Concrete - Issue 288 - 05/11/2013

UEA’s Student Newspaper

Issue 288 • Free • Tuesday 5 November

@Concrete_UEA /ConcreteNewspaper ConcreteUEA

Inside...

UEA restricts student’s ability to protest

“Shantay you stay” How drag culture changed the fashion world Fashion V. 8

Interview: Simon Singh We talk Homer Simpson with the mathmetician Science & Tech P. 15

Reflektor: the verdict

We get our hands on Arcade Fire’s new album Music V. 7

Elliot Folan News Reporter Changes to the wording of university behaviour regulations have been condemned by the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) as having a “chilling effect” on the ability of students to protest, although the university calls this a “misunderstanding” and says that nothing substantial has changed.

The changed regulations, which outline behaviours that the university considers worthy of disciplinary action, were brought to the attention of the student union on Tuesday 22 October, and after protests from students the university has promised to review them.

Concrete understands that the regulation changes would explicitly make students liable for disciplinaries if they cause “loss of funds” to a visitor to the university or visiting company; if they incite other students to actions that

breach the regulations; if they behave in an “intimidating, threatening or abusive manner” to visitors; or if they hinder or disrupt visitors to the University.

The University argues that the changes merely “seek to clarify what action might be taken in such cases”, but critics claim that the changes would make it virtually impossible to engage in peaceful political protest without being disciplined.

Chris Jarvis, Union Council representative, said: “These regulations would allow the university to ban protest if it annoyed them, discipline students who called for boycotts and discipline students who ask awkward questions of corporations and politicians. This clearly breaches our human right to protest”.

Rosie Rawle, UUEAS Communications Officer, commented: “Our concern is that the newly worded regulations do more than clarify current procedure. Their emphasis and additions highlight the possibility for new interpretation. We are glad that the University have heard us and

aim to engage with us on this matter.”

The University of East Anglia’s press office explained: “The most recent changes to the general regulations for students passed through the usual approval process for such changes.

However, in light of concerns raised by the Union of UEA Students, we have agreed to review this process and the regulations.”

At the last meeting of the UUEAS Student Union Council representatives endorsed a plan by the student officers to begin a campaign against the changes.

The Union will be meeting with the university and bringing forward the concerns expressed.

Existing regulations already make students liable for disciplinary action if they occupy premises without permission, engage in unlawful behaviour, engage in “disorderly conduct”, engage in actions that cause “a nuisance” or engage in actions that bring the university into disrepute.

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Editorial

Editor-in-chief | Sidonie ChafferMelly concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor | Sophie Witts concrete.president@uea.ac.uk Online Editor | Billy Sexton concrete.online@uea.ac.uk Deputy Online Editor | Amelia

Marchington concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News | Andrew Ansell & Lara-Jayne Ellice concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Zoë Jones concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Global | Ella Gilbert concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features | Bridie Wilkinson concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Environment | Peter Sheehan concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk Science & Tech | Dominic Burchnall concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Travel | Niyonu Agana-Burke concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle | Lydia Clifton concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sport | Charlie Savage & Will Medlock concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk Copy Editors | Stephenie Naulls & Lucy Morris concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographers | Jacob Roberts-Kendall & Will Cockram concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk

Get in Touch...

“Week 7 of the semester. Dayamn, this term is going fast. #UEA #ticktock” @OSull7

Editorial

05/11/13

Contributors

News | Elliot Folan, Lucy Jobber, Phil Turtle, Theodore AntoniouPhillips, Lara Ellice, Andrew Ansell, Jay Lawrence, Geraldine Scott, James Court Comment | Geraldine Scott, Harry Mason, Sophie Jackson, Dian Atamyanov, Joel Taylor, Verity Stone Global | Shiyue Wang, Katy Ward Features | Anna Knell, Fay Tate, Tyler Allen, Emily Fedorowycz Environment | Chloe Moore, Jacob Beebe Science & Tech | Dominic Burchnall, Mabon Ellis Travel | Josie Smith, John Gilbert, Florries Harris-Scott, Theodore Antoniou-Phillips Lifestyle | Holly Wade, Lydia Tewkesbury, Beth Saward, Jasmin Gray, Lydia Clifton, Alice Reedy Sport | Phillip Turtle, Jatta Vuorinen, Will Medlock, Moji Adegbile Proofreaders | Eleanor Swain, Rebecca Hedger, Anastasia Dukakis, Calyssa Erb, Chris Freeman, Kenan Al-Shamie, Stephenie Naulls, Lucy Morris

Win! Win! Win!

Tell us what other name Bonfire Night is also known as and win fish and chips!!

Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593 466 www.concrete-online.co.uk www.concblog.wordpress.com

Tweet of the Week

Issue 288

Editorial inquiries / complaints concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Got a story? concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

The View From the Library...

Dear Concrete...

Dear Editor, Last Thursday members of trade unions Unite, UCU (University and College Union) and Unison went on strike against the 1% pay offer University management offered staff across the country. After a national vote of all Higher Education staff was called, a strike was declared as the only option left open for workers to demand a fair wage.

Many of the lowest paid staff at UEA this winter will be facing the stark choice of whether to heat their home or feed their family. After this year’s pay freeze a 1% pay offer does little to alleviate a 10% rise in energy costs, higher travel costs or increases by the university itself for car park charges on campus. Under the current deal the Vice Chancellor will receive a pay increase of 6%, giving him an additional £2,090 a year, whilst a cleaner with a 1% pay increase will earn just £150 a year more. Even with car parking charges of £740 a year the Vice Chancellor will receive a massive surplus, whilst a cleaner, with charges of £305 will be in deficit of £155 with the 1% pay rise.

The UEA has been announced as a finalist in four categories in the

prestigious Times Higher Education Awards including top honour of University of the Year. The employees have contributed to this success, but this success has not been shared with them.

While cash surpluses in universities have reached record highs over the last three years, total expenditure on staff salaries has declined. UEA staff sees increasing investment in campus buildings and improvements to public spaces at UEA, but don’t see the same investment in them. The discussions about the number of members who voted for the strike is a distraction.

65.1% of the general population voted in the last election, but little is mentioned about the current Government’s right to rule because of it despite achieving just over a quarter of all possible votes.

Many members of UEA staff who make University life possible for our students are struggling to cope and whilst we are loath to affect the student experience of University, there were no other options available to us.

Regards, Katy Quigley Unison Communications Officer UEA Branch

Quick Questions What do you do?

I’m Director of the creative writing programme. There’s so much going on in creative writing at the moment, we felt there was a need for someone to oversee everything, especially as most of the creative writing faculty are parttime (so they can also get on with their writing). I do meetings and emails and a lot of filing and photocopying. I’m very good at filing. I write novels too.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen in the job?

UEA is my normality; even the weird stuff isn’t weird any more.

What do you think makes UEA so wonderful?

The students. Especially when they sing the ‘wonderful’ song. I was once overtaken on Unthank Road on a dank winter’s evening by a double-decker bus on its way in to town, packed to the gills with students all singing that song. The bus was rocking. Literally.

The students were all wearing pyjamas.

This week we talk to...

Andrew Cowan

Nothing is weird any more.

What’s the next big thing for you at UEA? We’re introducing a new Crime/Thriller Writing MA, and a two-year version of our MA, and next semester Margaret Atwood is joining us as our UNESCO City of Literature Visiting Professor.

‘UEA Live’ has got off to a great start and will culminate next summer with an anthology of BA Creative Writing Rose Tremain will be hosting the launch event. Next semester we’re launching new first year creative writing module which will involve a collaboration with the art school, pairing our BA writers with their BA illustrators. The FLY festival is to become an annual event.

There’s loads and loads...

What piece of advice would you give to students?

Take it seriously. But not too seriously.

Read the full interview at concrete-online.co.uk!

Concrete welcomes all letters and emails, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Letters should be addressed to the editor-in-chief, and include contact details. All emails should be sent to concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk. We will consider anonymous publication, and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Anonymous article submissions are permitted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the editor, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2013 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

News

05/11/13

Issue 288

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

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Around University Writers Service pays students to write Norfolk Lucy Jobber News Reporter

Vulnerable children left unassessed by social workers An Ofsted report has emerged identifying that 998 potentially vulnerable children in Norfolk were not assessed or only partly assessed by Norfolk County Council.

The Ofsted inspectors claimed that, due to bad management and the lack of social workers, it was “impossible” to know whether the children were receiving the right levels of support.

Sheila Lock, the interim director of children’s services, recognised that the situation was “unacceptable”. A team of 17 people has been assigned to deal with the outstanding cases and it is estimated that over the next week the 300 cases that have been prioritised will have been properly scrutinised.

Crime increase in Cromer For the first time in months, the number of crimes reported in Cromer has surpassed one per day.

According to Police community support officer, Elaine Roberts, 50 crimes occurred in 49 days between 9 September and 27 October. Among the crimes were seven for common assault and five for criminal damage.

PSCO Roberts attributed the ‘sudden blip’ to officers executing arrest warrants in connection with alleged drug offences.

Festive preparations in Norwich The Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) and Norwich City Council have said they will invest £300,000 on the city’s Christmas lights over the next three years.

The BID and city council have been working with Jarrolds and John Lewis on the ‘star’ theme, which will light up the city in areas such as Timberhill, Castle Street and Lower Goat Lane.

The lights will be switched on 21 November.

The University Writers Service is a new scheme being developed at UEA to allow students the opportunity to gain paid training and experience in the world of freelance writing.

After collaborating with Fountain Partnership, a local internet marketing company, the university aimed to provide students with the opportunity to gain indepth training in SEO and copywriting, professional CV references and the chance to earn money from their writing and research skills.

A talk held earlier this month saw great interest from UEA students, with over 150 students in attendance for which additional spaces had to be added to meet the high demand. The talk led by Fountain’s co-founder Marcus Hemsley explored the basics of search engine optimisation, teaching students how to optimise their internet presence and

hone in the writing and research skills learnt from their degree to create exciting online copy. After the event, entries for the scheme were submitted the following week and seven UEA students were selected to take part in the scheme over the coming Autumn semester.

Managing director at Fountain Rebecca Lewis Smith explained “Our aim is to help students recognise the commercial value of their researching and writing skills, so that they can go on to earn money as freelancers,” she said.

“We want to make this as professional a process as possible, which will mean the students treating us as a client.”

The programme aims to be a new model of collaboration between the university and other local businesses, which could be expanded to give paid work and opportunities to a greater number of students each year.

For more information regarding the scheme, the Writers Service can be emailed at writers.service@uea.ac.uk.

UEA academics’ book examines young people’s engagement with popular culture Phil Turtle News Reporter Three UEA academics have published a book about young people’s engagement with popular culture, and how this relates to their interaction with political issues.

The book, co-authored by Professor John Street (PSI), Sanna Inthorn (FTM) and Martin Scott (DEV), is entitled ‘From Entertainment to Citizenship: Politics and Popular Culture’. The book looks at

case studies of participation in popular culture, such as voting in the X Factor, as well as gauging opinion on those celebrities noted for their involvement in political issues, such as Bob Geldof or Bono. The researchers were particularly interested to study how 17-18 year olds, about to vote for the first time, spoke of the culture that they absorbed and engaged with.

Speaking of the publication, Professor Street noted inaccurate conclusions had previously been drawn

about the relationship between popular culture and politics, something put right by this book. He said of their findings: “Celebrities to these young people represented a welcome alternative to elected politicians whom they distrusted.” He added: “Their positive attitude to celebrity politics represented a challenge to the traditional conduct of politics. Yet while they may be perceived as more authentic political actors, not all celebrities were thought to be cut out for political leadership.”

Work experience pays dividends, study finds Theodore Antoniou-Phillips News Reporter A longitudinal study which investigated the link between student work experience, both paid and unpaid, and success after higher education has found that ‘all types of work increase the chances of successful outcomes’.

