Concrete 303

sex issue

Hey there, sailor! It’s the

Please note that this edition contains explicit content

Issue

11.11.14

303

(some)

Concrete online Scan for all the latest news, sports and society blogs

UEA lecturers in marking boycott

concrete-online.co.uk

UEA condemned by former staff in letter to Times Higher Education >> Pg 3

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The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper

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Dan Falvey News editor University professors are taking part in a marking boycott to oppose proposed changes to pensions. The boycott started on 6th November and according to the University and College Union (UCU) could potentially see 1.2 million students affected by the protest.

Universities UK (UUK), the body that represents higher education institutions in the UK, proposed that a number of changes should be made to the pensions of staff at universities.

Under the proposals, employees would receive pensions based on their average salary over the course of their career rather than on their final salary. UUK also wants to increase the employers’ contributions to pensions by by 3% (from 15% to 18%) in return for a 6.5% increase in employees’ payments.

UUK claims that the changes to the scheme are unavoidable as the current conditions of pension plans are unaffordable. According to the pension scheme’s trustees, there is a £8bn Continued on page 3

Student Officer Committee pulls support from free education protest Elliot Folan & Peter Sheehan News editor & deputy editor The student officers of the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) have voted to overturn Union Council’s backing of a free education demonstration in London, set to be held on for the 19th November. The decision comes after the National Union of Students (NUS)

Photo: Geography.co.uk, Dave Pickersgill

pulled its support from the protest on the grounds that it would be inaccessible and unsafe.

Union Council voted overwhelmingly to oppose all charges and taxes for education at its meeting on 30th October, after a heated debate that saw student union officers take opposing sides. A motion condemning “the marketisation of higher education” and committing UUEAS to supporting the London demonstration was passed with amendments. It also explicitly mandated the union to provide transport to the protest.

However, after the NUS executive rescinded its support, UUEAS student officers met and decided by seven votes to six to reverse Council’s decision and end the union’s backing for the protest.

Explaining why UUEAS student officers voted to pull support from the free education demo, Holly Staynor, Welfare, Community & Diversity Officer and chair of SOC, said in a statement: “At our meeting on Thursday

night the Student Officer Committee discussed the situation for over an hour, debating carefully the statement from NUS and seeking to reach an interpretation of the policies on accessible campaigning and support for the demo.

“Following careful discussion we resolved that the concerns over risk and access highlighted by NUS made it not possible to enact the wishes of Union Council on this occasion in relation to running coaches to the demo.

“This was not a decision we reached lightly, but ultimately the safety of our students and the ability of all of our students to take part has to come first”. She added: “We will now be working positively to identify alternative, accessible and safe ways for students to take part in political protest and action in relation to education funding”.

The pro-free education vote by Union Council follows a similar vote by this year’s NUS National Conference.

12

Sex appeal and the celebrity crush

17

Travel looks at Japan’s festival of the phallus

venue Ode to Mandy: a poet’s heartfelt tribute

2

Editorial

editor’s column THE

Geri Scott Editor-in-Chief

W

e’re all adults here, right? So let’s talk about sex! This is, as I’m sure you’re aware, the annual Concrete sex edition, which is consistently popular. It goes without saying that a few choice words in this issue should be taken as a little tongue in cheek because, let’s be honest, this is all very funny and not to be taken too seriously!

The sex survey was open for just under two weeks and attracted 773 respondents this year, compared to 729 last year. What does that tell you about this years’ freshers, ey? Not everyone takes the survey seriously, but some people really do, and we’ve had plenty of touching answers as well as the silly ones. We’ve tried to print a cross-section of responses, all anonymous of course, and they’ve all been reproduced exactly as they were given to us. So have a giggle, have a think, but most of all, don’t be ridiculous about it. We don’t only have the sex survey as a supplement this year, each section of Concrete and Venue has truly taken the theme to heart and has based their articles around sex and sexuality.

In other news, I’m really excited to

announce three big social events which are being offered to Concrete members. If you haven’t paid your subs yet, it’s not too late, you can still join Concrete at ueastudent.com/ groups/concrete!

First off, we have Media Crawl on Thursday 13th November. The whole of the Media Collective (that’s Concrete, Livewire1350 and UEA:TV) are off out for a night of drinks deals and dancing, kicking off at the Blue Bar at 19:00 before heading into the city, stopping at Mischief, the Glasshouse and Vodka Revs, where our social secs have organised some brilliant prices for you all. We’ll finally be ending up at Lost where we’ll have free entry, free bubbly, free vodka and, naturally, VIP. Wristbands cost £5 and you have to be a member of one of the media societies to come along.

Next up, on the evening of the 18th November we are pleased to announce that Lauren Ravazi, a former UEA student and Concrete contributor, will be giving a exclusive talk about progressing from student journalism to national journalism. Lauren began her career in journalism at Concrete and has gone on to make a full-time career out of freelance writing. She regularly contributes to the Guardian, New Statesman and Wanderlust magazine amongst other titles, and was recently recruited by Google for a long-term

travel writing project.

Lauren will be outlining her own experiences in making the transition from student journalism to national journalism. She will also provide practical advice and guidance on getting started as a freelancer while studying and forging a career path in journalism postgraduation. The workshop will provide an introduction to all the important aspects of freelance journalism, and include a number of exercises, Q&A and feedback opportunities for participants. Lauren offers a similar day course at the Unthank School of Writing at the price of £50, but if you’re a Concrete member, you can attend for just £2, or £5 if you haven’t paid to join Concrete this year.

Finally, Media Ball is back for 2014! Join us on 10th December for an evening of fun-fuelled festivities, held at the beautiful 47 St. Giles. For £27 you will get a drink on arrival, two bottles of wine per table, a three course meal and then coffee and mints to finish, as well as dancing the night away to DJ Ryan before continuing into the city from midnight.

As you can see, there’s plenty going on in the Media Collective, especially as we’ve just moved into our shiny new office upstairs in Union House! Get on over to ueastudent. com/groups/concrete/events to book on to any of those that I’ve mentioned, then pop up to see us in the new Media Centre and say hi!

AskMarx

Revolutionary sex advice from the sugar daddy of Communism Dear Marx, I am unsure whether or not I masturbate - can you give me a helping hand?

Dear Marx, I want to impress my boyfriend: what do you recommend?

Comrade! Were I your gentleman caller – and clearly he is an exceptionally lucky man – I would like nothing better than to see you bedazzlingly vajazzled with a hammer and sickle. Picked out with lustrous rubies, it would be the greatest tributes to the working classes in this postTowie age.

Comrade! It is simple to work out whether you engage in self-pleasure: you do, or you do not? However, any selfrespecting worker should labour to further the cause of all workers, never merely themselves. Only once you reach together the head-y heights of revolutionary selfgovernance may you begin to humour your own hubris and collectivise the struggle for sexual enlightenment. All power to the Soviets!

Do you have a question for Marx? concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk

Dear Marx, After taking the Concrete sex survey, I have been inspired to make my move with a certain someone.

Where do you recommend I start?

Comrade! It is imperative that you seize control of the means of reproduction! I myself am renowned as a virulent womaniser and philanderer, and have well and truly taken into my own hands the tools needed to pro-create the new generation of proletarians who will seize the ruling classes by the gonads and topple their mighty towers.

Dear Marx, I am seized by throes of temptation: I have irresistible urges for a fellow comrade. What shall I do?

Comrade! Will your encounter further the noble cause of Communism? If so, it’s a yes from me – go forth and multiply!

As revealed to Peter Sheehan & Ella Gilbert

Corrections, clarifications & complaints It is the policy of Concrete to correct errors of which we become aware.

Complaints

In issue 302 (Graduates should remain in their university city, claims Royal Society of Art), credit was given to Ned Samuels. It was actually written by Ned Samuel. We apologise for the mispelling.

If you wish to make a complaint about an article in the paper or on the website, or about a social media post, please email the editor (concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk) to explain the precise nature of your complaint and to clearly indicate the relevant article, passage or sentence. We will be pleased to respond as soon as we are able.

Concrete apologises that UEA:TV was not credited for securing the Ian McEwan interview on the front page. We regret this oversight.

On the Concrete Show on Livewire1350 (2nd November 2014) a swearword was used on air. Concrete apologises for any offence caused by this.

The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper

The University of East Anglia’s low-rent student newspaper, smut-peddling since 1992

Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk Chief Whip Betty Humpter concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Ball Boy Phill Herbut concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Senior Spanker Rolinda Bitches concrete.managingeditor@uea.ac.uk Website Abs-ministrator Will Ramcock concrete.online@uea.ac.uk Nudes Andy Felterpuss & Oliver Closeoff concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Glo-balls Clint Toris concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Cumment Neil Inlick concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Feet-’fetish’-ures Norma Stits concrete.features@uea.ac.uk S&M Mike Oxhard concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk Sex Tourism Kari Mysac concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Poor Lifestyle Choices Jenny Taylia concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Bedroom Athletics Hugh Jorgasm & Freida Brest concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Cocky Editors Dixie Rect & Cantsia Weiner concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Chief Pornographers Will Ramcock & Buster Hymen concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk Smut Peddler Holden Hiscock concrete.distribution@uea.ac.uk Editorial inquiries 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, Geraldine Scott. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2014 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

News

Delegates to NUS conferences and GSA committee members elected Page 5

UCU criticises UEA’s response to boycott Continued from front page deficit under the current arrangement.

However, the University and College Union (UCU), whose members recently voted in favour of short walkouts and assessment boycotts, have rejected UUK’s proposals, describing the changes as “simply not acceptable”.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “The employers failed to convince us of the need for their dramatic changes or the reasons behind the methodology for its deficit reduction plan. Their proposals remain full of holes and the information they are apparently relying on to back them up keeps being exposed as misleading.

“We are setting plans for an assessment boycott in place because [university superannuation scheme] members have made it clear they are unconvinced by the employers’ arguments as well”.

A spokesman for UUK said that they were “disappointed” by UCU’s decision to boycott marking assessments and stated that the boycott was a “damaging course of industrial action aimed directly at disrupting students’ education”.

They continued: “Universities take the risk of disruption to students arising from any potential industrial action very seriously, and would take all reasonable steps to mitigate impact on students”.

UEA has plans to deduct 100% of pay from any members of staff who takes part in strike action. A spokesperson said: “The University does not accept partial performance from any member of staff. As such, those who refuse to carry out duties including marking and assessment will be in breach of their contract of employment. It is the policy of UEA to withhold 100% of the pay of members of staff not completing contractual duties”.

Further to this, an email sent out on behalf of the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Neil Ward, to all students studying at the University stated: “The university is putting contingency plans in place which seek to minimise the potential impacts on students, should the boycott go ahead, and we would expect most students to be able to progress with their course work, receive marks and feedback as normal”.

UCU has criticised the university’s “confrontational approach” to the issue. In an open letter, UCU acting branch president at UEA, Amanda Williams, wrote: “Sadly, UEA seems unwilling to help get negotiations

Referendum on merging GSA and UUEAS planned for late 2014 At the October 30th meeting of Union Council, councillors voted to endorse a proposal to merge the independent Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) into the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS). A referendum of all postgraduate students will be held on the issue before the end of the year, where postgrads will be asked to choose between keeping the GSA as an independent association or merging its resources and democratic institutions into UUEAS.

Ex-Environment Officer elected to Ethical Steering Group

Photo: Geography.co.uk, N Chadwich

UEA condemned in Times letter The University of East Anglia’s response to the marking boycott has been sharply criticised in a letter published in yesterday’s Times Higher Education Supplement. It was also published in the Eastern Daily Press and has been sent to the Vice Chancellor and the head of human resources.

The letter, which was co-ordinated

by Ross Wilson of the University of Cambridge, is signed by over 30 academics from 18 institutions who used to work at, or who are otherwise connected to, UEA. Wilson, who contacted Concrete at the weekend, said that the letter “deplores the university’s 100% pay-docking as disproportionate and punitive, and expresses concern that this decision will damage UEA’s reputation”. He also pointed out that UEA is “in a tiny minority of institutions who have taken this hardline approach to the marking boycott”.

Wilson added that he was shocked that UEA was witholding “100% of the salaries of people actually still doing the vast majority of their work”.

Peter Sheehan

moving and is instead adopting a hawkish position which heavily penalises its own staff.

“Staff involved in the assessment boycott will be carrying out the rest of our professional duties. This is despite the fact that the university intends to withhold our full salaries. The university is acting disproportionately. This is causing anger and a serious deterioration in staff morale”.

The union has tried to put further pressure on UEA, along with all other institutions planning to dock 100% of pay, to change their position on the matter by saying that such procedures would lead to further industrial action.

In a letter sent to universities, UCU stated that if universities withdraw 100% of pay, the union would call for a full academic boycott on institutions. The union would ask its members, as well as other academic staff, to refuse to lecture or research at condemned institutions.

It would also encourage staff not to act as external examiners for the university.

At a meeting of the Union of UEA students’ Union Council on 30th October, councillors gave their support to a motion put forward

by Liam McCafferty, Postgraduate Education Officer, and Chris Jarvis, the Campaigns & Democracy Officer, which committed the student union to back the boycott.

Graduates’ pay affected by upbringing and family history Lydia Tewkesbury News reporter Two reports recently released by the Institute for Education (IOE) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggest that a graduate’s pay is affected by theur upbringing and their parents’ education.

According to the IOE, having a degree doesn’t close the gap between rich and poor.

The report indicates that graduates whose parents did not attend university are likely to earn less than graduates whose parents also have a degree. In addition, the report highlights that graduates who attended private school are likely to earn more than their state-educated peers.

The pay gap is large: on average, male graduates with less educated parents earn 20% less than graduates with the same degree who have highly educated parents.

The difference between female graduates was

Union Council round-up 30th October 2014

11%.

