Concrete 180

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA

Issue 180 October 12th 2005 www.concrete-­online.com Free: Please Recycle

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-IXED REACTIONS TO GRAVEYARD PATH 2EVEREND PRAISES IMPROVEMENTS TO DERELICT CHURCHYARD AS FOOTPATH CONTROVERSY CONTINUES IN .ORWICH CITY CENTRE

It is not often that a visit to the lo-­ cal shopping centre brings with it a reminder of one’s own mortality.

However, a walk down the grave-­ yard pathway near St Stevens St. might find you contemplating just that.

The construction of Nor-­ wich’s new shopping centre has brought the development of a pathway through the graveyard of St. Stephen’s church, provoking mixed reactions from residents.

While the bright green signs that overlook the tombstone-­lined pathway seem eager to point out that no bodies have been moved and only two headstones replant-­ ed, the controversial pathway is certainly a great talking point in the city.

Many older shoppers raised few objections, describing the graveyard makeover as “inter-­ esting” or “nicely done” while younger shoppers and a number of Norwich’s student community expressed their distaste.

Local girl Emily Butcher, 19, commented “It’s absolutely disgusting” and student Emma Redgewell, SWK 3, remarked “They must know they’re doing something wrong otherwise they wouldn’t try so hard to convince people that it’s alright.”

The most controversial as-­ pect of the development in St. Stephen’s Churchyard is the col-­ lection of tombstones that deco-­ ratively line the footpath.

Many passers-­by considered it disrespectful to use headstones of graves as part of a design fea-­

ture. However, Canon Hereward Cooke of St. Stephen’s Church suggested that those who oppose the redevelopment do so because they are “opposed to change or consider the churchyard to be a part of old Norwich and feel this must be preserved.”

The Reverend hastened to point out that St. Stephen’s Church has benefited greatly dur-­ ing the past two years from the joint project of the Chaplefield construction.

With the support of the church council, Hereward Cooke has been driving the project to turn what used to be a “derelict haven for addicts into a well-­located and popular church that residents of Norwich can be proud of.”

Needles were often reported to have been found in the grounds of the church and people used to sleep rough in amongst the grave-­ stones.

With the help of a £163,000 donation from Chapelfield Mall, Canon Cooke hopes to con-­ tinue the redevelopment of the churchyard with the sowing of grass seeds as the next plan on the agenda. “One of the major concerns undertaking the project has been the task of bringing the church back onto the market.”

The controversy over the graveyard path can be seen as ei-­ ther a triumph of materialism over community values or an example of corporatism working to benefit the community.

Either way, it has certainly put St. Stephens Church back on the map. As the saying goes, if all pub-­ licity is good publicity then Canon Cooke should look forward to a prosperous year.

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4HE NEW RESIDENCES ON CAMPUS "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 As  UEA’s  brand  new  residences  replace  the  primeval  blocks  of  by-­ gone  years  it  appears  that  prices  are  following  suit.  UEA  now  lacks  any  choice  of  accommodation  that  falls  under  the  price  range  of Â ďŹ fty  pounds,  making  it  one  of  the  most  expen-­ sive  UK  universities  to  live  at.

Despite  the  series  of  revolu-­ tionary  new  buildings  the  choice  for  standard  single  rooms  without  en-­suite  facilities  is  declining  and  with  top-­up  fees  pending,  less  wealthy  students  will  struggle  to  afford  to  live  at  university.

In  two  years  fees  for  en-­suite  rooms  have  risen  by  more  than Â ďŹ ve  pounds  a  week  to  a  cost  of  over  eighty  pounds.  Although  the  new  buildings Â

are  a  long  overdue  renovation  at  UEA,  they  have  resulted  in  a  decline  of  a  cheaper  choice  for  resident  students  with  eight  of  the  newest  blocks  offering  solely  en-­suite  accommodation  and  only  the  oldest  residences  offering  cheaper,  standard  room  options.

UEA’s  accommodation  prices  are  comparable  to  larger  sized  city  halls.  Liverpool  University  charges  ninety-­one  pounds  per  week  for  catered  accommodation  and  an  average  of  sixty-­four  pounds  for  self-­catering.  Cardiff  University’s  cheapest  en-­suite  accommoda-­ tion  starts  at  a  mere  forty-­seven  pounds  per  week  and  central  Lon-­ don  accommodation  for  King’s  College  can  be  found  at  merely  one  pound  more  than  UEA’s  en-­ suite  rooms  at  eighty-­two  pounds  per  week.

With  extensive  refurbish-­ ments  to  old  residences  as  well  as Â

the  new  constructions  at  UEA,  stu-­ dents  experience  some  of  the  best  university  residences  in  Britain.  This  does  not  apply  to  the  rest  of  the  country,  however  as  recently  the  National  Union  of  Students  UK  has  expressed  concerns  about  proposed  codes  of  standards  for  university-­owned  accommoda-­ tion.  The  Government  has  plans  to  ensure  every  university  and  col-­ lege  in  England  and  Wales  with  student  halls  will  comply  with  a  code  of  standards  by  Autumn  2005.  The  code  would  set  national  guidelines  on  matters  such  as  de-­ posit  return,  repairs,  complaints  and  health  and  safety.  NUS  has  expressed  concerns  that  under  the  proposed  UUK  Code,  universities  will  be  able  to  set  their  own  benchmarks  for  standards  and  will  also  measure  their  own  performance.  UUK  have  not  put  forward  any  sanctions  to Â

be  imposed  if  institutions  do  not  comply  with  the  code  sparking  is-­ sues  as  to  the  true  accountability  of  universities.

NUS  Vice  President  of  welfare  Veronica  King  said:  “All  Codes  should  offer  solid,  consistent  and  simple  standards  to  adhere  to  and  clear  lines  of  accountability.  In  all  aspects,  the  ANUK  Codes  follow  these  guiding  principles.  The  UUK  Code  should  be  revised  to  offer  students  the  same  advantagesâ€?.  Although  UEA  students  may  not  need  to  worry  as  much  as  other  university  residents,  the  is-­ sue  of  cost  and  decreasing  choice  may  hinder  making  the  very  most  of  top  quality  living  standards  at  university.  A Â ďŹ rst  year  HIST  stu-­ dent  explained:  “Cost  is  always  a  problem  when  you  go  to  university  and  I  really  don’t  envy  next  year’s  students  here  with  fees  and  living  costing  a  bomb.â€?

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FOR 5NIVERSITY OF THE 9EAR "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 UEA  has  been  shortlisted  as  Uni-­ veristy  of  the  Year  by  The  Times  newspaper.

Following  its  recent  ranking  as  one  of  the  top Â ďŹ ve  universities  for  student  satisfaction  in  the Â ďŹ rst  ever  Student  Satisfaction  Survey,  UEA’s  glory  looks  set  to  reach  new  heights.

The  Editor  of  The  Sunday  Times  Good  University  Guide,  Alastair  McCall,  said  only Â ďŹ ve  uni-­ versities  had  made  the  short-­list  for  this  year’s  University  of  the  Year  award.  Other  contenders  in-­ cluded  Loughborough,  Bath,  Hull  and  overall  winner,  Durham.

UEA  was  also  categorised  as  one  of  the  top  200  universities  in  the  world  in  an  annual  survey  conducted  by  Shanghai  Jiao  Tong Â

University.  Vice-­Chancellor  David  East-­ wood  stated:  “Our  substantial  in-­ vestment  in  high-­quality  staff  and  student  facilities  is  taking  UEA  rapidly  into  the  top  ight  of  UK  universities.â€?  UEA  has  developed  an   inter-­ national  reputation  in  many  areas,  including  climate  research,  devel-­ opment  studies,  creative  writing,  medicine  and Â ďŹ lm  studies.

Alastair  McCall  explained:  “UEA  has  gradually  risen  up  through  the  table  and  comes  16th  in  the  country  this  year  –  its  high-­ est  ever  position.  The  university  also  scores  really  well  on  research  and  on  teaching  quality,  with  al-­ most  three  quarters  of  subjects  rated  excellent.�

With  its  ever-­improving  facili-­ ties  and  standards  of  teaching  UEA  can  only  hope  to  achieve  greater  heights  in  the  years  to  come.

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4HE $AY !FTER 4OMORROW TODAY 3CIENTIST BELIEVES .ORWICH MAY NEVER SEE A WHITE #HRISTMAS AGAIN "Y 2/3)% #(!.#% 3#)%.#% %$)4/2

As  the  oodwaters  slowly  drain  from  New  Orleans,  scientists  warn  that  devastatingly  strong  hurricanes  like  Katrina  are  becom-­ ing  more  common.

The  most  intense  hurricanes,  classiďŹ ed  as  category  4  or  5,  have  almost  doubled  in  number  since  1970,  according  to  research  pub-­ lished  in  the  prestigious  journal  Science  last  month.  The  increase  is  suspected  to  be  due  to  global  warming.  The  sea’s  warmth  fuels  hurricanes,  and  the  surface  tem-­ perature  of  the  tropical  ocean  has  risen  half  a  degree  Centigrade  over  the  past  35  years.  For  a  hurricane  to  form,  sea  surface  temperatures  must  exceed  27  degrees  Centigrade.   Warm  air  and  water  vapour  from  the  ocean  surface  rise  until  the  water  vapour  condenses  again,  releasing  heat  that  feeds  the  storm.  A  warmer  sea  surface  means  more  water  evaporates,  providing  energy  for  stronger,  more  destructive  winds.

One  of  the  authors  of  the  study,  Dr  Judy  Curry  of  the  Georgia  Institute  of  Technology,  USA,  said  they  were  conďŹ dent  the  trends  in  hurricane  intensity  and  sea  tem-­ perature  were  connected  to  cli-­ mate  change.   The  report  is  the  third  this  year  to  highlight  the  increasing  threat  from  tropical  storms.  Ear-­ lier  research  shows  that  North Â

Atlantic  storms  are  getting  wetter  and  have  more  than  doubled  in  destructive  power  over  the  past  30  years.  Hurricanes  Katrina  and  Rita  are  seen  by  many  as  proof  that  dangerous  climate  change  is  hap-­ pening  now,  as  a  result  of  humans  releasing  greenhouse  gases  such  as  carbon  dioxide  into  the  atmos-­ phere.  Establishing  a  conclusive  link  is  not  so  easy,  because  historical  records  are  limited  and  there  are  natural  variations  in  climate  to  account  for,  but  the  vast  major-­ ity  of  scientists  agree  that  climate  change  is  real,  and  caused  by  hu-­ man  activity.  Speaking  to  the  Norwich  Evening  News,  UEA  Climate  Change  lecturer  Dr  Nathan  Gillett  said  it  was  possible  that  Norwich  would  “never  see  a  white  Christ-­ mas  again�  as  a  result  of  global  warming.

This  September  the  Arctic  sea  ice  fell  to  the  lowest  levels  ever  re-­ corded,  while  in  Antarctica  a  sur-­ vey  of  244  glaciers  found  nearly  90%  to  have  retreated  over  the  past Â ďŹ fty  years.  The  vast  perma-­ frost  wastes  of  Siberia  are  melting  and  the Â ďŹ rst  ever  South  Atlantic  hurricane,  called  Catarina,  hit  Bra-­ zil  in  2004.

As  world  leaders  deliberate  over  how  to  address  the  problem  of  global  warming,  the  evidence  that  climate  is  changing  certainly  seems  to  be  mounting.  Whether  politics  can  keep  up  with  the  rate  of  change  remains  to  be  seen.  Â

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A  report  published  by  UCAS  early  in  September  has  revealed  that  the  number  of  Chinese  students  applying  to  British  universities  has  decreased  by  21.3%  from  4,401  to  3,604.   With  Chinese  students  bring-­ ing  in  a  large  majority  of  foreign  fees  to  British  universities,  these Â ďŹ gures  will  make  disappointing  reading  for  university Â ďŹ nancial  departments  up  and  down  the  country.   The  declining  number  of  Chi-­ nese  students  portrays  merely  a  small  percentage  of  the  general  decline  in  overseas  fee-­paying  stu-­ dents  choosing  to  study  in  the  UK. At  UEA  the  future  looks  a  little  brighter.   In  contrast  to  the  nation-­ al  average,  UEA’s Â ďŹ nancial  records  show  that  income  from  full  time  overseas  fee-­paying  students  has  increased  steadily  since  2001.   This  source  of  revenue  peaked  at  £10.8  million  in  the  2003-­2004  academic  year,  increasing  by  £2  million  since  the  previous  year.   The Â ďŹ gures  suggest  that  UEA  has  avoided  the  drop  in  overseas  student  numbers  affecting  one  third  of  Britain’s  universities.  However,  if  this  trend  continues  UEA  will  eventually  experience  a Â

decline  in  foreign  students  and  consequently  a  deterioration  in  the  heavily  relied-­upon  revenue  that  these  students  bring  to  UEA.  The  interest  in  British  higher  education  is  dwindling  as  a  result  of  various  factors.   The  principal  cause  is  the  competition  with  American  universities.  Accord-­ ing  to  recent  global  rankings  by  China’s  Shanghai  Jiao  Tong  Uni-­ versity,  America  boasts  17  of  the  world’s  top  20  universities.  American  universities  account  for  30%  of  the  world’s  output  of  articles  on  science  and  engineer-­ ing  and  currently  employ  70%  of  the  world’s  Nobel  Prize  win-­ ners.   While  Cambridge  University  comes  third  in  the  world  ranking  of  universities,  Oxford’s  long  stand-­ ing  tradition  has  failed  to  prevent  its  slide  to  eighth  place.   Sir  Derek  Roberts  of  Univer-­ sity  College  London  (UCL)  sug-­ gests  that  ‘prestige  universities’  in  the  UK,  such  as  UCL,  have  not  only  lost  academic  staff  and  PhD  students  to  America  but  are  also  running  a  deďŹ cit.  He  argues  that  reduced  salaries  and  lack  of  fund-­ ing  means  that  these  universities  are  “living  on  borrowed  timeâ€?.

The  obvious  difference  be-­ tween  the  British  and  American  approach  to  higher  education  is  funding.  America  spends  twice  as  much  of  its  GDP  on  higher  educa-­ tion  as  Europe  does,  though  most Â

of  America’s  funding  is  derived  from  private  contributions.   In  ad-­ dition,  the  nation’s  share  of  high-­ er-­level  research  is  decreasing.   In  the  1960s  Britain  boasted  11  Nobel  prizes  in  chemistry,  physiol-­ ogy,  medicine  and  physics.   In  the  1990s  this  number  fell  to  two.

American  exchange  student  ZoĂŤ  Stopak-­Behr,  AMS  3,  says  that  UEA’s  library  “is  under  parâ€?  and  that  it  is  a  “bad  working  en-­ vironmentâ€?  by  comparison  to  her  American  university  Dickinson  College.  “More  funding  would  al-­ low  for  a  greater  range  of  books  as  well  as  more  copies  of  the  ones  al-­ ready  on  the  shelvesâ€?  she  said.

Some  international  students  believe  that  if  British  universities  were  to  reassess  the  way  their  systems  are  managed  then  they  might  gain  the  competitive  edge  against  their  rivals.   Although,  whether  this  should  be  in  the  form  of  a Â ďŹ nancial  re-­evaluation  or  insti-­ tutional  restructuring  is  not  easily  determined.   What  is  certain  is  that  there  are  indications  that  if  the  UK  and  other  European  countries  do  not  address  these  issues,  the  conse-­ quences  of  fewer  international  stu-­ dents  will  continue.  A  reduction  of  international  students  would  not  simply  be  a Â ďŹ nancial  loss  but  would  also  affect  the  culture  and  the  diversity  that  deďŹ nes  the  stu-­ dent  body  at  UEA.

4HE EARLY DAYS OF 5%! CAMPUS IN

5%! TO GET SISTER CAMPUS .EW UNIVERSITY PLANNED FOR 3UFFOLK "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 News  of  £12.5m  of  funding  from  the  East  of  England  De-­ velopment  Agency  (EEDA)  to-­ wards  the  proposed  University  in  Suffolk  has  been  announced.

The  EEDA’s  decision  for  fund-­ ing  towards  the  £150m  project  is  subject  to  Government  authori-­ zation,  though  Carol  Macaskill,  project  manager  for  University  Campus  Suffolk  (UCS),  said:  “We  are  delighted  to  receive  continued,  signiďŹ cant  support  from  EEDA  for  this  unique  col-­ laboration  between  the  universi-­ ties  of  Essex  and  East  Anglia.â€?

The  UCS  project  expects  to  be  complete  and  welcome  new  students  by  September  2007.  The  base  of  the  University  will  be  Ipswich  Waterfront.   The  University  of  East  Anglia,  University  of  Essex  and  Suffolk  College  will  build  on  their  estab-­ lished  reputations  in  teaching  and  research  and  collaborate  to  offer  a  professionally  and  vocation-­ ally  relevant  curriculum.   More  than  300,000  people  live  within  12  miles  of  the  proposed  main  Waterfront  campus  in  Ips-­ wich  and  over  650,000  residents  live  in  Suffolk.  The  new  project  will Â ďŹ ll  the  gap  for  the  lack  of  any  high-­ er  education  facilities  in  Suffolk  -­  one  of  only  four  such-­sized  coun-­

ties  in  Britain  that  lacks  a  sufďŹ cient  establishment  for  further  learning.

Institutions  like  UEA  and  Essex  are  worth  around  £60  -­  80  million  per  year  to  their  lo-­ cal  communities.  They  enable  economies  to  compete  with  oth-­ ers  as  wekk  as  bringing  the  best  of  culture,  entertainment,  retail  and  catering  to  their  region.  It  is  hoped  UCS  will  also  beneďŹ t  the  area  as  well  as  its  students.

UEA  Vice-­Chancellor  and  chairman  of  the  board  for  UCS,  David  Eastwood  said:  “It’s  a  great  pleasure  to  receive  such  powerful  and  enthusiastic  back-­ ing  for  this  project.  EEDA’s  deci-­ sion  is  a  further  boost  for  higher  education  in  the  east  of  England.�

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$PODSFUF Wednesday October 12 2005

&EARS OF NEW RAGE PHENOMENON 3PORT CENTRES ISSUE SWIM ETIQUETTE GUIDLINES AS FRUSTRATION RISES IN THE LANES "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 Swimming bosses at Riverside swimming pool have issued guidelines to combat the ris-­ ing tide of the new phenomenon “swim rage”.

Both Riverside and UEA’s Sportspark denied any situations of the new rage, which is similar to road rage and causes swimmers to shout or fight with each other because someone is swimming too slowly in front of them.

Bosses have issued guidelines as precautions to prevent swim-­ mers from losing their tempers in the water and to ensure there are no violent incidents in the future.

Penny Pugh, who manages Leisure Connection at Riverside on behalf of Norwich City Coun-­ cil said: “We do mark out specific lanes for people who want to swim and encourage people to swim in the lane suited to their ability. It is important that we show respect for other swimmers.”

Leisure Connection offers ad-­ vice on swimming pool etiquette using posters around the pool.

The pool manager at the Uni-­ versity of East Anglia Sportspark, Lynne Jones, said that there had been no reported incidents of swim rage but admitted that it

was possible if facilities are not managed properly or there are not enough lanes. “Our swimmers are fairly friendly towards each other because a lot of them are used to lane swimming so they adhere to the general etiquette of lane swim-­ ming.”

An ENV student claimed that during busy periods “the pool at UEA can get crowded with over five people swimming in one lane and I do sometimes need to bite my tongue. If you get there at the right time most swimmers are at work.”

Swimming pool advice issued by Sportspark: * Check the directional sign before entering the lane * Check the speed and stroke of swimmers before entering * Be aware of swimmers doing tumble-­turns (keep to either side of the lane) * When overtaking slower swimmers, be aware of oncom-­ ers * Try to use an empty lane when swimming butterfly

4HE OLYMPIC SIZE SWIMMING POOL AT 5%! S 3PORTSPARK

$RINK AND A mIGHT

3TUDENT WINS PLANE TICKETS TO -ILAN

!MY &INNEMORE WINNER OF THE 5NION 4RAVEL 3HOP COMPETITION "Y !..! 34%7!2$ .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 Amy Finnemore is the first UEA student to win flights to any of ten destinations in Eu-­ rope as part of the Union Trav-­ el Shop’s new competition.

The delighted winner said, “I didn’t expect to win. It’s very sur-­ prising, I didn’t think that buying a drink could take my boyfriend and

I on a romantic break to Milan.”

The competition is running weekly as part of the ‘Around the World in 24 Drinks’ com-­ petition run by the Union, and is exclusive to UEA students.

One winner will be picked at random every week from 8pm in the Union Pub with the chance to win two European flights.

At the end of the year one student has the opportunity to

win two round the world tickets if they have twenty of the twenty-­ four stamps in the passports used during the competition.

Each week students can sample a different drink from around the world or a non-­alcoholic Red Bull alternative. Wednesday 19th Octo-­ ber is the final chance to be entered into the draw for the round the world tickets. Ask any of the staff in the Union Pub for more details.

5

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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

2UNNERS SET OFF AROUND THE LAKE FOR THE lRST :IGGURAT CHALLENGE OF THE ACCADEMIC YEAR

0HOTO 0HIL "ANKS

Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays open 2.30pm until midnight.

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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

2AMADAN BEGINS -EMBERS OF 5%! )SLAMIC 3OCIETY TAKE PART IN BREAKING OF THE FAST "Y #,!2% "5,, .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 For  Muslims  across  the  world  Ra-­ madan  is  of  great  importance.  It  is  a  time  for  reection  and  looking  forward,  as  well  as  a  time  for  for-­ giveness  and  salvation.  During  Ramadan,  Muslims  refrain  from  eating,  drinking,  sex-­ ual  activity  and  smoking  during  daylight  hours.  Fasting  or  Sawm  is  not  compulsory  for  everybody;͞  those  who  are  ill,  travelling,  preg-­ nant  or  elderly  are  excluded  from  the  fast.  This  is  a  testing  time  but  also  one  when  all  Muslims  come  together  creating  a  wonderful  sense  of  community.

Fasting  is  one  of  the Â ďŹ ve  pil-­ lars  of  Islam.  The  other  are  Salat  (prayer),  Shahadah,  (confession  of  faith),  Zakaah  (almsgiving),  Hajj  (the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca).

The  Muslim  festival  falls  on  the  ninth  month  according  to  the  Islamic  calendar.  The  calendar  is  based  on  lunar  months  so  each  year  it  moves  back  about  10  days.  This  year  Ramadan  began  on  4th Â

October  and  will  last  thirty  days  until  6th  November.   It  is  during  the  ninth  month  that  Muslims  be-­ lieve  Allah  revealed  the Â ďŹ rst  verses  of  the  Qur’an,  the  holy  book  of  Islam,  to  the  Prophet  Muhammad  while  he  was  in  the  dessert  near  Mecca  contemplating  his  religion.   At  UEA,  the  Islamic  soci-­ ety  organise  and  provide  a  daily  Iftar,  ‘breaking  the  fast’.  This  is  especially  important  to  many  stu-­ dents  as  they  are  away  from  their  homes  for  the Â ďŹ rst  time  and  need  the  support  of  fellow  Muslims  to  help  them  through  this  month.  While  living  away  from  home  it  is  easy  for  students  to  feel  very  alone  during  this  time  and  so  the  society  becomes  particularly  important  in  helping  people  feel  more  at  ease.  Mansour  Almazroui,  presi-­ dent  of  the  society  says  that  he  is  extremely  grateful  to  the  university  for  enabling  the  society  to  provide  this  invaluable  service  for  mem-­ bers  of  the  UEA  community.

