Concrete 310

Concrete interviews the officer candidates >page 6

Issue

10.03.15

310

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

concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper

Union elections open to abuse The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper

>> Computer sytem error means some students can vote in elections they should not be part of.

11

Our attitude to whistleblowers is outdated

16

What’s the point of awards shows?

20

Milking it: getting the most from hotel freebies

>> Elections are open to multiple errors and to possible election fraud.

Geri Scott Editor-in-Chief Students voting in the ongoing union elections, known as The Leadership Race, may be able to vote in the elections for various equal-opportunity officers, even if they do not self-define as members of that constituency.

When students registered on ueastudent. com at the beginning of this academic year, they were asked to provide various details, including whether they self-define as a woman, as a disabled student, as LGBT+, as an international student, as an ethnic minority, or as a mature student. Only those who, for example, self-define as women should be able to vote for the Women’s Officer. But Concrete has discovered that an error with Union Cloud, the system on which ueastudent.com is run, may have opened up the electoral system to abuse. Some students have reported that, since September, their details have been reset: the answer is now “yes” to all categories. In these cases, affected students are able to vote in the election of any equal-opportunity officers.

The equal-opportunity officers are defined by the bye-laws of the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS). They represent only the groups that students can self-define as when registering.

The bye-laws say that these positions “shall be elected by ordinary members who self-define as members of the constituency that the equalopportunity officer represents”.

Andrew Charlwood, a fourth-year pharmacy student, said: “I logged in to the union website to vote in the elections, and realised I could vote for positions I didn’t think I should be able to. As a straight, white man I don’t think I should have a say in voting for the LGBT+ Officer, the Ethnic Minorities Officer or the Women’s Officer. I didn’t cast a vote for those positions, but I thought it was really weird that I was given the option to”.

Other students have told Concrete that while all self-identity fields on the union website had reset to “yes”, they were still only able to vote in the elections they were eligible for.

All students are able to update their preferences on Union Cloud and therefore exclude themselves from the elections they are not in the constituency for. But for the many who simply log on to vote and assume they had set these preferences at the beginning of the year, double-checking may not cross their minds.

Charlotte Hales, a third-year politics student, said: “I remember answering these questions at the beginning of the year when

venue gets mashed Photo: Flickr, mira66 I signed up to the union website, but I’ve just logged in and they’ve all been reset to “yes”. I don’t identify as LGBT+ and feel like it’s unfair on anyone who is if I can vote in the election meant for them”.

There is little consistency over whether updating personal details will exclude students from elections in which they should not be able to vote. Some students have reported that once they updated their preferences they were no longer able to vote in elections which did not apply to them. Others found that they were always able to vote only in elections they were supposed to, yet all selfidentity fields had reset to “yes”. It is also very simple to update preferences and be given the opportunity to vote in the elections of equalopportunity officers, meaning that the system

is vulnerable to errors and electoral fraud.

This issue was discovered late on Sunday evening: Concrete stresses that, at the time of going to press UUEAS had not yet an opportunity to fully investigate the reports.

However, Holly Staynor, Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer, said: “I know that all of [the student officer team] take the autonomy of the liberation campaigns and other defined constituency groups really seriously, not only in the name of ensuring these groups are fairly represented but also because we all want to have as fair and transparent a democracy as possible. So if it was the case that we were to detect an error in the voting system, we would do everything we could to make sure that everyone gets the opportunity to vote for the officers that represent them”.

2

Editorial

editor’s column THE

B

Geri Scott Editor-in-Chief

“I can’t sit and have a cup of coffee in Unio without being spoken to about representation and engagement”

10/03/2015

anners are up in the square, students are preparing questions for hustings and I can’t sit and have a cup of coffee in Unio without being spoken to about representation and engagement, and don’t speak to me about the Square; that’s right, kids, it’s UEA|SU elections! As with all things SU this year, the elections have had a rebrand and are now called The Leadership Race, which to me conquers up slightly disturbing images of David Cameron and Nick Clegg in a 100m sprint.

If you’re not yet tired of hearing from the candidates, flick to page 6 where we’ve got interviews with all the full time candidates, including questions specific to their manifestos.

The interviews with part-time candidates are up on the website at concrete-online.co.uk so check those out too!

Now, for the really important news, Derby Day 2015 is this Saturday! The Media Centre has been buzzing with plans, charts and excitement over the day, and as the UEA Media Collective we’ve got such a cross-media treat for all of you who want to stay up to date with the score, wherever you are.

Concrete will be looking after the liveblog,

which will be constantly updated with information from reporters out in the action.

This will feed into the official Derby Day Twitter (@DerbyDay15), which will be run by the Media Collective throughout the day.

We’ll also be providing links to the fantastic live video broadcast provided by Livewire 1350 and UEA:TV, but you can access this all day too on livewire1350.com or in the Union bars for scores, updates, highlights and interviews.

We’ll all be based in the Hive throughout Derby Day, so come along and say hi, we’d love to talk to you about your experiences of the day!

But that’s not all (oh we are good to you!).

After Derby Day, we’re treating you to a special Derby Day issue of Concrete, giving you the run down on the day, match reports and explanations of those sports you don’t quite understand - because who knows what Ultimate Frisbee is anyway?! UEA:TV are also going to be summarising the day with a live studio broadcast on Monday 16th, so keep your eyes peeled for that too!

It’s all very exciting isn’t it? How we’re all going to find time to do coursework is beyond me!

Middle Class Moments

so askance when I discuss this at social occasions.

(Blotty, Totty and Snotty agree with Dear Diary, me, though. They always do on matter of the gravest importance.)

I loathe elections. My cousin - a truly detestible brat of a I went to Norwich once, by the way. girl who most definitely knows the price of milk - tells me I hated it. In fact, apart from that truly that her students’ union - she goes to some cheap university unspeaekable time that I accidentally took a in Norwich, of all places - is running a “leadership race”. wrong turn into Croydon, I have never wanted Ergh. How pitiful: and not least because it sounds as if to dash back to the Rolls more than during all of the common folk desperate for a thimble-ful of those miserable three hours in that flat and meaningless power are forced to dash across some Godforsaken muddy field, and presumably the winner is the first windy land.

And the university is quite the most to stagger across the finish line. Think of the sweat! How hideous building that my poor eyes have ever ghastly... had to witness. So much Concrete! I mean, if But no, dairy mine, I have an altogether deeper we wanted Communist architecture, we’d move to problem with elections. I mean, what on Earth makes Russia!

This great country of people think that they can even begin to have a handle on ours did not smirk through the the complexities of life? Most of them can’t even remember demise of the Eastern Bloc the difference between Pouilly-fume and Sancerre: just how just to skulk around in greyare these snooty, self-important little non-entities going to clad squalour. I say: tear the successfully grapple with issues of national importance? damn place down.

Let me tell, you diary dear: they are not.

The only proper form of government is aristocracy.

It makes perfect sense: rich people can afford a decent education, therefore they are cleverer than the hoy-poloy.

Let them get along with governing the country; the riffraff are then free to play bingo and drink beer. Everyone’s a winner! I cannot understand why people look at me

Tabitha Horton-d Woodwoo

Photo: Flickr, Sembazuru

Illustration: Ella Gilbert

As revealed to Peter Sheehan

Complaints If you wish to make a complaint about an article in the paper or on the website, or about a social media post, please email the editor (concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk) to

explain the precise nature of your complaint and to clearly indicate the relevant article, passage or sentence. We will be pleased to respond as soon as we are able.

Front page photo credits: Top to bottom: Edward Snowden: Wikimedia Oscars: Flickr, Prayitno Hotel: Wikipedia, Nick-D

The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper

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 Dan Falvey concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Global Oliver Hughes concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Comment Joe Jameson concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Features Courtney Pochin concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Science&Environment Jacob Beebe concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk 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-Kendall concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk Distribution Manager Amit Puntambekar concrete.distribution@uea.ac.uk Editorial inquiries concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Got a story? concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

Concrete welcomes all letters and emails, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Letters should be addressed to the editor-in-chief, and include contact details. All emails should be sent to concrete.editor@uea. ac.uk. We will consider anonymous publication, and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Anonymous article submissions are permitted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper.

No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the editor, Geraldine Scott. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2015 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

News

Postgraduate students may not be eligible for government loans Page 5

UEA’s Vice Chancellor condemns Labour’s Party’s tuition-fee pledge Jessica Frank-Keyes News reporter In a move that may appear come as music to cash-strapped students’ ears, Ed Miliband has announced that “tuition fees would be capped at £6,000 a year under Labour”. However, this announcement from the party leader has sparked concerns among universities that some students will delay applying to university this year to avoid paying up to the current £9,000 fee cap.

The Vice Chancellor of UEA, David Richardson, has argued that this will leave universities facing a “funding gap” for the academic year of 2015-16. Although Labour has pledged to increase direct public funding for universities and plans to fund the £2.7bn cost of the fee cut policy by limiting pension tax relief, there are still very valid concerns about how universities will cope with a loss of funds of £3,000 per student. Richardson also claimed that “State funding needed to be ringfenced”.

However, whether students are repaying £6,000 or £9,000, it remains the case that the student loans system operates as described by the current Norwich South Lib Dem MP Simon Wright: a “graduate tax in all but name”. Only those students who end up in very well-paid jobs will ever come close to paying off the full amount of their loans, while those at the lower end of the income spectrum may never even begin repayments.

Photo: Concrete Photography, Will Cockram The Labour Party was originally responsible for introducing the concept of tuition fees back in 1997, but the current maximum limit of £9,000 a year was introduced by the Coalition government in 2011.

It has been claimed by some critics that this Labour policy is in reality an attempt to regain student support from the Greens.

Norwich South prospective Labour candidate Clive Lewis admitted the policy was “not a long term solution”. Chris Jarvis, Campaigns and Democracy Officer

at the Union of UEA Students, called the announcement a “Step in the right direction... but [it is] no substitute for a properly funded, accessible university sector”.

While it remains to be seen how other universities around Britain will respond to the potential shortfall in funding, and there is also no guarantee that by September 2016 we will be living in a Labour-governed country, it is clear that this latest policy announcement will not be the last plot twist in the ever contentious issue of student finance.

Union news round-up Ethinic Minorities Officer role name put to referendum At the last Union Council meeting on 5th March 2015, Council was presented a motion by the union’s Ethnic Minorities Officer, Freddie Redfern, which sought approval to change the name of his role to Black and Minority Ethnic Officer.

The motion, originally been presented to Council on 12th February, had been withdrawn over controversy surrounding the initial proposal, which sought to change the name to Black Students’ Officer.

Following widespread consultation, the motion was returned to Council following a procedural motion which would see the motion put to referendum.

Following speeches for and against by Freddie Redfern and Asia Patel of Norwich Nightline respectively, Council voted in favour of putting the motion to referendum by 22 votes for, and 18 votes against, with 15 abstentions.

Christian Union constitution delayed The Christian Union put an amendment to their constitution in front of Council, which sought to amalgamate the different Christian societies formally. However, council was forced to move the proposal to the agenda for the final session of Council of this year – to be held on 16th April – because no representative from the Christian Union was present at Council to make a speech for the motion, or to answer counsellor’s questions.

Council supports international students

Photo: parliament.uk

Alternative HE provision “an abuse of public money”, claims parliamentary committee Amy Rust News reporter The Public Accounts Committee has accused the government of wasting millions of pounds of public money on inadequate higher education providers. Under plans rolled out by the Coalition government, there has been a rapid expansion of higher education providers with over 140 currently operating in the UK. However the select committee has found the sector was expanded without proper regulation.

The committee also found that almost £4m was wasted on schemes aimed at ineligible overseas students. The government is accused by the committee for providing to EU students

who had either chosen not to take them or could not provide their edibility. Margaret Hodge, chairperson of the committee said: “The department pressed ahead with the expansion of the alternative provider sector without sufficient regulation in place to protect public money”.

The University and College Union have been warning the government regarding the impact of their plans for years. Mrs Hodge added: “The department was explicitly warned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Universities and College Union about these risks, but chose to disregard them both before and after implementation”.

Higher education providers can be either private companies or hold charitable status.

Most of these education providers cannot claim public money directly, however they can access funding through the Student Loan Company.

Between 2010 and 2014, the total amount of public money paid to students at alternative providers, through tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living grants, rose from about £50m to £675m.

However, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has said that alternative higher education providers play a “Significant role in widening access to education”.

Professor Aldwyn Cooper, who chairs the Independent Universities Group, also noted that many of higher education providers offer “first rate value for money, employability and student experience”.

Council was congratulated for passing through two motions in support of the international students studying at UEA. Yinbo Yu, Opportunities and Activities Officer, proposed a motion which sought to ensure that international students who require a visa to work, could be employed by the union following graduation.

International Students Officer, Stela Glakousaki, asked Council to back a motion which would petition the university to scrap NHS fees of about £150 which international students are required to purchase on applying for their visa when coming to study in the UK. She argued that healthcare is not a privilege, but a right, and that this right should be extended to international students as well.