The study, named ‘Futuretrack’, was undertaken by researchers at the Institute for Employment Research at the University of Warwick and

surveyed 130,000 students that applied to higher education in the UK in 2005-06. From the results the researchers discovered that ‘students who had undertaken more structured work-based learning as well as paid work tended to have the most positive outcomes. The study also found that students who did not undertake work of any kind had the least positive outcomes from higher education, positive outcomes being degree grade, transition into the labour market, wage level and self-confidence.

Roughly 25% of students in the

study undertook paid work experience, with women more likely than men to undertake paid work. The study also suggests that ‘work-based learning’, such as placements, combined with paid work was associated with the most ‘positive labour market outcomes’.

The study also points out that ‘further factors’ such as work experience prior to starting university are likely to play a role in the relationship between ‘non-standard qualifications’ and working in a graduate job.

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05/11/13

News

Norwich is ‘Foodie Capital of Britain’ Lara Ellice News Editor Norwich has been declared the ‘Foodie Capital of Britain’, winning the prestigious AA rosette and overshadowing London, Manchester, and Bristol.

The rosette was awarded to Norwich for having the most number of restaurants per head in the UK. Norwich has one AA rosette-holder for every 6,500 people, while London has one per 18,200.

Chef proprietor Roger Hickman, from Roger Hickman’s Restaurant, has said that the city’s dedicated chefs are responsible for its achievement, and commented on the excellence of City College Norwich’s Hotel School.

He said: “It’s really rewarding to hear that the data collected puts Norwich at the forefront of national dining with such a high ratio of awardFlickrcooking for the size of the city. winning “A lot of chefs work hard to deliver what their customers are looking for, and this is helped further by the regional industry being supported by such a brilliant catering college.”

Visionarydining.com studied the 2014 AA Guide to see which cities had

the most highly excelling restaurants.

London originally came first in numbers, but once population was taken into account Norwich topped the capital.

Steve Thorpe, headteacher at City College Norwich, said: “The Hotel School is very fortunate to have such incredible support from a local industry that encourages lots of people to be enterprising and entrepreneurial within the sector.

“This report reflects the very high level of small and independent local restauranteurs that is supported by a county that loves its food.”

Gordon Cartwright, managing director of visionarydining.com, commented: “It is interesting to look at the impact of college hospitality education in the cities which have done well in this survey.

“The quality of students which these colleges send out into the local industry play a big part in driving up quality. In the case of City College Norwich, the link between quality students and the local restaurant scene is very clear.

“The satisfaction of achieving an award such as an AA rosette is one to savour for those who toil endlessly to fill their restaurants.”

edp24.co.uk

Local MP incurs constituents’ wrath Andrew Ansell News Editor Speaking at an event hosted by the pressure group, 38 Degrees, Simon Wright MP defended the Transparency of Lobbying Bill currently under deliberation in the House of Lords.

To a hostile audience Mr Wright asserted that the Lobbying Bill’s effect on the ability of organisations to affect elections will produce a ‘level playing field’.

He also stressed that the Bill had to come into law before the next general election in 2015. Despite his defence of the Bill, The Liberal Democrat MP reiterated that he went to the event ‘with an open mind’.

In the question and answer session that followed speeches from panellists, the Norwich South MP received a barrage of criticism from local people who held deep concerns about the Bill.

At this point Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the 2015 general election, Clive Lewis, claimed the Bill was aimed at silencing the Trade Unions. Mr Lewis identified that Mr Wright was

anxious for the Bill to come into effect before the general election in order to prevent the National Union of Students from campaigning in his constituency.

Panellist Andrew Taylor from People and Planet spoke against the Bill before commenting that Mr Wright ‘sounded like a Conservative’. Taylor also accused Mr Wright of repeating a briefing.

Speaking at the event, The Union of UEA Students communications officer, Rosie Rawle, said: “The gagging bill is an infringement on democracy and a barrier to political engagement, particularly for young people. It is entirely removed from how students relate to politics, which is mainly through single-issue campaigns, and mass organisations or coalitions”.

There was no prior consultation with charities or the Electoral Commission before the Bill entered parliament. The House of Commons and Lords constitution committees alongside the chair of the equality and human rights commission believe the Bill has been rushed through.

In its current form the Bill only applies to consultant lobbyists, exempting 80% of the industry.

News

05/11/13

Students pessimistic over transition into work Andrew Ansell News Editor New research from YouGov revealed that students expect to have to fill out 24 job applications on average before entering employment.

The report entitled, ‘School Leavers and Students’ First Jobs’, provides an insight into the expectations of students after graduation. Students in Higher Education believe they will have to apply for 26 jobs until they are successful in contrast to sixth form students who expect to fill out 17 applications.

According to reports findings, young people are appreciative of the value of workplace experience when entering the labour market. Over three quarters of students think that the failure to gain relevant work experience could impinge

on their aspirations to pursue their preferred career.

James McCoy, Research Director at YouGov, said: “Although the economy is showing signs of recovery, young people feel that they face an extremely tough employment situation. Most see finding employment as hard work, and the number of applications they expect to fill out is testament to that. They also appreciate how competitive the market is and how much of a premium employers put on experience when hiring staff”.

Want to write for News?

Email: concrete.news@ uea.ac.uk

Livewire to be played in all Union buildings

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Postrgraduate loan system required to avert crisis James Court News Reporter The 1994 Group of universities, which includes UEA, has called upon the Government to implement an incomecontingent loan system for full-time taught postgraduate students.

The report produced by the 1994 Group entitled, ‘Increasing postgraduate opportunities: proposals for funding’, outlines a solution to what is perceived to be a “potential crisis for postgraduate education in the UK”.

According to the group, a Government loan scheme that provided £10,000 for students with an upper second class degree or higher, repayable at 9% of income between £15,000 and 21,000, would incur a cost of less than £50 million in the long term. A loan system would be fully funded through redistributing money from existing funding pots such as: the funding for Professional and Career Development Loans for master’s study and the postgraduate National Scholarship Programme.

In the report’s foreword, the Minister of State for Universities and Science, Rt. Hon. David Willetts MP said: “Universities play a vital role in developing a highly skilled workforce by training postgraduate

students. We need these top level skills to compete and succeed in a global knowledge economy.

“I welcome this report, and in particular its attempt to put forward possible solutions for the future financing of postgraduate education”.

Amanda Chetwynd, Chair of the 1994 Group Student Experience Committee, acknowledged: “There has been an unprecedented 12% drop over the last three years in the number of UK students entering postgraduate taught study.

This presents a very real threat to the highly skilled workforce that the UK needs to be able to compete globally. We need to act now to forestall what could be an even bigger drop in 18 months’ time.

At present, there exists no student support system for postgraduates and tuition fees are required to be paid up front.

Foreign students outnumber Britons on postgraduate courses Geraldine Scott News Reporter

Jay Lawrence News Reporter UEA’s Union radio station, Livewire, will be played in union premises from Monday the 4 November.

After putting a motion towards Union Council in late October, the councilors voted in Livewire’s favour.

This is another big step for Livewire as a society, after winning ‘Most progress as a society’ last academic year and achieving the highest membership numbers in recent years.

Station Manager Jay Lawrence said, “this is fantastic news for all the brilliant DJs, producers and members of Livewire who now get to show off their talents to all UEA students and

staff who pass through The Hive, the bars and, once it gets the necessary facilities, the Union Shop”.

Livewire began as a society in 1989, and will be celebrating its 25th birthday in 2014. It is extremely well recognised as a student radio station, having won and been nominated for many national awards. It has also been the start of many radio careers, and BBC Radio One DJ Greg James has previously named Livewire as his favourite part of his life at UEA. ‘We will be giving away loads of prizes within the first couple weeks, including plenty of Nandos meals, and lots of tickets to gigs, such as The Fratellis. Keep an ear out!’ Jay adds.

To listen at home or on the go, check out www.livewire1350.com

For the last five years UK students have been outnumbered on postgraduate courses by international students. In the past decade, the amount of international students studying in the UK has grown by 90%, whereas on comparison British students have dropped by 12% in the last three years.

A report published by the 1994 group, representing eleven leading universities found that: “In 2002 there were four UK taught postgraduate students for every three from overseas […] since 2008, they have been outnumbered every year.

Since the majority of these students will eventually return to their home countries, taking their newly gained skills, knowledge and expertise with them, This trend has consequences for the UK’s global competitiveness.”

If trends continue, academics have warned that Britain could be equipping

its economic rivals with skills that UK professionals will not have. Similarly, it is suggested that from 2016 a large drop in British students continuing into postgraduate study will stem from £9000 per year tuition fees as students feel they cannot fund further education.

Universities minister David Willetts says UK postgraduate education has a reputation for excellence across the world and has seen “unprecedented” growth in the past decade. He added the Government was investing £75m in helping universities attract and support less advantaged students.

Comment

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The changing nature of baptisms Geraldine Scott Comment Writer Last month, Prince George was baptised at St James’ Palace, however, for us with more humble beginnings this is now seen as an exception to the rule rather than the trend. The church may be hoping Kate Middleton will do for baptisms what she has done for Reiss dresses and bring them back into fashion. That’s the hope of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has released a video on YouTube saying that he hopes the event inspires others to have their babies christened.

On the other hand he also warns against the dangers of the belief that baptisms are reserved for ‘special people’ as opposed to everyone.

Figures for baptisms are declining,

but another angle is that many baptisms are done ‘just in case’. Agnostic parents, or even those with pressure from other family members, may be baptising their children in the chance that we are all born in sin. However, committing a baby to limbo just because the parents did not baptise the child seems extreme.

Although the raw figures are down, the phenomenon of godparents seems to be on the up. Indeed Prince George has seven, and not all of those are the traditional members of the family. Janet Street Porter has argued that godparents are now distinctly separate from religion in that they primarily offer guidance and support rather than teaching the godchild

“Baptisms might be on the decline but the godparents trend is on the up” about faith and religion. While people may be rejecting religion they are not rejecting the religious terminology; ‘godparent’

is a much easier term to explain than ‘supportive friend and mentor’.

Alongside the changing role of the godparent, other changes have emerged surrounding baptism. Many people are being baptised later on in life. One-inthree Church of England baptisms are now performed for children between the ages of one and 12. This can partially be due to costs but parents also claim that they want the child to remember the happy occasion.

Furthermore, children are no longer required to wear christening gowns and the language used in the ceremony has been simplified. These steps can be seen to be encouraging a newer generation into the church and making the ceremony more accessible to many.

Despite the decline and changing nature of baptisms Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, is remaining optimistic and insists that despite what studies suggest, more young people are beginning to take an interest in religion: “So it all might turn around,” he said. “I’m standing on prayerful hope.”

Wikimedia

The good, the bad and The Roma myth and the reality the BDSM Harry Mason Comment Writer @HarryMason19 Congratulations to Eleanor Catton, who has been awarded the Booker Prize for her sprawling epic The Luminaries.

Never heard of it? It’s okay, I hadn’t either. In fact, you could question the relevance of literary prizes when bigger sales are earned by so-called ‘easy reads’ like 50 Shades of Grey. No doubt having a shiny ‘Booker Prize’ sticker will boost The Luminaries’ sales, but even the most successful winner has only achieved one thirtieth of the sales of EL James’ BDSM sensation.

Maybe the very popularity of 50 Shades and its derivatives makes literary prizes worthwhile though. Some argue that now more than ever we need to reward ‘good’ literature. Indeed, if the only options in a dichotomous market are critically-panned bestseller or under-read masterpiece, the clout of a nomination is one thing that can push overlooked works towards a wider audience.

It instantly makes buyers think “That’ll be good” or, at the very least, “I’ll look clever by having that on my shelf”.

Moreover, a shot at such esteem is one of the only reasons publishers invest in

books otherwise unlikely to have skyhigh sales.

These arguments hinge on notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ literature, and assumptions that great novels never appeal to the masses. Is this always the case? And more importantly, should we hold such snobbish views? Whatever you think about Kindles or Stephenie Meyer’s sentence structure, if people are enthusiastic about books of any standard it must be positive.

There’s no reason prestige novels can’t nestle alongside some guilty pleasures, and anyway, if you’ve spent all day studying Proust why not indulge in some ‘mummy porn’ tactfully concealed behind a copy of Concrete on the bus home?