The  Islamic  society  welcomes  Muslims  from  all  countries.  A  wide  variety  of  students  from  Malaysia,  India,  Nigeria,  and  Gambia  are  al-­

ready  active  members  in  the  soci-­ ety.   Members  profess  that  there  is  a  very  strong  sense  of  community  within  the  society  and  it  serves  as  a  fantastic  example  of  religious  convergence.  Thanks  to  the  support  of  the  university,  the  society  are  able  to  provide  this  meal  –  the  breaking  of  the  fast.  The  evening  consists  of  eating  dates  and  drinking  milk  to  break  the  fast  which  is  then  fol-­ lowed  by  sunset  prayers.  Members  then  enjoy  a  meal  together  which  is  usually  composed  of  Asian  and  Middle  Eastern  food.  At  the  end  of  Ramadan,  on  6th  November,  there  will  be  a  cel-­ ebration  called  Id-­al-­Fitr  to  mark  the  breaking  of  the  fast  and  lasts  three  days.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  celebrations  in  the  Muslim  calendar.  People  visit  their  families,  give  gifts  to  children  and  decorate  their  homes  with  lights  and  other  decorations.  The  society  will  be  celebrating  the  end  of  Ramadan  on  campus  and  welcomes  students  of  all  na-­ tionalities  to  join  them  at  any  time  throughout  Ramadan.  Â

.EW ADVISORY BOARD SEEKS STUDENT VOLUNTEERS 4HE 2USSELL #OMMISION AIMS TO CHANGE THE DIVERSITY OF YOUTH VOLUNTEERING IN 5+

9OUNG PEOPLE AT THE 2USSELL #OMMISSION LAUNCH IN "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 The  Russell  Commission  is  an  or-­ ganisation  that  was  established  in  May  2004  by  the  Home  Secretary,  David  Blunkett  and  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  Gordon  Brown,  to  develop  a  new  national  frame-­ work  for  youth  action  and  engage-­ ment.

The  closing  date  for  appli-­ cants  to  the  Russell  Commission  is  this  month.  The  Russell  Com-­ mission  has  launched  a  campaign  to Â ďŹ nd  twenty  outstanding  young  people  from  the  age  of  16-­24  to Â

join  the  charity’s  new  Youth  Advi-­ sory  Board.

The  aim  of  the  Commission  is  to  deliver  a  step  change  in  the  diversity,  quality  and  quantity  of  youth  volunteering  in  the  UK.  In  a  recent  report,  the  Rus-­ sell  Commission  responds  to  the  desires  of  young  people  to Â ďŹ nd  meaningful  ways  of  contributing  to  their  communities.  It  also  ad-­ dresses  current  inconsistencies  and  weaknesses  in  provisions  that  are  restraining  the  full  potential  of  youth  volunteering  opportuni-­ ties  and  recommends  measures  to  signiďŹ cantly  improve  the  range  and  quality  of  activities  that  young Â

people  can  choose  from  to  volun-­ teer.  The  twenty  successful  appli-­ cants  will  have  the  opportunity  to  apply  for  four  trustee  positions  on  the  Main  Board  in  order  to  ensure  that  young  people  have  a  key  role  in  the  governance  of  the  new  char-­ ity.  To  apply  for  a  position  on  the  Youth  Advisory  Board  applicants  from  the  age  of  16-­24  should  visit  the  Russell  Commission  recruit-­ ment  website.  Closing  date  for  applications  is  Thursday  27th  Oc-­ tober  2005.

WWW STUDENTVOLUNTEERING ORG UK

"REAKING THE FAST BEGINS AS THE SUN GOES DOWN DURING 2AMADAN

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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

5NIVERSITIES CONTINUE CLAMPDOWN ON EXTREMISTS -IDDLESEX 5NIVERSITY LIFTS SUSPENSION GIVEN TO THE 0RESIDENT OF ITS 3TUDENTS 5NION FOR ALLOW ING A CONTROVERSIAL GROUP TO HOLD A DEBATE ON CAMPUS "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 Middlesex  University  has  lifted  a  suspension  on  the  president  of  its  Students’  Union,  who  had  ignored  a  University  ban  by  inviting  a  con-­ troversial  Islamic  group  to  speak  on  campus.

The  lift  came  after  Keith  Shil-­ son  apologised  to  the  Vice-­Chan-­ cellor  and  admitted  he  was  wrong  to  allow  a  debate  with  Hizb  ut-­ Tahrir  to  continue.

Mr  Shilson  was  supported  by  about  forty  students  who  believed  the  university  was  violating  the  right  to  freedom  of  speech,  includ-­ ing  the  leader  of  the  National  Un-­ ion  of  Students,  when  he  arrived  for  a  disciplinary  hearing  at  Trent  Park  campus  on  last  week.

Keith  Shilson  was  reported  to  have  stated:  “Although  I  disagreed  with  the  instruction,  I  regret  refus-­ ing  to  comply  with  it  and  wish  to  apologise  to  the  university.  I  now  accept  the  university  was  perfectly  within  its  rights  to  issue  that  in-­ struction  which  was  motivated  by  concerns  for  the  university’s  repu-­ tation  and  concerns  for  the  health,  safety  and  welfare  of  its  staff  and  students.�  Keith  Shilson  had  argued  that  it  was  important  to  listen  to  ex-­ tremist  groups  rather  than  drive  them  underground.  After  apolo-­ gizing  to  the  university  he  was  permitted  to  return  to  his  role  as  president  at  Middlesex  University.

! DEMO AT 5%! #OULD FREEDOM OF SPEECH BE CURBED BY THE NEW MEASURES As  the  clampdown  on  extrem-­ ist  groups  in  universities  contin-­ ues,  Special  Branch  ofďŹ cers  are  now  involved  and  are  targeting  Scottish  universities  and  colleges  in  attempts  to  prevent  possible  terrorist  organisations.

Scotland’s  forces  are  working  on  initiatives  to  improve  links  with  communities  and  police  in  charge  of  policing  the  G8  summit  this  year,  to  pilot  a  scheme  in  order  to Â

gather  information  on  potential  extremism  and  curb  growing  ap-­ prehension  about  impressionable  young  people  who  may  be  target-­ ed  as  home-­grown  terrorists.

Universities,  colleges  and  community  groups  are  expected  to  be  involved  in  similar  moves  to  improve  counter-­terrorism  in-­ telligence.  Extremist  groups  have  admitted  they  are  still  trying  to  recruit  students  at  Scotland’s  uni-­

versities  despite  attempts  to  ban  them.

Earlier  this  year  the  National  Union  of  Students  (NUS)  in  Scot-­ land  said  it  was  concerned  that  ex-­ tremist  organisations  were  trying  to  operate  on  campuses,  although  several  had  been  banned  some  had  evaded  these  measures  by  changing  their  names.

British  universities  are  being  advised  to  be  aware  of  extremist Â

groups  that  are  targeting  students  and  criminal  activities  on  cam-­ puses.  Following  the  recent  ten-­ sions  around  the  UK,  research  has  suggested  that  organisations  with  extremist  ideologies  are  targeting  students.  Groups  including  the  BNP,  Islamic  extremists  and  Ani-­ mal  Rights  activists  are  increas-­ ingly  targeting  universities.  According  to  recent  research,  all  these  organistaions  have  a  his-­

2!' 3OCIETY BEGINS A NEW YEAR OF FUNDRAISING WITH A LIMBO CONTEST IN THE 5NION "AR "Y 0(), "!.+3 .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4

It  may  not  exactly  be  rare  to  see  people  falling  on  the  oor  in  the  Union  bar,  but  this  time  it  had  a  purpose.  On  Thursday  night  the  revital-­ ised  RAG  Society  hosted  its Â ďŹ rst  event  of  the  year  -­  a  limbo  com-­ petition  in  the  Blue  Bar  to  raise  money  for  Action  Aid.  Action  Aid  is  a  large  char-­ ity  that  works  with  local  partners  to  promote  women’s  rights,  fair  trade,  education  for  all  and  HIV  relief  amongst  a  number  of  other  causes.  A  few  willing  RAG  volunteers  and  a  bamboo-­and-­clothes-­peg  rig  (kindly  provided  by  the  bar  management)  was  all  it  took  to  start  the  evening  off.   With  a  healthy  amount  of  encour-­ agement  from  the  crowd,  over  70  kind  hearted  and  perhaps  slightly Â

drunk  people  rose  to  the  limbo  challenge.  Competitors  included  repre-­ sentatives  from  the  night’s  society  socials  including  Tai  Chi,  Frisby,  Deviant  and  Karate,  who  intro-­ duced  some  healthy  competition  as  they  fought  for  their  reputa-­ tions.  Some  of  them  didn’t  even  have  to  be  persuaded  with  the  promise  of  a  pint.  As  the  night  went  on  there  were  inevitably  losers,  but  also  winners  who  took  home  a  treas-­ ure  trove  of  goodies  including  champagne,  wine,  a  pair  of  cuddly  Koala  bears  and  tickets  for  the  UCI  cinema  and  the  LCR.  The  giving  did  not  stop  there,  however,  and  after  the  prizes  were  awarded  a  bucket  for  change  was  brought  out  and  was  promptly Â ďŹ lled  by  the  crowd.  Students  may  be  milked  dry  by  fees  and  the  cost  of  alcohol,  but  tonight  they  proved  that  they  don’t  mind  digging  deep  –  especially  if  foolishness  is  involved.

0HOTO 0HIL "ANKS

3TUDENTS DO THE LIMBO IN AID OF CHARITY

!LCOHOL FUELLED LIMBO EFFORTS KICK OFF TO RAISE MONEY FOR !CTION !ID

tory  of  campaigning  at  campus  universities  in  hopes  of  capitalis-­ ing  on  political  apathy  and  raising  a  new  generation  of  supporters.  In  a  letter  to  Times  Higher,  NUS  National  President  Kat  Fletcher  &  NUS  Black  Students’  OfďŹ cer  Pav  Akhtarto  have  criti-­ cized  a  report  by  Anthony  Glees  &  Chris  Pope  of  Brunel  University  on  extremist  groups  operating  on  university  campuses:  “NUS  fears  that  the  reports  unsubstantiated  claims  have  the  potential  to  endan-­ ger  Muslim  students  by  inaming  a  climate  of  racism,  fear  &  hostil-­ ity.   NUS  is  calling  on  its  members  to  work  together  to  engage  all  stu-­ dents  &  defend  the  rights  of  faith  groups  &  cultural  groups  to  self-­ organise  as  societies.â€?  The  Higher  Education  Secre-­ tary,  Bill  Rammell  has  said:  “We’ve  got  a  real  challenge  in  higher  education.  The  whole  thrust  has  been  about  the  importance  of  free  speech  on  campus.  But  we  also  have  a  responsibility  to  tackle  ex-­ tremism  on  campus.  “  Mr  Rammel  told  Vice-­Chan-­ cellors:  “People  do  need  to  be  able  to  put  their  views  across,  but  some  views  -­  particularly  if  they  are  justifying  terrorism  -­  need  to  be  questioned.â€?

The  British  Education  Secre-­ tary,  Ruth  Kelly  has  advised  Vice-­ Chancellors:  “Universities  need  to  be  ‘unafraid  to  set  their  own  boundaries’  about  what  is  accept-­ able  using  the  law  as  support.�

10 /&84

   $PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

!NOTHER NO SHOW FOR 0ETE "ABYSHAMBLES GIG IS CANCELLED YET AGAIN AFTER 0ETE $OHERTY IS ARRESTED "Y 3!2!( %$7!2$%3 %$)4/2 Singer  Pete  Doherty  cancelled  a  scheduled  ap-­ pearance  at  the  LCR  on  October  2nd  after  he  was  arrested  following  a  gig  in  Shrewsbury.

The  Babyshambles  frontman,  who  has  been  a  staple  of  the  tabloids  since  he  became  involved  in  a  relationship  with  supermodel  Kate  Moss,  was  ar-­ rested  as  part  of  an  operation  by  drug  squad  ofďŹ cers  in  which  Class  A  drugs  were  uncovered.  Shrewsbury  Music  Hall  was  raided  by  ofďŹ cers  with  sniffer  dogs  the  day  after  Doherty  and  his  band  had  played  at  the  venue.  Two  people  were  arrested  and  17  others  searched.  Members  of  Babyshambles  support  band,  Littl’ans,  are  also  believed  to  have  been  detained  during  the  raid.  Doherty  was  released  on  bail  from  Telford  police  station  before  Sunday’s  gig  but  was  unable  to  travel  to  Norwich  in  time  for  the  show.

Many  of  the  1,500  ticket  holders  for  the  sell-­out  Norwich  show  were  left  disappointed  for  the  second  time  as  the  LCR  gig  had  already  been  postponed  from  earlier  this  year.  A  number  of  fans  registered  their  dis-­ appointment  on  the  singer’s  website,  with  one  won-­ dering  if  “we  will  be  waiting  for  Pete  for  everâ€?.  The  singer  has  a  troubled  history,  and  has  been  arrested  on  a  number  of  previous  occasions.  In  2003  he  spent  time  in  prison  for  the  burglary  of  a  at  be-­ longing  to  his  former  Libertines  band-­mate  Carl  Barat.  The  Libertines,  a  turbulent  band  who  were  fa-­ mous  for  their  impromptu  gigs,  split  up  soon  after.  Doherty  went  on  to  form  Babyshambles  and  Barat  is  currently  recording  with  a  new  band.

It  is  expected  that  Babyshambles’  LCR  show  will  take  place  at  a  later  date.

"ABYSHAMBLES .OTORIOUS FOR GIG CANCELLATIONS AND INEBRIATION

.%$! OFFERS SUPPORT (ELP IS IT HAND 3TUDENT CHARITY SET UP TO HELP STUDENTS COPE AT 5%!

WITH lNANCIAL DEMANDS OF EDUCATION .ORFOLK %ATING $ISORDERS !SSCOIATION TO HOLD A DROP IN CENTRE ON CAMPUS The  Norfolk  Eating  Disorders  Association  (NEDA)  is  holding  a  drop-­in  centre  at  UEA  on  the  22nd  of  November  and  13th  December.  Students  will  have  an  opportunity  to  speak  informally  to  mem-­ bers  of  the  association  about  eating  disorders.

The  organisation  is  a  Health  Service  funded  char-­ ity  based  in  Norwich  that  offers  advice  and  support  to  sufferers  of  eating  disorders  in  Norfolk.   Over  7,000  people  are  estimated  to  suffer  from  an  eating  disorder  across  the  county.  Those  affected Â

suffer  from  conditions  including  anorexia,  bulimia  nervosa  and  compulsive  eating.  NEDA  aims  to  help  sufferers  overcome  their  problems  through  talking  and  offering  advice  at  the  drop-­in.  .%$! WILL BE ON CAMPUS ON 4UESDAY ND .O VEMBER FROM AM TO PM IN 2OOM IN 5NION (OUSE AND 4UESDAY TH $ECEMBER BETWEEN AM AND PM ALSO IN 2OOM UPSTAIRS IN 5NION (OUSE

Come and relax at the Slug and Lettuce bar in the heart of Tombland, Norwich, a great place to come for a lazy afternoon or a relaxing evening drink with friends.

Come to the bar and ask for your student discount vouchers whilst stocks last.

UNIAID  is  a  new  charity  set  up  to  help  young  peo-­ ple  who  struggle  to  pay  further  education  expenses.  UNIAID  is  backed  by  a  collective  of  private  sector  sponsors  and  philanthropists  to  help  young  people  overcome  growing Â ďŹ nancial  hurdles.  After  over  two  years  of  consultation,  UNIAID  was  launched  last  January  to  coincide  with  the  ‘top-­up  fee’  vote.  Its  aim  is  to  identify  and  deliver  solutions  to  the  problems  faced  by  students  and  with  support  from  UNITE  Group  plc,  Slough  Estates  plc,  HSBC  Bank  plc,  and  Learning  &  Skills  Council  it  is  planning  sev-­ eral  initiatives  including:  •  Accommodation  Bursaries:  practical  support  to  help  transform  the  lives  of  students  suffering  real  hardship •   All  About  U:  internet,  interactive  simulation  of  the Â ďŹ nancial  challenges  a  prospective  student  will  need  to  master Â ďŹ nances  Geoffrey  Maddrell  of  UNIAID,  said:  “Helping  people  who  may  have  the  ability,  but  lack  the  cultural  and Â ďŹ nancial  support,  into  higher  education,  can  open  the  door  to  a  lifetime  of  intellectual  and  mate-­ rial  enrichment  that  they  may  otherwise  never  expe-­ rience.  The  problems  it  was  set  up  to  address  have  become  increasingly  important:  namely,  to  help  open  doors  to  higher  education,  especially  for  those  facing Â ďŹ nancial  hardship,  and  to  help  those  students  who  are  facing Â ďŹ nancial  hardship.â€?  UNIAID  aims  to  open  doors  to  higher  education  by  removing  such Â ďŹ nancial  barriers  through  material  support,  advice  and  information.  Professor  Deian  Hopkin,  Vice-­Chancellor  of  London  South  Bank  University  is  keen  to  promote  UNIAID  to  students  who  may  not  be  aware  of  its  pur-­

pose  or  even  existence.  The  average  annual  cost  in  the  private  rental  market  is  £1,674.  In  London  this  is  higher  with  an  average  of  £2,014,  with  half  paying  over  GBP2,500.  Often  selection  decisions  about  course  and  institu-­ tion  are  made  on  the  basis  of  ability  to  afford  to  study  away  from  home.  The  pilot  scheme  has  allowed  21  students  from  14  different  universities  across  the  UK  to  take  up  free  accommodation  places.  Accommodation  is  the  sin-­ gle  greatest  cost  for  students  and  decisions  are  in-­ creasingly  made  on  the  basis  of  ability  to  afford  to  study  away  from  home.

UNIAID  was  set  up  in  response  to  alarming  lev-­ els  of  student  hardship.  According  to  research  by  Nat  West  Bank,  the  average  debt  of  graduates  in  England,  Scotland  and  Wales  has  risen  by  33%  between  2003  and  2004.  This  year’s  graduates  owe  £12,180  on  aver-­ age,  an  increase  of  £4,055  from  2003  according  to  the  UNITE-­MORI  Student  Living  Report  2004.   Students  graduating  in  2003  were  two  and  half  times  more  in  debt  than  those  who  graduated  in  1998.  Student  debt  has  risen  by  43%  in  just  over  4  years.  92%  of  them  anticipated  leaving  university  with  debts  Their  average  debt  on  leaving  university  was  £8,666   Students  from  poorest  backgrounds  amassed  av-­ erage  debts  of  £10,205  Accommodation  is  the  single  greatest  cost  for  stu-­ dents. Â

/&84

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

! NEW KIND OF BEAT FOR BOBBIES .ORWICH POLICEMEN TAKE TO CYCLING IN THE CITY AS THEY ARE ISSUED WITH BIKES "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 Police  ofďŹ cers  in  the  city  centre  have  joined  the  cy-­ cling  culture  of  Norwich  and  are  now  using  pedal  power  to  combat  crime  after  they  were  issued  with  mountain  bikes.

Community  ofďŹ cers  PC  Matt  Spillman  and  PC  Pat  Thompson  were  assigned  with  the  bikes  recently  following  mountain  bike  use  in  other  community  teams  including  Mile  Cross  and  the  Bowthorpe  and  Costessey  areas  over  the  last  year.

Having  access  to  a  pedal  cycle  has  proved  to  be  an  extremely  useful  tool  with  ofďŹ cers  gaining  access  to  areas  where  police  cars  are  too  big.

Inspector  Brian  Pincher  is  responsible  for  polic-­ ing  Norwich  city  centre  and  said:  “Policing  the  beat  on  a  pedal  cycle  has  proved  to  be  very  effective  in  other  areas  of  Norwich.  They  are  quite  distinctive  and  much  more  visible  than  foot  patrols,  hopefully  this  will  offer  the  public  another  way  of  making  contact  with  us.  I  have  already  received  very  supportive  com-­ ments  to  these  patrols.�

Using  bikes  enables  the  police  to  respond  swiftly  to  incidents.  There  have  already  been  examples  where  ofďŹ cers  have  been Â ďŹ rst  on  scene  for  urgent  calls  and  have  arrived  before  colleagues  in  cars.  The  cycling  ofďŹ cers  are  able  to  access  difďŹ cult  areas  of  the  city Â

centre  and  manoeuvre  through  slow  moving  trafďŹ c  quickly.   Police  have  taken  to  bikes  in  London  aswell,  giv-­ ing  them  access  to  the  nooks  and  crannies  of  Brit-­ ain’s  cities  where  police  vehicles  have  never  been  before.  The  ability  to  get  anywhere  and  everywhere  fast  makes  them  highly  visible  and  gives  re-­assurance  to  the  public.  Police  on  bikes  have  more  advantage  in  pre-­ empting  street  crime  and  anti-­social  behaviour  as  some  criminals  use  cycles  to  move  around  the  city  and  occasionally  escape  easily.  Now  ofďŹ cers  have  the  ability  to  pursue  offenders  more  effectively.

The  Transport  Operational  Command  Unit  (TOCU)  cycling  teams  can  also  police  the  trafďŹ c,  though  in  Norwich  the  scheme  of  cycling  is  in  very  early  stages.  The  advantages  are  dealing  quickly  and  effectively  with  congestion  incidents,  crime  and  anti-­ social  behaviour  on  the  buses  and  illegal  parking  in  bus  lanes,  box  junctions  and  loading  bays  to  ensure  the  efďŹ cient  movement  of  buses,  other  road  trafďŹ c  and  other  road  users.

Norwich  is  seen  as  a  miniature  Holland  in  terms  of  its  at  terrain  making  it  ideal  for  cycling.  Ten  percent  of  residents  cycle  to  work  compared  to  the  national  average  of  three  percent.  Norwich  County  Council  aims  to  build  on  this Â ďŹ gure  with  plans  for  improving  the  quality  of  its  network  of  cycle  routes  in  and  around  Norwich.

0OLICEMEN TAKE TO THE ROADS ON BIKES IN .ORWICH

3PORT %NGLAND SUPPORTS STUDENT MEDIA 3PORT %NGLAND TO SPONSOR THIS YEAR S .53 $AILY -IRROR 3TUDENT 3PORT *OURNALISM !WARDS "Y )3!"%, $93/. .%73 %$)4/2 The  NUS  has  announced  Sport  England  as  a  spon-­ sor  in  this  year’s  NUS/Daily  Mirror  National  Student  Journalism  Awards.  The  awards  recognise  the  very  best  in  writing,  design  and  web  publishing  in  student  media.  Sport  England  is  sponsoring  Best  Student  Sports  Journal-­ ist  and  will  be  offering  the  winner  the  opportunity  to  see  their  work  in  print  as  well  as  a  cash  prize.  A  record  number  of  entries  have  applied  for  the  award  this  year  portraying  the  extent  of  sport  taking  place  already  at  campuses  across  the  country.  The  winner  will  be  announced  on  November  12th  at  a  ceremony  in  central  London.  Prizes  include  £500  cash  and  an  assignment  to  write  an  article  for  the  Sport  England  annual  report  that  is  sent  to  more  than Â ďŹ ve  hundred  Chief  Executives  within  the  sports  industry.  Roger  Draper,  Chief  Executive  of  Sport  England Â

said:  “Sport  England  is  delighted  to  be  sponsoring  the  NUS/Daily  Mirror  National  Student  Journalism  Awards.  Sports  journalists  have  a  key  role  to  play  in  helping  to  encourage  people  to  lead  healthier  and  more  active  lifestyles.  “Sport  England  is  committed  to  increasing  lev-­ els  of  participation  in  sport  and  physical  activity.  The  more  we  can  promote  the  beneďŹ ts  associated  with  sport  through  the  media  the  better.â€?

NUS  National  Secretary  Gemma  Tumelty  said:  “Student  media  is  the  breeding  ground  for  the  jour-­ nalists  of  the  future.  It’s  great  to  see  organisations  such  as  Sport  England  recognising  this.�

The  Sportspark  at  UEA  was  funded  by  Sport  England  lottery  with  a  £14.5  million  grant.  A  single  web-­based  database  that  holds  information  on  sports  facilities  throughout  England  launched  as  Activeplac-­ es.com   Sport  England  will  be  encouraging  students  moving  to  new  universities  to  use  Activeplaces.com  to Â ďŹ nd  out  more  about  sports  facilities  in  their  area.

