THE ALTERNATIVE 2009 OBITUARY
THE MANY USES OF BEER
Read about the eight people you never knew you’d miss FEATURES PAGE 12
ISSUE 240
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Concrete investigates the British love-affair with beer FOOD PAGE 18
UEA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
FREE
STUDENTS WOULD PAY MORE FOR DEGREE A recent student survey has shown over 50% of students are willing to pay up to £5,000 for a degree. Concrete survey mirrors national survey’s result with 8% saying they were willing to pay up to £7,000. Andrea Stromskag
also did not see themselves
genuinely variable fees would It is clear that students from
A recent survey conducted by the Opinionpanel research group shows that over half of students are willing to pay
a small factor for the answers women and those from some surprising eight percent said they were willing to pay over
fee paying schools and 54%
to answer if paying fees up to
found that the most important driver in encouraging students to pay more for fees was the
them from going to university a similar survey on students answered that this would would consider paying more in fees for their degrees if it meant that they would receive a higher salary once they
to the survey saying that would have stopped them
The results from the UEA
answered that they would be variable fees depending on the One in four UEA students
recorded
and
considered
is valuable evidence of how
CONTINUED PAGE 3
ZIMBABWEAN CRICKETER HENRY OLONGA COACHES UEA CRICKET TEAM FOR FULL ARTICLE TURN TO PAGE 4
UEA SCORES HIGHLY AMONGST ITS CRUMBLING COMPETITORS Chris King such as the London School of 3% of UEA buildings scoring a In a survey recently compiled by the Higher
41% of its lecture theatres and buildings have been deemed buildings
state of buildings at UEA has compared favourably with
at
UEA
were
with 78% achieving a ‘B’ purpose” achieving the same grade
Laura Smith
by
university
of the report include such
buildings termed inoperable
CONTINUED PAGE 6
2 NEWS
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
UEA “OUTSTANDING” AT MODEL UN CONFERENCE
GOTCHA!
Mark Shead Happy 22nd Birthday!
contents NEWS
1-6
TURF
8
OPINIONS
10 - 11
FEATURES
12 - 14
EDITORIAL
15
INTERNATIONAL
16
TRAVEL
17
FOOD
18 - 19
FOCSOC
20
LIFESTYLE
21
SPORT
22 - 24
Well Done Kiron!
UEA’S RESEARCH REPUTATION QUESTIONED David Churchill
Celebrate special moments with a Gotcha!
NEWS 3
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
“How important is the personality of politicians FOOD FOR THOUGHT you vote for?” asks Heather Crowley Jonathan Brady because they’ve faded from the media spotlight.” Diverse and cultured UEA students gathered last Friday to support a fundraising dinner on behalf of the charity group RedR, which provides disaster relief by training aid workers across the world. Sunmi Kim, ENV student and organiser of the event in
Tom, PSI 3
Angharad, LIT 3
Ian, HIS 3
Amy, LIT 3
“I think it’s very important because that’s the person
“I think it is very important because you are talking to the people and you can’t engage
“It’s important but not the most important factor. Personality has an effect on someone’s policies and the direction the politician is likely to direct their country in, but the line has to be drawn where logic and pure ability has to come into it. “I think too much has been made of the incident where Brown cried publicly, as well as the bullying allegations.”
“I think that whilst it is important to have a good
your country. Nowadays the their policies and have gone a lot more centre. “I wouldn’t like to see it being as important as it is in America, with as much money
promote themselves as more approachable.”
“I was disappointed with the Brown bullying thing because no one should ever act like that to get what they want but I’m not sure on the sources [validity], but with the crying on Piers Morgan’s show that is totally irrelevant
think people should overlook manifesto and policies of the
that it has come to light now [the Brown bullying every work place and I don’t understand why he’s being targeted personally.”
STUDENTS WOULD PAY MORE FOR DEGREE CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE survey was gathered from members of Opinionpanel’s student panel who were
2006 – 2009. Speaking to David Sheppard,
Concrete Academic
Students, said the results were
research shows is university is a good investment. If you’re looking at it in purely
it may deter people from more disadvantaged backgrounds.”
make sense to this much. “I have concerns however, that it will impact those
campaigning for free university
backgrounds. There is a danger
term at university between
Would you consider paying m ore fees for a higher salary?
Would fees of £5000 have stopped you from going to university?
by a network of volunteers who prepared, cooked and catered for the event and oversaw the assortment of
from “What island do both Republic share in common?” to the obvious “What country does ravioli originate from?” Blackberrys and iPhones especially lit up for the last
to edify the guests about the over 80 guests, meals ranged from Thai noodles to Victoria Sponge. From the outset, the message was clear “Donate – then grab a plate.” RedR is a leading charity group that supports aid ranging from the crisis in Darfur to the more recent volunteered on a six month placement in London experience of RedR’s training scheme; it aims to foster basic skills that can be taught as
the evening. One person described the Sunmi added, “I want people to leave tonight knowing they humanitarian
aid
sectors,
themselves”. The evening managed to raise over £300 and Sunmi would like to thank all those who volunteered
special thanks to DEV students Tristan Willis, Sally said, “We want people to be aware of the ongoing humanitarian crises that we
shan Lee, Chiaki Furukawa, Koh for their support.
said “if we want the fairest access system then a no fees policy in the only way forward.”
Ella Chappel
What is the m axim um you w ould be w illing to pay?
