Concrete - Issue 282

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UEA’s Student Newspaper Issue 282 Free Tuesday 19 March

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UEA take superb Derby Day victory University Chris Teale Managing editor The University of East Anglia played host to Derby Day once again, welcoming the University of Essex’s sports teams for a day of competition on campus.

Despite the changeable weather conditions, a sizeable contingent made the trip to Norwich from Essex, with 53 sports teams travelling to defend the title they won at home last year by an overall margin of 27-16.

There had been some uncertainty going into the fixtures as the recent snow and rain forced five outdoor fixtures at Colney Lane to be rearranged and held at other venues, and American Football was cancelled altogether.

The day itself had started hesitantly as more snow fell overnight, with the Union of UEA Students and Sportspark calling for students to come and help clear their outdoor pitches so they would be ready for play. However, after a number of volunteers came down to help clear the snow from last night, fixtures were able to go ahead as planned, with events beginning at 11am.

UEA started brightly as women’s badminton and then both men’s cricket

FEATURES

teams took early wins. Netball followed suit as both teams took victories to give the home side momentum. Essex could not stem the tide of victories for UEA, with UEA’s men’s hockey team winning a superb game 5-4 in front of a raucous home support, and women’s football winning their rearranged match 2-1 on another of the Sportspark’s astro turf pitches.

The comeback of the day came from the hosts in the men’s basketball, as UEA came back from 33-26 down at half-time to take a 63-59 win despite trailing for much of the game. Although Essex won the women’s hockey 3-2 in what was the showpiece event of the day under floodlights, UEA were sure of the win by the early evening, with water polo taking two wins in the last games, played at Hellesdon High School.

The final score for Derby Day was 38-9 to UEA, securing a resounding victory for the hosts and reflecting the day’s trend for home side wins.

The Union’s Finance Officer Joe Levell lifted the Derby Day trophy at the LCR that evening, and paid tribute to those volunteers who helped clear the Sportspark pitches in what was a highly successful day overall.

“I’d really like to thank the people

P.15 VENUE SPECIAL

who came out and cleared the pitches in the morning,” he said. “Without them all outside activities would not have been able to go ahead. It’s been a great day, and I’m delighted we won.”

V.12 FASHION

Amy Adams

FEEDING THE 14,000

Ga Chun Yau Turn to p21 for Concrete’s special coverage of Derby Day, with match reports on a number of the games that took place throughout a packed day of sporting action.

V.14-17 TRAVEL

P.16

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INTERVIEW: STEVE COOGAN

THE KAOS FASHION SHOW

SEOUL-FUL SOUTH KOREA

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concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

Editor-in-chief | Amy Adams concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Managing Editor | Chris Teale concrete.managingeditor@uea.ac.uk Online Editor | Harry Slater Deputy Online Editor | Luke Boobyer concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News | Philip Thomas & Liz Jackson concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Ciara Jack concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Global | Robert Norris concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features | Lauren Cope concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Environment | Tim Miller concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk Science & Tech | Rebecca Hardy concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Travel | Polly Grice concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle | Emma Williamson concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sport | Billy Sexton & Sam Tomkinson concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk Copy Editors | Sidonie Chaffer-Melly & Charlotte Cox concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographers | Elizabeth Margereson & Chloe Hashemi concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk Distribution Manager | Steph Gover

Issue 282

Contributors

News | Chris Teale, Liz Jackson, Philip Thomas, Amy Adams, Jess Beech, Joshua Clarke-Holland, Sofie Cacoyannis, Hatty Farnham Comment | Ben Beebe, Jack Perkin, Alex George, Tim Rose, Zoe Jones, Elliot Wengler Global | Robert Norris Features | Joey Millar, Emily Fedorowycz, Polly Grice, Chris Teale Environment | Peter Sheehan, Patrick Cook, Jeremy Brown Science & Tech | Rebecca Hardy Travel | Rachael Lum, Chris Teale, Yellow Brick Roamers Lifestyle | Emma Williamson, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly, Bridie Wilkinson, Bruno Gnaneswaran, Chloe Cran, Maddy Hutt, Bex White Sport | Billy Sexton, Sam Tomkinson, Tilly Wood, Charles Dennett, Jess Beech, Moji Adegbile, Polly Grice, Rachael Lum, Amelia Glean, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly, Hatty Farnham, Emma Webb, Callum Hansey, Alison Mailloux, Chris Teale Proofreaders | Charlotte Cox, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly, Hatty Farnham Photographers | Ga Chun Yau, Whye Tchien Khor, Joshua Smithers, Elizabeth Margereson, Chloe Hashemi, Rob Blundell, Steph Gover, Amy Adams

Correction •

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In the article “Students struggle with online voting” in issue 281, we incorrectly reported that the percentage increase in overall turnout from last year to this was 65.73%. It was actually 52%.

The Editor’s Column So the snow almost cancelled Derby Day, but students pitched in with brooms to clear the courts and make it happen.

Cameron’s Big Society, eh?

It is the penultimate issue of Concrete for this year’s editorial team, and that means that this is the second-last editor’s column I will ever have to write. It’s a sad realisation – despite me complaining about them to anyone who will listen, these columns have been a constant source of entertainment to occupants of the Concrete office, if nothing else.

The general structure of “vague political commentary/something about office banter; promote the best stuff this issue; mention the pretty pictures we’ve used; sign off awkwardly” is a difficult one to shake.

And on that note, we have an incredible issue ahead for you. We have a tonne of Derby Day coverage in the back pages, documenting what was a pretty

Applications are now open!

Editorial

Committee

We are opening applications for the editorial team for 2013/14.

In addition to section editors for both Concrete and Venue, there are also positions open for chief copy editors and photographers.

Applications are open from 19 March until 16 April.

To apply, send a 500-word proposal to the current section editor (their emails are listed at the bottom of the page). Your proposal should cover the following topics: • Why you think you are suitable for the role • What you will do with the section • Any relevant experience If you have any questions or need any guidance don’t hesitate to get in touch with the current section editors.

Applications to be on the Concrete committee for the 2013/14 academic year are also open. It is a great way to get involved with one of UEA’s largest societies.

There are six positions available: president, secretary, treasurer, social secretary, union council rep and equality and diversity champion.

To apply for a position, email concrete. president@uea.ac.uk with 50-100 words on what you would bring to the role before April 2.

They will then be voted on by all members of the society from April 2 until April 9.

Tweet of the Week Holly Wade @HollyWade5

Concrete welcomes all letters and emails, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Letters should be addressed to the editor-in-chief, and include contact details. All emails should be sent to concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk. We will consider anonymous publication, and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Anonymous article submissions are permitted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the editor, Amy Adams. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2013 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

memorable day for everyone. For me, the memories mostly involve the terrifying half hour during which I was left in charge of Concrete’s liveblog, including the somewhat hysterical cries of “what does ‘UEA win the toss’ mean? Is that good?” and “what are all those numbers for? Is this about cricket?” Needless to say, I was happy to see the return of the sports editors later in the afternoon.

Venue has also indulged in some extra pages, including coverage of the Kaos fashion show and an extra special interview with Steve Coogan, who graciously agreed to speak to us while he was on location for the Alan Partidge movie which, ridiculously, is called Alpha Papa. It’s pretty fab.

Oh, and flip to page 16 for a nice photo of a sunset.

Keep it real, Amy Adams Editor-in-Chief

Derby Day was the best day ever! It was great to see so many people come together through sport, then get drunk at the LCR

Go to concblog.wordpress.com for more information on the application processes.

Contact Us Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593 466 www.concrete-online.co.uk www.concblog.wordpress.com Editorial inquiries / complaints concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Got a story? concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

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UEA’s International UEA student sexually Women’s Day assaulted in West Earlham celebrations a success

University Hatty Farnham News reporter UEA Feminism Society welcomed a number of speakers and events to campus to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March.

As well as an empowerment workshop, talks ran throughout the day, covering topics such as “Women in Sport,” “Body Positivity and Street Harassment” and “Women and Sexuality on TV”.

The society encouraged everybody to join in, promoting the day with the words: “Think globally, act locally. Join us in working together to ensure that the future for all women is bright, equal, safe, and rewarding.”

The celebrations continued into the evening, with comedy, music and poetry performed by talented women from UEA and beyond. President of UEA Feminism, Hattie Grünewald, told Concrete she was pleased with the success of the events.

“It’s important not only to celebrate and empower women, but to remind us what we still have to do both locally and worldwide. It was great to see so many

students participating,” she said.

IWD organisations continue to promote the equality and rights of women throughout the year, and their theme for 2013 is “The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum”. Clearly, although a lot has improved for women worldwide since 1857, it is important to remember that the fight for gender equality is not over. This year over 429 events took place in the UK, aiming to inspire women and celebrate local and global achievements.

IWD is increasingly gaining attention and status and this year Google adopted the women’s symbol as part of its logo, while the USA has extended the campaign as part of Women’s History Month.

8 March was first proclaimed a holiday in America in 1910 following an 1857 protest against textile factories by female workers who experienced poor working conditions and low wages.

IWD is now celebrated across the globe and is recognised as an official public holiday in over twenty countries.

Since 1967, feminists have reclaimed IWD as a means of campaigning for improved global health care, education and human rights for women.

Oliver Balaam

Norwich Joshua Clarke-Holland News reporter

Police in Norwich are currently appealing for information after a female student was sexually assaulted on Earlham Green Lane between 10:25pm and 10:35pm on Tuesday 5 March.

The 20-year-old woman was approached by six male teenagers who surrounded her. One of the youths touched the victim inappropriately while others blocked her path as she made attempts to push past. A car drove past the group and the victim was pushed to the floor before the youths, believed to be aged between 16-18, ran from the scene towards the Larkman Lane area.

Officers would like to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the

Back-to-back exams for NBS and pharmacy students University Liz Jackson News editor

Local poet and Creative Writing MA student Jennifer Grey performs in the Blue Bar

incident or noticed a group of teenagers in the area at the time of the incident.

Police are also interested in tracing the driver of the car which travelled past the group. Anyone with any information should contact PC Dan Taylor at Earlham Police Station on 101 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The area of West Earlham is adjacent to University Village, and is popular with UEA students.

Suggestions from the Union Advice Centre on reducing the risk of an attack at night include: booking a taxi from a reputable company; buying a personal attack alarm (available for £1 at Reception in Union House), and walking with friends.

For more advice on staying safe visit www.ueastudent.com/advice.

Recently released timetables show that some students have several back-to-back exams without a day’s break in between.

Students in NBS, Economics, Actuarial Science and Pharmacy are believed to be those currently affected.

Students say that as well as causing extra stress, their performance in exams will be affected by the restriction on revision caused by the timetabling. In particular, some NBS students have a coursework deadline just one day before their exams start.

One NBS student said she now realises why her year had their exam briefing lectures before the Easter Break.

The issue of exam timetabling at UEA has already sparked debate on campus as it formed a platform for several academic officer candidates who wished to put a day in between exams to prevent this problem.

The university commented that this year they have had to timetable over

32,000 exam sittings, but have made sure that a number of measures are put in place to help students to prepare for exams, including publishing their exam timetables before the Easter break to give them time to revise, and ensuring that students do not take more than two exams in any given day.

“The university appreciates the importance of examinations and will do what it reasonably can to ensure that the examination schedule is as fair as possible within finite time and physical resources.

“It is equally important that students have a realistic expectation of what demands their individual examination timetable may make and plan for this in advance.”

Academic Officer Josh Bowker added: “It is a shame that exam timetabling has disadvantaged so many students again, it is obviously something that needs to be addressed soon, the next Academic Officer was elected on a manifesto to improve this aspect of assessment, unfortunately nothing can be done this year, but I hope that by next year this issue is resolved.”

News 4 Dancers impress at Strictly UEA concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

University Chris Teale Managing editor Strictly UEA graced the LCR for the second time on Monday 11 March as members of DanceSport teamed up with other university sports teams for an evening of ballroom and Latin dancing.

The event was hosted by DanceSport president Gurdas Singh Sually, alongside Johnny Bispham, who competed last year for table tennis. During the night an audience of over 500 were wowed

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by 14 couples competing for the famous glitter-ball trophy.

Having been won by Sam Walford of American Football last year, the stakes were high as every team wanted to take the trophy. The night began with a Jive by a number of members of DanceSport to “Jailhouse Rock”, forming a rousing introduction before the main event.

After Will Edwards scored 25 alongside Louise Whiteside for their Paso Doble, the crowd were in rapture as Coralie Chapman from Dance Squad and her partner Kurt Lee put together a masterful Viennese Waltz to score 36 from the judges.

It was not long before the crowd were cheering again after Ellie Reynard scored 18 for her Cha Cha Cha with Joel Lawrence, and Laura Burgon and Jessica Wilson both scored 32 apiece with their partners.

Things were tense backstage, but none of the competitors seemed to feel the pressure as Harry Frost and Faye Bishton scored 28 for their Waltz and Steve Omanyando scored 16 for his Samba with Charlotte Jones, bringing the first half to a close.

After a short interval the competition was back underway, with Jonty Tindall scoring a superb 30 for his Rumba despite what was described as a “wardrobe malfunction” as his trousers split.

Then followed the highest score of the night, as swimmer Christian Parker and his partner Hannah Godfrey scored

Livewire 1350 celebrates record-breaking Jailbreak University Jess Beech News reporter UEA’s radio station Livewire 1350 held their annual charity challenge, Jailbreak, on 8 March. The aim was for each of the 27 teams to travel as far away from the university as possible without spending any money.

Within the 48 hour time period, teams managed to travel as far away as Poland, Venice and Scotland. Each team had to submit a final destination photo as proof of how far they had travelled.

Caitlin Gray, a 4th-year American Studies student who travelled as far as Edinburgh, told us of her experience: “There were a couple of moments where we thought we were going to end up stranded at Wetherby services in the rain and cold forever, but people seemed to take pity on us. It was really

fun keeping track of where other teams were heading, and we had the best, most entertaining, cold, and tiring weekend!