4HE 5%! 3PORTSPARK WAS FUNDED BY 3PORT %NGLAND LOTTERY FUNDS

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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

-AKING 5%! MORE USER FRIENDLY ! NEW CAMPAIGN DEDICATED TO MAKING OUR CAMPUS MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR STUDENTS WITH ACCESS NEEDS HAS BEEN SET UP BY THE ,IBERATIONS /FlCER

U

EA  is  a  concrete  jungle  of  inaccessibility:  it  always  has  been  and  you  may  never  have  thought  about  it.  The  campus  was  designed  to  be  modern,  innovative  and  imaginative,  but  it  was  never  designed  to  be  fully  accessible;Íž  they  just  didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  think  like  that  in  the  1960s.  Accessibility,  of  course,  means  far  more  than  just  entering  a  building  in  a  wheelchair.  It  covers  hearing  and  visual  impair-­ ments,  mental  health  provision,  parking,  note-­takers,  information  on  coloured  paper,  large  fonts,  Braille,  the  list  goes  on.  Individual  students  have  been  strug-­ gling  to  make  the  University  more  accessible  for  dec-­ ades,  with  varying  degrees  of  success.

UEA  has  slowly  changed  to  make  itself  more  accessible  to  students,  staff  and  visitors,  with  new  ramps  and  lifts  installed,  portable  hearing  loops,  bet-­ ter  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  markings,  more  Braille  books  in  the  Library,  computer  terminals  with  large  screens,  more  dyslexia  support  and  a  full-­time  Disability  Coordinator  in  the  Dean  of  Students.  However,  we  still  lack  key  areas  of  accessibility.  We  have  been  silently  paying  the  price  for  having  a  jungle  of  steps,  hard-­to-­read  written  for-­ mats  and  badly  marked  paths,  with  students  either  turning  away  before  applying,  or  being  let  down  dur-­ ing  their  studies.  Now  the  University  may  have  to  change  because  of  the  1995  Disability  Discrimination  Act,  a  law  that  has  made  (admittedly  rather  vague)  provisions  of  duty  for  universities  to  make  â&#x20AC;&#x153;reason-­ able  adjustmentsâ&#x20AC;?  for  those  with  disabilities.

We  have  also  lacked  a  strong  collective,  progres-­ sive  campaign  from  the  Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Union.  Together  weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  stronger,  to  quote  another  famous  union  in  Norwich,  and  together  we  can  push  for  change.  Our  Union  accepts  that  society  will,  intentionally  or  not,  discriminate  against  people  who  have  so-­called  â&#x20AC;&#x153;dis-­ abilitiesâ&#x20AC;?.  Our  Union  wants  to Â ďŹ ght  the  lack  of  access,  understanding  and  opportunity  that  students  with  disabilities  will  face  in  the  wider  world.  Thus,  our  Un-­ ion  created  a  position  on  the  Executive  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  team  that  executes  policy  to  run  the  Union  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  to  support  students  with  disabilities.  Unfortunately,  for  years  the  position  of  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students  With  Disabilitiesâ&#x20AC;?  OfďŹ cer  was  woefully  unďŹ lled,  and  the  Union  decided  to  amalga-­ mate  several  other  equal  opportunities  roles  into  one.  Cue  the  creation  of  the  Liberations  OfďŹ cer,  a  confus-­ ingly-­titled  ofďŹ cer  on  the  Exec,  who  is  there  to  liaise  with  students  with  disabilities;Íž  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual  and  trans  (LGBT)  students  and  students  from  ethnic  minorities.  Fast  forward Â ďŹ ve  years  and  there  still  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  a  stu-­ dents  with  disabilities  group  within  the  Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Un-­ ion.  If  students  have  a  problem  they  generally  go  to  the  Dean  of  Students,  where  they  face  a  binary  recep-­ tion  of  either  â&#x20AC;&#x153;yes,  we  can  helpâ&#x20AC;?  or  a  polite  â&#x20AC;&#x153;no,  we  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tâ&#x20AC;?.  It  must  be  said  that  they  offer  fantastic  one-­to-­ one  professional  support  for  the  whole  spectrum  of  disabilities  and  access  needs,  and  will  try  to  help  as  much  as  they  can.  It  must  also  be  pointed  out  that  the  Dean  of  Students  lacks  any  kind  of  campaign  wing,  a  progressive  movement  for  change,  to  eradicate  dis-­ crimination  and  to  push  the  Government  for  stronger  legislation.  Cue  the  Liberations  OfďŹ cer  again:  it  is  their  job  to  create  such  a  group,  and  the  current  of-­ ďŹ cer,  Steve  Williams,  just  has.

The  group  is  called  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Access  For  Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  because  we  believe  that  people  have  access  needs,  not  disabili-­ ties.  This  follows  from  what  social  scientists  called  the  Social  Model  of  Disability,  which  states  that  your  dis-­ ability  comes  from  the  discrimination  you  face  from  society,  not  your  medical  condition.  As  with  any  large  institution,  it  can  be  hard  for  students  to  make  their  individual  voices  heard,  and  the  group  will  be  there  to  amplify  your  message  by  several  decibels.  It  will  offer  practical  advice  on  who  to  see  for  short-­term Â

necessity  of  wheelchair-­accessible  toilets,  we  are  now  campaigning  for  condom  and  sanitary  machines  at  suitable  heights  for  wheelchair  users.  Activate:  A  sports  day  for  students  with  disabilities  on  7th  November.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  Diss  My  Ability:  To  raise  awareness  of  the  many  different  disabilities,  and  to  break  down  the  stigma  that  is  attached  to  so  many  of  them.

B

4OP 4HE CAMPAIGN HOPES TO MAKE THE PATHS AROUND THE LAKE SUITABLE FOR WEEL CHAIR USERS "ELOW -ANY VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS WERE NOT INFORMED OF BUILDING WORKS WHICH WOULD AFFECT THEIR ACCESS ROUTES practical  solutions,  how  to  campaign  for  longer-­term  change  within  the  University  and  the  UK  Govern-­ ment,  and  will  enable  students  to  network  amongst  themselves  when  similar  problems  reoccur.

The  Union  of  UEA  Students,  you  may  know,  is  linked  to  every  other  Union  up  and  down  the  country  by  the  National  Union  of  Students  (NUS)  and  they  have  four  Liberations  Campaigns  to  augment  the  main  campaign  for  free  education  and  better  student  services.  These  Liberations  Campaigns  are  the  Stu-­ dents  With  Disabilities,  LGBT,  Black  Students  and  Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Campaigns.  They  are  run  on  the  basis  that  these  groups  of  people  have  always  faced  discrimina-­ tion  and  been  denied  their  equal  rights  for  decades  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  if  not  centuries  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  and  strive  to  create  a  just,  equal  British  society.

They  also  run  on  the  basis  of  autonomy,  which  means  that  only  people  who  self-­deďŹ ne  as  one  of  these  categories  can  go  to  the  annual  Conference  to  elect  a  national  Committee  and  choose  policy  for  the  next  year.  Access  For  All  will  link  with  the  NUS  Students  With  Disabilities  Campaign,  which  often  ab-­ breviated  to  NUS  SWD  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  as  if  we  needed  anymore  acronyms  at  UEA. The  Campaign  has  a  full-­time  convenor  called  Sian  Davies,  who  works  at  NUS  Headquarters  in  Lon-­ don,  and  liaises  with  a  whole  Committee  to  produce  campaign  material  for  Unions,  give  links  to  national  charities  and  organisations  and  visit  Unions  to  make  presentations.  The  focuses  for  this  year  are: Sexual  RevoLOOtion:  Following  on  from  the  very  successful  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Free  to  Peeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  campaign  highlighting  the Â

ack  to  some  recent  successes  at  UEA,  we  have  just  secured  a  sum  of  money  from  the  Higher  Education  Funding  Council  for  England  (HEFCE)  to  do  something  which  should  have  been  done  a  long  time  ago.  Imagine  if  you  were  on  the Â ďŹ fth  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  of  the  Teaching  Block  and  the Â ďŹ re  alarm  went  off:  you  would  think  you  were Â ďŹ ne  because  you  can  just  walk  down  the  stairs.  Now  imagine  if  you  were  in  a  wheelchair  and  your  only  hope  of  escape  is  a  lift.  But  all  the  lifts  at  UEA,  every  single  one  of  them,  will  shut  off  in  a Â ďŹ re,  because  they  are  on  the  same  electricity  source  as  everything  else.  Students  in  wheelchairs  face  an  uneasy  wait  until  the  Fire  Brigade  are  ready  to  go  in  and  haul  them  down  the  stairs.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  disaster  wait-­ ing  to  happen.  The  money  will  be  used  to  â&#x20AC;&#x153;ďŹ re  proofâ&#x20AC;?  several  lifts  in  the  teaching  block,  putting  them  onto  a  separate  electrical  supply,  thus  making  them  usable  in  a Â ďŹ re.  And  about  time  too!

We  have  also  seen  a  number  of  automatic  doors  popping  up  on  campus.  These  help  students  in  wheel-­ chairs  if  they  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  open  heavy  doors  by  themselves.  It  gives  them  independence,  mobility,  freedom  and  access  that  everyone  else  takes  for  granted.

Access  For  All  has  already  had  its Â ďŹ rst  meeting,  and  we  have  already  been  discussing  some  of  the  various  access  problems  that  students  face.  Here  are  some  examples:  bikes  being  locked  to  handrails  down  slopes  or  stairs,  so  that  students  cannot  use  the  hand-­ rails  to  go  down  or  up  them.  A  student  being  denied  the  right  to  use  a  dictaphone  to  record  lectures,  even  when  they  have  an  access  need.  There  are  still  too  many  heavy  doors  on  campus,  especially  in  the  Street.  Wheelchair  Stairlifts  cannot  take  heavy  wheelchairs,  making  them  inaccessible  to  many.  There  is  no  de-­ cent  path  around  the  lake,  accessible  for  wheelchairs.  There  is  little  in  the  way  of  practical  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  markings  around  campus  to  aid  visually  impaired  students.  We  want  a  fully  standardised  policy  on  how  to  better  in-­ clude  students  with  dyslexia,  because  some  Schools  of  Study  and  some  academic  tutors  are  better  than  others.  Finally,  we  want  the  Estates  Department  to  explicitly  warn  students  of  the  exact  extent  of  building  work  that  is  going  on  about  campus,  so  that  students  with  all  sorts  of  access  needs  are  aware  if  they  have  to  change  their  route.  The  present  system  for  passing  on  information  is  wholly  inadequate.  Make  your  voice  heard,  get  in  touch. !CCESS &OR !LL IS HAVING ITS SECOND MEETING ON 4UESDAY TH /CTOBER BETWEEN PM IN THE "ILL 7ILSON 2OOM NEXT TO THE "OX /FlCE IN 5N ION (OUSE !LL ARE WELCOME AND ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND 9OU CAN CONTACT THE ,IBERATIONS /FlCER 3TEVE 7ILLIAMS ON SU LIBERATIONS UEA AC UK OR POP IN TO THE 0ART 4IME %XEC OFlCE ON THE TOP mOOR OF 5NION (OUSE 9OU CAN CONTACT THE $ISABILITY #OORDINATOR

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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

%GGSISTENTIALISM )T IS GENERALLY ASSUMED THAT CHICKEN IS A HEALTHY RELATIVELY RISK FREE FOOD BUT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE 3IMON 3HERIDAN EXPLAINS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE NATION S FAVOURITE MEAT

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he  actual  answers  are  all  a).  Unfor-­ tunately,  the  vast  majority  of  our  chicken  is  produced  in  a  way  that  would  repulse  most  people.  Any  idealists  out  there  may  well  have  said  c)  for  some  of  the  questions,  these  being  the  best-­case  scenar-­ ios,  but  only  a  small  minority  of  chickens  are  lucky  enough  to  be  raised  in  this  way.  Below  are  the  facts  surrounding  the  production  of  our  favourite  meat.

Question  1:  Most  chicken  consumed  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  shipped  from  overseas,  especially  from  the  far-­east  where  it  is  raised  in  battery  farms  that  literally  cram  as  many  birds  as  chickenly  possible  into  mini-­cages,  piled  high  in  a  kind  of  sick  shelving  system.  Here  their  only  job  is  to  eat  the  food  that  is  presented  on  the  conveyor  belt  in  front  of  their  faces.  Even  chicken  produced  in  the  UK  is  raised  in  massive  battery  farms,  or  at  best  in  free-­range  establishments.  This  is  a  misunderstood  concept  however,  as  free-­ range  really  only  means  that  the  chickens  are  able  to  walk  about.  Generally,  they  walk  about  in  a  barn  with  thousands  of  other  chickens,  unable  to  move  without  bumping  into  another  chicken  or  the  masses  of  feed-­ ing  tubes  that  litter  the  place.  Question  2:  Practically  all  chicken  raised  for  hu-­ man  consumption  is  fed  on  a  high  protein  diet  to  boost  growth.  Some  chickens  cannot  walk  because  their  bodies  develop  faster  than  their  legs,  meaning  it  is  too  much  weight  for  their  limbs  to  bear.  Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  worry  though,  they  still  make  it  to  the  supermarket  shelves.  The  best  diet  for  chickens,  and  indeed  most  farmyard  animals,  is  grass.  A  chicken  fed  on  grass  will  have  very  low  levels  of  fat,  will  be  rich  in  protein  and  will  contain  heightened  levels  of  omega-­3  oils,  which  signiďŹ cantly  aid  cerebral  development.

Question  3:  Chickens  raised  in  a  battery  environ-­ ment  are  subject  to  many  diseases.  Physically,  they  develop  burns  and  rashes  due  to  the  ammonia  con-­

tent  of  their  faeces.  Alarmingly,  you  can  see  evidence  of  this  when  buying  chicken  from  the  supermarkets  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  any  brown  blemishes  on  the  legs  indicate  a  hock-­ mark,  which  is  simply  the  technical  description  of  an  ammonia  burn.  They  also  suffer  broken  legs  due  to  the  crushing  of  other  chickens  and  the  weight  of  their  own  bodies.  They  do  however,  remain  relatively  free  from  chicken  diseases  such  a  dactylariosis  because  of  the  antibiotics  in  their  feed.

Question  4:  Chickens  live  in  barns,  factories,  or  warehouses  with  thousands  upon  thousands  of  other  chickens.  It  is  a  very  rare  and  lucky  chicken  that  can  call  its  home  a  farmyard.  Although  more  costly  to  pro-­ duce,  truly  free-­range  chicken  is  superior  in  practically  every  way.  The  freedom  to  run  means  muscles  devel-­ op  properly,  resulting  in  better  taste  and  texture.

Question  5:  Although  hardly  nice  whichever  method  is  used,  it  is  surely  more  humane  to  slaughter  any  animal-­produced-­for-­food  cleanly  in  an  abattoir  rather  than  removing  its  head  in  a  medieval  fashion.  While  most  of  us  probably  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  consider  what  hap-­ pened  to  the  unfortunate  bird  that  is  now  our  tikka  masala,  it  must  be  remembered  that  most  chickens  die  in  considerable  pain  and  suffering.  At  least  proper  free  range  farms  can  slaughter  humanely,  which  is  why  we  should  all  choose  chicken  from  them.

Question  6:  It  has  been  assumed  for  decades  now  that  chicken  is  the  healthiest  meat  you  can  buy.  The  stereotypes  tell  us  it  is  full  of  protein,  low  in  fat,  and  is  a  rather  tasty  meal  too.  The  facts  how-­ ever,  suggest  otherwise.  For  a  start,  the  food  chick-­ ens  are  forced  to  consume  on  their  route  from  egg  to  our  plates  is  designed  for  two  purposes:  1)  to  fatten  the  chicken  in  the  quickest  time  possible  and  2)  to  prevent  any  diseases  the  chicken  might  develop,  as  this  would  lead  to  loss  of  revenue.  There  is  very  little  room  for  considering  taste  or  the  impact  on  the  peo-­ ple  who  will  eat  the  chicken.  The  antibiotics  a  chicken  consumes  do  not  simply  disappear  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  they  remain  in  its  system  and  are  eventually  eaten  by  us.  This  means  that  we  will  develop  an  immunity  to  antibiotics  faster Â

3O OWN UP WHICH OF YOU WISHFUL THINKERS ANSWERED C than  we  would  ordinarily.  MRSA,  for  example,  is  a  su-­ per-­bug  that  is  apparently  immune  to  treatment  by  conventional  methods.  This  can  be  indirectly  blamed  on  the  amounts  of  antibiotics  we  consume.  The  rise  in  the  levels  of  hayfever,  and  other  respiratory  aller-­ gies  is  also  a  result  of  eating  medicine  which  we  do  not  need,  or  even  know  about.  In  actual  fact,  it  is  a  lot  healthier  to  eat  beef,  which  does  not  have  so  many  unnatural  products  forced  into  it.  So  is  it  OK  to  eat  chicken?  Well  probably  about  as  OK  as  it  is  to  eat  anything  that  our  supermarkets  call  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.  Everything  nowadays  is  mass-­produced,  aesthetically  pleasing  food  that  has  very  little  in  the  way  of  true  nutritional  value  in  it.  The  growing  rates  of  obesity  in  this  country  is  testament  to  the  ridiculous  levels  of  salt,  sugar  and  fat  in  much  of  our  food.  Even Â

5BLF UIF 2VJ[ 8IFSF IBT UIJT DIJDLFO DPNF GSPN a)  A  Battery  farm  in  Thailand b)  Running  wild  in  the  Andean  plains c)  A  free-­range  farm  in  Dorset 8IBU IBT UIJT DIJDLFO FBUFO UISPVHIPVU JUT MJGF a)  a  mixture  of  protein  and  antibiotics  similar  to  the  â&#x20AC;&#x153;runny  snotâ&#x20AC;?  they  eat  in  The  Matrix? b)  Caviar c)  Grass  and  seeds 8IBU JOKVSJFT IBT UIJT DIJDLFO TVTUBJOFE PO JUT KPVSOFZ UISPVHI MJGF a)  sores  and  burns  from  sitting  in  its  own  faeces  for  hours  on  end b)  broken  legs  due  to  overeating c)  a  slight  graze  over  the  left  eye  from  being  chased  around  a Â ďŹ eld  by  an  over-­indulgent  cockerel 8IFSF EPFT UIJT DIJDLFO MJWF a)  in  a  warehouse  with  several  thousand  other  chickens b)  in  a  cage  on  top  of  a  shelf c)  in  a  chicken-­run  in  the  yard  of  a  Lancashire  farmer )PX XJMM UIJT DIJDLFO EJF a)  by  being  mass-­slaughtered  along  with  thousands  of  its  brethren b)  by  contracting  septicaemia  from  the  ammonia  it  is  forced  to  sit  in c)  by  being  humanely  stunned  and  killed  in  a  traditional  abattoir 8IBU BSF UIF OVUSJUJPOBM CFOFmUT UP CF IBE GSPN UIJT DIJDLFO a)  zero  -­  this  chicken  is  high  in  fat  (but  low  in  omega-­3  fatty  acids,  which  aid  mental  development);Íž  it  is  pumped  full  of  antibi-­ otics  which  means  humans  also  consume  these  leading  to  respiratory  problems  such  as  allergies;Íž  and  it  contains,  contrary  to  popular  belief,  very  little  protein b)  well  its  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  have  BSE  like  beef! c)  high  protein  and  low  fat,  as  well  as  other  antioxidant  properties  make  this  chicken  one  of  the  healthiest  meats  around

chicken  breasts  have  water  and  sodium  pumped  into  them,  apparently  for  the  purposes  of  succulence.  However,  this  should  be  seen  as  a  method  the  su-­ permarkets  use  for  making  their  chicken  look  more  appealing,  not  for  adding  any  discernible  taste  or  tex-­ tural  characteristics  to  it.

So  is  there  a  way  around  this?  Probably  not,  but  the Â ďŹ rst  step  towards  one  is  drawing  attention  to  the  problem.  This  is  the  point  of  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The  Good  Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  issue;Íž  attempting  to  highlight  the  problems  caused  by  our  consumer  society.  In  the  case  of  chickens,  it  is  in  neither  their  nor  our  interest  to  have  them  raised  in  battery  farms  pumped  full  of  unnatural  substances.  It  makes  them  suffer,  and  it  makes  us  suffer.  Only  by  choosing  to  not  condone  this  sort  of  behaviour  can  any  remedy  to  the  problem  be  found.

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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

15

4AKING A DRIVE THROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH

7ITH CONCERN AND AWARENESS OF GLOBAL WARMING GROWING ALL THE TIME 3IMON 3HERIDAN AND 3ARAH 3WALHEIM TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF OUR OBSESSION WITH BURNING FOSSIL FUELS

3WITCHING OFF THE MACHINES

! 0RIOR 7ARNING !S !MERICA RECOVERS FROM THE EFFECTS OF (URRICANE +ATRINA COULD THE NATURAL DISAS TERS OF TODAY ALERT US TO THE WORLDWIDE PROBLEMS OF TOMORROW

I

n  the  past  decade  the  number  of  natural  disasters  affecting  the  world  has  risen  dramatically.   The  In-­ ternational  Federation  of  the  Red  Cross  publishes  a  World  Disasters  Report  annually,  and  it  calculated  that  from  1994  to  1998  natural  disasters  averaged  428  per  year.  From  1999  to  2003,  this Â ďŹ gure  rose  by  two-­ thirds  to  an  average  of  707  disasters  per  year.  Tragically  the  biggest  increase,  of  142  percent,  occurred  in  develop-­ ing  countries.   As  Peter  Walker,  director  of  the  Interna-­ tional  Famine  Centre  at  Tufts  University,  states,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Econo-­ mies  are  not  changing  as  fast  as  climateâ&#x20AC;?,  and  therefore  the  developing  world  is  continuously  rebuilt  after  natural  disasters  strike.

The  number  of  people  affected  by  natural  disasters  has  also  risen,  tripling  to  two  billion  over  the  last  ten  years.  Global  warming  is  when  the  average  suface  tempera-­ ture  of  the  world  increases  as  a  result  of  an  increase  in  the  greenhouse  effect,  which  is  caused  by  air  pollution.  According  to  an  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change  held  by  the  UN  in  2001,  the  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  average  sur-­ face  temperature  will  increase  1.4oC  to  5.8oC  by  2100.  Sci-­ entists  have  predicted  that  such  an  increase  would  cause  catastrophic  change  across  the  globe,  including  the  melt-­ ing  of  polar  ice  caps  and  the  raising  of  water  levels,  which  could  have  a  signiďŹ cant  effect  on  food  production.

ďŹ&#x201A;ooding  in  many  South  Sea  islands,  and  put  U.S.  states  Florida  and  Louisiana  at  risk.   Low  lying  Norfolk  itself  is  an  area  at  risk.

Hurricanes Hurricanes  Katrina  and  Rita  recently  caused  unbelievable  death  and  destruction   in  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Ala-­ bama  and  other  surrounding  US  states,  as  cities  such  as  New  Orleans  were  almost  completely  ďŹ&#x201A;ooded.   However,  they  were  merely  the  largest  and  latest  in  a  series  of  hurri-­

Rising  Sea  Levels Artic  Ice  serves  as  a  kind  of  â&#x20AC;&#x153;air  conditionerâ&#x20AC;?  for  the  world,  and  therefore  its  disappearance  could  have  serious  rami-­ ďŹ cations.  Not  only  will  this  affect  the  air  we  breathe,  but  sea  levels  will  rise  too.  The  IPCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  2001  report  projects  that  it  could  rise  between  4  and  35  inches  (10  to  89cm)  by  the  end  of  the  century.