4%
28%
7%
40%
25% up to 3000
YES
YES
NO
NO 60%
up to 4000 up to 5000 up to 7000
38%
over 7000 26%
72%
01603 625 825 FREE DELIVERY TILL LATE
NORMAL WEEKDAYS
SUNDAY & TUESDAY SPECIALS
DOUBLE DEALS
DOUBLE DEALS
ANY 2 x 9” PIZZA ANY 2 x 12” PIZZA ANY 2 x 15” PIZZA
£9.30 £11.90 £16.90
ANY 2 x 9” PIZZA ANY 2 x 12” PIZZA 9” GARLIC CHEESE BREAD
£8.50 £10.90 £16.90
4 NEWS
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
MUSLIM STUDENTS SURVEY across England are being asked to take part in a survey to provide an accurate picture of their experiences on campus. The survey has been
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
UNIVERSITY BAN AMNESTY DEMONSTRATION Nick Church
lecturer in LAW and a specialist
periods. and students going about their usual business. Concerns
The University has refused permission for UEA students
basis for their refusing a also be another student explaining the reason for the
concerns that people may convenience are paramount
essence in cases like this is
permission
for
anything
in the proposed Checkpoint and because it could
checkpoints. students - for example events University
has
ruled
the
Union of Students and the possibility for an appeals
primarily on the basis that some may feel pressure
your rights should be limited. “What evidence do they
such cases. survey is being conducted
University that the staged seen part of the campus
independent
research being blocked by a cardboard
and “checkpoint itself could
right of peaceful assembly contained in the Human Rights Act of 1998 and in some cases there might be
The results of the survey peaceful protests. A spokesperson at UEA subjected to such procedures requests for any events and
Talking
about
the
FEARS OVER UEA-SPONSORED CITY ACADEMY Gordon Malloy
“Accurate and robust research is needed more than ever today for Muslim students to
an independent school and
Sponsorship for the City Academy on Earlham Road
responsibility if the plans fail placing this on the ministers themselves.
unitary status. The unitary change doesn’t have any
City Council is given its unitary status by the government’s UEA and City College.
The change to unitary status is to be challenged legally by
Government department. as Devon County Council in
to complete an anonymous Council sits as a trustee for internet survey of students from all backgrounds is also
compared.
LONDON FUNDING UEA has announced that it
Strategic Carbon Management.
unitary status. They hope for
the school and quality of
the senior civil servant for
alongside UEA and City College.
give them control over schools making it more natural for this council to sit as trustees for the school. Greg Mann
have been raised over City
Mr. Housden had asked
ZIMBABWEAN DISSIDENT COACHES UEA CRICKET TEAM Heather Crowley
is based at the university’s London study centre is designed to enhance experience of issues arising from the reality of climate
has spoke out reassuring parents that unitary status
Speaking
about
the
to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in
a black armband alongside a black armband in the Cricket World Cup in protest over the releasing an album in 2006.
environments.
coach cricket and give a public talk.
carries the death penalty. He
the death of democracy in our Casper Palmano
issue of Concrete.
6 NEWS
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
LEEDS STRIKE PUTS NATIONAL FOCUS ON UNI CUTS
VOICES FROM GREECE
Chris King by
Louis de Bernieres, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, is to give readings from the translated works of Yannis Ritsos, one of Greece’s most popular poets. Mr. Ritsos, who died in 1990, won the Lenin Peace Prize and the centenary of his birth was celebrated worldwide in 2009. The event Voices from Greece, will see other esteemed professors give talks and readings of the poet’s work and there will also be music using Ritsos’ poetry performed by the Greek Ensemble. Co-organised by the School of Language and UEA, the event will take place at 4pm on Sunday February 28th, in Lecture Theatre one. Entrance is free and all are welcome. For further Anagnostopoulou-Banakas at h.anagnostopoulou@uea.ac.uk
NUS ANNUAL CONFERENCE The Union of UEA Students
Workers at the University of Leeds are set to hold a series of one-day strikes in protest against cuts to higher
emphasising
that
having lost their jobs and the possibility of further
avert a campus-wide strike. Despite this, tensions remain within the student body over whether to support the LUU
may be unavoidable.
solidarity to the UCU. The Leeds protests
scheduled protests, UCU plans to hold a regional rally
the issue of cuts to higher
cuts to a number of areas, statement spoke of the need to “work with the UCU to
were ongoing in order to
support from a number of groups, including Youth Fight for Jobs, who organised a around 100 students in Leeds town centre on 13th February,
has been opposed by the Leeds
organized by the Runnymede
appropriate to ban items of
of a series of debates that are due to be staged across the country, focusing on race
hijab. As well as these more general race issues, the panel were asked what one thing they would do to make Norfolk a more racially united county. Norman Lamb and
cohesion. Issues raised included the
the importance of role models for black and ethnic minority
Clarke, MP Norman Lamb,
of
the
“shocking”
found between schools in London and schools in Norfolk where they had witnessed scenes of racial abuse in the
whilst an LSE spokesperson stated “we have a 10-year £200 million capital plan class campus commensurate with our academic standing”. Despite this even those
believed that ethnic minority footballers from Norwich City
represented
involvement for the under-
that racism could be stamped out early on.
whom the survey’s outcome was mostly favourable, look set for a struggle to maintain such high standards as grants for capital projects, such as the
STUDENTS SHOULD BE DRUG TESTED SAYS EXPERT
are set to be cut by 14.9% in the academic year 20102011. When added to the vast
Samir Jerag and community Development, and Welfare.
to
educate
how they would improve the chaired by senior BBC reporter Clive Lewis. The event was
and whether it would ever be
David Churchill
the University of Cambridge consider introducing random drug tests for students that
amongst students. The substances have been dubbed “smart drugs” since they are used to increase the brain’s alertness and
could gain an unfair advantage over their peers in academic assessments. Many “students who don’t use them feel this
should at least discuss.” Sabakian believes that their
of brain enhancing drugs. Speaking at a lecture before
before 2pm on 26th this Friday.
spoke
that hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent on improving estates since the report was compiled. A spokesperson for Imperial College London, for instance, revealed that “over the last three years, the college has spent on average £100 million annually to provide the
in areas such as Norfolk within the police. The panellists
24th Feb, 2pm in the Part-Time
and
across the country have defended the quality of
urging them to get involved in Members of the public were given a chance to quiz
Metropolitan
including lecture theatres and libraries, deemed inoperable. Following these
MPs TALK ABOUT RACE RELATIONS IN NORWICH Lucy Moore
seen at least 10% of their buildings categorised as inoperable and at serious risk of collapse. The worst
Leeds
unemployment and cuts to
week. The panel, which featured
to Union Council for approval.
have built up” since coming to power.
