Concrete - Issue 305 - 9th December 2014

Issue

09.12.14

305

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

University to consider taking control of union sports clubs

concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper

>> Union keen to keep clubs under the control of students

INSIDE The Birthday Party: Concrete’s literary magazine

>> UEA spokesperson stresses proposals still at a early stage

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Dan Falvey News editor Concrete has learnt that the Sports Partnership Group (SPG), which comprises of representatives from UEA, the Sportspark and the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS), is considering changes to the way students’ sport clubs are organised and structured.

At a meeting on 11th November, the director of the Sportspark, Phil Steele, gave a presentation to the SPG outlining his proposals for taking sports clubs out of the direct control of UUEAS, and for handing responsibility for these extra-curricular groups to either UEA Sport or an ‘Athletics Union’.

In his presentation, Steele argued that by placing student sport clubs under the control of one organisation, money and funding for clubs could be more efficiently spent and distributed.

In the presentation, he emphaisised that this was particularly important given tight budget constraints. However, how a reorganisation of the current set up would prove more economically efficient is currently unclear.

Steele also argued that the changes would create a simpler structure that would make it easier for students to organise activities within their clubs.

However, UUEAS has challenged these claims, arguing that there is no proof the reorganisation would benefit students as suggested. Concrete understands that the union is firmly against Steel’s suggestions because it fears that the proposed changes

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At Union Council on 9th October, councillors voted unanimously in favour of a resolution which committed student sports clubs to being a part of the union in any partnership groups.

The union’s Activities and Opportunities Officer, Yinbo Yu, is worried that the implementation of Steele’s proposals would go against the wishes of students. Speaking to Concrete, he said: “I am disappointed that the university seems to be ignoring the wishes of Union Council, which made it clear that students want sport clubs to continue to be student-led and run within the union.

“Instead of discussing how best we can work collectively to improve student sports, the focus continues to be on who will run

our sports clubs moving into the future. The Sports Partnership Group should be about using the strengths of both the union and UEA Sport to deliver a better and more cohesive function and make our excellent sports clubs even better.”

A university spokesperson emphasised that, at present, the ideas are in their infancy and that no firm decisions have been made.

They said: “A Sports Partnership Group, which includes representatives of the union, student body, university and UEA Sport, was set up earlier this year has met twice to discuss the coordination of sport for students at UEA. “At this stage the meetings are for exploration and discussion and no proposals or decisions have been made”.

The SPG is due to continue discussing the future of student sport clubs when it next meets on the 12th December.

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12

The Concrete Christmas taste test 2014-15

16

Spending the festive season overseas

International students avoiding ‘unfriendly’ UK >> Britain’s tiered visa system is putting potential applicants off Joe Jameson News reporter UK visa application processes are having an adverse impact upon the numbers of international students that are choosing to start up a business in the UK, according to the National Union of Students (NUS).

As part of a report, which interviewed 1,600 international graduate students, released in association with The Entrepreneurs Network, the NUS claims that a third of respondents cite the complex nature of the UK visa application

process as one of the reasons why they don’t wish to stay and live in the UK. The issue stems from the tiered visa system in this country, which prevents those entering the country on a tier four visa from engaging in any form of work which is considered to be ‘self-employment’ which includes entrepreneurial ventures. This, the NUS argues means that the UK economy suffers from a loss of investment, as it is estimated that international students contribute £7.9bn each year, but that these current restrictions within the system might cost the UK Treasury £2.4bn over the next decade.

This is grave news for the UK business sector when around 42% of those who took part in the survey were interested in starting up a new business, yet fewer than a quarter

indicated any interest in doing so in the UK, because of the difficulties with obtaining the correct visa. However, it is possible that this is simply part of a larger issue, to do with the UK’s image as a place to study for international students, with a third of those who took part in The Entrepreneurs Network survey stated that they would not recommend the UK as a country to come and study to friends and families in their home countries.

Recently the Universities Minister, Greg Clark, visited India in an attempt to reverse the trend which has seen a decrease in the number of Indian students coming to study in the UK, which is widely believed to be due to the perception of the UK as ‘unwelcoming’ to international students as part of the coalitions wider clamp down on immigration.

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Editorial

editor’s column THE

I Geri Scott Santa’s little helper

“Did anyone else think it was a possible hazard to stick a load of electric lights on top of a fountain? No? Just me?”

t’s week 12 and you are so close, just keep going… that’s what I keep telling myself and probably what you’ve been telling yourself too. This is the last edition of Concrete until January, meaning there are only four more days until the end of the semester and Christmas is truly here. So whether you’re reading this in the library whilst you should be revising, or if you’ve picked it up in UNIO now that you’ve escaped for a caffeine top-up, be safe in the knowledge that it’s nearly time to watch Love Actually (the best Christmas film ever, in my opinion), break out the Quality Street and fall asleep during the Queen’s Speech.

You could say that Christmas has already arrived here at UEA. Campus is draped in fairy lights and decorations, and that odd, but weirdly beautiful, cone-type Christmas tree has gone up in the square. Although, did anyone else think it was a possible hazard to stick a load of electric lights on top of a fountain? No? Just me?

It’s come over all festive in the Media Centre too. We have a tree which appeared from nowhere, which has been decorated with baubles made of the faces of the Media Collective committees, as well as paper chains made out of old issues of Concrete – we take recycling seriously, guys! More than this, a little Livewire 1350 elf has been around cutting out Santa hats and sticking them on anything and everything which a small red hat

can perch on the edge of. In fact, the logos of Concrete, Livewire 1350 and UEA:TV have all had a festive makeover! A little red-breasted robin told me that the same elf had also been let loose on the student officer photos in Union House...

All of this Christmas cheer came after the fabled Concrete Christmas Taste Test that was held last week. We wanted to find out the answer to the question on every mistletoetoting student’s lips: where can I buy cheap and tasty Christmas treats (read: alcohol)?!

Fear not, dear reader, we’ve got you covered!

Page 12 is where you’ll find the answers.

In other news, tomorrow is the annual Media Ball, and we’re very excited to be teaming up with Livewire 1350 and UEA:TV to have an incredible night of dinner and dancing. The social secretaries for each of our societies have been absolutely amazing and have planned everything down to a tee.

So a great big thank you goes out to Helena Bradbury, Sophie Henry and Siân Cooper for all their hard work; we’re over the moon and couldn’t be prouder.

As for Concrete, we’ll be back in print from the 13th January 2015 but you can keep up with Norwich goings-on online until then at concrete-online.co.uk as well as on our social media streams.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year from everyone at Concrete! And, UEA, make good choices!

AskMarx Revolutionary festive advice from the Father Christmas of Communism Dear Marx, I don’t have any tinsel.

Does that make me a bad person?

Dear Marx, I am a devout atheist, as all Communists should be! How should I conduct myself over the ‘festive’ period?

Comrade! I suggest that you sing relentlessly the Internationale in place of sycophantic, sickening carols.

Unswervingly apply yourself to the task of necking homemulled booze and stolidly refuse to acknowledge the festooning of this religious holiday with counterrevolutionary nonsense.

S

tudents of UEA. My time with you has been short.

But, with the image of the Stakhanovite worker before me as my guide and inspiration, I feel that it has been productive.

I am glad that the editors of this occasionally decent publication have given me this space – space from which

The University of East Anglia’s independent student newspaper since 1992

Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk

Editor-in-Chief Geri Scott concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor Peter Sheehan concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Managing Editor Ella Gilbert concrete.managingeditor@uea.ac.uk Website Administrator Will Cockram concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News Elliot Folan & Dan Falvey concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Global Oliver Hughes concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Comment Joe Jameson concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk

Dear Marx, Do you like the John Lewis Christmas advert?

Dear Marx, What should I get my mum for Christmas?

Features Courtney Pochin concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Comrade! Tinsel is a superfluous embellishment required by the enemies of Communism to disguise their lack of morality, working class solidarity, and dedication to the noble cause as laid out in the Manifesto. It is a flashy trinket to distract from these facts.

Dismiss this trashy tinsel!

Work hard, fuel the fire of your spirits with revolutionary zeal, hard liquor and loose women, and labour to seize the means of production from the scrooges in charge of them.

Pay no heed to such baubles.

Comrade! I bloody love penguins! The way that the indivdual commits itself to needs of the group is a touching metaphor for the glorious and collective utopia that is the end-point of the Communist movement.

Take inspiration from the bitter struggles of our flightless austral friends! Let their devotion to the survival of the group be your guiding light this yuletide!

And yes, Marx-watchers, I have just founded yet another form of my most revolutionary ideology: MarxismPenguinism.

Comrade! The gift that keeps on giving is of course the Manifesto, the best work of literature since the inception of time itself.

A worthy companion to this momentous work, and appropriate for some light seasonal reading, might be the Little Red Book, written by a dear and dedicated comrade with fabulous hair.

Kim Jong Il’s excellent and concise six-volume book on cinema is also a worthy title for one’s mother. You can buy it on Amazon. Seriously.

Science&Environment Jacob Beebe concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk

I may proselytise the student body of this university.

I hope that exposure to my teachings, and to the philosophies of those who have been wise enough to follow in my footsteps, has had a profound influence on you; that it has opened your thoughts to the glorious truth of the Communist way; that

it has given meaning to your otherwise directionless lives.

Alas, this is the last time that I shall gaze out from half way down this page. I must leave you for pastures new.

So let me depart with words of wisdom ringing in your ears! Beware the temptations of capitalism!

They will come with false

prophets: reject them! Cling to my teaching! Follow the cause!

Fight the good fight with the collective spirit of Communism in your hearts!

Travel Jodie Snow concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle Becca Bemment concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sport James Newbold & Kat Lucas concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy Editors Helena Bradbury & Frances McKeown concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Chief Photographers Will Cockram & Jacob Roberts-Kendal concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk Distribution Manager Amit Puntambekar concrete.distribution@uea.ac.uk

Peace out.

As revealed to Peter Sheehan & Ella Gilbert

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

UEA students join day of action for free education Page 5

NUS launches campaign to raise awareness of violence against women Bronia M Gregor News reporter

Council to discuss Ukip invitation

Union officers marching against sexual violence late last month Photo: UUEAS that sexual harassment is rife on campus, but we still keep hearing from institutions that there is no fear, no intimidation and no problem. The passing the buck approach of ‘not on my campus’ is completely unacceptable. They must acknowledge the problems and join us in confronting them.

‘To be able to see real change, we need the whole of the educational community to step

up and be active in creating safer campuses, which is why NUS is encouraging all students and students’ unions to lobby their institutions to commit to our Reclaim Your Campus pledge. Our pledge has ten demands focusing on embedding policy, education, support, and training into every educational community, which we want to see institutions take action on”.

Photo: Will Cockram for Concrete Photo: J J Ellison, Wikimedia

One in seven students jobless after graduation Amy Rust News reporter Researchers at the Institute for Public Policy Research has found that one in seven people are unemployed within a year of leaving university or school. A third of those unemployed were graduates who completed undergraduate level education. The study looked at employment patterns for those aged 16–24 who had left full time education to join the job market. The research found that the average unemployment rate was 15%, with 28% being teenagers who left school or college with GCSEs as their highest qualification.

Student union to launch system of online democracy The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) is to launch a new online democracy system this week which will enable the student body to force issues to be discussed by higher UUEAS bodies.

The new system, soon to be published on ueastudent.com, will allow students to force a discussion of an issue at Union Council or another UUEAS body if the proposal gains 300 “upvotes” on the union’s website.

The new online democracy system will exist alongside an existing system that allows students to force a referendum on any issue if they gain the support of 3% of the union’s membership, which equates to around 500 students.

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The National Union of Students has launched a campaign against gender based violence on UK campuses. The campaign is called “Reclaim Your Campus” and focuses on 16 days of activism against gender violence, taking place from 25th November to 10th December.

The campaign’s aim is to raise awareness of violence against women, to help build stronger connections between student unions and support services in the local area and get students to encourage their institutions to sign the Reclaim Your Campus pledge.

By signing the pledge, institutions are committing to tackling ten demands which include a zero-tolerance stance on all forms of violence against women, engaging in the NUS national strategy against lad culture and to make a public commitment to investigate when students report sexual harassment and assault.

Students’ unions are being encouraged to take part in the campaign by organising consent workshops, poster making, photo projects, spoken word readings and fundraising events in order to help raise awareness.

NUS research from September 2014 found that one in four students have been victims of unwelcome sexual advances in the form of inappropriate touching or groping.

Susuana Antubam, NUS Women’s Officer, said: “Our research has consistently shown

Union news round-up

Only 5% of young people who had completed a trade apprenticeship were out of work. Apprenticeships have become a popular policy for all the three main political parties as a solution to youth employment with the number of apprenticeships available doubling since 2009. However, David Cameron has previously stated that these apprenticeships are funded through cuts to welfare benefits and services. Teresa Frith, representative of The Association of Colleges condemned the government’s proposal to create three million new apprenticeships by saying “apprenticeships should be about providing worthwhile training, not hitting Whitehall targets”.

However it is not all doom and gloom for students, with 60% of those unemployed being non-graduates, students are still better off with a degree. Furthermore, on average graduates earn 52% more than non-graduates.

However with £9,000 tuition fees and cuts to high education budgets, only time will tell if the new funding system will be beneficial in the long run.

CD Annex will no longer be used Dan Falvey News editor Chancellor’s Drive Annex will no longer be available as a bookable space from January next year as the university makes room for further building development.

Plans for as to when the temporary building will be completely closed and removed are currently being discussed. At present it is believed that no seminars for the second semester of the year have been booked in the building meaning the removal of temporary structure could take place at some point over the next few months.

Following the closure, the university plans to construct new buildings on site to relieve pressure on other spaces currently in use around the university site.

