How we feel about Luther's Wetherspoons

The student’s union bar has reopened its doors and is back in business, introducing the new and shiny Luther’s Wetherspoons. With more seating, over 150 drinks to choose from AND a fabulous food menu, Luther’s is the new hot pick student pub in Toon.

Imagine getting a hangover fry up brekkie on campus and then heading to your 9am? The dream right?

Like every Spoons you go to, its a more affordable alternative - but with additional student deals, the pub is very cost-of-living friendly. Who wouldn’t choose a cheap hot meal over an expensive Coop meal deal?

Being open all day, Luther’s Bar is a great spot to take a break, socialise with friends and is a perfect mid-lecture study spot. The hiring of students, too, is an added bonus if you are needing to find some part-time work with flexible hours.

The potential debate floating amongst the student population is whether the University and the Student’s Union should have chosen Wetherspoons to partner up with for the rebuild. Why this chain when the Five Swans is five minutes away? And should they have tied the University's history with MLK to student drinking culture?

Here are some students opinions:

Faith Kelly: ‘I think it is a fair judgement of what the students want. I’ve seen more people there than when Starbucks [was] previously there. It’s more social and catered to the student ethos’.

Sam Norman: ‘Putting a Wetherspoons on campus strips away a lot of character from the student union and the University itself. I think paring the two has made it borderline comical. The point of the SU bar was to connect to the University’s values and history; MLK and his honorary degree fits that. Adding the ‘Wetherspoons layer’ just commercialises it’.

Libby Griffiths: ‘Luther’s before it became Wetherspoons has always sold alcohol with MLK as the figurehead of the venue. If there is an issue now since Luther’s has partnered up with Wetherspoons- I think there’s an element of classism to add to the discussion’.

Ross Bennett: ‘Dr. King was an icon of the civil rights movement and stood for more than £5 for three Hooches. It is especially inappropriate for Dr. King’s likeness to be used to advertise a chain ran by famous Brexiter Tim Martin’.

So what do we think? Overall, the popularity of the campus Wetherspoons has been hugely successful but is commercialising the relationship and history of the University the right choice made by NUSU board? We hope you all enjoy the discounts and keep an eye out on campus updates on @thecourieronline.