20th November 2018 Issue 357 The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk
>> Trips to Hawaii >> Several hundred pound lunches >> Private and first class travel >> Even a GoPro camera
News:
What have UEA staff claimed on expenses? Shannon McDonagh News Editor
An investigation lead by Concrete can reveal the extent of the UEA Executive Team’s expenses for the academic year of 2017-2018. Following a Freedom of Information request sent over the summer, Concrete can exclusively reveal, through access to almost 600 pages of documentation, the way in which the eight members of UEA’s senior management staff have used university funds. It is clear from the files supplied to Concrete that while most members of the Executive Team have claimed
expenses reasonably, there are question marks hanging over a number of purchases, where this money is sourced from, and to what extent these claims fall under ‘performing university duties’. It is not uncommon for staff members to incur costs through travelling to conferences in order to promote the university. However, questions have been raised as to whether the guidelines presented by UEA are being followed, with some of the files supplied to Concrete indicating that the university has funded staff trips to locations such as Hawaii, Toronto and Kuala Lumpur.
Continued on
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Features:
"I am not alone but I feel lonely"
When I was starting university, loneliness was never something I imagined I would feel. Living with friends, partying 24/7 and attending lectures I actually wanted to be in. It felt like a dream.
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Comment:
Iceland Christmas advert: too political or too pertinent?
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The supermarket Iceland has launched a Christmas advert campaign to raise awareness for deforestation.
20nd November 2018
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Editorial
Back in print Matt Nixon Deputy Editor
Nine hundred twenty five thousand six hundred Starbucks (almost) Sophie Bunce Editor-in-Chief
This issue we’ve taken a look at UEA’s finances, revealing just how many Starbucks make up the thousands of pounds of staff expenses. While I am a Costa woman myself (you should try the orange hot chocolate, it’s a dream) I understand the need to feed staff and impress guests. What perplexes me is the limo rides - explained on page 3 by News Editor Shannon McDonagh. In all seriousness, while the expense reports revealed a fondness for eating at Wasabi, it was heartening to see that generally our senior management spend responsibly. As they should. My pick for this issue is Online Editor Beth Bacon’s article ‘Iceland Christmas advert: too political or too pertinent?.’ She weighs up whether it’s simply saying what many are not ready to hear or a marketing ploy to get us engaged with superficial activism. It’s been reported that Iceland’s
sales have spiked; I’m hardly surprised. I would also encourage everyone to read Co-Features Editor Mia Shah’s ‘I am not alone but feel lonely.’ I have always associated loneliness with the older generation: Christmas adverts that remind us to reach out to our elderly relations to prevent them feeling isolated. While that’s something I am incredibly for, I feel like we missed a trick in assuming young people don’t feel lonely too.
"This issue we’ve taken a look at UEA’s finances, revealing just how many Starbucks make up the thousands of pounds of staff expenses"
As a third year, I have noticed that now is one of the worst times to attempt to make a friend. Everyone seems disinterested in expanding their already established circles. And with deadlines, jobs applications and family commitments, there’s little time to make a new pal anyway. I am guilty of this but after Mia’s article I am going to try to be better. If you’re ever feeling left out come join Concrete, we are quite a nice bunch. I am happy to say that our Eco Issue was an amazing success and I’d like to thank everyone for their likes and shares. If you’re yet to check it out head over to ISSUU online where all our issues are uploaded. Saving the planet has never looked so good. But now we are back in print for your entertainment, and, let’s face it, very much my own too. Hope the break wasn’t too hard on you. Make sure to check our Facebook pages, Concrete, UEA’s official student newspaper and Concrete members 2018/19 to find our details about our Media ball. The tickets have just been released on the SU website. I went last year and despite spending an embarrassing £21 on a bottle of wine, yes, £21 for just one bottle, the night was entirely worth it. I’d love to see as many of our writers and readers there, so please do come along! Let us know whether you think our UEA staff are spending too much or Iceland’s add is too bold @ Concrete_UEA. Controversy and community - what more could you want from Concrete?
If you’ve been paying attention to either mine or Sophie’s editorials, you’ll know about the problems we’ve had putting together Concrete this semester. From editors being away in London to us forcing a team of 28 to share two computers, it has been an uphill struggle at times. We have, however, finally gotten over that. Finally! With eight Macs currently up and running in our office, this issue has been so much more of a treat to put together. Not only is having working computers a plus for us, but we’ve had the help of our newest member of the team, Josephine Dowswell, now Deputy Editor of Venue, to speed things along. It’s never too late to get involved with Concrete, and I know Sophie and I are excited to have her on board. Gus and Josie have smashed this issue of Venue. It’s just gorgeous, and full of great content (as well as a working sudoku puzzle this time!), and with our team of editors perhaps as dedicated as they have ever been, everyone’s feeling a lighter load. This issue, in fact, might be one of my favourites since joining Concrete two years ago. Every section has some quality content out, but I’ve really got to commend news this issue. Though Shannon had big shoes to fill as News Editor (I hear last year’s news editor was brilliant), the findings from her FOI Request, explored in our front page story, are shocking and show great initiative. Also in news, George Baker from Bag of Cans has produced a quality read about the state of the live music scene in Norwich. George’s article is so important, and if you don’t know about the current situation with the Brickmaker’s, then definitely do get to know. This issue is only so good because of all the new voices we’ve had contribute towards it, so, if you're interested, please do get in touch and see how you can!
concrete-online.co.uk Concrete_UEA concreteuea concrete_UEA Front page: Matt Nixon
The University of East Anglia’s Official Student newspaper since 1992 Saturday 22nd September 2018 Issue 353 Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk
Editor-in-Chief Sophie Bunce concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor Matt Nixon concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Online Beth Bacon concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News Shannon McDonagh Senior Writer: Jake Morris concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Global Global Editor: George Goldberg Senior Writer: Jake Morris concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features Features Editors: Chloe Howcroft and Mia Shah Senior Writer: Roo Pitt concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Comment C. E. Matthews concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Science Science Editor: Anna Jose Senior Reporter: Hannah Brown concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk Travel Amy Newbery concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Sport Spot Editor: Tony Allen Senior Writer: Meyzi Adoni concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy-Editors Holly Purdham Izzy Voice concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Social Media Beth Bennett
Editorial Enquiries 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, Sophie Bunce. 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
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20th November 2018
concrete-online.co.uk/category/news/ | @Concrete_UEA
What have UEA staff claimed on expenses? VC and Pro-VC for Science claimed over £25k collectively
Shannon McDonagh News Editor
Continued from front page Other surprising purchases claimed on expenses include limousine rides in Hong Kong, expensive meals, a GoPro camera, and a £500 fee to get a single book indexed. UEA Vice Chancellor David Richardson received funding for trips to Hong Kong, Brisbane, Zurich, with notable expenses incurred including limousine transport taken in Hong Kong, several stays at the 5 star Intercontinental London and the Universities UK conference in Ascot, costing over £1,000 a night. Prof. Richardson claimed a total of over £10,000 in the academic year 2017-2018, exceeded only by Pro-Vice Chancellor for Science Philip Gilmartin, who claimed in excess of £15,000 on several trips to China, a GoPro camera setup and a renewable of his premium Skype subscription. For context, the highest figure claimed by a single member of staff matches that a low-level member of the university cleaning and maintenance staffs annual salary. The Executive Team is lead by Vice Chancellor Prof. David Richardson, with the most recent addition being Chief Operating Officer Jenny Baxter, who joined the university from the BBC last February. According to UEA’s official guidelines, staff shall expect to be reimbursed ‘wholly, exclusively, reasonably and necessarily in the performance of their duties’ providing that ‘economy, efficiency and effectiveness are achieved’. Staff are advised to use the most cost effective mode of transport wherever possible, with first class travel not permitted unless it is cheaper than a standard fare. It is clear there have been instances where first class travel has been utilised, with the full expense
claim filed despite it not being the cheapest option. In some cases the staff member has only been partially reimbursed with this claim, but it unclear what system the university is using to ensure this privilege is not abused. In addition to this, there are numerous uses of London taxi cabs for short distance trips where public transport could have been used. The university have been unclear in how these funds are allocated or where they are sourced from. When queried on where and how expenses are allocated to members of the Executive Team, a representative told Concrete that ‘there are no allocations made for specific members of staff’.
“Obviously employers should pay for workrelated expenses, but the expenses described are clearly luxury” Emphasis was placed on the role the Executive Team play in the success of the university’s increasing role in becoming a globally competitive institution. The representative stated that members of the Executive Team are expected to ‘undertake a wide variety of activities that directly support UEA's mission as a worldclass university for teaching and research’ in consideration of their ‘strategic, institutional partnerships with other universities across the globe’. When asked if the extent of the trips undertaken by members of the Executive Team were considered to be reasonable, the university
said: “Helping build UEA's profile internationally is important to the long-term success of the University and the Executive Team are required to travel in the course of their duties.” However, students interviewed by Concrete have taken concern with particularly ‘luxurious’ fees. Referring to expenses such as a £640 dinner at Last Wine Bar, claimed by Chief Resource Officer Ian Callaghan, UEA student Joe Williams said “it’s disgusting.” Though it appears this specific meal had 15 people in attendance, Ian Callaghan claimed over £2200 between November 2017 and July 2018. This includes two overnight trips (using four hotel rooms in total, one of which cost £162 pn) and airline tickets, taxis, several train journeys and a conference ticket. Joe Williams said: “Obviously employers should pay for workrelated expenses, but the expenses described are clearly luxury. The senior management already receive more than a comfortable salary, but these claims amount to over an annual salary on top of that - it’s absolutely disgusting. “This is taking advantage of students and the university - we can’t claim such expenses, and neither can the maintenance staff.” It is worth noting many first class trips taken by the Executive Team, were only partially refunded due to their request being ‘out of scope’ - likely due to the fact they were first class. Politics student Charlotte Manning said “There's no excuse as to why what are most likely being described as 'business meetings' need to be taken place in luxury restaurants, and why a member of senior management staff has to travel first class on a train.” What would you buy for £15000? What do you think of the staff expenses? Tweet us @Concrete_ UEA or find us on our Facebook page, Concrete, UEA's Offical Student Newspaper. We want to hear your thoughts.
UEA unclear on source of funds
Claimed by the VC between 2017 and 2018
£10,000
£15,000 The cost of one dinner at Last Wine Bar
£500 Spent by the VC on two limousine rides in Hong Kong
Spent by Philip Gilmartin on trips to China, a Skype subscription, and even a GoPro
£640 Spent to index just one book: "Contemporary Peruvian Cinema"
£1,600
We asked: What should be considered 'reasonable' expenses? food and ore than basic m t an w f af st f “I e up the ey should mak transport... th ocket” of their own p difference out -Tony Allen
“The most saddening thing for me is that there seems to be no guilt about this” -Izzy Voice
“Many stu dents will take on un paid internship s where th ere is a cap amount th on the ey can claim , but some senior manageme nt staff can claim £15,0 00” -Eve Mathew s
“There should be caps on the amount that they are able to spend, or some stricter clarity on the regulations”
“Any costs deeed unneecessary should be recouped from the offending member of staff's salary”
-Beth Reeves
-Joe Williams
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20th November 2018
News
Conflicting immigration groups protest in city Roo Pitt
News Reporter
Two opposing demonstrations took place in the city in the midst of rising tensions regarding the topic of immigration. The protests began with the right-wing group UK Unity (UKU), who took to the city after organising a series of protests across the country. Following the announcement, local group Norwich Against Fascists (NAF), organised a counter demonstration. This was a standing demonstration outside of Norwich City Hall on St. Peters Street, with NAF occupying the side of the road of the City Hall and UKU standing on the war memorial side of the road, the two groups were separated by a line of police officers. At its peak the UKU group had approximately 40 people attend, whereas NAF and their allies saw attendance in excess of 500. Spirits were ultimately positive throughout argument, with NAF’s protest accompanied by music and most participants from both sides on their best behaviour. NAF’s efforts were supported by local trade unions including the FBU, Unite, GMB and RMT. Despite their late arrival, the Norwich Labour Party were welcomed by cheers from the crowd as they took their place within the demonstration. Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South said: 'It’s been a brilliant day, we outnumbered, out sang and out shouted U.K. Unity. This has been an amazing day, I am a proud MP of a city that has chosen to come out and spend their own time on a Saturday to see this lot off.' A group of
UEA students participating in the NAF counter-demonstration spoke to Concrete at the counter protest, explaining that despite following the day's events the group felt drained, with little hope in their room for ‘constructive conversation’. However, the did emphasise that this protest was like no other they’d attended before. The group highlighted that they didn’t understand why U.K. Unity were branded as fascists and racist when they appeared to be protesting about Brexit. Norwich Against Fascists reassured us that whilst this was their focus of the protest on the day, it’s clear from previous activity by the group that they portray racist and fascist views as an organisation and individuals involved in their movement. UEA Philosophy student, Samuel Woolford, expanded on the points made by his peers: ‘Protests are pointless for debate, both sides are polarised and shouting jingles, often the same jingles, such as ‘Whose streets? Our streets’ which was being shouted by both sides.’ He added that the quality of debate can be hindered by ‘erratic’ discourse, ‘with no ability to have a proper debate or discussion.’ ‘That being said’, h e added, ‘there is no
alternative medium for these discussions and protests are the only way people can actively express their views in the public forum.’
“We need to stand up against the rise of these far-right movements across the world” Councillor Jess Barnard, highlighted the rise in For Britain leaflets that have been appearing in various wards across the Norwich area, coupled with the national and global rises of fascist, racist and nationalist views, as the primary reason of groups coming together to form NAF. The group aspires to letting refugees and migrants know that they are welcome in Norwich. ‘Today the true spirit of Norwich shone through, much greater than the hate that U.K. Unity tried to spread.” Barnard went onto explain: ‘we remain united against racism, it won’t be tolerated on our streets. 'Norwich clearly demonstrated that it is a progressive, diverse and welcoming city. ‘The day m a y
have been dressed up as a Brexit rally, but this is simply to mask the racism spread by these groups. We’ve seen the leaflets they are distributing, they specifically target Muslim and migrant communities, to say today is about Brexit is disingenuous at best.’ Addressing the concerns raised by students around U.K. Unity being branded as fascist simply for supporting Brexit, Barnard clarified ‘we didn’t organise this rally on a why, we did our research, as should anyone attending, it’s clear from that research that their content spreads hate and racist messages.’ ‘I hope we can continue to ensure we’re not complacent, we need to stand up against the rise of these far-right movements across the world.’ Norfolk Police anticipated that 600 people attended the event. No arrests were made, one protested was escorted from the event and issued with a direction to leave notice. A direction to leave notice (Section 35 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014) is a dispersal order with the purpose of removing or reducing the likelihood of harassment, alarm or distress or the occurrence of crime and disorder, in a specified area during a specified period for up to 48 hours. Inspector Graham Dalton said he wa pleased the ‘event resulted in minimal disorder’, after ‘anticipating large crowds’, with ‘officers on patrol in the city to monitor and respond accordingly.’ ‘It was also good to see members of the public showing great spirit in having their say and talking with others with opposing views.’ There is a national demonstration against fascism and racism taking place next Saturday 17 November 2018 and Norwich SUTR have arranged reduced price coach tickets for students who wish to attend.
Photo:Roo Pitt
UEA ranked highly in new Times Higher Education tables George Goldberg News Reporter
The University of East Anglia has ranked highly in an array of subject areas by Times Higher Education’s (THE) annual global subject rankings. For law, the university has been positioned 55th out of 187 worldwide, with Polly Morgan, Deputy Head of UEA’s law school, said she is ‘delighted’ with the result. She continued, “it reflects our status as a TEF gold university that also undertakes world-leading research, as well as my colleagues’ hard work in helping our students to make a positive contribution to society, whether that is in the UK or
i n the many countries from which our students join us.” UEA, along with 86 other universities, was added to this year’s law ranking following adjustments to eligibility criteria for academic staff. Compared to last year, the university also rose to between
101st and 125th place for social sciences a n d between 201st and 250th in the arts a n d humanities grouping. B u t while UEA held its physical sciences spot at between 101st and 125th, for life sciences, the university slipped nine positions to 98th. Professor Tamas Dalmay, Head
of Biological Sciences at UEA, whose school sits in the life sciences category, said “obviously, you want to be the first on any ranked list but being 98th in the world is quite good, so I’m reasonably happy. Looking at the list, we are the 10th English university on the list, ahead of 15 Russell group universities (out of the 24), which is very satisfying.” THE uses 13 performance indicators across teaching, research, international outlook and industry income to form its rankings, readjusting the methodology to suit each field. In September, UEA was placed joint 190th overall in the publication’s world rankings out of more than 1,250 universities.
News in brief Esteemed literary journal finds new home at UEA The Critical Quarterly literary journal will now be based at UEA. Since its start at the University of Cambridge in 1958, the journal publishes literary criticism, cultural studies, poetry and fiction. ‘CQ has a great tradition of printing brilliant but accessible criticism, across the whole historical range of English Literature, but also in particular engaging with contemporary culture including film, television and recorded music,’ said Matthew Taunton, deputy editor of Critical Quarterly and senior lecturer at UEA. ‘I want us to keep up that tradition and find ways of reaching a new generation of readers.’
“We hope that in the next few years Critical Quarterly will become an important part of the humanities faculty” Following up on plans to reach out to a wider range of readers, Jack Manzi, a philosophy PhD student at UEA has been appointed as a social media editor for the journal. Taking a more active role in commissioning for the journal, Taunton has been the deputy editor of the journal since 2012. ‘I was a keen reader of Critical Quarterly when I was a graduate student in London,’ Taunton said. ‘When I finished my PhD, the job of associate editor became vacant, I jumped at the opportunity. 'My main job was to read all the unsolicited articles and to pass them on to other editors if I thought they were interesting. I also got involved in editing and commissioning special issues.’ Already, a number of UEA faculty members have already contributed to the journal or edited special issues, including Rachel Potter, Tommy Karshan, Jos Smith and David Nowell Smith. ‘We hope that in the next few years Critical Quarterly will become an important part of the intellectual fabric of the humanities faculty at UEA, with faculty members and PhD students getting involved as writers and editors.’ Taunton said. Past copies of the journal, which has been running since1958, can be found on onlinelibrary.wiley.com, as can more information. Annabel Gibson
20th November 2018
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News
£2bn on track for East Anglia's railways Max Pleasance News Reporter
East Anglia has secured an investment from network rail to the tune of £2 billion to provide a better performing railway service for Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and London.
“The grant will be spent on
maintaining and renewing existing infrastructure” The grant will be spent on maintaining and renewing existing infrastructure with the effects likely to be seen between 2019 and 2024. Meliha Duymaz, the Network Rail route director for Anglia has said that the investment ‘investment will make a real difference to the rail network in the Anglia region.’
Photo:Wikimedia Commons We have seen a huge growth in passengers over recent years and our track, signals, structures and equipment are under more pressure than ever.’ 13% more trains are
forecast to call across East Anglia by 2024 with the capacity for up to 27 trains an hour on the Great Eastern Mainline between Norwich and London Liverpool Street, up from
22 per hour at present. Furthermore, £350 million will contribute towards resignalling schemes in key areas such as Cambridge and Clacton which aims
to create a reduction in delays across the network while £400 million will be put towards renewing and refurbishing nearly a quarter of the track. Safety at stations will also be improved with funding from the investment. The route is going to see some changes and new timetables are set to be rolled out with additional services that start earlier and finish later. The Network Rail website boasts ‘Investment in rail infrastructure in Control Period 6 (CP6) is critical to power economic growth and to make Anglia a place where people want to live, work and invest’. The East of England has the fastest growth in employment in England outside London and contributes significantly to the UK economy. This is a development that can now be supported by the improvements to its rail network. CP6 is part of a larger long-term effort to improve the network overall, a plan that looks ahead as far as 2043.
SU launches brand new Students meet announced tuition Sexperience campaign reform proposals with disdain Jamie Hose News Reporter
Last Wednesday Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer Georgina Burchell launched her new Sexperience campaign. Held in the Hive, the event has been designed to remove the stigmas surrounding sexual health. It consisted of a series of stalls and talks, by various organisations including Leeway and the Terrence Higgins Trust, on subjects ranging from domestic abuse to sexually transmitted infections and consent.
sex education have been widely reported. The subject has been made a mandatory requirement by the Norwich City council and University administration, with UEA up to 3 years behind some other British universities in discussing these issues. When asked whether the event had been successful, Burchell expressed the belief that the event would help normalise issues of sexual health, making these conversations easier to have over time.
Free testing kits via iCash Information on STIS, consent & abuse Encouraging conversations Burchell suggested the primary goals of the event and subsequent campaign are to help combat stigmas such as ‘slut-shaming’, ‘educating each other’ about different cultural or religious beliefs and to allow young people to make ‘informed decisions’ regarding their sexual health. It is a welcome step in educating students on issues regarding the psychological, emotional and physical implications surrounding sex and relationships. The positive impacts of high quality, accessible resources to
Issues of sexual health have come to prominence of late in universities, with over 563,654 reports of STIs being contracted in young people aged 20-24 in the UK in 2017. There are also issues of student pregnancy, with an NUS survey in 2009 revealing that 59% of students with children did not feel supported by their university. For more information on the campaign, search on Facebook or go to: https://www.uea.su/blogs/blog/ welfare/2018/11/09/SexperienceLaunch/
Jake Morris
Senior News Reporter
As part of the UK Government’s Higher Education Review, due for publication in early 2019, there has been unconfirmed reports that the Review’s recommendation will be to set different tuition fees for arts and science students.
“Valuing degrees differently could push students in one direction or another for financial reasons” It has been widely reported that under these proposals annual fees may be reduced to £6,500 for arts courses, but could be raised to £13,500 for science and medicine courses. As science courses typically require more equipment and teaching, and on average lead to higher graduate earnings, some may see this is a fair approach. The Institute of Fiscal Studies estimated that economics and medicine degrees give up to 60 percent higher average earnings than arts subjects. Concrete spoke to students across various schools on the
Photo: Policy Exchange, Flickr proposals. Joe Williams thinks ‘it’s a terrible idea’ and will lead to a ‘slippery slope of an Australian payper module system.’ Claire Bilsborough (LDC) says she feels the two-tier tuition fees may put prospective students off STEM subjects and could ‘potentially create a stigma for arts students.’ Politics student Callum Gray was in agreement, querying whether the fee changes could see a reduced budget for arts subjects and push them out of the ‘frame of academia.’ Tony Allen (LDC/HIS) said, ‘it’s a dangerous thing when you start valuing degrees differently and could push people in one direction or another for financial reasons.’ Robert Pitt also voiced concerns about how students may be put off from more expensive courses ‘further damaging social mobility.’ Sylvie Tan raised an important point querying how any fee changes could affect international students’
fees, something which is likely to appear in Augar’s Review. However, Eve Mathews said ‘that as an arts student, my fees shouldn’t be used to subsidise anyone else’s. If your degree costs £13,500 to run while mine costs less than half of that, then we shouldn’t be paying the same price.’ These changes are not definite as the Review, led by Philip Augar, is still in consideration and their report is unpublished. The Review was promised by the Conservatives in their 2017 General Election to help ‘seek value for money for students.’ A group of MPs, the Commons Education Committee, said earlier this month that students were ‘left with big debts for too little payback.’ Some UK Universities have reacted strongly in protest to these proposed changes, raising concerns about how they will recruit financially disadvantaged students to science courses.
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20th November 2018
News
The Future of Norwich Music: What happens next?
Photo:East Anglian Music Archive
George Baker News Reporter
connection between the students of UEA and events held in city. She discussed the intersection between her former role as UEA Live Music Society’s Secretary and the social aspect of Norwich’s music scene, explaining that she often ‘struggled to drag my friends away from the university to watch live music’.
The events of past few months have seen the future of live music in Norwich come into question. The factors contributing to this are numerous, with one of the primary influences being the decline in support from the Ei Publican following multiple threats to increase rents of venues that support grass roots music and up and coming musicians. Multiple hits to essential venues such as Gibraltar Gardens, The Brickmakers, The Garden House and The York Tavern have lead to the banding together of Norwich’s live music community to form The Future of Norwich Music Forum, in order to address the mounting concerns of musicians and music lovers alike. She expressed sadness The Brickmakers in particular towards the potential loss of The saw huge levels uproar upon news Brickmakers, stating that they ‘give of its closure, and has since received so much support to up and coming a mass of online attention in the bands’, offering to film the set of form of petitions signed by over each band that played their in order 10,000 people and a fund started by to provide performance footage for free local music publication those that otherwise wouldn’t Outline. be able to do so. There have When asked been questions on what could raised as to be done by the what UEA university to could be increase doing to accessibility support a n d local music efficiency venues w h e n external promoting to the live events, universityshe said: o w n e d “Even LCR and when it came Wa t e r f r o n t Pictured:Space to Zig Zag venues. is Big, photo by festival last year, Speaking Matt Nixon we found that there to Concrete was a lot of jumping on the issue, The through hoops to be Future of Norwich Music done in order to get publicity founder and UEA Alumnus Megan on campus. We tried our best but Thrift explained her concerns had a lot of feedback from people with regarding the fragmented that came to say that they didn’t
“There have been questions raised as to what UEA could be doing
to support local music venues”
see anything about it. There’s only so much that sponsored posts on Facebook can do.” In October we spoke to numerous students both undergraduate and postgraduate about the means and the frequency of their access live music while at university. We found that across this sample the majority of people experienced their nightlife exclusively in clubs such as Loft and Mantra over traditional live music venues, raising questions about what could be done by the university to improve this relationship. Worryingly, 28% of those interviewed could not remember the last live act they saw, with those that did remember often drawing from acts featured in UEA’s Freshers programme such as Scouting For Girls’ Leavers Ball headline slot last summer. The data was clear in its suggestion that students at UEA rarely come into contact with the many events held in the city. Moreso, a rising trend could be seen in the way in which students discover events, with 71% of students having discovered live music via social media, over posters and newsletters. The Future of Norwich Music Forum has been created in order to address some of these issues, having held two meetings since its creation. The first, held at The Brickmakers, was chaired by UEA Alumni and former Live Music Society Secretary Megan Thrift and Campaigner and Musician Jon Fennell. Discussion points included the closures of venues, the creation of a new database and website for promoters and bands, issues with promotion of gigs, namely, UEA’s position on advertising on campus. The second, held at Epic studios, consisted of 3 panel discussions consisting of various figures within the Norwich music industry, from musicians themselves to the press. The issues covered by each panel consisted of publicity and advertising, the work of the
Music Venue Trust, and improving problem has concluded that a people’s access to live music reasonable solution would in Norwich. be pipeline investment The discussions fund, which would targeted many involve 50p from of the issues each arena importance ticket sales to the 100+ contributing attendees, to this. This w i t h fund would Danielle be open for Boden of grassroots the Eastern venues to Daily Press withdraw and Kevin from and Maddams s u p p o r t Pictured: Bag of of local music v e n u e s , Cans, photo by publication promotion and Matt Nixon Outline providing musicians. valuable information Concrete spoke as to how musicians to Campaigns and can get their shows promoted Democracy Officer Sophie Atherton through their outlets. Clare Cullen, on what UEA could do to assist live representative for the Music Venue music venues in Norwich. When Trust, discussed her experiences asked what resources are available having been contacted by many of to people wanting to promote shows the venues currently affected by at venues external to UEA, Atherton rising rents. said that the university does provide A representative from the these opportunities but ‘will be Brickmakers referenced the work introducing a method of promotion the MVT had done in Parliament to for those students in weekly campus highlight the issues affecting music distribution runs’, to ensure that the venues across the country. university can continue to operate as ‘the leading ticketing platform in the Norfolk area’. “We welcome the opportunity to make new connections with venues, promoters and artists to create a wider network to help Norwich as a premier live music destination.” “All of the events listed on the website are the events collated by our box office team which is a small part of the team working at uea(su). We recently had Gladboy and Marigolds perform at the Across Europe, the average Waterfront, both of whom feature subsidy for for grassroots venues current UEA students. We would ranges is 42% - in Britain this figure love to work with more student acts lies at just 0.7%. An update was and they get in touch with our box given during one of the panels that office team at boxoffice@uea.ac.uk” the venue will be pursuing legal action with regards to the threat of George Baker is the lead singer of its own closure. the Norwich-based 'Shindie' band The MVT’s assessment of the 'Bag of Cans'.
“Worryingly, 28
percent of those
interviewed could
not remember the last live act they saw”
8
Global
20th November 2018
US mid-term elections see gains for the Democrats Jake Morris
Senior Global Writer
The Democrats have won control of the US House of Representatives in the November 2018 Congressional midterm elections. The contest was seen to be a key test for US President Donald Trump, as analysts had predicted a ‘blue wave’ as a sign of discontent for Mr Trump’s policies. With 429 of 435 seats declared, the Democrats have taken control of the House winning 231 seats, more than required to form the majority party. In the 100 seat Senate, the upper house of Congress, the Republicans have maintained control with 51 seats and two left to declare. Despite the loss of the
In brief Kim Jong-un smiles for first official portrait North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has commissioned his first official portrait. The image captures a smiling Mr Kim wearing a suit and tie. His portrait was unveiled on state TV in Pyongyang during a visit from Cuban President Miguel DíazCanel. This is the first time an official photo of Mr Kim has been publically displayed. Jake Morris Dutchman sues to lower his age A 69-year-old Dutchman has commenced a legal fight to officially change his age. Emile Ratelband says he identifies as 20 years younger and wishes for this to be recognised in court. His reasoning is that he does not want to lie about his age on Tinder when seeking other people in their late 40s. Though many consider this battle futile, he argues that if you can identify as a different gender, you can also do so with age. Andrew Ferris
House, Mr Trump tweeted that the election was a victory and had been a ‘tremendous success’.
“The House now has 107 female representatives and 23 in the Senate” The Democrats were not expecting significant gains in the Senate with 29 of their senators having their seats contested compared to just eight Republican seats. The result in the House follows a set trend that the opposition party to the President wins control. Control of the House means that Democrats can introduce legislative bills and initiate Congressional committees to scrutinise Mr Trump. The Senate must approve any legislation and has the power to appoint federal officials. Nancy Pelosi, a leading Democrat and Congressional veteran, is widely expected to be appointed to the key position of Speaker of the House in the vote
Senate
* Republicans
Democrats*
47 -1
50
No election *inlcludes independents
+1
51
silence to oppose, has become the first female Senator of Tennessee. South Dakota has elected its first female Governor, Kristi Noem. The first Native American women have been elected to Congress, with Sharice Davids and Debra Haaland joining the House. Ilhan Omar (a refugee from Somalia) and Rashida Tlaib, both Democrats, are the first Muslim women in the House. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest ever female candidate to be elected to Congress, won her seat in the New York Bronx; which she, since her election, has announced that she is unable to afford accommodation in expensive Washington DC.
“In Florida, election officials have ordered a recount” Since the election on 6 November, the results in Florida, Arizona and Georgia have been mired in controversy with legal challenges and demands for
recounts. In Georgia, Republican Brian Kemp declared victory over Democrat Stacey Abrams, the first female African-American candidate in the state. With the result being tight, Abrams refused to concede and her campaign has said they will pursue legal action over their allegation that over 30,000 votes were not counted. In Florida, Election Officials have ordered a recount for both its Senator and Governor. Republican Rob DeSantis has a 0.41 percent lead over Democrat Andrew Gillum in the contest for Governorship, and in the race for the Senate there is just a 0.15 percent difference between the candidates. Relations between the two parties have soured in the state with Republican Senate hopeful Rick Scott filing legal action against the Democratic election supervisors for alleged violation of electoral law. Scott was quoted, ‘I will not sit idly by while unethical liberals try to steal this election.’ His rival, Democrat Bill Nelson, has launched counter legal action over the validity of signatures on absentee ballots. Mr Trump has waded into the dispute accusing Democratic electoral supervisors of ‘fraud’ and corruption in the two Florida contests.
House Democrats
*
231 +36
Republicans 218
-36
198
No election 33 of 35 races called
428 of 435 races called
Photo: Architect of the Capitol
Kidnapped students in Cameroon returned Scott Arthur Global Writer
Stray cats offered safety in washing machines A local vet, Ana Silva, in the Portuguese town of Monchique has devised a creative solution to providing stray cats with a safe place to sleep. With the council’s backing, she has placed broken washing machines around the town with the drums lined with bedding. The local school and a graffiti artist have helped to decorate the appliances and they have been an instant hit with the local cats. Jake Morris
on 28 November, having served as Minority Leader of the House in the last Congress. Surprisingly, her appointment would be supported by Mr Trump who said that she has ‘earned this great honour.’ On Twitter, he went as far as to offer Republican support in the House ‘if they [Democrats] give her a hard time’. Voter turnout was estimated to be at its highest for any midterm since 1970 with 113 million people voting, a 36 percent increase on the 2014 midterms. Exit polls have shown a divide in voting by different ethnic groups with Hispanics and African Americans favouring the Democrats. Over 75 percent of African Americans are expected to have voted Democrat and over 50 percent of White Americans voted for the Republicans. During the campaign, donations to Democrat candidates far surpassed Republicans with Democrats receiving $314 million more. These elections have seen a significant increase in the representation of female and ethnic minority candidates. The House now has 107 female representatives and 23 in the Senate. Republican Marsha Blackburn, a candidate who popstar Taylor Swift broke her political
78 school children who were taken hostage in the West African country of Cameroon have been released unharmed. The group, consisting of 42 girls and 36 boys, were taken near Bamenda, in the North-West region of the country. Bamenda is a hub for Cameroon’s English-speaking population and is often at odds with the predominantly French-speaking rest of the country. Tensions have been heightened in recent years as some in the city and its surrounding areas support
withdrawing from Cameroon and creating a republic consisting of the English-speaking regions. This socalled ‘anglophone problem’ runs back to the legacy of colonialism in the region, wherein Britain and France would jointly hold the region after seizing the territory from Germany during the First World War. During the push for independence, the two separate colonies would end up unified, with a large Francophone majority, and a small Anglophone minority. These tensions reached a peak in 2017, when the Anglophone regions declared themselves to be independent, adopting the name ‘Ambazonia’ or ‘Amba land’. While this declared state has no
official legitimacy or international recognition, it has served to inflame tensions leading to a low-level Guerrilla War in the area. It is against this backdrop that these children were kidnapped. Samuel Fonki, a Presbyterian Church minister in the region who negotiated the release of the children stated ‘The principal and one teacher are still with the kidnappers. Let us keep praying.’ He added that no ransom had been paid but declined to share any more details about the release. Incidents like this are not unprecedented, it is alleged that the same armed group involved in this kidnapping had taken 11 children from another school in October, and
only returned them after a ransom of 2.5 million Central African Francs (£3,300) was paid. All of this follows on from the 7 October elections that saw President Paul Biya secure a seventh term in office. Biya’s government has previously been accused of committing mass electoral fraud, and according to some sources, the government covered up a loss in the 1992 election. Biya has also faced accusations of allowing the police and armed forces to abuse human rights, especially in English speaking areas. While the release of these children has spared much suffering, the conflict in the area continues with no ending in sight.
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20th November 2018
concrete-online.co.uk/category/global/ | @Concrete_UEA
US sanctions against Iran come back into force Harry Routley Global Writer
After Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday 8 May 2018, the President stated that a new range of sanctions would come back into force to prevent not only a nuclear weapons programme but also ‘destabilising activities’ from Tehran.
“While Iran relies heavily on oil exports, the government has remianed defiant” The recently announced sanctions target Iran’s banking sector, national airline and shipping industry. While sanctions on these growing industries pose an issue for Iran’s economy, eight countries
were granted special permission to continue temporary trade for Iranian oil. China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey make up more than half of Iran’s crude oil importers, and whilst US diplomats have stated that leaders from the respective nations have agreed to reduce dependency, the sanctions have not been able to cut off Iranian oil exports completely. M i k e Pompeo, US Secretary of State, argued in favour of the sanctions based on perceived I r a n i a n interference in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Pompeo stated that the ultimate goal of this new raft of sanctions was to force Iran to abandon its current
foreign policy course and act like a ‘normal country.’ While Iran relies heavily on oil exports, the government has remained defiant in the face of these new sanctions, organising new air drills and suggesting t h e
nuclear enrichment to begin anew at a far greater pace than before the original nuclear deal. However, Iranian officials have suggested that if the s a n c t i o n s p r e v e n t
P h o t o s : Wikimedia Commons
legitimate oil trade, the country would ‘do it [trade] through whatever means necessary’ suggesting the use of a black market. Continued oil exports may be essential to prop up the economy and avoid further anti-government protests, largely resulting from rising medicine and food prices. Perhaps the one hope for legitimate trade to continue with Iran are the mechanisms being created by the European Union. The EU has drawn up new financial rules allowing European companies to continue business in Iran but the US has promised to pursue any company taking advantage of ‘loopholes.’ In order to take advantage of the new EU rules, individual countries would host a ‘special purposes vehicle’ to allow continued trade. However, possibly as a result of the US warning, no country has offered to host such a scheme.
Google forced to adjust policy following walk out
Brexit Box
Photo: Unsplash, Pawel Czerwinski
William Warnes Global Writer
This week has been a troublesome one for the Prime Minister, Theresa May. It may have seemed that all the pieces of the jigsaw were finally falling into place; however it appears that May’s cabinet is more than reluctant to get on board with her plan after another week of painful negotiations. A lack of faith in the Prime Minister’s plan is clear with even the most hardened of Brexiteers, evident with the departures of Boris Johnson and David Davis. With May’s timetable for Brexit thrown off course after fierce resistance to her plans from her cabinet and Brussels, a final agreement is looking harder to achieve than ever before. In fact, an emergency cabinet meeting to ‘approve a Brexit deal’, as reported by The Independent, has been called off by the Prime Minister amid the issues at home and abroad. Despite this, it appears that cracks are not only appearing in the Conservative party with Jeremy Corbyn facing similar opposition after he was questioned on whether he supported the idea of a second referendum. He stated, ‘not really, no. The referendum took place’. Meanwhile, Labour MP, Keir Starner has claimed the Brexit process can be halted, contradicting the words of his party leader. In an interview with Sky News, he said ‘Brexit can be stopped. But the real question
is what are the decisions we are going to face over the next few weeks and months?’ The Prime Minister’s Brexit plan has also been heavily criticised in the press this week with the UK CEO of German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp, Terry Sargeant, claiming that the ‘Conservative party is failing business in the pursuit of pushing through a Brexit deal’ and 'putting its own survival ahead of industry’. He went on to warn of layoffs if the UK failed to reach a deal. ‘It is a complete shamble. They have failed business. The Tory party aren’t making decisions for business, they are making decisions to prevent an implosion in their own party’ and ‘the next generation of working men and women are going to be hit hardest by Brexit, an act of complete folly.’ It cannot be denied that the next few weeks will be a difficult challenge for Theresa May. With the country and government divided, it is yet unclear as to what the outcome will be.
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days before Britain is scheduled to exit the European Union
Image: Vecteezy
Roo Pitt
Global Writer
Google employees walked out earlier this month over sexual harassment policies that have preserved a culture of turning a blind eye to both sexual harassment and discrimination. The technology giant has been forced to overhaul its policies following the direct action staged by staff. The walkout was organised by employees in response to claims that senior employees were paid large settlements to leave the company following sexual harassment claims against them. Google, along with other tech giants in the Silicon Valley region, has been rocked in recent
years by allegations of sexual surrounding sexual harassment. In misconduct in the workplace. This an email to staff, he detailed that has led to accusations that the Google would end forced arbitration corporate culture has allowed for for sexual misconduct claims, make discrimination against race and changes to its investigations process, gender in hiring, pay and share data on promotions. harassment claims On Thursday and outcomes, Forced arbitration is a clause 1 November 2018, and provide within employment contracts a record number new support for that prevents employees of people walked people who come from suing the companies out of Google’s forward. they work for, this includes headquarters In the days incidents involving sexual in both San f o l l o w i n g harassment. Francisco and G o o g l e ' s Singapore, with announcement, over 1,000 people Facebook, eBay estimated to have and Airbnb have all ended ‘downed tools’ across the world. forced arbitration for sexual Seven days later, Sundar harassment claims. This Pichai, Google's CEO, follows the global success of announced that the company the #MeToo movement. would revise its policies Image: Vecteezy
Features
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20th November 2018
“Living next How accessible to students is is UEA? a nightmare” Mia Shah
Features Co-Editor Peter, who lives in the golden triangle area of Norwich, an area very popular with students, spoke of the troubles of living next door to students. ‘I have lived in the area for 17 years but up until a couple of years ago, I had never had a problem. The house next door was turned into student housing and since then there have been non-stop issues. The students next door play loud music, come home shouting and laughing at all hours of the night and smoke weed in the garden we share.’ The golden triangle area is home to both students and families, all terraced together in close proximity; sometimes frictions between neighbours are inevitable, regardless of whether they are students or not, but are students really a ‘nightmare’ to live next to? Ellen Hawksworth, third year UEA student who has lived in the golden triangle area for two years, disagrees. ‘As a student, I don’t agree that all students are rowdy; it is such a blanket statement. However, I would say that students can get excited, and forget the consequences of their actions (e.g. time of night, the day of the week).’ Hawksworth is no stranger to rowdy neighbours, after moving to a new house in her third year of university, she has been woken
Image: Vecteezy
up at all times of the night by the students living next door. ‘They are very loud when returning from a night out, playing music, screaming and just being inconsiderate to the point where we were having broken sleep for weeks at a time when they were going out frequently.’ However, while reluctant at first, Hawksworth and her other housemates informed the letting agent after trying numerous times themselves to stop their rowdy neighbours. ‘For now, informing the letting agents has done the trick, but if not there are other avenues we can take.’ Peter went straight to the Norwich City Council who took the issue to the university; the students were threatened with expulsion if they were unable to quell their rowdy behaviour. Lucy, Peter’s wife, said that ‘living next to students is not always ideal but if they are able to let us know in advance of parties or behaviour that might be disturbing, especially for the children at night, then we wouldn’t mind so much; but it’s the not knowing whether we or the kids are going to get a good night’s sleep that causes us so much stress.’ While students might not always be the nightmarish neighbours that Peter described, having rowdy neighbours can be really disturbing to an individual’s or family’s quality of life. So next time, if you are a rowdy neighbour, try to be more mindful.
Image: Vecteezy
Chloe Howcroft Features Co-Editor
My name is Anders, and I am a first year Biochemistry student. I’m in the 98th percentile for verbal reasoning, which is way above average, and have a standard IQ, yet I struggle to concentrate and stay focused, to feel motivated, stay organised mentally and physically; all this is due to multiple physical, mental and learning disabilities. Difficulties with mobility, absence from university, fatigue, chronic pain, dislocation of joints and other complications, such as wearing clothes that can be painful, only touches the surface. Clinical Depression, Complex PTSD, Borderline OCD, among others, all provide a lot of difficulty in terms of anxiety about everything, low motivation, impulsive and compulsive behaviours, brain fog, severe damage to skin, difficulty maintaining positive relationships, flashbacks, panic attacks, insomnia, so on and so forth. The learning difficulties also include Combined type ADHD, Dyspraxia and Dyslexia, which provide difficulties in processing information – it requires a lot of work for me to take something in. I am very forgetful and have poor short-term memory. I struggle with executive dysfunction, coordination, handwriting, drawing, and reading comprehension. I also have auditory processing disorder and tinnitus, which essentially cause me to hear everything as my brain doesn’t filter out the important sounds from the unimportant sounds,
meaning I struggle to tell where noises come from. I can barely hear in a crowded room or when there is background noise, and certain noises (usually loud and sudden, high pitched or whispery) can cause awful pain in my ears. Did I mention I am very forgetful? ‘UEA if fairly accessible’ is probably the best way I can put it. Student Support Services (SSS) and the Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) try their best; however, things still fall short. There is no assistance with regards to getting around campus in an accessible way besides the faded orange dotted lines ( I struggle to use stairs most days so I try to use the guides). On 24 October this year, I was having severe difficulties in getting around; I was very fatigued and in a significant amount of pain. I missed my first lecture; the JSC had a fire drill which subsequently broke the lift – my lecture was on the second floor, so I could not make it up two flights of stairs. I took an extended break and then very slowly walked over to SSS, taking a rest in buildings when I needed. I requested to borrow the mobility scooter from SSS, but it had broken. I decided to borrow a manual wheelchair from them as I’d used one before and gotten along quite well. But I found myself having a real difficulty pushing myself about, so had my mentor push me over to TEC. We realised the dilemma in that I wouldn’t have anybody to push me back and I was unable to push myself alone. So I ended up being pushed back to SSS, where we noticed that both tyres on the wheelchair were punctured. I missed both of my lectures for that
day, and was only able to access my meetings in the afternoon by the use of the Campus Kitchen lift as the Union House lift was once again broken. To my knowledge, the mobility scooter is still not fixed; the job is being passed all around SSS, with nobody really dedicated to getting it done. Considering my recent appointment with physiotherapy, where I was issued crutches, I began the discussion on acquiring an electric wheelchair for longer distances, such as city trips and university days which requires me to be all over campus. But it’s quite difficult to figure out how to get around right now. For me, the accessibility of UEA has improved over time, but only in the sense of being able to access more support. I was prevented from seeing a disability advisor until earlier this year, as I’d previously seen mental health advisors since that was regarded as my one and only impairment. Even when getting satisfactory grades, absence is treated quite harshly; albeit reasonable adjustments are in place and evidence for these are with the right people. There’s a lack of understanding about how chronic illness works from academics and students alike. Especially within the Sciences, in labs it’s difficult to make things accessible whilst still following health and safety rules. For example, I recently had my lab assistance suspended due to absences for my illness without 24 hour notices - 24 hours for when I’m going to be ill. Now that I have a disability advisor, things have been easier, but the systems such as timetabling and the SSS themselves are as bad as ever.
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concrete-online.co.uk/category/features/ | @Concrete_UEA
Jess Barrett investigates housing:
what’s all the fuss? Image: Geograph, N Chadwick One of the main concerns students face while at university is accommodation. At first it’s about which halls you’ll get allocated, and then, like a brick in the face, you start worrying about where you’ll live once first year is over. A considerable amount of students secure their second-year accommodation outside of Home Run before the autumn semester ends. Speaking to Jess Cappi, a third year who secured off-campus accommodation in the autumn semester in her first year, she explained, ‘I was stressed and
wanted to secure my second-year house as quickly as possible.’ One reason for doing so was that she had agreed to live in a group of six and ‘there was a big hype about how quickly big houses were taken.’ One issue that many students have with Home Run is that it releases their list of approved accommodation in January and that this is too late. Lee Casey, a Masters student, also secured his second year house outside of Home Run and agreed: ‘Housing in Norwich is so competitive. They get snapped up fast.’ However securing your off-
campus accommodation through Homerun has its benefits: it releases a list of accommodation in January, meaning you don’t have to go out and actively search for housing. Homerun also provides an extra layer of security as they promise to help with any difficult landlords, and threaten to take them off their service if they don’t comply. The safety blanket their service provides is fundamental, especially if your landlord doesn’t adhere to the contract (through abiding by a Government-protected scheme). Abbey Hancock, a third year, conveyed how helpful going
through Homerun was when her landlord was reluctant to replace her house’s faulty boiler: ‘Going through Home Run enabled us to get advice from UEA’s student union about how we should take action against our landlord, otherwise we wouldn’t have had a clue what to do.’ Every student interviewed has said that securing off-campus accommodation was a stressful process. However, Cappi, who has found housing both via Home Run and independently, said that although ‘finding accommodation through Home Run was more stressful on the day, I am happier with the result; we live closer to campus and the rent is so much cheaper.’ The general consensus is that securing housing is stressful and might make you feel like you need to secure it as quickly as you can, but Home Run guarantees trusted landlords and support incase you need advice, so is worth the wait. Georgina Burchell, Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer, says: ‘We are aware that many students start to think about accommodation at this time of year. We feel that by releasing the list in January, we are allowing students a little longer to get to know their potential housemates. Many students looking for
accommodation are in their first year at UEA and, at this point, have known their potential housemates for just over six weeks.‘The list is also released in January so that it does not clash with assignment deadlines which occur before the Christmas break. This year the list is released on 19 January at 9am. The list is available online at uea. su/homerun and current students can access the list using their UEA username and password via the Shibboleth login.’ Burchell also says: ‘[The] timing of the list release is a topic which features in the Home Run survey each year. This year we asked participants to choose which month they would like the see the housing list released, giving November, December, January, February and March as options, and the majority indicated a preference to continue with a January list release. We will do a survey after the list release to see how students found the process and will use this feedback to amend the service for the next housing period. ‘advice(su) will help you with any issues that you may face during house hunting or once you have a house, and it doesn’t matter who you rent from. advice(su) can be found downstairs in the Hive, or you can call on 01603 593463 or email advicecentre@uea. ac.uk.’
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20th November 2018
Features
The
Feed
The charity finding ways to prevent poverty, hunger and homelessness Roo Pitt
Senior Features Writer The Feed, in Norwich, is a community based social enterprise. They aim to help people who have experienced homelessness with training and employment, whilst also working to change the perception of homelessness across the public and private sectors.
“The Feed believe we should never give up on anyone”
I met with Lucy Webb, The Feed’s corporate fundraiser, at their new hub on Prince of Wales Road, which opened just a week ago to discuss all things The Feed. This hub will replace The Feed’s stall on the market place and the various other venues used by the enterprise for training and offices. LEAP was set up initially in 2008 using National Lottery Funding, which focused on helping people secure long term accommodation, The Feed was established out of this as a social enterprise in 2014. Eventually LEAPs funding faded, however The Feed continued
to thrive and registered The Feed Foundation as a charity earlier this year. The Feed’s mission is to find ways to prevent poverty, hunger and homelessness. The Feed claim that the most common cause of homelessness, as said by homeless people when asked how they ended up on the streets, is relationship breakdown. That can be a relationship with a husband, wife, family member or close friend. Homelessness, however, can be more complicated than that, it is caused by a variety of circumstances; many people The Feed work with are ex-offenders, have alcohol or drug misuse histories and mental health issues. Regardless of their circumstances, be it the consequence of bad luck or poor life decisions, The Feed believe we should never give up on anyone. The Feed partnered with Kettle Chips in 2015, which formed a
strong link with local suppliers of quality food and enabled the trainees to undertake placements and training with Kettle and Green Farm Coffee. These partnerships allow trainees to gain qualifications, such as a food hygiene certification, and become skilled baristas. The training academy focuses on equipping people with not just the skills required to work within the catering and hospitality industry, but also to build their confidence with life skills such as managing their money and cooking food on a budget. The scheme also equips trainees with essential employability skills such as CV writing, interview techniques, and the ability to identify suitable opportunities. The Feed seeks to provide a sense of community by creating a positive network and, most importantly, building confidence and motivation within everyone involved with the enterprise. The Feed recognise that trainees often face difficult or complicated backgrounds and live in environments, such as hostels, where they are likely to be surrounded by negative influences. By allowing participants within the program to come together with those facing similar challenges in their daily life, but who are also actively taking steps to improve their livelihoods, The Feed hope to show the participants that there is a better option and give them the confidence to pursue positive changes. Along with inviting businesses to use them during the day, with a dedicated meeting room that can be booked within the hub and food available from the community café, The Feed hope the hub will be used by community groups outside of its opening times; allowing for a safe space for communities to come together with all the facilities they might need to gather, share food, skills or simply meet in a space away from the hustle and bustle of the city itself. All graduates from the training program will also have the opportunity to undertake
work experience within the café or from partners such as Kettle, which usually lasts for two weeks, allowing participants a chance to put their new founded skills to use,
“The Feed Foundation hopes it will soon be able to help with access to work” and develop them further before heading into a workplace. As a newly formed charity The Feed Foundation hopes it will soon be able to help with access to work, through grants for training, paying for transport to interviews, or for interview and work wear such as chef’s whites. They will endeavor to provide these services, which can prove a financial barrier to someone accessing this field of work for the first time. In March this year The Feed
joined a consortium along with seven other local charities in order to provide support for people with complex needs to achieve long term stability. The newly formed service, Pathways, has been awarded £758,000 of funding by Norwich City Council.The funding will be awarded over the next three years to address rough sleeping, combining these specialist organisations expertise to take this new service to those who need it most in the city of Norwich. The Feed is now located on Prince of Wales Road and its café is open Monday-Friday from 8am3pm.
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20th November 2018
Features
“I am not alone but I feel lonely” When I was starting university, loneliness was never something I imagined I would feel. Living with friends, partying 24/7 and attending lectures I actually wanted to be in. It felt like a dream. Two years down the line, I am not alone but I feel lonely. If this sounds like a contradiction, your right. It is. How can I be lonely if I am always surrounded by others? I am not the girl who sits in the house staring out onto a gloomy day, or the girl eating her lunch in a bathroom stall because she has no-one to sit with in the canteen. I am a girl with a large group of friends, two jobs and a supportive family, and yet I feel loneliness seeping in. If you asked me why I am feeling lonely, I probably couldn’t tell you because it doesn’t make sense. I don’t fit into that stereotype of what a lonely person looks like, if there even is one? I have always felt the pressure to fit in with others my age, but I don’t. This feeling of not having anything in common with the people I am surrounded by is a big part of why I feel so lonely. Somewhat ironically, I am
not alone in experiencing this. Today, young people are some of the most affected cohorts - according to the Office for National Statistics young adults (16-24) reported feeling lonely more often than older generations.
“I am a girl with a large group of friends, two jobs and a supportive family, and yet I feel loneliness seeping in” Findings by the Journal of Psychological medicine paint an even gloomier picture of young people’s loneliness; lonely young people were found to be more likely to have more mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety, they were less confident in their employment and prospects, and more likely to engage in risky behaviour.
Doing a quick google search on the help available, it’s apparent that there are more strategies in place to combat loneliness in the elderly than there is for the younger generations, such as Age UK’s buddy scheme, elderly cafes and support groups. However, even if there was more in place for young people to deal with loneliness, I would still feel reluctant to engage with them. Feeling lonely is something I feel embarrassed about; saying it out loud makes it sound ridiculous because there is nothing embarrassing about mental health. But fears over the state of my mental health being undermined by a therapist is enough to stop me in my tracks. Despite my reservations about asking for help, other UEA students want more to be done. ‘It comes up in our student survey every year as a big issue that they want uea(su) to focus on,’ said Georgina Burchell, Welfare, Community and Diversity officer. Mental Health Matters, a priority campaign for the SU, is designed to do exactly this. They will be working with the
Student Support Services and others to develop a variety of initiatives to combat loneliness and its stigma.
“Social media creates a powerful community online” Oli Gray, Activities and Opportunities Officer, who is working with Burchell on the Mental Health Matters campaign, picked up on a very interesting point. ‘We know that people spend more time online, seeing life through this lens could make you feel as though everyone else is having a great time when you’re not, which can be hard’. I can really resonate with what Gray said; I spend a shocking amount of time on social media, and reflecting on this gave me an idea for a possible solution. Social media creates a powerful community online, so why don’t we harness some of that power for good and start creating a community that we can use to support those suffering from loneliness.
While I do understand that online communication cannot replace that of real life, having an online support system could go a long way to helping young adults struggling, especially those like me who refuse to see a professional in person. Loneliness is definitely not a one size fits all issue; a solution that may work for everyone else may not necessarily work for you, and that’s okay. This was my honest account of what it is like to be lonely at university. My reluctance to get help shouldn’t be the reason you don’t seek help for yourself. There are many services on campus such as Nightline and Student Support that can help you if you are feeling lonely.
Nightline are available 8pm to 8am every term time night on
01603 597158 You can contact Student Support using the following details:
01603 592761
studentsupport@uea.ac.uk
Hey UEA
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#UEA
@ueatennis
20th November 2018
@ elpingu
@liamshunt
Media Collective News ‘Have you ever felt lonely at university?’ 87% 13% “Freshers’ was an extremely isolating time for me, but I found friends by forcing myself into some socieites”
Livewire: It’s the third week of Movember for Livewire so keep an eye out for our members vlogging and donate what you can to be entered into a competition to win free drinks at the Battle of the Bands, Nando’s meal and much more! Concrete: We’ve finally planned our longawaited annual Christmas Media Ball with Livewire and UEA:TV. We’ll be dining at the lovely Number 47, and heading for an afterparty at A-List. Tickets are on sale now!
Want to feature in our roundup? Find us at @Concrete_UEA or use the hashtag #HeyUEA
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20th November 2018
15
The archive:
With the deadline for a deal on Brexit quickly approaching, and members of Theresa May’s cabinet as quickly abandoning ship, Concrete has looked back to our 326th issue, printed just a few weeks before the referendum in 2016. It may be not be a surprise to you that around 77 percent of students were planning to vote remain. Now, however, with the country split over whether or not a second referendum should be held, we wonder how you feel about the current situation. Do let us know on Twitter @Concrete_UEA, and you can be featured in the next HeyUEA!
christmas market mon 3rd dec 11.00 - 16.30 hive and LCR
in collaboration with
to book a stall email v.cook@uea.ac.uk
alliwantforxmas
Comment
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20th November 2018
The Tories can’t gag Grenfell Samuel Woolford Comment Writer
There is a problem at the heart of British politics. The adverse effect any form of critique or social judgement has on a political party’s image repeatedly seems to override fundamental morality. Grenfell is just one heartbreaking example of British politics’ outright refusal to acknowledge the huge errors made by the government. In the face of 72 deaths, the government still remains unsettlingly stoic and unmalleable. Where social conscience meets political reputation, it seldom is the
former taking precedence. This obsessive fear of ‘adverse publicity’ runs deep in British politics and causes both senior politicians to mischaracterise their own beliefs, and the suppressing of critical investigations. After condemning a group who burnt an effigy of Grenfell Tower on Bonfire Night, an investigation by The Times revealed the government added a gagging clause to a contract with engineering company WSP, stating they were not to generate ‘adverse publicity’ for Theresa May or other crown institutions while testing cladding on other buildings. The government has done it numerous times before, even
banning Brexit consultants from doing anything to ‘embarrass’ Theresa May or some governing bodies. The issue also runs deep within the roots of the party lines. Within the prestige of political parties, there appears to be little or no room to open up critical discourse despite ongoing evidence of problems. There also appears to be an inherent fear of not abiding to the party’s views, and so a sense of individualism is lost. This individualism, which often helps to humanise politicians who seem so distant from society’s most vulnerable, is compromised for the sake of the broader party’s
reputation. This fear of being a political outlier in your party is symptomatic of a political system unwilling to criticise any facet of their own institution. Such is the state of British politics to spin and suppress negative press about any part of the various institutions of government. The behaviour of the government in issuing these gagging clauses only 12 days after the Grenfell tragedy is in itself immoral. How are we to prevent the likes of the Grenfell tragedy when we are
Iceland Christmas advert:
too political or too pertinent? Beth Bacon Comment Writer
The supermarket Iceland has launched a Christmas advert campaign to raise awareness for deforestation. The narration is by Emma Thompson in collaboration with Greenpeace. However Clearcast, the NGO that decides which ads to approve, banned it because it was ‘too political’ in accordance with the 2003 Communications Act. It shows an animation of an orangutan in a young girl’s bedroom. The girl expresses her desire for the orangutan to leave because ‘she throws away my chocolate and she howls at my
shampoo’. We are then taken on a flashback to where the orangutan originated and we discover the animal is an asylum seeker.
“Adverts are made to promote business, not front their political agendas” The situation has been reversed; the orangutan explains, ‘there is a human in my forest and I don’t know what to do’ and the humans are ‘burning it for palm oil, so I thought I’d stay with you’. We are first coerced into enjoying a playful cartoon, but it soon becomes clear that this is a discussion about catastrophic climate change that we can have a bearing on. Malcolm Walker, Iceland’s founder, said, ‘We got permission to use it and take off the Greenpeace logo and use it as the Iceland Christmas ad. It would have blown the John Lewis ad o u t
of the window. It was so emotional’. The producers of the advert would have been aware of the guidelines. But that is exactly why they followed through with its production. The banning of the ad has been all over newspapers and social media. Yes, it is a beautifully made, thought-provoking commercial that would have had a strongly divided reception if it were aired. But the decision not to broadcast the advertisement has not only drawn light upon the message it intends to disperse, but has also called into question the laws surrounding advertising regulations. The debate has reached far and wide. From The Guardian to Sky, and Facebook to Twitter, all audiences have been privy to the discussion. With television and, in particular, social media having such an impact on young audiences today, should advertising companies, who play a huge part in the content released, have the freedom to assert their opinions? Should we not support pioneering companies and charities with money and power, like Iceland and Greenpeace, to platform their beliefs? Is it okay to censor viewers against points of view simply because they are
deemed ‘too political’? And finally, where is the line drawn? How is ‘too political’ defined and who is defining it? All of these questions have arisen since Clearcast made their newsworthy decision. Sure, they may have halted the broadcast of the advert on TV, but it was widely spread on the Internet nonetheless. Is it worth having such restrictions in place if it’ll be distributed over social media and will probably hit a bigger audience anyway? It’s true, if commercials were allowed to be political, debates between advertising companies may ensue.
“It soon becomes clear that this is a discussion about catastrophic climate change” And, after all, adverts are made to promote business, not front their political agendas. But at least this would make much more interesting viewing than a parade of the next best ‘shampoo for coloured hair’ on offer. Photo: Pxhere
limited in our criticism? How can we understand various issues facing British society if we are subject to these political clauses that stifle freedom of speech and suppress the reform of institutions that are needed most? Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Can we reduce food waste? Laura Taylor Comment Writer
Most people know we produce enough food to feed everyone in the world, so why is it according to Oxfam that almost a billion people go to bed hungry each night? The problem is distribution. Western countries consume quantities of food that leave entire countries starving, with the average person in the West wasting 115 kg of food every year per capita compared to 11 kg in developing countries. The problem is obvious, so why, despite this, has it continued uncontrollably for decades? I think it’s down to our consumerist society. Billions of pounds of fruit and vegetable are wasted in production when it does not meet aesthetic standards (and there was me thinking I was the only one who had to worry about these). Although this problem is starting to be resolved, with Morrisons selling ‘Wonky Veg’ at a reduced cost, in the end, the consumer drives a consumerist society and we all need to make a change. The most striking problem to me is lack of knowledge. A few weeks ago, my Dad saw some sprouted potatoes in our flat’s bin and was rightly shocked. My flatmate had no idea you can chop a sprout off a potato, thinking it reasonable to throw away almost a kilogram of them. Just this week another flatmate criticised my slightly out-of-date yogurt in the fridge, worrying it would contaminate her food, but after a protest I kept it on my shelf and ate it yesterday, ten days after the supposed ‘use-by’ date. Yes, it tasted perfectly fine, and no, I’m not ill today. While I know reducing food waste to zero is somewhat unrealistic, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t all be doing our bit. It doesn’t take much to educate yourself on what foods can be frozen before they go off and when you shouldn’t eat something, but many people just can’t be bothered. Sadly, when it comes to the health of our population and planet, ‘can’t be bothered’ just does not cut it.