If I wasn’t a fourth year I’d definitely do it again!”

Collectively, teams have raised over £14,000 for Cancer Research UK - £6,500 more than last year’s event. Many Livewire society members gave up their own time to track the movements of the Jailbreakers over the weekend.

Livewire member and head of live events Kate Marks said: “I feel very humbled by the hard work of all the teams and people who were involved.

I hope Jailbreak 2013 can stand as an event that shows what can happen if people believe they can do it and act together.”

Livewire social secretary Alex Valentine added: “It truly is a massive Jailbreak 2013 family this year and we smashed it!”

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From left: host Gurdas Singh Sually, champion Tom Hesse representing Boat Club, and his dance partner and DanceSport president Chloe Rochester, host Johnny Bispham 39, including the first 10s of the evening from the judges.

The intensity rose among the competitors as they battled for the top three spots. Lucy Tunnard scored 34 for her Foxtrot with Gurmeet Singh Sually, and UEA rowing’s Tom Hesse scored 38 with a superb Jive alongside Chloe Rochester.

After the final competitors finished their dances it was time to decide the winner through a combination of judges’ scores and a “clapometer” to measure

the level of audience approval for each of the top three couples.

It was an incredibly tight finish as Coralie and Kurt; Christian and Hannah; and Tom and Chloe received tremendous ovations. However, the eventual winners were Tom and Chloe, with members of the rowing club celebrating as the pair lifted the glitter-ball trophy. In what was a fantastic evening for competitors and the audience, the pair were clearly elated as they celebrated a superb victory in front of a packed LCR.

Police warn of potential thefts over Easter

2013/14 module enrolment opens for returners

Norwich Amy Adams Editor-in-chief

Home Run is asking students to remove any letting agency billboards from outside their houses during the Easter period.

Norfolk Constabulary have warned the Union of UEA Students that previous years have seen an increased number of break-ins during the Easter holidays.

The Union’s Student Support Services manager Jo Spiro said: “Billboards with ‘Student Properties - Rooms to Let’ are an easy way for opportunistic thieves to decide which house might be easy to break into and where they might find multiple laptops and TVs. “If your house will be empty over Easter ask your landlord or agent if you can temporarily remove the billboard.”

For more advice and information go to ueastudent.com/housing

University Liz Jackson News editor Module enrolment is now upon UEA as returning students have between 18-22 March to choose their modules for next year. There are sessions every day until Friday 22 March where you can get help with the actual process of making your choices online.

Full-time students must enrol for their modules online; part-time students will be asked to submit their enrolments on a module enrolment form to their Hub,.

This may be either in hard copy or by email, by 22 March.

A confirmation email will be sent in June following the process.

For more information visit: http:// www.uea.ac.uk/learningandteaching/ students/studying/coursesmodules/ enrolment

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£1,500 raised by UEA Take Me Out University Sofie Cacoyannis News reporter UEA’s homage to ITV’s primetime show Take Me Out took place on Thursday 7 March with great success.

The original show’s aim is to pair up several couples through a number of rounds where girls have the option to “turn their light off” if uninterested in the eligible bachelors who have put themselves forward.

Eventually, two girls are selected by the bachelor before he decides who to take on a date to the Isle of Fernando’s.

In the UEA version the basic format of the show remained the same, except the lucky pairings were taken to the Norwich student equivalent of the Isle of Fernandos: Nandos.

The event started well as the audience listened to Jay-Z through the LCR speakers, and the atmosphere continued to buzz with outrageous comebacks featuring heavily during the evening.

The first bachelor redeemed himself from footage of himself riding a Space Hopper as he proceeded to show the lucky ladies and the audience his “talent”: doing 30 press-ups shirtless, before downing a pint.

Before the interval the audience and participants got to hear an exclusive live performance whilst in the LCR, as bachelor number two performed his rendition of Fly Me to the Moon.

The atmosphere in the LCR warmed up when bachelor number five appeared on stage in tight speedos whilst a VT of him swimming was projected onto the wall.

The night raised £1,500 for the charity Childreach International. The charity aims to support children from developing countries by building schools, providing transport to hospitals and health education in order to give children a chance to unlock their full potential.

The host of the event, Emma Pugh, will have the opportunity to visit some

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of the schools and children in Nepal while climbing Mount Everest.

Afterwards, Pugh commented: “The event was a great success despite some technical difficulties incurred on

the night. The crowd were amazing and everybody involved enjoyed themselves.” For more information about Childreach International, visit www.childreach.org.uk.

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News

Interview: vice-chancellor Edward Acton University Philip Thomas & Chris Teale Concrete interviewed the University of East Anglia’s vice-chancellor, Professor Edward Acton, on Tuesday 5 March. The vice-chancellor is the chief executive of the university, responsible for overseeing the management of the university. He was questioned about university policy, student experience, and forthcoming projects.

We asked Professor Acton how UEA applications and admissions were affected by the increase in tuition fees.

He revealed that last year’s intake was “almost exactly on target, and was just 30 below overall.” He said: “The applications really peaked in September 2011, just before fees increased, and they have come down somewhat since then.”

Acton explained that the fall was in line with similar universities.

When asked what UEA was doing to improve student experience and demonstrate that higher education is worthwhile, Professor Acton said that the university was “ensuring a very good ratio between academic staff and students so that the attention students get and the group sizes and the feedback and so forth are what a larger academic workforce can deliver.”

“The new fee regime more easily covers the expense of delivering arts and humanities than it does the expense of delivering especially laboratory science” He emphasised that UEA had increased employability resources, developing an “academic career pathway,” whilst he indicated that the university would invest more into teaching facilities.

The vice-chancellor described the suggestion that arts and humanities course provision had been detrimentally affected by funding cuts as a “misconception,” saying “the new fee regime more easily covers the expense of delivering arts and humanities than it does the expense of delivering especially laboratory science.” He instead queried whether the government would continue to provide the top-up grant necessary for science, saying that despite fees going up, “universities are finding it hard to make ends meet and continue to invest.”

Acton suggested the Arts and

Chris Teale

News editor Philip Thomas with vice-chancellor Professor Edward Acton Humanities programmes will quickly complying with “UKBA regulations, respond to changing student demand. vetting applications, attendance He proposed the introduction of a liberal monitoring and ensuring the paperwork arts degree in response to changing is all genuine.” He emphasised that a student demand, giving it “very high recent UK Border Agency audit had status” by providing a “deliberately given UEA a “complete and clean bill of broader education than many people health.” get, but in rigorous disciplines.”

Concrete asked how the university was ensuring it could accommodate any “It’s very enriching for the whole future expansion in student intake, citing the shortage of first year accommodation university to have a cosmopolitan on campus. Professor Acton announced that UEA would be building an additional student body.” residence block, to meet the demand for bedrooms on campus.

Regarding the accommodation In terms of broadening UEA’s shortfall earlier in the academic year, he international presence, Acton said the said “it was very regrettable in general university was developing “a very strong for all students who were disrupted, research relationship with Fudang but I’m conscious some international University in Shanghai”, and is in the students were particularly jilted.” process of founding a regional office in The vice-chancellor’s outspoken Southeast Asia, envisaging an additional comments on international student drive in the United States. admissions have attracted widespread The Union of UEA Students is coverage in the national media, and he lobbying the university to provide has often emphasised the importance of financial support for Syrian students the cultural and financial benefits that whose funding has been affected by international students bring. the Syrian civil conflict. Responding When asked how UEA would to these concerns, the vice-chancellor maintain the integrity of its admissions provided assurances that “each case is process and continue to encourage being watched very closely by the Dean international admissions in the light of Students.” of government visa concerns and He explained: “I think they do need ever-increasing fees, Professor Acton individual handling and certainly what said “extreme care” would be taken in you can do is defer fees,” but he was

cautious to commit to the measure, saying that he’s “very sensitive to the fact the institution hasn’t before simply waived fees.” Nonetheless, he expressed sympathy for students whose education is disrupted by funding problems resulting from a civil war.

Last year, the UEA Greens criticised the vice-chancellor’s high salary in concurrence with People and Planet’s “10:1” campaign, confronting wage disparity between the highest and lowest paid employees in UK institutions. Professor Acton responded to their claims, stating that universities “actually have an extraordinarily narrow spread compared to society, I think in the region of 6:1.” He explained why a vice-chancellor’s salary is justified, saying that the role provides leadership, strategy and responsibility under often very stressful conditions.

Finally, Concrete asked whether a new chancellor would be appointed soon. Professor Acton replied by saying: “I very much hope there will. Because of the tragic early death of Sir Brandon Gough, we’ve not rushed to do that out of respect. But yes, especially in your 50th year, you want that figurehead here for official and hosting purposes, so I very much hope there will. There’s a process, Council Membership Committee is handling the identification of a shortlist and taking a very delicate approach for someone we think might be suitable.”

Comment 7 North Korea: what on earth will they do next?

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Ben Beebe Comment writer

Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, North Korea has been the centre of international attention for all the wrong reasons. Last month’s nuclear test led to a veritable uproar in the UN and a decision to apply economic sanctions.

The application of these sanctions has led to a loud propaganda-led campaign in North Korea for the right to hold nuclear weapons, resulting in the scrapping of the armistice agreement with South Korea and intense military preparations and demonstrations. All signs point towards a potential war, and a nuclear war at that. However, the rest of the world is still asking whether or not Kim Jong Un will press that big red launch button.

It is not difficult to see where the UN consternation has come from. Any state willing to publicly test nuclear devices is always one to be concerned about. However, the UN decision does seem to be completely ineffectual – only restricting luxury items and implementing cargo inspection. It is difficult to see how simply “strongly condemning” the nuclear test will affect

further North Korean action. Thus far it has done little, and the announcements from Pyongyang have become even more vitriolic. The misguided belief that the USA is pushing for a war has nonetheless inflamed reaction, and a statement has been released stating that North Korea has a “right to a pre-emptive nuclear strike.” This, coupled with the severance of the hotline to South Korea, a line of communication specifically set up for high-tension situations in 1971, has led to deepening international concern that a misunderstanding could exacerbate the situation.

What is unclear is how far these threats are just bluster or genuine. The North Korean government is almost the epitome of irrationality, and this is not an isolated belligerent incident. There have been many threats of violence in the past, including against South Korea in 1994 and the USA in 2002. These incidents came to nothing, and have led to such spasmodic threats as bordering on the ridiculous. Technologically speaking, there is no evidence to suggest that any such missiles could reach the USA,

the target of this nuclear fixation. This technological incompetency should not be taken lightly though, as there are still a number of regional interests that are well within Korean reach.

It is difficult to judge any situation with which North Korea is involved. The

country is a wildcard at best, and there have been incidents of isolated violence in the past. In this case, and considering long-time Korean advocates China are concerned, it would be sensible to keep an eye on further developments in case of an erratic escalation.

Will a new pope really mean a new start?

Jack Perkin Comment writer “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”, said Edmund Burke. And it is with Burke’s thoughts in mind that I’ve felt great concern this week. On Wednesday, as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis I, the attitude of international leaders was apathetic; that of “good men” (and women) willing to “do nothing”.

It was US President Barack Obama who proclaimed, “I look forward to working with His Holiness to advance peace, security, and dignity for our fellow human beings,” a sentiment which was echoed by UN secretary general Ban KiMoon, and Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. However, considering previous popes’ contempt for “dignity”, is this really possible? Or is the change of pontiff - rather like the muchanticipated white smoke which rose over St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday - merely hot air?

Unfortunately, I suspect the latter.

Recently, it emerged that the Catholic Church in Los Angeles will pay out $10m to settle four (more) cases of child-abuse.

Not only was Cardinal Roger Mahoney - the man accused of covering-up the abuse - allowed to participate in the Papal Conclave, but neither he, nor his accomplice Michael Barker (an ex-priest)

accepted any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. Seemingly, $10m is the cost of maintaining the Catholic Church’s stubborn refusal to accept responsibility for its own failures, typical under Pope Benedict XVI. If Pope Francis I is to prove my pessimism ill-founded, then this must be

Flickr: Catholic Church (England and Wales)

his priority: to reverse his predecessor’s policy of half-baked, insincere “apologies” to the victims of sex-abuse. But I doubt that will happen.

Similarly, I doubt whether homophobic bigotry - Pope Benedict XVI’s other favourite pastime - will be assuaged under Pope Francis I. In 2010, when same-sex marriage plans were afoot in Argentina, Cardinal Bergoglio said, “[it is] a destructive attack on God’s plan.”

How is it, then, that Ban Ki-Moon said on Wednesday, “We [the United Nations and the Holy See] share many common goals,” among which he named “human rights”.

It was irresponsible of Ban Ki-Moon to overlook Article 16 of The International Declaration of Human Rights (the Right to Marriage). It was equally irresponsible for Moon to ignore the Catholic Church’s failure to protect its children from “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” (Article 5) in its care.

It is unthinking rhetoric - like that of Ban Ki-Moon and Barack Obama - that will abet the Catholic Church’s unrepented injustices, and will only assist “the triumph of evil.”

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Comment

Cristina’s faulty Falklands plans Alex George Comment writer At last year’s G20 Summit in Mexico, the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, attempted to force a folder into British prime minister David Cameron’s hand. The folder, which he refused, contained a number of United Nations documents purporting to support Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands.

Sadly, this folder was clearly missing a copy of the United Nations Charter, which unequivocally provides in Article 1 that self-determination is a core principle upon which the UN is founded. Earlier this month, the Falkland Islanders opted to exercise this right – at the instigation of the island’s own government in Stanley, it should be added – and held a referendum on their current status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.

Ultimately, 99.8% of Islanders supported British sovereignty, with just

Tim Rose Comment writer The Invasion of Iraq, which started 10 years ago this month, has proved to be one of the most controversial and defining events of recent history. Due to the deception involved and its damaging consequences, its legacy has refused to go away.

Tony Blair, in his desire to back George Bush regardless, caused him to obscure the truth to create a case for war where none truly existed. This led to the myth that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and was therefore a threat. This was thoroughly discredited post-war when no WMDs were found and the evidence on which they were based was found to be false.

