Concrete 326

10

Meet the Editors!

Concrete’s new team introduce themselves on pages 10 - 11.

10th June 2016 Issue 326

The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk

Three quarters of UEA students to vote Stay in Brexit Referendum 77% of UEA students want to remain

Poll contradicts Norfolk Brexit trend

Emily Hawkins As the referendum on British membership to the European Union draws ever closer, UEA students appear to be leaning towards the Remain camp.

Yet, there has been increasing apathy on a national scale amongst young people towards the debate.

At UEA, only 300 people out of 15,000 potential students answered a mock EU Referendum Poll: less than 2% of the student population.

The Observer has reported only 47% of 18 - 24 year olds will definitely vote on June 23. A recent debate in Norwich, chaired by Jon Snow, attempted to address this. However, many students felt that they had been entirely ignored, and in some cases patronised, throughout the debate.

Connor Robbins, Natural Science third year, said, “ I care about the result, but everyone is kind of set in their side already and discussion hasn’t really been productive when there are so many contrary statistics and predictions being peddled by both sides. I haven’t been ignored, but my opinion hasn’t been asked either.”

UEA’s Student Union hosted a series of debates on the upcoming referendum.

Concrete News attended one of these events in May. Andrew Lansley, Natalie Bennett, Chris Bryant MP, and UEA’s own Vice Chancellor, David Richardson represented the Remain camp. On the Leave side of the debate were Stuart Agnew, Richard Bacon MP, and Paul Chambers. It was chaired

by Campaigns and Democracy Officer Chris Jarvis.

Natalie Bennet, Leader of the Green Party, said “I feel like young people’s voices have been entirely missing from this debate, we’ve allowed it to be reduced to a series of soundbites about bombs and bananas when actually we’re talking about peace on mainland Europe, the future of clean energy jobs, our ability to tackle climate change,

L-R: Charles Clarke, Richard Howitt, Hilary Benn, Emma Reynolds, Clive Lewis Photo: Twitter, Richard Howitt

major issues that will affect this generation more than any other.

“The best way for young people to make politicians listen to them is to make sure you go out and vote.”

Bennett questioned the quality of the debate, particularly that coming from the current Conservative government. She said, “In the mainstream media is a pretty dreadful quality of debate, [with] a Tory leadership contest masquerading as a referendum debate.”

Andrew Lansley, a Conservative peer in the House of Lords, told students to use their vote above all else, as the issue of EU membership matters more to the next generation than to his.

77

%

15

%

8%

Said they thought Britian should remain a member of the European Union.

Felt that Britain should leave the European Union.

Were undecided about the future of the UK and the European Union.

UEA’s Vice Chancellor David Richardson talked about why he felt staying in the EU was important to higher education institutions, speaking of EU research networks for climate change and other academic areas.

Regarding environmental research, one of UEA’s internationally acclaimed endeavours, he said working internationally was crucial because “greenhouse gases do not respect country borders.”

Richardson also praised the Erasmus scheme, arguing without EU membership the university would benefit less from international student exchanges. Other speakers Continued on page 4

Union hypocrisy over NUS Coca Cola boycott Jessica Frank-Keyes & Caitlin Doherty The Union of UEA Students has opened itself up to accusations of hypocrisy by placing tables and umbrellas displaying Coca Cola branding and imagery outside Unio coffee shop. Last summer, four Union officers refused to accept an award from the NUS, as the Gala event was partially sponsored by Coca Cola.

Jo Swo, Yinbo Yu, Chris Jarvis and Liam McCafferty instead walked onto stage carrying a banner declaring “Boycott Coca Cola: Free Palestine”, as a form of protest against the establishment of Coca Cola production factories in Israeli Palestinian settlements. The Union’s actions at the NUS event were in line with the principle of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy. This is a global movement known colloquially as BDS. It is intended as a “global citizen’s response” to the State of Israel’s alleged occupation of the Palestinian territory.

The tables have appeared on Union property during the exam term, despite these earlier protests.

When asked for comment regarding the discrepancies between last summer’s protest action and the clear branding on this campus equipment and the potential hypocrisy this represents, the Union refused to comment, instead referring Concrete back to last summer’s statements.

Chris Jarvis, Campaigns and Democracy officer, said at the time that the decision to carry out that protest was taken “in line with our own Union of UEA Students policy in support of the BDS movement, and in solidarity with the 9 NUS Full-time officers and 11 other members of the NUS NEC, we have chosen to withdraw our support from the NUS Awards 2015,” The Union said at the time that: “The Union’s management committee took a majority vote to not to accept the award at the ceremony itself, due to the NUS Awards and Gala dinner being partly sponsored by Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd.”

10th June 2016

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Editorial Stepping into the biggest of shoes Jessica Frank Keyes & Caitlin Doherty

COMMENTCartoon

Dougie Dodds

In, Out and just too expensive

Megan Baynes

I

’ve always been somewhat suspicious of change. I know how I like my coffee, I hated iOS 7 and I’ll chose a film photo over a digital any day. However, coffee and polaroids aside, sometimes it can be a good thing, as it brings with it new challenges and adventures. It is on that note I’m pleased to introduce the new Concrete editorial team for 201617. As we wave a — somewhat tearful — farewell to the old team, I know we will continue the legacy set by them. Concrete has grown as a publication over the past year, (after all, it’s now officially the best student publication in the country) and I know each and every one of our new editors is looking forward to continuing the work Dan, Joe, Peter and the rest of the team began. Head over to p.10 to get to know them all a bit better, and we look forward to working with even more UEA students in September.

This year will almost certainly continue to be one of change.

Regardless of how you lean in the upcoming EU Referendum, and regardless of the outcome, the following year will no doubt continue to see great change in UK politics. However, in the same week that students were shot in Papua New Guinea for protesting Prime Minister O’Neill (p.6) it was revealed that only 40 percent of 1824 year olds are planning on voting in the upcoming referendum. Our cover story looks at UEA’s attempts to increase discussion amongst students about the referendum however, with many young people feeling patronised and left out of the debate, is it too late?

From the EU to UEA, change is all around us as Concrete prints again...

However, this does beg the question: as tuition fee rises are threatened, and cuts expanded, can we truly be upset about the choices our government is making if we refused to be a part of the decisionmaking process in the first place? So, whether or not you lean in, out, or somewhere in the middle, the 23rd

“Can we truly be upset about the choices our government is making if we refused to be a part of the decision-making process in the first place?” of June is one of the rare chances you possess to directly affect UK politics. The bureaucratic barrier is temporarily dispersed, and it’ll be you, a booth and a decision to make. Don’t waste the opportunity.

Or, don’t waste the opportunity and then complain when it doesn’t go the way you want it to.

Big changes will continue across the rest of the world in the coming months. On Wednesday night Hilary was declared the presumptive nominee by American media, although the official decision will not come until the democratic convention next week (p.10). Having lived in America for the past year,

and witnessed ‘Trumpmania’ first hand (I can confirm, I have heard him speak in person, and yes he is totally serious), the face of American politics, and consequently the rest of the world, is set for a big change.

In the coming months we will either see the election of the first female President, or the first American dictator.

Elections are all around us: Malia Bouattia, newly elected NUS president, recently visited UEA to launch her diversity campaign (p.3). However, with increasing disenchantment demonstrated by referendums on disaffiliation from the NUS being held across the country, her term is certain to be an interesting one. No stranger to controversy herself, Bouattia is attempting to tackle the growing divide between NUS members and their representatives. Whether or not this will be successful, only time will tell.

This year UEA continues to develop and change its campus as new accomodation was opened this month (p.7). The amenities offered at Hickling and Barton House are a slightly more luxurious alternative to cheaper options provided by Mary Chapman Court, and the Ziggurats.

But with a price tag far exceeded the standard non-means tested maintainance loan allocated by the government it is yet to be seen if this will be a change welcomed by UEA students.

There’s not doubt that the upcoming year is going to be a big one, globally, and not just for Concrete. However as we enter our 25th year of publication we welcome the chance to celebrate the past as well as look forward to the challenges that the future holds.

We can’t believe we’re finally here.

Whilst the Media Office has always secretly felt like home, it feels very different to be sitting here amidst the madness of our first production weekend, with the reputation of the Best Student Publication in the UK resting on our panicked and tensed shoulders! We’re composing this an entire sixteen minutes from deadline. Start as you mean to go on, or so they say.

Do we have time to tell you how we started out at Concrete?

Not really, and we feel our new Editor-in-chief shaking her head in exasperation at us from across the Atlantic Ocean already, but in the hopes of inspiring even one of you to pluck up the confidence to get involved, we’ll find the time.

(Thirteen minutes and counting…)

After arriving at UEA in September 2014, English Lit student Caitlin wasted no time in scurrying towards the media centre with her journalistic aspirations and literary credentials in tow. Her now partner-in-crime, History and Politics student Jessica, was a bit slower, but no less ambitious, in getting started, taking until January to put pen to paper on a topic no less worthy than the visit of some local farm animals to the UEA square. Better late than never? After meeting handing out copies of the paper at last year’s Soc Mart, sizing each other up, and several Post-PubPubs later: a plan was hatched for joint world domination. But how to set this in motion?

A year as Global and News Section Editors respectively seemed like a good start. Learning InDesign was a struggle of fairly gargantuan proportions for two admitted technophobes, but the Macs, however uncooperative at first, are now beaten into submission and we PDF, export and baseline grid to our heart’s content. Stressful, exhilarating and downright terrifying at times, the past year has nonetheless been the perfect baptism of fire for stepping into the glamorous shoes of our former deputy editor Peter Sheehan. After teaching us everything we know about InDesign, Photoshop and the Red Bar, it’s no wonder its taking the two of us to carry his torch. Thank you.

We’re thrilled to be carrying on the work of our former Editorsin-chief and we hope to continue Concrete’s success for all its writers, editors and readers. We know that we all have a lot to live up to and we hope to do you proud. Here’s to a fantastic year!

(With four minutes to spare...)

Caitlin & Jess

The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper since 1992 Friday 10th June 2016 Issue 326 Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk Editor-in-Chief Megan Baynes concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editors Jessica Frank-Keyes Caitlin Doherty concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Online Editor James Chesson concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News Emily Hawkins Senior Reporter: Amanda Ng concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Global Ollie Watts Senior Reporter: Milly Godfrey concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features Lillie Coles Lydia Lockyer concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Comment Charlie Dwyer concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Science&Environment Sophie Christian concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Travel Jennifer Redfern concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Sport Richard Ewart Nick Murphy concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy-Editor Molly Burgess concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Copy-Editor Molly Slaughter concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Marketing Director Katie Gleeson Email TBC Social Media Coordinator Charlotte Spencer Email TBC Events Manager Sam Naylor Email TBC Editorial Enquiries concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Complaints & Corrections concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

No part of this newspaper may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the Editor-in-Chief, Megan Baynes. Published by the Union of UEA Students on behalf of Concrete.

Concrete is a UUEAS society, but retains editorial independence as regards to any content. Opinions expressed herein are those of individual writers, not of Concrete or its editorial team.

News

4

10th June 2016

>> Foul play in local elections: Posters vandalised and MPs libelled.

Malia Bouattia visits UEA to launch diversity campaign Emily Hawkins Malia Bouattia, the NUS President elect, visited UEA to participate in a panel discussion on institutional racism in education as part of the Why Is My Curriculum So White? campaign.

The campaign, founded at University College London in 2014, encourages discussions about the alleged alienation and oppression of black and minority ethnic (BME) students in UK universities.

Bouattia also spoke out against David Cameron’s apparent “tokenising” of black students.

Cameron claimed the government is endeavouring to investigate the black attainment gap in higher education. Bouattia said that BME students have waited too long for change: “surely we want better. If our education system has a hand in creating systems of oppression, we want better”.

Despite acknowledging the benefits of further education in the wider societal context and the potentil for emancipation of BME students, she feels that BME students are at a significant disadvantage within the British education system, something that she hopes this campaign can rectify.

“I’ve repeated oppression a lot, but there’s no other way to put it than that”. According to Bouattia, campaigns like this are “two-fold.

They’re about...dismantling any inherent barriers of our institutions, but they’re also about informing people.”

Furthermore, she believes it naive to think that awareness of equality and oppression go hand in hand with intelligence. “We shouldn’t just assume that because we’re in higher education ,everyone gets it. We didn’t get it, those of us

Malia Bouattia and panellists discuss the ‘Why is my curriculum so White?’ campaign. Photo: Jo Swo that are on the frontline of these campaigns once upon a time did not understand.”

Her main criticisms of the curriculum originate in humanities subjects. “Traditionally it starts in arts and humanities departments, you see this within history, literature, philosophy in particular.”

Despite this apparent attack of arts and humanities subjects, Malia has little to say on the matter in regards to scientific subjects, however, still assserts that students of all disciplines should be aware of this alleged discrimination.

“There’s a process of informing and educating, but engaging people and they can see their role in this

wider campaign and how it fits into our overall goal of social justice and liberation..”

When questioned on her policies, and small mandate at only 50.9 per cent, and the consequent encouragement of several universities, including UEA neighbours Cambridge and Essex, to hold referenda on membership of the NUS, her answers were fairly vague. She returned to the idea of community, seemingly dismissing her critics.

Bouattia stated that: “generally, there is strength in unity and our efforts are amplified when they are collective”. She described NUS liberation campaigns as “incredible

spaces”. However, she chose to not to respond to questions regarding how the NUS plans to convince disenchanted students and unions across the country of the benefits of remaining affiliated. They will engage with community groups who are non-affiliated to students, but naturally staying together under the organisation or umbrella, only furthers strength and opportunities where officers and students on the ground can access spaces of training, conferences, networking spaces and generally be like informed and have access to resources and toolkits. So there’s just really I’d say ultimately a lot of strength in unity.”

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>> Local election 2016 roundup.

COMMENT Jessica FrankKeyes discusses the illegitimacy of the NUS At the panel launch she declined to discuss the allegations of antiSemitism and accusations of being an ISIS sympathiser that met her election and also refused to comment on the widening gulf between how the NUS perceives itself and how it is viewed by its members.

The NUS has been attempting to tackle the growing divide between its members and their representatives. Referendums on disaffiliation from the NUS are being held at universities across the country: a clear indication of the strength of the disenchantment felt by its student membership.

Bouattia’s own election, which took place on the final day of the NUS National Conference in April, saw the the successful candidate achieve a mandate of only 50.9%.

This figure is used by Bouattia and her supporters to claim the legitimacy “to enact the policies voted for by students at our national conference”. A bold claim – and one which is unsupported by any statistical evidence.

The turnout at UEA in the 2016 NUS delegate elections was 224 individual students. At an institution of over 15,000, that represents 1.57% of the student body, a shockingly low turnout that reflects the national picture.

How anyone can claim that UEA’s students are effectively represented by their delegates – or that they have a voice over NUS policy – is a mystery.

The lack of accountability that the NUS and its leadership feel entitled to is shocking; a refusal to engage with media is a hallmark of an undemocratic organization. Happy to sneer at the “ordinary students” it relies on in its existence, the NUS must change its dismissive attitude, or risk losing the little legitimacy it has still clinging to.

Muslim students avoiding involvement with university politics Concerns over being labelled extremists are deterring students from participating in radical SU campaigns

Alice Spencer Muslim students are avoiding participation in politics for fear of being labelled extremist, according to the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS). The organisation, which represents nearly half a million Muslim students in the UK, issued their warning before the details of the Queen’s speech were announced on 18th May. While the Counter Extremism and Safeguarding Bill outlined in the Queen’s speech did not include previously reported plans for the creation of an anti-extremism register accessible to employers,

FOSIS’s Vice President, Yusuf Hassan, stated UK law in general still risks criminalising Muslim students. Hassan argued while the Queen’s speech may have been “watered down”, his organisation is still concerned by “a wider narrative to restrict engagement with political discourse”.

The Government’s antiextremism ‘Prevent’ strategy already requires public bodies such as the General Medical Organisation to communicate to its members “the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. Muslim students training to be doctors or nurses are said to be the most

constrained by government policies to tackle Islamic extremism, fearing jeopardising their careers if they get involved with campaigns that appear sympathetic to Islam.

“The vague nature of what constitutes extremism is forcing Muslim students to police themselves.”

The president of a London university’s Islamic society told the Middle East Eye that Muslims studying medicine or nursing are “already concerned about being

written up by the General Medical Council (GMC) for doing anything political”.

Critics of the government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy have suggested Muslim students are especially cautious owing to the absence of any precise definition of what extremism is. Hassan said, “the vague nature of what constitutes extremism is forcing Muslim students to police themselves” on their campuses.

In April, in what many have called a sign of organised dissent against the government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy, the National Union of Students elected as president Malia Bouattia, a prolific organiser of their

‘Students not Suspects’ campaign.

Concerns about the ostracising potential of government antiextremism policies have also been expressed by teachers in primary and secondary education. In March, the National Union of Teachers warned the strategy would cause “suspicion in the classroom and confusion in the staffroom”.

The government, however, has previously justified its line of action as necessary to prevent young people becoming radicalised, with Jo Johnson, the Higher Education minister, stating universities were an “important arena for challenging extremist views”.

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News Continued from page 1 stressed that there are countries partaking in the Erasmus scheme who are not EU members, and that membership is not necessary for European academic partnerships.

Agnew argued that there were 33 countries participating in Erasmus, and 28 in the EU. Democratic concerns were also debated at the event. Bennett, a strong advocate for reform in the UK political system, argued that whilst the EU may have undemocratic elements, “Westminster is a very long way from being perfect,” the British public hasnít given up on parliamentary democracy, and argued for reforms instead.

Concrete asked Richard Bacon MP about reforms to the British parliamentary system, to which he said “Don’t forget we had referendum on changing the voting system and it was defeated. We have a reasonable amount of consent for the UK government; perfection isn’t the issue consent is.”

As many students pointed out using the debates’s hashtag #EUrefUEA, the debate featured an all-white panel with only one female speaker. On the issue of a lack of diversity in the general debate, Bennett said, “That’s one of the things I really worry about in terms of the impact on turnout and the impact on young people in particular. I would say there is a real responsibility on the Union, on the university to get different voices into this debate, thatís going to help people feel like “this is my debate”, which it is, it is their future which

is intimately involved and affected by this, but they need to hear from different voices.”

At the televised Channel 4 News debate held at Norwich Castle which many UEA students participated in, Jon Snow advised UEA students to ask questions regarding peace and climate change. He said, “the broadcasting companies and media

“Natalie Bennett: leader of the Green Party, said “I feel like young people’s voices have been entirely missing from this debate, we’ve allowed it to be reduced to a series of soundbies about bombs and bananas when actually we are talking about peace on mainland Europe, the future of clean energy jobs, our ability to tackle climate change, major issues that will affect this generation more than any other.” generally are under instructions to give a balanced account of both sides and that can skew the debate, and that is problem.

“In the old days before social media, politicians had to go around and meet people and actually try to persuade them I don’t see that

COMMENT

COMMENT Charlie Dwyer argues that the UK is better off as a member of the EU If there’s an factor that’s sure to throw even the most convinced advocate of EU membership, its the Union’s intimate involvement in pushing for the introduction of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Why would any self-respecting anticorporatist wish their nation to be connected with such a terrifying leap towards a neoliberal global economy? Well, why on earth would one expect Brexit to make the threat disappear? We are led by one of the most aggressively right-wing governments on the continent. While Francois Hollande speaks out against the unregulated free trade TTIP would bring, our own Prime Minister promises to put ‘rocket boosters’ behind the drive towards the deal.

The desire of prominent EU officials to grant these unprecedented powers to corporate interests is undeniable, but it is foolish to assume that the neoliberal threat resides solely in Brussels. By distancing ourselves from the EU we leave ourselves increasingly susceptible to its influence. Our world is absolutely facing a political crisis, but turning our backs and insisting we are better off alone is not the solution.

Election 2016 Elliot Folan Norwich Labour Party retained control of Norwich City Council in last month’s elections, while Norfolk’s Independent Police and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Bett, lost his bid for reelection and was replaced by Conservative Lorne Greene.

Labour

Within Norwich, Labour gained 4 seats from the Green Party, increasing their majority on the city council. In University ward, which contains UEA, Labour increased its vote share to 59%, while the Greens dropped to 16%, their lowest vote share since 2007. Labour gained the wards of Nelson ward (the Golden Triangle area), Town Close, Mancroft and Wensum from the Greens.

Labour also came second in the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner election, losing to the Conservatives by 9 percentage points in the final round.

Green Party

As well as losing 4 council seats within Norwich to Labour, the Greens came last in the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner election with 6% of the vote.

The Greens did hold onto the Norwich seat of Thorpe Hamlet, leaving them with 10 seats on Norwich City Council to Labour’s 26 and the Liberal Democrats’ 3.

Conservatives

Jake Roberts discusses the undemocratic nature of the EU While many dismiss anti-EU views as ‘blindly nationalistic’, there are serious concerns regarding continued EU membership.

Influence of the European public on EU law realistically quite weak; legislation is proposed by the European Commission, an unelected body of twentyeight chosen by the Heads of State of each EU member. The Commission does not answer to the public, and although the elected European Parliament can in theory remove the Commission, it has never done so - regardless of serious corruption allegations raised in the past.

In addition, US influence and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are being wholly disregarded by most of the in-camp. A legislatively linked Europe suits US economic interest - a single leader and currency is far easier to deal with. TTIP would allow US big business to permeate the NHS and undermine trade unionism. ‘Investor-State Dispute Settlement’ would also permit big business to take governments to court if profits are infringed upon. TTIP is being negotiated in secret, it is undemocratic and by remaining in the EU, the UK is willingly subjugating itself to it.

happening.”

While Labour and other leftleaning parties officially support continued membership, left-wing arguments for Leave were presented at UEA’s debate. At one debate, John Rees from the Stop the War Coalition, said the EU had neoliberal and undemocratic features “wired into it” and that “there are good left wing reasons for getting out of the EU.” Regarding this, Bennett said “We have a neoliberal EU because we’ve had thirty, forty years of neoliberal politics in Europe, those are the people who have been elected.

What we need to do is change the politics, and then we change the EU. “Rupert Murdoch wants us to leave because he feels like he doesn’t have any influence in Europe, and I think thatís a pretty good argument for remaining.”

Concrete asked Bacon how young people can trust politicians with so many differing statistics purported by each camp. He recommended students look at the latest HM Treasury’s document outlining the 2015 EU budget, and said voters “have to decide whether [they] are happy to see the money going on Portuguese or Greek motorways or Bulgarian farmers or whether [they’d] prefer it to go to scientific research in UK laboratories or housing in the UK or better rural broadband in Norfolk.”

With the deadline to register to vote already gone, all that remains to be seen is whether UEA has done enough to enthuse student voters about the debate.

The Conservatives won Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner from the incumbent independent, but failed to make a predicted breakthrough within the city of Norwich, leaving them once again with zero seats on Norwich City Council.

The closest they came was in the north Norwich ward of Catton Grove, where they lost to Labour by a margin of 22%.

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats held steady in Norwich, holding onto Eaton ward with an increased majority of 32% over the Conservatives.

This leaves them with 3 seats on Norwich City Council. In the Police and Crime Commissioner elections across Norfolk, the Lib Dems received 8.3% of the vote, a slight increase from the 7.6% they received in 2012.

UK Independence Party

Photo: Secret London

UKIP made no gains within Norwich, but came a distant second to Labour in the wards of Crome, Lakenham and Mile Cross.

Elsewhere in Norfolk, UKIP made gains in Great Yarmouth, pushing Labour into third place and emerging as the official opposition on the council. In the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner election, UKIP received 17% of the vote, up from 10% in 2012.

10th June 2016

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News

Foul play in local elections: posters vandalised and MP libelled Amanda Ng The electoral law was seriously violated throughout the last week of the local election campaign in Norwich in May, with a Green Party member impersonated and Labour Party posters vandalised and defaced.

Members of the Norwich Greens suspect members of rival parties to be behind various events in the run up to polling day. Conjecture has also arisen that Green supporters may have carried out these acts as

“These mindless people would rather vandalise election posters than engage in political discussions”. an attempt to discredit their opposition.

Green Party Co-ordinator James Davis believes that “it is unlikely to be anyone in our party” but he mentions all precautions must be covered so that “appropriate [actions] can be taken” against the crimes.

Incidents include the defacing of several Labour Party posterboards by stapling A4 sheets of paper quoting “Vote Green”, which were seen throughout Norwich.

The face of Councillor

1123

The number of votes the Green Party candidate received in Thorpe Hamlet.

Benjamin Price, who secured a Green hold for the Thorpe Hamlet constituency with 1123 votes, was included in many unofficial Green Party posters throughout the city.

In an interview with Price, he summed up the events in confidence and stated that although the vandalism “appeared to be from the Green Party, it was not”. He said he was certain that the local party “did not produce, or was not involved in any distribution of such material”.

There were also reports of a leaflet distributed purporting to be from the Green Party candidate for the Nelson borough which contained his photo but not the official party imprint.

The leaflet also contained

libelous remarks about Norwich South’s Labour MP Clive Lewis, regarding a vote in the House of Commons. There have also been claims that a man had been doorknocking in Winchester Tower and Vauxhall Street, in the Town Close ward, claiming that Green Party policies included evicting residents from their homes to give them to immigrants entering the United Kingdom.

Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, commenting on the incidents, stated that “these mindless people would rather vandalise election posters than engage in political discussions”.

Similarly, Great Yarmouth saw 50 Conservative election posters vandalised prior to last year’s General Election. Brandon Lewis MP told the BBC that “the worst incident was outside Scratby where a poster had been cut to look like a swastika”. UKIP election posters in Norwich last year were also violated, with the party looking into financing cameras to guard their electoral materials.

The police and Electoral Commission have been notified of the events, and so the Green Party now awaits judgement.

Vandalised Labour sign in South Norwich Photo: Labour Party

Castle Mall evacuated after Norfolk leading in fears of fire in city centre Dementia research Caitlin Doherty

Felicity Stephenson

Norwich Castle Mall Photo: GeoGraph Norwich’s Castle Mall and Vue Cinema were evacuated on Tuesday (June 7th), after a suspected fire broke out in the building.

Four fire vehicles and 20 firefighters, along with three paramedic rapid response vehicles and two unmarked police cars were in attendance to deal with the incident which is believed to have begun after a compressor overheated in the Mall’s plant room, filling the area with smoke and triggering the alarm system.

The building was initially evacuated at around 12.50pm, and in the lunchtime rush, many employees and customers believed the fire to have started in the building’s third floor food court, however, this speculation was quickly rectified by the emergency services.

As well as the evacuation, a

large cordon was erected in the city centre, around the car park and Farmer’s Avenue. Many motorists had to wait until late Tuesday afternoon to recover their vehicles, meaning that some missed the daily school run.

The Norfolk Fire Service group commander, Greg Peston, was satisfied with the operation, but reassured the public on Tuesday afternoon that the emergency services would remain present until safety was assured. “We do not expect to be here long, but unless we have cleared all of the smoke out of the centre, then we cannot confirm that the fire is completely out”.

Castle Mall management were quick to thank the emergency services and customers for their quick response and co-operation.

“A compressor overheated and

smoke from it caused the fire alarm to activate. Norfolk fire service attended quickly and requested a full evacuation of Castle Mall. All of our customers and around 250 retail staff were evacuated safely and promptly by 13.10. Norfolk Fire Service were marvellous and there was very little damage following the incident. We would like to thank the service for their swift attendance and for dealing with the situation.

We would also like to thank our shoppers for their co-operation and patience”.

Peston believed that the success of the operation was down to the comprehensive evacuation and emergency procedures in place at the Mall: “They have really robust evacuation procedures here, which worked really well”. Castle Mall reopened at around 14.10.

UEA researcher Professor Michael Hornberger and telecommunication company Deutsche Telekom have been working on the development of new diagnostic tests for dementia.

This research has involved the development of a mobile game designed to develop understanding of how the brain works and an app which provides insights into the way people navigate every day.

Home to the University of East Anglia and the Norwich Research Park, Norfolk is internationally renowned as a centre for scientific research. Findings surrounding dementia from the county are helping to shape understanding of the condition and improve the quality of life of those living with it.

The Sea Hero Quest app was also developed in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Research, University College London and game developers Glitcher. As players make their way through mazes of islands and iceberg, experts can translate every second of gameplay into scientific data.

Prof Horberger said the project “provides an unprecedented chance to study how many thousands of people from different countries and culture navigate space.”

Hilary Evans, chief

executive at Alzheimer’s research, added that this is the “largest spatial navigation study to date” and that this research is “the kind of innovation required to unlock the next breakthrough in dementia research”.

UEA research also funded by the National Institute for Health

“Home to the University of East Anglia and Norwich Research Park, Norfolk is internationally renowned as a centre for scientific research.”

Research (NIHIR) and led by Dr Lee Hooper from UEA’s Medical School has shown that eating together, providing social support, and interaction during meals could potentially help people with dementia to avoid dehydration.

Investigations involved changing the colour of plates, doing tai-chi, and boosting the social aspect of eating.

In their research, UEA collaborated with AgeUK Norfolk, NorseCare, The University of Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

6

Global

10th June 2016

Flash floods in Europe French forces rush to repair the damage before the Euro Football Championships At least ten dead in Germany, France, Belgium and Romania

Alex Murphy

Ollie Watts France, Germany, and parts of Central Europe were hit by flash floods in the first week of June, after several days of intense thunder and rain storms. The unusual weather event has claimed ten lives in Germany, two in France and Romania respectively, and one in Belgium, however, this figure could yet rise, as there are a number of ‘unaccounted’ persons in Germany.

The south of the country was worst affected by the waters, particularly the region of Rottall Inn where several disaster relief centres have been establihed. In the local town of Triftern, trees, cars and furniture were seen drifting along the street as waters rose to several feet above road level.

Several families had to be rescued by emergency helicopter teams.

In France, the River Seine rose to six metres higher than its regular level, the water reaching its highest level since 1982, according to the

“In France, the River Seine rose to six metres above its usual level” French Environment Ministry.

The Zouave Statue, beneath the Alma Bridge, is traditionally used Missing Japanese Boy Found At Military Base On 3rd June missing sevenyear-old boy Yamato Tanooka was found alive near the town of Shikabe on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Tanooka had been missing since May 28 after his parents left him alone in an area of remote woodland as a form of punishment for reportedly throwing stones at cars. The missing boy was discovered at a military base by a soldier just five kilometres from the point of his last known whereabouts.

It has been revealed that Tanooka had taken refuge in a military hut with access to a water pump and a mattress to sleep on, but no food.

Japan’s NHK media organisation has recounted that Yamato told his rescuers that he had made his way through the mountains until he had located shelter.

Originally his parents had stated their son had gotten lost whilst ‘foraging for vegetables’ with his sister but eventually admitted that they had temporarily abandoned the child as a punishment and that when they returned he was gone. Yamato’s father has since publically apologised to everybody who was impacted by their actions,

Worried Parisians are watching Seine levels rise Phillipe Wozajer / Reuters as a gauge of the Seine’s height; it’s highest recording in modern times was during ‘The Flood of the Century’ in 1910, when the water level peaked at 8.6 metres, reaching the statue’s shoulders.

Last week, the flood waters reached a height of approximately 6.5 metres, marked at the statue’s waist.

Speaking to the international

media, French President, Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency in the country’s worst affected areas and asserted that weather events such as this are a “serious climate phenomenon” and reiterated the challenge that climate change poses to the world.

The flood recovery in France is particularly pressurised, as the country prepares for this evening’s

ROUNDUP

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including the search team who had been scouring the area, known for harbouring brown bears, for almost a week for the boy. Despite the positive outcome, it is possible there could still be a sour end as the boy’s parents could yet be charged for negligence.

Hilary Police in Papua New Guinea open fire on student protestors Police in Papua New Guinea have opened fire on students protesting against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Students were marching from their campus in the capital towards parliament when the attacks took place on Wednesday. Several

students have been injured, and opposition MPs said four were killed, but the government has denied any deaths.

Mr O’Neill currently faces a possible no confidence motion amid allegations of corruption. In a statement released on Wednesday, Mr O’Neill said, “a small group of students were violent, threw rocks at police and provoked a response that came in the form of tear gas and warning shots.”

The government has launched an inquiry in to the clash.

The American media declare Hillary as Democratic candidate Whilst Senator Bernie Sanders

The ghosts of speculation: EgyptAir MS804

(June 10th) launch of the European Football Championships in towns and cities across the country.

Officials had hoped that the championships would go some way to repairing the country’s tourism reputation that had been somewhat damaged by last year’s terror attacks in January and November, however, several public viewing areas around the Eiffel Tower were destroyed. insists that the nomination is still up for grabs, American media has declared Hillary Clinton the presumptive nominee for the Democratic party. At 8:20pm EDT, on Monday 6th June, The Associated Press declared Clinton the presumptive Democratic nominee, based on the fact that sheís accumulated 1,812 elected (pledged) delegates, and 571 superdelegates. This gives her 2,383 total delegates, exactly the number needed to win the nomination.

Whilst the nomination is not official until the Democratic convention in Philadelphia next month, it appears more than likely that she will officially become the first woman nominated for President by a major American political party.

Sanders campaign released a statement declaring the media wrong, pointing out that the superdelegates can change their vote up until the convention.

Currently Sanders has 1,526 pledged delegates to Clinton’s 1,811.

The Sanders campaign said, their job from now until the Democratic convention is to convince the superdelegates that Bernie is by far the strongest candidate against Donald Trump.

On the 19th of May EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea en route from Paris to Cairo, killing all 59 passengers and ten crew members.

Initially there was heightened suspicion that the service had been a victim of terror-related activity, particularly as the airline was that at the centre of a faux ‘hijacking’ in March when a passenger aboard a flight from Alexandria to Cairo forced the flight to land in Lanarca.

Despite the early claims that the flight had been downed as a result of foul play, it has become increasingly likely that the problem was caused by a technical failure with reports suggesting that the airliner had transmitted smoke alerts.

The Airbus 320 was making its fifth journey of the day when it crashed, having previously flown return journeys to both Tunis and Asmara, Eritrea. A member of the Egyptian Civil aviation agency, speaking to Sky News Arabia, remarked that the airliner was just inside of Egyptian airspace when it came down, having just exited the Greek air traffic control’s jurisdiction.To compound the reports of smoke alerts, tit has been evidenced that the carrier was forced to return to the ground three times immediately following take-off within the twenty-four hour period prior to the incident.

However on each occasion the carrier had been given the all clear to continue following safety inspections. In a response, the chairman of EgyptAir, Safwat Mussalam rejected these claims, stating that MS804 had not experienced any technical issues before its departures and reitterating his trust in the pilot and the aircraft.

The tendency of the investigating Egyptian authorities to favour terrorism in their conclusion is understandable considering the destruction of MetroJet flight 9268 in October 2015. When flying between Sharm el-Sheikh and St. Petersburg, a bomb exploded, killing all 224 people on board. ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the incident.

But in this case, it appears that the answer to the question of ‘why did MS804 crash’ may be that of technical failure rather than deliberate actions of a passenger or someone on the ground, however, thorough investigation will be needed to disprove intense speculation.

Features

7

10th June 2016

Is development at UEA pricing students out?

Sam Naylor & Jessica Frank Keyes From the construction of The Enterprise Centre last year and the announcement of the demolishing of Congregation Hall, to the new accommodation buildings on the Blackdale site: UEA’s campus is dramatically expanding.

You would be forgiven for failing to notice the slow pace of initial development, but in line with the university’s development plan: 2030 Vision, big changes are underway at UEA. Concrete reported in December 2015 that the university plans to recruit 20 per cent more students an additional 3,000 - over the next ten years, and, the need for new accommodation to facilitate this increase in UEA’s student body is an essential part of the campus development programme.

Barton and Hickling House, named in honour of two Norfolk Broads and developed on the old Blackdale site, will open to students in September.However, the proposed rental rates for these new buildings suggest that UEA’s recruitment approach is intended

“Barton or Hickling House will set students back a whopping £5655.16 for a 38-week undergraduate license” to target students who are prepared to spend above average amounts on their university accommodation.

The fully furnished housing consists of over 500 single study bedrooms, complete with ensuite bathroom pods and disabled access kitchens, and will accommodate up to 514 students in the academic year 2016-17. The cost of a year’s rent will set students back a whopping £5655.16 for a 38week undergraduate licence – and £7441.00 for 50 weeks of postgraduate accommodation.

That’s more than £148 per week of rental.

The Vice-Chancellor David Richardson launched the 2030 program for the university at Norwich Cathedral in May. He also revealed new research demonstrating that UEA contributes £346.4m a year to the economy of Norwich, in addition to a further £154.3m across the surrounding area of Norfolk and Suffolk, and stated that these figures would rise as the university grew over the course of the next decade.

While the importance of the university’s growth to the local economy is, of course, an essential part of the institutions development; equally, the need for

this new accommodation comes at a time where UEA ranked 15th in the Times Higher Education university guide last year.

UEA’s popularity amongst students from all over the world is unsurprising: situated in a beautiful, historic city, and located on a campus boasting a lake, the Avengers headquarters and the famous Grade II listed Ziggurats.

An international appeal that is reflected by the 115,000 alumni from more than 100 countries.

Plans to grow the 15,000-strong student body in the next decade are matched to ambitions to increase its academic staff by 100 by 2020.

This is part of the first of three fiveyear plans that make up the 15-year vision.

UEA plans to invest around £150 million in the UEA campus during the development program from 2016–2020 and the first project in this investment period, Barton and Hickling Houses, will be the most expensive accommodation on campus. At £40 a month pricier than the current ensuite campus options already available to students, aside from the premier range of flats, and with the addition of a new café situated between the housing, UEA has certainly shown where its priorities lie in terms of campus

development. Construction on the £30m, low-carbon project began in April 2015, and despite the ViceChancellor’s refusal to comment on whether it had met his budgetary expectations, it was all smiles at the ‘topping-out’ ceremony that took place after the finishing of the roof in May. In keeping with UEA’s green initiatives, the project relied on British building materials, in order to limit the project’s carbon footprint, with the ensuite bathroom pods being delivered from Hull.

Barton and Hickling appear to be great additions to the accommodation options at UEA, however, they will almost certainly be reserved for those with deep pockets.

Perhaps UEA should also be considering cheaper flats and other developments for future projects. The scrapping of student grants for new undergraduates from September 2016, in addition to government plans to allow successful universities to charge higher tuition fees in line with inflation, means that more students are set to be increasingly out of pocket for their degrees, so, would an institution able to offer savings on living expenses become the first choice for most?

Priciest Accomodation Choices at UEA En Suite: Hickling Barton £148.82 p/week.

Total cost: £5655.16 p/a En Suite Campus: Britten, Browne, Colman, Constable Terrace, Kett, Nelson Court, Paston and Victory House. £138.46 p/week.

Total cost: £5261.48 p/a En Suite: Village £118.65 p/week.

Total cost: £4508.70 p/a Two Bedroom Unit: Constable Terrace, Nelson Court. £123.62 p/week.

Total cost: £5697.56 p/a *Prices based on a 38-week undergraduate license

Cheapest Accomodation Choices at UEA Standard Single Ziggurat £105.91 p/week.

Total cost: £4024.58 p/a Standard Campus: Orwell and Wolfson Close. £84.49 p/week.

Total cost: £3210.62 p/a Standard City: Mary Chapman Court £81.20 p/week.

Total cost: £3085.60 p/a Standard Twin Ziggurat £73.15 p/week.

Total cost: £2779.70p/a

*Prices based on a 38-week undergraduate license

10th June 2016

8

Features

Call yourself a sports fan?

Lydia Lockyer investigates whether our love of sport is based on the game, or the glory.

Photo: Flickr, johnwnguyen

I

t’s that time of year again. The French Open is over and done with, and soon Wimbledon will be upon us. For some of us, this marks the beginning of a two-week stint trying to see the TV from the sunniest spot we can find and cheering on our favourite player.

For others, it conjures magnificent images of strawberries and cream and an excuse to drink all the Pimms you can. For the rest, it would appear that Wimbledon doesn’t excite the ‘pimmsical’ pleasures of frolicking in an overly British manner. Unfortunately it seems to be dampened by murmurs of elitist attitudes and is possibly becoming more about a fashion statement than a love of the game.

For me, Wimbledon marks the height of British summer time, no matter what the weather forecast. It’s the one time of the year when it’s entirely acceptable to have the TV blaring through

the house, echoing the sounds of grunting athletes and stern line judges.

However, how much of Wimbledon is actually about the sport?

Last year Bill Borrows, writer for the Telegraph, described Wimbledon as carrying “an air of snobbery and elitism from a bygone age”. He claims that tennis as a sport was isolated to the south east of England and had it experienced wider popularity, “we would now have a roster of potential Grand Slam winners”. He also identifies that before his 2013 win, Andy Murray was considered Scottish. Only after was he claimed as a British Wimbledon champion. He is the type of sportsman we are not used to: he is emotional, and often angry, on court – a controversial matter in the etiquette of tennis and possibly a factor in the view of Wimbledon as classist. It has taken a significant win for the crowd to get used to this new, more rugged style of playing.

Is Wimbledon stuck in a rut? .

Players are under strict instruction to wear white. This forced dress code is something that Venus and Serena Williams have often contested. So is Wimbledon behind the times, or is it unwilling to move on from such a sacred part of British culture?

Possibly, but that being said, there are obviously enough Wimbledon fans out there. To give an idea of the immense scale of the competition – both sporting and spectating – the Radio Times published an article before Wimbledon 2015, summarising the numbers.

Wimbledon is a takes place over a two-week period, comprising of 622 individual matches. In 2014 491,084 tennis fans arrived at Wimbledon guzzling “230,000 glasses of Pimms and 100,000 pints of beer” and “28,000 bottles of champagne”.

Keeping it British, Wimbledon

served 350,000 cups of tea as well as “28,000 kg of strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream” – while the players themselves are treated to some of the 15,000 bananas reserved for the players.

I freely admit that I like to immerse myself in the British merriment that embodies Wimbledon. However, is it more a celebration of all things British? When we watch a sport, are we interested in the game, or simply the glory of winning?

The build up to 2012, the London Olympics and its aftermath saw a peak in sport spectating and participating. Sports clubs and venues revelled in refurbishment and the rush surrounding the mass sporting event. The 2014 Fifa World Cup was pretty exciting, despite the sheer disappointment that came with England’s group stage exit. Similarly, 2015’s Rugby World Cup, hosted

by England, saw some serious national pride and build up, despite the rather dismal performance of our home team.

Yet the hugely international status of Wimbledon is arguably taken for granted.

With Wimbledon, there are never any discussions to be had on the rules or the host venue, because these two pivotal factors never change. This consistency is perhaps why this consistant British sporting event is less exciting to many than a less regular shot at national glory.

For those who can’t bring themselves to support Murray – who is, slowly becoming a national treasure – there is a usually a definite favourite within the ‘Big Four’ who have reigned supreme in the finals of the tournament for the best part of a decade: Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and (finally) Murray. There is certainly a comedic substance to the British identity of the Grand Slam and the lack of British success.

I remember the subtle giggles while listening to adults talking about Henman’s chances back in the early 2000s.

Joking aside, there are few moments where I remember feeling more patriotic as Murray’s 2013 win.

The Royal Wedding, the Olympic opening ceremony, and Andy Murray becoming the first British male player to win Wimbledon in 77 years. Then again, the 2012 final of Wimbledon in which Murray lost to Federer after a gruelling game - for player and spectator - was incredible. I challenge anybody to watch his final speech and not shed a single tear.

Wimbledon begins in earnest on the 27th of June, and given Murray’s recent trip to the finals at Roland Garros - the first British player to do so in three quaters of a century - expectations will be high. So, this season, why not refresh your Wimbledon experience – for the love of the sport or the overwhelming sense of British culture. Of course, it is possible to enjoy both, but it is important not to forget the game – the hard work and traning – behind the fresh fruit and summer cocktails.

Perhaps a surge in the diversity and number of viewers might encourage the changes necessary to bring Wimbledon into the modern era, spreading a non-elitist view of the game, both nationally and internationally.

10th June 2016

9

Features

Wimbledon recipe Strawberries-and-cream cake Lydia Lockyer Ingredients Cheesecake Mix 200g cream cheese 25g caster sugar 1 large egg Cake Mix 175g butter 250g caster sugar 4 large eggs 200g self raising flour 50g ground almonds 75g natural yoghurt Vanilla extract Flaked almonds 250g strawberries This cake combines a delicious sponge with some cheesecake mixture to create a luxurious, moist texture - perfect for a sumptuous afternoon tea or a cheeky dessert.

Pre-heat the oven to 160º celsius and grease and line a 23cm cake tin.

Whisk together the cream cheese, caster sugar and egg to create a smooth, thin mixture, but you don’t want this to be too runny.This is your cheesecake mixture, put it to one side for now.

In another bowl, mix u p t h e

softened butter, sugar, four eggs, flour, ground almonds, yoghurt and vanilla. This is your cake mixture.

Pour half of the cake mixture into the tin. Don’t worry if this seems surprisingly little or shallow – just persevere.

Dollop half of the cheesecake mix around the circular tin. This is easier if the mix is in a jug and has a spout, because you’ll have greater control.

Scatter half of the strawberries over the first combined layer and then pour over the last of the cake mix.Don’t worry if this looks like it’s completely ruined your perfectly patterned circles becuase this makes it nice and gooey.

Repeat the process using the second half of the cheesecake mix and the strawberries.

For decoration, add the final few strawberries with the skin facing up. Scatter over a good handful or two of the flaked almonds.

Bake it in the oven for about 50 minutes, until it’s all golden and moist. Poke with a skewer or a knife - if it comes out clean, you’re done – if it starts to get too brown, cover with some foil and try cooking it for a little longer.

Once out of the oven, leave it to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve.

Norwich hotspots Tea & cake Lillie Coles No. 33 Exchange Street A comfortable and quaint café over two levels in the city centre.

Serving delicious breakfasts and lunches, No. 33 is also the perfect spot to top up on tea and cake on your next shopping trip. This family-run business definitely has a homely feel and great service to match Recommended: The classic victoria sponge – a huge wedge of cake with fresh strawberries.

The Tea House Elm Hill Situated on the historic Elm Hill, this tea room has over 35 different types of tea, and serves homestyle cakes and bakes with options for dairy free, wheat free and even vegan guests.

With a quaint garden perfect for enjoying an al-fresco brew, and a cosy inside seating area, The Tea House is a favourite all year round.

Recommended: ‘Russian Caravan’ tea – as unique as its name, this tea is one of many intriguing blends available at The Tea House.

The Cherry Leaf St Giles Street This one is for the coffee lovers too, with plenty of options for vegan, gluten free and dairy free diets. 21 teas and 7 coffee varieties are available to try, and the adorable design and chilled atmosphere make it a hit with students and locals.

Recommended: the range of freshly baked cupcakes and muffins. My favourite was the blueberry and vanilla, but they rotate flavours regularly so see what you can find!

Biddy’s Tea Room Lower Goat Lane Picturesque and totally instagram-able, this vintage tea shop is nestled in the Norwich Lanes, and serves a delectable range of teas and cakes.

Recommended: Cream tea.

The huge scones sitting in the window are enough to entice anyone inside. Served with jam, cream and a brew. Perfect.

g n i g n a h c e h T A E U f o e c fa

Photo: Flickr, Glenn Wood. Inset: Flickr, The JR James Archive

Lauren Clarke The academic year is coming to an end, and it will soon be time to leave UEA. For some of us, the upcoming departure is only for the summer, but for others, it is time to say goodbye for good. Final-year students have a short celebratory period to enjoy, while waiting in anticipation for their graduation ceremony. They have been here for three or more years now, and feel like they know the campus inside and out, but how long will UEA remain the way they know it?

When speaking to students about what they would miss most, many commented on the friendly atmosphere and feeling of community. However, plans in line with UEA 2030 vision will see the expansion of the campus and demolition of some of the older buildings. The developments made to UEA over the years are already evident, with recent renovations to the LCR and the Hive, alongside the addition of new residences Hickling and Barton for 2016-17 admissions.

UEA’s student body is also growing alongside the campus, with over 15,000 students currently enrolled. Final-year psychology student Becky worries that the rapid expansion risks losing the feeling of community she loves at UEA: “All my tutors know my name. That kind of personal community feeling might disappear if we expand too much.”

However, third-year accounting and finance student Alex says he is “glad to see the further development of UEA because it raises the profile of the university and will be beneficial for past, current, and future students”.

The modernisation of campus has created new study spaces and new lecture theatres, such as Julian

Study Centre, and has allowed more students to enrol and more modules to run. These are benefits the current graduating class have experienced, but how is the experience of this year’s graduates different to those who graduated 40 years ago?

The UEA campus was first built in the 1960s and was designed within a modernist framework so that students could reach everywhere on site within ten minutes. With the addition of new buildings and facilities, this is no longer true and the older buildings seem outdated next to the modern updates. As we all know, what first stands out to visitors is the abundance of concrete, which divides opinions of both students and guests. Although the new buildings may try to combat this, it is at risk of losing one of campus’s defining features. Biology student Hannah, who “hated all the concrete” when she first arrived, has, like most of us, come to love it. Conversely, the modernisation is a welcomeed by literature student Daisy, who is unhappy with this year’s graduate’s ceremony venue.

She stated that it is “lousy compared to the cathedral”. But with plans to demolish Congregation Hall and build again from the ground up, this year’s students may be the last ever to graduate from one of campus’s oldest buildings.

Do the bricks and mortar of UEA really matter? The university has been in action for over 50 years, and began on a small site where the University Village now sits. Then, with the work of two forwardthinking Brutalist architects, Denys Lasdun and Bernard Feilden, the campus expanded and has continued to do so ever since.

Many of the original structures are grade II listed, and the Ziggurats famously appeared on the album

cover of Computers and Blues by The Streets in 2011. The Ziggurats are not the only part of campus to receive media attention – the more recent Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts appeared in the closing scenes of Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron in 2015. It is safe to say that UEA is famous for its architecture, but the values of students are also expanded and reflected within them. UEA students have done brilliant things – fundraising, campaigning, debating and creating, and the Student Transformation Awards last night showcased many of the advancements made alongside studying. The upcoming graduates have lived and learned on UEA’s campus, and have played instrumental roles in the high table rankings and acclaim of the university both nationally and internationally.

However, it seems that the soonto-be alumni will barely be able to recognise the university if they return in the coming years. Even students who are avoiding entering the increasingly competitive job market by taking on a masters or a PhD will notice the changes on campus when they return in September with the opening of new residences and a hoard of new students ready to begin their degrees.The rapid development and change surrounding us has altered the UEA student experience, and while many students leave to begin their lives as graduates, many more will arrive to continue their legacy.

However, this legacy is one of modernity and progression, which have been core values since UEA’s founding. As the campus changes around us, the UEA mindset remains the same, and hopefully will continue into the future, regardless of the buildings it is housed in.

The Editorial Team 10

Caitlin Doherty Deputy Editor

Jessica Frank-Keyes Deputy Editor Jessica Frank-Keyes began her journalistic career by writing her first news piece on #GoatsForVotes. After this auspicious start, she spent last year as News Editor, covering Derby Day and Sombrero-gate and interviewing everyone from the Vice-Chancellor to Swedish pop stars and government ministers. Luckily these adventures increased her enthusiasm for the weird and wonderful world of student journalism and she’s thrilled to be returning to Concrete for another go. A soon-to-be third year History and Politics student, she can usually be found in the media centre, blasting the Wicked soundtrack, banging on about Concrete’s SPA glory, and keeping Unio in business with her need for a near-constant stream of caramel lattes.

If lost: return to the nearest Mac, or bottle of Blossom Hill.

It is a daily routine for Amanda to see people’s mouths contort as they attempt a pronunciation of her surname. Normally she ends up hearing a noise that is nothing like how it is supposed to sound and more like a formulation of a cow’s moo and a church bell ring. So ladies and gentlemen, when you come across “Ng” think of “uncle” but instead of the “c” replace it with a “g”, and get rid of “le”. If you can’t remember, no worries, she laughs at almost anything and everything. So, pat on the back for trying.

Ollie Watts Global Editor Ollie is an International Relations and Politics undergraduate heading into his third year at UEA. With a competitive edge, Ollie is looking to turn Global into a force to be reckoned with. He sees editing Global as the perfect way to distract himself from the vast amounts of tasks his degree will inevitably be throwing his way in the coming year, that and spending the Autumn months avidly following the San Diego Chargers. When not doing work, Ollie can be found perpetually listening to Spotify or planning out trips to foreign lands. China, anyone?

Lillie Coles Features Editor Lillie is an English literature and creative writing student about to start her final year. Aside from reading and writing, you will find her watching Judge Judy or eating copious amounts of mac and cheese. She appreciates Modernism, terrible movies, fruity cocktails and making to-do lists (which never get done). Lillie hopes to become a published author one day, and insists that any judgements on her writing skills should not be based on this bio.

Charlie Dwwyer Comment Editor Charlie is a history student and minor league know-it-all with an uncanny ability to turn even the most innocuous, throwaway comment into full-blown debate on global geopolitics and social affairs. He maintains the rather quaint belief that the handful of articles he has written during his career as a student journalist will one day see him headhunted by the New Statesman and allowed to rub shoulders with ‘Malcolm Tucker types’ in what he describes, without a hint of self-awareness, as the ‘media-political matrix’.

Having started by penning a piece on Jeremy Clarkson causing a fuss in Argentina during 2014’s Fresher’s Week, Caitlin Doherty has somehow managed to squeeze herself into a fabulous pair of Deputy Editor shoes – but, not without a Global Editorship, several encounters with shouty politicians, some Big Weekend reporting, and a strange, last-minute article about Norfolk farmers and their cows along the way. An English Literature finalist, Caitlin spends far too much of her time moaning about ‘bad reading light’ and far too much of her money on books that could quite easily substitute a doorstop. Will more than likely be in a secluded corner, permanently tweeting about Concrete’s SPA successes, but if lost, please return to Unio pizza.

Amanda Ng Senior Reporter for News

Emily Hawkins News Editor Emily Hawkins is a second year History student, who is looking forward to editing Concrete News in between procrastinating essays by watching detective series and taking Buzzfeed quizzes. She is interested in party politics and journalism on young people’s issues, including higher education, mental health, liberation politics and pop culture.

10th June 2016

Milly Godfrey Senior Reporter for Global and Travel Milly Godfrey is a fourth year American Literature and Creative Writing student, returning to UEA after her year abroad in the U.S. An everything bagel lover and an avid hater of hot drinks, Milly spends most of her time seeking out the perfect mimosa around the world (current front runner: Portland, Oregon) and reading Patti Smith.

Lydia Lockyer Features Editor Lydia is a History of Art student who spends most of her time talking about food, eating food, or photographing food (while trying not to be one of those really annoying people who spends ages standing up in a restaurant trying to get the perfect, ‘from above’, shot). Other than that, you’ll find her rocking out with UEA’s Jazz Collective, updating her blog (Ham, Egg and Chicks) or listening to the Archers – because she’s a self-confessed country lass with an unusual obsession with Radio Four.

Jennifer Redfern Travel Editor Having recently returned from a year abroad in Santa Barbara, California, Jenny is still dreaming of sandy beaches, cloudless blue skies and palm trees while settling back into life in Norwich.

When not mourning the loss of cheap avocados and Mexican food, Jenny can probably be found nursing a caffeine addiction, eating macaroni cheese and hiding from her dissertation, probably in the LCR. Hobbies include travelling (unsurprisingly), baking and Beyonce fangirling.

2016 - 2017 10th June 2016

11

Nick Murphy Sport Editor

Richard Ewart Sport Editor Nick is a second year History student and will be the Co-Editor of Concrete Sport next year. Football wise, he is a Chelsea fan, deeply misses Jose Mourinho and loves a game of six-a-side on a Sunday. In summer, he will nearly always be found on a cricket pitch pretending that he’s playing at a far better standard than he actually is. When not watching or playing sport, he spends a lot of my time reading books or watching TV, with season six of Game of Thrones currently the centre of his attention.