In an ideal world there would be no division between high and low art. Alas, we live in a world of Boris Johnson’s hair and 20p Freddos – it’s far from ideal, and such divisions are likely to continue.

Then again, it’s impossible to predict how perceptions might change – Shakespeare was the popular entertainment of his day, after all.

It may never win a Booker, but 50 Shades could become the Hamlet of future generations, studied accross British GCSE English classrooms. Well, perhaps. Let’s leave it on that terrifying thought.

Sophie Jackson Comment Writer When Maria, the “blonde angel”, was discovered living with a Roma family in Greece, an immediate anti-Roma frenzy took hold of Europe. Long-held fears about Roma communities and their involvement in child trafficking were apparently vindicated. Just as the mob was forming, DNA testing confirmed that Maria’s biological parents were in fact also Roma. Not only that, but they looked just as different from Maria as the parents that had looked after her did.

Unfortunately, this was only the beginning, as other blonde and blue-eyed children had already been taken from Roma families in Ireland under suspicion of child trafficking. A seven year old girl and two year old boy were both removed from their families by police and returned following DNA testing. It’s disturbing to see that police would behave this

way – after one case of supposed child trafficking, racial profiling against the Roma communities begins instantly and aggressively. The Guardian also reported that a group of young people entered a Roma home and attempted to take a two year old boy from his family, claiming he didn’t look dark enough to be their child.

Roma people have long been stereotyped as thieves of children, a misconception that dates back centuries, and is linked to similar anti-Semitic stereotypes. This makes the public reaction to Maria’s case particularly alarming.

Maria’s “blonde angel” nickname only highlights the racism toward Roma people; it is as if her blonde hair and pale skin somehow raise her above the darker haired, darker skinned family that looked after her. As with any other ethnic group, there are many variations in appearance, and the fact that anyone would think Maria could not come from a family like hers is extremely ignorant. In my experience – as a redhead in an entirely brunette family – children do not always look exactly like their parents.

Unfortunately, false ideas about the looks and behaviour of Roma people have instigated an unnecessary witch-hunt.

There is no clear-cut solution to child trafficking in Europe but if there was, it certainly wouldn’t be blindly separating blonde children from Roma families.

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Comment

05/11/13

Resolution from Europe is now imperative Dian Atamyanov Comment Writer @Dragoonfire Over these past several months, Europe has been in a reserved outrage in consequence of the Snowden leaks. As it turns out, the US has not only been tapping its own citizens but those of foreign countries as well. More to the point, the States have been snooping on their own comrades and now Germany, France and Spain, amongst others, are waiting for answers. Preferably adequate ones.

Last weekend, Mike Rogers, chairman of the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said in a CNN interview that Europe should rejoice.

“If the French citizens knew exactly what that was about, they would be applauding and popping champagne corks.”

Will that champagne be wired as well? American lawmakers attempted

to justify the data collection on millions of European citizens as necessary for their own safety. Some former US Intelligence officials even went as far as to say that they are not the only ones spying on their country.

they ever escape the unrelenting gaze of the Western eye.

But Europe is also at fault. With

“What Europe definitely needs at this moment is to grow a pair”

“The States have been snooping on their own comrades, and now they are waiting for answers.”

The fact that European Parliament President, Martin Schulz, and Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, equated this to Cold War tactics would make one wonder when and if the US will admit their mindset borders on paranoia.

US President Obama said that the White House had no prior knowledge of the tapping of Merkel’s phone, which begs the question of what else the head of state was conveniently not briefed on for a good five years

Flickr: Sparktography no less.

It seems as if they don’t deem their allies fit to protect themselves should

the UK firmly on the side of their American colleagues, retaliation on its part is reduced to stern scolding and the delay of transatlantic pacts that will inevitably be signed.

There is definitely something to be said when a German chancellor’s harshest response is to pick up the potentially tapped phone and call the US president to say how cross they are with them.

What Europe definitely needs at this moment is to grow a pair. They are in dire need of confidence and resolution, and only time can tell if this will be achieved.

Comment

05/11/13

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The Big Debate: Should prisoners have the right to vote?

For Joel Taylor The right of prisoners to vote is a contentious issue made complicated by the various areas of law it involves.

On 16 October two prisoners had their appeals against the UK’s blanket ban on prisoner voting dismissed by the Supreme Court. EU law provides a general right to vote intended to allow states to decide, for example, what age a person must be to be eligible to vote; a loophole the UK has exploited to ban an entire class of people.

Although not technically illegal, the UK law and the government’s stance is certainly alarming. With the extradition of Abu Hamza to Jordan on terrorism charges blocked by the European Court of Human Rights numerous times because the Jordanian evidence against him was obtained by torture, the British government and media started to raise malcontent in the British people.

European judges, with so little regard for the wishes of British people, were forcing Britain to keep a known terrorist in their midst.

The Court’s lack of regard for the opinion of the British is, unfortunately, the fault of our government. If a piece of UK law is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights there is no legal obligation to change it. Even if it is, the process can be long and drawn out; the first Court ruling against the UK’s ban on prisoner voting was back in 2005! Because the British government does not take seriously the views of the Court, the Court does not take seriously the views of the British government.

Europe still exerts political pressure on the UK, however, and it is because of this “meddling” that our government has suggested leaving the Convention entirely and setting up its own Bill of Rights.

The problem with this is simple: human rights are intended to give political minorities protection from the unjust actions of an otherwise unaccountable government. If that government chooses which rights to keep and which rights to abolish they can choose exactly what protection they want to give, and because governments only act to satisfy the majority, the minority will be ignored! It’s like hiring a burglar to set up your house alarm system.

Against Verity Stone Serving at Her Majesty’s pleasure, prisoners are an especially vulnerable minority. With no liberty and no freedoms, without the vote they are unable to protect themselves politically from a government raising sentences, reducing prison standards, and throwing away the key. What next: take the vote away from all students because they behave irresponsibly? Take it away from legal immigrants simply because they weren’t born here? Take it away from men because women were denied it for so long?

The argument is that by committing crimes criminals have forfeited the right to vote. Why? It’s an impressive sounding statement, all too easy for a government pandering to a vindictive

“Denying prisoners suffrage creates a second class of subject; a lesser class of humanity based on generalisations” public to bandy about, but it hardly ever seems to be properly justified.

Minority viewpoints can be overruled through legitimate democratic action, but it is wrong to allow a government to simply repress those views entirely.

Denying prisoners suffrage creates a second class of subject; a lesser class of humanity based on generalisations.

Taking away rights recognised as fundamental to human life is just as the Nazis did to the jews, the homosexuals, and the gypsies. It’s an easy first step to take on a long, dark path.

Wikimedia

Should prisoners be given the right to vote? Quite simply: no they shouldn’t.

Hundreds of debates don’t consider the grey areas of certain situations, but for this there can really only be one clear answer: it is completely and utterly wrong to suggest that such legislation should be taken into consideration, let alone passed.

When applying for a job you are often

like ‘Orange is the New Black’ recently, it does open your eyes to the fact that each “inmate” is a human being with a story to tell. Whilst it is, of course, just a television show, the point of the argument in favour of prisoners getting the vote is partly to encourage the fact that prisoners are people too. This was exemplified in 2001 when a prisoner, John Hirst, claimed that the ban on the prisoner’s right to

“Whilst in prison they should be excluded from the liberties that the rest of society takes part in” questioned about your criminal history.

Which, depending on the answer given, can sometimes obstruct the prospect of attaining that job. If this stigma and socalled discrimination, which is what this argument comes down to, is hindering ex-criminals in the real world, how does this mean that they shouldn’t be made exempt from social and worldly privileges whilst in prison? Surely it should be the other way round so that whilst in prison they are excluded from the liberties that the rest of society takes part in, but after being released and having paid their price, all human respect and opportunities should be restored?

Yes, not all prisoners are intrinsically bad people. Some have just made mistakes, but that doesn’t then mean that you would give some prisoners the vote and some not. This debate is after all an ultimatum: you either give all of them the vote or none. After watching shows

vote was incompatible with the Human Rights Act of 1998. I have just two things to say to this; firstly, if you want the privileges that everyone else has, then just avoid things like manslaughter and anything else which is deemed illegal.

Secondly, if taking away your freedom isn’t taking away one of the intrinsic rights you were born with, why isn’t that being addressed and not just the fact that “doing time” means you won’t experience the excitement of voting in a politician who then doesn’t stick to what he got voted in for in the first place? Of course, prisoners are people; they are just people who happen to have fewer opportunities when they are found to have disobeyed the law.

One point that I think is often ignored in this debate is the question of voting itself. The act of voting seriously seems to be an actual job for most people in Britain these days, as the last general election had a voter turnout of just 65% and as a more extreme example, the Police and Crime Commissioners Election, received an astonishingly poor 15% turnout.

Ironically, the year that John Hirst came forth with his appeal for the right to vote (2001), the UK had witnessed its worst general election turnout to date of just 59%. If prisoners are honestly more enthused to vote than the citizens who are actually living and contributing within society, then I fear we’ve well and truly hit rock bottom.

Quite recently, the Supreme Court dismissed appeals from two prisoners over the right to vote, and rightly so. I know that if I one day found myself in prison; I would expect that during my detainment, I would not be able to have access to certain freedoms and resources - the right to vote being one of them.

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concrete.global@uea.ac.uk

Issue 288

05/11/13

Global

‘Pornographic’ art storms the Beijing art world Shiyue Wang Global Writer The Exhibition for Nominated Young Artists in Asia, held in the Today Art Museum in Beijing, took place last week, bringing together the work of young artists from across the continent.

This exhibition involves at least 150 artists who are mainly from China and Korea, spanning a wide variety of art forms, including categories such as ‘Photographic Art’, ‘Voice of Art’, ‘Platform Art’, and ‘Doll Art’.

One of the most striking pieces was a series of photographs by an artist from Beijing, Chao Cao, whose hyperbolic and erotic style surprised the majority of audiences and committee members.

His photograph, ‘Tutti’ (seen in bottom right), shows two naked women, one ‘playing’ the other, in a visual imitation

of a cello performance. Cao explained that his inspiration came from one of the girls, who had suggested that they go to their apartment, which contained a piano and cello. “These elements were unexpected at that moment, and then everything occurred” he said.

Cao’s work is controversial in China, but this makes it more memorable; some of the audiences have attacked it as ‘pornographic’, though the sponsor of the exhibition, Yang Song, has recommended it on his blog.

Cultural traditions and perspectives in China place limitations on artists. The artist Ai Wei Wei has been repeatedly arrested and persecuted by the government for expressing political opinions and critiques in his artwork.

Similarly, the government has harshly criticised numerous pornographic art shows, which creates public resistance to the art form, and restricts artists.

Therefore, the display of ‘Tutti’ in a professional exhibition at a public museum represents a significant advance in modern Chinese culture.

Chao Cao is a modern Chinese photographic artist, born in 1988.

He attributes his inspiration to his “fascination of [the] female naked body and [his] sexual desire.” Even on a cursory glance through his previous work, it is not difficult to see that his photographic subjects are almost always naked female bodies. Speaking specifically about ‘Tutti’, he said “this picture is from my Menstrual item, which means that each month I choose different girls to take pictures.”

His art reveals intimate parts of the female body, though he stressed that he does not consider the art itself to be the final product; rather that the mutual understanding and feeling between the photographer and models is the ultimate

aim. He believes the relationship between them to be more like lovers; “it is a romantic dating [sic]. When I took pictures with girls, I would fall in love with them”, adding that “because of love, I could put the most beautiful side of [the models] in my sight, then I would provide the most beautiful pictures for them.”

Cao places greater importance in the enjoyment of the creation process than the appreciation of the viewer, and tries to remove the “unreal cover” of beauty.

He feels that traditional forms of beauty are becoming increasingly commodified in modern society, and tries to present ‘true’ forms of beauty, which come from “sincerity”, rather than what the audience might want to see. Chinese artists are pushing the boundaries of convention, and it is artists like Cao who are contributing to a new, positive cultural revolution.

UEA students are citizens of the world Katy Ward Global Writer Growing up in the Midlands, a person can consider themselves to be quite cultured; Leicester, Birmingham and Coventry are cities that are rich with traditions from Asia and Eastern Europe.