The fact that a prime minister lied to take his country into an illegal war carried out without UN authorisation, caused a widespread loss of trust in government.

The realisation that he was more willing to defy the will of his people than the request of a US president led to a strong sense of alienation and apathy and the growth in “anti-political” movements.

This was added to by the government choosing to ignore the largest protests ever against the war before it started.

On 15 February 2003, up to two million

three people opposed.

The Argentinian government has refused to recognise the result, despite independent international observers overseeing the vote. They even allegedly mounted a campaign to have Argentinian ambassadors encourage their host nations to ignore the outcome.

Ultimately, neither country has a knockout sovereignty claim, but let us consider the two main arguments Kirchner raises, seemingly every time someone gives her a podium.

“The islands are thousands of miles away from the United Kingdom”. True, they are. Does that mean Hawaii cannot be a part of the United States? And if everything near Argentina is Argentinian, should Uruguay be worried?

“The Islanders are not indigenous, so are not able to self-determinate”. The Falklands have no indigenous population.

They were discovered by the British, and when settlers returned there was

no civilian Argentine presence. And if we apply that logic to the mainland, descendants of Spanish settlers should return to Spain and allow indigenous South Americans to self-determinate, right? Falklanders have been rooted on the islands for generations, as has the population of Argentina. If one is not legitimate, nor is the other.

You can scream “COLONIALISM!” from the rooftops of Buenos Aires, and throw as many General Assembly resolutions at the UK as you wish, Cristina, but nothing you have can trump the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, or the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, all of which maintain that every person has the inalienable right to self-determinate. If your government is failing, perhaps you should be trying to fix it, not distracting your people with attention-seeking, undiplomatic behaviour.

Ten years on and the Iraq War still looms large people protested on the streets of London. I marched that day as an 11 year old, thinking that there were no WMDs in Iraq and that the war was about purely oil.

To think that I possessed more foresight than the MPs in office is pretty galling.

The invasion itself was a simple affair, with Saddam toppled in less than a month. The aftermath was anything

but, with insurgency persisting for years afterwards, and low level fighting continuing even after the withdrawal of foreign troops. Up to one million Iraqis are estimated to have been killed in the conflict.

Iraq massively increased the terrorist threat facing Britain and fatally undermined the war effort in Afghanistan,

where progress had been being made prior to Iraq. By ignoring the far more “winnable” conflict there, the Taliban were able to regroup, and the war is still ongoing.

Incredibly, defenders of the war such as Blair continue to insist that it was correct to remove Saddam due to his gross human rights abuses, regardless of the fact that he possessed no WMDs. Regime change was barely mentioned at the time, and is completely illegal under international law. Yet there are no signs of any real moves to prosecute Blair or Bush.

The Iraq war’s longest legacy may be its effect internationally. It is much harder for Britain to carry out any form of overseas intervention now, with the recent involvements in Libya and Mali explicitly made out as being different from Iraq. It is also almost unthinkable for America to consider any military action on the same scale ever again, due to the financial cost of Iraq being put at over $1tn.

10 years on, as Iraq begins to fade from memory it is crucial that we never again allow ourselves to be dragged into such a destructive war, especially one which was waged on entirely false pretences.

Comment 9 What is feminism to me?

19/03/13

Zoe Jones Comment writer In the light of International Women’s Day, questions surrounding the tentative subject of feminism have been sailing around campus on a cloud of uncertainty.

And yes, that might have been the most poetic thing I’ve ever said in an article.

In my mind, feminism is quite simple. As Rebecca West famously said, “feminism is the radical notion that women are people”, to me feminism is simple want of equality and fairness.

But in the same way that feminism is an unfixed, ever-changing concept, it would be true to say that everyone has their own interpretation on what feminism means to them. Since coming to uni I’ve had a few defining moments where I’ve felt my inner feminist stir – and I mean that in the least egotistical, least “look at me I’m a raging feminist” possible way.

The first came in a lecture when our lecturer asked us to raise our hands if we considered ourselves a feminist. What got me wasn’t that very few people raised their hand but that not everyone raised their hand. While I couldn’t say I was

Elliot Wengler Comment writer The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) came second in the Eastleigh byelection a couple of weeks back. This was a protest vote, at least in the views of everyone except Nigel Farage. Thanks to his ability to shout loudly, he appears in the news discomfortingly often to spout what is in actual fact, a BNP-lite agenda.

Do you remember when Nick Clegg was briefly popular during the election in 2010 following the leaders’ debates?

How for years, we did not take the Liberal Democrats seriously as a political force, let them do their merry business to upset Labour polling companies, and then suddenly the papers demanded more scrutiny of a rather reasonable guy? We also saw UKIP as a joke for a long time - which I should emphasise, they are - and we let the papers hype them up as something that are a threat to the Conservatives. But in this case, all sorts had a good time laughing at some of Nigel Farage’s jokes on Question Time — the saga was fun for a while.

Can we end this charade now please?

surprised that the men left their hands firmly on their laps, I was shocked by the lack of women to raise their hands.

Another moment came when I heard the words – from a girl – “I don’t give a shit about feminism”.

Issue 282

concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk

Why is feminism such a dirty word?

I think the problem is that the image of a feminist is firmly imprinted in our minds as butch, man-hating, hairy lady.

Now I’m not saying that this kind of feminist doesn’t exist. They definitely are

Flickr: Amanda Valaitis

not mythical creatures, they have houses and a mortgage and everything. But just because you aren’t all of these things I don’t think it means you can’t consider yourself a feminist. Isn’t it enough to believe and strive for equal rights for men and women alike? Being a feminist isn’t and shouldn’t be a female dominated interest; men should want to strive for this equality as well.

Have these eccentricities ruined feminism? I’m beginning to feel that what certain radical feminists want is world domination rather than fairness, with some thoughts and ideas skewed into almost fascist-like reasoning.

The idea that women should not be strippers or, with relevance to UEA experience, join the pole dancing society is another notion that irritates me no end ; feminism should not look to restrict the choices of women. Doesn’t that defeat the whole object in the first place? I’ll join the pole dancing society if I want to, and yes, I will parade down a cat walk in a bikini if it means raising money for an orphanage in Kenya. Well bloody done, KAOS girls.

So what does feminism mean to me?

Quite frankly, it means I’ll do as I damn well please.

We didn’t take UKIP seriously before, so why should we now?

Nigel Farage had a meeting with Rupert Murdoch the other week, and John Major told us at Leveson that he would’ve had

Murdoch’s Sun support in 1997 if Major had been willing to be more right-wing on issues like Europe. If Murdoch seriously

considers putting the Sun behind UKIP in 2015, the political landscape could go through a terrifying shift to the right which might mimic America’s political alignment.

This is concerning. It is probable that UKIP could get an MP or two at the next election because for some reason, Euro-skepticism spreads throughout UK society more easily than horsemeat.

UKIP support has been the genuine anti-Europe brigade, and now anger at the economy has seen the Conservative vote going down. The Conservatives offering some sort of referendum does not seem to have hurt UKIP too much at the moment.

Before we take UKIP too seriously, can we stop overreacting and giving press to these guys? Perhaps if we do that now, any press they continue to achieve support from will make themselves look silly, and we can put this saga behind us if UKIP fail once more in 2015. There is a time for fun and games, and the general election will not be that time.

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concrete.global@uea.ac.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

UEA and Japanese students remember the tsunami Robert Norris Global editor

Preparations underway for Go Global Party 2013 Robert Norris Global editor On Wednesday 20 March the LCR will be filled with food and performances from a wide number of different countries and cultures.

Once again the Go Global party will be hitting campus and although there is no Go Global week this year, the party is still set to be one of the most popular nights in the UEA calendar.

The evening will begin with some food tasting, where attendees will get to try a number of snacks from different countries.

“The money collected for Medic To Medic will help pay for the tuition of medical students studying in developing countries” Afterwards there will be a series of performances and dances on the stage from a number of different cultural societies at UEA. The Indian Society, who have already dazzled audiences with the Diwali Diya held last semester, will be performing again.

The Japan Society will also be

Global

on stage for the first time this year.

They’ll perform a traditional dance that will include the use of Japanese taiko drums.

To finish the night off everyone will head to the dance floor and join in the party. Attendees may even get the chance to learn a few new dance moves from the performers too.

Last year, there were 950 people who attended the Go Global party, proving it to be one of the most popular celebrations on campus.

Students attending the Go Global party this year will be asked to give an optional one pound donation to the charity Medic To Medic.

The money collected by Medic To Medic will help pay for the tuition of medical students studying in developing countries. This means that these students will hopefully get the opportunity to finish their courses and gain the qualifications they need in order to practice medicine.

It’s hoped that, since the Go Global party is an international event, students from a range of different cultural backgrounds at UEA will help fellow students in developing countries through their donations.

Tickets for the Go Global party are available for £4.50 with the option of an extra £1 donation to Medic To Medic.

On 11 March 2011 the Tohoku district to the north of Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake and tsunami which resulted in over 15,000 deaths.

It’s been over two years since the tsunami, which also caused meltdowns in three of the reactors in the Fukushima nuclear plant nearby.

As a result of what happened to the nuclear plant a large number of people were made to evacuate the area due to the dangerous level of radiation.

It was a child from one of these families that had been evacuated to a shelter in Oyama city who told Yuki Masuzawa, an MA student in International Development at UEA who was volunteering there at the time, that she was scared to go back home after what had happened.

Yuki has volunteered a number of times in areas that were damaged as a result of the tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The first time she volunteered she had to look after the children of evacuees who lived near the plant. She would play with the children while their parents would try to find out when and if they could ever return back home.

Yuki said that the children, like their parents, would look exhausted with dark bags beneath their eyes.

She was unsure of just how well the children understood the situation they were in, but on occasion some would talk to her about how scared they were.

Yuki is one of many Japanese students at UEA who helped host the event “Thanks from Japan day” two years after she first

volunteered in the affected areas.

The “Thanks From Japan Day“ memorial event took place on Monday 11 March, in time for the anniversary of the tsunami.

Yuki spoke to Concrete and explained why the event was named Thanks from Japan day: “We wanted there to be two aspects to the event, the first being that we hope people will never forget about the disaster and realise that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in the affected areas.

“Secondly, we would like to say thank you from Japan for all the help and aid that the international community has given us. We have only been able to help those people who needed it in Tohoku because of the help and support from people all around the world.”

The event raised £230 by selling postcards from Japan, running an evening event with Japanese food and screening footage of the damage caused by the tsunami. There was also a banner for students to write messages on that will be sent to a local elementary school in the Tohoku district.

The money raised will go to the Japanese NGO Karakuwa-maru which runs a number of projects in the affected areas.

The NGO is also trying to bring people who have left Tohoku back to the district to help with the areas economic recovery and to help alleviate Tohoku’s depopulation, which was a major issue in the area even before the tsunami.

It’s hoped that the money raised over the last week by Japanese students at UEA will help the cities in the Tohoku district to one day fully recover from the devastation caused by the tsunami.

Environment

19/03/13

Issue 282

concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk

Fracking: the future of British energy?

Peter Sheehan Environment writer Fracking is often presented as a new method of harvesting previously unobtainable natural gas – “unconventional energy”, they call it. It is certainly controversial. Is it a key part of Britain’s future energy supply, or does it represent the end of hopes to keep our carbon emissions under control?

The principle of fracking is pretty straight-forward. Millions of litres of water are pumped far underground, and at very high pressures, to create small fractures in the bedrock. This allows the gas, previously trapped in tiny pockets, to escape to the surface. The technique allows us to gain access to gas fields that we could not exploit before. Up until now, the vast majority of the gas that we have extracted has come from reservoirs that are naturally fairly free-flowing. But the increasing demand for fossil fuels means that investing in more experimental recovery techniques is now economically viable.

However, fracking is not so new.

Despite all of the controversy in which it has been drenched over the past few years, companies have been doing it here and there for some time in order

to increase extraction efficiency in conventional oil and gas fields. The controversy arises because it may become a far more fundamental part of energy production in future. The UK is sat on substantial volumes of both shale gas and oil, and we can only access these by fracking. Although we know neither how much of it we can successfully get our hands on, nor at what cost, it is safe to say that these reservoirs would eventually become exploitable if the government were to allow widespread use of the practice.

But public opposition is growing.

The sometimes-nasty chemicals used as lubricant have led to legitimate concerns about water pollution and, as ever, the shires are up in arms about the visual impact of fracking stations dotted about the landscape. Then, of course, there are the earthquakes. Lancashire famously experienced a magnitude 2.3 tremor in early 2011, probably as a result of the experimental fracking in the county.

Understandably, people are uneasy about the effects of shattering the rock on which their house is built.

The government is trying to respond to these fears. Any tremor over a magnitude 0.5 – not even a train passing by and unlikely to be felt – triggers an

immediate cessation of fracking at that location and a safety review. The use of chemicals is tightly controlled, so the pollution that caused such alarm in the US will hopefully not occur over here.

That is not to say that there are not risks and that we should not continue to be cautious. But all forms of energy production carry certain dangers: think of

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Deep Water Horizon, of exploding wind turbines, of Chernobyl, even. And while natural gas is a fossil fuel, it produces much less carbon than either coal or oil.

Fracking may not be perfect, as shale gas is certainly not green energy, but we still want the lights on and our houses heated.

Until renewables are more viable and reliable, fracking may be a useful bridge.

Sustainability of chocolate eggs The plight of the pangolin Jeremy Brown Environment writer Easter is fast approaching, which means a big rise in chocolate consumption. But how eco-friendly and ethical is this bittersweet treat? Ghana is one the world’s largest producers of cocoa, accounting for 20% of global production.

However, the fast expansion of cocoa plantations in the past 20 years has been shown to be a major source of deforestation in West Africa. The Rainforest Alliance has attempted to resolve the problem by investing in farmers that cultivate their crop beneath the canopy of existing trees.

However a study published this year found that Rainforest Alliance cocoa was found to produce only 78% the yield of high tech intensive crops because of reduced light. Therefore it is difficult to judge whether this it indeed environmentally effective. Cocoa is also very important for Ghana’s socio-economic sustainability.