Council supports ending unfair assessments Connor Rand, Undergraduate Education Officer, put a motion in front of council which would seek to reduce the number of exams which students sit in the summer, stating that he felt that any module which was 100% exam should not exist. Rand argued that examination is an unfair method of assessment, and puts some students at a significant disadvantage, whilst faculties are simply ducking out of their responsibilities to reduce exam numbers by listing exams as course tests.

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

4 News Finance issues and eating disorders linked in female students COMMENT

Megan Baynes News reporter A study carried out by the University of Southampton and Solent NHS Trust has revealed that female students with financial difficulties are more likely to develop eating disorders. It also found that having extreme attitudes to food could lead female students to short-term financial problems, resulting in a “vicious cycle”.

The study of 400 undergraduates from universities throughout the UK asked students to respond to statements such as: “I feel extremely guilty after eating” and “I am preoccupied with a desire to be thinner”.

Borrowing money and being unable to afford heating were examples of financial difficulties stated. Additionally, female students who come from less affluent backgrounds were at a higher risk of developing eating disorders.

Rosanna Hardwick, a spokesperson for Student Minds, said: “Students face a lot of pressures at university. Many are living independently for the first time, away from the core family unit, having to deal with loneliness, lack of sleep and managing finances among other things.

“We want to make sure the right support is

T

Photo: Pixabay.com, Stux in place to deal with health issues. We provide peer support networks as a confidential space for all students with trained volunteers.

We look to integrate our support with the university support, as well as that of the NHS to make sharing these problems as easy as possible”.

Dr Thomas Richardson, who led the study claimed: “It may be that those at higher risk of having an eating disorder feel like they have no control over events in their life, such as their financial situation, and they may then restrict their eating as a way of exercising control in other areas of their life”.

here is a growing correlation between eating disorders and poverty at university. This in itself is a worrying statement but it also highlights many of society’s stigmas in regards to mental health.

In terms of university, such an issue can have diverse effects on grades – but the problem may go ignored. If there was an accident with physical and visible consequences, a student would undoubtedly be allowed time off from university to recover. At the very least they would be granted special dispensation for any work handed in during that period.

The lack of physical signs of mental health issues means conditions often go unnoticed.

However, sadly this information isn’t getting wide enough coverage. The fact of the matter is that we don’t care as much about mental illness in comparison to physical illness.

We need to stop burying our heads in the sand and accept the fact that there is more to learn about mental health, and that more needs to be done to help those living with it. Caitlin Doherty

Edinburgh University students’ union bans strawpedo-ing Amy Rust News reporter

Photo: Pixabay.com, Simon

Majority of students use social media to contact academics Amy Rust News reporter According to a survey by educational charity Jisc, 27% of students are using social networking sites to contact their tutors outside of regular contact hours.

Facebook was found to be most popular form of communication used by students as an online platform to communicate with academics, with 85% of those who took part

85%

The percentage of students who use Facebook to contact their academic tutors.

in the study claiming to have used the social networking site to contact university staff.

Out of the 500 students from various universities who took part, 36% of people also said that they used Twitter and 23% used Whatsapp.

The survey also found that 32% of students say technology played a part in their choice of

university, and that more than a quarter use their smartphones to edit essays. Some 20% said that they would like to see more mobile devices provided on campus to make studying easier.

Increasingly, academics are using social networking to showcase their research or to share further readings with students. Research carried out by Jisc in 2013 found that academic staff seemed mostly in favour of social media as a learning tool: 70% of academics questioned agreed that its use enhances the quality of the learning experience. Youtube was favoured above others, as staff are able to upload and share videos.

Jisc said: “Higher education providers need to ensure that they are tech savvy and that education technology is at the very top of their agenda to secure the future of their institution”.

A less serious result from the study: the survey also found that more than half of students were happy to have some of their lectures delivered by robots. More than a third were interested in virtual lectures and having dedicated mobile apps to help them study.

Students at Edinburgh University’s Student Association (EUSA) have been told that they will no longer be able to strawpedo drinks, after the practice was banned at one of its biggest club nights. To strawpedo is defined

by Urban Dictionary as “downing a bottle of beverage, using a bendy straw to allow the liquid to be replaced by air, therefore not creating a vacuum. This means the beverage will go down faster”.

Many people have previously taken to the internet to show off their strawpedo talents, with one man setting the benchmark by downing a bottle of wine in just four seconds.

However, the preferred drink of choice for those taking part is the VK. EUSA’s Vice President for Services, Tasha Boardman, told Scottish daily The Scotsman: “We have a responsibility to operate in a socially responsible manner in accordance with licensing law.

“We had been seeing an increase in

Photo: Wikimedia

strawpedoing which is not deemed as responsible consumption under licensing legislation, which we have a duty to uphold.

“We removed the straws so we could communicate to customers when requesting a straw that strawpedoing is not a practice we allow and if caught they may be removed.”

Edinburgh students aren’t impressed with the ban. A petition started against the it states: “EUSA have said this is part of their ‘duty’ to prevent irresponsible drinking.

Here’s the thing: it doesn’t stop irresponsible drinking. Irresponsible drinking is drinking too much for you to handle. EUSA aren’t stopping students from drinking, but they are controlling how students drink. Which quite frankly, should be none of their business”.

The petition goes on to accuse EUSA of “revelling in their role as heartless killjoys” and “banning strawpedos because they have nothing better to do”. At the time of writing, the petition had 475 signatures. Moreover, a report in The Scotsman said that a group of students had attempted to “storm” their way into a union club night as an act of defiance against the ban.

News

5

Photo: Flickr, .Martin

Vice chancellors receive an average of £260,000 a year Dan Falvey News editor

A survey by the University and College Union (UCU) for lecturers has found that university vice chancellors receive an average of £260,000 per year and 18 have received pay rises of over 10%.

The revelations have come following universities’ uproar at Labour’s pledge to reduce tuition fees to £6,000 due to claiming their budgets would be under threat.

The leader of the UCU, Sally Hunt, announced that she was disgusted at the findings. She stated that the lack of “accountability surrounding senior pay and perks is a national scandal”.

She went on to say: “Many staff and students will be amazed at the size of Vice Chancellors’ salaries, and at the largesse displayed by some university leaders when it

comes to first-class flights, hotels and other expenses.

“That this is happening in public institutions which are largely funded by the taxpayer and students makes the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding senior pay and perks a national scandal.

“We need agreed standards for open and transparent governance in our universities so trust in the system can be restored.”

The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, also spoke out following the revelation warning that universities should “think twice” about giving large pay rises to senior staff as they would be “hard to swallow”.

According to the survey the top-ten earners among Vice Chancellors received between £392,000 and £623,000 a year.

Further, the study, which looked at pay for the academic year 2013-14, also revealed that some Vice Chancellors received large increases in their pay while lecturers were campaigning over their limited pay rises.

UEA figures from the same year as the report show that UEA’s former Vice Chancellor, Edward Acton, received a 8.6% increase in his salary, taking it from £209,000 to £227,000.

At the time of the pay rise, a UEA spokesman said: “The remuneration committee will have taken a number of factors

10%

The minimum percentage increase that 18 Vice Chancellors saw in their salary.

into account in determining the size and makeup of the emoluments package, including the international standing of the University of East Anglia – a world top 1% university, and the university’s rapid ascent in the domestic league tables.

“Though the Vice Chancellor has clearly led the university during a period of significant improvements, his total emoluments as

published in the university’s accounts have fallen every year since his appointment”.

Nicola Dandridge, the chief executive of Universities UK, responded to the report by the UCU and claimed: “The salaries of university leaders in the UK are in line with those in competitor countries and comparable to similarly sized public and private organisations.

“Senior management pay needs to reflect what it takes to attract and retain the very best leaders to UK universities, in what is a global market for leadership talent.

“The remuneration packages of Vice Chancellors are determined by independent remuneration committees at each individual institution”.

She went on to argue that “higher education continues to be one of the UK’s most successful sectors, contributing over £73bn to the economy, £10bn in export earnings and providing the skills and ideas that our economy needs to grow”.

Majority of postgraduate students “ineligible for loans” Dan Falvey News editor The majority of postgraduates will be unable to get a postgraduate loan according to alternative finance provider, Student Funders.

The organisation’s chief executive, Juan Guerra, announced in a conference that around two-thirds of students would miss out on the new postgraduate loans scheme due to be introduced in 2016-17.

The scheme was announced by the Chancellor, George Osborne, in his Autumn Statement at the end of last year. Making the announcement at the time he said: “Today, I am going to revolutionise the support for our postgraduate students… Until now there has been almost no financial support available, and the upfront costs of postgraduate degrees deter bright students from poorer backgrounds.

“So today, across all disciplines, we will make government-backed student loans of up to £10,000 available, for the first time ever, to all young people undertaking postgrad master’s degrees”.

A Treasury spokesman added to the Chancellor’s comments stating the new loans system was “expected to benefit around 40,000 students, and enable around 10,000 more individuals to take advantage of the opportunity to undertake postgraduate study each year”.

Photo: Flickr, M00by

However, Guerra announced at an event held last month that he had done an analysis based on the 2012-13 intake of postgraduate students (both taught and research) and claimed that “Roughly 60% of the… intake would not have been eligible for a government loan”.

Some of those who will be unable to access the new loans system will be those studying postgraduate degrees who are over 30 who have been controversially excluded from the new loans system.

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills have responded to the alternative finance provider’s announcement and said that the terms of the proposed postgraduate loan system were still to be confirmed. A spokesman for the department stated: “We will be issuing a public consultation shortly to help design the policy”.

The news is likely to be met with criticism from the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) who at the time of the original announcement said that the loans system was a step in the right direction but that “more radical ideas were needed”.

Back in December, the leader of the UCU, Sally Hunt, said: “It’s positive that the government has moved to address the current crisis in postgraduate funding, but encouraging people to accrue more debt is not the best way to attract the best and brightest into further study”.

6

Special feature Campaigns & Democracy

Meet the candidates...

O

ver the next four pages are interviews with every candidate standing for election to one of the five full-time officer roles of the Union of UEA Students. These are the people who want to lead the union in the 2015-16 academic year; during this week’s election you can chose the candidate whose ideas and policies you think deserve to be implemented. Any UEA student is eligible to vote on the union’s website.

Every candidate was asked three standard questions. We think it is important to present readers with the opportunity to make a meaningful comparison. The first of these questions asked candidates to respond to the findings of Concrete’s survey of Union Councillors. If you would like to have another look at the survey for yourself, the results were published in issue 308 and can be found on our website.

It is a regrettable necessity that we have had to make substantial cuts to the interviews. With limited space, we cannot publish everything that the candidates said and – again, to save space – we have not been able to indicate where alterations to the transcript have been made. But we have tried incredibly hard to retain the true essence of their responses. Nevertheless, we would be more than happy to send out copies of transcripts, original audio files, or both, to anyone who would like to have a full copy of one or more of the following interviews.

We also conducted interviews with candidates for part-time officer positions. We did not have the time to type up all of these up before going to print, but you can find them on our website.

Finally, we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has lent a hand in writing up this piece. We could not have done this without you. Peter Sheehan

Chris Jarvis

Dan Julian

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

One of the things I have done this year, as Campaigns and Democracy Officer is pass a new motion about how council will be elected. So whereas historically there has been no election period for union councillors, starting from next year there will be a clear election period where everyone can see who is running for councillor. A lot of people do not know whom their councillors are we have taken some step to do that by making sure the council agenda goes out on every email and that there is always a link to the list of councillors.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

I’ve been a critic of union council having sat on it this year. I think it doesn’t work effectively, not because it’s wrong in what it does, but the way it works. What I would do is make sure that councillors have to turn up or lose their seat.

The agenda only comes up a week before: a lot of people don’t send it back to their constituents, which means a lot of motions will be rubberstamped – which is fine but it can be done done through the Student Officer Committee.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

So there’s a big distinction between NUS delegate elections and the main union elections because, interestingly, I think that the problem with the NUS delegate elections is more a problem with NUS than it is with us. In terms of the main elections, turnout has been quite low but it’s been improving over the last few years.

I think what we need to do is target individual groups that don’t engage.

What inspired you to run?

I’ve been doing a bunch of stuff that I’ve seen clear results from. So stuff like Goats for Votes was something that I really enjoyed doing: we got 1,000 students registered to vote. On top of that, there’s stuff I’ve been doing which we haven’t yet finished. I’ve been working with Unison to campaign with the cleaners who aren’t paid a living wage in the university, to get them a living wage. I want to finish those projects and see them through.

You’ve talked about increasing engagement over the year.

So why are fewer candidates running this year that last year?

We’ve gone through a lot of change this year, so whereas in previous years there’s been a degree of continuity, this year there’s a lot of difference.

But the campaigns haven’t changed, they’ve stayed the same.

You’ve got a big group of students who have seen massive changes and are confused by some of the things they are seeing. Also, more people run for election if they are dissatisfied. So perhaps fewer candidates run if they are satisfied with what’s going on.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

No government could ever suggest that it’s legitimate with a 2% turnout. I think the union has a real problem because it doesn’t engage and it doesn’t get people to vote.