At the same time, a report released by the IFS concludes that, three years after graduation, privately educated graduates are likely to earn 17% more than their stateeducated counterparts.

The report also claimsthat “Results show that earnings

20%

The percentage difference in pay between male graduates whose parents have degrees and those whose parents don’t.

differences persist even within occupations, with graduates who attended private schools earning 6% more than their state school compatriots working in the same occupations”.

The reports indicate high levels of educational inequality and a lack of social mobility are rife in economically developed countries like the UK. Internationally, the pay

gap between the earnings of graduates with graduate parents and those whose parents do not hold degrees was much lower; the difference stands at 6% in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands.

The IFS report argues: “Clearly these results have implications for social mobility if socio-economic status is influencing the point at which graduates enter the labour market and the progression they subsequently make”.

Some have suggested that these huge inequalities could be put down to the importance palced on the institution from which a student graduates. Trends in the UK show that students from private schools tend to study at universities that are ranked higher in the league tables. This could explain privately educated graduates’ subsequent income, although this does not explain the gap in income between privately and stateeducated graduates who studied at the same institution.

Councillors voted to elect Emma Silk and Frith Dunkley to the UUEAS Ethical Steering Group.

Silk, who served as Environment Officer in 2013-14, won 55 first-preference votes among councillors, while Dunkley and Gilbert Macnaughton were tied on 20 votes each. After Silk’s second-preferences were redistributed, Dunkley emerged with enough votes to win the final place on the committee.

The Ethical Steering Group has the responsibility of enforcing UUEAS’s ethical policies, such as banning firms that engage in tax avoidance from Union House or boycotting products produced by companies with unethical records. It is composed of the Campaigns & Democracy Officer, Chris Jarvis; Ethical Issues Officer, Josh Wilson; Environment Officer, Iain Goddard; and two students elected by Union Council and staff within UUEAS.

Council votes to support sanitary products subsidy A proposal from Women’s Officer, Dolly Ogunrinde, for UUEAS to provide sanitary products, such as tampons, at cost price was voted through by councillors. Union officers have been mandated to investigate if this is feasible and to implement it as soon as possible if they conclude that it is.

New system of holding democracy committee to account A motion from Campaigns & Democracy Officer, Chris Jarvis, regarding the accountability of the Democratic Procedures Committee (DPC) was passed at Council.

The motion created new structures that would enable Council to pass motions of censure or commendation on any member of the DPC, and enables Council to remove members of the DPC from office if twothirds of councillors support a motion of no confidence in them.

The DPC is a five-member committee tasked with championing and monitoring democracy within UUEAS. Union Council is the decision-making body of the Union of UEA Students. It contains 200 members elected from clubs, societies, courses and schools, as well as all the full-time and part-time union officers. It meets every three weeks to discuss a formal agenda of motions and reports. The next meeting is due on 20th November 2014.

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News

UEA lecturer predicts “almighty mess” at 2015 election Frances Mckeown News reporter Chris Hanretty, who lectures in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies at UEA, made an appearance on BBC Newsnight on 28th October to discuss his mathematical model for predicting the results of the 2015 General Election. He has been working with lecturers from Durham University and the London School of Economics to create a new website, Election Forecast UK, which will provide daily forecasts of the results right up until the election.

Hannretty considers this election to be the hardest to predict in the post-war era because of increased flexibility in voting habits and the presence of five UK-wide parties who all have a good chance of winning seats.

Nonetheless, his preliminary predictions place the Conservatives with the largest share of the votes, but make Labour the largest party in a hung parliament (where no single party commands an absolute majority). Hanretty believes that no two parties will be able to join to form a majority, saying that, “At the moment our prediction is for an almighty mess”.

Speaking to Concrete, Hanretty said:

“This election is the most difficult to forecast that there’s ever been – but the most likely outcome is that Labour will have the most seats in a hung parliament. It’s also quite likely that no two parties will have enough seats for a majority – which means either that we have to get used to minority government, or a three party coalition, or a second election in autumn of 2015.

“The model is based on extrapolating from current national polls to May vote shares, and on raw data from national and constituency polls which tell us how those vote shares are going to be distributed across constituencies.

It’s this second part which is the tricky part”.

He said that his election predictions are made by considering how vote share at elections differs from opinion polls at this stage of the electoral cycle.

In order to predict how percentage share of votes will translate into seats, he looks at national poll samples which are broken down by constituency and determines voting patterns. Studies of the previous eight elections have shown that parties who are doing well at this stage typically lose momentum before the election and vice versa, meaning that, in his opinion, the Liberal Democrats may recover somewhat by the time the election rolls around.

Photo: Flickr, Ian Wright

Predicted results 2015 general election Labour Party ............................... 299 seats | 30.9%

Plaid Cymru .................................... 2 seats | 0.5%

Conservative Party ...................... 279 seats | 32.8%

Green Party .......................................0 seats | 3.6%

Liberal Democrats ........................ 25 seats | 14.4%

Other parties ...................................... 1 seat | 3.2%

Scottish National Party .................. 22 seats | 3.1%

Source: ElectionForecast.co.uk 7th November 2014

UK Independence Party .................. 3 seats |11.4%

Union Council endorses sleeping rooms Kathryn Fox News reporter At a recent meeting of Union Council, councillors agreed to endorse Postgraduate Education Officer, Liam McCafferty’s, proposal to have sleeping rooms available for students in Union House.

Whilst space for the rooms has yet to be located, the union is aiming to create around five ‘nap stations’ for a trial, which would ideally commence in January.

The concept of sleeping rooms for students is not a new one. At the James Madison University in Virginia, US, a ‘Nap Nook’ project was created by a psychology major, Caroline Cooke, when she perceived that sleep was a vital component of success at university.

She theorised that if universities had places for sleep deprived students, or students working all nighters on campus, it could positively impact upon their studies. At the JMU, students are encouraged to book their sleep-sized beanbag in advance, but are also welcome to turn up whenever a nap becomes necessary.

Since Cooke’s research determined that 30 minutes is an ideal nap time, and another ten minutes is sufficient to get comfortable, the beanbag’s can be used for up to a capped time limit of forty minutes. The Union of UEA Students is planning to use the success of the ‘Nap Nook’ project as a blueprint for their own trial.

Liam McCafferty has expressed gratitude towards the union for backing his motion for sleeping rooms, which would make UEA the first university in the UK to have such facilities. He said: “We need to stop viewing napping as a novelty and start recognising it as an important option for managing health and wellbeing”.

McCafferty also encouraged anyone with views on how the sleeping rooms might work to get in touch, at union.info@uea.ac.uk

Photo: Flickr, Mylor

UEA’s attitude to protest criticised after oil firm demo Ned Samuel News reporter Student activists have criticised UEA’s attitude to protest after security services broke up a demonstration against oil companies last month.

The protest, which took place outside of Careers Central on Friday October 24th, was organised by Fossil Free UEA and objected to a Career Central seminar held that day on finding work in the oil industry.

Eliza Horton, who was among the protesters, told Concrete that “UEA, in spite of being a leader in the study of climate change, has continued to work with the companies that cause it, in this case by encouraging people to work in the oil industry through

Career Central”. A banner was hung over the Street and leaflets were being handed out. The leaflets criticised the fact that UEA had invited oil companies onto campus, and advertised a talk happening that evening, part of the Dirty Coal Tour which criticises the activities of BHP Billiton in which UEA has invested £37,580.

15 minutes into the demo, three members of UEA security arrived and told the protesters to move along, claiming – after a query from an activist – that students need to get permission six weeks in advance in order to hold protests.

However, a UEA spokesperson told Concrete that: “Students do not have to seek permission for protest through the event permissions process”. While the spokesperson did encourage students to notify the university, they said that students are not prohibited from distributing protest-related flyers.

Horton also told Concrete that when the protest disbanded, security followed the protesters to the area above the street and then into Union House, where the protesters tried to distribute leaflets, which in Union House does not typically require permission.

Security then confiscated the leaflets, and asked the students for their plans for the rest of the day. Horton and fellow protester Claire Reiderman were followed by security into Campus Kitchen after leaving Union House and questioned in a similar manner.

Chris Jarvis, the union’s Campaigns and Democracy Officer, told Concrete that UUEAS continues to support students’ right to protest: “Any attempts to limit the ability of students to legitimately protest or demonstrate should be resisted, as should any move to intimidate students to not participate in protest”.

News NUS delegate elections: major fall in turnout Government

ignores calls for urgent review of loans system

Elliot Folan News editor Full-time union officer candidates won two out of the four available National Union of Students (NUS) delegate positions on Friday 7th November, as turnout fell by approximately six percentage points compared to the 2013 elections. The election also saw delegates to NUS Women’s Conference and NUS LGBT+ Conference directly elected for the first time.

With no high-profile referendum accompanying the vote this year, the number of students voting fell from 975 in November 2013 to 228. This represents a drop in turnout from around 7% of the student electorate in 2013 to 1% in 2014.

However, the 2014 turnout was more or less the same when compared to the equally referendum-less 2012 elections, where 254 students turned out to elect UEA’s delegates to the conference.

LGBT+ Officer Dan Wrigglesworth was disqualified as a candidate on the second day of voting, after the Returning Officer ruled that by including a picture of fellow candidate Connor Rand on his posters he had breached the election regulations. His votes were redistributed to other candidates where possible, although 13 of his voters only gave a single preference. Their votes were therefore not counted towards the rest of the election.

NUS National Conference makes policy for the NUS, holds the NUS executive to account and elects the presidents and vice presidents of the NUS. The conference will be held in Liverpool between 21st – 23rd April 2015.

Elections were also held for delegates to the NUS Women’s Conference (which were won by Charlotte Earney and Sophie Jackson), NUS LGBT+ Conference (won

by Holly Staynor and Georgia TomlinsonSpence) and the committee of the Graduate Students’ Association (with Siyi Zhu becoming Social Secretary and David Hall becoming Secretary).

One delegate place to NUS Women’s Conference, two delegate places to NUS LGBT+ Conference, three observer places to NUS Disabled Students’ Conference and four observer delegates to NUS Black Students’ Conference remain unfilled. Byelections are expected to be held for these positions, as well as for the unfilled Graduate Students’ Association committee places of vice-president, equality and diversity officer, treasurer, committees representative and masters representative.

Postgraduate students will be invited to vote again before the end of term, with a postgrad-only referendum expected on a proposal to incorporate the Graduate Students’ Association into UUEAS. The next general elections in which all students can vote will be the union officer elections, planned for March 2015.

New student officer centre officially opens Faith Ridler News reporter On 31st October, part of the Union House revamp, the new student office centre was formally presented to a selection of students.

The newly opened area is an open-plan

5

Dan Falvey News editor The government has ignored calls from MPs to hold an “urgent” review of the current student loans system, calling the demand unnecessary.

Current predictions indicate that the student finance system will hold £330bn in loan debts in 30 years’ time.

While the government claims that there is “no immediate pressure” on the system, the Commons Business, Innovation and Skill (BI) Committee have highlighted that the viability of the UK’s loan system was reaching a “tipping point” and called the government’s refusal to review the system “alarming”.

In response to the report, the government stated: “The government has no current plans to initiate a formal review of the sustainability of the student loans system in England.

“Indeed the OECD’s director for education and skills, Andreas Schleicher, considers that we are the first European country to have

£330

bn

Photo: Elliot Folan

NUS National Conference delegate election November 2014 First-preference votes (elected candidates Photo: Elliot Folan in bold) Connor Rand ...................... 57 votes | 26.5% Adam Curtis ....................... 36 votes | 16.7% Holly Staynor ..................... 34 votes | 15.8% Amy Rust ............................ 31 votes | 14.4% Liam McCafferty ................. 30 votes | 14.0% George Appleyard ................ 20 votes | 9.3% Re-open nominations ........... 4 votes | 1.9% Azza Dirar ................................ 3 votes | 1.4% Dan Wrigglesworth................................. DQ Turnout................. 215 valid votes | 1.4% hub on the first floor of Union House, where student officers and the majority of union staff are now based. It is also an area in which students can run campaigns, get advice, and run a club or society. ‘The Nerve’ and social area ‘UNIO’ are the first of Union House’s redevelopments to be opened to students.

The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) worked closely with UEA to create this series of improvements. The changes were influenced by the voices of students, and include the opening of a new coffee space, ‘UNIO’, and a new exhibition and stalls area in the Hive. UUEAS have also created an integrated media centre for Concrete, UEA:TV and Liverwire and plan to improve the seating and layout of the Red and Blue

Photo: Cle0patra, Flickr

bars.

UUEAS have expressed their motivation for these renovations in a recent press release: “By reducing the number of rooms focussed on cellular offices for staff, we’ll be giving space back to clubs, societies, groups and students to book.” Further refurbishments to Union House will continue throughout the academic year. Chris Jarvis, Campaigns & Democracy Officer at UUEAS, said: “The new office is a more open and engaging space. We’re glad to be able to welcome students into the new office, and hope that it provides more opportunity for students to engage with officers and staff as well as hold meetings and feel more a part of their Union”.

The amount of debt accumalated by the loans system by 2044.

established a sustainable higher education system. The government is committed to supporting the growth of high quality HE provision in England, ensuring it remains free at the point of access”.

Labour MP and Chairman of the BIS Committee, Adrian Bailey stated: “With the prospect of a large potential black hole in the government’s budget figures, it is all the more alarming that the government has refused to conduct a review of the current student loan system.

“A review would offer the opportunity to assess the viability of the existing system before we stumble blindly into an unfunded student loans model which would leave students, universities, and taxpayers with a very raw deal indeed”.

The National Union for Students (NUS) have also made their criticism of the government’s response know, highlighting that the government’s decision to ignore the report highlighted signs of “worrying complacency”.

The union went on to add: “The proportion of graduates failing to pay back student loans is increasing at such a rate that the Treasury is approaching the point at which it will get zero financial reward from the government’s policy of tripling tuition fees to £9,000 a year.

