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6th November 2018 Eco-Issue 356 The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk

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News:

Is the SU’s transaction fee unlawful?

Matt Nixon Deputy Editor

A student has complained ‘hidden’ transaction fees of 34p per purchase of a ticket from the Students’ Union website may be unlawful, though the Union is defending the fee.

Joe Williams, an MA Modern and Contemporary Writing student, complained to the Union about their surcharges after the SU posted on the LCR Ticket Exchange Facebook group telling students not to resell their tickets for greater than face value.

'It was only when someone else in the comments above me said ‘If the price of a ticket is the price of a ticket, then

why do you charge a 34p booking fee?’,' Joe told Concrete.

'Every time I’d paid for a ticket I had noticed the charge and thought is that still allowed?'

Under laws introduced by the government on 13 January 2018, it is 'unlawful for retailers to charge additional fees when someone uses a particular credit or debit card, or other payment systems like PayPal, to make a purchase.'

Continued on

pg3

Features:

Concrete revisits Security Two years ago, Concrete shadowed UEA’s Security team for a night around campus to learn what they get up to. This freshers’ week, our Editor-in-Chief, Sophie Bunce, and Deputy Editor, Matt Nixon, revisited UEA Security, spending the night finding out more about the work that they do.

pg12

Science:

Norwich Science Festival 2018 During October half-term, dozens of events took place in

pg18

and around Norwich, including the Forum, to celebrate the Norwich Science Festival.

6th November 2018

2

Editorial

Heres to a eco-friendly future Finding

inspiration Matt Nixon Deputy Editor

Sophie Bunce Editor-in-Chief

Regretfully, I am not the most ecofriendly person. I catch the bus and avoid paper cups, but until I read an article by The Guardian that said we have only 12 years left living in the world as we know it, I was indifferent about the whole climate change thing. Sorry.

Whether selfishness or ignorance (I reckon both) my eyes were shut to the climate change conversation - other than Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar speech a couple years ago, where he broadcasted his charity work to the world.

Even then, I was more caught up in an argument about how he should've won it for Shutter Island instead of The Revenant; that film was too long.

But I am reformed, I drink oat milk now. I’m a whole new person and Concrete is proof. While we’ve always had a sharp eye on the impact of our stories, as a publication we’re reassessing our impact on the environment too.

Everyone loves to see their name in print, but even the most coveted copies of Concrete still end up in the bin - hopefully the recycling.

While we are printed on recycled paper, we wanted to further reduce our carbon footprint.

So here it is, our first Eco-Issue.

The same 24 pages of gorgeous, groundbreaking student journalism, but this time it’s only online.

Head over to ISSUU where you can look at Concrete and Venue in

high res, on the go, and knowing you’ve done a good deed for the world. Well done you. Here’s to the break in our 27 year long print run we’re doing it for you Leo.

"The UEA Security team have really seen it all. With over 300 cameras on campus, the team couldn’t care less about catching you doing the 5 Ls because they catch everything else. The lake? They can see it, even in the dark.

Library? You bet" We’ve been up to our ears in Science this week, working with The Norwich Science Festival young comms team, training the science journalists of the future.

On page 18, Science Editor Anna Jose and Senior Science Writer Hannah Brown cover the best of the festival.

If you’d like to see more, head over to concrete-online to read our

reviewers thoughts Photo: on Matt the events.

Nixon I’m also incredibly proud of Features this issue, with our long awaited security feature finally coming to print, at least, almost.

Check out page 10, where Matt and I revisited the lodge to see what’s changed in the two years since Concrete last spoke to the team.

I learnt a lot during my night in the lodge; the UEA Security team have really seen it all.

With over 300 cameras on campus, the team couldn’t care less about catching you doing the 5 Ls because they catch everything else.

The lake? They can see it even in the dark. Library? You bet.

Everything you’ve ever done, and anyone you’ve ever done it with, has been broadcasted to them live. What a treat.

To find out more on how UEA Security have to deal with everything from drug dealers to the five Ls, listen to our Documentary Podcast of the night, available online now.

As always follow our socials and listen to our radio show at 5pm on Tuesday where we will be delving further into the new issue, my favourite yet.

While Concrete didn't have much luck at the BBC's Student Journalism Awards last week, we certainly had a great night and I felt reinspired as a journalist.

At the event, we heard a lot about what makes a good journalist from some of the world's best. Amol Rajan, former Editor of The Independent and current BBC Media Editor, spoke about courage and determination - largely in the context of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

You can read more about that in our Global section, on page 8.

While writing and editing this issue of Concrete, remembering the sacrifices other journalists have made for the pursuit of exposing truths and holding the powerful to account has kept me energised to keep writing.

This week, Concrete might have taken up a lot more of my time than usual (do check out mine and Sophie's security feature on page 10, and our podcast - I've spent hours on both), but sacrificing my time and the odd LCR night is so small a cost in comparison to all the journalists ever imprisoned or murdered for their impactful work.

Thanks, as always, must go out to all of the Concrete team for working in our first Eco-Issue; I'm proud of it and the work we've all been doing, which Sophie has spoken about some more in her editorial.

On a side note, I'd like to add that Concrete is looking for more writers to write long-read style articles, and to work on new digital media like our new podcast - if this interests you at all, please do get in touch, we'd love to work with you!

May Jamal Khashoggi rest in peace, and may journalists at every level continue to find the motivation to write in a time where their work is more under threat than ever before.

concrete-online.co.uk Concrete_UEA concreteuea concrete_UEA Front page: Matthew Nixon, rieo Pixabay

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 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

3

6th November 2018

concrete-online.co.uk/category/news/ | @Concrete_UEA

Is the SU's ticket transaction fee unlawful?

Matt Nixon Deputy Editor

Continued from front page According to the government, this ensures consumers can be confident that there won’t be any nasty surprises, and they won’t be penalised for wanting to pay in a particular way.

Joe complained to the Union and sought a refund for ticketed events he had previously purchased believing the system was unlawful.

However, in emails seen by Concrete, the SU have defended the charge as one they 'levy to cover the cost of upkeep on our website, hardware, staff time.

'We make no profit from it at all, I appreciate that the term transaction fee makes it sound financial and so we have taken your feedback on board and will get that changed to read booking fee,' an SU representative told Joe, denying him a refund.

'It’s just rubbish,' said Joe about the SU’s response. “None of that makes sense.'

'Obviously for every transaction that goes through, they have to pay this money. But they’re unfairly putting it on us, I mean if we have to subsidise that bill, where does it stop? Are they going to start asking us to chip on for the DJ? For the heating and water bill?'

Joe continued: 'The £4 tickets aren’t even cost price, so it should just be they pay for it from the £4. If they put [the transaction fee] in the ticket price, and made it £4.30, I suppose that would be fair.'

The law states the surcharge ban is enforced

by Trading Standards who will have the power to take civil enforcement action against traders who breach the regulations.

It will also entitle customers to

receive a refund of any unlawful surcharge they have paid and enable them, if necessary, to take legal action to recover any such surcharge.

The Union have told Joe, however, told Joe they did a

£ ? lot o f

work when t h e change of law came in.

A representative said: 'I can safely say that it is not illegal, companies are able to charge

booking fees to help

cover costs of running and operating businesses as otherwise we would lose money by operating a box office.'

'There’s no evidence of that,' Joe alleges, adding that he couldn’t understand contradictions in the SU’s reply.

'The SU’s reply was pretty confused. At one point they say

they don’t use any of this 34p to pay for the banking, but on the website when you pay it does say that some of this money is used to cover fees the Union is charged to process the payment.'

'So already the email is differing from the website, because they said out and ot that none of it is spent on processing fees, which is rubbish.'

Joe told Concrete he considered contacting Norfolk Trading Standards to investigate, but has not yet.

'The question is, is it legal or is it not? I mean, maybe it is [legal] and it’s just naughty, or I think it actually isn’t legal from the definitions I’ve seen on the government website.

The broader question is whether it’s right or wrong to get students to foot the bill.

'It’s unfair to put it on the student, which is why I disagree with it.'

Concrete contacted the Students’ Union for comment, but they were not able to reply by the time of press. Tweet us with what you think @Concrete_UEA.

UEA academics' opposing letters on 'toxic' trans debate

Photo: Thomas Brice

Shannon McDonagh News Editor

Several academics at UEA have expressed concerns over the ‘pain and distress’ felt by members of its trans community, following the publication of opposing letters to The Guardian raising concerns about the manner in which accusations of transphobia are weaponised to prevent academic research. The initial letter, titled ‘Academics are being harassed over their research into transgender issues’, set out to represent the concerns of ‘a newly formed network of over 100 academics, most of whom are currently employed in UK universities.’

The letter has been co-signed by over 50 academics from prestigious institutions across the country.

Included in the list of co-signs were UEA Philosophy academics Professor John Collins and Dr. Rupert Read.

The letter raises concerns regarding the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act and the way they may affect the Equality

Act, namely the way in which trans people will be allowed to self identify.

This is due to the belief that allowing people to self identify will enable the ‘suppression of proper academic analysis and discussion of the social phenomenon of transgenderism, and its multiple causes and effects’.

Consultation for the reform of the act began in July due to the number of people that have legally transitioned standing, significantly lower than the number of people that identified as trans in last year’s largest government LGBTQ+ survey.

It is believed that this is due to the process being ‘too bureaucratic, expensive and intrusive’.

A response letter, was published a week later in the Guardian by four UEA lecturers in humanities, Dr Victoria Cann, Dr Francisco Costa, Dr Miriam Kent and Dr Helen Warner. The letter notes the collective’s deep disappointment that there are academics present at UEA that support the views proposed within the original letter.

The response seeks to emphasise the ‘support and commitment to the trans community both within higher education and beyond’.

Additionally, it is implied that transgender people are being placed into the category of otherness rooted in ‘scaremongering and moral

“The letter has been co-signed by over 50 academics” panics’, faced by other minority groups in the past (Muslim people of the 2000s, gay men in the 1980s and black people in the 1970s).’

The response concludes in dispelling the notion that having procedures in place to support trans people within higher education is not ‘ideologically driven’, proposing that it is instead ‘policy-driven and evidence-based.’

Many other cosigns of the original letter have faced more

overt disdain for their involvement, with one student confronting Reading University Professor Rosa Freedman to express that she is a “transphobic Nazi who should get raped”. As well as this, University of Sussex Philosophy Professor Kathleen Stock has been declared ‘transphobic’ by Sussex’s’ own student union.

Speaking to Concrete in a joint statement on the matter, Collins and Read expressed that the current practices surrounding gender in academia ‘make it impossible for us to be philosophers’. They asserted that the letter was ‘primarily a plea that researchers be allowed to pursue inquiry free from smear, abuse, threats, innuendo, invidious personalisation, and any other form of intimidation’.

“That the background to this situation is the complexities arising from the proposed changes to the GRA is not the point, as the same principles would be at issue whatever the situation. Freedom of speech is not a political stance or an excrescence of being a researcher but a precondition for inquiry.

It should go without saying that

holding to this truism suggests no prejudice whatsoever against any individuals or any questioning of their right to live their life as they see fit free from harm or discrimination before the law.”

The role gender identity plays in academia has been widely debated in recent years, with NUS statistics revealing that of the estimated 28,000 transgender students within UK universities, half have considered dropping out and a third have been harassed or bullied.

Much has been debated within the media about the extent in which universities cater to the needs of their trans students, with most reports find that not enough is being done to fulfill this supposed action.

UEA’s first action to meet the needs of its transgender students came in 2012 with the installation of gender neutral toilets, and have since developed a LGBT caucus to provide a platform for students to discuss their concerns. In addition to this, the Equality and Diversity Committee released and comprehensive guide for students who are transitioning in October 2017.

4

6th November 2018

News Societies begin Movember fundraising Poorer students three

years behind, says study Rebekah Wolmer News Reporter

Photo: Matt Nixon

Yasmin Scott-Gray News Reporter

Numerous societies across UEA have started their fundraising efforts in aid of Movember, hitting £1,000 in their first two days.

UEA’s annual efforts to aid the movement that tackles some of the biggest issues faced by men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health issues and suicide prevention.

Part of the movement is to gain sponsorship for hair growth, and also inspire conversations about problems which are so often neglected.

Sports teams such as Men’s Rugby and Men’s Hockey are supporting the charity by growing facial hair and drawing in sponsors, this encourages conversations among teammates and addresses the stigma they may face.

Livewire 1350 are also taking part by asking members to vlog their hair growth progress throughout the month.

This not only draws sponsors from friends and family, it is also a way to encourage conversations between groups of men that may not happen otherwise.

Three quarters of all suicides are by men, and yet there is still a stigma around talking about and seeking help for depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

The aims of the charity include improving the quality of life for men affected, preventing suicide in men, helping men act against the problems they face and above all, having an everlasting impact on men’s health.

The movement encourages inclusivity as women are also encouraged to and promote the charity, with sponsored walks/runs

of just 2km a day across the month of November for those unable to grow hair.

Speaking to Concrete, Ethical Issues Officer Rob Klim said: 'We want to invite all clubs and societies to raise money, as they are the best examples on campus of collective bodies of people who can make change.

'By simply having get-togethers, socials, events or sports matches with collection buckets at the side to raise money for mental health.

'Have as much fun as possible, because its all for a good cause.

'Every Wednesday night sports night will be a place throughout the whole Month of Movember to go if your feeling a bit charitous and want to have fun.

'Go there to listen to music selected by you.' For more information on Movember you can visit: https://uk.movember.com/

A global report on social mobility has revealed that students raised in poorer households have up to a three year disadvantage in educational learning.

Further to this, the number of children considered to be disadvantaged accounts to 46 percent of children attending school, which is almost half of the education sector.

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) also found that students from less affluent backgrounds were given the opportunity to attend an advantaged school, ended up being mentally two and a half years ahead than those remaining in a disadvantaged position.

This is a concern for OECD, as another test has also highlighted that from the students at disadvantaged schools only 15 percent of them said that they were satisfied with their way of life. This percentage is largely lower than the 26 percent average.