This means that at the end of the day the students then complain and then don’t actually do anything.

The union is going through a rebranding process which I completely agree with but I think a key part of that should be pushing for more student involvement. We get so many emails, that the fact that there’s an election, there’s a leadership race, gets drowned out in tha. The way we can focus on that is by making sure that all the officers get together and realise they were elected on low turnout and there’s a real problem.

What inspired you to run?

I’ve loved my time here at UEA but I think the student union could have done more to make my experience better I think. As someone who’s voted in every student union election, I want to see the union become more democratic. That motivates me to be democratic and engage with the process.

You promise to promote more postgraduate involvement, but does this stry out of your desired role?

I think a lot of roles overlap. I think there’s a clear divide in undergraduate and postgraduate education officer. I think the Campaigns Officer needs to make sure that we are one union we work not just for undergrads but for post grads aswell. Whoever gets elected needs to make sure that his constituents, or her constituents, manage to feel included in our union. The way I’d do it is to make sure that the referendum that was proposed to incorporate the GSA would go through in a new manner.

Special feature

7

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

Lizzie Cody

Jess Hardcastle

Connor Rand

Josh Wilson

Liam McCafferty

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

I’ve sat on Council; I’ve seen how it works and the democratic procedures are great. I think in principle it’s fantastic. I think we really need to work to make it more representative – I think that’s definitely been a focal point of some criticism. The union this year was not perfect. It has been too closed away. We could’ve done a lot more to come down to students and say: “We’re making this big decision – how do you feel about it?

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

I haven’t come across anything [in the survey] that anyone has said to me about union council with any issues. But if there are problems then I’d like to update my knowledge. People are saying there’s lack of involvement on here; I can understand where that might be coming from, because I never see anyone from union council come into my school of study and say: “Hi, I’m so and so, I do this for you guys”.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

The lack of motions being submitted by people not heavily involved in the union shows that, at times, it is not as effective as it could be at capturing student voice and student opinion. There should be more power devolved to caucuses. And I’d say is that it’s still too formal. I think more training of people, more information for people, and an ‘informalisation’ would help encourage people to submit their own views.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I think it’s a huge problem. When you look at other unions: they have a huge level of student support and I think at times we really lack that. There are times when we get on board with things and it’s fantastic – Change One Thing had a phenomenal response – but there are times when we completely lack student engagement and ultimately I think the best way to do it is to actually go out and speak to students. But I think the union is always legitimate in a situation like this, and I think we need a union and the work they do is fantastic.

Rather than necessarily using the word legitimacy I’d probably switch that up for the engagement and trust that students have.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I want to encourage people to vote more; on my manifesto I said some of the reasons why you should vote: it’s quick and easy to do, and the changes that I’ll be making as the undergraduate education officer will be affecting them. So I do agree that if only a small minority is voting it will affect it, but at the same time, as long as everyone is happy with the turnouts then it doesn’t really matter as much. It’s up to the students whether or not they want to vote. Still, once again it comes down to publicity. I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis, I would say it’s a tiny bit of an issue if not enough people apply for it.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

Clearly engagement needs to be much, much higher; the turnout in the NUS delegate elections was really disappointing. I think even in unions where there is a very high turnout in student union elections, turnout in NUS delegate elections still tends to be quite low. Too often our democratic processes shut people out and put people off, and so I think a reforming of those processes would go some way towards increasing engagement

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

There’s a lot of stuff about not being consulted and I think that’s something that comes across quite a lot when you talk to people: they don’t know what the union is or how you change things. And I think that’s really important because if most students don’t know that Unio is the union, or that they can join Union Council: that’s really problematic. Communication is notoriously bad and I think that’s getting better this year, slowly but surely. But its all a building process: getting students involved as soon as they start at university.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

There’s a comment that people are recognising that the union is taking postgraduate representation seriously: that’s obviously quite welcome. At the same time a lot of these comments talk about students feeling generally disengaged with the union, and you can kind of multiply that by about tenfold for postgraduate students. Part of the work I’ve been doing this year is the process of working out why those students don’t engage and what it is that makes it difficult for them to engage.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

The NUS delegate election is an interesting one because its outside the main election, so turnout is always less with fewer candidates and less visibility. I don’t think there’s an illegitimacy of how its run in general, but I think there’s potentially slightly dodgy when you have such low turn out. I think this links right back to getting people involved with the student union at an early point. So if people know know that it’s a fully democratic structure and if they know how to get involved then I think they’re much more likely to run or vote in elections because they know they have the ability to make a difference.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

It’s all about the kind of questions that you’re asking because I think students generally respond when they feel like the union and officers and people are actually talking about the things that actually they care about and the big issues they’re thinking about. And it’s by understanding those problems and being able to talk in that kind of language that you get students engaged.

What inspired you to run?

I basically realised on my manifesto, after a while, that most of my points were academic focus because that’s where I’d found there were some gaps in terms of student engagement and understanding and student satisfaction.

What inspired you to run?

The main reason that I want ot do it is because I always have these ideas about things that could be changed slightly on our course, and I want to actually see these ideas be pursued.

And the other part is I think you need someone to be there to be able tio listen to other peoples’ opinions and ideas.

Can you expand on your plan for “student led initiatives in the hub”?

In the last year or so, the bars have pretty much transformed themselves by engaging students, saying to students: “We need a new rota system: can anyone develop a rota system?”. They now use that system; it works really well. I’m really interested in getting engaged with in the hubs by saying: “We’ve got a load of students who are saying ‘My assessment and feedback hasn’t been great, I’ve got a suggestion to make this better’ “.

Hopefully the hubs would engage with us; in an ideal world we could implement that system in the hubs.

It’s a win-win situation: the worst the hubs can do is say no. We can go away, change it and come back with something that would work.

Your manifesto mentions printing credits. The current officer’s plan to do the same has so far failed: how can acheive success?

I know that he was doing pledges online and stuff, but he didn’t really push it as much it could. I think I’ll definitely keep pushing it. I’d review his techniques and build upon what he’s done before and find all the cons and flaws within it. Maybe I’d set up some kind of petition on campus to get other societies involved in advertising the idea. Once again it’s more about getting a survey and getting people to respond to that. I’m not saying give everyone loads of printing credits because that would be bad for the environment and printing and everything, but there should be some kind of leeway.

What inspired you to run?

There’s no better feeling than being an officer and really winning something for students that you know is really going to benefit students, that is going to put money back in the pockets of students who are hard pressed and struggling to make ends meet. I’m looking at the year ahead and thinking I’ve got an exciting plan, and I really know what I want to achieve.

Is there much point investing in paper books, when students prefer e-books?

One of the ideas that has been floated by the university for investment is a library extension and I believe that we should lobby hard for it. The students I talk to want more social study space, more study space in exam periods, and more space for books, not less.

But why promise something that the university’s already considering?

The job of officers is to lobby the university, and there are about 50 vague ideas that have been floated in the corporate plan. I think the one that the students’ union should lobby for most is a library extension because I think it is something that will really benefit students. And of course it’s only been mentioned to me in one conversation by the university.

What inspired you to run?

One of my key things I’ve campaigned on throughout my time at university and prior to that was free education so I’m quite heavily involved in Defend Education UEA which does a lot of campaign on fee education and accommodation fee rises and stuff.

What inspired you to run?

Postgrads make up only 11% of council, despite constituting 21% of the population. Last year it was only 3.2% of council. In terms of postgraduate engagement, clearly I’ve made a lot of strides. We’re clearly making headway into a whole area and engaging with students that have never engaged before. We’ve come quite far but we haven’t got far enough. We’re not in a position where I think we can say we’re fully delivering for postgraduates, and that’s why I want to run again.

You want all lectures to be recorded and uploaded to Blackboard: do you think this encourages students to skip lectures?

No I don’t think it does at all.

This has happened for one of my modules in my whole three years and it was the most useful that’s happened in any of the modules I’ve done. Because the recording doesn’t replace the lecture: you can’t ask questions, there’s loads you can do in terms of interacting.

But it does mean if you miss it, it’s not the end of the world. If you’re ill, you don’t lose that completely.

But also what I think its really important for is you’ll go to all the lectures in the whole term.

You’re running unopposed.

Does this represent the failure of the union to effectively integrate and work with the postgraduate student community?

I would have preferred for there to be more people running for the position as a reflection of the headway we’ve made in terms of improving postgraduate engagement with the union.

But I think that the issue is a lot more complex than a simple “postgraduates don’t like the union”. We need to take a more nuanced approach in terms of what kind of things work for postgraduates and what kind of things don’t.

8

Special feature

Welfare, Community & Diversity

Mattie Carter

Daniel Delargy

Joe Honeywood

Jo Swo

Dan Wrigglesworth

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

A lot of people feel concerned about transparency in the union, particularly in regard to democratic decision making. But I think it stems mostly from the fact that the union is so complicated in it’s structures that it’s impossible for anybody who hasn’t spent, like, two months around union to understand how it works. It’s something that can’t really change overnight, but the union can do a lot more in promotion of the structures and understanding the way that they work. And also maybe simplifying them.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

The amount of rebranding needs to be turned down because if you’re hear for three years you want something stable, not a union focussing yearly on its appearance rather than on what actually does.

Students should definitely be asked: “Right, we’re going to be changing the name, do you think we should?” rather than just automatically changing it to seem up to date and hip.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

I completely agree that some people are mentioning that there are some things that have been great, like the motion about sanitary towels and obviously they were quite well publicised. But people obviously don’t know just how many motions do go through and some don’t pass and it’s not very transparent. There is barely any summary given to students, it’s all kept very in Union House. There is a key population of students who engage with the union; maybe that’s only about 600800 students and we have a massive population at UEA. One of the first things I would suggest doing is doing a really short clear summary.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

A couple of things are jumping out: people not really knowing what the union is doing; people feeling there isn’t a proper sense of democracy – a few people have said that: the not representing the average student, which I actually think is very relevant. It comes down to determination – and also because, if you want to make positive change, there is the administration or logistics of it. What you really need is a big social movement, you just need to get people encouraged and I still think, just talking to people, they still don’t even know where the student office is.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

We were not consulted on a restructure I think that’s part of the bigger problem of communication, which I think definitely needs to be improved. I think when you look at the people who get involved anyway it tends to be the people from humanities background. If I studied medicine I don’t think I could be an officer as well I’ve got friends who are and they don’t have any spare time. We should go out talk about the union – what the union’s doing, and the decisions that we’re making and why. That’s probably one of our biggest problems.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

The union definitely has an engagement problem. I wouldn’t say it has a legitimacy problem. But maybe if it does have a legitimacy problem, that stems from the engagement problem. A big thing I think I want to see is more general meetings, but I also want to make sure there is some accountability on Union Council to make sure councillors are talking to their societies about the decisions they’re making: I know in a lot of cases they’re not.

What inspired you to run?

I did my first year at a different university and coming here was a much more positive experience for me, the student experience is much better, and as a trans person I found it to be a very open and accepting campus. But the things that inspired me to run were, like realising that it can’t do everything right. I also found that there wasn’t enough support for mental wellbeing, which is something that really needs to be addressed as well.

You want to make the union take part in non-Christian religious holidays: should the union be celebrating any religious holidays?

I think it depends what we define as taking part. Obviously Christmas is big in the union and they put decorations up and everything, and I kind of felt when I saw that that if they are going to do something that big for one specific religion’s holiday, they should be doing it for all of them. But when I say taking part, what I’d really like to see is some acknowledgment from the union, however small it may be, that this is going on, in terms of what is up in Union House.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I think not enough people really knew that much about how the NUS affects the university. There may have been a greater turnout if the union had taken time to say why we need an NUS delegate rather than saying: these guys are going for it, this is what they’ll do I would definitely hold some kind of survey to see exactly, one, how much people know about the position these people are running for, how much influence they can have. Its kind of interesting that people would rather focus on the university and don’t really care about the NUS. What inspired you to run?

As Students with Disabilities officer, the person above me was the Welfare officer and id quite like to continue in that position of being there in a position to help students in need because to be honest, I enjoyed helping them, I enjoyed offering services, I enjoyed coming up with these ideas to make students lives easier.

You say you want to focus on the stigma someone with disabilities can give themselves.

Exactly what you mean by this?

A lot of campaigns I’ve seen concerning the stigma of mental illness is the stigma a third party can give a person with disabilities.

Oh, he’s in a wheelchair. Oh, she has to take pills to manage herself.

One of the things that doesn’t really get picked up on in those kinds of campaigns is that a person with a disability can create their own stigma. I want to raise awareness of that personal stigma, and of how people can help. So if a person goes dark for a year, sometimes people think we’ll keep in touch hell be back when he wants to talk to us.