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concrete-online.co.uk/category/comment/ | @Concrete_UEA Photo: Pixabay
Trump: wrongly portrayed? Jamie Hose Comment Writer
After the Pittsburgh shooting at the end of October in which 11 people lost their lives, 70,000 people signed a letter demanding that President Donald Trump should ‘fully denounce’ white nationalism. This led me to ask the question: does Donald Trump’s infamously controversial language encourage hate crimes? I asked UEA students on campus for their view on the matter. I found that most pointed to Mr Trump’s rhetoric towards Hispanics and Muslims, citing his ‘Muslim ban’ and the speech in which he accused Mexican immigrants of being drug-
dealers and ‘rapists’. Just as crucial as his divisive speech is the fact that hate crimes rose from 6,121 reported events in 2016 to 7,175 in 2017, which some may suggest is a correlation between the occurrence of hate crimes and Trump’s election. Whilst Mr Trump is often hotheaded, phrasing some matters in a very controversial way (chiefly in order to attract attention), he does highlight some legitimate issues. In terms of Hispanics, he is right in suggesting they have high crime rates: in 2010 the Hispanic homicide rate stood at 5.73 per 100,000 in comparison to 2.52 per 100,000 for white people. Furthermore Mr Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ came more
from a desire for national security than hatred towards Muslims. In a study by Pew Research, 12 percent of US Muslims said they believed violence towards civilians in the name of political, social, or religious reasons is sometimes justified. That said, 14 percent of the general US public also believe this. Many radicalised young people go abroad to seek training and resources, and so the ban, whilst clumsily composed, arose from a desire to try to prevent this worryingly high percentage from acquiring the skills necessary to orchestrate any sort of attack on the US. But is Trump too sympathetic with white supremacist and even
anti-Semitic activities? Well his daughter, Ivanka, had to convert to Judaism in order to marry Jared Kushner, so I think it is pretty safe to say that Mr Trump is not an anti-Semite. In terms of the demands for him to renounce white nationalism, he already has. After the white nationalist attack in Charlottesville just over a year ago, he clearly stated he did not endorse or support white nationalist beliefs, and has even described the Pittsburgh shooter as a ‘maniac’. Mr Trump went further when he suggested he is in favour of the shooter receiving the death penalty. It’s hardly a supportive sentiment.
Mr Trump’s strategy is not hate-driven, but it is irresponsible. He regularly uses controversy to galvanise support by antagonising large or particularly vocal groups in society, and then claiming he’s defending American values. The media backlash and the taking of his speeches out of context may well trick some people into believing he endorses these kinds of crimes. Ideally the string of controversial statements would come to an end but that seems unlikely; I’d rather see the media smarten up and start investigating some of these issues instead of playing Mr Trump’s game and fuelling this social divide.
Prince Charles’ history is cause for concern Jess Barrett Comment Writer
We can all agree the monarchy is an iconic British symbol recognised across the world. The Queen is 92 and her portrait features on all our coins and standard stamps. But is it time for a change? The possibility of having Prince Charles as our next monarch is a conundrum. His political campaigns and meddling with the government have caused controversy over the last few decades and quite frankly, he’s no longer taken seriously in the media; the satirical cartoons are endless. History shows when monarchs become too involved in politics, public unrest, political turmoil, and even revolution ensues. Obviously, times have changed and the monarch has nowhere near the same amount of political influence as they did in previous centuries. Yet Prince
Charles’ history in campaigning and his political activeness is a cause for concern. Prince Charles has an unconventional attitude to politics and tries to work beyond his role as Prince of Wales. In an interview for a BBC documentary celebrating his 70th birthday, Prince Charles said he would not continue pursuing political campaigns when King. Yet he also referred to being King as a ‘role’ that would be completely different to being Prince of Wales. This use of the term ‘role’ may indicate the Prince views something about being monarch as fake. Historically, since the Prime Minister became embedded into the political world, the monarch has taken a backseat in the running of the country, only completing ceremonial tasks. The annual Christmas speech and giving out the invitation to form a government are a few of these tasks, but I think Charles would prefer a more active
political role. Prince William, unlike his father, has maintained a very safe distance from the government and politics in general. William is more publicly relatable. He’s young, kind, and married to Kate Middleton, a woman who some may see as a more fitting match in terms of class. Their children have become a marvel in the media, making the nation broody (well some of it at least). It doesn’t stop with William. Prince Harry too holds a place in the nation’s heart, especially since marrying the actress Meghan Markle and announcing their pregnancy. The younger generation of the British royal family is more progressive and open minded, and a better fit for society today. This being said, although many may want Prince Charles to abdicate, I doubt he will. There’s really no question we’ll see Prince Charles on our coins and on our stamps.
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Science UEA reduces energy usage
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Laura Taylor Science Writer
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In order to continue with efforts to make our campus more sustainable, the central heating programming in the Lecture Theatre building has been changed. Now the theatres are only heated or cooled when booked, not for 12 hours a day as was the standard previously. This is set to help the university reach its target of reducing the university’s energy consumption by 25 percent of its usage in 2013/14 by 2020/21. This change is being used as a trial, and if successful, will be implemented to the rest of the
Image:Jæ
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Hannah Brown Senior Science Writer
A report by the United Nations’ team of leading climate scientists warns that there are only a dozen years before the world’s temperature will rise by one and a half degrees Celsius, resulting in irreparable damage to the planet. This will cause wildfires, flooding, drought, extreme heat and poverty for millions of humans
“Urgent measures are needed to stop the planet’s temperature rising” and animals around the world. The threat of climate change sounds like something from a dystopian film, but the truth is that it’s real life and it is happening now. Reports say that urgent measures are needed to stop the planet’s temperature from rising by two degrees Celsius. Half a degree may not seem like much, but it could be the difference between life and death for many. Looking at recent
university’s buildings.
“The theatres are only heated or cooled when booked” UEA uses a combined heating and power grid (CHP) to produce around 50 percent of its energy, which is said to be around 17 percent cleaner than importing
electricity from the National Grid. CHPs often burn waste to produce electricity, giving out a lot of heat as a result. This is then channelled through a system of pipes to provide central heating to buildings, meaning this heat does not have to be produced elsewhere, reducing the overall energy consumption. Two new CHPs were installed in the Chancellors Drive energy facility in June 2017 and the sustainability team are set to keep improving these technologies by investing in the university’s staff and using their skills and expertise to better the energy standard. But as much as the sustainability
and energy teams at UEA are working to reduce our energy consumption, much of the responsibility should be down to the individual. The sustainability team suggests borrowing one of their energy meters for a weekend, which would allow you individually to track your energy usage and find things you could change. They are also advocating the idea of making small changes to your routine: making sure you turn off the lights, turn your computer off or put it to sleep when not in use, and only boil the amount of water you need in the kettle; all small steps to reducing your carbon footprint.
years to save planet Earth hurricanes, flooding in many parts of the world, and the wildfires currently raging in California, it is obvious that climate change is already having an effect on the Earth. T h e w o r l d ’ s current temperature is already one degree higher than preindustrial era levels, and it’s taking a toll. If the temperature rises by two degrees, coral reefs will be one hundred percent wiped out, ocean levels will rise by around ten centimetres (four inches), and sea levels will become warmer. It may also affect the growing of crops such as barley. Louisa Casson, ocean campaigner at Greenpeace UK, has said ‘Our global
Image: Max Pixel
oceans n e e d a global treaty. Our oceans sustain all life on Earth and a network of ocean sanctuaries
can breathe life back into them.’ However, it is not
means that you can help the world in a big way before it’s too late. that if governments just fulfil the pledges they made in the Paris agreement for 2030, it is not good enough.’ Limiting the rising global temperatures could give people and the world’s ecosystems more time to react and keep their area of the globe below the risk thresholds. ‘Every extra bit of warming m a t t e r s , especially since warming of one and a half degrees Celsius or higher increases the risk associated with longlasting or
necessarily the individual who will change the climate of the world. It is in the hands of world leaders to try and slow down the effects of climate change. ‘They really need to start work immediately,’ said Professor Jim Skea, co-chair of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). ‘The report is clear
irreversible changes, such as the loss of some ecosystems,’ said Professor Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of the IPCC. It is clear that the world needs to act now if we want a fighting chance at survival. Whilst governments need to work to start saving the planet, there are some things that you, an individual, can do to help too. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by climate change, but starting small
“Eat less meat especially beef” 1. Join a movement. In order for us to truly have an effect on climate change, we need to band together. Groups like Greenpeace, 350, 4Ocean, or your local green group are all brilliant options. 2. Eat less meat – especially beef. Beef can result in up to 105kg of greenhouse gases per 100g of meat, whereas tofu contributes less than three and a half kilograms. 3. Use public transport. As students, we are unlikely to have our own cars, but even still, using public transport, bikes, or your own two feet can reduce your carbon footprint. 4. RRR – Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s a motto that has been shouted at us since primary school, but it truly does work. Try reducing what you buy, reusing what you have, and recycling everything and everywhere you can. Check with the council to see what you can recycle. 5. Vote. Use your voice – by holding politicians accountable, you can have a chance to change what happens on this planet before we lose it. ‘The next few years are probably the most important in our history,’ said Dr Debra Roberts, co-chair of the IPCC. Help to make them count.
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New £50 note to feature British scientist Surgical students lack ‘real Freya Hartshorn world’ understanding Science Writer
Image: Rosalind_Franklin 2, Wikimedia Commons, Images Money Flickr
Laura Taylor
The Bank of England has announced that the face of the new £50 note will be a British scientist; the general public will be able to cast their votes on current nominees over the next six weeks. The Bank has said that the scientist could be from a wide range of fields. The current £50 note has portraits of the business partners Matthew Boulton and James Watt, who were responsible for the design and manufacture of English steam engines in the latter half of the 18th century. This machinery played a major role in the Industrial Revolution, allowing the mechanisation of factories and mills. Watt was an inventor, mechanical engineer and chemist who, with the financial aid of Boulton, was able to commercialise his invention: the Watt steam engine. Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, made the announcement that a new portrait would be selected. A panel of four experts in the field will make a shortlist of candidates, and Carney will make the final decision. The panel is made up of: Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a space scientist and educator; Emily Grossman, a biologist; Simon Schaffer, a professor of history and philosophy of science; and Simon Singh, a particle physicist. One rule that the Bank of England follows is that apart from
Science Writer
the Queen, all individuals featuring on banknotes must be dead. This rule immediately eliminates some popular suggestions, such as England football player Harry Maguire riding on a unicorn; a choice which gained thousands of signatures in an online petition. One popular potential candidate is Professor Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge, who was world-renowned for his research
in cosmology. Rosalind Franklin is another whom people believe deserves the honour. Her X-Ray crystallography work contributed to the discovery of the DNA double helix for which her colleagues James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Unfortunately, her contributions were only widely recognised after her death.
What is the average life expectancy in Norfolk? Swetha Natarajan Science Writer
It has been concluded that with each stop on the District Line towards East London, life expectancy of the local inhabitants decreases by a year. As alarming as that sounds, according to a recent report compiled for Norfolk County Council, there currently exists a tremendous difference in life expectancies amongst people living in Norfolk, based on where they live. The life expectancy of men in South Norfolk is 14 years greater than those in Great Yarmouth. Similarly, that of women in Broadland is 14 years greater than those in West Norfolk. This begs for the question to be answered: why does life expectancy vary so drastically? A probable answer to this would be the socio-economic factors that affect the lives of the people. It should be noted that the
number of unemployed people is far greater in Great Yarmouth than in South Norfolk, and in West Norfolk than in
Image: Pixabay Broadland. The rate of unemployment is a likely contributor to this trend, as being unemployed can affect one’s physical health. It can lead to loss of fitness,
depression, anxiety, cardiovascular illnesses, and financial problems that can possibly inhibit one from visiting the doctor and more. Moreover, a study has found that hypertension is the third leading cause of death and disability in the area, which can be connected to the higher risk of cardiovascular illnesses and depression associated with unemployment. Furthermore, people who are unemployed tend to consume more alcohol, smoke more and take more sexual risks, all of which impact their health. Certainly, there are a multitude of other factors contributing to this trend. Cancer has been named the leading cause of death in Norfolk, however Dementia is the leading cause of death in women of Norfolk. Tangible steps do need to be taken by the population to reduce this radical gap, possibly by conducting studies to establish the primary reason for this trend and then taking further measures.
Roger Kneebone, Professor of Surgical Education at Imperial College London, recently made comments on the latest generation of surgical trainees. He said that a rise of screen exposure and a decline in hands-on subjects at school was resulting in surgical students showing a reduced physical understanding of the world. One suggestion to regain these skills was to encourage young people to take part in activities such as pumpkin carving. Although perhaps if Prof Kneebone spent some more time online, he would see that the continued popularity for this particular activity may be due to the opportunity for a picture that can be posted online. The statements received significant emotional backlash from students both online and on campus. Many trainees from around the country came forward with stories of how they believe their gaming time actually aided them in their training, particularly when using modern robotic techniques. Those on campus felt it was an unfair assessment and were quick to blame lack of experience in the theatre as a key reason for finding difficulty. 44.8 percent of fourth year medical students surveyed had only scrubbed in to assist twice during their training, with a further 20.7 percent only having done so once. A significant 12.5 percent had never had hands-on surgical experience during their four years of medical school. Furthermore, there is a lot more academic pressure on today’s trainees, more so than on Generation-X who currently reside in the NHS seats of power. W h e n f a r
Image: Wikimedia Commons
more resources and weight is placed on academic performance, why are those who instigated it surprised when students have less experience of ‘softer’ subjects like art, design, textiles and woodwork? Last Monday Concrete interviewed Mr Haywood, a consultant plastic surgeon at the NNUH who has seen similar issues in his own teaching. He reports spending more time teaching trainee surgeons how to use surgical tools than previously, and that students struggle more with problem solving in a 3D space. Such skills are difficult to teach directly, so Mr Haywood suggests that his trainees go home and build an airfix plane. However, he also had many positives to say about the ‘swipe left swipe right’ generation, mostly regarding ability to understand data and information at speed. Mr Haywood told Concrete that when he was training in the 90s, they would work 110 hours a week, spending considerable time in theatre; comparing this to the 48 hours per week now, an effect of the European working time directive. From this, one can see how junior doctors might take longer to learn new skills than their predecessors. There is no research to back up Prof Kneebone’s statements, which are currently all anecdotal. Perhaps, as Mr Haywood suggested, older consultants have simply forgotten what it is like to learn, the same way experienced drivers are irritated by learners on the road. A long term cohort study would be useful in this area to see if handson hobbies really do improve surgical trainees’ abilities. But in the meantime, prospective surgeons might take up Mr Haywood’s advice to build an airfix plane. Out of all the requirements to get onto a surgical training program, it would probably be the most fun!