10% of buildings have been judged as being below the
as part of its “Defend jobs,
Time’ style debate was held at
and
is despite Lord Mandelson’s assurance that Labour were not prepared to “undo the colossal investment that we
sector spending cuts on our
Annual Conference.
amendments
The survey reveals that in more across the country may be at risk and describing the
scheduled to take place on and 4th of March. The strikes are part of a campaign against compulsory redundancies and the
UEA BUILDINGS CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE
First’, a campaign designed to encourage students to email
resolve the funding crisis
losses. The strikes, led by members of the University
week discussing the various
possible
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
Barbara Sabakian warned that the use of drugs such as Ritalin
emphasised must be addressed , is that consumers of the drug
which students can obtain “smart drugs” via the internet is seen as compounding the issue. A poll which recently featured in Nature magazine
suggested that as many as purchase and consume “smart drugs” in order to improve and other related academic tests. “If these drugs become legal”, said Sabakian, “it will
million recently announced by the government, the signs for the future are anything but encouraging. Nevertheless UEA havs undergone or is currently
projects on buildings such as the Thomas Paine Lecture
looked at”.
Medicine, both on Chancellors Road.
8 TURF
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk
UEA Amnesty supports Burmese political prisoners Joshua Allen At 1pm on Wednesday 16th February, UEA Amnesty members staged a die-in
military regime which has remained in power ever
signatures for the release of
became one of the world’s
another mass movement led the army and police in these peaceful protests, including with protesters beaten, shot the military junta promised
The following day, Amnesty
discontent with the regime
Japanese the
1988
protests,
journalist
Kenji
with
in the Hive in solidarity currency notes not divisible San Suu Kyi winning by a number; this bizarre decree is Newsweek called “an amalgam of Myanmar by the military junta in 1989, is the largest country
immediately annulled by the More recently, the protests
Student
protests
1962 by a nominally socialist
The government’s removal of fuel subsidies, causing the price of fuel to double almost instantly, precipitated
Norwich carbon-cutters A new form of lifestyle ‘greening’ has reached
a
be appearing on campus
environmental sustainability
community
unit
called Rosemary Randall and
household
energy,
important trade routes for
and therefore pressure on goods and the repayment of is
certainly
an
obstacle, massive debts of Western
Conservation psychology Spouses hate to be constantly
big plans to get these groups going across the city and the to their lifestyles to help them tread more lightly on
community has failed to put
occurred
some 500,000 people marched for democracy in
local
range; his camera was never returned despite Japanese
employees
feel
twinges of culpability when the habitats of pandas are demolished before their very
disgruntled psychology has uncovered, such guilt trips may not be
travel,
empowering individuals to act,
similar approach to Weight
to come up with a plan rather than radically altering every aspect of life in the space of
psychology
has
discovered
follow suit, giving in to the campaigns nagging them to Kerry Lane
Community agriculture part of the land through the monthly fee they pay for their
or persuade the public to care
researchers it is vital
So if guilt trips and nagging are not the answer to persuading people to care about the environment, what is?
realised that to understand
Similar systems can be a car onto campus is not encouraged; not only is there
imagery in favour of more upbeat ‘what we can do’
methods of transport are
to major factors involved in eco-friendly campaigns are to
overall campaign is heading in
fares (when buying a bus pass)
out cheaper than using the
feel pressed to adopt costviewers will be familiar with
The basic idea is that the community own the farm; everyone who wants to be
pays someone to farm the land for them, but decide themselves what is grown and can go along to help
the in-vogue eco-responsible these schemes and the only Eco-friendly
that is produced on the land
campaigns
interested in being involved one will dispute its important
Kerry Lane
professionals realised early on that to persuade audiences to buy their products they needed to understand the psyche of
advice may be lost on its target audience because of its ‘doom
useful tools in the eco-friendly
Similarly, adverts run by
be more appropriate; if other
should green causes be any
factor as viewers feel the
are highlighted as a good
Jessica Friend
T
D L U
CO
U O Y
I D E
E R
? E T
NC
CO
Applications are invited for the position of Concrete Editor for the period September 2010 to June 2011. The position is only open to current students at the University of East Anglia, and may be taken as a year out during a degree (intercalation) or directly after graduation. The successful applicant need not have previously been involved in the production of Concrete but must be able to demonstrate the following: - Excellent grammar and editing skills. - Team leadership and management qualities. - Good organisation and time-keeping of a variety of duties. - An understanding of the needs and structure of the Concrete society. - Knowledge of Adobe InDesign CS4 and Photoshop CS4. - A keen eye for design and mistakes. Students interested in applying for the role of Concrete Editor should send a CV with covering letter, a proposal that outlines any plans for or changes to the newspaper (up to 3,000 words), and are also required to produce at least one computer-designed page of Concrete that incorporates any future creative ideas for the newspaper.
ny a e e av leas . h p te u yo ries ncre uk. f I ue . o q ail c a.ac e em r@u o it ed
All applications should be sent to the current Editor, Hannah Livingston, by emailing concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk. The closing date for applications is 3pm on Friday 19th March 2010, and interviews will be held on 21st & 22nd April 2010. If you would like to know more about the role of Editor, please come to one of the Q & A sessions: Monday 1st March, 1pm, Concrete office. Friday 12th March, 1pm, Concrete office.
