Student - January 18, 2011

Wageningen protest song goes nationwide

Education

A Wageningen student band, 'De Langstudeerdeers' has composed a winning protest song. They will sing 'Beste meneer Rutte' at the Malieveld in front of thousands of demonstrators this Friday.

The song goes like this: 'Dear Mr. Rutte, there goes your ideal. Hard working students deprived for real. The quality of education is going to fall to pieces. You impose this fine, we're gonna be misses.' With this breezy ballad, the Wageningen ensemble was told last Friday that they have won the protest song contest organized by the Dutch National Union of Students (LSVb). The prize: a place on the main podium of the student demonstration next Friday.
Lead man Hans Vermunt wondered last week if he could get together a live band on time for the performance. It is clear now that there is no money for a good backup. 'There is the equipment for the speakers, but you need festival loudspeakers for a live band. So we'll sing with an audio recording unless someone comes up with money.'
To put up as good a show as possible, Vermunt and his companions have revised their recording. 'It now sounds better than the YouTube version. We will practise a lot more so that we know the lyrics by heart', says Vermunt.
To find out if you too should protest, listen to the Dutch Prime Minister's opinion concerning higher education here.
Registrations for the demonstration have been pouring in. On Facebook, 10,200 people have signed up. For bus transport from Wageningen, 360 people have already signed up.
This is the winning protest song: