Concrete - Issue 287

UEA’s Student Newspaper

Issue 287 • Free • Tuesday 22 October

Want more? Find us online at concrete-online.co.uk! @Concrete_UEA /ConcreteNewspaper ConcreteUEA

Inside...

Halloween Horrors

“I know you want it”: Union Council to debate Blurred Lines ban

The best scary films to get you in the mood for fright night Film V. 20

Are we grown ups?

Does coming to universtiy make you into an adult?

Comment P. 7

Andrew Ansell and Lara Ellice News Editors

They’re back Spencer returns in the new series of Made In Chelsea TV V. 17

The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) will this week debate a motion to ban Robin Thicke’s controversial song Blurred Lines. If the motion is approved, the UUEAS will become the ninth student union to ban the song since its release earlier this year in July.

Since the song’s release it has reached number 1 in the charts of 80 countries.

The motion has been proposed by the Student Union’s Women’s Officer, Rachel Knott, and seconded by Louisa Kennard of the feminist society. The motion believes that by the Union of UEA Students banning the song, it would make a statement of solidarity with other feminist movements throughout the country. It further notes that the Union have a zero tolerance approach to

sexual harassment, and the song is not appropriate.

The motion’s proponents believe that songs with a ‘clear theme of sexual harassment and lack of sexual consent do not promote a safe environment for UEA students’. The students’ association of Edinburgh University similarly believed that Thicke’s controversial hit promotes an unhealthy attitude towards sex and consent.

In defence of his song, Robin Thicke has claimed that the meaning has been misconstrued, and that it was written to celebrate his 20 year relationship with his wife Paula Patton. Thicke further claimed that the music video accompanying Blurred Lines was tongue-in-cheek. Nonetheless, the NUS Women’s Officer, Kelley Temple considers the song “deeply offensive and dangerous”.

While Student Unions such as Edinburgh and Leeds Universities enforce a ban against the song, The University of Durham’s Student Union have

voted against banning it, as the debate was deemed a time consuming distraction from more important feminist issues.

Rachel Knott commented: “The song Blurred Lines has created international controversy and promotes themes of sexual violence and lack of consent that do not comply with the Union’s policies on consent or our Zero Tolerance policy on sexual harassment”.

The move comes after conversations Knott has had throughout the year with students concerned about the song being placed in Union facilities.

If the motion is carried, the song Blurred Lines will no longer be played by any Union media.

Subseqeuntly, a vote in favour of a ban will act as a barometer for the consideration of the themes of future songs. Any non-Union radio station that plays the prohibited song will be required to be immediately changed.

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concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

Editorial

Editor-in-chief | Sidonie ChafferMelly concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor | Sophie Witts concrete.president@uea.ac.uk Online Editor | Billy Sexton concrete.online@uea.ac.uk Deputy Online Editor | Amelia

Marchington concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News | Andrew Ansell & Lara-Jayne Ellice concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Zoë Jones concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Global | Ella Gilbert concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features | Bridie Wilkinson concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Environment | Peter Sheehan concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk Science & Tech | Dominic Burchnall concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Travel | Niyonu Agana-Burke concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle | Lydia Clifton concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sport | Charlie Savage & Will Medlock concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk Copy Editors | Stephenie Naulls & Lucy Morris concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographers | Jacob Roberts-Kendall & Will Cockram concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk

Hayden Helps...

Issue 287

Contributors

News | Euan Onslow, Daniel Flavey, Theodore Antoniou-Phillips, Sophie Witts, Tyler Allen, Geraldine Scott, Lucy Palfreeman, Madeleine Woodfield, Andrew Ansell, Lara Ellice Comment | Stuart Bell, Harry Mason, Jodie Snow, Rosie Foot, Thomas Diamond, Dian Atamyanov, Geri Scott Global | Ella Gilbert, Tara Ward, Dan Falvey Features | Sophie Jackson, Anna Walker, Silvia Rose Environment | Ben Beebe, Jacob Beebe, Eleanor Bujak Science & Tech | Alice Butler, Mabon Elis, Antonia Johnston Travel | Francesca Amos, Imi Launchbery, Laura Crockett, Sarah Boughen Lifestyle | Jodie Snow, Beth Saward, Ella Sharp, Jasmin Gray, Georgia Ellis Sport | Charlie Savage, Callum Hansey, Sam Coyne, Will Medlock, Dwayne Rapley, Will Temple Proofreaders | Farah Shahabuddin, Calyssa Erb, Chris Freemen, Lizzy Hankins, Anna Walker, Stephenie Naulls, Lucy Morris

Win! Win! Win!

Tell us which brand of soup featured in Andy Warhols Prints and win soup for a week!

Send your questions anonymously to concreteuea.tumblr.com/ask

Dear Hayden, I’ve been talking to this guy, and he’s really nice (and kind of hot). The only problem is he looks 25 but is actually 37.

I’m a liberal person, but I don’t know what to do.

No to a Sugar Daddy While there’s nothing wrong with an age-gap relationship, it sounds like this might be your first significantly older prospective partner - in which

case, perhaps this is too much for you at the moment.

Whatever you decide to do, be honest and polite with your decision.

It’s been real, it’s been cute, but it’s not been real cute,

Hayden

Editorial

22/10/13

Quick Questions What do you do?

I am one of four UEA in-house Security Duty Mangers.

What’s your favourite thing/place on campus?

I love congregation week and seeing the students graduate. I like to think that we have been a part of ensuring that they have been safe during their time here and able to leave UEA with fond memories. It is so nice to have students and parents thank us for our role which does often occur during that week.

What’s the weirdest thing you have ever seen in the job?

There have been many weird and wonderful sights at UEA, some of which I could not possibly relay but one that will always stick in my mind will be Scooby doo chasing rabbits by Nelson Court and then being told off by a Smurf for doing so!

What do you think make the UEA

This week we talk to... David

Whales

so wonderful?

Everyone who works and studies here are all part of the UEA community and it is like being part of a huge family. It’s great when everyone comes together to either solve issues, or to organise events. The ‘family attitude’ soon comes to the forefront.

What piece of advice would you give to students?

Remember that we are always open and here to help. Feel free to pop into the Security Lodge or call/email us for advice or if you wish to report something. Never suffer in silence and if you ever feel the need to contact us any time day or night, please do so.

We are here to ensure you are safe and secure during your time here – Don’t ever be afraid to tell us anything. If we don’t know about it, we can’t help.

Always look after yourself, each other and of course your belongings Read the full interview at concreteonline.co.uk!

Dear Concrete...

Dear Concrete, I was really pleased to read your article in Issue 286, ‘How to handle lectures and seminars’, as it rightly emphasised the importance of preparation and note-taking and encouraged students to seek advice from tutors and personal advisors to help them get the most out of their studies.

Another valuable source of academic support for UEA students is the University’s Learning Enhancement Team. Our tutors provide free and confidential guidance on study skills, academic writing and mathematics and

Tweet of the Week “#BLUE #UEA #BLUEA” @indialockhart

statistics.

Study guides and other resources are available from our website, we run many workshops and offer individual and small group tutorials. To find out more students can come to a drop-in (Monday to Thursday, 4-5pm in the Dean of Students’ Office) or visit our website (www.uea.ac.uk/dos/let).

Thank you, Jeremy Schildt Head of the Learning Enhancement Team, Dean of Students’ Office

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

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, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2013 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

News

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Around UEA student lands international enterprise award Norfolk Theresa May visits Norwich

On Friday 18th October the Home Secretary, Theresa May, joined the Conservative MP for Norwich North, Chloe Smith. The duo canvassed local residents for an hour discussing antisocial behaviour and policing.

Talking to Mustard TV, May described the Government’s new measures on anti-social behaviour, currently passing through Parliament, as “much quicker” and “easier to apply”.

To the Labour Shadow Home Office Minister in the House of Lords, Baroness Smith, the Government’s changes to antisocial behaviour are “empty gestures”.

The proposals to replace the ASBO with a community trigger would require three separate complaints or complaints from five different households before action becomes necessary.

Foodbank opens Cromer & District foodbank has opened a new facility in Holt to support struggling people in places such as Burnham market.

The new foodbank, opened days after one in Hunstanton, is the fifth outlet to emerge in Norfolk in just over a year.

Foodbank press officer, Michael McMahon, recognised that while the economy appears to be improving the situation for those struggling was ‘getting worse’.

McMahon added: “The problems seem to be increasing. The main trigger is benefit delay, but other factors include bereavement or burglary. We also see a significant minority of homeless people.”

Incinerator funding withdrawn

The government have announced they have withdrawn funding for an incinerator to be built in West Norfolk.

Environment minister Lord de Mauley wrote to South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss: “Following a review of the WIC (Waste Infrastructure Credits) allocated to the Norfolk County Council residual waste infrastructure project, ministers have decided to withdraw the award of funding to the project.”

Ms Truss commented, “I have always argued that over a hundred million pounds on subsiding a plant that local residents did not want is a poor use of taxpayers money. I am pleased to hear that Defra has listened to these arguments. I call on the county council to now abandon plans for the incinerator and work towards a comprehensive waste policy that commands the support of local residents.”

Lara Ellice News Editor

A student from the University of East Anglia recently won a competition at the UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) Entrepreneurs’ Festival in Manchester.

Oladapo Musa Giwa, a third year Law student, won the Dragon’s Denstyle competition with the Brobotics Team, made up of participants from five continents and seven countries.

The competition was to mark the launch of The Sirius Programme, a pioneering scheme looking to bring the UK the world’s best entrepreneurial talent, and help young people expand their business ideas.

Students and graduates who apply to the Sirius Programme receive investment, mentoring and support with one of the world’s best accelerator programmes.

The Brobotics Team’s concept hopes to develop a pipe inspection and leakage detection system which is cheaper and more efficient. The team won $7500 Amazon web credits and a working space at Level39 to aid them in building their own concepts.

Along with Oladapo, the Brobotics Team also included Ali Khalid Alyami from Saudi Arabia, Thomas Akwesi Nketia from Ghana, Ashutosh Pathak from India, Francisco Gallardo Lopez from Spain, Lorne Grant from Canada and Carlos Meza from Mexico.

Oladapo said after receiving the prize: “Winning this award has given us all great confidence in our entrepreneurial

Photo: Bracken Events

ability. Not only was this competition a great opportunity to work as a team with people from all over the world, it allowed us to each develop our business acumen too. We can’t wait to apply for the Sirius Programme with the hope of being one step closer to transforming our business ideas into a reality within

the UK.” Nick Baird, chief executive of UKTI said: “I congratulate Oladapo on winning this award. The calibre of all the entrants from the Festival was superb, but Oladapo and his team had the edge across the board. It is great to hear that they will be applying for the Sirius Programme as this is one of the most comprehensive start-up support packages offered globally, and the best in Europe.”

“The quality of the participants at the Festival highlighted the potential and enthusiasm of these young entrepreneurs and we look forward to supporting entrepreneurs like them as they establish their business ventures in the UK.”

County Council proposes plans to bridge substanial funding gap Andrew Ansell News Editor In a consultation paper Norfolk County Council has outlined budget cuts to be implemented for three years from April 2014. A £91m Government funding reduction coupled with increased service demand and unavoidable costs has left the Council to meet a £189m funding shortfall with spending cuts. This fresh round of spending cuts follows the implementation of £140m of savings.

Under the current proposals the Council will reduce the transport subsidy provided to students aged 16-19 by £2m, to

take place before 2016. This frontloading of financial savings is common across the Council’s plans. Of the £12m to be cut from funding wellbeing activities for recipients of Adult Social Care support, £6m will occur before the close of 2015.

This will entail limiting the use of social care funding to pay for personal care, respite day care and residential care.

Among the savings are also proposals to stop fitting and supplying smoke detectors and reducing spending on services to prevent children and young people going into the Council’s care.

Over £17m is to be saved from the latter but the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has warned how short

term policies at the expense of early intervention will trigger a bigger long term cost.

The Council has stressed that their plans contain no commitment to close libraries, fire services or children.

The leader of Norfolk County Council, Labour Councillor George Nobbs, expects the proposals to pass. While it is likely that the non-Tory groups will support the plans, concessions may have to be made to gain the support of the Conservative and Ukip Councillors.

As a public consultation, the budget proposals are available on the County Council’s website and are subject to change upon public appeal.

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News

Arts and Humanities receive funding boost Geraldine Scott News Reporter The University of East Anglia has this week been awarded a share of a £17m grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Funding was awarded to the Consortium for Humanities and the Arts South-East England (CHASE) of which UEA is a member. UEA is partnered with The Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, the Open University, and the Universities of Essex, Kent, and Sussex with the aim of “promoting excellence in research, postgraduate research training and knowledge exchange in the arts and humanities”.

The CHASE partnership aims to raise the national and international profile of the universities, engage with employers,

develop partnerships to encourage creativity and to support world-class researchers in the understanding of human culture and creativity.

Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge, who leads the UEA’s involvement in CHASE, said: “This award will ensure that the very best researchers can take that vision forward into the future.”

Applications will be assessed on a competitive basis by the partner universities and four different panels.

For doctoral students at UEA and the partner universities the grant presents an opportunity to apply for funding to cover fees, maintenance and professional development opportunities.

It is estimated that more than 230 students will stand to benefit from the award across the seven institutions over the course of five years.

Breast Cancer UEA academic appears on Question Time awareness on campus Flickr

Lucy Palfreeman News Reporter October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the University of East Anglia has much to contribute.

Professor John Saxton, from UEA’s school of Rehabilitation Sciences, has assisted in reviewing the current scientific evidence of lifestyle impact on breast cancer risks and recovery.

The main focus delves into preventing and managing the long term conditions of the disease, with research stemming from studies with cancer patients and survivors.

Saxton states, “The Gap Analysis 2013 is the most comprehensive review of breast cancer research to have ever taken place in the UK and provides us with what we need to know, and what we need to do to overcome, prevent, cure, and outlive breast cancer by 2050”.

This research is not the only action set in motion to overcome and raise awareness of the disease. The national charity ‘Coppafeel!’ is being promoted on Campus as well. This charity is aimed specifically at young people, with a unique focus on young men, who have ten times as high a fatality rate if a cancer in the breast tissue develops.

UEA’s charity Leader Rachel Stott said: “We want to be a presence at most student events, raising awareness that the disease is fully capable of developing in younger generations”.

Madeleine Woodfield News Reporter

American Literature academic Sarah Churchwell recently appeared on the BBC political panel programme Question Time.

Churchwell appeared beside recently demoted Labour politician Diane Abbott, Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, Conservative MP Adam Afriyie and Times columnist Matthew Parris.

An hour of engaging and at times heated debate covered tentative issues including the controversial rise in energy prices, the timing of the British EU referendum and supposedly confidential government information appearing in national newspapers.

Literacy was covered in great depth, a subject relevant to students as most current undergraduates will be among the young people whose

literacy and numeracy abilities saw England globally ranked 19th and 16th in these respective skills. Churchwell defended her profession, condemning the impersonal idea of a national curriculum in favour of letting teachers teach. She stressed that the current exam orientated system leads to affirmative teaching, which is bureaucratic rather than effective. When Parris questioned the truth of declining literacy rates, Churchwell retorted that this judgment is based on fourteen years of teaching.

Churchwell also confidently slammed the idea that increased competition among energy companies will reduce prices, pointing out that this is an international issue.

Audience approval also followed her declaration that it is of great importance that Britain remain a part of the EU. Commenting on her appearance on

the programme Churchwell stressed the importance of academics engaging with the public debate. She also described the audience as positive and complimentary, and that the experience is one that she “hope(s) to be able to do again”.

Calls for an increase in higher education regulation Theodore Antoniou-Phillips News Reporter The Higher Education Commission have released a report calling for greater regulation in higher education, similiar to that exhibited in the banking sector and soon, the press.

The report by the commission, a cross-party group of MPs and representatives from business and academia, has warned that without proper regulation there is little to

protect students from disreputable or ‘fly-by-night’ institutions. The report states “we are concerned that there is a growing unregulated sector of higher education that may be offering insufficient provision to students,”.

Lord Norton, a professor at Hull University and co-chair of the report, said: “We need to move now to protect higher education because we have this global reputation and if something goes wrong it becomes extraordinarily difficult to regain that reputation.”

The report calls for an insurance scheme to protect students from failing institutions, similar to the insurance scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority. Current regulation has been called “piece-meal”, dictated by rules such as health and safety.

The commission also endorses a “lead” regulator, the ‘Council for Higher Education’, incorporating the Office for Student Loans and Office for Competition and Institutional Diversity.

News UEA defends links to Uzbekistan Euan Onslow News Reporter UEA has defended its links to two universities in Uzbekistan, a country strongly criticised for its human rights record.

UEA’s Language and Communications School was partnered with the Uzbek State World Languages University and Andijan State University between March 2010 and April 2013 through the INSPIRE project (International Strategic Partnerships in Research & Education). A UEA statement said that the project had “promoted UK culture and way of life”.

But a Human Rights Watch (HRW) spokesman told the Guardian that Uzbek security services “have clamped down on free thought in universities”, and often interrogate students who appear to question their government’s conduct.

5 Higher education staff to strike over pay

22/10/13

In their most recent report on the country, HRW condemned Uzbekistan’s “atrocious” human rights record which they say continues to worsen despite President Islam Karimov’s promises of reform.

Students can also face months of forced labour in Uzbekistan – over a million Uzbeks are drafted each year to harvest cotton in the state-run collectives.

Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, recalled how able-bodied university students “can expect to spend three months in the cotton fields”. The work is unpaid and the harvest can last until November, when temperatures often drop below freezing.

UEA is not the only British university with links to Uzbekistan. The Guardian reports that the University of Westminster’s institute in the capital Tashkent has close ties with the Karimov regime.

Issue 287

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

Daniel Falvey News Reporter Three of the UK’s largest trade unions in higher education have announced their intention to strike on 31 October. The decision, announced earlier this month, comes after three years in which inflation has risen disproportionately due to wages.

Unions have claimed this has resulted in a 13 per cent drop in real wages since 2008.

The University and College Union, Unison and Unite all recently held ballots on strike action to which a majority of members voted in favour of.

The head of higher education at the UCU, Michael MacNeil, claimed that action

had been taken because “staff have suffered year-on-year cuts in the value of their pay… quite simply, enough is enough”.

However, despite the results of these ballots, only five percent of the university workforce took part in the vote, leading some to question the validity of the result.

A spokesman for the Universities and Colleges Employers Association said “the vast majority of [university] staff understand the reality of the current environment and would not want to take action that could harm their institutions and their students”.

Unless an agreement is reached in the next few weeks, a strike will go ahead on the 31st of the month which could bring universities to a ‘standstill’.

UEA Chancellor outlines how universities can better Oxford Vice-Chancellor: support student study tuiton fees should be closer to £16,000 a year Sophie Witts Deputy Editor

Theodore Antoniou-Phillips News Reporter The Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Andrew Hamilton, has said that elite universities should be able to charge undergraduates £16,000 per year to better reflect the cost of an undergraduate education.

During his annual oration to the university, the vice-chancellor took the opportunity to state that some universities were “doing very nicely thank you” with fees of £9,000, adding that the fee was “comfortably covering the cost of what they provide to their student”. However, Prof. Hamilton claimed that “excellence in most walks of life does not come cheap,” and that for his university to fill a “£70 million shortfall” it should be able to charge students fees “more closely related to the true cost of the education provided”.

The prof. claimed that Oxford’s status as one of the worlds top universities “will not endure” unless it can fill the “chasm” of lack of funding. This is despite the University of Oxford managing to raise more than £1.25 billion through its fund-raising scheme Oxford Thinking- The Campaign for the University of Oxford since 2008.

Sally Hunt, University and College Union General Secretary, said “Prof

https://tm.mbs.ac.uk Hamilton should perhaps be applauded for going after one of the rawest nerves in politics” but went on to state that “higher university fees are not what this country needs.” She added that “he is wrong to argue that students should pick up tab when we already have the most expensive fees in Europe.”

UEA vice-chancellor Professor Edward Acton commented on the finding of higher education: “I am concerned at the danger that the Government will preside over a dilution of the academic quality of British degrees by allowing inflation to cut university funding in real terms. If that happens, students will suffer lifelong disadvantage. How best to protect the real value of university funding? Through a balance between graduate contributions and teaching grant funded by general taxation.”

UEA Vice-Chancellor Edward Acton has called for universities to adopt a “dual intensity” approach focusing on both research and teaching in order to increase the amount of time students spend on individual study.

Writing for The Times, the Vice Chancellor noted that research this year found that undergraduate study time had increased from a “historic low”, exhibited six to seven years ago, by nearly two hours a week. In 2007 it was found the average study-time for UK students was 26 hours a week, nine hours below the

European Union average.

In order to better support student study at UEA he stated that the University had taken steps to create a “top flight” staff-to-student ratio of 13.5:1. The goal was to free up heads of school to increase available research hours, whilst simultaneously increasing “student facing time”.

“At the University of East Anglia, the outright winner of this year’s THE Student Experience Survey...we have made this goal integral to our academic vision. To increase study time we are working in partnership with students and using a number of supporting strategies.”

East Anglia’s ‘most wanted man’ arrested Tyler Allen News Reporter Following a seven-week Essex Police manhunt, Francis O’Donoghue is in custody after being arrested shortly after 10pm on Friday 11 October.

He is being charged with the attempted murder of two of his former neighbours, as well as of possessing a Class B drug.

O’Donoghue, a window fitter, had been labelled ‘East Anglia’s most wanted man’ after the attempted murder of two men

on a travellers’ site off Goatswood Lane in Navestock at 3:30pm on Tuesday 27 August.

mirror.co.uk

Comment

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The Immigration Bill encourages hostility Stuart Bell Comment Writer People worry about uncontrolled immigration. You only need refer yourself to the substantial sympathies towards UKIP within the general population to know that this is true. Therefore, it naturally follows that politicians worry about immigration and about controlling it, or at least looking as if they are. This is why Theresa May has stated that she wants to create a ‘hostile environment’ for illegal immigrants in this country.

In pursuit of this, the Immigration Bill would implement measures such as requiring private landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants, to increase the powers to collect and check fingerprints, to increase powers to search for passports, requiring temporary migrants to pay the NHS before entry, restricting the courts ability to apply Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights and allowing foreign criminals to only be allowed an appeal after they have

been deported.

Now, these measures would indeed create a more hostile environment for

“Would these measures not create a more hostile environment for everyone?” illegal immigrants if they were enforced, but what would be the general impact of this decision? Would it not also create a more hostile environment for everyone else? Think about it, even if you have lived here all your life you would seemingly have your immigration status checked at every turn. Do you want to rent a flat?

Please show me your papers sir. You want to see a doctor you say? Well, you better bring your documentation!

Would this not necessitate that every person should have some form of identification on them at all times? Would state agents be able to accost you at train stations to check you have the right to be here? These questions need to be asked

Young drivers face an emergency stop Harry Mason Comment Writer @HarryMason19 Here’s news to make young drivers quake in their boots – a new report has recommended raising the legal driving age from 17 to 18. Just think, those days of piling into your mate’s D-reg Cinquecento to spend free periods at McDonalds could become a thing of the past. The horror.

The horror.

More seriously riling though, are proposals for a year-long “probationary period” imposing a 10pm-5am curfew on young drivers, as well as a ban on any passengers under 30.

Learning to drive will be fresh in many of our memories as an expensive and (as far as parallel parking is concerned) stressful experience. These measures beg the question, what’s the point in enduring that only to face such severe restrictions?

Forbidding people from driving at certain hours with certain passengers devalues being able to drive in the first place; for anyone needing to work nights or share lifts it would render a license practically useless.

There’s no denying that accident rates are dramatically skewed towards younger drivers, and any measures to reduce this should be encouraged. Adding car safety to the curriculum, lowering alcohol limits and introducing night-driving in lessons

because their answers show that a complex issue such as this cannot be sorted out by just making illegal immigrants public enemy number one. If this was the case immigrants would be hunted, be searched for at every turn. The only way this would be allowed to happen would be if the state was given the keys to authoritarian power over everyone’s lives.

And that is ignoring the xenophobia inherent in the arguments given by the Home Office in support of the bill. They assume illegal immigrants are, by nature, evil and that they deserve to be hunted.

However, when you use some compassion you know that these are people who in many, many cases just want work and a better life for their families because, compared to some parts of this world, Britain is amazing.

However, the Government chooses to ignore this and simplify the issue into good vs. evil. This leads to ridiculous statements such as when Mark Harper, the Immigration Minister, stated that under the current use of Article 8, the right to respect

would be effective. After all, there’s no point being able to execute the perfect hillstart if you end up wrapped around a lamp post days after your test.

Nevertheless, it seems strange to punish the majority for the recklessness of a minority. Young drivers might be more likely to have accidents, but it only takes five minutes on the road to realise dangerous drivers come at all ages.

Surely it’s best to focus more on equipping young drivers to be responsible before their tests. Then, once they’re roadsafe, entrusting them with nothing less than a full license. How else are the poor mites supposed to get their daily Egg McMuffin fix?

“The government seem to think it’s OK to go against British legal values” Many questions have been asked in this article but one fact remains: the Immigration Bill would drive down the numbers of illegal immigrants in this country. However, is it worth the cost to the British values of freedom, equality and justice that it certainly would inflict?

Does being at university make you a ‘grown up’?

Jodie Snow Comment Writer

Flickr: RickJames330

and family life, “the winners are foreign criminals”. So is it only criminals who use this right to protect themselves? Of course it is not! It is used by and has been used by thousands of non-criminal human beings to afford them the right to not be torn away from their friends and family.

