UPDATE: Apparently, they’re renaming Mens Bar “Luther’s”, you just know that freshers will find that just as confusing and assume it’s a tribute to the cop show character played by Idris Elba.
The “Mens Bar” at Newcastle Uni Student Union still causes ructions apparently, despite the lack of apostrophe and that it’s short for “mens agitat molem”. Protestors suggest that it has patriarchal undertones and should be changed (they could name it The Wilko Bar after guitar-playing alumnus Wilko Johnson if they must). But, blame the Romans and their Latin tongue for choosing the word “mens” for mind…and no, it never was and still isn’t a male-only bar…
The second photo showing the same motto in heraldic masonry is on the chemistry building, the Bedson Building at Newcastle University, very apt for chemists.