Sometimes its better just to send the odd text or Facebook message saying “Hey, you okay?” It’s just the little things.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I’m not really sure about legitimacy but I think the union is a fantastic building and it can do fantastic things for students but it’s all kept so in house that it struggles to engage with students who don’t have the time to truly engage with the union. So some of the only ways people engage with their union is through clubs and societies and they don’t go any deeper than that. So because we’re not getting feedback from further away I think people are kind of forgotten about.

What inspired you to run?

I started working in the Advice Centre and got to meet the officers, see what they did. I saw the kind of stuff they were doing and was like, this is absolutely amazing, this totally suits what I feel I would do. I’ve seen so much the Advice Centre has done, I’ve been to the housing socials, I’ve taken students round properties with Home Let and I’ve had very relevant experience so I feel it’s directly transferrable.

What do you mean by fairer working hours for student staff?

My friend has been technically working in the shop since the start of third year and never had a shift, ever. And I know people who have worked in the bars and can’t get rid of their hours. So I was hoping to discuss it with the union, to work out contracts that would be four, six, eight, ten and twleve-hour contracts. So you’d sign up for one at the start of term. There would be a limited number of each so we’d know exactly how many students we’ve got for each role and would be able to calculate exactly how many contracts we need.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I think there is an issue insofar as the evidence is there, just look at the statistics. And I think a lot of the time its just down to advertising, again. UEA is very political and the students are very interested but a lot of the time people just don’t know what’s going on. So it’s as simple as having lots and lots of posters up saying “hey this is happening” in a week, instead of “hey this is happening today” and people don’t know.

What inspired you to run?

So many things. I recently started something called ‘Goodnight Norwich’ which is like my own project. I created my own website and it kind of sparks by me being sick of seeing all my friends on Facebook like “lol my drink got spiked”, “oh I had a shit night”, and all that kind of stuff and I was like, it would be really good if you could just go online, search that place and see all these reviews. So it’s just making sure you have a good night as well as encouraging people to share their experiences In your manifesto, you say that you will push trans-neutral toilets. What is the difference is between trans- neutral and gender-neutral toilets?

I think I just put that on because I meant for it to be all-inclusive in terms of the toilets in the library in the corridor. I just think all toilets should be like that. And I think when I say trans-neutral, I just kind of mean neutral. Probably a better phrasing would just be completely and utterly neutral. Basically I think in order to have a safer campus and for everyone to feel represented that is a basic necessity.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

Last year I ran for NUS delegate and I got over 200 votes and I won it but the person who won it this year got less than 60 votes. I think it comes down to the fact that people don’t really understand what it is. I spoke to a lot of people who didn’t even know those elections were happening. I don’t think there is a legitimaacy issue, I think the issue is that our communication hasn’t been good enough. We don’t reach enough student,s, I think if you don’t go into the hive most student don’t know what’s going on in the office upstairs.

What inspired you to run?

Being LGBT+ officer this year I loved it and a lot of people are saying that its great I’ve made the LGBT+ community more visible and what I actually want to do is help more students and do more students make real change. So I made the decision to take a year out of my degree to run to make the change that students need around campus.

In your manifesto you pledge to bring in meal deals into Unio.

There’re meal deals available in the bar and in the Shop. How would this differ in Unio?

The food is different in Unio, it has a different atmosphere. but its really expensive to eat in there especially with the more expensive Panini’s so I think we need to give students the opportunity to get more for their money. I think Leicester have a £2 meal deal and ours is £3.29 so that’s a big price issue on this campus. we’ve got to look at the food we put in the meal deal and if we can put the price down on those. Just a way to get different products in that are the same quality but cheaper so we can have a cheaper meal deal.

Special feature

9

Activities & Opportunities

Rob Drury

Rokas Lucinskas

Joe Skeet

Yinbo Yu

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

On one hand I’d agree with some of the stuff that’s said.

But take a step back: the main problem is communication. It’s a massive issue, and I think that people are saying these things without knowing exacatly what the problems might be. People need to look at the bigger picture, and we can’t look at the bigger picture because it’s not being communicated to us as it probably should be.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

Basically, it’s run well but the thing is that it’s inconsistent a little bit – that’s what I’ve heard from people as part of a society. One person says you can do this, another person says you can do that. The information needs to be crystallised by the officers and then what I would do is give training and workshops myself to the committee members, such as presidents and treasurers, so they would know what when and how to do things.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

In terms of saying Union Council is powerless... So one thing I have just done last night: I bring the policy for a sports union where it’s called sports association. So it’s been passed and I was still working on that to have a more focused group for sports clubs presidents to perhaps have a say in their groups so it can bring more focus to policy related to sports, to Council.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a legitimacy issue: it’s more engagement. A lot of the time people feel like its not really anything they can get involved and have their say with and I think that’s one of the key things is that the union becomes that bit more approachable. Officers need to be the face of the union, and the kind of people you see often. People don’t really know who they can approach about things. I think it all leads to a culture of disengaging rather than engaging.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I think it does have a legitimacy problem. However, if you look at the touted audience during elections, I’d say that a lot of the time it’s the people that are already involved in some sort of decisionmaking body. If students are coming up to us saying: “Hey, what is the election?”, when it affects a large number of people, you know something has gone wrong.

Some people aren’t interested, and that’s completely fine. But when they are interested and are saying “No-one told us about this”, there’s something that’s not quite working and has to be resolved.

What inspired you to run?

I’ve become quite inspired by the union itself; I want to go on and make even better. If I hadn’t got involved with the union I would have left university after my first year: I wasn’t that engaged before I started. Since then my life has got that much better and I think that sort of put the idea in the back of my head that I would want to run at some point.

What inspired you to run?

I think that sports and societies have developed me as a person, and the amount of potential that you can get out of them is big. And I think its playing a bigger and bigger role in the future when you go to job interviews: it’s all good having a good degree, but then you have to show that extra bit of skill that might push you in front of everyone else.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

The problem is that I don’t think people are aware what power they have. It should be very approachable. It shouldn’t be like a manifesto or a 30-page rule book.

It should be more of a website kind of thing – what’s done, what’s changing, that kind of stuff. That way people would realise what power they actually have by voting.

People who do care: they can vote, and their voice has to be heard and it’s legit because they did vote. And people who don’t care: it’s really bad, but if they don’t care, they don’t care – and that’s what we need to change. But elections are legitimate, that’s what I believe. We just need to change the turnout.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

I think the main issue you have with Union Council is the lack of turnout, and apathy from certain sections of the student population. I don’t know whether that’s the fault of Union Council or the fault of the student itself for not engaging...

Council is quite a long meeting with a lot of issues raised that aren’t relevant to all populations as well, so I think it’d be good to the different topics involved.

Also better training for the Union Council reps to translate in laymans terms to their clubs what the issues are and why it’s important.

You want to hold forums with student staff: what issues can you forsee student staff bringing up and how would you work to resolve them?

I don’t think I could say legitimately what would come up. But student staff are the ones working on the front line: they know what’s working and know what’s not working. The main way I’d resolve things would be within forums, whether it was split up by area or just a general student staff meeting.

In my head, I see it as any issues that are known about are talked about, and then attendees are allowed to lead conversation. That would be how I’d like to go about getting feedback from students and getting them to tell me what they need me to do.

You focus on creating nonalcoholic socials and events throughout the year. Is that a policy that students really want?

I think it is. It’s not that we’d stop drinking: it’s offering an alternative to students that don’t like this drinking culture. I’d like to see it implemented in Freshers’ week. All these events through the pub and the LCR, they’re all kind of heavily alcohol-based but why can’t we have something like, I don’t know, a paintball competition? And this could be a good way for societies and clubs to get involved as well because if they help out the union in organising it all there’s a lot of potential for them to either gain new members or some sort of financial award for putting it on.

How do you respond to criticisms of Council, and what changes would you make?

I have got to the point where it’s been that frustration after being in there for four hours for an emergency council that’s been withdrawn at the last minute, and when you spend half an hour discussing the difference between a boycott and a ban. Its so faffy.

And it needs to be less formal. I completely understand the reason that there are motions, by-laws and constitutions – they are legal entities – but as students I don’t think we need to adhere that in how we discuss things.

Alec Kent

What inspired you to run?

I knew that I wanted to do this for two and a half year now. I was a president of my school as well, I always enjoyed creativity in work and enjoy organising events – I love responsibility in a way because it pushes me! At the same time, creating something from nothing, creating a solution to people’s problems: I think it’s an interesting job.

You want faster and more interactive online feedback.

What do you mean by this, and how would you implement it?

This would be particularly for societies and sports clubs and the media collective, because as I said information is not consistent all the time. People do have questions, and sometimes it’s not in working hours.

I would have a page where people could post questions they need, and I would respond within 24 hours. It doesn’t have to be the answer, but at least I could tell them I will look into that – let’s be realistic. But people would feel safer to have someone they can ask questions to: that way there would be no collision between the union and the students.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

The union has to be relevant to its student demographic and population. From my experience as a sports president and a society president, you get emails from the union that are very disposable, so it’s important that officers and union staff actually go and meet students. Students don’t necessarily have the time to respond to surveys. You need to take the union to students rather than the students to come into the union.

What inspired you to run?

Probably the fact that the best experiences I’ve had at UEA have come through clubs and societies.

They’re the things you remember, the people you meet, the shared experiences are the things you remember and my life at UEA, apart form my course for which I work very hard, is through the work I’ve done playing Korfball, as president. So I feel I have a reasonable understanding of the issues my club and society face.

You want to visit club anbd society meetings. How do you plan to implement this pledge?

And how often would you engage in this outreach?

Obviously we’ve got to be realistic about this. There’re over 240 people or individual clubs and societies that you’ve got to meet. So I think it’s instigating a culture within my work, making sure you don’t just get stuck behind a desk when you’ve got a huge workload on. I don’t want to make a pledge that every Wednesday I’m going to go round 240 clubs because that’s not realistic. But just making yourself available and approachable for clubs to come and see me. Maybe have a window when clubs can have a drop in session.

Given poor turnout in the NUS delegate elections, does the union have an engagement and legitimacy problem?

I think this year our union is kind of doing much better than the previous year about student engagement because, for example, for myself I saw loads of new faces from international students, some Into students. Like, for example, in Union Council we had the first Into council rep. I have been working on attendance for some international societies, so they might not know that their reps should come to the council.

What inspired you to run?

Well I think the sabbatical officer is quite a hard job to be honest. So one year’s really short for people like me to do the things I want to do. Although I’ve achieved almost every manifesto committment that I proposed last year, I have some new ideas – or there are things I want to develop further. There’re only, like, three months left and I don’t think that’s good timing for me to just stop here In your manifesto you say that you will ensure there is no racism, sexism, ableism or discriminations in any union activity. This suggests that thse things currently happening in union activities: is that the case?

I have to say during my time here as sab I haven’t received any complaint about racism, sexism, ableism or LGBT-phobia. But I do hear from students that there might be some. It didn’t come to me directly, but I’ve heard from, like, friends on LCR night things like that. So they might not have the courage to come to us to say: “Yeah, I think I have a problem and I want you to deal with it. So it’s just like the It’s Never OK campaign we’re doing. So we are kind of delivering the message: sexual harassment is never OK. It’s kind of the message that we want to give to every student to let them know we can handle it.

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Global

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t seems that ugly history cannot help but rear its ugly head; those moments which some would rather forget, and some would rather merely remember, cannot help but come and cause controversy once more.

Last month, a 94-year-old German man was charged with more than 3,600 counts of accessory to murder as a result of his role as an SS Medic within Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp, during the years of Hitler’s Holocaust atrocities.

It may seem strange, punishing an elderly man, who is inevitably in the final years of his life, for a crime that has seemingly been ignored for the previous 70 years; but it may surprise you as to the rate at which similar trials have been taking place recently.

In 2013, 30 people were recommended by the German government to face charges and be prosecuted for their involvement in the Holocaust during the 1930s and 40s.

Three 93-year-olds are to stand in court on Holocaust charges. Oskar Groenig was an accountant at Auschwitz who was responsible for counting money, or calculating the worth of valuables from the belongings of victims and sending it to Berlin to help fund the Nazi regime. Hilde Michnia was a member of Nazi staff who allegedly forced thousands of women prisoners on a death march from the Grossen-Rosen concentration camp, an episode that left almost 1,500 dead.

The final man has not been named, but it is known that he was an SS Guard, responsible for deciding who of the prisoners should be forced into labour, and who should be sent immediately to the death chambers.

He is being charged with 170,000 counts of accessory to murder.

Aware that time is quickly running out to prosecute those responsible for one of history’s greatest atrocities, investigators are seemingly desperate to restore justice. In the words of German prosecutor Andreas Brendel: “There is no statute of limitations on murder... It is very important that a German criminal process takes place and that the guilt of the offender is determined”. But 70 years on, we must question what we really know about the horrors of the Holocaust and its concentration camps.

Ignorance would perhaps be the wrong word to describe the current attitudes towards the Holocaust and the Second World War, but it is undeniable that our knowledge, whilst in some places thorough, in others is patchy and reliant on perhaps not-so-accurate recounts handed down through the generations of the 20th century. Even when it comes to Auschwitz, something that is considered one of the most crucial pieces of information in

Photo: Jewish Virtual Library

To punish the unpunishable?