It represents Ghana’s most important export; 6.3 million Ghanaians depend on cocoa production for their livelihoods.

Ghana is one of the main chocolate producers for chocolate giant Cadbury.

In 2009 the company achieved fair-trade accreditation for its cherished Dairy Milk bars. Working with suppliers Kuapa Kokoo, Cadbury aims to enable a stable

source of income for their farmers.

The corporation claimed it will be investing in £4.5 million each year “to secure the sustainable socio-economic future of cocoa farming” in Ghana and its other producing countries. However, is this a drop in the ocean relative to Cadbury’s pre-tax profits of £559 million in 2008? Sustainability is a very complex topic, with a fragile and competing balance of livelihoods, profits and environmental interests.

However, if you’re contributing the farmers’ income in some way it’s probably not worth feeling too guilty about your egg-shaped indulgences. There’s enough guilt imposed already by the caloriecounting brigade. In buying chocolate eggs, you are helping contribute in a small way to the lives of Ghana’s cocoa farmers and making a difference to their everyday lives.

Patrick Cook Environment writer We all know of the plight of the black rhinoceros and the tiger, but what about the pangolin? Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters are a family of mammals with a protective layer of hardened scales made of keratin - the same material as our finger nails.

They are found in Africa and Asia and are usually nocturnal or tree dwelling.

These characteristics make the pangolin difficult for scientists to study meaning we have a lack of understanding of their biology. This lack of understanding leaves the pangolin vulnerable to human exploitation. Of the eight living species two are considered endangered by the ICUN red list with the other six classified as either near threatened or least concern.

The Asian species of pangolin are particularly at risk and include the endangered Sunda and Chinese pangolins. The primary threats include illegal hunting for meat, which is considered a delicacy, the use of scales in traditions Asian medicine and as fashion accessories.

The African species of pangolins are largely targeted for the bushmeat trade, traditional African bush medicines and for illegal intercontinental trade to Asian markets where demand is high. These

threats have consequently led to the local extirpation of pangolin populations across Asia.

You may be asking yourself at this moment why don’t we stop this trade?

Well organisations such as the IUCN Pangolin specialist Group are working tirelessly to prevent this trade but the vast scale is simply overwhelming.

This is highlighted by the thousands of pangolins obtained from black market dealers every year. There is also a lack of awareness of this issue as some consider pangolins less charismatic than other endangered species and political problems prevent effective conservation efforts. Our incomplete knowledge of pangolin biology prevents calculations of harvest rates which is absolutely crucial to conservation efforts.

At the moment there are a number of research and conservation efforts across Africa and Asia but there remains a clear gap in our biological knowledge.

Law enforcement and training of wildlife authorities is also lacking but is required for implementation of effective conservation programs to save this species. The ecosystems of Africa and Asia would be incomplete without the pangolin and if you are interested in learning more, have a look at the IUCN/ SSC Pangolin Specialist Group website or Facebook page.

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concrete.science@uea.ac.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

Science & Tech

No hope for Alaskan oil drilling threat

Rebecca Hardy Science editor America, once being the home to many pristine environments, has slowly let them be invaded and destroyed by advancing populations and industries. With so very few places still remaining untouched, it is increasingly important that they are protected, and Alaska is a prime example of this.

The main issue is the impact that oil

drilling off Alaska’s Northern Coast could have on the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.

For many politicians and businessmen, the environmental impacts of offshore drilling are considered to be worthy of inflicting due to the large oil potential off the Alaskan shore. Not only does the new drilling present the obvious environmental risks of oil spills and added pollution, it also presents the delicate Arctic oceans with more hidden ones. The noise of the drilling has been proven to affect a

whale’s migration navigation systems and the impact that the drilling will have on the sea ice is yet to be decided. But is the threat of ruining the “nurseries of the earth” worth the economic and industrial potential of being able to run 500,000 more barrels of oil a day through the transAlaska pipeline? The one certain fact is that the oil drilling will have an immense impact on not only the immediate area, but on the whole of oil drilling political spheres.

The history of the Alaskan oil threat is not, in itself, very long but the history of the offshore oil drilling debate goes back to the early 1980s. It is at this time that the American general public first began to realise the environmental impact that offshore deep drilling can have. Since then it has been a 30 year fight between the economic benefits of the oil, seen by the businessmen and the financially-minded presidents, and the environmental benefits of keeping the oil companies away from the US coastlines, seen by the concerned general public and the environmentalist groups.

The main opposition comes from the native town of Point Hope, off whose coastline lies the Chukchi Sea, one of the main areas targeted by the Shell drilling team. These are an Inupiat people who have lived there continuously for around

2,400 years and who rely upon the rich ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean to supply their food from Bowhead whales, seals and Caribou.

These townspeople are supported by environmental groups such as REDOIL (Resisting environmental destruction on indigenous lands) and Greenpeace, a group which is renowned for being anything but subtle. Ironically enough however, in oil’s fiercest of enemies, it also finds some of its largest supporters. Point Hope is a town divided by the prospects that oil drilling will bring and the effect it will have on its ancient ways of life. The support mainly comes from the owners of local businesses and those who are associated with the oil companies. It is a town lingering half way between the push to modernise and the ideals of remaining traditional.

If the arctic seas are thrown into turmoil, America and the world will not only be losing an irreplaceable ecosystem, they will also have caused irreversible damage to the sea ice. With corporate greed overshadowing most of the situation and the country being in the middle of one of the biggest economic lows faced by the US in the last 100 years, the government’s political agenda will be concerned with the issues that can be resolved in the near future.

Geo-engineering: an environmental solution?

Rebecca Hardy Science editor According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of geo-eng is “the deliberate large-scale manipulation of an environmental process that affects the earth’s climate, in an attempt to counteract the effects of global warming.”

Research has suggested that geoengineering could reduce or even reverse global warming by manipulating naturally occurring processes, or engineering equipment that is influenced by natural processes.

Increases in attempts at climate change mitigation strategies are not proving as successful as anticipated by governments and environmental groups. Indeed, policies such as the Kyoto Protocol which aims to reduce the emissions of 15 EU member states, have been predicted to exceed emission reduction targets of 20% by 2020, but the “EU-15” and the rest of the European Union contribute only 11% of the greenhouse gases emitted worldwide.

Under the current schemes and initiatives, the effects of climate change will not be controlled before serious damage is done, not only to the environment. Scientists across a wide

range of disciplines are now researching how best to get the CO2 emissions under control.

The first proposals of geo-engineering occurred during the mid-1900s as a result of technologies developed during World War II making scientists consider the possibilities of techniques such as cloud seeding. The idea was to manipulate weather systems over parched farmlands using silver iodide or solid CO2 dispersed into rain-bearing clouds.

This technique has also previously been used to try and weaken tropical storms, with little if any effect. Indeed, it is in this failing that lies the ultimate problem with geo-engineering, small scale testing has been conducted with varying results, but large sale testing has never been an option because scientists cannot fully anticipate the outcome.

Whereas some argue that the severity of climate change does not yet warrant such extreme ideas, research carried out in 2006 suggested that “in light of no progress toward mitigation, geo-engineering may be necessary to reduce the most severe impacts of global warming.” In the seven years that have followed, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory data shows that CO2 levels in the atmosphere are rising.

However, until recently, the true prospects of geo-engineering have been largely kept at bay for fear of diminishing the necessity for government mitigation policies.

Although kept out of the public eye at the moment, more people are becoming aware of the suggestion of geo-engineering and the potential it brings. There are two different methods of geo-engineering currently under consideration, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) which aims to remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere, and solar radiation management (SRM) which aims to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the earth.

Common CDR methods include: the protection or enhancement of present land carbon sinks, using biochar for carbon sequestration, building large structures for direct, engineered capture of CO2, and enhancing ocean uptake of CO2 through fertilisation with nutrients.

Common SRM methods include: enhancing marine cloud reflectivity, installing huge shields or mirrors in space, increasing land surface reflectivity eg. painting all roofs white, or engineering reflective desert surfaces, and injecting sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere.

When considering prospective geo-

engineering methods, solar radiation management has received the most attention, particularly the creation of a stratospheric aerosol cloud and the potential to mimic the effects of ship tracks and brighten low clouds over the ocean.

This aerosol cloud would be used to mimic the effects of a volcanic eruption or a major forest fire as previous scientific observations have shown that, posteruption, “stratospheric sulfate aerosols drastically change the partitioning of downward solar flux into direct and diffuse.”

As well as reducing the net radiation levels by 35 W m-2, scientists have observed that after the 1982 eruption of El Chichón in Mexico, the increase of the diffuse portion led to an increase in the native CO2 sink, which led to the suggestion that this shift allowed plant canopies to photosynthesise more efficiently.

With such promising evidence, it seems inevitable that this should be the solution to the ever increasing problem of climate change. However, geo-engineering and therefore solar radiation management, is not without its ethical, economical, and political issues.

Features

19/03/13

Issue 282

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

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Why you shouldn’t overlook Twitter Features writer Joey Millar explains why Twitter is more than just hashtagging, especially if graduation might be looming Twitter often gets a bad reputation, one that it doesn’t necessarily deserve. It’s fashionable to dismiss the site as being nothing more than a megaphone for celebrities and a place where tedious Z-listers go to air their vanilla opinions.

While to an extent this is true (Joey Essex I’m looking at you), there is far more to the social network than Z-list word vomit.

For one thing, Twitter is now arguably the main source of breaking news in the media world. The days of newspapers providing the latest information on current affairs are of course long gone, but now even news websites struggle to keep up with the degree of immediacy that Twitter provides.

After a passenger plane crashlanded into the Hudson River in New York City in 2009, the first photos and reports came through Twitter from eyewitnesses. Similarly, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit north England in 2008, the event was being analysed and debated on Twitter a full 40 minutes before BBC’s breaking news website even mentioned it.

Even when news outlets do catch up and begin to report events their

content is usually saturated with photos and quotes taken from Twitter commentators.

As well as being a source of breaking news, the site is also a great help in finding work. For a website that limits its users to communicating in no more than 140 characters, Twitter may not seem like an obvious choice of platform to try

to find employment. However, with the economy’s outlook as stubbornly bleak as ever, it is especially important to use every means possible to find a job. In this regard Twitter is a criminally overlooked tool.

Every day countless job vacancies in Britain are promoted on the site as they become available; it’s all about knowing

Flickr: Rosaura Ochoa

where to look. The Guardian, for example, runs 25 separate specialised accounts that post up different jobs, from media to finance, environmental to teaching. Especially useful for Concrete readers is their profile tailored specifically towards recent or upcoming graduates (@GjobsGraduate), which posts dozens of suitable jobs per day.

Twitter is also a great networking tool. Due to the personal but casual nature of the site, many respected professionals are easily accessible and approachable. Wannabe journalists, for example, have a direct line to pretty much every national writer, who are far more likely to quickly respond to a tweet than to an email in their already cluttered inboxes. The same is true for other fields - try @Andy_Rudin for marketing or @thebizguy for business.

If you’re feeling really adventurous then there is always the option of tweeting your CV to ardent tweeters Alan Sugar or Rupert Murdoch.

Whatever your intention, be it to find news or a job, Twitter has come a long way and the days of thinking of it simply as Joey Barton’s virtual soap box are long gone.

Top signs you’re growing up Gone off takeaways? Emily Fedorowycz thinks you might just be growing up As much as we hate to admit it, we’re all getting older. There’s nothing we can do about it. Those early mornings mean we have to try to get an early night the evening before, the day-to-day responsibilities of the adult world have been thrust upon us and we alone are accountable for taking care of our health and social life. Therefore, it is no surprise when we find ourselves becoming what we had previously considered “old and boring”. Actor John Malkovich feels our pain: “I don’t want to be boring. But that’s not always easy.”

University life itself highlights some of the ways we may surprise ourselves in this department. For example, who would have ever thought that before living as a student, that one could ever tire of takeaways? Now ask the same students how much they would prefer good home-cooked grub instead. A resounding: “yes please.” Or how about those nights staying up until the break of dawn partying in clubs, followed by a trip to the nearest grimy kebab shop?

Somehow, after the initial thrill has worn out, we begin to realize that getting plastered with your friends, losing them in the clubs, finding them again only to be the one to hold their hair back in the toilet cubicle, does not have to be the definition of a good night. Are we getting old when we prefer a nice, quiet night at the cinema with the girls or having the lads round to play FIFA? Or are we just getting smarter?

If Just Eat and Topshop have been replaced by graduate job sites on your “most viewed” page, it’s clear your priorities are switching. Gone are the days of only worrying about how to afford two LCRs a week, replaced by the countdown until exams and the panicked hunt for jobs.

Whether you’ve taken an interest in home furnishings, enjoy getting vouchers as presents, love watching the news or have become a regular listener of Radio 4, keep a look out for the moments that signal your maturity. Your parents will never believe it.

Flickr: Avlxyz

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concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

Features

Graduate employment: not all doom and gloom With the end of the academic year approaching, features writer Polly Grice talks to the UEA Careers Centre about whether the job market is as bad as you might think

Anyone who reads the news could be forgiven for thinking that after graduating, this year’s finalists have no hope whatsoever of finding a job. Who can forget the graduate so desperate for a job he spent his savings on a billboard?

Or the one who took the government to court after they made her stack shelves at Poundland? Fortunately though, these cases are the exception and certainly not the rule.

Figures published by the Office of National Statistics last month showed that despite the media-scaremongering, more people than ever before are in work - in fact the highest number since records began in 1971.

And what about graduates? Well, while the latest national unemployment rate for first degree graduates stands at 8.6%, just 6.3% of those from UEA found themselves unemployed six months after leaving University. Why then do we keep hearing about how hard it is going to be to find a job?

James Goodwin, Careers Manager of UEA’s Careers Centre might be able to offer some explanations. It’s not that graduates aren’t going in to employment after university he says; it’s just that they’ve changed the way they go about finding that job. He’s noticed a “trend towards more graduates taking work experience when they graduate, accepting that they may not quite be ready for a graduate level job or training position, but just looking more readily for internships or looking for a bit of work experience.” Sometimes these placements might only be for a month

or two and therefore aren’t reflected in employment surveys.