You can have friends from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. However, in comparison with the diversity at UEA, the experience appears sheltered and ‘quintessentially British’. Even when making an effort to immerse oneself in different cultures, people can have a limited view of the world.

Essentially, culture can be reduced to a series of icons, traditions and customs that ‘represent’ a society or nation: for example, British teadrinking or American fast food. But for some, UEA triggers the realisation that the world they thought they knew, constructed though interactions with these stereotypes throughout their lives, was a place incredibly different to the real world.

For the writer, this all began with a debate with a Hungarian fresher regarding the policies and the importance of the European Union. He was horrified by the condemnation of Edward Heath for joining the EU in 1973 by an avid Euro-sceptic. But this fellow fresher made me realise my ignorance; I’d selfishly become consumed in the sacrifices that the nation has had to make to become a member of the

Photo: bloglet EU, completely forgetting about the nations that have benefitted from its generosity. For example, he explained that in Hungary there have been many improvements in transport systems from their funding. This is a view that is rarely mentioned in the debates that surround British membership of the European Union. Coming to university facilitates this sort of experience for many students, exposing them to the opinions and cultures of the world.

Similarly, stereotypes plague the true understanding of Brits and Americans; Americans are not all burger-eating, opinionated and excitable (okay, they can be quite excitable), just as Brits are not all tea-drinking, suit-clad, conservative individuals.

Stereotypes are culture’s biggest enemy; and even though we, as young people, pride ourselves on being culturally diverse, we still get tricked into believing these common

misconceptions are true representations of reality. It is important to remember that we are not only citizens of our own nations; we are citizens of the world too, and that is an incredibly amazing thing.

Want to write for Concrete Global? Get in touch! concrete. global@uea.ac.uk

Features

05/11/13

Issue 288

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

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Let’s hear it for the Windsors

Features writer Anna Knell explains why she feels the monarchy are a valuable asset to our nation, and why the world is so obsessed with The Royal Family.

The birth of a certain future king has dominated headlines and conversation since he emerged from the hospital with his radiant mother and beaming father.

Whether you love or hate them, nobody can deny that The Royal Family does a splendid job of keeping their country talking.

Controversy over the monarchy has flared since the christening of young Prince George, even over trivial matters, such as the prince’s christening gown.

Republicans scoffed that it looked like a dress, while royalists defended it for being traditional. Even over something as mundane as an outfit, the argument between royalists and the opposition sent sparks flying.

While the divide in opinions is understandable, there are definitely more reasons to love our royal family than to loathe them. From an objectively cultural point of view, the British monarchy is one of our most historical assets. In a world preoccupied with revolution and change, having an age-old monarchy is something unique and invaluable. This quality is something that is recognised by the rest of the world. Many republicans claim that The Royal Family is a drain on the British economy. However, a recent survey has shown that London’s monarchic touristsites draw in £500m per year from foreign visitors. This is not only something for British citizens to be proud of, but is also incredibly beneficial in today’s recession.

Being historical and financially

profitable are not the monarchy’s only qualities as the Windsors are quite lovable. As a family, they offer us endless entertainment. At one point or another, many of us have laughed at the expense of Her Majesty’s suit ensembles, Prince Philip’s cringey foot-in-mouth comments or Harry’s latest scandal. Moreover, anyone who claims that little George isn’t adorable has a heart of stone. Of course, our monarchy is not perfect, but nor is any family, and this is what makes them so endearing.

Although the public is often unable to relate to the lifestyle, the Royal Family is not exempt from life’s struggles. As individuals, and real people, we can

understand their faults. Like everyone, each member of the House of Windsor has suffered loss, grief, disapproval and pressure, and they have all handled these things with the stoicism expected of them by their nation.

Critics argue that The Royal Family are obsolete role models, claiming they have done nothing to deserve such a luxurious life and are an outdated institution. However, irrespective of a rise in democracy, capitalism has and always will be unavoidable to some extent. In addition to this, stately life does not merely consist of polo, shooting and cuddling corgis. Our monarchy work very hard and at almost 90 years

of age, Queen Elizabeth II attends regal engagements on a daily basis alongside Prince Philip who is 92. While Prince Charles is heavily involved in charity work and forestry, Prince Harry defends England and Prince William was an RAF pilot. With these careers, family commitments and royal duties, it is quite clear that having a title does not guarantee pure luxury.

As well as the financial and inspirational good that the monarchy brings, they also unite community.

Remembering back to the wedding day of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I was huddled around a portable television in the kitchen of the restaurant where I worked. The tables were practically empty, except for the few elderly ladies despairing about Kate Middleton “signing her life away.” On my walk home, I passed several street parties andthought it was simply lovely. It is true that the monarchy brings people together, be it family on Christmas day in front of the Queen’s speech or neighbours on a bunting-filled summer’s day.

I strongly believe it is crucial to our future as a country that we preserve our heritage. The Royal Family is unique to our British identity, as are seemingly trivial treats such Earl Grey, scones, red telephone boxes and tweed. Regardless of whether you like them or not, our monarchy is a key property in the shaping of our history and way of life, and in my eyes, this should not be uprooted.

Bonfire Night and Britishness In celebration of the Fifth of November, Features writer Fay Tate champions other quirky traditions that are unique to our culture It’s that time of year again – when we flock to the streets and parks, scare our pets and wildlife by lighting a bonfire, and watch some sparkly lights in the sky. For 400 years, we have taken part in burning effigies of Guy Fawkes to celebrate his failed attempt to blow up the House of Lords. Why have we participated in this ritual for 400 years? Because we’re British of course, and there are many more quirky traditions that we can’t live without.

Many of us have been on holiday outside of England and indulged in the local food around us, but there’s one British commodity that Brits miss during that short time away – having a cup of tea in the morning with breakfast. We have made the cup of tea so integral in our routine that it’s hard to imagine life without it. Our obsession with having a cuppa is so strong that engineers at the National Grid control centre bases have to prepare themselves for the end of

Eastenders. That’s right – as the credits roll at the end of the soap opera, these engineers cower as they cope with 1.75 million kettles turning on in a period of five minutes. Who would have thought that making a cup of tea would frighten someone so much? It seems absurd, but it really does happen. The BBC made a six minute video on the topic.

In 2010, Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globe awards for the first time, and he didn’t tame his British sense of humour. His hosting received a lot of criticism from viewers. During the three years that he continued to host the ceremony, Gervais made jokes about Mel Gibson’s and Charlie Sheen’s alcohol abuse – “It’s going to be a night of partying and heavy drinking or as Charlie Sheen calls it; breakfast” – which many of us Brits would find funny. Others did not, however. Our sense of humour is based on finding fun in everyday things – Jay from The Inbetweeners started off the

new name for bus users, and it has now become part of our generation’s culture.

In fact, our incredibly sarcastic and selfdeprecating humour makes us such an eccentric nation that news magazine, Planet Ivy, published a pocket guide to understand our comedy. There wouldn’t be much to laugh at if we didn’t make fun of ourselves on a daily basis.

Between Christmas and Easter, there’s one day that Brits look forward to – Shrove Tuesday, or more commonly known as Pancake Day. What an excuse to show off our culinary skills – or lack thereof – and stuff our face with as many pancakes we want. Of course, this is not the real meaning of Shrove Tuesday. It’s the day that precedes Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and it is a good way to use up rich and fatty foods before fasting for 40 days. In some parts of the UK, pancake races are still held throughout the day. Imagine running through the streets with frying pans while tossing

Flikr: bayasaa pancakes into the air and catching them at the same time. It sounds fun, doesn’t it? Pancake Day falls on March 4 next year so mark your calendars now folks.

But for now, Brits are heading into winter, and this highlights one of our other quirky traits – our constant moaning about the weather. But despite our whinges, we never fail to celebrate Bonfire Night. “Remember, remember, the Fifth of November”, and how cold it was watching the pretty fireworks.

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concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Issue 288

Features

05/11/13

05/11/13

Issue 288

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

13

Is a degree still worth it?

Features Writer Tyler Allen asks about the value of a university degree, and suggests what we can do to make the most of it.

In the days of dogs obtaining masters’ degrees (thank you Newsnight), no guaranteed employment prospects upon graduation, and fees of £9,000 a year for degrees that can have as little as six contact hours a week for some arts students, a question seems to be rising. It’s a question that, maybe, we really don’t want to have ask ourselves, but know that we must. Are university degrees still worth it?

Not to prompt an existential crisis, or the feeling that all that time in college or sixth form spent getting up at 6 am, crying through essays and writing (and re-writing and re-writing) personal statements wasn’t worth it, because it absolutely was.

dozens of prospective employees. But it is also true that a graduate is much more likely to get that job than someone who does not have a university degree at all.

A university degree, whether it’s in

an applied subject like chemistry or an arts subject like philosophy, still shows employers that you have a strong work ethic (particularly if you achieve a 2:1 or even a First), the ability to use logic

and reason adequately, dedication and commitment, and a remarkable amount of knowledge on the subject that you studied.

These are all eminently employable and transferable skills.

But I think it’s fair to assume that most of you know that already. That is, I presume, a good part of why you’ve come to university in the first place. It’s figuring out what to do once you get here to get the most out of your experience that’s really going to make you stick out from the crowd of degree-bearing applicants

“It’s worth reminding yourself that, even though society may have lost touch with the value of an education, in the race to get that piece of paper that proves you’ve got one, you don’t have to”

“It’s figuring out what to do once you get here to get the most out of your experience that’s really going to make you stick out from the crowd of degree-bearing

(and no, I don’t just mean figuring out how to balance LCR Tuesday nights with 9am Wednesday seminars).

It’s well worth the few quid to join a few societies that sound really interesting to you as a way to boost your CV and also your personal growth. Don’t worry if they’re not at all related to your degree, or something you’d never thought about doing before you heard of them: trying new things is what university is for, and

Yes, it’s true that as university degrees become more common, having one no longer separates you from the other photo: winkyintheuk

at worst you’ll have spent maybe £3 and a couple of hours of your time figuring out what you don’t want to do.

It’s worth looking into part-time employment, too - during the term if you can fit it into your schedule, or in the holidays if not - as a way to make you a more employable graduate and also to help with the accidental expenses student life seems to bring. It’s also a great way to get letters of recommendation written that can be a great addition to your CV, making you stand out from the crowd and giving a potential employer a better idea of who the person behind the cover sheet is.

As you amble along - or frantically run, as the case may be - to your next lecture, it’s worth reminding yourself that, even though society may have lost touch with the value of an education, in the race to get that piece of paper that proves you’ve got one, you don’t have to. There’s so much more to you and your university experience, than could ever be listed on your CV. Accidentally overloading the dryer so that your one set of sheets are wet at 11.30 on a Wednesday night doesn’t feel very academic, but it taught you a lot, right?

Same with settling washing-up disputes as the friendly flatmate glow of the first

few weeks wears off, or trying to do the impossible and pay for food while going out more than you should each week.

There’s a lot to be learned in university, inside and outside the classroom, and that’s something that you can’t put on a fancy diploma, or a price on - try as the fee rise might.

Want to write for Features? Get in touch! concrete.features@uea. ac.uk

Man Up: cultural representations of men

A lot is said about unfair female stereotyping in our society. However, Features Writer Emily Fedorowycz argues that there is just as unequal representation of males.

When discussions arise from the cultural representations of gender, we usually hear more about women being unfairly portrayed than we do about men. Women are bad drivers, women don’t’ get paid as much, women aren’t as smart as men, are not very sporty, are weak. Sure, women have their share of stereotypes. But in the same way, is it fair to ignore that men have some unfair standards to live up to?

With the same stereotypes depicting men as the ‘backbone’ of society, the breadwinner, the hard worker and heavy-lifter, what it means to be ‘manly’ is taken completely out of context of gender itself.

Consider the phrases we use to reinforce this. ‘Man up’ and the many versions of ‘grow a pair’ that are used are effectively always saying either “stop being such a wuss” or “be strong and rise to the moment”, most often in conjunction. When did having ‘a pair’ suddenly mean that all men have to be constantly courageous infallible leaders?