Caitlin Doherty asks how we should deal with the last surviving perpetrators of the atrocites of the Second World War.

regards to the events of the war, it is clear that common knowledge upon the subject is flawed: the terms Auschwitz and Auschwitz II Birkenau are often used side by side and interchangeably, when in fact they represent different things. The term Auschwitz was the title for a large complex of camps: three big camps on the main site, around 45 smaller ones within the surrounding area, as well as the original Polish army barracks that was used primarily as a work camp. Birkenau was the name of one of the three larger camps; it contained the facilities used to gas, or otherwise horrifically murder prisoners, as well as the facilities for slave labour and medical experimentation.

Birkenau was home to many of the most explicitly horrendous activities that we associate with the Holocaust and concentration camps. The infamous “Arbeit

The mystery of drones over Paris Cameron Sparkhall Global writer At least five unmanned aircraft were spotted flying over Paris in the early hours on 24th February. The following evening more reports had come in claiming that the drones had returned. They had been seen flying over delicate landmarks within Paris such as the Eiffel Tower, the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper and various nuclear sites. Even recently there have still been reports, carrying the estimated amount of sightings to 60. The drone sightings couldn’t have come at a worse time for France: the Charlie Hebdo incident back in January has heightened the nation’s security and these eye-witness accounts of drones will only develop a level of paranoia within the country.

The drones spotted are not militarystyle ones but are commercially available so

Photo: smh whether they are used for air reconnaissance or merely used by mischief-makers remains a mystery. It is illegal to fly a drone at night in Paris and previous arrests have been made.

The fear presented after the reports of drones over Paris can resemble the days of the Cold War and particularly the U-2 spy plane incident of 1962. It could be argued now however that the state of fear and uncertainty is even worse than it was during the Cold War, as the perpetrator remains unknown. Is this the problem with introducing the purchase

of drones into the consumer market? How far does it have to go to become a national or global security problem? It is certainly an issue that can divide people who favour the individual over the state or the state over the individual.

Commercially available drones are one thing, but military-style drones have different ethical issues altogether. The drone is Obama’s choice of weapon, according to the Bureau of Investigate Journalism between 2004 and 2012 there have been around 330 strikes in Pakistan

macht frei” sign, for instance, is at the gates of Auschwitz; the even more infamous gatehouse is at Auschwitz II Birkenau, yet the two are used interchangeably.

This is a perfect example of the 21stCentury attitudes towards the war. We understand that it was horrific, and we want to learn more, but there are still gaps in our knowledge.

Of course, it would be completely immoral to try and excuse the Holocaust or the actions of Hitler’s government; the evidence of pain, torture and the absolutely abhorrent conditions he forced upon the minorities of Europe is absolutely unforgivable. But, by punishing people seventy years on, who had seemingly been forgiven for their actions and were left to live their lives peacefully for a long time, are we just racing to try and satisfy our own conscience? alone, with the total of people killed being between 2,479 and 3,180. While the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) removes the requirement to place conventional troops on the ground, the assumption that every drone targets exactly what it is supposed to is a lie.

A number of civilian casualties result from the usage of UAVs. However the Western media coverage over the devastating effect of drones is absent. John Oliver points out that drones are used so much in Pakistan that they have become a way of life, and that even the news coverage in Pakistan features drone graphics when showing the weather report.

With the drone attacks and surveillance in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, this brings up another issue: where do the borders of countries actually begin and end?

If America has the power to invade the air space of other countries that it sees to be their ‘enemy’ whilst other countries such as Iran and Russia have also obtained drone technology, then a case for global paranoia could develop where, as in the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union will have their suspicions on each other, and can spy on each other without being traced. Rather than complimenting an age of globalism, the increased use of drones is only serving to heighten international tension.

Comment Concrete’s Election Countdown

By Dan Falvey

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ne of the main reasons that the Liberal Democrats were able to capture such a large amount of the student vote in the 2010 general election was their pledge on tuition fees. Five years later as we enter the final weeks before the campaign proper, the issue of funding higher education once again appears to be taking the headlines after Ed Miliband announced that a Labour government would reduce tuition fees to £6,000 a year.

However, the Labour leader’s pledge offers nothing more than moderate change that in reality will have little effect on students. Whether students come out of university with £27,000 worth of tuition fees debt or £18,000 quite frankly makes little difference. Both amounts are still so high that students will probably never actually pay off the full amount before it is scrapped after the 30-year cut off.

The Sutton Trust claims that under the current system a graduate who earns 50% more than the average graduate will still owe £39,000 by the age of 40.

Consequently a reduction of £9,000 over three years will make no difference.

It should probably be little surprise therefore that the Green Party is so popular with students. They are offering something that is really radical for students. Not only are they offering to reverse the coalition’s tripling of course costs they are offering to get rid of tuition fees altogether.

If Labour are to capture the student vote come 7th May they need to offer students a change which will make a real difference to them. Offering quasi-change is, if anything, likely to annoy students as it appears like a desperate attempt to capture the student vote without actually caring for their wellbeing.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have both already stated that they have no intentions of reducing tuition fees. At least they have consequently made a firm stand on the issue stating their beliefs.

In contrast, Labour have muted their idea of reducing tuition fees for the past 12 months but have almost been too nervous to announce the policy in fear of the response.

This contrast in confidence with the way the other parties have made their opinions known on the issue makes the party look weak, and as if they have no clue as to exactly where they stand on the matter.

Individuals inside the Labour Party itself seem uncertain about the policy.

Some have said that the proposal “doesn’t go far enough” while others seem to be annoyed that the policy has been pledged at all, seeing it as a step backwards.

Labour must get their act together very quickly if they wish to secure the student vote in May. Failure to provide a united, coherent policy which offers a real change for students will see them loose out to the Green Party.

This is particularly relevant in Norwich South given just how marginal the constituency is. Labour’s tuition fee policy could provide Lesley Grahame with the extra boost that she needs to beat Clive Lewis.

Sam McKinty examines the future of the UK’s energy mix Page 13

Comment editor, Joe Jameson, asks why the institutional attitude to whistleblowing is so archaic

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t has recently come to light that officers present at the Hillsborough football ground in 1989, at the time of the disaster which saw 97 fans die in a fenced-in portion of the stands, were instructed by senior members of the police service to blame the disaster on drunk Liverpool fans. The then chief detective instructed detectives in charge of the case to search the grounds for empty beer cans, and to speak to landlords of public houses in the local area in an attempt to back up such a claim.

It is appalling that so much information about Hillsborough is only now being revealed, and that the families and friends of the victims have been left in the dark for so long. And yet the Hillsborough disaster continues to be relevant. The disaster highlights that our public services, which are supposed to protect us, are still living in the shadow of institutional reclusivity.

This information has only just come to light through the inquiry into the disaster, which is perhaps the most damaging element of this revelation. Information like this should set alarm bells ringing within society, and the institution which it refers to. In order for this to happen we need to encourage whistleblowers to come forward with information, no matter how trivial, or how obscure. If someone feels uncomfortable with something they know about their superiors, or are aware of incorrect or improper conduct, then it is imperative that they feel that they will be protected if they come forward.

The same situation is still at play within public services. Very recently it has been discovered that a social services worker, who used to be a detective, repeatedly logged concerns about a number of young girls who he thought were being abused by a group of Asian men. His superiors, however, registered a complaint about his behavior to his manager, effectively silencing him. This

Kieran Burden examines claims that sugar should be cut from under-16s’ diets

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veryone has their own opinion on fizzy drinks and whether they contain an appropriate amount of sugar. Some may be avid consumers of the carbonated beverages, whilst others may avoid them in favour of healthier substitutes. Either way, it is common knowledge that fizzy drinks contain vast amounts of sugar. Despite this, people still choose to consume them. Whilst everything in moderation is encouraged as part of a healthy diet, it is questionable whether fizzy drinks can be included within this diet due to their high sugar content. This has led to a research group known as ‘Action on Sugar’ to begin a campaign against the amount of sugar included within products in the United Kingdom.

‘Action on Sugar’ is a group of researchers who have come together with the shared concern of the long-term effects of sugar on consumers’ health. They have been working

Photo: wikimedia, TheWikiLeaksChannel.youtube.com led to the abuse of as many as 373 young girls, despite concerns being raised. An alarmingly similar case occurred last year in Rotherham, where police were consistently informed

“Some of the youngest, and most vulnerable members of society have been let down” about a ring of abusers and yet failed to act for fear of being seen as racist because the alleged abusers were Muslims.

I

t is horrifying that there are so many recent cases where some of the youngest, most vulnerable members of society have been let down by those in positions of responsibility, despite being aware that members of their staff, have concerns over their welfare.

One of the most recent high profile cases alongside the government and food industry in an attempt to reduce the amount of sugar included within processed foods. Their primary aim is to reduce the population’s intake of ‘free sugars’ to five percent of their total energy intake. An initial way of encouraging this reduction they suggest, is to ban the sale of energy drinks to the under-16 community. This is due to the amount of sugar contained within an energy drink exceeding the recommended daily allowance for an under-16 by as much as three times what is safely recommended.

As part of their research, ‘Action on Sugar’ have conducted multiple studies into the longterm effects of high sugar diets on consumers’ bodies. Their research has highlighted that the body processes excess sugar into fat, which can lead to obesity. This in turn can lead to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and a wide variety of other health conditions. Whilst these conditions may be representative of worst-case scenarios, high sugar diets can also lead to poor dental health which is a common concern in relation to the under-16 community. These potential risks are particularly worrying when it is considered that they carry lifelong consequences, and often lead to other health complications. But will banning under-16s from purchasing energy drinks deter them from their consumption?

By banning the sale of energy drinks to under-16s, ‘Action on Sugar’ believe that it will deter youths from consuming high sugar products and encourage a healthier

of whistleblowing was Edward Snowden’s revelations about US behaviour in Iraq and throughout the ‘War on Terror’, which resulted in an international manhunt, as the former security services employee was forced to flee halfway around the world in an effort to evade the US’s extradition attempts. What is particularly interesting in relation to all of these cases is the labels that are attached to individuals when they highlight issues through whistleblowing. Edward Snowden was labeled as a traitor by the head of the US intelligence services, who condemned his actions as unpatriotic, and traitorous. This is the mentality which our public services have regarding whistleblowers, enforcing the archaic view that to speak out against the action of senior officials is in someway unsupportive of the body’s aims. These people raise issues because they are doing their jobs, and should always be listened to, no matter how trivial the issue might seem. diet. The ban would make it impossible for under-16s to purchase drinks that contain a sugar percentage that exceeds their recommended daily allowance. However, there are multiple issues with this ban that have been overlooked. Whilst the ban would make it impossible for under-16s to purchase high sugar content drinks, they would still be capable of purchasing high sugar foods such as sweets, cakes and other processed

“Will banning under 16s from purchasing energy drinks deter them from consuming them?” foods. It also disregards that whilst they cannot purchase the drinks themselves, older friends or relatives are still able to purchase the products for them. Furthermore, by stigmatising sugar consumption, it may gain the same attraction as underage drinking, due to it being perceived as socially taboo.

Overall, whilst the amount of sugar contained within certain brands of energy drinks is worrying, an outright ban on selling them to those under 16 would be ineffective.

Instead of a ban, it would be more effective to tackle the root of the problem and regulate the amount of sugar contained within the drinks.

It would also be beneficial to educate people on the detrimental effects a high sugar diet can have on their lives and suggest healthier substitutes.

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ince his appointment in March 2013, Pope Francis has been widely regarded as the most liberal pontiff the Catholic Church has seen in many years, and as a figure who is determined to challenge the perception of Christianity as antiquated and out-oftouch. Many have referred to his actions as a quiet revolution; highlights of the past year include his presiding over 20 marriages at the Vatican, which included couples who had been cohabiting or who were single parents, and his statement reconciling the theories of evolution and the Big Bang and the belief that God created the universe.

However, Pope Francis has recently come under criticism for his attitude towards LGBT+ rights and equality, first in his support of the Slovak referendum on banning gay marriage and adoption by gay couples, and subsequently in his reported comparison of the gender theory arguments used to advocate transgender rights to nuclear weapons. His comments, which brought together nuclear arms, genetic manipulation and gender theory as things as not recognising the order of creation as designed by God, have come as a disappointment to many people, especially given that they have come to light just a month after the Pope reportedly embraced a transgender man who asked if there was a place for him in the house of God. Even so, it is not entirely unexpected; Christianity is known to have a somewhat troubled history, to say the least, when it comes to LGBT+ rights. Perhaps the most extreme example of this can be seen in the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church – best known for its slogan “God Hates Fags” – who have denounced homosexuality as the root cause of many issues faced by the world today.