10 COMMENT & OPINION
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk
The crying game As a general election draws ever closer, Davina Kesby looks at the recent tactics of our top politicians in their quest to win both the hearts and minds of the British voting public. Has crying come back into fashion?
Piers Morgan’s Life Stories
“Policies seem to play second fiddle to personalities”
Loose Women. Life Stories
Piers Morgan’s Life Stories
Debate: Should we have electoral reform in the UK? For Jack Brinded The current system used for the UK
Fact box At the moment, the UK
Against Gareth Coventry
uses the first past the post system, or FPTP. The proposed referendum would suggest a change to the alternative vote system, or AV. Single Transferable Vote is considered to be the most proportionately representative system. STV is used in Ireland as well as in our Union elections!
use and ensures that the successful
concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
COMMENT & OPINION 11
NUS delegation Dan Youmans
Standing together The Saucy Sun Duncan Smith
The Sun
The Sun
Hamlet
The Sun
to the Countdown
IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR OPINION THAT YOU WANT TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST ON ANY ISSUE, THEN THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. PLEASE CONTACT CONCRETE.OPINION@UEA. AC.UK AND WE’LL GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!
The Sun
12 FEATURES
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Alternative Obituary 2010 Arnold Stang
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Seven Days’ Leave, My Sister Eileen, The Man with the Golden Arm It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Stang also had recurring roles in TV sitcoms such as The Cosby Show and The School House. As well as Top Cat, Stang provided the voice for Popeye’s nerdy chum and he was also the spokesperson for
Jay Reatard
July 20th 1958 - June 28th 2009
Yves Rocher
May 1st 1980 - January 13th 2010
And the Ones You Probably Know About...
Should you happen upon a TV commercial and enjoy it so much that you’ll endure the people screaming at you at strategic intervals, you’ll
FEATURES 13
You may have noticed that there have been an awful lot of celebrity deaths over the past year. The national press had to find the column inches to pay tribute to the big stars meaning that, inevitably, the deaths of lesser known but incredible individuals missed out on the attention they deserved. Melissa York and Duncan Vicat-Brown pay tribute to these unsung heroes.
Billy Mays
September 28th 1918 - December 20th 2009
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
April 7th 1930 - December 26th 2009
He has been described as a “force in of which are now sold in 88 countries,
in common. The casual, neighbourly
and a generous way with free products; these staples of the direct-response television salesperson were perfected
David Carradine
Maggie Jones
American Actor
Long Time Corrie Star
Walter Cronkite
recipe for a herbal ointment and keeping any of the promises they'd made along the way.’) as well as his
Ted Kennedy
ever since that every ingredient used in
US TV Personality Most famous for being the voice of and was also the spokesperson for Vicks Top Cat, Arnold Stang was actually a
once described himself as looking “like a frightened chipmunk who’s been out in
his trademark. Stang began on radio as a child The Goldbergs through his adolescence. As an adult, Stang worked on a number
Later in his career, Stang was famous for being Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sidekick in the camp comedy classic Hercules in New Yor Dennis the Menace movie. Stang died of pneumonia at the
Pennsylvania, Mays dropped out of university and trained as a salesman travelled all over the United States for 12 years before he was discovered at a
commercials were an instant hit with the public and the network charted a
television salesperson to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, he signed up to be the face of Mexican
called Pitchmen. Sadly, Mays was found dead in his
Television has lost one of its most endearing, passionate characters.
pitch.
Patrick McGoohan
Actor and Comedian
Prisoner Star
Farrah Fawcett
Ed McMahon
Charlie’s Angel
US TV Presenter
Keith Floyd
Ricardo Montalban
TV Chef
Khan from Star Trek
Stephen Gately
Brittany Murphy
the instruments on some of his last recordings.
Edward ‘Umaga’ Fatu
November 12th 1964 - December 26th 2009
March 28th 1973 - December 4th 2009
a shock to all who knew him and his music, and a deeply saddening waste of talent. Jay was found dead at his home in Memphis. Though there were
His given name may be unfamiliar to many, if not all of you, but perhaps some of you will know him by his stage name: Umaga. One of the great
match was in store. The winning streak he enjoyed in this period gave him
Jade Goody
Les Paul Electric Guitar Pioneer
Tony Hart John Hughes Michael Jackson
of his village and stood in regional been working on new material right up the family by passing it on to his son
Wendy Richard
Bea Arthur
accident at the age of 18, he went on to
and acclaimed solo albums.
slipping into a coma. When the news emerged, the community that had supported him and been touched by him joined together in mourning.
remains to this day, completely free and open to the public.
Jett Travolta Sadly, he was rumored to be making a return to professional wrestling just
Unfortunately, his behaviour outside the ring damaged his otherwise
from his WWE contract following his
Maurice Jarre
May 13th 1932 - April 25th 2009
September 13th 1924 - March 28th 2009 Charles in Mam Angela Lansbury. Her career took a turn, however, when she guest-starred as the outspoken liberal feminist All in the Family.
Natasha Richardson
family of Samoan wrestlers: Afa and Sika of The Wild Samoans are his uncles and were his trainers, his older brothers are
Screen Heart-throb
immediately asked: “Who is that girl? Let’s give her her own series.”
