4(% $25'3 )335% THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA
Issue 182 November 9th 2005 www.concrete-online.com Free: Please Recycle
#OUNCIL TO BE CONSULTED ON 3PORTS !SSOCIATION FEE
%XPLORING THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CITY
5NION #OUNCIL WILL SET UP A WORKING GROUP TO INVESTIGATE ALTERNATIVES TO THE CONTROVERSIAL a FEE 4RAVEL PAGE "Y *!-%3 #/.7!9 $%0549 %$)4/2 The democratic procedures of Union Council were put into full force last Thursday as a proposal to remove the £25 sports fee was overwhelmingly voted through. A new working group, com- prising two Union executives, four sports club representatives and two further council members, has been elected to re-examine the whole fi nancial situation and re- port back to the Union Council. Although the ruling will not take affect until the next academic year, and it is still possible that the £25 fee will be reintroduced, this new resolution assures that the process will take place in an open forum with the entire Union reaching an informed, democratic decision. Ben Williams, the Union Fi- nance Offi cer explained to Con- crete that although the introduc- tion of the £25 fee was probably unavoidable, he believes that;; “it is fundamental to the democracy and status of the Union of UEA Students that the students get to decide on the best course of ac- tion.” Indeed it is not the fee itself, but the fact that the decision was made over the summer without public warning that has caused the most upset. The issue of Sport Club fund- ing is a long running one and over the last year the relationship be- tween the Sports Clubs’ Peer Sup- port Groups (CPS) and the Stu- dents’ Union has been analysed closely. In November 2004 the pre-
vious Finance Offi cer sent out a memorandum to all clubs and societies highlighting the prob- lems. It reminded members that;; “the relationship between the Un- ion and the CPS is two way” and explained that, as Sports Nights were increasingly hosted off cam- pus, not enough money was being fed back into the Union. The memorandum concluded that;; “if the present situation of diminishing numbers attending Union nights was continuous, be it LCRs, Sports Nights, Society Nights, etc then the lack of rev- enue as a result will develop into a serious issue”. This matter was also reported on the front page of Concrete. However, despite further ne- gotiations between the CPS and the Finance Offi cer, including the introduction of Union funded Sport Nights, there were still sig- nifi cant fi nancial short falls. On January 24th 2005 the Sports Sub- Committee discussed this situa- tion and recorded in the minutes of the meeting that unless the sit- uation changed, “the Union would be unable to continue its current level of funding for Sports Clubs and would have to introduce a charge for membership of the Sports Association or withdraw from BUSA”. The minutes from the meet- ing were made available in Union House and were also reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee the next day. However, the actual issue was not discussed and no record of the Sports Sub- Committee meeting was brought before Union Council. The actual decision took
3AVE THE TREES FOR %NVIRONMENT 7EEK
4URF PAGE
4HE 3PORTS !SSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP CARD place over the summer when the fi nancial forecast revealed that a solution was needed immedi- ately, but the Union Council were not present. The full-time offi cers recommended the introduction of a Sports Association Member- ship Fee as the only other choice was to withdraw from BUSA and therefore pull out of all national sporting competitions. The Man- agement Committee approved and the £25 fee was set. The subject was brought up at the fi rst Union Council meeting in October and members were so troubled by the circumstances that when Union Council met again on Thursday 3rd. Two different mem- bers had separately proposed a motion to rectify the matter. After initial confusion, the two proposals were effectively
combined so that one could be dropped. The Union could then vote on an amended version of a proposal from Jack Guest (Athlet- ics representative). The vote was almost unanimous and the fi nal ruling has removed the fee, taking effect next academic year. No re- funds will be offered for this year’s fee. The proposal also established a working group of eight Union members to fully investigate the fi nancial details and bring all pos- sible solutions back before council by the end of the year. The Council’s chair, Leigh Bis- sett, explained after the meeting: “The council recognised that the Union has a fi nancial defi cit but felt that it was unreasonable to introduce a system of collecting money to fi ll this black hole with-
out a full consultation process.” There was some hesitation on the resolution that removed the £25 before the working group had made a decision, as it may prove necessary to bring the fee back anyway. Yet it was agreed by most that to set the situation right, the proceedings needed to start from scratch and by scrapping the fee the process could begin demo- cratically. Martin Jopp, the author of the proposal that was dropped and combined into the fi nal resolution, was elected onto the new work- ing group. Speaking to Concrete he said that along with the seven other chosen members;; "I will be working hard to fi nd a range of so- lutions to sports funding in the fu- ture, but the fi nal say will be made by Union Council."
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2ESPONSE TO @UNDEMOCRATIC 3PORTS !SSOCIATION FEE @#OUNCIL MEMBERS ARE STILL IN THE DARK WHEN IT COMES TO THE lNANCIAL DETAILS BEHIND THE SCHEME "Y 3)-/. #/..%2 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 An  over-Âhanging  feeling  of  con- fusion  surrounded  the  annual  SportsMart  on  28th  September  this  year  as  the  usual  buzz  of  stu- dent  sporting  enthusiasm  was  drowned  out  by  the  mysterious  escalation  in  sports  association  fees.  The  accustomed  fee  of Â â€˜ÂŁ1.20  insurance’  took  an  almighty  leap  to Â â€˜ÂŁ25  sports  association  mem- bership’.  Such  a  rise  took  UEA  students  by  surprise  and  equally  amazed  fresher  students  who  knew  no  different.  The  result  of  the  mysterious  fee  led  exasperat- ed  students  to  reach  deeper  than  ever  into  their  pockets  and  the  poorer  students  left  with  no  alter- native  but  to  turn  their  backs  on  sporting  activities  for  the  year.  As  a  result  there  has  been  an  inevita- ble  plummet  in  sports  club  mem- berships  this  year,  an  estimated  ten  percent  drop. When  facing  this  contentious  issue  it  must  be  clear  what  we   students  have  now  come  to  inces- santly  complain  about.  The  fact  is  that  this  is  not  just  an  ‘insurance’  charge  but  really  a  £25  member- ship  to  the  Union  of  UEA  Students  Sports  Association  (UUEAS)  which  in  previous  years  incorporated  the  insurance  charge.  The  UUEAS  will  now  use  this  hefty  income  to  fund  coaching,  room  hire,  equipment  and  transport  –  the  latter  being  of  most  signiďŹ cance.  Despite  the  reasoning  behind  this  it  isn’t  clear  why  there  has  been  such  a  sudden,  huge  rise  in  charge.  There  are  two  reasons  for  the  subjection  to  such  an  in-Â
crease:  one  being  external  of  the  university  and  one  being  internal.  The  external  reason  relates  to  the  decisions  of  the  British  Universi- ties  Sports  Association  (BUSA).  BUSA  has  decided  to  replace  the  basic  sports Â ďŹ xture  day  of  every  Wednesday  at  all  universities  to  a  ‘merit  league’  system  which  means  matches  are  played  on  other  days  of  the  week. Although  this  may  seem  in- signiďŹ cant  it  actually  has  a  vast  impact  of  the Â ďŹ nances  of  the  UUEAS.  The  additional  match  days  means  that  numerous  small  minibuses  are  required  rather  than  big  coaches  that  could  take  more  sport  teams  who  may  all  be  playing  at  the  same  time  and  thus  increasing  expenditure.  To  compound  these  woes  the  intro- duction  of  regulations  regard- ing  the  requirement  for  qualiďŹ ed  minibuses  drivers  has  also  meant  the  forced  hiring  of  professional  drivers.  The  internal  reason  is  that  the  Sports  Clubs,  Peer  Support  groups  (CPS)  and  Society  Com- mittees  still  prefer  to  hold  socials  in  town  and  therefore  the  Union  misses  out  on  revenue  from  the  Union  bar  and  any  Union  nights.  The  circular  chain  of  money  is  broken  as  the  Union  provides  the  clubs  with  funds  but  the  clubs  ne- glect  to  return  the  favour,  inevita- bly  resulting  in  drastic  measures  that  have  now  emerged.  Although  the  majority  of  us  may  have  been  stunned  by  the  charge  there  has  been  previously  published  material  that  warned  of  such  extreme  measures.  On  11th  November  2004,  the  Finance  Of-Â ďŹ cer  sent  out  a  memorandum  that  highlighted  the  escalating  sport-Â
ing  expenditures.  It  stated  that:  “The  relationship  between  the  Union  and  the  CPS  is  two  way;Íž  we  support  the  CPSs  with  money,  fa- cilities,  equipment  etc  and  at  the  same  time  the  CPS  need  to  sup- port  the  Union.â€?  Despite  this  plea  it  was  still  the  outcome  that  “the  lack  or  rev- enue  develop(ed)  into  a  serious  issueâ€?.  It  also  showed  that  the  Union  spent  £213,802  on  sports  clubs  activities  in  2004  –  a  mas- sive  81.4%  of  the  entire  grant  giv- en  to  the  Union  by  the  University  to  fund  all  of  its  activities.  It  seems  clear  that  a  form  of  action  was  necessary  due  to  the  depleting  funds  but  the  question  remains  as  to  whether  there  were  any  other  options  for  The  Man- agement  Committee  who  held  the  power  of  a Â ďŹ nal  decision.  Press  re- leases  about  the  Sports  Member- ship  fee  have  revealed  that  there  were  two  main  alternatives;Íž  one  being  that  the  services  provided  by  the  Union  be  reduced  and  the  second  was  to  pull  out  of  BUSA  and  therefore  remove  competitive  sporting  activities  with  other  uni- versities.  Both  options  seem  unfavour- able  to  all  budding  sportsmen  and  threaten  to  damage  a  key  aspect  of  university  life  which  so  many  enjoy.  It  was  therefore  chosen  to  introduce  a  membership  fee  in- crease. The  key  issue  surrounding  this  debate  is  not  solely  with  the  fee  but  also  the  lack  of  awareness  and  poor  guidance  that  students  were  given  in  respect  to  this  im- portant  alteration.  What  is  more  signiďŹ cant  is  that  the  confusion  is  further  enhanced  as  the  Student  Union  Council  was  left  totally  in Â
the  dark  over  the  case  and  was  not  consulted  at  any  stage  of  the  process.  The  decision  for  the  raised  charge  was  carried  out  on  23rd  June  2005  when  the  majority  of  students  were  not  present  at  the  University  to  voice  a  choice.  This  caused  much  anger  throughout  the  Union  Council  in  the Â ďŹ rst  meeting  of  this  semester  on18th  October.  A  motion  was  passed  to  condemn  the  undemocratic  way  that  the  Sports  Association  Mem- bership  Fee  was  introduced.  In  a  Council  Meeting  held  on  3rd  November,  a  motion  was  passed  that  called  for  the  removal  of  the  £25  sports  fee  with  effect  from  September  2006.  Until  this  time  an  alternative  funding  meth- od  will  be  investigated  by  a  work- ing  group  –  deďŹ ned  in  the  motion  as  constituting  both  council  and  executive  members.  At  the  Coun- cil  Meeting  it  remained  evident  that  council  members  are  still  very  much  in  the  dark  when  it  comes  to  the Â ďŹ nancial  details  behind  the  scheme. The  general  consensus  amongst  students  at  UEA  sur- rounding  the  lack  of  awareness  is  that  the  introduction  of  the  Sports  Association  Fee  was  an  undemo- cratic  development  and  uncharac- teristic  of  the  democratic  workings  of  the  UEA  Student  Union.  Though Â ďŹ gures  have  been  given  to  show  that  other  universities  are  adopt- ing  similar  Sports  Membership  charges,  £20  at  Woverhampton,  £25  at  Brunel  and  £30  at  Glasgow,  it  does  not  excuse  the  shambolic  way  that  the  new  scheme  was  imposed  and  many  students  feel  a  full  review  of  proceedings  must  surely  follow. Â
#ONCRETE WRITER WINS NATIONAL JOURNALISM AWARD 2OB #ASTELL NAMED "EST 4RAVEL 7RITER BY THE 'UARDIAN "Y !..! 34%7!2$ .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 Rob  Castell,  a  third  year  Eng- lish  Literature  student  at  UEA  has  won  the  Guardian  Travel  Writer  award  at  this  years  an- nual  Guardian  Student  Media  Awards  ceremony  in  London.  The  prize  consists  of  two  re- turn  ights  to  any  Easyjet  destina- tion,  £500  and  one  week’s  work  experience  with  the  Guardian.  The  award  was  judged  by  Andy  Pietrasik,  the  travel  edi- tor  of  the  Guardian,  as  well  as  Toby  Nicol  and  Joe  Queenan.  Rob  said:  “I  feel  slightly  overwhelmed  that  I  have  won  an Â
award  of  such  intellectual  mer- its,  judged  by  journalists  that  I  hold  in  the  highest  esteem.â€?  He  plans  to  use  his  ight  tick- ets  for  a  trip  to  Sweden,  which  he  hopes  will  not  just  be  a  holiday  but  will  be  an  enlightening  and  investigative  trip  with  a  little  bit  of  dog  sledding  thrown  in  as  well.  He  is  also  excited  about  the  week’s  training  with  the  Guard- ian,  he  said:  “I  see  it  as  an  op- portunity  to  do  more  writing,  to  learn  a  trade  and  improve  myself.â€? Rob  has  been  writing  for  Concrete  for  over  a  year  and  is  currently  planning  his  next  arti- cle  about  a  recent  trip  to  Rome.   To  view  the  award  winning  articles  go  to  www.concrete-Âonline.com Â
2OB #ASTELL WAS AWARDED "EST 4RAVEL 7RITER
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5
.EW ATTEMPTS TO CURB DRINK INDUCED CRIME 0OLICE INTRODUCE WARNINGS AGAINST BINGE DRINKING AROUND .ORWICH "9 *!.% $/5',!3 .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 Government attention has been focused on binge drinking in recent months as drink related crime and disorder has reached new levels. Particular concern has surrounded the number of sexual assaults related to alcohol con- sumption. According to the Port- man Group, one in three young women say they have been sexu- ally assaulted after consuming al- cohol on a night out. Recent figures from the Fo- rensic Science Service show that in over 1,000 claims of date-rape, alcohol was detected in half of the cases. Doctors are also seeing an in- creasing number of young people with alcoholic liver disease, a con- dition that was once only seen in older people who had been drink- ing for many years. These issues, coupled with a surge in drink re- lated violence and theft have lead to various government-led initia-
4HE SERVIETTE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY .ORWICH POLICE ACROSS THE CITY
/PEN CAMPUS MAKES 5%! A TARGET FOR DRUG SELLERS "UT AVAILABILITY OF SUBSTANCES ON CAM PUS APPEARS TO BE ON THE DECLINE "Y ,/5)3% "!9*// .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4
When the subject of drugs is ad- dressed we immediately think of the illegal substances of Mari- juana, Cocaine, Ecstasy and even on occasion ‘Acid’. However, in today’s society legal and prescrip- tion drugs such as Viagra and Rita- lin are in just as high demand and are increasingly in circulation. On a typical night out at UEA, whether it be in the bar or a heav- ier one in the LCR, there are many students who are not content sim- ply with alcohol and, as the recent drugs survey reveals, do want to get hold of drugs. The consummation of illegal substances obviously warrants a lot of discretion and although UEA has a well-established stance and level of security concerning drugs, many students judiciously vio- late this. The perception that the stumbling revellers after a night in the LCR are solely intoxicated with alcohol is questionable. After talking to various stu- dents during the week that the drugs survey was in The Hive, it appeared that in the days when Waveney Terrace still stood, drugs
were easily accessible. One fourth year student said: “One request would take a short trip to Waveney Terrace and between your mates £50 was all it took to score - de- pending on your choice of high of course.” However, discussions re- vealed that there are not so many on-campus students willing to deal drugs as obviously as some of the Waveney Terrace residents were, making it harder for Fresh- ers to indulge in both illegal or legal drugs on campus. One example arose of an ex- student who wishes to remain anonymous, who on a regular basis filled his bag with fifty Via- gra pills alongside his university essentials. For a fiver boys who wanted to get lucky could rely on more than just a condom in their wallet. It is astonishing to think that at any time there could be a source available to get hold of a diverse selection of chemical substances;; apparently someone somewhere knows who it is and with seem- ingly little threat of security on a very public campus, whatever it is that you are looking for, you could very likely attain. It is not just student suppliers that are in very close proximity to campus. One man who requested
anonymity was jailed for posses- sion and intent to supply drugs. The man was reportedly a regular face on campus and he was willing to supply students on request. The man explained that he made a very large percentage of his profits from the student popu- lation. He said that they didn’t buy the harder, more dangerous drugs but described them as “easy and regular customers.” He explained that;; “you could simply drive into the university, do your business and leave. There was no worry about who was watching, It was quick, easy and profitable.” The thorny issue rises through the fact that UEA is a very public campus and the availability of drugs both on and off campus is seemingly higher than it would appear. However, frustration will inev- itably rise should levels of security be increased. The widely cherished social ease of the atmosphere at UEA would be lost. It seems that although drugs are available, they are not a no- ticeable problem at UEA and the declining availability on campus would suggest them to be even less of a problem than previous years. It is obvious that at this point in time, students should be aware but not worried.
tives, including a recent proposal for a blanket ban of alcohol on all forms of public transport. Norwich City Council has re- sponded by introducing Operation Enterprise, designed to prevent theft. The city centre’s pubs and clubs will be filled with serviettes baring the logo “Don’t become a target for thieves- look after your property”. Some clubs will also be displaying the reminder on televi- sion screens. Toby Middleton of Mercy nightclub commented: “People like to go out, have a drink and relax, but the thieves don’t. At Mercy all our staff are trained to be vigilant and we support this ini- tiative wholeheartedly as a proac- tive campaign to get clubbers to look after their belongings and to prevent any unnecessary opportu- nities for thieves.” The binge drinking culture which has developed among un- der-25s in Britian has become an even greater concern for those in- volved. One second year UEA stu- dent said: “I am concerned about
the amount of alcohol I drink each week and the long term effects it might have on my body, but every- one drinks a lot when we go out.” Many under-25s do not be- lieve their actions are dangerous and are in denial over their drink- ing habits, refusing to class them- selves with a problem because they do not believe that they rely on alcohol. A binge drinker is classed as someone who drinks more than double the recommended amount of alcohol in one session. For men this would mean drinking four pints of beer or eight spirits and for women four glasses of wine or six spirits. With university students be- ing highly exposed to the dangers of excess drinking, the NUSSL has partnered with the Carling group to encourage students to take a more sensible approach to alcohol. ATMs at nineteen institu- tions around the UK will display an advert from Carling baring the message: “Enjoy your night. Take it easy.”
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(IGH DEMAND FOR EN SUITE ROOMS !CCOMMODATION /FlCE JUSTIlES THE LACK OF CHEAP ROOMS ON CAMPUS "9 *!#15) "52'/9.% .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 Renovations to Norfolk Terrace will mean that the proportion of shared-bathroom accommoda- tion on campus is going to fall to 21% in next year. With top-up fees adding a heavy burden to already indebted students, this reduction of shared-bathroom accommoda- tion is unwelcome news. Jenny Ballard, Director of Resi- dences and Services, has said that there is justification for both the ratio of en-suite to shared-bath- room accommodation and the rates that students are charged. At £81.69 per week for the majority of UEA’s en-suite rooms, rent on campus seems high, though Jenny Ballard said that “the Accommodation Office does not make a profit.” She explained that “student accommodation is self-funding. This means that income from rents must cover all costs associated with Resi- dences. These costs include loan repayments and interest, similar to a mortgage, heat, light, water, repairs, refurbishment and staff salaries.” Ballard emphasised that stu- dent finances are taken into ac- count when price-ranges are set: “Each year, prior to setting rents for the following year, I hold meet- ings with representatives of the Students’ Union and the Dean of
Students office. As well as look- ing at the cost pressures on the residences budget, for example increases in utility costs, salary increases above inflation etc. we look at affordability, rents charged by other universities and rents for private houses in Norwich.” Bal- lard said that she disagreed with a previous article in Concrete that claimed UEA is one of the most expensive British universities at which to live. The decision to make all ac- commodation built since 2003 solely en-suite seems surprising given the perpetual lack of money that most students suffer. How- ever, Ballard said that “an analysis of the previous year’s demand for different categories of accommo- dation is also taken into account when setting the rents for the coming year.” Student Doug Randall, FTV 4 raised the question: “Why was Waveney demolished? It meant the loss of a lot of cheap rooms and seems to have been an unnec- essary cost.” Ballard explained: “Waveney Terrace was ‘budget-built’ in the early seventies with a design life of thirty years. The University in- vestigated the possibility of refur- bishing these residences but this proved to be impractical and very expensive. The loan required to cover the cost of this work would have meant a significant increase in rent, well beyond what a student
4HE NEW RESIDENCES ON CAMPUS COMPRISE EN SUITE ROOMS ONLY would expect to pay for standard accommodation.” An ex-resident of Waveney wondered whether all of the refur- bishments considered were nec- essary. Bigger kitchens and better bathrooms would have improved Waveney, but cheap accommo- dation costs less just because it is not as luxurious. Students ap- ply for standard accommodation knowing they will sacrifice some comfort for the convenience and reduction in cost. Some students believe that UEA is making it dif- ficult for future students to make
that choice. Top-up fees make it likely that the demand for shared-bathroom accommodation will increase, particularly if the government is successful in its aims to get more people from lower-income fami- lies into higher education. In response to this, Ballard said: “Over the last 12 years de- mand for en-suite accommodation has grown steadily with just over 73% of students wanting en-suite rooms in 2005/06. Most people believe that the majority of stu- dents taking up a University place
in 2006/07 will expect high qual- ity services but understand that some students will wish to keep living costs to a minimum. This will be discussed at my meetings with the Dean of Students’ office and the Students’ Union in Janu- ary and February of next year.” While there may be a change in demand, this is not the only consideration that affected the decision to build en-suite rooms only. Jenny Ballard explained that “the University investigated build- ing a mix of standard and en-suite
rooms but found that the cost of building standard rooms was only marginally less than for en-suite rooms. We know that those students who live in standard accommoda- tion elect to do so primarily be- cause of reduced living costs. To build standard rooms and charge almost as much as the rents for the more expensive en-suite rooms would not satisfy the needs of students.” There seems to be no obvious solution if the incom- ing students of 2006/07 do need cheap accommodation at UEA.
(OTTEST /CTOBER DAY -ET OFlCE ON @AMBER ALERT FOR WINTER AFTER AUTUMN OF FREAK WEATHER "Y 2/3)% #(!.#% 3#)%.#% %$)4/2 It’s hard to know whether to dress for sun or snow in Norwich these days. While we enjoy the afterglow of the warmest October since Vic- torian times, meteorologists warn a chilly winter may be on the way. Last month was exceptionally sunny thanks to clear skies and Southerly winds bringing Mediter- ranean heat. October 27th was the hottest since 1888 with tempera- tures in Scotland soaring above those of Istanbul and balmy wa- ters luring a (harmless) Porbeagle shark to Bournemouth beach.
Meanwhile, the Met Office suggested we should be on “am- ber alert” for a colder-than-aver- age winter because they expect icy westerly winds from Europe and Russia to bring dry air and low temperatures. Don’t order your snowboard yet, though, as their long-range weather predictions, which are based on complex statis- tical and climate models, are cor- rect only two out of three times. Is there more behind these apparent extremes of weather than unusual wind direction? James Wilby of WeatherQuest, the fore- casting agency based at UEA, told Concrete the October heat wave “could not itself be attributed to
global warming because it was a single event and to see evidence of climate change you have to look at long term trends.” This autumn blackberries ripened, conkers fell and ivy flow- ered up to a week earlier than last year, while gardeners reported butterflies and blooming flowers well into October. UEA ecology postgraduate Hannah Mossman speculated that the lack of season- al golden autumn leaves around campus might be due to the mild weather, although she noted that leaves tend to drop later in Nor- folk than elsewhere because the county is sheltered from frosts. As individual events, these changes might be taken as quirks of nature but they are happening against a backdrop of steadily ear- lier springs, sooner ripening and milder winters. Such long term changes may well be due to man- made climate change. Sadly, now it is November and the sunny skies are giving way to storms and high winds, weather that James Wilby says is “totally normal for this time of year” – ex- cept perhaps on the west Sussex coast at Littlehampton where rough seas washed up container loads of plastic hippopotamuses, turkeys and Christmas decora- tions.
"US ROUTES CRITICISED 'REEN 0ARTY LEADS CAMPAIGN TO REINSTATE AND BUS ROUTES "Y *!.% $/5',!3 .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 First Bus has received criti- cism for neglecting the needs of its customers yet again. On 2nd October First Bus im- plemented changes to the 25 and 26 bus routes, leaving thousands of students and lo- cal residents disadvantaged. The number 25 no longer runs to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital, not only making access to the hospital more difficult but also leaving no stop opposite the University Village. Students living in the Village must now walk from the main
campus for the nearest bus stop. This is potentially dangerous at night, especially along University Drive which has seen a number of disturbing incidents in the past. The prospect of struggling with bags of shopping is also un- appealing to students, particularly as the winter draws in. One first- year Village resident commented: “I sometimes find it physically difficult to carry all my food shop- ping back to the Village, especially when I buy heavy things like tins and bottles”. The 26 now takes the same route to UEA as the 27, depriving those living on the part of Earl- ham Road between the ring road and the Fiveways of a local service.
The unpopular alterations have prompted action by the Green Party who have launched two peti- tions calling for these changes to be revoked. At last Tuesday’s City Coun- cil meeting, Green Party Coun- cilor Adrian Ramsay successfully proposed a motion calling for a Quality Bus Contract to be imple- mented to give greater democratic control over future route changes. Councilor Ramsay comment- ed that the changes “make the service less efficient for thousands of local residents. Many people have already signed our petitions and I hope First Bus will listen to the calls to reinstate the previous routes of the 25 and 26.”
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"LUNKETT RESIGNS FOR THE SECOND TIME 3PECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF "LAIR S CABINET AS $AVID "LUNKETT QUITS "Y -!4(%7 ./2-!. 0/,)4)#!, %$)4/2 It  seems  that  it  has  happened  again  in  the  Labour  government.  A  minister  who  obviously  has  enormous  talent  has  been  forced  to  resign  for  the  second  time.  Like  him  or  loathe  him  David  Blunkett  has  been  a  prominent Â ďŹ gure  in Â
New  Labour  and  the  governments  under  Tony  Blair  for  a  very  long  time.  But  as  his  ministerial  career  ends  with  a  whimper  maybe  it  is  a  time  of  reection  for  the  govern- ment  and  the  public. Many  have  been  saying  that  with  Mr  Blunkett  gone  from  the  cabinet  it  seems  as  though  the  Prime  Minister  has  lost  one  of  his  few  remaining  allies  and  become Â
a  lame  duck.  This  is  probably  not  true  because  Mr  Blair  has  run  his  governments  in  a  presidential  fashion,  in  that  he  has  dominated  every  department  and  area  of  the  government  since  he  has  been  in  power.  The  best  example  of  this  is  the  Northern  Ireland  issue  where  he  took  control  from  Mo  Mowlem.  Mr  Blair  still  has  allies  in  the Â
cabinet  and  the  alleged  handover  of  power  to  the  chancellor  is  not  a  foregone  conclusion  as  there  are  others  who  may  feel  that  a  corona- tion  is  not  the  way  to  bring  in  Mr  Blair’s  successor.  This  is  going  to  be  more  evident  with  the  level  of  interest  in  the  Conservative  lead- ership  election,  which  may  be  long  winded  but  is  at  least  democratic. It  remains  to  be  seen  if  Mr Â
Blunkett  will  be  given  another  job  in  government:  most  politi- cal  commentators  have  said  that  his  career  is  over  and  he  will  now  serve  only  as  a  loyal  Blairite  back- bencher.  However,  it  is  worth  bear- ing  in  mind  that  most  people  said  that  of  a  certain  Peter  Mandleson  who  also  resigned  from  the  cabi- net  twice  and  who  is  now  the  EU  Commissioner  for  Trade,  one  of Â
the  most  important  portfolios  in  Brussels.  It  is  possible  that  Mr  Blunkett  could  return  for  a  third  time,  but  the  media  frenzy  and  public  reaction  that  would  accom- pany  such  a  return  would  likely  be  very  strong.  This  would  reafďŹ rm  assertions  that  the  Prime  Minister  only  has  room  for  close  friends  in  the  cabinet,  honesty  and  integrity  taking  a  back  seat.
