editors Graham Swann Aya Kawanishi Zsuzsanna Matyak Politics Editors Elsa Andre Colm Currie Features Editors Anna Jordon Catriona McGale Music Editors Ross Dunn Top: Students stood up to fight for the future for those who wish to study in Scottish universities Andy McDonald Right top: Chanting echoed throughout the main streets of the Scottish capital Right bottom: Ken Macintosh, a Labour Party candidate, turned up to back up the demonstration Film Editors Pictures: Rajmund Bakonyi Laura Muir Stefanie Pryke new tuition fees had come in before, she is just not acceptable. £36,000 fees? would have never gone to the Univer- “The fees that St Andrews and Edin- Arts Editors sity. “Education is not a privilege and burgh have set are completely outra- Catriona Keddie RUKidding? should never be,” she said. geous. £36,000 for a degree is far too Another Edinburgh University student much.” continued from page 1 Zoe Tautz-Davis said, “Education is one The Scottish Labour leader candidate, Opinion Editors Patrick O’Hare, the president of the of the most important things that any- Ken Macintosh, who was also present at David Devereux one can have and the fact that you have the protest, showed “full backing to the Simon Ewing Students’ Association at St Andrews University, said that they came to show to pay so much money for it just doesn’t RUKidding campaign”. support for those from the rest of the make any sense.” He said, “I am pleased that EUSA has Game & Tech Editor UK, who make up more than a third of organised this march to protest against Jamie Wright the student population at Scotland’s the exorbitant rise in tuition fees for prestigious university. “We shouldn’t be “The fees that St An- RUK students and I have given my full Food Editor letting the SNP off the hook. 36% of our drews and Edinburgh backing to the RUKidding campaign. “Today is an opportunity for the SNP Victoria Pease students at St Andrews come from the rest of the UK. We are here to oppose have set are complete- Government to stop, listen to the pow- erful calls from Scotland’s students to Fashion Editor £36,000 fees for those 36% and to stand ly outrageous” “We had huge mobilisations of stu- alongside them.” change course and prevent Scotland’s Nicola Smith dents for the last five years and they Approximately 120 students were universities becoming the preserve of the rich.” are only getting bigger. Especially in present at the demonstration, accord- Scotland we are expecting probably a Sports Editors ing to the police personnel who were Representatives for University of Stir- Tooley, the main organiser, said that ling students were also present at the in the long term, they aim to scrap all few hundred more people than we had Scott Lorimer on duty on the day. The crowd met up a year ago and that may be because the Graeme Young in front of the Scottish Parliament and march. the fees for everyone studying in Scot- Luke Fenton, The Union President, land. “The ultimate goal is a long-term issues have gotten closer to home.” Stuart Kenny marched through the city towards the He continued, “Next year, these fees Scotland Office, the branch office of the said, “This isn’t a march just organised one and that’s to make sure in a few by Edinburgh University. They might be years time that there are no fees for are going to be coming in. Next year, Online Editor Westminster Government. our brothers and sisters will be paying Amongst the students was Emma the organisers of the event itself but it’s anyone studying anywhere. I know that Daniel Nunan for everybody in Scotland to show the sounds idealistic but actually I think we £36,000 fees to come to Edinburgh. I Meehan of Edinburgh University from still don’t think it is acceptable.” Somerset, England, who said that if the Scottish and UK Governments that this are making big progress on that. Head of Photography Rajmund Bakonyi photos@ Number of applications Music revolution starts in Stirling and interact much like myspace. Head of Advertising Ross Dunn “We have many facilities within Nash Riggins for universities drops Music Editor the site, the most effective being our Adverts@ or Editor@ not know the true picture until the fi- unsigned jukebox where bands can nal application numbers are released in upload a track which can then be Graham Swann ne Stirling man is ensur- Heads of Proofing January, but Westminster’s betrayal of searched for by genre, region, level ing that Scottish musi- Lydia Nowak News Editor students by trebling of fees down south and gigging radius.