Global  warming  in  the  Artic  is  causing  the  Artic  Ice  to  melt  at  an  alarming  rate.   Since  1978,  the  Arctic  sea  ice  area  has  shrunk  by  some  9  percent  per  decade,  and  at  this  rate  will  be  gone  by  the  end  of  the  century.   Sea-­ levels  have  already  risen  by  4  to  8  inches  over  the  past  century   (according  to  the  IPCC)  and  are  expected  to  rise  even  more.   A  rise  in  sea  levels  causes  ďŹ&#x201A;ooding,  and  as  100  million  people  worldwide  live  within  3  feet  (1  meter)  of  mean  sea  level,  ďŹ&#x201A;ooding  could  reach  extreme  levels  in  the  near  future.  The  national  geographic  predicts  that  rises  of  just  4  inches  (10  centimeters)  could  promote Â

canes  to  devastate  the  East  Coast  of  the  United  States.   In  fact,  since  1995  the  Atlantic  has  produced  twice  as  many  powerful  hurricanes  than  previously.  The  naming  of  such  storms  does  little  to  illustrate  just  how  dangerous  they  are,  as  Hurricanes  such  as  Stan  and  Frances  have  swept  the  Gulf  coast  in  the  last  couple  of  years.

The  hurricane  surplus  is  happening  at  the  same  time  as  the  sea  rises  and  gets  warmer,  due  to  global  warming.  Hurricanes  gain  their  strength  and  ferocity  from  the  sea,  and  quite  simply,  the  warmer  the  seas  get,  the  more  pow-­ erful  a  hurricane  can  potentially  be.   A  study  in  the  Na-­ tional  Geographic  predicts  that  warming  of  the  tropical  sea  surface  will  strengthen  hurricane  winds  and  rainfall  by  the  end  of  the  21st  century.  Hurricane  Katrina  was  the Â ďŹ rst  category Â ďŹ ve  storm  (the  most  powerful)  to  hit  land,  but  more  will  surely  follow.

)N THE MOUNTAIN BELOW HAD A SIZEABLE GLACIER AT ITS SUMMIT

1985

Monsoon/Drought Earlier  this  year  India,  particularly  the  area  of  Mumbai,  was  ďŹ&#x201A;ooded  by  monsoon  rain,  and  more  than Â ďŹ ve  hun-­ dred  people  died.   Although  this  part  of  the  world  has  a  monsoon  season,  the  rainfall  this  year  far  surpassed  that  of  any  previously  recorded.   Global  warming  can  be  blamed  for  this,  as  warmer  temperatures  have  resulted  in  increased  rainfall  for  some  areas,  and  less  for  others.  Extreme  rainfall  adds  to  the  risk  of  ďŹ&#x201A;ooding,  as  well  as  causing  landslides,  avalanches  and  soil  erosion.   The  costs  to  society,  especially  in  developing  countries,  can  be  devastating.   Low  agricultural  productivity  and  loss  of  crops  can  lead  to  poverty  and  starvation.   Droughts  such  as  the  1930s  Dust  Bowl  produce  similar  effects,  causing  erosion  that  can  last  for  years.  This  is  already  being  seen  in  Spain  and  Portu-­ gal,  two  countries  not  usually  associated  with  drought.  Global  warming  has  meant  much  of  Southern  Europe  has  had  considerably  less  rainfall  than  usual.  The  ramiďŹ -­ cations  are  already  being  felt  in  this  country,  as  much  of  our  fruit  and  vegetables  come  from  Spain.

S

ome  scientists  remain  adamant  that  many  global  warming  predictions  are  overstated,  and  that  human-­caused  climate  change  will  not  have  such  a  dramatic  affect.   However,  there  is  no  doubt  that  carbon  emissions  made  by  humans  are  causing  global  warming,  and  this  should  stop.   Global  warming,  and  its  impact  on  climate  change,  has  only  become  a  political  topic  of  debate  in  the  last  ten  years,  and  only  limited  attempts  have  been  made  to  combat  it.   The  Kyoto  Protocol,  introduced  in  1997  and  revised  in  2001,  seeks  to  force  industrialised  countries  to  cut  their  greenhouse  gas  emissions.   However,  it  is  yet  to  have  much  success  as  the  largest  polluter  in  the  world,  the  USA,  is  yet  to  sign  it  and  has  shown  no  inclination  to  even  consider  ratifying  the  protocol.  Ironically,  the  US  is  the  latest  to  suffer  from  a  massive  natural  disaster,  and  perhaps  this  will  cause  a  change  of  heart.   After  the  2004  Boxing  Day  Tsunami,  Peter  Walker  said,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;The  tsunami  has  come  at  a  time  when  the  world  is  ready  for  a  new  look  and  a  new  focus  for  disaster  reduction.  We  can  no  longer  do  business  as  usual.â&#x20AC;?    He  is  right,  it  is  time  for  us  to  re-­think  how  we  live  before  it  is  too  late.

)F WE REALLY WANT TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE 4HIS MEANS MOVING AWAY FROM OUR COMPULSIVE RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY

H

urricane  Katrina  was  warning  enough  of  the  potential  impact  global  warming  could  have  for  humankind.  We  are  spiral-­ ling  into  an  almost  inevitable  nightmare  which  will  be  wrought  with  further  natu-­ ral  disasters,  from  more  hurricanes  to  famine  and  drought  in  much  of  the  world.  The  fact  that  the  developing  world  will  be  hit  harder  than  the  devel-­ oped  does  not  seem  to  matter  to  most  people  in  the  West.  As  long  as  our  lives  run  smoothly,  then  what  is  the  problem?

The  exodus  from  New  Orleans  prior  to  Katrina  striking  was  a Â ďŹ tting  metaphor  for  the  wider  global  situation.  The  relatively  wealthy,  middle  class  (and  generally  white)  citizens  were  able  to  drive  away  in  their  cars,  leaving  the  poor,  disadvantaged  (and  mainly  black)  citizens  behind.  It  did  not  seem  to  oc-­ cur  to  anyone  that  by  using  cars  to  escape  the  city,  they  are  in  fact  adding  to  the  problem.  The  inevita-­ ble  sprint  to  the  safety  of  oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  SUV  or  station-­wag-­ on  is  a  parallel  to  what  the  United  States  and  others  do  on  a  global  scale.?  New  Orleans  is  a  microcosm  for  the  situation  overwhelming  the  planet.  While  this  may  depress  some  people,  or  simply  disinterest  others,  there  are  remedies  that  can  at  least  help  the  situation,  if  only  to  allay  oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  con-­ scious.  Plenty  of  simple  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  and  unfortunately  clichĂŠd  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  methods  exist  that  will  at  least  slow  the  decline  in  the  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  climate  problem.  Using  cars  less  is  an  obvious  example  of  this,  but  the  fact  it  has  been  repeated  endlessly  since  climate  change  became  an  issue  does  not  seem  to  stop  many  people  from  using  their  motor  vehicles.  Anyone  who  uses  the  university  car  park  will  know  that  after  10am,  it  is  virtually  impossible  to  get  a  space  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  in  a  university  that  prides  itself  on  being  environmentally  friendly  this  is  a  shocking  state  of  affairs  and  must  be  al-­ layed  in  the  future.  People  must  be  encouraged  not  to  use  their  cars,  and  the  Union  is  in  a  prime  posi-­ tion  to  improve  the  situation  by  charging  more  for  a  space,  or  simply  decreasing  the  spaces  available.  The  whole  car  issue  throws  into  light  the  main  reason  we  humans  are  in  a  position  of  peril.  We  are  obsessed  with,  and  addicted  to,  machines.  The  only  walking  some  people  do  in  a  day  is  from  their  front  door  to  their  garage  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  after  that  the  wonders  of  the  combustion  engine  will  take  over.  Taking  an  overseas  ďŹ&#x201A;ight  will  add  extraordinary  amounts  of  carbon  to  the  atmosphere,  yet  people  are  now  us-­ ing  operators  such  as  Ryanair  and  Easyjet  more Â

than  at  any  time  previously.  It  is  not  only  transport  that  adds  to  global  warming  however  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  while  automobiles  and  aeroplanes  burn  fossil  fuels  directly,  what  of  the  myriad  of  electronic  gadgetry  that  exists  in  any  one  home.  Electric-­ ity  is  made  using  gas  or  oil,  and  therefore  using  less  of  it Â

will  help  in  the Â ďŹ ght  against  climate  change.

The Â ďŹ rst,  and  yet  another  clichĂŠd  way  of  doing  this  is  to  turn  lights  off.  It  is  a  shame  people  still  have  to  re-­ minded  to  do  what  should  be  something  trivial  but  un-­ fortunately  this  is  the  case.  Turning  off  computers  and  stereo  equipment,  and  using  the  On/Off  button  on  the  TV  instead  of  using  the  standby  button  on  the  remote,  are  all  small  ways  in  which  energy  can  be  saved.  It  is  beyond  comprehension  that  a  typical  hu-­ man  being  is  now  such  a  lazy  creature  that  such  simple  tasks  cannot  be  achieved  without  extreme  effort,  but  the  way  machines  are  allowed  to  rule  our  lives  makes  it  very  easy  for  us  to  forget  that  once  upon  a  time,  life  used  to  be  difďŹ cult.  How  many  of  us  would  risk  injury  trying  to Â ďŹ nd  the  remote  down  the  back  of  the  sofa  rather  than  actually  use  the  but-­ tons  on  the  television  to  change  the  channel?

W

$O WE REALLY NEED SO MUCH TECHNOLOGY

hile  The  Matrix Â ďŹ lms  made  a  lot  of  salient  points  about  life,  the  uni-­ verse  and  everything,  one  sticks  out  for  the  purposes  of  this  issue.  While  it  is  clear  machines  are  not  super-­intelligent  beings  set  on  the  destruction  of  the  human  race,  they  do  have  a  supreme  bearing  on  the  way  we  live.  We  are  at  the  whims  of  various  machines:  many  now  use  an  organiser  to  tell  them  where  to  be  and  at  what  time;Íž  others  go  into  ana-­ phylactic  shock  if  they  notice  their  mobile  phone  is  missing.  Even  the  humble  electric  toothbrush,  a  machine  that  has  only  one  purpose  tells  us,  through  a  series  of  whirs  and  buzzes,  when  to  stop  brush-­ ing  or  change  sides.  How  is  it  that  we  cannot  even  brush  our  teeth  without  the  help  of  a  machine?

It  seems  the  answer  to  this  is  that  we  like  the  easy  life.  Anything  that  enables  us  to  use  less  en-­ ergy  is  good,  whether  it  is  an  unhealthy  packaged  microwave  meal  or  the  ability  to  travel  without  the  hassle  of  walking  or  coping  with  the  weather.  Our  over-­indulgent  lifestyle  is  wreaking  havoc  with  our  entire  ecosystem,  and  the  consequences  have  been  seen  across  the  world  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  people  reduced  to  animals  in  a  desperate  search  for  food  and  safety.  It  is  only  to  be  expected  that  more  of  the  same  will  follow,  un-­ less  we  seriously  reconsider  the  way  we  live.  This  is  why  this  issue  is  themed  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The  Good  Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.  It  offers  ideas  and  alternatives  to  the  way  we  live  now,  all  of  which  can  lead  to  not  only  a  healthier  lifestyle,  but  also  reduce  the  pollution  we  cause. Â

ONLY YEARS LATER AND THAT GLACIER IS ALMOST GONE AN EXAMPLE OF NATURAL BEAUTY THAT CAN NEVER BE RECOVERED

16 '&"563&4

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

$OWN ON THE ALLOTMENT

7HY BUY MASS PRODUCED FRUIT AND VEG WHEN YOU CAN GROW YOUR OWN *AMES #ONWAY MEETS THE 5%! STUDENTS WHO ARE GETTING BACK TO NATURE

I

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  lifestyle  that  most  of  us  have  fondly  considered  at  some  point  in  our  lives,  al-­ beit  just  for  a  brief  moment.  Sometimes  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  brought  on  by  the  sudden  realization  half  way  through  a  frozen  pizza  that  you  have  no  idea  what  you  are  eating.  Sometimes  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  the  desire  to  drop  all  of  societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  burdens  and  complications  and  replace  them  with  a  vegetable  patch.  Often,  of  course,  it  simply  evolves  from  a  long-­time  crush  on  Felicity  Kendal.  Whatever  the  motivation  might  be,  giving  it  all  up  to  become  self-­sufďŹ cient  and  live  off  the  fat  of  the  land  conjures  up  so  many  satisfying  images.

Obviously  in  reality  there  are  too  many  practical  problems.  Besides  which,  most  of  us  arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  brave  enough.  But  self  sufďŹ ciency  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  an  all  or  nothing  thing.  More  and  more  of  us  are  growing  herbs  or  peas  in  our  gardens  and  dozens  of  UEA  students  now  keep  chickens.  The  demand  for  allotments  has  increased  in  recent  years,  as  has  the  range  of  people  who  rent  them.  During  the  post  war  era  nearly  a  quarter  of  households  supplemented  their  living  with  a  private  allotment,  but  as  the  economic  and  social  situation  changed,  the  vegetable  patch  became  the  preserve  of  the  retired  old  gentleman  as  the  rest  of  us  went  mad Â

for  the  supermarkets.  But  times  have  changed  again,  and  now  250,000  allotments  are  being  worked  upon  all  over  the  country.  The  driving  force  behind  this  change  is  a  revolt  against  the  very  thing  that  took  us Â

!T lRST GLANCE THE SITE LOOKS A LITTLE HAPHAZARD

WITH A LOT OF SPACE SEEM INGLY GOING TO WASTE BUT NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH off  the  allotments  in  the Â ďŹ rst  place.  People  are  grow-­ ing  weary  of  cheap,  mass  produced  and  over  pack-­ aged  food,  as  well  as  all  the  environmental  issues  that  come  with  it.  While  the  corporate  world  continues  to  promise  that  cheap  food  makes  us  happy,  we  are  slowly  rediscovering  the  deeper  satisfaction  of  dining  on  a  potato  created  by  our  very  own  hands.  Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  more,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  easy  to  do,  and  for  students  of  this  univer-­ sity  it  has  recently  become  even  easier.

Last  year  saw  the  foundation  of  the  Permaculture  Society  at  UEA.  The  idea  is  simple,  and  thanks  to  a  few  dedicated  students  anyone  at  the  university  can  now  see  what  the  good  life  has  to  offer.  As  with  any  society,  members  pay  the  three  quid,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  year  they  can  enjoy  any  level  of  participation  they  feel  capable  of.  The  funds  have  enabled  the  pur-­ chase  of  three  whole  plots  as  well  as  all  the  tools  and  resources  required,  and  an  astounding  amount  was  achieved  in  the Â ďŹ rst  year.  But,  as  explained  by  one  of Â

the  founding  members,  last  year  was  more  of  an  ex-­ periment  as  no  one  had  much  experience.  This  year  promises  some  truly  enticing  projects  for  experts  and  amateurs  alike.

Concrete  went  along  for  a  tour  with  all  the  newly  joined  students,  and  society  member  Chris  took  us  down  to  the  site  located  off  the  Avenues.  At Â ďŹ rst  glance  the  site  looks  a  little  haphazard,  with  a  lot  of  space  seemingly  going  to  waste,  but  nothing  could  be  further  from  the  truth.  The  fact  is  that  this  project  has  gone  all  out  on  self  sufďŹ ciency,  not  just  produc-­ ing  its  own  food,  but  creating  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  own  fertilizers  and  pesticides,  as  well  as  encouraging  wild  life.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  get  a  lot  of  funny  looks  from  some  of  the  other  allotment  owners  down  hereâ&#x20AC;?,  Chris  explains.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;People  come  by  and  ask:  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Are  you  sure  you  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  want  some  weed  killer  on  that?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;  They  just  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  get  the  whole  idea  of  sustainable  production.â&#x20AC;?  When  looking  around  at  the  variety  of  plots  about,  you  soon  understand  that  even  within  the  world  of  allotments  there  are  different  ideals.  Most  of  them  seem  im-­ maculately  kept,  with  rows  of  perfect  beds  from  edge  to  edge.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Very  few  actually  work  organicallyâ&#x20AC;?,  Chris  continues,  and  although  most  of  the  advantages  of  homegrown  food  remain,  no  matter  how  you  produce  it,  it  is  clear  that  our  guys  take  the  concept  of  self  suf-­ ďŹ cient  agriculture  seriously.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;If  you  remove  the  weeds  with  herbicides  you  remove  all  the  nutrients  tooâ&#x20AC;?,  says  Chris.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;So  then  you  have  to  use  artiďŹ cial  fertilisers,  and  then  pesti-­ cides  and  so  on.â&#x20AC;?  Instead  of  pulling  out  the  weeds  the  Permaculture  society  simply  lays  cardboard  and  old  sacks  over  them  and  blocks  out  the  sunlight  in  a  process  known  as  mulching.  This  method,  though  taking  slightly  longer  than  conventional  weed  kill-­ ing,  is  more  thorough  and  as  the  weeds  rot  back  into  the  soil  all  the  nutrients  are  returned.  A  homemade  compost  heap  sits  in  the  corner  of  the  plot  and  con-­ sists  of  hundreds  of  past  dinners.  On  top  there  is Â

'&"563&4 17

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

a  rather  ugly  looking  pile  of  spaghetti  surrounded  by  rotten  fruit,  but  underneath  we  discover  some  lush  and  potent  compost.  This  has  produced  the  perfect  organic  fertiliser  that  is  mixed  up  with  the  soil  before  the  planting  begins.

It  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  stop  there.  What  looks  like  a  patch  of  weed  itself  is  actually  a  purposefully  maintained  comfry  crop.  These  comfry  leaves,  when  ripened  and  grinded  down,  are  one  of  natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â ďŹ nest  fertilisers.  Before  the  growing  season,  mustard  seed  and  leg-­ umes  such  as  peas  are  grown  all  over  the  plot.  These  plants  are  known  for  their  nitrogen Â ďŹ xing  properties,  meaning  that  as  the  grow  they  take  nitrogen  from  the  atmosphere  and  put  it  into  the  earth,  producing  a  fer-­ tile  bed  for  the  next  crop.

It  is  not  just  fertilisers  that  have  a  natural  alterna-­ tive.  A  small  patch  of  brambles  next  door  is  shortly  to  become  a  woodpile,  and  this  again  is  part  of  a  grander  plan.  The  rotten  wood  and  brambles  make  the  perfect  habitat  for  Slowworm.  And  for  those  who  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  know,  a  slowwormâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  main  diet  happens  to  be  slugs.  So  instead  of  buying  a  chemical  pesticide  this  allotment  is  growing  its  own  living  version.

Biodiversity  and  species  interaction  is  big  part  of  the  ethos  here.  When  another  bunch  of  brambles  and  weeds  gets  noticed  accused  of  being  an  unused  sec-­ tion  of  the  allotment,  Chris  is  there  to  point  out  the  correction.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actually  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  there  to  encourage  the  lo-­ cal  wildlife,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  full  of  seeds  and  food  for  insects  and Â

birdsâ&#x20AC;?.  The  patch  is  also  used  as  a  kind  of  test  bed,  where  excess  seeds  are  thrown  to Â ďŹ nd  out  the  more  dominant  species  and  to  see  how  the  plants  interact.

T

he  tour  of  the  vegetable  patch  is  interrupt-­ ed  by  the  arrival  of  Patrick,  who  was  about  to  show  us  one  of  the  most  exciting  fea-­ tures  of  the  allotment.  Patrick  is  the  local  beekeeper  who  looks  after  an  ever  grow-­ ing  number  of  hives  on  various  allotments  around  the  site.  The  newest  members  of  the  society  watch  in  fascination  as  he  takes  one  of  the  two  hives  apart  in  order  to  feed  the  bees  some  sugared  water.  When  it  is  noticed  that  he  is  bare  shanded  someone  asks  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are  you  not  being  stung?â&#x20AC;?,  to  which  Patrick  replies  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actu-­ ally  no,  not  today,  but  I  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  feel  it  much  anymore.â&#x20AC;?  The  excitement  grows  as  it  is  revealed  that  the  society  is  looking  for  one  of  its  own  members  to  learn  the  art  of  beekeeping.  Society  funds  will  pay  for  someone  to  take  the  necessary  classes  in  the  nearby  bee  school,  and  then  the  job  is  theirs.  The  honey  harvest  this  year  holds  big  promises.  Last  season  the  hive  was  split  in  two  when  a  new  queen  was  born.  Whenever  this  occurs  the  bees  form  a  large  swarm  and  the  old  queen  is  forced  out,  taking  half  the  hive  with  her.  Unfortunately  this  means  there  can  be  no  honey,  but  the  nest  has  now  settled  down  and  with  a  second  hive  next  door  the  summer  looks  set  to  be  sweet.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each  hive  should  produce  around  60 Â

to  80  lbs  of  honeyâ&#x20AC;?  says  Patrick.â&#x20AC;?  The  deal  between  the  students  and  Patrick  is  still  to  be Â ďŹ nalised,  but  the  assumption  is  that  the  beekeeper  gets  paid  for  the  work  and  this  group  will  be  eating  free  homemade  honey  for  a  long  time.

Back  to  the  plants,  and  Chris  demonstrates  the  varying  success  rates  of  the  crops.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our  tomatoes  didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  really  work  out  and,  as  you  can  seeâ&#x20AC;?  says  Chris  pointing  to  a  very  modest  looking  pumkin,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;the  pump-­ kins  didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  turn  out  as  well  as  we  hopedâ&#x20AC;?.  Apparently  this  was  due  to  the  choice  of  seeds.  Non-­organic  va-­ rieties  were  bought  in  the Â ďŹ rst  year  and  they  can  only  grow  with  a  heap  of  chemical  fertilizer.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  getting  organic  seeds  for  the  next  season  and  as  everything  else  in  the  poly-­tunnel  grew  so  well,  next  year  we  should  have  better  success  with  the  tomatoesâ&#x20AC;?.

The  poly-­tunnel,  which  is  basically  a  homemade  green  house,  really  is  impressive.  There  are  still  suc-­ culent  looking  peppers  and  cucumbers  hanging  from  thick  green  stems,  even  though  this  area  has  already Â ďŹ lled  the  whole  groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  baskets.  Artichokes  seem  to  be  the  greatest  success  story.  They  have  grown  so  proliďŹ cally  that  they  have  become  almost  as  tedious  as  weeds.  All  over  the  allotment  another  couple  of  artichokes  are  found  still  growing,  even  when  nothing  else  seems  to  have  been  survived  at  all.