2ECORD NUMBER OF RESIGNATIONS UNDER "LAIR 5NPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF CABINET MEMBERS LEAVE DURING 0- S REIGN "Y -!44 "52,!.$ .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 When  Tony  Blair  became  Prime  Minister  on  that  tension Â ďŹ lled  night  in  May  1997,  I  doubt  he  envisaged  still  being  in  the  job  over  eight  years  later.  Neither  would  he  have  envisaged  the  unprecedented  number  of  Cabi- net  Ministers  he  would  have  to  sack  or  force  to  resign  during  his  reign  –  a  number  never  reached  under  any  past  Prime  Minister  and  one  which  no  future  Prime  Minister  will  ever  want  to  reach.  The  long  list  began  in  Oc-Â
tober  1998  with  Welsh  Secretary  Ron  Davies  and  his  ‘excursion’  to  Clapham  Common.   This  was  fol- lowed  by  Peter  Mandelson  later  in  the  year  due  to Â ďŹ nancial  troubles,  Cabinet  OfďŹ ce  Minister  Jack  Cun- ningham  in  October  1999,  and  then  Mandelson  again  in  January  2001  after  he  helped  the  Hinduja  brothers  gain  British  passports.   In  2002,  Stephen  Byers  and  Estelle  Morris  both  resigned  after  making  blunders  in  their  respec- tive  jobs  as  Transport  Secretary  and  Education  Secretary.   2003  saw  protest  resignations  over  the  Iraq  War  by  both  Robin  Cook  and  Clare  Short,  as  well  as  the  resigna-Â
tion  of  Health  Secretary  Alan  Mil- burn  who  wanted  to  “spend  more  time  with  his  familyâ€?.   Then  last  December  we  had  the  resignation  of  then  Home  Secretary  David  Blunkett  after  he  fast-Âtracked  a  visa  for  his  nanny,  only  for  him  to  rejoin  the  Cabinet  after  the  General  Election  in  May  as  Work  and  Pensions  Secretary.   And  now  he  has  been  forced  to  resign  again.  So  why  this  time?   As  ever  in  politics  the  answer  is  complicated.   The  crux  of  the  mat- ter  was  that  after  being  sacked  as  Home  Secretary  in  December  2004  Mr  Blunkett  took  paid  work  at  DNA  Bioscience  without  seek-Â
,IVEWIRE IN RUNNING FOR NATIONAL MEDIA AWARD 4WO MEMBERS OF ,IVEWIRE ARE SHORTLISTED FOR STUDENT RADIO AWARDS
The  nominations  for  the  Stu- dent  Radio  Awards  2005  were  announced  simultaneously  on  Saturday  October  22nd  to  re- gional  parties  across  the  UK.  The  University  Radio  Sta- tions  and  Individuals  Nominated  now  have  to  wait  nervously  until  November  24th  for  the  10th  An- niversary  Awards  Ceremony  spon- sored  by  BBC  Radio  One,  held  at  the  New  Connaught  Rooms  in  London,  where  the  winners  of  each  category  will  be  announced.  UEA’s  Livewire  has  made  it  into  the  shortlist  of  two  awards.  Greg  James  has  been  nominated  as  Male  Presenter  of  the  year  and  Simon  Williams  for  Station  Sound. With  over  450  entrants  com- peting  for  pole  position  in  the  twelve  categories,  the  competition Â
this  year  for  the  Student  Radio  Awards  is Â ďŹ ercer  than  ever  before.  The  Student  Radio  Associa- tion  has  a  veteran  of  The  Awards  at  the  helm  of  the  judging;Íž  Steve  Lamacq  of  BBC  Radio  One.  He  is  a  long-Âstanding  supporter  of  the  Awards  and  is  keen  to  support  new  talent: “This  is  a  very  special  year  for  the  Student  Radio  Awards  in  many  ways.  For  starters  it’s  our  10th  Anniversary  Ceremony,  marking  a  decade  since  the Â ďŹ rst  Awards  launched  with  the  help  of  Radio  One  back  in  1996.  But  also  this  year  we’re  pleased  to  welcome  back  many  former  winners  and  nominees,  who  we’re  delighted  to  have  en- listed  among  our  prestigious  pan- el  of  judges.  For  me  this  speaks  volumes  about  the  success  and Â
respect  the  Awards  have  earned  over  the  past  ten  years.  Not  only  has  the  event  now  become  a  major  showcase  for  radio  industry  and  talent-Âspot- ters  looking  for  the  future  stars  of  presentation  and  production.  We  can  feel  at  least  a  little  pleased  with  ourselves  for  helping  several  key  radio Â ďŹ gures  on  their  way  al- ready.â€? The  awards  are  being  held  at  six  regional  venues  through- out  the  UK  on  Saturday  the  22nd  October,  the  Nominations  Parties  kicked  the  Student  Radio  Awards  off  in  style.  Each  member  of  the  Student  Radio  Executive  took  a  sealed  en- velope  containing  the  details  of  those  that  made  it  through  to  the Â ďŹ nal  cut.  The  nominations  were  an- nounced  simultaneously  at  8pm  by  a  wealth  of  radio  industry  tal- ent  at  each  party.Those  who  have  made  it  through  to  the Â ďŹ nal  stage  must  now  wait  for  the  24th  No- vember  when  BBC  Radio  One’s  Colin  &  Edith  will  preside  over  the  ceremony  at  the  New  Connaught  Rooms  in  Holborn. &OR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AWARDS CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE WWW STUDENTRADIO ORG UK AWARDS
ing  advice  from  the  Independent  Advisory  Committee  on  Business  Appointments.   The  ministerial  code  of  con- duct  says  that  the  committee  should  be  consulted  before  ex- ministers  take  up  any  private  sec- tor  role  within  two  years  of  leaving  ofďŹ ce.   A  succession  of  Westmin- ster  standards  watchdogs  said  he  had  clearly  broken  that  code.   De- spite  claiming  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  and  thought  that  it  was  voluntary  to  seek  advice,  mount- ing  pressure  from  both  the  press  and  the  other  political  parties  has  forced  him  to  resign.  After  his  resignation,  Mr  Blun-Â
kett  said  he  is  “deeply  sorryâ€?  for  the  embarrassment  he  has  caused  Tony  Blair.   “What  I  am  clear  about  is  that  I  have  made  a  mistake,â€?  he  said  and  that  he  was  “paying  the  price  for  itâ€?.   What  he  will  do  now  is  not  clear,  however  a  return  to  the  Cabinet  seems  impossible.   His  resignation  was  followed  by  that  of  Lucy  Siddiqi,  a  director  of  DNA  Bioscience  who  stepped  down  due  to  the  “pressure  caused  by  intense  media  attentionâ€?  on  her  and  her  family.  This  latest  resignation  has  once  again  tarnished  Blair’s  gov- ernment,  just  as  similar  resigna- tions  did  to  the  government  of Â
John  Major  –  a  government  de- scribed  as  ‘spin  and  sleaze’.   Con- servative  leader  Michael  Howard  has  said  that  David  Blunkett’s  resignation  leaves  Tony  Blair  as  a  “lame  duck�  with  few  allies  in  his  Cabinet.   This  is  only  in  part  true  as  the  new  Work  and  Pensions  Secretary  John  Hutton  is  an  ar- dent  ‘Blairite’  and  besides,  Blair  is  soon  to  step  down  as  Prime  Minister  anyway.   Hutton  now  has  an  important  job  to  do  in  the  Cabi- net  –  that  of  dealing  with  the  ever  growing  pensions  funding  crisis  –  a  crisis  that  affects  us  all  as  we  think  about  leaving  university  and  going  out  to  work.
8
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
#OMMS /FlCER ON .ATIONAL #OUNCIL "Y -!24). */00 5.)/. #/5.#), Union  Communications  OfďŹ cer  Andy  Higson  has  become  the Â ďŹ rst  ever  UEA  representative  on  the  NUS  National  Council.  In  a  hard  fought  day  of  cam- paigning  at  NUS  Regional  Confer- ence,  he  managed  to  poll  a  mas- sive  forty-Âeight  percent  of Â ďŹ rst  preference  votes  against Â ďŹ ve  other  candidates. NUS  National  Council’s  main Â
role  is  to  hold  the  National  Ex- ecutive  to  account.  In  his  speech,  Andy  said  of  the  Executive:  “They  are  generally  doing  a  good  job  but  it’s  essential  that  we  have  a  strong,  democratic  National  Council  to  hold  them  to  account  if  this  changes.� As  members  of  the  Union  of  UEA  Students  we  are  all  members  of  the  National  Union  of  Students  NUS.  This  entitles  us  to  submit  policy  to  NUS  National  Council,  get  discounts  and  be  linked  to  al- most  all  student  unions  across  the  country.
%ARTHQUAKE FUNDRAISING SUCCESS .53 02%33 2%,%!3% Students  on  campuses  across  the  UK  have  been  taking  part  in  fundraising  activities  to  generate  desperately  needed  aid  money  for  victims  of  the  Southeast  Asia  earthquake.   The  Earthquake  Day  of  Action  was  organised  by  NUS  in  part- nership  with  ActionAid  and  took  place  on  Thursday  27th  October.   All  monies  generated  by  Day  of  Action  activities  are  going  to  sup- port  ActionAid’s  on-Âthe-Âground  relief  projects.  Many  universities  and  colleg-Â
es  took  part  in  fundraising  activi- ties  raising  thousands  of  pounds,  including  UEA. Commenting  on  the  success  of  the  Earthquake  Day  of  Action,  NUS  Black  Students’  OfďŹ cer  Pav  Akhtar  said:  “Thousands  upon  thousands  of  pounds  have  been  raised  by  students  for  victims  of  one  of  the  most  destructive  earth- quakes  ever  to  hit  Pakistan  and  India.   The  success  of  the  day  is  a  testa- ment  to  the  type  of  coordinated,  collective  action  that  students  ex- cel  at.   I’d  like  to  thank  all  students  who  took  part  in  the  day.â€?
2E VOTE ON .ESTLĂ? CAMPUS BAN The  Students’  Union  will  shortly  be  holding  a  campus-Âwide  ballot  on  whether  UEA  should  continue  the  boycott  of  all  NestlĂŠ  products  in  its  outlets.  Campaigning  will  start  on  Tuesday  of  Week  9  (22nd  Nov)  with  the  ballot  being  held  on  Monday  and  Tuesday  of  Week  10  (28-Â29th  Nov).  The  Union  strongly  recom- mends  students  to  do  some  back- ground  reading  on  the  issues  sur- rounding  NestlĂŠ.  It’s  an  important  issue  for  the  UEA  Union  to  debate  and  reach  a  conclusion  based  on  pure  democracy  –  every  student  at  UEA  can  vote  on  this  issue. To  kick  off  the  campaign  on  Tuesday  22nd  November  there  will Â
be  a  debate  in  Union  House  ad- dressing  the  issues  surrounding  NestlĂŠ  with  representatives  from  all  sides  of  the  debate. Nestle  website:  www.nestle.com Baby  Milk  Action  Group  :  www.ba- bymilkaction.org Overseeing  this  referendum  is  Dan  Pearson,  Academic  OfďŹ cer.  Con- tact  him  on  su.academic@uea. ac.uk Andy  Higson  is  running  the  “YESâ€?  campaign:  su.comms@uea.ac.uk Steve  Williams  is  running  the  “NOâ€?  campaign:  steven.williams@uea. ac.uk
0OOL MAINTENANCE The  swimming  pool  at  the  UEA  Sportspark  will  be  closed  from  Monday  7th  November  to  Friday  11th  Novemeber.  As  a  result  of  a  minor  mechani- cal  failure  recently,  whilst  moving  the  central  boom  the  pool  liner  was  damaged,  resulting  in  a  small  seepage  of  water.  To  solve  both  these  problems  before  they  become  unmanage- able  the  Sportspark  staff  must  drain  the  pool.
Although  the  repair  work  will  only  take  a  few  hours  emptying,  reďŹ lling  and  heating  the  pool  will  take  up  to  four  days.  During  the  four  days  the  Sportspark  are  to  take  advantage  and  upgrade  the  showers  and  other  maintenance  work  which  had  previously  been  scheduled  for  later  in  the  year.  The  Sportspark  staff  apologise  for  the  inconven- ience  to  customers  while  the  pool  is  out  of  action.
5NION #OUNCIL GOES 'REEN 0ROPOSALS FROM 5NION #OUNCIL ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE 5NIVERSITY TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES "Y *!-%3 #/.7!9 $%0549 %$)4/2 Two  environmentally  positive  pro- posals  were  successfully  passed  through  Union  Council  on  Thurs- day  3rd  November.  The  Council,  which  some  say  has  been  more  progressive  than  it  was  in  previous  years,  agreed  almost  unanimously  to  ofďŹ cially  oppose  the  Universi- ty’s  plans  to  build  a  multistory  car  park.  In  a  second  proposal,  which  again  was  almost  unanimous,  it  was  agreed  that  we  should  be- come  part  of  the  national  Go  Green  campaign.  The  anti  car-Âpark  proposal  was  put  forth  by  Jack  Guest,  who  sits  on  the  Union  Council  as  the  representative  for  athletics  but  also  chairs  the  Sustainable  Trans- port  Action  Group.  The  car-Âpark  issue  has  featured  regularly  in  the  pages  on  Concrete  and  has  been  condemned  informally  by  many  students.  But  this  is  the Â ďŹ rst  time  that  the  Union  has  chosen  to  take  an  ofďŹ cial  stance.  This  move  will  put  serious  pressure  on  the  Uni- versity  to  reconsider  a  project  which  has  been  rejected  by  the  student  body  that  the  administra- tion  is  here  to  serve. Jack  Guest  described  the  mo- tion  as  sending  a  clear  message  to  the  University  that  students  be- lieve  in  the  very  real  need  for  more  sustainable  transport  alternatives  on  campus. At  the  same  meeting  Yasmine  Dialdas,  representative  for  SEED Â
(Society  for  Everything  Environ- mental  and  Developmental),  pro- posed  that  the  Union  of  UEA  Stu- dents  becomes  part  of  the  national  Go  Green  campaign.  The  cam- paign  has  already  been  embraced  by  many  other  Students’  Unions  around  the  country,  including  the  London  School  of  Economics,  Im- perial  College,  Nottingham  and  Sussex.  The  movement  draws  on  the  fact  that  schools,  colleges  and  universities  comprise  more  than  5%  of  all  buildings  in  the  UK,  and  that  it  is  therefore  crucial  that  these  institutions  adopt  appropri- ate  environmental  practices. The  proposal,  as  passed  through  Union  Council,  resolves  to  put  pressure  on  the  Univer- sity  until  the  four  aims  of  the  Go  Green  campaign  have  been  real- ised.  These  include  a  comprehen- sive  review  of  the  University’s  cur-Â
rent  environmental  impacts  and  the  creation  of  a  detailed  environ- mental  policy.  The  campaign  also  calls  for  an  environmental  man- agement  position  to  be  created  among  the  full  time  members  of  staff.  Yasmine  Dialdas  explained  that  “the  money  required  to  pay  for  the  role  would  easily  be  made  back  with  the  energy  savings  that  the  University  would  makeâ€?.    Jenny  Gellatly,  the  Union’s  Environment  OfďŹ cer,  was  there  to  second  both  the  car  park  and  the  Go  Green  motions.  Speaking  to  Concrete  she  explained  how  signif- icant  these  proposals  were.  “The  fact  that  both  these  proposals  were  almost  unanimously  voted  through  shows  that  the  environ- ment  has  become  one  of  the  core  concerns  of  the  student  bodyâ€?.  This  fact  is  important,  especially  within  a  Union  that  has  already Â
appeared  so  assertive  at  such  an  early  stage  of  the  academic  year.  Previously  the  Union  Council  has  behaved  more  conservatively,  and  motions  involving  opposition  to  the  University  administration  may  have  proved  unpopular.  Now  the  signs  are  that  the  students  of  UEA  plan  to  lobby  the  administration  on  a  number  of  issues. The  Council  meeting,  which  ran  half  an  hour  over  schedule,  witnessed  six  proposals  in  all.  This  represents  the  members’  ea- gerness  to  take  part  in  the  demo- cratic  process  and  proves  that  stu- dents  are  not  afraid  of  asking  for  what  they  want.  It  is  clear  that  this  is  going  to  be  an  important  year  for  14,000  strong  Union,  and  with  the  continued  dedication  of   its  representatives  it  could  prove  to  be  a  powerful  force  in  University  procedures.      Â
-AKE 0OVERTY (ISTORY TAKES THE CAMPAIGN TO ,ONDON 5%! TAKES ITS VOICE TO 7ESTMINSTER TO -AKE 0OVERTY (ISTORY -!+% 0/6%249 ()34/29 Thousands  of  people  converged  on  the  House  of  Parliament  to  lobby  their  MP  to  change  unfair  trade  rules  on  2nd  November.  Thirteen  members  of  the  UEA  Make  Poverty  History  society  trav- elled  down  to  London  and  met  with  the  Home  Secretary,  Charles  Clarke  and  MP  for  Norwich.  The  Make  Poverty  History  stu- dents  asked  Charles  Clarke  several  questions,  requesting  his  support  of  the  Early  Day  Motion  for  trade  justice  and  of  removing  trade  bar- riers. Mr.  Clarke  denied  the  connec- tion  between  trade  injustice  and  terrorism,  claiming  education  to  be  the  best  preventative  method.  He  chose  not  to  elaborate  on  how  developing  countries  were  sup- posed  to  fund  education  or  the  prevalence  of  terrorism  in Â ďŹ rst  world  countries  despite  high  lev- els  of  education.  The  Make  Poverty  History  Society Â
hopes  to  follow  up  the  discussion  at  a  later  date. After  meeting  their  respec- tive  MPs,  groups  from  school  children  to  nuns  gathered  around  the  Thames  waving  banners  and  calling  for  changes  in  trade  legis- lation.  Hundreds  of  UEA  students  had  signed  a  banner  in  the  Hive  the  Tuesday  before  the  lobby  to  show  their  support  for  the  cause.  A  minute  of  silence  was  held  to  reect  on  trade  injustices  and  a  giant  white  loop  was  formed  around  Westminster.  The  event  received  national  and  international  attention.  Or- ganizers  and  participants  hope  the  success  of  the  event  will  inu- ence  MPs  into  making  the  neces- sary  changes.  Trade  minister  Alan  John- son  wrote  a  letter  on  the  day  of  the  lobby  stating:  “We  want  to  ensure  better  access  to  Western  markets  as  well  as  removing  the  hidden  barriers  to  trade  faced  by   developing  countries  and  other  inequalities  that  remain  in  the Â
5%! STUDENTS CAMPAIGN AT 7ESTMINSTER world  trading  system�  as  well  as  pledging  support  for  many  of  the  campaigners’  objectives. &OR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
-0(?UEA HOTMAIL CO UK ! SHORT lLM OF THE EVENT WILL SOON BE SHOWN ON .EXUS IN CLUDING FOOTAGE FROM THE IN TERVIEW WITH #HARLES #LARKE
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
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5%! APPOINTS -ENTAL 3TUDY PREDICTS RISE (EALTH #O ORDINATOR IN STUDENT DEBT .EW SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR STUDENTS "Y &) 2/8"52'( The  ongoing  Mental  Health  Cam- paign  and  the  efforts  by  both  the  Dean  of  Students  OfďŹ ce  and  the  Student  Union  to  get  services  im- proved  and  press  for  a  university  Mental  Health  Policy  is  still  un- derway  at  UEA.  Whilst  the  hope  that  stigma  and  prejudice  are  de- creasing  towards  those  experienc- ing  difďŹ culties  and  distress  with  mental  health,  sadly  on  a  national  level  society  is  a  long  way  off  from  having  adequate  provisions  and  enough  wide-Âspread  awareness  of  the  various  issues  involved. A  study  by  the  Royal  College  of  Psychiatry  shows  that  students  are  signiďŹ cantly  impacted  by  such  issues,  and  it  is  by  no  means  the  minority  whose  lives  are  affected  whilst  studying  at  university. UEA  is  no  exception.  A  recent  document  produced  for  the  men- tal  health  campaign  includes  per- sonal  accounts  from  UEA  students  who  describe  their  own  experi- ences  of  such  health  matters  have  had  a  direct  impact  on  the  day-Âto- day  and  academic  aspects  of  uni- versity  life.  Some  have  had  poor Â
mental  health  themselves  and  some  have  been  affected  by  the  health  of  a  friend  or  housemate.  Unfortunately,  although  there  are  many  useful  services  already  in  place  at  UEA,  the  university  has  no  Mental  Health  Policy  to  ensure  fair  treatment  and  adequate  train- ing  and  provisions  and  there  is  lit- tle  co-Âordination  between  services  and  departments  to  ensure  that  sufďŹ cient  information  and  help  is  circulated. However,  as  part  of  the  con- tinuing  work  being  done  to  im- prove  the  situation  the  Dean  of  Students  has  recently  employed  a  Mental  Health  Co-Âordinator,  Beckie  Davies.  Her  job  will  be  to  act  as  a  point  of Â ďŹ rst  contact  for  anyone  throughout  the  university  who  may  have  questions  or  prob- lems  surrounding  mental  health  issues,  whether  they  are  a  student  or  staff  member.  Beckie  will  also  be  liaising  between  services  on  campus  and  through  Norwich,  with  individual  schools  and  faculties,  to  maintain  better  links  and  communication  to  ensure  that  everyone  has  access  to  the  relevant  information  and  can  be  directed  towards  the  right  support-Âsystems  or  procedures. Â
As  a  part  of  these  duties,  Beckie  has  started  up  a  set  of  reg- ular  drop-Âin  sessions  at  the  Dean  of  Students  OfďŹ ce,  located  out- side  the  Hive  and  Waterstones.  The  sessions  are  open  to  students  and  resident  tutors  and  Beckie  will  be  offering  to  talk  through  difďŹ cul- ties,  offer  information  and  advice  and  liaise  with  or  show  people  to- wards  other  useful  services. Beckie  said:  “No  appointment  is  needed,  people  can  just  come  into  the  Dean  of  Students  OfďŹ ce  and  I  will  see  them  as  soon  as  I  can.  If  people  want  to  talk  to  me  at  other  times  of  the  week,  I  will  do  my  best  to  see  them  immedi- ately  or  arrange  a  convenient  time  as  soon  as  possible.  If  people  are  unsure  if  it  is  me  they  need  to  talk  to  about  a  concern  they  have,  they  are  free  to  phone  or  e-Âmail  me  to  discuss  it  a  bit  more.â€? $ROP IN SESSIONS WILL BE HELD AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES -ONDAY PM 7EDNESDAY PM 4HURSDAY MIDDAY 9OU CAN CONTACT "ECKIE BY PHONE OR EMAIL "ECKIE $AVIES UEA AC UK
5+ DEGREES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN 53 "Y *!#15) "52'/9.% .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 An  international  study  of  the  cost  for  higher  education  has  revealed  that  it’s  more  expensive  to  get  a  degree  in  the  United  Kingdom  than  in  the  United  States.  The  Global  Higher  Education  Report  2005  was  carried  out  by  the  Wash- ington  and  Toronto  based  Educa- tion  Policy  Institute  (EPI)  found  that  in  only  two  other  countries,  New  Zealand  and  Japan,  total Â
costs  were  higher  for  students.   The  reason  was  placed  on  high  costs  of  living  and  the  lack  of  bursaries  or  other  similar  funding.   With  the  coming  of  top-Âup  fees,  British  students’  situation  will  soon  be  far  worse  and  the  prob- lems  are  intensiďŹ ed  for  those  from  poorer  families. With  many  students  suppos- edly  spending  excessive  money  on  drinking  and  junk  food,  public  perception  is  often  that  they  are  not  concerned  by  debt.  Recent  studies  have  found  however,  that  debt-Âpressures  can  affect  both  the  degree-Âlevel  that  a  student  gets  and  the  quality  of  job  that  they  take  upon  graduation.   Nick  Smith,  CMP  3  said:  “Debt  can  lead  to  lots  of  pres- sure  upon  students.  They  end  up  working  and  studying  and  get  burnt  out  and  very  stressed.  Having  a  job  can  seriously  affect  students,  but  being  in  debt  is  just  as  bad:  it’s  a  no-Âwin  situa- tion.â€? Many  students  get  term- time  jobs  and  this  has  been  linked  by  a  government  study  to  lower  degree  results  and  subse- quent  worse  employment  oppor- tunities  after  graduation.  Emma Â
Kelly,  Union  Welfare  OfďŹ cer,  said:  “It  is  recommended  that  students  work  no  more  than Â ďŹ fteen  hours  per  week,  otherwise  it  could  seri- ously  interfere  with  your  studies.â€?  Mathew  Elliott,  a Â ďŹ nal  year  student  said:  “Most  third  or  fourth  years  feel  that  they  can’t  cope  with  the  pressure  of  studying  and  work- ing  and  end  up  giving  up  their  job  rather  than  risk  their  degree.  Ox- ford  colleges  ban  term-Âtime  jobs  for  good  reason;Íž  it  gets  in  the  way  of  learning.â€?   Even  with  good  results  on  graduation,  debt  can  still  impact  upon  the  salaries  that  students  end  up  earning.  Although  interest  rates  on  loans  from  the  Student  Loan  Company  are  tied  to  ination  and  repayments  are  not  required  until  the  student  is  earning  above  £15,000,  many  students  feel  pres- surised  to  take  the Â ďŹ rst  job  that  they  are  offered.   In  1999  graduates  earned  ten  percent  less  than  in  1995.  Prices  are  increasing  and  wage-Âlevels  after  graduating  are  getting  lower.  With  top-Âup  fees  set  to  exacerbate  the  problem,  universities  need  to  act  decisively  to  ensure  that  they  remain  a  worthwhile  investment  for  students. Â
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)NTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SNUB "RITISH UNIS $ECREASE IN NUMBER OF #HINESE STUDENTS STUDYING IN "RITAIN "Y *!.% $/5',!3 .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 A marked decline in the number of Chinese students studying at UK universities is set to compromise both the financial security and the international reputation of British
higher education. Chinese students contribute roughly eighty million pounds to British higher education each year and constitute nearly one third of all international students at UEA, although according to UCAS the number of applicants has dropped by a quarter this year, cre- ating concern for some academic
institutions. The cause for the fall in Chi- nese students is thought to have occurred for a number of reasons. A major factor is the number of student visa applications that have been denied by the British government. Between 2002 and 2003, 34,701 Chinese students applied
for visas, 27,379 of which were approved. Despite an increase in applications between 2003 and 2004 to 37,577, there was a drop in the number of visas secured to only 25,560. In addition to these figures, many potential students are dis- suaded by the increasing cost of having a British visa and studying
in the UK. In today’s maturing ac- ademic market there are also few work experience opportunities af- forded to Chinese students. Competition is increasing rap- idly from Chinese universities and particularly from America, who has taken over as the favoured country of study for Chinese stu- dents this year. One second year
$AVID #AMERON ALMOST ANSWERS THE DRUGS QUESTION
#APTION
! @NORMAL UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE IN THE BAR "Y ,%% !.. 2)#(!2$3 .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 David Cameron, the favourite to win the Conservative race for lead- ership is finding it hard to shake off accusations that he experi- mented with drugs at university. The media have called into question David Cameron’s time spent at Braesenose College, Ox- ford, where he allegedly revelled in recreational drug use. Cameron has refused to comment on the is- sue, but is reported to have said: “I am a politician. I had a normal university experience. I did lots of things before I came into politics I shouldn’t have done. We all did.” David Cameron who went to Eton before studying at Oxford has had to face one of the hardest months in his political career. If he wins the battle for Tory leadership it will doubtless prove a valuable lesson for the future. Cameron has faced enormous amounts of unwanted attention from Britain’s tabloids who have taken to nick- naming him Cannabis Cameron as well as other criticisms from his party members. When he ap- peared two weeks ago on Ques- tion Time he refused to answer any of the questions concerning this issue. David Cameron follows a long list of names of public fig- ures who supposedly took drugs during their University days. The
list includes Kenneth Clarke, Mo Mowlem and notably Kate Moss. George Bush’s youth was also surrounded by speculation over cocaine and cannabis use during a supposed hedonistic lifestyle. Cameron’s rival David Davies has denied ever taking drugs and has expressed his concern about young people experimenting with drugs. As Cameron claims to have had a normal University experi- ence, the issue of his drug taking and the general concurrence of politicians to claim the consump- tion of drugs as a normal Universi- ty experience is perhaps instilling an irresponsible message regard- ing the lifestyle of students. The drugs questionnaire this week that Concrete conducted on campus at UEA, shows that a large majority of UEA students have at some experience of taking drugs. Perhaps one good thing to come out of the Tory leadership race is the emergence of a need for a new category of leader who is more in touch with the experi- ences of young people and has gone on to accomplished greater personal goals. It is yet to be determined what effect Cameron’s suspected drug-taking past will have on his Conservative race for leadership. If David Cameron does win he has said that he would downgrade cannabis and introduce more drug education for young people.
Chinese student said: “America already has a better reputation for university education” Chinese government officials have warned that this ebb could be permanent unless British uni- versities take drastic action – an alarming prospect because Chi- nese students bring a huge major- ity of fees to British universities.