Further to this, they have promised to provide additional resources, to aid identification of mental health problems, so that these young people can readily get help and support as and when they need.

British universities are exploring numerous ways to ensure that higher education is an option for students in this position. Recent developments include the announcement that

15 Russell Group universities will make a consideration of up to two grades for students applying from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“British universities are exploring numerous ways to ensure that higher education is an option for students” Cambridge University are in the midst of a fundraising campaign to raise £500 million for a transition programme that will include an intensive three-week bridging scheme, plus an additional transition year before a degree for students with academic potential that have not previously had the resources available to them.

Recent years has seen UEA enroll an average of 10 percent of its intake from disadvantaged areas in the UK. With regards to the methods employed by the university to bridge this gap, UEA has regularly participated in outreach programmes in order aid this transition, as well as offering a number of financial resources.

Caroline Lucas joins students for People's Vote discussion Jake Morris

Senior News Reporter

Students were given the opportunity to discuss Brexit with former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.

The talk was organised by the Our Future Our Choice (OFOC) movement, in partnership with UEA Liberal Democrats and UEA Politics society.

The panel was organised with the aim to give students a platform to discuss the impact of Brexit, and to evaluate the pros and cons of a second referendum on EU membership.

OFOC is a leading student pressure group, with branches across the UK, pushing for a second Brexit referendum dubbed by many as the ‘People’s Vote’.

Lucas was joined by Marina Prentoulis, UEA Senior Lecturer in Political, Social and International Studies, Will Dry, co-President of OFOC, and two representatives from the SU, Environment Officer Connor Bell and Ethical Issues

Officer Rob Klim.

The panel opened with the unanimous agreement that young people will be affected the most by Brexit as they are likely to live with the consequences for the longest.

They were also in agreement on the People’s Vote, all supported it and highlighted confusion within the negotiations process, which Lucas described as an ‘absolute disaster’.

Lucas and Prentoulis agreed that any second referendum must address Leave voters concerns, and tackle what Lucas described as the ‘gross levels of social inequality’ that they feel led to discontentment and the challenging of the status quo with the 2016 Referendum result.

They also went on to say that Brexit reflects the type of country the UK is perceived as, with Lucas championing staying in a reformed EU, embracing free movement of people and making the UK an ‘open and generous’ nation.

A torrent of audience questions were directed at the panel throughout the evening, ranging from the influence of the media on

the first referendum, how to tackle young voter turnout issues, and how to cope with the legitimate concern that a second referendum could make the 51.9 percent of the country who voted Leave feel they had been ignored.

“Lucas and Prentoulis agreed that a second referendum must address Leave voters concerns” The evening was not without clashes of opinion; in a slightly heated exchange some audience members challenged Prentoulis for describing ex-UKIP leader and prominent Leave supporter Nigel Farage as a fascist.

The entirety of the panel

shared concerns about how Brexit could deregulate commercial and environmental standards and lead the UK to a policy of isolation.

Bell responded to a question about how Brexit could directly affect students by raising concerns regarding studying abroad. Klim followed up by cautioning that if Brexit leads to an isolated UK it could cause the interconnectivity of our education system to ‘go down the drain.’

Rachel Crockart, OFOC’s representative in Norwich, and event organiser Nathan Tamea thanked the panel a n d said that ‘ i t

was great to see so many students, with a range of interesting questions and opinions, turn up to discuss undoubtedly the biggest issue this country has faced in decades.’

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

6th November 2018

5

News

Questions raised over 'grade inflation', Is UEA awarding too many first grades?

Jamie Hose News Reporter

More than a quarter of students now graduate with a first-class degree, a fact which some have suggested could be the result of universities ‘marking up’ students.

This has led to the government suggesting that, in future, universities could be penalised if they award too many top grades.

Concrete reported last year that firsts at UEA were ‘on the rise’ as an indication of academic success, with over a third of students graduating the 2016/17 academic year with a first-class degree.

However, Universities Minister Sam Gyimah has stated concerns that ‘value of [British] degrees’ and the prestigious reputation of British universities is being ‘threatened by grade inflation.’

Figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency have shown that 26 percent of students now graduate with a first, up from 18 percent in 2013, and a sharp increase from only eight percent in the 1980s.

Whilst universities are their own degree-awarding bodies, the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) could be used to discourage lower standards of marking, through the gold, silver and bronze ranking system.

However, the claim that university standards of marking are dropping has been disputed by some students and academics.

UEA’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic, Neil Ward, spoke to Concrete on the matter, explaining that ‘too little consideration is given to the fact that, certainly at UEA,

university teaching has been heavily invested in, teaching has improved, and students now work much harder than they did in the past.’

He noted the importance of the increasingly competitive jobs market and rising costs of higher education as additional factors, as well as placing emphasis on the number of initiatives UEA have put in place to support its students’ educational development.

Namely, an ‘extra £20 million a year in teaching staff’ and an increase in ‘lecturer numbers by around 400 over the past decade, peer-assisted and interactive digital learning, and opening our library 24/7 for 365 days a year.’

He concluded that ‘The tenor of the current debate does a disservice both to today’s UEA students who are engaged with their studies and are working very hard for their success, and also to all our staff who are also doing their utmost to see their students’ progress.’

Research in 2014 by Lancaster University did find a link between rising degree standards and the rising quality of intakes, as shown

by A-Level grades.

A rise in the adoption of Pre-U qualifications as opposed to A-Levels (particularly in private schools) has also been cited as a possible reason, as Pre-U grades are more likely to result in obtaining an A*-A grade than traditional A-Level examinations.

The only sign of ‘leniency’ in university marking standards has been found in the top universities, which researchers found were eight percent more likely to give out higher degrees than they comparatively would have in 2005, after accounting for improved intakes.

Comment: Gyimah is missing the mark Matt Nixon Deputy Editor

More students achieving first class degrees is not a bad thing. At least, it shouldn’t be.

With education standards in the UK generally improving and yearon-year more students getting into Britain’s world-class universities, should it not be a success story to have so many leave higher education with such a fantastic degree classification?

The fact of the matter is students today value their education more than ever before.

With tuition fees at an all time high of £9,000 (£9,250 at universities like UEA), young people can expect to leave a typical undergraduate degree with nearly £30,000 of tuition debt. This doesn’t even include other living expenses such as the costs of rent, which are at an all time

high in certain cities.

For those who went to university even a decade ago, the costs of tuition were more than a third less than what they are today. Students have no choice but to value their degrees and education, and the national rise in firsts is part of the shift in the mentality of students which also sees them drinking and going out less than previous generations.

In 2016 at UEA, 34 percent of graduates were awarded a first, a 12 percent increase on three years before.

This, the university explained, was because UEA (like all universities) has been able to select from a range of better educated applicants than ever before, whilst investing more money on UEA and its services. It was not, as Sam Gyimah might fear, universities being too liberal with giving away

top marks.

A first is still a first, and just because more people are achieving them does not mean they are worth less.

What’s most unbelievable to me is the government’s idea to punish universities which, apparently being somehow too successful in educating their students, have awarded more firsts than usual.

Sure, we need parity across the education sector and in the UK’s universities, but the government’s current idea seems only more exclusionary than anything.

Were there, say, an exact cap on the percentage of firsts a particular university could give out, then its likely students whose work might normally have been considered first class quality will miss the mark because of an arbitrary quota, potentially at the expense of later life opportunities.

UEA:TV announce winners to 48 hour filmmaking competition Sophie Bunce Editor-In-Chief

On Tuesday 30 October, UEATV held their first 48 Hour Film Challenge screening.

Held at the Norwich Forum, the evening saw the products of over thirty of UEATVs’ members who produced the short films in only two days.

Industry professionals awarded those who participated for their contributions.

The awards included: Best Dialogue; Team Yellow - ‘Freddy 4 Eyes’ by Alex Clark, Gil Omer, Cyman Maglio and Justin Cheetham.

Best Editing was awarded to Team Fuschia - ‘Blood Money’

by Joyce Lui, Mason Boswerth, Alexandra, Natalie Ayuba and Aaron Jimms.

Most Entertaining Film was

won by Team Magenta - ‘Marty Sparks goes missing’ by Alfie Kirk, Zanna Louis, Vaira Unguraityte, Ben Moxon and Bobby/ Best Direction went to Team Red - ‘Ernest’, by Samantha Hickey, Phil Stewart, Adam Broughton and Rory Scott.

Best Use of Sound/Music was awarded to Team Indigo - ‘University Challenge’ by Georgia Levy, Kinzen

Yamaguchi, Matthew Branston and Hayden.

Best Acting was won by Team Teal - ‘A Rose By Any Other Name’

by Felix Brown, Sergio Rodriguez, Bo Zhong, Jeven Wang and Jess O’Dwyer.

Most Comedic Film was awarded to Team Blue - ‘A Umbrella Comes to Town’ by Ned McCrossan, Merrley Yokalingham, Sam

Watcham , Yolanta C-M and John Apostolopoulos.

Most Creative Narrative/ Direction was given to Team Yellow - ‘DO NOT’ by Sophie Leach, Sarah Cox, Jessica Wise, Anthony Corless and Persia Humphreys.

Alex Smith told Concrete: “it was a fantastic night which allowed some of UEA s filmmaking community to come together and

celebrate what we c a n accomplish in such a small amount of time.

I hope that we can have more events like this in the future, and keep encouraging filmmakers to challenge themselves.”

6

6th November 2018

News

BBC research reveals lack of censorship across universities Sean Bennett News Reporter

Recent research conducted by the BBC’s Reality Check facility has revealed a distinct lack of evidence to support the widely purported notion that universities are actively seeking to stifle free speech.

“A lack of evidence to support the widely purported notion that universities are atively seeking to stifle free speech”

This followed a recent Parliamentary inquiry resulting in the Office for Students threatening to fine universities for failures to uphold the principles and tenets of free speech, written in guidelines being drawn up by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

In the past year or so, a number of stories have made the rounds both in the press and on social media regarding alleged infringements on free speech at higher education institutions across the country.

Commenting on the issues at the end of last year, Jo Johnson, the then Universities Minister, claimed that books were being removed from libraries thus ‘undermining the principle of free speech’.

BBC Reality Check decided to look into this and discovered that the books in question, authored by holocaust denier David Irving, had not been banned, but rather just moved Photo:from Pixabay the history sections of

7

student complaints about inappropriate/offensive course content

6 0

occasions of cancelled speakers instances of banned books

two universities.

A subsequent set of Freedom of Information requests delivered to every UK university regarding changes to courses, books being removed from libraries and speakers being cancelled elicited 120 responses. According to the data amassed by the BBC, since 2010 there have been: Seven student complaints about course content being in some way offensive or inappropriate – four have resulted in action being taken Six occasions on which universities cancelled speakers as a result of complaints No instances of books being removed or banned In light of there being over two million students currently studying at the UK’s 136 universities, these numbers of complaints and grievances in accordance to the data at hand seem to be astonishingly low. Cases requiring action from an institution or union seem to be few

and far between, at least according to the recorded statistics.

Speaking on this, head of Universities UK, Alistair Jarvis said: ‘Universities host hundreds, if not thousands, of events each year, among a student population of over two million. The vast majority of these events pass without incident.’

However, in a follow up article by Rachel Schraer and Ben Butcher it is argued that an ‘absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence’, meaning that the current statistics regarding issues of free speech on university campuses might not be comprehensive enough to draw any meaningful conclusions from.

It is according to Simon Perfect, a researcher for the think tank Theos, ‘trying to prove a negative’.

We can quantify the numbers of complaints after the fact, but how do we measure the number of guests that were never invited in the first place, or the number of changes made to lectures before they were ever actually seen by students?

VC signs BME charter Norwich to host Sleep Out event Camomile Shumba News Reporter

The university has committed to signing Advance-HE’s Race Equality Charter. The move was made by Vice Chancellor David Richardson on the last day of Black History Month.

The Equality Challenge Unit, the division of Advance HE responsible for the charter, states that the charter exists to provide ‘a framework through which institutions work to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students.’

Additionally, it aims to celebrate the talents and unique identities of ethnic minorities within the university experience, through giving its members the opportunity to implement solutions, apply for an award and progress to different levels. At present, universities such as Anglia Ruskin University, Imperial College London, King’s College London have been awarded Bronze. The difficulties facing BME students and staff members have been discussed extensively within

the student and wider media, with Concrete reporting earlier this year that universities are making slow progress on racial equality in academia.

With regards to students, this year the Guardian revealed that black students alone are one and a half times more likely to drop out of university than their white counterparts. Data collected on the widening gaps in attainment has also found that there is 15.6 percent gap between white students that achieve ‘top degrees’ and their BME counterparts.

‘We are attracting more students from BME backgrounds and we need to ensure that they, as well as staff, have the best experience possible here and fulfil their potential’, said Helen Murdoch, UEA’s Equality and Diversity Committee Secretary.

UEA’s Afro-Caribbean Society now has a membership of over 100, with it’s President Benjamin JosephEbare stating that signing up to the charter is a ‘good step forward for the university’, adding that ‘we are moving in the right direction and I’m hoping there will be more to come.’

Photo: UEA

Photo: Chloe Howcroft

Rebekah Wolmer News Reporter

Norwich’s Sleep Out 2018 will return to Carrow Road on 18 November.

The event, run in coordination with the Benjamin Foundation, seeks to encourage Norwich’s community to raise funds to support the homeless by spending the night on the streets.

Last year’s event, which took place in the car park of the Eastern Daily Press, raised a record £39,000 for the cause.

Participants will spend the night in Carrow Road’s car park, and with winter vastly approaching it will see them open to the elements in order to get a small taste of the hardship experienced by an estimated 307,000 rough sleepers in the UK. The Benjamin Foundation specifically seeks to meet the needs of those aged 16-25, of which there are estimated to be 83,000, with

the aim of providing supported show their support of the event. accommodation centres to young One of these coffee shops is an people experiencing homeless or independent coffee house based those at a high risk of doing so. in city centre called Aroma, who Additionally, the foundation aims regularly give out food they don’t to provide essential skills to young sell in an effort to reduce waste. people who have been referred by A fundraiser from last year’s their local authorities, helping their event and editor of the Eastern Daily education and training, finding a Press, David Powles said: ‘When job and developing life skills such as you go into it you kind of imagine cooking and budgeting their money. it’s going to be easy. Actually as the In order to secure an adequate night unfolds it gets harder and amount of supplies for the event, harder.