Mollie Sugden
notable not only for its popularity, but also for its status as a taboo breaker.
composers of the century. Mostly
in Paris but dropped out, to his father’s extreme displeasure, in favour of music school. However, Jarre proved all his
sitcoms would not, such as Vietnam,
Casey Johnson
Jasmine Fiore
Johnson&Johnson heir,
Swimsuit model, murdered by boyfriend
Last surviving soldier of World War One Trenches
press. Maurice Jarre, born in Lyon,
conductor and, eventually, the director
Son of John
Harry Patch
The death of this musical giant went
originally opted to study engineering
Patrick Swayze
and Japan All Pro Wrestling, but was
and led to some classic matches, such to Athens, Georgia in search of God,
debt.”
natural ingredients were available to everyone and made the products more
and Terror Visions, as well as his solo
Eastenders Stalwart
knew that the sight of his trademark
Vic’s death was sadly overlooked last Christmas, except among enthusiasts of the American underground music scene, but his story is truly inspiring. Though
and he was also a member of the Order of the Ermine.
forensic work revealed that he died of
Stage and Screen Actress
as “one of our greatest songwriters, and one of our greatest voices,” while
boasts about their natural ingredients.
the name by which he was most widely
American Actress
Vic Chesnutt Along the way his talent and spirit helped him befriend fellow
Dom Delouise
James Owen ‘The Rev’ Sullivan
known over here, but in the States she was no less than a household name; a rare example of an actress who
drug use and spousal abuse. She was also a renowned campaigner for animal rights, as well as for the rights of women, the elderly and the Jewish
mourning, and the lights were dimmed a Tony Award for her portrayal of Vera
have been universally acknowledged as iconic masterpieces. Jarre won three Academy Awards and two Golden Globes, earning a star on the Hollywood Jarre won his Academy Awards for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India
include The Message, Dead Poets Society, Ghost Jesus of Nazareth and Jacob’s Ladder. Jarre died of cancer aged 84 on 28th masterpieces.
14 FEATURES
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Be prepared for when
Zombies Attack! If you lay awake at night, trembling in constant fear of a zombie invasion, then Concrete Supernatural Expert Biggis Willington is on hand to tell you how to turn your paranoia into preparation. The common zombie has become a staple of the horror genre since George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in 1968. The idea that human beings can return from
There’s
also
a
lot
of replace that with an actual
But one digresses. It’s head’, along with ‘don’t wander into dark abandoned
bits of their former friends and
about waking up one morning
die’ and even ‘zombies that walk slower than clubfooted toddlers will nevertheless
be, there is some fun to be had, the superb Shaun of the Dead Zombieland being two notable examples. The simple truth is
a strange sort of cult murder weird.
killing living people much
world, take solace in the fact a B-movie concept into full blown blockbuster cinema, ala
Shaun of the Dead in which the through life certain in the
of Dawn of the Dead in 2004. In
and guns go together like fat it’s full of violent, shambling, semi-humans, moaning like minutes of the zombie disaster
hard core mob of zombie fans the shambling (or in some
zombies. But that can’t be the If the woeful 2012 has of the world is alluring to
of massive natural disasters, impending meteorite strikes, invasions if it means that
“Who can honestly say they haven’t thought about what they would do in a zombie crisis? Which of your housemates would survive?” occurring. Take Romero’s Diary of the Dead, for example. One of the expendable teenagers of the opening half hour manages to produce a pistol that no one
given half a chance, would eat
who gets it done and keeps
acceptable despite the fact
or minutes earlier. There’s the
House or, if that’s not available, her own ear. (Although, given that she tries to shoot herself zombie
movie
so
special,
described as an ‘epic fail’, we suggest making sure that the
save the others. Then there’s
note characters, the gratuitous
the trigger possesses at least
a river on his mother’s corpse if it meant he’d survive. In the
we know it, that leads us to such as ours that tries to prevent casual murder, or
In real life, however, he’d
landlord with pool cues to the music of Queen before ramming its head through a
never looked so thin.
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk
EDITORIAL 15
CONCRETE EDITORIAL EDITOR
concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Hannah Livingston
DEPUTY EDITOR
TRAVEL EDITOR
CHIEF COPY EDITOR
Writers
concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Alice Violett
concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Denise Bartlett
Proofreaders Nayo Hunt, Jess Hytner, Suze Wood, Ella Fairhurst, Grace Flaherty
NEWS EDITOR concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Nicolas Church
Deputy News Editor
concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Rachel Conquer
Georgie Adolpho-Couling, Sarah Morgan, Danni Ward
FOOD EDITOR concrete.food09@gmail.com Edward Leftwich
Writers Hannah Livingston, Alisa Bristow
IN FOCUS EDITOR
David Churchill
concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Alice Violett
Reporters
Writers
Lucy Moore, Andrea Stromskag, Mark Shead, Jonathan Brady, Heather Crowley, Gordon Malloy, Chris King
Lauren Pout, Georgie Adolpho-Couling, Jemma Holliday
TURF EDITOR concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Rebecca Wiles
Writers
LIFESTYLE EDITOR concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Samantha Lewis
Writers Vicki Wheatland, Isabel Skrine, Joseph Jenner
Joshua Allen, Kerry Lane, Jessica Friend
OPINIONS EDITOR concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk Davina Kesby
Writers Dan Youmans, Gareth Coventry, Jack Brinded, Henry Croft, Duncan Smith
FEATURES EDITOR concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Melissa York
Writers Duncan Vicat-Brown, Biggis Willington
INTERNATIONAL EDITORS concrete.international@uea.ac.uk Qingning Wang & Filipa Mendes
SPORT EDITOR
CORRECTION
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Danny Collins
Writers Ben Frith, Chris King, Georgina Wade, Henry Croft, Simon O’Meara, Mark Roach, Ross Gledhill, Emily Neilan
NON-EDITORIAL CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Mann
Photographers Christopher Buthart, Casper Palmano, Greg Mann, Kyle Spencer, Laura Smith
DISTRIBUTION Martin Lippiatt
Writers
CARTOONIST
Chen Zhao, Nisha Murthi, Hannah Livingston, Hui Zhou
Hector Lowe
WEATHER FORECASTER Dan Holley
student involved was carrying a samurai sword in the Union Bar. This was incorrect, the student
We express sincere apologies for the stated errors.
16 INTERNATIONAL
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
Cheongsam and Chinese women
Chen Zhao
concrete.international@uea.ac.uk
Baju Kurung: traditional outfits of Malay women
Nisha Murthi
The cheongsam is a “body-hugging” Take a stroll through any street in dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin
of the same color as the cheongsam. The workers wear stockings and low a Malay woman of Malaysia would
as a mandarin gown. The now stylish remain cool. created in the 1920s in Shanghai and was made fashionable by socialites
strata emerged. Among these were
cheongsams were the uniforms of the medal holders. They were also worn by female members of the Swedish from wearing Ming court dress. In the
chest. It was during the rule of Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor in the 1800s that kurung can be roughly translated as
ceremony.
with the laws of Islam where modesty
and was eventually tailored to suit the neckline held together with a single normally look like. The clothes can
Showgirls and women in video
with short sleeves and mid-thigh length. They are commonly worn with short socks and white shoes.
head.
and Taiwan have cheongsam uniforms
is worn by almost every Malaysian
members of royalty. It is also not
Inside beauty Hui Zhou Beauty is never going to be an
are sensible about. Somehow the
fact that standards of beauty are
leading our understanding of beauty
Gaelic Tartan Hannah Livingston
to country. Words such as “hot”
beauty. Girls all around the world tend to dress themselves in the
their kindness and friendliness are no longer used in measuring beauty:
of fashion over the years. The kilt garb of men and boys from the
But what is beauty? Or what does beauty mean individually? From one
beauty of the individual can be more
create some kind of diversity of
greatest treasures are not those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.
The kilt was embraced as the
not coincidentally coinciding with
Do you want to write for us?
tartan’.
were worn not only as a means of
The main body of the kilt is made feel free to email us at
or
culture.
concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk
TRAVEL 17
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
Unorthodox Ukraine Paris on a budget Sarah Morgan Paris is a city that never fails to romance you. Whether you visit as a couple, already in love, or happily single, you will be unable to hide from its charm which radiates from each street corner. Paris is a city of great style: in food, in art, in architecture; all of which conveys a sense of secure
Danni Ward negotiates the Cyrillic alphabet to find her way past austere concrete buildings and in to the heart of Kiev’s untouched grandeur.
Although Paris boasts some impressive landmarks, all of which are worth a visit, I found what really made me fall for Paris were the understated elements. The neoclassical elegance of the buildings, all of which look pleasingly similar in their block
the month) but are well worth it. The rest of the Parisian sightseeing can be next to nothing. The area around the Arc du Triumph is spectacular in the
many an excellent, reasonably priced is cheapest around the Gare du Nord dusty books, and sounds of alluring
As I stepped off the Ukrainian national-filled plane into the basic Soviet airport in Kiev, I wondered what I had got myself into. I had longed to explore the ‘other Europe’ for years. I was intrigued by the Soviet culture that had struck paranoia into the guts of two generations. Kiev interested me in particular. It is the home of that delicious garlic butterfilled chicken dish which looks so normal on our supermarket shelves, yet I knew nothing about where it came from. So after a month of trawling through badly translated Russian websites I was here, trying to figure out how to get through customs. When my cab eventually pulled up to the Hotel Rus I was faced with the austere characteristics of Soviet architecture. It was a domineering concrete block, whose interior had not caught sight of a decorator since the 1980s. While I rested my fatigued body on the thin sponge bed I could feel my hope for an awe-inspiring adventure seeping away. But, with a drop of determination, I decided to
catch the metro into the city centre to prove myself wrong. As I slowly descended the 40-year old escalator I was stunned to find myself in the grandest station I had ever seen this far below the ground. It was a long hall with high arched ceilings reaching nearly 30 feet. The floor was made from huge slabs of marble and the walls were intricately tiled. I would find at my destination, Zoloti Vorota, that the arches were even adorned with grandiose chandeliers. I was paralysed by awe. I envisioned the excitement of these great halls being used as Soviet bunkers. I would discover there was a whole second city underground, filled with shops and restaurants, to help the residents deal with the cruel Ukrainian winter. I was brought back to reality when I realised that every single sign was written in Cyrillic script. I could barely pronounce the Russian place names, never mind figure out what they would look like written in Cyrillic. The sour-faced staff were little help, to say the least. I would encounter this problem time and time again in the Ukraine. The country was not set up for Western tourism. After staring at the platform sign for a good 15 minutes it dawned on me that some of the Cyrillic characters were the same as the Greek alphabet. Slowly but surely I was able to figure out that meant Dnipro (the river running through the city), and I knew where I was headed. Perhaps the most famous sight in Kiev is the Caves Monastery, a series of colossal gold-adorned churches where Russian Orthodox pilgrims can pray over glass coffins containing the mummified bodies
of monks. Although these churches were dauntingly stunning, what was really fascinating here was the micro-miniatures exhibit. This was an art exhibition that could only be viewed through a microscope. The artist, Mykola Syadistry, wrote the world’s smallest book at 0.6mm² and crafted a golden chess set on the head of a pin, among many other breathtaking pieces. All the churches, palaces and government buildings that fill Kiev are utterly impressive in their grandeur, but the delicate diligence of these detailed works will continue to astound me. Nearby is the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (that’s the Second World War to you and me). As you might expect, the exterior of the museum was aggrandised by 50 foot statues of heroic Soviet soldiers going into battle. I had been looking forward to visiting this museum, to learn about the war from a different point of view. Alas, I would never know, for the entire museum, save for a couple of displays in German, was in Ukrainian. Once again my trip had faltered because I was a western tourist. As much as the language barrier made my trip difficult, it made it even more of an adventure. As English speakers, we are so used to everyone being able to speak our language. In Ukraine I really felt like I was in another world. The grandeur and the wealth of the capital city could easily be found in a western European city, but the culture and the language made it so excitingly foreign. Somehow I feel that the city would lose its mysterious thrill if it opened its appeal to all manner of English-speaking tourists.