At its meeting this week (11th December) Union Council will hold an open discussion on the issue of inviting Ukip to campus, after a campus-wide debate over the issue led to a planned event with a local Ukip candidate being postponed. Chris Jarvis, Campaigns & Democracy Officer at UUEAS, told members of the Union Council 2014–15 Facebook group that: “I am...aware that a number of you are thinking about writing and submitting motions on the subject [of Ukip] for debate a week on Thursday.

“We have discussed this as a Full-Time Officer team and we are really keen to ensure that we hear your views and learn lessons.

We also think a formal motion debate is likely to constrain the discussion and make it harder to hear views and learn lessons.

“As a result, I am proposing to Sam Lane as Chair that there is a formative, open discussion on the issue at Council without any motions at this stage. This will ensure that we are able to get the bottom of the issue and consider carefully any changes we need to make to policies or procedures, which can go to the January meeting of Council”.

Rooster Teeth Society to be voted on after claims of misogyny On 11th December, union councillors will be asked to accept or reject a proposal for a “Rooster Teeth Society”, a group which aims to bring together fans of the media production company Rooster Teeth. The society was initially proposed at the last meeting of Union Council, but after some union councillors accused the Rooster Teeth company of misogyny and homophobia, councillors voted to delay discussing the society until the next meeting. Critics pointed to videos that allegedly showed Rooster Teeth employees sexually harassing women, arguing that UUEAS should not be endorsing such groups.

In a report submitted to Council by the society’s equalities and diversities officer, the Rooster Teeth Society says that accusations of misogyny and homophobia were “untrue...

A little research into the members of Rooster Teeth and anyone can see that”.

Union Council is the representative body of the UUEAS. It decides policy and holds student union officers to account.

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News

George Osborne announces £10,000 loans for postgrad students in autumn statement In the autumn statement, delivered on Wednesday 3rd December, George Osborne outlined the government’s plans to introduce a postgraduate loans system of up to £10,000.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer outlined his plans which, he claimed, would “revolutionise” access to postgraduate courses, in his statement to the House of Commons. He also announced the coalition’s spending plans for the NHS and changes to the personal tax allowance.

The loans system is due to come into place for the academic year 2016–17. All undergraduate students due to finish their course at the end of the next academic year will be able to start studying for a master’s qualification, paid for by a governmentbacked loan, the September following their graduation.

40,000 students are set to benefit from the government’s announcement and a total of

40000

£60bn worth of cuts yet to come >> 1million public sector jobs to go by 2020 >> 25% tax on UK profits moved abroad >> £93bn budget deficit this year >> 1.7% GDP growth in 2013 >>

Dan Falvey News editor

The number of extra students expected to benefit from the new loans system.

10,000 extra students are expected to continue studying at university post-graduation.

However, the loans will only be available to those students under the age of 30, causing concern that the system is discriminatory against mature students.

Following his announcement, the Treasury issued a statement outlining that consultation would take place on the planned loans system before its implementation: “The loans are designed so that, on average, individuals will repay in full, in recognition of the high private return to individuals, but they will beat commercial rates. The government will consult on the detail and will confirm the delivery plan”.

Megan Dunn, the National Union of Students’ Vice President, expressed her delight at the announcement: “NUS and students’ unions have been persistent in calling for financial barriers to be removed from access to postgraduate study, and today’s announcement is a major step in the right direction”.

She went on to say: “Creating a government-backed postgraduate loans scheme will make a fundamental difference to the lives and opportunities of students.

Many postgraduates are currently funding their study through potentially disastrous measures such as credit cards, overdrafts and personal loans”.

Photo: Huffingtonpost.com

O ANALYSIS Dan Falvey looks at what the autumn statement means for students.

sborne started the autumn statement by reminding the House of Commons what the government had achieved since they came to office in 2010. With the statement being the last major economic announcement for the government before the next general election on May 7th next year, Osborne was keen to inform the public that the last four and a half years have been an economic success.

One of the points he was keen to push was that this year an extra 500,000 new jobs have been created, with 85% of them being full-time positions. He also highlighted that unemployment is due to fall to 5.4% in 2015.

The news is likely to be welcomed by many students worrying whether they will

be able to find a job when they graduate.

However, as Concrete reports on page five, up to one in seven graduates still face the possibility of being unemployed when they leave university.

Therefore, while students are likely to welcome the decrease in unemployment figures, many may feel that the number of graduates facing unemployment is still far too high.

Any students who have brought a car to university will be glad to hear that Fuel Duty has been frozen in 2015. Paying the costs of petrol can quickly eat into a student’s budget; the announcement that the government will not be increasing fuel tax will mean that petrol prices should not

rise too steeply next year.

However, the announcement of a postgraduate loans system will, by far be the news in the Chancellor’s statement that pleases students most. The NUS has been campaigning over the last four years for an introduction of such a loans system, claiming that the present set up only helps the rich who can afford the high cost of post-graduation tuition.

Given the unpopularity of the £9,000 tuition fees, brought in when the government took office in 2010, the introduction of a loans system for those studying for a master’s degree is likely to be an attempt to regain students’ support in next May’s general election.

News

5

UEA students join day of action for free education Elliot Folan News editor Students at UEA joined a march and “debt in” on campus last week, as part of a national day of action to push for the abolition of tuition fees. Carrying red boxes to symbolise the weight of student debt, protesters marched through campus shouting chants that called for free education and an accessible education system. The protest finished with a “debt in”, where students laid on the ground and pretended to be crushed by the weight of student debt.

The protest was followed by an open meeting of Defend Education UEA, the group that organised the demonstration. Students debated what the group should be demanding, as well as the tactics that the group might use to achieve its goals.

The protest follows Union Council’s vote earlier this term to back free education by a vote of 75 to 8, as well as a recent national demonstration for free education in London which was attended by 10,000 students.

The national day of action on free education saw 20 campuses take part in direct actions such as sit-ins, debt-ins and occupations.

Students at King’s College London, the University of Manchester, the University of Lancaster, the University of Sheffield. and the University of Warwick all took part in occupations and sit-ins. Students also held a sit-in protest at the offices of Universities UK. However, the day was marked by an aggressive police response at Warwick, where a sit-in to discuss free education was met with tear gas, tasers and three arrests.

These police tactics were condemned by the National Campaign Against Fees And Cuts

UEA affiliates to workers’ rights monitor Amy Rust News reporter After a four-year campaign, the University of East Anglia has affiliated to the Workers’ Rights Consortium (WRC).

The WRC is a labour-monitoring organisation that looks at the supply chains for universities’ garment procurement. It currently has over 175 University affiliates worldwide. The WRC conducts independent investigations in factories, reporting on working conditions and passing along the information to universities. Large-scale catastrophes such as the Rana Plaza factory collapse have brought the working conditions for those who often have no other choice into the limelight. This means there will now be more transparency regarding where

(NCAFC) as “brutal”. The use of tasers is apparently unprecedented on a campus. 1,000 students attended a “cops off campus” protest at Warwick the next day, which was followed by students occupying another building in protest at police tactics.

Beth Redmond, from NCAFC, said: “The widespread action today has shown that

UEA garments are made and under what conditions.

The university can now use its new information to put pressure on those companies which still use sweatshops and lobby to improve working conditions.

Over the years, on campus activity has included lobbying the university and a nearnaked protest in the square (pictured below), which was organised by People and Planet, all aiming to put pressure on the university.

Chris Jarvis, Campaigns and Democracy Officer at the Union of UEA Students, spoke to Concrete about his enthusiasm regarding the new contract. He said: “Three years ago, I marched through campus wearing nothing but a cardboard box with 60 other students to stand in solidarity with garment workers in the Global South. This was part of a mass campaign that has spanned four years to pressure the university to go sweatshop free.

“I’m thrilled that UEA has taken this step and has affiliated to the WRC, which allows us to clean up our supply chains and ensure workers’ rights are entrenched into the University’s procurement!”.

The university will now be working to ensure its code of conduct meets the WRC requirements at every level.

the movement for free education has really kicked off. We expect the local days of action on Saturday to be even bigger and we will not be scared off by police and university repression”.

As of Sunday 7th December, occupations were still ongoing at Manchester, Lancaster Sheffield and Warwick.

Photo: Godot13, Wikimedia

Skateboard ban proposal withdrawn by Norwich council Ned Samuel News reporter

Photo: People and Planet

Students taking part in a ‘debt in’ in the Hive in protest against levels of student debt. The event was part of a national day of action for free education and was preceded by a march through campus. Photo: Cadi Cliff

Following a protest outside City Hall and an online petition that reached 6,800 signatures decrying the measure, Norwich City Council has decided to drop a proposed skateboarding ban in the city centre.

The ban, which was intended to cover the area around the Forum, the market and City Hall – initial plans suggested the ban should encompass an even wider area – was put forward by council bosses in light of damage done to stonework on the war memorial. It

was claimed that the damage was the result of skate boarding.

The council is now undertaking a 12week consultation over whether to introduce a Public Space Protection Order to the War Memorial and Memorial Gardens.

This policy will allow them to give fines to people engaging in anti-social behaviour, including damaging the memorial, in that area.

Some people who are against the ban, including Green Party councillor Sandra Bögelein, have raised concerns with this, worrying it may still be heavy-handed, and are continuing their contact with the council.

6

Global

T

he US-led coalition took on its ‘advisory’ role against the Islamic State (Isis) in July.

As we enter December, the total number of airstrikes against militants has passed 1,000, with an estimated 2,000 militants killed and a tenth of that again in civilian losses. Yet despite the “heavy toll” that, according to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, the group has suffered, the war – in its current form – will still take years to resolve.

And now things are getting more awkward.

In recent days, footage has emerged of Iranian F4 Phantom jets performing airstrikes of their own against Isis strongholds. Iran has been a keen supporter of Iraq’s Shia government, but the US categorically refuses to cooperate with Iran on any matters, let alone a military one; they have done ever since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. And questions continue to be raised against US policy in the area, as they seemingly have no problem in coordinating their efforts with those of Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad.

Indeed, the Syrian civil war is close to completion, with only a few isolated areas still in rebel hands. The government, it seems, has won, and now Al-Assad has seamlessly turned the war against his own rebels into the war against Isis, both to drive all opposition out of his territory, and to earn himself some brownie points with currently disillusioned Western governments. At the same time, the US has accused Turkey of directly aiding Isis by supplying them with arms and munitions, as well as allowing volunteers to cross their border to join the fight, allegations which Turkey strongly denies.

The situation in the Middle East has transcended a war against an apparently ‘illegal’ state, which controls an area with a population of some eight million. Instead, it has become a diplomatic minefield, with the US at the centre of attention. If the US continues to pursue a hypocritical and generally nonsensical policy in its dealings with Middle Eastern nations, it may well begin to find its credibility at the head of Nato damaged. If it can play its cards right, however, it can secure strong bonds in countries that it has done little but harm in the past two decades.

Isis, however, remains unperturbed. More videos of beheadings emerge. More and more recruits flock to join their ranks – although these numbers are dwindling with the futility of their cause becoming more and more apparent. Despite claims that key figures in the organisation have been killed, they do not seem to lose morale, and fighting is as fierce as ever. Unless the coalition takes the next step seriously and decides to deploy troops in an active role, the illegal Islamic nation will continue to exist for some time.

It raises the question, then, of what would

Around the world: Christmas in different cultures Joanne Sursas Global writer Christmas originally, is an annual religious and cultural holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. However this tradition has now become a huge economic celebration of gift giving accompanied with the traditional roast turkey for friends and family to gather around while singing Christmas carols. That is pretty much how Christmas is celebrated in England but how does the rest of the world celebrate Christmas?

Speaking of advertising becoming

No silent nights in Iraq Photo: Channel 4

Global editor, Oliver Hughes, looks again at the situation in the Middle East

“When this conflict is resolved, should Kurdistan be formally recognised?”

successful, families in Japan get dressed up early in the morning on Christmas day to head out for some Kentucky Fried Chicken.

This is all because of the “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974. Ever since, buckets of Christmas chicken are being sold to the Japanese since turkey is meat you can’t find in Japan.

Another unusual delicacy that is being enjoyed on Christmas day is deep-fried caterpillars by the South Africans. They have known to practice this tradition for years as well.

Christmas is also known to be a celebration full of life. However, on the morning of Christmas day, people in Portugal have a customary feast called ‘consoda’ where not only does the family get together to eat but also dead people are invited. Extra places are arranged and food is offered to the departed.

Similarly, families in Finland usually visit the graves of their ancestors and relatives on Christmas Eve to light candles in memory of the departed. Even those who don’t have their relation’s graves nearby visit cemeteries to place candles in honor of their family

happen if a full military mission did take place, with dozens of Nato nations deploying in force to the area. Would there be a series of pitched battles over key strongholds, whereupon the brave coalition overwhelm with their superior numbers and technology? Not likely. Instead, one would see a situation like we did in Afghanistan, where the enemy simply melted into the countryside and a period of guerrilla warfare ensued, which is still unresolved; the UK and US departure from Afghanistan was marked by the sounds of renewed fighting with the Taliban.

And what of Kurdistan? Another unofficial, unrecognised state, consisting of Kurds from Turkey, Syria and Iraq, locked in fierce combat with Islamic militants, suffering airstrikes. When this conflict is resolved, should their state be formally recognised and allowed to exist as a new nation in the Levant? Would that not raise the question,

to Isis supporters, of “why them and not us”?

Acts of barbarism are a convincing reason for some, but not every one of their supporters is a barbarian. If Iraq, Syria and Turkey decide to fight the Kurds afterwards as the Kurds lay claim to their territory, much like Isis does, would the US turn the coalition against Kurdistan as well? Is support of dictators like Al-Assad and fighting against the principle of self-determination the only way to maintain an element of stability in the region?

We may not see a resolution to this conflict and answers to these questions for many years. As the people living under Isis enter their first Christmas, one has to hope that an end with as little bloodshed as possible can come sooner rather than later. It is difficult for us to imagine celebrating Christmas with a fear of an airstrike looming overhead – or indeed, being told we are not allowed to celebrate it at all.

members entombed somewhere else. Hence, on Christmas Eve, cemeteries would be lit up with candles presenting an astounding view.