The Benjamin Foundation ask ‘It surprised me how quiet it people to pay a registration fee of got, how cold it got, and how lonely Photo: £25.00 plus Adrian £1.49 admin S Pye, fee, through Geograph it got very quickly, despite the fact Eventbrite, in order to book their you know you’ve got 120 people place. They also ask that those around you. It really does make you participating fundraise a minimum think about the people who have to of £100.00 in sponsorship for the do this every single day. That would event. Following through with be a real challenge mentally and Norwich’s reputation for being physically.’ one of the leading cities in the UK For information on how to support the homeless, many you can sign up go to: https:// local cafes and coffee shops will be benjaminfoundation.co.uk/sleepsupplying hot drinks and food, to out-2018

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6th November 2018

Journalist killed in Saudi consulate in Istanbul Jake Morris

Senior Global Writer

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi royal family, has been killed in the consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018, in what is now being described as murder.

Mr Khashoggi had a long career in journalism in Saudi Arabia and once held a close relationship with the Saudi royal family. However, in recent years he became critical of the regime’s foreign policy through articles published anonymously in the Middle East Eye. He also criticised Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a close economic and political ally of Saudi Arabia.

Following his increasingly opposing stance to the Saudi government, Mr Khashoggi fled to Washington DC after being banned from journalism in the country. In his monthly column in The Washington Post, he frequently attacked many of Saudi Arabia’s policies, condemned their involvement in ‘Yemen’s cruel war,’ and criticised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In one of his earliest columns, he wrote about how the ‘climate of fear and intimidation’ in Saudi Arabia led him to flee the country.

Mr Khashoggi visited the Saudi consulate four days prior his death to obtain documentation

to prove his marital status, but the consulate asked him to return on the 2 October. His arrival for his second appointment was captured on CCTV, but after 10 hours with no contact from him, his fiancée alerted Turkish authorities to his disappearance.

The Saudi government denied any knowledge of his disappearance for two weeks, with the consulate saying he had left after completing the documentation. Following a Turkish investigation into events, President Recep Erdogan briefed the Turkish Parliament to inform them that there was strong evidence that Khashoggi had been killed in the consulate in a pre-meditated attack, with the arrival of three teams of Saudi nationals into Istanbul in the hours before his death. Turkish authorities claim to have an audio recording of the killing.

In a backtrack by the Saudi government, they announced on 20 October via state media that Mr Khashoggi had been killed on 2 October during a confrontation in the consulate after officials tried to return him to Saudi Arabia. His body was allegedly rolled in a rug and disposed of. In an interview with Fox News, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir described the death as murder but emphasised that a ‘tremendous mistake’ had been made and denied that the killing had

been ordered by the Crown Prince.

The Saudi government described the killing as a ‘rogue operation’ and that they have arrested or dismissed 20 security officials.

Adel al-Jubeir said in a subsequent press conference that the arrested suspects would be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia, refusing the request of Turkish authorities to have them extradited to Turkey.

He also criticised the response from Western media to the killing, describing it as ‘hysteria.’

Western businesses and politicians took a strong stance against the Saudi government by boycotting a trade conference in Riyadh. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt condemned the killing in the ‘strongest possible terms,’ and called for the Saudi government to hand control of the investigation to Turkish authorities. The European Parliament voted to suspend the sale of arms from EU states to Saudi Arabia.

H o w e v e r, this vote was nonbinding, a n d

Global Writer

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made a public apology following a four-year investigation into child sexual abuse in some of the nation’s institutions

“The apology has had mixed reactions from the survivors” The state-led inquest, which was opened by ex-PM Julia Gilliard, confirmed allegations against prominent individuals and largescale organisations — including the Catholic Church. With evidence from more than 17,000 survivors and an estimated figure of 60,000 victims, Mr Morrison said: ‘why weren’t the children of our nation loved, nurtured and protected? […] Why was our system of justice blind to injustice? […] Today, we say sorry.’

The apology has had mixed reactions from the survivors.

Although many have long-awaited

contributes approximately two percent of Saudi arms imports. The UK and US account for the largest proportion of Saudi arms imports at 23 percent and 61 r e s p e c t i v e l y.

President Trump has expressed his reluctance to suspend arms sales, but with calls from members of Congress for a ban to be imposed, and for economic sanctions, Trump may be forced to cave to domestic pressure.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Middle East Monitor

Australian PM apologises to child sex abuse victims Izzy McDonald

Germany is the only country to have implemented this. Figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research I n s t i t u t e show that Germany

Nearly two-thirds of survivors

the day, others the ‘Redress were men claim that they Scheme’ to are ‘empty words’ if help ease the pain they not followed of the survivors, by actions. With where they will suicide taking a all be eligible large number to receive Female of the victims, payments, 35.7% many say alongside that it is ‘too access to Male little, too c o u n s e l l i n g 64.3% late’. Victim and apologies associations from the such as the responsible Survivors and institutions.

Mates Support Many of the Network (SAMSN) institutions, call for the creation including some of a national Source: Royal Commission into Institutional churches, as institution well as some Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which would charities work with a variety of different and other organisations, have also support organisations. signed up to offer compensation.

Mr Morrison claimed that the The average payment to survivors government had taken into account by the state will be of an estimated most of the Royal Commission’s AU$67,000; however, lawyers findings. Nevertheless, the more are recommending looking polemic proposal of the need to into payments from the direct make reporting abuse mandatory institutions before-hand, for they was formally rejected by the Catholic could be higher.

Church in August, as it would force The PM concluded his speech priests to break confession rules by stating ‘we can never promise a — which has promoted further world where there are no abusers. hostility towards the Church.

But we can promise a country where In attempts towards starting we commit to hear and believe our to take action, the Australian children.’ government have established a ‘I believe you. We believe you.

AU$4 billion programme called Your country believes you.’

Brexit Box Laura Taylor Global Writer

With stories of last weekend’s March for the Future dominating the headlines in recent days, Concrete is here to give you an update on all the latest Brexit developments.

On 20th October, over 700,000 protesters gathered in a march to London’s Parliament Square, organised by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, demanding a people’s vote on the final Brexit strategy.

Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats, in a speech at the event, emphasised the Brexit generation gap, saying that ‘[the younger] generation is being betrayed by mine,’ highlighting a sentiment felt by many student protesters present at the march.

However, personal accounts from UEA students at the march suggest some change in the generational dynamics since the referendum, with ‘lots of people, families, elderly, [and] students’ in attendance.

The impressions from UEA students at the protest was mixed. Callum Fairhurst, a third year International Development and Politics student, said that ultimately he believes the protest was ‘useless,’ and that ‘it won’t

do anything to actually progress a people’s vote, Theresa May has sat on her promise of having another vote, so I don’t think it will do anything.’ While Rachel Crockhart was hopeful that the protest may have an effect on decision making, due to ‘the sheer amount of people there.’

Mrs May has continued making concessions to the original deadlines, stating she would consider extending the transition period of the UK’s exit from the EU beyond the two years from Brexit Day, and she would be willing to drop the time-limit on the Irish backstop clause, making it possible that the UK could be indefinitely bound to the bloc’s customs rules.

These developments have sparked an outcry from hard Brexiteers, with some pro-remain members of the Conservative party have expressed their criticism towards the direction of negotiations.

143

days before Britain is scheduled to exit the European Union

Image: Vecteezy

9

6th November 2018

concrete-online.co.uk/category/global/ | @Concrete_UEA

Canada becomes second country to legalise cannabis use

In brief Angela Merkel on her way out Angela Merkel has announced that she will resign as German Chancellor in 2021. Following disappointing election results in Hesse last week, where her CDU party saw a 11 percent plunge in voter share, she has also ruled out standing for re-election for party leadership. Mrs Merkel was elected Chancellor in 2005 and has been a consistent vocal supporter for democratic values, yields significant power within the European Union and was widely praised for her response to the 2015/16 refugee crisis.

Jake Morris ‘No survivors’ of Indonesian crash A plane crash off the coast of Jakarta on 29th October, has left all 189 passengers and crew presumed dead. The three month old plane had been cleared for flight after a technical incident the previous night, though this is not yet known to be the cause of the crash. Lion Air, the operator of the domestic flight, has faced renewed scrutiny, just five months after it was allowed to recommence activity in the EU. Andrew Ferris Trump-Clinton battle led to PTSD 25 percent of students surveyed at Arizona State University were found to show symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of the 2016 election race.

Affecting female, Democratic and BME students most adversely, stress levels for some matched those of mass-shooting witnesses.

It is unclear how representative the results are, as the research was limited to students enrolled in psychology classes at the university in early 2017.

Andrew Ferris Drake beats The Beatles US chart record Canadian rapper Drake has beaten a 50-year-old US chart record set by The Beatles, becoming the artist with the most Top 10 hits in a year. Originally set in 1964, The Beatles had 11 hits included in the chart but has been topped by Drake’s 12. The rapper landed his 12th Top 10 with his appearance on ‘MIA’ by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. Drake earlier this year became the artist to spend the most time at No 1 in a single year, beating previous record-holder Usher.

George Goldberg

Harry Routley Global Writer

Photo: Unsplash

Canada became the latest country to legalise the use of recreational cannabis, with the first legal purchase occurring on the 17th of October in Newfoundland.

Medical cannabis use has been both legal and heavily regulated in Canada since 2001, but the Trudeau administration introduced The Cannabis Act to take control of the drug from criminal industry and allow the government to safely regulate it.

In June, the Act gave Canadian provinces eight to twelve weeks to create a regulatory framework for the sale of cannabis. As of October, it is legal to buy cannabis and cannabis oil from licensed sellers and online, with the ability to be possession of up to 30 grams in public and grow four plants at home.

The new regulation does still mean that certain c a n n a b i s related actions are still illegal; the provinces are allowed to set their Photo: Wikcommons and Pixabay own age to jail sentence of up to 14 years. purchase the The Act is expected to pull drug, while cannabis-infused foods in more than $400 million in tax are still in the process of being federally regulated. Selling the revenue, leading to criticism from drug to minors has also been more opposition parties such as the harshly enforced with a potential Canadian Conservatives whose leader, Andrew Scheer, suggested

Photo: Unsplash that legalisation would only normalise consumption of the drug.

The Act also presents a number of problems for border relations with the USA. The two nations share the world’s largest continual land border and cannabis consumption is still illegal in much of the US, potentially forcing border guards to adopt new policies to prevent trafficking of the drug.

However, the trend in recent years does seem to favour

legalisation with ‘coffee shops’ being introduced in the Netherlands in 1976 and Uruguay becoming the first country to legalise it for recreational use in 2013. Nine US states have legalised the drug, and a number of countries such as South Africa have decriminalised the private use of cannabis. While strong opposition still exists, Canada is taking part in a seemingly global move away from strict criminalisation of the drug.

Facebook hires Nick Clegg as Head of Global Affairs Rachel Cockhart Global Writer

Nick Clegg has been hired by Facebook as vice-president of global affairs and communications to ‘build bridges between politics and tech.’

The Californian based role aims to improve Facebook’s relations with Brussels where the leading social media platform is facing calls for increased regulation.

This comes after Facebook was fined £94m by the European Commission for providing ‘misleading’ information about its $19bn takeover of Whatsapp in 2014.

The company has also faced scrutiny after the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which saw Facebook face the maximum £500,000 fine by the UK’s data protection watchdog.

Mr Clegg has faced criticism for joining Facebook months before the UK officially leaves the European Union. As a leading supporter of the People’s Vote campaign and proremainer lobbying to stop Brexit, his decisions to leave the UK and no longer play a public role in the

Brexit debate and Britain’s future has been seen by some as a poor one.

The former politician has also previously criticised Facebook in the past, commenting in a London Evening Standard column, ‘I’m not especially bedazzled by Facebook, I actually find the messianic Californian new-worldy-touchyfeely culture of Facebook a little grating.’ However, in a recent Guardian article defending his decision to move to the US, he argued that working to bring about change at Silicon Valley is a better plan than seeking to curb them.

While surprising, the announcement has seen some positive reaction, with Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour Party, expressing his excitement about Mr Clegg’s new role as a step forward to

succumb the ‘serious concerns about Facebook’s lack of democratic accountability.’

Yet Michael Meadowcroft, a writer for The Guardian, has suggested that if he could not argue a better deal out of the 2010-15 coalition, ‘how is he going to transform the inherent inevitability of the insensitivity of the vast Facebook machine?’.

Nick Clegg is the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and was deputy prime minister of the 2010-2015 Cameron-Clegg coalition government, but lost his seat in Parliament during the 2017 general election. Amongst the student population, he became controversial after not stopping the Conservatives from increasing tuition fees despite his pledge to scrap them in his 2010 election manifesto.

Image: Vecteezy and Wikimedia Commons

Features

10

How eco-friendly are we?

Charlotte Manning

6th November 2018

Roo Pitt investigates postgrads on campus

Features Writer

If you look around campus, being eco-friendly is everywhere: on signs in cafes, posters above bins and even plastered on printers, but just how effective is this?

UEA has seemingly outstanding waste statistics, spending £260,000 every year on its recycling scheme.

90 percent of waste is recycled; and rightly so, the university has long been a leader in the field of environmental research.

UEA invested £615,000 into energysaving measures this year, but what about the energy used to produce what the university buys?

From paper cups in Unio, to the food packaging in every outlet, could UEA be doing more? Many students think so. Joanna Raymond was ‘shocked by the amount of disposable containers that UEA uses’ when she arrived and is undoubtedly not alone.

Despite reusable utensils being a minor inconvenience, at a university which invests so much into the environment, surely students should be educated as to why such a change is necessary?

Another issue we face is waste in accommodation.

Incoming students received little information about recycling and how to use the five very confusing bins u p o n arrival, and often parents will have t a k e n responsibility for recycling at home.