After  a  brief  tour  what  appeared  at Â ďŹ rst  to  be  a  haphazard  mix  of  horticulture  is  revealed  as  a  highly  effective  project,  where  every  level  of  self-­sufďŹ ciency  has  been  adhered  to.  A  pile  of  tires  adorn  the  edge  of  the  site.  Collected  from  nearby  farms  that  somehow  always  have  excess  tires,  they  have  a  new  role  in  life  as  potato  pots.  They  are  stacked  up, Â ďŹ lled  with  earth  and  seeded  with  sprouting  tubers.  This  saves  a  lot  of  space  and  hard  digging  that  is  otherwise  needed  for  a  potato  crop.  As  with  the  tires,  everything  from  the  wood  to  the  metal  grating  that  holds  in  the  com-­ post  heap  is  scavenged  from  skips  or  collected  from  a  friendly  farmer.  Food  production  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  the  end  of  the  story  here.  The  most  ambitious  project  undertaken  so  far  has  been  the  construction  of  a  straw  bale  shed.  The  work  so  far  hints  at  some  real  carpenters  within  the  society. Â

Once  again,  all  the  wood  has  been  collected  for  free,  yet  it  has  been  expertly  nailed  together  and  sits  in  a  four  feet  deep  foundation  hole.  The  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  is  a  tight Â ďŹ tting  jigsaw  and  looks  like  a  collage  with  its  boards  of  different  colours,  sizes  and  shapes.  The  remain-­ ing  step  is  to Â ďŹ nish  the  roof  before  the  walls  are Â ďŹ lled  in  with  all  the  straw  bails  that  are  to  be  seen  scat-­ tered  over  the  allotment.  The  whole  building,  when Â ďŹ nished,  will  have  been  made  almost  entirely  from  recycled  materials.  But  this  has  been  a  proper  job,  consuming  a  lot  of  the  summer  for  some  enthusias-­ tic  members,  and  the Â ďŹ nal  structure  will  be  a  proud  sight.  The  plan  is  to  turn  it  into  a  library,  stocking  it  full  of  all  the  relevant  books  that  cover  the  wide  spec-­ trum  of  organic  farming  methods.  Everyone  seems  to  be  incredibly  clued  in,  though  most  of  the  students  here  have  been  learning  as  they  go  along.  The  system  wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  work  without  some  dedicated  personalities,  but  as  the  society  grows  it  is  encouraging  potential  members  to  join  in  at  any  level.  So  tasting  the  good  life  does  not  entail  all  the  sacriďŹ ces  of  cutting  lose  from  the  world  at  large.  A  few  hours  with  a  spade  once  a  week  and  we  could  all  be  tasting  a  freshly  grown  tomato,  saving  on  those  grocery  bills  and  reducing  the  waste  inherent  in  a  shop  bought  diet.  Most  of  the  action  is  going  on  upon  the  two  ad-­ joined  allotments,  but  another  rented  plot  further  up  the  lane  is  so  far  undeveloped  and  offers  a  whole  new  space  for  some  self-­sufďŹ cient  practices.  After  the  ex-­ periments  in  the Â ďŹ rst  year  the  society  is  now  looking  at  the  wider  picture.  They  are  hoping  to  send  a  couple  of  members  on  a  professional  course  to  bring  back  the  art  of  allotment  design.  A  more  complete  concept  is  being  sought,  whereby  the  various  mini  projects  going  on  will  come  together  in  one  great  self-­sufďŹ -­ cient  enterprise.  It  all  takes  careful  planning  and  hard  work,  but  the  rewards  will  be  priceless.  This  is  food  production  as  it  should  be,  fundamental  to  anyone  seeking  a  good  life.   &OR MORE INFORMATION ON ALLOTMENTS AND 0ER MACULTURE CONTACT FOUNDING SOCIETY MEMBER !NDREW AT ANDREW TAYLOR UEA AC UK

18 -*'&USBWFM

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

%XPLORING THE RAINBOW NATION .ATALIE %VANS (ARDING ENLIGHT ENS US ON THE DELIGHTS OF *OHANNES BURG AS SHE SPENDS HER SUMMER AS A TEACHING VOLUNTEER

I

t  was  strange  how  meeting  a  man  of  75  on  my  ďŹ&#x201A;ight  gave  me  so  much  comfort.  We  got  talking  about  South  Africa  -­  Mar-­ tin  was  going  to  stay  with  his  brother.  His  wife  had  died  6  months  previously  and  he  had  decided  he  needed  to  live  his  life  to  the  fullest.

South  Africa  is  the  most  vibrant  place  to  do  it.  The  concept  of  a  republic  is  relatively  new  and  South  Africa  is  still  very  much  discovering  its  own  identity  after  the  apartheid  regime.  Johannesburg,  one  of  South  Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  largest  cit-­ ies,  is  heavily  built  up  with  hotels  and  skyscrapers.  Some  of  the  shiny,  glittering  windows  contain  local  gold  dust.  Its  busy  with  street  sellers  and  the  general  hustle  of  shoppers  and  is  completely  crime  ridden.  All  the  buildings  are  derelict  or  occupied  by  squat-­ ters.  It  is  cheaper  to  rebuild  than  to  repair  so  every-­ thing  is  scheduled  for  demolition.  After  the  sun  goes  down,  Johannesburg  becomes  a  ghost  town.  People  are  too  fearful  to  risk  what  might  be  happening  in  the  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  â&#x20AC;&#x153;crime  capital.â&#x20AC;?  Drug  trafďŹ cking  is  the  answer  and  weekly  gang  related  shootings  are  common.

Despite  South  Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  initial  appearance  as  a  developed,  independent  country,  poverty  is  still  wide-­ spread.  Shantytowns  grow  due  to  the  high  unem-­ ployment  rates.  Health  facilities  are  abysmal.  Hus-­ bands  abandon  their  wives  to Â ďŹ nd  work  in  the  city.  The  wives  are  promised  money  will  arrive  soon  and  wait  anxiously  while  their  children  go  unschooled  and  hungry  until  the  husband  comes  back  home.

South  Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  rural  landscape  is  what  you  en-­ visage  when  you  think  of  Africa  as  a  continent  -­  dry,  red  coloured  earth,  huge  hills  and  rock  faces,  and  a  striking  sunset.  The  experience  is  something  else.  The  moon  is  the  other  way  up.  It  actually  looks  like  a  smile,  her  happiness  depending  on  what  time  of  the  month  it  is.

We  were  a  group  of  university  volunteers,  under  the  organisation  of  Tenteleni;͞  a  charity  that  hopes  students  can  bring  enthusiasm  and  knowledge  of  their  own  learning  experiences  to  various  countries  across  Africa.  Our  project  was  based  in  Mpumalan-­ ga.  We  were  a  group  of  11  volunteers  working  in  5  different  schools.

Being  the  only  student  from  UEA  on  my  project  was  daunting  at Â ďŹ rst.  The  usual  doubts  and  appre-­ hensions  crept  up  on  me  before  I  arrived,  but  pre-­ dictably  I  was  worried  about  nothing.  We  faced  chal-­

lenges,  and  when  the  going  got  tough  (this  meant  a  car  crash  for  me)  my  friends  were  right  by  my  side.  The  experience  provided  a  common  bond  be-­ tween  us.  Teaching  had  high  and  low  points  for  all  of  us.  Many  of  us  had  trouble  witnessing  some  nasty  corporal  punishment.  People  got  frustrated  by  the  language  barriers  and  no  one  predicted  how  much  effort  and  hard  work  it  would  take.  However,  there  was  nothing  more  rewarding  than  teaching  a  good  lesson.  When  the  children  were  absorbing  the  infor-­ mation  and  having  fun  it  made  all  the  preparation  worthwhile.  It  was  such  a  rewarding  experience.

We  made  some  genuine  friends  in  South  Africa.  Getting  to  know  the  pupils  meant  that  we  could  talk  to  them  on  their  level  and  create  a  rapport  between  children  and  teachers  that  never  existed  previously.  Getting  to  know  the  teachers  was  so  much  fun!  No  matter  how  much  of  an  open  mind  you  go  with  it  is  always  shocking  to Â ďŹ nd  out  that  people  who  have  led  a  completely  different  life  can  have  so  much  in  common  with  you.  All  the  staff  loved  our  poor  (but  appreciated)  attempts  at  speaking  Siswati  (the  lan-­ guage  of  Mpumalanga)  and  made  it  their  mission  to  improve  us  before  we  left.

We  organised  regular  trips  to  Wimpy,  the  place  to  be  apparently,  to  celebrate  birthdays  and  paydays  where  we  gossiped  over  wafďŹ&#x201A;es.  The  teacher-­student  netball  match  was  one  of  the  funniest  experiences  of  my  life.  As  a  sign  of  our  appreciation  of  all  this  we  learnt  the  traditional  Tonga  dance,  the  Xibalane,  to  perform  to  them  before  we  left.  This  involved  a  lot  of  hip  shaking  whilst  wearing  a  multi  coloured  woollen  skirt.   It  went  down  a  storm.

Spending  the  summer  on  this  project  has  been  one  of  the  most  amazing  experiences  of  my  life  and  it  is  actually  hard  adjusting  to  being  back.  We  arrived  into  a  completely  different  culture  and  environment  into  wich  we  were  welcomed  by  the  community  from  the  start.  Progress  at  the  schools  was  slow,  it  was  frustrating  not  to  see  immediate  results,  but  being  there  made  a  difference.  No  matter  how  little  we  achieved,  we  achieved  something  and  this  can  be  built  on  by  next  yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  volunteers.

This  perhaps  sounds  like  one  big  clichÊ.  Nothing  I  write  can  convey  this  experience  to  you  properly.  All  I  can  say  is  that  there  is  the  opportunity  for  you  to  discover   this  culture  for  yourself.   I  can  honestly  say  that  there  is  nothing  I  would  recommend  more.

"ACKPACKER 4IP /F 4HE &ORTNIGHT .O

$ON T BUY WEED FROM A 2USSIAN BLOKE CALLED 3ERGEI (E WON T BE COMING BACK

0RIYA 3HAH EXPLORES THE POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION OF #APE 4OWN AND GIVES HER HIGHLIGHTS FOR PROSPECTIVE TRAVELLERS

C

ape  Town  is  a  stunning  gem  that  gleams  against  the  backdrop  of  the  cliffs  of  Twelve  Apostles  which  provide  a  spec-­ tacular  view  of  the  beautiful,  cosmopoli-­ tan  city.  Cape  Town  is  often  compared  to  other  coastal  cities  such  as  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Sydney  or  San  Francisco  but  in  actual  fact  none  of  these  cit-­ ies  can  compare  to  the  thousands  of  years  of  history  and  drama  contained  within  this  city.  Whatever  your  expectations  of  this  city,  it  is  bound  to  surprise  you.  It  is  fringed  with  sandy  white  beaches, Â ďŹ ne  wining  and  dining,  all  backed  by  stunning  mountain  scenery  and  full  of  houses  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  love  to  own.  There  is  also  plenty  to  see  and  do,  from  catching  the  cable  car  up  Table  Mountain  or  taking  a  boat  ride  to  Robben  Island,  where  Mandela  was  incarcerated.  You  can  also  go  driving  along  the  coast  to  Cape  Point,  the  very  tip  of  Africa,  or  take  a  picnic  on  one  of  the  cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  fabulous  white  beaches  (I  would  recommend  Clifton  or  Noordhoek  for  long  walks,  people  watching  and  beautiful  scenery)  Also,  it  would  be  worthwhile  to  take  a  walk  to  the  beautiful  and  world-­renowned  gar-­

dens  of  Kirstenbosch  which  are  located  on  the  east-­ ern  slopes  of  Table  Mountain.  The  entrance  fee  is  just  20  Rand  per  person.  There  are  many  sweet  smelling  and  scented  gardens  which  await  the  budding  travel-­ ler.  Also,  The  Green  Dolphin  is  a  fantastic  resturant/ club  for  funky  jazz.  Long  Street  is  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the  place  to  beâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  for  trendy  nightlife  and  traditional  South  African  ďŹ&#x201A;avour.

Cape  Town  was  initially  just  a  stop  for  traders  from  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  heading  for  Asia.  Despite  its  Africanness  and  its  distinct  Europe-­ an  cultural  heritage,  Cape  Town  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  really  belong  in  either  continent.  It  is  a  volatile  mixture  of  the  Third  and  First  worlds  oozing  with  an  acute  sense  of  his-­ torical  culture.  Cape  Town  is  always  described  as  one  of  the  most  laid  back  and  open  societies  but  make  no  mistake  about  it;Íž  the  scars  of  the  apartheid  run  deep.  District  Six,  just  to  the  east  of  the  city  centre,  is  the  suburb  that  gave  Cape  Town  such  a  vivacious  mul-­ ticultural  atmosphere.  Primarily,  it  was  a  coloured  ghetto,  which  was  densely  populated  but  full  of  life  and  soul.  One  thing  is  for  certain  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  you  will  always  want  to  spend  longer  in  Cape  Town  although  it  will Â

never  be  enough.

With  only  an  11  hour  ďŹ&#x201A;ight  from  London  and  the  South  African  Summer  looming  in  November,  this  is  clearly  the  best  time  to  go.  For  breathtaking  scenery  ,  watersports,  snorkelling  and  the  relaxing  time  of  your  life  -­  Cape  Town  is  the  hottest  destination  at  this  time  of  year.

The  currency  is  the  Southern  African  Rand,  which  currently  stands  at:   1  British  Pound  =11.2  Rand.

Some  Tips  For  Travellers  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  My  Top  5: 1.  If  possible  you  should  try  and  get  to  see  the  At-­ lantic  Coast  of  the  Cape  Peninsula.  Swimming  here  is  such  an  exhilarating  and  refreshing  experience.  The  water  itself  comes  straight  from  the  Antarctic  (which  is  courtesy  of  the  Benguela  current).  The  mix  of  beaches,  scenery  and  mountains  is  nothing  short  of  breathtaking.

2.  Wildlife  appeals  to  many  travelers  when  coming  to  South  Africa.  Try  to  visit  game  reserves  and  national  parks  for  a  promised  highlight.  However,  the  weather  can  be  pretty  unpredictable  so  wear  layers.  Never Â

carry  valuables,  as  you  will  be  a  target  for  muggers.

3.  Marijuana  is  illegal  but  highly  attainable.    There  are  strict  penalties  for  use,  but  obviously  users  are  not  idiotic  enough  to  smoke  in  public  places.  4.  The  view  from  the  top  of  Table  Mountain  is  ex-­ traordinary.  For  the  long  walks  alone  it  is  worth  mak-­ ing  the  trip  for  the  phenomenal  trail  to  the  summit.  The  cable  car  is  very  popular  but  you  should  call  be-­ fore  you  go  as  it  depends  on  the  weather  conditions.  5.  A  tour  of  a  wine  vineyard  is  unbeatable.  The  Cape  has  become  synonymous  with  the  art  of  wine-­mak-­ ing.   In  particular,  the   wine  tasting  in  the  Stellen-­ bosch  region  would  be  an  activity  I  would  personally  recommend.  The  Paarl  Wine  Route  is  also  called  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Red  Routeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  for  its  legendary  red  wines.  Cabernet  Sauvignon,  Port  and  Shiraz  wines  have  established  Paarlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  place  on  the  global  wine  map  and  the  region  has  repeatedly  received  international  awards  for  these  wines.   The  wine  lands  are  a  sight  for  sore  eyes  and  undoubtedly  an  experience  not  to  be  missed.

-*'&IFBMUI 19

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

&INDING A NATURAL CURE &OR THE DRUGS COMPANIES KEEPING US HEALTHY IS A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS %MMA *OHNSTON SEEKS OUT AN ALTERNATIVE REMEDY FOR THE COMMON COLD

D

ays  are  getting  shorter,  the  leaves  are  turning  and  the  piles  of  tissues  are  build-­ ing  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  that  time  of  year  again.  But  as  the  summer  seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  hayfever  tablets  go  out,  should  we  be  falling  back  on  such  winter  classics  as  the  multivitamin,  two  paracetamol  four  times  a  day  and  the  ever-­popular  throat  lozenge?  Enter  any  lec-­ ture  theatre  this  side  of  Christmas  and  you  will Â ďŹ nd  the  distinct  aroma  of  medicated  cherry,  the  best  per-­ sonal-­space  inducer  known  to  man.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  also  true  of  the  number  25  bus;Íž  all  it  takes  are  a  few  well-­placed  sneezes  and  hey  presto,  space  galore:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back  off,  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  ill!â&#x20AC;?

Is  this  really  the  solution  though?  How  do  we  know  that  the  drugs  we  buy  are  the  best  thing  for  our  body?  How  do  we  know  whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  in  them?  Why  does  one  pack  of  16  anti-­ďŹ&#x201A;u  tablets  cost  £4  more  than  the  slightly  less  well  packaged  one,  and  do  those  shiny  embossed  letters  really  make  the Â ďŹ rst  packet  better?  What  about  the  alternatives?  Eastern  medical  prac-­ tices  and  herbal  remedies  are  becoming  ever  more  popular  in  competition  with  increasingly  discredited  large  pharmaceutical  companies.  But  can  they  pro-­

-ORE THAN MILLION WORK DAYS ARE LOST EACH YEAR THROUGH mU RELATED ILLNESSES vide  a  real,  fast-­working  and  affordable  choice  for  the  average  student?  Thermos  in  hand,  hot  water  bottle  at  the  ready,  it  was  time  for  Concrete  to Â ďŹ nd  out.

Herbal  medicines  have  been  used  as  both  pre-­ vention  and  cure  for  thousands  of  years.  In  Ancient  Egypt  pharaohs  were  entombed  with  aids  for  the  af-­ ter-­life,  including  collections  of  medicinal  plants.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  extensively  developed  one  of  the Â ďŹ rst  medical  systems,  charting  the  effect  and  usage  of  various  herbs,  and  many  familiar  packaged  drugs  today  originated  from  more  natural  sources.  Digoxin,  for  example,  was Â ďŹ rst  used  as  the  plant  Digitalis,  while  Aspirin  was Â ďŹ rst  isolated  from  the  bark  of  the  willow.  And  it  seems  our  ancestors  knew  a  thing  or Â

two  about  their  medicine.  Echinacea  is  one  of  the  best-­known  herbal  alter-­ natives  to  over-­the-­counter  products  used  to  combat  the  common  cold.  First  recognised  by  the  Native  Americans,  this  plant  was  originally  used  to  heal  wounds  and  snakebites.  Readily  available  in  all  main  health  stores,  it  is  now  considered  one  of  the  prime  remedies  for  the  immune  system.  Clinical  trials  have  shown  that  it  can  substantially  improve  the  symp-­ toms  of  both  colds  and  ďŹ&#x201A;u,  shortening  the  course  of  the  illness  in  78%  of  people.  Still  not  convinced?  Then  how  about  an  essential  ingredient  in  every  studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  kitchen:  garlic.  It  is  an  aphrodisiac,  it  tastes  delicious  and  it  can  actually  improve  your  health  too.  ScientiďŹ c  research  has  shown  that  people  taking  garlic  can  suf-­ fer  less  from  colds  than  control  groups,  and  there  is  also  plentiful  evidence  that  taking  large  amounts  of  garlic  at  the  onset  of  a  cold  can  reduce  the  time  taken  to  recover.  And  yes,  of  course  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  smell  lovely.

B

ut  if  natural  solutions  really  are  the  an-­ swer,  why  does  the  Western  medical  world  rely  so  heavily  on  manufactured  drugs?  In  recent  years  numerous  scandals  involv-­ ing  large  drug  companies  have  brought  this  issue  to  the  forefront  of  medical  debate,  with  pa-­ tients  questioning  the  quality  of  healthcare  they  are  receiving.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ghost  writingâ&#x20AC;?,  where  scientists  accept  large  sums  of  money  from  drugs  companies  to  put  their  names  to  articles  endorsing  new  medicines,  is  a  growing  problem.  Doctors  can  also  receive  substan-­ tial  sums  of  money  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  up  to  £1500  at  a  time  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  to  give  talks  based  on  such  papers  to  an  audience  of  doctors  at  a  drug  company-­sponsored  symposium.  Further-­ more,  high  proďŹ le  medical  staff  are  headhunted  for  such  positions,  and  for  opportunities  with  drug  com-­ panies  which  often  offer  them  free  holidays,  transport  and  accommodation.  These Â ďŹ gures,  combined  with  the  fact  that  more  than  150  million  working  days  are  lost  each  year  through  ďŹ&#x201A;u-­related  illnesses  at  a  cost  of  £6.75  billion  to  the  UK  economy,  make  the  cold  remedy  industry  big  business.  However,  the  emphasis  on  the  treat-­ ment  or  â&#x20AC;&#x153;maskingâ&#x20AC;?  of  symptoms,  rather  than  ad-­ dressing  the  route  cause  of  a  medical  complaint,  can  have  far-­reaching  implications.  Many  anti-­depressant  drugs,  such  as  SSRIs  (selective  serotonin  reuptake Â

4RADITIONAL 2EMEDIES (OT #HICKEN 3OUP

If  the  mere  mention  of  this  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  make  you  feel  ill,  nothing  will.  But  there  have  been  serious  studies  to  suggest  that  maybe,  just  maybe,  there  is  something  to  its  healing  reputation.

The  tradition  of  feeding  chicken  soup  to  people  suffering  from  a  cold  dates  back  to  the  thirteenth  century,  when  it  was  believed  to  revive  the  body  and  cure  all  ills.  When  suffering  from  colds  and  ďŹ&#x201A;u  symptoms,  you  need  to  have  lots  of  ďŹ&#x201A;uid  to  keep  hydrated  so  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  feasible  that  in  this  sense  it  could  help.  Chicken  soup  is  nutritious,  easy  to  drink  with  a  sore  throat  and  the  steam  from  the  soup  helps  to  alleviate  a  blocked  nose.  There  is  also  some  research  indicating  that  chicken  soup  contains  a  natural  antibiotic,  which  could  help  to Â ďŹ ght  bacterial  infection.  You  will  need:         Â

    Â

1  pint  chicken  stock  1  cooked  chicken  breast 1  small  onion salt  and  pepper chopped  vegetables  (e.g.  carrot,  parsnip)

Gently  fry  the  onion  and  add  the  stock.  Add  the  vegetables  and  cook  until  soft.  Cut  the  cooked  chicken  into  small  strips  and  add  to  the  stock.  Simmer  until  heated  through  then  serve  with  crusty  bread.

(OT 4ODDIES

A  boozy  favourite,  this  blend  of  whisky,  honey,  lemon  juice  and  hot  water  is  thought  to  alleviate  the  symptoms  of  colds.  No,  whisky  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â ďŹ ght  off  the  germs,  but  one  measure  of  alcohol  in  a  hot  toddy  may  make  sufferers  feel  better  as  it  makes  them  feel  sleepy  and  lessens  their  perception  of  their  symptoms.  New  research  on  honey  suggests  that  it  may  have  natural  healing  qualities,  but  no  proof  yet  exists  that  it  will  help  a  cold.

You  will  need:      Â

  Â

50ml  whisky 1-­2  tsp  honey 10ml  lemon  juice 100ml  hot  water

Put  the  ingredients  in  a  mug  or  heatproof  glass  and  stir  gently.  You  can  also  add  a  slice  of  lemon  or  a  pinch  of  cinnamon  for  ďŹ&#x201A;avour.

inhibitors)  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  class  of  drug  to  which  Prozac  and  Seroxat  belong  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  have  been  proven  to  cause  higher  rates  of  suicide,  aggression  and  schizophrenic  ten-­ dencies.  Alternative  health  experts  suggest  that  this  is  due  to  the  strength  of  drug  being  introduced  to  the  body,  creating  an  unnecessary  pressure  on  an  already  vulnerable  system.  Looking  at  the  possible  side-­ef-­ fects  lists  of  most  over-­the-­counter  drugs  it  is  easy  to  see  where  this  notion  comes  from.

This  leads  on  the  question  of  whether  brand  names  are  better.  Do  the  big  household  names  pro-­ duce  better  quality  medicine  than  cheaper  brand  sub-­ stitutes?  Studies  would  suggest  not.  In  fact,  if  the  ingredients  are  the  same,  gener-­ ic  brands  have  been  shown  to  be  equally  effective  (or  as  ineffec-­ tive)  at  r e m o v i n g  the  symp-­ toms  of  c o l d s .  If  drugs  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  pro-­ vide  a  cure  to  the  com-­ mon  cold,  perhaps  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  worth  considering  the  more  natural  tried  and  tested  solutions  listed  below,  which  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  break  the  bank  and  might  just  work.

Of  course,  a  balanced  diet,  regular  exercise,  drinking  plenty  of  water,  getting  plenty  of  sleep  and  washing  your  hands  frequently  to  prevent  the  spread  of  viruses  are  all  crucial  to  remaining  in  good  health.  But  no-­one  can  do  all  of  these  things  all  of  the  time,  especially  in  times  of  stress  when  the  head  starts  to  feel  woolly  and  the  snifďŹ&#x201A;es  begin.  The  health  industry  is  a  business  like  any  other,  and  so  the  same  caution  in  where  to  put  your  money  applies.  Yet  with  some-­ thing  so  important  as  your  own  health,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  worth  bearing  in  mind  that  there  will  be  a  natural  solution  to  your  problem,  it  just  may  not  come  blister-­packed.

4HE %CHINACEA PLANT

20 -*'&GPPE

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

%ATING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT &OR THE CONSCIENTIOUS SHOPPER BUYING FOOD CAN BE AN ETHICAL NIGHTMARE #LAIRE !ITCHISON ASKS IF ORGANIC PRODUCE LIVES UP TO ITS FEEL GOOD REPUTATION

I

n  the  last  10  years  sales  of  organic  foods  have  increased  by  over  10%,  with  the  ben-­ eďŹ Â ts  claimed  ranging  from  better  tasting  food  to  actual  improvements  in  health.  But  do  we  actually  know  what  organic  food  is,  and  is  there  any  difference  between  the  or-­ ganic  and  inorganic  versions?