In Italy, rather than Santa Claus, the children await the arrival of Befana, a goodnatured witch who delivers confectionary and toys on 5th January. Similarly, on Christmas Eve in Norway, all the brooms in the houses are hidden because long ago it was believed

Christmas morning touched the web streaks, they magically transformed into gold and silver and the family was never poor again.

Hence, it is believed that seeing a spider web on Christmas morning brings luck.

In India, because it is hard to find fir trees or pine trees to decorate, they usually make do with banana trees and mango trees instead.

Children can be sneaky when it comes to Christmas Day. As the saying goes, they are not allowed to open up their present until its Christmas D ay.

On the second Sunday before Christmas, children in the former Yugoslavia tie their unknowing mother’s feet to a chair and proceed to chant ‘Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day, what will you pay to get away?’ She then proceeds to give them presents. Children then repeat this trick on their father the following week to get more presents. In Germany, parents hide a pickle in the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and the first child to find it receives a small gift.

No matter how you are celebrating (or not celebrating at all) this year, we hope you have a very enjoyable holiday, and we will see you in the New Year.

“Families in Finland usually visit the graves of their ancestors” that witches came out on Christmas Eve and would steal their brooms for riding which meant no cleaning was done.

In Ukraine, instead of glittering ornaments and tinsel, Christmas trees are covered with artificial spiders and cobwebs. According to local folk tradition, there was a poor woman whose family could not afford to decorate their Christmas tree. But the following dawn, her children woke up to see the tree covered with webs and when the first light of

C OMMENT The future of education: in the hands of the many or the few?

Brett Mottram looks at the more sickly elements of the festive season Page 8

funded, ran by ‘education experts’ as opposed to businesses or politicians. Teachers are wellpaid, well-qualified, and well-regarded. And crucially, children of all aptitudes are taught in classes together, rather than segregated. Yet, Finnish students consistently rank amongst the top in maths, science, and literacy internationally.

Jodie Collins Concrete columnist

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ecently, Tristram Hunt, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, announced that if elected, Labour will introduce a School Partnership Standard which would require all private schools “to form genuine and accountable partnerships with state schools”. Hunt wants to see “more private schools running summer schools, sponsoring academies, assisting state boarding schools and assisting professional exchange”. But if the Labour Party was really truly interested in improving education and social mobility, which has been on a downwards spiral for decades now, they’d be abolishing private schools.

The argument to abolish private education is often met with a peculiar outrage, and is often seen as controversial. The most common rebuttal that I have encountered is that this would merely stunt the achievement of the most ‘talented’ students, that it would simply bring all students down to the same level of mediocrity. This is not only snobbish, but entirely wrong. Families who can afford the average annual private school tuition fees of £12,000, with some upwards of £30,000 per annum, are already ahead of the game.

Even if they opted to save their money and sent their child to a state, or academy run comprehensive, they could easily afford extra resources and tuition so help their children to thrive.

Meanwhile, the poorest students who cannot afford this extra tuition would benefit the most from the vast resources that private schools offer. This idea that private schools are necessary to provide for the ‘brightest’ or ‘most talented’ students is a self-fulfilling prophecy, because the ones with access to

F

urthermore, Finland is getting more for its money: public expenditure per pupil as a percentage of GDP per capita is 5% less in Finland than in Britain. Tristram Hunt’s proposed scheme simply reinforces the patronising ideology of the wealthy coming

“Given that Hunt was, himself privatelyeducated, it is no surprise that he is so out-of-touch”

Photo: Telegraph.co.uk more support will, of course, be more likely to thrive; yet we will so rarely see the realised potential of a student deprived of that support.

When it comes down to it, private schools are not about education. They’re about the wealthy’s pathological aversion to their children mixing with working-class children. They’re about young elites mixing with the right ‘type’ of people and fostering self conviction and authoritativeness to create

future leaders. What’s worse is that it works; according to the 2012 Stutton Trust report, 71% of the UK’s “leading people” – which equates to only 7% of the population – attend these schools attended either an independent school or grammar school.

If we want an image of what the abolition of private schools could do for our education system, look no further than Finland. The Finnish education system is entirely state-

to ‘guide’ the poor from their supposed ignorance and inadequacy. Yet it is truly the privately-educated who live in ignorance, sheltered from lives of the masses, with a skewed perception of society.

So, given that Hunt was himself privatelyeducated, its no surprise that he is so out-oftouch with what state school student needs.

But of course, no party has any interest in abolishing independent schools, since they are key in fostering their own political class.

We need to put an end to this belief that some are more entitled to better chances in life than others based entirely on the lucky-dip of birth. We should demand a high standard of education for all. The existence of private education is a bastion of our class-based society, and its abolition would be a positive step towards improved social mobility, and a more prosperous society in general.

Band Aid: when did we get cynical about charity?

Caitlin Doherty examines the recent Band Aid 30 release, and argues that, despite its pitfalls, it’s message is one of good intentions and we should support the campaign anyway.

I

t’s here, it is come once more and yet again we are all dutifully bound to “Let them know it’s Christmas time again”. Band Aid 30 is upon us. On 17th November, for the fourth time in its history, Band Aid bounced back into our lives onto our radio waves, and was met with the usual celebrity hysteria.

However, despite Bob Geldof swearing on television, he shouldn’t have anything to worry about; with £1 million raised on the opening day alone it looks like people are going to giving him all of their “fucking money”.

Originally released in 1984 and then again in 2004 Do They Know Its Christmas is perhaps one of the most iconic Christmas songs in Britain, so it is unsurprising that it bounced back into our lives and onto our radio waves for the third time on 17th November, a celebration of Geldof’s 30 years of feeding the world.

Filled with the volunteered vocal tones of the stars of the moment, the talents of Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Emeli Sandé and Bastille among many other Platinum sellers have ensured that once again Geldof and his band of Merry Christmas Men are sitting pretty at number one, and probably will still be there come 25th December. However, this time around there is one crucial difference.

Instead of utilising the profits of the celebrity sing-a-thon to try and battle worldwide famine, Geldof, this time, has turned his attentions towards the Ebola crisis currently wreaking havoc across areas of Western Africa.

Unsurprisingly, as has been true of anything of any slight interest to the general public in recent years, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, British news channels and international news channels, erupted. I’m pretty sure somebody even talked about this on MySpace. Predictably, a large proportion of the keyboard warriors appeared unimpressed, some might even say offended,

by Geldof’s recent attempt at Christmas chart domination.

Many argue that the lyrics, which have been altered this time around, convey an ignorant misconception of how many countries actually need our help, whilst also making the whole disease sound much less dangerous than it actually is. Bono’s famous emotive lyric, this time altered to ‘reaching out and touching you’, has been judged as insensitive due to the fact that this is a disease contracted by personal contact which exposes people to contaminated bodily fluids.

Perhaps more controversially, many of the stars that contributed to the single, including

One Direction, are known to have partially or wholly avoided paying various taxes. Surely, some have argued, they should donate some of their owed millions, rather than convincing others to donate a miniscule pound.

To begin with, it is perhaps hard not to succumb to the cynicism, but upon reflection to do so is to forget the people at the heart of any type of charitable campaigning; those in need. These artists invited to sing by Sir Bob have guaranteed much needed funds will be raised, the evidence of this is quite clear; £1m in the first day was incredible. Is that not what Band Aid was all about?

Western nations are in a position whereby we can afford to be critical of charity, we are not in desperate need of financial or medical help. Have you ever thought about how ridiculous being critical of charity sounds?

All that should matter here is that those in need are receiving the help that they deserve; the resources and skills necessary to fight the disease and preserve life.

We are losing sight of the aims and principles of Band Aid. The most important thing is the aid, the band should always be of secondary importance, and as long as the ‘band’ are encouraging people to give, and the aid is getting to those in need then Band Aid will always be alright by me.

Bono, saving the world one power ballad at a time Photo: Wikipedia, Antonio Cruz/ABr

8 Comment What will it take for there to be Why did we let Christmas a turning point over Ferguson? become so detached from the rest of the year?

Ellen Musgrove Comment columnist

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t is tragically fitting that the week preceding the Ferguson grand jury’s decision ended with a police officer fatally shooting a 12-year-old black child in Ohio.

Tamir Rice was playing with a fake gun when police reacted to an emergency services call by descending on the scene and shooting the boy twice when he reached for his ‘weapon.’

Rice might have survived, but all police officers present refused to perform first aid.

This is just one of the 14 shootings of teenage civilians by US police since Mike Brown’s death this summer. During this time, huge protests have taken place in Ferguson, and across the US, to condemn this incident and the institutional racism it represents.

Mainstream media outlets have, of course, focused on the violent behaviour of a few individuals and neglected to focus on the wider, peaceful, and much-needed Hands Up, Don’t Shoot movement.

On 24th November the Ferguson grand jury announced it would not indict Darren Wilson. The biggest protests yet followed this ruling, a reaction which becomes all the more

“America seems to be able to acknowledge racism only if it occurs in a historical document” understandable after examining the grand jury content. Many legal experts have noted the grand jury’s unusual and troubling nature, and highlighted the defensive framing of its verdict’s announcement by St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch. A grand jury is supposed to be an examination only of the case for making a charge, and not a two-sided dispute as with a trial.

This grand jury, however, was not only presented with exculpatory evidence but included a testimony by Wilson himself.

It is extremely unusual for a grand jury to rule against indictment. Moreover, the evidence for indictment based upon witness statements and Brown’s autopsy blatantly oppose Wilson’s claim that he had reasonable cause to fear for his life, and therefore to use lethal force. The grand jury details are

W

hen Emily Thornberry collapsed into bed the other week she had just resigned from her post as Shadow Attorney General. She hadn’t expected to when she started the day but by 3.15pm her opposition career had come to a shuddering end. From tweet to resignation, took a little over seven hours.

Little did she know that a quick snap, a picture of a house with three English flags over the entrance and a white van parked in the drive, accompanied by three seemingly innocuous words, “Image from #Rochester”, uploaded onto twitter, would cause such a fuss.

What was the offending image? However the faint hint of snobbery was immediately smelt and vilified. Macclesfield UKIP secretary, Frank Fisher saw right through the confusion that had led her followers to comment “is your phone just randomly taking pictures by itself and tweeting them?”

“I wish the revolting snob had posted this yesterday”, lambasted Fisher and the British media dogs. They systematically constructed a story of a ‘wealthy, snobbish’ labour MP, based on her seat in Islington, who mocked an obviously patriotic English citizen. A story

available online, and I would strongly suggest examining these yourself.

Obama, whose presidency is widely upheld as a sacred symbol of the ‘post-racial society’ myth, has remained rather quiet on these affairs. His speech after the grand jury’s announcement was a fairly limp affair in which he supported the verdict and joined with Brown’s parents in warning against anything other than peaceful protest.

It is of course politically advisable that he remain neutral on these matters; there was much speculation on the appropriateness of his expression of human sympathy for Trayvon Martin after his murder by George Zimmerman in 2012. He has since called for these issues to remain topics of consideration, and has met with civil rights groups in a move which Reverend Al Sharpton attended and described as promising, but warned against them being an isolated occurrence. It seems that there is a danger of the government focusing on this issue as purely a problem in the police/community relationship, and once again overlooking the fact that the events in Ferguson are symptomatic of an institutional, pan-social process of oppression.

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any have called for a rational response in Ferguson to these horrific events. Given that scientifically and anthropologically race within humanity does not exist, surely a ‘rational’ society would not so fundamentally rely on the discrimination of any ‘racial’ group. I am not sure I can take seriously the leaders of such a society telling those who are systematically and violently oppressed to retain a sense of decorum. I do not condone violence, but nor can I condemn some of the protestors for channelling their anger into destruction. After all, in the words of Martin Luther King “a riot is the language of the unheard”. I would like these cool-ascucumber politicians to spend a full year at the receiving end of individual and institutional racism, then multiply this by all the years they have lived, and still tell these protesters to keep their heads.

America seems able to acknowledge the atrocity of racism only if it occurs in a historical document. This is no accident; wilful blindness is endemic in a country built brickfor-brick on hypocrisy. I hope however that this is the final straw, and that the blindfold might soon be lifted – or if necessary burned away – by the fallout of Ferguson.

Brett Mottram Comment columnist

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ts easy to be ambivalent about Christmas.

It can be heart-warming to be with friends and family, curled up watching TV while the weather outside tries to do a feeble impersonation of its Polar cousins. Yet shouldn’t this togetherness happen anyway, as long you have good friends and family? The idea of ‘the season of goodwill to all men’ and the pressure to be especially kind because it’s Christmas, seems to miss the point. Morality is not confined to a particular season, let alone to a particular month, or week, or technically day, of that season. This is just one illustration of how unexamined the practices of this winter festival are.

Tom Lehrer, a mathematician-turnedsatirist, expresses this first objection to Christmas, while adumbrating many others, in his Christmas Carol. ‘Your fellow man you must adore’ states the compulsory love which is at the heart of all religions, and is therefore implied in the ‘true meaning of Christmas’, the birth of the lauded human sacrifice-to-be after whom the festival and this particular religion are named, but Lehrer points out other things, too. Drag out the Dickens highlights the extraordinary fact that every year there are innumerable productions of A Christmas Carol on TV, though, to be honest, its hard to hate all of them, while Kill the Turkeys, Ducks and Chickens brings to the fore the more macabre side of the dinner table, though, again, with the exception of the ducks, deep down its hard to regret this either.

Moving to more serious matters, the giving of feeble gifts is unforgivable. Again, Lehrer is on the point: “Relations, sparing no expensel, send some useless old utensil; or a matching pen and pencil: ‘Just the thing I need… How nice’ “. “Sentiment will”, indeed, “not endear it”. From here, he proceeds to parody the commercialisation that is more generally criticised as being antagonistic to the true, deep, spiritual meaning of this time of year: too often with gifts, “what’s important is the price”.