On top of this it seems that the Government thinks it is OK to go against British legal values by presuming guilt and deporting someone before hearing their appeal.

Nearly a month ago herds of Fresher’s were all swaddled in their ‘moving-out clothes’ and waiting to register at UEA, ready to embark on that grand adventure of ‘growing up’. As far as rites of passages go, ‘growing up’ seems to be a big one, yet is also incredibly vague and subjective.

Do we immediately become fully fledged adults as soon as we leave the parental nest or is university a bridge to the adult-world? Is ‘growing-up’ a conscious action? Most importantly, do we and can we ever grow up?

The initial problem with determining ‘when we grow up’ is the very definition of what a “grown up” actually is. There are many pre-ambled conceptions of them being some form of different species that enjoy vegetables, watch the news and possess a sense of financial and emotional independence. By definition therefore, the independence students first encounter at University would characterise them as adults. Certainly, University life lends itself to a degree of financial independence, through which students begin to learn and experience the hassles and tribulations of money-management. Yet, it should be dually noted that University merely eases students into such financial independence, with Freshers living in

student accommodation with all bills inclusive in the rent. Here, University acts as a bridge to the ‘adult-world’. It eases students into becoming independent through acting as a sanctuary and a safety net.

Many Fresher’s recently faced the ‘teddy-dilemma’: to bring or not to bring? Bringing such home comforts and reminders of childhood is not a sign of growing up. Whilst it may appear that the more grown up thing to do is to avoid home comforts, surely the more adult behaviour is embracing and accepting your vulnerabilities?

Acknowledging that you are still scared of the dark and enjoy Billy-Bear ham seems to be the much more mature option, as opposed to feigning adulthood and forcing yourself to act in a way that you consider ‘adult’. In this sense, growing up cannot be a conscientious decision that you make one day, it is an ongoing and enduring process that continues throughout your life.

Realistically, there is no such thing as a “grown-up”. Growing up is lifelong experience that has no definite and resolute end. The state of being “grownup” is a social construct and therefore unnatural. It would be far better to remain forever young at heart and embrace your childish side. C.S Lewis hits the nail on the head: “some-day you will be old enough to start reading fairy-tales again”.

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22/10/13

Comment

Central heating suggestions Are smartphones creating a new generation of gamblers? meet cold responses

Rosie Foot Comment Writer It’s 2013. An age when heating is no longer a luxury. It’s there. It’s working and we love it. Gone are the caveman days when we had to huddle around the fire after a hard day chasing a woolly mammoth.

Today, if we really fancied it, we could stroll around in our underwear in tropical temperatures during a winter storm and not think twice about it. Then of course, there is student living. Now, budgeting is needed, I realise that. But is it right to sacrifice comfort for the sake of saving a few pennies?

Perhaps. I’ve recently just moved into student accommodation and within hours of my arrival there was a feeling of uneasiness in the air. Breaking news. No sufficient working boiler. Parents aghast with panic, I turned to my housemate in hope of reassurance and instead I received an unconcerned look: “It’s fine,

I don’t mind a cold shower”. Astounded and certain pneumonia was just around the corner, I quickly came to realise that I had unnecessarily panicked.

The truth is, after waving my parents off (content they could return to a steamy waterfall at their balmy abode) I realised how easy it was for me to adapt to a cooler climate.

Granted, I know it’s not minus seven outside yet, but there are little things we can all do to stay warmer without the function of central heating. For instance, wearing extra layers and using hot water bottles are simple and easy things we can do to save money and turn off the heating.

We shouldn’t need it on all the time.

It’s a waste of energy and money. Plus, if you spend the majority of your day at university, then your heating should only be needed in the evening for a couple of hours at the most. Despite the fact we’d all like to have the feel of Hawaii in our student hutches, it’s something we should be realistic about.

Post-broken boiler, central heating is taken a lot less for granted in our house.

Stuck for weeks without hot water gave us perspective. Use it, but don’t overdo it; it’s not needed. Stripping back to necessities isn’t that bad. We can survive. Suck it up students and put on a jumper. Underneath all that well-groomed bravado, your primitive being awaits for some hardcore student living. You just don’t know it yet.

despite the government line, we are certainly still in) bookies do incredibly well. Take a walk down your average high street and look at the shops.

Your restaurants and quality shops

“In times of economic despair, bookies do incredibly well” Thomas Diamond Comment Writer @ThomasALDiamond Love them or loathe them, mobile phones are now an increasingly important part of modern life, with phoning being only one of their many uses. However, are they now causing a new and serious problem?

In recent years gambling amongst young adults has been vastly increasing, many becoming problem gamblers. A new study suggests that this is caused by gambling through smartphones.

The study argues that the increase is fuelled by the simplicity and ease to which many younger people can now access betting. In short, smartphones cause gambling addictions. The theory is simple but strong. It is also, however, wrong.

In times of economic despair (which

may be taking a turn for the worst, but amongst the pound shops and pawnbrokers you will now see many betting shops. It’s hardly surprising that disillusioned people, with what they see as almost no chance in gaining proper employment, turn to betting in the hope of transforming their lives.

With young people being one of the biggest losers in terms of government cut backs and unemployment (plus the Tories promise of further persecution through the benefit system) many have turned to gambling. In the digital age, however, young people no longer go to the high street to make their bets, but use their smartphones. This is not to say that smartphones aren’t making the problem worse, but to argue that they are the cause of the problem is a thorough misinterpretation of the times we live in. The cause of the problem is poverty, something far harder to change than technology.

NSA vs the Media:The ongoing battle Dian Atamyanov Comment Writer Ever since Julian Assange first made an appearance on the social-political stage establishing the world-renowned organisation WikiLeaks in the image of a civil liberties superhero, public distrust of government-sanctioned surveillance departments has skyrocketed.

Following the Guardian’s reports on US and British intelligence gathering operations, and the subsequent annihilation of mounds of hard drives containing potentially threatening information concerning the NSA and Britain’s very own GCHQ, large media conglomerates are in the uncomfortable position between its obligations to authority and safekeeping the very integrity of journalism – to inform the public and freely express the truth, barring the consequences.

It was in June this very year when the Guardian published the first article based on top secret leaked information

by Edward Snowden, the former CIA

and NSA tech specialist, yet it seems like the scorching hot topic of foreign and domestic surveillance has been smouldering for years with no one to put it out: neither the civil rights organisations, whose bite is as meagre as its bark, nor the pro-government folks whose arguments simply don’t hold water.

However, unlike any other, the report caused an international scandal on an immense scale - it made shocking revelations of the amount of power intelligence organisations hold, uncovered the underlying mistrust between supposed allies, and shed new light on a not so distant history of similar practices.

What made this particular situation explode could be traced all the way back to Chelsea (Bradley) Manning, the infamous whistle-blower and former US army soldier, who made her country’s government blow a fuse when hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and war logs were illicitly passed onto WikiLeaks.

The same media outlets that exposed the States’ questionable military actions and

foreign policies were now again meddling in their shady affairs. Yet another informant was humiliating them, and the fact that he was smart enough to seek Putin’s loving embrace for shelter did not alleviate the frustration.

Quite the opposite, public outcry against intrusion of privacy is increasing in size and intensity. Countries with close ties to the US and the UK are seeking an explanation for this blatant breach of mutual trust and confidence, and those who don’t find the snooping tag team trustworthy have even less incentive to do so now.

Private communication corporations have also been unable to evade the bad publicity sledgehammer, which took a full swing at multinational corporations in the likes of Google, Verizon, Microsoft, and others.

To make things even spicier, both the NSA and the GCHQ have begun pressuring the news companies involved by holding them liable for their alleged transgressions, even going so far as to detain and

interrogate your average citizen. This was the case for David Miranda, the partner of Glenn Greenwald (lead Guardian journalist for the NSA investigations), who relates in his own words: “They said I would be put in jail if I didn’t co-operate.”

To some this may seem a legitimate concern for the efficacy of national security agencies, for others, this is crossing the line. The question of whether or not there is a line to be crossed here, and who exactly draws that line, is open to a sorely needed debate.

Photo: wikimedia

Comment

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk

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Royal Mail is now a royal problem

Geri Scott Comment Writer @geri_e_l_scott Following the opening of the market in 2006, it would be difficult for anyone to deny that Royal Mail have come under pressure from many different competitors, such as UK Mail and TNT. It is this competition, or the failure of Royal Mail to react, that has sparked the move to privatise Royal Mail through floatation onto the London Stock Exchange. The government argues that the increase of internet shopping has made parcel delivery much more of a priority than letter delivery and, in a time of public spending cuts, the government is unable to invest in modernising the company.

After privatisation, ministers argue that a public bail-out of Royal Mail would be far less likely in the coming years if the company were to come into

difficulty. However, it is also true that Royal Mail is still essential to many businesses; therefore it is thought that if the company ran into problems the government would be under great pressure to bail them out. Furthermore, in order to make Royal Mail more attractive to investors its debt has been nationalised. In this way, many see this move as privatising the profits but socialising the costs.

There may also be political motivations to the sell off by aiming to bring back positive memories of sell offs in the 1980s, with the goal of boosting the flagging poll ratings. City Analysts have this week claimed that Royal Mail is worth 84% more than originally valued. Even so, many members of the public are angry, likening the sell off to not too short of theft, in which the government are inviting them to buy shares in a company they essentially already own. It is also claimed that the possible success of the sell-off will not be put down to an undervaluation but more to the success and triumph of the free market and possibly used as a coalition success story.

New research has also suggested that floating Royal Mail as a public company, rather than selling it to a single buyer, may not be the most successful way to approach the problem.

The research from the Social Science Research Network suggests that private companies invest more in the long term than publicly listed ones, which tend to run on short term profits. Private companies are more equipped to deal with the costs that are associated with Royal Mail, such as disputes with unions over workers’ pay or making big long term investments. Moreover, the sale to a private individual could mean the government could sell at a higher price.

However, many people believe that Royal Mail should remain nationalised.

The current performance of Royal Mail differs in many ways to that previously of, for example, British Rail, where complaints about the service were rife, leading to privatisation. The promises of success from privatising former essential infrastructure such as railways, buses and energy suppliers have also largely gone unfulfilled, with costs rising and service declining. In the midst of this, Royal Mail workers have vowed to push on with planned strikes over pay and conditions as the institution that even Margaret Thatcher refused to privatise is floated onto the open market. As Harold Macmillan, a former prime minister, once suggested, the British government may well find it is selling off the family silver too cheaply and to poor effect.

Flickr: The Poss

A fair days work for a fair days pay?

Thomas Diamond Comment Writer One of New Labour’s great successes was, as Labour politicians love to remind us, the minimum wage. The idea behind this was that no working person would be pushed into poverty. Now every working person aged at least twenty-one can earn a minimum of £6.19 per hour. What luxury! However, some wishy-washy lefty liberal Guardian readers argued that people deserved more money than this. This leads us to New Labour’s next success: The Working Tax Credit, which is basically welfare benefits for those on a low wage.

Although essentially not a bad idea, it has created a rather strange situation.

The Tax Credits paid for those who worked for companies who pay their workers a stupidly low wage. Therefore, the government pays the top-up money.

Without this money, many people would not be able to feed their families. Yet this means that the government is paying

the worker for working for a business which has nothing to do with any part of government. The government is taking on the role the business should be doing.

This is clearly wrong. Yet one could argue that the government still gets the money back from companies that pay their workers at minimum wage, through the means of taxes, companies like, err, Starbucks.

Unless you live in a desolate wilderness with no contact with the outside world (like Norfolk maybe), you have probably heard about the Starbucks tax kerfuffle. Long story short, without actually breaking any laws (although bending and stretching a few), Starbucks has managed to go the last few years paying almost no corporation tax. This is clearly immoral, destructive and just a little impressive. However, the point I’m making is that this is a company, like many others, that does not pay its fair share of taxes. It also, again like many others, pays only the minimum wage to the majority of their staff. This means that not only is Starbucks not paying its taxes, it’s actually being subsidised by the state,

in the form of the Working Tax Credit. It’s a bit like socialism for the multinational corporations and capitalism for the average man.

However, some will point at me and shout ‘But Starbucks pays tax now!’

Indeed they do. Starbucks has voluntarily offered to pay some of its corporation tax for the next two years. How generous of them! It’s not like paying tax is an obligation after all. However, even with this miserable compromise, the tax they pay should not be to pay their own workforce, that’s their responsibility. The tax they pay is the price of the luxury of operating in a legal system that supports their businesses.

In contemporary Britain change in this area is needed fast, but what change?

How about a living wage, where you get £7.45 an hour, so the company does what it should do, pay a wage that you can actually live on. And if a small business who pays its fair share cannot find the money to pay its workers the increased wage, that’s when the government helps, and not before.