10 '&"563&4
$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  23  2005
3ORRY MATE YOU RE NOT COMING IN #HANGES IN THE LICENSING LAWS AND NEW LEGISLATION REGARDING THE CONDUCT OF DOORMEN WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE BEHAVE ON A NIGHT OUT AS TOUGH PENALTIES ARE INTRODUCED TO COMBAT BINGE DRINKING 0RIYA 3HAH AND 3IMON 3HERIDAN WENT TO /PTIC TO INVESTIGATE
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ow  often  has  a  night  out  been  ruined  by  bounc- ers?  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  fairly  familiar  story  most  of  the  time:  you  decide  to  go  out  with  a  group  of  friends,  hit  a  few  bars  and  enjoy  the  odd  pint.  But  when  you  queue  for  the  club, Â ďŹ nally  get  to  the  front  of  the  line  and  are  on  the  brink  of  getting  in- side,  a  huge,  shaven-Âheaded  bouncer  proclaims  that  â&#x20AC;&#x153;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  too  drunk  mate,  you  ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  cominâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  in  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ereâ&#x20AC;?.  Some  of  us,  after  a  moment  to  com- pose  ourselves,  would  simply  slink  off  into  the  darkness,  maybe  to  get  an  early  night.  Others  may  take  the  other  extreme  and  argue  the  toss,  perhaps  resulting  in  being  restrained  for  taking  their  objections  too  far.  There  are  plenty  of  people  out  there  who  have  tales  of  this  sort.  The  question  is,  why?  Is  it  because  all  bouncers  have  a  serial  dislike  for  students,  or  is  it  just  that  in  our  alcohol  fuelled  euphoria  an  incident  with  a  bouncer  seems  like  an  event  of  incomparable  consequence?  Con- crete  has  heard  a  number  of  complaints  about  bouncers  in  the  City,  and  went  to  one  of  Nor- wichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  more  popular  clubs,  Optic,  to Â ďŹ nd  out  how  their  bouncers  operate  and  if  the  students  have  legitimate  gripes. Firstly,  it  may  interest  you  to  know  that  the  term  bouncer  is  no  longer  applicable  to  many  of  Norwichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  club  guarders.  They  are  door- men.  While  many  of  you  might  think  that  this  is  merely  a  technical  formality,  the  General  Manager  at  Optic,  Tom  Webster,  informed  us  that  it  was  not  simply  a  matter  of  language.  In  fact  there  is  a  considerable  difference  between  a  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bouncerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  and  a  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;doormanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,  and  this  is  seen  most  explicitly  in  the  qualiďŹ cation  one  needs  to  become  a  doorman.  Candidates  have  to  take  a  week  long  course,  which  results  in  a  City  &  Guilds  certiďŹ cate.  The  course  is  highly  inten- sive,  involving Â ďŹ re  training, Â ďŹ rst  aid  training  and  lessons  in  conďŹ&#x201A;ict  resolution  -  with  the  empha- sis  on  peaceful.  Passing  this  course  is  now  the  only  way  to  become  a  licensed  doorman  in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  even  after  taking  it,  the  candidates  still  have  to  secure  a  license  from  the  Security  Industries  Authority,  which  com- pletes  several  background  checks  to Â ďŹ nd  if  they  are  suitable.  It  is  now  the  law  that  all  doormen  have  to  have  this  license  in  order  to  work,  with  penalties  for  individuals  and  clubs  that  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â
adhere  to  the  rules.  This  is  not  to  say  that  your  stereotypical  bouncer  does  not  exist  in  Nor- wich,  or  anywhere  else  for  that  matter,  because  he  does.  However,  in  most  of  Norwichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  clubs  the  doormen  are  now  certiďŹ ed  and  licensed,  as  it  is  simply  too  risky  to  try  and  get  away  with  it.  In  any  case,  Optic  does  not  employ  unlicensed  doorman,  and  is  similar  to  Mercy  in  this  respect  as  both  are  privately  owned  enterprises  which  cannot  afford  to  lose  their  licenses  or  their  in- come  because  of  dodgy  bouncers. Fair  enough,  you  might  think,  but  what  of  all  those  occasions  mentioned  earlier?  If  door- men  are  properly  trained,  how  is  it  that  we Â ďŹ nd  ourselves  aggrieved  because  they  do  not  let  us  into  a  club?  The  answer  to  this,  which  may  seem  obvious,  is  that  we  drink  before  we  go  to  a  club.  Some  of  you  may  have  a  vodka  red  bull  or  two  beforehand,  whereas  others  might  sink  seven  pints.  The  point  is  that  by  the  time  we  get  to  whichever  club  we  have  chosen,  we  are  not  in  a  position  to  assess  our  own  abilities.  Alcohol  has  the  funny  effect  of  inhibiting  our  percep- tions  of  reality,  which  in  some  cases  leads  to  inexplicable  drunkenness  which  practically  eve- ryone  has  at  least  one  story  about.  Whether  it  is  falling  off  a  wall  or  puking  in  the  toilet  of  a  club,  any  of  us  that  go  clubbing  will  probably  have  experienced  a  horrendous  event  whilst  drunk.  This  is  because  we  do  not  really  know  what  it  is  we  are  doing. Put  yourselves  in  the  shoes  of  a  club  owner.  Would  you  want  to  cope  with  masses  of  out- of-Âcontrol  youths  every  night,  getting  rowdy  and  being  ill  after  consuming  vast  quantities  of  Stella,  or  would  you  rather  have  a  crowd  that  is  enjoying  the  beneďŹ ts  of  a  few  shots  of  Sam- buca  without  resorting  to  punching  passers-Âby  or  throwing  ashtrays?  It  is  not  a  difďŹ cult  ques- tion  to  answer,  but  it  is  a  necessary  question.  Club  proprietors,  particularly  in  the  wake  of  new  legislation  on  the  subject,  have  got  to  ad- here  to  police  guidelines  on  under-Âage  drinkers  and  those  who  exhibit  clear  signs  of  drunken- ness.  Failure  to  do  so  will  result  in  â&#x20AC;&#x153;court  ac- tion  where  offences  under  the  new  Licensing  Act  are  discovered  which  will  be  combined  with  requests  for  license  reviews  where  necessaryâ&#x20AC;?  (Police  letter  sent  to  all  clubs  concerning  the  new  licensing  laws).  For  the  club  owners,  this  would  mean  inevitable  closure  and  the  effective  loss  of  a  job.  It  is  also  for  this  reason  that  nightclubs  across  the  country  are  clamping  down  on  se- curity  issues.  In  the  wake  of  the  London  bomb-Â
ings,  managers  at  clubs  are  now  required  to  carry  out  checks  to  ensure  that  no  incendiary  devices  get  into  clubs.  This  is  on  top  of  other  items,  like  guns,  knives  and  drugs,  whose  cap- ture  forms  a  large  part  of  a  doormanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  respon- sibilities.  It  is  fairly  obvious  that  any  of  these  items  inside  a  nightclub  is  wholly  undesirable,  but  people  still  attempt  it.  This  fact  should  il- lustrate  that  doormen  are  responsible  for  the  welfare  of  themselves  and  those  customers  al- ready  in  the  club,  and  are  therefore  meticulous  in  their  approach  to  any  potential  problems.  This  may  seem  overbearing  to  some,  but  in  contrast  to  being  stabbed  it  is  a  fairly  minor  oc- currence.  Optic  for  example,  conducts  random  searches  to  root  out  anybody  with  illicit  items,  but  anyone  who  is  searched  is  offered  a  com- plimentary  drink  as  a  result.  They  also  employ  a  student  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Smilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  on  the  door,  and  a  team  of  doorwomen  to  make  this  process  easier  and  more  affable.
T
his  should  enforce  the  point  that  the  clubs  are  not  looking  to  ban  people  or  ruin  nights  out.  They  are  simply  in  a  business  which  compels  them  to  observe  any  number  of  security  and  safety  concerns.  Opticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  camera  system  cost  approximately  £30,000  and  encompasses  some  44  cameras.  It  covers  every  area  of  the  inside,  and  also  the  areas  directly  outside  the  club.  This  ensures  that  no  incidents  occur  in  Optic  without  being  recorded  digitally  on  a  computer  server.  Mercy  has  a  similar  system,  with  roughly  70  cameras,  and  this  is  to  the  ben- eďŹ t  of  customers,  doormen  and  owners  alike.  In  Opticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  case,  it  has  allowed  the  club  to  dis- credit  many  accusations  made  against  it,  from  sexual  harassment  to  assault.  Consulting  the  tapes  reveals  very  quickly  that  these  incidents  did  not  occur,  or  were  grossly  exaggerated  by  those  who  made  them.  It  seems  that  alcohol  really  can  convince  even  the  most  honest  that  we  were  in  the  right,  even  when  evidence  to  the  contrary  is  freely  available.  Most  of  the  time,  the  doormen  deal  with  people  in  the  correct  fash- ion,  and  no  evidence  of  any  assaults  on  cus- tomers  is  apparent.  Optic  has  never  once  been  convicted  of  any  such  offence  despite  a  number  of  court  actions  brought  against  it.  This  is  not  intended  to  portray  doormen  as  angels,  as  it  is  quite  clear  they  are  not,  and  in- deed  would  not  want  to  be.  Their  job  requires  them  to  adhere  to  rigid  safety  restrictions,  and  therefore  it  is  inevitable  they  will  carry  this  out Â
4HE 3)! TRAINING COURSE FOR DOORMEN COVERS THE FOLLOWING Role  and  Responsibilities  of  a  Door  Supervisor: Appropriate  behaviour  for  door  supervisors  -  Civil  and  Criminal  Law  -  Searching  and  arrest  procedures  -  Drugs  awareness  -  Recording  incidents  and  crim Communication  Skills  and  ConďŹ&#x201A;ict  Management: How  to  refuse  entry  and  how  to  eject  in  a  way  that  reduces  risk  fo  conďŹ ct  -  Identifying  the  types  of  incidents  that  could  happen  inside  a  venue  and  how  to  deal  with  them  -  Understanding  the  law  about  arrest Â
with  an  air  of  serious  professionalism.  While  we  are  enjoying  our  night-Âoff  revelling,  they  do  not  even Â ďŹ nish  work  until  about  4am.  The  fact  we  have  been  drinking  means  we  interpret  door- man  as  sinister,  but  this  is  part  of  the  process  to  root  out  drunken  individuals  and  those  with  something  to  hide.  We  also  complain  about  not  being  let  into  clubs  because  of  not  wearing  the  requisite  clothes,  but  this  is  a  rather  lame  ex- cuse  as  clubs  make  it  very  explicit  as  to  what  can  and  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  be  worn  in  their  establishment.  Their  choice  merely  reďŹ&#x201A;ects  the  mood  they  wish  to  create  in  their  club,  and  the  fact  of  the  matter  is,  if  the  clubs  do  not  permit  baseball  caps,  then  do  not  wear  one.  Essentially,  the  best  policy  is  to  act  with  re- straint.  Going  clubbing  on  a  diet  of  alcohol  is  a  well-Âknown  and  enjoyable  part  of  British  culture,  but  there  are  limits.  The  new  licensing  laws  rep- resent  two  sides  of  the  same  coin:  on  the  one  hand  they  liberalise  drinking  as  we  can  now  do  it  for  longer  and  in  more  ďŹ&#x201A;exible  periods,  but  on  the  other  hand  they  come  with  a  signiďŹ cant  increase  in  police  powers  to  deal  with  excessive  drunkenness  and  anti-Âsocial  behaviour,  and  pubs  and  nightclubs  are  at  the  forefront  of  this  effort  as  they  facilitate  the  process.  It  may  come  as  a  surprise  to  some,  but  it  is  no  longer  OK  to  be  drunk  in  public,  and  clubs  have  to  adhere  to  this  law  just  as  much  as  individuals.  At  the  end  of  the  day,  if  you  act  with  respect  and  treat  doormen  accordingly,  the  likelihood  is  that  you  will  have  an  enjoyable  night  out  without  any  problems.  Taking  things  to  excess,  however,  will  only  result  in  your  night  being  cut  short  and  the  inevitable  whinging  about  it  the  day  after.  It  is  a  simple  choice,  and  one  that  is  in  the  interests  of  all  concerned.  It  would  suit  a  doorman  to  allow  everyone  who  queues  up  into  the  club  he  is  responsible  for,  as  it  keeps  trouble  to  a  minimum.  Surely  all  of  us  can  agree  with  this,  as  any  trouble  in  a  club  is  the  fault  of  the  doormen  for  not  spotting  it  sooner.  It  makes  our  nights  safer  and  more  fun,  and  it  eliminates  those  who  wish  to  cause  trouble.  The  message  is  to  drink  responsibly,  for  the  good  of  your- selves  and  the  doormen. www.optic-Âclub.co.uk
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
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5%! LECTURER EMBARKS ON CONSERVATION PROJECT IN 2WANDA $%6 PROFESSOR !DRIAN -ARTIN IS TO HELP REBUILD THE DAMAGED LANDSCAPES OF WAR TORN 2WANDA "Y -!44 "52,!.$ .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4 A  UEA  researcher  is  embarking  on  a  two  year  project  to  protect  inter- nationally  important  habitats  in  Rwanda.   Dr  Adrian  Martin,  a  lec- turer  in  Development  Studies,  will  work  with  local  people,  the  Rwan- dan  government,  private  compa- nies  and  conservationists  to  save  the  species-Ârich  mountain  forests  in  the  war-Âtorn  country. In  the  past  forty  years,  two- thirds  of  Rwandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  conservation  areas  have  been  lost.  This  problem  has  been  exacerbated  by  the  de- mand  for  land  during  resettlement  following  the  1994  genocide.   In  post-ÂconďŹ&#x201A;ict  Rwanda,  acute  poverty  has  increased  pressure  on  forest  resources,  and  mountain  gorillas  remain  under  threat  of  extinction.  The  forests  have  been  cleared  for  farming,  wood  fuel,  bush  meat  hunting,  charcoal  pro- duction  and  to  help  provide  liveli- hoods  for  returning  refugees. Â
$R !DRIAN -ARTIN OF $%6 AT 5%! IS HELPING TO PRESERVE 2WANDA S CONSERVATION AREAS The  difďŹ culties  have  been  compounded  by  weak  political  in- stitutions,  a  decrease  in  native  con- servationists  following  the  1994  genocide,  and  poorly  integrated  conservation  bodies.  Dr  Martin  is  a  specialist  in  rural  development Â
and  hopes  to  create  partnerships  for  managing  Rwandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  national  parks  that  will  involve  local  people  and  ensure  that  they  beneďŹ t  from  conservation.  Dr  Martin  said:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;This  is  an  exciting  and  challenging  project Â
3OUTH !FRICAN ARTEFACTS AT 5%!
for  all  those  involved  in  the  UK  and  Rwanda.  There  are  major  ob- stacles  but  there  are  also  signs  of  hope,  such  as  the  bravery  and  tenacity  that  led  to  the  protection  of  gorilla  populations  during  and  after  the  genocide,  at  a  time  when Â
government  and  other  conserva- tion  agencies  were  barely  func- tioning.â&#x20AC;?  Over  recent  years  Rwandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  conservation  areas  have  dimin- ished  severely.  Prior  to  1994,  417,000  hectares  were  covered Â
by  this  network  and  this  has  now  been  reduced  to  just  220,000  hec- tares.  In  the  last  forty  years,  sixty-Â Â ďŹ ve  percent  of  protected  areas  have  been  lost.  The  fate  of  Rwandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  forest  reserves  may  be  even  worse  with  an  estimated  eighty  percent  of  forest  resources  lost.  The  project  is  funded  by  the  MacArthur  Foun- dation  and  partner  organisations  include  the  University  of  Rwanda  and  the  International  Gorilla  Con- servation  Programme,  whose  di- rector  Eugene  Rutagarama  was  a  postgraduate  student  at  UEA  in  2002-Â03.  The  project  will  focus  on  both  Nyungwe  National  Park  and  Vol- canoes  National  Park,  which  are  located  in  the  Albertine  Rift  moun- tain  range  in  the  Great  Lakes  re- gion  of  Rwanda.  Dr  Martin  will  visit  Rwanda  later  this  month  for  preliminary  planning  meetings,  and  will  return  to  host  a  series  of  workshops  over  the  coming  months.
%XILED 7EST 0APUAN CHIEF TO VISIT 5%!
3CIENTISTS REVEAL MOST COMPREHENSIVE 'REEN 0ARTY INVITE TRIBAL CHIEF TO 5%! COLLECTION OF "USHMEN CULTURE TO TALK ON GENOCIDE IN 7EST 0APUA "Y -!44 "52,!.$ .%73 #/22%30/.$%.4
For  over  thirty  years,  a  collection  of  Bushmen  artefacts  from  South  Af- rica  has  been  on  display  in  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  School  of  Development  Studies.   However,  after  so  many  years  on  display,  the  story  behind  this  col- lection  has  been  lost,  until  now.  On  Saturday  29th  October  a  collection  of  Kalahari  Bushmen  artefacts,  thought  to  be  the  most  comprehensive  collection  of  its  kind,  was  unveiled  at  UEA.   Es- ter  Leah,  currently  studying  for  a  Masters  in  the  School  of  PSI,  and  Environmental  Sciences  gradu- ate  Rachel  Dunmore,  undertook  research  on  the  collection,  which  led  them  to  its  original  owners  Martin  and  Margo  Russell,  who  were  reunited  with  the  collection  at  its  unveiling.  In  1973  Martin  and  Margo  Russell  set  out  on  an  expedition  to  study  the  Afrikaans  people  of  Botswana  from  their  home  in  Wy-Â
mondham.   Little  did  they  realise  that  this  trip  would  prove  to  be  more  than  a  mere  academic  ex- cursion.   During  their  time  in  Bot- swana,  they  became  attached  to  the  people  and  the  continent  and  soon  moved  on  to  South  Africa  where  they  lived  with  the  Kalahari  Bushmen  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  one  of  the  oldest  sur- viving  tribes  in  the  world.   During  their  time  with  the  Bushmen  they  gained  a  rare  in- sight  into  this  people,  dispelling  the  myth  that  their  way  of  life  is  primitive  and  incompatible  with  modern  ways.  Today  the  couple  split  their  time  between  Africa  and  their  home  in  mid-ÂWales,  spend- ing  six  months  a  year  in  each.  At  the  unveiling  the  couple  were  reunited  with  a  lasting  re- minder  of  their  early  trips  to  the  continent;Íž  a  collection  of  some  250  Bushmen  artefacts  which  had  been  traded  for  tobacco,  jam  and  tea.   This  is  thought  to  be  one  of  the  most  comprehensive  col- lections  of  its  kind  and  includes  painted  ostrich  egg  shells  used  as  water  containers,  bow  and  arrows, Â
toys,  weapons  and  jewellery.   For  Mr  Russell  there  was  one  particular  favourite  amongst  the  collection  -  a  tin  can  fashioned  into  a  rudimentary  musical  instru- ment.   Speaking  about  the  collec- tion  he  said,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  a  historian  and  my  wife  is  a  sociologist.   We  never  set  out  to  study  the  Bushmen,  but  just  found  ourselves  immersed  in  their  culture  and  set  about  collect- ing  as  many  items  as  possible  to  represent  a  snapshot  in  time.   We  were  pretty  indiscrimi- nate  in  what  we  collected,  we  just  found  it  fascinating  and  wanted  as  much  as  possible.â&#x20AC;?  Part  of  the  col- lection  is  on  display  at  the  School  of  Development  Studies  and  the  remainder  is  housed  at  the  Sains- bury  Centre  for  Arts.   The  project  undertaken  by  Esther  and  Rachel  was  funded  by  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Travel  and  Expeditions  Committee,  and  resulted  in  a  re- port  bringing  back  to  life  the  his- tory  of  the  lost  treasures.   The  Committee  welcomes  ap- plications  from  all  UEA  students  who  wish  to  travel  as  part  of  their  research.
"Y 34%6%. !,4-!. '2%%. 0!249 An  exiled  West  Papuan  chief  is  to  visit  UEA  as  the  Green  Party  invite  him  for  an  evening  of  cultural  in- sight. West  Papua  is  the  western  half  of  the  island  of  New  Guinea.  With  one  of  the  most  remarkable  envi- ronments,  it  is  swathed  in  tropi- cal  rain  forest  and  studded  with  mountain  glaciers.  The  country  is  home  to  hundreds  of  rare  species,  including  birds  of  paradise  and  tree  kangaroos.  It  is  also  home  to  some  of  our  planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  last  tribal  people,  some  two  hundred  tribes,  each  with  their  own  unique  culture  and  language,  living  small  scale,  sus- tainable  lives  that  have  remained  virtually  unchanged  for  thousands  of  years. However  concerns  have  arisen  in  West  Papua  as  it  has  emerged  as  the  scene  of  a  hidden  genocide  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  an  ongoing  tragedy  that  threat- ens  its  people  with  extinction.
West  Papua  was  handed  over  to  Indonesia  on  condition  that  they  held  a  referendum  allowing  the  Papuans  to  choose  between  being  part  of  Indonesia  or  inde- pendence.  When  it Â ďŹ nally  came  in  1969  it  was  a  sham.  The  Indone- sians,  who  were  already  occupying  West  Papua,  declared  that  its  peo- ple  were  â&#x20AC;&#x153;too  backwardâ&#x20AC;?  to  cope  with  democracy.  Instead,  with  the  UN  looking  on  but  doing  noth-Â
ing,  Indonesia  rounded  up  1,000  Papuans  and  forced  them  at  gun- point  to  vote  to  join  Indonesia. Since  then  the  Indonesian  military  occupation  of  West  Papua  has  been  brutal  and  horriďŹ c.  Su- hartoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  dictatorship  embarked  on  a  campaign  to  wipe  out  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;primitiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Papuan  culture,  banning  tradition- al  dress,  songs,  the  Morning  Star  ďŹ&#x201A;ag  or  any  talk  of  independence.  Nearly  a  million  Indonesian  settlers  were  shipped  in  to  West  Papua  to  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indonesianiseâ&#x20AC;?  it  and  make  the  indigenous  Papuans  a  minority  in  their  own  land.  Any- one  who  resists  Indonesian  op- pression  is  killed,  tortured,  raped,  beaten  or  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;disappearedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. At  least  100,000  Papuans  (ten  percent  of  the  population)  have  been  murdered  by  the  Indonesian  military  since  the  occupation  be- gan.   As  you  read  this,  the  hidden  genocide  is  still  happening. -ONDAY ST .OVEMBER FROM PM IN .ELSON #OURT #OMMON 2OOM " #ONTACT 3TEVE !LTMAN AT S ALTMAN UEA AC UK
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
/BEYING THE LAW CAN BE FUN $RUGS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS BUT A RANGE OF HERBAL ALTERNATIVES ARE AVAILABLE WHICH ARE MUCH SAFER AND LEGAL AS 3IMON 3HERIDAN lNDS OUT
H
ow  many  people  out  there  would  consider  themselves  a  drug  user?  If  you  toke  the  oc- casional  joint  once  in  a  while,  should  you  be  lumped  in  with  the  heroin  addicts  in  the  Chris- tian  Rightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  one-Âsize-ÂďŹ ts-Âall  ap- proach  to  illegal  substances  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  if  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  illegal,  then  taking  them  makes  you  a  criminal?  This  logic  is  probably  the  reason  why  most  peo- ple,  after  trying  cannabis,  will  not  graduate  to  the  next  level  of  drugs,  that  is  to  say,  taking  pills  such  as  speed  or  ecstasy,  or  eating  hallucinogenics  like  mushrooms  or  acid?  Although  many  of  us  would  claim  it  is  our  right  to  take  such  substances,  there  is  a  line  that  needs  to  be  crossed  before  we  do.  As  noted  above,  the  establishment  view  will  affect  us  in  some  way,  but  perhaps  the  reason  for  it  is  that  pills  are  something  of  a  mystery.  We  all  remember  the  story  of  Leah  Betts,  just  one  example  of  a  teenager  who  took  an  ecstasy  pill  and  died  as  a  result.  While  most  of  these  pills  con- tain  3,4-Âmethylenedioxymethamphetamine  (MDMA),  the  active  ingredient  in  ecstasy,  they  can  also  contain  a  vast  array  of  other  more  sinister  substances.  You  may  be  lucky  and  get  a  pill  that  has  only  been  cut  with  chalk,  but  what  of  the  tablets  that  have  been  found  to  contain  traces  of  strychnine,  a  toxic  rat  poison.  More  recently,  a  number  of  so  called  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;super-Âecstasyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  pills  have  been  released  on  to  the  market,  some  contain- ing  roughly  twice  as  much  MDMA  as  a  normal  pill.  Others,  sometimes  called   â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;polosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  are  ecstasy  pills  laced  with  heroin. These  all  sound  rather  disturbing,  particularly  as  most  of  us  would  not  take  even  a  normal  ecstasy  tab- let.  The  knowledge  that  you  do  not  know  what  exactly  is  going  to  happen  to  you,  and  (for  those  with  a  less  than  hedonistic  attitude)  the  niggling  fear  that  you  might  die,  is  usually  enough  to  put  most  people  off  the  drug.  At  least  when  smoking  marijuana,  if  you  feel  a  little  queasy,  you  can  simply  stop  smoking.  Once  the  pill  is  swallowed,  you  are  in  for  the  long  haul.  Lorna  Spinks  would  not  have  ended  up  bloated  on  a  hospi- tal  trolley  if  she  could  have  ďŹ&#x201A;icked  a  switch  to  turn  the  experience  off  for  a  few  minutes.  The  ecstasy  she  took  resulted  in  both  liver  and  kidney  failure,  which  seems  like  an  awful  lot  of  trouble  to  go  to  for  one  night  of  serious  clubbing.  Although  it  was  initially  suspected  she  had  eaten  a  pill  cut  with  a  poisonous  substance,  it  was  later  found  that  she  simply  took  one  of  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;super  ecstasyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  pills  mentioned  above.  The  MDMA  si- multaneously  raises  the  bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  temperature,  but  also  inhibits  the  mechanisms  used  by  the  body  to  regulate  heat,  which  meant  her  internal  organs  collapsed  as  she  exceeded  40  degrees  centigrade  in  temperature.  The  general  upshot  is  that  the  more  MDMA  you  have Â
! RANGE OF @(EAD &UELS in  your  system,  the  more  likely  you  are  to  become  ill  due  to  heatstroke.  Therefore  it  would  be  quite  a  comforting  thought  to  know  how  much  MDMA  is  in  the  pill  you  plan  to  take,  and  whether  it  is  cut  with  anything  suspicious.
T
here  is  an  alternative,  which  comes  in  the  form  of  herbal  ecstasy  capsules,  available  in  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;headâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  shops  up  and  down  the  coun- try,  including  Norwichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  own  Head  in  the  Clouds.  Rather  than  containing  MDMA,  which  is  of  course  illegal  in  this  country,  they  are  made  using  only  legal  substances  that  have  been  used  across  the  world  for  various  things,  like  sha- manic  rituals  for  example.  While  not  being  the  real  thing,  you  can  be  completely  sure  that  these  legal  highs  are  not  going  to  land  you  in  trouble  with  the  law,  and,  more  to  the  point,  are  not  going  to  result  in  a  night  of  dancing  followed  by  death  for  breakfast.  Indeed,  this  is  precisely  the  reason  why  these  drugs  exist  as  an  alternative  to  real  ecstasy;Íž  for  those  people  who  have  any  of  the  concerns  outlined  above.  In  fact, Â
the  only  lingering  fear  that  is  not  dealt  with,  i.e.  you  are  still  not  sure  exactly  what  will  happen  to  you,  is  catered  for  by  this  new  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Head  Fuelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  range.  Each  packet  contains  three  capsules.  You  are  instructed  to  take  one  at Â ďŹ rst,  a  couple  of  hours  af- ter  eating.  An  hour  later,  when  the  effects  should  be  kicking  in,  you  can  take  the  second  capsule,  which  essentially  consolidates  the Â ďŹ rst  while  adding  more  potency  to  the  experience.  If  after  another  hour  you  still  do  not  feel  the  complete  throes  of  ecstatic  pleas- ure,  then  you  can  take  the Â ďŹ nal  one.  What  this  means,  especially  for Â ďŹ rst  timers  or  people  who  are  scared  of  the  drugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  effect,  is  that  you  can  limit  the  amount  you  take.  If  the Â ďŹ rst  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Orange  X-Âtraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  (as  the  ecstasy  capsules  are  known)  makes  you  feel  unpleasant,  then  do  not  take  the  second  one.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  really  that  simple.  Instead  of  taking  a  pill  bought  in  a  club  from  an  un- known  individual  containing  a  plethora  of  mysterious  substances,  you  can  buy  herbal  ecstasy  from  licensed  shops  and  regulate  exactly  what  is  going  into  your  system  at  the  same  time.  While  substances  such  as  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cordifolia  extractâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  or  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;agryria  nervosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  are  not  exactly  well  known,  they  sound  rather  more  appealing  than  a Â
dose  of  strychnine.  While  the  herbal  ecstasy  capsules  are  a  safer  way  to  enjoy  a  night  of  clubbing,  what  about  those  of  us  who  would  rather  have  a  more  spiritual  and  laid  back  experience?  Herbal  pills  can  help  here  as  well.  Rather  than  take  the  ecstasy  or  speed  versions  of  the  cap- sules,  you  can  instead  take  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Purple  Ohmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  that  offer  a  trip  similar  to  that  achieved  when  taking  magic  mushrooms.  Until  very  recently  (19th  June  2005  to  be  exact),  it  was  legal  to  take  shrooms  as  long  as  they  were  fresh  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  that  is,  that  they  look  like  actual  mush- rooms  that  had  not  been  tampered  with  in  any  way,  rather  than  coming  dried  or  in  the  form  of  a  powder.  However,  the  government  has  now  made  these  ille- gal  too,  meaning  that  the  active  ingredient,  psilocy- bin  or  psilocin  is  now  outlawed.  However,  the  herbal  mushroom  capsules  are,  like  their  ecstatic  cousins,  completely  legal.  They  too  come  in  threes,  meaning  that  people  who  are  unnerved  by  the  consequential  effects  do  not  have  to  worry  so  much.  If  you  like  what  you  experience  after  the Â ďŹ rst  hit,  then  you  can  take  more  to  enhance  the  trip.  There  are  a  variety  of  old  wives  tales  that  circulate  about  such  hallucinogenics,  among  them  being  the  infamous  â&#x20AC;&#x153;well,  you  might  think  you  can  ďŹ&#x201A;y  and  jump  out  of  a  building.â&#x20AC;?  While  the  chances  of  this  happening  are  slightly  above  zero  even  when  on  a  serious  mescaline  trip,  the  fact  that  you  can  limit  the  effects  is  a  key  factor  in  why  taking  the  legal  versions  of  psychedelics  is  advantageous. Taking  illegal  substances  is  always  going  to  be  a  tad  risky.  Just  like  a  multinational  corporation  who  cuts  corners  to  maximise  their  proďŹ t,  drug  dealers  are  in  it  for  the  money.  There  is  no  institutional  frame- work  to  govern  drug  use  in  this  country,  making  it  en- tirely  possible,  and  indeed  probable  that  a  drug  dealer  will  cut  his  MDMA  or  cocaine  with  whatever  he  has  at  his  disposal  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  anything  from  chalk  to  talcum  powder  is Â ďŹ ne.  This  differs  from  say,  the  Netherlands,  where  some  coffee  shops  and  clubs  have  pill  testers  which  can  tell  exactly  what  purity  each  E  tab  is,  and  whether  it  is  cut  with  something  nasty.  The  Dutch  attitude  is  that  people  are,  whatever  the  government  might  do,  going  to  take  drugs  so  there  might  as  well  be  an  envi- ronment  that  allows  them  to  do  this  safely.  We  do  not  take  the  same  approach  in  Britain.  While  this  does  not  apply  to  mushrooms,  as  its  easy  to  tell  if  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  mushroom  or  not,  most  people  would  be  loathe  to  eat  them  as  they  taste  so  disgusting  that  retching  is  an  inevitability.  Taking  the  herbal  capsule  is  a  much  easier  way  to  ingest  the  chemical,  and  the  safeguards  are  there  so  that  if  you  dislike  the  sensation,  you  can  stop  taking  the  pills  and  it  will  subside  after  a  while.  Essentially,  the  legal  highs  are  not  better  just  because  they  are  legal  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  they  are  better  because  they  are  a  saf- er  way  to  experience  the  effects  of  drugs.
! DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE DRUG DEALER
T
he  drug  dealer  has  been  around  for  cen- turies.  Years  ago,  nomads  would  travel  for  months  carrying  sacks  full  of  opium  or  marijuana  to  sell  in  the  village  markets  of  Africa  or  Asia.  If  people  needed  a Â ďŹ x,  there  would  always  be  someone  around  to  sell  it  to  them. UEA  is  similar  in  this  respect,  as  any  desperate  pothead  will  testify.  Within  about  half  an  hour,  you  can  sidle  up  to  any  number  of  dealers  around  town  and  purchase  a  wide  variety  of  drugs  that  you  might  wish  to  take.  Obviously,  some  only  sell  cannabis,  but  others  are  quite  willing  to  keep  you  in  heroin  if  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  what  you  want. With  this  in  mind,  Concrete  went  to  visit  one  of  the  dealers  who  sells  to  students  from  the  Golden  Tri- angle,  to  ask  him  what  it  is  all  about.  Obviously  the  identities  of  the  interviewer  and  the  interviewee  are  not  going  to  be  disclosed. 8IBU EPFT UIF EBZ UP EBZ PG CFJOH B ESVH EFBMFS JO
WPMWF
coming  round.
Well  it  ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  really  nothing  special.  Most  of  the  time  I  just  sit  about  in  my  room,  waiting  for  the  phone  to  ring.  It  usually  starts  at  about  9am,  which  is  a  little  annoying  for  me  as  I  usually  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  get  to  bed  until,  like,  3  in  the  morning.  Still,  usually  when  my Â ďŹ rst  cus- tomer  of  the  day  comes  round,  I  smoke  a  joint  with  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em,  which  is  always  useful  for  getting  out  of  bed.  Ba- sically  the  rest  of  the  day  is  spent  with  the  occasional  visitor  until  the  evening  when  it  starts  to  get  busy.
8IFSF EP ZPV TFMM NPTU PG ZPVS TUVGG
)PX NBOZ QFPQMF EP ZPV HFU CVZJOH JO BO BWFSBHF EBZ Well,  it  depends  -  you  know  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  reading  week  next  week  so  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  had  the  usual  amount  of  people,  but  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  just  buying  in  bigger  amounts  to  take  it  home  with  them.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  be  a  bit  quieter  next  week  though.  On  a  typical  week  I  get  like  twenty  people  a  day  or  so Â
Well  usually  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  at  home,  but  I  always  carry  some  in  my  bag  just  in  case  someone  wants  some  on  campus  whenever  I  go  there.  I  put  it  in  my  sock  to  go  to  the  clubs,  cos  then  I  can  make  a  little  cash  to  get  drunk  on,  which  is  always  useful  -  its  fun  partying  with  stu- dents. %P ZPV HFU BOZ SFBM DIBSBDUFST PS NFTTFE VQ JOEJWJEV BMT CVZJOH GSPN ZPV  Well  some  of  my  customers  are  a  bit  unhinged.  I  mean  I  probably  shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  even  be  dealing  to  some  people,  but  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  not  exactly  a  legitimate  business,  so  anything  goes.  Some  people  do  come  here  on  a  daily  basis,  which  shows  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  got  a  pretty  bad  habit,  and  sometimes  they  can  barely  even  speak  properly. Â
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  pretty  funny  really,  as  I  wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  say  I  encourage  that  kind  of  behaviour.  I  just  enjoy  the  company  re- ally  -  you  meet  quite  a  diverse  group  of  people  in  my  business. "OE mOBMMZ EP ZPV mOE ZPVSTFMG EPJOH B MPU PG ESVHT JO ZPVS SPMF BT B EFBMFS Well  yeh,  clearly,  but  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  just  a  side  effect.  I  mean  I  usually  have  a  joint  if  someone  comes  to  buy  off  me  but  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  about  it.  I  mean,  who  ever  heard  of  a  drug  dealer  who  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  do  drugs?  Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  miscon- ception. So  there  you  have  it,  a  drug  dealerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  day.  Not  re- ally  that  interesting,  as  this  one  had  not,  at  the  time  of  the  interview,  had  any  dealings  with  the  police  in  Norwich.  Concrete  had  hoped  for  some  kind  of  high  speed  chase  scenario,  but  obviously  drug  dealing  in  the  real  world  is  not  the  same  as  in  Hollywood.
'&"563&4 13
$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
h) GOT THE MUNCHIES REAL BAD v 4HE PANGS OF HUNGER KNOWN AS @THE MUNCHIES ARE AN INEXTRICABLE PART OF BEING A MARIJUANA SMOKER AS 2AMI -ALLIS EXPLAINS
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et  some...  sour  cream  and  on- ion  chips,  with  some  dip  man,  some  beef  jerky,  some  peanut  butter.  Get  some  Haa- gen-ÂDaaz  ice  cream  bars,  make  sure  chocolate  man,  gotta  have  chocolate.  Some  popcorn,  bread,  popcorn,  some  Graham  crackers  with  the  little  marshmallows.  Also,  celery,  grape  jelly,  some  captain  crunch  with  the  little  crunch  berries.  Pizzas,  we  need  two  big  pizzas,  man,  everything  on  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em  with  water.  Whole  lot  of  water  and...funyuns.â&#x20AC;?  This  classic  line  from  the  movie  Half  Baked  illustrates  what  many  marijuana  smokers  go  through  on  a  typical  night.  The  mystery  of  â&#x20AC;&#x153;the  munchiesâ&#x20AC;?  is  one  that  has  bafďŹ&#x201A;ed  ganja  lovers  and  scientists  alike  for  decades.  For  those  of  you  who  have  never  had  to  resort  to  stuff- ing  your  face  with  a  bowl  of  tikka  masala-Âlaced  pasta  at  three  in  the  morning,  the  effect  of  smoking  weed  on  oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  appetite  can  be  intense. Just  take  your  local  24  garage  as  an  example,  a  great  beneďŹ ciary  and  supporter  to  the  joint-Âsmoking  student  population.  Its  image  represents  a  beacon  of  hope  for  any  stoner,  unprepared  to  deal  with  the  sud- den  wave  of  insatiable  hunger.  Be  sure  to  look  out  for  the  bleary-Âeyed  pothead  shufďŹ&#x201A;ing  down  the  con- fectionary  aisle  with  a  look  of  deep  concentration  on  their  face.  The  munchies  have  the  tendency  to  break  down  even  the  most  dedicated  health  conscious  eater,  sending  them  into  a  downward  spiral  of  gluttony.  As  the  Pringles  advert  goes,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;once  you  pop,  you  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  stopâ&#x20AC;?.  In  the  case  of  cannabis-Âinduced  starvation,  the  slogan  goes  for  pretty  much  anything,  from  chocolate  biscuits  to  entire  jars  of  mayonnaise. So  why  does  smoking  the  reefer  inspire  you  to  gorge  on  any  consumables  within  sight?  Is  it  a  ran- dom  occurrence,  one  that  we  should  just  accept,  or  is  there  a  more  insightful  physiological  reason  for  why  cannabis  use  turns  people  like  myself  into  frantic Â
snack  heads? This  is  where  things  get  a  bit  complicated.  Ac- cording  to  scientists,  our  bodies  contain  a  number  of  proteins  known  as  cannabinoid  receptors  that  re- act  to  certain  stimuli.  Delta  9  tetrahydrocannabinol,  more  commonly  known  as  THC,  is  the  active  organic  ingredient  in  cannabis,  responsible  for  the  blissful  high  associated  with  the  drug. The  cannabinoid  system  resides  in  the  hypotha- lamus,  the  area  of  the  brain  primarily  responsible  for  appetite  and  metabolism  regulation.  THC  replicates  a  naturally  occurring  process  within  the  body  caused  by  internally  produced  cannabinoids  known  as  endo- cannabinoids,  leading  to  over-Âstimulation  of  the  ap- petite.  In  other  words,  the  munchies  is  not  a  side  ef- fect  that  can  be  ignored  or  avoided.  No  matter  how  large  a  meal  you  eat  prior  to  a  smoking  session,  the  uncompromising  grip  of  starvation  will  undoubtedly  creep  up  on  you  without  warning.  ScientiďŹ c  research  into  the  properties  of  marijua- na  have  resulted  in  some  interesting  medical  applica- tions  for  the  munchies.  Smoking  weed  is  particularly Â
beneďŹ cial  to  patients  suffering  from  chemotherapy- induced  nausea,  as  it  combats  the  loss  of  appetite  caused  by  such  treatment.  It  provides  a  natural  alter- native  to  synthetic  THC  pills,  which  many Â ďŹ nd  hard  to  swallow. The  knowledge  gained  from  such  research  has  led  to  the  development  of  drugs  that  can  be  used  to  reverse  the  effect  of  the  munchies.  Such  drugs  act  to  suppress  the  appetite  by  blocking  the  cannabinoid  receptors  in  the  brain,  suggesting  great  potential  for  the  treatment  of  obesity,  something  that  should  go  down  well  in  this  country.
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hilst  the  munchies  can  be  an  incon- venient  and  potentially  bankrupting  by-Âproduct  of  getting  stoned,  it  ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  all  so  bad.  If  everyone  smoked  a  joint  a  day,  anorexia  would  no  longer  exist,  another Â ďŹ ne  example  of  the  wacky  baccyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  me- dicinal  use.  The  economy  would  beneďŹ t  too,  bearing  in  mind  the  money  spent  on  all  that  junk  food.  Smok- ers  plagued  with  a  late  night  attack  of  the  munchies Â
are  essential  to  the  booming  takeaway  industry. As  the  2004 Â ďŹ lm  Harold  and  Kumar  get  the  Munchies  portrays,  the  cravings  that  come  with  this  side-Âeffect  can  be  overly  speciďŹ c,  to  the  point  where  once  you  have  a  particular  food  in  mind,  nothing  else  will  satisfy  that  urge.  The  probability  of Â ďŹ nding  a  full  Christmas  dinner  in  the  middle  of  the  Golden  Trian- gle,  at  4  o  clock  in  the  morning  is  extremely  unlikely,  and  that  realization  can  be  tormenting,  especially  af- ter  you  have  been  looking  for  it  for  a  couple  of  hours. With  the  munchies,  accessibility  is  key  so  pre- packaged  foods  are  usually  more  fulďŹ lling.  To  avoid  getting  caught  out  and  struck  with  pangs  of  hunger,  in  your  laziest  state,  it  is  essential  to  have  some  fore- sight  and  prepare  for  the  inevitable.  Cover  all  bases  and  get  a  mixture  of  both  savoury  and  sweet;Íž  because  when  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  got  one,  you  will  always  yearn  for  the  other.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  never  a  good  idea  to  over  compensate,  however,  as  the  temptation  to  devour  it  all,  is  often  too  much  to  resist.  At  the  end  of  the  day,  delivery  pizza  is  always  an  option,  albeit  a  fairly  expensive  one.  Although  there  are  obviously  countless  options,  here  is  a  selection  of  common  munchie  foods  in  no  particular  order: 1.Haribo  Tangfastics.  SatisďŹ es  the  sweet  tooth  but  can  be  demanding  on  the  jaw. 5/5  for  taste,  4/5  for  accessibility,  1/5  for  health 2.McCoys.  Just  a  damn Â ďŹ ne  crisp. 4/5  for  taste,  4/5  for  accessibility,  2/5  for  health 3.Ben  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Half-ÂBakedâ&#x20AC;?  ice  cream.  How  appro- priate. 5/5  for  taste,  2/5  for  accessibility,  0/5  for  health 4.Maryland  Cookies.  As  addictive  as  crack,  but  much  more  appetising.  3/5  for  taste,  4/5  for  accessibility,  2/5  for  health 5.Pre-Âpacked  sandwiches.  Hassle  free  and  fairly  sub- stantial. 2/5  for  taste,  2/5  for  accessibility,  4/5  for  health
4HE 5%! $OPE 7ARS CHAMPIONSHIP #OMPETE TO SEE WHO IS THE BEST DRUG DEALER AT 5%! IT S OK IT S JUST A GAME
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urely  everyone  has  played  Dope  Wars?  This  ingenious  free  download  has  been  a  cult  favourite  for  years,  played  by  people  all  over  the  world,  from  spotty  teenagers  to  hoody-Âwearing  youths  to  managing  di- rectors.  As  addictive  as  the  substances  it  deals  with,  the  game  enables  you  to  take  on  the  persona  of  a  drug  dealer,  who  is  trying  to  make  as  much  cash  as  he  can.  The  game  could  not  be  more  simple.  You  start  off  with  $2000,  and  $5,500  in  debt  to  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Honest  Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  the  loan  shark.  At Â ďŹ rst,  you  can  only  afford  cheap  drugs,  like  speed  or  ecstasy,  but  when  the  money  starts  rolling  in  you  can  up  your  level  to  heroin  or  cocaine  where  the  serious  money  is  to  be  made.  The  aim  is  to  accumulate  as  much  cash  as  possible  within  the  month. Each  time  you  buy  a  drug,  say  50  ecstasy  tablets  from  Camden  in  London,  you  click  on  the  next  place  you  want  to  go,  which  could  be  Kensington  or  Hyde  Park  in  the  same  city,  or  alternatively  you  can  hop Â
on  a  plane  and  visit  other  cities  around  the  world,  from  Chicago  to  Johannesburg.  Each  time  you  move  somewhere  new  signiďŹ es  a  day  in  time,  and  you  have  thirty  of  them  to  make  as  much  as  possible.  There- fore,  it  is  imperative  that  you Â ďŹ nd  the  best  deals.  For  example,  you  receive  little  messages  throughout  the  game,  such  as  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the  Marrakech  Express  has  arrived.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;  This  means  a  load  of  cheap  hashish  has  just  arrived  so  you  would  do  well  to  buy  as  much  as  you  can  since  then  you  make  more  proďŹ t  when  you  sell  it.  The  real  money  comes  when  you  buy  cocaine  and  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the  cops  have  made  a  huge  coke  bustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  comes  up  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  this  means  that  cocaine  is  rare  wherever  you  are,  and  therefore  incredibly  expensive. And  so  you  go  on,  sometimes  running  into  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Of-Â ďŹ cer  Hard-Âassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  who  you  can  either  run  from,  or Â ďŹ ght  if  you  have  any  weaponry,  which  ranges  from  a  handbag  to  a  real  live  banana-Âthrowing  monkey.  Sometimes  though,  he  will  shoot  you  enough  to  kill  you,  meaning  game  over.  Other  than  that,  the  game  is  incredibly  easy  to  get  into,  and  after  a  couple  of  practice  goes Â
to  understand  how  it  works,  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  be  clicking  away  for  hours. So  to  the  tournament.  Concrete  is  giving  away  a  £10  voucher  to  Head  in  the  Clouds  for  whichever  UEA  student  (or  lecturer,  cleaner,  security  guard  etc.)  who  gets  the  highest  score.  This  is  measured  in  dollars.  The  rules  are  as  follows: Use  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dope  Wars  2.2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;  version.  Just  type  this  in  to  google  and  there  are  plenty  of  places  from  which  to  download  it. The  tournament  is  only  for  the  30  day  version,  not  the  60  or  120  days  that  you  can  play  if  you  really  want  to. To  register  your  score,  you  cannot  simply  tell  us  you  got  $60  million  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  you  need  to  prove  it.  Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  how:  When  you Â ďŹ nish  your  thirty  days,  your  score  will  go  up  on  the  scoreboard.  When  this  appears,  simply  press  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Print  Screenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  button  on  your  keyboard,  and  then  paste  it  into  MSpaint.  All  you  do  is  open  up  paint Â
from  the  accessories  menu  and  press  paste.  Nothing  could  be  simpler.  This  can  then  be  emailed  to  concrete. features@uea.ac.uk.,  but  if  you  could  save  them  as  a  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;jpegâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  as  it  is  a  lot  smaller.  Please  put  the  subject  as  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dope  Warsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  when  you  send  the  email.  The  winner  will  be  notiďŹ ed  in  two  weeks  so  get  out  there,  download  it  and  get  dealing.  The  voucher  awaits. !S PART OF THE #ONCRETE DRUG ISSUE (EAD IN THE #LOUDS IS GIVING ALL STUDENTS A DISCOUNT ON ANYTHING IN THE SHOP 4HIS CAN BE ITEMS OF CLOTHING CANDLES JOSS STICKS OR MANY OTHER ITEMS !LL YOU NEED TO DO IS SHOW YOUR CAMPUS CARD WHEN PURCHASING YOUR ITEMS AND YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE DISCOUNT #ONTACT DETAILS (EAD )N 4HE #LOUDS 0OTTERGATE .ORWICH ,ANES .2 $3 WHICH IS JUST OPPOSITE THE "ELGIAN -ONK PUB ROUND THE BACK OF THE 4ESCO -ETRO IN THE #ITY #ENTRE 4EL
14 $&/53& 413&"%
15
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
$RUGS MAY BE THE ROAD TO NOWHERE BUT AT LEAST THEY RE THE SCENIC ROUTE "HF
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3IMON 3HERIDAN TRAWLS THROUGH THE DRUGS SURVEY AND lNDS SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS ABOUT DRUG USE AT 5%!
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.BDIJOFSZ 8
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t  appears  at Â ďŹ rst  glance  that  practically  every- one  at  UEA  likes  to  get  high.  Of  the  completed  surveys,  95%  of  you  have  taken  an  illegal  drug  at  some  point  in  your  life.  Slightly  less,  87%  of  people  have  taken  drugs  whilst  at  the  Univer- sity  of  East  Anglia,  still  a  rather  large  amount. Just  to  be  clear,  this  survey  cannot  be,  and  does  not  attempt  to  be,  an  all-Âembracing  representa- tive  sample  of  the  drug  habits  of  UEA  students.  It  is  sim- ply  designed  to  establish  the  general  trends  in  drug  use  by  the  people  who  study  and  work  here.  Only  people  who  a)  take  drugs  or  b)  are  so  completely  ideologically  op- posed  to  them  that  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  rather  cut  off  their  own  hands  than  take  something  illegal,  will  have Â ďŹ lled  out  the  survey.  There  are  obviously  countless  others  who  had  no  interest  whatsoever  in Â ďŹ lling  out  the  questionnaire. Nevertheless,  this  does  not  make  it  uninteresting,  as  many  of  the  results  reveal  some  compelling  facts  about  the  use  of  illegal  substances  at  universities,  and  in  the  country  more  generally.  For  example,  it  was  to  be  expected  that  of  61  surveys Â ďŹ lled  out,  the  vast  majority  of  people  (95%)  would  have  taken  cannabis,  or  indeed  still  do.  However,  it  came  as  something  of  a  surprise  that  43%  of  people  have  taken  cocaine,  and  even  more  (57%)  have  taken  some  form  of  hallucinogenic  substance,  be  it  magic  mushrooms,  LSD,  or  salvia.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  drug  use  is  now  not  limited  to  your  ba- sic  weed,  E,  coke  or  heroin.  A  vast  array  of  bizarre  and  wonderful  chemicals  have  been  tried  by  students  here,  some  of  which  not  even  Google  could Â ďŹ nd  any  informa- tion  on.  The  couple  of  people  who  have  tried  ZCB,  could  you  email  Concrete  and  let  us  know  what  exactly  it  does? Other  popular  drugs  at  UEA  are,  not  unsurprisingly,  ecstasy  (46%),  speed  (36%)  and  LSD  (25%).  Although  not  strictly  illegal,  poppers  (which  can  be  bought  in  sex  shops  as  well  as  head  shops)  were  the  third  most  popular  drug  after  cannabis  and  magic  mushrooms.  This  would  suggest  that  the  most  popular  drugs  are  also  the  easiest  to  obtain.  Cannabis  can  be  found  pretty  much  anywhere,  particularly  on  campus  where  a  large  number  of  dealers  operate.  Only  recently,  you  could  purchase  shrooms  at  such  shops  as  Head  in  the  Clouds,  until  a  few  months  ago  when  they  were  made  illegal  by  the  Home  OfďŹ ce  un- der  the  supervision  of  our  very  own  MP,  Charles  Clarke.  It  is  to  be  expected  then,  that  their  being  made  illegal  will  limit  people  taking  them,  possibly  opening  the  way  for  other  psychedelics,  such  as  salvia  or  peyote  to Â ďŹ ll  the  void. Contrary  to  what  the  government  and  many  parents  would  have  you  believe,  only  10%  of  respondents  report- ed  any  medical  problems  from  drug  use,  which  ranged  from  mental  health  problems  such  as  depression  to  in- creased  asthma.  This  is  however  offset  by  the  question,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Has  anything  bad  happened  to  you  or  a  friend  after  con- suming  drugs.â&#x20AC;?  While  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  were  still  in  the  majority,  28  respondents  claimed  something  bad  had  happened  to  them  or  a  friend,  although  these  ranged  from  the  very Â
serious  to  hilarious.  However,  two  friends  had  died  of  drug  taking  which  should  be  noted  as  some  students  have  obviously  had  a  very  bad  time  on  drugs.  Many  of  the  other  responses  to  this  question  made  Concrete  gig- gle,  particularly  the  reported  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cheesecake  overdoseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,  and  a  number  of  broken  bones.
I
t  also  seems  that  drugs  enhance  the  general  lives  of  many  students.  A  lot  of  you  like  to  have  sex  whilst  on  your  substance  of  choice,  and  you  also  seem  to  prefer  seminars  when  stoned.  Some  daredevils  even  like  to  go  for  a  drive  when  high,  something  that  we  cannot  condone.  Anyone  who  is  familiar  with  the  DJ  Shadow  song  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mashinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  on  the  Motorway  will  be  aware  of  this.  It  can  only  be  hoped  that  you  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t,  as  50%  of  respondents  do,  drive  whilst  under  the  inďŹ&#x201A;uence  of  more  than  one  drug  at  a  time. It  appears  Norwich  is  a  hive  for  illegal  activity.  Cam- pus  is  a  veritable  honey-Âpot  of  drugs,  with  75%  of  people  being  offered  drugs  somewhere,  in  halls  being  the  most  common  location.  Half  of  you  get  your  drugs  from  deal- ers,  who  operate  around  town  and  campus,  but  most  ap- pear  to  get  your  hit  from  friends  (admittedly,  your  dealer  can  also  be  your  friend,  and  it  is  in  fact  in  their  interest  to  be).  It  also  seems  that  taking  drugs  is  not  an  individual  activity,  as  only  two  respondents  claimed  that  none  of  their  friends  take  drugs.  Of  the  people  who  completed  the  survey,  48%  claimed  that  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  of  their  friends  were  also  drug  users,  indicating  that  drugs  are  socially  cohe- sive,  and  not  divisive  like  alcohol.  Concrete  assumes  that  this  refers  mainly  to  sitting  in  the  kitchens  or  bedrooms  of  the  accommodation  blocks  sharing  a  joint  or  two  with  some  of  your  ďŹ&#x201A;atmates.  However,  it  is  probable  that  a  few  groups  of  friends  indulge  in  some  rather  more  serious  drug  taking,  like  a  psychedelic  barbeque  for  example.  The  most  compelling  part  of  the  survey,  and  indeed  the  only  part  with  any  proper  relevance  to  most  people,  is  the  section  concerning  the  legalisation  of  cannabis.  77%  of  respondents  believed  that  marijuana  should  be  legalised  but  the  majority  (59%)  believed  that  it  was  also  harmful  to  health.  This  ďŹ&#x201A;ies  in  the  face  of  those  who  wish  to  keep  it  illegal,  or  as  Charles  Clarke  is  proposing,  re- classify  cannabis  from  class  C  to  class  B.  Young  people  know  that  it  can  be  harmful,  and  yet  they  want  to  take  it  anyway  despite  this  knowledge.  The  governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  stance  on  the  issue,  that  people  should  not  be  able  to  take  harm- ful  drugs,  is  basically  made  redundant  due  to  the  fact  that  people  are  not  really  that  bothered  about  it.  After  all,  you  are  clearly  going  to  suffer  a  lot  more  from  drinking  for  24  hours  than  smoking  a  few  joints.  It  seems  that  de- mocracy  is  not  being  maintained  when  considering  our  governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  stance  on  the  drugs  issue. Anyway,  have  a  peruse  of  the  results  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  they  are  in- credibly  interesting,  and  for  those  of  you  who  like  a  laugh,  have  a  look  at  the  stories  of  what  some  students  have  been  up  to  when  stoned.  You  might  even  recognise  some  of  them.  Enjoy!