Finding jobs can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. “In fact,” James says, “even in the worst of the recession, Norfolk was doing fairly well and there were still opportunities out there, but what happened is they became less visible. There are companies recruiting and companies advertising even within local authorities and county councils who were hit hard by contractions during the recession.

They’ve started recruiting more readily again, which just goes to show that despite the cuts, there are still jobs out there in the public sector. Even in places which have been hit the hardest.”

“What we’re trying to do is to reach students earlier in their degree and help them to realise what they can be doing throughout their course.”

So there are jobs available, and UEA graduates are getting into work, you just have to know where to look.

The Federation of Small Businesses reported that at the start of last year, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) accounted for nearly 60% of private sector employment alone, employing 14.1 million people.

“This isn’t always reflected in reports which detail how many hundreds of applications organisations receive per post. These are usually large,

popular organisations anyway, and the situation is very different in SMEs. “In many cases, you may find that your competition is relatively low, because it’s a much smaller organisation,” James points out. “So, it’s not in any way like you might believe in the media, that there are always going to be hundreds of applicants.”

This is all encouraging, but there’s still no denying that getting a job when you graduate is a huge concern for a lot of students. In some sectors, it can be difficult to go straight into a graduate level job and very often students do have to start at an entry-level position and work their way up, reaping the benefits of their degree later on in their career.

So what’s the key to making sure you’re in the best possible position when you finish your course? “Start early,” says James.

“What we’re trying to do is to reach students earlier in their degree and help them to realise what they can be doing throughout their course. UEA is a great place and it’s easy to get immersed in the bubble of university life. My message to first years onwards, is to at least try and put a CV together, then at the end of the year, look back. Update your CV and reflect, what am I now that I wasn’t back when I started? What do I think I can do now that I couldn’t back when I was a fresher? Think about what you’re gaining from the academic process you go through here and some of the social skills you’ve made too. It’s all going to have relevance in the future.”

So should final years be panicking?

Top tips to make your CV stand out ...

- On your CV and covering letter, always put details and examples to back up your claims. It’s all very well and good to say you’ve got great communication skills, but can you prove it?

- Put your personality across on your CV with a short profile at the top.

- Think about what’s relevant to the employer, put that at the start of your CV as the recruiter might only have seconds to scan your application.

- Don’t approach the interview like an exam, you’ll feel timid and nervous. Think of it as a business meeting where you get to find out about the company, and whether you want to work with them.

“Absolutely not!” laughs James. “It’s never too late, even now! If you haven’t got started yet, do come and see us at Careers and Employability because we’re used to seeing people in this position. We can alleviate some of your fears, help to dispel some of your myths about the job market and we can get you started. It can be difficult to find a way to start and while you do have to prioritise your exams, if you feel you can make time, we can help you to think of a set of steps to really take it forward, starting to find opportunities and send applications.

“It’s never too late. Be realistic, you may not go straight into a graduate job, but you are going to have to think about what you’re going to do over the summer, and thinking about getting bits of experience which will prepare you for eventually getting into graduate work.”

Only time will tell what graduation has in store for each student, however distant or close that time may be, but despite what you may think, there really is no need to panic just yet.

Please check the Careers & Employabilty website for a full range of their services including vacancies, events, guidance, mentoring, internship programmes, enterprise and busines start-up.

Visit the website at: www.uea.ac.uk/ careers. Anyone wishing to get in touch with the Careers Centre is welcome to visit the centre in person, or call 01603 593452.

Features

19/03/13

Issue 282

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

15

Chris Teale

Members of the Campus Kitchen team, pictured at their Pancake Day race last month.

Campus Kitchen: feeding the 14,000 Chris Teale Managing editor A revolution is taking place in how the university provides catering services to its students, led by a team of managers determined to provide what students want.

UEA Catering Services rebranded to Campus Kitchen at the beginning of the academic year and is led by assistant managers Matt Emery, Danny Huthwaite and Pete McNulty, who are responsible for the running of a number of campus eateries.

The rebrand brought about a complete change in image and personality, with the whole persona of Campus Kitchen given a dramatic overhaul. “[The old name] was boring,” said Emery. “It was dry, it was old, it wasn’t forward-thinking.

The new name represents the attitude.

“We didn’t just want to change the name, the whole Campus Kitchen coolness represents who we are now as a company.

We’re not boring, and that’s the whole point. Campus Kitchen is a way of life, and it’s for students.”

They noticed a difference immediately, as campus outlets like Zest, Blend and Café Direct have all been noticeably busier since the rebrand, with some even suggesting an outside company had come in and taken over the catering services on campus.

However, this was not the case, and instead, as Emery puts it in his own inimitable style, the company was “taken over by coolness.”

In rebranding, the company also made great efforts to refurbish and enhance their various outlets. This is most notable Zest, which has undergone a dramatic transformation in a relatively short space of time.

Emery continues: “If I was to get one physical embodiment of how the brand has changed, I’d choose Zest. It used to be sterile and bland with white walls and a dry lunch, almost like being in a hospital.

“Then, we painted the walls red, we increased the counters to, we put street food in there, we put together five different offers of what students, our customers, actually want.

“We’ve funked it up. It’s bold, like us. It’s forward-thinking, like us. Every year, we’re doing something more in there.”

The next project for Zest is to install a smoothie bar, offering various options to help students depending on their needs, from easing morning hangovers to helping to aid study. It is a vast change from how Zest used to be, a change which Huthwaite appreciates having been employed by the company for over 20 years.

“Before when people would come into Zest, it would be like a school canteen,” he added. “A lot of parents when they come

and bring their kids on their first day, they want to be going away knowing that their kids are going to be well looked after there.”

There are similar plans afoot for Blend and Café Direct, two of the other outlets owned by Campus Kitchen, that have also seen transformations take place in their walls in what has been a busy year for the company.

Café Direct in particular has already been hailed as a success story for the company, having almost doubled the level of its business in the space of a year, and seen its number of tills and coffee machines doubled to cope with the extra demand.

However, they are keen to retain its core values of being the small corner deli on campus, where every customer is treated like a regular by the staff working there.

The Campus Kitchen staff receive a thorough grounding in the ethos and mission of Campus Kitchen as part of a wide-ranging induction, although McNulty is keen to stress that most of the learning is done on the job.

“New staff members will sit down with their supervisors on their first day, and the supervisor will go through the whole Campus Kitchen ethos with them,” McNulty said.

“It’s not all paragraph after paragraph of writing, it’s just a guide and then they’ll be trained in their job on the spot. They

have one thing to sign at the end saying they understand everything, and that’s it.”

Meanwhile, the Campus Kitchen management are keen that while their team are well treated and receive the best possible training, they are also conscious of the environmental impact and sustainability of the food which they produce.

This is apparent in their efforts to stock as much produce as possible from local providers, with products like their vegetables, meat, milk and bread all coming from local producers. In addition, Campus Kitchen only use Red Tractor meat from a local butcher, while all their dairy products are free range.

With the introduction of Keep Cups, they have halved their disposals of cups and have also seen their recycling rate double by 60%, thanks to what Emery describes as “auditing the bin-bags”.

As a whole, Campus Kitchen feel they are making great strides towards a sustainable catering service that students enjoy, but are keen to stress they always want to hear students’ views.

They have recently introduced a new email address, campuskitchenfeedback@ uea.ac.uk, for anyone to send a message to with feedback and suggestions, and hopes are high that the company can continue their good work in providing catering services for students.

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concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

The Seoul-ful side of South Korea Rachael Lum Travel writer

Contrary to what some might think, it does not take a Korean film or music fanatic to enjoy the wonders of Seoul. The capital city of South Korea cradles a rich cultural heritage at the heart of its buzzing metropolis.

Relics of dynasties past can still be seen around Seoul, the most prominent ones of which are the “Five Grand Palaces”. Gyeongbukgung is the oldest of

the lot and was the main palace in the 14th century. Here you can watch the changing of the guards or check out the National Museum and the National Folk Museum, both within the palace walls.

Changdeokgung, however, remains the favourite of the five palaces, both by royal families of the Joseon dynasty, and and by visitors today. It is the most wellpreserved of the palaces, earning its place as a Unesco World Heritage Site. The gardens surrounding it are gorgeous, serene and often commended for its

harmonious atmosphere.

Also located within the same district is the Insadong Street. Where once was a hub for artists now stands art galleries and shops that specialised goods, such as ceramics, teas and even the hanji, the nation’s traditional wear. Although it is often filled with tourists, it is still a good place to shop for unusual souvenirs.

Foodies would be able to find street food in Insadong, but you should head over to Gwangjang Market, the oldest marketplace in Seoul. A hot spot for its

Travel

local delicacies, it would be worth tasting the bibimbap (rice mixed with other seasonings), bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) or have tteokbokki (fried rice cakes) with soju (Korean rice liquor), the way the locals like their late night snack.

There are of course many other places and modern landmarks to visit in Seoul.

For a more cultural experience though, the historical sites, the palaces and the lovely little streets would be a good way to explore South Korea’s past and the local scenes.

Flickr: golbenge

I know a great little place ... Photography Corner Every week our writers will tell you their favourite place in the world. This week, Chris Teale describes his favourite restaurant, Eamonn’s in Virginia Nestling on the historic King Street that runs through the heart of the city of Alexandria in northern Virginia sits Eamonn’s, an Irish fish and chip shop that describes itself as not like “any other chipper.”

Eamonn’s offers everything you would expect from a regular fish and chip shop, with a variety of seafood well complemented by a wide array of side dishes all sounding familiar to those who frequent shops like these in other countries.

Rianna Hudson in Tanzania

Rachael Lum

However, its choice of accompanying sauces shows Eamonn’s is so much more than a regular fish and chip shop, with various being formed from local ingredients, including the Chesapeake sauce from Chesapeake Bay in the south of Virginia.

Walking into Eamonn’s as a nonAmerican, you will feel instantly at home, but there is enough choice here to keep you coming back again and again to this corner of Ireland in what is a bustling and cosmopolitan city.

Chris Thomson at Knysna lagoon , South Africa We love your travel snaps - see more of them online: concrete-online.co.uk/photo-corner Send yours to concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk and we’ll publish them.

Travel

19/03/13

Issue 282

concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

17

Jailbreak 2013: a long road for the Yellow Brick Roamers Yellow Brick Roamers Travel writers The misty grey sky looming overhead suggested Krakow was not the best place to be in March. The sharp cold could have deterred some tourists, but upon discovering the ancient city centre it soon became apparent that Krakow had a lot to offer. Along with the well priced local and internationally branded shopping, the Polish cuisine, and the history lay the simple pleasure of navigating the ancient cobbled streets. The mystically bleak atmosphere of the city at this time of year became magnetic, creating an eeriness that gives the impression of exploring the city of a Romanticised historical spy film circa 1940.

The open expanse of Main Square (Rynek Główny) has the al fresco bohemian vibe comparable to that of London's Covent Garden, and the dining ranges from the traditional Marmolada, which is Michelin Guide recommended, to the

ever-present McDonald’s. It's true that this mix of local and international culture is characteristic of many cities of the world, but strolling through Planty Park at night, with bars opening and lamplight seeping through the winter mist, gives Krakow a veneer that invites you to delve deeper.

Striking architecture abounds with the harsh buildings of the past century sitting oddly, but not offensively, with the ornate churches and palaces of old, and the crisp modernity of the main shopping centre, the Galeria Krakowska.

The risk in spontaneously finding a different hotel or hostel for each night was one with rewards, with changing views of the old city wall and a different street to investigate bringing with them an elevated sense of actually travelling.

Small bars and coffee shops are quaintly situated amongst around fifty nightclubs, showing that Krakow really is a city fit for most people. With appreciation and exploration the stark aesthetic and low March temperatures quickly became

Chloe Hashemi

positives, and Krakow emerged as a having that indescribable essence that must be revisited.

It is how we managed to arrive at this unforeseen destination that makes the city’s beauty and quirks even more meaningful. Krakow, in southern Poland is an astounding 823.62 miles from our UEA campus in the outskirts of Norwich. This may sound like a relatively unimportant figure, but when every single of those miles has to be travelled without spending a penny, suddenly it becomes a completely different ballgame.

The Jailbreak “race” began at 10am on Friday 8 March. With plans to travel to Paris falling through just moments before the official countdown to the start of the challenge, “The Yellowbrick Roamers” (Lucy Mitchell, Jon Blair and Chloe Hashemi) had literally no direction in sight or mind. However, only a couple of hours into the challenge we managed to secure a free coach to London and then another one straight to Poland from

London Victoria coach station. The entire trip to Krakow took over 26 hours and the distance covered included driving through England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and then all the way to the south of Poland to Krakow.

Our team, “The Yellowbrick Roamers” finished fourth in the competition, having raised £635 and counting. Not a bad effort for not even having transportation out of Norwich secured!

The UEA Jailbreak team has raised £14,078.65 at time of print, all in aid of Cancer Research UK. Our success in the competition is all thanks to the unanticipated and overwhelming generosity of a couple of individuals across Europe. First and foremost, “Sinbad” coaches who drove us half way across the continent with very few questions asked, without charging us a pound. “Never judge a book by its cover”. A valuable lesson learned, as you never know who is willing to go that extra mile and save your Jailbreak behinds.

Chloe Hashemi

A huge congratulations to the Yellow Brick Roamers and all the teams that took part in Livewire’s Jailbreak, who raised an enormous amount of money for a very good cause.

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

How to get fit without the gym Sidonie Chaffer-Melly Lifestyle writer The first glimmers of sunshine have started to break through the clouds, and as thoughts tentatively turn to summer, you might start considering that longneglected gym membership. The pressure to be “beach ready” means that many people will splash out on expensive membership fees, even though there are already many ways to keep fit without the need to pay out.