Sustainable UEA has a

Bites. The scheme is new this year and aims to ‘inspire you with sustainability tips that save food and money’ according to member Alise Miluna. Budget Bites is a popup café in Union House serving up treats made from surplus food on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis.

Businesses in Norwich are also seeing a rise in people concerned by waste. Loui Blake, managing director of vegan restaurant Erpingham House, has noticed the change. The majority of Blake’s customers ‘wouldn’t call themselves vegan but are aware of the impact animal agriculture has on the planet and are open to changing the way they live’. Erpingham House is also plastic-free.

Adopting VegWare as an alternative Nina Hoernke ‘didn’t believe the straws weren’t plastic at first!’ However, such changes come at a cost. As Blake added, ‘it’s more expensive, meaning when the hospitality industry is struggling, any ‘luxury’ such as

Our twitter poll revealed: 69% yes to social and study space 2% yes to social only 16% yes to study only 13% no to any exclusive spaces for postgrads

recycling section on its website, but as it was pointed out, ‘how are freshers supposed to know it exists if no one tells them?’

Eliza Howman-Wright thinks ‘if we had a thorough recycling leaflet on our notice boards, so many conversations along the lines of “which bin does this go in?”, “uhhh I dunno, chuck it in that one” could be avoided.’ Ben Pi adds ‘if I, as someone who does bother to look at what can and can’t be recycled, am sometimes unsure about stuff, then how is someone who isn’t as proactive meant to know?’

There has been student action to reduce waste, with societies participating in beach cleans and urging members to pick up litter around campus. An interesting initiative is Enactus’ Budget

sustainable packaging isn’t a priority.’

We all heard ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ at one point or another in Primary School, but how much have we actually taken in? Recycle is the final option, a last resort if we can’t reduce or reuse, but has become the scapegoat for poor environmental practices. Few people know there’s an updated version of the waste pyramid, ‘reduce, reuse, repair, rot, recycle’, which incorporates more options for avoiding waste; but if no one knows it exists, how are we supposed to implement changes in our everyday lives?

This leaves me echoing the sentiment of many unheard environmental activists. We don’t need telling about how much money is being thrown at the problem, what we need to hear is what we can do, and as the next generation, we need to lead by example.

Photo: Matt Nixon

Following the new swipe card access installed for the Scholars Bar in Union House, Concrete asks ‘do postgraduates need their own spaces on campus?’

Firstly, it is perhaps important to break down the different postgraduate spaces.

There are social spaces such as the Scholars Bar and Lounge, and Vista (located at the top of the Campus Kitchen complex).

Additionally, you can find academic spaces, such as the postgraduate areas within the library (which also operate on a swipe card access basis), and additional bookable rooms within the Scholars Lounge area of Union House.

Space on campus is at a premium, now more than ever, with UEA registering a total of 17,050 students in the academic year 2017/18. Although postgraduates make up 26 percent of the student population, space on campus seems to be dominated by undergraduates with little space to escape if you’re a postgraduate and/or Associate Tutor.

Each year this debate seems to appear in one form or another. Last year it was debated heavily at Union Council, where then Postgraduate Education Officer, Maddie Colledge, fought to safeguard the Scholars Bar for postgraduate and mature students.

It is important to highlight that this didn’t implement new restrictions, but simply formalised the restrictions already in place by making the bar accessible by swiping your campus card on a reader at each door.

Mia Chamberlain, an undergraduate, said ‘I understand

why postgraduates need their own social spaces, especially as many teach and probably don’t want to socialise in the same places as their students, but in terms of academic spaces, especially when the library is particularly full, it’s frustrating especially if there is unused places in the postgraduate areas.”

I met with postgraduate student Liam Self to discuss his view on the spaces available to students on campus.

Self commented, ‘I completed my undergraduate degree at UEA, and by comparison I feel far more like a member of the faculty than I did during my undergraduate, and having a dedicated space to study is of great importance to me.

I frequently make use of Scholars’ Bar as a social space, the PGT suite in the Library, and often have lunch in Vista.’

‘All of these are more professional and mature environments which reflects our demographic. Many of us also work as Associate Tutors, taking labs and seminars for undergraduate students. It’s hard to make the argument that UEA is not short on space, and facilities such as Vista are disproportionately small given the number of staff and postgraduates at UEA.’ We met in Vista which is a small cafe/bistro style space with approximately 150 seats, not the largest of spaces considering the number of staff and postgraduates studying at UEA. Those ‘unable’ to access this space often harp on about cheaper prices, better options for food and generally a utopia of canteens.

However, it is simply the same as any of the other Campus Kitchen

venues, only it seems to have tried squeezing both the services of Blend and Zest into a much smaller venue.

Self added: ‘There’s a danger of tarring all undergraduates with the same brush here, and that’s not my intention.

In particular, I think there’s a case for mature (over 21) undergraduates to be treated in the same category as postgraduates for the purposes of access to our facilities, as is the case with Scholars’ Bar. However, postgraduates are by-and-large a very different demographic from undergraduates, and as undergraduate facilities dominate the campus (despite postgraduates making up over a quarter of students here), ensuring that there is sufficient and proportionate spaces for us is an important issue for me.’

As a mature student myself, I am extremely grateful that the social postgraduate spaces and events are open to students like me, as it gives me a space where I am able to socialise with likeminded people who are closer to my age and life experience than some of my undergraduate colleagues. I understand that there are many undergraduates who perhaps feel old at heart or feel more at home in these ‘mature’ spaces, and I am yet to see a quiet, respectful undergraduate be kicked out.

It’s clear that whilst there are postgraduate spaces on campus that may seem exclusive to some, these spaces are very limited, especially given that of the 17,000 students at UEA, 5,000 are postgraduates, and they are expected to also share this space with academic and support staff.

11

6th November 2018

concrete-online.co.uk/category/features/ | @Concrete_UEA

“Selling nudes for charity”: the naked calender uncovered Chloe Howcroft Features Co-Editor

For many, the thought of posing nude in front of a camera with very little to preserve your dignity is a little too much on the scary side, even if it is for charity. While for others, holding nothing but a hockey-stick or harp feels like second nature. Why is it then that some societies have been far more willing to participate than others?

As eyebrow-raising as this might sound for some, the nationwide initiative has gone from strength to strength in raising money for a myriad of different charities among several RAG societies across the country, from Exeter to Reading, Cambridge to Oxford. Last year’s calendar, which included several of UEA’s clubs and societies, raised just over £450 for Emergency UK and this year RAG have high hopes to exceed this figure for mental health charity, SANE, whose mission it is to improve the ‘quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness’.

As Harriet Davies, President of RAG, conveys, mental health is something that ‘many can relate to in one way or another, even if not directly.’ In relation to getting naked for the

camera, she adds that ‘the thought itself is scarier than actually doing it. Essentially when you are selling nudes for charity, while boosting confidence with friends. It’s a novel experience. If you are not so confident but still want to take part, we can work around it. And we’ve made it quite clear that it doesn’t have to be the entire committee – it could even be a handful of individuals, including members.’

One such society which has decided to take that leap of faith is Music, who also took part in

the previous years’ calendar. ‘The charity is really important to us,’ explains the President of the Music Society, Hayden Allen, referring to the relationship between mental health, music and the arts. He adds that, ‘Part of the reason why we take part is because we are used to performing; no one is introverted.

I’m sure there are some members who are unsure at first, but it is about unlocking that confidence, and we allow them to do that.

Other societies don’t, and so some people don’t get that opportunity.’

But where ideas of body image and confidence tend to dominate the conversation, there are other longer term factors which stop certain societies from participating, such as future employers seeing it.

Among several societies making the decision to not partake is the Nursing Society for this very reason. Speaking on behalf of the society is Secretary Andriena Richie, who shares with Concrete: ‘Taking part in RAG’s naked calendar goes against the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code

of conduct – which we are bound by.

‘We have a duty [to promote] professionalism both in and outside of the clinical environment and it’s the same reason why we can’t post pictures in our uniform.’

The NMC Code of Conduct is a guideline promoting professional standards of practice within the field. Admittedly, Davies confirms that ‘it really is not worth the risk [for them].’ Though they have purportedly ‘never received a negative word’ Davies is certain that ‘there are some people who won’t agree with the calendar’ deeming it offensive, or to some extent, pornographic. This was the case for the University of Warwick’s Naked Calendar in 2014, which raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Needless to say, there’s a time and a place for things like this.

Nevertheless, the calendar is due to be published in time for the Christmas Market next month. At the time of writing, submissions are still welcome.

That being said, if you would like to get involved in fundraising but perhaps not in the nude, buying the calendar is still contributing to the cause. Naked calendars are timeless, and RAG hopes they’ll continue for years to come.

22 NOVEMBER - 22 DECEMBER FOR MORE INFORMATION VISITUEA.SU

Photos: Yutian Lei

CELEBRATING OUR LIVES CHALLENGING ABLEISM ACHIEVING EQUALITY

12

6th November 2018

Features

Concrete revisits Security: how drugs and mental health are changing campus

by Sophie Bunce and Matthew Nixon ‘I think the misconception about security and how they work as far as the student is concerned is that we’re the baddies.’

Two years ago, Concrete shadowed UEA’s Security team for a night around campus to learn what they get up to. This freshers’ week, our Editor-in-Chief, Sophie Bunce, and Deputy Editor, Matt Nixon, revisited UEA Security, spending the night finding out more about the work that they do.

“We saw how mental health and the rise of drugs on campus have altered the team’s role since we last met” In a matter of hours, we saw how mental health and the rise of drugs on campus have altered the team’s role since we last met.

In Security’s Lodge, Bunce kept watch of campus with over 300 CCTV cameras, and interviewed those on control. Meanwhile, Nixon followed UEA’s Head of Security, Lisa l’Anson, as she toured campus to keep the new student cohort safe.

When we last spoke with

l’Anson in 2016, she told Concrete that by 11:30pm, she could tell what sort of a night it would be. Tonight, however, she’s not so sure: ‘It’s very difficult because normally you can get a feel of what they’re like when they’re coming down this road.

‘I don’t think trouble because they all seem very happy. But you never know. You never know, we’ll wait and see.’

There were over 3,000 students in the LCR, dozens of flat parties, and yet only five members of Security on tonight. A lower than average number, l’Anson tells us, but not likely to impact the team’s work. Despite this, we were excited for what the night could hold with new students enjoying freshers’ week, and l’Anson feels the same.

‘We absolutely love [freshers’ week],’ she said. ‘It’s great to see them letting their hair down, but it’s the period we have to set boundaries.’ With students smoking in kitchens, climbing out of windows, and seeing how much rope they can have, l’Anson said, ‘for us it’s about stopping them there and then.’ l’Anson has worked as a member of UEA’s Security team for over twelve years, a standard week for her is two days, two nights then four days off; though during the Beast from the East last year she worked nearly 24 hour days due to other staff being unable to make it into work. If this doesn’t show her commitment, then her 2014 award

of ‘Security Officer of The Year’ in the Annual Women in Security Award certainly should.

Every Security Officer we spoke to that night shared l’Anson’s commitment. She told us: ‘We are a very tight team, we look out for each other when one person is down. We pull together and hold them up. We bolster each other, we stand side by side… we’re always looking out for each other and that’s what makes a difference.’

Not only does the team’s commitment to protecting students unite them, but their approaches to dealing with even the most difficult incidents on campus are as impressively consistent.

By 11:30pm, only one report had come into the Security Lodge: a student had been sick in Britten House. Nobody said security work was glamorous. Just imagining having to deal with this is repulsing, but to UEA Security its a standard incident that highlights how pastoral care is an increasingly vital part of their role.

In 2016, l’Anson told Concrete how she had seen it all on campus.

But we did find out about one specific incident since then that had particularly shocked her.

‘We’ve had one quite serious incident in the broad, when there was a lady who was unresponsive for 20 minutes, which just highlights the dangers of people going into the broad. She walked into the broad and within two or three minutes, she

was unresponsive and face down.

‘We had to watch on for about 20 minutes before she was dragged out by paramedics and firemen, which was really, really scary.’

“We are like a replacement mum and dad” From disturbing situations, to the disgusting and mundane, UEA Security work hard to treat every situation with caution and care.

Over the course of our evening, it wasn’t uncommon for Security staff to explain that this commitment was because students feel like family to them.

One Security Officer said: ‘We are like a replacement mum and dad for them. The welfare of the students is paramount.

At the end of the day, if there aren’t any students we don’t have a job. I always say to students we are your replacement parents… if you’re parents get pissed with you then they’re going to say no. We’re exactly the same.’

As the shift was relatively quiet before midnight we took the opportunity to discuss an issue Concrete has covered in great

depth: mental health on campus.

In the last year, we’ve reported on counselling wait times dropping to zero, yet Security have seen the number of incidents related to mental health continue to rise.

Alongside an increasing drug use on campus - especially Cannabis, Nitrous Oxide (Nos) and Xanax - attention to mental health has drastically changed the way the team operates.

‘We used to have more fights years ago [...] and even fire alarms,’ says Stefan, l’Anson’s number two on shift. ‘I remember one night we had 12 fire brigade calls.’

He said dealing with fights and incidents like this is easier because they are more direct, ‘but with mental health it’s more complicated; you need to be careful what you say because it can trigger something.’

Unfortunately, Stefan says he feels that staff aren’t trained enough to deal with issues related to mental health. ‘To train everybody on mental health issues would take weeks, it’s so complicated. [But] we have more mental health awareness, its changed. It’s like everything in life, it evolves.’

UEA Security do, however, have protocols in place with Student Services, the Campus Warden, and even Nightline for helping students with mental health issues.

Alongside that, they pride themselves on always being there just for a talk and a cup of tea: ‘That’s what a lot of it is - you have to have

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empathy.’

It’s hard to know how strong the link between more students using drugs and more students experiencing mental health issues is. But Security have first-hand experience, and believe there is a link: ‘Xanax only really came about last year.

We noticed an instant change in students and their behaviour. They were chaotic, things were getting trashed.’ l’Anson mentioned one student who trashed their flat, and was encouraging other students to take the drug. Were it not for the fact that this student had already registered their substance problem with the university and was receiving help, consequences could have been severe.