$UDE THIS ONE TIME ) WAS SO STONED (AS ANYTHING BAD HAPPENED TO YOU OR A FRIEND AFTER TAKING DRUGS 7ELL ACTUALLY QUITE A LOT OF THINGS SOME FUNNY OTHERS NOT AT ALL â&#x20AC;˘ Â Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â Â Â Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â
Brain  damage  as  a  result  of   years  worth  of  acid  taking  Collapsed  after  ketamine Cheesecake  overdose Psychosis Friend  committed  suicide Friend  was  put  in  a  mental   hospital  Lost  myself Was  caught  in  possession Went  to  the  Priory Friend  had  a  white-Âout  and   collapsed  whilst  pissing  and   fractured  his  nose  on  the   toilet  seat Became  a  recluse Got  lost  in  a Â ďŹ eld Walked  in  front  of  a  car
â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â Â Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â Â Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â Â Â â&#x20AC;˘ Â
Ate  a  live  rabbit Car  crash  whilst  high Friend  died,  sectioned Family  member  died Kicked  out  of  home Friend  couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  remember  any  of   the  Reading  Festival  despite  pay-  ing  a  small  fortune  for  the  tickets Got  kicked  out  of  UEA  due  to   schizophrenic  episode    after  shrooming Depression Backpain Increase  in  asthma Got  stuck  in  an  upside-Âdown  room  from  which  there  was  no    escape Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  remember  who  I  am
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
)S THIS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS !S THE NEW LICENSING LAWS ARE ABOUT TO COME INTO EFFECT 2EBECCA 2UTT ASKS WHETHER WE LL BE ABLE TO PUT OUR BINGE DRINKING CULTURE BEHIND US
T
he  idea  of  being  legally  allowed  to  drink  24  hours  a  day  sounds  like  paradise  to  most  students,  how- ever  the  new  laws  have  caused  a  lot  of  controversy  throughout  the  country.   The  new  licensing  law  will  allow  Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  113,000  pubs,  clubs  and  bars  to  apply  for  the  new  long- er  opening  licenses.  The  aim  of  these  new  laws  is  to  follow  Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  model  and  encourage  a  new  drinking  culture,  however  it  has  sparked  a  new  fear  that  Brit- ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  infamous  binge  drinking  culture  will  simply  be  ampliďŹ ed  by  them.  Many  opinions  have  been  raised  regarding  the  issue  and  by  interviewing  James  Wear- ing  from  the  St  Johns  Ambulance  service  and  several  students  I  have  been  able  to  explore  them. The  law  states  that  venues  can  ofďŹ cially  change  their  licenses  over  to  the  new  system  on  February  7th  2005  with  the  new  law  coming  into  full  affect  in  November  2005  just  in  time  for  Christmas  this  year.  There  will  be  ďŹ&#x201A;exible  opening  hours  for  bars  and  pubs  with  the  potential  to  open  24  hours  a  day,  seven  days  a  week.  Venues  will  be  able  to  apply  for  a  licence,  but  have  to  inform  the  local  community  and  police  to  give  them  21  days  to  object.  Any  pubs  that  become  disorderly  as  a  result  of  the  new  opening  hours  will  be  given  two  months  to  sort  out  the  situation  or  they  will  be  billed  for  the  extra  policing  costs.   In  reality  however  it  is  unlikely  pubs  will  stay  open  around  the  clock  because  of  the  huge  costs  involved  in  keeping  a  venue  open  and  staffed  all  day.  A  survey  from  the  Brit- ish  Beer  and  Pub  Association  who  represent  30,000  pubs  in  England  and  Wales  has  conďŹ rmed  that  not  a  single  venue  has  expressed  interest  in  staying  open  24  hours  a  day  and  the  only  days  most  venues  want  to  extend  their  licenses  are  Thursday,  Friday  and  Satur- day  with  the  majority  expected  to  close  at  1  am.  The  government  and  supporters  of  the  new  law  believe  this  is  a  good  strategy  to  reduce  booze  relat- ed  crime  and  anti  social  behaviour.  They  believe  the  changes  will  reduce  the  problem  of  post  pub  violence  associated  with  big  groups  of  people  leaving  differ- ent  venues  at  the  same Â ďŹ xed  closing  time.   The  law  is  not  designed  to  encourage  24  hour  drinking  but  to  introduce  ďŹ&#x201A;exibility  giving  both  customers  and  land- lords  more  of  a  choice.  Combined  with  the  new  laws  strict  new  powers  for  the  police  are  being  introduced.  The  police  will  be  given  much  more  ďŹ&#x201A;exibility  on  how  they  deal  with  drink  related  violence  in  an  attempt  to  control  it.  Most  alcohol  related  crime  occurs  between  11pm  and  3am  when  everyone  is  thrown  out  of  the  pubs  at  the  same  time.  The  new  law  will  introduce  staggered  opening  times  ensuring  that  there  is  no  peak  time  for  the  violence  to  occur.  Rory  Budden,  a  second  year  management  stu- dent,  agrees  with  the  new  laws.   He  believes  they  are  positive  because  they  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;give  the  consumer  more  choice Â
and  there  is  no  pressure  on  people  to  consume  a  cer- tain  amount  of  alcohol  by  a Â ďŹ xed  time.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;   There  will  be  no  drinking  up  or  throwing  out  time,  therefore  reduc- ing  the  potential  for  drink  related  violence. Britain  took  the  idea  for  24  hours  drinking  laws  from  Europe,  which  for  many  years  has  had  these  laws  in  place.  The  drinking  culture  in  Europe  is  far  more  relaxed  than  it  is  in  Britain  and  there  is  no  such  thing  as  binge  drinking.  Britain  aspires  to  have  this  drinking  culture  and  the  new  laws  will  hopefully  en- courage  this.  Carly  Collins,  a  second  year  biology  student,  also  agrees  with  the  new  law  but  feels  other  factors  should  be  considered,  like  tougher  regulations  on  ID,  to  make  sure  younger  people  are  not  allowed  into  pubs  and  bars.  She  believes  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  drinking  culture  is  a  disgraceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  and  it  should  follow  the  role  model  of  fel- low  European  countries  where  customers  have  the  choice  of  going  out  at  any  time  of  night  and  enjoying  drink  socially  instead  of  having  a  time  limit  in  which  to  drink  to  excess.  Sally  Byrne,  a  second  year  English  Literature  stu- dent,  takes  a  more  neutral  stance  on  the  new  laws.  She  believes  that  they  are  too  relaxed  and  will  not  de- crease  alcohol  related  violence  but  they  are  a  step  in  the  right  direction.  She  thinks  people  will  no  longer  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;feel  the  urge  to  binge  drink  and  get  all  their  drinking  out  of  the  way  by  11â&#x20AC;&#x2122;  but  that  alcohol  related  violence  will  still  continue.   Sally  thinks  the  government  should  look  for  some  kind  of  middle  ground  in  between  the  new  and  old  laws  to  deal  with  the  problem  properly. The  government  predicts  that  this  change  along  with  others  in  the  bill  will  save  the  180,000  licensed  premises  in  Britain  almost  2  billion  pounds  a  year  in  the Â ďŹ rst  10  years.  The  law  is  also  hoped  to  boost  live  entertainment  as  landlords  can  apply  for  a  public  en- tertainment  licence  at  the  same  time  for  no  added  cost.  All  these  factors  considered,  the  law  does  seem  to  be  looking  quite  positive  and  does  seem  to  have  the  publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  interest  at  heart.  Most  students  agree  that  it  would  be  very  beneďŹ cial,  however  there  are  also  a  lot  of  arguments  against  the  law  that  need  to  be  considered.
B
inge  drinking  is  a  serious  problem  in  Brit- ain  and  it  is  feared  that  the  new  licenses  will  promote  this  culture  of  excessive  drinking  instead  of  reducing  it.  Licensing  spokesman  of  The  Association  of  Chief  Police  OfďŹ cer  has  said  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;experience  has  showed  us  that  an  increase  in  opening  hours  tended  to  be  fol- lowed  by  a  sharp  increase  in  alcohol  fuelled  violence  and  anti  social  behaviourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.  Britain  does  not  have  the  same  drinking  culture  as  Europe  and  therefore  will  not  react  in  the  same  manner.  The  National  Institute  on  Alcohol  Abuse  and  Alcoholism  deďŹ nes  binge  drink-Â
ing  as  â&#x20AC;&#x153;having Â ďŹ ve  or  more  drinks  in  one  sessionâ&#x20AC;?  and  in  recent  years  this  type  of  drinking  has  become  a  major  concern  in  young  people.  This  amount  of  drinks  may  not  seem  like  much  on  an  average  night  out  to  most  students  but  combined  with  the  later  opening  hours  it  could  reach  dangerous  amounts.  It  is  socially  acceptable  in  Britain  to  drink  excessively  and  it  is  believed  the  new  laws  will  simply  promote  round  the  clock  binge  drinking.  Charlotte  Laid,  sec- ond  year  physiotherapy  student  strongly  disagrees  with  the  new  laws  and  believes  they  are  completely  unnecessary.  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;People  already  have  the  option  of  go- ing  onto  clubs  after  the  bars  close  so  later  licenses  will  not  make  any  differenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.   In  reality  most  bars  will  only  apply  to  be  open  until  1  am  and  so  the  prob- lem  will  still  remain  as  this  will  become  the  new  peak  time  for  drink  related  violence.  Charlotte  also  believes  that  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;drink  fuelled  violence  cannot  be  solved  through  police  enforcement  alone  and  that  the  government  needs  to Â ďŹ rst  deal  with  the  culture  of  excessive  drink- ing  by  encouraging  the  drinks  industry  to  adopt  more  of  a  responsible  attitudeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.  There  are  also  several  other  factors  to  consider,  including  the  extra  costs  the  laws  will  create.  Public  transport  will Â ďŹ nd  it  difďŹ cult  to  cope  with  the  increase  in  people  out  later  and  will  not  be  able  to  meet  this Â
demand.  The  SOS  bus  that  operates  in  Norwich  will  not  be  able  to  extend  its  hours  if  the  law  is  introduced  as  it  does  not  have  the  funds  to  keep  running  in  these  extra  hours.  If  people  are  being  encouraged  to  drink  later  this  will  also  see  a  knock  on  effect  of  people  call- ing  in  sick  for  work  the  next  day  and  performing  badly  at  work.  Natasha  Keech,  a  second  year  management  student,  disagrees  with  the  law  and  she  is  worried  that  the  number  of  road  accidents  will  increase  the  following  day  due  to  people  still  being  over  the  limit.  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If  people  are  drinking  till  the  early  hours  of  the  morn- ing  there  will  be  a  much  larger  number  also  driving  to  work  the  next  day.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;  This  is  already  a  major  concern  in  Britain  and  will,  she  fears,  only  increase  due  to  the  new  laws.  Whatever  the Â ďŹ nal  decision  may  be,  the  new  laws  are  likely  to  come  into  place  in  the  not  too  distant  future  despite  the  controversy  they  have  provoked.  It  is  unlikely  that  they  will  make  that  much  difference  as  most  bars  and  clubs  will  only  stay  open  an  hour  later  but  it  is  at  least  a  step  towards  lowering  alcohol  related  violence.  Hopefully  the  laws  will  introduce  a  new  drinking  culture  to  Britain  that  will  encourage  social  drinking  instead  of  drinking  to  excess,  however  we  shall  have  to  wait  until  the  end  of  the  year  to Â ďŹ nd  out  what  the  outcome  is.
4HE 3T *OHN S !MBULANCE IS GOING TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT WHEN DEALING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF HOUR DRINKING ! MEMBER *AMES 7EARING WAS ASKED HOW HE FELT ABOUT THE NEW LAWS To Â ďŹ nd  out  more  about  how  the  24  hour  drinking  laws  will  affect  students  in  particular,  Concrete  met  up  with  James  Wearing,  member  of  the  St  Johns  Am- bulance  LINKS  team  to  see  what  his  thoughts  on  the  issue  were.  Â
sight  in  our  own  LCR,  however,  it  does  happen  and  can  be  observed  at  a  number  of  events.
8IFSF EP ZPV DBSSZ PVU NPTU PG ZPVS XPSL Most  of  our  duties  take  place  at  the  LCR  during  gig  and  club  nights.  We  have  a  medical  centre  in  the  Hive  and  operate  out  of  there.  A  large  amount  of  duties  also  come  from  our  coverage  of  the  sports  matches.
I  think  many  of  our  members  believe  that  respon- sible  drinking  and  knowing  your  own  limits  are  the  only  way  to  control  drinking  habits  and  possibly  put  an  end  to  drink-Âfuelled  anti-Âsocial  behaviour.  If  the  pubs  are  open  2  hours  or  24  hours  people  will  still  get  drunk.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  the  responsibility  of  the  drinker  to  ensure  they  do  not  cause  problems.  Obviously,  these  views  may  not  be  shared  by  the  whole  society  and  deďŹ nitely  not  St  Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Ambulance  as  a  whole.
)PX PGUFO EP ZPV IBWF UP EFBM XJUI BOUJ TPDJBM CFIBW JPVS JO /PSXJDI LINKS  often  provide  members  to  assist  with  the  First  Aid  provision  on  the  SOS  Bus  in  Norwich  City  Centre.  Through  this  duty  anti-Âsocial  behaviour  can  be  seen  on  a  regular  basis.  Aggressive  behaviour, Â ďŹ ghting  and  other  antisocial  activities  are  a  much  less  common Â
8IBU BSF ZPVS WJFXT PO UIF QSPQPTFE IPVS ESJOL JOH MBXT
%P ZPV UIJOL JU XPVME IFMQ UIF SJTJOH MFWFM PG BOUJ TP DJBM CFIBWJPVS JO /PSXJDI BOE UIF SFTU PG UIF DPVOUSZ CFDBVTF QFPQMF BSF OPU BMM MFBWJOH UIF QVCT BU UIF TBNF UJNF PS NBLF JU XPSTF BT BMDPIPM XPVME CF
BWBJMBCMF IPVST I  would  say  that  kicking  out  time  causes  problems  as  far  as  lots  of  drunk  people  being  in  the  same  place  at  the  same  time.  On  the  other  hand  the  Emergency  Services  can  co-Âordinate  response  and  be  sure  of  times  and  places  where  problems  can  arise.  With  24  hour  drinking  we  may  lose  the  crowd-Âassociated  problems  but  put  a  much  greater  strain  on  an  Emer- gency  Service  that  has  to  co-Âordinate  a  24  hour  con- stant  response. 8PVME ZPV IBWF UP DIBOHF ZPVS XPSLJOH IPVST PS OVNCFS PG TUBGG UP BDDPNNPEBUF UIF MPOHFS IPVST Most  certainly,  we  would  have  to  incorporate  breaks  into  our  duties  and  consider  the  possibility  of  having  two  teams  to  cover  one  night.  This  of  course  involves  much  more  organisation  and  effort  from  our  volun- teers.
%P ZPV UIJOL UIF OFX MBXT XPVME JODSFBTF UIF BNPVOU PG BMDPIPM SFMBUFE WJPMFODF JO /PSXJDI In  all  honesty  I  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  say  if  it  will  or  not.  It  yet  again  de- pends  on  peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  attitudes  to  the  new  laws.  If  people  take  the  longer  hours  as  an  opportunity  to  drink  more  or  an  opportunity  to  relax  and  drink  more  steadily  over  the  night,  that  will  be  the  deciding  factor. It  is  clear  that  the  laws  will  have  a  big  effect  on  the  work  of  the  LINKS  team  and  overall  it  seems  that  James  believes  it  is  up  to  the  individual  to  con- trol  their  drinking  and  to  know  when  they  have  had  enough.  UEA  LINKS  does  a  fantastic  job  helping  out  at  UEA  events  and  in  the  city,  and  their  members  are  always  there  for  students  when  they  are  most  needed.  I  would  like  to  thank  James  for  giving  me  his  views  on  this  subject  and  the  whole  of  the  LINKS  team  for  do- ing  such  a  brilliant  job  for  UEA  and  Norwich.
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-/ ,Ă&#x160;, - , Ă&#x160;Âź Ă&#x160;7 -/ Ă&#x160;" Ă&#x160; * , / 9Ă&#x160; "" Ă&#x160; , ½ Seven  distinguished  scientists  have  just  com- pleted  a  £5  million  high-Âtech  experiment  and  con-Â ďŹ rmed  that  the  consumption  of  crack  cocaine  may  have  adverse  affects  on  humans.  Speaking  to  the  Enquirer,  Professor  Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nolan  explained:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  basi- cally  just  gave  a  hamster  some  crack.â&#x20AC;? A  259  page  report  is  due  to  be  published  this  month,  which  details  the  experiment  that  lasted  just  over  a  week.  The  paper  chronicles  the  rodentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  de- cline  into  addiction,  crime  and  eventual  death,  ana- lyzing  the  results  with  the  latest  super  computers.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;On  day  one  we  gave  him  the  pipe,â&#x20AC;?  explained  the  Professor,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;but  at Â ďŹ rst  he  was  more  interested  in  his  wheelâ&#x20AC;?.  But  as  the  paper  notes,  by  the  third  day  Her- man  the  hamster  had  sold  his  wheel  for  another  hit.  By  the  forth  day  he  had  completely  alienated  his  friends  and  was  ignoring  the  attention  of  his  closest  family.  This  behavior  was  noted  as  being  particularly  remarkable,  seeing  as  twelve  of  his  friends  and  fam- ily  shared  a  two  square  foot  cage  with  him.  Condi- tions  only  worsened  for  the  young  hamster  after  he  stole  one  of  the  scientistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  radios  and  ďŹ&#x201A;ogged  it  for  some  more  of  that  sweet  tasting  blow. The  victim  of  the  theft,  Dr  WafďŹ&#x201A;e,  informed  The  Enquirer  of  the  beneďŹ ts  that  this  experiment  has  of- fered  in  the  way  of  scientiďŹ c  advancement.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  now  know,â&#x20AC;?  he  said,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;that  this  narcotic  deteriorates  the  cell  membranes  of  the  cerebral  cortex  in  a  matter  of  weeks  and  that  the  over-Âstimulated  synapses  re- sult  in  severe  rodent  paranoiaâ&#x20AC;?.  WafďŹ&#x201A;e  then  added:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  have  also  learned  that  you  should  never,  I  mean  never,  turn  your  back  on  a  junked-Âup  crack  crazed Â
hamster.â&#x20AC;? The  subject  was  found  dead  on  day  9,  but  wheth- er  the  cause  of  death  was  an  overdose  or  something  to  do  with  the  fact  he  hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  eaten  for  four  days  could  not  be  deduced.  It  is  also  known  that,  hav- ing  owed  money  to  various  rodents  all  over  the  lab,  Herman  had  resorted  to  drug  dealing  to  support  his  habit.  His  untimely  death  could  very  well  have  been  the  result  of  a  big  deal  gone  sour.  The  whole  episode  has  sparked  vicious  condem- nations  from  many  animal  rights  groups;Íž  they  claim  feeding  harmful  drugs  animals  is  inappropriate  and  have  called  for  a  ban  on  all  similar  research.  How- ever,  it  was  the  well  established  campaign  group,  the  Organization  of  Users  of  Crack  and  Heroine,  which  raised  the  most  objections.  In  a  press  release  issued  last  week,  an  OUCH  spokesman  declared  that  â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  waste  of  perfectly  good  crackâ&#x20AC;?.     Overall  the  research  team  were  pleased  with  their  results  and  the  experiment  has  been  widely  re- garded  as  a  success.  Yet  all  agreed  that  ideally  the  test  should  be  repeated  on  at  least  one  monkey  and  a  couple  of  geese.  After  the  formal  interview  Profes- sor  Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nolan  conďŹ ded:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Personally,  I  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  be  happy  until  weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  got  a  cow  with  a  smack  habit.â&#x20AC;? It  is  still  not  clear  where  these  new Â ďŹ ndings  will  lead  us.  With  the  dangers  of  crack  now  conclusively  revealed,  it  may  be  possible  to  test  the  adverse  af- fects  of  nuclear  weapons.  One  thing  should  be  made  clear  though,  this  sort  of  experimentation  is  best  left  to  the  experts.  We  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  have  every  hamster  on  crack.   Â
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The  historic  day  has  arrived.  People  up  and  down  the  country  are  rejoicing  as  the  government  has  legalised  all  drugs  in  a  shock  move  that  has  come  about  as  a  result  of  signiďŹ cant  new  research  into  il- legal  substances.  Apparently,  drugs  are  not  as  bad  as  people  think.  Tony  Blair  announced  the  new  leg- islation  at  a  press  conference  from  Downing  Street  this  morning,  which  involved  the  entire  cabinet.  He  began  by  explaining  his  reasons  for  the  new  law,  tell- ing  journalists  that  people  could  take  drugs  if  they  wanted  to  as  the  body  was  clearly  meant  to  have  them.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why  on  earth  would  I  have  a  cannabinoid  receptor  in  my  head  if  I  wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  supposed  to  smoke  cannabis,â&#x20AC;?  he  said,  whilst  snorting  some  coke  off  the  blade  of  a  knife.  The  deputy  Prime  Minister,  who  until  this  point  had  his  head  stuffed Â ďŹ rmly  inside  a  bumper  pack  of  Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Cheese  and  Onion  crisps,  popped  up  to  say,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;this  weed  makes  you  a  bit  hungry  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;it,â&#x20AC;?  before  summarily  returning  to  his  glutton- ous  feast. Of  interest  to  UEA  students  will  be  Charles Â
Clarke,  who  surprisingly  had  nothing  at  all  to  say  on  the  matter  and  seemed  more  concerned  by  the  back  of  Ruth  Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  head.  When  asked  a  question  by  a  journalist  from  the  Guardian,  who  could  not  believe  Clarkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  turn-Âaround  on  the  drug  issue,  he  appeared  rather  agitated  and  look  as  if  he  was  trying  to  swipe  a  huge  bat  out  of  the  sky.  This  caused  some  raucous  laughter  from  further  along  the  table,  as  Alan  Milburn  and  Gordon  Brown  fell  off  their  chairs  as  a  result  of  Clarkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  disconcerting  behaviour.  This  however,  did  not  amuse  the  Prime  Minister,  who  proclaimed  rather  too  loudly,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;have  you  two  dropped  that  joint  again?â&#x20AC;?  The  new  laws  look  to  have  some  startling  conse- quences  for  modern  life.  After  the  press  conference,  a  few  of  us  journalists  wandered  down  to  the  local  JD  Wetherspoon,  who  now  appear  to  be  selling  buy- one-Âget-Âone-Âfree  on  a  shot  of  opium  laced  absinthe.  Thinking  it  was  a  little  too  early  for  chasing  any  drag- ons,  Concrete  instead  opted  for  the  methadone  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  mixer,  a  bargain  at  £1.50.  Â
-JGFTUZMF 19
$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
! COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD ,ATER THIS MONTH THE .ORFOLK %ATING $ISORDERS !SSOCIATION WILL HOLD A DROP IN CENTRE AT 5%! ADVISING STUDENTS ON A WIDE RANGE OF CONDITIONS #LARE !ITCHISON REPORTS
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verybody  has  an  opinion  about  food.  Everyone  has  their  own  favourite  dish,  and  something  they  wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  touch  with  a  barge  pole  (for  me  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  toma- toes).  Most  people  enjoy  go- ing  out  to  dinner  as  a  social  event,  and  many  get  excited  by  cooking  new  recipes  or  trying  new  foods.  Yes,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  probably  fair  to  say  that  weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  all  a  bit  obsessed  with  food.  And  so  we  should  be.  After  all,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  food  that  provides  us  with  the  energy  to  go  about  our  daily  lives.  But  some  people  become  so  obsessed  with  food  that  it  begins  to  run  their  lives.  It  stops  being  an  enjoyable  way  of  getting  energy,  and  instead  becomes  either  some- thing  hateful  that  must  be  avoided,  or  something  so  addictive  that  they  cannot  stop  eating  even  when  they  are  in  pain.  These  people  are  suffering  from  eating  disorders,  Anorexia  and  Bulimia  Nervosa. Anorexia  Nervosa  literally  means  â&#x20AC;&#x153;a  loss  of  ap- petite  for  nervous  reasonsâ&#x20AC;?,  but  what  it  essentially  boils  down  to  is  that  sufferers  cannot  bring  them- selves  to  eat  as  much  as  their  body  needs.  They  will  restrict  the  amount  they  eat  and  drink  very  rigidly,  often  to  a  level  that  is  extremely  dangerous  to  their  body,  causing  them  to  suffer  from  the  symptoms  of  starvation.  In  serious  cases,  even  at  the  point  of  starvation  they  still  cannot  force  themselves  to  eat,  with  fatal  consequences,  although  it  is  important  to  note  that  anorexia  is  not  an  elaborate  attempt  to  commit  suicide.  Even  if  the  starvation  is  not  severe  enough  to  cause  death,  it  wreaks  havoc  on  the  body,  affecting  fertility  in  women,  making  the  bones  more  fragile  and  more  likely  to  break,  and  reducing  blood  circulation.  Although  the  trend  for  stick-Âthin  models  has  been  blamed  for  the  increase  in  anorexia,  there  is  more  to  the  illness  than  a  desire  to  be  thin.  The  focus  on  controlling  eating  is  an  attempt  to  control  a  life  that  may  otherwise  feel  chaotic.  It  enables  sufferers  to  prove  that  they  are  in  control  of  their  weight  and  body  shape,  even  if  they  are  not  in  control  of  other  things Â
%ATING DISORDERS ARE EASILY TREATABLE AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS SUCH AS INFERTILITY ARE LARGELY REVERSIBLE like  work,  family  or  relationships.  Anorexics  are  often  high-Âachieving  perfectionists,  and  often  there  is  a  parent  or  another  member  of  their  family  who  is  also  affected.  Anorexia  has  become  particularly  common  in  the  western  world,  and  in  the  UK  it  affects  between  1  -  4%  of  women,  and  around  0.2%  of  men. Although  anorexia  is  probably  the  most  well- known  eating  disorder,  other  less  well-Ârecognised  ones  have  an  equally  devastating  effect  on  peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  lives. Bulimia  Nervosa  has  only  been  ofďŹ cially  de- scribed  as  an  eating  disorder  for  around  25  years.  It  manifests  itself  as  an  insatiable  need  to  eat,  binges,  followed  by  a  need  to  purge  the  body  of  what  has  just  been  eaten,  usually  achieved  by  vomiting  or  tak- ing  laxatives.  These  episodes  are  often  followed  by  periods  of  starving  or  excessively  exercising  to  try  to  counteract  the  large  calorie  intake.  This  binge-Âpurge  cycle  is  very  dangerous  to  your  body  and  can  lead  to  health  problems  such  as  increased  risk  of  heart  problems,  throat  corrosion  and  tooth  decay  caused  by  excessive  vomiting.  Just  as  with  anorexia,  bulimia  is  linked  to  emotional  problems.  It  seems  that  binge- ing  is  an  attempt  to  satisfy  an  emotional  hunger  with  food.  However,  since  this  need  cannot  truly  be  satis-Â ďŹ ed  by  eating,  as  it  is  not  food  the  body  is  hungry  for,  there  is  never  any  sense  of  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fullnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  and  the  eating  continues  uncontrolled  until  no  more  food  can  physi- cally  be Â ďŹ tted  in.  Binges  tend  to  be  precipitated  by  events  which  cause  emotional  stress  or  tension,  such  as  a  family  argument  or  a  stressful  period  of  work,  and  people  can  be  so  desperate  to Â ďŹ nd  something  to Â ďŹ ll  themselves  with  that  they  will  shop-Âlift  for  food,  or Â
eat  things  like  uncooked  pasta,  frozen  meat  or  even  pet-Âfood.  After  a  binge,  especially  if  what  has  been  eaten  is  unacceptable  to  the  body,  the  person  feels  sick  and  bloated,  and  with  this  comes  a  sense  of  guilt  that  can  only  be  purged  by  getting  rid  of  the  food  they  have  just  eaten  by  vomiting  or  taking  laxatives,  com- pleting  the  binge-Âpurge  cycle.  Another  eating  disorder,  which  has  only  recently  been  recognised,  is  binge-Âeating.  There  are  no  reli-Â
)T S PROBABLY FAIR TO SAY THAT WE RE ALL A BIT OBSESSED WITH FOOD AND SO WE SHOULD BE "UT SOME PEO PLE BECOME SO OBSESSED THAT IT BEGINS TO RUIN THEIR LIVES able  statistics  available,  but  it  is  thought  that  binge- eating  disorder  is  much  more  common  than  anorexia  or  bulimia  combined,  and  many  people  reading  this  article  may  recognise  the  symptoms  in  themselves.  Binge-Âeating  shares  some  of  the  characteristics  of  bulimia,  with  the  difference  that  uncontrollable  binges  are  not  usually  followed  by  purges.  If  you  are  a  binge  eater  you  may  notice  that  you  eat  extremely  fast,  and  do  not  know  how  to  stop  when  you  are  full.  You  may  also Â ďŹ nd  that  you  feel  uncomfortable  eating  in  public  as  you  associate  eating  with  feelings  of  guilt,  and  you  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  want  people  to  look  at  you  and  think  that  you  are  eating  a  lot.  You  may  have  put  on  weight  as  a  result  of  the  bingeing,  but  that  really  depends  on  how  often  you  do  it,  and  how  much  you  exercise.  Binge  eaters  are  not  always  overweight,  but  they  al- most  always  think  that  they  are.  Again,  binge-Âeating  seems  to  be  linked  to  emotional  problems,  and  bing- es  are  usually  precipitated  by  stressful  events,  when  it  seems  like  eating  till  you  are  stuffed  is  a  short  term  way  to  at  least  feel  some  satisfaction.  Eating  disorders  are  a  serious  problem  in  the  de- veloped  world,  and  aside  from  the  physical  damage Â
they  cause  the  sufferers,  the  mental  anguish  spreads  far  and  wide,  severely  affecting  the  sufferer,  but  also  their  family  and  friends.  People  close  to  the  sufferer  usually  have  to  deal  with  their  own  eating  habits  being  constantly  scrutinised  as  the  person  becomes  more  and  more  obsessed  with  food,  and  they  also  have  to  cope  with  the  mood  swings  and  personality  changes  that  are  happening  to  the  person  they  love. Â
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t  a  conservative  estimate,  there  are  around  500-Â1000  people  at  UEA  who  are  affected  by  eating  disorders,  many  of  whom  will  have  not  admit- ted  it  to  themselves.  It  was  with  this  in  mind  that  Susie  Phillips  of  the  Norfolk  Eating  Disorder  Association  decided  to  bring  a  counselling  service  to  UEA.  Susie  says  that  the  idea  of  the  counselling  serv- ice  is  to  start  tentatively.  Since  she  understands  that  many  people  use  their  eating  disorder  as  a  way  of  controlling  their  lives,  she  does  not  want  to  make  any- body  feel  out  of  control.  The  idea  is  just  to  make  con- tact  with  people  who  are  suffering  from  eating  disor- ders  of  any  kind,  and  to  give  them  the  chance  to  talk  about  it  openly.  This  is  an  opportunity  to  talk  to  peo- ple  with  experience  of  coping  with  eating  disorders,  and  if  you  so  wish,  to  make  appointments  for  more  formal  counselling  sessions.  The  association  hopes  to  be  able  to  build  trusting  relationships  both  with  the  counsellors,  but  also  between  fellow  sufferers,  as  this  can  be  a  valuable  area  of  support.  Susie  particularly  wants  any  men  who  might  have  a  problem  with  food  to  come  to  the  counselling  service,  as  this  is  a  group  who  are  all  too  often  ignored.  In  fact  around  10%  of  sufferers  are  men,  and  the  number  is  higher  in  the  gay  community  or  amongst  people  who  work  in  thea- tre  or  the  media.  With  men  it  often  takes  the  form  of  obsessive  exercising  combined  with  a  need  to  control  food,  but  it  is  still  an  eating  disorder;Íž  it  can  still  dam- age  the  body  and  men  still  need  help.  The  earlier  you  seek  help  the  better.  Eating  dis- orders  are  treatable,  and  the  physical  effects  such  as  brittle  bones  and  infertility  are  largely  reversible.  However,  the  longer  you  have  the  problem,  the  more  damage  you  do  to  your  body  and  the  more  chemi- cal  changes  affect  your  brain.  These  lead  to  distorted  thinking,  making  it  almost  impossible  to  make  ra-Â
tional  decisions  about  food.  If  this  is  allowed  to  go  on  into  adulthood,  you  may  be  able  to  manage  your  illness  by  forcing  yourself  to  eat  regularly,  but  you  will Â ďŹ nd  it  hard  to  truly  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;recoverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.  You  will  never  really  be  able  to  enjoy  eating  and  think  about  food  normally  again.  Use  the  incentive  that  if  you  are  brave  enough  to  ask  for  help  now  then  you  have  every  chance  of  recovering  fully.   If  you  are  even  in  the  slightest  bit  interested,  Su- sie  and  the  other  counsellors  would  love  to  see  you,  so  look  out  for  the  posters,  or  just  turn  up.  If  you  know  of  someone  who  may  beneďŹ t  from  this  type  of  support  then  you  might  want  to  gently  drop  it  into  the  conversation.  And  if  you  cannot  make  any  of  the  sessions  on  campus  then  the  Norfolk  Eating  Disor- der  Association  have  their  headquarters  on  Colegate,  just  round  the  corner  from  the  Playhouse,  where  you  can  drop  in.  They  run  the  place  as  an  open  house,  a  low-Âkey  relaxed  space,  away  from  any  pressure.  They  also  run  self-Âhelp  groups  and  one-Âto-Âone  counselling  sessions  with  ongoing  support.  You  can  contact  them  to Â ďŹ nd  out  about  any  of  these  services  on  01603  767062  or  email  support@norfolkeda.org.uk  .