“The threshold at which experts calculate that the government will lose more money than it would have saved by keeping the old £3,000 tuition fee system is 48.6%”.

Photo: Rob Drury, Concrete Photography

6

Global

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he recent events unravelling in Burkina Faso seem to have come as a surprise for many people both here and elsewhere around the world. Burkina is not particularly well-known, it’s not a tourist ‘hotspot’ and I’m sure someone asked me, ‘What’s that?’ when I mentioned I was going to work there.

Admittedly, I too was shocked to see the BBC’s breaking news story, showing pictures of the streets of Ouagadougou (Burkina’s capital), that I had only recently left, filled with flames and black smoke.

It makes for a stark contrast with the peaceful place I left behind, but this moment has been a long time coming for the Burkinabe people. While I was there, several peaceful protests took place; people rallied together using social media and viral text messaging.

It was clear that the political atmosphere was beginning to bubble and that an event like that of last Thursday would happen some time soon.

Burkinabes and particularly those under 30, the ones I worked with at least, are feeling increasingly despondent and disillusioned by the lack of prospects and slow development of their country. Speaking to one, it was clear that although more children were attending school, and more young adults were attending university, there seemed to be few opportunities for work at the end.

Many leave their rural villages and head to Burkina’s capital or Bobo-Dioulasso, the

“It makes for a stark contrast with the place I left behind” country’s second city. They’re eager to learn, gain employment in banks or businesses, (many study economics), rather than follow in their parents’ footsteps and work in the fields under the sweltering sun.

It’s not just the young who are eager for change. Older people remember the President before Compaore, Thomas Sankara, hailed as Africa’s Che Guevara. A man of the people, Sankara believed that the development of the nation was a responsibility of all Burkinabes. As a result he organised neighbourhood cleaning campaigns, reduced public servant salaries (including his own), and led a polio vaccination campaign that saw millions vaccinated within just a few weeks. Despite being in power for just four years, many throughout Africa still consider him to be one of the continent’s most inspiring leaders.

Following the mysterious assassination of Sankara in 1987, Blaise Compaore, until now, had been in power for 27 years. Most recently, Compaore had been attempting to create a

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o one can deny that capitalism creates wealth. However, since the 1980s with rampant privatisation from the neoliberal policies of both the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and US President Ronald Reagan, capitalism has become out of control. Corporate power has grown massively; union power has disappeared; workers’ rights have greatly diminished; homelessness has soared; and an enormous wealth gap, in which the 85 richest people in the world own as much as the 3.5 billion poorest, has emerged.

These are the major problems with unregulated capitalism and, as recently shown by the Tesco scandal, they will carry on as long as there is limited control over capitalism. We have seen it plenty of times before with the likes of Enron, AIG and Lehman Brothers in America. The constant let down of a ‘utopian’ economic and ideological lifestyle whereby global capitalism has made us dependent on consumer products, creating the illusion that neoliberalism is the way to go, the perverse idea that big businesses can take care of themselves without relying on state

Photo: NBC

Africa’s dawning black spring Hannah Crichton-Smith examines the recent unrest in Burkina Faso, a country that previously tended to slip under the radar of many in the West.

Senate which would secure his reign for more years to come. I remember reading an article in the local paper presenting the potential senators, nearly all of whom appeared to be from Compaore’s party, ironically named, Congrès pour la Démocratie et le Progrès (Congress for Democracy and Progress).

Speaking to friends in Burkina, they appear to be happy with the current outcome. They wanted Blaise out, and that’s what they’ve got. But the situation remains uncertain.

Burkina is still without an official leader, and the army, although claiming to lead the transitional government, only yesterday fired

COMMENT Cameron Sparkhall looks at two sides of the same coin and the failure of neoliberal capitalism. intervention.

In reality it is really quite different.

It’s socialism for the rich and capitalist rugged individualism for the rest of us. As the journalist Owen Jones points out, big businesses rely on the taxpayer: for example the bail-out of the banks during the 2008 financial crisis.

The problem with Tesco portrays the issue with unregulated capitalism perfectly. Shares have fallen dramatically: approximately £400m worth recently. Last year Tesco’s profits had fallen by a quarter.

Like Enron, it had lied about the amount of profits it had gained for in a half year by £250m.

Additionally there are other reasons as to why Tesco is a prime example of the growing power that corporations within our global capitalist world flourish. According to The Guardian, Tesco have formed complex

schemes to get around paying taxes, so basically while completely failing to deliver profits (the main aim of capitalism) they also are unable to deliver anything progressive in our society like paying their taxes to help fund the welfare state.

Tesco use zero-hour contracts where workers on the minimum wage are called in

“It’s socialism for the rich and individualism for the rest of us” whenever there is work available, for what could be any amount of time. Nine out of ten employees at Sports Direct are on zero contract hours. The depravity this policy brought in shows the excessive power given to employers to ‘control’ their employees’

shots outside the national television studios.

A friend’s Facebook status documented the action, writing “Gunshots in the city centre, everyone is running... Avoid this area!”

These events may have come prematurely to me, but perhaps couldn’t come soon enough for the people of Burkina. The ousting of Blaise Compaore sends a message to other autocrats throughout Africa; popular uprising can bring about change. One will remember the coup in Tunisia that kick started the series of revolutions collectively known as the Arab Spring. With a long term leader ousted in Burkina Faso, is this the start of Africa’s Black Spring?

lives.

Enron was an energy-trading company that declared bankruptcy on 2nd December 2002. The scandal, which came to light in 2001, revealed that the company had lied about its profits and criminal trials involving the top executives, some of which refused to speak in order to cover themselves. The documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room shows the scandal in more depth.

Corporations lack accountability. Tesco’s chairman resigned when it was revealed that its profits were falling; Enron’s top executives, such as former CEO Jeffrey Skilling, had his sentence cut to 14 years in 2013.

It’s fair to say that money does rule America, but can the same be said about Britain? With corporations and global capitalism now dominating the market across the world there can only be one answer: yes. Tax avoidance, unaccountability, shady dealings and a fall in profits: what is the point of neoliberalism? An ideology that is beneficial for the few and not the many, an ideology that is doomed to keep failing and putting a burden on the taxpayer.

Comment

Sarah Hudis examines the state of sex education in the UK Page 9

Sex before marriage: a decision not to be taken lightly, or a fuss about nothing? who have children together, a mortgage together, a life together, who are married in everything but name. Would that constitute as marriage? Or does the ceremony itself remain an integral part?

Cassie O’Brien Concrete columnist

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he idea of abstaining from sex until marriage, which even one hundred years ago would likely have been accepted if not expected as a social convention, has become a far more uncommon and, on occasion, controversial notion in the modern world. This is not to say, however, that it has entirely lost its place in Western culture.

The practice of wearing chastity rings is a prime example of this. The custom in its current form originated in America in the 1990s, with the emergence of a variety of programmes that encourage teenagers and adolescents to take virginity pledges and to wear chastity rings, also known as purity rings or promise rings, as a sign of their decision.

The most well-known of these is the Silver Ring Thing programme. Set up in Arizona in 1995, but reaching its most popular during the mid to late noughties, the Silver Ring Thing claims in its mission statement that it aims “to create a culture shift in America where abstinence becomes the norm again, rather than the exception”. Their trademark silver rings, given to anyone who takes their virginity pledge, are engraved with a verse from 1 Thessalonians 4: “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin.

Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honour”.

For a time, the programme received a great deal of media attention; this was thanks in part to its celebrity endorsement, most famously by the band the Jonas Brothers. It was also the subject of a considerable amount of criticism, often connected with its links to

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in the UK, in 2007, a student in West Sussex lost a case against her school when she was asked to remove her chastity ring, the High Court ruling that it wasn’t an essential part of the Christian faith.

Even outside of the issues caused by the Silver Ring Thing programme, the goal of no sex before marriage remains the subject of debate. For example, it raises questions about how marriage is defined in the modern world.

Consider the case of two people who never married but have lived together for 20+ years,

iven that the Silver Ring Thing programme and others like it have now all but vanished from public attention, it is possible to make the case that, for at least some of the teenagers who made the pledge, it was more of a trend than a serious issue of faith. Nevertheless, for others, it was and is an important life choice, often unrelated to any virginity pledge programme, and indeed separate from any religious affiliation. It is not, however, a choice people necessarily feel comfortable talking about, as they may feel uncertain about the reaction they will get.

Consequently, it is difficult to gauge exactly how many people share this belief.

Are there more young people out there who have decided that they want to wait but don’t know how to reconcile this with what they feel society expects of them, or is it indeed an unusual choice? In some ways, programmes like the Silver Ring Thing contribute more to compounding this problem than to solving it, given their unrelenting focus on encouraging as many people to take virginity pledges as possible. In reality, the decision to abstain from sex is a highly personal choice, and one which people do not necessarily have any wish to impose on others.

Our generation is often viewed in the light of a further step towards sexual liberation, but it remains important that the issue of liberation in relation to abstaining from sex, whether for religious reasons or otherwise, is not overlooked.

ingrained in young adult life? In so much as, do we think that we need to have sex because it’s something that ‘young people do’? Although I doubt that anyone is going to be jealous of a friend bragging about their progress through the Five Ls, is there the chance that such boasting might cause some to worry that they’re not enjoying student life?

There is also a serious issue with ‘Lad Culture’ – not just at UEA but in society as a whole – when people think it is acceptable for a man to achieve the Five Ls but a woman cannot, because it would be ‘improper’. This kind of ingrained sexism is made all the most obvious when looking at silly ‘achievements’

such as the Five Ls If the Five Ls are truly something you aspire to, then good luck to you! The issue that is of more important here is the possibility of social pressure such as these skewing the perception of the importance of sex in young adult social life. It is both, less important and more important than one might first believe; despite what certain areas of the media claim, sex is not the only thing that people our age get up to. At the same time, it is very important, as it is not something to be considered lightly, sex is very emotional and intimate. What is ultimately vital is that you are comfortable wherever, and with whoever, you have sex.

Photo: wikipedia.org the abstinence-only sex education movement in the United States, which many denounced for its argument that not educating teenagers about sex will prevent teenagers from having sex.

Similarly, in 2005, the US government came under attack by the American Civil Liberties Union for its funding of the Silver Ring Thing, which they claimed was in violation of the principle that state budget should not be used to promote religion. Whilst the movement remained comparatively small

It’s time for us to rethink our approach to the Five Ls Joe Jameson Comment editor

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isguise of every kind is my abhorrence, so I must clarify that I wrote most of this article last year. However, it would seem appropriate to revisit the themes of this article, as the relationship between sex and university life is an important issue that we as students still seem to be struggling with.

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a UEA student must want to complete the Five Ls. Putting my literary crimes aside, the ‘Five Ls’ are something which should perhaps be addressed. For those who are unaware, The Five Ls are the five locations on campus that, if you’re a ‘proper’ UEA student, you must have sex at: the lake, the library, the LCR, a lecture theatre, and worryingly, the laundrette. Are the Five L’s a myth? It has become increasingly apparent to me since I first wrote this article, that although there are isolated cases when your lecture is buzzing with the news of what happened last night in the LCR, the general consensus is that if at any point you feel as though you’re missing out because you’re behind your friends on the Five Ls, you may need to rethink your priorities.

This brings up a serious issue, is sex

Photo: Flickr, David Terrar

“It is a truth, universially acknowledged, that a UEA student must want to complete the Five Ls”

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Comment

Asexuality awareness: something we need to get better at homoromantic asexuals (attracted to the same gender), biromantic asexuals (attracted to more than one gender) and panromantic asexuals (who can be attracted to people of all genders). There are also aromantic folks, who do not feel romantic attraction.

Rachel Sowerby, a second year Environmental Science student, has identified as asexual since she was 17 and discovered the

Elliot Folan

Concrete columnist

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ex is considered a central part of university, indeed it’s seen as a central part of society. When we aren’t being encouraged to have sex, we’re being encouraged to buy things that will further the pursuit of sex. In that context, it’s understandable that people who don’t feel that passionate about sex, don’t prioritise it or are repulsed by it can end up feeling isolated, alone and unusual. But if you feel that sex isn’t a priority for you, or you feel that you’d only consider having it with someone very close to you, that isn’t unusual: you could be on the asexual spectrum.

Asexuality is broad, describing a spectrum of attitudes to sex ranging from repulsion, to indifference, to only feeling sexually attracted

“Being asexual can be difficult in our society” phrase in a discussion about Sherlock Holmes.

“Within a few seconds”, she said, “I went yes, this is me, I’m not a freak and I am not alone. For a long time I had felt different and broken because I lacked the sexual drive of my friends, so to find a community of people just like me was a wonderful thing”.

Some asexuals have had sex. They might feel close enough to a person to be comfortable with it, or they might enjoy the emotional connection. But this just means that sexual attraction isn’t an important factor in their relationship with somebody.

They might identify as demisexual, like Ru Wilson, a second year Law student. For him, “demisexuality fits comfortably as it gets across that I’m into sex, in a limited way, but it’s more monogamous than most…it means being able to have an interest in sex, but only with people I truly love”.

Being asexual can be difficult in our society; being asexual in the sexually charged atmosphere of a university is doubly so. But if you’re reading this and you’re wondering why you don’t feel as much passion for sex as your classmates; if you can’t see what all the fuss is about; if you can only conceive of having sex with someone you have an emotional bond with, then you might well be asexual.

“When we aren’t being encourged to have sex, we’re being encourgaed to buy things that further the pursuit of sex” to someone you have an emotional bond with. Lots of people are asexual, and groups in the asexual community recently organised an Awareness Week from 26th October to 1st November.

Just like anybody else, some asexual people desire relationships and some don’t.

Asexual people can experience romantic and aesthetic attraction and fall in love, but for them these things do not have a sexual dimension. Romantic attraction is as broad as sexual attraction: there are heteroromantic asexuals (attracted to a different gender),

Photo: wikipedia.org

What is the difference between sexism and misogyny?