espresso. For the cash strapped I suggest
breathtaking. These two sights both request a small entry fee (although
the outdoor markets. There are food markets most mornings in individual districts, selling wine and the best cheese. For a food lover, one of the best things about Paris is that there is no bad wine or cheese; the cheapest
Love in Crete Georgie Adolpho-Couling and further into the past, the light, is squashed into a corner and replaced by that heavy elephant we know as reality. Yes, maybe reality has reclaimed its place for now, but what if you don’t have to wait 365 days before Cupid pulls out his arrows again? Perhaps not a couples in love, Agia Pelagia is breathtaking bays and crystal clear waters that will bewitch you with Situated in the heart of Crete, this charming village is home to a quiet region of natural beauty known as the Blue Bay Resort. It overlooks one
to sit amongst residents on a lively beach or swim a few strokes around the bay and take their pick of several private coves that lie unspoiled around the water’s edge. The calm, relaxing atmosphere doesn’t stop there; decorated with tables for
remarkable views over the sea, whilst an elegant bar painted deep red holds couples in wicker armchairs as they watch the sunset. Every
out beneath the stars. Every table, bar one or two, will be occupied by of Kalamata olives, listening to the live entertainment. Each couple is individually interrupted by the event’s photographer, who asks them to stand close to each other while he snaps his camera. The next morning at breakfast he will be there you and your lover, reminding you that reality can bring you just as much romance as February 14th.
18 FOOD
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.food09@gmail.com
An Ode to Humanity’s Golden Nectar Ed Leftwich
Beer Battered fish (that isn’t Cod), with Chips Beer Can Chicken Method
Ingredients Ingredients Method
Concrete’s Token Endangered Cod
Concrete BBQ Beast
concrete.food09@gmail.com
FOOD 19
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
Concrete Favourites: Norwich’s Little Refuges The main problem with Concrete is that it is full of writers. This causes many problems in terms of reliability, tendencies to be incredibly fussy about the rules of grammar, and an
wonderfully abstract humour are but a few. The most useful thing about having lots of writers,
other area that said writers have visited. This is a lot of cafes
It seems that these places are like nectar to us. They are
No 33 Cafe Bar
walls and strange patrons that grace these establishments. So
Ailsa Bristow
temporarily misplaced our notepads. So here are a few: we
Hidden away on Exchange Street (past Jarrolds’), No. 33 Cafe and Bar is the perfect place to chill out. Although its small size means it is frequently crammed with people, it manages to maintain a
more, and that’s before we even start thinking about pubs and restaurants. So our apologies if you think we are missing out on gold, these are but our humble opinions.
independent cafes.
Amity Point Cafe Frank’s Bar Ed Leftwich
Hannah Livingston in Norwich I had a small obsession with the Birdcage bar. Something about the
It must be said that I think I live in possibly the best house in
burgundy granddad chairs and resident cat kept me going back. But when it came to food, there was a
The “light lunch” of Posh Mushrooms on Toast (mushrooms, goat’s cheese, red onion and red onion marmalade on foccacia) could easily be your main meal of the day, making it great value for money. Furthermore, for the fussier eaters out are more than willing to alter dishes to your personal preference with the minimum of fuss or upset. All in all, No. 33 is the perfect place to spend a warning: you can’t book tables at the weekend, which can make
heaven in its earthly form: Amity Point. I am aware that we only reviewed this place last issue, but
get a table. cobbled street you will come across one Frank’s Bar, nestled into the hug of an ancient building. The decor is a mixture between a Pepysian tavern and an indie dive, making it a place
wonderfully. There’s an array of meals to choose from on the set menu, and soups, everything is ethically sourced and environmentally meals that are changed and updated seasonally based on what tastes best when. If all this hasn’t swayed you, they do Sunday whether it’s busy or you’re the only person in the shop. The food is all freshly prepared and absolutely delicious. It’s all vegetarian, but don’t let that stop you as their food is tasty sure to have you heading back for more. My favourite place in Norwich, I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Check out their website: www.amitypoint.co.uk.
February’s theme is New Year, New York, so shimmy down there on 28th of this month if you’d like to see Regarding Henry for free.
20 IN FOCUS
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
Help altruistic student scale Kilimanjaro for Alzheimer’s Georgie Adolpho-Couling The Lion
concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk
Sexpression: Let’s talk about sex! Lauren Pout Hands up if you had sex and
Kin The Circle of Life
Plan an epic journey for chance to win £100 and help RAG Jemma Holliday
New Society!
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk
Ditch the damage Dare to detox?
Confessions of a UEA student This fortnight’s Confessions come all the way from Canada, as Isabel Skrine tells us what life is like on a semester abroad.