So what to do with these extra billions

of pounds which the government has saved. Maybe solve our housing crisis or cut VAT, or if you want to be all neoliberal about it you could use the savings to cut the deficit. However, there are some doomsayers who say that the introduction of a living wage will suddenly cause the end of civilisation as we know it. However, these people are generally the people who have vested interests in not having a living wage (and indeed the same people who argued in 1998 that introducing a minimum wage would cause Armageddon). Also, Australia has a minimum wage of $15.96 (£10.33) and their economy avoided recession while the rest of the West collapsed in on itself.

Admittedly, I am a bit partisan. I’m a member of The Labour Party (the shock and horror!). However, it’s not just Labour who backs this policy; the Greens, Unite and many other progressive groups back this campaign too. Even the Archbishop Justin Welby, took time off fighting marriage equality to give the policy the thumbs up. If you wish to support this, sign the petition at http://epetitions. direct.gov.uk/petitions/41273

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concrete.global@uea.ac.uk

Issue 287

22/10/13

Global UEA Goes Global

Ella Gilbert Global Editor

Life without a loo would be crap

Last week’s Go Global launch event, organised by the Union of UEA Students, got off to a successful start Wednesday 16 October was World Food Day and, in partnership with the Dean of Students’, UUEAS held a festival in the square, Hive, and LCR. The idea of Go Global is to celebrate the rich mix of cultures and nationalities at UEA, and various societies got involved by showcasing their cultures, selling and giving out food.

Many students also dived into the swing of things by bringing an A4 copy of the flag of the country they are from, or would like to visit, to an interactive human world map in the square.

Also promoted last week was the Go Global Annual Development Fund, which allows students who would like to get involved in this year’s celebrations to organise an event or activity which

encourages other students and staff to engage in and celebrate UEA’s culturally diverse community.

Go Global is on-going, and applications to the fund for this year are open until June 2014. Events last year included salsa workshops, international parties, lectures and week-long events like Islamic Awareness week. So far few events have been planned but there will undoubtedly be more soon.

Bintu Foday, the Community and Student Rights officer at the union and the organiser of this year’s Go Global, thanked all those who participated, saying: “I had a great time organising it and I am very pleased we had a good turn-out. The event highlights the diverse nature of our campus and we hope students will take part in the very many events that will be running throughout the year. Most significantly I would like to encourage students to use the Go Global fund to support their cultural events and activities.”

Three Cheers for the Worker’s Party of Korea!

Tara Ward Global Writer Imagine your life without a toilet. We do not think twice, but for nearly half of India’s one billion strong population, it is an unattainable luxury. Without a clean and safe place to go, public health is at serious risk. The Deputy SecretaryGeneral for the UN, Jan Eliasson, said that this is a worldwide issue which people “don’t like to talk about.”

However, the more we talk about it the better.

Saraswathi, 14, is part of the Paniyan tribe living in a remote village in the Nilgiri mountains, South India. She has no access to a toilet. Her younger brothers, Sasi and Sudi, openly defecate in the forest but she is a young woman and must wait until night when darkness can provide dignified cover.

Having no toilet to use during the day means women are susceptible to kidney stones and dehydration. For the whole tribe, it means drinking contaminated water and suffering from illness such as diarrhoea as a result. Speaking to Sasi and Sudi’s mother, she admitted ‘once a week is normal’ for diarrhoea.

With the help of villagers, volunteers built 17 leach pit toilets which are ecofriendly and suited to the environment.

We taught hand-washing with soap using tippy taps built from resources to hand. The sustainability of this approach should mean that Saraswathi and her family benefit from cleaner water and better sanitation far into the future.

However this project goes only a small way to improving the worldwide sanitation issue. The United Nations now recognises sanitation as a human right

Dan Falvey Global Writer

Photo: Usien and included it as part of the Millennium Development Goals to ‘half the number of people without access to clean toilets by 2015’.

Recently there has been more publicity surrounding the issue with ‘World Toilet Day’ (November 19) drawing attention to the issue and attempting to break the taboo. This is alongside Microsoft founder Bill Gates launching his “Reinvent the Toilet” campaign in 2011 to encourage innovative researchers to design a sustainable and safe way to manage human waste. This summer Matt Damon also jumped on board visiting villagers in southern Tamil Nadu to help India’s poor get access to clean water and toilets.

By learning more and raising awareness about this issue, everyone can play a small part in making sure every single person has their basic right to sanitation.

This October the Worker’s Party of Korea has been in charge of North Korea for 68 years and to celebrate, the whole country will take part in a national holiday! However, in a country where the majority of North Korea’s population suffer a life of misery due to fear of starvation or hypothermia (temperatures can reach -25°C in winter months), is there anything worth actually celebrating?

For all its time in charge of the country, the WPK can be seen to have acted as a totalitarian dictatorship that taps telephone calls, rations luxuries and censors its media.

Despite this strict rule, there is no doubt that all citizens will take part in the celebrations. After all, they have no choice. To not participate would likely lead to being sentenced to work in a labour camp for the rest of their life, with their children and grandchildren facing the same punishment.

North Korea has a very strict ‘three generations punishment’ policy.

There was hope when the country’s current leader, Kim Jong Un, took control in 2011 that he might bring in a number of reforms, and in some areas he has. Since he came to power, pictures of women wearing miniskirts

and high heels have reached South Korea. This is completely different to the leader’s father’s rule when all citizens were forced to wear Mao-style work uniforms.

Furthermore, he recently opened a third public swimming pool in the capital city, Pyongyang (before Kim’s rule there was only one swimming pool available to the public) and, unusually, he held a second session of Parliament in a single year in 2012 to discuss education reform and extending compulsory education from age 11 to 12.

However, since his inauguration, the leader has also stepped up the rhetoric on threatening to attack the neighbouring South Korea, in the hope of unifying the two countries under WPK rule. He also recently ordered his ex-girlfriend’s execution for posing in photos that Kim believes to have been too sexual.

This week all citizens will mark the anniversary of their ‘great party’ by visiting the statues of the country’s two previous leaders and attending performances sanctioned by the state.

For North Korea’s citizens, 68 years of WPK rule has marked 68 years of oppression under the rule of a corrupt regime and none of them are under any illusions that there is any chance of real reform in North Korea any time soon.

Features

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

The “F” Word

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Features writer Sophie Jackson explains why we shouldn’t be afraid to use the term “feminist” and comments on the apparent need to rebrand the movement.

In the November 2013 issue of Elle magazine an attempt was made to ‘rebrand’ feminism. Elle paired three feminist groups with advertising agencies, each producing separate ad campaigns with slogans such as “if he does the same job ask him his salary” and “sod the stereotypes”, listing some of the most common sexist stereotypes women face. Most responses to the rebranding have agreed that the advertisements themselves are effective, but they have also raised concerns about whether or not rebranding is a necessary, or acceptable, process for feminism to undergo.

That famous Pat Robertson quote that paints feminists as aggressive, manhating lesbians is nearly twenty years old, but still frighteningly similar to public perception of feminists today. This stereotype is so often used to discredit feminists as hysterical or irrational, that there is an understandable desire to change the way feminism is viewed.

This is what Elle magazine set out to do – to make feminism more enjoyable and approachable. It’s an admirable cause, and impressive that a fashion magazine would take such a clear political stance.

However, the fact that it is a fashion magazine also calls in to question Elle’s motives. It would be difficult to argue that Elle was a feminist publication; like much of the fashion industry, it tends only to represent the ‘ideal’ woman in

its magazines, which is an increasing source of pressure for women. Their passion for women’s rights is dubious considering none of the three campaigns happen to tackle the issue of women’s objectification in the media. It also can’t be forgotten that Elle is a business, and they are trying to sell a product. At a

“Rebranding suggests as well that feminism is a brand, and to put it in this context is to trivialise the social and political significance of the feminist movement” time when feminism seems to be slowly increasing in popularity, Elle’s campaign could merely be a cynical attempt to bring in profits. Most concerning of all, is that feminism is not something that should be sold. By trying to make feminism seem less threatening, there is also the potential to make feminist activists less effective. Social change cannot happen unobtrusively. ‘Rebranding’ suggests as well that feminism is a brand, and to put

Photo: squirlaraptor

it in this context is to trivialise the social and political significance of the feminist movement. The last thing feminists want is for feminism to become a meaningless accessory.

One way that Elle’s campaign has succeeded is by earning the support of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and the Women and Equalities minister Jo Swinson. Nick Clegg said the rebranding is “a simple step, which could have a big impact”. Both Clegg and Swinson spoke to Elle about their ‘Make Them Pay’ campaign, and how women should “feel free” to ask men about their salaries, and to take the initiative to seek pay rises where the pay is unequal. Swinson also told Elle that she would “absolutely…without hesitating” refer to herself as a feminist.

Only days earlier, David Cameron announced that he is in fact a feminist, after his initial awkward rejection of the label. In an interview with Red magazine, he said he believed in equal rights for men and women, but that “I don’t know what to call myself”. Channel 4 News queried him about this discrepancy, and before changing his stance, he first

“Rebranding might be effective in temporarily bringing feminism back into public consciousness, but not in creating the permanent change that is rebloggy.com

required”

clarified that “if [equal rights for women] is what you mean by feminist, then yes, I am”. Though his dismissal in the Red interview is disappointing, claiming the word ‘feminist’ for himself and defining it in clear terms is a “simple step” forward.

If the Prime Minister is willing to reclaim the term ‘feminist’ then feminists must be doing something right. This growing political support is largely the result of a gradual increase in support for feminism. This is coming particularly from social networking sites, where there is more and more information available to young people about equal rights. Rebranding might be effective in temporarily bringing feminism back into public consciousness, but not in creating the permanent change that is required.

‘Rebranding’ however well intentioned, is not the right way to go about supporting the feminist cause.

Perhaps a campaign in GQ magazine would be more effective than in Elle but regardless, genuine change will happen only when information about equal rights issues is accessible, and there is an open discourse surrounding them. This is what Elle has provided – the ad campaigns have put useful statistics and ideas into mainstream media, and encouraged a discourse amongst politicians that could really benefit the feminist movement.

The attitude toward feminists is what should be rehabilitated; whether a feminist conforms to the stereotypes or not, they should be respected and heard.

Feminists should not have to focus their efforts on rehabilitating feminism’s image. The core values of feminism are what is important, thus anything achieved by a ‘rebranding’ can only be superficial.

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concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Issue 287

Features

22/10/13

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

“Stud” vs “Slut”: sexual double standards

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Without us fully acknowledging it our culture is promoting a double standard that is alarmingly unequal. Features writer Silvia Rose argues that we must be aware of this inbalance in order to prevent it Recently, a friend told me that he has decided to remain celibate for two months. He revealed that the reason behind his decision was that he finds himself ‘getting bored of girls quickly’.

By giving his vigorous libido a rest, my friend believed that it would help him to fully appreciate the next pretty young thing that comes along. It wasn’t his inability to remain monogamous, or his disposable attitude towards women that troubled me. Rather it was the freedom he had to express these things without the fear of being judged. I asked out of interest, ‘So what would happen if a girl stood up and said the same? That she too got tired of the same men, so was always on the lookout for some fresh action?’

“Everyone knows the cliché about men thinking about sex every seven seconds. But this sentiment has gone beyond cliché, and is treated almost as a permission for men to act a certain way” My friend confirmed without hesitation, that yes, she would seem a bit ‘easy’. This double standard is so subtly ingrained into our culture that people are not even shocked when it is

pointed out.

Ever since the rise of the contraceptive pill, women have had more freedom and control over their sex lives. Eliminating the risk of pregnancy means that women can share their beds with whoever they want, whenever they want. Sex shops such as Ann Summers have become the norm on our high streets, and there is no shame in buying a gadget designed purely for pleasure. Women’s magazines frequently boast ‘the hottest sex tips’, encouraging us all to channel our inner sex goddesses (as well as become great cooks). Nobody is denying that women like sex. However, there seems to be an impression that women’s sexuality is not wild and innate, but submissive, only occasionally simmering into action with an outside male influence.

Everyone knows the cliché about men thinking about sex every seven seconds. But this sentiment has gone beyond cliché, and is treated almost as a permission for men to act a certain way. Well of course he’s cheated on that girl, you know what men are like, they think with their dicks! Why do women not get the same excuse of thinking with their vaginas? There is an evident bias in favor of when men make reckless decisions based on their horniness. They are given jovial

banter and a slap on the wrist. Women get cast out of friendship groups and labelled as damaged goods. There is an ignorant image of men as being helpless when faced with the promise of sex. Therefore, all the power is apparently in the woman’s hands.

Does she initiate it? Is she the one acting keen? This image becomes even more troubling when it is used in rape cases as defense for the rapist. The women are ‘asking for it’ by dressing provocatively. Even that language used insinuates a lack of control on the male side. By dressing provocatively it is as if the woman ‘provokes’ a man into a dumb, glazed-over state of arousal.

The media, as always, is a powerful and insidious influence on social prejudices. Consider the rule about ‘not sleeping with someone on the first date’, drilled-in by numerous romcoms and teen dramas. If the guy is a total arse hole, then he might perceive you as being ‘too easy’, and therefore he is clearly not worth pursuing.