Wedaeli Chibelushi looks into what the implications are of confusing the meanings of sexism and misogyny, and how it does not follow that one form of be

“They have subconsciously taken on the traditional, dominat belief that a woman’s sexuality should be controlled”

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he ‘American Office’ is possibly one of my favourite shows ever. Producer Greg Daniels ticks all my boxes; The Office is hilarious, warm, saturated with ‘that’s what she said’ jokes, and most importantly, has Dwight Shrute in it. I love the show to the extent that I have watched every single episode a minimum of three times, and still find it extremely difficult to fault any of them.

Extremely difficult, but unfortunately not impossible. It causes me deep pain to admit that whilst I see what the writers were trying to do, I’m not a major fan of Creed’s character.

It pains me even more to admit that I’m a little critical of the brilliant Women’s Appreciation episode, where Phyliss gets flashed, Dwight sets up an ‘Anti Flashing Task Squad’ and bans all bananas from the office as his first act. If I haven’t sold the episode to you with that, then hopefully I can sell it to you by posing an interesting discussion.

During one of Michael’s nonsensical conference room meetings, the intelligent Karen Filippelli labels Michael a misogynist.

Despite desperately wanting to be loved by everyone; Michael is surprisingly relieved to hear this. He says triumphantly, “Thank you!”

When a baffled Karen retorts “What I’m saying is, you’re being sexist”, it is only then that Michael becomes offended. “No...I’m

being misogynist. Thats insane. I’m not being sexist”. The characters and audience mentally facepalm because Michael thinks that sexism and misogyny are different things. This is clarified by Karen’s second comment, “That’s the same thing!” It’s a joke that’s both funny and informative... right?

Wrong. Contrary to popular belief, sexism and misogyny are not synonymous.

It’s a belief so popular it is relayed by a widely watched US show, without any of the professional writers, producers, or directors questioning it. The dictionary definition of sexism is ‘prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex’. Alternatively, misogyny is ‘the hatred or dislike of women or girls’.

The two seem incredibly similar, but in my opinion, it is possible for someone to be sexist without being misogynistic. If someone uses the word ‘slut’ to describe a woman, but wouldn’t do so to describe a man who is equally as sexually active, I would label them as sexist.

They have subconsciously taken on the traditional, dominant belief that a woman’s sexuality should be controlled. However, I would not consider them to inherently hate or dislike women. I believe that ‘hate’ and ‘dislike’ are active words, but acts of sexism

can be committed without much thought due to the age old prevalence of the patriarchy in our society. I have a male friend who has made several sexist comments, but soon realises that they are not acceptable when he sees how irate they make me, a woman. If he was a misogynist, it’s likely that he wouldn’t account for my feelings or take my opinion seriously, as you normally wouldn’t with someone you disdain.

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owever, it is possible to see how the two terms crossover. A chief executive could express a hatred for women through paying his female employees less than their male counterparts: a sexist act. Furthermore, you could argue that all acts of discrimination against women stem from a deeply subconscious hatred of women. This could be the case sometimes, but I believe that the vast majority of sexist acts occur because of age old social norms being imposed on individuals, who very much love their mothers, girlfriends, sisters and aunties.

Plus, it is possible for a feminist to make a sexist comment. The other day I stupidly said ‘female doctor’. Those two words suggest that the profession is associated with the male gender only, and thus if a doctor is a woman her gender must be clarified. This is discrimination against women, but not a comment in which I express my hatred towards women. I definitely do not hate women.

Some of my best friends are... Anyway, you get my drift. Sexism does not equal misogyny. Both are wrong and very real, but misogyny has darker connotations. It’s a term that should be used correctly in everyday life and popular culture, rather than just being inserted anywhere. That’s what she said.

Comment

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any of you have, no doubt, had an experience of secondary sex and relationship education similar to mine: an hour or so every three years spent gawping at a slideshow of STIs looking their worst, without any accompanying information regarding what you should do if you think you might have an STI or how to cope if you are diagnosed with one; passing a condom around the class; and being given a leaflet about puberty containing cartoons of worried looking teenagers standing in front of mirrors anxiously probing a spot or tugging at their armpit hair, as well as the considerable focus on wet dreams.

The entire topic was utterly prevention focused, sex was generally shown as a means of contracting a disease; pleasure, love, or

were assigned at birth was never mentioned either|: the experience of many young people is simply denied.

The biological information so many of us received is downright wrong; hymens don’t break, they stretch. People born with a

“Another massive problem with sex and relationship education, at least in Britain, is its heteronormativity” hymen that completely covers their vaginal opening – a rare condition – require a medical procedure, do sinister mentions of tampons and horseback riding ring a bell, anyone?

“Sex was generally shown as a means of contracting a disease” even the possibility of actually wanting a baby were completely ignored. What to do if you did get pregnant was glossed over too; how, when and where to get emergency contraception; how to procure and when to take a pregnancy test; how to get a referral for an abortion: as is quite often the case none of this was mentioned.

Contraceptive education mainly took the form of ‘how many types can you list?’, we weren’t told where we could obtain it, the free condoms dished out by the school nurse aside. Pornography, despite the huge role it plays in the lives of our generation, was never mentioned. There was no information given about how to report rape and sexual harassment, or where you can get support.

In fact, what most people would consider the most basic tenet of sex and relationship education – the absolute necessity of ongoing,

T Photo: wikimedia.org

It is time we got rid of our outdated and failed sex education programme, says Sarah Hudis.

Our copy editors are committed to depleting red pens of their ink.

An extra pair of eagle eyes is always welcome!

Get in touch with Helena and Frances on concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk

enthusiastic consent – was barely touched upon. The signs of an unhealthy, abusive relationship were certainly never discussed, the focus being almost entirely on sex and why you shouldn’t have it.

Another massive problem with sex and relationship education, at least in Britain, is its heteronormativity. Of course there was the paragraph in the ‘puberty booklet’ explaining how you might find yourself attracted to your friend of the same gender, but you were assured that this was always simply a byproduct of hormonal changes, and definitely not ever a real, valid feeling. The fact that some people don’t identify with the gender they

he effects of this insufficient education can be extremely damaging. If young people are not taught how to talk about sex they don’t have the tools to discuss it with a sexual partner. If they are not taught that gender and sexuality as concepts are not black and white, they may be insecure and anxious about their own identities, or lacking in understanding of other people, just as they will lack in understanding of their own bodies if they aren’t given correct anatomical and biological information. For example, the episode of Orange is the New Black entitled ‘A Whole Other Hole’ is very relevant here: many women really are unaware of the existence of their own urethras.

Things are looking up, however. A bill to make proper, comprehensive sex and relationship education, and education on ending violence against women and girls, a requirement in all state-funded schools and colleges has reached a second reading in the House of Commons. Here’s to a future of inclusive, honest education.

Features

Courtney Pochin looks at celebrity crushes and ‘untraditional’ ways of being sexy Page 9

Photo: Flickr, gwilmore

Waiting for Mr/Mrs right: making sex special S

Becky Smith explains why sex can be a big deal for many people and why it’s ok to wait until you meet the right person.

o sex is a big deal for an awful lot of people. There is a massive pressure put on teenagers to lose their virginity as soon as possible, as if it’s a burden you have to shake off. It’s a pre-requisite to respect amongst your peers, to adulthood. But does it have to be?

Sex becomes a ritual for many teenagers, something you just have to get over and done with, but it really shouldn’t have to be like that. Sex is almost universally agreed to be a pleasant, enjoyable concept, so making it a chore, a hurdle to get over, isn’t entirely helpful.

To people who haven’t had a whole lot

of sexual experience, the prospect of ‘going all the way’ can be massively intimidating, and can completely take all the joy out of your first time, indeed it can actually make it quite unpleasant. No one deserves to have sex ruined by peer pressure. University can be a hard environment to deal with if you’re waiting for the right person to come along, especially with the often aggressively sexual atmosphere of the LCR and club nights, but you shouldn’t have to feel bad for waiting until you’re ready.

Everyone feels differently about sex.

Some people enjoy one-night stands; some people want to wait until they have a deeper connection with someone before they sleep with them. Both of these people deserve exactly the same respect. It is your choice, and your choice alone, about when you want to lose your virginity, and whilst you may feel guilty, or immature, or any other negative about still being a virgin at university, decent people won’t look down at you at all because of it. A lot of people would actually be very

Sex myths uncovered A

s a 15 year old girl flipping through Cosmo, it was more than just a leisurely read. This was an academic study in which I took great notes, underlined specific content and religiously copied diagrams to understand the deeper workings of sex. I was a Catholic school girl in Bush’s America where sex education consisted of nuns telling us, “you will get pregnant and die alone”. I didn’t think I wanted to end up like Sister Thomasine either, so I decided to turn to magazines and cool college friends to enlighten me. This is how I found my way to adulthood based on pure myths. So I thought I would impart some of the best myths to you, my dear reader. See for yourself if you believe these are truth or the unfortunate product of a Catholic school education.

You can get pregnant from giving head My best friend called me up at 05:00 on a Saturday morning. It was past both of our bedtimes and we were sneaking phone calls on the landline because back then no one had their own mobile. “I think I’m pregnant.

I feel nauseous”. I knew for a fact she was still

a virgin and saving it till the big 16. So how could she be pregnant? “I gave Billy head and I think his sperm got into my system and made me pregnant”.

Could that happen? I hadn’t heard of swallowing sperm leading to pregnancy. I took a personal note-to-self to spit and not swallow from here on out. And the next day we went to the pharmacy and picked up a pregnancy test. It turns out she had indigestion, not pregnancy. Apparently sperm

“I hadn’t heard to swallowing sperm leading to pregnancy” is digested and doesn’t magically find it’s way to your egg if swallowed, who knew? That friend is now a nurse. I hope she doesn’t tell this to her patients.

Using a fruit while giving head is sensual I’m pretty sure I learned this one from one of the glossy magazines. It sounds super sexy, doesn’t it? My friend was sure that her guy

supportive of it; having control over your own sexuality is a pretty awesome thing to have.

Sex is such an intimate, vulnerable act that maybe you want to hold off until someone you can really trust comes along.

But in reality you’ll know when you’re ready. It may be with someone you’ve known

“No one deserves to have sex ruined by peer pressure” for a long time, or someone you just really get along with, or someone you may have just met.

But that doesn’t matter. Everyone will agree that sex is only really excellent when you really want it, so forcing yourself to go along with a sexual encounter purely for getting over that virginity hurdle is definitely not going to be all that great, and you shouldn’t have to do that to yourself.

When you’re ready, you’ll know. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Laura Lovett picks apart some surprising sex myths and tells what we should really be doing with our comestibles... would absolutely love a sexy piece of fruit skimming his penis during oral. The article suggested a pear or an apple but it was college and all she had was an orange so she went for it. Unfortunately the orange skin burst while she was giving oral and the acidic juice spilled out. Needless to say, he got a bit of a sting. But after that he was more into the giving spirit.

Height and penis size are correlated My friend was dating this tall Microsoft engineer. We were certain his height would be an indicator of his penis size. When the time came for them to consummate the relationship she had no worries. But when she came home the next day she reported that it was the worst sex of her life. He was indeed, micro and soft.

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hope I have not ruined some of your fantasies or made you throw out that orange that you were preparing for tonight. But the unfortunate truth is magazines shouldn’t be used as the definitive guide to your sex life, especially when fruit is involved.

Illustration: Christine Borgeat

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Feat

Photo: Wikimedia

Determining sex appeal: personality over looks

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veryone has a celebrity crush, mine (along with most other females on the planet) just so happens to be Ryan Gosling. My reasons for liking him however are pretty shallow – he’s gorgeous and has a velvety voice that wraps around you like a warm hug. But let’s face it; most crushes are based solely on a person’s physical appearance. This is something that has always caused controversy, we all know the timeless saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” and the same rule should apply to people. We shouldn’t be rated solely on our appearance when we’ve got so much else going for us.

Regardless of what we look like, whether we’re Victoria’s Secret models in training or not, each and every one of us has qualities that are undeniably sexy, things that we may not even recognise within ourselves. It is these things that we should admire in a crush, these things we should fancy, these things which are insanely sexy.

Scouring through lists of the world’s sexiest celebrities, it was disappointing to see the sheer volume of men and women, who are only on there because of their extraordinary physique. While I do appreciate looking at shirtless men, the overall effect is undoubtedly dampened if there’s not a stimulating personality to go along with it. So I decided to make my own list, a list of celebrities that are sexy in untraditional ways. Celebrities whose personalities speak louder than their looks, celebrities who each have something about them that make them stand out from the crowd. Crush away on this wonderful bunch.

Benedict Cumberbatch

There’s something irrefutably sexy about his sheer British-ness. Being British myself it’s very surprising that I can get so excited about this trait, yet I do. He’s got the prim and proper thing down to an art and is exceptionally humble about his wild success.

Despite being named the sexiest male movie star in Hollywood two years in a row, he’s remained down to earth and even admitted that he doesn’t understand the whole thing.

Speaking in an interview with E-asylum he said “I’ve had the same face for ten years and I wasn’t anywhere near the top thousandth of these lists before now, so I think in a way it’s kind of a projection to do with the work I’ve done”. He hit the nail on the head with that one didn’t he – Sherlock is very sexy.

Features editor, Courtney Pochin looks at untraditional ways in which people can be sexy and why these things are much more important than physical appearance.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer’s unfailing ability to poke fun at herself is amazing; her constant crazy antics on the red carpet make us all want to be best friends with her and even her mistakes seem endearing, like that time she tripped up the stairs as she went to collect her Oscar. Despite living in a world that’s so different from our own, she’s relatable; she’s also completely unpredictable and very self-aware. She knows exactly who she is and she doesn’t take any crap from anyone about it. All of these things differentiate her from other Hollywood starlets, and they also make her incredibly sexy.

