FORA BALANCED i Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh EHB 9YL VIEW Tel: 031-667 1011 ext 4308 13 February-1 March GET EXHIBITION CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE {University Torrie Collection still on show) Tues-Fri 10 am-5 pm Admission Free Subsidised by the Scottish Arts Council DAILY Thursday, February 23, 1989 20p MARCH REVIEWS Dessie Fahy gets Full report and Bernstein's Mass, page 13 dizzy ~ith sketch of Vinyl, page 10 THROWING march and rally, Deadringers, back page MUSES page 3 8-page Sports supplement inside Interview, page 7 • EUSA Secretary charged after anti-loans demonstration CO IS' ICe eEnO by Cathy Milton THE SECRETARY of the Students' Association was arrested after sabbaticals staged a spontaneous protest which ended in scuffles bet­ ween students and police last Thursday. Mark Wheatley appeared in Edinburgh District Court on Tuesday charged with breach of the peace after students success­ . fully blockaded the car park of the Scottish Office for 15 minutes_. Police decided to drop charges against Wheatley and the 'news· editor of Brig (Stirling University newspaper) aJthough they said they had enough evidence to pro­ ceed. The illegal action followed a joint EUSA/NUS march through Edinburgh last Thursday in pro­ test at government plans to intro­ duce a loans scheme for student financing and was the climax of EUSA's Week of Action. Three cars· and one moiorcycle were prevented from leaving the car park as students sat down in both exits. About one hundred students took part in the protest, which was supervised by three of the four sabbaticals who used walkie-tal­ Action at last Thursday's EUSA demo outside the Scottish Office. kies to co-ordinate the action. News of the pi aimed action was around. ·deciding what to do, police began Ryan ori his walkie-talkie. sets of police while some die-hard spread by word of mouth alone At 4.30 pm each group moved lifting students off the road and When the reinforcements protesters remained seated, until late on Thursday afternoon into position. Sabbaticals used depositing ·them onto the pave­ . realised they had arrived too late adding to the confusion. when slips of paper were distri- · their walkie-talkies to ensure that ment. they ran back to the Broughton . One group of police began buted among demonstrators that the action was synchronised. By now the mood of the protes- Street exit. pushing students towards read simply At the exit nearest the bus sta- ters had changed from tense to Once protesters at this exit Broughton Street while another OCCUPATION tion Mark Wheatley and Paul angry. There was som·e pushing realised that staff were free to group refused to let them ,At 4.30 pm two groups will be Ryan (EUSA Vice-President) and shoving as a few students leave via the other exit, most through. gathering (i) in the St James's were supervising the action. attempted to resist the police. · decided that it was pointless to Several students, including at Centre; (ii) in the St Andrew Both groups were tense and In a matter of minutes persist with the protest. least one woman, were knocked · Square Bus Station. chanted anti-goYernment slogans the exit'was cleared and staff from Students began io move· onto to the ground and Malcolm Mac- · In. the event the police presence. sporadically while they waited for the Scottish Office were able to Broughton Street but were turned leod fell over as police pushed him at both locations showed that the ' police to act. drive out of the car park. back by police who seemed to .from behind. attempt to keep the police in the Police focused on the exit near It was at ·this point that-about 25 indicate they should leave After several minutes of pushing dark had not been entirely sue- the bus station. First they students from the other exit · through the car·park. and shoving the group emerged cessful. announced that the protest would arrived to "help Mark" who was When students attempted to do on Broughton Street, whereupon Students posing as shoppers or be permitted to remain for two by now in the back of a police van this, they were again turned back most students left. , by the police. Students now found bus passengers were quickly.spot- minutes. from where he was still com­ Continued on page 2 ted by police who followed them While the protesters were still municating with Macleod and themselves trapped between two I 2 Thursday, February23.1989 NEWS STUDENT I NUScallsfor"biggest EUSA CENSURES student demo ever" NEW CHAPLAIN THE National Union of Stu­ The Edinburgh contingent will then assemble outside Embank­ dents is hoping that Satur­ plaint was the fact' that student ment tube station at about 10.30 by Aileen McColgan homosexuals. Fears have been day's march through London where