The misunderstood history of Christmas can also be frustrating. As everyone must surely know, there were pagan winter solstice

The dangers of pre-judicial tendencies in the media Chris Donaldson looks at the resignation of Emily Thornberry, and questions the role the media played. so significant it swept aside any mention of the UKIP’s by-election win over the Tories in Rochester and Strood, scoring a very embarrassing own goal.

Someone tweeted another photo originally posted by Thornberry of a similar house, wrapped in English Flags in 2012. Her words back then were, ‘Wow great house in Lidney Rd” filled with no disdain, and yet, this display of an obvious lack of disgust was not enough to put right the wrong. Thornberry apologised for any offence caused, but the damage had already been done. The Conservatives, as

should have been expected, rounded on a wounded animal. Eric Pickles, and even the PM, chimed in calling it “completely

“Twitter is not a democracy and neither is the majority of the British press” appalling” and showed that the Labour party was “sneering at people who work hard, are patriotic and love their country”.

feasts before Christianity, which were taken over by the new religion in order to ease the transition in these societies. Elements of Christmas today can be traced back to these forerunners: merrymaking and gift-giving came from the Roman Saturnalia, while the greenery and Yule logs originated in Germany.

None of these elements are in my opinion harmful; the German Market that comes to Birmingham every December is always a multi sensory delight to those of us from the Midlands, and has given me immense pleasure, the pagan beliefs and associations have gone, and you can enjoy the decorations and experience for what they are. But the Christian religiosity and talk of ‘true meanings’, mostly on the wane, seems to recrudesce during this time of year, when instead it should be dropped altogether.

Then there’s Christmas music. Unless the songs are like Lehrer’s – or Eric Idle’s, which are also worth a listen – they seem dulled by repetition. In shopping centres especially, it’s always the same playlist, as Peter Kay – sorry, Geraldine McQueen sang – “Over and over and over again”. While few of the tracks are really awful, with perhaps The Little Drummer Boy, Mistletoe and Wine and Stay Another Day being the exception to the rule, they soon plunge you into a sort of timeless, fugue state.

The few excellent ones are often the least cheery: for example, Fairytale of New York.

So really, what are we left with on the “Positive or Enjoyable or Generally Good Things About Christmas List’” Definitely the varied and indulgent smorgasbord of food and drink is at the top.

On greater reflection, this is probably the best thing about Christmas, or maybe we should return to the first image; of spending time with loved ones and enjoying their company. Actually, forget the 25th December – maybe we should extend this Photo: kinder, secular ‘spirit of Wikimedia, Christmas’ into the whole Associated year.

Students, UCLA Ed, in all his wisdom cowed to the pressure of the media dogs, evidently angry at the media diversion from the Tories’ defeat to UKIP and it was ‘decided’ that Ms Thornberry should subsequently step down. So a victory for democracy, right? Emily, tarred and feathered, stood trial for being a snob, with an act, evidently foolish but nothing compared to the vitriolic attacks that followed. How often do we hear of Conservative MPs blatantly criticising the working classes?

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witter is not a democracy and neither is the majority of the British press. They run with stories that favour their political agenda, and sell as many copies as they can, as they always have done. The tilt of the mainstream media towards the conservatives has gotten out of control. This story would never have received the same coverage if Thornberry was a Tory. So another female MP loses her position and the media hounds bound away cackling over the remnants of their meal, while we gaze upon the scene with apathy and disgust wondering if the political influence in the hands of the few will ever decrease.

FEATURES

Do you think you’re clever enough for the dreaming spires? Lydia Tewkesbury explores... Page 10

Christmas and consumerism: filling our hearts and emptying our pockets

Alice Mortimer looks at the John Lewis Christmas advertisment and the effect it has on our wallets.

It’s not Christmas until the John Lewis advert is on our screens. Actually, it’s not even Christmas even when it is on our screens, it’s only just been Halloween – but the point still stands. This year’s sees a young boy and his friendship with a love-struck penguin on the run up to Christmas, who we realise is just a figment of his imagination when he buys his cuddly penguin, a cuddly penguin girlfriend, bless. The soundtrack is a cover version of John Lennon’s Real Love, performed by Tom Odell, who to be quite honest could sing about sausage rolls and I’d still be wailing.

The ad was always going to be popular and a viral success on YouTube upon release, which it is year after year, with this year’s advert gaining over 10.5 million hits on YouTube only four days after its release. After all, a cute young boy in a bobble hat and an adorable animated animal was always a recipe for success; at least one of the two the company seem to churn out each year without anyone noticing that really, each advert is kind of the same. It always seems to involve the journey of said child or animal (or in the case of 2012, a snowman which moves without actually moving – seriously re-watch this, it’s odd and strangely sinister), and the ways in which they each discover that Christmas is about love and companionship.

The advert cleverly does not hint at the company’s name until the very end, where

Photo: Flickr; James E. Petts

Illustration: Christine Borgeat teary-eyed viewers are left with the reminder that the story is in fact just an advertisement (and then suddenly you realise you’re blubbering over your mum’s favourite shop).

Before the screen fades to white (obviously) and the name ‘John Lewis’ appears on the screen, we are invited to ‘give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of’ – so, buy them something good, essentially.

Don’t get me wrong, I get excited about the John Lewis advert as much as the next overly-emotional person, but it is rather contradictory – the advert tells a story about love, but really is referring to the material goods sold in their store. Although it is heartwarming seeing a penguin’s eyes light up at couple holding hands, they may as well light up at a designer frying pan because essentially, that’s the message. I am pretty sure no one explicitly says to themselves “let’s go to John Lewis, because I love that advert with the penguin”, but the hype surrounding it kind of makes you live and breathe John Lewis for a while – okay maybe not quite, but if the ad isn’t on telly, #MontyThePenguin is trending on Twitter, or people are sharing the YouTube video via Facebook; or, in my case, you and your friend find yourselves having a debate about whether the penguin is real (it took us a while to realise that it’s not, in case you were wondering, because no one looks twice at a penguin when it’s casually sat on the bus) – oh and hey, now you’re reading an article on it!

Also, the proof is in the stats. According to Amobee, an advertising technology company, John Lewis has seen a 903% increase in online purchases since the advert was released on 6th November. You can also buy your very own Monty the Penguin toy at the rather large price tag of £96, or £499, as people have since sold them on eBay after they had sold out in John Lewis.

I will leave you with this, in fact: someone has spent nearing your budget for an entire term at university, on a stuffed animal, after watching an advert. If that doesn’t show the sheer power of such advertisements on consumption, I don’t know what will!

Students and shopping: Christmas on a budget Becky Smith Features writer Every student knows that budgeting is a hard business, especially when it comes to Christmas. Most student loans have run out

by December, and the prospect of having to buy multiple gifts and cards can be a daunting one.

It’s important to set up a little budget plan.

Putting aside a set amount of money for a Christmas fund makes things immediately less stressful, and makes planning far easier for gifts, decorations and so on. Christmas shopping does not have to be yet another thing for the typical student to dread and stress about: Presents are going to be expensive Only get gifts for the people you really want or need to, like immediate family. In regards to friends, a secret santa arrangement can be an amusing and simple way to make sure everyone gets a gift.

are fortunately skilled with knitting, baking or other arty things, homemade presents are a wonderfully personal and economic option.

Cards and wrap Thirdly: cards. Cards can be really expensive to buy, especially if you have left it late.

However, there are quite a few places that do gorgeous card sets, giving you a good quantity and quality of cards for much less money than buying them individually.

Moreover, the extortionate price of wrapping paper can be an issue at Christmas.

Best to invest in a good roll of paper that you trust to cover all your wrapping duties.

Improvisation is also encouraged here: there is nothing wrong with using newspaper or plain brown paper with a cute ribbon or string to wrap up presents, call it quirky.

Festive finishing touches Finally, we often overlook Christmas decorations in budgeting. But it is the end of term, everyone has deadlines looming, and there is nothing more cheerful than Photo: Flickr, Tim Hamiltoin a bit of decorating. In student Quality over quantity accommodation, if everyone all puts When actually choosing presents on a in a little money it is relatively easy to get budget it is best to go for fewer, good quality a cheap fake tree, tinsel, or supplies to make gifts. If you have to spend a good chunk of your own paper chains. Christmas on a money on your friends and family you want budget is all about thinking skillfully. Only them to really appreciate their gifts. Ask buy cards and presents for those you really around for ideas and see what people actually want to, buy fewer gifts but make them better want for Christmas, and just buy them one quality. Think creatively, and just remember, thing you know they will really enjoy. If you no one expects too much from poor students.

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Features

So you think

you’re clever?

Photo: Wikimedia, Toby Ord Lydia Tewkesbury Features writer A book of interesting answers, Do You Still Think You’re Clever is a great secret Santa gift for the colleague or housemate you don’t know all that well. The book is John Farndon’s second collection of answers to some of the toughest questions to appear in the entrants interviews to Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Farndon’s mission statement is to get us all thinking. The title of the book itself, Farndon claims, is even an almost impossible question to answer. Based on an ‘unjustified presumption’ of a person once having thought they were clever, answering yes or no winds

up making you look stupid. If you say yes you’re foolish for thinking you’re still clever, and if you say no… well, the ramifications of that are obvious. The unsatisfactory answers to this first question however, are kind of misleading; as Farndon goes on to explain in the next 200 hundred-odd pages, most questions do in fact have a satisfying answer.

Farndon takes us through his explanations for questions such as: how would you poison someone without anybody finding out? (medicine), do you believe that statues can move, and how might this belief be justified? (for potential French and Spanish students, obviously) and was Shakespeare a rebel?

(English).

The answers are interesting but not exactly mind blowing. Some are logical to the

point of obviousness, and some simply aren’t answered at all (the statues question concludes that if you believe it moved, it moved). The book advertises itself as if the questions within are completely unanswerable, but it doesn’t appear that it would be that difficult to answer any of them with even a little bit of research.

The book also seems to lack direction.

There are no definitive sections, so questions about English follow answers about economics which follow answers about philosophy. Interesting as some of the answers are, this certainly isn’t a book you’re going to sit and read cover to cover so some direction toward the reader’s personal area of interest might encourage the easily bored to keep reading.

It seems perhaps that this book works

Enactus F BookFinder Mai Vi Dang Features writer BookFinder is an online second hand textbook store where students can sell and buy textbooks used for any subjects that they are studying at the University. Not only will this be an efficient and reliable way for students to exchange textbooks, it also offers them the chance to contribute to charitable projects in Norwich, run by Enactus UEA. Textbooks can be easily sold on the BookFinder website, where sellers can log in their details and the condition of their books. Students who wish to

“An effective and reliable way for students to exchange textbooks” purchase any books from the online store can pay online via PayPal. The Hive is the drop-off and collection point for all BookFinder orders.

With easy access, cheap prices, and no postal services, BookFinder is be a great alternative to trading books on Facebook groups, eBay, or Amazon.

A transaction fee will only be charged to sellers once their textbooks are sold.

Depending on the price of textbooks, fees will vary from £2 to £4 and all proceeds go towards funding for social enterprises dedicated to the lives of those in need in Norwich. Enactus UEA is one of over 50 teams from universities across the UK that work with local charities to create sustainable projects enabling disadvantaged members of society to change their lives in a meaningful way. Log on to ueabookfinder.co.uk for more information about the online textbook store.

riday 28th November 2014 saw the USA’s infamous post-Thanksgiving day of sales – Black Friday – make its proper debut on this side of the Atlantic after slowly being established in past years by online retailers. At its core, the idea of Black Friday isn’t that far removed from what we experience here in the UK after Christmas, with retailers offering discounts in an attempt to get us back into their stores immediately after dealing with the stressful rigmarole of Christmas shopping, to then part with more of our hard-earned cash. One would assume, as we deal with this aspect of the holiday season every year, there shouldn’t be anything too alarming about one more day of sales. One would assume.

In a fashion identical to its American counterpart, the stroke of midnight resembled the biblical day of reckoning. Police were called into stores across the country in order to break up disturbances and maintain a semblance of peace. A shopper in Stretford, Greater Manchester, reported to BBC News that, whilst shopping for food in a Tesco store on Thursday night, he suddenly witnessed “people climbing over shelves and displays, staff running for cover, fights breaking out, stock flying through air, people breaking through carrying televisions – and this was before the sale had even started”. Another shopper in Cardiff recounted “people were biting each other, pinching, punching, kicking – it was just absolutely horrendous.”

Nightmarish scenes like this were commonplace, putting strains on regional police around the UK. Perhaps the most troubling aspects of these accounts, however, lie in the fact that the violence did not do much to deter the hoards. An estimated £360,000 was spent per minute on credit cards alone.

Black Friday UK was, without any shadow of a doubt, a commercial success.

The most curious thing about Black Friday, however, is that we’ve accepted this consumerist call-to-arms despite the fact that Thanksgiving isn’t even celebrated in the UK. We all know full well that every holiday calls for massive amounts of over-spending, and

better as a group activity. Farndon says himself that in writing about these subjects he’s asking you to disagree with him, to debate on the reasons why Charlotte Brontë detested Jane Austen, or on whether you believe that a man putting marmalade on his egg in the morning should be grounds for divorce.

Whether or not the book is helpful to Oxbridge applicants is a question only they can answer, but it seems unlikely. A prospective maths student isn’t going to be interested in whether or not poetry should be easy to understand. As a model for thinking processes, the book surely has its uses but in terms of preparation for an actual Oxbridge interview its usefulness is doubtful. You’d be better off reading an actual book about your subject.

Photo: Wikimedia

Photo: Flickr; Peter Hilton

Black Friday: a nightmarish new Christmas tradition?