Sexuality is becoming more and more fluid, with dress senses merging and our culture ever changing. But, though the gap between “feminine” females and “masculine” males is continually more hazy (and in fact normalised as it develops this way), still we insist as a culture in making it a fault to not be clearly part of one extreme or the other.

Women who cut their hair short, who play rugby, who are unphased by their own physical appearance, are immediately labeled lesbians, and if a man is caught in skinny jeans or dares to enjoy a chick flicks, he’s obviously “camp” or “gay”. Though this may be the case in a couple of instances, most gender stereotypes are far outdated, and need a bit of a spruce up.

I know that changing the way we approach being masculine, and feminine for that matter, isn’t going to happen overnight.

The phrases we use are deeply ingrained, probably stemming from our caveman past when lady Neanderthals sat at home

Photo: behindthetalent.com

feeding little children, while their husbands remarked, “me go hunt now”. But here, today, we’re living in a revolutionary era. It’s time to start talking like it.

But if there’s one thing we can have faith in, it is the fact that it is doubtful it will last much longer. These phrases are probably just one of our many phases. We all know our culture is shifting, from the way we see men and women, to the fact that sexual preferences are currently as liberal as they have ever been. We are ever seeing past gender issues and rightly focusing on the person behind the genitals, so that, in time, our excessive gender stereotyping will probably phase itself out without us having to worry our pretty (or manly) little heads about it. Then again, if that doesn’t happen, we can take comfort in the fact that “Lad” culture is doing the majority of the gender stereotyping for us. ‘LAD Bible’, ‘Uni Lad’ and “True Lad’ are all forums that allow men from across the globe to share ‘manly’

experiences about hooking up with a ‘8/10 wench’ or watching the latest football game.

“We are ever seeing past gender issues and rightly focusing on the person behind the genitals”

Photo: The Independent

Whether ‘light hearted banter’ or not, the males in question here not only encourage their own stereotype but degrade women at the same time. What a bonus. Guys who go on these forums also seem to be under the illusion that the rest of the world is oblivious to their postings, and that their over-sexual demeaning stereotyping is actually probably putting off that ‘8/10 wench’ and all of her friends. In a sense, it is more fool them. But for all you normal guys out there, I hope these ‘LADs’ quit making you look bad, and that we can eventually move to a place where gender doesn’t define or restrict.

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concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk

Issue 288

05/11/13

Environment

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s weather man to visit UEA Baumgartner to the stratosphere was made of polyethylene, a highperformance plastic. It was just 0.002mm thick – ten times thinner than an ordinary plastic bag – and was so delicate that it could only be handled by people wearing cotton gloves.

On 14 October the weather conditions were finally right. After a two and a half hour ascent, Baumgartner jumped from a height of over 39km. As he fell back to earth, he reached a maximum speed of 1333km/h and was the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall.

Despite spinning out of control at one point, Baumgartner landed safely in the New Mexico desert after nine minutes and three seconds.

More than eight million people from across the world watched the jump live on YouTube, with millions of others taking to social media to express their amazement. The jump was dubbed ‘the mission to the edge of space’, with this type of extreme marketing further establishing Red Bull as a brand who likes to live on the edge. It also provided invaluable data regarding transportation through the stratosphere, as well as improving the safety for space professionals and ‘space tourists’ in the future.

Day’s talk is hosted by the East Anglia branch of the Royal Meteorological Society, and is at 7pm on Wednesday 13 November, in the Thomas Paine lecture theatre. It is free to anyone who wants to attend.

For more details, follow the group on Facebook /RMetS.EAnglia and Twitter @RMetS_EAnglia.

Chloe Moore Environment Writer On 14 October 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner made history as he jumped from a helium balloon more than 39km above the Earth, breaking four world records in the process. One of the primary factors to affect the jump was the weather. It was also one of the most unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Last year’s successful jump was not the first attempt, as adverse weather conditions forced it to be rescheduled several times.

In order for the jump to be safe, an extremely precise set of weather conditions were required, which included less than half of the sky obscured by cloud cover, minimal wind speeds, and no precipitation.

Don Day, the chief meteorologist of the Baumgartner’s Red Bull Stratos mission, will be visiting the university this month to talk about forecasting for such an extreme event.

As the weather determines the success of the jump, the atmosphere is closely monitored, using state of the art computer models and weather balloons.

This allows Day and his team to decide on the best location for the launch, as well as to simulate flight paths and predict the landing point. The wind was one of the most problematic factors, as it could not be more than 3km/h between ground level and an altitude of 250m. An attempt on the 8 October 2012 had to be aborted due to gusting winds.

The balloon used to transport

Photo: es-static.us

The Arctic 30 and the ethics of protest: how far should we go to protect the environment?

Jacob Beebe Environment Writer Many of us will have heard about the Greenpeace activists who were detained by the Russian authorities after attempting to climb aboard the Gazprom oil rig as part of a protest against Arctic drilling. Recently, piracy charges have been removed and replaced with those of hooliganism, thus lowering the potential prison sentence to seven years. Despite Putin’s statement that the so-called Arctic 30 are “of course, not pirates” the charges have not been dropped and it is clear that there may be a sense of making an example out of the issue as a preventative measure.

Just over a month on, the Arctic 30 debate raises interesting questions about the wider implications of the social unrest that can often be associated with protesting. How far should we go to protect the environment?

Photo: carolinebanks.co.uk

Protesting about environmental issues is certainly a common occurrence. It is often, however, that we hear very little about them unless they breach what is deemed as ‘peaceful’. Only recently, Caroline Lucas was released on bail after being arrested for her role in the anti-fracking protest in Sussex. But does this not reap its own benefits by hitting the major headlines?

It could be argued that for a voice to be heard amongst the hustle and bustle of modern media, a bolder statement must be made, often taking the form of violence or disorder. In some respects, what better way to get the general population ferociously battering keyboards and ranting on internet comment boards than by serving up a delicious slice of controversy?

That is not to say that it is morally or ethically correct to break the law for the cause, but more a thought-provoking reflection on society, in that it demands civil disturbance to make a campaign efficacious.

It is frequently felt by campaigners that more drastic measures are needed to gain government attention when it can be seen that certain issues are not being addressed. Whilst this is the case, it could be considered counter-productive as public opinion is divided as opposed to united.

Furthermore, a shocking headline, whilst effective at getting people’s attention, is soon forgotten. And in many cases, raising awareness of the consequences of inaction is a longer-lived and more ethical solution. The reporting of such events becomes more about the spectacle than the environmental issue at the centre.

Science & Tech

05/10/13

Issue 288

concrete.science@uea.ac.uk

Interview - Simon Singh Dominic Burchnall Science Editor

After researching Simon Singh’s background in preparation for this interview, I’m quite nervous at taking such a high profile figure for my first interview.

The science author, whose works include Fermat’s Last Theorem, Big Bang, and The Code Book, also holds a PhD in Particle Physics, as well as an honorary Doctor of Science degree from UEA. After finishing introductions, and getting my nerves and words under control, we begin discussing the topic of his latest book; The Simpsons?

Simon admits he was surprised himself when he first found complex mathematics in The Simpsons. “I was just watching an episode one day, I think it was ‘The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace’, I saw a reference to Fermat’s Last Theorem”. This mathematical quandary was first posed by 17th century Frenchman Pierre de Fermat, and states that in the equation, an+ bn n = c , if the value of n is higher than 2, there is no way the equation can work to solve for c. This hypothesis proved so difficult it was only solved in 1995, more than 350 years after it was first conjectured. So Simon was perhaps understandably taken aback to find it referred to in a cartoon. “It just hit me straight between the eyes, most people would probably have ignored it or not understood what it was, but I could actually latch onto it.”

Upon doing a little digging, Simon

“Most people would probably have ignored it or not understood what it was, but I could actually latch

onto it.”

then found that a remarkable number of the writers for The Simpsons hold degrees in mathematics. Five writers hold

Bachelor of Science degrees from Harvard University, and some, like Ken Keeler, even hold PhD’s in Applied Mathematics.

Prompted by this, Simon realised that they had managed to add some very complex maths into intellectual in-jokes throughout the 25 seasons of The Simpsons, and even used the show to put forward their own propositions to unsolved problems.

It is a tribute to Simon’s skill in communicating obscure science to a wider audience that he is able to give this biology student a very quick yet accurate grounding in computer mathematics as he tells me of this next intricate formula. P vs.

NP is the question of whether there is any link between easy problems (P) and hard problems (NP), and if so could it one day help us solve the hard ones as quickly as the easy? Or not? This is so mind-bending that there is still a standing million dollar prize for anyone who can unravel it, and yet it appears in not one but two of Matt Groening’s creations, The Simpsons and Futurama, which is looked at in the second half of Simon’s book.

“In ‘Tree House of Horror IV’, David Cohen includes the equation P=NP, so he suggests that one day the hard problems

“That’s a quite sophisticated discussion to be having in a cartoon series.” will be like the easy problems. But in the Futurama episode, ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulders’, in a stationary cupboard there are two folders on the shelves, one was marked P and the other marked NP, and what Ken Keeler is suggesting there is that the hard problems and the easy problems will always remain fundamentally different.”

Simon says that people assume that in writing about mathematics in The Simpsons, he’s been trawling for the slightest meaning in the tiniest of lines, but that this certainly wasn’t the case. “What you have there is not only a reference to an unsolved problem in mathematics, but you also have two different writers in two different series giving their views as to whether P equals NP, or whether P does not equal NP, and that’s a quite sophisticated discussion to be having in a cartoon series.”

Considering these writers went from graduating with maths based degrees from university, and ended up working on one of the best known television series of all time, did Simon ever have a set idea of the career he wanted to follow? “I’ve always wanted to be a scientist, so I never really expected to go into television until towards the end of my PhD. When I was working in TV I never thought I’d become a writer, and when I’ve been a writer I never thought I’d be part of a campaign

that would help change the libel laws.”

Simon was part of a high profile libel case against the British Chiropractic Association after stating quite accurately that there’s no evidence chiropractic can

“I think almost anybody, between primary school kids through to university graduates, anybody can improve their knowledge” be used to treat infant colic or earache, where he gained huge support from the online and scientific community. When asked what he thinks the biggest barrier is between science and the general public, he responds that it’s more a case of finding the right medium. “I think almost anybody, between primary school kids through to university graduates, anybody can improve their knowledge and their understanding of science, it’s just about finding the right group, the right speaker, the right lecture or the right book, to start off where you are now, and then take you to where you want to go.”

It’s in this vein that Simon says he writes a lot of his books, aiming to appeal to those who are interested in finding out more on a given subject. With having found so much information to use from The Simpsons, he hopes that the popular show will help encourage people who are curious about maths, “People who are just looking for a way into learning about mathematics, because they’ve got Homer and Lisa holding their hand as they go through the book.”

Simon Singh will be talking about The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets at Epic Studios, Norwich, on 3 December. More information at norwich. skepticsinthepub.com.

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Sting in the Tail Mabon Ellis Science Writer

“The grasshopper mouse has developed the evolutionary equivalent of martial arts to use scorpions’ greatest strength against them.” That is how Ashlee Rowe describes her recent research, published in Science.

Bark scorpions are known for their intensely painful and often lethal stings.

But to grasshopper mice, which feed on the scorpions, the stings are merely a little annoying, distracting them briefly from their feast.

“This venom kills other mammals of similar size,” said Rowe, now an assistant professor at Michigan State University.

Her work shows how the mice have evolved numbness to the venom, but it is still unclear why the toxins are not lethal as in comparable species.

Mice will typically lick their paws in response to injection with a toxin.

In response to the venom of the bark scorpion, house mice dramatically increase their rate of paw licking compared to when a nontoxic saline control is used. But grasshopper mice lick their paws less in response to the venom than when saline is given.

“This seemed completely ridiculous,” said Harold Zakon, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where the study took place. It was suggested that the toxin may have a role as an analgesic (painkiller) in the mice. “This seemed very far out, but we wanted to test it anyway,” Zakon said.