Go for a run - it is that simple. All you need is a pair of good trainers and a motivational playlist. Find a route near to you that you like, and as time goes on push it further and further. Setting yourself a goal like a charity run is also a great way to keep you inspired. As an added plus, this way you get all the benefits of being out in the fresh air rather than in a sweaty gym.

Do a home exercise video. These are effective as you can work up a sweat in the comfort of your own home. There are also lots of routines that offer a fun alternative to working out, like samba dancing and kickboxing. If you are going for a celebrity-sponsored workout, pick wisely. It is surprising how quickly you will get infuriated with chirpy encouragement coming from the other side of your TV screen.

Do home weight training. Getting yourself a routine of home stretches and

Lifestyle

workouts is easy, and there are loads on the internet. Find one that suits you, and all you need is a bit of floor space. You can use food tins or filled water bottles as weights if you do not have any of your own. This is also a great way of fitting a workout in if you are pushed for time. Just make your way through as many squats, push-ups and crunches as you can before morning lectures.

Go for a walk. If you are going somewhere you would normally travel to by bus, leave yourself the time and walk instead. It will save you money, and you will be burning calories without thinking.

If you have got a spare hour at the weekend, go for a walk around the lake - it is beautiful in the sunshine and will help clear your thoughts. The same also counts when shopping - retail therapy is also a great cardio workout. You will not even notice how far you have walked in a few hours wandering around Chapelfield.

Buy a skipping rope. With this old playground favourite, you could actually burn around 135 calories from jumping rope. It is a great cardio workout and tones up your arms, stomach and legs. Best of all, you can pick up a skipping rope for under £10! It is simple, quick and lets you relive your childhood - much more fun than sitting in a gym. It is also easy to transport; no more going home and missing out on a week’s worth of workouts. Just stick your rope in your suitcase and keep going.

The sepia-tinted lens of nostalgia Bridie Wilkinson Lifestyle writer We are a nation obsessed with our own past. Nostalgia is a sepia-tinted lens, warming up the fond memories of bygone days and feeding into our modern culture. Inspiration is pulled from what has come before, now celebrated as being retro, classic or vintage. Things once thought of as old-fashioned or

second-hand are now reinvented with a new brand and a new appeal. They are sold to an ever-growing market, caught up in the idea that by buying something from another time, you can own a part of your heritage. The present is so passé.

The fast, constant updating and feverish advancement of our time becomes tiresome when compared to the wistful good old days. It is more comforting to hide ourselves in vintage-

inspired furnishings and trinkets than to be thrown headfirst into a world that is so unpredictable. We find the past endearing because it is the complete opposite to the modern age; it is stable, it is familiar and it is safe.

But by focusing so much on what is behind us, we run the risk of becoming stubborn. Our nostalgic culture glosses over the parts of our country’s history that are not as rosy as we would like to believe. The recent popularity of wartime slogans such as the now infamous “Keep Calm and Carry On” is an example of how our yearning for the past slightly skews our perspective of it.

The poster was first created by the Ministry of Information to be circulated if Britain became invaded and occupied.

The phrase has gone from belonging to wartime propaganda to now being found on countless pieces of merchandise across the country. We choose to ignore the intentions of the original slogan, instead associating the poster with the country’s idyllic view of itself. We focus on how Britain, during the hazardous and dangerous time of World War II, was able to maintain a humble, grounded outlook

and continue on as normal. Coming across the phrase on a mug or coaster seems to connect us to this sentimental image of our past.

This kind of nostalgia is a little selfindulgent. After all, the original “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster was never needed. It had limited distribution and was eventually discontinued. The majority of the “ordinary heroes” that we are attempting to connect ourselves to probably never even saw the poster. It took a bookshop owner in the year 2000 to find the poster and start reprinting it for the design to find itself an audience.

The reminder to keep calm and carry on may not have been popular the first time around, but nowadays the words are embedded in our culture. The reasoning of the poster, the “getting on with it” attitude that has long been associated with its specific period, somehow resonates with today’s public.

Feeling nostalgic for the “good old days” is unnecessary. Instead of wishing to belong to another era, it is time to realise that our busy, post-millennial present is not as isolated from the past as we are inclined to think.

Lifestyle

19/03/13

Issue 282

concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

19

Internet addiction: as serious as drug abuse?

Bruno Gnaneswaran Lifestyle writer As society embraces technology more and more, internet usage will consequently become increasingly prevalent. The majority of us use it on a day-to-day basis

and it can be an essential tool that enables communication, social interaction, gaming and the ability to keep up-to-date with world news.

The internet is an un-ending source of information, inspiration and entertainment.

Technological

advancements have facilitated access to the world wide web whereby access is not only limited to our homes but it can now easily be accessed through mobile phones, laptops and tablets. As a result, we are almost always connected to the internet - for better or for worse.

The average time spent browsing the internet per week in the UK was an astonishing 37.9 hours in 2012 significantly higher than previous years and the highest value in Europe. The average internet user spends 22% of their time on social networking websites, 42% on viewing content such as videos or reading information, and 36% on reading e-mails or shopping online.

Another surprising fact is that the average internet user will spend 75 minutes a day browsing Facebook. Are we slowly becoming addicted to the internet? Is internet addiction a real medical issue?

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is characterised by an individual’s inability to control his or her use of the internet.

It will generally result in marked distress and functional impairment in one’s daily life. In addition, it will normally involve a drop in academic performance, impaired social interaction, poor occupational interest and behavioural problems. The definition regarding IAD is very similar to the definition of substance abuse addiction and gambling, and IAD has now attracted considerable attention from public health

and psychiatrists.

Research by scientists at Swansea and Milan universities has shown that internet addiction is not only associated with depression, but also drug-like withdrawal symptoms. A study of 60 adults showed a greater drop in mood of high internet users when compared with those in a low internet users group. The same study suggested that those in the high internet usage group experienced withdrawal symptoms similar to those experienced by people coming off illegal drugs like ecstasy. Scientist Dr Jerald Block believes that the relationship is between the user and the computer itself, and not specific websites. He suggests that extreme internet users, who spend their time emailing, gaming or on porn, exhaust emotions that they would otherwise use in the real world on their computers.

The internet has revolutionised the world. It has enabled more than two billion people to be connected and, one day in a future not too distant, the whole world will be able to share their passion, interest and ideas. To some, the internet is invaluable and essential. Being able to find information at your fingertips and instantly communicate with friends and colleagues is something that we have become accustomed to, but one should be aware of the consequences of extreme internet usage and the subsequent health effects.

Enjoying springtime in Norwich and Norfolk Chloe Cran Lifestyle writer While it may not contain the same delights as Prince of Wales Road, on a sunny day there really is no better place to be than out in the countryside or simply strolling through the city. This is true especially for somewhere as lovely as Norwich or Norfolk, which is home to nationally acclaimed walking and cycling routes.

While the rush hour conditions of the bike racks on a weekday morning suggest that many of us use our bikes to commute to UEA, cycling is also a great way to explore the city and the surrounding area, without having to worry if you’re going to make it to the CD Annex on time.

Route One of the National Cycle Network runs through Norwich and across Norfolk, and as large parts of the trail are car free, it is very safe for those who might feel less confident. Trains and bikes seem to work well together in Norwich, and you can even hire bicycles from the train station. The Bittern railway line, for example, is 30 miles long and

runs from the city to the coast, via the Norfolk broads. The Norfolk broads can offer a great day out for students on bike or foot, and you can even hire a boat for the day; far more exciting than planning the daily trip to the Co-op. For those who are very adventurous or brave cyclists, the Norfolk Coast Cycleway is an impressive 59 miles long, stretching from King’s Lynn to the seaside town of Cromer.

You don’t necessarily have to travel far in order to find some fun cycling routes though. Why not take a trip across the city? Perhaps to enjoy the view from the top of the famous Ketts Hill or to sample some of the city’s numerous pubs, other than the Union Bar or the one up the road. Caution: drunk cycling is against the law! So make sure you choose a safe route; preferably with cycle lanes using the Norwich Cycle Network. Car versus bike is never going to end well!

However, it’s not just the cyclists who get to have all the fun, as there are plenty of walking routes to be enjoyed too. For those of you who might want to get to know the city a bit better, those

first years who may have only ventured from campus a handful of times, you can take advantage of a walking tour through Norwich. The Norwich Heritage walk for example, which starts at the Forum, includes the Cathedral, the Castle, City Hall and many other historic buildings, all of which offer great insight into the city’s past. There are also frequent buses

and trains out of the city, making that walk along Norfolk’s sandy beaches easily accessible at a very low cost.

So, as spring approaches and the sun threatens to shine for more than 10 minutes, why not do something a bit different. Whether you pull on your walking boots or jump on a bike; you may just have fun!

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

Healthy springtime recipes

Lifestyle

Lemon couscous with baked garlic mushrooms Maddy Hutt Lifestyle writer Ingredients • 1 cup of couscous • 1 ½ cups of boiling water • Juice of ½ a lemon • A handful of chopped fresh parsley • 2 spring onions, finely chopped • A pinch of salt and black pepper for seasoning • 4 knobs of butter • 3 portobello mushrooms, stalks removed • 2 cloves of garlic

of a knife.

5. Add the cloves to the ovenproof dish, placing them around but not on top of the mushrooms. This will give a gentle garlic flavour to the mushrooms without overpowering

them, however if you are a garlic fanatic then chopping the cloves finely and sprinkling them onto the mushrooms before cooking is by no means off limits.

6. Place the ovenproof dish into the

Method 1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. 2. Boil a pint of water for the couscous.

3. While the kettle boils, place the mushrooms bottom side up into an ovenproof dish and add a knob of butter to the middle of each mushroom. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Without peeling them, take the garlic cloves and crush them against a chopping board with the flat side

oven and cook for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on the mushrooms.

7. After the mushrooms have been cooking for 5 minutes, tip the couscous into a bowl. Add the water from the hot kettle and a knob of butter, then cover and stand aside.

The couscous will take about 15 minutes to absorb all of the water 8. On a medium heat, warm through the finely chopped spring onions in a frying pan with a drop of vegetable oil until slightly softened. Then remove from the heat and put aside.

9. After the mushrooms have cooked for 20 minutes, take them out of the oven and put them aside.

10. Uncover the couscous and stir with a fork before adding the chopped parsley, spring onions, lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

Mix together well and taste before serving. You may want to add more seasoning or a little more of the lemon depending on your taste.

11. Serve the couscous on a plate with the mushrooms resting on top and a final sprinkling of parsley.

Summer berry smoothies Butternut squash & caramelised onion quiche

Bex White Lifestyle writer

Ingredients • 100g of fresh raspberries • 100g of fresh strawberries • 75ml of milk (works best with semiskimmed) • 1tbsp of lemon juice Method 1. Wash the fruit then leave to dry on a paper towel.

Bex White

2. Remove the stems from the strawberries before slicing each strawberry in half.

3. Put all the ingredients into a blender. and pulse until smooth Alternatively, use a potato masher to crush the fruit then whisk in the milk and lemon juice.

4. If you prefer the consistency to be less thick, add a handful of ice cubes and blend these in.

5. Serve immediately, and leave for no more than 24 hours in the fridge.

Emma Williamson Lifestyle editor Ingredients • 320g of pre-rolled shortcrust pastry • Baking beans • 1 tbsp of olive oil • 4 large free-range eggs • 2 tbsp of milk • 300g of butternut squash, peeled and sliced into cubes • 100g of mature cheddar cheese, grated • 1 brown onion, diced • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped • 1tsp of dried sage Method 1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C. 2. Grease a 22cm quiche or flan dish with a drizzle of olive oil and then line the base with baking paper. Roll out your pastry onto a lightly floured surface, then use it to line the quiche dish.

3. Lightly prick the pastry with a fork and then line the pastry with another disk of baking paper, before filling the base with baking beans.

Place the dish onto a baking tray.

4. Place the butternut squash onto a large roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Place this tin and the baking tray with the pastry on it into the oven and allow both to roast and bake for 20 minutes.

5. Whilst the pastry is blind baking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and sage, reduce the heat, and allow to cook slowly for 20 minutes. Once caramelised, turn off the heat and put to one side.

6. Once the pastry has cooked, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 180C. Remove the baking beans and baking paper, and allow the pastry to cool.

7. In a large mixing jug, beat the four eggs until frothy. Add the milk and cheese, stir once again, and finally add the butternut squash and onion mixture. Once the filling mixture has combined, slowly pour it into the pastry base.

8. Place the quiche into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.

Once cooked, allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving with a spinach and feta salad.

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concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

Issue 282

19/03/13

Sport

38 UEA Derby Day 2013 Essex 9

Trampolining triumphant Cycling in superb victory Tilly Wood Sports correspondent UEA Trampolining club triumphed over Essex at Derby Day, keeping their decade-long winning streak firmly intact.

The competition went ahead as planned at 3pm in Hall 2 despite some disastrous timetabling issues, that could not be helped due to the adverse weather, in which the trampolining event was moved forward two hours, unknown to the Essex competitors.

Unexpectedly, Essex Trampolining club did not bring any judges, and so the competition was judged by two of UEA’s coaches and Ruth Schofield, president of the UEA trampolining club.

After a friendly general warm up, the competition started with the novice set routines. Essex and UEA performed equally well in execution but three Essex competitors did not fully complete their routines compared to UEA’s one, meaning UEA took an early average score lead.

Next up, was the intermediate category where UEA’s Sophie Bedwell, Charlotte Fuggle and Steph Gover all achieved an impressive average execution score of over 8.0, meaning they had little travel, good height and brilliant tucked front somersaults.

Unfortunately for Essex, half of their

intermediate competitors failed to achieve a 7.

Kicking off the advanced trampolining were the intervanced competitors. Notably high scores were awarded all around however UEA’s Tilly Wood and Emine Akgunduz shone with 8.1 averages for execution.

Ruth Schofield was the last to compete being the only entrant in the elite category.

When all the set routines had been completed, the voluntary routines began with some significant tariffs from UEA. Ruth Schofield and Emily Till both designed their own routines for a higher tariff and Till’s modified routine included a piked back somersault and a tucked barani giving her a boosted tariff of 2.5.