Murray Roy examines the chaos of Black Friday and asks whether it’s become a integral part of the Christmas season. that really it’s the retailers that benefit the most, but we accept that and we’re mostly okay with that. With Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween there is a reason to link up with friends and family, to come together in the spirit of community, to enjoy (or at least try to enjoy) each other’s company and, of course, to drink.

With a great proportion of the population’s concern over immigration, the resulting belief in the erosion of so-called ‘British values’, and electoral capital being gained by certain parties on this basis, it’s surprising that this whole event doesn’t arouse more suspicion. As we’ve seen with the events of our first proper Black Friday, not only have some of our dearest British values – queueawareness, passive aggression, and creating

the illusion of dignity – been less eroded more literally blown to pieces. But we’ve been convinced to take part in a holiday where at least pretending to be nice to people, and being rat-arsed by the mid afternoon, gets completely bypassed – instead we start at the point when we’re punching each other’s lights out to pay £30 less for an iPad. Whatever the significance of this event, the outlook is bleak. Could this be where society is headed, where decent, ordinary, well-mannered people lose their minds and any sense of civility simply because, on a day utterly meaningless to the people of this country, we are told to spend? One year in it is hard to tell, but no doubt, thanks to the enthusiasm to which Black Friday 2014 was met with, it is most certainly here to stay.

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12

Feat

The

CONCRETE CHRISTMAS TASTE TEST Mince pies Clockwise from above. The remains of an Aldi chocolate Father Christmas. Peter gets to grips with a One Direction advent calendar. The initially good bubbles of Tesco’s cava. Dan bravely bites into The Shop’s snowman friend. A flat mince pie. Photos: Will Cockram for Concrete

The general consensus seems to be that the mince pies from The Shop, while decent, had a poor filling-to-pastry ratio.

The pastry was good on its own, as was the filling. But there was too much of the former and not enough of the latter.

“Very flat” and “not enough filling”, said Will. Jodie was unimpressed with the flakiness and thought that there were “too many crumbs”, while Frances said that they looked too much like pancakes for her taste.

The mince pies from the Co-op were Mr Kipling. The label promised that they would prove “exceedingly merry”.

Unfortunately, that kind of characteristic is difficult to test gastronomically. But Peter and Geri both thought the pastry was “too crumbly” – Peter went as far as to indicate that eating it “needs a bib”. On the good side, though, Geri praised the “moist” quailty of the mincemeat; Peter remarked that it was “not too stodgy”.

Stollen bites Of the four shops that we went to (see right), stollen bites were only available from Aldi. So we can offer little by way of a meaningful comparison, but our reviewers were nevertheless much exercised by these small balls of fruitspeckled marzipan, mainly because it was assumed by many that they were, in fact, stolen. We can only assume that the allimportant second L was lost in translation somewhere along the line. Needless to say, Concrete is at pains to emphasise that all items sampled in this taste test were paid for or were otherwise legally acquired.

By and large, people wanted more fruit. “Lack of fruit”, or words to that effect, said Frances, Jacob and Dan. Will, however, was less mild in his disappointment: “Rich fruit?” he asks. “Bullshit. No fruit”. Harsh, perhaps, but the man’s entitled to his opinion.

Apart from that, though, there were good feels about these sweet little bites of German almond. Good sugar on top”, said Rob; Frances agreed, remarking that the balls were “nicely dusted”. “Very enjoyable”, said Dan, taking a more holistic view, while Cesca was pleased with the “full almond flavour”.

Our thoughts are with Jake, though. He was kind enough to sample our Christmas buffet in his own time, but it would appear that these small German morsels had a profund effect on him. “Redefined everything I thought I knew about marzipan”, he wrote. One is inevitably curious to find out just what he thought he knew, but alas, he does not divulge.

There was, however, one dissenting voice. Jack was unhappy – seriously unhappy. “These minature excrement cakes”, he commented, “are all full of horrible marzi-bollocks.

I wouldn’t recommend anyone else to steal these either” – again, for legal reasons, they really weren’t stolen. “Not worth the risk”.

Yule logs Your taste testers were generally impressed with the yule logs on offer: one from Aldi and one from Tesco. Peter thought that both were a little on the dry side, but that the Tesco log made up for it with a “more ample helping of filling”. Rob agreed that the Tesco filling was superior, and appears to have been pleased that the log didn’t “stick on the gums too long”. The Aldi log, he commented, was “stiffer”, leaving it up to the reader to work out whether or not this is a good thing.

Jacob preferred Aldi’s offering, saying that it was “much easier to eat lots of”. Will said the Aldi sponge was “disappointing” and the Tesco chocolate was “disappointing”, but concluded that Aldi’s interpretation of disappointment was the superior. Tom concurred, noting that Tesco’s offering was “not as good as Aldi”.

Jack’s still not happy. Of the Aldi log, he says: “the Easter Bunny dumped this out”. It seems that he could not bring himself to sample the Tesco product. Or recall the time of year.

Sparkling wine To alcohol, and a welcome departure from the starting blocks for Katy. If her notes are to be believed, she ate not one bite, but managed to drink plenty. It would appear, however, that she knows her stuff. The Tesco cava, though “sweet”, was nevertheless “palatable”, but she regrets that “the taste dies quickly on the tongue”. The Aldi moscato did not get off so lightly. “Tasted of sherbet”, her notes scream, “HOW?! A level of horridness Lambrini could only aspire to”. Ouch.

Jack was presumably still recovering from the disappointment of the stollen bites: he was deeply unimpressed by both wines. The moscato was “sugary Santa piss”, while the cava was “not-sugary Rudolph piss”. Alas, we are none the wiser as to whether the sweetness is desirable or not. Jodie found the cava to be, on balance, “very enjoyable”, although she was less enthusiastic about the aftertaste. Still, she thought that she could “get over it”.

Jacob and Peter were looking beyond the taste to the

Your taste testers were: Jacob Beebe, Cesca Burns, Will Cockram, Katy Daly, Rob Drury, Tom Etheridge, Dan-Dot Falvey, Ben Hinton

tures

13

A

t Concrete, we are committed to Christmas. We are also committed to the economy of student living. Granted, this may be more out of necessity than enthusiasm, but commitment it nonetheless is. And so, with the festive season at last upon us, we strong-arm our way into the world of consumer advice to taste-test a selection of Christmas comestibles. It’s a tough job, but hey: someone’s gotta step up to the plate... So relax, and let Concrete be your beacon in the befuddling world of the supermarket seasonal offers aisle. UEA: don’t say we never do anything for you.

entirety of the sparkling-wine experience. Jacob lamented the “disappointing corkage” of the moscato – the stopper was plastic – but was nonetheless pleased with the “satisfying pop” it made on release. The cava, in his view, was marked by an initially “good bubbliness” that, unfortunately, “dissipated too quickly”. Peter was of a similar opinion, criticising the “poor endurance” of both wines’ bubbles. Taste-wise, he found that the cava was “definitely quaffable”, but that the moscato was “too sweet – eew”.

Tom was alone in speaking up for the moscato, but it would appear that the otherwise poor reviews cowed him into silence. “Tastes like tropical fruit juice”, he said. “I kinda liked it but was too ashamed to say this out loud”.

Advent calenders A questionable impulse purchase from Aldi: the One Direction advent calender. There were not good feels. “Who knew that Liam Payne’s crotch would be so disappointing?” asked Tom. Peter was enchanted by how closely the chocolate behind Niall’s bum looked like an actual bum, but thought that it tasted “kinda shit”. Ben feared it was so bad that it “may kill me”. Geri was pretty weirded out by the whole concept and didn’t feel up to trying.

Mulled wine Once more unto the booze, dear friends, and we turn again to Katy, Concrete’s newly appointed sommelier-in-chief. A strange complaint to start us off: she unhappily notes that Tesco’s mulled wine is “too mulled”. But her opinion softened with time: “no complaints after a few glasses though”.

Ben left no tasting notes, although he did find the time to enquire whether it would “make my face fizzy?” Rob praised the “good flavour”, but Jacob branded it “barely sippable.

Tesco mulled wine”, he said, “tastes like suffering”.

Aldi’s glühwein fared markedly better. Frances gave it five out of five and was pleased to find that it “hits the back of the throat like a good mulled wine should”. Jodie noted sagely that it “tastes exactly like mulled wine”, perhaps not realising that glühwein and mulled wine are the same thing...

Ben said of the “not-Tesco mulled wine”: “very nice, all the tasty, yum”. Jacob, however, was blown away. “Amazing”, he wrote, “MORE!” Jack – and I sense a theme developing here – was unimpressed with what he flatly labelled “German Christmas juice”. He said: “I bet poverty tastes better”.

Sausage rolls Granted, sausage rolls are not an overtly seasonal delicacy – but, with public-service journalism at the forefront of our minds, we were keen to cast our net wide in our search for value-for-money this yuletide. These rolls came from Tesco.

Despite these lofty intentions, Jack wasn’t having any of it. “The poor flavour slips away half way down, making you realise that you’re eating a tourtured pig corpse loaded with salt and butter”. Yet, he gives them seven out of ten. Go figure.

Cesca wanted, quite simply, “more meat”. (Don’t make up your own jokes.) Will found the pastry to be “fluffy”, but gives the impression that this was not a good thing. And he said that the meat was “quite bland”. Ben was more scathing: “tastes like soap”, he said.

Miscellaneous goodies Some things defy categorisation. Such as the “snowman friend” we acquired from the union shop. What it was, we could not tell. What we do know is that it looked like a deflated duck on a soggy biscuit, and that it tasted bad. Really bad. Dan had to eat it because he was late and the rest of us were too scared. He wrote down no notes,presumably becuase revisiting the experience was too bad. UEA: you have been warned.

Ben was disappointed that the white chocolate coins were “not as metallic as real money”. Jake thought it tasted “like a headache”. Jack was unhappy that you “couldn’t use them to pay for better chocolate”. Sticking with chocolate, Chesca was upset that the Lindt bear was “decapitated on opening”. Jacob was more impressed, “amazeballs”, being his single comment. Of Aldi’s santa, Tom couldn’t eat “more than just his face”.

Will was the only one who fancied munching on the gingerbread man. “Good beard”, he said, but “poor hat”.

Taste-wise, it was quite simply “yum”.

Then people got a little carried away and started reviewing everything. Rob said of the Tesco napkins: “for a non-napkin person” – yes, that is actually how he sees himself – “they’re really rather good”. Cesca was happier still: “glorious”, she noted. “The contempory chic feel could easily match any table. Not sure why there’s a mushroom”. To paper plates, and Santa’s face. Jodie found said visage “warm and inviting.

I’d happily eat food off of it”. She warned that, while, the size was “wholly unsuitable for a full plate of Christmas dinner”, it was “perfect for festive snacking”. A good purchase for taste testing, then.

n, Frances McKeown, Jack Parker, Jake Reynolds, Geri Scott, Peter Sheehan and Jodie Snow. Words by Peter Sheehan

And your Christmas shops are... n editor-in-chief, a deputy editor, and Livewire1350’s head of daytime: how many senior members of the UEA Media Collective does it take to find mince pies in Tesco Fiveways?

More than that, it would appear. We searched and we searched, both in the bakery section and along the confectionary aisle, but to no avail.

Poor showing, Tesco. In the end, the said deputy was dispatched to the next-door Co-op.

Tesco Fiveways, we are sorry to say, has under-performed. Is it not an unwritten rule of latter-day Western capitalism that mince pies should be available to the carefree consumer from at least October? (It is also worth remembering that these convenience shops have a reputation for being on the pricey side.) So perhaps one should think carefully before doing the majority of one’s Christmas food shopping at a petrol station on the Earlham Road.

The Shop – formerly the gloriously named UFO – had a similarly poor selection. Now mince pies, though present, were in poor supply; there was no mulled wine to be seen; and the sparkling wine was far above the £5 price ceiling. What produce they did have was, shall we say, creative? Spicy Christmas muffin, anyone? And the less said about that snowman friend the better...

Aldi, on the other hand, is the Santa’s grotto of the student Christmas. They have aisles, people – entire aisles – devoted to all manner of trinkets, sweet-treats and festive drinks that you had no idea you wanted, less still that you needed, so badly. Mince pies? Check. Kitsch chocolate in a variety of family-friendly shapes?

Check. A bar’s worth of obscure German drinks?

Thrice check!

But Aldi’s main strength is its prices. The cheapest of the four shops that we visited, it is the only that can truly be described as student friendly. And nowhere else can you pick up a random selection of Eastern European delights for the sheer and whimsical delight of finding out what on Earth they are. Students, says Concrete, could do far worse than Christmas it up with a German discount supermarket.

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14

Science&Environment Treatment for muscular dystrophy developed Elliott Chapman Science&Environment writer

The Royal Navy nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard returns to its base at HMNB Clyde Photo: Flickr, Thomas McDonald

UEA to do naval research in the pirate waters of the Indian Ocean Peter Sheehan Deputy editor UEA’s Centre for Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences is to carry out research on bioluminescent phytoplankton – microscopic aquatic plants – in the Indian Ocean. The study, which is partly funded by the US Office of Naval Research, aims to find out more about

the processes that control the distribution of phytoplankton in the waters off the coast of Oman.

Each year, the monsoon winds stir up the near-shore waters and bring nutrients to the surface. This feeds large assemblages of phytoplankton, known as blooms. Some species are bioluminescent; others are highly toxic.

The geopolitics of the region makes research both important and challenging.

Heightened naval activity in response to the perceived threat from Iran has focused the attention of the world’s militaries on unanswered scientific questions.

Expensive submarines that carry antiradar technology become inconveniently visible when they sail through a bloom of glowing ocean plants. A more complete understanding of the processes that control the timing and location of photoplankton blooms would help submarines to keep out of

their way.

Toxic species, if carried close to the shore, can be hazardous to the health of coastal communities. They can also be poisonous to fish, so it is anticipated that the research will enable the Omani government to better manage fisheries.

