Concrete - Issue 171

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM UNION ENTS Issue 171 · Wednesday, January 12th 2005

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PUPS LET LOOSE ON STUDENT NIGHTS We have learnt, from a reliable source, that at every student night this term, the LCR and the Hive bar staff are going to let loose ‘PUPS’ and let them run riot!!

Does this mean we are going to have to sup our drinks surrounded

by Labrador puppies trailing toilet rolls?

The answer is no!!

As cute as this may have been, ‘PUPS’ is the new drinks pricing scheme being brought to you by the Union’s bars.

At every student evening event this term that is held in the LCR or the Hive, a number

of different drinks will be available to you at a discounted priced.

So why now? Or its about time! I hear you cry, well there has been some reasons why it hasn’t happened from the beginning of the year.

With the current Government’s clamp down on binge drinking, as the cause of all the problems in this country, it has become important for the Union to ensure that we are passing on the message of responsible drinking. We are under the spot light since many people believe that all that students do is drink and obviously it must be the Union’s fault that you drink

as much as you do!! It has been expected that the Union must lead the way on ensuring that we are encouraging responsible drinking.

The lack of drinks promotions has not been the Union profiteering to pay for the Hive redevelopment; it has been a course of action to ensure that we follow a social responsibility policy recommended by the NUS. However, it has become clear that our competitors in the city that are motivated by the mighty £, have not been so socially responsible in their attitude to selling drinks.

Since it is your Union, it has been decided to offer some drinks at reduced price

to you as an alternative to crawling into the city.

At every student event, whether it is society function or disco, the drinks promotions will run in the LCR and the Hive.

The promotions will vary from to time to time, but at least three products will be offered at a reduced price.

So take a look at the posters or ask the bar staff and they will tell you what is available at the event at a reduced price.

Don’t forget that the Union is non-profit making, so the money you spend in the bars helps to give funding to societies and clubs.

A BIG THANK YOU! Despite many of you not having your loans, in the autumn term you have dug very dip into your pockets to help charity.

A number of events took place throughout the term raising money for a number of charities.

RAG raised through the ‘Pimps ‘n’ Hos’ disco and from the Christmas Fayre a total of £1250 which was donated to Children In Need and Shelter.

The Union’s bars organised a prize raffle and took donations for lots of t-shirts and mince pies. The bars raised £1190 for The Big C Appeal, a local cancer charity.

From the Christmas Fayre, Cat Lumb, communi-

cations officer, was also able to give another £400 to local charities.

That makes a grand total of over £2,500 raised last term alone.

BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP… After the terrible occurrences in the South East Asia, it is clear from the media coverage that there are people who are not as lucky as we are and that we should do every thing that we can to help those less fortunate than us.

A number of events have already been organised to provide us with the opportunity to help.

At the first LCR disco of term, “Las Vegas night” on Thursday 13th January, col-

lections buckets for the ‘Disasters Emergency Committee’ will be coming around.

Also RAG is organising another ‘Pimps ‘n’ Hos’ disco to take place on Tuesday 8th February with all the money going to the South East Asia Fund.

The picture shows the Union’s bars handing over a cheque for £1191.40 to Hannah Chroston of ‘The Big C Appeal’.

If you have any ideas to help raise money for charity or would like to volunteer your time to help, please contact Jo Wright, the Welfare Officer on su.comms@uea.a.c.uk.

Let us see if we can’t do better this term!!

LIVEWIRE ON SHOW IN THE HIVE - SEE BACK PAGE

THE YEAR IN ELECTIONS - SEE CENTRE SPREAD

Issue 171 · Wednesday, January 12th 2005

UEA’S AWARD-NOMINATED STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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IN THE BIOPIC EXPOUNDED Centre Spread

HIP HOP MEETS PUNK Page 4

BREMNER BERATES BUSH Page 8

WHAT’S A FIVER? CONCRETE URGES ALL STUDENTS TO HELP THE TSUNAMI APPEAL FROM THEIR LOANS Before

After

An aerial shot of the Shorline of Banda Aceh Before & After the Tsunami disaster

Philip Sainty Editor and Katharine Clemow Deputy Editor Concrete is asking all students at UEA to sacrifice a few pints and donate five pounds out of their student loans towards the Tsunami appeal. The amount of aid donated by the general public of all countries has stunned charities the world over, causing many to spec-

ulate that this may be the beginning of a new era of global concern for the welfare of others.

While students aren’t known for being flush with cash, they shouldn’t feel they are out of the loop.

Small sums of money become big tools for change in villages that have been washed out to sea, and countries demolished by the force of the giant waves.

Astounded by the public reaction, the Government has promised to match the amount of personal dona-

tions made by the public. If all UEA students were to donate a fiver, then they would raise approximately £65,000 for the appeal. If staff were to do the same, then the University Community would approach the £100,000 needed to send a plane full of drinking water and sanitation equipment to affected areas.

If the Government matched the sum, then it would be one less cruise missile for the war in Iraq and it would be one more step towards the Government using public

Photo courtesey of DigitalGlobe funds in a productive rather than a destructive way.

The Union is already holding discussions about various fundraising methods and will be collecting money at the various club nights of the New Year. People with suggestions for fundraising are encouraged to see the Union Welfare Officer Jo Wright.

By donating money to the cause, UEA would be part of the already overwhelming reaction of the people of Norwich.

Individuals and companies

over the city have been raising money and contributing in many different ways towards the relief effort.

Donations by the UK Public have reached more than £100 million over the weekend, with more than 6 million coming from the Anglia region. While Concrete has not learnt of anyone from UEA reported missing there have, so far, been three people from Norfolk confirmed lost in the disaster, Local companies are also using their initiative to raise funds. The Lillie Langtry pub

on Unthank Road is holding a charity auction in memory of “Jez” Stephens, a 29-yearold Norwich man who was a regular customer and friend of the managers Mark and Maxine Riches who was found washed up by his friends in Krabi, Thailand.

He leaves behind a two year old little boy and the Riches are encouraging as many people as possible to get involved in fund raising to help find missing people and For more ways to help the relief effort See Page 6

SENATE - IT’S WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT Tim Wilkinson Lewis New UEA governance plans will significantly reduce the level of fair and equal representation in the University Senate, in what some are

referring to as a “medieval and archaic” process of governance. There is growing concern that drastic reduction in the numbers of representatives that each faculty can send to Senate will marginalise many schools and give such schools no means to appeal against Senate

decisions.

A dramatic reduction in the size of Senate was first proposed in the summer of 2004, but the Joint academic and administrative Committee on Governance, which is behind the proposal, will not have officially reported until it has made its

recommendations to the current Senate as well as to the University Council.

According to outgoing Head of Philosophy Dr. Rupert Read, the meetings of the Joint Committee on Governance mark “a crucial time in the revisions of the governance procedures that

will rule the new restructured UEA”.

The latest proposals for the restructure of Senate include even more extreme measures than were expected by either students or school representatives.

While it has always been known that the committee

would recommend a reduction in the size of Senate from over a hundred representatives to a much more manageable number, it is becoming obvious that changes in the name of Legitimate reason for ‘slimming’?

See Page 6

SQUASH CONTINUE SUCCESS - SEE SPORTS PAGES

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

CAR PARK CONTROVERSY REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK ATTRACTS NATIONAL ATTENTION AS STAG PREPARES FOR FIRST OPEN MEETING Philip Sainty Editor Sustainable Transport at UEA has become a major talking point since the planned Multi-Storey Car Park attracted more media attention over the Christmas break. The Turf section has been covering the story since the beginning of the Academic year, but it has taken a few months for the controversy of the proposal to gain local and national coverage in a variety of media outlets, including Society Guardian, ITV and the BBC, as well as a satirical piece in Private Eye. The issue has become so high profile that the Sustainable Transport Action Group (STAG) are holding their first open meeting to discuss the issue.

The meeting will be attended by residents groups, members of the County and City Councils and various Carbon Reduction initiatives and organisations. As yet, there is no confirmed attendee from the University administration.

STAG representative, Beth Brocket, has outlined the agenda of the meetings, “We decided that the aims were positive ones - to get

people interested and knowledgable about local transport in the same room, and to discuss the present issue but also to formulate the basis for a plan and aims and objectives for a sustainable transport future for UEA and the surrounds.”

The contention arises over whether the UEA, with a world-renowned school for Environmental Science and

Study, should really be looking at alternative, more “progressive”, solutions to transport problems, rather than buying into more “traditional” approaches. The cost of the scheme has also become problematic, with expenses estimated at £12 million. It has been pointed out that this seems an excessive amount for a University that is supposedly having finan-

Resident Tutors Applications are now invited from highly motivated, enthusiastic and suitably experienced full-time students and members of staff for appointment as Resident Tutor for the academic year 2005-06.

Students spending next year abroad should also apply now for appointment in September 2006.

Resident Tutors welcome students when they first move into residences, provide information and support to help them manage the transition to university life and, throughout the year, are available to deal with issues of welfare and good order. By using their mediation and problem-solving skills, Resident Tutors help maintain a balance between the interests of individuals and the community in residences.

Successful applicants will have excellent all-round people skills, be non-judgmental, able to empathise with the academic problems commonly experienced by students, have good written and spoken English, good time management skills, the ability to follow clearly defined procedures, flexibility and a willingness to work unsocial hours.

This appointment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau.

Further particulars are available from the Dean of Students’ Office Reception or from www.uea.ac.uk/dos/intranet/welcome.html (click on to Residences).

There are 2 closing dates for applications: Friday 17 December 2004 (applicants will be invited for interview or informed that their application is unsuccessful by 11 February 2005) 28 January 2005 (applicants will be invited for interview or informed that their application is unsuccessful by 18 March 2005).

cial difficulties.

ENV Professor Tim O’Riordan, who will be chairing the meeting, has said of the various proposals, “It is important that the University enters into serious dialogue with a wide range of interested parties on this issue. The University of East Anglia has a worldrespected reputation for environmental science

research and teaching. This includes offering advice on sustainability practices for businesses and the community generally. Surely we should be leading the way in our own sustainability. I hope the University administration takes the demands for consultation on board and utilises our experts in establishing an environmentally sustainable travel and

transport future for the campus”.

The open meeting will take place on Monday 17th January in room 1.28. STAG are welcoming anyone who wishes to attend and have put out a request for assistance organising the event.

See letters, page 24

FREEING UP INFORMATION FOI ACT PASSED ON 1ST JAN AND THE EFFECT ON UEA From the start of the year the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) came into force in public authorities that have functions in England, Wales and/or Northern Ireland. Under this act, anybody may request information from a public authority. This applies to UEA, where everyone both in and outside the university has a right of access to information.

The act covers all digital and print records that are held by the university, whether current or archived.

UEA’s policy is to provide people with information they need that is held by the university. According to the statement on the website, UEA is “committed to promoting public understanding of its nature and activities via the systematic publication of all relevant information”.

Prior to the FOIA, UEA was under the Publications Scheme, mandated by the FOI act. As a public authority, it was UEA’s duty to provide a finding tool for all UEA information that is produced regularly.

This includes prospectuses, maps and guidance information and is approved by the Information Commissioners Office.

Picture by Philip Banks With effect of the new Act, people can ask for information which is not published, as well as what is previously published. In some cases fees will be introduced, but only for the larger requests.

Obligations have been put in place in accordance with the Act. Requests can only be carried through depending on whether the information is available in the first place. David Palmer, acting Information Policy Officer at UEA explains that an appropriate limit of eighteen hours research time has been implemented to secure a boundary on requests.

Information sought is entirely at the requester’s discretion, though they are required to give a contact name and address/telephone number, as well as a certain amount of clarity to

avoid over generalisation.

“This is where the appropriate limit is necessary”, explains Mr Palmer. UEA must respond within 20 working days of each request made.

Each faculty and department within UEA has a specific FOIA contact who the Policy Information Officer will liaise with in order to respond to requests as quickly as possible and to gain advice on what information is exempt from requests. Mr Palmer argues that the search facility, which is now available at www.uea.ac.uk/isd/foi/ is a good research tool for those who want to search for UEA specific information. Though this Act is closely aligned with the Data Protection Act, personal information regarding students and staff will remain protected.

6 concrete.news@uea.ac.uk from Front page efficient management may end up damaging Senate's ability to function as the supreme academic executive body of the University.

Other members of university faculties have been unwilling to comment on the issue, however, Dr. Read remarked, "I cannot for the life of me see what the argument is for slimming down Senate so drastically that many Schools will have not reps on it at all".

The new proposals, if put into effect, threaten to turn the university into a fiefdom or worse, a polytechnic. The office of the Vice-Chancellor declined to comment, on the grounds that it is "inappropriate to discuss changes to the composition of Senate before the governance working group's recommendations have been considered by both Senate and Council."

Rumours circulating in late 2004 indicated that the new proposals would axe the majority of School representatives and instead allow each of the University's four Faculties to elect two Senate representatives from within their Schools. It now seems likely that, although the number of representatives from each faculty will be three rather than two, the proposals are worse than was expected in other ways, because these three representatives will be appointments by the Dean from Front page restore them to their families and go towards delivering aid to the suffering people in the devastated areas.

The auction takes place on Friday, 21st January from 7 and there has already been a wide range of items generously donated for auction, including a hot air balloon ride. There will also be a raffle for smaller prizes with tickets going on sale on Monday and Maxine is encouraging anyone with anything they would like to donate to the raffle to drop it into the pub or to call 01603 767700 where you can also get further information on the event.

Fund raising activities and commemorative events have been going on in Norwich and the surround-

of the Faculty and will not represent different Schools.

This is a source of particular concern to smaller Schools which may be threatened with closure - in the last year this list included LLT and Drama. Under the new proposals, the vast majority of Schools will not have their own representative on Senate and so would not even have a chance to make their own arguments in Senate meetings. The decision to close a School could be made in the absence of any representative from that School - and such decisions affect everyone in the School, including faculty members, administrators, and students.

The Joint Committee on Governance officially presents its recommendations to the existing Senate on 2nd March. Based on current knowledge of its deliberations, it seems that many Schools are in danger of losing what rights they have to self-determination.

Even a toned-down version of these proposals would seem to indicate that democratic representation in Senate is on the way out.

Dr. Read - also student liaison rep for the AUT remarked that "UEA is in the unfortunate position of having a Senate that might end up as little more than a cosy committee of administrators and academics lacking any plausible claim to represent the University as a whole." ing area constantly since the Boxing Day disaster These have ranged from schools, theatres, and large ans small local companies making donations, a special fundraising bingo day, and Churches throughout the region have held special services, often open to members of all religions, to pray for the people who have died and those left behind in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand who now have to rebuild their shattered lives; and to express their feelings of loss and bewilderment at the huge scale natural disaster.