students who do not go expressed that his appointment opinion had not been listened to. will be the ·biggest student · down by the EUSA bus can join will cause the work of the Chap­ Although the student body was demonstration ever. them. laincy to change direction and that entitled to two seats on the The whole demonstration will AS CONTROVERSY this will prove detrimental to the appointing committee, only one EUSA is sending two buses mounts over the University's needs of students. of these had been taken up after down. Tickets cost £7 and are depart from Victoria Embank­ ment at 12 noon for a rally at Ken­ appointment of Dr Robert Ian Alexander, the Convener EUSA received assurances that available at the EUSA offices in of Divinity, said that there was, in student opinion would be seri­ Bristo Square. nirtgton Park at 2 pm. Anderson to the post of Edinburgh students can then New College, "a feeling that this is ously considered. The student Chaplain, sources within Old a bad appointment. There is wide­ representative had voted against The bus will leave on Friday at meet up in the Cambridge - a College report that the 11 pm from outside the Appleton pub close to the Leicester Square spread agreement on this covering Anderson, with the whole panel Tower. It is due to arrive in Lon­ tube station. The bus back to authorities are considering all shades of theological opinion split 4-~ in favour. don at about 8 am at Waterloo Edinburgh will leave from Water­ what action to take to check - from liberal to conservative." The new Chaplain was a lecturer Bridge bus depot. loo Bridge bus depot at 11 pm. the row. There are worries too .not only on in Kenya for some years. It is theological grounds, but · also alleged that his views resulted in Despite evidence of widespread because of the conceived harm his removal from the post because unrest, Mr Alex Currie, Secretary that the controversy will cause the he was unable to reconcile his EUSA to administer to the University, insists that . Chaplaincy Centre. beliefs to what was going on there is no reason to rethink the Norman Shanks, ex-Chaplain around him. decision. to the University, told Student: "I Anderson has been minister in EUSA is firmly opposed to the regret very much the fact that Overton, near Wishaw, for two appointment and has launched a there is controveorsy over the years. The usual duration of such loans scheme a post is five years, and he will petition in protest to which it appointment. It is bad for the Uni­ hopes to gain 60 to 70 per cent of versity and the Chaplaincy." require a special licence to be staff and student signatures, Although he was tempted, he excused this and take up his duties said, to comment on the choice of as Chaplain in Edinburgh. Some by Ewen Ferguson of a university lecturer too. The problem stems from candidate, he felt it inappropriate opponents have said that they are Malcolm Macleod, President of Anderson's well-publicised stance in the circumstances. dissatisfied with his declared EUSA, believes this initiative will against AIDS, which he believes A source in the Divinity Faculty reasons for leaving his present OLD College has agreed in to be "the judgement of God" on pointed out that a major corn- position. principle that administration cut out much time-wasting by enabling the student to "simply of their small loans scheme pop in" to the Advice Place, pick should be transferred to the up a form, and take it to the newly opened Advice Place, Association offices where the sig­ Treasury silent on thus making it easier for stu­ natures of a sabbatical and dents to obtain money in EUSA's permanent Welfare times of financial crisis. Officer will immediately release At present it is possible for a money. White Paper's aims student to borrow £120 in total Mr Macleod has no qualms from Old College. Proof that about this initiative-in fact, he is finance is not forthcoming from delighted: "One of my election by Aileen McColgan help to expand university places increased access to the system. any bank is required, in addition promises was for EUSA to oper­ by up to 50 per cent, and radically The latter is not mentioned in the to a sabbatical's signature and that ate a small loans scheme," he said. widen access to higher education. objectives of the White Paper as . TREASURY officials have His suggestions have, however, set out in its first paragraph. refused either to confirm or left Treasury officials "remarka- A Treasury spokesperson told Burns retains Presidency deny allegations by a leading bly unenthusiastic". They have Student, in response to Barr's academic that the aim of the informed him, he told Student, proposals, that the White Paper's recent White Paper propos­ that they are largely uninterested scheme would be implemented.