Pirate activity in the region makes traditional cruises an unattractive option for conducting research. But UEA’s fleet of seagliders – unmanned submarine robots that can be piloted remotely – can explore these dangerous waters safely. They take measurements of, for example, temperature and oxygen concentration, in the top kilometre of the ocean and send the data back to UEA via satellite.

It is hoped that the use of this innovative technology will enable scientists here at UEA to safely explore important processes in one of the most dangerous and difficult-to-study regions of the ocean.

Alzheimer’s weak spot found in brain Caroline Little Science&Environment writer Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia afflicting the global population.

It is such a widespread disease that you would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know the symptoms associated with it – confusion, mood swings, language deterioration, and eventually long term memory loss. One of the main issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease is the difficulty of diagnosis. Often the early symptoms are missed, or attributed to aging and stress. However, scientists have found a possible region of the brain that may help diagnose those at risk earlier.

The Medical Research Council team, led by Dr Gwenaëlle Douaud of Oxford University, studied 484 brain scans of healthy volunteers between the ages of eight and 85.

These revealed a common pattern – that the parts of the brain that are the last to develop are the first to show age related deterioration.

The region most associated with this is the one that co-ordinates ‘higher order’ information.

This is the region of the brain that deals with co-ordinating the information from the five senses (although primarily sight and sound) in a way that means we can process it and make sense of our surroundings.

Interestingly, the same regions of the brain are implicated in schizophrenia. This provides evidence for a theory that some scientists have held for a while – that Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia may share common ground.

There are many possible clinical uses for this new information. One may be the ability to diagnose people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s throughout their life – although it has been warned that a lot more research will be needed in order to provide accurate information on this front. Also, now that this

Shinya Yamanaka, the Nobel Prize winning scientist, is not a man to rest on his laurels.

Following his Nobel Prize for the process of reprogramming adult cells into a state similar to embryonic stem cells, he has led a team at Kyoto University to find a therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, They used a ground breaking technique known as genome-editing to turn patient skin cells into healthy muscle cells.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder, affecting one in every 3,500 males.

Gene mutations impact the production of a protein known as dystrophin. Without this key structural protein muscle fibre damage can occur and lead to a gradual weakening of the muscle. Ultimately this leads to a shortened life span: the average life expectancy is as low as 27 years.

The process involves converting skin cells from patients suffering with the condition into induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells. These cells are capable of forming a wide range of other cell types: in this particular case, skeletal muscle cells.

Scientist used a new procedure called genome editing to correct the faulty gene responsible for producing dystrophin. They did this by using enzymes to remove the faulty pieces of genetic information from the patients IPS, replacing it with the correct sequence.

The researchers found that the IPS cells once developed into skeletal muscle cells were able to produce dystrophin. Once in the body it is hoped they would fuse to muscle tissue and provide enough dystrophin to boost existing muscle tissue. By using the patient’s cells it avoids the risk of rejection by the immune system.

Whilst not a cure for the condition, this treatment aims to alleviate some of the worst symptoms such as problems with breathing and repeated chest infections. This in turn should lead to a greater quality of life and reduced levels of required care. Although problems arise with the transplant of the muscle cells into patients, it looks a promising therapeutic technique that utilises the brilliant work of Professor Yamanaka.

What’s new in science?

NASA’s Mars ship, Orion, is all set for a test flight.

Scientists suggest that graphene could be used as a new bulletproof material.

Photo: mms.businesswire.com region of the brain has been identified, it may be possible to see how environmental and genetic factors play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Lastly, with regard to schizophrenia, it may be possible to differentiate between patients who will have a good and a poor prognosis.

At the moment, it is very difficult to predict.

This research may have excellent prospects for clinical uses in two diseases that can devastate people’s lives – Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. We will have to wait and see whether this is all it promises to be.

Greenwich, Bristol, Coventry and Milton Keynes to be the first UK cities to test driveless cars.

Research suggests that HIV is becoming less deadly and less infectious – it is evolving to be a milder virus.

Photo: Wikimedia, Alkuin

union news ueasu to receive this as an email direct into your inbox every week, or to read the digital version of this, register at www.ueastudent.com

All I want for Christmas is...

Student Voice is the easiest way for you to submit ideas to your Students’ Union. This BRAND NEW platform allows you to submit ideas to us on anything you feel strongly about so we can then act upon them on your behalf. These can be anything which could help to improve the student experience here at UEA, from accommodation to exam feedback, from welfare to student support. If you have any idea, big or small, about how UEA|SU can improve your Union and your University, please let us know by completing the online idea form. People then vote the idea up or down, and the most popular ones are actioned by the Union. Scan the QR code to view the ideas, like or dislike them, or to submit your own.

Postgrad events this week

> Monday Football 7pm > Wednesday Coffee and cake Social in the Grad bar 1pm every Wednesday (free coffee and cake) > Thursday Badminton

LIVE! HIGHLIGHTS

> MONDAY Turbowolf (Download Freezes Over) @WF Studio > TUESDAY The Last Carnival @WF Studio Damn Good presents Xmassy - The Snow Ball @LCR > THURSDAY Cash (Johnny Cash Tribute) @WF Studio Fish @WF > FRIDAY Rumble – 20th Anniversary Feat. Hype / Spy / Dillinger / Tyke @LCR Propaganda @WF Ruts DC @WF Studio > SATURDAY Pout at the Devil @WF UK Subs @WF Studio Meltdown @WF The Alumni A-List @LCR

UEA|SU FILM NIGHTS

Tuesday 9th - Cult Classics - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas will be playing at 6pm in Lecture Theatre 2 (seating limited)

The time to take part in the SU Survey is now! With this survey, we hope to learn more about what the Union’s members, all UEA students, think about their Union. We’ll use the information collected to transform into what you want us to be. To say thank you for completing the survey, we are offering you the opportunity to enter a prize draw. There are 5 prizes to be won: 1 x £100 and 4 x £50. Scan the code to take part.

Tell us stuff

Sunday 14th - 80s SciFi Boxset Marathon will be playing from 12:00pm to 11:00pm Lecture Theatre 1 (seating limited)

Carols in the Square

This week we’re asking a few more questions than normal about your course costs! How much was that text book? Paying for petrol for placement? Shelling out for software? Let us know in our 60 second survey!

Carols in the Square is on Wednesday 10th Dec from 6pm with the Salvation Army band and free mince pies and mulled wine from 6.30pm

We’ve got your back Tell us your stories! Some lettings agencies have started offering incentives to potential student tenants who sign up quickly to tenancy agreements, but although these may look good, there can be a serious downside. NUS are looking into this issue on a nationwide basis. If you have a story about being pressured to commit to a tenancy agreement, or of a bad experience you have had as a result of being railroaded

into something you regret, email the Advice Centre (advicecentre@uea.ac.uk) and head your email “Tell us your story”.

Friday’s drop-in advice session will be from 12-2 at Edith Cavell Hub – come along for advice and information from one of our advice workers who can help with any academic, employment housing, or financial issues.

16

Travel

Photo: Flickr, Chris Smith

Christmas in the Windy City Rachel Sammons explores Christmas in Chicago.

C

hristmas time in the city triggers images of fairy lights in the trees, carollers in matching wool jackets, and hot cider. But for the city of Chicago, in the beating heart of America’s midwest, holiday traditions take on an international twist.

Within one of Chicago’s train stations, the Ogilvie Transportation Center, a French market bustles with people. Every day and every season, vendors offer crêpes, cheese, baguettes, macarons, deli meats, soft pretzels, pastries, and other French-themed indulgences. For the Christmas season, the market celebrates with the Marché de Noël, a tradition that dates back to France over 400 years ago. In an effort to avoid the crush of holiday shoppers along State Street, Chicago’s busiest stretch, people can escape to the French Market and peruse the new Christmas vendors for handmade toys, trinkets, jewellery, soap, and other gifts.

Since Chicago boasts a melting pot of residents, it’s only fitting for the Museum of Science and Industry to host an exhibit for Christmas trees that represent different cultures. Volunteers from Chicago’s ethnic communities contribute to the annual ‘Christmas Around the World’ by decorating the trees to reflect their heritage and its customs. Additionally, the exhibit hosts performances that are traditional in countries as far-ranging as Puerto Rico, Sweden, and South Korea.

Lastly, Europe’s tradition of cinnamonscented Christmas Markets have travelled across the pond, to the heart of the Midwest.

Every season, Chicago hosts its very own Christkindlmarket. Shoppers swarm the array of vendors for the food, beverages, and handicraft treasures that are allegedly commonplace in markets across Germanspeaking countries.

A bakery vendor showcases stollen: a bready cake studded with dried fruit and dusted with powdered sugar. Another vendor evokes a Bavarian ambience with traditional yuletide designs hand-painted onto pewter collectibles.

It’s a festive atmosphere that compensates for the Windy City’s sub-zero temperature. The aroma of baked apples, roasted almonds, and cider sweetens the chilly air as people admire displays of handcrafted cuckoo clocks and

“The festive atmosphere that compensates for the Windy City’s sub-zero temperature” glass ornaments, glowing beneath twinkly lights. While carols and the public’s chatter fill the air, visitors can experience a quiet peace when pausing to take in the life-size nativity set at the far edge of the market.

The Christkind also makes an appearance.

Decked in gold robes with a crown upon curly locks of hair, the mythological character greets visitors in the same mysterious charm used for slipping presents to children or covertly decorating the Christmas tree. But there is also the chance to meet Father Christmas in a cottage beside the towering Christmas tree which rises from the centre of the market.

Whether or not Chicago’s various Christmas events truly capture the essence of cultures from far away, visitors still enjoy the international experience. Christmas time in America’s m idwest capital can mean a taste of Glühwein or hot spiced wine, a splurge on brie cheese, and a tour of ethnically-diverse Christmas Trees.

Photo: Flickr, Tom Gill

Photo: Flickr, Ryan Heaney

Photo: Flikr, Kamome

Travel

17

Spending Christmas on Cat Ba Island Photo: Flickr, Daniel Hoherd Sarah Michaels Travel writer After spending the autumn traveling around South East Asia, one would start to think about where the perfect place would be to spend Christmas. Located 160 miles away from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, or a two hour taxi plus a couple of hours on a speedboat, you can reach the picturesque Cat Ba Island.

The island is situated in Ha Long Bay (Previously seen in TV programmes such as the Top Gear Vietnam Special), which is made up of an archipelago of islands with large spindly and jagged cliffs overlooking a vast expanse of water which one can see for miles any way you look.

If you are looking for a relaxing destination for Christmas, this would possibly be one of the

prime candidates. The island isn’t overly busy in this peak time with many people choosing to spend the day at sea on a Castaway tour or opting to spend time in the much warmer south. Although this doesn’t mean that there isn’t much to sample on the island. Along

“Large spindly and jagged cliffs overlook a vast span of water” the main road in Cat Ba town there are many restaurants and bars overlooking the seafront that remain open usually until midnight, and to the edge of the town there is a large market with stalls selling a massive variety of things, ranging from portable DVD players along with a large selection of (pirate) DVDs, which are great for watching the Christmas classics

in your hotel if you get bored, to clothing that loosely resembles a Christmas jumper.

If you start to feel homesick on the day, you can go to the beachfront, which can be found in a small cove about a half hour walk out of the town, and build snowmen, out of sand. The weather will also help with your homesickness: although it isn’t overly cloudy, there is still the bite of winter, with temperatures reaching a similar level to those that Britain feels on a bad autumnal day, so remember to pack a fleece and a beanie. In the evening, many places remain open for you to find a bite to eat. Some places serve Vietnamese cuisine, usually heavily influenced by seafood, or some of the bars serve pizzas and burgers as well as a range of beers and cocktails.

Boxing Day is the perfect opportunity to spend a day motor biking around the island,

or on a cruise around Ha Long Bay. Many of the restaurants and hotels have relationships with sailors and boat owners who can take groups for a trip around the bay. Most packages include stopping off at certain islands, such as Monkey Island where you have the opportunity to walk along the beach whilst being wary of the sneaky monkeys as well as climbing to the jagged peak of Monkey Mountain. You will also get the chance to kayak around some of the islands and spend some time at the floating bar, which also usually doubles up as a mini market and tobacco shop.

Cat Ba Island is the perfect place to take a break from a heavy period of travelling, and is also in a prime position for you to get to almost anywhere for New Year celebrations, whether it be in central Hanoi or further afield in Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur via a flight.

What is your funniest travel memory?

Flushing away your dignity in France Peter Sheehan So this is kinda embarrassing. But funny, so bear with me.

My first experience of the frankly baffling concept of the self-flushing lavatory was in the train station of Aix-en-Provence.

Now this is a French town famous for its fountains, so perhaps this informs their attitude to public conveniences. Let me explain.

The self-flushing toilette on platform two – direction Avignon, if memory serves – sat inside its own wet room. For it was less the lavatory that flushed than it was the room that gave itself a cheeky shower.

In France as in Britain, the hapless traveller is required to pay to pee. Mum and Dad were having one of their stingy days, so Mum went in first and I had to follow. The door wouldn’t lock unless you put money in, so said parents stood guard while I made myself busy.

But the lavatory had other ideas. Mid

wee, the room flushed. Water ran down the walls. Water drowned the floor. Water spouted forth, jacuzzi-like from jets beneath the sink. To the innocent 13-year-old, this was quite the surprise.

So I squeal my way out onto the platform followed by a mini-tsunami of a variety of cleaning fluids. Clearly at this stage we have marked ourselves out as hapless foreigners.

Cue condescending Gallic sneers.

navigated up a windy, stormy and altogether dangerous hill.

Giddy heights Alex King I once got so lost in Montreal that I ended up on the top of a mountain.

American boy in Croatia Joe Fitzsimmons On a group holiday travelling around Croatia, the windy weather inconveniently called off our bus to the next city. We had decided the best step forward was to haggle with a taxi driver to get a mini-bus for us all.