There are many ways to get involved and do your bit to make a difference. The British Red Cross (www.redcross.org.uk) and other charities are asking people to donate directly to the

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

BENEFIT OR BURDEN?

NEW STUDIES QUESTION THE VALUE OF DEGREES Jessica Fielder A recent Guardian study reported that over a third of students taking jobs immediately after graduation are entering ‘non-graduate’ careers. The pressure to pay off student loans often pushes graduates into jobs which have no relevance to their degree. This is likely to leave them three years behind their non-graduate peers on the career ladder, with the extra burden of loans to repay.

But the Department for Education and Skills continues to believe that now remains a ‘good time to be a graduate’. This view is reenforced by the Graduate Market Trends report which predicts that average graduate salaries this summer will reach £21,997. The report, based on jobs advertised through the Prospects Directory, highlights the fact that three-quarters of vacancies are open to all graduates, regardless of degree subject, thus emphasising the conceived importance of skills developed during the University experience. IT Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), the umbrella organisation responsible for co-ordinating the relief effort.

Donations of old mobiles and printer cartridges can be made to eurosource by ringing 08712 50 50 50 and getting a freepost bag.

Concrete Fashion Editor Anna Steward and Liberation’s Officer Fran Stapleton are doing a sponsored 48 hour fast and will have a table in the Hive where you can put yourself down to sponsor them.

Concrete will also be opening a charity account in our bid to support the aid effort and donations can be brought to the office. The names of those that do donate will appear in the next issue of the paper.

The study estimates that a third of Graduates are not finding jobs suited to their qualificaitons and financial careers continue to be particularly lucrative choices for graduates.

Eyes will turn to Ruth Kelly as she commences her first full term as Education Secretary amidst the run up to the General Election. An issue which is bound to cause conflict is the government target to encourage

fifty percent of young people into Higher Education. This will no doubt accompany ongoing concern that top-up fees, due to be applied to students starting University study from September 2006, will increase debt held by graduates.

It will be interesting to see how the government

addresses these issues over the next few months. Let us hope that the problems facing graduates are acknowledged and we begin to see some answers to the growing questions about how top-up fees will lessen the financial pressure on both institutions and individuals.

SPORTS CLUBS AND SOCS SOCIALS TO CHANGE UNION TO PLAY GREATER ROLE IN ORGANISING EVENTS Sarah Watson A change is on the horizon for future Sportsnights and Union Finance Officer, James Drakeford, is doing his best to sell the idea to everyone.

The changes will affect the way Sportsnights are arranged and conducted.

Currently, the events are paid for and arranged by the clubs and societies themselves. This has often proved to be both time-consuming and money-devouring, with returns sometimes coming in at a mere £15. The new, recently announced system will see the entertainments (Ents) team within the Union taking over the organising and responsibility from clubs and societies alike.

The idea is that all aspects of the Sportsnights will be handled by entertainments crew members, from arranging the DJ and door staff to devising appropriate publicity. The latter will certainly benefit from this arrangement, as it is one of the most costly elements of putting on a social event.

In the past, the initial

costs of conducting a night have crippled the intake; but under the new scheme the Union will absorb the initial expenses, leaving room for greater profit margins. While the planning and organisation will be down to the Ents team, Clubs and Societies are still welcome and, indeed, encouraged, to suggest themes.

The way tickets are sold will also be reformed, with the Union allocating numbers of these to clubs. From the sale of these tickets, the respective clubs will keep half of what they earn, while the other half will go straight back into the Union. If, for example, fifty tickets are issued to a particular club, at a price of £2 each, £50 will go to the club, and £50 to the Union. In essence, the club could be earning more than it would be normally without the usual effort, and the Union gains extra funds.

Another aspect is that clubs will effectively have their participation in the Sportsnights monitored.

Those clubs that do take part in this scheme will be looked upon more favourably by the Union when they are in need of funding, as it will identify

the clubs and societies who have endeavoured to raise the cash themselves. But the Union is keen to point out that requests will not simply be refused for non-participating clubs.

For this reason, all clubs and societies will be encouraged to put on social nights.

It is stressed by Mr. Drakeford that “money for clubs and societies comes through what we put on”.

This is a true statement for all facilities run by the Union, such that the standard we have grown accustomed to would not be possible without constant funding. The new Sportsnights are another avenue through which to gain such funds, whilst helping clubs’ incomes using the added incentive.

People may be resistant to change, but Mr. Drakeford asks us to understand that the Union is “not profit-making, but profit-generating”.

The funds that go into all Union projects, including clubs and societies, have to be earned by the Union in the first place. So far, Mr. Drakeford has received no negative feedback about the change.

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“THIS IS THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES” HOUSE OF LORDS RULING CONDEMNS PROCESS OF INDEFINITE IMPRISONMENT WITHOUT CHARGE Juliet Harris Legal Editor

Over the Christmas break the House of Lords momentously ruled that the current Government policy of detaining suspected terrorists without charge indefinitely is unlawful under the European Convention of Human Rights, just one day after the sudden resignation of Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Sitting in the case of A and Others v Secretary of State for the Home Department as a nine-man panel – something done only in exceptionally important cases – the House of Lords produced a decision that has heartened supporters of the detainees and Human Rights Campaigners.

Conversely, the decision has potentially caused chaos in a Home Office already vulnerable after the controversy surrounding the resignation of the man largely responsible for introducing the laws in the first place. The decision is widely considered to be one of the most important produced by the House of Lords, the highest court in the land, for 50 years.

The Anti-Terrorism Law questions were rushed through Parliament by the Government as a response to the September 11th attacks in America and subsequent concerns over the safety of British citizens. The laws mimic the approach of the US to the situation. They state that a non-British national can be indefinitely detained if he or she is suspected of being a terrorist and therefore of being a

national security risk according to the “reasonable belief” of the Home Secretary. The Government was originally able to pass such a law by “opting out” of the European Convention of Human Rights, where Article 5 states that indefinite detention without trial or charge is never permissible.

The UK has been the only European country to do so, arguing that as America’s most high profile ally in the consequent “War on Terror”, it was at the highest risk from terrorist attack.

Sixteen Muslim men have been detained under the Act, virtually all Asylum seekers from countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia. None have chosen to return to their own countries because they would be at risk from torture and, in some cases, death.

All have wives and families in the UK. The men have never been charged and have had no evidence presented to them.

The Government has admitted that it lacked enough admissible evidence to prosecute the detainees when they were first arrested. Whilst they were granted their rights to hearings before the Special Immigration Appeals Committee (known as SIAC), most of the evidence that the Government could actually produce was heard by the panel of judges in secret and without the detainees or even their lawyers present.

Gareth Peirce, the leading Human Rights solicitor representing 8 of the detainees, claimed that detention had driven four detainees to madness and that the mental health of a further four had been “seriously affected”.

The American ‘Camp X-Ray’ in Cuba, where prisoners are subject to similar processes the Lords have condemned The detainees appealed to the Lords, having lost their case in the lower Court of Appeal.

Whilst the Government may have been briefed about the result of the case in advance, it surely could not have expected the heavy majority (8:1) nor the pure ferocity with which the Lords dismissed its policy. Lord Bingham pointed out that opting out of the European Convention of Human Rights in the way that the Government had done is only allowed where there is a “public emergency”. Whilst this may have been acceptable at the time the law was passed, directly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, more than three years later it certainly was not. The Lords also ruled that the laws were unlawful

because they discriminated against “foreign” national terrorists. There are no similar provisions to lock up and indefinitely detain without charge British nationals suspected of terrorism. Lady Hale considered what would happen if ‘black’, ‘disabled’, ‘female’, ‘gay’ or similar unalterable characteristics replaced ‘foreign’. “Would it be justifiable to take power to lock up that group but not the “white”, “able bodied”, “male” or “straight” suspected international terrorist?

The answer is clear - NO. Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC, representing the Government, attempted to persuade the Lords that, as an unelected body, they were not in a position to decide such important matters of national security pol-

icy, whereas the democratically elected Government was. However, in rejecting this, Lady Hale stated that “it is not for the executive (i.e. the Government) to decide who is locked up for any length of time, let alone indefinitely. Only the courts can do that. Executive detention is the antithesis of the right to liberty”. Lord Scott went as far to say, “indefinite imprisonment on grounds not disclosed is the stuff of nightmares, associated, whether accurately or inaccurately, with Soviet Russia in the Stalinist era and now with the UK”.

N e v e r t h e l e s s , Declarations of Incompatibility (usually made under section 4 of the Human Rights Act) do not bind the Government, nor do

they act as a remedy for the detainees, who remain in detention until such a time as the laws are changed and are effectively currently in limbo. However, the decision is hugely embarrassing for the Government. If suggestions that it timed the resignation of David Blunkett to coincide with this decision are true, then it has backfired in the most spectacular way and has left the Government, especially the Home Office, looking ragged and panicked. Furthermore, the director of the Human Rights group Liberty Shami Chakrabarti stated, “I just do not believe that the Government would be so foolish as to flout the clear and unequivocal advice of the highest court in the land”.

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LOCAL ACTION OVER SPRINGER SHOWING OUTRAGE AS THE BBC BROADCAST THEATRE VERSION OF HIT TV SHOW Katharine Clemow Deputy Editor

Local Christians protested outside the Forum as the BBC screened West End smash Jerry Springer: The Opera to widespread outrage. Demonstrations were staged across the country following the BBC’s refusal to pull the broadcast despite a record number of complaints. The chat show has always courted controversy for its presentation of strange people and their even stranger problems as well as the language used by both guests and audience members.

The people behind the stage show claim that the opera has a moral message which addresses the role of the chat show and the responsibilities the host has to the guests who confess all in front of 17 million people on national television.

It does this by reproducing typical characters and situa-

tions from the show such as ‘the cheating lover’, ‘the chick with the dick’ and members of the Ku Klux Klan. The swear words and blasphemy of the songs in the show have prompted many viewers to protest against it being broadcast claiming that it’s offensive and the BBC has a responsibility to uphold boundaries of taste.

However it is the portrayal of religious figures in the Second Act, including Satan, Jesus and God that sparked off the majority of the almost twenty thousand complaints the BBC received prior to the Saturday night broadcast demanding its withdrawal.

Gail Halley of the Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Street was involved in organising the Norwich protest, one of nine that took place around the country. She hasn’t seen the opera but feels she has read enough about it to consider it ‘horrible, and destructive’ saying her main objection to the chat show, which she has

seen, is that it trivialises people’s problems.

Three people who attended the peaceful protest, Rusty and Mike Hughes, and Frances Miller of the Witard Road Baptist Church, said they did so because they feel the time has come for Christians to take a stand in the way matters of common decency, and even law, are handled and upheld. Rusty stated firmly that she feels, “The Lord Jesus Christ was born and died on the cross for us and we will not see him vilified like this”. She is referring to the portrayal in the show of the figure of Christ in a nappy, calling himself “a bit gay”, and having a fight with the devil. Many will say it is only a work of art and should not be taken too seriously but the approximately 200 people who formed the demonstration outside the Forum have taken what they see as an affront by the BBC on taste and decency to heart and say they will use their votes to weild change.

HOUSING HASTE STUDENTS ADVISED TO WAIT

CLARKE PROMOTED

NORWICH MP FACES NEW CHALLENGES Phil Sainty Editor

Cabinet re-shuffles following the resignation of shamed MP David Blunkett has seen the much-critiqued Norwich South MP, Charles Clarke stepping away from the marginalisation of students and progressing to the marginalisation of asylum seekers.

Clarke leaves a legacy that few would be proud of.

Adrian Ramsay, the Green Party Councillor has said of the decision, “I congratulate Charles Clarke on his appointment as Home Secretary and throw down a challenge to him to move away from the ‘climate of fear’ approach of David Blunkett. The main thing that Charles Clarke will be remembered for as Education Secretary is introducing divisive and unpopular university top-up fees.

He has also encouraged councils to take up PFI schemes for school building and maintenance work which have proved disastrous in Norfolk. I very much hope that his approach as Home Secretary will be more

progressive.”

Clarke was formerly President of the NUS and the hypocrisy of his actions during his time as Education Secretary was raised by NUS National President, Kat Fletcher. In her response to his new appointment she said, “We would like to thank Charles Clarke MP for his work as Education Secretary. We are disappointed that as a former NUS President who received full grants whilst a student, brought in the top-up fee bill and in doing so, jeopardised the future of Higher Education and signalled a life of debt for those with aspirations to go to university.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South, Andrew AaldersDunthorne, has also railed against the new Home Secretary.

Citing the Indefinite Detention of suspected terrorists, AaldersDunthorne has pointed out that, “On Charles Clarke’s first day as Home Secretary he was told that the Government’s policy is illegal. It is his job to ensure the law is repealed.” Some peo-

ple are suggesting that the resignation of Blunkett came just in time to avoid any repercussions from the Lords’ decision.

Nevertheless, Clarke shows no signs of repealing the controversial Identity Cards Bill that was hurried through Parliament over Christmas. Most Political commentators are predicting he will continue in his unquestioning attitude to the party line.

Meanwhile, there is little confidence that the new appointee, Ruth Kelly, will signal a change in the Government’s approach to Higher Education. The NUS President does display some optimism “As a politician with a strong financial background, we look forward to working with Ruth Kelly on the most pressing financial issues facing students and the Higher Education sector.

We are keen to specifically ensure that the Education Maintenance Allowance is widely available and easy to access and to ensure that the Higher Education sector continues to flourish”.

Let us hope her wishes are fulfilled.

Robin Smith The Student Advice Centre is keen to allay the fears of first year students on the subject of finding a house for their second year.

At this time of year, many rumours traditionally begin to circulate about housing for students; mainly in context to problems that may be encountered in finding a suitable property.

Students are often urged to find a house as quickly as possible during this term in order that they do not get left behind in the househunting procedure. It is often said that students who begin looking for a house

earlier will ultimately end up with a better property.

However, the Advice Centre wishes to quash these rumours. Whilst some students may indeed wish to begin looking for properties immediately, the Advice Centre wants to remind students that the Unionapproved house lists will not be published until March.