Nevertheless, something which is becoming increasingly important to recognise is that this is not representative of Christianity as a whole. In fact, many people would argue Westboro Baptist Church, and anyone who

Christianity and sexuality Christianity doesn’t have the best record on LGBT+ rights, but that isn’t representative of Christians, argues Meg Bradbury

Photo: Flickr.com, Michael Caven

Comment shares their views, should in no way be defined as Christian. They do not represent the expression of faith; they are evidence of people misappropriating faith to justify their ignorance, their fear of difference and progress, in a way which is damaging to both the people they are attacking and the religion they are claiming to be a part of.

The prevailing attitude towards Christianity in the media, and in society in general, is of an institution which is backward and unwilling to change, and with stories such as these in the headlines, it is not difficult to see why. However, if there is to be any hope of changing this, then it is vital to remember the Christians worldwide who condemn the actions of Westboro Baptist Church and those like them, who call themselves Catholic yet still disagree with the Pope’s stance or the official doctrine on transgender rights.

It is not impossible to reconcile your identity as someone who follows the teachings of Jesus and as someone who stands for equality for all people. There are Christians who believe that everyone has a right to fall in love with whomever they choose, to marry whomever they choose, to be the person on the outside who they feel they are on the inside, be that the gender they were assigned at birth or otherwise. There are Christians that do this not in spite of their faith, but because of it.

Equally, whilst Christianity is the focus of this particular issue, the same argument can be made for other religions; when highlighting how Westboro Baptist Church should not be viewed as representative of Christianity, it is just as important to remember that Isis, or those behind the Charlie Hebdo attacks, are not representative of Islam. The Pope’s comments might represent a setback, but religion is far more diverse than the viewpoints of its leaders or individual extremist groups; outside of this, faith should, can and is being used as a force for positive change in the world.

What’s wrong with being beaten by a girl?

Geri Scott & Peter Sheehan take time to reflect on the finer points of Kanye West’s recent speech to students at the University of Oxford.

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ast week, Kanye West, popular culture’s most misunderstood self-satirist, gave an impromptu lecture at Oxford University.

Now those who who have so little else to fill your waking hours that you follow the exploits of Mr West – and then are sufficiently interested by what you find that commit at least some of it to memory – will undoubtedly be aware that, although this seems to be a bizarre appearance to the outside world, this is actually quite by-the-by in West-o-topia. In fact, Kanye is now pretty well known for his rants – maybe more so that his music – in his uniquely arrogant but humble way.

One part of Kanye’s lecture, however, didn’t sit too well with those of us who aspire to be even slightly progressive – and especially when we consider that March is Women’s History Month. Kanye spoke of his 2010 release, Monster, and the contribution made by fellow artist Nicki Minaj. I’m not sure anyone can disagree that Minaj was the most memorable part of the song (and doesn’t madam go to such admirable lengths to ensure she is the most memorable part of anything?): more so than Jay Z, more so than Rick Ross, and more so that Yeezy himself.

But the way Kanye put this across wasn’t quite right; in short, it wasn’t what he said, it was the way he said it.

He expressed his displeasure that “She kicked my ass, on my own song... On one of the best albums – the best album, I’m just saying what the critics said – of the last 25

years. The best album of the past 25 years that I spent a year and a half making. To come back and deliver my magnum opus of a work, and to be outshined... To be beat by a girl, basically”.

Let’s give Kanye the benefit of the doubt here and assume that this was meant as a compliment, but it’s slightly worrying that, in 2015, being beaten by a girl is still seen as a bad thing. Maybe we’ve got the wrong end of the stick – when disagreeing with Kanye this is a possibility that much be actively entertained – and it isn’t that Kanye sees this as a bad thing, rather that it is just an uncommon thing. With recent reports saying that girls who are born today will be 81 years old by the time their chances of becoming CEOs are equal to men, maybe he’s right. In fact, fewer ladies run companies in the USA than there are male CEOs named John.

So is Kanye simply highlighting the gender inequality we still face? Let’s be honest: is he heck! He’s adding an extra layer of shock onto being outperformed: as if it wasn’t bad enough that he wasn’t the star, the one who outperformed him isn’t supposed to do well, the fact that he was beaten by a girl makes it hurt so very much more.

The situation is still pretty poor, but the stats are improving for successful women.

But does that really matter if the same old attitudes continue to be perpetuated, and are men just, quite simply, scared of being beaten by a girl?

Comment

13

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f you went to his talk last month, you won’t have missed Douglas Carswell’s fall from grace where, despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, he denied the existence of human-made climate change.

Wherever you stand on the issue, there’s no denying that fossil fuels can’t last forever, and an alternative source of energy is needed. The nature of renewable energy is a simple one: it’s energy is that is naturally replenished; it never runs out. So, if you caught Ukip PPC for Lincolnshire Victoria Ayling cunningly asking “what happens when renewable energy runs out?”, then please, calm down, it won’t. As perfect as it sounds though, renewable energy remains relatively under-used across the world, so you have to ask, what’s the problem?

The main problem is, as with most things, money. Despite the government subsidies offered to businesses and individuals who make use of renewable energy, people are reluctant to take up the offers purely because of the remaining expense. Research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has pointed to an overall net financial gain from implementing renewable energy, but people are still understandably put off by the skyhigh initial costs, in spite of National Grid buyback schemes, where excess energy produced by renewable sources is reintroduced to the national grid, leaving schemes relatively untouched. What if, however, you can put the initial costs behind you because, ultimately, you’ll make your money back (according to ONS at least)? What happens next?

Well, another issue remains, an issue as old as renewable energy itself: What do you do when the sun don’t shine and the wind don’t blow? On a beautiful breezy day, your renewable farm is twirling the dial back on your electric meter, but in the dead of winter, you’re drawing

found “that the carbon emissions induced by more frequent cycling are negligible (<0.2%) compared with the carbon reductions achieved through the wind and solar power generation evaluated in the study”. Those carbon reductions were found to be as dramatic as 29 – 34% across the Western grid.

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ang on, I hear sceptics cry, cycling speeds up the pace at which equipment wears down, which adds cost to the fossil or nuclear power plant operators. What’s more, the additional cycling required by more renewable energy only increases operating costs for the average fossil fuel power plant by

“The main problem is, as with most things, money”

Photo: Basil D Souif, Wikimedia.org

Photo: Wikimedia.org, Dukonavy. Below: Wikimedia, Steve Punter

Sam McKinty examines the growing debate about the future of Britain’s energy supply. from the grid like anyone else, going from an energy creator to consumer in a stretch of dead wind, and relying on the power plants you hoped to put out of business and, for a long time, the idea of powering up those old power plants was a

knock on renewable energy. Sceptics thought that whatever upside there was in renewables was negated by “cycling” the power plants, something that there is, so far, no way to work around.

But a new study released by the US Energy Department found that cycling power plants didn’t totally negate the impact of renewable energy. On the contrary, the study

2 – 5%. Well calm yourself, because the whole system would be somewhat relieved. “High levels of wind and solar power would reduce fossil fuel costs by approximately $7bn per year across the West, while incurring cycling costs of $35m to $157m per year” the study stated. That’s $7bn, with a B. Even in the golden, smog-inducing days without renewable energy, power plants have always been cycling up and down as power demand ebbs and flows. In order to see how much the additional cycling would cost power plant operators, and to test for environmental impact, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory designed five hypothetical scenarios that imagined as much as a whole quarter of the power in the Western grid coming from renewables. Renewable energy, therefore, whilst not perfect, offers a viable and sustainable alternative to the traditional method; burning fossil fuels. Best of all? They don’t run out, so don’t panic Victoria: turbines can spin forever more.

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Features

Jessica Frank-Keyes asks whether politicians are too focused on media performance Page 17

Mother versus Minister

Photo: Wikimedia, Policy Exchange. Below: Wikimedia, Rosindelloffice

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ver since women broke into the workplace there has been debate over whether they can work and be a mothers. This is an issue that has never been put to men and that reinforces the stereotypical roles of men and women.

Recently the spotlight has been turned on Rachel Reeves (above), a Labour MP who is due to have her second child in June. Reeves said in an interview: “I want to cancel the bedroom tax before I go on maternity leave”, which will be a few weeks after the election.

Reeves’s claim to pop out policy like babies is inconsequential; politicians make promises such as this every day. However, the backlash over her personal decision to be a working mother has reawakened this outdated issue.

It started with Andrew Rosindell (right), Tory MP for Romford, who said: “I don’t want to say someone who is having a baby is not eligible to be a cabinet minister, but I certainly think perhaps the demands of that particular job will require someone to give it their full attention.” Whilst the role of a government minister is clearly a very demanding one, he suggest that mothers cannot have high-paid, prominent jobs.

Rosindell also said that “People need to be put in the positions they can handle”, but we must ask ourselves why it is that mothers cannot handle the top positions but fathers can. It is another excuse for barring women from the highest roles. Reeves herself responded with a scathing tweet: “300,000 women a yr take maternity leave but @AndrewRosindell thinks can't do big job & be a mum. Tory women problem?”

Susannah Smith discusses Andrew Rosindell’s belief that mothers can’t handle having high-paid, prominent jobs.

But not everyone took Reeves’s side on the issue. Belinda Brown, writing in the Daily Mail, said: “Can you imagine the state of Works and Pensions... if it is handed to a woman with a small child under each arm?”: a statement that assumes women are the only childcares in our society and dismisses modern, interdependent relationships where couples share the roles of breadwinner and homemaker.

Brown continues: “Being a mother is a full-time job, and it matters. It’s important”, and accuses Reeves of “treating motherhood as a part-time obligation”. She argues that “feminism treats [motherhood] as some kind of terrible burden or disadvantage”. Yet my understanding of feminism is to give women options. The option to be a mother, the option to have a career, or the option to find their personal balance of the two. It doesn’t belittle those who choose to be mothers, in fact it regards the child-caring role so highly it opens it up to men too. Brown’s argument simply perpetuates the stereotypes that constrain both men and women.

The article concludes by suggesting that the working role, the governmental role, is a male one. Brown argues: “If Ms Reeves wants to behave like a man, frankly I don’t think she is fit to represent women. What an irony that the feminist demands for there to be as many women in government as men simply means the female ministers we end up with are nothing like ordinary women.” Not only does this demonise women who don’t have children or who have a demanding career by saying they are unordinary, but it assumes there are typical ‘male’ and ‘female’

behaviours that are binary.

As expected, the response to this article was furious. Lib Dem Business Minister Jo Swinson said “the suggestion that a woman should be turned down for a job because she is pregnant is clearly outrageous… and is an appalling attack on the right of pregnant women to take on high profile leadership roles… It echoes the outdated sexist view that women can’t be good mothers and also good at their jobs. The bigger issue is that people – including apparently Tory MPs – so frequently make assumptions about what mums can do, in a way that rarely happens with dads”.

Additionally, a spokesperson for David Cameron said that “it is entirely a matter for individual families to take decisions that they think are right for them. It would be the government's job to support them in those decisions they take”. Though Cameron himself has been criticised for having “made it easier for employers to discriminate against women during maternity leave by charging £1,200 to take a maternity discrimination case to employment tribunal and childcare costs have risen by 30%” according to Karl Turner, Labour MP. However, the idea that “individual families” should make decisions that are right for themselves is vital. It isn’t anyone’s right, especially not the government’s, to make these decisions. Scenarios vary from family to family, person to person. It is a sad reflection of the personality politics creeping into government that this sort of attack on Rachel Reeves is deemed acceptable simply because she is an MP.

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Features

Award shows What’s the point?

Photo: Flickr, wowssipworld

Alice Mortimer picks apart the 2015 awards season, and tries to find out what we’ve all learnt from exposure to so much celebrity.

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ell, award season has been and gone and we have been graced with the delights of the BAFTA’s, the Grammys, the Oscars and most recently the Brits. The rise, and seemingly falls (*ahem* Madonna, give up…I beg) of today’s directors, actors and artists, have all been televised for our enjoyment. Or in my case, the exact opposite.

I didn’t watch the Oscars the whole way through this year. I had better things to be doing in the early hours, such as being asleep.

But I did somehow manage to stumble across Neil Patrick-Harris’ SONG (sorry, what?), and images of him on stage in little white pants.

I was, like most of us, interested in who won what awards, but saved myself the pain of staying up all night to watch this car crash by

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ver entertaining, this year’s Oscars of course didn’t fail to please fans, but one winner in particular caused a bit of controversy with her award acceptance speech. Patricia Arquette, who won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Boyhood, outright called for equal pay for women in America, continuing backstage: "It's time for all the women in America and all the men who love women and all the gay people and all the people of colour that we’ve fought for, to fight for us now."

At this, Twitter erupted in criticism at the irony of a wealthy, white woman specifically highlighting the responsibility of minority groups to support her cause, many of whom are much worse off in society.

For instance, Roxane Gay (@rgay) said: “The idea that queers & POC have had their time in the struggle spotlight long enough.

Eek. Ma'am. Congrats on yr Oscar tho. You are talented.” Ena Goquiolay (@talithaena) was in agreement with Roxane and sarcastically proclaimed: "People of colour at the back, get in this toast. To white women!"

Similararly @mattalexscott tweeted that “lesbians and women of colour really need to start pulling their weight in the fight for the rights of straight white women apparently.”