Nick is an English Literature student and tragic, long-time supporter of National League side, Dagenham & Redbridge.

When he’s not berating referees at Victoria Road, however, he’ll usually be found watching some other kind of sport on the TV, or screaming lyrics at terrified strangers in the LCR. Outside of sport (because apparently there is indeed a world that exists away from the confines of a football pitch), Nick also enjoys reading dystopian fiction, watching old TV sitcoms, and defending Essex as the UK’s greatest county.

Sophie Christian Science and Environment Editor Sophie is a first year English and American Literature undergraduate, who decided to break the mould by becoming involved in a section that is the polar opposite of her degree.

When she’s not writing, you can guarantee that she is on the tennis court in a heated rally, as she is one of the captains in the club. It is no secret that she is no stranger to the LCR, where she is forever tempted to buy just one more VK. No doubt she’ll bump into some of you there!

James Chesson Online Editor James is taking on the potentially challenging role of Online Editor following a hopefully somewhat successful spell as Co-Editor of the Sport section. His main interests are football and politics, which make up most of his articles and at least 99% of his Twitter feed. Fortunately he is much better at writing about sport and politics than actually taking part in either of them. As an Arsenal fan, his biggest claim to fame so far is being retweeted by Ian Wright. He also does a degree in English Literature with Creative Writing in the spare time that Concrete allows.

Katie Gleeson Marketing Director

Charlotte Spencer Social Media Coordinator

Having spent a year being paid to write for and market a national newspaper on campus, Katie figured that the only way to top it would be to assume the role of award-winning student newspaper Concrete’s Marketing Director.

A third year Politics student with a penchant for Twitter, great music, garlic bread and Kate Bush karaoke – plus a weird addiction to Barefoot Contessa (Food Network at 7pm, check it) - she can’t wait to get started in her new post. She won’t rest until all 14,000 UEA-goers are wielding a copy of Concrete with pride.

Charlotte is a third year American Lit and Creative Writing Student and aspiring struggling librettist or penniless playwright. Can be found justifying her Extreme Couponing obsession by viewing it as a necessary window into an emerging American subculture symptomatic of a congress failing the country's most vulnerable and also a way to get two hundred free energy drinks. Excited to be social media coordinator and has been honing her Bebo skills in preparation.

Molly Burgess Chief Copy Editor Molly is a second year Modern History student, who is often found avoiding her essays by watching Netflix or listening to Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.

After being a member of the yoga society for a year she likes to think of herself as a slightly above average yogi, and when attempting to cook, more often than not she resorts to her speciality dishes; smoothie bowls and pasta. Mr Brightside is her theme song and she often loses hours in Waterstones whilst dreaming of a career in publishing.

Emma Slaughter Copy Editor In the somewhat altered words of Johnny Cash, ‘Life ain’t easy for a girl named Slaughter’. A lifetime of bad abattoir jokes has left Emma with a thick skin and a scathing sense of humour.

She is a third year English Literature and Philosophy student, returning from study abroad in Sweden with freshly discovered passions for cycling and recycling. She is also an inventive procrastinator and once found herself doing so by making miniature lampshades for a string of one hundred fairy lights.

Sam Naylor Events Manager Sam is a Culture, Literature, Politics undergraduate whose many passions include toasted teacakes and Yorkshire tea, all things Marvel comics related and singing in the shower when he thinks no one is listening. Currently writing for The Norwich Radical as well as being the Principle Researcher at Concrete last year, Sam enjoys venting about all the world’s ills in a part angry, part satirical manner to an arguable degree of success.

Comment

10th June 2016

12

Pomp or ceremony? Alice Spencer questions the importance of tradition in British politics Alice Spencer

If you had switched on any news channel on the 18th of May, you would most likely have been utterly confused by the hubbub outside Buckingham Palace. As adoring well-wishers hoped to catch a glimpse of their idols, you would have wondered what you were missing. Were Wills and Kate getting married again? Decked out in centuries worth of bling, Lizzie looked typically unexcited. Then, as her carriage pulled up outside Westminster, you would have cottoned on. Despite happening every year, and its evident importance, this event barely skims the perimeter of the average person’s awareness: the State Opening of Parliament. For once, we understand why the Queen looks bored.

Compared to the scenes surrounding the US elections, British politics has always seemed a more dignified affair. Considering that ‘PigGate’ isn’t even a year old, that’s saying something.

While American politics commonly regresses into a personality contest, with one candidate attacking another for the orangeness of their skin or the authenticity of their hair, we Brits prefer order, tradition and ceremony.

The annual State Opening of Parliament sees the Queen in all her finery outline government plans for the upcoming year.

Credit: Flikr, Southeastern Star How respectable. Yet, while this might seem understated, when we remember how this day also sees the delivery of a parliamentary hostage to Buckingham Palace, it becomes annoyingly more difficult to view ourselves as any less ridiculous than America.

What’s more, despite how the cynical may laugh at such anachronism, ceremonies of such scale by any other government would likely be viewed with alarm.

Anytime we see the shimmering

Psychedelic substances and their unacknowledged benefits Phoebe Wakefield

So much of what we perceive as unacceptable and acceptable is based on an extremely limited socio-cultural experience. In the USA, morphine is rarely medically prescribed, considered too addictive, though that is not the case with Vicodin. In the UK, Vicodin is persona non grata, but morphine is tolerated.

We severely legislate against

marijuana but alcohol, known to be very addictive and have a long list of side effects including aggression, reduced cognitive function and an increased chance of depression, is acceptable; legally and socially.

If alcohol was invented now, though it is hard to imagine a human history unfuelled by this fantastic liquid, it could conceivably be made illegal as soon as the legislative wheels had time to turn.

Perhaps this is the curse of psychedelics. They entered our lives too late. Albert Hoffman discovered

gold chandeliers of the Kremlin, our eyebrows are raised somewhat suggestively, unlike those of Tsar Putin. His eyebrows rarely move at all.

This encourages the next question: why, in a democratic country, do we need the Queen to verify the actions of our democratically elected government?

Excluding tours to profit from the Royal Family’s popularity in the Commonwealth, politics remains the land in which the Queen’s

sovereignty is most unwelcome.

The furore caused by The Sun’s tactless the ‘Queen Backs Brexit’ headline, regardless of truth, clearly demonstrated this. The Queen’s speech for the Opening of Parliament is crafted word-for-word by the government. For the Queen to express any political opinion here is out of the question. Rather, her job is to provide an unbiased relaying of the facts.

However, even the politicians are unsure of what these facts may

the hallucinogenic properties of LSD in the 1940s and research on psychedelic drugs immediately began. They showed promise for treating a range of mental illnesses including depression and PTSD. Indeed, they still do.

In 2013 and 2014, trials with ketamine alleviated depression in 30-45% of patients - a very high level of effectiveness for depression medication.

Moreover, MDMA is currently being studied as a PTSD treatment.

Trials have found that MDMA, alongside psychotherapy, is

we collectively cry, are the studies not more extensive and more numerous? Why isn’t there a list of psychedelic based medicines available for NHS psychiatrists to prescribe?

The answer, unfortunately, is that we are living in psychedelic research ice age. Restrictive drug policies in countries including the USA and the UK hinder scientific progress. LSD, MDMA and psilocybin are all classified as Schedule I drugs, meaning that the American government defines them as having a high potential for abuse.

As such, no medical applications are accepted even in the face of mounting scientific evidence. In June 2014 a report was released cataloguing the ways in which the US government has unfairly and unnecessarily blocked psychedelic research. Prejudice is powerful.

Professor David Nutt calls psychedelics ‘the greatest opportunity we have in mental health…there’s little else on the horizon.’ Most of us either have experienced mental illness or know someone who has. The time we lose is important. Nutt compares UK

“Albert Hoffman discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD in the 1940s and research on psychedelic drugs immediately began. effective in treating stubborn PTSD among 80% of patients, and smaller studies of LSD and Psilocybin have shown promising anti-anxiety effects.

Are you sold? I am. So why,

be. Although we regard our national penchant for tradition as endearing, our European neighbours, most of whom ousted their monarchs long ago, are bemused by our fondness for pomp and ceremony.

Such spectacle does, after all, risk distracting from the more important national implications of legislation.

After speculation concerning the possibility of university tuition fees rising again, this dictat would have been doubly insulting had it been decreed by a woman in a bejewelled crown.

However, this year the distraction might have been intentional. Once all the decoration is removed, the Queen’s speech is definitively lacking in substance. Iain Duncan Smith immediately accused David Cameron of “jettisoning” his domestic priorities to concentrate on fighting to keep Britain in the EU. Interestingly, the Queen’s speech did state plans to charge overseas migrants for certain NHS services. However, while so-called ‘Healthcare Tourism’ was one of the main trump cards of the ‘Vote Leave’ side, this promise, like the rest of the speech, avoids any actual detail.

Frankly, it seems the government have attempted to disguise the lack of focus on domestic policy as the EU debate grows nastier. David Cameron has bigger fish to fry than a sugar tax or broadband speed.

Has domestic policy been totally sacrificed until the 23 June? I’m undecided, but at least it was a day for dress-up anyway.

regulatory research of psychedelics barriers to the censorship of

45%

The percentage of depressive patients helped by ketamine treatments.

Galileo’s work, calling it a ‘truly appalling level of censorship’.

We must let our prejudices slip by. We aren’t talking about a bunch of adolescents in OBEY t-shirts dropping acid in a club but about controlled, scientific studies.

Suicide is the leading cause of death in British men under fifty.

Mixed anxiety and depression, disorders that psychedelics show great promise in treating, are the most common mental health disorders in the UK with around 9% of the population meeting criteria.

We need to remodel our perceptions. We need to promote, push for, call for research. We need to allow science to bring us cures that may one day allow us to banish the black dogs of mental illness that have always stalked humanity, always hungry.

Comment

10th June 2016

13

Here come the machines: the wider implications of artificial intelligence

of these technologies. They will improve and they will be used frequently when they are good and cheap enough. What is most telling is Google’s investment into them. Even if you think the Chinese

Matt Biggs Automation is happening. We can deny it no longer. This year, the world’s largest electronics company, Foxconn - known for manufacturing Apple, Google and Microsoft products - laid off 60,000 factory workers to have them replaced by robots. Others will follow suit.

The Queen announced the government’s plans for new legislation making provisions for driverless vehicles on the roads of the UK in the State Opening of Parliament. Such legislation will doubtless lead to mass layoffs in the transport industry, currently employing 4.6% of the UK population. Once the cost of technology drops below the cost of a wage, redundancies become inevitable. As a result economic models such as Universal Basic Income are now being considered by some in a more favourable light, though not by nearly enough.

Automation is the most imminent threat to work, both in the

“Automation is the most imminent threat to work, but another threat looms on the horizon: artificial intelligence”.

UK and abroad, but another threat looms on the horizon: artificial intelligence. Yes, manual labour jobs will soon be lost, and this could not be more devastating given the

“One poem ends “I had to do this./ I wanted to kill him./ I started to cry”.

Illustration: Dougie Dodds government’s shameless selling of public assets, cuts to welfare, and dissuasion from higher education, but A. I. threatens white collar jobs and creative jobs too. And that is only the start.