These lists feature many suitable houses and all landlords have been thoroughly checked by the Union. The list features houses from both letting agencies and private landlords in Norwich. Whilst it may be tempting to sign up for the first suitable house that is found, the Advice Centre also wishes to stress that houses on the list may

not be available before its publication. Students could therefore miss out on renting a better property simply by being too keen to take the first available house. The advice is clear; by all means check what is on offer in the letting market but do not let ill-informed rumours force you into finding a property too hastily.

Another service provided by the Union is the checking of contracts. This helps to prevent unscrupulous landlords placing unethical or even illegal clauses in contracts. Students are urged to take advantage of this service as it has helped many households in the past. The Union will release details on this service during the course of the term.

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PROPOSED INCREASE IN VISA FEES FOR STUDENTS

Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

FUNDING THE FUTURE AT UEA STUDENTS TO BENEFIT FROM SCHOLARSHIPS

POTENTIAL PLANS WITH NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES Nadia Bennich

International Editor The Home Office recently announced that it was considering an increase of visa fees for international students.

Currently, the charges for a student visa are £155 and it is now planned to raise them up to £400, even if the students’ stay in the UK is only for one semester.

Vrinda Shah (SWK 3), from India, is surprised to hear about these students visa reform plans and reacts like many other of her fellow UEA international students: “This is a lot of money for a visa!”.

But the Home Office argues that their proposal on increased visa charges could save UK taxpayers a lot of money, talking about approximately £100 million.

UEA has nearly 1000 overseas students from outside the EU. Whereas students from EU-member countries pay home fees for their courses, the other international students have to pay at least £8.000 tuition fees for an undergraduate course and up to £15.000

for a postgraduate course.

Tuition fees are already under annual increase and now even visa charges are concerned in the future.

Furthermore, living expenses in the UK are very high for international students often due to low exchange rates.

Their ability to have a student job is very restricted to 20 hours per week and generally it is difficult to find a job, to obtain a National Insurance number and even to open a bank account with everything under strict regulations.

On the Guardian Unlimited website, it was claimed that the current visa charges already cause significant hardship and that increasing these fees is very likely to deter overseas students from coming to the UK. The British Council, Universities UK and many other institutions showed their concerns in the media by warning that this rise in fees could damage the UK’s reputation abroad and therefore want the Home Office to reconsider their proposal. UK universities now depend on international students, not just financially but also by their culturally diverse contributions, to

function and to guarantee a quality and worldwide reputable higher education.

Therefore, the university’s aim is to attract international students to study in the UK, as university’s life is enriched by the cultural diversity they bring with them.

Yet, to what extent higher visa charges in the UK will have an impact on the recruitment on overseas students at Universities cannot be predicted at this stage as it is still uncertain whether this proposal will be carried out or not. Despite all those financial concerns, the UK remains a popular place to study for international students, but increasing visa fees might affect this attractiveness.

The question arises, what can we do in order to stop this proposal from the Home Office to be passed?

On the UEA Union website http://www.stu.uea.ac.uk/ newsite, you can find further information on this topic and, moreover, a model of a provisional letter to print out outlining different worries concerning this proposal which can be sent to Norwich SouthMP Charles Clarke.

Mr, Naim Dangoor has pledged funding for students as thanks to the country that gave him asylum

Helen Pike News Editor

Talented students hoping to enrol at the University of East Anglia this September are to benefit from a donation by a former Iraqi refugee.

Naim Dangoor, an Iraqi businessman, is donating a total of £1 million in scholarship funds split between 1000 students taking places at the 1994 Group of universities, which includes UEA. When the Baath Party came to power in the 1960s Mr Dangoor fled to England and built his property

empire. He had previously studied engineering in England decades earlier.

Now he wants to thank the country which gave him an opportunity to seek refuge and build a successful career.

The 1994 Group consists of 16 leading research universities who share common aims, standards and values, whilst retaining a distinct profile about them. There will be between 40 and 80 scholarships available at each of the 1994 Group universities, which amongst others include Essex, Exeter, York and Warwick.

Mr Dangoor, 91, says of

the scheme, “I promised myself that if I was ever able to help a British university student I would but I never dreamt I would be able to make such a big contribution”.

Mr Dangoor adds that if the scheme is successful he wishes to continue it each year and attract other investors to do the same.

David Marshall, Director of Access and Admissions at UEA said “this is an exciting and very generous initiative that will assist applicants to each Group university, including UEA, to access higher education opportunities.

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

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Opinion MICHAEL ROBERTS

on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that emissions reductions of 60% by 2050 are essential.

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IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE

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or anyone unaware of the realities of global warming, here’s a quick rundown: increasing global temperatures attributed to burning of greenhouse gases (especially CO2) is causing extreme weather conditions threatening the lives of thousands. In July last year 1,000 were killed by floods in south Asia and 2/3 of Bangladesh was submerged under water. Can we imagine what that would mean to a country? Certainly goodbye Norfolk in the UK’s case.

Overall, the World Health Organisation said floods, droughts, fires etc caused by global warming killed 150,000 in 2000. Worse news: at current rates it’s set to rise. Somehow it might be easier for us to ignore while it disproportionately affects the poorest in the global south. But it’s

starting to affect us as well. When flash floods hit Cornwall in August, we too witnessed the destruction of people’s homes and livelihoods.

There’s also a problem with the argument that people only care enough to do something about matters that directly affect them. Witness the £50m+ donations by the British public to the Tsunami Emergency Appeal. Conclusion? If we could have done anything to stop 150,000 dying we would have made the effort. Well, taking serious steps to tackle climate change is a way we could do just that.

And this time, it really does affect us.

So there is a simple conclusion to draw; we must start reducing our energy consumption (meaning less greenhouse gases are burnt). The UN-endorsed Intergovernmental Panel

here are some easy ways to save energy. If all the TVs, DVDs and videos left on standby overnight in Britain were turned off it would save the output of two power stations. Turn off all the lights etc and only boil a kettle with the amount of water you need in it and we’re talking a lot, lot more. What’s in it for you?

Well, if you still don’t count preventing the destruction of our world you’ll also be saving money. I haven’t met many in student houses who wouldn’t accept an extra quid or two a week for minimum effort.

It’s often seen as not that cool to demonstrate a caring attitude for the environment. In fact, in many circles it may be a little difficult to show you care about anything. However much this may be about fear of being put down about something you believe in, doing something about global warming is a necessity. Not caring or pretending you don’t might be easier in the short term, but we will be forced to

drove us to give millions and millions of pounds to help the relief effort, outdoing our own government in the process. This in itself should be rather vexing – after all, what are we paying taxes for?

Well £100’000 is the cost of a single cruise missile. I do not know how many missiles our government has seen fit to drop on Iraq in the past year, but let me tell you it is in the thousands, not to mention the tens of thousands of high-impact bombs. So far we (yes, WE, this country is a democracy remember) have spent £7 billion on this war in Iraq. The American taxpayers have spent $148 billion. How is it that both countries managed only to give a combined £250 million to the disaster relief effort?

To answer that question, we must turn to the driving force behind our leaders’ actions in Iraq. It certainly isn’t to root out public enemy number 1, the

infamous Osama bin Laden. He is nowhere near Iraq. We have already got hold of Saddam Hussein and decided Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction, so what are we still doing there? This is where the aspect of religion comes to the foreground. I am sorry if this offends anyone, but religion is the single biggest factor in the war in Iraq and to be honest, war in general. Evangelical Christianity is spreading across the globe and taking people’s basic rights and freedoms with it. As noted in a BBC documentary in early January, Ghana, one of Africa’s more developed nations is currently experiencing a wave of Evangelical Christianity which is undermining the economy because it postulates that work is not as important as worship. It is the same religion that many in the White House advocate.

Have a quick read of the Revelations chapter at the end of the Bible to find out what George W. Bush is actually trying to achieve. He’s a born again Christian, which are the worst kind because they have been saved in some way by the fiction of the Bible and so feel compelled to do the work of its main character. Essentially, he believes that a war between Muslims and Jews is coming (this, for

SIMON SHERIDAN

HEY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US?

W

e are half way through a decade that should have marked a change in the way human beings live.

With the Cold War finished, countries the world over can finally start to build a nation they can call their own – one that is not subject to the whims of the superpowers. Or can they?

The emphatic answer is no, they cannot. The millennium could and should have been the moment when nations and organisations, particularly the G8 group of wealthy nations and the World Bank, worked to reduce poverty across the globe. Instead, wars are being fought in the name of the people. Millions have died already, and millions more will go on dying until we and the actual rulers of this country do something about it.

Let me illustrate this point to you – the incomparable natural disaster in South-East Asia has, to our credit,

ROSS GRAINGER

poverty are big killers and most African nations are suffering because of them.

But every country is different. Blair’s Commission For Africa sounds like a good idea, but I doubt it can be successful without treating every country individually.

IT BEGAN IN AFRICA

A

s we continue to mourn the devastation in South East Asia, spare a thought for Africa. Before the Boxing Day tsunamis momentum was gathering to make this The Year of Africa. Gordon Brown had a masterful, Marshall-esque plan to help the continent. Blair was ready to use Britain’s position as head of the G8 and the EU this year to make Africa’s plight the number one issue for rich nations. After all the talk, all the Band-Aid songs and Red Nose Days, 2005 was going to be it.

And then, typical of Africa’s luck, the worst natural disaster in living memory strikes one of the only regions in the world that can begin to compare its poverty and despair to that of Africa.

The immediate dubbing of this disaster as “The Asian Tsunami” has hindered the cause of Africa’s develop-

ment because while it is Asian countries that have suffered worst, restricting this tsunami to South East Asia forgets Africa, namely Somalia.

In the desperation to aid Thailand, Malaysia and their neighbours, where thousands of British tourists are still missing, we’ve forgotten about Somalia. And while our shocked gaze falls on South East Asia, we’ve forgotten about Africa.

There were very few British tourists in Somalia when the wave hit. Somalia isn’t a big tourist draw. As journalists poured into South East Asia to bring us every gruesome detail, Somalia’s suffering went largely unnoticed, as it has done for more than a decade.

When it comes to helping Africa we don’t focus on specific areas. Africa needs help. True enough, but the entire continent isn’t plagued by just one or two identical problems. AIDS and

S

omalia for example is a country with problems all its own. Just calling it a country is being very optimistic, because Somalia has been without a working government since 1991. Because of this statistics on living conditions and population are hard to come by, but it is estimated that quarter of all Somali children die before reaching age 5, and beyond that the life expectancy in Somalia is just 48 years.

Then there is a country we know a little more about, Zimbabwe. Because of our inability or refusal to deal with the country’s President, Robert Mugabe, this once prosperous southern African nation is stagnating in poverty. A country that used to be a major food exporter now sees half of its 12 million people rely on food aid.

West Africa has had little stability in recent years, and the Ivory Coast best exemplifies this problem. After

care in the future. Surely the warning signs are very much here. 150,000 people don’t seem like something to be dismissed lightly. So please accept a few things. Global warming is a reality. Reducing CO2 emissions and energy saving are essential. Your contribution does make a difference.

As industry and commercial use accounts for 36% of Britain’s CO2 emissions they are crucial sectors where energy savings can be made.

Unsurprisingly, the government has conspicuously failed to place any legislation on large industry. But the only way for this to happen is to increase the pressure ourselves. If people demonstrate their commitment to how important it is to save energy then governments will have to follow.

Individuals making energy savings also helps us to realise where big reductions can be made elsewhere.

Example? I question whether Concrete needs to deliver 10-15 papers to every campus corridor when most of them are thrown away unread.

People also seem to forget that businesses are run by individuals. So as more individuals are persuaded not

to waste energy maybe quite a few of these people will have significant influence in business and industry.

Pressure is also needed on the corporations. Just as governments depend on our votes, they depend on our money. So they can, and should be our bitches. Even shareholders have been worried by the loss of profits from the worldwide boycott of Esso (see www.stopesso.com).

There are success stories from around the world where people power has made a real difference. After seven years of popular protest in Thailand the government stopped the construction of two large coal-fired power plants. They backed solar energy instead.

As individuals we can make a difference to reverse the current trend in global warming. As university students we have an enormous potential influence, both now and as future leaders in our fields of study. It’s not an easy task, but the battle is not only worth fighting, its one we have to fight. As George W Bush put it “if we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure”.

those who don’t know is called the apocalypse – you know, four horsemen etc.) and when both sides have fought to the brink of extinction, God will return from Heaven and take all the believers (the evangelicals) to Heaven with Him, casting everyone else down into the fiery depths of hell.

George Bush, although not explicitly (he wouldn’t dare), is trying to contrive this very state of affairs, and our own Prime Minister has got himself firmly strapped in for the ride. I am not going to begrudge anyone something to believe in – although I believe religion is one of the major factors that allows our leaders to get away with so much. However, allowing someone with the ideas of Bush to run the most powerful country in the world is beyond my comprehension.

the grand scheme of things. An atrocity yes, but on the face of it only 3000 people died that day in Manhattan. The same day, 35’000 children starved to death. This happens every day! How many terrorist attacks has America suffered since 9/11? None. Just when are we going to realise that this diabolical fanaticism cannot go on?

America re-elected Bush, to their shame, but we in Britain have more sense than that. We cannot allow our money to be spent on killing innocent people any longer. If there is a God, surely He would value that more than allowing fundamental ideologues to dictate the nature of human existence?

I’ll end with a quote that aptly sums up the situation we have at present. The question I ask is this – to whom am I referring, George. W Bush or Osama bin Laden?

“Religious zealots have only one constituency: Their God. The more they do to bring their God’s dominion to earth, the more they will earn their God’s favour. The more destruction they cause, the more ungodly they kill, the greater will be their virtue in the eyes of their God. They will reap their reward in the afterlife, and innocents on earth will pay for it with their blood.”

M

odern democracy was created because people could no longer stand to be ruled by a monarch who gained his power from God. It was a noble beginning to a promising system, so where did we go wrong? Consider the thousands of children who die everyday because our hard-earned tax money is grossly misused.

To put things in perspective, allow me to illustrate just what 9/11 was, in

years of stability the country descended into civil war in 2002 and remains divided with rebels controlling the north and the government the south.

Then there’s AIDS. We opened our hearts and our wallets when a natural disaster hit South East Asia, but in terms of which is the biggest killer there is no contest. AIDS is the natural equivalent of a mass murderer. In Zimbabwe, as in most Sub-Saharan nations, the infection rate is shockingly high, one in four in the case of Zimbabwe. The region as a whole accounts for 64.5% of the world’s HIV cases. Perhaps 200,000 have perished in the Asian tsunami. In 2004 2.3 million people died of AIDS. The three countries I mentioned are just three in a continent that was carved into 52 nations long ago by asinine colonial powers. It’s those same powerful nations that are hurting Africa’s chances of development in the 21st century. We sing the praises of things like Band-Aid without realising that such charities are just that, band aids. The real remedy is not in annual charity drives, though they do help, it lies in whether our governments decide to do the two things we’ve been pressing them to do for years: cancel the

debts and level the world trade playing field.