20th November 2018
Travel
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of Norwich's finest hotels
Amy Newbery Travel Editor
Norwich is such a great city to explore, it can’t be covered in just one day which is why tourists often book several days in a hotel when visiting. Maids Head Hotel The Maids Head Hotel is famous for being the oldest hotel in the United Kingdom, existing for over 800 years now. Situated in the city centre, the hotel’s location is ideal for tourists. The architecture is a wonder itself, showcasing its evolution from the Tudor, Georgian and Jacobean style.
“The Maids Head Hotel is famous for being the oldest hotel in the United Kingdom” There is also a restaurant, The WinePress restaurant, in the hotel which has been awarded two AA Rosettes. Maids Head Hotel also caters for weddings, boasting beautiful and unique reception rooms, delicious catering and planners that cater to every need. Although on the pricy side, the
historical hotel has a four-star rating and worth every penny. Broadview Lodge Found on the UEA campus, Broadview Lodge is great for students and visiting relatives. With included parking, the lodge is accessible for all visitors. Granting a discount to students and relatives of students, Broadview Lodge is ideal for those coming for a short visit and don’t want to spend a fortune. The rooms also offer great views, overlooking the lake on campus. Breakfast as the campus canteen can be included, depending on your needs. With friendly staff, Broadview Lodge is comfy and an excellent value for money. If you are looking for a simple hotel close to campus, Broadview Lodge is your hotel. Norwich Nelson City Centre Hotel Part of the chain of Primer Inn hotels, the Nelson City Centre Hotel is convenient as it is close to the train station and offers a view of river Wensum. The hotel offers a range of amenities such as free high speed wifi, a restaurant, a bar/lounge, wheelchair access and multi-lingual staff. A great hotel is you have a budget. There is also a carpark available for those travelling by car. As it is situated in the city centre, the hotel is convenient as a range of restaurants and shops are a walkable distance away. The Georgian Townhouse Found on Unthank Road, The Georgian Townhouse is a quirky and romantic hotel that describes itself as a ‘hidden city oasis where you can come to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life’. Primarily a bar and restaurant, The Georgian Townhouse also offers 22 boutique bedrooms. In
Photo: Nigel Chadwick, Wikimedia Commons
these rooms, you can find internet televisions, coffee machines, fridges, and so forth. Going along with the theme of escaping from the outside world, the rooms are designed to take you away from reality. Like Maids Head Hotel, The Georgian Townhouse is on the more expensive side, but again, it is worth the expense. Holiday Inn Norwich Close to the city centre, Holiday Inn Norwich is perfect for those travelling on a budget. Ideal for both business and leisure travellers, this hotel offers an extenswive range of utilities. Equipped with airconditioners and high speed wifi, there are also conference rooms and public areas available.
“Close to the city centre, Holiday Inn Norwich is perfect for those travelling on a budget” In addition, children eat and stay for free. The hotel also has a gym, spa and sauna, and a heated swimming pool. Their restaurant serves a full buffet breakfast to prepare tourists for their day. For those travelling by car, Holiday Inn also has free parking. Of course, there are many more hotels in Norwich but if you are looking for a pleasant experience, these are the ones to check out!
Cruises: worth it or a waste of money? Erica Thejab Travel Writer
We used to regard going on cruises as a luxury of the wealthy. However, as it becomes more and more popular, the price for cruises become cheaper and affordable to more. Here’s the big question when it comes to cruises: is it the same as travelling? There isn’t one correct way to define travelling, but we can all agree that it’s the exploration of a new place while engaging with its culture and people. When we go on a cruise, we sleep in the same place and encounter mostly the same group of people, so does this mean we’re not actually ‘travelling’? This is entirely dependent on the person. You can experience ‘proper travelling’ on a cruise if you talk to new people, make the most of your port stops and explore the local cultures. However, if you spend most of your time on the ship while enjoying the familiar company of your friends, you might as well be staying in a resort by the beach. Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t have fun either way. One of the best things about cruises is that there is no need to worry about accommodation, food and transport. Your itinerary is set and most of your expenses are paid for. All you need to do is enjoy yourself. More so, you get a taste of different cities, islands and even countries. Most cruises spend one day in each destination. If by the end of the day you find yourself wishing for more time to explore the area, it only means you’ll have to come back later! Although some may be hesitant to admit this, another great side of cruises is their 24/7 buffet. Some offer menus from the local cuisine and it’s a perfect way to taste new food. Overall, cruises are quite a cheap way to see the world (or at least, parts of it) on a single vacation trip. Not to mention, you only need to unpack once! Going on a cruise is not all glamorous. Sure, most cruises will stop for one whole day in a port, but after cutting it down with sleeping time, queuing to get off and on the ship, you’re left with a few meagre hours to enjoy the area. While cruises can be great for families or those who simply wish to enjoy onboard amenities, it may not be the best idea for travellers who are looking to immerse in foreign cultures. Putting aside the time crunch, it surely is harder to engage with the locals without being branded as a tourist. Whether going on a cruise is worth it is a matter of personal preference. If you want a taste of ultimate leisure, go for it. Otherwise, you’re probably better off catching a flight.. I have no burning desire to go on a cruise but I wouldn’t refuse a luxurious trip sailing around the world.
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Alana Lloyd-Jex Travel Writer
Travelling the world is a big achievement for anyone, especially a solo traveller. It can be quite a daunting prospect, but once you are sat in your seat on the aeroplane, ready to take off, you feel a huge sense of accomplishment, and so you should! I recently travelled to Australia to live there for a few months and I have never been more proud of myself. With a long haul flight such as mine, the excitement can come with a sense of dread when you look at the screen and notice you have over twenty hours until you reach your destination. That is the perfect moment to kick off your shoes, pop on a movie,
and have a G&T. Or is it? Having a celebratory drink on the aeroplane is great to both calm the nerves and to mark the victory of making your flight without messing it up.
“The perfect moment to kick off your shoes, pop on a movie, and have a G&T. Or is it?”
But it is important to check that you are actually allowed to. As seen in the news recently, if you are flying into the Middle East, including for a connecting flight, drinking or having alcohol in your system is an arrestable offence. This was the case recently for dentist Ellie Holman; she was
detained in July this year having drunk one glass of wine on her eight-hour flight to Dubai from London. In the UAE, if you are found carrying or drinking alcohol without a license, or even have it in your bloodstream, it is punishable by arrest and/or a fine. Tourists are restricted to consuming alcohol in a hotel or licensed premises, but despite the airlines offering you alcohol, it is not actually a legal place for tourists to have an alcoholic drink. Now I am absolutely not preaching the alcohol-free life here, but what I am suggesting is to be more aware than I was at the time of my flight. When I read Holman’s story in the newspaper on my way back home I was gobsmacked; that could have been me. I flew to Dubai to
get a connecting flight to Australia and, having consumed a few beers in victory, I am very lucky that my exciting adventure was not cut short by being unaware of local laws. If I had done the proper research I would have known that a can of beer was not worth jeopardising my once-in-a-lifetime experience. The FCO’s Travel Aware campaign specialises in advising people of local laws and customs, so that you are not caught out when travelling to new places like I nearly was. It could be the best bit of travel preparation you do and could be the difference between you having the best time of your life or one of the worst. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-traveladvice or https://travelaware. campaign.gov.uk/ Photo: Pixabay, GDJ
Thursford: The Christmas Spectacular Show Amy Newbery Travel Editor
This year is the second time I’ve been to the Thursford Christmas Spectacular and it was just as amazing as the first time. When my grandparents asked me if I wanted to go, it was back during the summer as tickets sell out rapidly. Thursford is only an hour away from Norwich; we got there in 50 minutes. W e
Photo: Amy Newbery
arrived there an hour before the show so we could have a walk around the location before taking our seats. While walking from the car park, we passed by lines of coaches which explained the 1,400 audience members. While walking around outside, I saw that the event really lives up to their name with decorations and fairy lights everywhere - in trees and casted into the shape of deers. Located in The T h u r s f o r d Collection
Museum, besides the Spectacular show, you can also see a collection of steam engines, organs and fairground attractions that was founded by Thursford local, George Cushing. The amount of effort and detail put into the collection and show is so impressive. There is something for visitors of all ages which is why it’s so popular. I felt a bit out of place at the show because I swear I was the only Asian person there and it’s mostly either grandparents or young children, although I did spot the occasional teenager. Regardless of this, the atmosphere at the show was great, everyone was very nice and merry. The show itself was absolutely amazing. The range of music was extensive from a violin instrumental of Coldplay’s ‘Viva La
Vida’ to Christmas carols. The singers were top-notch and extremely professional. The dancers were so versatile, in one night I witnessed ballet, Irish step dancing, the can-can, and more. In addition, the orchestra was just as amazing and their organ player has now been part of the show for over ten years. Every year, the show strives to add something new and this year it was a performer from Spain who could twirl and juggle a guitar with her feet while lying upside down on a chair. I was gobsmacked. During the three hour show, we were graced with a mix of singing, dancing, music, talent acts, and a commentary by comedian Paul Eastwood. However, my favourite part of the show was when white doves were released and flew across the stage to a post but one dove didn’t get the memo and stopped halfway. Although the tickets are a bit pricey (£45 per person), I think it’s completely worth it because the show is absolutely stunning and spectacularly directed. If you’re looking for a nice day out, you’d better book your tickets as soon as they become available!
a
Drinking alcohol on flights, worth risking arrest?
Coming to America Chapter 5 Amelia Rentell
My American friend drove me to the airport last week. My boyfriend came to visit. I’m not sure how I became one of those people who was loved enough to have someone travel over four and a half thousand miles when they didn’t have to but it feels good to be one. I am lucky. For a week I felt like I had someone on my side but also with me on the other side of the world. Someone on Team Amelia. Although I’ve made friends here, really nice people who also find the same things funny as I do, it was good to not have to try for a little while.
“Long distance relationships are hard and talked about often.” Long distance relationships are hard and talked about often. Facetime is wonderful, but it can’t do all the things. LDRs are mostly talked about in regards to a significant other but that’s not true or exclusive. I miss my Mother and her pestering ways, how she still hasn’t worked out the time difference. I can’t hop on a train and be home for the weekend or drive out to the sea. Oklahoma is very far from the sea. I miss my friends and talking about nothing, complaining about people in the library or deciding that the LCR is definitely a bad idea tonight but let’s go anyway. I want to be able to walk to their houses, knock on the door and be looked after. It’s unbelievable that I miss UEA’s library and the shop’s meal deals. Things I always complained about. I miss being with my people like you miss an old coat. It’s warm and snug to put on, a bit dirty and distressed but doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. All my clothes here feel different, they’re always trying to be new and different, begging for someone to notice them and say “hey, you’re cool!”. I have four final projects to finish in three weeks. I’m not too terrified because I’m very capable but I’m sad not to see the faces I know in the library, or at the local Tesco - I really miss normal supermarkets and cheese that isn’t orange. Regardless, I can do it because in America I am smart but I don’t always feel like me here. I am determined to finish on a high as I know that when I get on that plane to go home, home will be waiting for me with open arms.
Image: Clker-Free-VectorPixabay, Vecteezy
Sport
20th November 2018
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Hockey teams remain unbeaten Captain Dan Mcmahon’s hockey third team extended their 100 percent league run last Saturday, beating Norwich Exiles’ first XI 5-2 in front of a healthy crowd at the Sportspark. Exiles were UEA’s closest rivals at the top of the table, coming into the match also unbeaten, but a superb attacking performance from Mcmahon put them to the sword. Charlie Armitage, George Anderson, Matthew Wavish and Josh Rollason joined Mcmahon among the goals, while goalkeeper Jamie Hare also made several important saves at key moments including an acrobatic effort with his outstretched stick to keep out a shot seemingly destined for the top corner. Mcmahon reflected: ‘It was
the hardest game of our season so far, and the crowds came out to support us. When the pressure was at its highest my boys performed and secured another big 3 points.’ Meanwhile, the firsts maintained their own winning start to the season with a 3-2 victory over Newmarket, on a historic day for the club in which all four men’s teams recorded wins. The BUCS side added to UEA Hockey’s celebrations, winning 3-1 away at Oxford Brookes last week to overtake their hosts and go top of the Midlands 3B league. UEA women’s BUCS team are also joint-top of their league with a perfect record of four wins from four after beating Coventry 4-0 away.