But there’s no reason why your captivating personality and sexual confidence can’t entice him into a second meeting. Why can’t women be strong and independent whilst wanting sex? Why is there this idea that a woman ‘let’s’ a man have sex with them, as if it is a chore or a commodity? And more

Photo: kohlmannsascha

worryingly, that the ability to abstain from a few hours of fun means that you are worthy of a relationship? I am not advocating careless, self-destructive flippancy towards who you share your body with, but a clarity and strength towards pursuing what you want, and having the courage to act on it.

All of these double standards I have encountered through my own personal experience. What happens when we look at it from a more scientific angle? I recently read an extract from Daniel Bergner’s new

“We need to start viewing women as sexual creatures too, not just in the context of male satisfaction, but with deep-rooted desires that deserve to be fulfilled book, ‘What Women Want’, where he describes an experiment investigating sexual arousal in men and women.

Participants of both sexes were shown various pornographic videos of straight couples, homosexuals and bonobos.

The blood flow to their genitals were measured at each stage, and they were also asked to rate their level of arousal.

The male scores matched completely, their bodies and minds were in

Huffpost tune. What is interesting is that the women were aroused- physiologically speaking- at every clip that was shown, yet denied that they were turned on by them all. This suggests that there is much more to female sexuality than we might think. Bergner suggests that this indicates a suppression of desire, stemming from the conviction that women are not as inherently sexual as men. This belief has subordinated women in society for centuries.

Women’s sexuality is not a commodity, it should not be objectified or used as an indication of moral worth.

We need to start viewing women as sexual creatures too, not just in the context of male satisfaction, but with deep-rooted desires that deserve to be fulfilled without judgment.

A biased media and it’s representation of gender

Features writer Anna Walker explains how the mass consumption of media has influenced our ideals of gender, and what we must do to stop it.

The omnipresence of the media in our lives through the internet, television, video games, film, advertising and music videos means we saturate a constructed world of gendered ideals at an alarming rate. On average, girls aged 11 to 14 see up to 500 adverts a day, and this overwhelming influx of media exposure must surely be taking its toll on the way we view gender and gender relations. From how we treat our body hair to the food we eat, the media’s influence knows no bounds. For the large part, it is a media controlled by the minority, and as women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, by almost exclusively men.

It would be essentially impossible to spend a day of average media consumption without taking in sexualised images of women. These media images constantly inform us that a woman’s value intrinsically

Photo: goldsardine

lies in her appearance as opposed to her thoughts and intellect. This dehumanisation often takes place even when a company is aiming a product at both genders; for example the unisex range produced by American Apparel.

A quick glance at their most popular product, the “unisex flex fleece hoodie”, indicated that while men like to wear their hoodies fully dressed, strolling

about the park, women far prefer to wear the item whilst completely naked, or in bed, or wearing thigh high socks.

Through this type of double standard advertising, American Apparel and other companies show men to be three dimensional, functioning humans, while women become mere sex toys, flattened into an objective existence limited only to the sexualisation of the product their bodies are there to sell.

Posing men as functional beings and women as sexualised objects functions as a tool of anxiety, manipulating the consumer into a monetary purchase through fear. It’s not just women this is affecting. Throughout the advertising world, men are continually pressured to conform to an ideal of masculinity that grounds itself in control, power and consumption. As Snickers screams at men to “get some nuts” and McCoy’s proclaims itself “man crisps” it seems

most advertising aimed at men urges them in some way to become more primal and assertive. Aftershave adverts, such as Paco Rabanne’s One Million, embody the constant media attempts to appealing to men through the promise of instant gratification of every supposedly masculine desire; sex, hunger and material want. This prescriptive gendering of the media world works by making us feel abnormal, and by manipulating those fears in order to convert them into economic gains.

Obsessions with an idealised sexualised female beauty continue in many other elements of advertising, including the market of hair removal products. In every case, shaving adverts see a smiling woman glide her razor up a completely hair free leg, enhancing the idea that women not only should remove body hair,

but that it is unnatural or unsightly that they even have it in the first

“Posing men as functional beings and women as sexualised objects functions as a tool of anxiety” place. This concept of the naturally hairless woman doesn’t emerge through advertising alone however, as with much of media influence it functions through a multiplicity of influence.

Television programmes such as Game of Thrones, well known for its frequent nudity, perpetuate this ideal of the immaculately groomed woman. Despite Westeros having all the appearance of a medieval inspired fantasy world, all the women we see nude, even the Wildlings, are perfectly hairless without so much as a Kings Landing Strip in sight.

This universalised media world where the same gender anxieties emerge again and again contributes to a society in which sexual anxiety is ever present. If we can’t escape these ideals of male and female beauty, even in the television of fantasy, then the all-pervasive media ideals of the physically perfected woman becomes a haunting presence in the mind of all genders on an everyday basis. These ideals are not only fabricated, but often unachievable and result in a multitude of men and women feeling inadequate. The sense that we are not normal emerges from these carefully controlled, ephemeral images of perfection.

With such a vast array of media influences shaping our gender perceptions, it can be hard to visualise how we can ever hope to salvage a healthy gender image from the

Huffpost rubble of toxic portrayals. It seems the best way is to remember that we can’t become what we can’t see. The importance of positive role models, of teaching media literacy and of opening up the media industry to allow a greater balance of genders influencing

what we see is paramount. The media has the potential to be a huge engine of change. It’s the most powerful and all-encompassing influence out there and to harness that potential for gender equality would be something very positive indeed.

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concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk

Issue 287

22/10/13

Environment

Ahoy there, Arctic pirate!

What I learnt from the Guardian power station. They were also keen to highlight the country’s overall reliance on coal power.

But no one seems to have looked at the reality of the issue. The fact that Poland has offered to host the summit surely implies that they may be taking an interest in reforming environmentally. In fact, they use more renewable energy than we do here in Britain.

The Guardian also quietly overlooked the fact that this new northwest passage would greatly improve maritime travel times, reducing energy use by the shipping industry. What’s more, it neglected to mention that this one comment was the result of one Polish environmental officer with access to PowerPoint, and is likely not representative of an evil government that apparently runs on coal and baby bunnies.

Nevertheless, common sense did not prevent the Polish environment minister, Martin Korolec, attempting to save face with a mild non-apology. He maintained that exploitation of the new sea would definitely be “not nice.” Take that, Guardian.

While it’s nice to have the Guardian around as a mainstay of anti-Tory resistance, it would be nicer if they were to down the mighty hummus of justice and instead picked up a sense of objectivity and proportion. And maybe bit of common sense.

Ben Beebe Environment Writer Last week the Polish organisers of the upcoming UN climate talks, scheduled to take place in Warsaw next month, came under fire from the oh-so-righteous bastion of liberal hand-wringing that is the Guardian. The organisers published a blog post in which they described the possibility of building oil-drilling platforms in the new body of water.

Normally this alone would be enough to set eco-keyboard warriors furiously atwitter, but the organisers went one step further, suggesting the platforms could also be used for “chasing the pirates, terrorists and ecologists that will come and hang around.”

Now it is certainly an interesting conclusion to draw: that pirates will shortly be invading the Arctic Circle, joining nefarious Dick Dastardlystyle ecologists in “hanging around.”

However, what has been more interesting is the subsequent backlash.

Greenpeace has of course leapt up, declaring that this offhand comment shows that the Polish government’s attitude makes it unfit to host an international climate summit.

Unsurprisingly, the Guardian was quick to jump on the moral bandwagon and point out Poland’s supposedly dire environmental record. Europe’s biggest emitter of carbon is situated at Belchatow in the town’s eponymous

Increasing human life expectancy harming the environment Jacob Beebe Environment Writer It isn’t news to anyone that the average life expectancy of the human population is increasing, and has been doing so significantly over the past century. The average life expectancy in England and Wales has risen by 5.22 years in males and 3.06 years in females between 1991 and 2011. With the constant advances in medical science continuing to break new ground, and with health care becoming more and more efficient, this increase is unsurprising.

However, as always, there are repercussions for such advances, and in this case it is our immediate environment and endangered species that could be put at risk.

An extensive study of 100 countries, conducted by the University of California, has found that the number of endangered species of animals and birds

is increasing with human longevity. New Zealand, which has one of the highest life expectancies, has the greatest number of invasive and endangered species, whereas countries where the human life expectancy is low, such as those in Africa, have the lowest numbers of endangered and invasive species.

It is not mammals and birds alone which are under pressure; a number of other groups, including amphibians, are also being affected. For example, a number of frog species in New Zealand are becoming endangered. This is a growing concern as these species play a key predatory role within the food chain.

They are the target of conservation due to their natural ability to act as biosensors which allow key information about the condition of the environment to be shown.

Whilst the study does not discover the actual reason why life expectancy affects the natural world, it is apparent

that it is an umbrella issue under which a number of factors, such as over-farming of resources, pollution, and habitat destruction, are contributing.

It is becoming an uphill struggle to maintain an aging and larger population without disturbing our surroundings, and it poses an ethical issue regarding the morality of our influence on the environment.

It is clear that we need to tackle the erroneous notion that human population changes have no ill effects, and we must recognise that we exist as part of a repercussive ecosystem of cause and effect.

Comment: The green movement needs youth Eleanor Bujak Environment Writer Over the summer, I attended a Greenpeace parade in London to protest against Arctic drilling. The turn-out was good, but I was disappointed to see so few people my own age. It was startling to realise that environmental concerns still seem to rest with our parents’ generation, skirting around our own. It confused me.

It angered me. There simply weren’t enough young people, enough students, enough of the demographic who will be affected most by our changing world.

We have all seen the figures on climate change and most of us are socially aware enough to care about it in a detached, uninvolved way. But surely, with the statistics getting ever-more alarming and tensions steadily increasing, looking on from a distance just isn’t enough.

“The green movement needs the support of the public” However, there is still a certain stigma attached to the environment that stymies the interest and enthusiasm it so desperately needs. Vegan hippie treehuggers is still the dominant perception.

It is outdated attitudes like this that stand in the way of progress. The environment is not cool, but it needs to be.

What it seems to be lacking is a face.

In this age of celebrity, environmental groups would benefit from an influx of style and youth. Though it may seem frivolous to suggest that Greenpeace and other similar groups should divert attention and effort towards rebranding, it must also be obvious by now that the movement cannot fully succeed without capturing the spirit of the public.

The Arctic 30 protestors are still in custody facing erroneous charges.

Fracking will continue despite the small pockets of local resistance and drilling for oil in the Arctic has not been halted, or even postponed, by the march through the capital. The small sections of society that are acting on behalf of us all are admirable, but it simply is not enough.

The green movement needs the support of the public, and the public are fickle. A glossy media façade would give the green movement the power to infiltrate people’s everyday lives, forcing us to confront an issue that endangers us all. If they can tap into whatever it is that makes us cry at talent shows and rage at the football scores, the environment might just stand a chance. But it doesn’t have left.

Flikr:long Wylie Maercklein

Science & Tech

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.science@uea.ac.uk

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Great Hopes for New Malaria Vaccine

Alice Butler Science Writer Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases with millions of cases worldwide each year, many of which are fatal.

Though the majority of cases are found in Africa it is also prevalent in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The chances

“Chances of surving the disease are made worse by the lack of medical treatment available” of surviving the disease are made even worse by the lack of medical treatment available to many sufferers, who are living in the developing world. Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, working with the support of the Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) of the charity PATH, have produced a new vaccine which trials suggest could half the risk of an infant contracting Malaria.

If further testing produces successful results then the vaccine could go into use from 2016. Currently the

vaccine, called RTS, has been tested on 15,000 children in Africa. Half of the group were aged between 6 to 12 weeks and the other half were between 5 and 17 months. Fifty percent of the children were given the vaccine and the other fifty percent were given a placebo, although other precautions, such as sleeping under mosquito nets, were also taken by all children where possible.

One year after the vaccination was first administered there was a reduction in cases in both age groups; 56% in the older age group and 31% in the younger age group.

Following on from this, after 18 months there were 46% fewer cases in the older

the effectiveness of the vaccination back up to the original levels.

The children will continue to be WorldNomads.com monitored for a total of 41 months after the vaccines administration, however the current positive results have led to GlaxoSmithKline starting plans to submit

a regulatory application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Researchers have predicted that the vaccine has the potential to prevent 941 children per 1000 vaccinated in the older age group and 444 in the younger age group from contracting malaria.

“One year after the vaccination was first administered there was a reduction in cases in both age groups” group and 27% fewer in the younger group, suggesting that the effectiveness of the vaccine could reduce with time.

In an effort to combat this boosters were given 20 months after the initial vaccine to a third of the children to see if this brings

Legacy of Mad Cow Disease. Dangers of Pseudoscience.