This year, Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo program beat Go champion Lee Sedol. DeepMind are also working in conjunction with the NHS on Health, a program which uses patients’ blood samples

to predict the likelihood of kidney injury. The project aims to diagnose illnesses with higher reliability than doctors. In addition, IBM’s Watson has been suggesting treatments for individual lung cancer patients since 2013.

Less well known are computers’ recent endeavours in poetry.

The researchers at Google Brain recently demonstrated the results of a program given a series of romance

novels. Tasked with inventing ten sentences of its own, the program used these novels to construct its own understanding of grammar and produced a number of syntactically correct sentences. Amusingly, these anaphoric sentences were decidedly afflicting. One poem ends “I had to do this./ I wanted to kill him./ I started to cry”.

Worth bearing in mind is that growth demands the development

Room thought experiment was a good argument for why A. I. will never happen, when it comes to technology, Google has a reputation for being ahead of the curve. So I’m going with them on this one.

Once programs are able to write fluently, passing the Turing test becomes meaningless. We will not know what was written by a person and what was written by a machine.

Humanity has never been more connected than it is now, yet all that connectivity could be undone if we lose trust in written language. If power is a discourse, A. I. are prime candidates for that power. The rise of the machines will be persuasive rather than violent.

A.I. may be in its infancy, but the questions it provokes must be answered soon. When humanity discovers a technology which makes things more convenient, it never lets go. We didn’t need agriculture until we developed it, nor writing, cars, smartphones or oil drilling. These technologies all necessitate themselves and A. I. will be no different.

Travel

10th June 2016

15

Photo: pexels.com, public domain

West coast is the best coast: goodbye California Jennifer Redfern UCSB stands for the University of California, Santa Barbara, but other interpretations of this acronym include University of California, So Blessed and U Can Study Buzzed. A renowned US party school located in the square mile student town of Isla Vista (IV), 80 miles north of LA and 13 miles outside of downtown Santa Barbara, the school is the ideal study abroad location.

Arriving at the campus in September 2015, I never could have imagined a more beautiful space in which to spend a year, or a place more different to the areas in which I have lived before (London and Norwich).

Not only is the UCSB campus surrounded by glorious beaches

and the Pacific Ocean, providing the ideal opportunity to surf and stand up paddleboard, but it is also overshadowed by the Santa Ynez Mountains, creating a university setting unlike anything known in the UK. Streets lined with palm trees and a temperature that rarely falls below 16 degrees Celsius (temperatures were reaching the high twenties until mid December) provides an environment where studying is the least tempting activity and raises questions about how any American students studying the full duration of their degree at UCSB ever reach their graduations. Having said that, it may help that their library has ocean views.

If you’ve ever envisaged yourself at a college or high school party from a movie such as Project

X or American Pie then UCSB can certainly fulfil this version of the American Dream. Likewise, if you’ve ever listened to Asher Roth’s 2009 hit ‘I Love College’, the song could have been written about the residents of Isla Vista.

Because at least half of the 23,000 students living in IV are underage, the drinking culture is significantly different to the clubbing culture in the UK. Instead students have ‘kickbacks’ (small gatherings) ‘ragers’ (large house parties) and ‘dagers’ (day ragers), where you will party to music played by a hired DJ and the accompanying roar of the ocean below. The height of daytime partying is Deltopia, an annual festival of dagers that takes place just after spring break on the oceanside street of Del Playa. This

street is infamous in Isla Vista and surrounding neighbourhoods, and on weekends is more like the Strip in Malia or Magaluf than an area of student houses.

Santa Barbara itself is also a gorgeous city with vibes more comparable with a Spanish town than any other California city. It is also ideal for anyone with a burning wanderlust as its location provides perfect access to California’s other must see locations. LA and San Francisco, for example, are easily reachable, so iconic sights such as the Hollywood Sign, Venice Beach and the Golden Gate Bridge are easy to tick off your bucketlist. Outside of the cities, California is home to amazing areas of natural beauty; Big Sur for example is just over 3 hours from Santa Barbara, with its

incredible jagged mountains and cliffs, and ocean views providing a perfect area to roadtrip and also camp.

Moreover, studying at UCSB is the perfect opportunity to attend perhaps the worlds most famous music festival.

Although tickets to Coachella are admittedly expensive the weekend was by far one of the best of my year. Sets from perfomers such as Major Lazer, Purity Ring and Sia can only be added to by a desert backdrop where tall palm trees are silhouetted against the rugged San Jacinto Mountains.

My year abroad has ultimately made me see that the California dream is a cliché for a reason. West is definitely best, and UCSB is the greatest way to see this.

16

Science&Environment

Tsunamis reveal the potential existence of previous life on Mars Louise Fitzgerald A recent discovery has sent ripples through the science world, as ancient tsunamis have revealed potential life on Mars. The geologic shape of what used to be shorelines through Mars’ northern plains assures scientists that two large meteorites – striking the planet millions of years apart – triggered a pair of mega-tsunamis.

The waves have left permanent scars on the landscape, revealing evidence of cold, salty oceans key to sustaining life.

“About 3.4 billion years ago, a

“It is difficult to imagine Californian beaches on ancient Mars, but try to picture the Great Lakes on a particularly cold and long winter...” big meteorite impact triggered the first tsunami wave. This wave was composed of liquid water. It formed widespread backwash channels to carry the water back to the ocean,” stated Alberto Fairén, Cornell visiting scientist in astronomy and principle investigator at the Centre of Astrobiology, Madrid. Fairén, along with Alexis Rodriguez of the Planetary Scientific, published their work in Scientific Reports (May 19), the journal is titled Nature.

Evidence was found for a second meteorite impact, which created the

second tsunami wave. Between the two impacts, Mars went through extreme climate change, as water froze into ice, Fairén commented: “The ocean level receded from its original shoreline to form a secondary shoreline, because the climate has become significantly colder.” The second tsunami managed to form lobes of ice, which “froze on land and never went back to the ocean, which implies the ocean was at least partially frozen at the time”, he commented.

“Our paper provides very solid evidence for the existence of very cold oceans on early Mars. It is difficult to imagine Californian beaches on ancient Mars, but try to picture the Great Lakes on a particularly cold and long winter, and that could be a more accurate image of water forming seas and oceans on ancient Mars.”

John Bridges, a planetary scientist at Leicester University, who works on Nasa’s Curiosity rover mission believes evidence for a water-based Mars is increasing. “A consensus is quietly growing that there was a great sea, an ocean, on ancient Mars, and this is another take on it,” he stated.

Fairén concludes that “Cold, salty waters may offer a refuge for life in extreme environments, as the salts could help keep the water liquid. … If life existed on Mars, these icy tsunami lobes are very good candidates to search for biosignatures”.

New blood test developed for the treatment of depression James Chesson

An artists interpretation of the planet Mars, complete with oceans. Image: Wikimedia, Ittiz

Scientists at King’s College London have developed a blood test for identifying the most appropriate drug to treat depression. The research has only been carried out on a relatively small group of 140 volunteers so far, but the results were promising enough to justify moving on to a larger trial to check for the suitability of this method for wider use.

The test looks for whether the patient has inflammation, in which case more intense therapy should be used without the need to try various different antidepressants before finding a useful one. At the moment it is difficult to tell which particular drug would be most effective for the treatment of depression and doctors have to resort to a trial and error method with various drugs and dosages.

Antidepressants can have some side effects, with more aggressive drugs having more severe ones.

The most c o m m o n l y prescribed drugs are SSRIs, which the scientists have found are less

10th June 2016

effective when used to treat patients with high levels of inflammation markers. The blood test looks for macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and interleukin-1beta, which are signs of inflammation.

The biological mechanisms involved in how drugs work to treat depression can be affected by inflammation, reducing the effectiveness of the treatment.

The lead researcher, Professor Carmine Pariante, said: “We would not want to go in prescribing too much medicine if it’s not necessary, but we would want to escalate people sooner rather than later if they need it.”

A representative from Mind, the mental health charity, pointed out that “different people will find different treatments help to manage their mental health”. He also mentioned the importance of other types of treatment, saying: “What is most is important is that people have the knowledge needed to access the treatment that works for them, whether this is medication, or alternatives such as talking therapies, or a mixture of both.”

UEA student Matt said: “Any development of any drug that helps to reduce the need for trial and error is promising. However, I don’t think it should take away from the nonbiological factors of treating depression. There has to be a focus on the causes of depression not just the symptoms.”

Photo: Wikimedia, Lanfear’s Bane

South African Supreme Court lifts ban on rhino horn trade in some provincial permitting offices, there are certainly concerns that legal domestic sales could become a conduit for criminal networks to obtain horns which can be smuggled out of the country and sold on the black market.

Louise Fitzgerald South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal legalised domestic rhino horn trade. This overturns its prohibition in 2009 aiming at tackling rhino poaching. According to National Geographic the court rejected an appeal by the government to keep the ban on rhino horn.

International rhino horn trade was banned in 1977 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (Cites), but local trade is now set to begin again. Some say the lift on the ban is necessary in order to save the species, as illegal poaching is on the rise with 1,175 rhinos killed last year. Having the rhino horn trade legalised means that the horns can be removed without killing the animal; a worrying prospect.

The decision to lift this ban could not come at a worse time for the South African government. In September, South Africa is hosting the triennial meeting of Cites, where it was thought the country

“Having the rhino horn trade legalised means that the horns can be removed without killing the animal”

A South African rhino: the trade in rhino horns has now been legalised. Photo: Flickr, Jon Mountjoy would fairly negotiate the ban on rhino horn trade. South Africa has clearly decided to take matters into its own hands on this occasion.

South African farmers raise rhinos in a similar way to how westerners raise dairy cows.

Farmers periodically tranquilize the rhinos and saw off their horns.

Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same protein as fingernails. As long as the horn is removed above the root it will grow back fully.

The primary markets for rhino horn are in China and Vietnam.

Julian Rademeyer, a senior fellow at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized

Crime, believes that the rhino horn

1977

The year the rhino horn trade was banned.

will almost certainly be smuggled out of South Africa illegally.

“Given the levels of corruption

We saw as much prior to 2009 when middlemen for Vietnamese syndicates traveled the length and breadth of the country buying up ‘loose stock’ of horns from game farmers”, Rademeyer said.

Rhinos are already a species under threat. In the last year alone, a record 1,338 rhinos were killed and 2015 is the sixth year in a row in which poaching has increased. This is according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s rhino specialist group.

Sport

10th June 2016

18

Football League proposes 100 club expansion Nick Murphy English football could be heading for its biggest restructure since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 following proposals to introduce a new ‘League Three’ as the fifth professional division in the domestic game.

The suggestions put forward by the Football League centre on the addition of a new division below League Two to ease fixture congestion, while simultaneously reducing the number of teams in each league from twenty­ -four to twenty. The abolition of midweek fixtures is also on the agenda as the FA, Football League and Premier League seek new ways to reinvigorate the fortunes of English football.

The changes, which would come in to force for the beginning of the 2019-20 season, would require eight new member clubs to join ‘League Three’, most likely from the National League setup. Other suggestions have been mooted however, including the prospect of Celtic and Rangers joining from the Scottish Premier League, while the idea of Premier League ‘B’ teams has not been totally ruled out.

The plans have been greeted by a mixed level of opposition by both football supporters and the chairmen of League One and Two clubs who face losing eight games worth of their season’s revenue under the new plans. Each side in all three divisions below the Premier League will lose four home fixtures per season, and with finances particularly tight in the lower reaches of the football pyramid, the fear is that a number of football clubs could face the very serious threat of going out of business.