Simon Cowell

This is an odd choice, I’ll give you that, and he’s definitely not my type, but I can’t help but notice that success is sexy and if there’s one person who knows how to wear their success on their sleeve, then it’s this music mogul.

He’s knowledgeable, confident and powerful, an impressive combination that just seems to work in his favour.

Lana Del Rey

OH MY GOODNESS THAT VOICE. That voice is the focal point here, it’s deep, it’s soulful and it’s 100% sexy end of.

Denzel Washington

He’s Denzel Washington. I think that says it all really.

Rashida Jones

Despite holding all of the credentials to be a totally cliché Hollywood starlet, Jones is anything but. She’s a writer, an actress, a Nick Frost fangirl, and an avid women’s rights advocate. She totally understands what I’m getting at with this article and summed it up better than I ever could in a piece she

wrote recently for Glamour magazine: “I also wanted to say there's more than one way to be a woman and be sexy – like, you're a really great dancer, or you're really fucking smart”. Her strong will and determination are desirable traits and with a degree from Harvard in religion and philosophy it’s safe to say she’s really fucking smart and that’s really fucking sexy.

Photo: Wikimedia

Seth Rogen

Is it just me, or is Seth Rogen everywhere at the moment? With his goofy laugh and slacker personality he may not fit in with some of your stereotypical Hollywood types, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a household name. We all know that a great sense of humour can be a massive turn on, and Rogen is downright hilarious. He’s also extremely likeable; his down to earth nature draws people in and makes them want to watch his films, even the not so great ones (The Green Hornet anyone?) For me that speaks volumes.

Photo: Wikimedia

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren is the epitome of class: subtle, elegant and inspiring. She has reached a level of sophistication that many will only ever be able to dream of and if that’s not sexy, then I’m not really sure what is.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is an enchanting human being.

When it comes to music, his talent is seemingly endless. He can play guitar (which in itself is a sexy skill), write heartbreakingly beautiful song lyrics and has the voice of an angel. His lack of self-confidence is extremely endearing and somehow he manages to make normality seem cool. If you need further proof of this guy’s sexiness simply watch the Thinking Out Loud music video – it’s Ed Sheeran meets Strictly Come Dancing and it’s magical.

Photo: Wikimedia

Tina Fey

Tina Fey is unbelievably awesome; she’s the kind of woman that just has everything going for her. She’s smart, funny and successful, traits which as we’ve seen before on this list, make for a very sexy person. Like Jennifer Lawrence she can’t help but make fun of herself and her constant stream of witty comments draws people in and keeps them coming back for more. She also created Mean Girls, and anyone that can come up with something so fetch is automatically sexy in my book.

tures

13

Photo: Flickr, evmaiden

Sex education or the lack thereof

“Over a third of current female students in Britain had been assulted at their university, and that 12% of men had also faced unwelcome sexual advances”

Becky Smith Features writer The Department of Education has just endorsed an online guide published by national charity, Brook, alongside the PSHE association and Sex Education Forum, advocating that sexual activity at 13 can be a perfectly normal part of growing up.

In the light of this new development, a harsh light is shone onto the matter of sex education. With the age of consent standing at 16, society is hardly ready to accept that children could be engaging in sexual activity from the age of 13. Indeed, the chief executive of the PSHE association stated that while no teachers actively advocated sexual relationships from such an age, “we’ve got to deal with children’s realities”.

Rather than forbidding the teaching of sex and ignoring the entire issue however, surely this should prompt us to reform the sex education in this country, which one could easily argue to be inherently lacking.

Sex education in England and Wales currently focuses on the reproductive system, foetal development, and the changes of puberty. However, information surrounding contraception and safe sex is optional, and relationship discussions are more than often overlooked. Many schools, in the wake of Section 28, normally ignore information about LGBT relationships, and orientations such as asexuality are entirely excluded. Students are also generally gender segregated during sex

S

Features editor, Courtney Pochin, looks at the sources you can turn to for a sexual education of a different kind.

ex is a taboo subject, people often prefer not to talk about it. So instead of asking questions when we were unsure we would scour the internet for porn or watch reruns of Sex and the City to savour every word that Carrie Bradshaw and Co. had to say. In recent days we turn to erotic fiction to learn more about what sex can offer. Fifty Shades of Grey is the prime example for this, but there are many other novels out there which can teach you a thing or two. Here's a selection to get you started: The CrossFire series by Sylvia Day Bared to You (book 1) follows 24-year-old Eva Trammel, who comes from a wealthy background but is keen to make it on her own in the world. She chooses to start at

education and often left completely in the dark about each other’s bodies.

While children across the country may be well versed in how to put a condom on a banana, more often than not they are left completely ignorant about other forms of contraception, what a healthy relationship looks like, and the concept of consent.

Firstly, contraception is taught as a bare minimum, with the condom presented as the only form of contraception to many students, sometimes the combined pill is given a cursory mention. This is woeful under-representation of the many forms of contraception available. Many pupils at all girls’ schools are being taught how to put on a condom, and denied advice on how to prepare their own bodies.

Secondly, the character of a healthy relationship is similarly neglected, with talk on domestic violence, the emotional nature of relationships and self-respect put aside to make room for a more biological education.

This can mean that children are left to blunder through relatively emotionally abusive relationships in their teens, confused about what they deserve and what is expected of them.

Moreover, recently the concept of consent has come back into the news, with Oxford University holding mandatory consent workshops for all students. Surely we should not have to wait until we are 18 to learn about consent? The majority of the current student population have been terribly educated about consent, with sexual assaults at British

universities still an enormous concern.

Indeed, the NUS reported that over a third of current female students in Britain had been assaulted at their university, and that 12% of men had also faced unwelcome sexual advances.

Laddism’ appears to be on the rise, and absolutely no one deserves to feel threatened sexually, which is unfortunately far too common for many students. The majority of children and teenagers are not being sufficiently taught about how to be caring and respectful in a relationship, what consent looks and sounds like, how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, and about sexual and gender identities.

The confused are driven into the arms of the Internet, turning to porn as a reliable guide to sex and relationships. While there has been a rise in positive sex education on the Internet, such as the work of Laci Green, surely this should not have to be the first point of call for many.

Sure, some may feel ready for sex when they are younger than the age of consent. But they are owed so much more from the British government in regards to sex education than what they are actually being offered. If the government wants to say that sex at 13 can be healthy, then they have the responsibility and the duty to ensure and regulate that schools across the country are teaching more than a biology lesson to their students. We deserved a better education, and we deserved better sex.

the bottom and work her way up through an advertising agency in New York, where she meets the tall, dark and handsome Gideon Cross. An instant connection is made between the pair and they embark upon an intense and fragile romance that will leave you begging for more until the very last page.

gorgeous investor who seems determined to ruin everything she's ever worked for.

The Hacker series by Meredith Wild Hardwired, the first novel in the series introduces Erica Hathaway, a fiesty university graduate desperate to forge a brilliant future for herself in order to make up for a troubled past. Things seem to be going well, until she finds herself face to face with a panel of investors who can make or break her fledgling start up company. All business logic goes out the window because of a certain arrogant and

The Fixed Trilogy by Laurelin Paige Stalking and restraining orders are a thing of Alayna Wither's past. With her MBA newly in hand, she has her future figured out; move up at the nightclub she works at and stay away from any guy who might trigger her obsessive love disorder. A perfect plan.

That is until Alayna meets the new owner of the nightclub, Hudson Pierce and her whole world is turned upside down. She knows he's everything she should stay away from if she wants to keep her past tendencies in check, but he's fixed his sights on her and she's going to find it tough to resist his gravitational pull.

14

Science&Environment

Captive breeding programme leads to growth in tortoise population Patrick Cook Science&Environment writer Captive breeding can prove to be a useful conservation approach in restoring populations of diminished wild animals. After the death of “Lonesome George” in 2012, the Galapagos now has a real conservation success story to tell of a closely related tortoise.

The Hood Island tortoise once dwindled to a population of just 15 individuals, but now thanks to a five decade captive breeding program the wild population has reached approximately 2,100 individuals. Listed as critically endangered, this species is of high importance on its native home, the island of Española. The tortoise has been described as an ecosystem engineer which means it has a large impact on regulation and alteration of the Española ecosystem.

The major threats that faced this species were exploitation and habitat damage done by feral goats, introduced to the island in the 1800s. The goats fed extensively on the prickly pear cactus, an important source of food, water and shelter for the tortoises. In the 1970s conservationists stepped in to save the tortoise by culling and finally eradicating the goat from Española in the 1990s.

As a safeguard, the last 15 individuals were taken into captivity. An intensive effort from the captive breeding program has seen the release of over 1,500 individuals to date. In 2007, 50% of the individuals released in 1975 were still alive.

Today, the fecundity rates of the population are considered sufficient to ensure population persistence without human intervention.

Reaching a self-sustaining population is a major milestone in the conservation of this species. However, despite the success of the captive breeding programme the tortoises range remains restricted. This is due to a legacy of environmental damage left by the goats where woody plants replaced the important cactuses. The woody plants restrict cactus growth and the movement of tortoises.

This prevents the tortoise from dispersing the cactus seeds creating a vicious cycle. The population growth of the tortoises has recently begun to slow and without more cactuses it is unlikely the population will grow beyond the current 2100 individuals. Predictions estimate a reduction in woody plant density of 50% would increase the tortoises’ carrying capacity

New theory for the evolution of eukaryotic life Antonia Johnston Science&Environment writer Scientists have long questioned how complex life first evolved. All multicellular life found on Earth today came from single eukaryotic cells, which contain a nucleus and other cellular machinery not found in simpler, ‘prokaryotic’ organisms. Until recently, the most widely accepted theory for how these arose had been the endosymbiotic theory.

This is the notion that eukaryotic cells were first formed when an archaeon – a kind of prokaryote separate from bacteria – engulfed a primitive bacterial cell. Our own mitochondria – the energy factory of our

Photo: Wikipedia:putneymark

The science of sex: how normal are your sexual fantasies?

Mabon Elis Science&Environment writer

Photo: Wikimedia, putneymark by 52%.

Captive breeding has undoubtedly helped bring this species back from the brink of extinction, highlighting its importance in endangered species conservation. This is cells – derive from these bacterial cells, even containing their own DNA separate from the cell nucleus. However, no cells have ever been observed to carry out a similar process, and this hypothesis fails to explain how other cellular components – such as the nucleus – came to be.

However, scientists at the University of Wisconsin have proposed an alternative hypothesis which overcomes several of the problems raised by the previous theory.

Published in BMC Biology, the ‘inside out’ theory instead proposes that the symbiosis that formed eukaryotic cells began with archaeal cells that formed protrusions, or ‘blebs’, in their outer membranes. These blebs trap free living bacteria nearby, allowing them to further expand as materials are exchanged.

The fusion of these membranous blebs then eventually formed the various cell organelles found in eukaryotes, such as endoplasmic reticulum, and the plasma membrane.

As the new theory is radically different to previous models, the scientists who carried out the research hope that this will stimulate further research into the topic and provide new insights into cellular biology. Buzz Baum,

especially true when regular reintroductions to the wild are implemented. However, of equal importance is the restoration of natural habitat, necessary for maintenance of large populations.

If you’ve dreamed about sex with a celebrity, or perhaps about golden showers, you have sexual fantasies. But are these thoughts normal, or do you have deviant dreams that few others share?

Researchers at the University of Montreal were struck by how often they encountered studies about unusual sexual fantasies without anyone defining them. They wanted to distinguish these atypical fantasies from pathological ones: those that are compulsive or cause distress. So they set off to classify the fantasies of Quebecois adults.

“Our main objective was to specify norms in sexual fantasies, an essential step in defining pathologies”, said Christian Joyal, who led the research. “And as we suspected, there are a lot more common fantasies than atypical fantasies”.

They found that some fantasies often considered atypical, like voyeurism in men and submission in women, are not particularly unusual at all. In fact, of the 55 fantasies they asked their respondents about, only two were rare, while nine more were unusual.

They also found associations between fantasies, some of them often considered opposites. People with submission fantasies, for example, are likely to also have domination fantasies, while men and women who fantasise about being dominated are likely to have more intense fantasies.

Some fantasies are gender-associated, according to the study. Men are more likely to fantasise about straight anal sex and ‘swinging’ with another couple than women, while women generally make a clearer distinction than men between complete fantasies and actual sexual desires.

Of course, the people who took part volunteered for a study about sex, so are more open to discussions about sex than the general population. The researchers also collected their results using an internet survey, so there could be some bias and dishonesty included in the data.

“Overall, these findings allow us to shed light on certain sexual phenomena, such as the popularity of the book Fifty Shades of Grey with women”, Joyal said. “The subject is fascinating”.

Photo: Flickr, Umberto Salvagnin University College London, says: “Even if the hypothesis or parts of it are refuted, we are optimistic that the effort to evaluate it will spawn new cell biological discoveries and, in so doing, will improve our understanding of biology of eukaryotic cells as they grow and divide. Although students studying cell biology may come to think that it’s too late for them to contribute to a field where almost everything is known, this simply isn’t the case. As the model helps to make clear, there is still much to be discovered about the basic logic of eukaryotic cell organisation”.

Celebrity crushes. Clock-wise from top left: Joey Essex, Julia LouisDreyfus and Brian Blessed Concrete Photography; Wikipedia, David Shankbone; www.express.co.uk

Science&Environment Google developing wearable health monitor for cancer and heart attacks Jacob Beebe Science&Environment editor It sounds a bit like something out of science fiction, but Google have begun developing a wearable device that can detect cancer formation and other major health issues. It could be, in the future, that we all wear these devices as a means of early warning for life threatening ailments.

The basic principle of this technology is that one would wear a sensor, which at this stage it aims to be in the form of a wristband that would monitor nanoparticles inside the body. These nanoparticles would likely be ingested and circulate in the bloodstream.