Mabon Elis Science writer A large-scale survey by researchers at University College London has found that one person in every 2000 in the UK may be carrying abnormal proteins associated with variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (vCJD). The results, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), show that the proteins are carried by twice as many people as previously thought.

CJD is one of a number of diseases caused by misfolded proteins – called prions – that interfere with the body’s own proteins. Build-up of these proteins progressively kills the brain’s nerve cells, forming small holes and giving the brain a sponge-like appearance. Initial symptoms of the disease are psychological, but patients develop problems with walking and talking as the disease progresses. Life expectancy once the first symptoms have appeared is around six months.

The vCJD type is related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) – or ‘mad cow disease’. This form is thought

to be linked to the consumption of infected meat before tough controls were introduced in 1996. However, in 2004 its transmission was also confirmed through blood transfusions. While screening blood donations for the presence of vCJD is not yet available, the development of such tests must be a priority, according to Dr Graham Jackson of the MRC Prion

Antonia Johnston Science writer

Unit at UCL. He said: “It is now crucial we establish how many people in the UK harbour that infection in their bloodstream in order to adequately assess the risks of transmission through contaminated blood donations.” Professor Azra Ghani, professor of infectious disease modelling at Imperial College London, said the findings highlight the need for continued surveillance of the disease and that current preventative measures should be maintained.

But Professor David Brown, professor of biochemistry at the University of Bath, warns against misinterpretation of the findings, which relate to carriers of abnormal proteins, not how many people will develop the disease. Brown, a former member of the UK government’s BSE advisory board, SEAC, notes: “The presence of the abnormal protein in the appendix does not confirm an individual will develop vCJD. Therefore this result does not indicate that 1 in 2000 people carry vCJD, andPlummer, it could just SLAC be down to Credit: Brad people who (for some other reason) carry the abnormal protein in their appendix.”

Scientific experts are spearheading a campaign to persuade several major retailers to remove the alternative health magazine What Doctor’s Don’t Tell You from their shelves after a series of articles were published promoting non evidence based treatments for diseases such as cancer and AIDS. The publication, which began as a newsletter in 1989, was launched last year as a monthly magazine urging readers to “take control of your own health”, however several doctors and scientists have claimed the title contains misleading and potentially dangerous health advice.

In particular, the headline ‘Mega-cure for the incurables: Vitamin C fights it all, from measles to AIDS’ has attracted criticism.

Lisa Power, Policy Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “The claims made by this magazine about vitamin C are quackery. You can eat as many oranges as you like, but – if you have HIV – nothing will manage the virus other than your prescribed medication. We are shocked that major retailers continue to stock a magazine that carries such dangerous advice, and would urge them to have a serious rethink.”

In addition to these articles, the magazine is also under investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after a series of adverts within

the magazine were seen to breach the agencys CAP code with regards to inaccurate and misleading claims. The Nightingale Collaboration, which aims to challenge misleading claims in healthcare advertising, submitted complaints regarding 26 adverts from the September and October 2012 issues alone.

“The headline ‘Mega-cure for the incurables: Vitamin C fights it all, from measles to AIDS’ has attracted criticism.”

Editor Lynne McTaggart has insisted her magazine aims only to give consumers ‘’the other side of the story’’.

In an email sent out to subscribers, What Doctors Don’t Tell You attacked The Times newspaper for their coverage of the story, denied making any claims of cures, and condemned the mainstream media and scientific organizations for attempting ‘’censorship of information’’.

In a Facebook response to Tom Whipple, the journalist responsible for the Times article, the magazine accused its critics of aligning with pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to ‘’kill a publication critical of that industry’’.

Tesco customer services have responded to complaints by refusing to comment on the contents of the magazine.

However, Waitrose have now withdrawn the title from sale due to ‘’customer feedback’’.

Credit: SpaceX

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concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

Issue 287

22/10/13

Travel

Voluntourism

Francesca Amos Travel Writer Looking for some adventure during the long summer break, or something to enhance your CV? Volunteering abroad may be a great opportunity for you to do so.

The rising popularity of the ‘gap year’ and interest in volunteering abroad amongst many students has led to the growth of ‘voluntourism’. Voluntourism combines the ‘do good’, charitable ethos of volunteering and a sense of adventure to benefit both the novice explorer and

the seasoned traveller.

Voluntourism is now one of the largest growing sectors of tourism. In 2008, Tourism and Research Marketing surveyed 300 organisations and found that the industry had an estimated worth of around £1.3 billion.

The growth of voluntourism has led to a diverse range of available projects varying in location, price range and duration. For a few hundred pounds you can choose to volunteer in a French school for a few weeks. Positions are also available working in Panda conservation in China for a thousand pounds. So, if you are feeling a bit strapped for cash, there are low cost options for you to have a great experience abroad whilst enhancing your CV. If the idea of volunteering abroad appeals to you and you are wondering where to go, for how long, what type of project and how much to spend, then fear not: GeckoGo have conducted a survey showing the preference of previous volunteers. In 2009 they found that most volunteers preferred projects no longer than a month in length and

www.workandvolunteer.com that the three most popular project types were humanitarian voluntourism, conservation, and teaching.

If none of the above sound appealing, don’t worry, the list of the types of project is by no means definitive. The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) listed other types of projects available, including those concerning women’s rights, medicine, food supply, disaster rebuilding, permaculture and climate care.

The ATTA also asked their members which destinations they preferred. In order of preference the responses were: South America, East Africa, India and

South Asia, Central America, Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. Of course, the type of project you choose can have an effect on the location you travel to and vice versa, but many locations offer a diverse range ofopportunities.

Not only can volunteering abroad provide you with CV enhancing experiences, but it also gives you an interesting insight into different cultures.

So if you are unsure about the next step after the academic year, or if you are looking to have a volunteering adventure this summer, there are an abundance of projects for you to choose from. Release the intrepid explorer within!

Adventures in Anuradhapura Imi Launchbury Travel Writer The charming city of Anuradhapura has been a vital part of Sri Lanka since the 4th century BC, having been one of the ancient capitals of the country. Now it is one of the most exciting places to visit and the perfect location to absorb ancient Sri Lankan culture.

The city is divided into two main parts; the Ancient City and the New Town. In leafy New Town tourists can find many friendly homestays and guesthouses within easy reach of the main street. The centre of Anuradhapura gives you a great taste of true Sri Lankan life. Walking through the city you can stop at traditional bakeries, fend off tuk tuk drivers and even enjoy the air-con of the modern shopping mall. The bakeries here are some of the best in Sri Lanka and are a must if you want to try the incredible local food - the vegetable roti is beyond imagination!

The tourism industry is relatively new to Anuradhapura and so there isn’t a huge amount of choice for budget travellers, but it is possible to find good value accommodation if you venture slightly further out of the centre. As with the rest of Sri Lanka the key is to stay in guesthouses and eat traditional food.

The other must-see part of Anuradhapura is the Ancient Precinct,

which is the reason why so many people travel to the city. The best way to view the sacred town is by bicycle. Whilst you can of course hire a car for the day, it is more enjoyable and much cheaper to hire a bike. Start your day off at the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree, where Buddha reached Enlightenment. Once you discover your inner Zen, cycle over the grass paths to join the local pilgrims visiting the

“spot native animals like the monkeys and lizards who share the city with tourists” Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba; a religious and architectural landmark. Head back towards the main road and go north towards the sacred Moonstone, stop off at the incredible brick Jetavanaramaya Stupa; a shrine, the tallest building, and the subject of much controversy over the years on your way.

Cycling from sight to sight gives you a real feeling of adventure and allows you to spot native animals like the monkeys and lizards who share the city with tourists and locals, just be careful of the komodo dragons which occasionally wander across the road! You should also venture off the typical tourist track and enjoy meeting the smiling locals.

Anuradhapura is particularly important to visit as in many ways it

represents the newly established peace in Sri Lanka. Until 2009 a civil war was fought between the government and a terrorist group called the Tamil Tigers (LTTE). Most of the fighting happened in the north and east and much of the country was too dangerous for locals - let alone tourists - to visit. Since the end of

the war the country has begun to open up to tourism and Anuradhapura now welcomes visitors. The slightly higher presence of security forces is enough to remind you of Sri Lanka’s past but also highlights how special it is to explore the city. Anuradhapura is a definitely a treat not to be missed!

Travel

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

17

Exploring the walled city of Zadar Laura Crockett Travel Writer The most recent addition to the European Union, Croatia, is the ideal place to go for a relaxing warm winter break.

If you venture a few hours out of the tourist filled capital of Zagreb, you soon encounter quaint coastal villages on the outskirts of Zadar, an ancient walled city. This is the perfect place to relax on the beach and ponder life’s unanswered questions without the fear of being trodden on by a hoard of tourists. It is easy to settle down into the unrushed pace of the locals, whom you will often see undertaking their favourite activity, reading the newspaper.

Within a few days you will feel like you have lived there your entire life.

The city offers picturesque views and behind its walls hides classical sights, including the Franciscan Monastery. This houses the oldest Gothic church on the Dalmatian coast, dated from the 1200s.

The Cathedral of St Anastasia, is one of the first things you will notice in the city centre, located

on

the edge of the main square.

For a concise history of the area, there is the Archaeological Museum, which boasts over 100, 000 items, dating back to the Palaeolithic time, and has a Roman model of the city. It is open most days and offers concessions for students.

“Zadar is yet to become too well known.”

have is seafood given the city’s location of being on the Dalmatian coast. However, there are also a range of other options, including pasta, salad, risotto and the odd fast food place if you want to play it safe. The city has a host of café bars, which are open late and play a range of music from jazz to rock, so you’re bound to find something to your liking. Many of the locals will recommend the bars just outside the city walls, which are very

popular, but if you go exploring, you will soon find something new in the old city.

There is a huge range of things that you can do in Zadar beyond the sights and there is no better way to end the day than listening to the sea organ and dancing the night away on the Greetings to the Sun disco floor, 20 metres from the seas edge.

Whether it is a relaxing break by the sea, or a culture filled weekend, there is something for everyone in Zadar.

Walking through the old streets of the city, you will come across small cafes, which are reasonably priced and often populated by locals, making it perfect for the student on a budget who still wants to see a bit of culture or just sit back and people watch.

One of the main selling points of Zadar is that it affordable. Even though Croatia has been an increasingly popular holiday destination, Zadar has yet to become too well known. In the main city, you’ll have no problem finding a nice meal out for under £10 - you just have to be adventurous and try some of the side streets.

When it comes to the cuisine, a must

Working at an American summer camp Sarah Boughen Travel Writer Working at a summer camp in the USA should be top of every student’s summer to-do list. Despite being exhausting, challenging and at times testing, becoming a summer camp counsellor is always rewarding.

Swimming in the camp lake in the American sun, leading camp songs with hundreds of excited children and becoming a role model are all everyday occurrences at camp, what could be better? It certainly isn’t the best paid job but travel opportunities

and giving a child the summer of a lifetime makes it more than worthwhile.

The decision to work at a summer camp should not be made hastily; ensuring the enjoyment and safety of children is a huge responsibility, but it is this responsibility which can guarantee a new level of maturity. That said, camp isn’t just for counsellors, there are plenty of other opportunities too. Cooks, climbing instructors, sports coaches, artists and IT experts are all needed at camp amongst many other positions. By abiding by a few camp rules, staying positive and being constantly enthusiastic, a brilliant summer is practically a sure-thing.

Summer camp doesn’t just mean a bunch of rich kids clicking their fingers whilst the counsellors grant their every wish. Although choosing to work at a more wealthy camp definitely has its benefits; often including better facilities like speedboats and games that even include helicopters, there are also opportunities to work for charity-run summer camps. These camps can often be more basic; but it isn’t just about who has the highest climbing wall or biggest lake; often charity-run camps may feel more rewarding. All types of summer camps come with benefits and disadvantages so it is a good idea to maintain an open mind when applying.

Travel after camp is definitely one of the main draws to spending a summer in the USA. Many people make lifelong friends who become the best travel companions, and American friends usually turn out to be excellent hosts with inviting floors to sleep on. Lots of camps are in the North-Eastern states, making Boston, New York City and Washington DC excellent travel destinations to follow a couple of months of hard work.

There are plenty of companies which seek to assist applicants achieve their summer camp dreams; helping with placements and visas. Companies such as Camp Leaders, Camp America, BUNAC and Americamp are all trustworthy and charge a fee which generally covers visas and flights. This initial spend can be quickly earned back whilst at camp, but it is advisable to save beforehand for any post-camp travel as well as those much appreciated days off during your time at camp.

Working at summer camp becomes an annual event for many students and it is not hard to see why. Great friends, new skills and a newfound maturity are all gains from this experience which would be remembered for a lifetime.

Camp life can be challenging and is unquestionably exhausting, but all in all the gains far out way any perceived draw backs as it is incredibly rewarding.

Working at camp is a real opportunity, and it is one that is well worth exploring.