Upon reaching success, we spent the next two hours cooped up in a taxi, sharing liquorice scented cigars with the taxi-driver and blasting Estelle’s American Boy out on top volume, while the driver dangerously

Fun guys in Gili Geri Scott If you’ve ever been to Indonesia, you’ll know the place is rife with all kinds of drugs, despite the fact that drug offences carry the death sentence there. Not being into drugs myself, this wasn’t of much coincidence to

me, until I took a trip to the Gili Islands.

It turns out that if you order a pizza with mushrooms on when in Gili Trawangan, they don’t mean the normal closed-cup kind you pick up in Tesco. No one will tell you this until you arrive back at your dorm room at 07:00, having danced in the sea in your underwear for most of the night, and wondering why half a beach – pebbles and all – falls out of your bra when you take it off to get into bed.

It was on the same trip that I got stranded on Gili Trawangan because a storm meant that the small boats that ferry people between the Gilis and mainland Bali couldn’t run. Hitching a ride on a fishing boat to Lombak, a four hour taxi ride to the other side of that island, then an eight hour slow ferry ride of sitting on the top deck in the blazing sun later, I was very pleased to have arrived at the airport on time for my flight to Vietnam. Except that it was cancelled.

Because of the storm. Screw. That.

Got a funny travel story to share with us? Email Jodie Snow on concrete.travel@ uea.ac.uk or tweet us on @ Concrete_UEA with the hashtag #AirSmiles

LIFESTYLE

Festive recipes for cold dark nights: mince pies and cranberry sours Page 10

How to make your flat Christmassy on the cheap hang them. Or if you have a blank wall in your house, why not cut out big letters out of the paper to spell a festive phrase like ‘Merry Christmas’ to welcome people into the house.

All you need is paper, scissors and folding skills to make some surprisingly intricate snowflake designs with almost no skill necessary at all. Once you’re finished, just stick them on a window to make your house look a bit more festive from the outside. You could always make some out of wrapping paper if you want to make them stand out against the dark winter nights.

You can even recycle some of your rubbish to make some free room decorations.

Bronia McGregor Lifestyle writer It’s that time of year again when home comforts are missed the most and everyone is counting down the days until you can go home to Christmas dinners, brightly lit trees and presents. But why not start with decorating your student house and making it a bit more

“Everyone is counting down the days until you can go home to Christmas dinners” homely? It might even make deadlines a little easier to face if you have a festive set up to welcome you home from the library.

Places like Wilko and Poundland are good for colourful decorations that won’t break the bank and will add a bit of festive cheer to your living space. Grab a few lengths of tinsel and hang them over a door to add a bit of colour to your rooms or tape them around the edges of a table for something different.

If you don’t want to spend much money then why not buy a couple of rolls of wrapping paper and work with those. You can get rolls cheap from places like Primark or card shops and you can always use the leftovers to wrap your presents. Cut the paper into strips and tape them into loops in order to make a paper chain. These are good because they are quick to assemble and you can make them as long as you want to fit any space and quickly add some colour and festivity to wherever you

“Grab a few lengths of tinsel and hang them over a door to add a bit of colour to your rooms” Instead of throwing away jars once they’re empty, wash them out and make them into an ornament. Pour some salt in the bottom as fake snow and pop a tea light in there to create a cosy lantern. If you have some spare ribbon lying around, tie it around the neck of the jar to add some colour.

And finally, one of the best things about Christmas has to be the novelty chocolates.

Buy a few bags of chocolate coins or chocolate Santa’s and put them on display in a bowl or basket. Not only will they decorate your room, but they’re also readily available for a quick pick me up if deadline week becomes too much.

Photo: Flickr, Stitchlily

Make your own Christmas necklace Katie Wadsworth Lifestyle writer If you want to go the extra mile with your Christmas presents this year, have a go at creating your very own statement necklace for yourself or your loved ones. They’re sure to go down a treat and once you get the hang of it, they’re easy to reproduce in different colours and all manner of festive fabrics. So needles at the ready…

Materials • Scraps of fabric in two different colours • Ribbon 2 x 20 cm lengths • Needle and matching thread • 3 weights, the same size and weight as a 2p coin (I use a 2p coin) • Pins • Ruler • Pencil • Scissors Cutting Out: First Colour: • 1 x 12cm • 2 x 10cm • 2 x 8 cm Second Colour: • 2 x 12 cm • 2 x 8 cm

Templates

To make the Necklace

Circles: • 1 x 8 cm diameter • 1 x 10 cm diameter • 1 x 12 cm diameter

1. Arrange the puffs into a horseshoe shape starting with the weighted 12cm puff at the middle of the horseshoe.

To make the Suffolk Puffs 1. Cut out the circles 2. Thread a long needle with a long length of thread and knot the ends together so it’s double.

3. To make the circle of fabric into a puff, fold back a 5mm turning around the circumference and stitch it with a round of evenly spaced running stitches.

4. Gently draw up the thread to gather the circle, using the tip off your needle to push the raw edges inside if necessary. Take the needle down through the finished puff and fasten off the thread securely on the wrong side. Trim the threads close to the surface.

5. Repeat this process on all the circles of fabric, apart from the 1 x 12cm and 2 x 10 cm circles in your first colour.

6. The process for the remaining circles is the same as above, however, before you draw up the edges of the puff, place a 2p coin (or equivalent) in the centre of the circle.

Then draw up and tie up as before. You may have to tie off slightly to one side as the coin is in the centre.

2. Place the rest of the puffs, in descending size order, overlapping, creating the horseshoe shape.

3. Pin the puffs in place 4. Hold up the necklace to check the shape.

Alter if necessary until you are happy with it.

5. Starting with the left hand side, stitch the puffs together where they overlap, following the curve of the puff which is on top.

6. Use pinprick stitches in a matching thread colour to blend the stitches in.

Alternatively you can use a contrasting coloured thread to make a feature of the stitching.

7. Repeat the process until all the puffs are stitched together.

8. Attach the ribbon to either end of the necklace using pinprick stitches. Neaten the free edges by cutting the ribbon diagonally.

Pattern inspired by Cath Kidston ‘Puff Necklace’, Patch.

Photo: Katie Wadsworth

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Lifestyle

Stress-free Christmas shopping

The best ways to spend your New Year’s Eve

your shopping. It’s always more fun to get into the Christmassy spirit when you have someone by your side to sing Mariah Carey to, or carry your bags when the Topshop sale lures you in. If you make it feel like a chore, you’ll never get round to doing it!

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Chloe Blows Lifestyle writer

Photos: Flickr, Janet Hughes Isabella Cicchirillo Lifestyle writer

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See the fireworks in London This is something that everyone should see! The spectacular display on the London Eye is seen by many people around the world, but what better way to bring in the New Year than seeing them in person in our capital city? Just make sure you have somewhere to stay after, or have your travel arrangements planned in advance, as it can be very tricky due to the amount of people there! A new feature this year is that it is the first time the show will be ticketed. Tickets are £10 each and you can buy up to four per person. However if the crowds aren’t for you, head to one of the city’s high points such as Primrose Hill.

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Pub Going to your local pub with friends/ family may be a better option for you if you don’t want too much of a fuss, or don’t want to stand outside the whole night!

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Stay in Invite your close friends and have a little party or get together to see in the New Year. At least you won’t have to worry about getting home!

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Go clubbing You may want to party hard into the New Year! If so, there are many clubs around the country and London that will have special nights for New Year’s Eve, such as Ministry of Sound and Warehouse Project.

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Ice skating at Somerset House Skate in the New Year at London’s Somerset House. Skate to the sounds of a live DJ, or take in the atmosphere as a spectator! Enjoy champagne at midnight and have the best seats for the mayor’s fireworks show! Skater tickets are £62 and spectator tickets are £45.

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Winter Wonderland Head over to Hyde Park to experience the many different attractions it has to offer! This includes Christmas markets, Fairground rides, Santa’s grotto, Magical Ice Kingdom and ice skating. Entry is free but closes at 10pm.

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Have a film marathon Invite all your favourite people and have a film marathon to welcome in the New Year!

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Go for a meal If you want a more relaxed entry into 2015, head to your favourite restaurant and enjoy good food and drink with friends and family.

This super easy Christmassy treat uses mostly ingredients that you’ll likely already have!

Ingredients 225g butter, diced 350g plain flour 100g caster sugar 280g mincemeat 1 small egg A pinch of salt Icing sugar to dust Method 1. For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and then add in the sugar. Add a pinch of salt. Combine the ingredients into a ball, kneading it briefly. It’s up to you whether you want to make them straight away, or put the dough into the fridge to make later.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C) / gas mark 6. Then line two 12-hole tins by pressing walnut sized balls of pastry into the bottom of the tin holes. Then, spoon a small amount of mincemeat into the pies.

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Make it a day out Bring a friend or relative with you. Shopping alone, while sometimes productive, is rarely as fun. There might be a Christmas market in your local town or city, find out when this is and try and coincide this with

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Make it count There’s no point going shopping for a present if you’re going to come back in tears, buying something you could have made yourself for half the price.

Presents are about the thought behind it, what you buy is just a bonus really.

As much as it kills me to say it, Jessie J was right – it’s not about the price tag (and it’s not her party either, and Bang Bang is a silly song). If you’re spending over £50 and completely emptying your bank for one gift, take a step back. Is this the only option? Even if you have a few days/one day/a few hours left before Christmas, you always have time to weigh up your options. Don’t just buy a meaningless present – if you wouldn’t want to receive the present, don’t buy it.

Lifestylefood

Mince pies Rebecca Bemment Lifestyle editor

I’m the sort of person who does all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. It’s not that I enjoy the mad rush around whatever shops are still open, grabbing whatever’s left in the vain hope that my family members will appreciate whatever gem I’ve picked up from Debenhams’ bargain section. I genuinely enjoy Christmas shopping, stopping off at Starbucks to get a Christmas drink, coming home and separating the presents into piles.

It’s just somehow, every year, it always happens. Every October time, I’ll find a few presents online, save the links in a bookmarked folder, and forget about them entirely. I love finding the perfect present for someone I love, but as a student when the end of the Winter term comes around, my bank is empty and my incentive to buy presents is at a low.

So how can we get past this stress?

Check out online too Whilst your local shopping centre will be expansive, nothing can quite compare to the vastness of the Internet. From notonthehighstreet.co.uk to reliable Amazon, it’s nearly impossible not to find something online. Express delivery might be expensive, but chances are it will be about the same price as a return bus ticket into the city. You’ll find thousands of websites, groaning with Christmas offers and desperate for you to buy their products. Chances are, the quirkier gift will be found online and personalised gifts are around every corner, most likely at a cheaper price than what you’ll find in the shops.

Cranberry sours Rebecca Bemment Lifestyle editor

3. Next, to make the lids to the pies, flatten out even smaller balls of dough than before in your hand, ensuring they are big enough to cover the pies! Gently place on top, making sure that you press around then sides. You can freeze the pies at this point if you feel like saving some.

4. Beat one egg to brush the tops for a shiny finish. Bake for around 20 minutes, until golden. Once cooked, leave to cool for five minutes in the tray and then transfer to a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar. The pies will keep for three to four days.

As the end of term approaches, the prospect of relaxing over the Christmas holidays seems appealing. Here’s a Christmas cocktail to get you in the spirit!

Ingredients 300g frozen cranberries 100ml orange liqueur 1 tbsp Disaronno 100ml orange juice 2 tbsp lime 2-3 tbsp maple syrup (or however you like) Crushed ice to serve Method 1. In a blender, mix together the cranberries, orange and limes juices, liqueurs and the maple syrup. Make sure you do it until the cranberries are completely chopped up.

Not more sodding mince pies!

2. Through a sieve, strain the mixture and then using a spoon or a spatula, push the cranberries so all the liquid is extracted.

3. Chill until ready to use.

4. When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice and pour in the pink cocktail!

Illustration: Ella Gilbert

22

Sport

Kat Lucas Sport editor

T

he ‘Cricket Family’ has shown a touch of class in the way it has come to terms with the tragic death of Australia and South Australia star Phil Hughes.

The sport has been left stunned by a freak accident which saw the 25-year-old pass away after two days in an induced coma, but players and fans alike have already begun rallying round Sean Abbott, the New South Wales seamer who bowled the fatal delivery.

It remains to be seen whether Abbott, who spent time with Hughes in hospital, will find the confidence to carry on with his career, regardless of the outstanding support he has been given.

Cricket Australia has edited the final scorecard from the game between South Australia and New South Wales to read ’63 not out’ next to Hughes’ name – a touching alteration to the initial marking of ‘retired hurt’.

The game, however, has been truly hurt by the death of one of its brightest sons.

Safety questions have unsurprisingly been raised, particularly after another shocking incident in Israel where an umpire was killed by a stray ball.

Masuri, the company that made the helmet Hughes was wearing at the time, have said an investigation will be conducted. However, they also revealed a more up-to-date version of the equipment has been released in 2014.

Cricket’s authorities have been thoroughly impressive in their dignified handling of the matter. Now, they must put that into practice and make it a requirement for all sides to equip their players with the most protective helmets and pads available.

In the same week, head injuries have been placed under the spotlight in America. A college footballer is believed to have committed suicide after telling his mother he had suffered mental damage from a series of concussions.

A number of mental health charities have since voiced their concern that sportsmen are not being given enough protection by their employers.

While the fallout continues, social media appears to have removed itself from the practical nuances of the debate, and has instead been paying its own tribute to Hughes with its ‘put out your bats’ campaign, which has been endorsed by the likes of former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Twitter is rightly vilified on many occasions, but here its community succeeded in transmitting a moving mark of respect.

Around 5000 mourners observed the late Australian’s funeral, at which an emotional address was given by friend and Australia captain Michael Clarke.

The world of sport is in mourning yet again, three years on from the death of another icon, former Wales footballer Gary Speed. Hughes, like Speed, has thrown his game into perspective with his untimely passing.