What  does  â&#x20AC;&#x153;organicâ&#x20AC;?  mean?  The  dic-­ tionary  deďŹ Â nition  is:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of,  relating  to,  or  derived  from  living  organismsâ&#x20AC;?.  Well,  in  that  case  all  our  food  is  organic;Íž  most  things  we  eat  or  drink  are  derived  from  living  organisms  by  their  very  nature  (except  perhaps  Sunny  Delight).  But  in  the  supermarket  sense  of  the  word,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;organicâ&#x20AC;?  means  food  that  is  produced  ac-­ cording  to  a  set  of  guidelines  regarding  the  use  of  pesticides,  fertilisers,  genetically  modiďŹ Â ed  products,  and  animal  welfare.  Since  there  is  no  legal  deďŹ Â nition  of  the  word,  any  product  can  claim  to  be  â&#x20AC;&#x153;organicâ&#x20AC;?,  but  there  are  various  organisations  which  monitor  its  production,  the  strictest  being  the  Soil  Association  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  therefore  any  item  with  the  Soil  Association  logo  can  be  safely  treated  as  truly  organic.  But  is  organic  food  actually  any  better?  Well  it  does  usually  taste  better.  When  food  is  forced  to  grow  too  fast  in  unnatural  conditions,  a  lot  of  the  taste  is  lost.  Farmers  are  encouraged  to  produce  uniform,  colourful  products  that  last  as  long  as  possible  on  the  supermarket  shelves,  but  this  often  occurs  at  the  ex-­ pense  of  ďŹ&#x201A;  avour.  For  instance,  meat  is  often  injected  with  water  to  make  it  appear  fatter  and  heavier.  How-­ ever,  as  soon  as  you  come  to  cook  the  meat,  all  the  water  evaporates  so  you  end  up  with  a  small  amount  of  tough  meat,  and  the  â&#x20AC;&#x153;valueâ&#x20AC;?  chicken  can  suddenly  seem  a  lot  less  value.

So  most  people  will  agree  that  food  grown  at  a  natural  rate  in  natural  conditions  tastes  far  better  than  forced  crops,  but  is  it  actually  any  better  for  your  health?  Some  people  claim  that  organic  food  is  higher  in  vitamins  and  antioxidants  such  as  vitamin  C  than  non-­organic  food,  because  of  the  use  of  natural  ferti-­ lisers  rather  than  chemicals.  Vitamins  are  essential  for  building  the  proteins  that  make  up  your  body,  and  antioxidants  have  been  shown  to  have  cancer-Â­ďŹ Â ghting  properties.  However,  there  is  debate  as  to  whether  these  vitamins  are  any  less  present  in  food  which  is  not  grown  to  organic  standards. Â

Plants  generally  take  up  the  nutrients  they  need,  re-­ gardless  of  the  source,  and  it  is  these  nutrients  that  are  passed  on  to  us  when  we  eat  them.  Some  inten-­ sive  farmers  actually  claim  that  their  high-­tech  meth-­ ods  produce  a  crop  richer  in  vitamins  and  minerals  and  better  for  our  health.  Often  in  intensive  meat  farming,  drugs  such  as  growth  hormones,  steroids  and  antibiotics  are  used  to  increase  the  size  and  muscle  mass  of  an  animal,  and  there  are  worries  that  these  drugs  could  be  get-­ ting  into  our  systems  when  we  eat  the  meat.  These  are  accused  of  having  an  adverse  effect  on  our  health,  causing  problems  such  as  osteoporosis,  early  puberty,  migraines  and  hyperactivity  in  children.  These  drugs  are  banned  by  the  Soil  Association,  as  are  products  such  as  hydrogenated  fat  and  monosodium  glutama-­ te,  which  are  linked  with  heart  disease.  This  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  mean  that  eating  large  quantities  of  organic  beef  is  going  to  prevent  you  from  having  a  heart  attack,  but  it  is  probably  marginally  better  for  you  than  if  that  beef  were  intensively  farmed.  Also,  organic  cattle  certiďŹ Â ed Â

3INCE THERE IS NO LEGAL DEl NITION OF THE WORD ANY PRODUCT CAN CLAIM TO BE ORGANIC by  the  Soil  Association  are  fed  on  an  all  straw/grass  diet,  and  are  far  less  likely  to  be  contaminated  with  BSE.  Therefore  people  who  only  eat  organic  beef  are  going  to  be  less  at  risk  of  contracting  the  disease. Â

O

ne  of  the  main  arguments  for  eating  organic  food  is  that  it  is  better  for  the  environ-­ ment.  In-­ tensive  farming  methods  reduce  diversity.  The  pressure  put  on  farm-­ ers  by  the  big  chain  supermarkets  to  produce  large  quantities  of Â

cheap  food,  means  that  they  cannot  afford  to  have  any  unproductive  land,  meaning  that Â ďŹ Â elds  are Â ďŹ Â lled  to  the  brim  with  a  single  type  of  crop.  The  need  for  large,  colourful  fruit  and  veg  necessitates  the  need  for  fertilisers,  and  pesticides  are  essential  if  much  of  the  crop  is  not  to  be  spoiled.  Unfortunately  these  artiďŹ Â cial  pesticides,  herbicides  and  fertilisers  can  leach  into Â

!RTIl CIAL PESTICIDES HER BICIDES AND FERTILISERS CAN LEACH INTO THE WATER SUPPLY OR GET SPRAYED INTO THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE the  water  supply  or  get  sprayed  into  the  air  that  we  breathe,  and  in  recent  times  these  have  been  linked  to  diseases  such  as  asthma  and  childhood  cancers.

Organic  farmers  accredited  by  the  Soil  Associa-­ tion  have  to  work  with  the  environment  around  them.  They  are  encouraged  to  maintain  hedgerows,  and  al-­ low  trees  to  grow  in  the  middle  of  their Â ďŹ Â elds.  They  leave  wide Â ďŹ Â eld  margins  unfarmed.  These  untouched  areas  encourage  birds,  insects  and  animals  which  act  as  natural  predators  to  pests,  and  this  means  that  certain  breeds  which  would  otherwise  be  extinct  are  enjoying  a  renaissance.  Organic  farms  do  not  use  ar-­ tiďŹ Â cial  herbicides  and  pesticides,  and  as  their  fertiliser  is  made  of  natural  composted  material,  there  is  less  waste  produced,  and  less  carbon  dioxide  released  into  the  air  by  burning  the Â ďŹ Â elds.  Another  process  which  may  be  used  in  intensive  farming  is  genetic  modiďŹ Â cation.  This  is  a  process  where  genes  for  charac-­ teristics  such  as  pest  resist-­ ance  or  larger  size  are  artiďŹ Â cially  introduced  into  an  animal  or  plant,  causing  every  genera-­ tion  that  fol-­ lows  to  also  have  these  character-­ istics.  O n e  school  of  thought  feels  that  g e n e t i c  m o d i f i -­

cation  could  be  the  answer  to  the  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  food  short-­ age  problems  and  more.  If  a  crop  could  be  designed  that  did  not  need  water  to  grow,  there  would  be  no  more  drought-­related  famine.  If  a  gene  for  antibiotic  production  could  be  spliced  into  cowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  milk,  then  common  diseases  could  be  cured  just  by  drinking  a  cup  of  tea.

However,  other  people  are  extremely  uneasy  about  the  way  we  are  meddling  with  nature  and  evo-­ lution.  Genetic  modiďŹ Â cation  is  a  relatively  new  proc-­ ess,  and  its  far-­reaching  effects  are  yet  to  be  revealed.  There  is  a  worry  that  not  enough  is  known  about  the  implications  of  eating  genetically  modiďŹ Â ed  meat  and  vegetables,  and  that  in  the  future  it  may  be  implicated  in  all  sorts  of  environmental  and  health  problems.  By  eating  only  organic  food,  some  people  are  hoping  to  protect  themselves  from  this  possibility.  However,  one  serious  problem  is  that  farms  are  not  sealed  en-­ vironments,  and  there  is  nothing  stopping  cross-­con-­ tamination  of  organic  crops  with  genetically  modiďŹ Â ed  pollen,  thereby  inďŹ&#x201A;  icting  genetically  modiďŹ Â ed  foods  on  an  unsuspecting  population.  Organic  food  is  usually  more  expensive  than  your  bog-­standard  variety,  and  this  has  to  be  the  case  as  organic  farming  methods  are  by  deďŹ Â nition  not  as  ef-­ ďŹ Â cient  as  intensive  methods.  It  may  be  better  for  your  health  to  eat  organic  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  evidence  is  not  clear,  and  is  unlikely  to  ever  progress  much  beyond  the  anecdotal.  It  probably  is  better  for  the  environment  to  encourage  the  methods  of  farming  that  lead  to  increased  diver-­ sity  and  a  cleaner  water  supply.  Having  said  that,  is  it  better  to  buy  organic  apples  that  have  been  ďŹ&#x201A;  own  in  from  halfway  around  the  world,  with  all  the  pollu-­ tion  that  that  implies?  Or  is  it  better  to  buy  pesticide-­ ridden  local  food  that  has  only  come  from  down  the  road?  And  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  before  we  have  even  considered  the  Fair-­Trade  option!

With  all  this  choice,  it  can  be  pretty  confusing,  and  with  the  costs  often  being  prohibitive,  buying  organic  is  not  always  something  that  students  can  realistically  consider.  But  it  is  worth  taking  a  moment  to  consider  what  has  gone  into  the  production  of  your  food.  With  everything  we  want  so  readily  available  at  our Â ďŹ Â ngertips;Íž  with  the  competition  of  supermarkets  forcing  prices  down  so  much  that  they  no  longer  re-­ ďŹ&#x201A;  ect  the  effort  that  has  gone  in  to  the  production  of  the  food;Íž  whatever  choice  you  decide  to  make  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  surely  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  best  if  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  an  informed  one? &OR MORE INFORMATION ON ORGANIC FOODS VISIT WWW SOILASSOCIATION ORG

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he  University  of  East  Anglia  has  never  been Â ďŹ nancially  comfortable,  but  it  came  as  a  surprise  to  every-­ one  when  the  institution  was Â ďŹ nally  bought  out  by  an  international  fast  food  chain.  McUEA,  as  the  campus  will  now  be  known,  will  see  many  changes  under  the  contract  of  its  new  owner.  The  food  outlets  will  bare  the  most  immediate  developments  as  all  the  menus  are  to  be  reďŹ ned  by  the  start  of  next  week.  It  is  expected  that  not  long  after  that,  both  the  Union  Post  OfďŹ ce  and  the  Wa-­ terstones  will  in  turn  replace  their  stock  with  the  standard  selection  of  fries  and  burgers.  Until  then,  students  purchasing  any  two  course  books  will  re-­ ceive  a  free  plastic  toy.

The  large-­scale  transformations  at  McUEA  will  not  occur  until  the  next  academic  year,  when  stu-­ dents  who  apply  before  April  will  have  the  chance  to  buy  a  medium  diet  Pepsi  for  the  price  of  a  small.  The  school  system  will  receive  a  slight  restructure,  with  enrollments  in  McLitature  being  offered  with  a  side  order  of  either  crispy  Philosophy  or  salad.

The  Enquirer  tracked  down  the  new  Dean  of  Students,  Ronald  McDonald,  to Â ďŹ nd  out  the  sort  of  reception  his  plans  had  received  so  far.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sure,  there  was  some  animosity  at Â ďŹ rst,â&#x20AC;?  the  clown  admitted,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;but  when  I  explained  that  graduat-­ ing  students  would  have  the  chance  to  Super  Size  their  degrees,  I  think  all  doubts  were  put  to  restâ&#x20AC;?.  Along  with  this  new  beneďŹ t,  graduate  employment  rates  look  set  to  sky  rocket  as  the  fast-­food  franchise  has  promised  janitorial  posts  in  all  of  its  restaurants  to  everyone  with  McUEA  degree.  The  medical  school  is  the  only  department  to  raise  serious  objections  so  far.  In  a  press  confer-­ ence  on  Friday,  Doctor  Jones  spoke  on  behalf  of  rest  of  faculty.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  have  been  informed  that  clinical  obesity  is  to  be  taken  of  the  syllabusâ&#x20AC;?,  the  doctor  announced.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Likewise  the  effect  of  clogged  arteries,  heart  disease  and  the  symptoms  of  BSE  are  all  being  removed  from  the  course!â&#x20AC;?  the  doctor  screamed  in  outrage.  A  spokesman  for  the  new  board  at  McUEA  claimed  in  a  later  rebuttal  that  all  these  terms  are  out  of  date  and  have  no  place  in  a  modern  medical  educational.  Assuming  that  these  matters  are  resolved  the  University  is  predicted  to  excel  under  its  new  man-­ agement.  For  now,  eyes  turn  to  the  current  bidding  war  between  KFC  and  Burger  King  over  the  Sports  Centre.      Â

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Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; - ,Ă&#x160; ",Ă&#x160; 7Ă&#x160;-/1 /UEA  has  tried  to  make  life  a  little  less  compli-­ cated  for  Freshers  and  returning  students  after  the  confusion  in  re-­organizing  the  schools.  All  rooms  have  now  been  moved  one  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  up  and  one  room  across  with  the  top  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  obviously  becoming  the  bottom  ďŹ&#x201A;oor.  The  vice-­chancellor  said:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;I  am  very  pleased  with  the  move  everything  is  now  in  exactly  the  place  you  would  expect  to Â ďŹ nd  it.â&#x20AC;?  So  far  only  the  library  and  the  Arts  building  have  been  changed,  but  phase  two  of  the  move  will  begin  next  summer.   Plans,  however,  to  move  the  chap-­ laincy  into  the  LCR  have  been  objected  to  by  many  students  who  â&#x20AC;&#x153;just  want  things  to  stay  the  way  they  are.â&#x20AC;?  One  upset  third  year  said:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  knocked  down  Waveney,  renamed  every  eating  place,  what  will  be  next?â&#x20AC;?

The  vice-­chancellor  remains  happy  with  his  de-­ cisions  though  and  has  told  us  of  further  plans  to Â

Blindfolded  guided  tours  were  offered  throughout  Freshers  week  and  seem  to  have  been  successful.  The  idea  was  that  it  would  help  students  improve  their  spatial  awareness  in  a  new  environment  espe-­ cially  when  under  the  inďŹ&#x201A;uence  of  alcohol.  One  1st  year  History  student  said:  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  great  idea!  It  helped  me  to Â ďŹ nd  my  way  home  from  the  LCR  all  through  Freshers  week.â&#x20AC;?

A  choice,  however,  is  being  offered  to  students  who  prefer  their  eyes  to  their  ears.  A  fetching  pair  of  earmuffs,  emblazoned  with  the  UEA  logo,  was  also  distributed  to  all Â ďŹ rst  years.  The  ear  muff  tours  were  intended  to  make  students  open  their  eyes  to  the  new  look  UEA  and  the  muffs  themselves  are  said  to  be  multi-­functional;Íž  they  can  be  used  for  those  bit-­ terly  cold  Norwich  winter  months  and  they  can  be  used  if  an  unruly  housemate  plays  music  too  loud.  Not  wanting  to  leave  out  returning  students, Â

scrap  the  decimal  numbering  of  rooms  and  replace  it  with  an  alphabetical  system.  He  admits  that  some  problems  may  arise  because  â&#x20AC;&#x153;we  only  have  26  letters  to  play  with.â&#x20AC;?     Other  fresher  friendly  measures  have  been  taken  to  help  new  students Â ďŹ nd  their  way  around. Â

UEA  has  ordered  in  extra  pairs  of  muffs,  which  will  be  available  to  buy  in  the  Union  post  ofďŹ ce  along  with  the  other  items  of  UEA  clothing.

The  Vice  chancellor  continuing  his  support,  The  new  magistrate  -­  said:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Its  reasons  like  this  that  UEA  is  getting  to  the  in  his  full  caucasian  splender top  of  those  league  tables.â&#x20AC;?  Â

22

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)CE CREAM VS GLOBAL WARMING

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s  the  environmental  and  devel-­ opment  section  of  Concrete,  Turf  has  the  role  to  report  on Â

every  green  or  ethical  issue  that  faces  the  UEA.  But  our  role  does  not  stop  at  simply  raising  awareness.  Neither  should  the  role  of  a  student  be  one  that  involves  reading  without  acting.  We  therefore  offer  this  col-­ umn  as  a  fortnightly  guide  to  better  envi-­ ronmental  practice.  We  hope  that  regular  readers  of  Turf  will  be  encouraged  to  join  some  of  the  many  campaigns  and  organi-­ sation  we  report  on.  But  failing  that,  we  should  all  be  following  these  tips,  whether  active  environmentalists  or  not.

@4AKE IT FROM TWO ICE CREAM GUYS ONCE IT S MELTED IT S RUINED

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s  the  issues  of  climate  change  gain  an  ever  higher  media  pro-­ ďŹ le,  such  as  recent  references  to  Global  Warming  being  resposi-­ ble  for  the  New  Orleans  crisis,  it  is  increasingly  becoming  the  interest  of  businesses  to  appear  to  be  giving  their  bit  back  to  the  environment.  Companies  and  corporations  are  lining  up  their  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  campaigns.  The  most  recent  company  to  jump  on  the  band-­wagon  is  ice  cream Â

maker  Ben  and  Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.  Ben  and  Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  are  starting  a  three  year  initiative  called  the  Climate  Change  College,  which  will  see  six  young  people  aged  18-­25  become  climate  change  am-­ bassadors.  They  have  teamed  up  with  WWF  to  sup-­ port  their  international  PowerSwitch  campaign  â&#x20AC;&#x153;For  a  cleaner  power  sectorâ&#x20AC;?,  also  known  as  Stop  Climate  Chaos.  The  campaign  is  concerned  with  getting  gov-­ ernments  to  make  signiďŹ cant  cuts  to  CO  pollution  from  coal  power  stations  and  forcing  a  switch  to  clean  efďŹ cient  power.  It  is  set  up  in  Europe,  Asia-­Pa-­

ciďŹ c,  USA  and  Russia,  and  pushes  governments  to  pass  strong  laws  that  affect  the  power  sector  and  trigger  the  required  switch  to  renewable  energy  and  a  much  more  intelligent  use  of  our  energy.

The  Ben  and  Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  project  has  also  recruited  arc-­ tic  explorer  Mark  Cornelissen  of  Pole  Track,  an  inter-­ national  North  Pole  expedition  setting  out  to  support  climate  change  research,  hoping  to  play  an  integral  part  in  the  running  of  scientiďŹ c  programs  conducted  by  scientists  and  institutes  around  the  world.  The  selected  six  will  be  trained  through  intern-­ ships,  workshops  and  a  visit  to  the  Arctic  to  witness  the  effects  and  experience  the  forefront  of  climate  research,  a  wholesome  opportunity  for  a  budding  en-­ vironmentalist  with  an  active  mind.

Part-­and-­parcel  of  the  project  is  the  companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  responsibility  to  the  issue.  Ben  and  Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  have  set  targets  for  themselves  in  their  climate  management  plan  to  continuously  improve  plant  efďŹ ciencies  with  new  technology  options.  The  ice-­cream  maker  now  uses  non-­polluting  energy  sources  (i.e.  CO2-­neutral  renewable  energy  sourced  from  wind,  sun,  water  or  biomass)  to  power  its  manufacturing  operations.  The  company  is  also  taking  an  active  interest  in  promising  research  developments  in  thermocoustic  refrigeration,  a  cooling  technology  that  uses  sound  waves  instead  of  greenhouse  gas  emitting  refriger-­ ants.

The  intention  is  to  give  â&#x20AC;&#x153;young  people  the  skills  to  return  to  their  countries  to  inspire  businesses  and  citizens  to  start  addressing  the  issue  of  climate  changeâ&#x20AC;?,  explained  co-­founder  Jerry  GreenďŹ eld.  The  project  certainly  seems  an  interesting  one,  with  the  comprehensive  target  to  involve  the  younger  genera-­ tion  and  supply  them  with  the  knowledge  needed  to  protect  and  preserve  our  future.

To Â ďŹ ll  in  an  entry  form  for  the  Ben  and  Jer-­

-EETING NATURE HALFWAY

ryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Climate  Change  College  go  to:  www.climatechangecollege.org Â

Improve  your  knowledge  on  current  cam-­ paigning  at  the  WWF  website  for  global  climate  change: http://www.panda.org/powerswitch/

Or  their  Stop  Climate  Chaos  site: http://www.wwf.org.uk/climatechange-­ campaign/

If  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  interested  in  making  a  local  and  international  difference  through  the  Cli-­ mate  Prediction.net  programme:

http://www.climateprediction.net  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  Go  here  to  download  the  model.  You  get  a  re-­ ally  cool  screensaver!

http://cpdn.blogspot.com/  -­  Contains  in-­ structions  on  how  to  download  the  mod-­ el,  and  has  links  to  UEA  speciďŹ c  sites.

4WO OF .ORFOLK S MOST WELL KNOWN AND POPULAR FRESHWATER MARSHES COULD BE UNDER THREAT BECAUSE OF A NEW APPROACH TO COASTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE REGION -ARK (IRONS REPORTS

C

ley  and  Salthouse  Marshes  pro-­ vide  varied  habitats  for  birds  such  as  the  Bittern  and  March  Harrier.  As  a  result  the  marshes  are  very  popular  with  bird  watchers  and  conservationists.  Both  Marshes  are  protected  from  the  sea  by  a  20  mile  long  shingle  bank,  the  constant  preservation  of  which  is  now  considered  to  be  unsustainable.  Major  stakeholders  in  the  area  are  the  Norfolk  Wildlife  Trust  (NWT),  who  manage  the  marshes  and  the  Environment  Agency,  responsible  for  coastal  management.  The  problem  facing  them  is  how  to  manage  valuable  habitats  in  a  way  which  allows  the  coastline  to  develop  naturally.  If  this  is  impossible  then  what  takes  priority;Íž  sustainable  natural  coast-­ lines  or  expensive  conservation  of  rare  and  scientiďŹ -­ cally  important  habitats?

The  Environment  Agency  proposed  that  a  new  wall  of  defence  should  be  built  behind  the  present  shingle  ridge  as  a  second  line  of  protection.  This  will  mean  that  the  original  bank  will  reposition  and  re-­proďŹ le  resulting  in  an  increased  risk  of  sea  water  inundation  to  the  Marshes.  The  project,  costing  just  under  £2.5m,  is  funded  jointly  by  Government  OfďŹ ce  Eastern  Region  and  East  of  England  Development  Agency,  with  all  the  match  funding  provided  by  the  Environment  Agency,  Nor-­ folk  Wildlife  Trust  and  National  Trust.  The  project  will  include: â&#x20AC;˘   Flood  alleviation  and  coastline  management  works  at  NWT  Cley  Marshes,  Salthouse  Marshes  and  Blak-­ eney  Freshes. â&#x20AC;˘   The  building  of  a  new  visitor  and  education  centre  at  NWT  Cley  Marshes. â&#x20AC;˘   The  delivery  of  an  integrated  programme  of  aware-­ ness,  education  and  information  with  the  project Â

Salthouse  Marshes area  focused  on  visitor  reception  points  at  NWT  Cley  Marshes,  Blakeney  Point  and  Morston  Quay.  The  pro-­ posed  work  has  been  the  subject  of  consultation  with  those  who  live  and  work  locally.  Work  is  planned  to Â ďŹ nish  by  2008.

The  construction  of  the  new  sluices  at  Cley  Marshes  should  enable  rapid  evacuation  of  ďŹ&#x201A;oodwa-­ ter.  It  is  expected  that,  whilst  ďŹ&#x201A;ooding  will  continue  to  occur  at  Cley  and  Salthouse  Marshes  (as  it  has  done  over  several  previous  decades)  rapid  evacuation  will  signiďŹ cantly  reduce  the  damage  caused  by  saline  wa-­ ter  on  freshwater  habitats.