In the nervous systems of mammals, acute pain is transmitted by sodium channels called Nav1.7 and Nav1.8. In most mammals, scorpion toxins bind Nav1.7, but have no effect on Nav1.8.

However, what Rowe and Zakon showed is that grasshopper mice have small changes in their Nav1.8 protein. As a result of one amino acid substitution, Nav1.8 in these mice can bind the scorpion toxin. This inhibits painful sodium currents and has an analgesic effect.

While it is now known which parts of the channel are involved in this, Rowe believes there is more to uncover. She said: “There’s something else that’s playing a role, and that’s what I’m focusing on next.”

She is also hopeful that this study and others like it will contribute to the future development of new painkillers that are both highly selective and nonaddictive.

Photo: Matthew and Ashlee Rowe Credit: SpaceX

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concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

Issue 288

Travel

05/11/13

UCAS and the Gap Year Theodore Antoniou-Phillips Travel Writer Last month wasn’t just the start of a new era for many people at university, it also saw the opening of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) application process for sixth form students wishing to start university in 2014.

That dreaded bureaucratic machine is back and raring for the chance to bore thousands of new students. For them it is the beginning of repetitive open days, tedious conversations about which institutions they are applying to, a nerve racking wait for those universities to respond, and then the ridiculous choice of which university will be an ‘insurance’.

International students will be among the first to tell you that the UCAS system is actually a very simple one, especially when compared to some of our European counterparts. In Italy for example there

is no official student loans company, in France you don’t get a choice on the institute that you go for and in America a personal statement must be written for every college that you apply to. All of this of course will offer no peace of mind to the brain-numbingly bored sixth formers filling out endless electronic forms.

However, there is a way to make our so called ‘simple’ system even simpler. It is possible to go about the UCAS system in a different order to most. Applying during a gap year after you have received your final grades is always an option. If all students waited and decided to take a gap year, they wouldarguably find UCAS a far less stressful experience.

Students on a gap year can work to save money for when they start university life, or do the equally typical Gap Year thing by travelling, working for a charity somewhere and returning with life changing stories after ‘finding themselves.’

Travel and ‘vountourism’ are commonly popular choices for how to spend a gap

Europorter.com year; a choice that will demonstrate a plethora of widely transferable skills.

Students making these tactical moves would also avoid many of the dramas behind UCAS. If they apply having already received their A levels, universities offer a simple unconditional offer or rejection.

All the concern about predicted grades evaporates and there is no need for an insurance choice.

More realistic applications can then

be made, and institutions feel more secure knowing they won’t be hassled on clearing day from students who didn’t make the cut.

It would be naive to suggest that every student that takes a gap year will have the best experience of university applications, but doing things slightly differently can work out for the best. Either way, taking a gap year will earn you rewards in experience.

South America’s Graffiti Capital Josie Smith Travel Writer The port city of Valparaíso in Chile was once one of the most important in South America. It was of great geographical significance and benefitted greatly from the California Gold Rush. As a result, Valparaiso became one of the wealthiest cities in the Americas during the 1800s, and was where wealthy immigrants and Europeans settled to create new homes.

Despite the danger of frequent earthquakes, the city blossomed and industry boomed, with the settlement

Josie Smith

stretching from the Pacific Ocean towards the steep mountains. However, when the Panama Canal opened in 1914 the city lost its status as the trade route and it gradually lost much of its wealth and glory. None the less Valparaiso’s vibrant history has created a truly effervescent and diverse present. The city now houses a fascinating contrast in its architecture; from extensively intricate colonial buildings, to brightly coloured, mishmashed houses on the steep hills that rise

cities demonstrate such an absorbing communal homage to creativity.

Despite continuing poverty and high crime rates in some areas, the city has burst back into life after a period of disillusionment. It is now a major scene

“It is the perfect environment for free expression and bohemion creativity”

“This disorganised creativity continues to the present day” up from the Pacific.

What makes Valparaíso such a fantastic place to explore are its steep, narrow, winding streets each boasting houses painted in such an array of colours that is near impossible to ever find two painted the same shade. This tradition stems from the days when citizens rushed to use the left over paint from docked ships in the harbour to paint their homes. This disorganised creativity continues on to the present day, as Valpo, as it’s affectionately known to locals, has since borne a graffiti revolution.

As soon as you start to tour the city it is clear that graffiti and street art is everywhere. What is special however, is that unlike in most cities, graffiti is not frowned upon by citizens. Instead it serves

as a testament to the great artistic and cultural talent in Valpo. Since the 1990s, thanks to increased awareness of the city’s unique architectural heritage, projects have been underway to paint bright murals around the city and preserve its individuality. It is difficult not to be drawn in by Valpo’s unique imagery, where muralists and graffiti artists use irony and humour in their work to convey political messages about society.

The artwork, coupled with the century old ascensores (outside lifts that take passengers up the steepest parts of the city) creates a definitive vibe of discovery as few

for festivals, artists, exhibitions and concerts; it is the perfect environment for free expression and bohemian creativity.

The continued and demonstrable respect for the graffiti and street art allows for a visual communication between the different sectors of the community. When you explore Valparaíso you are not only walking around a city full of history and contrast, you are in fact witnessing an explosive creation of culture, which unifies all strands of society, and strengthens its future through community spirit.

Travel

05/11/13

Issue 288

concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

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The Holy City of Varanasi John Gilbert Travel Writer As one of the oldest cities on Earth, Varanasi is also the holiest of destinations for over one billion Hindus, who come here to die. The life and soul of Varanasi is the river Ganges; the holiest river in Indian culture.

Tuk Tuks will only take you as far as they can as Varanasi so old that its only roads are on the outskirts of its borders. Finding your hostel may first seem impossible among the maze of small narrow streets, usually blocked off by herds of holy cows. With the help of the friendly locals though, (each personally greeting you with chants of “welcome brother” and “welcome sister”) you can navigate the city even at night. Don’t be discouraged upon discovering that the city does not have streetlights, or a working sanitation system for that matter.

Booking accommodation along the river is a must. Many of the rooms have balconies with views that are second to none, although you are warned that monkeys will take anything you leave outside!

After you have adjusted to what many refer to as “the dirtiest city in all of India”, you must explore the Ghats. The Ghats of Varanasi are a series of steps from street level to the Ganges. Nearly as old as the city themselves, there are around 80 different Ghats in Varanasi, and when the tide is low you can walk the length of the city on these steps.

However, as many of them are used for bathing, and some are used for cremation, this won’t be as easy as it sounds. Perhaps the biggest spectacle of all is the Manikarnika Ghat, or burning Ghat. According to their caste, Hindus are cremated on the different tiers of the Ghat. They believe that being cremated here is the only way they will escape the constant cycle of reincarnation and reach Nirvana. Be warned that this is not a place for photographers but one for reflection and peace.

There is a temple on every horizon in Varanasi, the city has an estimated 23,000 in total. This is partly due to ancient legend which states that the city was created by the God, Shiva.

In part it is also due to the fact that Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, a stunning deer park

located near Varanasi. One of the most important temples in the city is the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple or “monkey temple”, where hundreds of monkeys live and are worshiped out of respect for Hanuman, the Hindu deity sometimes known as the “monkey God”.

Depending on the time of year you visit, good hostel accommodation can be found for as little as £2 each a night, and a great selection of real vegetarian

Indian food for pennies. Unlike some other cities on the continent, the citizens of this city are often willing to drop anything to help and accommodate you, without any money involved at all.

Varanasi really is a city that time forgot. Many people give up their lives to find God here and amidst the unfamiliar smells, farm animals and poverty, there is a true sense of authenticity that is unique to Varanasi alone.

London on a Budget Florrie Harris-Scott Travel Writer Those who live close to our capital probably take it for granted, and those who don’t and have possibly never even visited are perhaps daunted at the prospect of spending a day there.

Deciding which parts to visit, where to stay and what to eat are all tricky decisions in such a vast place with so many options, a budget and only 24 hours to spare.

It’s wise to make the most of what London has to offer at no cost, and the best places to visit for free include the Natural History Museum (South Kensington tube) which has several different sections featuring dinosaur skeletons and mammals, there is a life size blue whale suspended from the ceiling.

In addition, the National Portrait Gallery sits behind the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. As its smaller and usually less busy counterpart, it’s a wonderful choice if you are fascinated by people’s faces and prefer to look at a range of media – a less

obvious alternative to the Tate Modern.

When it comes to choosing where to eat, the only way is Belgo. Tucked conveniently behind Urban Outfitters in Covent Garden. Belgo is an underground, vaulted, brick ceilinged, Belgian wonder.

No need to book, you will be shown downstairs (top tip – ask them to take you down in the lift to see the chefs at work) and shown to a table in the bustling yet intimate restaurant where the drinks list is mind-bogglingly extensive; including

12 fruit beers, sticks of up to 32 Belgian Schnapps and 11 beers brewed by Trappist monks. The food menu is delightfully Belgian, boasting ten variations on Moules Frites and six varieties of Rotisserie Chicken, each of which will leave you with change from £15. It’s a quirky little place; from the huge fountain sink in the toilets, to the Monks Habits worn by the waiting staff, its’ well worth a try, both for the atmosphere and amazing food.

Budget permitting, after saving on the day’s activities the York and Albany near Regents Park is a beautiful hotel with lovely views over the park, delicious cocktails (try a Mint Julep if you’re man enough) and a cracking breakfast the next morning.

The Y&A is a Gordon Ramsay hotel, with sumptuous en suite rooms with low slung baths, floor to ceiling windows and king beds. Positioned up the road from Camden tube, it’s not only a great spot for exploring the area, but also heading further into London. With doubles from £150 on the Mr and Mrs Smith website, it is a little steep, but well worth the luxury for one good night’s sleep in the capital.

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 288

Lifestyle

05/11/13

Eating cheap and sort of healthy...

Holly Wade Lifestyle writer Trying to eat healthily at university can often be a right royal pain. Junk food is often cheaper and much more appealing.

Forget fruit and vegetables, all most students want to spend their money on is shots at the LCR. However, eating well on a student budget can be a lot easier than people think.

For food shopping, Aldi is the perfect supermarket for the cash-strapped student.

They stock a great supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, often with weekly promotional discounts, as well as selling great quality British meat so you can take pride in the fact that you’re helping local businesses and the environment in the process.

If you can’t make it to Aldi (taxi or bus money often adds up) then online shopping is another great way to save money. Doing a joint shop with housemates means you can split the delivery charge, plus both Tesco and Sainsbury’s boast £15 off if you’re buying online for the first time. Make sure to purchase goods that can be frozen as they’ll last longer. Don’t bother with the premium, expensive goods though - a lot of

basic supermarket ranges are good quality too, and they’re often exactly the same product as the more expensive ranges.

Once you have all your food try making packed lunches to take with you onto campus – treating yourself to something from The Hive or Blend is fine once in

a while but it will soon be adding up if you’re in there every day escaping your latest essay. Making a sandwich and taking a piece of fruit will boost your immune system and you’ll be able to make your food exactly the way you like it.

As students we often have those lazy

Flickr sk8geek

days where we don’t want to cook, or the hungover days where takeaway is the only feasible possibility. East Chinese give 10% student discount on all food and offer free delivery within a three mile radius, and with the store being on Colman Road a lot of student houses fit this criteria. Student favourite Domino’s also offer plenty of deals and discounts. Get a group of friends together and enjoy 50% off when you spend £40 – that’s a large for only £8.50!

Alcohol is the fuel of the stereotypical student and it can often prove pretty expensive and damaging to our bank balance. There’s no denying that alcohol is pricey but supermarket own brands are a lot cheaper so it’s always best to go for them. Always pre-drink to avoid hefty costs at the bar in Mantra, and steer clear of using your card as minimum charges will have you buying more drinks than you actually want.

Meals out will always be more expensive than a normal dinner, but if you’re careful with your spending you can afford the odd splash out - think a friends birthday or a date with that special someone. And although we all love a Sunday roast, carveries are often half the price during the week so don’t get caught out.

Yoga at university: the ultimate stress relief Lydia Tewkesbury Lifestyle writer Yoga is an incredibly old discipline that is said to have begun in India 5000 years ago. It is made up of poses and stretches intended to build up strength and flexibility in the body. It is also said to have great health benefits, with some claiming it has helped with the management of illnesses such as arthritis.