I can’t help but laugh when rich countries demand debt repayment from countries like Sudan or the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Sorry about the genocide. Here are some blankets and bags of rice. And about that $3.5 billion you owe us…”

Reforming world trade so that it is even remotely fair to poor nations is complicated, but debt cancellation isn’t. It’s simple. A very poor country was leant money decades ago by several very rich countries, and even though the money helped, it didn’t produce the steady flow of income necessary to pay these debts off quickly.

When they aren’t paid off quickly, interest begins to pile up. This combined with inflation, means poor countries are being asked to pay more than they were originally leant.

So while it is vital we press our governments to make good on the pledges of aid they have made to South East Asia, we cannot forget that the world’s poorest continent is only getting poorer. Our donations to charities there will help, but we must make sure our governments do not forget that this year is the Year of Africa.

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IN CASE YOU DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE..

UK IDENTITY CARD BILL RUSHED THROUGH HOUSE OF COMMONS DURING CHRISTMAS

The suggested format for the new ID card

Sam Webber Political Editor

Perhaps the most controversial political debate at the moment is over the ‘Identity Cards Bill’, which had its second reading in the House of Commons on 20th December. Whilst the Bill passed through this stage of the parliamentary process fairly comfortably, it nevertheless caused a good deal of embarrassment for the government given the criticism of it from all sides of the house.

This was the first big test for new Home Secretary and Norwich South MP Charles Clarke. Despite much controversy over whether or not the Conservatives’ would support the government on this sensitive issue, they eventually decided that they would. Michael Howard wrote in The Daily Telegraph on the day of the vote, “I have listened to the police and security service chiefs.

They have told me that ID cards can and will help in their efforts to protect the lives of British citizens against terrorist acts. How can I disregard that?” Many

Photo: Philip Banks people must feel that he is wasting a perfect opportunity for the Conservatives’ to criticise what is widely though of as a somewhat ridiculous piece of legislation.

Numerous MPs on all sides of the house however, failed to agree with the Tory leader. In fact he failed to persuade ten of his own MPs, who voted against the bill. Nineteen Labour MPs also voted against the government, including Norwich North MP Dr Ian Gibson and former Cabinet Minister Clare Short. Rather like the vote immediately before the

One advantage of the new bill is the vast reduction in paper consumption

Photo: Sarah Watson

AN APOLOGY ISSUE 170 P.16 “CHRISTMAS INNUENDO” Concrete would like to issue a formal apology to Jarrold the Store for an article that appeared in issue 170 published on the 3rd December 2004.

The main picture of the article had a caption that implied a link between the article and the advert for Jarrold The Store that appeared on the same page. The caption was not intended to cause any offence to Jarrolds, or disrepute the store in any way.

Concrete would like to point out that Jarrold the Store, and any affiliated companies that featured on the advert, were in no way connected with the article. They are a company independent of Concrete and of any story run by Concrete.

Having upheld a complaint issued by Jarrold The Store, Concrete would like to fully and unequivocally apologise for any offence the caption may have caused.

Iraq War, it was the Liberal Democrats who were the only main party united in opposition to the bill. All 55 Lib Dem MPs voted against the bill.

So why is it such a sensitive issue? Why aren’t MPs supporting a bill, which is supposedly designed to ensure the safety of the British people? There are many reasons why the very thought of British citizens having to carry an identity card worries parliamentarians. They are seen to represent an Orwellian concept; that of the state keeping tabs on its citizens. One MP who spoke during the debate on 20th December ended his remarks by saying “I am afraid that, tonight, a Labour Government, with Conservative support, are turning us from nanny state into a Big Brother state.”

Also, the cost of implementing this system would be huge. The figures tend to change frequently, but this legislation would cost somewhere in the region of £6 Billion to fully implement, which does not include the cost of the cards themselves!

As it currently stands, each citizen would have to pay up to £85 for an ID card.

Certainly it’s fair to say that this money could be far bet-

ter spent on increased numbers of police officers in many parts of Britain.

Charles Clarke argued in the debate, “The case for this legislation is very strong.

Quite apart from the security advantages, there will be enormous practical benefits” He then went on to explain how the cards would make opening bank accounts and travelling abroad so much easier. He also focussed on how ID cards could greatly reduce benefit fraud in Britain, which costs roughly £50 million every year. There is no guarantee that the technology, which would be used, cannot be tampered with, leaving it open to misuse by criminal gangs and people traffickers.

Many people have criticised the proposed date of introduction for the cards. If they are needed to offer greater protection from terrorism, why are they not being made law until 2012?

It is difficult to imagine that the people of Norwich are desperately awaiting the introduction of ID cards.

Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne, Local Councillor and Lib Dem candidate in Norwich South, said recently, “If ID cards are such a vital weapon in combating terrorism and crime, then why

does Mr Clarke not plan to introduce them for another ten years? Norwich needs real investment in local police which represent better value for money and are more effective” There is no guarantee that, if Britain did have Identity cards, that they could stop a terrorist attack taking place. Various commentators have pointed out that Spain has ID cards and they certainly didn’t stop the Madrid bombings.

Identity cards have been connected with some of the worst regimes in recent decades such as Nazi Germany, South Africa under Apartheid and Rwanda, where ID cards simply aided the Tutsi massacre.

Almost certainly this legislation will be back in the news as it progresses through Parliament. It may be halted if a general election is called in April, to be held on 5th May. If you are unhappy about this legislation and its consequences then it’s best to write a letter to your MP, and to urge others to do the same. If you live in Norwich South, however, your response from Charles Clarke MP may be somewhat predictable.

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THE ELECTION YEAR THAT WAS In 2004 nearly half the world voted in national elections, some more democratic and far-reaching than others. From Australia to Afghanistan, Ghana to Great Britain, Presidents, Prime Ministers and new Parliaments took power in a year of enourmous change. Concrete takes a closer look at some of the most important elections that took place this past year.

The USA What: Presidential, Senate, House and Governor When: 2nd of November Results: Presidential George W. Bush (Republican): 60,608,582 (286 Electoral votes) John Kerry (Democrat): 57,288,974 (252 Electoral votes) Ralph Nader (Independent): 406, 880 (0 Electoral votes) Voter Turnout: 120, 200, 000 (59.9%) Senate (34 at stake, 100 total) Republican: 55 (+ 4) Democrat: 44 (- 4) Independent: 1 (no change) House of Representatives (435 at stake, 3 undecided, 435 total) Republican: 231 (+ 4) Democrat: 200 (- 3) Independent: 1 (no change)

Afghanistan What: Presidential When: 9th of October Results Hamid Karzai 55.4% Yonous Qanooni 16.3% Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq 11.6% Abdul Latif Pedram 1.4% Massooda Jalal 1.2 % Syed Ishaq Gilani 1% Voter Turnout: 8, 074, 500 (76.9%) President: Hamid Karzai The result of Afghanistan’s first ever democratic election was never in doubt. What was in doubt was the election itself, and whether remnants of the Taliban would make good on their pledge to violently disrupt it. They didn’t, and history was made in

The European Union (EU) What: Elections for the 732-member EU Parliament When: 10th –13th June Results: UK (Excluding Northern Ireland) 78 seats in 732-seat Parliament (2nd most in EU behind Germany’s 99)

The most important election of the year, perhaps of any year, was a major victory for Conservative America. The Republican Party retained control of the House, Senate, Governors’ mansions, and, to the despair of millions, the White House. Despite the ongoing violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, George W. Bush won a record number of popular votes in the most frenzied election of modern times. Ultimately it was the result all of us feared but none of us could fathom.

What this election should do, though, is make Americans rethink the Electoral College – again.

Bush won it 286 to 252, while winning the popular vote 60.6 million to 57.2 million. However, Bush only won the state of Ohio by 120,000 votes. Had Kerry won that state he would have received more Electoral votes, and thus won the election, despite receiving over 3 million fewer votes than Bush overall.

Central Asia as Afghanistan took its first tentative steps towards democracy.

The sight of veiled women voting for the first time in their lives was memorable, but the fact that an election was held does not guarantee Afghanistan’s future. The new President Hamid Karzai, who won the election after serving as interim President, faces arguably the toughest task of any leader in any country in the world. This year 1300 square kilometers of Afghan soil were used to grow poppies, the key ingredient for heroin and opium. 90% of the heroin in Britain comes from Afghanistan. Since the fall of the Taliban in November 2001 drug cultivation in Afghanistan has soared, and the country is in danger of falling into a lawless drug state.

46-year-old Hamid Karzai will begin running the country under the new constitution it adopted in 2004. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for later this year. Should he fail to improve the state of his nation, blame will fall not only on him, but on the Bush administration that helped his run for the Presidency. in the ten new members averaged just 26.4%.

This election will also be remembered as the one that put the UK Independence Party (UKIP) on the map. In the UK and many other nations Eurosceptic parties such as UKIP made huge gains. This, combined with the low turnout, spells trouble for the future of the EU. The next two years will see referendums or Parliamentary votes in all member states on whether to adopt the new EU Constitution. If just one nation votes against it, the whole thing collapses.

Below: Results for all of the EU (From BBC Online)

Conservative: 26.7% (-9%) 27 seats (-8) Labour: 22.6% (-5.4%) 19 seats (-6) UK Independence Party: 16.1% (+9.2%) 12 seats (+10) Liberal Democrat: 14.9% (+2.3%) 12 seats (+2) Green: 6.3% (no change) 2 seats (+2) British National Party (BNP): 4.9% (+3.9%) 0 seats (no change) Scottish National Party: 1.4% (-1.3%) 2 seats (no change) Plaid Cymru: 1% (-0.9%) 1 seat (no change) Voter Turnout: 16, 765, 000 (38.2% - 17th worst in EU) The EU held its first parliamentary elections since ten new members joined the Union in May 2004. Despite the excitement surrounding the enlargement, this election was blighted by apathy; overall voter turnout in the 25-member Union was just 45.7%, meaning that voter turnout in this election has dropped every year since it was first held in 1979, when the turnout was 63%. More worrying still is that the five countries with the lowest turnout were ones that joined the EU in May, and average turnout

Ukraine

Governor: (11 at stake, 1 undecided, 50 total) Republican: 28 (no change) Democrat: 21 (no change) Independent: 0 (no change)

What: Presidential When: Original Presidential election, 31st of October; run-off, 21st of November; re-run after run-off was annulled, 26th of December Results When this paper went to press, the official results of the election were not known, though preliminary figures show Yushchenko beating Yanukovych by 8%, or 2 million votes. Yanukovych is exhausting every legal possibility to challenge the result.

Had the newly elected President Viktor Yushchenko died from the assassination attempt he suffered in November, this year’s Presidential election in the Ukraine would have likely escaped the attention of the western media. As it was the massive amount of poison used to try and kill Yushchenko left him with a scarred and legion-covered face. It became the face of the Orange Above, from left to right: Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko, before and after he was poisoned.

Despite the noticeable setback he won the bitterly disputed election by two million votes.

South Africa Prime Minister Thabo Mbeki. His ANC Party won a landslide victory for the third election in a row.

Hamid Karzai won Afghanistan’s first-ever democratic Presidential election.

India What: General Election When: 20th April – 10th May Results: 542-member Parliament Indian National Congress: 220 Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP): 185 Marxist (CPM): 43 Others: 94 Voter Turnout: 383, 716, 896 (57%) Former Prime Minister: Atal Behari Vajpayee New Prime Minister: Manmohan Singh The world’s largest democracy went into action this year. The shock of the result was matched only by the sheer length and scale of the election itself - 668 million voters in 543 constituencies were eligible to vote in the four-stage, 20-day election.

The ruling BJP Party was expected to retain the majority it held after the last general election in 1999, but after voting ended on the 10th of May it was the opposition Congress party that emerged victorious.

But the drama didn’t end there. After the Congress

Other Elections

India’s new Prime Minister Manmohan Singh won a surprising victory in the world’s second most populous country.

Right: It wasn’t a nightmare, it was real. George W. Bush did what his Daddy could not and won a second term. Despite the lies of Iraq, the largest budget defecit in US history, an ultra conservative agenda and international loathing, Bush won by more than three million votes. party’s victory it was expected that the party’s leader, Sonia Gandhi, would become Prime Minister. But in a move that stunned India and the world, she turned the offer down.

The Gandhi name has been synonymous with Indian political leadership since the country achieved independence from Britain in 1947. Sonia Gandhi is the 57-year-old widow of the former India Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. His mother, a former Prime Minister, was assassinated in 1984. Rajiv Gandhi succeeded her as Prime Minister, only to be assassinated in 1991 by a Tamil suicide bomber.

Sonia stayed out of politics until 1998, when she joined the Congress party. Their victory in this year’s election meant she could continue the Gandhi tradition, but she declined the offer after listening to her “inner voice”, saying, “I never wanted to be Prime Minister.”

That job, then, falls to the man generally credited with India’s economic reform program, Manmohan Singh. He is ruling a country that has made great progress, but one that still faces enormous problems.

There is the on-going dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, a problem exasperated by the fact that each country has nuclear weapons capable of hitting the other. Then there is India’s population, over 1 billion and growing. Despite a large and influential middle class, India’s massive rural population is largely illiterate and impoverished.

Canada: Prime Minister Paul Martin’s Liberal Party of Canada won 135 of the 308 Parliamentary seats.

Uruguay: In the Presidential election the incumbent Jorge Batlle was defeated by the left-wing candidate Tabare Vazquez.

Botswana: The ruling Botswana Democratic Party, led by Festus Mogae, won a landslide victory in October and will rule for five more years.

South Africa What: General Election When: 14th April Results

Australia What: Federal Election When: 9th October Results 150-seat House of Representatives Liberal-National Coalition: 6, 179, 130 (40.47%) 74 seats Australian Labor Party: 5, 536, 002 (37.64%) 60 seats The Nationals: 690, 275 (5.89%) 12 seats The Greens: 841, 734 (7.19%) 0 seats CLP – The Territory Party: 39, 855 (0.34%) 1 seat Independent: 286, 206 (2.44%) 3 seats Voter Turnout: 12, 354, 470 (94.32% - Voting is compulsory in Australia) Prime Minister: John Howard

John Howard won a fourth successive term as Prime Minister after his Liberal-National coalition held off the challenge from Mark Latham’s Labor Party with surprising ease. And on the 21st of December he became Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister in history, clocking up a remarkable eight years, nine months and eleven days in office.