Re-­directing  the  ďŹ&#x201A;ow  of  the  River  Glaven  on  Blak-­ eney  Freshes  is  being  undertaken  to  improve  evacu-­ ation  of  ďŹ&#x201A;ood  water  and  ensure  the  river  does  not  become  blocked.  The  shingle  ridge  at  Cley  and  Salthouse  Marshes  is  a  natural  ďŹ&#x201A;ood  defence  feature  that  has  been  arti-­ ďŹ cially  managed  since  the  1940s.  The  reproďŹ lling  of  the  ridge  is  intended  to  create  a  more  natural  proďŹ le,  hopefully  resulting  in  a  more  sustainable  and  robust  sea  barrier.  The  barrier  will  continue  to  be  periodi-­ cally  overtopped  but  will  absorb  more  wave  energy,  thus  offering  more  protection  to  the  coastal  marshes  and  local  properties.  Reduced  management  interven-­ tion  will  also  enable  the  re-­establishment  of  ďŹ&#x201A;ora  and Â

fauna  on  the  shingle  ridge.  It  is  anticipated  that,  in  spite  of  improved  ďŹ&#x201A;ood  alleviation,  gradual  increases  in  salinity  will  eventu-­ ally  compromise  the  sustainability  of  existing  habitat  at  Cley  Marshes  for  breeding  bitterns  and  therefore,  under  the  European  Habitats  Directive,  an  alternative  habitat  will  have  to  be  created  within  the  same  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;eco-­ geographicalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  area.

Environment  Agency  Eastern  Area  Manager  Bill  Forbes  said:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  are  extremely  pleased  to  be  involved  in  such  a  worthwhile  collaborative  project  and  look  forward  to  working  in  partnership  with  Norfolk  Wild-­ life  Trust  and  National  Trust.â&#x20AC;?  In  principle  the  NWT  support  the  plans.  How-­ ever,  despite  assurances  that  freshwater  will  remain  a  priority  for  policy  makers  for  years,  they  are  wor-­ ried  about  the  future  of  the  freshwater  habitats.  Man-­ agement  of  these  habitats  requires  maintenance  of  drainage  and  visitor  interest  alike.

The  Cley  project  is  a  good  demonstration  of  how  organisations  with  competing  interests  can  reach  agreement.  To  ensure  that  the  challenge  is  met,  the  partnership,  support  and  understanding  of  involved  groups  is  essential.  The  continuing  and  long-­term  evaluation  that  the  NWT  is  hoping  for  will  show  whether  such  projects  can  indeed  be  successful.    Â

$PODSFUF   Wednesday   October  12  2005

5%! 4OP COMPUTER CRUNCHERS !S MORE ACCURATE CLIMATE CHANGE MODELS ARE DEMANDED THE COMPUTERS REQUIRE MORE AND MORE POWER ! NEW SYSTEM THAT USES IDLE 0# POWER IS TAKING THE LEAD AND 5%! lNDS ITSELF AT THE FOREFRONT ONCE AGAIN -ICHAEL #ROUCH REPORTS

T

he  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  fastest  computer  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  a  supercomputer,  but  is  in  fact  a  rapidly  expanding  network  of  or-­ dinary  computer  owners  who  give  up  their  spare  processing  power  in  the  name  of  science.  Welcome  to  distributed  computing.  Last  November  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Cli-­ mateprediction.net  (CPDN)  team  formed.  From  humble  beginnings,  UEA  is  now  7th  out  of  all  the  Universities  and  academic  institutions  taking  part  in  the  World,  and  is  the  leading  team  in  the  UK. CPDN  was  founded  by  Dr  Myles  Allen,  an  Oxford  statistician  and  computer  scientist  David  Stainforth.  Over  the  past  two  years  their  vision  has  seen  the  sys-­ tem  grow  to  be  almost  twice  as  powerful  as  the  Earth  Simulator  in  Yokohama,  Japan,  which  is  one  of  the  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  fastest  supercomputers.

CPDN  is  a  General  Circulation  Model  (GCM)  that  runs  a  simulation  of  Earth  from  1810  to  the  year  2065  in  order  to  predict  the  patterns  of  climate  change.  It  is  based  on  the  Hadley  Centre  GCM,  a  well  respected,  and  highly  complex  computer  model  which  simulates  oceanic  and  atmospheric  processes.

The  experiment  consists  of  three  stages: Â

The  project  has  completed  over  100,000  simulations  of  the  Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  climate.

MACs,  and  Linux  PCs.  Both  laptops  and  desktops  are  suitable.

The  project  has  completed  over  100,000  simula-­ tions  of  the  Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  climate,  thanks  to  members  of  the  public  donating  spare  processing  time  on  their  computers.

CPDN  has  already  been  used  to  predict  the  likeli-­ hood  and  simulate  the  effects  of  a  shutdown  in  the  Atlantic  Conveyor  (the  scenario  depicted  in  the Â ďŹ lm  The  Day  After  Tomorrow),  helping  climate  scientists,  the  Environment  Agency  and  the  Government  take  the  decisions  necessary  to  prevent  a  similar  scenario  from  becoming  reality.  The Â ďŹ lm  alone  has  been  the  cause  of  an  increase  in  the  projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  participants.  Science  magazine  has  described  the  CPDN  phenom-­ enon  as  the  â&#x20AC;&#x153;selďŹ&#x201A;ess  interest  of  millions  of  people.â&#x20AC;?   The  latest  model  aims  to  predict  the  effect  of  sul-­ phate  particles  in  the  atmosphere  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  an  effect  known  as  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Global  Dimmingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  (which  was  the  subject  of  a  BBC  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Horizonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  programme,  back  in  the  Spring).

UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  team  comprises  a  healthy  mix  of  under-­ gradâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  and  postgradâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.  Not  everybody  running  the  model  is  in  an  Environmental  Sciences  student!  CPDN  and  similar  programs  have  created  a  new  phenomenon  known  as  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Competitive  Crunchingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.   â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Crunchersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,  according  to  a  recent  Science  magazine  special  on  distributed  computing,  are  people  who Â

35--%$ 50 The  length  of  time  that  Charles  Clark  would  like  to  keep  suspects  locked  up  with  out  charge  = The  length  of  time  it  takes  to  wit-­ ness  the  destruction  of  20  million  acres  of  rainforest  = The  average  length  of  time  between  each  1000  reported  Iraqi  civilian  deaths  since  the  invasion  = Â

MONTHS The  number  of  University  students  in  the  UK  = !BOVE &IRST STAGE OF THE COMPUTER MODELLING PROCESS "ELOW 3OME OF THE RESULTS BEING PRODUCED

4UBHF  -­  A  calibration  stage  with Â ďŹ xed  ocean  tem-­ peratures  to  determine  what  heat  ďŹ&#x201A;ux  is  necessary  at  the  ocean  surface  to  maintain  a  stable  atmosphere  with  pre-­industrial  greenhouse  forcing.

4UBHF  -­  A  control  stage  to  examine  whether  the  perturbed  atmosphere  can  remain  stable  when  cou-­ pled  to  a  thermodynamic  ocean  and  pre-­industrial  greenhouse  gas  levels 4UBHF  -­  A  double  carbon  dioxide  run  to  deter-­ mine  the  model  response  to  a  known  greenhouse  gas  forcing The  model  uses  a  program  named  BOINC  (Berkeley  Open  Infrastructure  for  Network  Comput-­ ing).  It  was  developed  at  Berkeley  University  in  the  United  States,  and  was Â ďŹ rst  used  for  the  SETI@home  project,  which  scans  a  multitude  of  signals  from  ra-­ dio  telescopes  for  possible  extra-­terrestrial  communi-­ cation.  Unfortunately,  since  SETIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  launch  in  1999,  a  signal  of  extra-­terrestrial  origin  is  yet  to  be  identiďŹ ed.  BOINC  sends  in  its  results  daily  to  the  CPDN  server  in  Oxford.  If  you  are  permanently  connected  (e.g.  in  halls)  the  results  will  be  sent  in  instantane-­ ously.  If  you  are  on  a  dialup  connection,  BOINC  will  wait  until  you  next  connect  before  uploading  the  re-­ sults.  The  model  runs  on  all  types  of  Windows  PCs, Â

23

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The  number  of  workers  in  the  tour-­ ism  industry  in  the  UK  = The  number  of  Zimbabwean  people  that  have  been  promised  food  aid  by  the  government  (even  though  the  UN  has  calculated  that  the  same  number  again  will  still  need  feeding)  =

MILLION

â&#x20AC;&#x153;get  kicks  from  trying  to  churn  through  more  data  than  anyone  elseâ&#x20AC;?.  Crunchers  treat  computer  mod-­ eling  as  a  competitive  sport,  and  this  is  really  good  all  round  as  it  can  drive  scienctiďŹ c  advances,  and  thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  bit  of  fun  to  be  had  at  the  same  time.  Teams  add  a  competitive  dimension  to  the  project,  UEA  can  feel  deservedly  proud  that  we  are  the  leading  UK  univer-­ sity  in  this  area  of  research  both  through  CPDN  and  published  papers.  Research  groups  now  effectively  comprise  sever-­ al  million  people,  all  of  whom  will  be  directly  affected  by  the  issues  under  study.   The  problem  facing  all  climate  models  is  the  de-­ gree  of  accuracy  in  the  prediction.  Some  models  over-­ estimate  the  speed  and  scale  of  climate  change,  lead-­ ing  to  problems  of  investing  huge  amounts  of  money  into  trying  to  avert  a  problem  which  transpires  to  be  less  serious  than  the  model  suggests.  However,  it  is  sharp  on  both  sides,  because  if  the  models  underes-­ timate  little  action  is  taken  due  to  the  belief  that  any  changes  will  be  small  and  occur  gradually.

The  approach  CPDN  is  taking  to  tackle  these  problems  is  by  improving  the  parameters  of  the  ex-­ periment,  which  is  a  continual  process  of  gathering  more  satellite  data  for  a  wide  range  of  atmospheric  variables  including  wind  speed,  cloud  cover  and  tem-­ perature.

As  yet  CPDN  has  stood  up  to  the  test  of  peer  review  -­  â&#x20AC;&#x153;No  one  has  found  fault  with  the  way  our  simulations  were  doneâ&#x20AC;?  according  to  Stainforth.  Un-­ fortunately,  the  initial  predictions  (reported  in  Nature  in  January)  have  shocked  climate  scientists.  Some  simulations  predict  an  11ÂşC  increase  when  CO2  in  the  atmosphere  is  doubled,  which  would  be  cata-­ strophic.  Stainforth  therefore  surmises  that  â&#x20AC;&#x153;we  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  say  what  level  of  atmospheric  carbon  dioxide  is  safe.â&#x20AC;?  In  a  press  release  timed  to  coincide  with  the  G8  sum-­ mit,  Myles  and  Stainforth  warned  delegates  that  â&#x20AC;&#x153;a  delay  in  the  earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  climate  system  means  that  the  full  effects  of  the  carbon  dioxide  already  in  the  atmos-­ phere  have  not  yet  been  seen.â&#x20AC;?

CPDN  is  a  highly  worthwhile  program  using  tried  and  tested  software.  As  long  as  you  meet  the  system Â

requirements  it  shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  slow  your  computer  down,  or  cause  any  other  problems.  The  option  to  switch  the  model  off  at  any  time  is  available  to  all  partici-­ pants  at  any  time.  The  CPDN  website  has  forums  staffed  by  technicians  should  you  have  any  difďŹ cul-­ ties,  and  should  you  chose  to  download  the  program,  you  will  be  making  a  real  contribution  to  climate  sci-­ enceâ&#x20AC;Ś  and  you  will  help  UEA  reach  the  top  of  the  league  table  (where  we  deserve  to  be!).  You  also  get  a  really  cool  screensaver!

So  whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  next  for  CPDN?  More  results  are  need-­ ed  in  order  to  determine  probabilities  to  different  cli-­ mate  change  scenarios.  Currently,  less  than  1%  of  the  roughly  300  million  idle  PCs  connected  to  the  Inter-­ net  have  been  tapped  for  distributed  computing,  we  have  only  scraped  the  surface  of  available  capacity. Â

Percent  of  UK  agricultural  land  that  is  organic  = The  size  of  the  UK  as  a  proportion  of  the  Amazonian  rain  forest  = The  value  of  the  UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  communica-­ tions  market  as  a  proportion  of  our  GDP  =

24 $0..&/5

$PODSFUF Wednesday October 12 2005

-ISMATCH OF THE DAY 4HE EMERGENCE OF #HELSEA AS A HYPER TEAM CREAT ED BY 2OMAN !BRAMOVICH S MONEY IS DAMAGING TO THE %NGLISH GAME ARGUES 3IMON 3HERIDAN

4HE RUBBISH LIFE

)T SEEMS ETHICAL LIVING IS NOW AS @FASHIONABLE AS THE CATWALKS OF 0ARIS AND -ILAN BUT HOW CAN STU DENTS BE EXPECTED TO JOIN IN THE FUN OF WHAT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE LIFESTYLE ASKS -ATT 3HOESMITH Isn’t it nice to dream of living in a time when the Gov-­ ernment will insist on Fair Trade? An age in which students are provided with a hefty grant towards the cost of buying ethical living produce, free-­range eggs, organic vegetables, and clear consciences all around the dinner table? Oui Madame, it most certainly is nice to dream of such a time. It’s also nice to dream about Stockport winning the FA Cup, but that doesn’t mean it’s likely to happen.

We’d all love to be able to push only organic food past our smug, ethically living faces, but there is a certain amount of cost attached to it that is, put sim-­ ply, too high. In one supermarket, a loaf of own brand sliced white will cost just twenty-­five pence. Grinning back angelically from across the shelf is the ethi-­ cally sound organic produce, with a starting price of eighty-­four pence per loaf. As our American cousins say, “you do the math.” It works out, roughly, to be loads more expensive.

So what can the conscientious student do to live ethically within the bounds of reason? Give up drink-­ ing, wearing clothes, using electricity and anything else which currently eats, or more accurately, devours the average student loan? Well perhaps, but there’s no point in living ethically if you don’t leave the house often enough to be smarmy about it to anyone who’ll listen. Arguably a more practical application of one’s moral stance on consumer goods is to create pres-­ sure on retailers to lower the price of ethically sound produce to a level whereby it can realistically compete with its evil competitors. However, a strongly worded letter is about as likely to be taken seriously as Peter and Jordan’s wedding vows, and picketing outside with your mates could be equally embarrassing. And

to be honest, it defeats the point of arguing for Fair Trade if you then campaign for it to be cheaper.

It would be similarly unrealistic to expect stu-­ dents to campaign for an increase in the price of unethical goods, in the hope of creating a level play-­ ing field. Or would it? The echo of an old economics teacher brings forth something about wages increas-­ ing in reaction to inflation of consumer goods, albeit with a slight time lag. Therefore, increasing the price of unethically produced goods may well be plausible.

Plausible, yes, but if you’re taking bets on getting a significant number of debt-­burdened students to campaign for higher prices, I’ll take Stockport for the Cup every time.

So what’s the answer? There’s only one person who knows that, and he’s usually busy sitting on a cloud, probably reading Concrete. Chances are that students cannot live completely ethically without a significant cheque arriving from the Royal Bank of Old Dears on a regular basis. It is not possible. What is possible is a gradual change of attitudes towards ethical produce, which may be achievable through the frequent exercise of one’s high horse and/or soapbox to those who call into question the importance of eth-­ ical living. Furthermore, it is worth remembering that today’s duffle coat wearing, freshers’ flu spreading tax dodger is tomorrow’s company executive, man-­ ager, journalist or even Stockport centre forward. The future of the ethical dream lies in the hands of those who have sufficient means to give it a louder voice. In the meantime, it befalls all those who truly care about ethical issues to keep fighting the good fight, without being forced into making their own trousers from Fair Trade banana skins.

The football season is over! This at least is the opin-­ ion of Paddypower.com, the Irish online betting firm that has already paid out to anyone who backed Chel-­ sea to win the title. Admittedly, the odds were hardly wonderful, but the fact that a company whose sole purpose is to extract money from the public is giving it away should alarm football fans up and down the country.

This is not an indictment of the betting establish-­ ment. Although it may seem a tad stupid to pay out money when the season is only a month old, it draws attention to the ridiculous state of the English game (and is also a nice little publicity stunt). Although we have had only two real title contenders for over ten years now -­ Man Utd and Arsenal perpetually bat-­ tling for the Premiership crown -­ the emergence of Chelsea under Jose Mourinho (or much more im-­ portantly, Roman Abramovich) is not what it should have been. When the Russian tycoon first took over the club, it was hoped that it might add to the compe-­ tition, making the Arsenal/Man Utd duopoly a thing of the past. Sadly, Chelsea have simply claimed their own monopoly. An almost flawless season last year, the club have yet to lose in the 2005 Premiership, and show no signs of doing so.

Some may argue, perhaps rightly, that it is enough to have another club taking the spoils from Ferguson and Wenger. This may be correct, but only if that club does so in a way that is superior. When Ar-­ senal went unbeaten for an entire season, you could only sit back and admire the way in which they relent-­ lessly pummelled the opposition with attack after at-­ tack of sublime football. The flow and movement of the Arsenal team was simply too good for any other club in the league. If your team lost to them, there was no shame in it as you could hold your hands up, with pride, and admit defeat to a superior team. Chel-­ sea, on the other hand, cannot have the same praise heaped upon them. While Mourinho must be given credit for assembling a winning team, you would think a manager with infinite transfer funds could produce a team that plays with a bit of flair. Instead, his Chelsea side are a footballing machine, a team of robots who sacrifice everything to win.

Some of you may ask why this is a problem. After all, surely football is all about winning, and whichever method is best for that is the right one. However, I would have to disagree. Football, at its basest level, is about competition, and the entertainment derived from it. If you look at the Italian Serie A, a league which has been effectively devoid of competition for years now, the stadiums are very rarely filled to ca-­ pacity. In a recent survey, The Football Championship was found to have more people watching it than Serie A. This, quite frankly, is difficult to believe, but high-­ lights the point rather nicely. In a league with minimal competition, attendances will fall. The Premiership could be going the same way if Chelsea continue

their battering-­ram approach to football.

This is not something that is desirable. Without wanting to sound too much like a conservative, it has always been part of a typical Saturday to go to watch the match, and then watch Match of the Day in the evening. This bastion of English culture is under threat because it no longer throws up any surprises.

Last season the most interesting aspect of the Pre-­ miership was the relegation battle, which came down to the very last day of the season with West Brom-­ wich Albion eventually retaining their place in the top flight. While this was immense entertainment, the battle to see who goes down should be a sideshow to the main event – who has won the title? Last season Chelsea had won with three weeks to spare, and lets face it, had only been denied this long because of the technical issues like maths. This season promises to be the same, with Mourinho possibly trying to secure it even earlier. Perhaps Paddy Power should be taking bets on how many weeks will be left of the season when Chelsea actually win the title.

So what is to be done? Well it must be hoped that another team comes to challenge the Blues. Man Utd and Arsenal are still there or thereabouts, but neither has the quality nor the strength in depth to match the team from Stamford Bridge. In Man Utd’s case, they are a team in decline, and perhaps it is to Arse-­ nal that we must look to challenge Chelsea. Wenger’s side are in a period of rebuilding after selling Patrick Vieira to Juventus and trying to replace the 36 year old Dennis Bergkamp. However, their French man-­ ager has shown himself more than capable of find-­ ing players who can produce the goods. Other teams who may be able to step up a gear are Liverpool, who are still a massive disappointment in the league. Ra-­ fael Benitez has certainly figured out how to win in Europe, but many Reds fans will be despondent that he has shown no signs of conquering the league as he did with Valencia in 2004. Newcastle are another team who have the resources and fanbase to mount a challenge, but their record of not winning anything for over 50 years is hardly encouraging and suggests that the EUFA cup is the summit for them.

There is no-­one else, and to be perfectly honest, it is highly dubious whether any of these teams will be able to match Chelsea, particularly over the course of a season. Mourinho’s team resemble something from the Championship Manager computer games;; a team of superstars who each has a superstar to cov-­ er their position. In this era of high-­impact football, where teams play at least twice a week, the size of Chelsea’s squad will always be a huge factor in decid-­ ing who wins the league.

The money Roman Abramovich has ploughed into the club is the most pervasive factor in English football, and until something rectifies this fact, we are in for an awful lot more boring seasons, just like this one.

Perhaps this is just like the Chapelfield phenom-­ ena and I’m missing the point. Maybe there really are so few shops in Norwich that a money-­making

scheme is wholly necessary in a place where people just meet for drinks or work at raising awareness about, ooh, I don’t know consumerism, ethical trade, all those relevant things?

Call me old-­fashioned but I can’t help but think back fondly to the days a friend of mine created an entire suit of armour for a theme night using only one roll of tin foil and a marker pen. Bin-­liners were per-­ fectly adequate for Halloween. No-­one likes the idiot who shows up to fancy dress in a £100 hired monkey suit. Where’s the fun in that? Turning up to a party in the same outfit as someone else – disaster. Doesn’t this take it all to a whole new level?

Norwich boasts an incredible collection of charity shops, full to the brim of quirky, original and (surely this is vital) cheap alternatives to this latest retail ven-­ ture. So go on, hotfoot it to Anglia Square and dare to be different. It’ll be much more fun;; it’s infinitely more imaginative;; you’ll be giving your money to a worthy cause and it’ll be a lot easier on your pocket too. Hen-­ ry David Thoreau once said – “Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes” and I think there’s a lot to be said for that school of thought. The Hive is where we relax, where we study, where we put the world to rights. Lets not dress it up as anything else.

4HE (IVE SELLS OUT 4HE (IVE AND ,#2 HAVE BECOME MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES ARGUES %MMA *OHNSTON The LCR has become something of a shambles. The days of unrestricted and low-­maintenance drinking have been taken over by a fashion parade, which is simply further evidence of the Union’s ambivalent attitude towards the students it is supposed to look after. But wait;; before those eggs (and snakebites) start flying, I do have a serious and somewhat ethical point to make. Surely I cannot be the only one about to choke on my new-­fangled mocha-­chocca-­cuppa-­ delight upon witnessing the slow but inevitable cor-­ porate infiltration of our Hive?

“What’s this?!” I gurgled, at the newly placed stall of spangly Stetsons (James Dean wouldn’t have been seen dead in), “Indian” feathers (don’t get me started) and perchance if I had looked closer, an ar-­ ray of sparkly whips and reins (that’s right – cheap, single-­use plastic has just got sexy).

And yes, it seems that every week all our LCR needs will be met by that one little table. The con-­

venience! And what with “trailer trash” coming up, the “social prejudice dream-­masters of ready-­made costume” must really be working overtime.

-&55&34 &%*503*"-

$PODSFUF  Wednesday  October  12  2005

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25

,%44%23 WWW CONCRETE ONLINE COM

0LEASE SEND LETTERS FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE %DITOR

3ARAH %DWARDES TO #ONCRETE 0/ "/8 .ORWICH

./2&/,+ .2 4* OR SEND AN EMAIL TO CONCRETE EDITORIAL UEA C UK

%DITOR CONCRETE EDITOR UEA AC UK 3ARAH %DWARDES

$EPUTY %DITOR CONCRETE EDITORIAL UEA AC UK *AMES #ONWAY

In  the  immortal  words  of  Kermit  the  Frog,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  not  easy  beinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  green.  The  hemp  clothing  itches  for  a  start.  And  sandals  are  entirely  inappropriate  footwear  for  the  dark  days  of  a  British  winter.  Then  there  are  the  beards  -­  a  complete  non-­starter  if  you  happen  to  be  of  the  fairer  sex.  Yet  perhaps  an  environmentally-­friendly  lifestyle  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  have  to  evoke  the  smell  of  compost  or  Tom  and  Barbara  in  The  Good  Life,  smug  in  their  Surbiton  semi  with  a  weaving  loom  in  the  kitchen  and  a  garden  full  of  chickens.  Green  living  is  something  we  all  do  on  a  daily  basis,  often  without  even  thinking  about  it.  If  you  turned  the  lights  off  the  last  time  you  left  an  empty  room,  that  was  a  green  decision.