Everyone performed spectacularly, but the undoubted winner was UEA trampolining club president Schofield, the solo elite competitor. Schofield’s impressive tariff of 5.9 helped her achieve a total score of 22. Several moves she performed were unique to her routine including a straight barani, a barani ball out and she finished with an aweinspiring rudi. Schofield’s remarkable execution earned her an average score of 8.0.

The final average scores for the beginner’s category were: UEA 15.0, Essex 13.1. Advanced category: UEA 17.9, Essex 13.7

Charles Dennett Sports correspondent UEA Cycling’s Andrew Bean set the fastest time in the 10 mile time trial, spearheading an overall victory for the home university.

The race itself took place on a five mile stretch of the B1149 out of Horsford, to the north of the city, and was dominated by the weather. The sunshine enjoyed before the race quickly disappeared, with hail, sleet and strong winds providing some seriously harsh riding conditions.

Bean rode the five mile out-and-back course in 24 minutes and 17 seconds, beating Essex rider Benjamin Harris’ 25.55 effort into second place by over a minute and a half. Matthew Bond (Essex) rode a strong 26.33 to secure third place, but UEA’s Humfrey Jeakins and Robert Paynter fought hard in tough conditions, placing themselves fourth and fifth and doing enough to give UEA the overall win. Essex rider Joe Theobald finished sixth for the visitors with a 30.22.

The scoring system, which added up the value of the finishing positions, meant that UEA’s first, fourth and fifth gave an overall score of 10, trumping Essex’s cumulative total of 11.

Triathlon’s Jeakins said before the race: “We’ll be into the wind on the outward leg of the course, and it will be with us on the way back. It’s going to feel

pretty flat, so it should be pretty much an even effort throughout.” When asked about UEA’s chances, he was confident, adding: “I think UEA have got a good chance. There’ve been a lot of rumours, a lot of chat about the opposition, but it’s all going to come down to the race.”

The first riders set off in cold but relatively clear conditions, but by the time Paynter came to start the sleet was coming down hard. Luckily, the course itself was not a massively technical one, with one roundabout providing the only opportunity for riders to come unstuck whilst cornering. Despite this, marshals from both the UEA clubs rode out along the route and braved the cold to ensure the safety of the competitors throughout.

The lack of an Essex Triathlon squad meant that UEA Triathlon’s strongest cyclists pooled their resources with UEA Cycling in what turned out to be a thoroughly successful collaboration.

In comparison to Essex’s skeleton squad of four, UEA’s starting roster was very healthy with nine riders battling the clock and the elements to post times.

The Derby Day win was a great one for UEA Cycling and Triathlon, as they look to take advantage of the overall growth in both sports in the UK. The single point margin showed Essex to be a quality opposition, and despite an obvious desire to win from both teams, the whole event ran smoothly and with a good natured feel.

Ultimate Frisbee win again Jess Beech Sports correspondent

Steph Gover

Due to the adverse weather conditions, UEA and Essex’s Derby Day ultimate Frisbee was set to be a challenging game from the off.

The match was forced to be relocated to the indoor sports halls, forcing both teams to make last minute tactical alterations..

The match was fast paced from the start, with scores being continuously recorded by both teams. Both teams had their fair share of possession for the first ten minutes, and the game looked set to be a close encounter.

After the initial flurry of scores, the match began to slow down. UEA then came into their own, dominating from the 15th minute onward. The rest of the game saw a continuous stream of points from UEA. The stand out score of the match had to be from UEA’s number 14, which resulted in UEA taking a commanding 8-3 lead.

Essex points were sparse after the first

10 minutes and they scored only twice in the final half of the match. Both teams utilised their substitutions, ensuring the team maintained a high level of performance.

Despite their lack of success Essex did fight back with a last minute goal, but the final score came in at 18-5 to UEA. The result means UEA continue their winning streak, and can now boast an unbeaten Derby Day run. Their victory can be attributed to their strong, tactical attacking. Their defence was also solid, ensuring Essex’s scoring attempts to be deflected. UEA’s number 9 was particularly resilient in defence and employed well executed pass decoys. Howard Storey, the UEA captain commented, “Essex came out strong trading points for a while. UEA’s larger squad meant we had fresh legs to earn a deserved victory.” The team also elected Arron Reed as their man of the match.

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Men’s Lacrosse experience Derby Day defeat Moji Adegbile Sports correspondent After a match which saw the women’s lacrosse team battle it out against their Essex rivals in rain, hail and snow, all within a space of 60 minutes it was lovely to see the sun come out for what was to be one of the finest 80 minutes of lacrosse played by the men’s team.

Essex were out of the blocks sharpest as they took an early three point lead. Halfway through the quarter UEA sparked into life when Alex Watt made a terrific interception.

This was enough to wake up the UEA team and two minutes later saw Michael Bolton scored the first UEA. Moments later Ross Field and Ben Dickson followed in the act with two more goals. At the end of a fiercely contested quarter, Essex were leading 4-3.

The second quarter saw a drop in temperature but a step up in the Essex side game. Although UEA are in a lower BUCS division, they had shown enough skill and character in the first quarter to threaten an upset. However, a fast breakaway by Essex resulted in their fifth goal. This was shortly

Ga Chun Yau

followed by their sixth.

This prompted drastic changes from Captain Steven Van De Put, who decided to introduce the Eagles’ game changer, John Crosskill. Following two more goals from Essex, and a timeout, UEA managed to score another goal before halftime.

At the beginning of the third quarter and John Crosskill made an impact showed strength and athleticism to score the Eagles’ fifth goal and live up to his ever growing reputation.

The rest of the quarter saw UEA try to force the issue as Michael Bolton came close on a couple of occasions. However, Essex went on to dominate the remaider of the third quarter scoring some beautiful goals and ending the period at 11-6.

UEA started the final quarter brightly, as they continued to threaten the Essex goal. Ben Dickson scored a blinder from the restraining line bringing the score up to 11-7.

Alas, despite some great defending from Michael Pullinger, Jonny Mutch and Will Edwards it was not meant to be for the Eagles, as the game ended 14-7 to Essex.

Pole dancing defeated narrowly Cheerleading draw after controversial judging decisions Polly Grice Sports correspondent

The University of Essex narrowly won the first ever Derby Day pole dancing competition by 866 points to 829.

UEA’s Fatimah Braimah took top place in the beginners’ category with 110 points, her controversial “hello boys” move was technically not permitted but after a brief deliberation, the judges gave their approval.

Anna Kirton of the University of Essex won the intermediate category with 188 points and Essex’s Sophie Logan secured the top spot in the advanced section with 131 points.

The competition was judged by “Bendy Kate”, national pole dancing champion who thrilled the crowds with an energetic routine at the end of the show This was the first time Essex have managed to provide a team for UEA to compete against, and the judges agreed that it was great to see so many students come out for the contest. Buller said she was looking for a routine which “captures the audience and really moves you in the performance”.

The routines were performed to a range of tracks and making the routine fit with the music was a key consideration from the judges. Points were awarded for fluidity, poise and signs that the performer was enjoying themselves on the poles.

Intermediate competitor Charlotte Silver, who managed to incorporate doing the worm into her routine, said “it was fun! I was nervous, but the main point of the day

is to have fun in a friendly competition”.

Pole Dancing president Maria Dottin was pleased with the overall spectacle, saying the whole thing went “very smoothly. Usually we just have showcases, so this is great. I’m really proud of all the competitors” Lucia Halbherr, in the advanced class, pulled off a spectacular routine including an impressive superman to Gemini and a tricky inverted D and judges were also impressed with Emma Thomson, who managed to carry out her full routine despite having a foot injury.

Unfortunately it was an overall loss for UEA, but the competitors said they had a great time competing and look forward to next year’s competition.

Whye Tchien Khor

Rachael Lum Sports correspondent The Derby Day battle between UEA Angels and Essex Flames ended in a draw last Wednesday, but was not without its share of drama behind the scenes.

Spectators were left confused following a long break while the three judges discussed the outcome of the competition. As it turned out, there was a dispute when one of the scores for Cheerleading Dance was unusually high and did not correspond with the other two sets of scores given.

“I think the Essex judge was far too generous with the points they gave to the Essex dance squad,” says Angels’ Cheerleading Stunt Coach, Sam Osborne. “Because of that score, overall the average meant that the Essex dance squad won.”

In the spirit of sportsmanship, and being unable to convince a re-evaluation, the results were duly announced to the public.

The judges for Cheerleading were Tori Sanderson, an ex-UEA Angel; Jenny Hynes, Head Coach for Essex Flames; and Tayla Richardson, a cheerleader from Ipswich.

Essex’s Flames won Cheerleading Dance with 216 points, our home team falling merely 10 points short.

Armed with Ga Chun Yaupom poms, Angels put on

a well-coordinated Large Pom Dance.

Although disadvantaged through less participants, the Flames delivered a fun, hip hop routine that even incorporated the can-can.

However, it was a clear triumph for Angels in Cheerleading Stunts with an astounding 223 over Flames’s score of 192. Essex took the floor with an enthusiastic Level 2 stunt routine: prep-liberty arabesques, energetic choreography, ending with elevators and splits.

During the Angels’ turn, the squad commanded attention by immediately forming a wall consisting of elevators in the middle and extended liberties up each side. It progressed with a complex build-up to stunts of higher levels, successfully pushing their limits with a Level 5 stunt. With a few stumbles, it was not their cleanest act but Angels had a smooth finish and was a crowd pleaser.

The overall contest finished in a 1-1 draw, with Essex winning in the Dance and UEA in the Stunt contest.

UEA Angels are now looking ahead as they continue their vigorous rehearsals in preparation for two British Cheerleading Association (BCA) Competitions in Telford later this month: BCA Nationals Universities and BCA Nationals Championships. UEA’s stunt squad came third for last year’s BCA Nationals Universities.

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Women’s Football come from behind to claim victory Amelia Glean Sports correspondent UEAWFC came from behind to seal a hard fought victory against Essex in the Derby Day 2pm kick-off. Despite conceding a deflected goal in the first half, the yellows bounced back to beat Essex for the second year running.

The first half saw a shaky start with a number of shots cleared off the line.

Lois Dunn anticipated the flight of the ball perfectly to head behind after ten minutes, keeping the score at 0-0.

Essex were beginning to look threatening but a UEA counter attack saw Aviyah Abrahams clear down the right hand flank, she played a delightful cross into the path of Amelia Glean who could not make the most of the opportunity with a header just wide.

Despite a five-minute spell of possession, the yellows could not come up with that vital goal. They were punished after 25 minutes when Essex attacked in numbers and were fortunate to squeeze the ball past Becky White with a cruel deflection. Nevertheless, the touchline support for UEA inspired

the players to continue on through the hail and snow until the half time break.

The second period saw changes with Abbi Knell coming on at left midfield and Louise Chadwick moving upfront.

It was a much-improved performance

and UEA were beginning to control the tempo. Gabrielle Glover and Leanne Stubbings were commanding the middle of the pitch, finding both Knell and Sammy Algar in good positions out wide.

Whye Tchien Khor

At long last, the team were rewarded for their patience after Glover found the net with an awesome long distance strike at 50 minutes. It was all to play for.

KC O’Shea and Amy Shaw looked comfortable at centre half, competently clearing the danger and Maria Fernandez was looking very assured at right back.

The goal had allowed UEA to grow in confidence and it looked as a winner was inevitable.

Finally it came with 15 minutes to go as Stubbings picked up the ball and dribbled her way past two Essex players.

Seeing that the keeper was off her line, she chipped the ball over to make it 2-1 to the home side.

With little time remaining Essex came looking for a goal but, after slotting the ball into the back of the net, were flagged for offside. They were determined to equalise and very nearly did in the last few seconds when their forward had a free shot close to the UEA goal. However, a fantastic save from White kept them at bay, and when the final whistle blew, UEAWFC were victorious.

Men’s and Women’s Badminton

Netball I storm to impressive win

assert Derby Day supremacy

Hatty Farnham Sports correspondent

Sidonie Chaffer-Melly Sports correspondent

UEA’s first team secured another UEA victory, beating the University of Essex 44– 18. For many of UEA’s third year girls, this match was their last for the university, and determined for the win, they quickly took the lead.

UEA made an early drive, scoring two nets within the first few minutes. Essex played well in the first quarter, and with strong support from the side line, they provided stern competition. At the end of the first quarter, however, UEA were well in the lead with 11–3.

By the second quarter, Essex looked exhausted as UEA found their stride.

Essex made some great interceptions but despite their best efforts, UEA dominated possession for most of the match. Essex struggled to score due to UEA’s strong defence, and the second quarter closed at 20–9.

UEA’s supporters got behind their team after half-time, shouting encouragement such as “it’s too easy”, and “she shoots, she scores”. The home side continued to play well, securing a score of 23–12 at the end of the third quarter.

Sally Grice in Goal Defence played exceptionally well. Coming in after halftime, she brought new energy to the team, and drove them to a safe win. Speaking to Concrete, Sally said “it was a great feeling to win in front of a home crowd today,

UEA’s badminton women’s doubles teams both strolled to an easy victory over their Essex rivals. Louise Christopher and Jessica Oliver stormed to a triumphant win in their first set, beating their opponents 21–4. Playing a series of superior shots and demonstrating their prevailing skill, they continued in this fashion, winning the remaining sets comfortably, with Essex presenting little threat to the home side.

Second team members Helen DeLima and Stacey Knapp also secured a significant win, beating their challengers in two straight sets. The final scores were 21–13, 21–8 in their first match and 21–9, 21–11 in their second. This marked an encouraging start to the competition as the women’s singles began, with Serena Verney winning her first two sets 21–17, 21-18.

Men’s double’s first team played a lively game, seeing off fierce competition presented by Essex. Showing exceptional ability and stamina, Matt Haynes and Chris Piff dominated the first two sets, winning by a large margin. After a skilful upsurge from the visitors, they managed to see off their significant opposition to pull it back for a 21–12 win in the next

set, before finishing off 21–15.