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 287

22/10/13

Lifestyle

Why you should work part-time

Jodie Snow Lifestyle writer As the first-term begins to set in and the student loans begin to dwindle, many students will consider the boost a part-time job can have to their finances. An hours pay pouring pints may pay for that obligatory post-Mantra take-away as well as benefit your CV, social life and interpersonal skills.

So without further ado, here are the top three reasons to consider applying for a part-time job whilst at University.

Time management Part-time work helps develop a routine.

Many students will end their search for a job in the Customer Service industry. Here, actually leaving your room, and/or bed, is generally a prerequisite. Unfortunately, late nights at the LCR and 3pm lecture starts can let you easily fall in to the hermit-life. Whilst at University this is the norm, a real culture shock will occur in the re-discovery of “nine am”. Here, a part-time job can help ease a potentially thorny transition and help to develop that all important routine.

CV experience For the CV conscious, a part-time job can show that you have that all important ‘real life experience’ and have not solely spent

your time hibernating in the Library. While a good grade will get you some of the way, the life-experience gained from a parttime job will help you get there quicker.

A part-time job can teach you how to communicate to a diverse range of people, known collectively as ‘The General Public’, and learn how to approach and deal with unknown situations. Whilst ‘The General Public’s’ intimidating power to complain is one that strikes fear into the hearts of many a bewildered customer service employee, letting it defeat you should not be the case.

The ability to deal effectively and efficiently with complaints from grumbling customers proves your capability at logically solving real-life problems. Not to mention, the ability to juggle part-time work and studying proves you have efficient timemanagement skills.

Social skills Socially, a part-time job opens new doors.

With the opportunity to mingle with people outside of the ‘UEA Bubble’, new friends are made and new pub-hideouts can be found. If you are living and studying on campus, a part-time job in the city really can get you out and about and interacting with a more diverse group of people. New work colleagues may hold the power to break

the spell of the tedious small talk of “what house, what course, where from”. Such people hold the potential to get you back in touch with the world that exists outside of University.

Whilst securing those all important grades are important, it is a good idea to think of the broader skills and experiences you can gain through part-time work.

Simply going through the application process of filling out forms and enduring interviews can prove to be important experiences that will help build confidence and interview suave. This will make it all the more likely of you securing that dream-job in the future, as well as making you happier and more secure for the time being.

Under pressure: student drinking culture Beth Saward Lifestyle writer To most people students and alcohol go together like UEA and rabbits. One just wouldn’t exist without the other. There was probably many a worried parent driving home at the beginning of the year, head filled with horrifying images of their child stumbling home after a night out.

Realistically, they would probably not be far off. The expectation that you’re going to get wasted, combined with the nerves of being away from home and meeting new people all creates a cocktail of pressure. Drinking is a way of getting past the awkward first night in halls as peoples’ confidence generally increases with every pint.

And that’s one of the things about drinking: it can act as a wrecking ball to social awkwardness. If you’re a shy person, or in fact just a bit nervous about being at university, during the first few weeks there is that pressure to come out of your shell and be sociable.

A cheeky pint can help boost your morale ahead of a night out with the new flatmates. The only problem is, one drink is never enough. At pre-drinks there’s the inevitable game of Ring of Fire or Never Have I Ever with the innumerable shots that go with them. Once you’re out there’s special deals on jaeger bombs that your flatmate will tell you is such a good deal, that free drink from an even drunker friend

and that one last VK before you stop for the night. And before you know it, your wallet is empty and you’re queuing at DFC for chips.

You’ll make best friends with everyone in the queue and probably learn more about them than their own siblings know: this is another reason why the pressure to drink is so high. It’s seen as easier to make friends when alcohol is involved as it loosens the tongue. This isn’t without its dangers though. That person you had a DMC with could turn out to be someone you just won’t get on with sober. We all have that friend – the one you always seem to be with on nights out but if you bump into them during the day the conversation is limited to awkward pauses and blank stares.

Why is drinking such a huge part of student life? Is it purely down to the attitude of students or could the atmosphere at university in general be to blame? How many freshers events are held at night in the LCR? How many societies have socials that centre around clubs or pub crawls?

To tackle the heavy drinking culture, changes have to be made on campus as well as in student’s attitudes. And it is something that needs tackling. When you’re out and there is someone who doesn’t drink with you, the most common question they’ll face is “But how can you have fun?”. Is drinking really so vital to student life that it’s seen as impossible to have a good night out sober?

Because if so, that’s a worrying trend.

Yaledailynews

Lifestyle

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Going hardcore in the library

Ella Sharp Lifestyle writer It’s 9am. You have 6 hours until that elusive (and stupid) 3pm deadline. You arrive at the library full of energy ready to bang out the last few thousand words in record time. Floor 02 and a beautiful view of the lake awaits, promising serene thoughts and no distractions, until you sit down and start staring into space. Concrete is here to give you the ultimate tips on keeping those energy levels up and your distractions down.

Coffee Aka how every student survives deadline week. Bring a thermos for a constant drip feed, or make regular visits to The Blend or Café Direct. However, don’t stock up too much on sugar or you’ll crash and end up napping rather than referencing. Grabbing a coffee is also the perfect excuse to get a breath of fresh air, keep you clear headed and remind yourself an outside exists.

Snacks Of course no food is allowed in the library, but bringing a sandwich or buying a Blend pannini to munch on could be a life saver.

Low blood sugar levels will force you

into an essay slumber so make sure you eat a decent breakfast before your library venture and pack a lunch to keep you sustained. Taking a 10 minute break on the ground floor sofas with a friend will give you back some more energy.

Music For those of you who can’t live without background music, bringing your headphones to the library is a must.

Making a study playlist of high energy tracks will keep your energy and mood

Flickr scui3asteveo

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up and, of course, looking forward to that night out once your essay hell is over.

But remember not to play your music too loud, you might love a bit of Disclosure (or Britney Spears) but the shy fresher sitting next to you might be too scared to ask you to turn it down.

Warm clothing A library essential come November. We all know how dodgy the library heating can be so coming prepared for a small Ice Age would suffice for a cold morning. A scarf, hat and even gloves wouldn’t be too far and might save those typing fingers from falling off mid -sentence. But just in case it warms up by the afternoon layers are the way to go.

Study Carrel Renting a study carrel is perfect for those who love to work in complete silence and their own space. You’ll be spared from sharing a desk with five others all scrambling for the plug sockets or getting distracted by the fitty on the desk over.

However, don’t forget to book early – in deadline week or exam time an afternoon in a Study Carrel is more fought over than the last piece of chocolate cake in the Hive.

A guide to UEA’s countryside Jasmin Gray Lifestyle writer Norwich is undoubtedly a city very much infused with the countryside, and the UEA campus is no exception to this. Any students arriving from an urban area are sure to be shocked by the abundance of wildlife that lives alongside the lecture theatres and the LCR. The most famous of these creatures are surely the rabbits, a UEA institution with all the associated myths and legends that come from recognition such as this. While it is widely asserted that killing one of the university’s furry friends is grounds for expulsion, many also claim that if a student catches a live rabbit on campus and brings it to the bar they can earn themselves a free drink. Although neither of these things can be confirmed nor recommended, they do show the amount of interest surrounding the bunnies. In June 2012 this was taken to a countrywide level when they appeared on both The One Show and Springwatch along with the research of Dr Diana Bell from the universities’ School of Biological Sciences.

A much more recent addition to UEA’s wildlife brood are the Highland cows that can be found at the western end of campus. Brought in in the autumn of 2012, the livestock are used for conservation purposes, helping to restore the fen sites on the universities’ land, a project

much supported by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Not only have the cows had a great impact on the sustainability of the area, they have also brought great recognition to the university as an institution that is invested in the environment; UEA has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development category this year in the Times Higher Education Awards.

In any conversation regarding UEA’s nature though, the lake cannot be forgotten.

Constructed between 1973 and 1978, the Broad is probably the most famous of

UEA’s many spectacular sights across its 360 acres, treasured for its scenic views and close proximity to the centre of campus.

While its inclusion in the famous Five L challenge proves the Broad’s notoriety amongst UEA’s students, it also boasts a wide variety of bird and fish species, making it an equally celebrated spot amongst bird watchers and fishermen.

For those living in the University Village, the wildlife is similarly abundant; not only does it boast its own length of river, but it is not uncommon to see ponies trotting along beside it, a welcome bonus for the

added walk to campus that comes with the accommodation.

It’s not just the university which boasts beautiful nature though; for those willing to trek a little further off campus, the illusive Plantation Garden acts as Norwich’s own secret garden. Situated on Earlham Road, it is three acres of stunning flora, Medieval walls and Gothic fountains, perfect for those who enjoy a more refined scene.

So, why not step outside this autumn, and take advantage of the stunning backdrop against which UEA is set?

Flickr PGBrown1987

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 287

22/10/13

Have a Halloween Feast!

Pumpkin and sausage casserole Georgia Ellis Lifestyle writer An easy sharing dish that proves that pumpkins aren’t just for carving. Great for a spooky night in with your housemates or family.

Serves 4 Ingredients • 8 good quality sausages • 800g of pumpkin- cut into wedges • 1 white onion • 2 carrots (optional) • 2 garlic cloves • 150ml of water • 1 can of chopped tomatoes • 1 stock cube (preferably beef)

Method 1. Firstly, start off by gently frying chopped onion and garlic in a casserole pot or a large sauce pan, until lightly coloured 2. Then, fry your chosen sausages or oven cook them until brown and crispy 3. Add your cooked sausages to the large saucepan with your fried onions and garlic 4. Cover with the chopped tomatoes and 150ml of water 5. Add your wedges of pumpkin 6. Add your chopped carrots for extra flavour 7. Add the stock cube 8. Cover your saucepan and leave to simmer on a medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft 9. Enjoy!

Lifestyle

Spooky spider cookies Georgia Ellis Lifestyle writer Prepare these as a party treat or library snack to freak out your friends and get in the halloween spirit. These creepy spider snacks look impressive but are still easy to make.

Makes plenty • •

• •

200g of dark or milk chocolate 115g pack of liquorice Catherine wheels or if you can’t find them use strawberry laces 2 packs of Oreo cookies White and black icing (preferably buy the icing already in the tubes)

Method 1. Gently melt your chosen chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a simmering pan of hot water or for a quicker method, microwave the chocolate (but make sure you keep an eye on it as 2. it will easily burn) 3. Unroll your liquorice wheels and cut them into 2-3 cm strips to make your spiders legs 4. Dollop a tsp of the melted chocolate unto one side of each of the cookies 5. Arrange the eight spiders legs on the melted side of the cookies, then put another cookie on top 6. Finally, spread the remaining melted chocolate on the top of the cookie and add small blobs of white and black icing to create the spiders eyes

Flickr avlxyz

Brain haemorrhage

Ali Steel

Dracula blood punch Georgia Ellis Lifestyle writer

Georgia Ellis Lifestyle writer

This non-alcoholic dracula punch looks just like blood and is perfect for parties.

A delicious cocktail that definitely has the Halloween yuck factor!

Ingredients • 2l cherry juice • peel from 3 oranges, pared with a vegetable peeler • 1 thumb-sized red chilli, pierced a few times but left whole • 3 cinnamon sticks • 10 cloves • 6 slices ginger • Dracula’s fangs sweets (available from sweet shops), to serve, optional

Ingredients • 20ml of Irish cream • 20ml of peach schnapps • 1 tsp of grenadine syrup • shot glasses Method 1. Simply pour the peach schnapps into the shot glasses 2. Then top up with the Irish cream liqueur, this will create the curdled effect 3. Then finally add the grenadine syrup to finish!

Flickr Kimberly Brown-Azzarello

Method 1. Simmer all ingredients together for 5 minutes, then leave to cool for at least 4 hours.

2. Dangle fangs on glasses once poured

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concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

Issue 287

22/10/13

Sport

England secure spot in Brazil amid Januzaj row Callum Hansey Sports correspondent

Editor’s column Charlie Savage Sports Editor In qualifying for the World Cup this summer the England national football team are enjoying one of their most promising spells for several years.

Instead of focusing on the convincing victory against Poland, however, many sections of the media have zoned in on a NASA-based joke Roy Hodgson shared with his team during half-time.

The intention of this was to show how humans, contrary to monkeys, have a tendency to over-complicate things, as Hodgson urged the team to bring Andros Townsend into the game.

The racial dimension coming from the fact that, in relation to the metaphor, Townsend was the monkey. Defining this as racism seems an extraordinarily tenuous link, especially considering the issue has now overshadowed England’s qualification.

This, of course, is not the first occasion that the media have attempted to discredit an England manager in the build-up to a major championship.

Graham Taylor was branded a ‘Turnip’ after Euro 1992, Glenn Hoddle was criticised for using a faith healer in 1998, and Roy Hodgson’s speech impediment was mocked ahead of the Euro 2012 when The Sun newspaper wrote ‘Bwing on the Euwos’.

Even Sir Bobby Robson, before he became a national treasure, was encouraged to resign after a draw to Saudi Arabia in 1990 that provoked the headline ‘In the Name of Allah, Go’.