At one point on our night with Security, we stumbled upon a group of students smoking Cannabis. They lied about it, but l’Anson said she wouldn’t put backs up against the wall as they weren’t causing trouble, stayed polite to Security, and left when asked to. Commenting on the rise in Nos usage, l’Anson said it’s ‘not as harmful as some of the other substances, but it happens. It’s not something we want to continue though.’

For l’Anson, a lot of her decision-making when policing students comes down to whether or not students are being polite, honest and respectful. It seems that those who aren’t are the ones more likely to be

Features punished.

When it comes specifically to drugs, catching dealers and halting the supply onto campus is Security’s main concern. We spoke to Neil about an external K9 unit brought into assist campus security with his two dogs: Asbo and Luther (Luther pictured).

“Library security are always calling us because there are people at it in the toilets” According to Neil, deterrence is key. ‘When dealers turn up on site, they do stick out like a sore thumb.

As soon as we pull up alongside them, they soon disappear.’ ‘[People] driving around at night who aren’t supposed to be here see the van and disappear. It’s that simple.’

In fact, Neil said that he’s only had to open his doors to get the dogs out once, when somebody refused to leave campus. Mostly, incidences that Security have to deal with are either seen while staff are on patrol, or on the campus CCTV network.

The first major incident of the night was caught on one of the m a n y

cameras: a window was broken [pictured below] and three men fled Britten House.

At the Lodge, the team followed the perpetrators across campus, phoning colleagues outside, using cameras to identify the group who, after leaving the scene, had circled campus and done the unthinkable: returned to the scene of the crime.

When a criminal issue arises, the Security team pass it onto disciplinary officers who take it further. Once out of their hands the team are onto the next call which was a call to the 24/7 window company to fix the glass. To our surprise, a repair van arrived almost immediately.

It turns out that this sort of damage is so common that during freshers’ week and other peak times, UEA keep one on site permanently.

‘It’s only circumstantial, really,’ says l’Anson about the broken window, but tells me it will cost at least £600 to replace.

We asked l’Anson if the university might press criminal charges. ‘No, we tend not to proceed with criminal charges for students.

We tend to deal with them in house, unless of course it’s something very serious.’

By the end of our night with Security, the three suspects were not caught, though the team continued to investigate.

It’s clear that UEA Security want the best for their students, and that definitely doesn’t b e g i n with a criminal record.

T h i s s a m e

All photos: Matthew Nixon

idea, l’Anson tells us, is why Security are soft on dealing with students caught attempting the five Ls, which the team can only laugh at.

‘Yeah, it happens. Library security are always calling us because there are people at it in the toilets. We have CCTV in the laundrettes - which is also an L and there was a guy and a girl at it in one of them. We could see them on CCTV and we were like, someone go over and give them a knock.

‘We said “Guys, there’s a camera there above you,” and they’re like “Oh my god!” It goes no further than that, just be careful because we are watching.’

Later that night, an ambulance arrived on campus for a student.

Security told us that their procedure is to not interfere with paramedics, often meaning they don’t know why emergency services have been called to campus. Security understand this is necessary to maintain patient privacy.

However, when access to a building has to be arranged, l’Anson said that ‘this of course causes delays. If they would let us know when they’re en route, then we could meet them on location.’

As the LCR empties, we watched the cameras play out a scene we’ve been part of before. Friends are reunited, LCR lovers see each other outside for the first time, and after vomiting on the curb, a student picks up their VK and begins to walk home.

Viewing it from the security lodge doesn’t just provide a new perspective, it provides hundreds.

The cameras survey the area as students evaporate into the night, and while we

consider our work done, the team are far from giving themselves a pat on the back.

They vigilantly watch the students and wait for the inevitable.

The phone will ring again. Security will answer. l’Anson was unperturbed by this awareness, and seemed to sum up the mood of the whole team when we asked her what her favourite part of the job is

“Viewing it from the security lodge doesn’t just provide a new perspective, it provides hundreds” ‘Ultimately, they’re our students and we love them as much as we love UEA. My favourite part? I think graduation week. You get to see the faces you’ve seen for three years and there’s a real sense of pride.

Everyone looks so lovely, and you can remember freshers when they arrived crying or leaving their mum.

‘A couple of weeks later you see them behind a bush and they’re with a boy and it’s just evolving. You see the progress and then you see them graduating and it’s great. It’s just the complete story.’ l’Anson continued: ‘We’ve just gotten over a very, very quiet summer period. And for about a month before freshers’ week, we just can’t wait for the students to come back.

You’re just so happy when you see the oncoming shift at 6:30 in the morning, you’re like yes!, it’s just great. ‘ I t ’ s great when y o u ’ r e g o i n g from one to another, it’s great when you foil things, it’s great when they’re trying to pull the wool over your eyes and you know they’re lying.’ l’Anson tells me she’s never had a bad experience with a student, and clearly she loves her job. ‘It’s all down to approach at the end of the day. All in all they’re good kids, they’re just trying to get away with stuff, that’s all.’

To find out more about how UEA Security deal with everything from drug dealers to the five Ls, listen to our Documentary Podcast of the night, available online now.

Visit www.concreteonline.co.uk or our mixcloud, Concrete_UEA, and tweet us your thoughts on campus security @Concrete_UEA.

Hey UEA

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#UEA

@ueatennis

6th November 2018

@ elpingu

@ueaangels

Media Collective News ‘Do post grads need their own spaces on campus?’

87% 13%

Livewire is busier than ever this month launching their weekly Movember vlog. You can donate on their website, so head over! Also keep your eyes open for their infamous Battle of the Bands at Be At One later this month! Details to be released soon.

UEATV released the latest in the Drunk and Disorderly series last week with a Halloween special. If you haven’t seen it check out their Facebook page!

Want to feature in our roundup?

Find us at @Concrete_UEA or use the hashtag #HeyUEA

Scan the code to become a Concrete member

6th November 2018

The archive:

This issue, we’ve looked into the lawfulness of transaction fees on the uea.su website. While the SU denies they are breaking the law, some students feel the surcharge is nonetheless unethical.

We found our front page from 8 November 2016, where Online Editor James Chesson reported on the fact that the Union’s change of website was purchased from a crime-associated Soviet Union Domain.

What do you think about the surcharges on how the website operates today?

Let us know on Twitter @Concrete_UEA.

its never too late to join a club or society, and we have over 200 to choose from on the app: download from uea.su/ app online: head to uea.su/join

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Comment

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6th November 2018

What’s the alchohol impact crew?

Alex Gillingham Comment Writer

You may have noticed on your usual night out at the LCR that there are now people standing around with bright orange tops on. So who are they?

“Who better than fellow students to help you on a night out?”

Well the student union have introduced new additions to our beloved Damn Good and A-list events, ‘Alcohol Impact crew members’, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome them with open arms.

I feel we should all take a second

to appreciate the new staff and the responsibility the SU have taken to make our nights out safer.

Yet for me the name and role of these crew members was shrouded in mystery until a couple of weeks ago.

After speaking to Sophie Clayton, a member of the alcohol impact crew, she explained, ‘our aim with Alcohol Impact is just to make sure everyone has a good night.

Whether it’s someone making you feel uncomfortable, you’ve drank a little bit too much and want somewhere safe to sober up, or you’re just a little bit homesick or upset, we’re always up for a chat.

“We have a dedicated safe space in The Hive next to the gender neutrals, and we also walk around the LCR so feel free to come and grab someone in an orange t-shirt!”

Who better than fellow students to help you when you are at your lowest on a night out?

They have either been in your position or know when things haven’t gone your way and you just

need someone to talk to.

This is one of the best decisions made by the SU to show how they really do value our welfare.

Furthermore, these new jobs aren’t only to the benefit of those in need on a night out, but the employees themselves.

Sophie Clayton also said, ‘I love the job we do, making someone smile and knowing you’ve improved their night really makes you feel valued.

I’ve always been the mum of my group, looking after people on nights out, but now I get paid for it whilst still getting to listen to all the classic LCR songs!’

It’s touching to know employees aren’t just there for the money.

This care given by these student employees is a true testament to how we as students are part of a community and should be taking care of each other, rather than finding reasons to scorn each other in places like Concrete Confessions.

Would I personally take the role?

No, I am not one with a strong enough stomach to deal with those

who are sick on a night out.

However I admire those who do. We can set an example to those who do not recognise the need we have for such measures, and that with more dangers emerging on club nights we need to look out for each other.

I applaud the staff and the SU for their role in taking steps towards protecting our students’ wellbeing, and I hope that all of us here at UEA appreciate these employees and take gratitude in their support.

Photo: Roo Pitt

The Saudi situation OMG let me take a...

Harry Routley

Jamie Hose

Comment Writer

Comment Writer

Last June it was made legal for Saudi women to drive for the first time and a lot of people were happy to see a significant shift towards a more liberal society within Saudi Arabia.

The change was part of the Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman’s ‘Vision 2030’ plans, which, although ambitious, have led to other changes, like the removal of the Mutawa (religious police) from the streets of Riyadh.

It suggested letting women drive was not just a token, but that the Saudi administration was actually committed to the path of creating a more equal and free society.

Unfortunately, things took a sharp turn in early October with the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.

The prominent Saudi journalist had been writing a monthly column for the Washington Post for around a year, in which he was highly critical of the Crown Prince’s policies.

The assassination of Khashoggi suggests freedom of speech is still too far beyond the pail for the Saudi Arabian government.

Whilst many Western leaders have been pleased with the recent attempts at liberalising the Saudi Arabian society, this throws the ugly shadow of a still highly autocratic system of government into sharp relief, and raises the question of how the international community will respond. Fortunately for the Saudis, in the past they have been able to gloss over violations of international

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

law; some UK officials received gifts of up to £2,000 in price since Saudi interventions began in Yemen.

The Saudis also rely on the West’s desire to maintain good relationships to keep a foot in the Middle East.

Who knows whether the international community will listen to Saudi Arabia’s explanations, or offer them a slap on the wrist to get them back on track towards that more liberal society we all want to see.

SELFIE. Yes, that’s the name of a new digital learning tool the European Commission has released across the EU, Russia, Georgia and Serbia. SELFIE stands for Selfreflection on Effective Learning

by Fostering the use of Innovative Educational technologies. SELFIE is less of an exact tool and more of an advisory framework.

When a school signs up, students, teachers, and governors fill out a questionnaire that is then assessed, allowing the school to receive a custom report that details ways to improve digital learning.

Some people may worry that the recent trend towards digitalfocused education may be not only expensive but also a fad. Yet when utilised properly, tools like SELFIE can help widen access to education, especially among disadvantaged communities.

In economically developing countries, physical resources are expensive and often outdated, putting a strain on students and teachers.

Even in the UK, the fact that textbook providers can hike prices when school budgets diminish every year shows a real issue with how learning resources are managed. To counteract this, SELFIE may be able provide schools with a cheaper, more upto-date set of resources.

Even beyond the immediate benefits it provides, digital learning can help pass on computer skills to students. There is a huge potential

talent pool in Europe, but a lack of access to ICT classes can mean many young people still lack basic digital skills.

But the problem is, as the European Commission points out, in the future 90 percent of jobs will require digital skills.

SELFIE may not revolutionise teaching across Europe. However it is an important step towards keeping education accessible for young people.

Most importantly, it will ensure young people across Europe are cultivating their digital skills in a world ever more reliant on technology.

“90% of jobs will require digital skills”

Photo: Pixabay

Photos: Wikimedia Commons

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Guy Fawkes and the People’s Vote Alec Banister Comment Writer

Remember, remember the People’s Vote campaign. It doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it? Anyway, I’m going to answer the question on everyone’s mind.

The answer to Brexit, you ask?

Err no, it’s far more important than that. This is the question of whether Guy Fawkes would support a second referendum.

In all honesty, it’s fairly safe to say if Mr Fawkes were around today he would be far too busy attempting to blow up Parliament and start a Catholic revolution to answer this question.

However, if he had to choose one side or the other, I think I can make the case he would come down on the side supporting another referendum.

Fawkes was a bit of a tourist in his time, spending a lot of his life in continental Europe fighting for Catholic Spain in the Eighty Years War. He even adopted the Italian version of his name: ‘Guido Fawkes’.

So he’s not the kind of ‘guy’ who

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Georgia Brumby Comment Writer

would enjoy waiting a couple of weeks to get a visa to go on holiday if we leave the EU. Secondly, Fawkes was a strict Catholic and had a strong connection to the Pope and the Vatican. I reckon Fawkes would be horrified by the idea of loosening ties with the home of his faith.

“Guy Fawkes was a romantic sucker for a lost cause”

Finally, if there is one thing we know for sure it’s this: Guy Fawkes was a romantic sucker for a lost cause. I assume I don’t have to remind you about the whole Gunpowder Plot thing?

He was very much a man willing to make one last stand for something he believed in and subsequently I can picture Guy Fawkes fitting right in at the People’s Vote marches.

Trans rights matter

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Gender Recognition Act (GRA) is changing. People will be able to legally change their gender through self-identification. But what will this lead to?

Some say predatory men will change gender to women by the stroke of a pen and threaten women’s rights by being able to go into safe spaces like domestic violence shelters.

Yet what’s being forgotten is that without these changes thousands of transgender people, who are at higher risks of sexual violence and discrimination than the general population, will not have the rights they deserve.

They are denied support they need based on a legal technicality.

This is why we have to speak up in favour of social change to reflect the 21st century.

Recently four UEA lecturers did just that. They responded to over 50 academics, including a UEA professor, who wrote to The Guardian to claim campus disapproval of voices critical to the GRA changes is an ‘ideologically driven attack’.

These four lecturers stood up for

the trans community, and they’re right.

Maybe it’s scary. The ideas you’ve held for most of your life about what it is to be a man or woman are being called into question.

But the right for an individual to choose their gender most definitely is sacred. Maybe critics should step back and consider that denial of individual choice is an attack in itself.

You wouldn’t expect someone to withhold you the privilege of legally validating your existence, right?