But despite these comments, the principle of her statement held value. Equal pay is an issue, especially given the recent Sony Photo: Flickr; SodanieChea hacking scandal, which revealed that Jennifer

checking online afterwards (and YouTubing Eddie Redmayne’s speech, in awe of his cuteness).

I wish I had done the same for the Brits, which I thought was a complete and utter shambles. If Ant and Dec’s awful “banter” and cringe-worthy presenting wasn’t bad enough, we also had to sit through an uncomfortable and unnecessary amount of time witnessing the small talk of award presenters. The worst? Rita Ora flirting with Orlando Bloom, Ellie Goulding’s missed cue, Jimmy Carr’s unnecessary presence; I can’t decide. Ant and Dec then introduced the one and only Kim Kardashian, with Dec saying: “it’s lovely to have you here”. It kind of made me want to cry/vomit. Why Kim K had to be involved in awarding British music I do not know. She then proceeded to introduce Kanye West, requesting the entire arena to “get on your

feet for my husband”, and we then had to sit through an entire performance of Kanye with a group of other random men stomping about, with cuts to Taylor Swift awkwardly dancing. The Brits was the Kim and Kanye show (as is everything), and for me that kind of took away from the British music it should have been celebrating.

When it was about the music, it was all kind of predictable. Who could have guessed that One Direction were going to win best music video, when voting took place on Twitter and the vast majority of Tweeters have the username @MarryMeHarryS? Ed Sheeran was the big name of the night, deservedly, I would say. But the Brits represented British music as half-a-dozen artists, and there are so many more who have the fan-base but are not given the televised recognition - I didn’t get to vote!

Glitz, glamour and gender equality Emily Fedorowycz takes a look at Patricia Arquette’s controversial Oscars speech.

Lawrence was being paid significantly less than her male co-stars, making it clear that even in something as glamorous as the showbiz world, women simply don’t have fair pay yet.

Sure, people might still argue that among such a rich collective of people, this fight for more pay seems a bit ridiculous; as if celebrities are arguing over whose mansion is biggest. But gender inequality is becoming an increasingly publicised issue, and nitty gritty complaints aside, the fact that Patricia used her moment on stage to bring this problemto light, when she could have quite easily just said her “oh-my-goshes” and

“thank-yous” and have been done with it, is quite a noble (and selfless) route to take.

Her points focussed on how older women in the industry are also being underpaid, and ideas about how real change needs to happen both in westernised countries, as well as those elsewhere. The highlight of her backstage interview was the day-to-day work that she was and has been doing for her charity, www.givelove.org. Patricia’s charity, founded in 2010 after the Haiti disaster, helps to provide clean water and sanitation in developing countries, and in noting this work in the press conference backstage, she highlighted the importance of the bigger

I find that these award shows just aren’t really about the awards themselves, but more about general celebrity culture, the glitz, the glamour and the outfits. Magazines recently have all been about getting that “red carpet” look, and nominees are talked about more for their outfit choices than for their talent.

Women especially have to be prepared for magazines to criticise their dress, and that’s after they have to put their “I am going to pretend I am happy for you, but I should have won that award” loser face into practice.

So what are we left with from such award shows then? Images of Barney from How I Met Your Mother in tiny pants (pick your own stance on this one); paparazzi shots of Ed Sheeran absolutely hammered upon leaving an after party; and endless vines and parodies of Madonna tripping on her cape. Well, at least that’s something… picture.

She even mentioned skipping her manicure for the Oscars (for fear of “the dreaded ManiCam”) that very morning to do some research and promotion for a sweepstakes she was organising for givelove.

Although we all might love the drama and gossip in picking apart her rousing speech, instead the focus perhaps should not be on who exactly should be fighting for equality for women, and whether her call for action was politically correct, but perhaps on the general equality that needs to be fought for: amongst genders, amongst minorities and simply worldwide.

So here’s one last thing, and if you take nothing else from this article, at least take this. To be in the top 10% bracket of global income, you have to be earning a mere £12,000 a year. That’s right: £12,000. This is according to ‘Giving what we can’, which hosts a ‘How Rich Am I?’ calculator on its website. Your parents are probably in that bracket. You, (providing the degree pays off) will also be in that bracket. And we can safely assume that everyone at the Oscars will be in that bracket too. Whilst “equal” means fair treatment, pay and everything else, “equal” first and foremost means the right to function normally, as a human being. That means clean water and sanitation. So next time you are due for a manicure like Patricia, or maybe due for a heavy night out, skip the mani, pass on a drink, and put the money towards something that will really matter.

Features

17

Photo: Flickr, mlburch

Photo: Flickr, sheliabythesea

L

ike many of us here at UEA, in the run up to the general election, I am finding myself wondering more and more exactly who my vote on 7th May should be going to. And also like all students, I am increasingly becoming an expert at procrastination, hence why – instead of working on the essay I should have been writing – I found myself listening in horror to the recent car crash of a radio interview with Natalie Bennett.

The Green Party leader appeared on LBC radio with Nick Ferrari on 24th February, only to suffer what she later described as a “brain fade”. For anyone who hasn’t heard it, I can promise that the listeners certainly suffered along with her. While cringing at some of the most awkward moments, including her being seemingly unable to recall the costs of how the party plans to fund their flagship social housing policy, I started wondering about the consequences this disastrous performance would have on both Bennett’s career and on the Green Party’s electoral chances.

In today’s social media obsessed world, a politician’s mistake or slip up can be recorded, shared and retweeted millions of times, sometimes before the interview or speech has ended. Although Bennett apologised for letting down the party’s now 54,000-plus members, the damage had already been done. Are politicians performances in the media now seen as more important than any party’s actual ideas or policies? With every election we move closer to a world in which Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube are the real deciders of the result. Opinion polls matter less than a successful photo op, and quotes are now best when limited to fewer than 140 characters. What does this mean for the crop of first-time voters in May, and should we be worried?

The Green Party is already popular at UEA – Natalie Bennett spoke here earlier this semester, and the designer and activist Vivienne Westwood’s political campaign, We Are The Revolution, plans to visit Norwich in May to encourage students and residents to vote Green. Students are always

Politics and the media Putting on a good show Jessica Frank-Keyes asks whether media performances by politicians are now seen as being more important than their ideas and policies.

stereotyped as a more left-wing, liberal voter group, but the assumption that we will overwhelmingly vote Green may be challenged by the Labour Party unveiling their plans to cut tuition fees to £6,000. Coupled with the seeming incompetence of its leader, this could present a serious challenge to the Greens.

Ed Miliband may be better known for his frequent embarrassing media appearances, awkward resemblance to Gromit – and do I need to remind anyone of his spectacular failure to publicly consume a bacon sandwich – but this tuition fee pledge is an example of a specific policy managing to grab voters’ attention and raising a politicians’ popularity.

However, this is not always the norm and often it is in fact the silly media gaffes that increase the public profile of those who want to be our leaders.

Boris Johnson seems to permanently rely on his ‘funny hair’ and sense of humour for political success, and surely no one can forget Nick Clegg’s “I’m So So Sorry” song, or the fact that David Cameron once forgot his child in a pub. Meanwhile, Ukip’s meteoric rise as a serious election contender has meant huge changes to their public appearances in order to gain the public’s trust and respect.

These media mistakes were things that grabbed the public’s attention, reminding us that politicians can be funny as well as infuriating – if only occasionally.

Despite the obvious humour in seeing those running the country embarrass themselves in public, elections and politics in general remain important. With the ideological divide between left and right being far greater than in previous years, surely it’s time we took things seriously? While some see the one tick on a ballot paper we are entitled to every five years as unimportant or even irrelevant, I am firmly of the opposite view. This is our only chance in the next half a decade to a have a real say in the future of the country we live in. Instead of wasting it worrying about media gaffes and snappy sound bites, we should make it count and focus on the very real choices we all have to make.

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Science&Environment

Fukushima: food New figures show positive forensics progress in panda conservation Louise Fitzgerald Science&Environment writer

Alex Hendry Science&Environment writer In conservation, success stories can sometimes seem elusive. This is a problem, as constant doom and gloom can potentially undermine support for various projects, or simply give people the impression that it doesn’t matter what we do because the forces of the world conspire against us to inhibit meaningful change. As such, when a genuinely good news story rears its head it ought to be jumped upon and promulgated far and wide. So figures released this week revealing that this famously chaste animal’s population has risen by 17% are definitely something to shout about.

China’s decadal national panda survey found the current wild population to be 1,864 individuals, up from 1,596 ten years ago. The news has been welcomed by conservation organisations, most notably the WWF who use the bear as their logo. This will be seen as a point against those who argue that the millions spent on panda conservation each year could be better used elsewhere, like the TV presenter Chris Packham who famously made the controversial claim in 2009. It shows that with effort, investment, and cooperation, panda conservation is possible and worthwhile.

The news will also be welcomed by the Chinese government, which has implemented policy changes that improve and protect panda habitat and increased the size covered by protected areas by 12.5% since the last survey.

These efforts mean that two-thirds of the wild panda population now live in protected areas.

Those living outside these areas, however, still face problems with fragmentation and physical barriers preventing their movement, as well as conflicts with socioeconomic development goals in rural areas.

The huge investment in panda conservation

Photo: Flickr: George Lu by the Chinese government highlights their importance as political entities.

Their use to improve foreign relations dates back to the seventh century when pandas were sent to Japan. Perhaps most famously, two pandas were given to Richard Nixon during his visit to China in 1972, helping to improve frosty relations during the Cold War. This was a far cry from 1958, when a panda (called Chi-Chi) bound for the US was refused entry because of anti-communist sentiment.

Chi-Chi eventually ended up in London Zoo

and was, coincidentally, the inspiration for the WWF’s logo.

There has been some criticism regarding the changing methodologies between different surveys, and whether or not China has a vested interest in keeping the species classified as ‘Endangered’ (having a population of less than 2,500) because of the attention and income it brings. But despite these rather cynical caveats, an increase in pandas is good news and one which we should unashamedly celebrate.

UK approves three-person babies Francesca Burns Science&Environment writer In a historic move, the House of Lords recently voted in favour of a bill allowing scientists to create three-person babies. The modified form of in vitro fertilisation will have DNA from a mother, father and female donor. The UK is the first country to pass such a bill and introduce laws to allow the creation of three person babies.

The new technique is intended to stop mitochondrial diseases being genetically transferring from mothers to their babies. It’s hard to estimate how many people suffer from mitochondrial-related diseases as it’s often misdiagnosed with diseases – such as cerebral palsy and seizures – but it’s thought to be at the very least one in 5000.

Mitochondrial disease can be diagnosed at any age and the diseases has different effects on each individual. Some of the symptoms include brain damage, muscle wasting, heart failure and blindness. Mitochondria are found in our cells and is the location for the conversion of food energy to ATP. (ATP is the energy needed for a cell to function properly.)

Faulty mitochondria lead to problems such as muscle weakness and getting tired quickly.

Scientists can now use a modified version of

Photo: www.independent.co.,uk IVF to combine the DNA from parents with the healthy mitochondria of a female donor.

However, whilst the UK science community welcome the vote, religious groups have opposed the technique. Both the Catholic and Anglican Churches have spoken out against the technique, as the process involves tampering with human embryos, a process many believe should only be in the hands of God. Religious and ethical groups strongly oppose the pro-nuclear transfer technique used that involves fertilising the mother’s egg first and then transferring the nuclear DNA to the fertilised donor egg containing healthy mitochondria. This leaves the original, now empty embryo to be destroyed, causing some controversy.

Other concerns include the implementation

of “designer babies” where such things as intelligence, hair and eye colour, and height could be determined. However, scientist shave spoken out, stating that the technique uses 0.1% of the donor parents’ DNA which is not enough to alter aesthetics.

However, is now the time to take the “designer baby” debate more seriously?

Where will the line be drawn on what can be picked to be removed or added to an embryos DNA? Regulation is key with a subject like this, although genetic modification is responsible for the treatment/prevention/cure to so many diseases it’s vital to remember this science has the potential to be abused by someone, somewhere. The first babies to be born from the three-person technique will be expected around 2016.

Four years after the Fukushima disaster there are still fears amongst the Japanese public about the safety of food grown in the Tohuku region.

It is nearly four years ago to the day that an offshore earthquake triggered one of the biggest tsunamis to ever hit Japan. The waves swamped the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in what was to become the largest nuclear incident since the Chernobyl disaster. Plumes of gas from the reactor meltdown released radioactive isotopes into the local area which were transported further by wind and rain, before falling onto food crops and seeping into agricultural soil.

The Japanese government immediately introduced a ban on some food products which could have been affected. Banned products included leafy vegetables, which are known to concentrate radioactive material through their leaves and milk from animals which had been feeding on local grass. The ban was damaging to the region as Fukushima was once Japan’s fourth-largest farming area and has long been self-sufficient in the production of rice, fruits and vegetables.

A wider monitoring campaign was also established which sampled foods for radioactive material before they hit the shelves.