The election was fought over the usual domestic issues such as health care and the economy, but the most divisive issue was Iraq. Australia was one of the key members of the 32-nation coalition, and Mr. Howard pledged his full support to George W. Bush. He said the 850 Australian troops currently in Iraq would stay there until the job was done. However Labor leader Mark Latham was against the war and pledged to bring Australian troops home by Christmas if elected.

As well as winning a majority in the House of Representatives, Mr. Howard’s Coalition also gained control in the second House of Parliament, the Senate.

In the 76-seat Senate they now have 31 seats to Labor’s 28.

400-member National Assembly African National Congress (ANC): 10, 878, 251 (69.68%) 279 seats Democratic Alliance (DA): 1, 931, 201 (12.37%) 50 seats Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP): 1, 088. 664 (6.97%) 28 seats United Democratic Movement (UDM): 355, 717 (2.28%) 9 seats Independent Democrats (ID): 269, 765 (1.73%) 7 seats New National Party (NNP): 257, 824 (1.65%) 7 seats African Christian Democrat Party (ACDP): 250, 272 (1.60%) 6 seats Freedom Front: 139, 465 (0.89%) 4 seats United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP): 117, 792 (0.75%) 3 seats Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC): 113, 512 (0.73%) 3 seats Voter Turnout: 15, 612, 667 (76.73%)

Prime Minister: Thabo Mbeki South Africa held its third general elections since freeing itself from the horror of apartheid in 1994. As important as the result was the fact that, unlike 1994 and 1999, this election went off without any major incidents of violence.

In 1994 and 1999 Thabo Mbeki’s ANC party won a landslide victory, and this election was no different.

Although the country has improved during its ten years of democracy, the fact that the ANC is so dominant has begun to trouble many observers. No other party has been able to emerge as a credible opponent to the party formerly ruled by Nelson Mandela.

The ANC’s dominance may turn out to be its undoing.

This is because although they dominate South African politics, the country is still plagued by massive social and economic problems, the most devastating of which is HIV/AIDS. South Africa has the highest number of cases in the world, with over five million. Until recently the newly re-elected Mbeki disputed the link between HIV and AIDS. He also refuses to condemn the totalitarian regime of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe When South Africa holds its next general election in five years time, the question will be whether a credible opposition party can challenge the ANC’s grip on power.

Revolution.

On the 21st of November, then Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych claimed victory in the run-off Presidential election. Yanukovych was backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and advocated keeping Ukraine strongly allied with Russia, rather than seek membership of the EU and NATO, as Yushchenko supported.

However his “victory” on the 21st of November was not a victory at all. There were allegations of vote-rigging, which were later confirmed, and supporters of Yushchenko took the streets in protest. In the capital Kiev thousands of orange-clad supporters braved sub-zero temperatures and eventually forced another election.

In between the annulled election and the new one on the 26th of December, doctors confirm that Yushchenko was poisoned with a deadly dioxin.

Despite his near-death experience, Yushchenko won the Boxing Day election and, like Bush in the USA, is set to take control of a bitterly divided nation.

Cameroon: The incumbent Paul Biya won the October Presidential elections with more than 70% of the vote.

Ghana: John Kufuor won a second term in the Presidential elections in December.

Indonesia: In the first-ever direct – and peaceful – Presidential election in the country’s history, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono unseated the incumbent Megawati Sukamoputri.

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

Do ye speake de lingo, boy?

Sarah Smith takes a look at why the Norfolk dialect is disappearing and does her bit to help you understand the things those Norfolk folk say.

W

ell ‘as a bit o’ a rumman but it seem tha the Norfolk dialect is a-dis’ppearin’.

Now it would be nice to be able to say that thass a lot o’ bloomin squit, but we can’t. Few students will ever hear much of the Norfolk dialect even after three or four years in the area. The Norfolk accent is still quite common, though varying in strength, but the dialect is slowly fading from use.

This can partly be attributed to the fact that we live in an increasingly mobile society with people moving to different areas, even different countries, more frequently. Because of this it has become increasingly necessary for people to be able to communicate in a language that can be understood by all. For example, if you say to a ‘foreigner’ that you want ‘t’ av a mardle’, they’ll probably just look at you weirdly and ask if you feel ok. In order to be able to communicate effectively with everyone we encounter in our day to day lives there has to be one universal version of our language. Because of this the local characteristics of language are fading not only in Norfolk but all over the country.

Another problem is that as we lose older generations we also lose the people to teach dialect.

Successive generations are picking up fewer words than their parents and as this happens the dialect is disappearing. Amongst local O.A.Ps the Norfolk dialect can still be heard from those born and bred in the area. However, because of the discouragement of dialect in the education system and social mobility it is being passed down to younger generations less and less.

However, there is one area where dialect is still in common use, even if we do not realise it: place names. One of the things people often pick up quite quickly round here is that many place names are not spelt phonetically. From locals ,Norwich usually sounds like Norridge. Costessey is Cossey, Wymondham becomes Windham, and Postwick, Possick. All this can certainly make it interesting when asking for directions when you first come to the area. Earsham can become Arshun, Happisburgh, Hazebro and Reepham becomes Reefum. The list goes on and on with many of the smaller village names sounding even less like they are spelt.

There have been and continues to be various people who are trying to keep the dialect alive through events, groups and books. One of the first was Sidney Grapes who began writing his ‘Boy John Letters’ for the EDP in the 1940s. He was known for writing the way he spoke and spelling accordingly. Over the years several people have written books of stories in dialect such as ‘Bygones’, ‘I din’t say nothin’ and ‘A load of ole squit.’ One of the most well known is ‘Larn yourself Norfolk’ by Keith Skipper.

One group who are actively campaigning to preserve the dialect is the Friends Of Norfolk Dialect (FOND), founded in 1999. The group was founded by Keith Skipper, a well known expert on Norfolk dialect. The group aims to preserve the dialect by recording words, phrases, stories and songs from the area. They also organise dialect evenings known as FOND dews where speakers can express their views on life and language.

They help out TV and film companies by offering advice on getting the dialect right. They are also

campaigning for the Norfolk dialect to be taught as a subject in local schools.

A

nother group preserving the dialect is Origins at the Forum, an award winning attraction that looks into the past of Norfolk. Spread over three levels it looks at the history and geography of the area over two thousand years. It begins with a section on the various settlers and invaders of Norfolk and later shows how the dialect has been influenced by them all; the Danes, Normans, French, Dutch, and Flemish. In a section devoted to Norfolk dialect you can test your accent and your understanding of local dialect. It is hoped that the attraction will help educate people about the area they live in, and with its popularity with school trips hopefully it will help provide the next generations of dialect speakers to keep the Norfolk tradition going for a few more years.

The Norfolk dialect is one of those true British dialects. In terms of ease of recognition, most of us can spot Norfolk folk the way we can pick out a Geordie, a Scouser or a Cockney. It’s not always the dialect we recognise; sometimes we have trouble understanding a word that’s been said. It is the accent that grabs our attention.

So for those of you not from the area here are some useful Norfolk words and

phrases: Bor - Boy. Mawther - Girl. Mardle - talk or chat. Rumman - has scores of meanings but roughly is anything you can’t understand or exciting. Jip - Aggravation, annoyance in the sense of pain. Cor Blast Me! - Norfolk expletive along the lines of ‘Well I’ll Be Blowed’. Squit - nonsense. On the huh - wonky, not level. Hummer - lie. Bishybarney-bee is a ladybird. Dodman - snail. Hold y’r blaaren’ - stop crying. Garpen outa the winder - looking out the window. Warmint (still pronounced with a v)- vermin (May be of use with some student housing.). Pearper - paper. Dewin’ diffrunt - independent or individual.

For further information on Origins call 01603 727922 or check out their website at www.theforumnorwich.co.uk and follow the links. Students get in at a reduced rate. The exhibit contains information on the area from the various settlers, famous locals and the environment. It also includes a 180 film on the area. It is especially aimed at Key Stage two and three history and geography students and with this in mind there are lots of hands on and interactive displays. Their shop also contains a variety of books and CDs on dialect.

For more information on FOND visit their website at www.norfolkdialect.com/index.html.

More information as well as the option to put forward your own opinions is also available on the BBC Norfolk website at www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/talk/talk_dialect.shtml.

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LAST ORDERS AT THE BAR This year pubs in Britain will be able to stay open 24-hours a day. Will we sip our drinks calmly all night as they do in mainland Europe? Or will the binge-drinking culture this rule trys to eliminate simply spiral out of control? Clare Dodds examines the new rules and discusses the pros and cons.

I

t’s a typical scene for many Britons: 10:50pm, the bell for last orders has just rung and the bar queue builds up. By 11 o’clock the crowds are piling out of pubs and onto the streets. Rowdy and often violent, the features of a binge drinking session are all too familiar as police and medical services are inundated with cases of drunken injury and crime. But what if there was no closing time? Would this all change?

In a new strategy to crack down on such antisocial behaviour, twenty-four hour licenses will be made available to all drinking establishments in the country. Current proceedings suggest it is likely to come into action by November next year. The question is, as a nation so notoriously troubled

with alcohol related problems, are we ready for such a relaxation on our laws?

In 2003 the Government received royal assent for the Licensing Act, a regime intent on improving entertainment services whilst also ‘minimising public disorder’. Following in European footsteps, the new law will hopefully produce a calmer and safer approach to evenings out. But as a country so well adapted to the traditional closing hours it is questionable whether longer and later licensing hours will really benefit us at all.

One city aiming to benefit from the new act is Nottingham. Being one of the 77 cities targeted by the Government as part of their ‘Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy’ it is evident that Nottingham is overwhelmed by the level of drink-related assault. With up to 70,000 people every Friday and Saturday embracing the city’s nightlife it is unlikely that closing time is going to remain peaceful.

How will twenty-four hour licensing improve current behaviour then? It is inevitable that after downing the final pint and staggering out onto the street, a crowd is going to entice some form of anti-social behaviour. The introduction of later opening hours is hoping to discourage this.

Customers are likely to leave at different times throughout the night rather than the mass pile out caused by sudden closure.

Another focus of the strategy is to eliminate the drinking rush caused by strict closing at 11

o’clock. “Having closing hours can encourage further binge drinking. We have to drink within a certain time limit before closure” says Clare Wright, PSS MGT 2. Keeping venues open later or even all hours allows the public the freedom to drink when they like, at the pace they choose, without any pressure.

Despite these advantages, the new regime is not going to change the nation’s attitude to alcoholism overnight. One of the major problems with the entertainment services is the lack of late night social venues other than pubs, bars and clubs all of which put a great emphasis on drinking. The Government has taken this into account and has outlined in the Licensing Act the intention of introducing ‘late night refreshment houses and cafes’.

The movement towards a more continental cafe culture may prove to be popular ‘We should take a leaf out of the book of Europe.’ Em Kuntz AOS PG claims.

Having access to other social meeting points late into the evening such as cafes would extend the appeal of ‘going out’ to a wider age range and also to those who do not drink. “It would take the emphasis away from alcohol and put it on socialising” claims another student Luwam Fessahaye, SOC 3.

But does the idea of extending opening hours and altering our entertainment culture really appeal to the general public? For many, the concept of having twenty four hour access to alcohol will only encourage further binge drinking.

Rather then following the theory that customers will pace their drinks, many may take the option of drinking more for longer periods of time. For Daisy Glean, PSI 2, later opening hours will not benefit us. ‘It will only encourage more anti-social behaviour; people won’t know when to stop”.

For a city like Nottingham these disadvantages are crucial. The possibility that the extension of drinking hours may encourage greater alcoholism is a major problem for the city which claims to have one bar or pub for every day of the year. With such an immense amount of drinking establishments in such a concentrated area, the extension of hours may result in prolonging the crowding in the city centre. Consequently, violence may occur all through the night as people continuously leave pubs and clubs, rather than just at the risk period between 11pm and 3am.

This is of great concern to local authorities, which currently struggle to deal with crime resulting from the drunken crowds at closing time. Local police forces are already removing officers from the suburbs of Nottingham to deal with overcrowding in the city centre on weekend evenings. It has to be taken into account then that along with an increase in licensing, there has to be an increase in the amount of police officers on duty throughout the night.

Along with this, public transport has to be targeted. For Nottingham

this is less of a problem as travel is available until 4 o’clock in the morning. But, for smaller cities and towns, transport has to be provided in order to avoid the crowding on streets which can lead to violence.

How does the Government propose to deal with these problems? An important feature of the act is that it is very flexible. All venues including pubs, bars and clubs will be allowed to apply for later licenses. This does not mean that every drinking establishment in the country will be open twenty four hours a day, every day of the week.

Each venue will receive licensing only if it is likely to benefit by reducing noise and violence. Even then the license may only extend opening times

by a couple of hours. What is also important is that licensing will only apply to peak times at the weekend, when crime and violence is at its worst.

All of these decisions will be made by local authorities who have the right to withdraw bans and consider appeals by local residences who may be affected.

In relation to Nottingham’s problems with overcrowding, the flexibility of the act will hopefully resolve this. By giving power to the local authorities, licenses can be granted and removed according to whether safety and behaviour in the city centre is improving. With public transport already prepared for longer hours of service in the city, Nottingham may witness a beneficial change with the arrival of extended licensing.

The general public in the rest of England and Wales look set to gain from the new Licensing Act. Apart from giving us more options for an evening out, over time the atmosphere late on a Friday or Saturday night will hopefully become safer. However, we are a long way off from creating an attitude less focused on alcoholism. Our obsession with drinking to the extreme is not simply a result of early closing times but extends beyond anything that the new regime can offer us.

Only over time may we experience a change as the new laws try to take the focus away from alcohol related entertainment. In the not too distant future, though, that 11 o’clock deadline may become a thing of the past.

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005 C U T S H O RT

YOUR MOVE

T

his section is where Turf suggests how readers can do their bit to make the world a better place. Today we focus on that subject that seems to obsess many an environmentalist Waste.

Most people in Britain produce way too much waste. Compared to the rest of Europe our recycling practices are way below par. Here are a few tips to reduce your waste.

COMPOST - For those of you who have a garden, there is no excuse for not composting. All it takes is a plastic bucket in the kitchen and you can reduce your daily waste by half. If you have no access to a garden yourself there is still no reason why you shouldn't separate your organic waste from your other recyclables and other waste.