.ORFOLK %$! 4HE .ORFOLK %ATING $ISORDERS !SSO CIATION WILL HOLD AN INFORMAL DROP IN SESSION AND COUNSELLING SERVICE AT 5%! ON THE FOLLOWING DATES 4UESDAY .OVEMBER ND AM TO PM 2OOM 5NION (OUSE 4UESDAY $ECEMBER TH AM TO PM 2OOM 5NION (OUSE
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
5NCLE 3AM S BACKYARD )T IS ONLY A MATTER OF MILES BETWEEN .EW 9ORK #ITY AND "OSTON BUT THE %AST #OAST S MOST POPULAR CITIES ARE WORLD S APART AS 3ARAH 3MITH FOUND OUT
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ew  York,  New  York,  a  wonderful  townâ&#x20AC;Śwell  I  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  disagree  with  that.  Ever  since  I  was  a  kid  I  have  wanted  to  go  to  New  York  City  and  it  did  not  disappoint.   From  JFK  airport,  a  taxi  to  anywhere  in  Manhattan  is  $49  with  tolls  and  then  any  tip,  which  you  would  be  advised  to  pay.  If  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  on  a  tighter  budget,  there  are  the  airtrain  and  subway  or  bus  services. Even  though  it  is  a  tad  touristy  to  take  a  tour,  we  thought  it  would  be  a  great  way  to  get  our  bearings  as  New  York  is  so  massive,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  very  difďŹ cult  actually  de- ciding  where  to  go Â ďŹ rst.  Gray  Line  Tours  run  4  differ- ent  tours  and  a  combined  ticket  for  all  of  them  over  2  days  is  $49  a  person.  You  can  also  buy  tickets  for  the  individual  tours.   We  started  off  taking  the  Downtown  loop  get- ting  off  at  Battery  Park  where  you  get  the  ferry  for  the  Statue  of  Liberty  and  Ellis  Island  Museum  of  Immi- gration.  Be  warned  that  even  after  you  have  bought  your  tickets  there  is  another  queue  for  the  ferry,  which  in  our  case  was  an  hour  long.  If  you  are  short  on  time  do  not  worry  about  getting  off  at  the  Statue  of  Liberty  as  the  views  are  as  good  from  the  ferry.  Ellis  Island  however  is  a  must.   The  restored  immigration  centre  now  houses  a  museum  charting  the  history  of  immi- gration  into  the  American  melting  pot.  As  you  chug  towards  the  Statue  of  Liberty  on  the  ferry,  you  can  al- most  empathise  with  all  those  people  who  have  made  the  same  journey,  but  for  very  different  reasons. Both  islands  also  provide  fantastic  views  on  clear Â
4HE CITY ON A HILL
days  of  the  city  skyline,  which  everyone  knows  but  it  never  ceases  to  amaze  close  up.  After  getting  back  into  Battery  Park  we  walked  the  short  distance  back  to  Ground  Zero,  where  the  World  Trade  Center  used  to  stand.  Whilst  not  a  tourist  attraction  there  are  signs  explaining  the  history  of  the  towers  and  their  destruc- tion  as  well  as  plaques  with  the  names  of  those  who  lost  their  lives.  The  next  morning  we  walked  to  the  Empire  State  Building.  There  may  be  a  short  queue  outside  the  door  but  this  is  simply  getting  people  in.   Once  in  there  is  a  queue  for  security,  tickets  and  the  lifts.   Tickets  can  be  pre-Âbought  but  this  only  saves  a  little  time.  A  fast  pass  is  on  offer  for  $35  compared  to  a  normal  ticket  price  of  $14.  We  were  in  line  for  just  over  an  hour.   Time  can  be  saved  by  walking  up  the  last  six  ďŹ&#x201A;oors  instead  of  waiting  for  the  second  lift.   However  the  view  once  up  there  on  a  clear  day  is  totally  worth  it  as  you  can  see  for  miles.  Do  be  prepared  for  it  to  be  very  windy  though. Making  the  most  of  the  tour  tickets  we  took  an  uptown  tour  as  well  which  takes  you  up  the  Upper  West  side  and  Columbia  University,  through  Harlem  and  back  down  past  Central  Park.   Not  really  so  many  places  that  you  might  want  to  get  off  on  this  one  but  is  does  take  you  round  some  sights  and  areas  you  may  not  have  bothered  with  otherwise  so  deďŹ nitely  worth  doing  if  you  have  the  time. There  is  way  too  much  to  New  York  City  to  do  in  a  single  weekend  but  you  can  do  the  major  sights  and  pick  up  ideas  about  what  to  do  on  the  future  trips.
A
fter  a  ride  on  the  smallest  commercial  plane  I  have  ever  seen  we  arrived  in  Bos- ton,  Massachusetts,  possibly  the  most  English  place  in  the  United  States. As  we  were  on  a  budget  we  were  staying  at  the  Sheraton  Braintree  hotel  about  8  miles  out  of  Boston.   A  shuttle  bus  from  Logan  Airport  to  Braintree  is  $11  each  way  and  the  hotel  picks  you  up  from  there. We  had  decided  to  go  to  the  Skywalk  Observatory  in  the  Prudential  Tower  on  our Â ďŹ rst  afternoon.  It  cost  us  $5  for  a  round  trip  on  the  subway.  The  Prudential  stop  comes  out  directly  under  the  Prudential  Centre,  unfortunately  Skywalk  was  closed  for  a  private  func- tion.  However  we  did  discover  an  alternative.   Two  ďŹ&#x201A;oors  higher  is  the  Top  of  the  Hub  restaurant  with  amazing  views  and  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  free  to  go  up.  Its  the  perfect  place  to  spend  a  couple  of  hours,  maybe  indulging  in  a  drink  or  two.  For  all  those  under  21â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s,  the  law  means  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  be  non-Âalcoholic.  For  dinner  we  went  to  China- town.   For  those  of  you  who  have  been  to  Chinatown  in  London  or  NYC,  Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  can  be  a  little  disap- pointing  as  it  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  have  the  same  atmosphere,  but  there  are  plenty  of  restaurants  there  all  packed  with  people  -  always  the  sign  of  a  good  eatery. The  next  morning  we  headed  to  Faneuil  Hall  and  Quincy  Market.  The  main  part  of  Quincy  Market  is Â ďŹ lled  with  food  counters  doing  everything  from  sushi  to  cookies.  If  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  been  away  for  a  while  and  are  dying  for  that  most  British  of  meals  -  curry  -  then  this  is  the  place  to Â ďŹ nd  it.  There  is  also  a  great  if  slightly  expensive  smoothie  bar  and  a  place  that  sells  really Â
I
ts  all  too  easy  to  get  carried  away  when  you  go  to  visit  America,  particularly  if  its  New  York  or  Boston,  two  of  the  largest  and  liveliest  cities  in  the  U.S.  Everyone  knows  the  major  sites  and  at- tractions,  and  its  hardly  difďŹ cult  to Â ďŹ nd  them.  It  is  not  as  if  the  Empire  State  Building  is  easy  to  miss. But  what  if  you  want  something  a  little  different?  While  it  is  fun  doing  the  tourist  thing,  how  about  get- ting  to  know  the  real  NYC? For  a  start,  you  will  never  be  able  to  try  as  many  different  foods  as  you  can  in  the  Big  Apple.  New  York  is  awash  with  restaurants  from  every  corner  of  the  globe,  run  by  people  that  are  actually  from  the  place  their  eatery  claims  to  represent.  For  example,  over  here  every  kebab  house  is  the  same,  serving  a  kind  of  hybrid  Turkish  recipe  which  involves  trimming  fat  soaked  meat  off  a  big  stick.  However,  in  New  York  you  can  try  kebabs  from  many  different  places,  such  as  Greece,  Lebanon,  Morocco  and  of  course,  Turkey. Â
4AKE A WALK ON THE DARK SIDE You  can  also  be  sure  they  will  taste  a  damn  site  better  than  the  English  versions. Boston  is  similar  in  this  respect.  Although  there  is  a  distinct  Englishness  to  the  place,  other  cultural  manifestations  are  welcomed,  most  obviously  in  the  Faneuil  Hall  where  any  cuisine  you  wish  can  be  pur-Â
chased  to  eat  in  the  massive  dining  hall.  This  really  is  a  great  place  for  holidaymakers,  backpackers  and  people  on  the  tightest  of  budgets,  as  a  huge  meal,  for  example  chicken  tikka  masala,  rice,  lamb  tikka,  veg- etable  curry  and  a  drink  costs  roughly  $9  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  a  bargain  as  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  keep  you  going  for  days.
"ACKPACKER 4IP /F 4HE &ORTNIGHT .O
)F YOU NEED SOME QUICK CASH IN THE 3TATES BUY SOME BOOZE AND HIT THE 5NI DORMS THEY LL PAY TOP DOLLAR
nice  stacks  of  large  pancakes.   We  decided  to  take  a  hop  on,  hop  off  tour  with  City  Tours  partly  because  of  the  rain.  As  with  most  of  these  types  of  tours  the  trolley  drivers  provide  in- formation  as  you  go  round.  Stops  include  most  sites  on  the  Freedom  Trail  as  well  as  places  like  the  Cheers  Bar.  If  a  normal  tour  sounds  a  tad  boring,  then  you  could  decide  to  take  a  ride  on  a  duck.  These  are  converted  WWII  vehicles  which  can  drive  on  roads  and  water,  which  is  good  as  Boston  is  practically  sur- rounded  by  the  stuff.  You  get  to  see  quite  a  few  places  on  the  tour,  though  be  aware  that  the  Massachusetts  State  House  is  only  open  at  certain  times  of  the  year  and  we  were  unfortunate  enough  that  the  Old  State  House  was  also  closed  for  another  private  function.  For  those  of  a  slightly  morbid  disposition  there  are  the  Copps  Hill  and  Granary  historic  burial  grounds.  There  is  also  the  U.S.S  Constitution,  an  old  tall  ship  that  is  still  com- missioned  in  the  US  Navy. For  shopping  head  to  Quincy  Market  and  the  Prudential  Centre.  Around  Quincy  Market  there  are  touristy  shops  selling  t-Âshirts,  hats  and  lobster  relat- ed  merchandise  mixed  in  with  many  American  stores  such  as  American  Eagle,  Abercrombie,  Urban  OutďŹ t- ters,  and  Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Secret. Boston  despite  its  proximity  feels  very  different  to  NYC  but  is  still  worth  a  visit.  Any  British  person  will  feel  right  at  home  here,  as  the  inďŹ&#x201A;uences  are  star- tling.  You  can  also  brag  about  taking  a  trip  on  the  old- est  subway  system  in  the  world  -  The  T  -  which  goes  round  corners  at  angles  of  90  degrees.
The  best  way  to  get  to  know  any  place  is  to  walk.  There  are  rather  a  lot  of  misconceptions  about  New  York,  one  of  them  being  that  if  you  venture  out  of  the  tourist  areas  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  likely  to  be  mugged  and  possibly  murdered.  This  is  about  as  likely  as  it  is  in  any  big  city,  so  it  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  worth  not  visiting  places  of  interest  just  to  feel  safe.  In  this  respect,  Harlem  in  New  York  is  a  great  place  to  visit.  Admittedly,  it  may  be  better  not  walking  the  streets  at  3  in  the  morning,  but  during  the  day  this  area  is  buzzing  with  day  to  day  activity.  You  can  also  revel  in  the  birthplace  of  the  beatnik  move- ment,  as  Jack  Kerouac  himself  spent  some  of  his  time  in  the  Jazz  clubs  in  Harlem.  In  short,  do  not  follow  the  guide  books.  It  is  great  being  able  to  say  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  been  up  the  Empire  State  Building,  but  this  is  the  New  York  that  we  see  on  the  silver  screen.  To  truly  go  to  New  York,  you  have  to  get  a  feel  for  the  city  itself,  and  to  do  this,  you  should  ex- plore,  not  follow  the  itinerary  from  Lonely  Planet.
-JGFTUZMF
$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
21
*UST LIKE MUM USED TO MAKE IT BUT IN THE MICROWAVE 4HOUGHT MICROWAVES WERE JUST FOR REHEATING YESTERDAY S LEFTOVERS 4HINK AGAIN *OANNA ,AMBERT CONCOCTS A MOUTHWATERING 3UNDAY ROAST USING ONLY HER TRUSTY MICROWAVE OVEN
O
ne  Friday  evening  last  year  panic  broke  out  in  Flat  6  Oak  House.  I  was  hor- riďŹ ed.  I  ran  into  my  ďŹ&#x201A;atmate  Shkowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  room  yelling:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh  no!  What  are  we  go- ing  to  do?  Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  all  die!â&#x20AC;?  What  was  the  cause  of  this  apocalyptical  possibility?  Yes,  the  micro- wave  had  blown  up. Anyone  who  has  never  lived  in  campus  residenc- es  will  not  know  why  this  is  such  a  catastrophe.  Those  who  have,  or  still  do,  will  completely  understand.  And  sympathise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  no  oven!â&#x20AC;?  This  is  what  my  mum  yelled  with  horror  when  she Â ďŹ rst  walked  into  our  kitchen  on  my Â ďŹ rst  day.  She  couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  believe  it.  And  letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  be  fair,  you  do  expect  there  to  be  an  oven. This  situation  breaks  up  all  students  into  two  dis- tinct  groups:  those  who  take  control  of  the  situation  and  learn  to  cook  just  about  everything  in  the  blessed  microwave  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  and  those  who  stay  alive  by  eating  pot  noodles  and  pasta,  on  a  rotational  basis. What  needs  to  be  understood  is  that  it  is  not  merely  a  microwave.  It  is  a  microwave-Âoven.  Yes,  there  is  a  difference.  You  can  even  grill  food  in  a  mi-Â
3TUDENTS BREAK UP INTO TWO DISTINCT GROUPS THOSE WHO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION AND LEARN TO COOK IN THE MICROWAVE AND THOSE WHO STAY ALIVE BY EATING 0OT .OODLES crowave  oven. What  I  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  comprehend  is  that  more  often  than  not,  students  will  learn  how  to  cook  a  frozen  pizza  in  their  microwave-Âoven.  If  you  can  do  this,  you  can  do  many  other  things  too,  and  it  really  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  that  much  effort. After  settling  into  university  life  my  friends  and  I  realised  that  there  was  one  reason  we  just  couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  feel  completely  at  home.  We  really  missed  our  Sunday  roast.  We  even  resorted  to  going  to  Wetherspoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â
for  one  once  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  but  they  had  already  sold  out.  We  were  devastated. However,  being  the  wonderful  domestic  god- desses  that  we  thought  we  were,  we  came  up  with  a  solution:  thus  began  the  creation  of  the  microwave- oven  roast. Now,  there  are  two  options:  you  buy  a  whole  chicken  that  will  take  hours  to  roast  in  the  microwave,  or  you  make  it  easier  for  yourself  and  buy  chicken Â
4HE THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT MICROWAVES ARE DElNITELY NOT CONlNED TO COOKING READY MEALS breasts  and  follow  my  instructions  (this  is  if  you  like  chicken!).  You  must  also  invest  in  a  pot  of  dried  Rose- mary  (about  £1  from  all  good  supermarkets). A  glass  baking  dish  would  be  ideal,  but  if  you  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  have  one,  any  microwave  and  oven-Âproof  bowl  will  do.  Cut  the  chicken  breasts  into  strips  and  lay  them  side  by  side  in  the  dish  or  bowl.  Drizzle  olive  oil  (sounds  strange,  tastes  great)  all  over  the  chicken.  Sprinkle  rosemary  and  pepper  all  over  the  chicken  too,  both  sides,  making  sure  that  all  the  chicken  has  been  covered  in  oil. This  will  need  to  go  into  the  microwave-Âoven  for  twenty  minutes  on  the  ovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  highest  setting.  Settings  do  differ  from  microwave  to  microwave,  so  I  suggest  that  you  take  it  out  and  test  it  every  ten  minutes.  Make  sure  you  put  it  into  oven  mode  -  if  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  not  sure,  look  in  the  manual.  Remember  to  cut  the  biggest  piece  of  chicken  in  half  to  make  sure  it  is  white  all  the  way  through. To  make  life  easier  you  could  buy  a  bag  of  new  potatoes.  These  will  only  need  washing  and  cutting  in  half,  or  if  you  prefer  buying  larger  potatoes  you  may  need  to  employ  a  peeler.  New  potatoes  are Â ďŹ ne  just  being  boiled,  but  bigger  potatoes  can  be  quite  dry  like  this  so  it  might  be  better  to  make  mashed  potato  with  them  (Cook,  then  add  a  little  butter,  pepper  and  a  smidgen  of  milk). Start  cooking  the  potatoes  as  you  put  the  chicken  into  the  microwave-Âoven.  Once  the  chicken  is  almost  done,  you  could  even  drain  the  new  potatoes  and  add  them  to  the  dish  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  you  will  probably  need  to  add  some  more  oil,  rosemary  and  pepper. A  good  roast  needs  at  least  two  different  vegeta- bles,  and  these  can  normally  be  cooked  towards  the Â
,ASAGNE 2ECIPE
Serves  4 You  will  need:  Lasagne  pasta  sheets      Olive  oil A  jar  of  white  sauce  (or  you  could  always  make  your  own)  Two  cans  of  chopped  tomatoes  Cheese  to  top      An  onion Three  mushrooms      A  pepper A  courgette      Pepper,  basil  to  season 450g  of  either  minced  beef  or  minced  meat-Âsubstitute,  e.g.  Quorn. If  you  have  made  Bolognese  before  then  you  will  have  no  trouble  with  this.  Take  a  large  saucepan,  add  olive  oil  and  allow  it  to  heat  for  a  minute  on  a  hob.  Chop  the  vegetables  and  add  to  the  saucepan. Once  the  onions  have  turned  slightly  translucent  add  the  minced  beef  (or  Quorn)  and  mix  until  the  red  meat  has  turned  completely  brown.  Turn  down  the  stove  to  a  medium  heat  and  add  one  tin  of  chopped  tomatoes,  stirring  regularly. Allow  to  simmer  for  about  ten  minutes  and  gradually  add  the  other  tin  of  tomatoes.   Simmer  for  an- other  ten  minutes.  Add  seasoning:  a  pinch  of  basil,  and  pepper.  A  pinch  of  nutmeg  is  sometimes  quite  nice  too.  You  could  add  salt,  or  leave  it  to  the  individual  to  add  at  the  time  of  eating. Layer  Bolognese  and  pasta  sheets  alternately  and  top  with  white  sauce.  A  good  helping  of  cheese  on  top  is  always  nice. Put  in  the  microwave,  on  the  oven  setting,  for  about  35  minutes.  Most  microwaves  come  with  a  grilling  stand,  which  can  be  used  if  you  want  to  put  in  a  garlic  baguette  at  the  same  time.
end.  Just  remember  that  carrots  do  take  a  lot  longer  than  most  other  vegetables.  Use  the  hob. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  forget  the  gravy  granules.  Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  knack  to  mixing  gravy.  My  best  friend,  Victoria,  should  be  rented  out  for  this  very  job  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  as  sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  very  good  at  this  highly  complex  task.  After  all,  no  one  likes  lumpy  gravy.  This  is  why  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  not  allowed  to  make  it. The  last  things  you  will  need,  and  some  may Â ďŹ nd  this  strange,  are  Yorkshire  puddings.  I  know,  I  know:  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  meant  to  go  with  beef.  But  they  are  really  nice.  And  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  forget  the  condiments  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  afore  men- tioned  Victoria  has  half  a  jar  of  cranberry  sauce  with  her  roast.
S
o  weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  got  Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  sorted.  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  sure  the  majority  of  students  will  agree  that  ready- meals  really  do  get  quite  boring  after  a  while.  But  how  about  recreating  a  ready- meal  classic  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  lasagne?   See  the  recipe  be- low  for  instructions. The  thing  to  remember  is  that  microwaves  are  deďŹ nitely  not  conďŹ ned  to  cooking  ready-Âmeals.  At  the  very  simplest  of  uses,  it  can  be  used  for  cooking  vegetables.  The  Food  Standards  Agency  recommends  microwaving  vegetables  rather  than  frying  or  roasting  them  as  they  are  a  lot  healthier  this  way. Jacket  potatoes  are  also  a  very  quick  and Â ďŹ lling  meal,  and  can  be  paired  with  nearly  anything  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  a  wel- come  alternative  to  beans  on  toast!  Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  forget  to  prick  the  potatoes  with  a  fork  before  putting  them  in  the  microwave  (you  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  want  any  explosions!).   Cooking  times  vary:  in  the  microwave  I  would  recommend  5  minutes  either  side  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  remember  that  if  there  are  more  potatoes  in  the  microwave  at  the  same  time  they  will  need  more  time.  A  lot  of  micro- waves  have  a  speciďŹ c  potato  setting,  this  does  take  a  lot  longer  but  it  comes  down  to  personal  preference. This  is  all  very  well,  and  microwaves  are  undeni- ably  quick  and  easy.  If  you  live  on  campus  there  re- ally  is  no  choice  but  to  use  a  microwave  to  cook  with.  Even  if  you  go  to  a  pub  for  something  to  eat,  chances  are  it  will  have  been  warmed  up  in  an  industrial  mi- crowave. However,  there  have  been  a  few  health  scares  when  it  comes  down  to  the  safety  of  microwaves  and  risks  to  health.  Google  offers  a  range  of  microwave- hating  websites  but  they  all  say  one  similar  thing:  health  risks  can  be  greatly  decreased  by  following  a  few  simple  rules.  Use  bowls/dishes/plates  that  actu- ally  say  they  are  microwavable  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  use  PVC  con- tainers.  And  it  goes  without  saying  (I  should  hope)  that  metal  should  never  be  put  in  the  microwave!
2ESTAURANT 2EVIEW
Pulse  is  everything  you  expect  a  vegetarian  restaurant  not  to  be.  There  are  no  peace  symbols  and  absolutely  no  hint  of  tie-Âdye.  It  is  warm  and  inviting  and  beautifully  designed.  The  juxtaposi- tion  of  old  light  oak  beams  and  classic  retro  fur- niture  provides  a  sleek  yet  extremely  comfortable  setting  in  which  to  enjoy  your  meal,  although  the  atmosphere  would  deďŹ nitely  beneďŹ t  if  the  lights  were  turned  down. Both  my  culinary  companion  and  I  decided  it  necessary  to  sample  the  wine.  I  tried  a  glass  (small  175ml  £3.95)  of  organic  white  that  tasted  delicious.  Unlike  any  other  wine  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  tried  before  it  smelled  really  fruity  and  tasted  the  same.  Very  refreshing,  and  with  no  sour  aftertaste,  the  wine  was  perhaps  the  highlight  of  the  evening. The  starters  were  quite  big  and  could  perhaps  be  eaten  if  you  need  a  small  snack  on  a  Saturday  afternoon  while  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  shopping.  I  had  a  Tomato,  Mozzarella  and  basil  salad  that  was  refreshingly  cool  and  had  a  satisfyingly  rugged  look  about  it. My  friend  started  with  the  courgette  and  mint  fritters  with  basil  dipping  sauce  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  an  idea  which  sounds  very  nice  and  could  indeed  be  very  tasty.  However,  we  both  agreed  that  it  was  somewhat  overcooked.  There  was  no  hint  of  mint,  and  it  wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  actually  served  with  a  basil  dipping  sauce  at  all  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  although  the  tomato  salsa  accompany- ing  it  was  very  nice,  we  had  not  been  told  of  this  menu  change. After  the  starters  alone  we  were  quite  full,  but  just  about  managed  to  squeeze  in  a  main  course  too.  I  had  heard  about  Pulseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  pizzas,  so  thought  I  would  try  one  out.  I  had  a  pizza  with  roast  winter  vegetables,  feta  and  rocket.  It  was Â ďŹ lling  and  a  welcome  change  to  the  local  takeawayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  mass  produced  margarita. We  also  tried  the  roast  vegetable  pie  with  lemon,  thyme  and  ricotta.  The  lemon  and  thyme  sauce  tasted  like  quite  a  strange  combination.  However,  with  the  pie  it  was  a  perfect  accompani- ment.  The  pie  was  full  of  chunky  vegetables  and  really  tasted  homemade. All  in  all  this  was  a  lovely  evening  out.  Even  those  of  you  who  arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  vegetarian  will  enjoy  it,  and  you  will  leave  feeling  very  pleased  with  your- self  for  eating  so  many  vegetables.
22
$PODSFUF   Wednesday  November  9  2005
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9/52 -/6%
5%! TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL
T
he  place  to  start  making  a  dif- ference  is  at  home,  so  take  on  board  some  of  these  handy  tips Â
that  will  save  your  money  and  our  planet!