The only people who get to decide who trans individuals define as should be those trans individuals, not someone who wants to hinder advances in social policy.

This is why we must defend changes to the GRA. People’s lives and wellbeing are at stake, that’s why we need to stand up. It’s not a campus crusade of political correctness.

Trans people in the UK make up less than one percent of the population, but making it easier for transgender individuals to be legally recognised doesn’t threaten the rights of all.

No one should have their rights denied. Changes to the GRA are an opportunity for the rights of the whole of the UK’s trans community.

“Poppies shouldn’t be politicised” C. E. Matthews Comment Editor

UEA is wonderful in so many ways.

We welcome people regardless of race, gender, sexuality, and other social identities. We have a campus that’s generally safe and happy.

We have iconic architecture, and a plethora of bunnies roam freely around.

I love UEA. I also love the SU. They’re often a great source for provocative headlines. In 2016 they even hit national headlines when the SU claimed that some see the red poppy as a ‘symbol of oppression’, and started selling white poppies alongside red poppies for Remembrance Day. There are serious arguments on both sides about this. As ever with the UEA SU, some decisions are laughable and others are sane. But that’s what makes UEA such an interesting

place. Something must be right for student experience to remain high in the rankings. But while many fall into the debate between red and white, something very sad is happening at this university.

At UEA, few people wear poppies in the run up to Remembrance Day, which is on 11 November.

Last year I spotted only two boxes of poppies on campus, both in the SU shop. One was red and one was white. This year I’ve found three, all red, again in the SU shop.

That’s for around 15,000 students and 3,000 staff. Only three boxes of poppies.

The institution of UEA, as opposed to the SU, isn’t much better. UEA doesn’t recognise Remembrance Day on its Equality and Diversity Calendar. They’ve pencilled in Human Rights Day and World Day of Social Justice, but have left out Remembrance Day. It’s not only those at UEA who

risk entangling the poppy in politics.

Our nearby (and arguably fancier) neighbours at Cambridge have a similar problem. Their SU voted down a proposal from Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA) to commemorate British war veterans. One Cambridge student, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of a similar

“Most of those we are remembering were our age” backlash, said in his view CUCA ‘want to be fighting a culture war’.

The fallout was vicious, with harassment and even death threats.

It’s sickening to think the poppy

could become collateral damage in a culture war.

Poppies shouldn’t be politicised.

Poppies aren’t a glorification of war but a symbol of the cost of war on all sides. After all, most of those we are remembering were our age. People wear it to commemorate people of all nationalities who fought. They wear it so together we can remember the atrocities of war.

Wearing a poppy doesn’t mean you’re condoning the actions of the past. It’s about remembering the people who gave and give their lives so we can grow up in a democratic country.

This year is the centenary of Armistice Day. People across Britain will light bonfires and beacons in remembrance. The money the British Legion raises will go to helping veterans. Many people will wear a poppy, but not at UEA. I reckon more people would, but at UEA we’re simply not given the

chance.

Universities and Student Unions may row over how wearing the poppy might offend obscure sects of students.

But people come to university to learn and broaden their minds. Even if you don’t agree with someone, you should have the courage in your own beliefs to listen to their opinion.

If you can’t stomach it maybe you’re in the wrong place. UEA can be wonderful. But common sense needs to prevail. The university needs to encourage the wearing of poppies and support the commemoration of those who sacrificed their lives for the good of others.

The SU have the right to oppose the university’s views. But UEA should be above this debate. Have some common sense. Have some respect. Wear the poppy, and remember them.

Photo: Pixabay

6th November 2018

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Science

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Norwich Science Festival 2018 Anna José Science Editor

Women in science panel

Photos: NSF Media

A week of science Hannah Brown Senior science Writer

During October half-term, dozens of events took place in and around Norwich to celebrate the Norwich Science Festival.

Primarily based at the Forum, the festival hosted a wide range of talks, experiments and even an outer-space VR experience.

Rockets were flying, toys were being made, and there were plenty of pop-up stands where you could learn something new.

Many UEA staff and students attended the festival - both

volunteering and showcasing their own research.

Children were encouraged to learn about a range of different scientific topics; their excitement about STEM subjects was especially heartwarming to see.

Engagement rates amongst all ages was high, and it seemed that everyone came away from the festival feeling inspired.

From astronomy to biology, medicine to nature and the environment - the festival really did provide something for everyone. Both family events such as Gastronauts and more adult-

oriented events, such as The Physics of Star Trek, were highly anticipated.

The planetarium, which took place in the Cathedral grounds, was one of the most popular events.

If you tried to book a slot in the weeks before the festival, you probably found that it was already sold out!

Overall, Norwich Science Festival 2018 was a roaring success.

A celebration of all things science, the festival shone a spotlight on Norfolkbased scientific achievements in the wider context of global science.For anyone interested in STEM, it was an exciting place to be.

Image: Norwich Science Festival Media

The second week of Norwich Science Festival saw an all-woman panel take to the stage to discuss their personal journeys into STEMM careers.

Guests Angela Saini, Chelsea Slater, Dr Ozak Esu and Dr Suze Kundu joined Laura Bowater, Professor of Microbiology of UEA, each giving a brief account of their experience in the STEMM world, before taking questions from the audience - which made for interesting and insightful discussions.

The focus of much of the evening was how we can empower girls and women in science, both individually and collectively.

During the discussion, one audience member talked about the fact she was stopped from studying computer science at school simply because she was female - a point mirrored by several others in the room.

This is the type of discrimination that each of the panelists was passionate about challenging; all were aiming to create an inclusive and equal space for women in science moving forwards.

The rest of discussion was centred around celebrating the achievements of women in science,

not least the panelists themselves.

We discussed how to achieve an effective work-life balance, overcoming the feeling of needing to ‘prove’ oneself to male co-workers, and how to actively challenge wider discrimination in the workplace.

“All were aiming to create an inclusive and equal space for women” This event created a safe space for both audience members and panelists to share their experiences, as well as to support and empower one another to confidently stepout into the STEMM world The contributions from audience members of all ages confirmed the success of this event.

The discussion ended with a young person asking panelist Dr Kundu to expand upon her latest research on artificial photosynthesis - clearly an inspired and empowered scientist of the future.

The unexpected truth about animals Hannah Brown Senior Science Writer

On the first Saturday of the Science Festival, I was lucky enough to attend a talk with scientist Lucy Cooke, author of The Unexpected Truth About Animals.

Cooke was an engaging and enigmatic lecturer, both entertaining and educational.

Cooke opened by discussing one of my favourite animals – the sloth.

Fittingly, it happened to be International Sloth Day - the perfect context for this fun and engaging lecture.

‘They hang like a happy, hairy hammock, really,’ Cooke said, after showing images of sloths alongside members of The Beatles. Their haircuts truly are very similar to that of the 60s band.

Cooke moved on to discussing bats, and as students you might be interested to learn that without bats we would have no tequila.

They are the primary pollinator of the agave plants from which the drink is derived.

Cooke continued her talk by discussing a world-favourite bear – the panda. However, this story had less of a happy ending compared to that of the bat and the sloth, due to the mistakes humans have made

when it comes to conservation.

Animals such as the panda suffer greatly because humans attempt to anthropomorphise them - caring for them like babies, when in fact they can survive just as well on their own.

“I think we’ve forgotten our place as animals in the world” ‘I think we’ve forgotten our place as animals in the world,’ was the sentiment with which Cooke finished her talk. Personally, I left the lecture feeling like I understood a little more about three special animals in our world, and with the anticipatory bug of wanting to learn more.

Visit www.concrete-online.co.uk to see more of our work with the Norwich Science Festival.

Image: Public Domain Pictures

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UEA teams with AutoNaut to create Antarctic research vessel Anna José Science Editor

A team of researchers at UEA have helped design a robotic boat which will collect vital information about the causes of rising sea levels in extremely cold environments.

Working with engineers at AutoNaut Ltd, the UEA-based scientists wanted to create a boat that could withstand the Antarctic climate, and wouldn’t face problems such as getting stuck in thick ice or the onboard technology malfunctioning.

Tests to determine the robustness of the boat are still being undertaken in UEA’s own Roland von Glasow ice chamber, a purposebuilt laboratory which aims to replicate extreme environmental conditions, such as those found in the polar regions.

One of the main challenges the design team have faced so far is stopping the boat from being covered in ice from sea spray, which could be detrimental to its ability to collect data.

To tackle this issue, researchers have been testing a range of nonstick materials which either see the ice slide off the vessel immediately,

or flake off over time.

Dr Martin Wadley, who designed the tests said, ‘We’ve been surprised

“ Antarctic waters are a serious challenge, but one we are thrilled to take on” by the results so far – some of the

coatings that we expected to repel the ice have actually ended up encrusted with ice, and this might be a problem for the boat in the polar oceans.’

Ultimately, the unmanned boat will gather a range of important environmental information, transmitting it autonomously from the ocean surface to the lab. Factors that will be measured include: air temperature, wind speed, and plankton abundance. Data gathered will allow scientists to quantify heat and gas exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean.

These indicators will also allow scientists to better understand

extreme environments, without the costs and risks related with traditional research vessels.

Professor of Environmental Sciences at UEA, Karen Heywood, explains that the boat will also be environmentally friendly, using waves to propel itself forwards and solar panels to power the technology onboard.

Mike Poole, the Director of AutoNaut, said ‘Antarctic waters are a serious challenge, but one we are thrilled to take on. If we can build an unmanned boat to survive in the Southern Ocean, we’ll be sure it can thrive anywhere.’ The project is being funded by Innovate UK.

Photo: unsplash.com Image: Pixabay

Did Victorians ruin the world?

Seàn Bennett Science Writer

The question of whether or not the Victorians ruined the world is one that I suspect many people have asked themselves over the years.

Using this question as the title of their radio show, sister double act Helen and Kat Arney migrated to the stage for the Norwich Science Festival.

With the help of special UEA guests, evolutionary biologist Professor David Richardson and historian Emma Griffin, we questioned whether the Victorian ‘invention’ of Darwinism and beards had indeed ruined the world, or added to its splendour.

Audience votes came out unanimous in favour of Darwinism being a good thing, but the room was split on beards.

Overall, it was an enjoyable 75 minutes. The comedic chatter between the two sisters was occasionally slightly awkward, though the in-family jokes like ‘mum loves me more’ did land well a few times.

Comedy aside, the talk of history and science was fascinating and very enlightening. The guests were given plenty of time to talk in between the banter, and the sisters were extremely well informed. I shall definitely be giving their radio show a listen.

And who knew that the Victorians invented emojis?

UK flour to be fortified with folic acid Evlyn Forsyth-Muris

Science Writer

On the 14 October 2018 it was reported that government ministers would support a plan to fortify flour in the UK with folic a cid in the coming weeks.

However, on the 23 October it was then announced that the government would launch a consultation into the fortification of flour with folic acid in early 2019.

Just two days later on World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Day, parliament debated the announcement.

The response from ministers was overwhelmingly positive with many speakers questioning why this hasn’t been done sooner.

Folic acid is a B vitamin found naturally as folate in foods such as green leafy vegetables. It is used to make DNA, form red blood cells, and help nerves to function properly.

In pregnancy, women require more folic acid to aid their growing foetus’ nervous system development, with the primary requirement being in the first 12 weeks as the foetus’ spinal cord and brain form.

If mothers have insufficient folate during pregnancy, then the risk of the foetus developing a neural tube defect is much higher.

This is where the spine does not close properly - leading to spina bifida or anencephaly.

Anencephaly is the absence of a large portion of the brain and skull,

and makes up 40 percent of neural tube defects, which can be fatal.

Neural tube defects affect around 1000 pregnancies each year in the UK, and where not fatal have other damaging consequences.

“Neural tube defects affect around 1000 pregnancies each year” Women are advised to take folic acid supplementation of 400mg per day before conception and up to week 12 of pregnancy.

However, the latest national diet nutrition survey statistics suggests that 91 percent of women of childbearing age have low folate levels.

It is estimated that in just 50 percent of planned pregnancies mothers take folic acid supplements.

In unplanned pregnancies this figure is substantially lower.

With the risk highest in the first few weeks of pregnancy, this leaves a huge number of expectant mothers and babies at risk.

Furthermore this is an area hugely impacted by health inequality.

Wealthy women are more

likely to take supplements than no longer applicable. poorer women and those of ethnic Another worry is the potential minorities. Just six percent of to mask B12 deficiencies until they women under 20 supplement their are significantly worse, but this has diet in pregnancy. Fortification not been shown to be a problem in would help to cover these groups. the US. It is estimated that 85 other Folic acid fortification has the countries have implemented potential to prevent thousands of mandatory fortification of flour with babies being born with neural tube folic acid; Canada reported a 50 defects and is widely supported by percent reduction in cases of neural Spina Bifida charities, doctors and tube defects since their introduction. the Royal College of Obstetrics and Concerns over fortification Gynaecology. If implemented, this include individuals ‘overdosing’ on could be a large and overwhelmingly folic acid, although several recent positive change for the UK and its studies have shown that previous public health policies. upper limits of folic acid intake are Photo: Pixabay Image: Pixabay

6th November 2018

Travel

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5

must-see beauty spots in Norfolk Image: Geograph, N Chadwick, Bluemoose at English Wikipedia

Amy Newbery Travel Editor

Norwich Cathedral - its construction beginning in 1096 - has the second tallest cathedral spire in the whole of England.

With a rich history, the cathedral is not only a tourist hotspot, but is absolutely stunning on the inside and outside.

Situated in the city centre, Norwich Cathedral is easy to locate and commute to. Admission to the cathedral is free, although they do accept donations.

Services are also held in Norwich Cathedral for those who are interested. The cathedral itself is open daily from 7:30am to 6:00pm, with times for their services available on their website.

If you’re going to be in Norwich,

why not explore its history by visiting Norwich Cathedral?

“You can smell the patriotism from miles away” Cromer Pier: Situated on the north coast of Cromer, the pier has records dating back to 1391.

Not only is it home to a beautiful seaside town, but Cromer Pier hosts an array of events which can be found on their website.