Averse to spandex and don’t fancy cutting down on partying in exchange for rigorous sessions in the gym? Vicki Wheatland advises us how to detoxify the Concrete way.
Winter Olympics make it even more I must admit I had many prethat it was going to be very cold. Funnily enough they have actually had to transport snow in to facilitate the ski slopes, and from what I hear, it is a damn sight warmer than Norwich. I also thought that I would be leaving behind the stunning UEA architecture but there’s no way I’m missing concrete, as SFU is very much a home away from home in
hidden sugars in processed foods. Combined with other substance abuse, such as smoking, alcohol and drugs this can cause the body’s
with a detox. Although the typical student lifestyle isn’t necessarily suited to a dietary overhaul, our late night ready meal binges and copious
become overloaded and start to slow down. Therefore, allowing the body to rest, cleanse and nourish will free up energy that can be used elsewhere to help burn fat, increase mental alertness and monitor hormones. Persuaded? We are! So what are the best ways to detox? Detox diets usually suggest the key is to keep everything natural. Processed foods laden with sugar and fat should be replaced with fruits and vegetables,
Follow with cold water for 30
carbonated drinks should be avoided in favour of high amounts of water.
then get into bed for 30 minutes. This technique encourages excess
eat it, and if it doesn’t, avoid it! It is all well and good to
force your vessels to constrict and squeeze toxins out of your pores.
replenish. So what is detoxing? Experts claim it is a total indulgence of the body’s needs, as it provides the body with a neutralise and regenerate energy. It seems that today we are constantly exposed to toxins and harmful
greatly missing clubbing and the LCR. Most of the nightlife here consists of not that much to complain about. I must say I do like the Canadian preference for forming an orderly line, rather than hustling at the bar thought we were the king of the queues! Thanks to the wonders of the Olympic break I am just about to make a trip to Colorado and then California to visit two friends I lived with in the
while longer to get my head around paying in dollars, I really do feel stupidly lucky to have the opportunity to study here.
reaching for the crisps!
Rather than spending your weekly budget on herbal tea and bags of There are many other cheaper vegetables that are equally as high
health and your purse strings.
radishes. Sweat out toxins in a steam room or sauna. A daily workout at the gym.
Take a run around the University lake.
chemicals have to be broken down by your liver, therefore organic foods allow the body rest from vigorous
Take Vitamin C capsules. These help the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.
There’s no avoiding the fact that
however, a thorough scrub of ordinary vegetables should remove 80% of chemicals.
Eat lots of oranges. High in Vitamin C and also a healthy snack to stop you
as it is situated on a mountain and
night out. It is no surprise to me that the thing I am craving the most is a cup of decent English tea. This foul herbal
suggest a healthier more natural diet, however Concrete recognises that healthier lifestyle choices can
Feeling sluggish and moody, lacking energy, or looking bloated? Fancy losing weight, having radiant skin and increasing your metabolism? It
rarely give way to exercise and sipping green tea. But we all need I’ve now been in Vancouver for just over a month on a semester abroad at Simon Fraser University (SFU). It is
LIFESTYLE 21
Totally addicted to... FIFA Joseph Jenner admits that he can’t resist a sweaty game of Playstation football, even when Sartre beckons.
front room: four young males bent
and it can be guessed that the vast majority of the buyers are male.
way behind. Fuming, I’ll turn round to say: ‘that was supposed to be a what’s your problem?!’. Playing football now involves the shapes
coming to a close with the scores level. If I am defeated, many hardearned points will be lost. This can’t happen. The referee raises his arm to signify being mimic walked would
made and we – if someone in right now they think they had
TV. FIFA 10 sold 1.7 million copies
across the pitch. our intellectual muscles, as opposed to chopping logs in Finnish forests or wolf in Norwich city centre, a
when we play football for real. Making a run, I’ll call for the ball only to be given a pass that falls
computer games, FIFA 10 is a form of escapism. Sadly the reality is that me and my housemates now do impressions of commentator Andy Gray daily, and if I lose I will be in
other hand, the incomparable joy I experience when winning makes this
Upstairs, Sartre’s Nausea lies on
However, it seems to me that I can either read a novel about the or engage with such an existence in my front room. I sneak a late goal good.
22 SPORT
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
Canary Corner
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk
SUCCESSFUL BUCS FOR SWIMMING Concrete Sport reports on an encouraging weekend for UEA’s swimmers as they battle it out with the world’s best.
Ben Frith
style
ATHLETICS ORGANISE SPORT RELIEF FUN RUN Slumdog Millionaire
BUCS Results - Wednesday 17th February Football
Lacrosse
UEA Men’s 1st - 2 Bedfordshire Men’s 1st - 2
York Men’s 1st - 19 Blue Peter
UEA Men’s 2nd - 3
Netball Hockey UEA Men’s 1st - 6
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
‘CALAMITY GAMES’ RAVAGED BY PRESS Chris King
SPORT 23 LAST GASP GOAL DENY MEN’S FOOTBALL Mark Roach
Guardian
Le Figaro The Daily Mail
HOCKEY STORM TO VICTORY OVER NOTTS Georgina Wade
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk
OLYMPICS
Chris King assesses the reaction of the British press to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2010
HOCKEY
Concrete watches UEA men power to victory over Nottingham as they begin their end-of-season run in.
SWIMMING
Henry Croft reports on UEA Swimming’s successful weekend at the starstudded BUCS Championships
SPORT RELIEF
Simon O’Meara encourages students to take part in UEA Athletics’ charity fun run.
UEA VOLLEYBALL SHINE AT NATIONALS Ross Gledhill
Cricket
MEN’S ATHLETICS STORM TO SILVER IN HYDE PARK RELAYS Emily Neilan
Women’s Football