The particles would act as markers by associating with cancer cells, and potentially find evidence of fatty plaques in the blood vessels associated with heart attacks and strokes. This means that any minute change in a person’s intricate biochemistry could be picked up and relayed to the sensor, potentially speeding up diagnosis and aiding physicians to begin treatment for the disease much faster. It is proposed that another set of nanoparticle markers would monitor levels of different chemicals in the blood.

Leader of the diagnostic project, Dr Andrew Conrad said: “Nanoparticles...

give you the ability to explore the body at a molecular and cellular level”.

He added: “Then [you can] recall those nanoparticles to a single location – because they are magnetic – and that location is the superficial vasculature of the wrist, [where] you can ask them what they saw”.

This is truly a revolutionary concept that could vastly improve the speed of diagnosis and, in some cases, a subsequent improved prognosis. However, at this stage, it is just that – an idea – and only time will tell whether this will come to fruition. Whilst the idea of monitoring markers of cancer is not new, the plan to integrate it into a wearable, everyday item is what really makes the idea exciting.

It is an interesting concept to ponder.

What would our lives be like if this was put into production? One does wonder if

“This is truly revolutionary” it would not merely cause more problems than it solves. An increased anxiety would surely arise, as well as cases of misdiagnosis and false positives if the technology fails. It appears to put a lot of faith in the technology running smoothly.

Another key issue to consider is that how would it be paid for. It cannot realistically be a consumer product. Google have already stated: “We are the inventors of the technology but we have no intentions of commercialising it or monetising it in that way”. It appears to be the intention to make the scheme public so that Google can establish partnerships.

Google have already had successes in the medical field. With its promising work on glucose monitoring contact lenses for diabetics and its stakes in other medical research, it could be that its influence on medical research becomes even more prevalent in the future.

15 What’s new in science?

Researchers have managed to turn limb cells into genitals in lizardsshowing their same developmental origin.

Women who have a Y chromosome do not think like men...

Women may have more olfactory (scent) neurons than men.

The landing site for the rosetta comet mission has been named “Agilkia”.

Researchers use a rover dressed to look like a baby penguin to infiltrate colonies of penguins.

An agreement has been made with landowners, including Network Rail and the Highways Agency, to help to restore and maintain habitats for bees.

Scientists have created a 3D model of a slice through the adolescent universe.

Researchers have shown there is a link between polluted air and increased risk of ADHD. Retinal scans can be used to analyse the advance of macular degeneration.

A study has revealed two genes that are linked with violent crime.

Photo: Flickr: nutmeg66

A new species of coral has been identified off the coast of California.

The Alma radio telescope has photographed planets forming around a young star.

The planet’s salamanders are at risk from a flesh eating fungus.

Baboons also build up knowledge as humans do - known as cumulative culture.

Photo: Flickr: Anita Gould

“I wanted to make a difference, so I did” Robin Hartfield Cross Taught: Maths Now: PwC Graduate Scheme

Teach First Employer Presentation Wednesday 12 November | 6-7pm JSC 1.02 UEA Campus Contact Joe for further informationn jtreacy@teachfirst.org.uk

Apply now for our Leadership Development Programme

teachfirst.org.uk/graduates

Charity No 1098294

16

Travel

Finding the phallic in Japan

Photo: Wikimedia, Bernard Gagnon

Photos of the Kanamara Matsuri, Japan’s so-called ‘penis festival’. Left Flickr, Scion_cho Centre Flickr, St Stev Top right Flickr, Zen Xacred Bottom right Flickr, Kamome

Travel editor, Jodie Snow, explores Japan’s ‘penis festival’ that is held on the first Sunday of April every year...

I

n recent years Japan has become well known for its strange relationship with sex. Young people in Japan are pushing ‘sex’ further and further down their to-do list, in favour of computers, cartoons and the internet. For a country with a sex-drive so low that it sells more adult nappies than it does infant ones, the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) comes as something of a shock.

Each year in April, thousands gather in the city of Kawasaki, situated between the capital Tokyo and Yokohama. Kawasaki is home to the Kanayama shrine, which is the centre of the Kanamara Matsuri celebrations. Legend has it that the shrine was resurrected in memory of the fabled toothed vagina, where a demon would bite off male genitalia. The shrine is well

“The parade consists of three giant erect idols being carried through the streets” renowned as a site where prostitutes would come to pray for protection against STDs. However, nowadays the shrine has become a symbol of fertility which attracts many young couples who are looking to start a family.

On the day of Kanamara Matsuri, at noon, the omikoshi (giant pink penis altar) is carried towards the shrine in preparation for the parade. The parade consists of three giant

erect idols being carried through the streets by people dressed head to toe in pink.

The festival itself takes on a street-party vibe, as the tourist and locals go around stalls which sell all manner of phallic objects and participate in fun, penis-themed games.

People can be seen buying phallic candles, licking phallic ice-lollies, and even taking

“One striking thing to be noticed is that all the objects are incredibly ‘dildo-esque’ ” part in the competition to carve the most anatomically correct phallic-shaped radish.

One stall even offers the chance to sample some ‘amazake’ , a mixture of cloudy white sake and dried fish that is said to have both the look and taste of semen. If you are not already tempted to purchase any of these unique souvenirs, the fact that all proceeds go to an Aids charity may help sway you.

The festival is refreshingly outrageous.

One striking thing to be noticed is that all the objects are incredibly ‘dildo-esque’: there is not a cartoon, two-dimensional ‘willy’ in sight. This is the festival of the phallic in all its realistic glory.

The festival is awash with people making the obvious jokes, as they pose for photographs with their phallic lollipops and mount an erect wooden penis. The day is a pure Freudian

The Legend behind the festival Vagina Dentata Local legend of the toothed vagina tells that in the Edo period (1603 – 1867) a demon fell in love with a girl who married another man. In a fit of anger, the demon occupied the woman’s vagina on their wedding night, so as they tried to consummate their marriage, the demon bit off the husband’s penis. The woman decided to remarry, and the demon did the same with her second husband.

By now, the villagers were a little upset at these recurrences so one blacksmith made an iron dildo. When the demon tried to bite it off, it broke off his teeth and he no longer inhabited the woman’s vagina. Many consider the symbol of the ‘toothed vagina’ to represent to the fear of syphilis. fan’s dream, as you walk through the penislined streets in a country renowned for its lack of libido.

Kanamara Matsuri holds nothing back and is everything anyone could ever want from a penis festival and, as a result, Kawasaki demands a visit almost as much as the demon in the legend of the toothed vagina should have demanded a dentist.

Photo: Flikr, Kamome

Travel

17

Zagreb’s Museum of Broken Relationships Jodie Snow Travel editor In the capital of Croatia lies the Museum of Broken Relationships. The museum is a collection of items donated by members of the public that document a past relationship.

Each item is put together with a caption that tells the story behind their choice. It is a novel museum that collates the funny, sad and bitter moments of romantic relationships past.

The museum itself is a collection of small, intimate rooms where you wander around, looking at each donated item and reading their respective captions. As you look at each item, you feel a pang at the realisation that these are all relics from real relationships, all left by real people.

Most of the items seem completely random and arbitrary to the onlooker, until you look at the caption. In one area of the exhibit, there laid a stuffed caterpillar. The caption went on to describe how a long-distance couple would bring the caterpillar to each other when they met up in person and cut a leg off. Only two of the legs were ripped off, which showed the upsetting brevity of their relationship.

Some captions reflected the frivilous humour and joy of childhood loves. A photograph was simply captioned “Florida lake where I skipped school with my boyfriend.

The arrow indicates the spot where I first saw a penis in the sunshine”.

Most of the items were donated in a bid to move on from their past relationships.

The museum becomes an outlet for them to finally put to rest the feelings of the past. One caption described how the museum was the

only place she could vocalise her heartbreak as she described her romantic relationship with a married man.

While others appeared to donate items out of bitterness. In one part of the exhibit stood a toaster which was succinctly labelled “The toaster of vindication”. The caption read:

“All relics from real relationships, all left by real people” “When I moved out and across the country I took the toaster. That’ll show you. How are you going to toast anything now?”. A particular favourite was a black stiletto which told the awkward tale of a dominatrix sexworker whose new client was her first kiss at primary school.

The museum is a beautiful collection of human stories that help settle the emotional storm of breaking up and moving from the one you love. Each item strikes a cord, and as you walk through the museum you catch the eye of a fellow visitor as you both are caught shedding a tear and hiding a giggle.

Remarkably, a museum that collaborates relics from broken relationships can create an intimate atmosphere as you share your experience of the museum with complete strangers.

The Museum of Broken Relationships is a gorgeously refreshing change from the museums of natural history and science that usually clutter a capital city centre. In the middle of scenic Croatia, the museum expresses the beauty and pain of love.

Photo: Flikr, Connie Ma

Photo: Flikr, Nicolas Vollmer

Snuggling up in Japan’s first ‘Cuddle Cafe’

Photo: Flickr, John Newton Jodie Snow Travel editor When you’re having a long stressful day, the thought of climbing into bed and falling into a dreamless sleep cuddled up to your significant other is just enough to get you through the day. But what if you don’t have a significant other to cuddle with? You may consider going to a brothel, but who wants to be dealing with all that sex when you just want to get a little shut eye next to the warmth of someone else.

Do not fear! If you happen to find yourself in Japan, the perfect cafe for you has just opened up and is only a three-minute walk away from the station in Akihabara, Tokyo.

Soineya, which in Japanese means “sleep together shop”, opened its doors to the public on the 25th September this year.

Affectionately nicknamed the ‘cuddle cafe’, customers can pay to sleep next to, or in the arms of a pretty girl. There are also extra options you can add to your sleep package, but everything comes at a price. The standard cost for a 20-minute cuddle is 3,000 Yen – approximately £24 – but additions such as sleeping in the girl’s arm for three minutes,

Top: The dazzling urban lights of the Tokyo skyline Flikr, Sebastien Batardy Above: In Tokyo’s ‘cuddle cafe’ hugs are anything but free... Flickr, Jesslee Cuizon

or getting to stare into each others eyes for a minute, cost 1,000 Yen each. Better yet, if money is no object, for 2,000 Yen you give the girl a foot massage.

The online website for Tokyo’s cuddle cafe has all the prices listed and is even recruiting online. The job description is simply “sleeping” and the age range for girls to apply is 18 to 30.

However, at 3,500 Yen, the the wages aren’t too disappointing – if you’re willing to have a stranger pay you to fall asleep with them that is.

This isn’t the first business to start selling cuddles. Jackie Samuels, a woman from New York, told the Huffington Post that she had set up a business called the Snuggery in July 2012. However, her prices are a little bit more reasonable than Soineya’s, at $1 a minute for a cuddle.

For Japan, more and more people are becoming disillusioned with the idea of finding romantic and sexual love. Japan’s first cuddle café shows just how much people are actively finding alternatives to satisfy their physical desires outside of a sexual relationship. It is only the beginning of Japanese businesses responding to the demands of a market that wants physical intimacy without the sex.

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Assesment boycott Recently, it was announced that members of University and College Union (UCU) will begin a boycott of the assessment setting and marking process

from 6th November 2014 unless a resolution to an ongoing dispute on pensions can be reached before then.

The Union of UEA

Students has voted to support the campaign and any potential marking boycott in belief that our staff deserve fair remuneration in their retirement and to ensure

that they don’t suffer a substantial reduction in their pensions. Click here to find out more Scan the QR code for more info.

Take action

Last week your officer team spoke to the University about the unfairness of international student fees rising year on year whilst they’re on the course. This is a particularly troubling issue for medical students who pay the highest undergraduate fees at UEA. Yinbo Yu, your Activities and Opportunities Officer, said: “Fee rises whilst on the course can have such a disastrous effect on international students who tend to have fewer safety nets.” Scan the QR code for more info.

Go beyond your degree

Job Opportunity - Sports First Aider. We are recruiting a team of first aiders (training will be provided) to cover our sports fixtures on Wednesday afternoons and some weekends. More details and application info can be found online.

Tell us stuff

Last week you told us about how you can make change happen at UEA. 46% of you said that you felt able bring about change at UEA. Only 50% of you had heard about changes brought about as a result of your feedback. We don’t think that’s good enough and are working with the University to improve this.

We want to know about the support you can draw on at UEA. How do you work with your adviser here at UEA? Is it the best system it could be? Let us know by scanning the code.

We’ve got your back In Students at Work week, the Employment Appeal Tribunal have made a ruling which could benefit many working students. Up to

now, employers have been allow to pay holiday pay at basic rate – from now on, holiday pay calculations must take into account any

compulsory overtime usually worked.

Remember, if you do work, you’ll need a NINO - that’s a

National Insurance number.

International students who are permitted to work can find out how to get one online.

Lifestyle

Things that the punters say: Bartender’s Best Comedy Moments Page 20

Making the distance work Bronia McGregor Lifestyle writer Living in a different place from your partner is a problem that many university students face when they make the decision to leave home to study. Whether you’re in a different city or a different country, long distance relationships are often hard, but they needn’t be impossible.

If you’re both dedicated to your relationship then you can make it work, and there are a number of ways in which you can make the distance that little bit easier on yourselves.

One of the most important things in any relationship, and one that becomes increasingly important with the added factor of distance, is communication. Thanks to technology, there are a number of ways to make sure you keep your partner updated with what’s going on in your life. A quick phone call makes all the difference when you’re feeling the distance from one another.

Similarly, Skype and FaceTime are lifesavers for when you just need a reassuring smile to remind yourself why you’re doing this.

“Trains can be expensive, so it might be worth looking for cheaper alternative such as buses” Apps like Snapchat allow you the immediacy of capturing a moment that you can then share with your partner to make them feel a bit closer to you, whether it’s the view from your window or just a meal you’re particularly proud of. Or, if you want to surprise them,

going old school and sending them a letter or postcard is a nice way to let them know you’re thinking of them.