Representatives from the Football League have been quick to assure clubs that there will be no negative financial impact, but with finances already tight and

Esther Veas

Rodney Parade, home of lowly League Two side Newport County, Photo: Wikimedia, Pwimageglow player’s wages at an all-­time high, such a move is unlikely to brokered without some degree of monetary compensation. For the proposals to go through, 65 of the current 72 member clubs would have to vote in favour at the Football League’s AGM in 2017 .

Many supporters have already begun the process of dissecting the proposed changes, questioning why such a reshuffle is required when English League football currently appears in good health.

Over 180,000 supporters attended the Play­ Off finals across all three divisions at Wembley last month,

while attendances and quality of football are steadily improving across all tiers from the Premier League, right through to grassroots.

The proposals are the latest in a long line of attempts to reorganise the English game, curiously all focusing on amendments to the Football League rather than the Premier League. Last year, clubs were lobbied about the possibility of introducing B teams into a new League Three. After a furious backlash from clubs, journalists and supporters alike, those proposals were quickly shelved in favour of a potential change to the Football

League Trophy – an action which is still being discussed. More recently, the FA has announced that FA Cup Quarter ­Finals will no longer feature replays to further ease congestion, despite the fact only eight ties at the sixth round stage have required a replay since 2008.

This all serves to highlight an increasingly apparent disparity between the footballing powers that be and regular match­ going supporters, many of whom are becoming increasingly disenfranchised by yet another unnecessary raft of ugly changes to the beautiful game.

England’s cricketers seal series win over Sri Lanka Richard Ewart The England cricket team won the opening two tests of the summer in emphatic style against Sri Lanka, taking the series after gaining an unassailable 2­-0 lead.

It was clear after Sri Lanka’s first innings at Headingley that the series would be a mismatch due to the lack of experience Sri Lanka’s batsmen had in English conditions.

After England posted 298, largely thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s 140 and Alex Hales’ 86, the touring side were bowled out for 98.

James Anderson took five wickets, leapfrogging Kapil Dev in the list of all time test wicket takers.

He took five more in the second innings after Sri Lanka were asked to follow on, helping England to

Lewis Hamilton wins again after nine race long drought

comfortably win by an innings and 88 runs.

There was more fight from the visitors in the second test in Durham, although a win for England was never in doubt. Moeen Ali made his second test century, finishing on 155 not out as England declared on 498.

After Sri Lanka were bowled out for 101 in the first innings, another huge win for England was on the cards.

To Sri Lanka’s credit, they racked up their first respectable score of the series with Dinesh Chandimal scoring a well­made 126, ably supported by 80 from Angelo Mathews and 61 from Rangana Herath, bringing the total to 475.

James Anderson took another five wicket haul meaning he replaced ­ team­mate Stuart Broad at the top of the ICC test bowling rankings.

England needed just 79 to complete a series win, which they managed easily, losing just one wicket. In the successful run chase

“It was clear that the series would be a mismatch due to Sri Lanka’s lack of experience”

Photo: Wikimedia, Kroome111

Alastair Cook finally made it to 10,000 test runs, having failed to do so in his previous two innings of the the series. He became the first Englishman to manage this and the twelfth player overall, joining an illustrious list that includes Australian Ricky Ponting and India’s Sachin Tendulkar.

In Monaco the most glamorous race of the year started behind the Safety Car in wet conditions and the drivers had to adapt quickly to the drying track. During the first half pole­sitter Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing built a solid advantage ahead of the two Mercedes cars. Many of the drivers failed to negotiate the tight corners and the wet conditions, including Kimi Räikkönen, whose Ferrari clipped its front wing under the front tyres, yet he dragged it across the iconic Tunnel in a display of foolishness.

However, when called by his engineers into the pits for the second time Red Bull were not ready for Ricciardo’s pit stop and had to frantically fetch fresh tyres. This “human error”, as Dr Helmut Marko branded it, ended up costing him victory — a whopping 14-second stop placed him behind Hamilton for the remainder of the race despite a failed attempt at overtaking him after Hamilton overshot the Chicane on the 37th lap. That, and a spot­ on strategy from Mercedes which involved going straight from wet tyres to slicks, meant that Ricciardo had to settle for second place, appearing visibly sombre on the podium.

Max Verstappen had become F1’s youngest winner in the previous Grand Prix after being promoted to Red Bull from sister team Toro Rosso. This time around he had a tough time dealing with the curvy Monaco streets, crashing out in both qualifying and the race, showing that despite having the raw speed his skills need some honing.

The podium was completed by the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Force India), who drove a brilliant race starting from seventh, fighting against Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) for third. Fernando Alonso (McLaren) managed fifth place; though Monaco’s characteristically slower track compensates for the down on power Honda engine, this shows another step in the right direction for McLaren after last year’s woes.

Nico Rosberg, while still leading the championship, did not shine in this race and finished seventh after Nico Hülkenberg of Force India passed him in the final corner of the race. His lack of pace, caused by a presumed brake malfunction, meant that he had to let Hamilton through in the early stages of the race so as to prevent Ricciardo from getting away, a pass that turned out to be crucial.

Rosberg’s lead over Hamilton in the World Championship standings was also reduced from a comfortable 43 points to 24.

Formula 1 will head to Canada in two weeks time where Lewis Hamilton will aim to use his newly found momentum to erode Nico Rosberg’s lead even further.

Sport

10th June 2016

19

Expanded Euro 2016 promises to be exciting Stephen Cole The two-year wait for a major international tournament is finally over as nations from across Europe build up their hopes and descend on France for Euro 2016.

The tournament, which has been expanded to accommodate a total of 24 teams, looks set to be the most exciting and unpredictable competition to date. With England, Wales and Northern Ireland all present for the finals in France, there is widespread optimism throughout the British Isles for the summer ahead.

That optimism is felt most by England, who are arguably at their strongest since the World Cup in 2006. A plethora of fresh young talent has emerged in the last 24 months, with Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy all cementing a strong case for England’s chances at the tournament. Those three combined with the trusted old guard of Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney, make for an exciting prospect with

the young lions set to be unleashed onto the international stage. Credit must go to Roy Hodgson for an excellent qualifying campaign that has laid the foundations for potential success in France. A group containing Wales, Slovakia and Russia looks comfortable for England, but as we all know from Brazil two years ago, Roy’s boys cannot afford to be complacent.

Meanwhile, across the border, Chris Coleman’s Wales are fast becoming England’s noisy neighbours. An incredible qualifying campaign saw the Welsh finish second behind a well­fancied Belgium side, who at the time of qualifying topped the Fifa World Rankings. Of course all focus sits on superstar Gareth Bale and there is no doubt that his form will hold the key to their chances. Wales are by no means a one man team however, with Aaron Ramsey, Ashley Williams and Joe Ledley forming an impressive spine. Boosted by Chris Coleman’s recent contract extension, it will be fascinating to see how Wales fare in

their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. The final representatives from the British Isles are Northern Ireland, who for a nation of their respective size, had one of the most impressive qualifying campaigns.

Despite being out of favour at Norwich City, striker Kyle Lafferty’s form was crucial in qualifying, while Steven Davis and Jonny Evans will also be vital for Northern Ireland’s chances in a tough group consisting of Germany, Poland and Ukraine.

Although tournament progression is unlikely in their first major competition since 1982, the presence of Michael O’Neill’s side in France this summer is unquestionably an incredible achievement.

Looking more broadly at the potential champions, Euro 2016 represents the most open tournament for some time.

Current holders Spain have faded dramatically since the beginning of their domination in 2008, leaving a varied field of contenders for the title.

Photo: Wikimedia

France are currently the tournament favourites. With the likes of Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann in their ranks and the added advantage of being on home soil, the hosts are well placed to claim a third European Championship crown. World Champions Germany are also strongly fancied, but will need to improve after a string of poor results so far in 2016.

Also strongly fancied are Belgium and their ‘golden generation’ of talent, although the loss of influential captain Vincent Kompany will hinder their chances.

Elsewhere, the ever­reliable Italy and unpredictable Portugal may also fancy their chances of causing an upset. My tip for the tournament’s dark horse goes to Croatia. With an abundance of talent such as Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, they know what it takes to perform on the big stage.

But who knows, with a bit of good fortune maybe this fresh, young England side can give the fans something to celebrate.

Zika virus and doping overshadow Rio Olympics Richard Ewart The upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro have been overshadowed by talks of moving the event due to the increasingly prevalent Zika virus and whether or not Russian athletes will be permitted to compete in the games after the doping controversy.

Over 100 prominent doctors and health experts signed an open letter addressed to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in May, calling for the games to be moved or postponed, saying it is ‘unethical to run the risk’. The WHO, despite acknowledging the severity of the Zika Virus, which can cause birth defects, said in a statement that ‘there is no public health justification for postponing or cancelling the games’. Instead, they said that those travelling to Rio should follow public health travel advice.

However, the games’ organisers will still be worried about the impact of the virus. Notable potential competitors including Andy Murray, Rory McIlroy and basketball star Paul Gasol have all hesitated when asked whether they would travel. It remains to be seen how big an effect the virus will have on the Olympics.

A further thorn in the organisers’ side is the continuous debate about whether Russian athletes can compete in the games.

The Russian athletics federation was provisionally suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations in November 2015 over allegations of widespread

Photo: Pixabay, public domain doping and has yet to have the suspension lifted. Despite Russia subjecting all potential Olympic athletes to extra doping controls, the fact that Russian athletes have recently tested positive for meldonium and have failed tests in re­ analysis of samples given during the 2008 and 2012 Olympics means that their participation in

the upcoming Summer games is certainly not a given.

The 2016 Olympics have also been receiving attention for being the first to allow professional boxers to compete, after a vote from the International Boxing Association.

The Olympics have long been used as a platform for amateur boxers with current world heavyweight

champion Anthony Joshua winning gold in 2012. Reaction from the boxing community has been mixed with Wladamir Klitschko saying it would be an ‘incredible feeling’ to be there, while Mike Tyson and Carl Frampton have both labelled the decision ‘ridiculous’. The British Boxing Board of Control called the rule change ‘dangerous’

due to different skill levels, and ‘disrespectful’ to amateur boxers who have been competing in qualifying tournaments since the last Olympics.

Golf is on the Olympic menu as well for the first time since 1904.

A golf course especially for the Olympics was built after the 2009 decision, with 72 holes being played over four days. Golfers sufficiently high in the world rankings will qualify with advantage being given to golfers from countries that do not have many highly ranked entrants.

Team GB will be pleased with golf’s inclusion and has high hopes for medals. Rory McIlroy is ranked third in the world and will hope to challenge, as will recent Augusta Masters champion Danny Willett as well as Justin Rose. Team GB’s female golfers have less chance of a medal with 20 year old Charley Hull having the best shot.

The medal hopes of Team GB are high for Rio with many familiar faces from 2012 still around and performing successfully. In athletics, the ‘Super Saturday’ heroes Mo Farah, Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis-­ Hill will all be hoping to repeat their 2012 feats. After a tremendous medal haul in 2012, the cycling team will be confident although replicating London will be a big challenge.

Rowing, swimming and sailing, were all successful at the last Olympics. Nicola Adams will be hoping to win again in boxing while Andy Murray will hope for a strong showing at Wimbledon, before taking the momentum to Rio and attempting to retain his gold medal.

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