Yoga is generally taught by a very rare sort (especially in universities): a calming person. Yoga teachers tend to have this weird inner peace that they can’t help but spread to those around them. They’re comforting without even trying, and it makes for an interesting and unique environment in which to learn something new.

This brings us to the other part of yoga: the togetherness of mind and body.

Yoga aims to foster inner calm through focus on the internal rather than all the external worries and goals that make up the everyday life of the average student.

Yoga is a famed stress buster for a variety of reasons. When you get stressed your body tenses, and as a result stiffens your muscles, particularly those in the neck, back and shoulders. This obviously can cause a great deal of discomfort. The gentle stretches and poses in yoga can

help relax these muscles, allowing the body to settle back into a more natural position.

In addition to aiding the physical manifestations of stress, yoga can also help control the feelings of panic often experienced by students. It does this by putting a unique emphasis on breathing.

For every movement and pose, your breath corresponds. Getting everything synchronised can be quite challenging and requires focus but in the end has a relaxing effect. It’s easy to slip into unison of mind and body without even realising or really meaning to, simply by concentrating on breathing in time with your movements. It doesn’t come with the unrealistic and often believed idea that the mind must be blank. Thoughts will come, and when they do you are encouraged to acknowledge them, and let them pass by, returning focus to your breath, your body and your internal world.

Many students suffer with stress for various reasons throughout their degrees.

Yoga, if you’re open to it, can provide a valuable and most importantly, healthy coping mechanism in difficult times.

As well as all the health benefits, yoga classes are just fun, friendly places. Dragging your body though complicated and sometimes impossible seeming stretches is a surprisingly good ice breaker. Whether it’s a shared look

of wonder at your teacher’s ability to manipulate their body in ways that simply should not be possible, or a moment of pride at finally mastering a hand stand (important point: very few people can do hand stands), yoga groups, like any fitness class that tends toward to the more

Flickr: gointeractivewellness

challenging, has a nice sense of solidarity.

And fun, most importantly.

The UEA yoga society runs several classes a week for every level of ability and classes cost only £10 a semester or £20 for the year (once you’ve got a SAM card from the union), so get involved!

Lifestyle

05/11/13

Issue 288

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Tattoo or not tattoo?

Beth Saward Lifestyle writer Starting university is a time of change – it has to be. You’re most likely moving away from everyone you know, leaving home for the first time and enjoying new found independence. There are so many new experiences to be had at university and for some people this means joining new societies or sports clubs, falling in love with new bands or going travelling. For others it could be getting a tattoo.

It’s easy to see the increasing popularity and acceptance that tattoos have gained by looking at celebrities such as Cheryl Cole or Harry Styles. They are a more creative and accessible form of body modification compared to piercings or dermals and offer a whole world of self-expression. But what are some of the things you need to take into consideration before getting inked?

Firstly, you should think about why you’re actually getting a tattoo. There are several styles that are fashionable at the moment such as full sleeves, watercolour pieces and quotes with thighs and wrists proving popular in terms of placement.

For some people these designs will have personal significance but for others it’s the image itself that appeals. The only issue with this is that trends change as quickly

with tattoos as in fashion. A few years ago tribal designs were popular, and back in the 90s barbed wire was a common choice.

Something that is fashionable now may not be in a few years. If you are getting a tattoo simply because you like the design, take the time to think about whether you will still like it in ten years time.

This is the second point you need to consider: tattoos are permanent. Laser removal is available but it is both expensive and painful. It can also result in scarring and may not always work. Taking time to think about if you could go off a design is important, whether it is flash work, the generic designs that they have on the

walls and in books at a tattoo studio, or an original piece. It sounds obvious but you need to consider if it’s something that you want permanently on your skin.

On a similar note, when thinking about placement you should consider how a tattoo will both age and look to future employers.

Your skin stretches and loses elasticity over

“In terms of employers, there is sadly still a stigma attached to tattoos” time, which will affect how your tattoo looks. You don’t want to go through the pain and expense of getting a gorgeous design only to have it stretched beyond recognition. In terms of employers, there is sadly still a stigma attached to tattoos so something that is easy to cover up may be a safer option.

If all this advice hasn’t put you off getting inked, there are some good studios in Norwich that are friendly and have amazing artists. Enter the Void, Factotum and Indigo all have decent reputations and they also have Facebook pages so you can check the artists’ styles out before you let them lose on your skin.

Curl up with a good book on campus Jasmin Gray Lifestyle writer Whether it is reading that textbook you just can’t get into, or reading your most beloved fiction, a nice and quiet environment is crucial for a pleasurable and productive reading experience. With such a diverse campus it seems silly not to make the most of it, and sometimes you just need to take some time out of the library! So, here are the best places to read on campus: The Lake Even though it’s nearly winter and oh so windy already, nothing says relaxation like a good book and some fresh air. Sitting on one of the benches around the lake is an ideal way to get some peace and quiet and enjoy a good book. People-watching the occasional fisherman and jogger provide perfect reading respite and time to contemplate those oh so profound themes in that book of yours.

Cafe Direct Situated next door to “The Shop”, Cafe direct is home to coffee, snacks and hoards of hungry students. Whilst it may seem too busy and overcrowded to enjoy a book, nothing is better than having a

read and drinking a hot beverage. With hot chocolate on tap, and the soothing hum of the many customers, Cafe Direct offers a slightly more busy environment for the reader who can’t just sit in silence.

The Square For those who enjoy background noise and some fresh air, The Square is ideal.

Situated in the heart of the campus, it is out in the open so perfect for a sunny day (if we ever get one!). Take a seat on one of the steps, avoiding the chewing gum, and enjoy a read to the relaxing sight and sound of the fountain as well as the hustle and bustle of UEA students.

The Hive The Hive is a great place for those who want to enjoy the social side of reading.

Why not create a book club and talk it over at The Hive? Books are so emotionally provocative that many need a shared experience. The Hive’s beverages and social atmosphere create a perfect book club and reading atmosphere.

Enjoying a book is much easier when in the right location. Choosing a place on campus to enjoy a good book may seem daunting, but choose the place you are most comfortable in. When you find it, sit down, relax and take in the story.

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 288

Lifestyle

05/11/13

Blue cheese and broccoli pasta •

Lydia Clifton Lifestyle writer This quick and easy pasta dish is great to cook and freeze, or share with a group of friends. The blue cheese gives a unique change to your average cheddar, making you feel a little gourmet after a day at the library. If you don’t like blue cheese, it can be swapped for an alternative.

Serves 4 Ingredients • 400g pasta • 25g butter • 1 onion, sliced • 3 crushed garlic cloves • 150g stilton, cubed • 1 tbsp of chopped sage

Broccoli as preferred

Method 1. Bring water to the boil on a hob and cook pasta for approx. 10-15mins 2. Steam or boil cauliflower 3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic 4. Add the sage and fry further, and then take the pan off the heat 5. Drain the pasta, leaving a little bit of cooking water 6. Stir everything together and you’re ready to eat

If you have a recipe you would like to share email concrete.lifestyle@uea. ac.uk

Flickr gavin tapp

Easy peasy pitta pockets Beth Saward Lifestyle writer These pitta pockets are so simple and easy to make that they’re perfect for a breakfast/ lunch combination. The quantities are easy to adjust so you can feed your friends. The quantities given here are for two people.

You can add mushrooms and cheese if you want to. This recipe came from my gran as a way to get my granddad to eat his breakfast on board a narrow boat: he could steer with one hand and hold his breakfast with the other!

Flickr gavin tapp

Ingredients • 4 slices of bacon • 4 sausages (skinless work best) • Two tomatoes • A medium sized onion

•

4 pitta breads (wholemeal or white)

Method 1. Finely chop the onion. Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Cut the sausages and bacon into small pieces 2. Slice the pittas in half.

3. Add some oil to the pan and fry the bacon for about two minutes. Then add the sausages and onions. Cook until the sausages are starting to go brown – the bacon should be beginning to crisp up too. Add the tomatoes and turn down to a low heat.

4. Leave to cook slowly and pop the pitta halves in the toaster on a low setting.

They should be warm and easier to open when you’re done.

5. Keep cooking on a low heat until the tomatoes have become mushy.

6. Spoon the mix into the pitta pockets

Peanut butter and sweet potato curry Alice Reedy Lifestyle writer Here is a delicious vegetarian curry, using everybody’s favourite ingredient: peanut butter. This meal is perfect for sharing or for boxing and freezing for a later date.

Good for making in large quantities and great with rice or pitta bread.

Ingredients • 1 onion • oil • 2 cloves of garlic • 2 teaspoons grated root ginger • 1/2 tsp cayenne

• 350g sweet potatoes, chopped • 1 tablespoon curry paste • 1/2 pint passata (or chopped tomatoes) • 1/2 pint veg stock • 225g spinach • 4 tablespoons peanut butter • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander Method 1. Fry onions, garlic ginger and cayenne for 10 mins in oil.

2. Add curry paste and cook for one min 3. Add sweet potatoes cook 3-4 mins 4. Add passata and stock - bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the sweet potato is tender.

5. Add peanut butter and spinach until wilted, then heat through

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concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

Issue 288

05/11/13

Sport

England must be wary of Australia’s Ashes fight Phil Turtle Sports correspondent

Editor’s column Will Medlock Sports Editor We’ve all been there. Maybe it was a personal achievement of great significance.

It gains the acknowledgement of your peers and it seems nothing will bring you down. Maybe you allow yourself a smug grin. But then it hits you. The one or two negative comments become the ones you fixate upon and the ones you obsess over.

So, spare a thought, even if it’s just a fleeting one, for Sebastien Vettel.

The German has secured his name in the Formula 1 history books by becoming a four-time world champion, joining such acclaimed drivers as Schumacher and Prost. However, the 26-year-old has admitted that he has been ‘hurt’ by booing spectators at recent races, including from some of those present at the race that saw him clinch title number four in New Delhi last Sunday.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it is likely to be an annoyance that Vettel will grow to ignore. He even admits that he understands the dissenting minority’s grievances, that it can become a little irking to see the sport that you spend both time and money on won by the same competitor over and over again.

While Vettel has denied that his success is down solely to the car he drives in, there would perhaps be more than one Formula 1 patron who might part with a little more of their hard earned money to see how he would perform in a less competitive seat. However, it would be foolish to insist that Vettel should be forced to retreat to a lesser car purely because he is experiencing consistent success.

In truth, it shouldn’t be a surprise to the grumblers that Vettel has been as prolific as he has. After all, Germans are as efficient as they are frustratingly good at penalty kicks.

In the same way it becomes routine to loathe the filthy rich of the football world, it seems Vettel may have to accept that with great power comes great dislike.

Indeed, spectators are fickle folk. They want to see the best their sport has to offer, but would very much appreciate a burst tyre in the final lap or a season crippling own goal in the final few minutes.

It is true that few outstanding athletes are loved by all, but give a professional an ultimatum between a popularity contest and unrivalled success and the response will be swift.

In two weeks, the England cricket team will contest the Ashes against Australia, just three months after they retained the trophy on home soil.

Despite this victory, an away series presents a very different test for the team.

It seems that there will be five main factors that England will have to get to grips with in order to retain the precious urn.

Firstly, England must seek to learn lessons from the summer series; a 3-0 victory seems comprehensive, but masks the tale of a side that struggled to take advantage at crucial moments.

Aside from a dominant performance in the second test, marked with Joe Root’s 180 and Graeme Swann’s match figures of 9/122, the rest of the series was very much a tight exchange, with neither side really dominating the other. England’s selection experiment in the fifth test backfired terribly, and Alastair Cook was criticised on several occasions for being too negative.

Avoiding injuries to key men is going

to prove crucial in deciding which way the series will swing. Who can forget Glenn McGrath’s inadvertent stumble on a cricket ball on the eve of the fourth test in 2005? It was an event that surely served to loosen Australia’s grip on the trophy.

England have already received a huge boost, with the Australian line up decimated by injury; four of their pace bowlers will miss the first test.