Fridges/Freezers: *  Check  door  seals  -  these  should  be  able  to  grip  a  piece  of  paper  tightly.  *  Keep  fridge  temperature  at  2-Â3oC  and  freezer  at  -Â15oC.  Check  fridge  is  not  near  cooker  or  any  other  heat  sources.  *  Defrost  fridge/freezer  regularly.  *  Use  old  newspaper  to Â ďŹ ll  gaps  in  the  freezer  when  you  are  not  storing  much  food  -  this  improves  efďŹ ciency. Â
Washing  *  Use  low  temperature  washes  when- ever  possible. Â
A
t Â ďŹ rst  glance  it  seems  that  the  term  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Carbon  Neutralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  is  thrown  around  too  often,  this  may  be  true  but  it  encompasses  a  whole  range  of  approaches  in  reaching  this  goal. HSBC  have  recently  an- nounced  that  they  have  achieved  carbon  neutral  status.  Many  question  marks  still  rest  over  what  this  actually  means,  but  essentially  they  have  bought  into  renewable  energy  and  alternative  energy  projects,  to  offset  their  emissions  of  C02  into  the  atmosphere.  For  a  project  to  count  towards  a  corporationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  carbon  offsets  the  project  needs  to  be  new,  thus  en-Â
*  Turn  televisions  and  other  appliances  off  at  the  mains  -  standby  is  not  off  as  energy  is  still  being  used  *  Home  computer  -  turn  off  completely  when  not  in  use.  *  Lagging  pipes  can  save  £5-ÂÂŁ10  from  heating  bills.  *  Energy  efďŹ cient  light  bulbs  are  more  expensive  than  standard  bulbs.  but  will  last  up  to  10  times  longer,  conserving  signiďŹ cant  energy.  They  are  most  effec- tive  when  used  for  lights  that  are  left  switched  on  for  long  durations.  *  Try  placing  foil  behind  radiators.  Household  foil  will  do,  although  it  is  possible  to  buy  foil  speciďŹ cally  for  this  purpose  from  DIY  stores. Â
suring  that  it  makes  a  global  difference  to  their  emis- sions.  Their  move  to  carbon  neutral  status  started  due  to  an  alumni  link  with  Newcastle  University  with  a  meeting  between  HSBC  chief  executive  Sir  John  Bond  and  the  head  of  the  WWF  catalysing  the  process.  They  decided  to  involve  UEA  due  to  our  climatic  research  reputation.  The  Chief  Executive  of  HSBC  wrote  to  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Vice  Chancellor  inviting  us  to  become  carbon  neutral,  so  forming  the  Environmental  Technology  Partnership  between  HSBC,  Newcastle  University  and  us  here  at  UEA. On  the  17th  of  November  UEA  will  be  ofďŹ cially  announcing  that  they  are  beginning  the  process  to  change  energy  usage  and  earn  the  prominent  stance Â
$OING IT FOR THE %NVIRONMENT
*  Try  to  dry  clothes  naturally. Â
Appliances
#ARBON LIKE ITS BEEN FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS
of  a  carbon  neutral  university. There  are  different  methods  to  gain  carbon  neu- tral  status,  they  can  be  roughly  divided  into  two  cat- egories;Íž  reduction  of  emissions  and  offsetting  carbon  produced.  The  steps  that  HSBC  took  were  a  mixture, Â ďŹ rstly  they  looked  at  how  energy  was  used  in  their  10000  ofďŹ ces  and  the  energy  used  in  transport  to  and  from  their  ofďŹ ces  and  implemented  schemes  to  reduce  these,  they  then  turned  to  offseting  their  emis- sions  with  investment  in  renewable  energy  transpor- tation  systems  and  buying  into  new  initiatives  and  projects. UEA  however,  have  a  different  scale  of  budget  in  our  hands  so  buying  into  initiatives  will  not  be  as  vi- able.  Our  emphasis  here  as  Simon  Gerrard,  manager  of  CRed,  says  â&#x20AC;&#x153;will  initially  be  to  reduce  then  switch  to  alternative  energies  where  appropriateâ&#x20AC;?. From  August  2003  to  July  2004  the  university  used  65,638,594  kWh  in  total  costing  them  £1,458,372.  These Â ďŹ gures  can  be  viewed  at  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Sustainability  working  group  website:  http://ewg.webapp1.uea.ac.uk/pages/energy- data1.php  Since  new  buildings  have  been  constructed  on  campus  there  is  an  increased  demand  for  energy,  consequently  the  university  are  currently  assessing  the  feasibility  of  a  biomass  CHP  (Combined  Heat  and  Power)  unit  in  addition  to  the  gas  heaters.  This  would  be  a  massive  move  in  the  right  direction  for  carbon  neutrality.  The  wind  turbines  at  Thickthorn  will  also  be  used  where  possible.  UEA  are  still  unsure  where  to  draw  the  line  with  respect  to  travel;Íž  staff  and  student  journeys  will  be  included  but  there  are  still  visitor  and  delivery  trafďŹ c  that  the  university  generates.  The  University  is  still  in  the  planning  process  of  creating  the  steps  that  UEA  will  take  to  carbon  neutrality. With  CRed  running  the  60%  reduction  challenge  Simon  Gerrard  says  it  is  â&#x20AC;&#x153;deďŹ nitely  a  positive  step  that  the  university  is  taking  here  and  it  is  an  achiev- able  goal  so  long  as  people  accept  that  this  is  an  on- going  processâ&#x20AC;?.
-ATT 4AYLOR OF #2ED GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THIS YEAR S 'O 'REEN %NVIRONMENT 7EEK -ONDAY TH &RIDAY TH .OVEMBER
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n  the  aftermath  of  Hurricane  Katrina  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  worst  natural  disaster  to  hit  America  in  re- cent  memory  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  an  unquestioned  outbreak  of  news  reports  declared  that  sheltering  survivors  in  the  super  dome  had  turned  upon  each  other.  Armed  gangs  were  alleg- edly  roaming  the  dark  arena  raping  and  killing.  It  made  a  great  news  story  except  for  one  thing,  it  was  not  true.  We  all  rely  on  the  me- dia  for  daily  information,  but  is  it  a  reliable  source?  On  Monday  14th  Nov  5-Â6pm  in  the  Zicer  seminar  room  there  will  be  a  workshop  called  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Challenging  Mainstream  Mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  by  Amanda  Roll  Pickering,  head  of  media  from  the  Centre  of  Alterative  Technology  .  It  will  examine  who  is  controlling  the  media  industry  and  how  it  colours  our  very  perception. If  your  environment  is  being  threatened,  how  do  you  make  your  voice  heard?  The Â ďŹ lm  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Undercur- rents  News  Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  explores  environmental  activ- ism  around  the  world.  Showing  in  Lecture  theatre  4,  Monday  14th  at  7.30pm.  You  do  not  have  to  leave  the  shores  of  the  UK  to  play  a  part  in  safe  guarding  the  globes  future.  There  are  literally  thousands  of  local  and  national  organisa- tions  which  you  can  champion,  from  butterďŹ&#x201A;ies  to  bats  to  fair-Âtrade  bananas.  Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Big  Green  Bonanzaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  in  the  LCR  10.30am  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  3.30pm  will  have  Environment  and  Development  organisations  from  across  the  UK  at  UEA.  Exhibiting  a  range  of Â ďŹ lms,  electric  cars  and  scooters,  a  bicycle  powered  smoothy  maker,  eco-Âart,  the  carbon  gym,  live  bananas  and  many  more  weird  and  wonderful  opportunities  to Â ďŹ nd  out  how  to  make  a  difference.  From  1-Â2pm  a  Workshop  on  Make  Pov- erty  History  by  Christian  Aid,  will  be  held  in  Room  1.33  Union  House  and  at  5-Â6pm  Environmental  Campaign  Techniques  will  be  the  focus  of  a  Workshop  by  People Â
)T IS WORTH SAVING &  Planet,  also  in  Room  1.33  Union  House. Wednesday  26th  of  October  2005  was  the  hot- test  26th  of  October  ever  recorded  in  the  UK.  Global  Carbon  Dioxide  emissions  are  increasing,  the  climate  is  changing  and  most  climatologists  agree  that  global  warming  is  here.  There  are  questions  over  the  real  threats  and  whether  it  is  fair  that  the  biggest  impacts  will  fall  on  developing  nations  and  those  least  able  to  cope.  As  we  in  the Â ďŹ rst  world  continue  to  use  our  ever  increasing  sized  cars  with  their  growing  thirst  for  fossil  fuels  to  get  us  to  work  and  go  on  exploiting  the  currently  cheap  energy  prices  at  home,  what  can  we  do  to  prevent  such  a  potential  catastrophe?  What  will  you  miss  when  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  gone?  On  Thursday  17th  11-Â12am  Paul  Mobbs,  independent  researcher  and  author  of  Energy  Beyond  Oil  will  hold  a  lecture  and  discussion  entitled  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Energy  Beyond  Oilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;   in  the   Zicer  Seminar  Room.  Many  are  still  asking  whether  we  are  actually  pre- pared  to  independently  change  our  life  styles  but  oth- ers  think  that  Government  should  enforce  legislation  to  combat  climate  change,  which  many  believe  is  the  biggest  threat  facing  human  kind.  Wednesday  16th  4-Â
5.30pm,  Zicer  seminar  room,  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Climate  Change  -  the  biggest  threat  facing  human  kindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Lectures  and  dis- cussion  by  Sue  Pollard  of  Friends  of  the  Earth,  Mike  will  address  such  issues. Over  the  last  part  of  UEA  Environment  week  this  series  of  lectures  and  discussions  aims  to  highlight  the  concerns  which  face  us  all,  but  you  can  make  a  start.  On  Friday  18th  November  The  Community  Carbon  Reduction  Programme,  CRed,  will  be  leading  UEA  Energy  Action  Day  2  a  chance  for  all  students  and  staff  to  switch  on  to  the  â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;switch  offâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.  Leave  the  car  behind  and  bike  to  UEA  and  you  could  get  a  free  breakfast.   â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lighting  an  empty  ofďŹ ce  overnight  wastes  enough  energy  to  heat  1,000  cups  of  coffeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  (ďŹ gures  from  the  DoE).  On  Friday  turn  off  all  unnecessary  electrical  appliances  and  save  unwanted  carbon  di- oxide  and  make  your  own  commitment  to  combat  cli- mate  change  by  pledging  on  line  at  www.cred-Âuk.org. This  packed  out  week  provides  a  wealth  of  op- portunities  for  all,  by  starting  with  small  scale  com- mitments  in  our  homes  we  can  preserve  the  future  for  our  environment.
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7HAT DOES A GREEN LIFESTYLE COST %VEN THOSE WHO WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET WILL TELL YOU THAT THE COST AND EFFORT OF A GREEN LIFESTYLE IS JUST TOO MUCH 4URF SUGGESTS THAT THESE HIDDEN COSTS MAY NOT BE AS LARGE AS WE THINK Food  is  one  of  the  most  deďŹ ning  points  of  any  lifestyle,  and  it  is  always  assumed  that  the  environ- mental  choice  is  too  expensive  for  most  students.  This  is  frankly  not  true  for  the  majority  of  products.  For  the  purpose  of  example  we  looked  at  the  cost  of  a  typical  student  meal:  pasta,  sauce  and  cheese.  We  compared  the  price  of  the  ingredients  at  the  UFO  to  the  Green  Grocers.  The  UFO  may  be  more  conveniently  located  but  its  stock  is  non-Âorganic  and  a  lot  of  it  comes  from  far  abroad.  The  Green  Grocers,  situated  on  Earlham  road,  speciales  in  organic  and  locally  produced  food.  There  a  number  of  other  places  that  provide  an  en- vironmentally  friendly  diet,  such  as  Rainbow  situated  in  town,  and  Eostre  organics  in  the  market.  Buying  organic  food  stops  chemical  pesticides  and  fertilisers  reeking  havoc  on  wildlife.  Buying  local- ly  grown  food  reduces  the  amount  of  fuel  needed  for  transportation,  which  reduces  carbon  dioxide  emis- sions  as  well  as  general  air  pollution.   It  also  takes  the  strain  off  our  roads,  as  currently  40%  of  British  freight  is  food  travelling  needlessly  from  one  county Â
to  another.  So  the  environmental  beneďŹ ts  are  clear,  but  whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  the Â ďŹ nancial  drawback?   As  the  table  below  shows,  there  really  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  much  in  it.  A  pasta  dinner  is  twelve  pence  more  expensive  if  you  go  green.  The  only  major  price  difference  be- tween  local  organic  and  mass  produced  items  is  to  be  found  in  the  dairy  and  meat  range.  It  will  always  be  cheaper  to  cram Â ďŹ ve  chickens  in  a  cage  than  to  give  them  the  space  they  need  to  lay  healthy  eggs.  But  then  you  get  what  you  pay  for,  and  not  just  ethi- cally.  You  are  likely  to  pay  twice  as  much  for  organic  eggs  compared  to  battery  eggs,  but  once  you  do  you  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  go  back.  They  are  completely  different  in  col- our,  taste  and  health.  But  if  ethics  is  your  main  agen- da  then  remember,  organic  milk  is  just  ten  pence  per  pint  extra  and  means  the  cows  udder  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  drag  on  the  ďŹ&#x201A;oor  and  their  ankles  arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  routinely  broken  by  the  concrete  stalls.  Eating  with  a  conscience  does  not  generally  have  a  signiďŹ cant  cost,  but  the  difference  can  be  environ- mentally  and  ethically  huge.              Â
23
35--%$ 50 Amount  of  money  NASA  is  cur- rently  seeking  from  congress  to  pay  for  essential  space  station  repairs  =  The  amount  called  for  to  save  13  million  people  facing  starvation  across  southern  Africa  = The  amount  spent  on  creating  the Â ďŹ rst  four  Harry  potter Â ďŹ lms  =
BILLION Volume  of  beer  drunk  in  the  UK  last  year  =          Volume  of  petrol  used  every  year  by  US  truckers  leaving  their  engines  on  idle  overnight  so  that  they  can  keep  the  heating  or  air  conditioning  on  = Amount  of  oil  it  takes  to  manufac- ture  1  million  tonnes  of  clothing  (75%  of  which  are  recyclable  and  thrown  away)  =
Energy  use  is  an  easy  one.  More  and  more  busi- nesses  are  realising  that  greening  up  their  energy  consumption  saves  money  and  the  same  is  true  of  normal  households:  thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  no  selďŹ&#x201A;ess  sacriďŹ ces  here.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  simple  pattern  really;Íž  if  you  use  less  en- ergy  it  costs  you  less  money.  Take  energy  efďŹ cient  light  bulbs  for  example.  If  everyone  in  the  UK  swapped  just  three  normal  bulbs  for  energy  efďŹ cient  ones  the  savings  would  be  equiva- lent  to  the  electrical  output  of  typical  power  station.  And  also,  if  you  pay  £2.50  for  an  energy  saving  light  bulb,  it  will  likely  reduce  your  electricity  bill  by  £5  a  year.  Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  no  catch.
And  where  does  your  electricity  come  from?  Have  you  ensured  that  your  electricity  comes  from  a  renew- able  source?  If  you  havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  it  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  be  because  of  the  cost.  There  are  many  green  electricity  suppliers  who  promise  to  match  your  current  tariff,  and  most  offer  competitive  rates  anyway.  Each  new  customer  helps  in  the  construction  of  new  wind  farms  and  switching  supplier  is  as  simple  as  one  phone  call.  The  Friends  of  the  Earth  website  has  a  good  break  down  of  the  dif- ferent  suppliers  and  allows  you  to Â ďŹ nd  the  authentic  and  cheap  companies. Then  there  are  all  the  common  sense  methods  of  keeping  energy  costs  down.  As  winter  comes  we Â
should  be  wearing  jumpers  around  the  house,  not  knocking  up  the  thermostat.  The  average  household  heating  bill  comes  down  by  £30  a  year  for  each  de- gree  you  turn  down  the  heat  by.  Showering  instead  of  bathing  saves  you  plenty  too  and  as  many  of  us  students  have  not  dealt  with  utility  bills  before,  we  are  only  now  learning  that  all  forms  of  energy  are  just  like  any  commodity  that  needs  to  be  paid  for.   It  is  easy  to  see  why  the  ethos  of  an  environmen- talist  aligns  so  well  with  that  of  the  student:  every  aspect  of  our  life  needs  to  be  analysed  to  make  sure  we  are  not  over  consuming,  damaging  our  wallets  and  our  world.      Â
Transport  is  an  important  issue.  Very  few  of  us  students  own  cars,  and  they  are  so  impractical  both  environmentally  and Â ďŹ nancially  that  they  are  not  part  of  the  equation  here.  The  choice  for  those  regu- larly  travelling  between  the  city,  the  Golden  Triangle  and  campus  is  either  the  bus  or  the  bike.  Although  the  Norwich  bus  service  is  expensive  for  individual  journeys,  it  is  assumed  that  regular  users  will  have  bought  an  annual  ticket  with  the  student  discount.  At  £110  this  should  cover  your  transport  needs  for  the  year,  and  as  motorised  transport  goes  the  bus  is  one  of  the  more  environmentally  friendly  options.  But  what  about  bikes?  If  you  spent  £110  on  a  bike  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  expect  it  to  last  many  more  years  than  a  bus  pass.  A  decent  second  hand  bike  can  be  picked Â
up  in  Norwich  for  around  £50,  though  you  can  ex- pect  to  spend  half  that  again  on  lights,  a  lock  and  a  helmet.  So  price  wise  the  bike  is  usually  going  to  be  the  cheapest  option.  Environmentally  there  is  no  con- test,  as  cyclists  enjoy  the  most  energy  efďŹ cient  form  of  transport  known  to  man.  In  a  city  like  Norwich  it  is  convenience  that  sees  the  bike  trump  the  bus.  I  once  raced  my  ďŹ&#x201A;atmates  from  the  bus  stop  on  campus  to  out  house  on  river  side  road  in  the  centre  of  town,  me  on  my  bike  and  my  housemates  on  the  bus.  I  waited  for  their  bus  to  start  before  I  set  off  and  I  still  got  home Â ďŹ rst  by  a  good  thirty  seconds.  The  point  is  that  when  waiting  times  are  taken  into  account  the  bike  will  get  you  from  your  house  to Â
campus  much  quicker  than  the  bus.  It  is  a  leisurely Â ďŹ fteen  minute  cycle  ride  from  the  Golden  Triangle  to  the  University,  and  congestion  and  bus  stop  queues  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  hold  you  back.  The  health  implications  cannot  be  ignored  ei- ther.  Half  and  hourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  exercise  a  day  is  exactly  what  the  doctors  recommend  for  a  healthy  heart.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  two  birds  with  one  stone  really.  Why  sit  idle  on  the  bus  when  you  can  travel  and  get  your  daily  workout  at  the  same  time.  Waiting  for  the  number  25  when  your  running  late  for  your  nine  oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock  is  likely  to  raise  your  blood  pressure  if  anything.  So  the  most  environmentally  friendly  form  of  transport  costs  you  slightly  less,  and  is  more  conven- ient  and  healthy  besides.         Â
As  this  examination  of  the  options  out  there  has  revealed,  living  green  is  not  a Â ďŹ nancial  burden.  In  the  majority  of  situations  it  is  actually  cheaper  to  adopt  the  environmentally  friendly  option.  Aside  from  the  knowledge  that  you  are  doing  your  bit  for  the  planet,  most  ethical  alternatives  offer  further  practical  advantages  too.  In  some  cases  it  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  even  effort  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  re- quired,  just  a  little  bit  of  thought.  Claims  that  main- taining  a  green  lifestyle  is  just  too  difďŹ cult  suggest  nothing  but  ignorance  and  laziness.  As  technology  adapts  to  the  earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  needs  it  is  becoming  easier  every  day  to  reduce  the  harm  your  actions  exert  on  the  planet.  There  really  is  no  excuse  anymore.  Bet- ter  for  the  planet  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  mean  a  selďŹ&#x201A;ess  sacriďŹ ce,  it  means  better  for  your  wallet,  better  for  your  health  and  better  for  your  life.
BILLION GALLONS Area  of  rainforest  chopped  down  every  3.5  seconds  =  The  total  area  of  the  UEA  Campus  (including  the  broad  and  wood- land)  =  Area  of  agricultural  land  that  would  be  lost  if  the  Gatwick  airport  expansion  went  ahead  = Â
ACRES
BILLION GALLONS OF BEER WAS DRUNK IN THE 5+ LAST YEAR
24 $0..&/5
$PODSFUF Wednesday November 9 2005
4HE PATH OF TRUE LOVE IS A BIT BUMPY "Y ! &2%3(%2 It’s great! You get to university, and meet all your flat- mates. They seem cool, if a little different to you. You all go out, have a few drinks, and get to know each other. Soon you discover random facts, like they used to own a pet lizard called Jack or they eat salad cream with their chips, and before you know it you’ve got nine ready-made friends from all over the country. But what happens then? What happens if you, inexplicably, find yourself falling for one of these al- most-strangers who now burn your saucepans on a daily basis? First year life is hectic enough, without the added stress of trying not to make a fool of your- self in front of a gorgeous flatmate. They will be the person who sees you in your old pyjamas, who laughs when your hair resembles an un-pruned hedge, and who you have to live with for the next eight months. So what should a lovelorn fresher do? Should they declare their undying love at the first possible instant in a drunken moment of truthfulness, or keep it to themselves, whiling away the year with a nag- ging feeling of “but what if they feel the same”? The romantic in all of us longs for the fairytale ending, where you both feel the same and go on to live together forever in matrimonial bliss. However, we all know that it could end in disaster, when your much-loved flatmate, now knowing your feelings, runs and hides at the very sight of you for the rest of the year. So is there a balance? One that stops you drool- ing when Mr or Mrs X accidentally touches your hand when doing the washing up, but that also doesn’t turn you into an embarrassed recluse, only venturing into the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. The fact is that there is no right answer to cope with this potentially awkward situation. You have to look for little signs, glimpses that they might want more than just a relationship over the shared use of a kettle. Of course, everyone is different, and espe- cially if the object of your affection is a particularly quiet brand of undergrad, you may have to take the first cautious step. Everyone has met someone who found the “love of their life” at university. Some stay together, some don’t. Maybe just ask yourself, do you want to be one of them?
5%! FOOTBALLERS BETTER VIEWING THAN -ATCH OF THE $AY
-ISMATCH OF THE $AY "Y 3)-/. 3(%2)$!. Match of the Day, that quintessential British institu- tion, is rubbish. Instead of watching an edited game of football, the flagship BBC sports programme is now a seamless collection of highlights, showing only the goals and major incidents from all the day’s games. Not only can this get rather tedious, but it also grossly undermines the actual football that is be- ing played. Football, believe it or not, is a sport. Although goals are the most important aspect, it is the com- petition between two teams that has made it the global sport it is today. How on earth are we to view the competition if all we get to see is a list of goals shown in video, and not the actual interplay between the sides? This is made worse by the constant replays that Gary Lineker et al force us to watch. Take an ex-
ample: the Arsenal vs. Sunderland game was clearly a very lively affair. The first goal was scored by Arsenal’s Dutch striker Robin van Persie in what was, to be fair a very good strike. However, after seeing the goal in highlight mode, the beeb then replayed it a total of six times! This was supplemented by another three replays in the post-match analysis. Therefore, we got to see this goal ten times in the space of the show. Quite frankly, this is just lazy. Obviously the editors at the BBC cannot be bothered anymore, as it is clearly much easier to find the goals than any genius passing movements. It is simply not good enough, and the show has suffered as a result. Previously, Match of the Day used to show the two big games of the day, followed by very edited highlights of the others. This allowed us to relax and actually watch a game of football, rather than just see- ing the goals. It was much more fun to appreciate the entire game, rather than a few moments from it.
At the end of the match, you could then look for- ward to Alan Hansen’s usual tirade about defending, and nod your agreement when he went off on one about the state of today’s referees. In the new version of Match of the Day, we are not even allowed this. The once amusing ‘analysis’ section is now a watered down recording of Hansen’s points from earlier in the day. In fact, I fail to see why either pundit, or for that matter Lineker are there at all. The lively discus- sions of the past are now boring and repetitive, to the point where I want to rip Lineker’s ears off just to cover my own. It is not a lot to ask. All I want from a Saturday evening is to kick back and enjoy what, in my opinion, is the best sport in the world. However, I am being denied this pleasure for, to put it bluntly, no reason at all. It is endemic of the BBC as other programmes, like News 24, now resemble a tabloid newspaper. Maybe I should start witholding my license fee...?
$ISABLED ACCESS NEEDS IMPROVING "Y $!. 4!9,/2 The beginning of an academic year is always exciting for all concerned, a chance to make new beginnings and a fresh approach to education. UEA has certainly worked hard in its rigorous pursuit of self-improve- ment, with new schools being opened, old buildings being demolished and new buildings being built. Perhaps next time you enjoy a summer’s walk by the lake, or watch a football match in the blue bar or take your place at the front of the lecture theatre or even climb a flight of stairs, you might stop to ponder how our disabled students manage around campus. How difficult is it for them to enjoy the day to day activities that other students take for granted? I’m sure many of you are familiar with the pres- tigious UEA Law School at Earlham Hall, a beautiful, grandiose country manor which is certainly fitting for this highly academic degree. A Law qualification is a more than ideal degree for any disabled student, as the employment rate is through the roof and it requires almost no physical demands. However, if you were to visit Earlham Hall how many ramps, lifts, colour coded walls, disabled toilets or level surfaces would you find in this school of study? The answer is none. “Surely that’s illegal under the new anti-de- scrimitory legislations?” you may ask, but no, it isn’t. Technically, Earlham Hall is a listed building, which protects it from any development or modernisation. This is all well and good for English heritage but try
explaining it to any budding disabled Cherie Blair wannabes. Let us stop to consider this scenario for a sec- ond: You go to the paper shop to collect a paper, pop into Mango to get a coffee, drop by the post office to buy a book of stamps and then perhaps enter Wa- terstone’s to buy a book for your flatmate’s birthday. Now think, how would I accomplish this in a wheel- chair? The answer is you wouldn’t. Why wouldn’t you? Because all the doors are heavy swing set doors and not designed for disabled access. Sceptics would argue that someone will open the door for you, which is a good point, but why should disabled people be dependant on other people just to buy a paper? And what if you decide to go to shops at 8:00 on a Sunday morning? Finding someone aimlessly wandering the street opening doors for the needy is wishful thinking indeed! There are few people who would argue that UEA is not a concrete jungle, so it is not surprising that the lake is such a popular feature of the campus. A place of natural beauty to stroll around, even in the winter. But you’ve guessed it: if you’re disabled you might as well not even attempt to take this walk. The path (if you can call it that) is just worn away grass and dirt where other walkers have trod before. To add insult to injury there is a small expanse of beautifully crafted nature walk planking laid down on the far side of the lake to allow walkers to cross the marshes, but how might a disabled student get to this planking? By trav- elling several hundred yards through mud and dirt to finally reach it and enjoy it before it stops abruptly in
the middle of nowhere! Let us walk on an imaginary journey from the Chaplaincy to the School of Biology or the Sainsbury Centre. Here is an excellent example of why it is so nice to be at a small campus university, and I’m sure the walkway would be an excellent route for any disa- bled student to take, if there weren’t two flights of stairs stuck along the walkway just next to the School of Mathematics. So any disabled biology student or art lover they would have to choose a less than idyllic route through the underbelly of UEA along a “disa- bled path”. All you have to do is peer over the right hand rail of the walkway to see the bright blue tarmac path that UEA has kindly provided for its disabled stu- dents so they don’t get hit by a car! And finally, the crème de la crème of all disabled situations, the fire alarm. Next time you’re caught in a fire alarm and have to find your way to the meeting point, you might like to stop and consider how disa- bled people get out during a fire alarm. The truth is they don’t. During a fire alarm the lifts will automati- cally switch off, so that nobody can enter them and become stuck. For disabled students there are two options: either sit and wait for the fire service to arrive and help you out (which may result in you being burnt to death before they arrive) or hope that some of your friends or colleagues may be kind enough to carry you all the way down the stairs to safety. So the next time you hear the warble of the fire alarm and think “yes! I have an excuse to dodge this course test or lecture”, please consider it from a disabled perspective: “Am I gonna make it out of here alive?”
The harsh reality is that UEA still has a long way to go before it can even start to consider itself a disa- bled friendly university. The points listed throughout this article are merely the tip of the iceberg. Let us not forget that disability is not an option, and being disa- bled is non-negotiable. Tomorrow, next week or next year may be a distant thought, but let us not forget that events outside our control could have the misfor- tune to leave us disabled;; a frightening thought if ever there was one, but one we can do nothing about. Perhaps some of you are thinking it’s a shame that UEA is like this, but as I’m not disabled it doesn’t affect me. Perhaps some of you who aren’t disabled are wondering if there is something that could be done;; something you could help with. It is to these people that I would like to appeal now. UEA students have decided that enough is enough, and we intend to speak out against this inequality by coming to- gether and applying pressure on the University so that changes can be made for the future of UEA and its students. Even more important that the money we need to secure to fund these changes is the support of the student body: even though disabled students are in the minority we need a overall student majority before we can accomplish anything. An action group called AFA (Access For All) has been created this year to address the issue of access for all students. It not only concerns itself with physi- cal disabilities but also problems such as dyslexia and colour blindness. By bringing these issues to the Uni- versity’s attention we can change its policy and make a positive difference for everyone.