The second team did not enjoy as much success, stumbling under the pressure from their adversaries.

Although they managed to clear their first two sets 21–13, 21– 13, they struggled to maintain their advantage.

Essex made an impressive come back to scrape a win in the last sets, beating UEA 21–19, 21–18.

Meanwhile, the men’s singles stormed to a triumphant victory to secure yet another win for UEA. Ryan Leung commanded his first set, showing high dexterity and talent to win 21–5. He continued to eclipse the competition, dispatching of Essex in straight sets, 21–11, 21–13, 21–11. Simon Watkins also played an impressive game, despite encountering difficulties in the second set.

Essex put up a fair fight, possessing a ruthless serve that facilitated a 22–20 win. However, Watkins did not allow this to faze him, bringing it back to ensure a win for UEA. With loud encouragement from supporters, he gained the upper hand in a spectacular series of rallies that brought him back out on top. The final score for the game came in at 21– 14, 20–22, 21–16 in the first game and 21– 10, 21–11 in the second, leaving UEA triumphant.

especially because for some of the girls it was their final match. We took the first quarter to settle in, but after that the game flowed well and we were able to relax and show our best netball.”

Essex were very sporting, and despite the score they were determined to give UEA a good game. With strong passing and interceptions, they continued to show determination in the face of defeat, but their defence let them down. Overall it was a great win for UEA I, and was a vital result in the day, giving UEA great momentum to continue their winning streak at this years Derby Day.

Joshua Smithers

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Ballet graceful in victory after tough competition Emma Webb Sports correspondent

Chloe Hashemi

The ballet competition was opened by a non-graded performance from the UEA Intermediate Ballet team, who performed a delightfully chirpy ballet/ Charleston fusion dance with 1920s costumes to match. With bags of energy and personality, the performance showed good use of the traditional positions and transitions of classical ballet with a thoroughly modern twist.

The Essex Advanced Ballet team took the stage first and very quickly displayed exceptional musicality and stage presence.

On occasion the timing and synchronicity suffered, mostly as a result of the ambitious creativity employed within the routine and the choice of music. The structure and layout was at times repetitive, with a slightly obvious inclination to showcase individuals rather than sell the group as a company collective. Nevertheless, the women maintained their energy and commitment to the drama with grace, for the entirety of their unconventional and highly imaginative routine. Attention to costume and a beautiful reverence to

close the performance was an excellent touch of professionalism for the visiting team.

The UEA team followed, beginning with a wide opening posture that would eventually set the tone for a team greatly utilising their performance space. The musicality employed was outstanding and the emotion completely mesmerising, as both group movement, and partner work with the solo male member of the team, kept the piece vibrant. A larger group than Essex, UEA kept the organisation and transition of members across the floor fluid and natural. A largely outstanding feature of their performance was an obvious, deep knowledge of the basic but fundamental principles of ballet; technique was evident in the beautifully turned out feet and strongly held arms in the most basic postures, as well as the advanced lifts and pas de deux that UEA executed with elegance.

A massive effort from both sides, with very different interpretations of the classical world of ballet and all it contains.

The victory was awarded to UEA on account of their inclusiveness, strength and exceptional technique.

Men’s Cricket I and II both take spectacular wins Callum Hansey Sports correspondent Home advantage played its part during both indoor cricket matches in the Sportspark, as support lined the gallery above the playing arena.

Cricket II UEA’s second team awon by 93 runs after winning the the toss and electing to bat first.

George Northover and Karsh Patel opened the batting and quickly plundered 34 runs off the first two overs, setting the tone for the rest of the innings. They put on 65 for the first wicket, before Northover was run out in the fifth over for 17.

Ben Tosland was the new man at the crease. Essex’s bowling tightened up slightly to stem the run rate, and in the sixth over they claimed a second wicket.

Tosland being run out on three.

The third and final wicket fell an over later. Patel had been anchoring the innings and had a well-made 21 to his name when he too was run out.

Sam Tomkinson joined Michael Spring at the crease and the pair set about raising the run rate. Tomkinson, who retired on 27 not out, bludgeoned three consecutive sixes, the first of the innings.

It was up to Spring (19 not out) and Chris Webber (2 not out) to take UEA home, with

an imposing 140-3 on the board.

Essex got their run chase off to an awful start. Sadler was the first man to go when Webber had him caught by Patel, failing to trouble the scorers.

Soon after they were two down as Tosland took the middle stump of Nevill.

Jakeman got Essex’s first runs off the bat, but was out courtesy of a sharp run out from Tosland, after a lowly four runs.

The next ball brought an almost carbon copy of the wicket; Talbot was run out without facing, leaving Essex reeling at 16-4 off of 2.3 overs.

After a period of rebuilding for Essex, Patel claimed an LBW, to leave Essex’s Patel their last man standing.

Faced with the daunting task of scoring 113 runs by himself off of five overs, he put in a valiant effort, but had scored only 22 of the required runs when Tomkinson had him caught by Webber, who was later named man of the match.

The crushing 93 run victory was one of the first points for UEA on the day.

Cricket I UEA’s first team followed and won by 39 runs after winning the toss and choosing to bat.

Dave Turner and Tom Blandford opened for UEA, advancing to 27-0 before Turner was caught for 13 as he top edged a shot into the gallery above the hall, but was Ian Weir

caught off the wall.

Rhys Purnell was the new man in and added a further 32 runs alongside Blandford before the latter retired.

Elliot Whiting was run out first ball, with Sam Hennessy replacing him at 60-2 off 4.5 overs.

Purnell was then run out for 19 bringing in Pete Turnbull. Hennessy struck some fine shots prior to retiring on 27.

Blandford returned to the crease and added vital runs at the end of the innings with Turnbull as UEA posted 133-3 on the scoreboard.

In reply, Essex started a lot better than their second team. Sammons and Davis preserved their wickets for the first five overs as UEA’s bowling kept the runs down.

Hennessy took a sharp chance off Whiting to claim the first wicket as Sammons was dismissed on 8, making it 47-1 off 5.2 overs.

Essex were struggling to find runs and soon had to force the issue, leading to the quick wickets of Cambridge-Moore and Mahindru. The prior was given run out after a lengthy discussion between umpires and both sides. The latter was caught off the wall by Turner off Whiting’s bowling Davis retired not out on 25, but McKinley and Champness couldn’t take Essex home as UEA completed the double with a 33 run victory, Tom Blandford deservedly being awarded man of the match.

Elizabeth Margereson

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Women’s Hockey suffer narrow loss Sam Tomkinson Sports editor A packed Sportspark awaited the main event of Derby Day 2013, and it did not disappoint. Essex started the brightest as they threatened to open the scoring early on, though some staunch defending from UEA kept them at bay. Essex continued mount pressure on the UEA defence, but were unable to break a Morgan inspired UEA backline.

Where Essex lacked a cutting edge up front in the first 15 minutes - missing an open goal highlighting this - UEA were clinical in their attack as a quick break saw Chantelle Farrell cut in from the right, easing past the Essex defence before finishing with an unstoppable reverse flick.

In spite of this UEA faced waves of attacks from the visitors, and a momentary lapse from UEA’s defence saw Essex equalise. UEA came close to retaking the lead on a couple of occasions before half time, as Wilson embarked on powerful runs through the middle of the pitch. However, UEA were unable to add a finish to this as Essex’s goalkeeper stopped UEA’s attempts to regain the lead.

The half time whistle blew with the score 1-1. Essex perhaps had the better of

the half but with the score line as it was, and UEA looking dangerous on the break, the home side had a great chance of winning the game.

At the start of the second half both teams upped their tempo. UEA came near to scoring as Patterson glided through the heart of the Essex midfield linking up with the forwards, only to be thwarted by the Essex goal keeper.

Minutes later, UEA were unlucky to go behind as a scramble in the D saw Essex forward’s poking the ball home to take a 2-1 lead in the 42nd minute.

Essex midfield then proceeded to take control of the game, with UEA only limited to the occasional counter, and their dominance showed as they extended their lead to a smart finish from a cutback.

With less than 10 minutes left UEA strived to reduce the deficit. With a two goal lead Essex decided to sit back allowing UEA to dominate territory and possession. UEA didn’t give up and a smart short corner saw them pull one back. This was not enough as Essex held on to win 3-2 In an absorbing fixture UEA just came up short. Despite the result UEA can be very proud of their performance, they were committed right to the last and were unlucky not get at least a draw out of it.

Ga Chun Yau

Men and Women’s Squash take easy victories Billy Sexton Sports editor

Ian Weir

Rob Blundell

Men’s and Women’s Squash secured a whitewash victory over the University of Essex on Derby Day. Unfortunately, Essex could only field three players in the men’s contest meaning that first team regulars Ben Nicholson and Luke Grindle were unable to take part.

Playing in front of a large, supportive crowd, Stefan Lubek took to the court for the men’s team and faced a tricky but slightly inferior Essex opponent.

Lubek, who is unbeaten this season, was fluid around the court and played some exquisite shots. Lubek won all three of his games, a standard procedure for a player of his calibre.

Next up was Callum Macdonald and his match was a tighter affair.

Nevertheless, he was able to prevail by winning all three of his games and even pulled off some cheeky exhibition shots in the third game, much to the delight of the crowd.

With victory secured, Filip Svoboda took the court sporting some very questionable socks. Svoboda was graceful around the court, utilising his

backhand and dismissed his opponent in a short space of time, providing the Men’s team with a 3-0 overall victory.

Rosie Martyr made her debut for the Women’s team but didn’t let the pressure of the event get to her, disposing of her opponent with ease and securing victory with an 11-0 victory in the final game.

Club president Alice Williams also made easy work of her Essex counterpart, utilising her powerful serve as she won in straight sets. Essex struggled to win points and Williams’ first two games both finished 11-1.

Anna Domingues had far better shot selection than her opponent and was able to comfortably outclass the exhausted Essex competitor. Domingues possessed a strong forehand drive and moved around the court well.

Similarly, Renata Dusi was dominant in her fixture too, brushing aside her opponent, who was clearly not up to the task of competing at such a high standard.

Vice President Ben Constant was delighted with the display the Squash team, declaring, “We all played phenomenally with great class and unrivalled flair.”

The victory rounds up a strong season for the club.

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Men’s Basketball win after heroic comeback Alison Mallioux Sports correspondent Derby Day 2013 saw what could be one of the most exciting Men’s Basketball matches in its history.

UEA started the game strong. After winning the tip, UEA’s James Harbridge went on to score two baskets in a row and a three pointer later on in the quarter. This reflected the early dominance that UEA had and four minutes in Essex Blades called a timeout with the score 11-1 to UEA. This timeout gave Essex the kick they needed. They became more aggressive with a strong man to man defence, as shots starting to drop for several of their players.

As a result, the first quarter ended as it had begun with an even score, 12-12.

As the second quarter started Essex once again came out strong and took advantage of some weaker passing by UEA. The UEA defence lacked the intensity that Essex had, and so the first half ended with Essex leading 33-26.

Entering the third quarter UEA raised their game but Essex still maintained what had made them so strong in the first half.

There were several rapid alternate baskets,

and UEA were definitely on top, however this quarter ended with them behind Essex with a score of 51-40.

There was no doubt that Essex had a strong defence to stay, yet as the fourth quarter began UEA finally found a way of overcoming it. UEA began an incredible run of baskets which gained them 15 points, players such as Gao Rongze making a valuable contribution, whilst Essex scored only 5 points against the wiser UEA defence.

With one minute and 49 seconds left on the clock Essex called a timeout with the score 56-55 to Essex. At this point the energy being provided by the crowd was essential and pushed the UEA team on to take the lead with under a minute left. With 11 seconds to go the score was 60-59 to UEA and the atmosphere can be described as nothing other than electric. With both teams on team fouls any foul to a player would have meant free throw shots. This provided the opportunity for either side to win. Essex and UEA were both given this chance but it was UEA who, in scoring these baskets, secured a remarkable 6359 victory that showed UEA’s resolve, determination and will to win.

Joshua Smithers

Men’s Hockey secure nail-biting victory Chris Teale Managing editor At a packed Sportspark, Men’s Hockey took a pulsating 5-4 victory over their Essex counterparts in testing conditions.

Last year, the game between the two sides was a superb encounter as UEA recovered from two goals down to win 4-2, and Essex were out for revenge in this year’s fixture.

The first half saw both sides start brightly, with Essex having some good possession and UEA also having some good moments in the early exchanges.

However, as the opening period went on it was the home side who began to dominate, but as the snow fell their goalkeeper was forced into a superb reaction save from an Essex shot.

UEA quickly took the lead thanks to a tap-in at the back post and doubled their advantage shortly after. Unfortunately, the home side could not hold their lead for long, as they scored a controversial first goal when a defender looked to have been impeded in the build-up.

Essex scored an equaliser just moments later. The scores were now level at 2-2 after a superb comeback from the away side.

They were not level for long though, as a short corner by UEA was tapped in, giving them the lead before the half-time whistle sounded, with the score at 3-2.

Essex began the second half well, as they forced a UEA defender to clear off the line, as they pushed hard for another equaliser. Another fantastic save denied Essex once more, and momentum swung to the home side who pushed forward and in a rare foray forward scored again thanks to another close-range effort.

The game became more stretched as the away side rampaged forward, and they scored quickly as a speculative shot

Lizzy Margereson

crept in to reduce the score to 4-3 to UEA. Essex continued to push forward but the home side’s defence held firm, with the visitors seeing two players sinbinned in quick succession to reduce them to nine men.

UEA then scored a fifth goal and saw another shot cleared off the line, although Essex hit back quickly to score their fourth and keep the deficit to just one goal going into the final stages.

The visitors had a late short corner; their final chance to find an equaliser.

However, UEA defended stoutly to shepherd the ball out of play, with the full-time whistle sounding just moments later to scenes of wild celebration among the home side’s players and spectators.

It was a superb win for the hosts in what was a nail biting game, as they secured another point in their quest to take an overall victory in Derby Day.

SPORT

Issue 282

Derby Day 2013 7-page sport special

Photos: Ga Chun Yau