USE LESS - Even more important than processing your waste is producing less in the first place. Packaging is responsible for a ridiculous amount of waste, and it's not hard to reduce this by thinking about what you buy. Avoid heavily wrapped products and try to find recyclable bags and baggage.

HOTTER AND HOTTER 2004 - Another year highlights the global warming trend.

A

s 2004 came to an end it was confirmed as another record breakingingly hot year. Witnessing the world's hottest October, 2004 was declared the fourth warmest on record by the World Meteorological Organisation. Even before the Asian Tsunami, the year had been the most expensive ever for the insurance industry due to payouts for damage from natural disasters such as hurricanes and typhoons, one of the worst of which occurred in Haiti last May. This report came as Buenos Aires played host to environmental ministers from 80 different countries discussing

the issue of climate change. The conference was aimed at looking at ways to cut greenhouse gases, as even sceptics have come to recognise the human influence of global warming. The General Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, called for an end to the "delay and doubt" that has impended an international resolution to tackle the problem.

Statistics were released at the climate change conference that revealed how natural disasters across the world in the first 10 months of the year cost the insurance industry just over $35 billion, compared to $16 billion in 2003. Most of the collateral damage was done in the Caribbean and Untied States, where the hurricanes of 2004 caused more than $43 billion in damages.

Although seemingly insignificant compared to the Boxing Day tsunami (which was not climate related), hundreds of lives were lost in Asian typhoons earlier in the year. This marks a growing trend, with weather linked disasters rising all the time.

C

RECYCLE EVERYTHING - This should be old hat by now, but too many people are still throwing out their papers and cans.

Almost everything can be recycled now, and it's easy to avoid those materials that aren't. Some plastics have no future other than a landfill site, so check what you are buying. Recyclable products will usually be labeled, so it only takes a second or two to discover how wasteful you might be being.

Parking On The Broad

F

igures for the World Meteorological Organization, compiled by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia's very own climate research centre, reveal that 2004 has been the fourth warmest year globally since records began in oh so long ago in 1861. Global mean surface temperature over land and sea was 0.44 °C above the

1961-1990 average; for land areas alone, it was even warmer at a scorching 0.67 °C above the average. The last ten years have seen 9 of the 10 warmest years on record with only the tepid 1996 not making the top ten.

Phil Jones of the Climate Research Unit at the UEA said, "That 9 of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred in the last decade is truly remarkable."

CAR PARK BY STEALTH?

oncern has been rising over the cars being parked outside Suffolk Terrace. The area has been set up to aid the construction work taking place, but people are becoming increasingly annoyed at the disruption being caused to the broad.

It is unclear what planning procedures were involved in the temporary car park, or exactly how long it is due to remain. The area has been fenced off and creates a path between Bluebell Road and

Suffolk Terrace. It has been criticized for the effect it has on the landscape as well as the fact that it's bisection of the broad restricts student movements. One student who preferred to remain anonymous said he finds the obstruction to his journey to campus in the mornings a ‘real headache’ and it means he has to get up early to get to lectures on time.

It has been acknowledged that the construction work requires a space for the necessary vehicles to park, but it has also been suggested that a less intrusive

arrangement could have been made.

Any development that the university starts is bound to create suspicion after the controversy surrounding the multistory car park. It was discovered that the car park had long been planned without any consultation with the student body, and many feel that the university has been undemocratic in many of its new developments. This new temporary car park may not be a permanent project, but with the University's track record any work will prove unpopular.

A new study has shown that only 13% of construction companies adopt environmentally friendly measures. The research, carried out by NetRegs (www.netregs.gov.uk), also revealed that only 19% of firms questioned had even heard of the Duty of Care Regulations, and pointed out that just a few simple changes can help firms cut their energy costs by up to a third.

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005 Regional airline Eastern Airways has taken delivery of two 50 seat Saab 2000 aircraft, one of which will be based at Norwich Airport. Along with this announcement the airline said "We now fly ten flights each weekday out of Norwich and…, there can be little doubt as to the importance we place on East Anglia as one of the major hubs within our network." They are said to be working on developing new routes and introducing new destinations shortly.

Projections show that the EU should be able to succeed in meeting their Kyoto targets. The pre-2004 EU Member States could cut their total emissions to 7.7% below 1990 levels by 2010 with existing domestic policies and additional policies and measures currently planned. Six EU states will implement the method of carbon trading and emissions-saving proj ects in third countries (the Kyoto Protocol's "flexible mechanisms") creat ing a further reduction of around 1.1%, enough to achieve the target.

Debates surrounding the multi story car park project are still roaring, though no further development has been announced. STAG (the Sustainable Transport Action Group), will continue to encourage better alternatives, while trying to work with the university and influence them where they can.

THE EARTH YOU TREAD A new year, a new look at your life.

How can you be greener?

A

new year is a good time to examine your footprint. Your ecological footprint. This is a term developed by environmentalists to determine how much space we are taking up on this planet. It has been calculated that there are 11.4 billion hectares of biologically productive land on the earth. So when this is divided up by the planets population of 6 billion, we can see that we should be using no more than 1.9 hectares each. It may come as little surprise that most of us are using more than this. Much more…

By analysing the way that we live our lives - the food we eat, the journeys we take - we can calculate just how much land we are taking up. This is called our ecological footprint. The average Britain is using 5.4 hectares, meaning that if everyone in the world lived like us Brits we would need three Earths to sustain us.

Much of the population in the third world is living off a little over a thousandth of a hectare, but the global average is somewhere around 2.2 hectares. Taking up more than our allotted space is the reason for depleting state of the world's nat-

ural resources. As we are consuming more than the world is producing rainforests are shrinking, fish stocks are dwindling and animals are becoming extinct. If we continue like this for ever there will be nothing left for any of us.

Fortunately there is much you can do to reduce the size of your footprint. First of all you should find out exactly how big your footprint is. There are many websites out there that will help you with the calculation by offering you a questionnaire to fill in. A good one to try is http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index. asp. Even the more environmentally aware readers by get a shock at the damage they are doing. Although common place things such as recycling and restricted car use will help reduce your impact on the planet, issues that are often overlooked such as your diet and your living arrangements will always take their toll. Those that like to travel will be in for the biggest shock. If you took a trip around the world in the last few years that's half your allotted hectares already used up. he way most people eat is completely unsustainable.

That is simply a fact. The meat that is sold from fast food outlets or cheaply from supermarkets cannot be produced at that price and quantity without draining the planet. The animals are usually kept in cramped conditions, but this is not what's causing the environmental damage. Huge areas of rainforest are cut down to provide space for cattle which will only be fertile enough for a few years. After this new areas must be found, and this is the only way to maintain such a regular production of meat.

Now it is not being suggested that we all have to become vegetarians. It is true that vegetarians will have a smaller footprint. This is due to the fact that all their food comes directly from the land and no energy is lost through the lives of the animal. But it is still possible to maintain an environmental sustainable meat-eating diet. Granted, for some carnivores this may mean a slight reduction in their meet intake. A sensible diet can include three or four portions of meat a week. This is still more than humans have been used to for all of their previous existence before the last centaury. ow what about your house?

You dispose of waste properly, you may even have a green electricity supplier, but the place that you live in may be having more of an effect on your footprint than you think. The size of your house obviously makes a difference. Most students will not be heard boasting that they have plenty of unused space in their home, but empty rooms are an unnecessary excess to your footprint.

The temperature that you keep your house at makes the biggest difference. It has been noted before that central heating is responsible for nearly two thirds of domestic energy consumption. Turning down your thermostat a few degrees and donning a jumper instead will seriously reduce the effect you have on the planet. nd then there's the shopping trip. The subject of food miles is one that has often come up in Turf. The majority of food you will see in the supermarket has traveled hundreds of miles to get on the shelves. When you buy this food you are encouraging unnecessary journeys, often by planes, which uses massive amounts of fossil fuels needlessly. Take a little time to select the local products and shrink that footprint a little more.

TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT With the glorious sunny days we've been witnessing this January, and with the raucous racing winds, every tree looks spectacular enough to bring you to your knees. But to ask for a favorite? Well, even the hardiest fan of roads and concrete will stop and cry every time they pass this particular oak. The regular fans of tree of the fortnight will have noted that the Quercus Robur, or common oak, has been selected as tree of the fortnight once before. Anyone who feels concerned over the repetitious choice of this issue is advised to wonder down by the broad on a brisk winters afternoon, and spot this oak shining in all it's oaky glory.

When the sun is in just the right position (around 3.47 pm) we have discovered it is quite impossible to hold back the tears of ecstasy.

Height: 50 - 150 Ft Spread: Same as height (approx) Shape: Rounded Foliage: Leaves 3-5 inches with 3 to 7 pairs of rounded lobes, deep green until autumn, turning brown and remaining on the tree into winter.

Flower: Hanging catkins in spring Fruit: Acorn

The amount of money that the US government has pledged towards the tsunami relief effort = The amount of money the US government has released to tackle the AIDS crisis in 14 different African nations = The amount of money that the US government spent every 8 hours on the pentagon during 2004 (which doesn't include its Iraqi operations) =

T

T A

Quercus Robur

SUMMED UP

$350 million

I

t is all too easy to forget that every action you take in life, every detail of your lifestyle, has an implicit effect on the planet. From the clothes you wear to the journeys you take. Think about the way you live more often and maybe, hopefuly, there will be some planet left for future generations.

The number of people TESCO employs in the UK (more than twice the number that the US army employs) = The population of Wolverhampton = The estimated number of people in temporary accommodation in London =

237,000 The cost of a cruise missile = The amount of money a female IT sales executive was recently awarded from a sex discrimination court case = The amount of money it costs to send a plane full of clean water and sanitation equipment to the tsunami struck region of southeast Asia =

£100,000

Disgraced Athlete Admits:

I used the eye of the tiger (PAGE 3)

EVERYTHING’S SUPER UEA needs another hero

Disclaimer: for illustrative purposes only; actual hero may not be as impressive

With global anxiety at an all-time high, UEA has joined several prominent Norwich businesses in signing up to a controversial new protection scheme.

Following the lead of American institutions such as Walmart and International House of Pancakes, UEA will join Norwich Union, The Forum and City Care in employing a permanent, onsite superhero. However, hampered by students' selfish, shortsighted refusal to pay vastly increased tuition fees, UEA is struggling to afford a hero with genuinely substantial powers, leading some to question whether the plan is worthwhile.

At the time of going to press, the University's top brass were close to signing a deal with Captain Pliable, a veteran of the UK superhero scene, whose main power, according to his website (www.captainpliable.freeserve.co.uk) is double-jointed fingers.

In response to accusations that, in the current climate of terrorism and natural disasters, Captain Pliable's skills are insufficient, UEA released the following statement: "While we acknowledge that Mr. Pliable was not our first choice hero [The Mighty Mustache and Bovine-man and were taken by higher bidders], we maintain he will make a valuable contribution to the safety of the University. To give just two examples, imagine if a bomb were found and the off-switch was at a really awkward angle, or if, for some reason, we needed someone to hold a lot of things at the same time; should any of those circumstances occur, UEA will be fully prepared.

Yet rumours are beginning to circulate that Captain Pliable might not even be as pliable as he once was. Said one anonymous dissenter, "I've got nothing personal against the man, it's just that, as he's 78 years old, it's only natural that his joints are starting to seize up. And everyone knows they only picked him because he's also agreed to teach languages."

But such words have fallen on deaf ears (in particular Captain Pliable's - he wears two hearing aids), and the hero is expected to be unveiled next Tuesday at a lavish ceremony.

So remember - the next time you're in trouble, and no one else can help, raise one crooked finger to the sky… and Captain Pliable will come running.

NEWS IN BRIEF Stuff you missed over Christmas

Reports that the many ghosts at UEA are caused by the University's location on top of an ancient Indian burial ground have been dismissed as "mistaken". A UEA spokesperson remarked, it was all because of a spelling error. When we put 'burial ground' we actually meant 'golf course'. The ghosts refused to comment.

It now seems possible that some of the events depicted in popular motion picture Jurassic Park were not exactly true to life. A researcher at local polytechnic, The University of East Anglia, has published a

report suggesting Jeff Goldblum could not have worn the sunglasses/leather jacket combination he sports in the film. According to the researcher, "It simply isn't possible."

According to a survey conducted over Christmas, UEA students are 15% more likely to enjoy slight-of-hand conjuring tricks than the national average. Someone we tackled in the street said, "That's extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary."

Norwich scientists are baffled as to how to proceed in testing a local cat that may have

a tenth life. Said one, "The problem is that the cat's seventh 'death' may not have been fatal. Some of my colleagues want to try killing it again, but I'm not so sure."

Although it didn't snow on Christmas Day in Norwich, some lucky punters did receive payouts, thanks to a hilarious brain-defect in the head of one bookmaker. The defect caused him to see white, snow-like spots in his vision. Brian Carlsberg, a local welder and hairdresser said, "It's great. I don't need the money, but will enjoy spending it." Now bankrupt, the bookmaker isn't expected to live through the night.

The Student Union has announced its 2005 campaign to make UEA more environmentally friendly. Top of the list is a new society devoted to firing at cars with air rifles.

President of the society, Knuckles Capone, insists those who think the activity could be dangerous are "stupid and wrong. Air rifles pellets are hardly ever fatal, and even when

Your Problems Solved Prof.

Roderick Mulhapton Filkington-Phipps, Rodders to his friends, senior economic adviser to the World Bank and the IMF gives informed counsel to your personal problems.

Dear Rodders Since arrriving in this country from China, I have very much enjoyed all the experiences offered to me by English Culture. I have made many friends and have appreciated the freedom allowed to the youth of this country.

All this is under threat, however, as the lecturers on my course are saying that my work is not of the standard expected from a second year student. They say that if I don’t imporve, rapidly, then I won’t pass my second year of study. This would mean that I am sent home in disgrace, having virtually bankrupted my family by coming to the UK. I have spoken to some English friends and I have been reading in the Media that the Educational establishments of this country are conning people like me by lowering the standard of their English entrance exam so that we will come here and pay our tuition fees. Then, after two years, they fail us and we go home ashamed. Is this true? If so, what can I do?

Yours, Shamed Dear Shamed The situation you have heard of is very common in the educational climate of today. It is very likely that your University has ‘pulled a fast one’, so to speak, and is currently using your tuition fees to stuff a handmade quilt.