Cricket, perhaps more than any other sport, relies on form. Ian Bell was imperious in the recent Ashes series and England will be looking for similar from Cook to set them up for victory.

Of course, an in form James Anderson looking to rip through the hosts’ batting line up will be of great importance, and the usually reliable Graeme Swann will be there to take advantage of any spin that might be available.

Naturally, playing cricket in the middle of the Australian summer is ever so slightly different from an overcast day in Cardiff. The pitches are likely to favour pace bowling, with several wickets offering occasional bounce that is sure to unnerve the most confident of batsmen.

Since England were last in Australia,

the home side have won eight tests, losing only two, suggesting Darren Lehmann’s men come alive on home soil.

Finally, dealing with the boredom of a three month tour on the other side of the world is a challenge that the team must face up to.

England’s preparations have been disrupted on more than one occasion by events off the field; one can’t help but think of the infamous incident involving Andrew Flintoff and a pedalo.

England luminaries have been queuing up to suggest that the side can dominate this series, with Ian Botham cheekily suggesting a 5-0 whitewash could be on the cards.

However, given that this is an away series against a team that still rank as one of the world’s best, such predictions may well prove to be premature.

ENGLAND’S ASHES SCHEDULE 21 - 25 Nov - 1st Test (Brisbane) 5 - 9 Dec - 2nd Test (Adelaide) 13 - 17 Dec -3rd Test (Perth) 26 - 30 Dec - 4th Test (Melbourne) 3 Jan - 7 Jan - 5th Test (Sydney)

Women’s Rugby begin season with home victory Jatta Vuorinen Sports correspondent

UEA Women

34

Anglia Ruskin

20

The women’s rugby team began their Midlands 2A campaign with a hard fought three points against Anglia Ruskin of Cambridge.

A hopeful Colney Lane crowd arrived in good numbers and were rewarded with a quick start from the hosts.

With less than ten minutes gone in the game, UEA’s fly-half Chloe Baker scored the first try of the new season, much to the spectators’delight. Right-wing Kathy Uari’s early tackle proved to be the catalyst for an impressive number of challenges that saw UEA resist the visitors in the latter stages of the match.

Photo: Will Cockram

With fifteen minutes gone, Anglia Ruskin still had not made it to the final third, but UEA were flourishing. Stephanie Creasey made a spectacular run from her own half to place the ball down Captain, and scrumhalf, Maylynn Ng converted and gave the home side a healthy advantage.

With half an hour gone, the pressure began to mount on UEA as Anglia Ruskin tried to break down the home defence and score their first try. Despite terrific effort in the scrum by UEA and great pressure near the try line, the visitors managed to claim their first try. However, they missed the conversion, allowing UEA some respite.

Anglia Ruskin continued to find their feet though. A dodging run from their number five was eventually halted, before Nina Crowther broke away from the crowd to sprint clear and score another try for the home side. UEA then increased their advantage just before half-time, with Creasey scoring another try.

Early in the second half, Naomi Sadoff, fresh from the sideline, scored UEA another five points, with Ng adding two more with a great kick.

UEA’s last try of the match came with 45 minutes gone, courtesy of Crowther. At this point, Anglia Ruskin switched on and dominated the second half, winning the line-outs and pushing well in the scrums.

UEA were making some impressive tackles, but Anglia Ruskin were still able to notch their second try, setting up a tense

Photo: Will Cockram

finale. Determined to score again before time was up, Anglia Ruskin overpowered the scrum next to the try line and placed the ball down, only to miss the conversion once more.

The visitors continued to apply pressure, but UEA held firm to see out a well earned victory.

With several new faces in the team and only a friendly match against the UEA Medics behind them, the side can be pleased with their opening day win in this season’s BUCS league.

With more match practice, the team will only improve and look set for a solid campaign. The side face a trip to the early season leaders Bedfordshire in their next match, before returning to Colney Lane on the 20th to take on De Montfort.

As well as trips to Cambridge, Leicester and Bedford, the club will also travel to Northampton this season, with a cup match against Wednesday’s opponents already scheduled in for February.

Sport

05/11/13

Issue 288

concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

Triathlon in profile

23

Following on from last week’s ‘in profile’ section on Korfball, Will Medlock spoke to Humfrey Jeakins from the triathlon club and asked him what the setup here at UEA has to offer students.

Will Medlock Sports correspondent Perhaps the most beneficial part of London hosting the Olympic games last year was the awareness it raised of sports not normally able to compete with the financial and commercial power of football, such as Formula 1 and the like.

In particular, the inspiration drawn from Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee’s successes in triathlon could be seen in September when, a year on from the brothers’ gold and bronze medals, over one thousand competitors took part in the first Brownlee Triathlon competition.

While many viewers would have marvelled at the incredible stamina and perseverance shown by the Brownlee’s, the UEA Triathlon club would have been all too aware of the type of discipline required. After all, the club’s banner reads ‘Work harder. Be Better.’

Triathlon requires its competitors to cycle, run and swim over set distances. It may sound like the type of exercise carried

out in a gruelling pre-season, but club committee member Humfrey Jeakins says only two attributes are required to succeed in the sport, “Energy and enthusiasm.

Anyone can do triathlon. We hear a lot of comments like ‘I’m not fit enough to do tri’ or ‘I can’t swim well enough or commit enough time’. Each year we take on people who can’t really swim front crawl and train them up. Our training is designed to help people mentally as well as physically.”

While prospective students may be anxious of coming unstuck in one, or even two, of the areas of triathlon, Jeakins clarifies that no training sessions held by the club mwake attendance mandatory.

“Generally, members attend a selection of our sessions, particularly the professionally coached ones in the pool and on the athletics track. There is no compulsion to attend a particular number, although, when there are limited places, we do run competitive selection to represent at BUCS races, but there are lots of opportunities to race or take part in events.”

Rarely does a day pass where a reluctant jogger can’t be seen on campus,

Photo: Simon Brierley

but for those who thrive on the competitive nature of sport there are a wealth of events on offer via the club. Just a week ago the university was represented at the Wymondham 100mile cycling race and the Althorp Duathlon.

While some triathlon members are training for outside events such as Ironman Wales, Jeakins believes that the BUCS Sprint Triathlon is one of the most important events of the year. “It’s our big, mass participation event, that involves a 750m pool swim, a 25km bike ride and a 5km run. The event takes place in May

and is something that we aim to get a lot of members involved in. It gives them the opportunity to take part in their first tri in a safe, supported and fun environment.”

According to Jeakins, triathlon is the “fastest growing mass participation sport” and, like most clubs, offers benefits that will serve you long after your UEA days have come to a close. It also promises to improve the many different attributes crucial to becoming a high achieving athlete. As one of the club’s other sayings goes, ‘It never gets easier, you just get faster.’

This week’s Student Voice is with... Lacrosse’s Moji Adegbile

Every issue, we’ll be talking to a member of a UEA sports club to ask their opinions on the most recent sporting issues. This week, we spoke to UEA Lacrosse’s Moji Adegbile racism. By not traveling, the message this one player is sending out is one of defeat and terror in the face of racism. The only way to combat discrimination in the sport would be for the entire team to boycott the tournament.

C: Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has said that the NFL should look at changing the route that teams must take in order to make an appeal over a suspension. Should any changes made by a sport’s governing body be subject to a vote by supporters?

Concrete: Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure has outlined his belief that black players could boycott the 2018 World Cup in Russia, following racist abuse directed towards him by CSKA Moscow fans. Do players have a right to refuse to play in a tournament if they fear they may be targeted by spectators?

Moji: If a player is afraid for his life, he has every right not to travel to a foreign land to take part in a tournament.

However, that doesn’t mean that it is the most effective way to protest against

M: I believe it is important to let the voices of supporters be heard. However, major changes and decisions should not be wholly dependent on a vote by supporters of the game. The sport's governing body should maintain control, but the fans could be allowed a minority vote nonetheless.

From a governing perspective, this 'supporters vote' allows you to find out what the fans are really thinking and business-wise you have more loyal fans who feel like their opinion matters.

C: Mexican boxer Frankie Leal recently died from a brain injury sustained during a match. Should boxing hopefuls be put

off pursuing a career in the sport when they see things like this?

car. Is it possible for an exceptional athlete to be successful within a mediocre team?

M: I believe that a range of requirements should be fulfilled by boxing hopefuls before they are permitted to pursue a career in the sport. Alongside the obvious health and fitness tests, there should also be an exam testing whether they understand the full mental and physical implications of a career in boxing.

M: It depends on the sport. In basketball, where five players make a team, an exceptional athlete has shown success before within a mediocre team. A good example of this occurred in 2007 when LeBron James carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA finals. They were up against the San Antonio Spurs, who at the time had three exceptional athletes playing for them and were the better team.

This would not be possible in football due to the size of the team. One exceptional athlete wouldn’t have the same positive effect.

C: Sir Alex Ferguson has been criticised for some of the things written in his autobiography. Do you think that sports men and women should refrain from unearthing private details once their career is over?

M: There is an old saying that goes “what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room”. So, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, they should refrain from unearthing private details not meant for the public’s ears. It’s a shame Ferguson’s done what he has, because it has tainted his reputation.

C: Formula 1 driver Sebastien Vettel has dismissed the idea that he is only successful because he races in the best

If you’d like to be interviewed as part of Student Voice, then email us at: concrete.sport@hotmail.

@concretesport

Concrete Sport UEA

SPORT

Issue 288 05 November 2013 Sport Student Voice

Photo: Moji Adegbile

Lacrosse ladies win season opener Moji Adegbile Sports correspondent

UEA Womens 1s 21 Northampton 1s 6 After suffering a three week delay to their opening match due to two cancelled games, the UEA ladies lacrosse team finally had their chance for some on-the-field action. The ladies began their Midlands 2A league with a 21-6 win over the University of Northampton.

The game’s first quarter opened with a goal by midfield attack Moji Adegbile after only a few minutes. It was to set the pace for a game that hardly ever saw the ball in the UEA side.

That same quarter also saw debuts for many of the new UEA talent, notably Emi Collin, Harriet Steggles and overseas players Kaho Yoshida, Emily Lawrence and Jojo Auerbach. The hosts would score six more times before the second quarter, to ensure a commanding 7-0 lead.

The second quarter saw the first goal for Northampton after a surprise dash for goal from their centre. However,

star defence player Milly Heelan was introduced to the UEA backline, joining Kim Nurcombe and Nicole Underwood.

While the hosts’ defence seemed unlikely to be breached too often, an element of controversy arose. UEA’s top-goal scorer Olivia Peach had a goal disallowed for what Northampton argued was dangerous shooting. Peach was asked to restart the play with a free shot on goal but sadly missed.

The second half’s first quarter almost proved to be a game changer for Northampton. By reorganising their defence, they made it hard for the East Anglia ladies to continue their goal scoring rampage. The Northampton team, realising their defence was letting them down, set up a wall around the goal preventing the home side from adding to the score line.

The UEA ladies, realising the change in tactics, called a timeout and regrouped. This proved a significant moment, as the goals started to come once more until the final whistle.

With excellent performances from Kaho, who won every draw, goalkeepers Auerbach and Amy Powers and captain Grace Rundle, the opening day win was thoroughly deserved.

After finishing second in the league to the Birmingham ladies 2s last sea-

son, the UEA lacrosse team seem set to vie for the top spot come March.

This should be attainable with what could arguably be regarded as one of the strongest sides the girls have ever had. With back-to-back away games coming up against the Leicester 1s and Nottingham 3s, the ladies are going to have to prove themselves to be as impressive on the road as they were against Northampton on Wednesday.

BUCS RESULTS Birmingham

2s 42-60 UEA Basketball 1s

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Triathlon in profile

Page 23 Men’s

England set for Ashes

UEA Men’s Hockey 2s 10-0 Warwick 4s UEA Women’s Volleyball 1s 3-0 Bedford Nottingham 1s 133-99 UEA Women’s Fencing 1s Bedford Womens 2s 0-4 UEA Women’s Football 1s Nottingham Women’s 2s 23-43 UEA Women’s Netball 1s

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