What must come out of the affair is praise for the way cricket has conducted itself in a time of great tragedy.

Photo: David Hall

Archers to host first major competition at UEA Jess Kovacs Sport writer UEA Archery Club have won their bid to host the annual British University Team Championship (BUTC), which will take place on 21st February 2015. The event will be held in the Haydon Morris Hall at the Sportspark and up to 32 teams – which will entail almost 150 people – from universities across the UK will be competing.

“It’ll be a lot of work”, says UEA Archery Club president, Lee Barnes. “Southampton set the bar really high last year and I really hope that UEA can at least meet that – I’m so excited though!” (Reports of a happy dance from Lee are as yet unconfirmed.)

The event will be the first major archery competition hosted at UEA and involve a full day’s shooting, food and then a post-event social for the teams in the evening.

The year so far has been a good one for UEA Archery club. In late November, UEA’s first team for the South East University Archery League (Seal) went to Canterbury for

the first shoot and left with the novice team coming second, just 13 points off a win. The novice team included a number of students who had just joined UEA and three who had only been shooting since September.

The experienced team came third, 60 points behind the leaders. The next leg of Seal is on 6th December against Imperial and Essex and will take place at UEA. “I’ve loved archery since it was first recommended to me by a friend at UEA, and have become more involved in it than I ever imagined I would”, explained Alex Simpson, one of the newer members who was part of the novice team in November.

“I felt a sense of great achievement to reach the novice team in such a short space of time, and can only thank the experienced members of the team for the advice and coaching they gave me that allowed me to reach the required standard”.

“I enjoyed the first leg of Seal, although it was a tough learning curve for me and I’m thoroughly looking forward to the second leg this weekend”.

However, archery is not without its

difficulties, though, especially for the student budget.

“It can be a lot of money if you want to buy your own stuff”, said club secretary Jess Kovacs. The riser – that’s the main part you hold – can be really expensive. Mine was second hand so I got it a bit cheaper for £120. The most expensive bow in the club set Nickil, our health and safety secretary, back by almost £1,500”.

“I always think I got really lucky with my bow. In all, my gear was a ‘bargain’: £250!

Luckily, if you don’t have your own equipment, or can’t afford it, the club is able to provide enough bows and arrows for everyone to give it a try.

Volunteers will be needed to help out on the day so if anyone is interested in joining in then look up the BUTC 2015 Volunteers or the UEA Archery Club Facebook groups for more information.

The club welcomes everyone who is interested in giving archery a try: shoots are on Wednesdays from 13:40 to 17:00 in Hall Three of the Sportspark, and the first session is free.

UEA students to cycle 3,000 km for Mind Katie Allen Sport writer One in four people in England and Wales suffer from a mental health condition in any given year. That is an astonishing statistic. It makes the chance of you not being directly connected to someone facing a mental health issue very slim indeed. It also highlights the lack of knowledge that the general public has about a problem that 25% of us will face every year. And it is not an easy one to face – the greatest cause of death among men under the age of 35 is suicide.

Despite the fact that mental health problems are so widespread, it can still be very difficult to get the right help. The first hurdle many people encounter is knowing who to turn to. This lack of mental health education has led to a great stigma surrounding such conditions. This, in turn, prevents many people from seeking the help

they need. Taking that first step and confiding in someone, whether they be a friend, family member or a doctor is therefore a huge victory in itself. Unfortunately even after this, the process to find the right treatment for you can be long and arduous.

Mind is the largest mental health charity in England and Wales. They are determined to ensure that people experiencing mental health problems get both the respect and support they need. They are also working towards raising awareness and promoting understanding which is vital in reversing the stigma surrounding the subject.

This is clearly a huge problem and Cameron Messenger and I have decided to take on a challenge to help spread awareness and raise funds. We are two final year students at UEA and two of the many that have used the university’s services such as the Dean of Students and the Medical Centre for problems concerning our mental health.

We are going to cycle more than 3,000

km across Europe from Ipswich to Istanbul next summer. Our trip will take us through 13 countries in six weeks and we’ll be cycling around 100 km a day to reach Istanbul in time for the flight home and graduation. We’ll be camping and staying in hostels, carrying all of our kit on our bikes. The target is to raise at least £3,000 for Mind. This money will go towards keeping Mind’s Infoline up and running, the running of support groups and the Legal Advice Service, as well as helping work with the government to improve services for years to come.

With the scale of this challenge we hope to emphasise the severity and urgency with which we need to respond to mental health problems and also to show how exercise not only keeps your body fit, but also your mind.

Please help us support Mind by getting us to our £3,000 target and spreading the word. For more information, please visit ipswichtoistanbul.com where you will also find links to our fundraising pages.

Sport

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The Scottish rugby team has been a shining light for the Home Nations amidst a difficult spell for England and Wales Flickr: Sum_of_Marc

Autumn Tests: Scotland thrive but England slump Rob Staniforth Sport writer Moth-ball the national shirts until February, the Autumn Internationals are over. There were some great games, some incredible tries and a mixture of expected and impressive performances. All eyes now turn to the 2015 Six Nations and beyond. With the Rugby World Cup looming next September, can we read anything into what might happen when the competition comes to England next year?

Twickenham was the venue for England’s four tests, against New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa and Australia. It was never going to be an easy series for the home team, with only Samoa ranked below them going into November. Stuart Lancaster’s side have a poor record against the other three, having played 11, winning just two.

As the saying goes, you need to beat the best to be the best, and with England’s potential path to the final next year almost entirely set at HQ, the series was seen as a good indicator of their chances come September. Two close, easily winnable matches saw England drop down the World Rankings rapidly and facing

“All eyes now turn to the Six Nations and beyond” a mountain to recover the series – before a strong victory against Samoa (their first win since March) gave the team a bit of momentum going into a final match against Pool Rivals next year, Australia.

The Scottish team, meanwhile, welcomed Argentina, New Zealand, and Tonga. Two wins, accompanied by a closely fought defeat to New Zealand, just shows the difference a

coach can make, with this being only Vern Cotter’s second Test series with the side. Six months in, his record is already better than many of his predecessors (though he has only played seven matches), and, based on this series alone, it would certainly seem they are a team on the up, with the potential of causing major upsets.

In terms of win percentage, Ireland had the best series out of all the Home Nations. A 100% record saw them overtake England and Australia in the World Rankings and rise to third, their best ever ranking since they were introduced in 2003.

The three game series started with a 14-point victory over South Africa, and ended with a close win against Australia, either side of a 42-point win against Georgia, who never looked like they were in the match.

Looking forward, Ireland certainly have the momentum and the experience, having

won the Six Nations in February and won both their tests against Argentina in the summer.

The ‘Boys in Green’ will certainly look to improve on their quarter-final appearance in 2011, and a good Six Nations will certainly put Ireland in a good place for the World Cup. Wales had very mixed fortunes over their four-game series, juggling wins against Fiji and South Africa against losses against Australia and New Zealand. Their second win against South Africa in their history will certainly please coach Warren Gatland going into the New Year.

Wales join England and Australia in Pool A next year, and may be disappointed to have lost against the Wallabies where England won, but they will look to their home game against their neighbours at the Millennium Stadium as key preparation for the World Cup. Come September, it could be the clash that decides who qualifies, and who goes out.

Will the Saints march into the Champions League?

Josh Gray Sport writer After starting their season with an impressive six match unbeaten run, Southampton shocked the Premier League with their unexpected assault on a coveted top four place – having initially been widely tipped for relegation.

Losing captain Adam Lallana to Liverpool and manager Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs in the close season was hardly ideal preparation, but under new boss Ronald Koeman’s guidance, the Saints have ignited St. Marys crowds through the first half of the season.

Helped by a kind fixture list, facing just two of last year’s top four before the end of November, and Koeman’s shrewd

reinvestment – relative unknowns Graziano Pellè and Dusan Tadi, Celtic stopper Fraser Forster and Chelsea loanee Ryan Bertrand have more than made up for their summer losses – the Saints have been able to prove the naysayers wrong to become one of the league’s great entertainers.

Managing eight goals against Sunderland typified this attacking approach, but capitulation to ten-man Manchester City on Sunday 30th November highlights their fragility. In previous seasons, the likes of Portsmouth and West Brom have battled at the top of the league through the early part of the season, only to fall away due to injuries, a lack of squad players and overall quality.

Undoubtedly, it will be a tough fight for them to sustain their run during the busy festive period, their heart-breaking late defeat

to Arsenal again exposing the limitations of a squad reliant on a newly formed back four.

The Saints have undoubtedly done well: an impressive run and total football style play have worked wonders for a team who last

“Capitulation to ten-man Manchester City hilights their fragility” season looked middle of the road, while the new players have gelled as if they have played together for years.

However, in football, money talks. Koeman wants the press to take Southampton seriously, believing his team can go the whole way and fight for European spots, but money is likely to prevail by the end of the season as big

spending teams such as Manchester United and Arsenal make good on their summer investment and fight for the Champions League places. Under the weight of pressure from behind, it seems unlikely that the Saints will be able to maintain their position.

Sadly, such is the modern game that they will need to spend big in January, which could well prove their undoing. However, they have built a foundation and shown that in years to come they can be a contender for European football.

Irrespective of whether Southampton can remain at the sharp end come May, they have at least shown that such a run is possible, which can inspire teams to do so in the future.

Football fans will be excited nonetheless by the thought that money doesn’t always talk and that miracles are indeed possible.

C

SPORT

SPORT

Issue 305 9th December 2014

concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper

UEA Ladies Hockey have adapted well after promotion, while the men’s side have enjoyed a strong Cup run Photo: Andy Smith

UEA hockey sides make impressive start Albert Forsey & Emma Holbrook Sport writers With a secure mid-table position and an unbeaten record at home, UEA Ladies’ Hockey Club have made a solid start to their 2014/15 Bucs season. The Ladies are currently sitting in fourth place in Midlands 2B, taking seven points from five games, and only goal difference separates them from third place.

Promoted into this league just two seasons ago, the team has performed consistently, with their only two losses coming at the hands of joint league leaders, Birmingham 4s and Loughborough 3s. The side are already looking to the future – having learnt from these losses and going from strength to strength through the course of the season.

Bucs Hockey marks a change from the Saturday league hockey that the majority of girls are used to, but it never sacrifices the fun and enjoyment. Bucs means a different atmosphere, a chance to play in new positions and most importantly, the opportunity to play with girls from other teams.

Captain Sophie Mullan has found the Bucs season so far “very rewarding, both on and off the pitch, with girls showing commitment to represent their university, as well as showing personal support to their friends within the team”. Mullan dubbed the ladies’ consistency “an incredible achievement and much deserved for a group of girls full of enthusiasm and fight. I am very proud to be a part of it and to have the opportunity to captain such a great side”.

The well-fought win against Nottingham 4s perhaps best encapsulates the team’s spirit and determination. At 2-1 behind with less than 20 minutes left to play, the ladies refused to succumb to the loss by digging deep and fighting back to win the game 3-2, playing

some exceptional and fluid hockey in the process.

However, their accomplishments do not stop there. UEA Ladies are already through to the quarterfinals of the Midlands Conference Cup, their best result since the Cup’s inception in 2011. Having recorded 4-0 and 5-0 wins against Anglia Ruskin and Birmingham City respectively, the ladies will be hoping to continue their considerable success when they come up against Loughborough 3s in the next round.

A 2-0 away win against Nottingham Trent 2s on Wednesday marked their last league game of 2014, and UEA will be hoping to use their new-found form and home advantage during a clash with top-of-the-table Birmingham 4s in January. Undoubtedly,

“UEA have an excellent opportunity to win Bucs” the team has the quality to challenge further in the New Year and 2015 shows significant promise for UEA Ladies’ Hockey.

Their success this season shows the depth of quality within the four ladies’ teams, not to mention the strength of community in the club as a whole. This includes support from Men’s Hockey Club, something which is reciprocated with the ladies always finding time to cheer on the men’s team during their fantastic season.

Defeat in the last 16 of the Cup on flicks to Birmingham 4s may have ended a 21-match unbeaten streak for UEA Men’s Hockey, but the team remain strong promotion contenders, five points clear at the top of the Bucs Midlands Division 3A and second in the Saturday league going into Christmas.

After some strong performances from the

team, including a 13-0 trouncing of Leicester and a 9-0 against Warwick, UEA were in a rich vein of form ahead of their trip to face a strong Birmingham side to decide a place in the quarter finals.

The match started off brightly for both teams with chances at both ends, however it was Birmingham who managed to break the deadlock to go 1-0 up.

Undeterred, UEA continued their expansive attacking style of play and were soon peppering the opposition goal with chances. This finally took its toll when Merlin Smethurst goaded a Birmingham defender into a nasty challenge to earn UEA a penalty flick, which was clinically dispatched into the corner by Gabriel Inch just before half time.

After some motivational words at the break by captain Albert Forsey, UEA started the second half well and mounted a constant stream of pressure on the Birmingham defence. It was all one way traffic, but UEA were unfortunately unable to convert their pressure into a goal. With the match finishing 1-1, it would be decided by penalty flicks, which saw Birmingham prevail 4-1.

UEA’s Cup run may be over, but the team can take confidence from mixing it with teams in the league above theirs.

“This season we have a really strong group of players” reflected Forsey. “This has allowed us to play as a unit with real togetherness and the difference has shown in our results.

“Dan Woods is an integral member of our midfield. Our fresher Pistol is doing a good job at centre back and is improving with every game. Gabriel Inch, captain on Saturdays has brought some excellent hockey tactics and his knowledge and reading of the game is enviable. I think we have an excellent opportunity to win our Bucs league and achieve our goal of double promotion”.

Photo: David Hall

Archery to host BUTC Page 22

Flickr: Ronnie Macdonald

Saints surprise package Page 22

Flickr: Jean-Francois Beausejour

Autumn test round-up Page 23