Your predicament is a result of rational choice. You realised that the education you were to receive here was better than that in your native country. That the gamble hassn’t paid off is your own fault. Of course the Universities will take advantage of your ambition; but they can’t have the likes of you graduating with a half-decent degree. Why, that would put the whole system in disrepute.

they are, it's because the person deserves it."

A ten pence coin was found on the floor in the square in late December. If you think the coin, which is silver and has a serrated edge, might be yours, please claim it at the UEA Enquirer lost property office. All lost property is subject to a three pound storage change.

Jurassic Park: unlikely

22 concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk

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Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

Fashion Notebook: What spring will bring

Colour

When catwalk model Erin O’connor decided to rest her stilettos a while and produce her own fashion show, where did she go? Where do most fashion experts hail from? The north of course.

Born and bred in that wellknown fashion mecca Birmingham, O’connor headed home to produce her first show at the NEC Arena. Her intention was to create a show that used her 10 years experience as a successful catwalk stalker. She had

After a season of subdued hues, colour is going to hit us right between the eyes. Ms O’connor showed us how to work a host of florescent colours and (just) avoid the cyclist look. Mix putrid pink, lightning yellow and electric blue.

Erin urged the audience to be confident and crazy this season, and she knows.

cleverly mixed bits from the fore front of fashion designers like Armani and Matthew Williamson with pieces we can pick up from the high street, like Zara and Topshop. The result was breathtaking, and had O’connor’s eccentricity stamped all over it.

Concrete was in attendance and with a little help from Erin, Laura Cobb identifies this springs trends. You heard it here first.

Mixing and Mis-matching This season we’ll all be layering, so make like your favourite bag lady, and wear as many of your clothes at once. Think of tying a cardigan over a dress under a vest and over trousers. Prints are still important and if you want to be seen, wear them in clashing colours, conflicting textures and opposing patterns.

The audience fell for the beautiful flamboyant dresses made entirely of feathers, which Erin had paired with plain trousers and sky-scraper heels (If you only buy one item this season make it a bright and beautiful feather).

Sportswear

Cropped trousers Whenever fashion invents As covered by Concrete last season, a strict style there’s always cropped trousers are still big news. Denim, a backlash. Whilst winter linen, khaki... whatever floats your boat, had us appearing more these trousers are ideal for them gorgeous prim and proper than Spring afternoons sipping Snakebite in the Miss Marple, according to square.

Erin, sportswear will be big this spring. The ladylike looks of last season have been replaced with a more androgynous movement. Her models strut- Boho ted their stuff in pilot goggles and swimming- As Sienna Miller announced her recent engagement to Jude Law, it became apparent that the style rubber caps. Lycra title currently esteemed to her: person-whosand leather played a wardrobe-we’d-most-like-to-have, was bound to strong lead, it seems waterproof fabrics are the continue. Sienna’s boho style is evident on all the catwalks for Spring/Summer 05; we especially way forward. love little Indian slippers with sequins and beads.

Comfy, casual and sexy, they are perfect with jeans, linen trousers or a gorgeous summer skirt.

A definite must for your wardrobe this season.

Concrete Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

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concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea 23

THE FUTURE’S RAMPANT, THE FUTURE’S RABBIT Laura Cobb has some hands on experience with what really goes on at an Ann Summer’s party....

T

he founder of Ann Summers, Jacqueline Gold aims to encourage women to feel “good about themselves and their sexuality”. The parties are a chance to buy lingerie and sex toys in the comfort of your own home. Ann Summer’s nights take the sleaze out sex stuff and provide a liberating opportunity for women to chat openly about the quest for “the big O” (alone and with company). There’s a strong emphasis on talking about sex candidly without shame. It is also illegal for a man to attend an Ann Summer’s party as the high sexual content would class it as an orgy.

male readers may fail to understand, is that most women need more than Abi Titmuss on the front of Nuts and a box of tissues to keep us satisfied. Ann Summer’s has locked onto the fact that women, well, have

else when one of your bingo numbers is called. My word is so rude it would make Jenna Jameson blush. My friend wins the round and is asked to fake an orgasm, a bit too convincingly.

Next the lovely Polly shows us her underwear. Along with the obvious, Ann Summer’s also does a lingerie range. We ooh and aah over the stunning styles and there’s something for everyone, very elegant underwear sets made of lace and silk, and very daring sets, made of nothing much at all, complete with tassels and clips. However there’s not something for every budget, the prices aren’t exactly student friendly.

Men are always shaking hands with shorty, why shouldn’t girls do the same? needs. And there’s not a girl alive that couldn’t be “happy” at least once with this lot. Polly is like a porno version of Mary Poppins, and we are delighted about the number of goodies she’s fitted into a bottomless bag. There’s some that buzz and flick, some that wobble, some with ears and even some with beads. Well, men are always shaking hands with shorty, why shouldn’t girls do the same?

Even Boots are thinking of selling vibrators and in Britain alone the sex toy industry is worth £1000,000,000. Ann Summer’s has strived to bring delight to women nationwide, and with the help of programmes like Sex in the City, such subjects have become more talked about and less taboo.

Polly encourages us to compare strengths of the toys (just in our hands!), there’s even a vibrator that works like a pair of pants, complete with a remote control.

We then play another game and try on some of Polly’s collection, which even includes nurses’ outfits. We then spend a third of

Most women need more than Abi Titmuss on the front of Nuts and a box of tissues to keep us satisfied.

So being the mature, sexually aware students that we are, to celebrate our first Ann Summer’s party, we made a willy cake, complete with chocolate shavings and a cream-filled centre!

Polly, a UEA student, is our host.

She arrives and very soon we’re playing bingo, although I doubt Granny would approve. Polly’s idea of bingo involves shouting out a word, chosen by someone

A

our loans on various treats. Polly bids us goodbye, telling us to book as many parties as we can and encourage our friends to do the same. “Come again,” she says. I’m sure we will.

Ann Summers caters for sizes 8 to 22, (be warned the 8 is tiny).

We’re shocked to hear that Polly even puts on parties for people our mums age. Of course we know she’s lying, parents don’t enjoy things like this.

Although this lingerie is all fun and good, we’re a bit more interested in seeing the stuff that Ann Summer’s is renowned for.

The toys. Let’s hear it for the toys. The thing that some of you

What to remember: 1. Don’t attend an Ann Summers party if you’re prudish, or think some things are sacred. You’ll be encouraged to talk and even shout about your sex life.

2. Drink. A lot. You’ll find that like the vodka, the embarrassing confessions will flow.

3. It’s best if you know your guests well. Discussing positions and pleasure with strangers is just wrong.

So be open minded, be drunk and do it with friends. Bit like an orgy really.

A BODY WORTH DYING FOR?

s dedicated Fashionistas, the select Concrete two recently attended the NEC arena, Birmingham to watch the Clothes Show Live.

This is a yearly event which involves catwalk shows parading the latest trends and lots of shops at which to buy them. We cast an educated eye on the up and coming trends for 2005, in the hope we could report back to you, the Concrete style watcher.

designers are gay, they have a fixation with choosing starving, asexual models who basically look like men. This is of course rubbish and just as many female designers chose malnourished mannequins rather than celebrating the female form, curves and all.

In their defence, designers claim that they use such tiny models because styles simply look better on a size 6 (or smaller). A designer who is currently contributing a clothes collection to H+M was angered that his designs may be worn by those of

In fashionable terms it seems that to be a single digit size is to be perfect.

However, we returned home feeling a little more than tired.

We felt fat. The fashion team agreed we’d never been that close to girls that skinny. It was kind of like being in the proximity of mass of sculpted skeletons.

To describe these creatures, I’m going to need a lot of similes, their ribs looked like xylophones, their limbs hung like string and their cheekbones were bladesharp. Even we, intelligent Concrete journalists, felt a bit crap. So what effect must these models be having on young girls? Laura Cobb reports.

Some people claim that since a number of the catwalk clothes

us larger than a size 14.

In fashionable terms it seems that to be a single digit size is to be perfect.

The media seems to believe this too and magazines are determined to tell us what mingers we all are, because if we’re not dieting like the rich and famous we should be. There was a time when songstresses were rated on their singing ability, not dress size. Having your hips highlighted in print can’t do much to boost a girls confidence.

Although we can’t blame the frightening influx of famous anorexics on the media but it seems a good place to start.

If you are concerned about yourself or a close friend, then the national Eating Disorders Association is right here on our doorstep in Norwich. Set up in 1989, the association helps people to overcome their problems. Issues are dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

Contact them by post: Eating Disorders Association 103 Prince of Wales Road Norwich NR1 1DW. Or call the EDA Youthline on: 0845 634 7650 Or visit their website: http://www.edauk.com

Eating disorders are now as common in celebrity circles as Jodie Marsh. If you’re female and famous, you’re fasting.

What’s most alarming is the way these images of perfection are affecting the non-famous. We wondered how many girls left the Clothes Show promising themselves they would start a diet. We certainly didn’t eat (as much) ice cream that night.

It was recently recognised that children as young as five were developing eating disorders.

Although evidently other factors are at play, many children (boys too) stated that they were influenced by the media. If you type anorexic into any internet search engine and for every anti-anorexic site there will be five which promote eating disorders. These sites and the societies they promote are called “Pro-Ana”. The pages feature photos of starving models which are idolised by the groups. They also include advice on how to starve yourself and “the thin commandments”, one of which stated that “fat is ugly”.

What’s most sad is that these websites are aimed at impressionable, teenage girls.

How the models managed the pace of the catwalk and remained that thin is a terrifying thought. Of course they could be naturally that beautiful and that tiny. But how many people do you know who fit that criteria? A

recent interview with an exmodel revealed the extremes she would go to keep herself trim.

She claimed models would often eat only tissues and ice cubes, and live in a constant cycle of exercise and starvation, and even go to such extremes as sleeping naked in a freezing room –to burn off more calories.

Although the catwalk is attempting to answer outcry with the introduction of a tiny amount of “bigger” models, this is fairly futile. Sophie Dahl was a normal size for about, five minutes, and soon succumbed to temptation (or ignored it) and become a size 8. The Clothes Show’s token plus-size was Jodie Kidd who is shock-horror - a size 12.

The irony is that men don’t even find the skeletal look a turn-on.

How often do you hear a man say, “She has the most gorgeous ribs I’ve even seen”? It seems to be the fashion minority which find starvation sexy. But why should big not mean beautiful?

In everyday life there are millions of people who are of less than perfect proportions, and perfectly happy, they’re just not catwalk models.

Designers should use their mighty influence to project a positive image of a woman onto young people and fill the catwalks with normal sized models.

24 concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk

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HOROSCOPES Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19 You’ll need to rely on your natural optimism to get through this fortnight. Where others see huge mountains of coursework and sleepless nights, you see new challenges and opportunities. Unfortunately, your gusto will prove quite annoying to all those around you, so keep schtum.

Cancer Jun 22 - Jul 22 The shifting of the planets in the coming weeks could mean gigantic changes for you.

The exact details are unclear but watch out for a man dressed entirely in satin with tickets to a pantomime.

He holds the key to your destiny, so follow with caution.

Libra Sept 23 - Oct 23 This fortnight, give yourself a healthy dose of good karma by doing daily good deeds for all those around you. This could include the washing up, helping old ladies with shopping or donating your loan to charity. Give until it hurts, then have a little rest and give some more.

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 With the new semester getting into full swing, you’ve found yourself in the rather enviable position of being over-prepared for all your units.

Pretend you’ve not done any work at all and you’ll be the toast of all your seminars as everyone will think you’re a genius.

Lucky Words: cocky git

Lucky Words: Fashion police

Lucky Words: Cosmic cash machine

Lucky Words: Dumb luck

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Relationship problems getting you down poppet?

All those long nights spent with only Des and Mel re-runs for company. Well take some advice from those in the know and forget all your troubles with a one way ticket to singledom, population - you.

Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 Don’t let that firey temper get the better of you sweetpea.

You’ve bitten your tongue with all those irksome fools around you for so long, you can hold out a little more.

Invest in some incence and perhaps a big bottle of whiskey and you’ll find all life’s niggles just wash away.

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 21 Resolutions aplenty for you it seems pet.

Self-improvement is a passion of yours, and you’ve so many options to choose from. Will it be the smoking, the drinking, the personal hygiene standards or perhaps the penchant for eating entire victoria sandwich cakes solo?

Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 Your inner Aquarius is getting the better of you and leaving you feeling all newage this fortnight.

You feel balanced and have a new found love for your fellow man. This will undoubtedly help you to deal with the turbulent times ahead, which are too harrowing to reveal.

Lucky Words: solitude and suicide

Lucky Words: Booze and bliss

Lucky Words: Peanut butter sandwiches

Lucky Words: Philanthropy and salami

Gemini May 21 - Jun 21 Always with the complaining you are!

Geminis are supposed to be content and placid. For curiousity’s sake, spend these two weeks making sure you’re an authentic Gemeni by rigourously checking the details of your birth with parents and authorities in the know, demand photographic evidence.

Virgo Aug 23 - Sept 22 Oh dearie, you’ve allowed yourself to become hypnotised by the trashy eye of Celebrity Big Brother.

The only remedy is to let the series run its course and restart your life when its all over. Try not to get bed sores from sitting on the sofa all day and night. It wouldn’t be the first time, and sadly not the last either.

Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 The stress of the festive season has left you feeling vindictive.

Release this tension by venting pent up agression at friends, family and anyone else you come across. When anyone asks why you’re acting so venomously, give cryptic answers and stop returning their calls. You’ll soon get the peace you need.

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 This fortnight you will boycott all technology. On top of this you’ll feel the need to help all those around you do the same thing by pouring jam into their walkmans and taking the communal TV to the lake for a swim. This might not earn you many friends, but you’re better off with out them. Fight the power!

Lucky Words: self discovery

Lucky Words: John McCririck

Lucky Words: Asbos and Prosac

Lucky Words: Compost and turds

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Letters...

Crossword:

Practising The Teaching?

To the Editor, Our belief is that a major investment in sustainable transport alternatives would enable the University of East Anglia to _not_ build the £13m multistory carpark it currently plans on, and still to cope with increased numbers of staff and students.

Building the carpark would be catastrophically at variance with our University’s deserved reputation for climate-change science, and for carbon-emissions reduction. Indeed, one of the aims of the East of England Development Agency funded Carbon Reduction Project was to enable the University to become a showpiece for 60% carbon dioxide reduction by 2025. Building the car park would amount to giving up completely on CRed. By contrast, making an investment of £6-7m in the environmental travelplan would put UEA on the map in a _positive_ way. By so doing, UEA could set the pace for other major employment centres in the region to reduce overall carbon emissions towards the official government agreed target of 60% reduction by 2060. It would be marvellous if the University of East Anglia campus could become a regional _leader_ in this effort.