The Pavilion Theatre, which has been entertaining people for over

forty years, is definitely worth a visit. There are so many places to grab something to eat near the pier, making it a lovely day out.

It takes less than an hour to drive to Cromer from Norwich, as well as there being buses and trains available, making it a very accessible location.

Holkham Hall: Holkham Hall is a country house designed for the 1st Earl of Leicester in the 18th Century. The hall is considered one of the best examples of the Palladian style of architecture.

It’s definitely worth visiting Holkham Hall; the interior and exterior design is magnificent.

Tickets can be booked online or on the phone. Other events are also available such as the ‘Field to Fork Experience’, ‘Walled Garden’, and the ‘Woodland Play Area’ for

children. Holkham Hall is a great place for a family trip out and is only a little over an hour by car from Norwich.

Thetford Forest: If you prefer the outdoors over country houses and cathedrals, Thetford Forest might be the place for you. Not only are there events and activities available, but you can volunteer during your free time. Spanning over 47,000 acres, Thetford Forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

An extensive variety of activities are offered, ranging from walking alpacas to zip lining to duathlons; Thetford Forest offers activities for all ages. The forest is something to behold, being the largest lowland pine forest in Britain.

Even if you aren’t interested in the activities, a pleasant day can be

made from just a simple stroll and a meal in one of the many restaurants near the forest.

The Pingo Trail: The Pingo Trail is a flat circular walk that’s just under eight miles; it’s perfect for those who want to enjoy an easy walk through nature.

Located at the eastern edge of the Brecks, there is so much to see during this walk including pingos, cattle, woodland, swamps, flowers, and much more. Pingos are often the reason why nature lovers go on this walk: they are layers of soil covering a body of ice in a dome shape.

Eventually, these mounds collapsed leaving shallow craters that we see today. You can also enjoy a nice meal in The Chequers Inn that offers a delicious range of food for tired walkers.

Back to the basics: packing light, packing right Erica Thajeb Travel Editor

Have you ever found yourself with an empty bag five hours before your plane leaves? Or had trouble zipping up your overflowing suitcase? If you’re anything like me, chances are, you have. Over the years I’ve learned a handful of tips for travelling with a suitcase: from the obvious to the more unusual, I’ve got you covered.

My number one packing tip is to keep a checklist. I know what you’re thinking – who writes packing lists?

Well, I do, and it’s super helpful! You can keep an ongoing list in your phone, so that you’ll always have a reference if you need to do lastminute packing. It really does make it less stressful.

On to the actual packing, I’d

recommend for you to roll your clothes (if you haven’t already) instead of folding them. Not only does it save space, but your clothes will have fewer wrinkles; you can watch tutorials on how to roll up your clothes on the internet. After this step, it’s time to vacuum them. Vacuum packing is a method which removes air from the package, compressing your clothes into compact and smaller packs. I personally have never done this, but I’m sure it’s worth a try!

Alternatively, you can use packing cubes to store your clothes.

I must admit I was a bit sceptical at first, but once I started using packing cubes, I always travel with them; they truly are lifesavers.

These cubes can keep your clothes organised in addition to saving space in your suitcase.

The next tip is how to avoid

overpacking. Obviously you need to consider what to pack depending on the purpose and destination of your travel, but there are also a few essentials. Don’t forget to pack the right amount of underwear and socks, toiletries, a good pair of shoes, and a nice coat if you’re going somewhere cold. It’s a good idea to plan your outfits and avoid bringing clothes you won’t end up wearing, and make sure you pack neutral and versatile pieces. This way, you can mix and match to create different looks from the same pieces. Also remember to have your passport and boarding pass (or tickets) at hand, which sometimes you can even access on your phone.

Moreover, the general rule of thumb is not to pack what you can buy there. Of course, you don’t have to take this literally, but think about all those extra toiletries

and the mini-library in your bag.

Are they worth lugging a heavy suitcase through the streets of Paris for? Besides, going to local shops is a great way to practise the language and immerse in the culture. Additionally, unless you’re attending a wedding, leave your jewellery and valuables at home.

Not only will you risk losing them, wearing expensive accessories can also make you a target for crime.

Lastly, you might want to consider packing light microfiber towels instead of the bulky ones you use at Home - they even absorb and dry faster!

When travelling with a suitcase, an important thing to remember is to label them. Decorate your suitcase with brightly coloured luggage tags, ribbons and stickers.

This will make it instantly recognisable and save you time

when searching for them. Even better, pack a carry-on suitcase and don’t check them in – you can immediately leave the airport upon landing.

These are some of my favorite and foolproof tips that make travelling with a suitcase an enjoyable experience. So, what are you waiting for? Pack up and explore!

Image: Pixabay

Alexas_Fotos,

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6th November 2018

concrete-online.co.uk/category/travel/ | @Concrete_UEA

Sylvie Tan Travel Editor

There is no better way to understand a culture than through its food. Food plays a huge part in the travelling experience because you encounter new cuisines and flavours that are unique to the place. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – what better way to explore the place than to hit up the hawker stalls and taste the home-cooked meals where the locals themselves feast. Here are the top four best street food countries in the world: 1. Taiwan Taiwan is known to have one of the best night market scenes in the world and is often referred to as the ‘melting pot of cuisines’. With a small space at home, the Taiwanese prefer to head out to the streets to grab themselves some ‘xiao chi’ (cheap snacks), which usually costs less than £1.50 per dish. With such cheap food, you can easily explore all of Taiwan’s famous snacks.

One in particular is known for its strong and stinky smell, the stinky tofu, however once you bite into its crispy outer layer, the smell disappears. The famous Shilin night market lives up to its reputation of being a street food haven; no doubt

you will be stuffed with food by the end of the night.

2. Morocco The smell of food always lingers in the streets of Morocco, and even more in Marrakesh. Its magic lies within the red clay walls where the vibrant colours, atmosphere, smells and food stalls give you that quintessential M a r r a k e s h experience. In the evenings, the locals gather at Jemaa el-Fnaa square, the main ‘souk’ (marketplace), to share the tasty Moroccan delicacies with the locals and tourists.

The Moroccans have a sweet tooth; you will find countless numbers of beautifully decorated pastries and cookies in the souks, especially during Ramadhan, where the Muslims indulge themselves with sweets as they break fast for the day. Don’t forget to try out the snail soup, which is believed to be good for digestion and fever.

3. Turkey Turkey is another well-known food paradise where street food is very affordable. In 1502, when Turkey was part of the Ottoman Empire, it became the first country to enact and standardise street food; hence street

food i s an old Tu r k i s h tradition that still thrives today, particularly in Istanbul. Even the renowned simit (a bagel-like pastry) dates back to 1525.

As Turkey is almost completely bordered by sea, another common delicacy is the balik-

ekmek (fish sandwiches), where mackerel is grilled and served with Turkish bread and salad. It is especially popular in the Eminönü neighbourhood of Istanbul where it is the food of the fisherman and workers in historic times.

4. Colombia The Colombian street food scene comprises of fried food, Caribbean seafood, creamy beverages and corn dishes. There is no better place to immerse yourselves into the food scene than in the colourful Cartagena de Indias, a preserved fairytale-like colonial city.

All the city’s delicacies are hidden within the 13 kilometres of old colonial stone wall, where you will see vendors selling arepas (corn bread) at almost every plaza, usually served with cheese, fermented milk or avocado.

Located next to the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena offers a refreshing citrusy raw seafood dish – ceviche – which is popular among the locals but is not for those with a weak stomach, as it’s raw. It’s the best place to grab some good grub,and roam through the cobbled streets.

Why are travel vlogs so popular?

Perhaps one of the biggest trends today is vlogging; a mix of the words ‘blog’ and ‘video’.

With the immense popularity of social

Image: Clker-Free-VictorImages, Pixabay

media (especially YouTube), there are millions of vloggers across the world. It’s a way for someone to share their life with their audience as well as create memories. A popular type of vlog is the travel vlog. I intend to explain why travel vlogs are so popular and their impact on their audience.

I vlog my travels but keep them private. Rather than wanting to gain a large audience, I create vlogs to memorialise all the special trips in my life. They’re also something I share with my close family. So vlogging isn’t just to gain followers but almost like taking photos, something to look back on in the future. On the other hand, some travel vloggers have millions of subscribers on YouTube. Perhaps one of the reasons travel vlogs are so popular is the appeal of travelling. I’m a travel fanatic myself so I love watching travel vlogs to see what places I haven’t visited before are like. It’s almost like we get to be apart of the trip when watching travel vlogs.

Travel vlogs have many positive effects. They allow the viewers to experience something they might not be able to, and can even educate them about cultures and traditions. Vlogs also allow the maker to develop confidence as they have to film themselves in public. What I particularly admire about travel vlogs is that in this day and age, I can find a vlog about almost every country in the world. I usually watch several vlogs before travelling to a different country because sometimes it’s easier to research and understand the culture through a visual platform than just words.

On the other hand, there is a dark

side to travel vlogs. Over the years, there have been creators abusing their platform and disrespecting the places they travel to. An example of this is the famous YouTuber, Logan Paul, who ruined his career by uploading a video of Aokigahara forest (more commonly and incorrectly known as Suicide Forest). In the now deleted video, Paul included his finding on a dead body which received an immense amount of backlash. He also vlogged throwing Pokeballs at policemen in Japan which highlights his insensitivity and disrespect. The result of these negative travel vlogs is that the audiences, which are often younger viewers, are exposed to this insensitivity and might be influenced. In this specific case, it could encourage people to visit Aokigahara forest just to search for bodies, which is a horrible reason to visit a place. Whilst it’s important to acknowledge places that hold history and culture, there is no excuse to visit a place that should be respected, just to do the opposite.

Overall, there are positives and negatives to travel vlogging.

Creators need to be aware of their content and how it can affect their viewers. There can be something beautiful in vlogging, a way to preserve special memories. I encourage everyone to try vlogging, it doesn’t even have to public. So grab your camera or phone, and press the record button.

a

The worlds' street food reviewed

Coming to America Chapter 4 Amelia Rentell

I’ve been watching a lot of Gavin & Stacey at the moment. Firstly because it’s absolutely one of the best British comedies to have ever been made. Second of all, because it reminds me of home. I’ve been called a ‘Pam’ more than once.

America is great (not to be confused with make great again) but it is no England.

Americans just aren’t funny.

Not in comparison to back home.

They’re funny to watch and analyse afterwards but they’re very rarely intentionally funny. James Corden isn’t the same across the Atlantic.

Luckily, I am extremely hilarious.

When I’m not cracking jokes, I am planning and prepping my final essays.

The temperature has shot right back up to 25 degrees celsius in October - nearly November. You don’t see a coat in sight. December is getting closer, despite what the weather thinks, and all my courses require a final research essay which is why I made the great decision of booking a weekend trip to Washington DC two days before one is due. Life is short, isn’t it kids?

For my fans at home, you know I’m an excellent baker. Alas, America has got me messed up. I very lovingly made some halloween cupcakes. Plain cupcakes with some sprinkles basically and they were DISGUSTING. What did I do wrong? It’s still under investigation.

I’m leaning towards the baking soda… I really have no one to blame but the Americans as I did follow an American recipe.

What’s most important is that my lovely, lovely boyfriend is flying all the way out to Oklahoma to come and visit me.

I am hoping he’ll bring some English weather with him, but I’m mostly looking forward to some McVitie’s chocolate digestives. It has been three months since I last saw him without it being through a screen and friends - I am so excited.

Hope you’re all okay and not too cold. I missed hanging out with you at Halloween.

No one in America dressed up as Nessa or the Pope - two excellent costumes I saw through the Instagram. I did see a spray painted dog though. Cheerio!

Image: Nick Youngson, Picserver, Vecteezy

Sport

6th November 2018

22

Smith scores four despite UEA defeat at Birmingham Tony Allen Sport Editor

UEA women’s Lacrosse team are still waiting for their first points of the season after their depleted squad were beaten 21-4 by a strong Birmingham thirds outfit, after a week’s break from league action.

Captain Georgie Sutton’s side made the long journey to the West Midlands without a number of key players throughout the team including goalkeeper/defender Jemima Rohde, club captain Tabby Reuben in defence, midfielder Adela Milà-de-Puri and attackers Cat Stallard and Gemma Moore.

UEA’s woes were further compounded when exciting fresher Carol Li limped off with an injury midway through.

“Goalkeeper Emily Winter made a trio of superb saves to keep her side in the contest” New recruit Fiona McMartin, who only began playing the sport this year, was named in defence for her first competitive game of Lacrosse, while forward Amelia Ford was rewarded for her performances in the second team’s two wins to start the season with a promotion to the firsts – both made the most of their first minutes for

the first team.

And although the result was as disappointing as the chilly, overcast weather, there were some wellworked goals for UEA to celebrate, all four courtesy of the lively Fiona Smith.

Although not her best day at the office at the draw, against a team which changed their draw to make life difficult for UEA, Phoebe Hartz stood out in midfield, providing three assists.

In the tit-for-tat opening exchanges, UEA were well in the contest for the first fifteen minutes.

The home side went ahead seconds after the start but were pegged back by Smith with a precise shot that snuck in the bottom left corner.

Birmingham then regained their lead, before Smith netted from a penalty.

Birmingham then took the lead for a third time, before Hartz once again linked up with Smith who sprinted down the right and blasted in a powerful effort to restore parity at 3-3 after a breathless first ten minutes.

With the score at 4-3 to the hosts, in her first match of the season, goalkeeper Emily Winter made a

trio of superb saves to keep her side in the contest. Despite the result, Winter was excellent, deservedly being named player of the match afterwards.

However, UEA’s defence couldn’t then stop a steady stream of goals from the Brummies w h o

Photo: Tony Allen

really asserted their dominance in the game from then on, with skilful moves in transition from their pacey midfielders, coming out just ahead of UEA in every area.

This was despite the best efforts of combative Eagles vice-captain Tilly Pembroke who put in a dogged, battling shift in

midfield.

There was still time for Smith to grab her fourth late on, again assisted by Hartz, but by the final whistle the score had crept up to 21-4.