Another way of making the distance seem smaller, and goodbyes a little easier is by making sure you always have a date to look

“Do something different when you see each other” forward to. Work out when your deadlines are at the start of the semester and work around your other commitments in order to figure out when you can visit each other. Not only does this give you something nice to count down to, but it can also work in favour of your bank balance if you book transport early.

Trains can be expensive, so it might be worth your time to look for cheaper alternatives such as buses. However, if money is a big issue, think about putting money that you’d use to buy each other birthday presents towards tickets to see each other instead. It’ll be worth it if it means you can afford to see each other a few extra times, and there are plenty of other opportunities to buy each other gifts!

Make the most of the time you spend together when you do get to see each other.

Try something different and take your partner to a pub or bar you haven’t tried before or go for a nice meal. It doesn’t have to put you into your overdraft, a café you haven’t been to before can be just as nice as an expensive restaurant if you have the right company.

Doing something different when you see each other makes the time you do spend together that bit more special, and reminds you both why the distance is worth it.

Photo: Flickr, Ryan Hyde

Photo: Robert Elyov

Unprepared? Unequipped? Seek help!

Rebecca Bemment Lifestyle editor Whether or not you’re having sex, it is important to know where to go to get contraception and advice for when you need it. Being aware of the options available can help make sure that you protect your own sexual health, and that of your partner.

There are a few things to consider before getting down to it, like what form of contraception you want to use and what will work best for you and your partner. The UEA medical centre offers a range of methods, from the pill to the implant, so it’s worth having a chat with a doctor or nurse in order to work out what the best option for you is.

All the contraception offered at the medical centre is free, too.

Similarly, the Boots pharmacy on campus is a good place to go for any confidential advice you may need, or to get emergency contraception and your repeat prescriptions.

Although you may not need to know this now, it’s important to know where to go in case you do get caught out.

If you live closer to the city, there are several pharmacies that offer these services in the city centre. For example, Boots in Chapelfield and Castle Mall both offer emergency contraception and advice. Also, there is a walk-in centre at the top of Castle Mall that offers a wide range of services to young people, including advice on sex, pregnancy and sexual health. And you don’t need to be a registered patient to take advantage of these services. You can walk in to seek advice from a nurse or get a free pregnancy test (for under 25s), free condoms, free contraception prescriptions or emergency contraception.

So whatever your question or problem, there are places for you to go to get advice.

Yes, it can be a seriously embarrassing topic for some people, but it is important to know what to do and where to go when things don’t go to plan, or if you simply want to know what’s right for you.

Talking about sex outside your relationship Katie Wadsworth Lifestyle writer Let’s talk about sex… Maybe. Be it discussing the awkward sexual encounter with the person at the bar from last night, to what the sex is like in your relationship, you can guarantee that for as long as people have been doing it, people have been discussing it.

Sex, by its very nature, is an intimate subject and essentially there is no guidebook as to how, where, when or in how much

“Sex, by its very naute, is an intimate subject” detail you should discuss the ins and outs (no pun intended) of your love encounters. That age old adage that when you date a person, you also date their friends, is true of most relationships, so you can kind of guarantee that a lot of what you get up to in the sack won’t always stay between you and your partner. But is this necessarily a bad thing?

Sex is a completely healthy and natural physical expression of two people’s feelings for one another (or the product of a little too much Jägermeister), but it can also be very scary being so exposed to another person.

And, when we feel vulnerable most of us look to our friends for support, be it with hints, tips, tricks or just reassurance. We all need an outlet: someone to confide in. So in fact talking about your copulation with your friends as well as with your other half is quite a positive pastime. As for the issue of oversharing, well

that all depends on your personal boundaries and whether your friends have the constitution to endure hearing ALL the gory details!

As much as there can be an anxiety surrounding how much to share about your sex life, it’s equally important to acknowledge the insecurities around not having sex or feeling you’re not having enough sex.

Despite the virile nature of most of the student population, some people for personal, religious or emotional reasons, or simply because they haven’t met the right person yet, aren’t engaging in sex and this can sometimes be a lonely place.

There can be anxieties about being perceived as prudish or ‘not normal’ because you’re not sleeping with people and if you want to have sex, you can feel like everyone else but you is having sex and why doesn’t anybody love me and I’ll always be alone…

“Not having sex doesn’t and shouldn’t define you as a person” (cue Bridget Jones moment)! But not having sex doesn’t and shouldn’t define you as a person.

It also doesn’t mean that you can’t talk about sex. Talking about sex, as with many things, is a great way to dispel myths, release frustrations, soothe insecurities or even just swap notes on what works best! So if you’re having it then great, but if you’re not, it’s nothing to stress about as there’s plenty of time to get down to it when you’re ready.

Photo: Liz tells Frank

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Lifestyle

The good, the bad, and the plain BARTENDER’S BEST COMEDY MOMENTS dangerous: magazines’ sex advice WITH ELLA GILBERT Beth Saward Lifestyle writer Cosmo has become somewhat infamous for its hilariously awful sex tips. But at Concrete, we decided to evaluate some of them to see which are good, which are bad, and which are downright dangerous.

One of the most notorious tips is for giving a mind blowing hand-job. The instructions suggest using a two handed grip and twisting your hands in separate directions. Do not follow this advice. It is tantamount to giving your unfortunate partner an unexpected Chinese burn on their penis. Unless of course they’re into pain play, in which case this will work well!

An infinitely less painful and distinctly more ridiculous suggestion is to be found in the Cosmo Sutra. Imagine, if you will, you and your partner facing each other (it should be noted that this position is intended for a heterosexual couple). He has his knees up, feet flat. She has her feet on his shoulders and is holding herself up high enough to ensure penetration. This is near impossible to achieve without collapsing into a fit of giggles at how ridiculous you both look. The Octopus, to give it its proper title, is not worth the effort of contorting yourself into such a bizarre position.

Continuing with the ridiculous, we come to the suggestion that one uses long hair to tease and tickle your partner’s penis. While this may feel good, you will, once again, look fantastically silly. However, by far and away, the worst sex tip found on Cosmo involved using red-hot cinnamon candy spray on each other’s bodies. No more details are needed to

PART THREE PUNTERS

imagine the eye watering results of following this.

And now, for the good stuff. One of the simpler tips was to have morning sex.

Deceptively simple, devastatingly effective.

Set your alarm clock a little earlier and you’ll be set up for that 09:00 lecture with a smile on your face. For the more athletic amongst you, standing sex is an equally brilliant suggestion.

“It is tantamount to giving your partner a Chinese burn on their penis” Begin with the penetrating partner sat on the edge of the bed and the other straddling them with arms around their neck. Stand up, allowing the receiving partner to put their feet on the bed. If you’re feeling adventurous, wrap your legs around your standing partner’s waist. Be careful with this though – we don’t want letters complaining of injury!

If you’re looking to pleasure your female lovers, try out this Cosmo top tip: flick your tongue across her clitoris while making a come hither motion with your fingers inside her. While the existence of the G-Spot has been hotly debated over recent years, this feels pretty good regardless!

The best tip that Cosmo had to offer though can be seen as pretty basic in comparison with the contortions of some of these positions.

Communicate with one another. Find out what you both like, what you don’t like, what you’d both be willing to try. Write a list, talk it out, text it if you find face-to-face sex talk awkward. Just find out exactly what tickles your other half’s pickle; simple as that really.

“What’s the cheapest drink?”

“Spirit and mixer is £3.50”.

“I’ll have one of those then”.

Sorry, excuse me while I gouge my own eyes out with this corkscrew.

“Is there any chance of a discount?”

“Absolutely none”.

“Really? Can I not just have that for cheaper?”

No. And my service charge has just gone up to £12.

“Hello love, can I have your number?” (no @%$^&* way, creep) “Nah, sorry mate”.

“Oh, can I have a Fosters then?”

I’m judging you on so many levels here.

“Can you serve me please darling?”

Oh yeah, let me just put down this case of 12 bottles of wine, stop changing these three barrels and cut four other people out of the queue to serve you. Twat.

PS Call me that again and I’ll trap you in this fridge.

Lifestylefood A sexy supper on a shoestring Thai red curry Katie Wadsworth Lifestyle writer

Katie Wadsworth Lifestyle writer

Whilst truffles, oysters and my personal favourite, champagne, may be amongst some of the sexiest foods, a sultry supper to set the mood doesn’t have to break the bank.

Chillies are a great libido-boosting food as they contain Capsaicin which gives you a surge of endorphins and a euphoric high.

Chillies also boost your circulation and therefore stimulate your energy levels, so this Thai-style red curry is a sizzling dish that will get your pulse racing.

Ingredients ½ tbsp sunflower oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 tomato, roughly diced 200 g can coconut milk ½ tblsp Thai red curry paste 2 boneless chicken breasts ½ tblsp soy sauce Juice of ½ lemon or lime Cooked rice and steamed sugar-snap peas or mangetout, to serve Method 1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and grill on a medium heat until cooked through. Allow to cool then dice.

A taste of pleasure Seductive sips Satisfy your senses by sucking on these seductive sips for a night of intense stimulation.

Ingredients 25 ml vodka 25 ml peach schnapps 25 ml Chamboard raspberry liqueur

Before Turn up the dial to ‘desire’ with a little Foreplay on Neutral Ground to really get you in the mood.

Method 1. Pour ingredients into a steel shaker (or any container you can find!) filled with ice, shake until ice cold.

2. Pour into a large shot glass and serve

Foreplay on Neutral Ground Makes one Photo: Flickr, Parshotam Lal Tandon 2. Heat the sunflower oil in a large, non-stick pan and cook the onion over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until beginning to go brown.

3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the coconut milk and curry paste. Bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Add the cooked chicken to the pan; cook gently for 4-5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

5. Stir in the lemon or lime juice, soy sauce and season to taste.

6. Spoon the rice into serving bowls and gently ladle over the curry. Serve with sugar-snap peas or mangetout. Enjoy!

Silk Panties Makes one

Ingredients 50 ml Vodka 25 ml melon liqueur (eg Midori) 75 ml pineapple juice 75 ml cranberry juice Method 1. Fill glasses with ice. Mix the vodka, melon liqueur, pineapple juice and cranberry juice in a decanter. Pour over ice and serve.

During For an x-rated, thirst quenching delight, get your lips around a Silk Panties shot.

It’s sure to make you blush.

After After the climax of the silk panties, slow things down with a little Safe Sex on the Beach…

Safe Sex on the Beach Makes one Ingredients 75 ml cranberry juice 75 ml grapefruit juice 50 ml peach nectar 2 maraschino cherries Method 1. Pour over ice in a tall chilled glass and stir, garnish with a cherry and enjoy!

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Sport Sex, breakfast of champions: James Hunt remembered

Kat Lucas Sport editor

E

ngland may be on course to qualify for Euro 2016, but one contentious issue looms large over Roy Hodgson’s topsy-turvy reign: the issue of the WAGs. A large proportion of players would argue that having their wives and girlfriends present at a major tournament helps them to relax, and even helps with boredom.

However, for England’s beleaguered fans, the WAG is the ultimate symbol of the Three Lions’ lack of effort, and preference for the finer things in life over actually winning football matches.

That is nothing against Victoria and Coleen personally, though in both cases, their own fame ditracts attention from their husbands’ activities on the pitch. WAGs such as these who have been made into celebrities are not so much a poisonous element at tournaments, but an unnecessary inconvenience and distraction.

During England’s all too brief stay at Brazil 2014, Wayne Rooney complained that between training and matches, there was not enough entertainment provided for players.

Whatever that says about the brash Liverpudlian’s appreciation – or lack,

“But footballers are not cricketers, and in reality, are never away very long” thereof – of South American culture, it is not a justification for having family members staying at the team hotel.

Of course, there is little to stop them flying out and supporting the team.

However, a line should be drawn, as Hodgson has achieved so far, between the players’ professional and personal lives.

It is not just an issue affecting footballers, either. Boxing champion Carl Froch underwent a self-imposed sex ban before his title-deciding fight against George Groves, as scientifically, athletes are stronger with the extra testosterone.

Froch provides the perfect example of a sportsman putting his career before his – shall we say – carnal desires.

Spending extended periods of time away from their families has often been touted as a reason why cricketers so often suffer from depression. A number of highprofile names, including Marcus Trescothick and Jonathan Trott, both former England batsmen, have had to leave tours because of stress-related illness.

But footballers are not cricketers, and in reality, are never away very long. They do not spend three months in Australia, then another three in India, with little chance to see their treasured WAGs. Perhaps designated ‘visit days’ would be the answer, though it might all too easily give off the impression that players are being incarcerated against their will.

At this year’s World Cup, Italian star Andrea Pirlo revealed he prepared for the England game on a Playstation; yet, he was able to make up for it on the pitch, something which the floundering Three Lions typically fail to do.

Until England can improve their performances, there should be far less talk of entertaining WAGs.

Photo: Wikimedia, Anefo / Croes James Newbold Sport editor The bygone era when ‘sex was safe and racing was dangerous’ is perhaps epitomised by the flamboyant figure that was 1976 Formula One World Champion, James Hunt.

Renowned for his playboy lifestyle, ‘Hunt the Shunt’ won over legions of British fans – not to mention women – with his tenacious, balls to the wall driving style and fun-loving public schoolboy persona that saw him take on the mighty Maranello Ferraris, and come out on top.

Hunt’s remarkable tale was retold in stunning detail to a new generation in Ron Howard’s 2013 box-office hit Rush, although this only served to emphasise how times have moved on since his 70s pomp. And not only in terms of safety – the near-life threatening burns suffered by Niki Lauda at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 1976 prompted Formula One to stop racing on ‘the Green Hell’ – but also the character of the men behind the visors.