Indeed,  being  green  is  all  about  making  decisions.  We  are  bombarded  on  a  daily  basis  with  invitations  to  change  our  lifestyle,  each  one  promising  that  a  new  diet  or  a  new  outďŹ t  will  reveal  a  new  us.  Amongst  these  exhortations  to  personal  change,  ethical  living  has  become  an  exten-­ sion  of  consumer  choice  -­  another  brand  to  add  to  our  already  bursting  shopping  bags.  Do  you  buy  organic  or  local,  fairtrade  or  sustainable,  hand-­made  or  second-­hand?  And  does  it  matter,  so  long  as  you  take  an  interest  in  the  origins  of  the  produce  you  buy?

The  simple  answer  is  that  it  does  not:  living  the  good  life  is  a  matter  of  personal  conscience.  But  as  we  come  to  rely  more  and  more  on  worldwide  connections  for  the  things  we  take  for  granted,  the  distinction  between  personal  and  social,  local  and  global,  become  ever  more  difďŹ -­ cult  to  deďŹ ne.  We  all  appreciate  that  our  actions  have  an  immediate  effect  on  the  people  around  us,  but  are  often  unwilling  to  accept  that  this  principle  also  extends  to  the  wider  world.

If  there  is  more  to  ethical  awareness  than  what  brand  of  chocolate  you  choose  to  boycott  or  how  many  beer  cans  you  can  recycle  in  a  week,  it  is  also  as  easy  as  taking  an  interest  in  the  choices  you  make.  Below  are  ten  simple  and  environmentally-­friendly  things  to  do  this  week.  Going  green  does  not  have  to  mean  a  radical  shift  in  lifestyle  -­  just  a  minor  change  in  think-­ ing. Â

Dear  Concrete,

#HIEF #OPY %DITOR

I  just  wanted  to  comment  on  the  recent  article  about  students  who  choose  to  stay  at  home  rather  than  live  on  campus.  Thank  you  so  much  for  this  article.  I  was  beginning  to  feel  like  I  was  the  only  fresher  in  the  world  who  was  still  living  at  home,  and  getting  quite  upset  at  feeling  so  left  out  and  at  all  the  rude  looks  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  get  when  I  told  people  I  still  live  at  home.  Your  article  made  me  feel  so  much  better  and  realise  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  not  just  me  who  feels  this  way  and  that  it  will  get  better.

I  think  this  article,  if  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  not  done  so  already,  should  be  reprinted  at  the  beginning  of  every  year,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  real  comfort.

Thank  you  very  much  and  I  love  this  paper!

3ARAH -ABLEY

.EWS %DITOR CONCRETE NEWS UEA AC UK )SOBEL $YSON

2EPORTERS *ULIA "RADSHAW *ACK 2OYSTON #LARE "ULL 0HIL "ANKS 2OSIE #HANCE 3CIENCE %DITOR

&EATURES %DITOR CONCRETE FEATURES UEA AC UK 3IMON 3HERIDAN

7RITERS %MMA *OHNSTON .ATALIE %VANS (ARDING #LAIRE !ITCHISON (EALTH %DITOR

Jenny  Taylor Â

-ATT 3HOESMITH 3TEVE 7ILLIAMS

4URF %DITOR CONCRETE TURF UEA AC UK

         Â

1)  Fill  the  kettle  with  only  the  exact  amount  of  water  you  need 2)  Buy  your  fruit  and  vegetables  from  a  local  green  grocers 3)  Take  your  own  plastic  bags  to  the  shops 4)  For  a  product  you  often  buy,  choose  its  fairly-­traded  alternative 5)  Keep  lids  on  your  saucepans  to  save  gas  or  electricity 6)  Put  on  an  extra  layer  of  clothing  and  turn  the  central  heating  down  by  1o 7)  If  you  usually  drive  to  campus,  walk  or  take  the  bus  instead 8)  Turn  the  TV  off  rather  than  leaving  it  on  standby 9)  Let  your  hair  dry  on  its  own  rather  than  using  a  hairdryer 10)  Check  where  your  food  has  come  from  and  if  possible  buy  local  produce

.%34,Âł '/%3 &!)242!$% NestlĂŠ  has  this  week  announced  that  it  plans  to  extend  its  coffee  range  to  include  beans  that  have  been  fairly  traded  according  to  world  market  standards.  While  Fairtrade  representa-­ tives  have  called  the  move  a  small  step  in  the  right  direction,  campaigners  have  accused  the  company  of  trying  to  buy  into  increased  customer  demand  for  ethically-­minded  products.  For  some,  the  awarding  of  a  Fairtrade  logo  to  NestlĂŠ  has  undermined  the  principles  of  a  foundation  that  had  previously  stood  against  the  self-­interested  activities  of  big  business.  Yet  to  welcome  NestlĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  decision  as  a  potentially  positive  one  is  not  to  condone  the  practices  that  have  led  to  the  Union  of  UEA  Students  implementing  a  ban  on  the  sale  of  its  products  at  their  outlets.  The  ban  will  remain  as  long  as  the  problems  that  caused  it  continue  to  exist.  The  question  for  us  as  consumers  is  will  our  Fairtrade  campus  one  day  have  to  stock  NestlĂŠ?

(ANNAH .EWTON

Dear  Concrete, -ARK (IRONS

I  would  like  to  respond  to  your  article  on  the  bus  strikes  held  in  the  city  last  week.

-ICHAEL #ROUCH

4RAVEL %DITOR ONCRETE FASHIONLIFESTYLE UEA AC UK

Given  that  students  are  supposed  to  be  a)  poor  and  b)  relatively  environmentally-­minded  I  am  surprised  that  there  should  be  so  much  fuss  about  a  few  buses  not  running.

0RIYA 3HAH

3PORT %DITOR CONCRETE SPORT UEA AC UK ,OUIS (OLDING 0ARSONS

*OHNNY $OWNER

With  the  exception  of  those  who  need  to  travel  long  distances  onto  campus,  we  could  all  ben-­ eďŹ t  from  a  bit  of  walking.  It  only  takes  just  over  half  an  hour  to  get  from  town  to  the  university,  and  it  would  also  save  us  a  lot  of  money  in  gym  fees!

+ATIE 'REEN (ANNAH -AXEY

0ROOFREADING !DRIAN +ASSISSIA ,UCY 0URCELL "ECKY %LLERY

0RODUCTION

Paul  Stevens

!DVERTISING CONCRETE ADVERTISING UEA AC UK !NNA 3TEWARD

$ISTRIBUTION .ICHOLAS +ENT

#ONCRETE

0/ "/8 ./27)#( ./2&/,+ .2 4" #ONCRETE IS PUBLISHED BY 55%!3 #ONCRETE 3OCIETY Š #ONCRETE )33. ,ETTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE %DITOR 3ARAH %DWARDES ,ETTERS MUST INCLUDE CONTACT DETAILS BUT WE WILL CONSIDER ANONYMOUS PUBLICATION 7E RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY AS NECCESSARY /PINIONS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE 0UBLISHER OR %DITOR 5SE OF THE NAME 4HE %VENT IS BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS 0LANET :OG ,TD .O PART OF THIS NEWSPAPER MAY BE REPRODUCED THROUGH ANY MEANS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE %DITOR 0RINTED BY !RCHANT

26

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/ iÊ"« Ê - Õ `ÊÜ i ÊLiÊ> Üi`ÊÌ ÊL ݶ "Y *%--! 4(!+% 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 It was announced this week that women’s boxing is likely to be included in the London 2012 Olympic Games. The move to accommodate female boxers is likely to be met with strong opposition. Women’s boxing is already a controversial issue, but the elimi-­ nation of a number of the male weight categories to make room for the ladies will only rub salt in the wounds of many male boxing fans. Should women really be allowed to box in the Olympics?

I believe that this news can only be a good thing for women’s sport. The 30,000 plus women who currently take part in competitive boxing around the world deserve the chance to compete at the most important sporting event in the world. Boxing is cur-­

rently the only Olympic sport not to be contested by the fairer sex, which in this age of supposed equality cannot be accepted. Any sport that men take part in should be open to women also. To deny someone the right to take part in a legally acceptable activity on the basis of gender is to infringe on their liberty. However, I personally cannot see why anyone, man or woman, would want to step into the ring and take part in such a brutal and dangerous sport, but if that is their wish they should be free to do so. Women have long been able to compete in other full contact sports such as rugby, so why should boxing be any different?

Instead of asking ‘should women be allowed to box?’ perhaps we need to consider if either sex should be taking part in such a barbaric sport. It’s not hard to find examples of how boxing can lead to serious and fatal injuries. Just look at Mohammed Ali, a man now riddled by Alzheimer’s disease, robbed of his physi-­

cal coordination and speech. Even with safety regu-­ lations in place the numbers of injuries and deaths remain high. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons over 90% of boxers sustain a brain injury. A sport where the principal aim is to knock out your opponent seems rather primitive, and surely belongs to a period of history long passed. A total ban on boxing isn’t on the horizon so perhaps we should be grateful that boxing has evolved from the time when athletes used gloves spiked or weight-­ ed with lead and fought until the death.

Boxing may well be an extremely dangerous sport to be involved in, but the dangers are the same whether the athlete is male or female. To ban women from boxing whilst men continue to do so is ridicu-­ lous and is just another example of how men are still the dominant sex in our society. If women want to box, let them.

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30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 Just over a year ago, Andrew Murray announced his arrival on tennis’s world stage by winning the US Open Boy’s Final. Nine months later his exuberance and aggression took Wimbledon by storm. Now Mur-­ ray finds himself ranked number 72 in the world, hav-­ ing recently reached his first ATP Final in the Thai-­ land Open. Not bad for an eighteen year old who was ranked 479 in the world only twelve months ago.

Unfortunately for Murray, his impressive progress

to the Thailand Open final met its match in Roger Fe-­ derer’s astonishing run of 31 games without defeat.

The imperious Swiss simply had too much in the locker for Murray, coming away with a 6-­3 7-­5 victory.

However, this was certainly not the most comfortable of Federer’s thirty-­three final victories, as he often had to call upon some of his best tennis in order to defeat the young Scot.

Murray got off to the worst possible start, being broken in his first service game. But a potent combi-­ nation of power and deft variety kept Murray in the set. In the seventh game a tight line call denied Mur-­ ray a break point, giving Federer a 5-­2 advantage. The manner in which Murray responded highlighted just

why so much is expected of him. He replied to what he considered a controversial umpiring decision with a commanding service game, making Federer then work hard to serve out the set.

Murray was again broken in the first game of the second set. But his response was exemplary;; not only staying in the set but raising his game to break back in the sixth and take leads at both 3-­4 and 4-­5. At this point Federer noticeably upped his performance and took the next three games to take the title in straight sets. But after such a display of skill and determina-­ tion from Murray, there is no reason for British tennis fans to be downhearted.

Andrew Murray undoubtedly has the raw talent to

become a genuine contender for future Grand Slam titles. His fitness remains a concern but, in much the same way as Pietersen and Flintoff have re-­ignited a nation’s long-­forgotten love affair with cricket, Mur-­ ray has both the talent and the personality to carry the hopes of the ever-­suffering British tennis fans upon his shoulders and put tennis back on the map.

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Over 30 Snooker tables Pool tables American style tables £250 jackpot machines Hot & cold food available Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week Licensed bar at low prices with usual opening hours

"Y 7),,)!- !,&/2$ 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 After a slow and sluggish start to season, Norwich have started to find their feet in the Championship.

It is traditionally difficult for relegated teams to ad-­ just to this extremely competitive league and it seems that Norwich are no exception to this trend.

The club opened the season with three draws and three defeats and quickly found themselves at the wrong end of the table. In fact their solitary win in the opening month came against the not so mighty MK Dons in the Carling Cup. However, following the international break in early September things have started to look a lot brighter for Norwich.

Perhaps the turning point was a vital win against bitter rivals Ipswich at Portman Road. While the match was not what can be considered a classic, Nor-­ wich managed to grind out a 1-­0 victory with a goal from Darren Huckerby. Since then the club have won three of the last four games and have comfortably consolidated themselves in mid-­table. This, however, has not been without controversy.

Following a disappointing home defeat against high-­flying Reading a couple of weeks ago, a section of the fans decided too boo Nigel Worthington. While it was an extremely frustrating performance this did seem unnecessary and over the top. Worthington has

done great work for this club in recent years and most of it has been on a shoe-­string budget.

After the Reading defeat, City have enjoyed their first back-­to-­back wins of the season. They managed to recover from a shock early goal to beat Hull 2-­1.

Goals from Safri and Doherty eased the pressure on Worthington’s men. The quality of football from Norwich in the first half of this game was fantastic. I think some people at Carrow Road thought they were watching Brazil;; well, they wear the same colour at least.

Then came an excellent away victory on the south coast. City rushed into a two goal lead in the first half and looked comfortable. This was until Brighton clawed a goal back in the 67th minute to make things interesting. Fortunately, Henderson -­ substituted on for the injured Safri -­ confirmed the three points with a fantastic individual goal. The youngster cut in from the right and managed to curl a superb shot into the far corner of the net. It capped off an energetic per-­ formance from Henderson, although he was lucky not to get a second yellow for over celebrating.

It now looks like Norwich have started to adjust to life in the Championship and following recent per-­ formances maybe they can start pushing towards the play-­off positions. Worthington has managed to keep the majority of his squad from last year together and, with no runaway leaders in the division, there is hope yet for the Canaries.

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"Y ,/5)3 (/,$).' 0!23/.3 3PORT %DITOR The UEA swimming team has teamed up with City of Norwich swimming club (formerly Norwich Pen-­ guins) to form the UEA City of Norwich SC. This is the first move of its kind in the country and should produce mutually beneficial results. The partnership

will give UEA students access to high quality coach-­ ing within a proven successful club, whose structure as well as opportunities will allow UEA swimmers to compete with full coach support.

Benefits for City of Norwich Swimming Club will include additional pool time, more senior swimmers for competitions and greater access to University sports science facilities. This in turn will help extend its ASA Swim 21 accreditation to include the perform-­

/ Ê 8/1, -Ê -/Ê £ÓÌ Ê"VÌ LiÀÊÌ ÊÓxÌ Ê"VÌ LiÀ %BUF Wed 12/10

4QPSU

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Badminton

Mens 2

7.40pm

Home

Tasburgh

Squash

Mens 1

TBC

Home

Lakenham

Squash

Womens

TBC

Home

Oasis

Thurs 13/10

Table Tennis UEA A

7.15pm

Home

Gothic C

Sat 15/10

Football

Mens 1

TBC

Home

Cup Game

Football

Mens 2

TBC

Home

Cup Game

Football

Mens 3

TBC

Home

Cup Game

Hockey

Mens 1

1pm

Home

Ely City 1

Hockey

Mens 2

1pm

Away

Pelicans 2

Hockey

Mens 3

4pm

Home

Holt Harlequins

Hockey

Womens 1

TBC

Away

Bury St Edmunds

Hockey

Womens 2

2.30pm

Home

Old Bucken-­ ham 2

Hockey

Womens 3

TBC

Away

Harriers

Lacross

Men

2.30pm

Away

Buckhurst Hill

Football

Womens

2.15pm

Away

Kirkley Ladies

Tennis

UEA A

10.15am

Away

Cringleford A

Tennis

UEA B

10.15am

Home

Pinebanks B

Sun 16/10

ance level.

The combined club will cater for a full range of abilities, from beginner to age group competition and international standard. The facilities include swim benches, gym, sports science testing and a long-­course (50m) pool, which will also be used in short-­course mode (25m), through the use of a mo-­ bile boom, for some sessions. This will give oppor-­ tunities for UEA swimmers to reap the benefits from

being able to train on both distances, which can be very different. Few competitive swimmers have the luxury of being able to train on both distances on a weekly basis. The combined size, infrastructure and coaching expertise makes this venture a truly formi-­ dable one, which should lead to more swimmers who have previously been lost to the international class programmes at Loughborough and Bath choosing UEA for their studies and competitive aims.

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UEA III v Broadland II

UEA I v Colchester 0

UEA started well, with plenty of opportunities but were unlucky to concede two goals early on. The new play-­ ers quickly adjusted to being in the team and played well, notably Sarah Ashdown and Lindsay Hyde in midfield. After half time UEA began a fightback with 2 goals gained through short corner strikes from Sarah McCarthy and Rosie Kermode. Spurred on by level-­ ling the score, UEA were quick to gain a 3rd goal, also from Sarah McCarthy.

Final Score 3-­2 to UEA.

The first game of the season showed a lot of promise for the UEA side, with several new players UEA played an excellent game of hockey. UEA opened the scoring early on in the game with a powerful strike by Hayley Payne which narrowly missed the backboard, hit the post and was then followed up by Hannah Maxey.

UEA continued to battle hard throughout the game and saw off several goal-­scoring attempts by Colches-­ ter. The hard work paid off and UEA were triumphant.

Final score 1-­0.

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The UEA women’s Lacrosse team is excited to an-­ nounce that it has been able to enter a team in to the BUSA Lacrosse league this year, after missing out last season. UEA has boasted strong mixed and men’s teams over the past few seasons but has suffered a lack of women players in recent years. The women’s team last won the BUSA Midlands Conference league in 2001 and with a vast number of high standard teams such as Warwick and Oxford, BUSA creates tough competition for UEA. However, after a promising start to the season from both a large number of capable beginners and a range of experienced players from America and many schools all over the country, it looks to be a hopeful season for women’s and mixed Lacrosse at UEA. Our first match is on Wednesday 19th October against Warwick.

A former UEA rower, who learnt to row at the univer-­ sity, competed in the recent world rowing champi-­ onships held in Gifu, Japan. Natasha Horward, who graduated in 2002, competed for Great Britain in the women’s eights, coming 5th in the final out of eight boat crews.

David Tanner, the team manager for Great Britain, said that never before had a GB women’s eight fin-­ ished so close to the gold. Indeed, Natasha had not competed in a world championship before this per-­ formance, which makes her achievement all the more impressive.

Her success only goes to show what hard work and perseverance can produce -­ although having been a former Sportswomen of the Year while at UEA, it seems that Natasha Horward was always set for greater things.

41035

$PODSFUF Wednesday October 12 2005

28

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4HE -EN S ST 8) AND 5%! /LD "OYS AT THE -IKE #OVELL TROPHY MATCH "Y */((.9 $/7.%2 The fifth annual Mike Covell Men-­ ingitis Match took place at UEA on a bright and blustery Sunday 25 September 2005. The Old Boys and Girls from Mike’s fresher year, 1997, assembled for battle in the Sportspark at an obscenely early time.

At 11am, an Old Girls XI, the ‘Buttercups’, managed by Andrea Allen (Ted), played in a parallel fixture against the current UEA Ladies’ 1st XI. The opening half was one sided, with wave after wave of UEA attacks, but the re-­ silience of Buttercups goalkeeper, Carol Tupper, and sweeper, Nicky Tuff, frustrated UEA, who failed to convert. Amidst the onslaught the

Buttercups did manage a few at-­ tacks of note, with Emma Bolland, Laura Smith, and Caroline Molony breaking away and shooting on target.

The Buttercups looked buoy-­ ant in the second half. They con-­ structed numerous attacks, cul-­ minating in a classic goal, struck cleanly by Anna Barsby. UEA were shell-­shocked and Barsby soon added a second to the score sheet.

2-­0. The Buttercups retained the Old Girls’ Trophy.

The main event saw the cur-­ rent Men’s 1st XI take on the UEA Old Boys, all members of the same teams that Mike played in at UEA. The match started at 1pm with a minute’s silence. Mike’s parents, John and Diane Covell, watched on as Mike’s brother David Cov-­

ell joined the UEA Old Boys in the starting line up. Paul Vines, Mike’s Captain in 1997, managed the side.

The game started with UEA taking control for the first ten minutes, but also strong and as-­ sured defending from Robby Kay, Stugo Sewell, Glen Richardson and Simon Harrington. It took a while for the Old Boys to settle and eventually they began to put the heat back on UEA, with Rex Wright, Adrian Tuff and Rupert Snelling linking up well, and get-­ ting the first short corner. A slick injection from Johnny Downer was dispatched by Simon Harrington who shot low and hard, rattling the back-­board. 1-­0.

Within minutes a second short corner was awarded to the

Concrete Prize Crossword #69 ACROSS

DOWN

1. Lead actress in The Good Life (8,6) 7. Uncooked food (3) 8. To carve a quick outline (4) 10. A concept in evolution, small hideaway (5) 11. A pea’s casing (3) 12. Wet soil (3) 16. A rented plot of land for growing crops (9) 17. A tuber, or a Scandinavian (5) 18. A piece of clothing for one’s neck (3) 19. When iron is exposed to the atmosphere (4) 21. Food produced without arti-­ ficial chemicals (7) 23. A small patch of water, for fish? (4) 25. To live by one’s own means (4,10)

1. A product added to crops to increase their yeild (10) 2. An area of well kept grass (4) 3. A shape with no corners (6) 4. A species well hugged by hippies (4) 5. Moist (4) 6. The surname of Good’s Neighbours in The Good Life (10) 9. Organic matter decomposing (7) 13. To bloom, a romantic gift? (6) 14. Sprayed on crops to prevent bugs consuming the harvest (9) 15. A crop dependant on the time of the year (8) 20. An insect renowned for its minute-­ ness (3) 21. A farm yard animal historically used to pull ploughs (2) 22. A ball game involving birdies and eagles (4) 24. When food turns overripe (3)

Old Boys. This time Simon Har-­ rington came inside the oncom-­ ing runner and drag-­flicked for the second goal. 2-­0.

UEA could not respond to these first two goals, despite a nice flowing and passing game.

Dale Cave came on for the Old Boys to strengthen the midfield.

Johnny fired to the left-­hand side of the goal with Jamie ‘Tiger’ Older and Rex Wright loitering to poach a goal, and that they did, with Tiger slotting in the ball at the far post.

The fourth goal was a swift flowing move from the Old Boys up the right wing, with a clinical shot to the left hand corner of the goal. 4-­0.

UEA responded, but Martin MacBlain, the Old Boys’ keeper

b CPPL WPVDIFS UP CF XPO

continued to keep the ball out with some lightening quick reac-­ tion saves. However, he could not have foreseen the award of a penalty flick to UEA. The flick was poor, with the lack of speed catch-­ ing out MacBlain. 4-­1.

The Old Boys responded posi-­ tively with Johnny Downer imme-­ diately breaking away on the right.

Although he was tracked by the UEA defender, Downer turned him inside, creating a couple of feet of room, he shot quickly off his back foot leaving the goal keeper stranded, finding the right corner of the goal. 5-­1.

The Old Boys began to look weary and UEA capitalised, attack-­ ing persistently, eventually scoring a well-­deserved consolation goal.

5-­2. There was, nevertheless, a

little more energy left in the Old Boys’ locker. The sixth and final goal from the Old Boys could not have been scripted better. During a frenzied attack from the Old Boys, an opening was carved and David Covell managed to pull out a reverse stick shot that went un-­ der the keeper. 6-­2.

So the Old Boys retained the Mike Covell Trophy for the third year running, which was present-­ ed by John and Diane Covell, and a Meningitis Trust representative re-­ ceived the £1,261.32 in donations collected the night before.

The Old Boys will be back next year to repeat the match and to raise awareness of the deadly meningitis virus and to raise mon-­ ey for the Meningitis Trust, so look out for them.

Set by Franky Frankenson Sponsored by the "WFOVF #PPLTIPQ

21 Avenue Road, Norwich 01603 768720 Open 9-­5 Monday to Saturday Solution to Crossword #68: Across: 1. Rampant Horse, 6. Earn, 7.

Yarmouth, 9. Waveney, 10. Apple, 11. England, 15. Fatcat, 16. Library, 18. Unthank Shops Down: 1. River Wensum, 2. Prince Of, 3.

Hour, 4. Rolo, 5. The Canaries, 8. Mega 12.

Loft, 13. Stuck, 14. Match, 17. Run

There’s a £10 book voucher, courtesy of the Avenue Bookshop, up for grabs. To be in with a chance of winning, bring this voucher and your completed crossword to the Concrete office by Friday 7th October.

Name: ...........................................................................

Contact: ...........................................................................