Why get involved in a sport at uni? Meyzi Adoni
Sport Senior Reporter
For the past couple of weeks, I had a chance to talk with different people from various UEA sports clubs. As a person who grew up playing Tennis and Basketball, I know the feeling of being attached to a sport that makes you feel strong and happy. While doing these interviews, seeing everyone’s love and enthusiasm for the sports made me realise that being a part of a group of people who share the same love for sports is an exceptional and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Doing sport makes you feel more active and healthy. It is possible to read these kind of sentences (or facts, if you prefer to call them that) everywhere. The things I want to talk about are more personal and emotional subjects.
Travelling to different cities each week, getting ready for Derby Day and training for more than three times a week can be challenging, but these things help people change in a positive way, be more disciplined and also it allows them to have a very special bond with their teammates.
“I don’t see Lacrosse as a team but more as a family” I played Tennis for seven years and Basketball for three and I still
think that the friendships I gained in tournaments, practices and camps are very precious. And I feel like it is important to show and tell these experiences and values to other people. So, I asked people from different UEA sports teams about their experiences and feelings in being a part of a team. I asked Forhad Khan, a committee member of UEA Lacrosse, how being a part of the club for the past two years affected his university life. He said, ‘I’m happy that I joined a sports team. I joined the club as I wanted to experience something different as I hadn’t really heard about Lacrosse before university. ‘In my first year, everyone was really welcoming and it’s a good way to meet new people and make new friends. Plus it makes Sports Night a lot better when going with
a win! ‘How does Lacrosse affect me? Well it’s one way to try and keep fit while at university. I don’t see Lacrosse as a team but more as a family! I have had two fun years being part of the club and would highly recommend joining. It’s been a great experience.’ UEA Dance squad choreographer and committee member Camille Verrier told me that ‘joining dance has positively broadened my horizons in meeting new people and friends I never would have just with my course. Since it’s a sport and an art it’s a great way to stay fit and you feel like you’re actually producing something great.’ These sentiments are one of the main reasons why I love talking to different sports clubs each week. Their dedication, admiration
and the way they see and feel about their teammates are worth mentioning. And I genuinely hope that it also encourages other students to try new things.
“Joining dance has positively broadened my horisons” It doesn’t have to be something sports related. But once you find something you love and care about deeply, it makes you feel better and it also helps you grow as a person.
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20th November 2018
concrete-online.co.uk/category/sport/ | @Concrete_UEA
An introduction to UEA Rowing Birmingham beat UEA Photo: Rachel Overton
but Eagles take positives Tony Allen Sport Editor
Izzy Voice Sport Writer
It’s common knowledge that Rowing is one of the most physically demanding sports. Whilst your mind might immediately be drawn to those notorious early morning starts (and the incredibly tall people you spot in the middle of the dancefloor at the LCR), I spoke to some of the members of this year’s women’s squad to offer you more of an insight into the best parts of rowing. UEABC, or UEA Boat Club, has approximately 60 members and trains around seven times a week (yes, seven!), whilst competing in a vast number of races throughout the year. The men’s and women’s squads represent UEA against local clubs as well as different universities in BUCS competitions. At the annual BUCS Head race in 2017, the men’s VIII placed 15th in the country: one of UEABC’s best achievements. Perhaps the Rowing Club is most famous for its early starts; three times a week the rowers have to be on the River Yare at 6am for a water session practising technique, coordination, power, and race sets. Believe me when I say rowing is not for the faint hearted; I admire all those who stick with it despite the ever-increasing demands that a degree throws at you over the years. One such rower is newlyelected Women’s Captain Katy Barker. Speaking of the goals for the women’s squad this year, Barker said: ‘[I] would like to give Rowing a different reputation, rather than being the sport with people who “are mad and wake up early”, to one that’s really an enjoyable and skilful sport that anyone can join’. It’s true, the best thing about rowing for UEA is that you don’t have to have any prior experience
would be impossible to row a boat without a cox. In charge of both the direction and the speed of the boat in outings, as well as ensuring Photo: Izzy Voice the safety of the boat before and crew, the cox is an joining integral part of rowing and and you’re racing. able to row on the Speaking to Eloise Prichard, water straight away; quite literally, the cox for the women’s squad for everyone’s in the same boat (awful nearly three years, she said that pun intended). coxing ‘made [me] push myself and Whilst the amount of training allowed [me] to see a different side may put new members off, it to Norwich and that’s something [I] definitely means that you bond enjoy. closer as a team. Because [I’ve] coxed the women’s squad for so long, each training session is now the equivalent of meeting up with [my] closest friends’. Rowing’s not just about training sessions and early starts, though. UEABC organises some of the best themed socials of any club, requiring rowers and coxes to dress up in costumes including (but not limited to) emergency service uniforms and bin bags. UEABC’s annual Christmas Reinforcing this statement, Ball in December promises to be a UEABC’s President Olivia formal evening, allowing members Doubleday noted that the best part to ditch the lycra and wellies for about rowing was the team spirit elegant black-tie attire. and the feeling of everyone ‘being UEABC is a friendly and sociable in it together’. club which welcomes anyone with Barker added that ‘it’s a lot of any or no experience. commitment but the benefits are If you would like to get involved fantastic and you make friends for (maybe give coxing a try?), then life’. contact the Men’s or Women’s Being Captain has many Captain at menscapt.ueabc@gmail. rewards, and Barker enjoys ‘being com and womenscapt.ueabc@ able to take a boat from scratch and gmail.com. turn it into a powerful machine to To learn more about the Rowing win races’ – who wouldn’t want to Club, see great pictures, and be upbe a part of that? to-date with UEABC’s antics, why Whilst it may appear that the not follow them on Instagram at @ athletes do all the hard work, it officialueabc.
“The benefits are fantastic and you make friends for life”
UEA men’s Lacrosse team lost 10-2 to undefeated league-leaders Birmingham at Colney Lane, but gave a good account of themselves as they continued their positive early-season form. The Birmingham keeper was first required to save a Sean Cullum shot before his side turned on the pressure, however UEA’s defence were solid and organised throughout. Petros Papayiannis was outstanding for the hosts, with Harry Harris making a number of marauding runs to bring the ball out of UEA’s defence and start attacks. However, Birmingham did find a breakthrough for 1-0, which is how the first quarter finished with UEA still very much in contention. UEA’s defence was again excellent in the second quarter, with goalkeeper Charlie Albuery making the first of several important saves in his best game of the season so far. And UEA’s defensive discipline paid off when Oregon-based exchange student Eric Ritchie drew the sides level on the stroke of half-time. Not long had the second half been underway when UEA dared to dream of a surprise result. Captain Travis Payne was on his toes to expertly dodge past several Birmingham defenders, firing in a powerful shot to put UEA 2-1 up. Papayiannis was then involved again as he made a superb block to maintain UEA’s lead, with the resulting shot slashed wide. Sadly for UEA, it didn’t last long. Birmingham were soon level at 2-2, and straight after scored another quickfire goal to take the lead, a sucker punch for UEA who immediately called a timeout. After the break, UEA regrouped, and Albuery made a stunning double save to see UEA go into the final quarter only a goal down at 3-2. In that fourth quarter, Birmingham’s class begin to show as they stretched out their lead to 10-2, a scoreline that seriously flattered them and did not reflect UEA’s performance, particularly defensively, for the first three quarters. Birmingham netted soon after the restart, and despite another good Albuery save they capitalised on UEA’s tired legs by scoring several late on. Last week, UEA fell to a disappointing 7-3 defeat at home to Warwick, with UEA’s goals coming from Jhan Tibudan, Mitchell Hoverd and Matt Dewhurst. Midfielder Seb Grant was named man of the match after a good performance in which he created several opportunities and achieved excellent facing statistics. Meanwhile, the women’s team have picked up their first win of the season, beating Nottingham
Photo: Tony Allen Photo: Tony Allen fourths away in the first round of the Midlands Conference Cup to set up a second-round tie at Derby this week. Lottie Payne was man of the match in a comprehensive 21-4 win. UEA succumbed to tabletoppers Oxford Brookes 24-1 the next week in a tough game where they picked up several injuries. However, it was in fact a good result for the Eagles considering the visitors’ all-conquering form going into the game. They had won four from four with +115 goal difference, including several clean sheets and two victories by 35 or more goals. Cat Stallard netted UEA’s consolation. Owing to a lack of recent league fixtures for the seconds, a women’s development team drew six apiece with their Leicester counterparts in a friendly match which allowed a number of freshers to enjoy some invaluable game time at Colney Lane. UEA also sent two teams to the annual small-sided freshers’ tournament in Hertfordshire to pit their wits against other new players. Issy Fumpston was MVP for the women, who placed third, while Euan Dickson was the star for the men, who beat the tournament champions Lincoln 1-0 in a friendly.
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20th November 2018
Sport
UEA Pirates plunder opening win Tony Allen Sport Editor
UEA Pirates American Football team got off to the best possible start in BUCS South East 1A as they beat Queen Mary Vipers 39-15 in their first match of the season. Corneilius Walters was the star for the Pirates, crossing three times against the newly-promoted opposition. There was a healthy Sunday lunchtime crowd lining the Colney Lane touchline for the fixture, including students and locals. UEA Angels Cheer club continued their traditional association with the Pirates by turning out in numbers to show their support. And it was the home side that drew first blood with an unconverted touchdown for 6-0. UEA were on top in the opening stages, gaining ground after the restart with some well-organised downs before the game opened up. Cornerback Michael Johnson picked up where he left off from a successful rookie season in 201718, getting this campaign off to a good start in the thick of the firsthalf action for the
Photos: Abi Smith
Pirates. He made a flying, touchdown-saving tackle after a long throw forward for the Vipers was perfectly received. However, it wasn’t long before Queen Mary took the lead with a converted touchdown for 6-7, the score at the end of the first quarter. As the second quarter started, UEA were soon back in the lead 12-7 after a team-splitting run.
“We’ve got great potential this year” The Pirates’ advantage was then extended with Walters’ first touchdown after he tore down the left to make the score 18-7, which is where it stayed as the resulting attempt was blocked. UEA then went over again as they began to gain some daylight ahead of the Vipers. This time, the kick was converted for an extra point, leaving the
Pirates 25-7 up. However, they were pegged back by Queen Mary who gave UEA a sharp reminder that the game was anything but tied up with a touchdown that was taken into the end zone again for two extra points, pulling the deficit back to 25-15 by half-time. However, that would be the Vipers’ final score of the match, with the second half dominated by UEA. Running back Walters crossed for 31-15, bursting down the left to secure the touchdown, but the resulting UEA attempt at notching two more points was thwarted. It was Walters who then added another with a run from the centre out to the right and into the end zone again to bring the score up to 39-15 by the end of the third quarter. And that’s how the game would finish, with no more score in a final quarter of fewer chances, although Pirates running back Sam Speak was instrumental in some rapid territorial gains for UEA midway through. The final quarter did spark into life after UEA got close to the Queen Mary end zone from that offense. A crucial interception from the visitors was carried all the way forward by the Vipers’ running back who twisted and turned, expertly dodging past several
Pirates. However, the home side won a real reprieve when he fell on UEA’s 40 yard line when almost clean through, so failed to secure what would have been a spectacular consolation touchdown. Afterwards, club President Connor Kennedy reflected: ‘Queen Mary have just been promoted to our division. They put up a good fight but our boys put in a shift and we came out with the result we wanted. ‘Everyone’s been training hard in pre-season, and it’s paid off in the first game so we’re happy.
“Our boys put in a shift and we came out with the result we wanted” ‘We’ve got a larger membership this year than we did last year, with a lot of good rookies. ‘We’ve got great potential this year.’ Special team captain Daniel Wi l l i a m s added:
‘we had a ridiculous amount of injuries throughout, and people just stepped in where they were needed, people knew what they were doing. ‘We got the win and we’re excited for the rest of the season. ‘We’re really pushing people to come down and watch this year. There was a big crowd at our game today which we are so thankful for and appreciative of, and they get behind us, so that’s one of the things we’re hoping for this season as well as staying undefeated and winning the play-offs, which I really think this team can do.’ Last week, the Pirates headed to Imperial College London, maintaining their winning start 480. There was no competitive action this week as UEA prepare for a trip to Kent on Sunday, with their next home match in two weeks against Canterbury Christ Church. Last season, UEA placed second in the South East 1A league with six wins and two defeats in the regular season, both to champions Kent. The aim for this term is to go one better and match Kent’s 8-0 record from last year, but they’ll need a win on Sunday to do that.