I

t’s a sad truth that the media’s fascination with Rebecca Adlington’s physical appearance outweighed recogniton of her double Olympic gold medal display in Beijing upon entering the I’m A Celebrity jungle last year. A woman who made her career in a swimming costume, Adlington was made to feel uncomfortable wearing a bikini next to Miss GB, Amy Willerton. One doubts that British sport’s golden boy Tom Daley has ever felt pressured by his physique outside of the swimming pool.

In football, Casey Stoney, the England Women’s captain, earns in a year what Arsenal club-mate Alexis Sanchez would earn in a day, and that’s with two additional part time jobs to boot. Women’s football might not be as popular as the men’s game, but perhaps if the team were paid a decent wage and could afford to dedicate even more time to training, the media might take them more seriously.

After all, Arsenal Women’s success rate is significantly higher than their male counterparts, whose FA Cup final win over Hull in May was their first major honour since 2005.

Life isn’t going to improve for women in football however, if it depends on the sexist

It goes without saying that Hunt’s excesses, a 40-a-day cigarette habit and outlandish reputation for partying, sex and booze would be wholly incompatible with modern F1’s ultra-professional, corporatedominated image. Rarely are the current crop of drivers forthright in voicing their opinions in the press or on social media, and little wonder, when their every move is scrutinised so publicly.

And with the grid getting ever younger – 17-year-old Max Verstappen is due to make his F1 debut with Toro Rosso next year in place of the 20-year-old Daniil Kvyat – the pressure on drivers to appear older than their years and set a good example for their sponsors is paramount. The idea of a Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso emblazoning ‘Sex, breakfast of champions’ across their overalls today is quite simply unthinkable.

However, that’s not to say that Hunt’s offtrack antics detracted from his performances on it. Hunt was a steely character who took his racing deadly seriously and extracted far more from the car than his team-mates ever could. After scoring a brilliant underdog

victory in a wet Dutch Grand Prix for the privateer Hesketh team in 1975, it fell to the maverick Briton to replace departing double champion Emmerson Fittipaldi at McLaren for the 1976 season. Any lingering doubts about his credentials were soon cast aside as Hunt delivered the goods when it mattered most, taking six wins over the course of the season to seal the title at the final round in Japan by just a single point over Lauda.

One of Formula One’s best-loved characters even after his retirement from racing in 1979, Hunt forged a formidable partnership with national treasure Murray Walker in the BBC commentary booth until his premature death, aged just 45, from a heart attack in 1993. His legacy profoundly influenced Ferrari star Kimi Raikkonen, who donned a tribute helmet at the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix and famously once entered a snowmobile race in his native Finland using James Hunt as a pseudonym. The man himself would surely have approved.

We won’t see many of Hunt’s kind again, which should only make us appreciate all the more what we are missing. Godspeed James.

COMMENT Zoë Jones says that now is the time for us to embrace gender equality in sport. ramblings of the powerful men in the football industry. In 2004, Fifa President, Sepp Blatter, said that the future of women’s football depended on tighter shorts and lower cut tops to create a more ‘female aesthetic’ and to ‘attract more male fans’.

There’s a wonderful Jenna Marbles video that demonstrates the wonders of the sports bra, after a Turkish columnist accused female contenders during the 2012 Olympics of “denying their womanhood” by “trying to look like men” in order to become successful in sport. He suggested that women should be awarded bonus points for how feminine they looked – as though sportswomen, trained competitors whose powerful bodies exemplify their dedication and hard work, should be worried about their aesthetic appeal.

The track, the pool or the playing field is not for Wonderbras and ringlets; it’s about flattening your chest so your tits don’t pummel you in the face and slicking back your hair until you look like Lauren Cooper.

It’s about efficiency, and competition and

celebrating your powerful physique… not sex appeal. It’s about squat thrusts, not thigh gaps.

In 2012, Black Caviar won sportswoman of the year in Australia. Black Caviar is a horse. Black Caviar is not a woman and it is an insult to women in sport universally that a non-woman, or even a non-human being would win the title.

Women in sport should be celebrated.

You only have to look at Kacy Catanzara in the American Ninja Warrior final recently to appreciate the intense physical ability that some women can attain. Black Caviar could not begin to feel the gratitude a sportswoman might have felt had she been recognised for her dedication to her sport.

It’s about time women were taken as seriously on the playing field as they are beginning to on the track and in the pool thanks to the achievements of Rebecca Adlington, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Victoria Pendleton. The London Olympics broke down many barriers for sportswomen, and here’s hoping it continues.

Sport

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Former Welsh rugby player, Gareth Thomas, one of the most high-profile sports personalities to come out, with the Prime Minister, David Cameron Flickr: UK Home Office

Why are there so few gay sports personalities?

Rob Staniforth Sport writer

That age old question, forever in and out of public consciousness, has once again been touted this week: why are there so few openly gay active sportsmen and women? In fact, not just the players, but in every aspect of the sporting world, the governance and the officials included, you struggle to find active gay athletes or sports administrators.

Unlike the past, it isn’t the case that fear of retaliation from teammates, opposition players and fans alike has prevented players from making their sexuality public after retirement. Indeed, in the NFL, one player made the bold move of announcing he was gay just months before the NFL Draft.

Commentators stateside thought Michael Sam had just destroyed any chance of being signed to a franchise, and as a player who had been considered an early to mid-draft pick, many wondered if they were right until the St Louis Rams picked him with their final round compensatory pick, the 249th selection out of a possible 256.

The media were both thrilled at the acceptance of Sam into the league, yet disturbed by the fact ESPN opted to cut to

cameras at his house to show his immediate reaction live on air – a kiss with his boyfriend.

Eventually, after a few pre-season matches, Sam was dropped from the Rams final 53-man roster. His coach said he had the ability to play in the NFL, but they needed different positions on their roster. He was picked up by the Dallas practice squad, before being dropped at the end of October. Some speculated that the excessive media attention

“The excessive media attention may have factored in the decision to let him go” may have factored in the decision to let him go, and maybe being the team to play the first openly gay player in the biggest sports league in America, a heavily religious country, was just a distraction no team wanted to have.

On the other hand, international rugby referee Nigel Owens takes his sexuality in his stride. Since coming out in 2007, Owens has rocketed through the ranks and is now widely considered one of the best officials in the world. In his autobiography, Owens said that the announcement lifted a weight off his shoulders, and meant he could be who he was.

The reaction from the rugby community was positive on the whole, and Owens, who dabbles in stand-up comedy, is known in Europe for his in match quips to combat foul play, arguing and just to lighten the mood, including “This is not soccer!” and, more recently, “I’m straighter than that one” in reaction to a crocked line-out throw. Perhaps the comedy experience has given him the confidence to face down anyone who may oppose him – an experience many athletes don’t have – and realise his career could not progress much further without embracing who he was as a person.

O

wens and Sam are two different cases with very different outcomes, which leads you to wonder if, in the world of sport, sexuality is still a taboo. When so many – Welsh rugby icon Gareth Thomas among the most prominent – have chosen to keep their sexuality private until they retire, you would have to assume so, particularly when coupled with comments across the globe about how teams would react to a gay teammate.

Though such comments are usually swept under the carpet as quickly as possible, through condemnation and, in some cases, contract termination, it shows that sport isn’t always ready to adapt. When will change

happen and how will it come about?

While governing bodies such as FIFA and UEFA hand out bans, fines and other sanctions for racist comments from players and fans, similar actions for homophobic slurs is almost unheard of.

Indeed, in the top five search results for “UEFA homophobic slur bans,” three relate to the same rugby league incident from May this year which garnered a two-match ban, one is a summation of incidents reported to FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) in 2013, and the other refers to an unpunished slur from then Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho in 2012.

Is this a sign that these incidents are no longer occurring? Unfortunately not. Rather, it is a further indication that these incidents are still treated as relatively normal and until that changes, it is difficult to foresee any significant number of athletes come out.

As for what can be done, campaigns such as Football v Homophobia and the Paddy Powers Rainbow Laces campaign can raise awareness of what is a very serious issue in many sports. But until administrations start taking more direct action, players won’t feel able to come out mid-career, and until they feel able to do so, it is unlikely that anything will change.

Robbie Rogers: breaking boundaries James Chesson profiles the openly gay footballer, who plays in America’s MLS.

T

he lack of openly gay footballers is a pressing issue that the sport seeks to address. Some have taken the decision to come out after their careers have reached an end, including former Aston Villa, Everton and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, who became the first ex-Premier League player to do so when he revealed his sexuality earlier this year.

However, when one considers that the UK alone has 92 football league clubs, each producing a match day squad of 18 players, the numbers are simply too vast for it to be likely that there are no gay professional footballers among them.

One player who bucked this trend is the former Leeds United full-back Robbie Rogers. The American international’s time in England was blighted by injury, managing only four appearances for Leeds in the Championship and a further nine with Stevenage in League One before

departing the Yorkshire club by mutual consent in January 2013. Shortly afterward, Rogers announced via his website that he was gay and needed to take a break from the game to ‘discover himself’ away from the intense media attention that would inevitably follow him.

The only other player in English football to have revealed he was gay while still playing was former Norwich striker Justin Fashanu in 1990, who tragically took his own life just eight years later.

The unique aspect to Rogers’ story is that he has since returned to the game, rather than opting to permanently end his career. In May 2013, he signed for LA Galaxy – an MLS franchise known in Europe partly for David Beckham’s time there – and has made 16 appearances for his latest side. Sadly, his persistent injury problems have significantly reduced the amount of playing time he has managed

since becoming the highest profile, active, openly gay footballer.

However, although ‘soccer’ is far from the most popular sport in the US, and followed considerably less than American football, basketball, hockey and baseball, Rogers has become a role model for gay sportspeople in the US and around the world. Since then, NBA player Jason Collins has come out as homosexual since Rogers’ brave move to do the same, and specifically cited that the footballer’s actions had “blazed a trail” to allow fellow sportsmen to be open about their sexuality.

The hope is that more professional sportspeople – backed by initiatives like the Stonewall Rainbow laces campaign – will feel comfortable in being honest about their sexual orientation, and that this will be a step towards an environment in which no one feels that they have to hide their sexuality.

Wikimedia: Longbomb

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Sport

SPORT

Issue 303

11th November 2014

concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper

Wikimedia, Hmdwgf

Norwich suffered a demoralising 1-0 defeat to Fulham at the Cottage, where they have not won since. Flickr: nicksarebi

City fans demand response after Boro drubbing

Hunt retrospective Page 22

Pressure is mounting on Neil Adams to address Norwich City’s poor recent form.

Ross Perkins Sport writer Despite being top of the Sky Bet Championship coming into October, Norwich have had a somewhat extended blip throughout the month. Having recorded one win from their last six, including a crushing 4-0 defeat at Middlesbrough, Neil Adams’ side now find themselves outside the top six. The problems seem to be stemming from a lack of ruthlessness up front and, most importantly, shakiness at the back. With Norwich dropping down the table, questions are now beginning to arise about Adams’ managerial experience.

Despite a dry spell for Lewis Grabban, who has not scored since late September against Blackpool and missed a crucial penalty against Fulham, the most significant concern for many Norwich supporters continues to be the poor performance at the back and the inclusion of right-back Steven Whittaker in the side, with natural full-back Russell Martin partnering Michael Turner in the centre. In the summer, Adams brought in centre-backs Ignasi Miquel, Carlos Cuellar and loanee Jos Hooiveld, but only the latter has seen any league action so far.

Whittaker and Martin have both been singled out in recent weeks for their poor performances but it must be said that the whole defence was at sea in Norwich’s defeat at Middlesbrough, with poor marking contributing to more or less all the goals. If Norwich are going to be serious challengers

for automatic promotion, then Adams has to trust in the depth of his squad – the quality is there.

Martin is a right-back, plain and simple, but a good one. Hooiveld, with his Championship and Premier League experience, is a valuable asset that the manager should look to utilise

“Adams has got to trust in the depth of his squad – the quality is there” more. Additionally, Ryan Bennett is due back from injury soon and Miquel looked bright in an U21s Development game where Norwich comfortably beat Spurs. Square pegs in round holes and all that.

The options are there, and although one can see the merits in playing the same back four throughout the season – league leaders Bournemouth have maintained consistency with their defence and it has paid off with eight straight wins – this approach is not working for the Canaries. One trap that Adams must not fall into, as Chris Hughton did, is that of eliminating competition for places by refusing to drop players who are clearly not performing.

Another predicament that has arisen, and one that is not restricted to the past month, is the way in which this side seems to take an almost passive approach to games. The passing tempo and the speed of build-up play has been awfully slow, which has no doubt affected Norwich’s attacking potency. This

is reflected in the fact that out of 16 league games, Norwich have gone behind first in nine of them.

A side that wants to get back to the Premier League at the first attempt cannot be giving opponents a head start in most games.

The long-term absence of creative midfielder Wes Hoolahan will no doubt hinder the team in terms of attacking play, but they have at least welcomed back Jonny Howson after a prolonged spell on the sidelines.

What has baffled many supporters, however, is the decision to loan winger Elliot Bennett to Brighton. Here is a player with Premier League experience and great technical ability who seems to be below wide man Josh Murphy in the pecking order, despite the England U19 starlet often struggling against quality full-backs. Many cannot help but feel that Bennett’s ability would be welcome in the side right now.

As the gap between Norwich and the top spot gradually widens, the pressure on Adams and his backroom staff to uncover why Norwich have scored only four goals in their last seven – when they plundered 20 from their first nine games – increases. If these problems are not resolved, and Norwich continue to drop points against the ‘lesser’ sides in the League, then hopes of a quick return to the Premier League will begin to fade and the Yellow Army could begin to turn on Neil Adams.

Another loss on Saturday against Nottingham Forest winless in nine games would only ramp up the pressure another notch.

Wikimedia, Rockybiggs

Sexism and sport Page 22

Wikimedia, Noah Salzman

Homosexuality in sport Page 23