VAMPIRE VACATION Transylvania isn’t just about the living dead. Concrete discovers a country alive with culture.
CELEBRITIES AND THE CHARITY CAUSE What positive impact does celebrity endorsement really have? OPINIONS PAGE 10
ISSUE 237
TRAVEL PAGE 17
TUESDAY 12th JANUARY 2010
www.concrete-online.co.uk
IS STRIPPING WORTH IT? An anonymous writer provides a candid report about the realities of stripping to support your studies. FEATURES PAGE 12
UEA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
FREE
STUDENTS TO FUND BUDGET DEFICIT? Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announces plans to cut millions from university budgets. Politicians will look to tuition fees review to plug the spending gap, says NUS President Wes Streeting. cuts will be distributed had not yet been made, but with the cuts almost certain to
David Churchill The Government has announced that the Treasury
the UK houses only 1% of responsible for producing 8%
university ledgers, it is feared of 12%, a record second only
the UK by a total of £600 million. The details of the
will be transferred onto students in the form of higher being one of these centres of excellence for producing
the Government’s pre-Budget report in December, which also stated that the cuts will become entrenched in public spending policy by 2012-2013. The announcement has prompted widespread
“some vice-chancellors and
about which areas will be
compete on a global scale.
students.
the UK currently lies second in a league of countries which are most important to
Labour’s
Higher
fees” would be “disastrous”. But the proposed cuts have coincided with the ongoing independent review
fees to plug the spending gap”. The proposals have also caused concerns as to whether
funding being conducted by Lord Browne. It is believed that he will now be forced to recommend that the
the UEA is likely to become
stands at £3,225 a year, in order
of
‘real term’ funding levels. The current funding system operates according to a “unit of resource” scheme
the
proposed
cuts.
Students’ Union voiced their concerns over the impact that “such vicious cuts” would have on UEA students
Sheppard, predicts “serious repercussions on the quality
it has been calculated will be reduced by approximately £1,000 per student, per annum, once the cuts have
at UEA, adding that any Lammy, emphasised that decisions about how the
research in the world. Despite the fact that
gap with an increase in student
CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
WINTER SNOW CASTS ITS SPELL OVER UEA STUDENTS FOR PICTURES OF CAMPUS TURN TO PAGE 11 THE EFFECT ON STUDENTS TURN TO PAGE 3
THE BIG SWITCH-OFF: NORWICH STREETS LEFT IN THE DARK Streetlights
Nick Church Norfolk County leaders are to press controversial plans cash and reduce
Council on with to save carbon
around 27,000 streetlights across Norfolk and over 7,000 in Norwich itself. The plans, which would replace lights with
would
be
included numerous streets
used to determine areas of low crime and in trials in other areas, such as Essex, there has been no record of increased crime, according to the County Council report.
streets that have busy night-
member for Community Safety and Cohesion, voiced concerns
we not having a one in three
as well as those with high rates of crime and accidents. Police
the proposal on January 6th and has called the plans
make for a greater saving, but without the risk of robbery,
12am, have been met with strong resistance from City Councillors, including a councillor responsible for community safety and cohesion. It would cost the County Council £274,000 over the
hours of 12am and 5am in
the Council will save £167,000 each year.
low incidents of crime and
solely by cost-savings. “All over the south of the City, in the Golden Triangle, Lakenham, Tuckswood and Eaton, whole streets are to of the University ward will
muggings or worse in our blacked out streets.” of Norwich City Council said: “[There are] concerns that reduced hours of street risks for crime and disorder and road safety and there is
may be. These concerns are CONTINUES ON PAGE 6