Britain has to begin its commitment to further reductions in CO2 emissions for the second commitment period to 2022 under the Kyoto

Protocol, which this nation has signed up to. To achieve this target, future emissions will need to be cut _wherever_ possible and replaced with non-carbon-dependent technologies (and changed human behaviour). We cannot let future generations carry this burden; we have to start now. Combatting climate change begins at home – and on campus.

We hope earnestly that the powers that be at UEA will listen to our call, and will try to involve the whole University in the process of working together to find a sustainable alternative to this monster carpark. We urge all readers of this letter to come to the open meeting on alternatives to the car park on Jan. 17 at 5.30 in Union House, room 1.28. This meeting will be chaired by Prof. Tim O’Riordan, and will be a unique opportunity to dialogue over the future direction of the University’s transport policy.

Signed: Andrew Higson (UEA Students Union Environment Officer), Victoria Holland (website manager, UEA Sustainable Action Transport Group (‘STAG’)), Rupert Read (Senior Lecturer in Philosophy), and Tim O’Riordan, (ENV Professor and member of the UK Sustainable Development Commission).

Sarah J. Smith

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concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 25

TRI-RACKETS TOURNAMENT

FOOTBALL ROUND-UP

WHICH IS THE MOST SKILLED RACKET SPORT?

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BUSA LEAGUE HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE SEASON

Pete Clutton-Brock The question that has long been debated by all who have wielded a racket past or present has finally been answered. In an attempt to put a stop to speculation and terminate rumour the Tri Rackets Tournament was held in a joint event that saw players from Tennis, Squash and Badminton fight it out for the Rackets crown.

Each sport is thought of as somewhat specialised, and drawing comparisons between them has never been easy.

The Tri Rackets Tournament kicked off on the Badminton courts.

Unused to the surroundings, the squash players found it hard to get going, and several players were reduced to accusing the badminton team of lacking balls.

Despite the lack of practice the squash and tennis players soon found themselves locked in a tight match. It quickly became apparent that competition was between second and third place with the Badminton team leading the

field and giving a fine demonstration of how to play their sport. The badminton team lost only one game, with squash and ten-

At lunch the scores were: Badminton 15 Squash 7 Tennis 7 nis in a dead heat.

Squash was the next sport on the menu after lunch and the squash players were keen to get some revenge on the badminton team. Despite the unfamiliar scene several of the tennis and badminton players excelled, pulling out some great games. However, the squash team were always one step ahead, coming away undefeated and exuberant. The battle for second and third raged on with the balance swinging one way then the other. As the faint winter sunlight faded, the teams marched out onto the floodlit tennis courts for the final sport of the tournament. With both the squash and badminton teams shiv-

SOAPBOX ROSS GRAINGER TAKES THE STAGE FOR A RANT ABOUT FOOTBALL...AGAIN Hey Kids, it’s me, the bloke who loves football, and right now there are a number of things happening in the world of football that I think are damaging the game. There are two in particular that I want to focus on.

The first is the Christmas period. The calendar for Premiership clubs is congested enough as it is, but during the Christmas period this reaches absurd levels. Take my favourite team, Manchester United. Like most clubs they had Premier league matches on the 26th and 28th of December and the 1st and 4th of January. That’s four matches in nine days.

While we’re at home with the family in front of the TV, wearing the new clothes we got from Father Christmas, it’s hard to advocate cutting down the number of matches played during the Christmas period. Fans love it. It seems like a great gift from the FA, but it’s gluttonous on the part of them and us fans.

Each Premiership team plays 38 matches in the league alone, and with all the other cup competitions and international matches, the FA has to, at one point, cram a lot of matches into a small amount of time. They pick Christmas because most fans are sitting at home with only new DVDs to watch. Four matches during eight days when most of Britain is on holiday means a large profit for the Premiership, one they are not keen to see dismantled, even if it’s for the sake of the players.

We love it, but the clubs don’t. It takes a lot out of the players, and leaves the most in-demand players very weary when summer tournaments like the European Championships and World Cup begin. It also helps explain why Manchester United are the only English team to win the Champions League since its creation in 1993. The English league is the busiest in Europe.

During the congested Christmas period, injuries and fatigue pile up, and managers become desperate to add more players to their squad. As the Christmas period ends, the transfer window opens. The media love it. Clubs need new players so badly that newspapers can create dozens of rumours about who’s going where. The whole sordid period is damaging English football. But there is a solution.

ering, unused to the ridicu-

Ross Grainger

After many near misses and not a few lucky nicks the results for squash stood at: Badminton4 Squash 16 Tennis 4

In the small window before Christmas break the UEA firsts suffered yet another setback in the BUSA league, but gave themselves something to cheer about as they progressed in the Junior Cup. The firsts are currently second from bottom in the six-team league, and need results from their remaining three matches if they are to avoid being one of two teams that get relegated.

In their final match before the break the team travelled to Lincoln on the 1st of December. They had, of course, been there once before, on the opening day of the season. But after a nightmarish journey the team arrived too late and the match had to be rescheduled.

So after another long journey east Lee Pendry and his team were hoping to avoid a repeat of the narrow 2-1 defeat they suffered a week earlier at home to Lincoln. That defeat was followed by an impressive 4-0 win over Cambridge two days later, a win which saw them move off the bottom of the league.

lous idea of playing outside in the cold, the tennis started. The defining matches were once again for the second and third places, with the squash team edging the result over the badminton players. The tennis team, showing their worth, losing only a couple of games.

So there it is, the result is final, the squash team are victorious.

In a return to the competition after many years out, all three sports concluded it would be the first of many.

After all the results were counted and checked the final result was…

1. Squash 2. Badminton 3. Tennis

Actually there are two. First, abolish the Carling Cup, or, as it has been known before, the Worthington Cup, the CocaCola Cup, the Rumbelows Cup and the Milk Cup. The Carling Cup is a nothing, nonsense competition that was first played in 1960. It has gone through several highly inappropriate sponsors since then, and continues to plague the English game. Aptly called the Worthless cup a few years back, the Carling Cup plays on our love of knockout competitions, the clubs’ need for a bit of a cash and the desire of lesser teams to get into the UEFA Cup. For the big clubs it is only a grazing field for young players and those on the fringes of the squad. Some people say the latter has given the competition a new lease of life. It hasn’t, and the fact that the competition needed one shows how stupid it is. Being able to see second-rate players compete for something they don’t really care about is no reason to take up space in the football calendar.

No other league in Europe has an equivalent of the Carling Cup. If we abolish it, admit that we were just greedy and desperate for some mid-week football, we’d be able to spread the 38 Premiership matches around much more evenly.

Abolishing pointless domestic tournaments is one of the things the English FA can do to help our own players, but FIFA needs to have a look at some of the competitions it has and ask whether they are really helping anyone. The Confederations Cup, for example. Played every two years during a summer where there is no World Cup or European Championships, the Confederations Cup is utterly, utterly pointless. No one cares about it. In case you’re wondering it brings together the winners of the continental championships, the host nation, and one guest. Two groups of four battle it out to a conclusion that no one remembers. It’s just a two-week tournament FIFA made up to make money and push their brand. Apparently the World Cup isn’t enough.

The FIFA President Sepp Blatter wants all the top leagues in Europe to be reduced in size to reduce player fatigue, but he has no place to talk about this problem when he promotes pointless crap like the Confederations Cup. To really make a Christmas break possible for the Premiership we need to do more than abolish the Carling Cup; the league needs to be reduced to 18 teams. I don’t need to take up a lot of space explaining the merits of such a move. I’ll only point out that the Euro 2004 runner-up, Portugal (whence 2004 Champions League winners Porto came) has 18 teams in its top league, and Greece, Euro 2004 winners has 16 teams. Fewer teams mean fewer matches and less work for the players.

During Euro 2004 we saw the best players perform far below their potential. Zidane, Henry, Beckham and Del Piero all suffered in the heat of Portugal after they had finished their long domestic campaigns. If FIFA doesn’t want the next World Cup to be a repeat of World Cup 2002, a mediocre

But any hopes of winning two BUSA matches in a row for the first time all season were dashed almost immediately. With key players missing, the whites found Lincoln in top-form and were beaten easily 4-0, meaning the team has yet to win away in the BUSA league all season.

Luckily the team were still in the Junior Cup. So far this season they have shown the consistency that helped them win the trophy last year. Their opponents in the fourth round were local side Earlham, a notoriously difficult place to play.

Earlham are one of those local sides who, when they come up against fast, quality opponent like the UEA firsts, try to muscle their way to victory rather than achieve it with good football. This tactic is helped by the fact that the referee often doesn’t show up. When this happens, a friend or relative of one of the players “referees”, but does so with unbelievable bias.

So on the 4th of December the team made the short trip into Earlham to face a side whose changing room is actually a refined porta-cabin bereft of show-

ers, toilets and even sinks.

Despite the rough setting, the team, buoyed by the presence of an official ref, were dominant throughout and got the win they deserved.

Adam English opened the scoring after fifteen minutes, thumping home a volley after good work by his striking partner Tom Burton. Burton got the second with a typically incisive finish. His consistency has been a major plus in an attack that, for one reason or another, is rarely the same from one match to the next.

He got the important third goal midway through the second half that put the result beyond doubt. Credit must be given to Earlham who, although rash enough to get a man sent-off in the first half, battled hard throughout and got a goal back twenty minutes from the end. Any hint of a comeback was extinguished with ten minutes remaining when your humble correspondent scored what was, in all modesty, a delightful goal. It finished 4-1 and the team advanced to the quarter finals.

tournament by any standards, it would do well to reduce the size of the football calendar and encourage national FAs to do likewise.

I said at the beginning of this piece there are two problems facing football. The second is all this talk of video replays being used to help refs make big decisions. Over the Christmas period Liverpool were denied a penalty in their league match against Chelsea after Tiago clearly handled the ball. The following day Tottenham were denied a goal in even more astonishing circumstances when Manchester United’s keeper Roy Carroll bundled a shot over his line. The ref and linesman were not close enough to make a decision, so Spurs were denied a clear goal.

These were big decisions, but they haven’t changed my opinion: I’m completely against introducing video replays to help refs. It is unfair to consider putting a system in place for the Premiership, Champions League and other big competitions while the lower leagues have to do without. We cannot create two tiers of football - those who have the technology and those who do not. A conference side play the same football as the millionaires of Chelsea. Whether it’s played in a 70,000-seater stadium, or at Colney Lane, football is football. When you step onto the pitch everything is equal. We cannot change that.

Football is played by humans and officiated by humans.

Technology has no place in the decision-making process of a ref and his assistants. What’s more, the logistics of implementing a video-assistance system are enormous. For starters, will this technology only be used for shots that may or may not be over the line? If so we should stop right there, because incidents like Mendes’ shot against Man United and Geoff Hurst’s strike in the ’66 World Cup are very rare. If technology needs to be introduced anywhere it’s in the offside department. A lot more goals are allowed or disallowed when there is just a hint of offside.

Again though, I do not see a problem. You hear a lot of talk about this new offside rule and how it’s the most complicated thing since quantum physics. It’s really not complicated or controversial, and anyone who says otherwise is just bitter at being beaten by it. Linesmen will get offside decisions wrong, of course they will. There were a couple of big ones this past FA Cup weekend, but the system is not broken. It doesn’t need fixing.

Referees, like goalkeepers, are only brought to national attention when they make a huge error. The sad fact for refs is that the best ref is one you don’t notice. Most refs are like this. Next time you watch a match keep track of how many correct decisions a ref makes verses the number of mistakes.

Modern refs are well trained, well paid and do an excellent job for football. This talk of bringing in technology has to stop. There should only be one campaign in football these days: to reduce the number of matches teams have to play – to abolish the Carling Cup.

SPORT

SQUASH QUASH THE OPPOSITION UEA Men’s team continue the fortunes of last term with a 5-0 win against Wensum Lodge Peter CluttonBrock The Men’s squash team start the term with a reputation to live up to having completed the first half period unbeaten. The final victory against Wensum Lodge concluded a tour de force from the UEA team.

Wensum Lodge had been the previous favourites to win the league, but were shown little mercy by a ruthless UEA squad. Mark Webster-Smith started slowly and soon found himself 8-1 down in the first game.

Rallying himself, despite the desperate situation, Mark fought back. Inching his way back into the game point by point, he pulled himself level, eventually winning the first game 10-8.

The next game was equally close but Mark came through in the end winning that game and the one after taking the match without dropping a game. Both Mark Anderson and Mike Perfect were hardly tested in their matches, cruising

through with no difficulty at all. Both won 3-0.

Greg Clinton-Tarestad found himself with a tight match on his hands from the first. Up against Richard Anderson Dungar, Greg

pushed hard in the first winning 9-7 and taking the second more easily 9-2. The third game was a catalogue of calls. Attempting to salvage some dignity Richard utilised some distinctly

unorthodox methods in his attempts to win back some points, but Greg gave as good as he got and the game ended 3-0.

Pete Clutton-Brock began slowly as per usual.

His opponent taking advantage of this carved out a chance in the first game leading 8-7, however through a lucky shot or two Pete grabbed the first game at the last moment from his

opponent’s grasp. He went on to take the next two games completing the match and continuing the whitewash. www.ueasquash.co.uk

GOT A SPORTS STORY FROM YOUR CLUB? E-MAIL US AT CONCRETE.SPORT@UEA.AC.UK Concrete Prize Crossword #61 ACROSS

DOWN

1.

1. Band which sang American Idiot (8) 2. Terry ... author (9) 3. John Lennons wife (4) 5. American state (8) 7. ... Moon, kids TV (6) 9. Flying toy (4) 12. Frank and Nancy (7) 14. Nearer (6) 17. Large bird (3) 18. Used in sports such as cricket (3) 19. Relations (3) 21. Used in rowing (3) 22. Frozen water. (3)

...Stefani, singer (4) 4. Animated film character (5) 6. Bird of prey (5) 8. Japanese capital (5) 10. Clothes shop (3) 11. Far Away ( 7) 13. Place to stay (5) 15. Its all around us (3) 16. Team sport (7) 19. Captain James T. ..

(4) 20. British equvilents of states (8) 23. Bremner, Bird & ..... (7)

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