The Union has done all it can. If you’re still not having fun, perhaps it’s time to look inward
There are many fewer reasons for Imperial students to complain than there were just a year ago
So the Union’s £2.5 million refurbishment is finally coming to a close. The horrendous blue shed outside Metric will disappear and smoking builders in high-vis jackets will no longer grace Beit Quad. Even the decrepit lawn is being renewed. But as memories of asbestos grow faint in our minds and the constant thud and screech of construction work fades into the air, what will we think of our new Union?
In the past students have had good reason to complain. Queues in what is now FiveSixEight were unmanageable on busy nights and the decor gave little reason for either students or bar staff to respect and enjoy their bar. The club that came before Metric (we shall not speak its name) was beyond salvation. It was a muddled mess and frankly an embarrassment. And that’s before we get on to the service provided in these venues. Suffice it to say that the food in FiveSixEight is much improved and that the emphasis on live music in Metric shows that the Union is at last listening to its students.
The real test now, is less of the Union and its ability to deliver but more on the Imperial student. We shall now see whether it is actually possible to please your average Imperial student. Is there a way to satisfy his or her demands or will we be doomed to an eternity of: “It’s still not good enough”?
On balance, most students with any experience of other student unions in London will recognize that they now own something truly special. In fact, most students with experience of other bars and clubs in London will recognize that the new Union is pretty damn good.
But a few will continue to moan that the Union is lame, or full of guys, or some other intellectually lazy gripe. They will try to perpetuate the myth that Imperial is a place where it’s impossible to enjoy music and art and where the chance of finding love or adventure is virtually nil. It’s time to say ‘enough’ to those people. We cannot expect to have life handed to us on a plate, we must grab all the opportunities we encounter with both hands. And with the number of clubs and societies at Imperial, the overflowing excitement of London and the new Union bar and club, it’s time to quit moaning. The question “Why would anyone from UCL want to come to Imperial to hang out?” is redundant. It should now be, “Why would anyone from Imperial want to go hang out at UCL?”