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$PODSFUF  Wednesday  November  9  2005
,ETTERS
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4HE )$ CARDS DEBATE To  counter  some  of  the  one-Âsided  information  being  dis- tributed  by  Andy  Higson,  Martin  Jopp  and  other  Liberal  Democrats  in  the  pages  of  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  student  media,  I  would  like  to  explain  some  reasons  why  many  people  in  my  party  (New  Labour)  and  others  outside  the  party  think  that  ID  cards  are  a  good  idea. Firstly,  they  will  better  enable  the  immigration  and  border  control  services  to  know  who  is  legally  in  the  country,  why  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  in  the  country  and  how  long  they  may  remain  here.  Simultaneously  they  will  help  to  crack  down  on  unscrupulous  people  who  illegally  employ  im- migrant  workers,  pay  them  below Â
the  minimum  wage  and  refuse  them  the  most  basic  employment  rights. ID  cards  will  help  the  poorest  and  most  vulnerable  in  our  soci- ety  to  access  public  services  more  easily  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  surveys  show  that  they  are  often  hindered  because  unlike  upper  and  middle  class  people  who  have  superďŹ&#x201A;uous  forms  of  identity  (professional  credentials,  driving  licences  etc)  they  are  un- able  to  prove  their  identity. On  the  issue  of  cost,  the  government  has  indicated  that  the  price  of  ID  cards  will  be  cut  for  pensioners  and  the  poorest  in  society.  The  provisions  of  the  Act  allow  for  multiple  addresses,  so  I  cannot  see  why  students  will Â
need  to  change  their  card  outside  of  term  time. There  are  many  reasons  to  support  ID  cards,  whether  it  is  helping  societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  most  vulnerable,  the  ability  to  better  control  our  borders  or  any  other.  I  hope  that  I  may  have  allayed  the  fears  of  some  and  that  opponents  of  the  scheme  may  be  less  alarmist  in  the  future. 4F¸O /FXNBO 14* Martin  Jopp  wrote  a  column  in  the  last  issue  of  Concrete  suggesting  that  ID  cards  may  be  the  lasting  legacy  of  this  Labour  government.  I  would  like  to  take  issue  with  him, Â ďŹ rstly  because  he Â
neglected  to  mention  that  he  is  an  active  Liberal  Democrat  and  that  his  article  was  basically  a  means  of  championing  his  partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  policy  under  the  guise  of  impar- tial  journalism.  But  then,  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  hardly  a Â ďŹ rst  for  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Liberal  Democrats  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  word  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rabbitâ&#x20AC;?  springs  to  mind! There  is  another  reason  for  taking  issue  with  Mr  Joppâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  column,  namely  his  ludicrous  claim  that  ID  cards  will  be  La- bourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  legacy.  I  am  a  member  of  UEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Labour  Students  because  I  believe  that  this  government  has  made  a  hugely  positive  difference  to  this  country.  New  Labour  in- troduced  the  National  Minimum  Wage,  negotiated  the  Good  Friday Â
Agreement,  created  Sure  Start  to  help  the  poor  families  in  our  communities,  equalised  the  age  of  consent  for  gay  men,  increased  the  overseas  aid  budget  to  more  than  double  what  it  was,  devolved  power  to  Scotland,  Wales  and  London  â&#x20AC;&#x201C;  the  list  goes  on  and  on. The  Labour  government  will  leave  a  positive  legacy  in  a  huge  range  of  social,  economic  and  international  affairs.  Mr  Joppâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  failure  to  acknowl- edge  those  achievements  while  focusing  on  a  single  policy  which  he Â ďŹ nds  disagreeable  is  a  clear  example  of  partisan  politics  at  its  worst. $ISJT #SJDF )*4
2ABBIT The  Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  policy  against  ID  cards  was  passed  by  the  Sovereign  body  of  the  Union,  Union  Council.  It  instructed  the  Executive  to  campaign  against  ID  Cards  and  publicise  the  Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  opposition.  It  would  be  negli- gence  on  my  part  to  do  anything  else  and  it  would  show  contempt  for  this  Union  as  a  democratic  student-Âled  organisation. One  of  the  reasons  I  believe  Union  Council  voted  for  our  cur- rent  policy  is  because  students  will  have  to  buy  a  new  ID  card Â
every  time  they  move  house.  It  is  not  like  students  have  that  kind  of  money  to  throw  around. The  last  issue  of  Rabbit  to  feature  a  story  on  the  front  page  about  ID  cards  was  in  the  week  it  was  due  to  be  voted  on  in  the  House  of  Commons.  I  can  hardly  think  of  a  more  appropriate  week  in  which  to  have  it  as  the  main  story  in  Rabbit  and  encourage  students  to  contact  their  MPs. Proponents  of  ID  cards  are  more  than  able  to  come  to  Union  Council  and  argue  that  this  Union Â
should  change  its  policy. The  letter  in  the  last  edition  of  Concrete  refers  to  my  member- ship  of  the  Liberal  Democrats  and  the  job  which  I  was  elected  to  do  by  UEA  students,  as  Communica- tions  OfďŹ cer.  After  reading  the  let- ter  several  times  I  can  not  see  any  speciďŹ c  issue  that  was  brought  up.  There  is  a  clear  distinction  between  my  own  beliefs  and  the  job  I  was  elected  to  do. If  people  would  like  to  talk  to  me  about  any  aspect  of  the  Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  work  then  please  get  in Â
touch  or  they  could  use  the  dem- ocratic  structures  of  the  Union  if  they  has  an  issue  with  me. We  all  have  ideas,  beliefs  and  opinions.  Some  of  us  choose  to  further  those  things  in  which  we  believe  by  joining  organisations  and  political  parties.  I  am  not  sure  why  membership  of  a  politi- cal  party  means  that  someone  is  unable  to  be  an  ofďŹ cer  of  a  Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Union. For  three  years  and  as  Com- munications  OfďŹ cer  I  have  con- sistently  argued  and  campaigned Â
for  a  more  democratic  Union,  greater  accountability  of  the  Ex- ecutive  and  more  direction  of  the  Union  from  our  members. If  people  have  an  issue  then  come  to  Union  Council  and  make  me  answer  for  myself.  Are  we  to  have  another  year  in  which  Concrete  publishes  Labour  and  Tory  Party  membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  letters  who  simply  dislike  that  I  am  a  member  of  the  Liberal  Democrats  but  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  come  and  say  so? "OEZ )JHTPO $PNNVOJDBUJPOT 0GmDFS
$RUGS SURVEY RESULTS ANNOUNCED The Â ďŹ gures  from  the  Concrete  drugs  survey,  revealed  in  this  is- sue,  conďŹ rm  that  cannabis  is  still  the  most  widely  used  illegal  substance  on  campus.  What  is  surprising  about  this  result  is   the  controversy  that  appears  to  sur- round  its  use,  despite  the  drugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  apparent  popularity.  While  the  majority  of  respondents  thought Â
that  cannabis  should  be  legal- ised,  they  also  believed  the  drug  was  harmful  to  health. Such  apparent  discrepancies  are  not  conďŹ ned  to  the  casual  drug  habits  of  UEA  students:  they  are  enshrined  in  the  laws  that  govern  their  use.  The  difference  between  declassiďŹ cation  and  de- criminalisation  of  a  drug  may  be Â
pronounced  in  legal  terms,  but  for  many  of  the  people  Concrete  questioned  it  is  little  more  than  a  semantic  distinction.  The  cur- rent  penalties  of  conďŹ scation  and  a  formal  warning  are  taken  to  be  less  a  deterrent  than  an  active  statement  of  police  disinterest.  Is  it  possible,  they  ask,  for  some- thing  to  be  a  criminal  activity  if  no Â
one  is  criminalised  for  it? Similar  confusion  looks  set  to  surround  the  governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  intro- duction  of  the  new  licensing  laws  later  this  month.  The  claim  that  allowing  pubs  to  open  for  longer  hours  will  enable  drinkers  to  pace  their  alcohol  consumption  has  al- ready  been  undermined  by  senior  members  of  the  drinks  industry. Â
For  them,  longer  hours  mean  higher  proďŹ tability,  and  the  race  to  keep  punters  in  bars  until  the  small  hours  is  well  underway.  By  making  ambiguous  state- ments  on  drugs  and  alcohol,  the  government  implies  that  these  are  matters  of  personal  choice,  albeit  a  choice  they  may  later  re- tract  at  will.
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$PODSFUF Wednesday November 9 2005
/ Ê"* " / iÊÌ ÊLÕ `Ê Ê Ã iÃÊÌÀ Õ « "Y !$!- "!22%44 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 It is the end of the final session of a hard-fought test series. The Eng- land players are celebrating deliri- ously on the pitch after a monu- mental series victory. However, this isn’t the scene at the Oval in September: it is the last time Eng- land toured Pakistan, snatching a one-nil win amidst the gloom of Karachi. This was five years ago, when England were beginning their long climb back towards the top of test cricket. The question now is, can England repeat their success this time around from the lofty position of Ashes victors? Certainly, England will go into the series with more momentum than their hosts. England have a successful summer of cricket be- hind them. They have a settled team, and the curse of the batting collapse appears to have been largely eradicated. In Andrew Flin- toff, England finally has a genuine world-class player with the ability to turn a game with both bat and ball. Pakistan’s last taste of test cricket was back in May, when they had to come from behind to draw the series against an average West Indian side. There are also concerns about the form of their
captain, Inzamam ul-Haq, who looked distinctly out of touch for the Rest of the World side against Australia last month. Their side has the potential for brilliance, but too often falls below the standard expected of them. However, I would suggest that Paul Collingwood’s recent claims that England will win the series by a three-nil whitewash are slightly optimistic. Whilst the weather is unlikely to be a major factor, the pitches themselves are likely to be to Pakistan’s advantage. They will be flat and conducive to spin, which will help the recalled veter- an Mushtaq Ahmed and the rising star Danish Kaneria, Pakistan’s frontline spinners. In contrast, the England at- tack is built around the pace of Harmison and Flintoff, who will find it hard going on flat pitches. It is a huge blow that Simon Jones is unavailable for the tour;; on roughed-up pitches, his reverse swing had the potential to cause substantial damage. Ashley Giles is our only spinner with any test match experience, and his role has always been to contain, rather than to hunt for wickets. I feel Alex Loudon is not ready for the inter- national arena, whilst Shaun Udal will not cause the Pakistani bats- men many sleepless nights.
7 ÛiÃÊ Õ `Ê7 ÀÌ }Ì Ê>ÃÊ«ÀiÃÃÕÀiÊ Õ ÌÃÊ Ê ÀÜ V Ê ÌÞ "Y 7),, !,&/2$ 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 It has not been a good couple of weeks for Norwich City football club. The Canaries are lagging in 17th place in the Championship after losing four of their last five games. They have also been knocked out of the Carling Cup by Birmingham City. The idea of reaching the play-offs seems like a distant dream. Wolves compounded an awful month for manager Worthington as they ran out easy winners on
Saturday. First half goals from Seol and Ganea sealed victory to end Wolves’ own six match winless run. It was another lacklustre performance by City;; they created very few chances and struggled to find any rhythm. There have also been losses to Sheffield Wednesday, QPR and Luton. The performance at home to fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday was particularly disappointing. The Canaries created a number of chances, with Ashton posing a constant threat. They just failed to get that vital goal and Wednesday scored with
11 minutes to go. The fans showed their dissatisfaction at the final whistle as Worthington’s former club heaped even more pressure upon him. The only respite for the club was a home win against Cardiff City. The three points came courtesy of a comical own goal from visiting keeper Neil Alexandra. It seems the majority of fans didn’t care how the result came in the end.The recent defeat by Wolves has left the vultures circling over Worthington. Many sections of the fans have already showed their distaste for some of
the Norwich performances this season. In support of Worthington, he has previously done an extremely good job. He has signed a number of good players at bargain prices and helped establish Norwich as a top club. However, results need to start improving very quickly. Sheffield United and Reading are running away with the league;; the automatic promotion places already seem out of reach. If Norwich continue in the vein of recent performances then it seems safety will be more of an issue than promotion.
ÕÀÀ>ÞÊ ii«ÃÊÌ iÊ Þ«iÊ} } "Y 345!24 (!22)3/. 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 It has been described as the chang- ing of the guard, as the end of an era, as irrefutable evidence of a shift in power at the top of British tennis which has been underway since Andrew Murray burst onto the scene at Wimbledon. A first round match at the Swiss Indoor tournament became the most talked-about tennis match since Murray’s fitness betrayed him against David Nalbandian, when he was drawn against his boyhood hero and British number one Tim
Henman. The first set presented the last tennis year in a perfect and suc- cinct demonstration of the play- er’s varying fortunes. The energy and enthusiasm of Murray was too much for a distinctly ring rusty Tim Henman, who, having just re- turned from injury, looked off the pace as Murray dominated and took the first set 6-2. Henman’s experience came to the fore in the second set as he dug in and cut the errors out of his game. Some uncharacteristic errors from Mur- ray gave Henman the chance to break, which he took, taking the
second set 7-5. The tense third set went to and fro, with neither player be- ing able to take control. As the match went to a final set tie-break, it seemed that Henman’s experi- ence and know-how would be too much for the youthful energy of Murray. However, it was Mur- ray who stepped up to dominate the tie-break, producing some of his best shots since the first set. As the ball agonisingly bounced over the net to leave Henman no chance of returning and 3-0 down, it became clear that this was Mur- ray’s day. He showed just why he
is so highly regarded as he com- fortably took the tie-break 7-4. Anyone watching this final set could be forgiven for thinking that it was Andrew Murray who had been Britain’s number one player for years. As more people start to question how much longer Hen- man has left at the top, Murray’s star continues to rise. He looked visibly shaken at having beaten his boyhood idol, but if he continues to defy his years and so impres- sively dispatch his more-expe- rienced opponents, Murray will soon find himself an idol to a new generation of British tennis fans.
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4HE ATHLETICS TRACK AT 3PORTSPARK A TRAINING GROUND FOR YOUNG RUNNERS
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 -!2#53 */.%3 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 Chris Hoy, Ben Ainslie, Shirley Robertson. These names may ring a bell in your mind, but I would be happy to wager a fair few quid on the fact that the bell sounds very distant and somewhat un- memorable, when compared to the cacophony of noise that might be stimulated by the mention of Kelly Holmes, or the British 4x100m team. The point here is that despite the immense exploits of British competitors to bring home gold in the velodrome, on the water or in any other Olympic arena for that matter, it is always the athletics stadium that takes centre stage and seems to create the most lasting image of any Ol- ympiad. As such, the state of British athletics, exemplified this year by the poorest World Championship display ever, is becoming some- thing more than a mild concern. When Britain takes its place in the spotlight in 2012, Paula Radcliffe, Kelly Holmes and Darren Camp- bell will no longer be around. Is there a distinct possibility then that the joy of hosting the ultimate
sporting spectacle in the world may be tempered by a lack of Brit- ish presence in the major athletics finals? Fear not, as hope springs eternal in the guise of two six- teen-year-olds, Emily Pidgeon and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey. Pidg- eon, a long distance runner, im- pressed many in 2005 by claiming the 5000m gold at the European Junior Championships, whilst Aryeetey was perhaps even more impressive in executing the sprint double (100m and 200m) at the World Youth Championships. However, British victory at junior level has been witnessed before;; Tim Benjamin won the 200m at the Youth Championships in 1999 and Mark Lewis Francis secured victory in the 100m a year later. Since then neither of these ath- letes have exactly set the athlet- ics world alight. Indeed, the only thing Lewis Francis appears to have been setting alight are spliffs – he tested positive for cannabis earlier this year, displaying a side to his character which may pre- vent him from becoming a medal winning prospect. So should we expect anything different from Aryeetey? Or will he be another big talking, gun toting
sprinter who, when asked to duel against the world’s best blinks, is that split second too slow and therefore receives a fatal bul- let wound to his confidence that shatters a fragile career before it even truly begins. Evidence, so far, suggests the contrary. Aryeetey is remaining at school to study for his A-levels, indicating a sound- ness of mind that Lewis Francis evidently lacks. Furthermore, even when winning races, Lewis Fran- cis never ran startlingly quickly, whereas Aryeetey’s winning time of 20.91s in the 200m suggests a genuine pace that will inevitably serve him well. His compatriot Pidgeon per- haps has an even harder task, battling the normal mental and physical demons which confront any athlete and then attempting to overcome the formidable bar- rier provided by African runners, which always blocks the path to success at any distance event. Nonetheless, she has already re- ceived high praise from Paula Rad- cliffe and as distance runners tend to peak later in life than sprinters, by showing such early promise perhaps she will indeed be joining Aryeetey in forging some lasting memories for us in 2012.
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$PODSFUF Wednesday November 9 2005
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ary down the left wing and Sophie Clarke and Fai Msellem down the right. Strikers Sally Hammerton and Jo Woodger worked hard but had little to do for much of the
first half with the Loughborough defence cutting out many of the through balls. The best chance of the half for UEA came from a move down the left wing;; good link up play from Nat let Sally in
on goal and, under pressure from the Loughborough defence, a shot across goal went just wide of the far post. However, that was the only real chance and despite battling on UEA conceded a further 9 goals. Following a grilling at half time from Coach Simon Norton UEA came out fighting. Abby Rotwein and Lisa Earl in Defence both put in strong performances, cutting the Loughborough strik- ers out of the game. Captain Linda Chilton and Lisa Caswell played some excellent balls from midfield to the strikers and substitute Fran Cripps had a shot saved by the Loughborough keeper. UEA kept much of the play in the Loughborough half and were unlucky to let in a further 3 goals as the balance of play had clearly tipped in UEA’s favour. Following this second half performance UEA should feel confident going into next weeks match against Worces- ter.
which Subbuteo players would not have felt out of place, the team never played to their potential, falling behind to a header from a corner. By this stage Nick Gaskell had already missed a header from six yards and as such he felt it neces- sary to remind us that he can in fact score as he converted a sump- tuous cross from Chris Gunn. There was an element of fortune to the goal as the ball had gone out of play before Gunn executed the cross. The Northampton play- ers, who managed to sustain a constant and exceedingly tedi- ous whine throughout the match were, for once, understandably
upset leading Craig Boyle-Smith to predict that the referee might try and even things up in the second half. It seems that Craig is clearly wasted on his law degree and should take up fortune telling im- mediately as his prediction proved sadly correct. UEA really ought to have crushed Northampton early in the second half, but they simply never strung more than three passes to- gether. What was even more per- turbing, though, was the fact that Northampton regained the lead with a carbon copy of their first goal – worry not, set piece train- ing has already been scheduled for Monday.
Northampton’s third came on the counter attack as UEA pressed forward for the equaliser. Although the goal was well taken, the scorer was patently offside but the referee chose to ignore this and the enthusiastic flag waving of linesman Paolo Cerroni and he awarded the goal. UEA did score a second through Marcus Jones but it was academic and after the final whis- tle they were forced to endure a rather tuneless and lyrically poor chant by the victorious North- ampton players. If only to prevent this torture ever being inflicted on them again the 2nd’s must return to their winning ways, quickly.
offered more words of wisdom after the race, saying that “it was another wonderful performance from the team”. In the men’s A team Andy and Glen were backed up with good runs from Calum (7th) and Johnny Lee (12th). It was good to see Johnny back to full fitness after he struggled in the last race with a heavy cold.
Meanwhile, in the women’s A team Jess was joined by Sarah Ain- slie (4th), Jemma Thake (7th) and Francessca Lee (13th). Despite it being her first race of the season, Sarah ran well to finish in fourth. Sprint finish of the day went to Rob Green, who finished strongly in the last 100 metres to hold on to 17th position. Another good in- dividual performance came from
Paul Smart (14th), who is improv- ing with every race. The team are back in action on the 16th of No- vember when they travel to Great Yarmouth for the third competi- tion of the league. Other results: Men – Glen Richardson (25th), Ally McGeocth Williams (34th), Borgel Greena- way (57th). Women – Emily Wildon (16th), Lisa Sammons (22nd).
"Y 3!,,9 (!--%24/. After an excellent win against Not- tingham University last week, the UEA ladies knew that to continue form and get a result today would mean a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck against a strong Lough- borough 2nd team on their home turf. Loughborough went into the game top of the league with a goal difference of 22 in just 2 games. Injuries hit the UEA team hard with at least 4 first choice players unable to play. Much of the UEA team were playing together for the first time but still they travelled to Loughborough with the hope of giving a good game and with the opportunity to force a big upset. It was an uphill battle from the start, however, against a team that had clearly been playing together for years. Loughborough used their wide players well. Switching
5%! LADIES FOOTBALL TEAM the play created space and split the UEA defence with excellent passes through midfield to the strikers. It wasn’t long before they scored the first goal, with a cross
from the left over keeper Kather- ine Parry finding an unmarked Loughborough striker. UEA looked to create their own chances with good movement between Marisha Nozdryn-Plotnicki and Nat Janu-
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After leaving it late to snatch all three points last week against Ox- ford Brookes, the UEA 1st XI found solace in similar tactics against De Montfort (Bedfordshire) with a penalty two minutes from time to give UEA a well-deserved 2-1 victory. In all honesty it could have been far more comfortable for UEA, who went off like a fire- cracker, striking the bar within the first minute. Striker Duncan White began to make life particularly un-
comfortable for the De Montfort defenders, as he harassed and harangued them at every avail- able opportunity, but UEA were unable to convert their pressure into any clear cut chances. It was therefore left to Andy Matlock to create something out of nothing, which he very nearly did with a thirty yard bullet which demanded an impressive save from the home goalkeeper. As is so often the case with a team under pressure, a set piece provides relief. A rare foray into UEA territory saw De Montfort win a corner, from which a well directed header saw the Bedford- shire side take the lead.
It was to be a lead that they maintained until the final ten minutes when Adam Hibbert slid the ball to Duncan White and his peach of a lob restored parity. Sensing victory, UEA threw men forward and De Montfort pan- icked, resulting in a rash tackle by one of their defenders in the area. The referee quite correctly pointed to the spot and Nicki Young non- chalantly tucked the ball home to seal the victory. Victory is something that has eluded the 2nd XI in the past week as they followed on from two frus- trating 1-1 draws with a 3-2 defeat to Northampton. On a pitch upon
8 V Õ ÌÀÞÊÌi> ÊV Ì ÕiÊÜ }ÊÜ>ÞÃ "Y *%--! 4(!+% 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 The UEA cross country team continued their domination of the East Anglia Cross Country League (EACCL) by winning both the men’s and women’s races last Wednesday. Andy Whetstone made it an
impressive two wins in a row, while club president Jess Trow- bridge enjoyed victory on her first race of the season. Andy was fol- lowed home by Glen Watts who improved on his performance two weeks ago to finish in an excellent second place. The team of 16 athletes pro- duced some excellent perform- ances in the second fixture of the
>` Ì ÊÛ VÌ À ÕÃÊ "Y -!44(%7 2%!9 The UEA men’s badminton team played their first away game of the season against De Montfort 1st, Leicester. De Montfort were gifted a 2-0 headstart becuase UEA were a man short and to further exac- erbate matters, playing conditions were not of a great standard due to a low ceiling and hall tempera- tures of 26 degrees centigrade. The match took another turn for the worse after UEA’s singles player, Matthew Reay, lost his first game to their number one. UEA then needed to win all their remaining five games to secure victory, a particularly daunting task after captain Ian Bayes’ initial comment that ‘they’re amazing, they’re going to win the league’. UEA looked all but down and out but their two doubles teams, Iain Bayes playing with Ian Jame-
son and Chris Armstrong playing with Joe Webb, played admirably and won their first round of dou- bles matches. With the score now 3-2 to De Montfort, the reverse doubles were played: victory in both was essential. With mounting pressure on both sides and nerves on the sidelines jangling, Joe and Chris showed their superior prow- ess on court to beat their doubles oppponents, leaving the two Ians to gain the advantage. Tempers were high and the air was warm with anticipation. After a marathon struggle, UEA overcame their opponents with an amazing array of deft dropshots and sublime smashes. UEA, now 4-3 up, sealed victory when Mat- thew Reay cruised through his singles match and claimed an his- toric comback. It was a victory of epic proportions and leaves spirits high for their next match against De Montfort 2nd next week.
EACCL at RAF Wattisham, Suffolk. Despite being made to wait 40 minutes in wet and windy condi- tions while the organisers sorted out problems with the course route, the team managed to pro- duce some outstanding perform- ances. Cross country captain Calum Nicol used the delay to inspire his team with a pre-race speech. He
< }}ÕÀ>Ì\Ê9 Õ½ÀiÊ ÌÊ Õ > Ê vÊÞ ÕÊ >Ûi ½ÌÊÌÀ i`Ê Ì°°° "Y -!2#53 */.%3 30/243 #/22%30/.$%.4 It’s not the Olympics, it’s not the FA Cup, it’s not even BUSA, but it is fun. What am I talking about? It can only be the wonderful, the fantastical and the ever eventful Ziggurat challenge! For those not in the loop I am here to beckon you into the homely world of Ziggurat compe- tition. The premise is this: every Tuesday from 5-7pm (normally at the Sportspark) the various schools of the University compete in a new sporting endeavour in order to win pride, prestige and, most importantly, points. The real beauty of it is that anyone can get involved, even if you’re more Ken Hom than Kelly Holmes in the sporting arena. In fact, you can even gain points just for coming along to support your school.
Teams get to play one joker, which doubles your points on one event during the year, so it is im- portant to pick wisely. Your team’s cause can also be greatly helped if your Head of School is sportily inclined, as they can acquire some serious points on the depart- ment’s behalf. Combat has already taken place in a fun-run round the lake, volleyball and table tennis, with swimming, archery, athletics and much more to follow. I’m sure all of you can spare a couple of hours on a Tuesday evening (and you can still make the LCR afterwards), so if you would like to get involved try and find out who your sports rep is in your school or alterna- tively contact Rachel Tomes at r.tomes@uea.ac.uk, who I am sure will be able to answer any queries you may have. And remember its not zzzzzzzzz, its Ziggurat!
Leaders Board Ziggurat Inter-School Challenge 2005/2006 (updated 27th Oct) Position School Joker Total points 1st CAP 240 2nd ENV 220 3rd MED 215 4th BIO 204 5th = DEVPSS & MGT 196 7th LIT & AMS & FTV 194 8th MUSIC & ART Table Tennis 191 9th LAW & ECO 188 10th MTH & NAM 184 11th EDU 180 12th AHP & CMP 179 13th HIS & LLT 155 14th PHI & PSI 106
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$PODSFUF Wednesday November 9 2005
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4HE 5%! FUTSAL ! AND " TEAM WHO TURNED A TOURNAMENT INTO A SHOW OF 5%! DOMINANCE
Concrete Prize Crossword #71 ACROSS 1. Heavy wind and rain (5) 7. Creatures from another planet (6) 8. Unwell (3) 9. Detective (6) 10. White liquid of infected tissue (3) 13. Hormone-producing organ (5) 15. Raw fish (5) 18. Colour of environmentalists (5) 22. Eat food greedily, Banquet (5) 24. Unit of computer data, used one’s teeth (3) 25. Leather around an animal’s neck (6) 26. The Australian’s term for an Englishmen (3) 27. Wool, to rip off or rob (6) 28. Containing nothing (5)
DOWN 1. An insect’s attack (5) 2. The reason we went to war in Iraq (allegedly) (3) 3. A fungus growing on food (5) 4. Principles, numbers (6) 5. Rub a lamp & you get three (6) 6. Star of Blade, Wesley ____ (6) 9. Serpent (5) 11. Travel over snow with sticks (3) 14. Scornful facial expression (4) 16. Below (5) 17. The noise made by 9 down (4) 18. Mouth, spit (3) 19. Glorify, honour virtues (6) 20. Metallic element, US coin (6) 21. Murderer (6) 22. Comedy based on satire or ridiculous situations (5) 23. Rock opera by The Who, a sub- machine gun (5) 26. American fizzy soft drink, mainstream music (3)
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The UEA Futsal club recently trav- elled to Rotherham to take part in a tournament organised by a local college-based club, Rotherham Athletic. While official BUSA futsal does not exist, despite endeavours to introduce it, such events are crucial to university sides. They provide a competitive outlet, and a useful forum to discuss develop- ments and plan future meetings. After a lengthy journey and a late arrival on Friday night, the two UEA teams were still able to put in an improvised training session to gain some last minute practice and work on tactics before the start of the competition proper. The tournament’s participants were divided into two groups, sep- arating the UEA teams. Each squad would be able to watch the other play, spying out potentially strong opposition and identifying play- ers who could pose a threat later on. Neither UEA team got off to a winning start, the As losing out to the hosts despite having taken the lead, and the Bs being denied a win over old rivals York University by an equaliser in the dying sec- onds. However, results improved dramatically as the teams settled into their respective tactical plans. The As, with an attacking lineup, drew their next match and then beat York’s other entrant 2-1, both goals coming from newcomer Tim Wilson. Meanwhile the Bs set out a solid defensive base and looked to counter. This paid off with a
3-2 win over Rotherham B, this time the last-minute goal going in UEA’s favour. They followed this with a satisfying 2-0 win over York in the return game, and ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in the last group game. This meant they qualified for the final having conceded only three goals in four matches. The As initial defeat put them under more pressure, but they re- sponded in the best possible way, gaining their revenge over Rother- ham with an emphatic 5-1 victory and reaching the final in style. It was therefore an all-UEA tourna- ment decider, a clash between the creativity of the As and the counter-attacking of the Bs. The loss of the Bs keeper at the end of the group stages forced the loan of a York stand-in, equally able, but this upset the Bs team ethic and rhythm. Perhaps fittingly for a sport designed to reward flair and spontaneity, the As made the most of their opportunities, eventually cruising to a 6-1 victory. Honours were evened out somewhat as far as overall goal-scoring was con- cerned, Wilson and the Bs Gary O’Donoghue sharing the golden boot with 6 each during the com- petition. Both teams were impres- sive representatives of the club, and the first tournament success brought the trophy back to Nor- wich. Hopefully this will spur the club onto even greater achieve- ments on the court in future, and will encourage the development of the game within the university structure.
Set by Franky Frankenson Sponsored by the "WFOVF #PPLTIPQ
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