The hot-seat at England is notoriously known as a poisoned chalice, with the Press readily poised to launch a smear campaign against the manager every step of the way.

If Hodgson gains the support of his national media then a significant amount of pressure would be lifted from the whole team, and would give them a platform to succeed without fear of criticism – an approach few newspapers adopt.

The only hope is that come the end of July, the media are revelling in England’s on-field triumphs as opposed to resorting to unjustified attacks on personnel that are both irrelevant and inconsequential to footballing results.

England secured qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil courtesy of wins against Montenegro and Poland.

The first of the two fixtures, at home to Montenegro , saw manager Roy Hodgson make bold moves with his team selection.

A coach perceived to prefer a more conservative, tactical approach gave uncapped Tottenham winger Andros Townsend a starting berth.

Townsend completed an established attacking quartet alongside in-form Liverpool front-man Daniel Sturridge and Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck.

However, England had to wait until early in the second period to break the deadlock. Townsend’s cross from the right found its way to Rooney, who scrambled home.

The lead was soon doubled as Montenegrin defender Branko Boscovic turned the ball into his own net trying to clear Welbeck’s delivery.

Dejan Damjanovic pulled one back, but

Townsend cemented his place in England folklore with a swerving 25-yarder to quell any fears of a comeback.

A late Sturridge penalty, after he himself was fouled, secured England a 4-1 victory. Perhaps the score-line flattered a little, but it provided a welcome confidence boost before the vital Poland game.

The win had secured a play-off spot, but with teams such as France and Portugal potential opponents, England needed automatic qualification.

Hodgson’s side had to match Ukraine’s result against the perpetually winless San Marino, meaning only a win at Wembley would suffice.

The game began at a fast pace with England taking the initiative, but the Poles looked threatening on the break after the breakdown of English set-pieces.

Townsend, a continuous threat down the right-flank, crashed a shot against the frame of the goal as England pushed for an opener.

Everton left-back Leighton Baines was dictating play on the left, which culminated in a superb whipped delivery for Rooney to nod home just before half-

time.

With the Poles growing into the match, and backed by 20,000 supporters, it was left to the English skipper to lead by example. Steven Gerrard duly obliged, netting an 88th minute goal to ensure England’s place in Brazil next year.

With the emergence of Townsend and Baines’ usurpation of Ashley Cole, Hodgson will face plenty of selection problems for his 23-man squad.

The issue of selection has been be compounded by the issue of Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj. The Belgian has been sounded out by the FA about representing England, but must become a naturalised citizen before he can become available for selection.

Having refused calls from Belgium boss Marc Wilmots, it would appear Januzaj is at least interested in exploring the option, with his native Kosovo not a recognised FIFA state.

It has sparked discussion on the subject of quite how British some sportspeople are, but with England’s cricket and Rugby Union sides flush with imports, it might be time that football joined in.

Hat-trick hero inspires UEA to victory over Warwick Sam Coyne Sports correspondent A hat-trick from Merlin Smethurst helped UEA Mens 1s to an emphatic 6-0 victory over Warwick 3s in the opening match of this season’s BUCS campaign at a wet Sportspark.

With the Men’s 2s receiving a walk-over from Anglia Ruskin earlier in the day, the attention focused on the 1st team in front of a substantial crowd.

UEA went into the match on the back of a heavy win over Harleston Magpies in the East leagues and, under the captaincy of Gabriel Inch, they were full of confidence as they pressed their opponents hard during the opening exchanges.

Warwick were struggling to break out of their own half with UEA’s forward line hounding their defenders tirelessly. A number of chances went begging before Inch took control of a free-hit just outside of the Warwick circle and beat several heavy tackles before cooly lifting his shot beyond the keeper.

After taking the lead UEA pushed forward with greater enthusiasm but began to leave gaps in the middle for Warwick to play through. The match started to become stretched but the UEA defence was well marshaled by Dom Samways and Louis Preston and it was not long until the homeside found the net again through an incisive Merlin Smethurst finish to double their lead.

Inch will have been impressed with how his team started the second half; again pressing high and putting their opponents under heavy pressure. It was not long until Smethurst added his second and UEA’s third with another close range finish which effectively killed off the match.

With their opponents heads down UEA added a forth through fresher Richard Shapland’s first-time goal. With the scoreline ticking over, UEA lost some of the cohesion that had got them their lead, but their vastly superior play meant that the goals kept coming.

Quick play through the middle from Inch and Robert Turnbull put a Warwick defender under heavy pressure and left him incapable of keeping the ball out of his own

net. Merlin Smethurst completed his hattrick with yet another close finish bringing up his fifth goal of the season after only four matches. Fresher Josh Glass received a yellow-card and a sin-bin for his tackling, but UEA held on with 10-men to secure a 6-0 victory.

Captain Inch will have been pleased that despite UEA not always playing their best hockey they have made a bold statement of intent for the season ahead. Promotion is the goal for this UEA team and victory over Warwick is a good start towards that aim.

The two sides also meet in the BUCS cup in the coming weeks.

UEA 1s will now look forward to playing away at Aston next Wednesday confident of adding to today’s points.

Sport Will Medlock Sports Editor

22/10/13

Issue 287

concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

Korfball in profile It may not draw crowds the size of Wembley or make headlines in the way a scintillating Ashes test match might, but UEA Korfball’s Lottie Hill believes that the game has the potential to make big waves in the sporting world.

Korfball is a mixed team sport that has drawn similarities to basketball and handball, with the Korf, Dutch for basket, positioned at 3.5 metres from the ground. Each team has eight players who are divided into two sections, with two males and females in each area.

Although one section starts in attack, players swap roles after every two goals are scored.

It is also worth noting that a player can only be marked by opposition of the same sex.

In terms of the skills required to partake in korfball, Hill feels that good communication is one of the most integral components in the make-up of a player. “The best korfball players are very agile, coordinated and fantastic team players. Communication is also vital throughout the team in order to let everyone know what’s going on.

“As there are no fixed positions, all players must be able to attack and defend equally well, so players have

to be versatile and have an all-round knowledge of the game.”

You might know what you are going to get when joining the football team or the rugby club; if nothing else you will be familiar with the rules. However, Hill feels that a complete beginner shouldn’t be put off joining by the initial confusion they are likely to feel. “The game is very inclusive by nature, so if a beginner finds themselves a little confused by what is going on, they shouldn’t give up, but ask someone with experience who will be sure to help out.”

It may come as a surprise to know that UEA’s Korfball Club is the largest student korfball club in the country, with around 60 participating members and six teams competing in the Norfolk Korfball leagues.

They are also one of the most successful clubs, having been crowned four-times BUCS national champions since 2005.

The sort of success that UEA has experienced in recent times can only be continued if the sport gains more recognition. Hill feels that people’s exposure to the sport must come at an earlier age. “More emphasis in primary schools could be key to korfball

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becoming better known in the UK, as it’s a good starter sport for coordination and general fitness. The sport also helps to teach children about gender differences and how to make use of their individual and team skills.”

Hill also feels that more television coverage would allow the sport to gain the recognition it deserves. While it seems unlikely that many sports will be able to rival the financial and commercial muscle of football or Formula One, it appears fundamental to the sport’s continual growth that clubs like UEA’s continue to thrive.

A brief history of UEA Korfball 2001- Founded 2005- Club win gold at first team nationals 2006 - The club win gold at the first team nationals for the second year running 2012 - Club gets ESSA accreditation

This week’s Student Voice is with... UEA Pirates’ Dwayne Rapley Every issue, we’ll be talking to a member of a UEA sports club to ask their opinions on the most recent sporting issues. This week, we spoke to UEA Pirates’ Dwayne Rapley.

Concrete: Following Jack Wilshere’s confession to smoking a cigarette, do you think that athletes have a responsibility to not engage in such activities?

Dwayne: I remember back in the day when Michael Owen was condemned for eating a kebab. It’s just a case of journalists making a mountain out of a molehill. However, whilst athletes are people too and free to do what they please, I believe they should think about the consequences of what they do, simply because of the impressionable effect athletes in the public eye can have.

If you’d like to be interviewed as part of Student Voice, then email us at: concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

UK. So, in the grand scheme of things, there could be worse problems for the Redskins than changing their name!

C: The new president of Union Cycliste Internationale, Brian Cookson, has said that he wants to ‘develop women’s cycling.’ Why do you think that the majority of women’s sports are still in need of attracting bigger audiences?

C: With the racism debate concerning the name of the NFL team Washington Redskins continuing to mount, is it reasonable to suggest that the club should be forced to change their name of over 80 years?

D: Professional sport is inextricably linked with media and sponsorship; it’s a golden triangle. Unfortunately, women’s sport in general is deemed less watchable than men’s sport, and therefore doesn’t attract a big audience, resulting in less media coverage and sponsorship. So, on one level, women’s sport needs larger audiences to generate more money from private funding sources in order to develop further.

D: Yes. American sports in general run as a franchise and in many cases whole teams have been relocated across the country to more prolific areas. For example, the Tennessee Titans used to be known as the Houston Oilers. Currently there are conversations flying around with regards to relocating the Jasonville Jaguars to the

C: Given the problems surrounding the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with construction workers dying in what has been called ‘modern-day slavery’ and the tournament likely to be moved to winter, would you take the tournament away from the country?

D: There is definitely more to the World Cup than simply football, which is touched upon through the issues raised in this question.

There are always well-documented uncertainties in the build up to huge sporting events. However, as shown on many recent occasions, the host nation will respond triumphantly. While the pressure is mounting against the current World Cup plans, I think Qatar deserves to remain the hosts of the 2022 tournament.

C: Ronnie O’Sullivan recently claimed that he was offered £20,000 to fix a snooker match in 2003.

How would you react if you were to become a recognised player in your chosen sport and were offered good money to fix a match?

D:When sport is fixed it effectively becomes entertainment, as opposed to a competitive contest that is fair and offers unpredictability regardless of the odds. As a sports person, I would never willingly be involved in a match fixing scam. Putting my team in a detrimental position for financial gain wouldn’t appeal to me.

@concretesport

Concrete Sport UEA

SPORT

Issue 287 22 October 2013

Sport Student Voice

Men’s Football II’s claim win in seven goal thriller Will Temple Sports correspondent

UEA Men’s II 5 Staffordshire

2

The UEA Men’s II kicked off their BUCS league campaign with a resounding 5-2 win against Staffordshire, thanks to braces from Bradley Nelson and Taylor Hastings.

After a competitive opening to the match, UEA broke the deadlock when Dan Williams desire to get forward from right back saw him bundled over in the penalty area. Alex Willerton converted the penalty with aplomb, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. The boys in blue soon doubled their lead when Nelson found himself onhand to convert after the ball had cannoned off the post.

Staffordshire failed to create many clear openings in the first half, with their direct style causing few problems for the UEA backline. The home side continued to look threatening though, with neat link up play down the right-hand side causing the Staffordshire defence problems on numerous occasions. This sustained pressure was rewarded when Bell played a lovely ball over the top for his strike partner

Nelson, who finished confidently.

Minutes later, Nelson was denied a hattrick when his one-on-one effort was well saved by the Staffordshire goalkeeper.

However, UEA didn’t have to wait long to get their fourth of the afternoon.

Willerton’s persistence earned a free-kick, which Hastings sent curling over the wall and into the top corner.

UEA’s dominance was to be momentarily interrupted. A lapse in concentration in defence allowed the Staffordshire number ten to execute a tidy volley on the stroke of half time.

The second half began with UEA again asserting their superiority, looking comfortable in possession but without threatening the Staffordshire goal.

Consequently, the visitors seemed content to play with a rear-guard action, catching the hosts on the break. This tactic appeared to work as Staffordshire’s number eight scored a magical 25-yard volley.

Things almost got even better for the Stoke-based outfit, when a hopeful freekick came back off the crossbar. Brave follow-up work from goalkeeper Kibbey also prevented Staffordshire from getting a third goal.

It was this spurned opportunity that sparked UEA back into life, as they created a number of chances to make the game safe.

The best fell to Hastings from the penalty

spot, after Willerton had been wrestled to the ground. Despite sending the keeper the wrong way, UEA’s number eight missed the target.

However, Hastings atoned for his earlier error when his powerfully struck free-kick was deflected in, finishing off the plucky visitors.

The nature of the victory ensures that UEA will head into their next match against Bedfordshire in confident mood.

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Korfball in profile

UEA BUCS Results Women’s Volleyball 3 -0 Oxford Brookes Men’s Fencing I 129 - 116 Nottingham

Page 23 England qualify for Brazil

Women’s Badminton 8 - 0 Bedford Women’s Netball II 63 - 21 Nottingham Men’s Rugby II 37 - 0 Lincoln 2nd Women’s Hockey 6 - 0 Harper Adams Warwick I 21 - 42 Women’s Basketball Lincoln I 2 - 2 Women’s Football I

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