Sutton reflected: ‘We started off really strong but dipped after about 20 minutes. We did get a goal in the second half but three came in the first half and I think that’s telling.

‘The four that we did score were good, well-placed shots. I’m always looking for meaningful goals.

‘We introduced a few things in training at the weekend, so hopefully we can keep working on that. It does feel like we’re meshing more as a team; it’s a solid starting

lineup now.

‘We need to work on people’s confidence to make a cut or go for a quick pass.

‘We want to fine-tune things, so they have the confidence to go for that dodge and go to goal. We’re going to strip down the attack to the basics this week, and just work together as a team more.’

Sutton, herself an experienced goalkeeper, was full of praise for player of the match Winter, who also plays in midfield: ‘She did really well. She’s just so unafraid of the ball which is a fantastic quality for a goalkeeper.

I’m very excited that she can play this year.’

The women’s firsts will look to bounce back tomorrow in the Midlands Conference Cup when they travel to Nottingham fourths.

Sutton added: ‘Fingers crossed we can win that, then with another win against Derby in the next round we’re in the quarter-finals. I have high hopes for the cup.’

The women’s seconds claimed an emphatic second win of the season at home to Northampton firsts thanks to seven goals from Octavia Pither.

There were also five goals from Beth Heritage, plus hat-tricks for Rosie Lawrence and skipper Michelle Ward in a resounding 20-2 win, with Jess Free and Angie Massebieau adding to the rout.

However, they couldn’t keep up their 100 percent record away at Staffordshire, going down 8-2 with both goals from Heritage, standing in as captain alongside Lawrence for the match.

UEA took the positives, with a number of new faces benefiting from competitive game time.

Men’s Lacrosse make it three wins from three Tony Allen Sport Editor

UEA men’s Lacrosse side have continued their incredible start to the season, surprising Midlands 1A with three wins from their last three games to leave them sitting comfortably in second spot.

After the scintillating home win over Nottingham, UEA travelled to Cambridge to play their first team, winning a hard-fought match 9-5.

Depleted by illness, injury and academic commitments, lacking Nottingham man of the match Sean Cullum and Eric Ritchie, the squad was reduced to just 15 when facer Seb Grant pulled up with an injury in the warm-up.

Holding midfielders Ryan Clements and Rob Hebden had been added to the squad, and both gave good accounts of themselves in their first appearances of the season. Kurts Auza stepped up to face for the Eagles, despite little

previous experience, and put in a great performance.

Sam Campbell netted his first league goals of the season, one coming after an incredible run all the way up the pitch from Harry Harris, setting up Campbell who put the ball away at the second time of asking.

Matt Dewhurst also scored a brace, the midfielder’s first appearance on the scoresheet in a good season so far.

Once again, captain Travis Payne was on target too for the Eagles, also having many shots well saved

by Cambridge’s keeper.

UEA looked comfortable at 4-0 in the second quarter, but a devastating spell from the hosts before half-time saw them get back into the game with three quickfire goals, taking advantage of UEA being a man down.

Leading 5-3 by half-time, the third quarter was when UEA really pulled away and asserted their dominance, but the scoreline could

well have been more.

For the second week in a row, Ollie Briggs scored the pick. Mitchell Hoverd was first to a ground ball, turning past his opponent and racing away, playing Briggs in with a cross-field ball to extend UEA’s lead to 7-4 when they were already cruising.

Auza had a good opportunity for UEA in attack, but couldn’t add to his opening goal of the season against Warwick, while Hoverd was unlucky not to add gloss to the scoreline with two efforts towards the end, one placed just wide and the other saved.

In the closing stages, defender Luke Griffith also made an impressive block to maintain UEA’s comfortable lead, with the whole defence staying resolute despite a late Cambridge rally to secure an ugly but useful victory.

Last week, UEA travelled to Nottingham Trent’s 3G pitch to face their second side, making it three out of three with an 11-3 win. Payne

scored seven, with Hoverd and Cullum both netting their first goals of the season, meaning all of UEA’s offensive players have now scored.

Tomorrow sees a tough topof-the-table fixture against league leaders Birmingham, who have won all four of their matches so far. Face

off is 2pm at Colney Lane.

Elsewhere, a number of freshers made their debuts and impressed in the club’s first SEMLA game of the season at Milton Keynes, earning a respectable 9-3 result, with goals coming from captain Tom Sanders, Ritchie and Campbell.

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6th November 2018

concrete-online.co.uk/category/sport/ | @Concrete_UEA

UEA women’s footballers put first win to ‘Bed’ Max Pleasance Sport Writer

UEA Women’s First Team secured their first three points in their BUCS league campaign in a titanic display against Bedfordshire at Colney Lane. Bedfordshire were the only team below UEA in the league table going into the fixture, so one may have expected a close contest but the scenes on the pitch depicted anything but. A holistic team masterclass with goals from Kathryn Stanley, Kayleigh Robb, and Holly Walker comfortably sealed a 6-1 victory in a vital game.

The first ten minutes of the game saw a hard-fought stalemate on a chilly afternoon, with opportunities at both ends. Bedford had an effort fly over the bar in the eleventh minute and forced the UEA keeper into a save with a long-range effort shortly after. However, three minutes later, UEA broke the deadlock as Stanley slotted a low, clinical strike into the bottom righthand corner.

The first goal put the hosts in good spirits but their opponents

were not going down without a fight.

Their desire to push for an equaliser led to some fiery scenes, and ultimately to a penalty converted by Stanley for both her and her team’s second of the afternoon. UEA had settled comfortably and, by half an hour into the game, an ambitious

“Goals from Kathryn Stanley, Kayleigh Robb and Holly Walker comfortably sealed the game” long-range effort from Robb crept under the bar, putting the home team three to the good.

Spurred on by the looming threat of another defeat and another week at the foot of the table, Bedfordshire pressed again, this time seeing their efforts rewarded as a quick counter-

attack snuck through the defence and past the goalkeeper, onside by the tiniest of margins. This was a clear message from Bedfordshire; as far as they were concerned, they were still in the game.

As half-time approached, a small fracas ensued; a result of the visitors’ discontent with some refereeing decisions. However, the situation was diffused by the referee and no cards were shown.

The visitors returned after halftime with a renewed zeal but were foiled time after time by UEA who continued to dictate proceedings; the confident passes across midfield that had the opposition chasing the ball were a testament to that.

Bedfordshire’s woes continued as Walker found space in the penalty area with her back to the goal and, in an unbelievable display of prowess, turned to squeeze the ball between the keeper and the near post from the most improbable of angles, a goal that earned her player of the match recognition on her first team debut.

Loose passes and tired runs characterised Bedfordshire’s game and before 70 minutes had elapsed,

UEA added a fifth, Stanley striking again to complete her hat-trick.

Despite their best endeavours, Bedfordshire had only one clear chance in the second half and that came only ten minutes before Amber Guyatt of UEA swung in a fine corner that was bundled into the Bedfordshire goal by one of their own.

The only elation for the visitors all afternoon came at the blow of the final whistle; they had been outclassed, outmatched, outplayed and would leave East Anglia empty-

“This win takes UEA up to fourth in the BUCS Midlands 2B league table” handed.

This win takes UEA up to fourth in the BUCS Midlands 2B league

table after three games with a total of four points. Their next fixture in the league is next week, away at Lincoln (currently third place in the league); a game that matters greatly as both teams are level on points.

Upcoming UEA Women’s football fixtures: 7/11/18 vs Leicester 1s at home in the Midlands Conference Cup, 1:30 kick off at Colney Lane.

61 14/11/18 away at Lincoln 1s in BUCS Midlands 2B.

UEA vs Bedfordshire

UEA seconds continue unbeaten run at Colney Lane Connor Southwell Sport Writer

After an unbeaten start to the season, UEA dug in and displayed tremendous amounts of resilience to overcome adversity and record a 4 - 3

Photo: Tony Allen

victory against Bedfordshire (third placed) at Colney Lane on Wednesday 31 October.

UEA were hoping to extend their unbeaten start to the league campaign which has seen them become the early pacesetters at the summit of the Midlands 3B division.

After last week’s draw at Oxford, they were hoping to harness some much-needed momentum to sustain a charge in the hope of mounting a promotion challenge. Admittedly, they had to ride a constant wave of Bedfordshire pressure at points, but their self-assurance, grit and tactical belief remained strong throughout the piece.

I t was

with their first attack of the game that they managed to break the deadlock.

Endeavour from UEA’s right back eventually saw the ball arrive at the foot of the winger before a spilled cross was put in by a Bedfordshire defender.

When you’re in a positive vein of form, luck is usually on your side.

The home side didn’t have it all their own way, however, with Bedfordshire having the better of the first half without testing the UEA goalkeeper for long periods.

A key weapon within their arsenal arrived in the form of a long throw, which UEA defended efficiently, putting their physicality and aggression to good use.

Tactically, Bedfordshire were keen to overload the middle phase of the pitch.

Operating with a compact 4-33, it was clear that Bedfordshire wanted to engage in a physical battle and break the game up as much as possible.

UEA

found this hard to deal with following their first goal, and the connective link between the midfield phase and strike force was difficult to source, despite that opening goal.

More frustrating for UEA will be the manner in which they conceded the equaliser.

After being defensively sound for a number of impressive long throw ins, they undertook a deep free kick that evaded everyone in the penalty area and ended up in the back of the net after a melee of players failed to make contact.

With a lot of the game being played out in the middle phase of the pitch, quality wasn’t evident in the final third.

There was an exquisitely executed free kick from the visitors that kissed the bar. Had that gone in, the complexion of the game could have altered significantly.

It was UEA who took the lead shortly after though, when a wellworked move ended with a low drive dispatched past the keeper.

At this point in the game, it was firmly against the run of play but an accurate strike nonetheless.

F r o m there the rhythm of the game altered Bedfordshire had to change the way they approached the game, the compact midfield witnessed previously became more expansive as they searched for an equaliser, leaving gaps for UEA to expose.

They sourced a connection between the thirds and looked in comfortable control, signified by their third goal.

That two-goal advantage was one which they will be disappointed to have allowed slip, as Bedfordshire pulled the game back to three-apiece, but ultimately UEA’s character and togetherness ensured they nicked a win from the clutches of despair with a goal in the final minutes.

That is what good teams do.

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6th November 2018

Sport

Concrete talks to UEA Rugby

Photo: Richard Polley

Meyzi Adoni Senior Sport Writer

Years ago, I was at a point where I hardly knew the basic rules of rugby. I am still not the best at it, but since coming to UEA, I feel like I have improved a lot. For the past two years, UEA Rugby was always a sports team that I was curious about.

I have read a lot of articles and stories about them and always wanted to know more about their team dynamics and how they were handling the problems they faced over the years.

I had a chance to have a chat with the Rugby President, Fraser Harrop, to discuss people’s views towards the club, its plans for the future, and the documentary they released last year.

From the beginning of our interview, it was possible to feel Fraser’s passion for rugby. And I think it affected our chat in a positive way.

So if you want to get to know the UEA Rugby team or just want to learn more about their future plans, then read on…

What are you hoping to achieve for the club as a whole this year?

This year the club hopes to raise its university profile, and work toward joining football as an elite sport under the new UEA Sport initiative. Hopefully the club will continue to perform on the pitch and maintain its clean record off it.

How do you feel about your performance this year so far?

How is the season going?

All three BUCS teams have made a blistering start to the 2018/19 season. After a total of nine games across all teams, the club has earned seven wins, one draw and one loss. The 1XV, after promotion last year, remain unbeaten after three matches and have so far conceded fewer points than every other team in their league Over the past years, UEA Men’s Rugby has been through some hard times, first being banned from playing for 18 months (2012) and then being banned from socials unless being supervised (2017). Do you think these events still shape the majority of people’s views towards Rugby people?

I sincerely hope that the typical student does not judge the club or its members based on past bans. It is often forgotten that club members who were involved in the 2012 ban do not currently attend the

university, and haven’t done so for a number of years. It is also common knowledge amongst the other university sports teams that the Rugby Club was not happy with the nature of its investigation last year.

The club has now established what it hopes to be a very strong working relationship with UEA Sport, which will allow the club to flourish and reach its full potential.

“All three BUCS teams have made a blistering start to the 2018-19 season” Last year, you released a documentary focusing on the reputation of Men’s Rugby. Do you think this documentary helped change people’s negative views on UEA’s Rugby players/ Club?

The original aim of the documentary was to provide staff and students with an insider’s view of the Rugby Club’s activities. It was only after the eruption of allegations

regarding the club’s social activities that I decided to angle the film toward the club’s reputation, and the feelings of both frustration, and yet solidarity, within the club.

As for whether the documentary helped salvage the club’s reputation, I would have to answer not necessarily. Although relationships with UEA Sport and the SU have certainly improved, it is impossible to say whether this was influenced by the documentary - though I certainly hope so. I would encourage anyone with a cynical view of the Rugby Club to watch the film, and recognise that we are a truly approachable and inclusive group of players.

You directed the documentary. Can you explain the filming process?

This was my first attempt at shooting a documentary film. I sustained a long term leg injury, and felt that my time could be put to better use than merely spectating, so I invested in some camera and sound equipment, and set to work filming training sessions, matches, team talks, and one-to-one player interviews.

As you can imagine, interviewing one’s friends can be somewhat awkward at first, but once the players learned to overcome

nerves in front of the camera, we had some extremely productive and interesting conversations.

After collecting footage for over six months, I set to work teaching myself the editing process. This was extremely time-consuming, but I was keen to distribute the final product.

Are you planning to do a similar video this year?

Yes, there will be another film this year, focusing less on the club’s reputation on campus, and more on the importance of friendship in sport, and its role in the club’s pursuit of reclaiming the Derby Day title.

Lastly, are you planning any interesting socials this year? Do you have any plans to collaborate with other societies or sports clubs?

It’s no secret that the Rugby Club has the busiest social calendar of all. We are in the process of organising joint socials with Netball, Cheerleading and Women’s Rugby, and are looking forward to our upcoming social with the Hockey Club in the next fortnight.

We are always open to collaboration suggestions, so if any societies want to get in touch, contact us through our social media pages!