The database of samples has been completely analysed and reveals that radioactivity levels peak at different times in different food. The study concludes that very few people are likely to have eaten food which exceeded the strict government guidelines. The data shows that during the first year after the accident, 3.3% of food from the region had above-limit contamination; and by 2014 the proportion of food exceeding the contamination threshold had fallen to just 0.6%.

Radioactivity levels fell most quickly in vegetables, with most vegetables safe to eat

by August 2011. The exception to this was mushrooms where radioactivity peaked later; this was due to mushrooms having a tendency to accumulate more radioactive material than vegetables. Meat products were also found to peak later; this is because animals accumulate the radioactive material over a longer period of time as a result of eating vast quantities of contaminated plants. Boar meat was of significant concern as boars feed on mushrooms.

Although the radioactivity levels in the food have now returned to pre-accident levels, many people are still reluctant to eat food from the area. As a result, the Fukko Shien Sakaba restaurant in Tokyo (which roughly translates as “reconstruction supporting drinking place”) specialises in food from the Fukushima area and donates profits to the Tohoku region.

Contaminated food intake is still only a relatively small part of the problems facing the region. There are still vast quantities of radioactive drainage water leaking into the Pacific Ocean, posing huge threats to biodiversity.

Photo: Flickr, IAEA Imagebank

Science&Environment The Eiffel Tower gets a green upgrade Louise Fitzgerald Science&Environment writer The Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most iconic landmarks is also now one of the greenest after the installation of two wind turbines last week.

The tower, erected in 1889 has gone nearly 30 years without any upgrades. With around seven million visitors to the tower every year the electricity consumption of the tower is around 6.7 GWh – the same as a town of around 3,000 people.

The US based firm, Urban Green Energy, was responsible for the installation of the two vertical axis wind turbines. Located above the second level in the tower the turbines are over 120 metres from the ground. In order to make the turbines less noticeable the turbine blades have been painted to match the rest of the tower with a colour officially known as “bronze” but in reality is more like milk chocolate. Not only are the wind turbines hard to spot, they also make virtually no noise.

Vertical axis wind turbines differ from horizontal axis wind turbines in that they can harness wind from every direction. Although vertical axis turbines generally generate less output, the 10,000 kWh per year that the two turbines are expected to generate will be enough to power the commercial services on the first floor of the tower, which include two

restaurants and a shop.

“The Eiffel Tower is arguably the most renowned architectural icon in the world, and we are proud that our advanced technology was chosen as the Tower commits to a more sustainable future”, said Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of Urban Green Energy. “When visitors from around the world see the wind turbines, we get one step closer to a world powered by clean and reliable renewable energy”.

The wind turbines are just part of the €30 m renovation project that the tower is currently undergoing. Other initiatives include a 10m² array of solar panels on the roof of the visitor pavilion. The output of the solar panels is expected to provide 50% of the hot water needs of the tower’s two visitor platforms.

In addition to this, the tower now benefits from energy-efficient LED lights, a rainwater recovery system (which is used to flush toilets) and heat source pumps.

The tower is under no obligation to become more environmentally friendly and the renovations come as part of the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel’s aim to reduce the tower’s environmental impact by 25% as part of the City of Paris Climate Plan.

19 Autism is caused by genetics in 7498% of cases, according to the Medical Research Council.

Scientists working in Ethiopia have found a jawbone fossil which places the origin of humans 400,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Scientists have figured out the body mass of the world’s most complete Stegosaurus.

Scientists have discovered a hormone that essentially mimics the effects of exercise.

A study suggests that adults will only suffer from flu twice a decade.

The number of people affected by river flooding worldwide could nearly triple in the next 15 years.

Researchers have discovered how bacteria are able to take genetic information from viruses and other invasive organisms for use in their own immunological memory.

A novel research study reveals that mammals are genetically more like their dads. Whilst we inherit equal amounts, We appear to utilise more of the DNA inherited from our fathers.

Whilst a high salt diet is bad for you in a number of ways, it has been suggested that it could help fight against invading microbes.

Researchers from Korea have suggested that drinking coffee regularly can lead to cleaner, less clogged arteries.

Liberia has released its last Ebola patient after going a week without any new cases.

Plans to generate electricity from the world’s first series of tidal lagoons have been unveiled in the UK. A new, comprehensive study suggests that men are more narcissistic than women.

Photo: Wiki: Bact

Photo: Flickr, Nicolas Lannuzel

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20

Travel

Academic adventures in Argyll

Photo: Michael Koukoullis

Photo: Wikimedida, Emil Goldberg

Peter Sheehan describes his winter-time wanderings in Scotland...

O

ban is small by the standards of most towns. But the west of Scotland is not the place where one finds most towns.

Indeed, there are very few towns at all – so few that Oban, small though it be, is the centre of Argyll. Ferries to the Western Isles cross the small bay around which the town huddles at irregular intervals, and there are enough shops that one wouldn’t really want for much.

Especially fish and chip shops. In fact, a study of chippies per capita would make for memorable reading. (That said, the fish is so meltingly fresh that I can see why you would want to eat nothing else.) But it’s still not what one would call a bustling place.

I am in Oban for a course rather than a holiday. A little way to the north, just outside the even smaller town of Dunbeg, is the Scottish Association for Marine Science, our base for three days’ discussion of marine policy. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but there are those of us who find these things interesting. It does mean that I have only a short time to explore, but a little is certainly better than nothing at all.

The town itself is a little on the austere side, something not helped by the dullness of February. The streets are narrow and winding; away from the seafront, they rise sharply into the surrounding hills, twisting about through tightly spaced houses and naked, lichencovered trees. The buildings, by and large, are grey and severe, their dark Victorian rooftops thrusting into the restless sky.

Weather changes quickly in the remote north west. The snow-dusted mountains that sit on the Atlantic horizon – the mainland cuts down between Oban and the open ocean – are periodically hidden from view by rain and cloud: grey mists that drift across the water before dumping on the town in scarcely an

hour as much rain as seems to fall on Norwich in a month.

Whisky production is one of Oban’s better-known industries. My visit being on the short side, I don’t have time to take the distillery tour, but a friend who always seems to have plenty of time for these things tells me that she can (just about) recall stumbling out into the middle of the afternoon after a happy

“The peaks of the snowy hills fade into the white and sky-wide clouds” hour spent sampling the house style. People who know more about these things than I do say that Oban is a little pricey for what it is; all I can say with certainty is that it tastes very much of whisky, but in a good way.

Ironically, one of the highlights of my short time in Oban is my journey back to Glasgow. The trip there I made in the dark of a late February evening, but during the afternoon train ride back I was treated to the full splendour of the Trossachs. The open ground on the hillsides is covered with the ruddy-coloured remnants of last season’s bracken, while red-stemmed birch trees reach up to the faded light with a host of spindly fingers. Lochs fill the bottoms of the steepwalled valleys, and the peaks of the snowy hills fade into the white and sky-wide clouds.

The scenery – a far cry from the flats of East Anglia – is magisterial, and it cannot but hold the eye: up and down the carriage, people’s gaze keeps returning to the wintry splendour outside. The three hours pass slowly but not unpleasantly, and the slow descent into Glasgow feels like a disappointing awakening.

Photo: Nigel Brown

Travel

21

Being light-fingered in hotel rooms Jodie Snow considers what is fair game in hotel rooms and what is not...

A

s most ardent Friends fans will be aware, Ross is notorious on the TV sitcom for knowing what is up for grabs in your hotel room and what is not. He is shown to teach Chandler the ways of the hotel freebie, and is proud when Chandler comes to the realisation that the light bulb is rightfully theirs but the lamp is not. So in the world of hotel complimentaries, what is fair game?

Hotel rooms tend to be decked out with a myriad of luxury toiletry items, all delightfully ‘mini’. For an extravagant night’s stay, the hotel provides plenty of diddy shower-gels, shampoos and conditioners in a multitude of scents. These are all yours for the taking. Use what you may, but take the spares. Who is the hotel to deny that you used six small bottles of shampoo in your one night stay? Be flagrant in your accumulation of free fragrances.

The light bulbs and the batteries that fuel the electrical appliances in your room should also be duly considered in your quest for hotelroom perks. You paid for a well-lit room, and the hotel is not to deny you this. Your rooms will be well-lit, be it your hotel-room or your bedroom at home. They have offered you the service, and it is a bright idea for you to take them up on their offer.

In a Telegraph article on the most common stolen goods from hotels, they noted that 7% of British travellers have admitted to taking

Jodie Snow says that it is not always neccessary to travel afar to take a break.

A

s the spring semester draws to a close and Easter break looms in the distance, many students may be considering what East Anglia has to offer them in terms of a refreshing break from impending deadlines.

You do not need to travel very far in order to travel. Just an hour’s bus ride from Norwich city centre is the seaside town of Cromer, blessed with sand and sea. But like all English seaside towns, Cromer has its vices and, indeed, its crabs.

As you enter Cromer, you are greeted by its small and quaint charm. The seaside town has a wide stretch of secluded sandy beach that lies underneath the traditional English pier. The beach is a trek down some dunes, but the trip is well worth the awkward bumblings and stumblings. As you climb down, most days the beach lies completely empty. Isolated Caribbean island Cromer most definitely is not, but it is a breath of fresh air nonetheless.

The beach is unique in that it covers a wide stretch. Visitors can run loose below the pier and totter into the sea all with complete freedom. This is because unlike most beaches in England, Cromer does not seem to be overwhelmed by tourists and locals all taking advantage of the sea and any small slither of sun. The beach remains wide open to run and explore, rather than dodging the windbreakers and sunbathers.

On top of the pier, tourists can be seen replete with buckets and nets as they attempt to beach Cromer’s infamous crabs. As you look around the pier, you can see the hills that surround the town. All with impressive properties on them, the hills make a refreshing change from the monotony of flat land that East Anglia tends to offer. This is not a cluttered

the Bible home with them after their stay at the hotel. While the Telegraph considers this to be ironically breaking “the eighth commandment”, this is not true. The Bible is by no means the hotel’s property, but is charitably donated to the room, and thus to the occupier.

While it is not recommended to try to halfinch some of the more obscure items in your room, you cannot but admire the expertise of those who make the effort. Some hotels

“Be flagrant in your accumlation of fragrances” have reported that occupants have taken “everything” from inside the room. Whilst obviously criminal, their Mary-Poppins bag and espionage agility is something that should be revered. To steal the bed, furnishings and decorations from a room is by no means an easy feat; neither is walking through the lobby straddling the chest of drawers and wardrobe that you took.

While hotel guests are notoriously lightfingered, they are by no means criminal.

Follow the mantra of “take the extras, leave the furnishings” and you can travel home blissfully guilt-free with your bathroom and tea-cupboard gloriously restocked.

Photo: Pshegubj

Visiting Cromer and its crabs

derelict seaside town, but a place that has somehow maintained its charm throughout the years.

Just off of the pier is a life-guard museum.

The experience leaves a lot to be desired, as boats clutter the room and are hung from every available crevice in the ceiling. The museum, if meant to be informative, fails remarkably with its lack of signs and information. It seems, rather, that the museum’s sole purpose is to comfort the visitor that life-guard services are available for emergencies. Disappointments aside, the museum still should be seen, if not

“Cromer will never be the Caribbean, but it does not try to be”

Photo: SkyDivedParcel

only for the small pleasure of writing your name and message in their guest book, then the slight shelter from the English weather is worth the visit.

Further up the shore, a walk around the town will lead you to some small shops and stalls selling crabs. Trying out the shellfish is essential to truly tasting Cromer. The crabs are the seaside town’s claim to fame, and is most definitely worth a try. If they’re not for you, however, then the many fish and chip stalls that Cromer has to offer will give you a taste of the traditional English sea-side. As well as plenty of ice-cream stalls if you’re lucky enough to visit on a warm day.

Cromer will never be the Carribbean, but it does not try to be. The town boasts its seaside attributes humbly and it is its quaint charm that lures visitors to the area for a quiet day out. It is an afforable distance away and will help students get to know the county that they study in. A day’s trip will not be wasted: how can a day at the seaside ever disappoint? Grab your all-weather garments, crabbing gear and appetite and enjoy what Cromer has to offer, even if it’s not very much.

union news 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

March is Women’s History Month

It’s time to choose your winner in The Leadership Race.

You can see the candidates running and read their manifestos on and then vote online a ueastudent.com/ vote. Candidates are out and about on campus talking to students about their plans for if they win, and you’ve probably seen the posters all over the place. Who’s getting gold? You choose who leads your Union.

LIVE! HIGHLIGHTS > TUESDAY Nervana + Pearl Jam tribute @WFS Stiff Little Fingers @WF Jobs I’ll Never Have @LCR > FRIDAY Andy C @LCR Mike Peters @WFS > SATURDAY Meltdown @WF FREE FILMS Tuesday Films of Culture and Liberation: WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH - MADE IN DAGENHAM starting 7pm, LT3 Sunday Box Set Marathon: SPORTS FILMS LT2, Starting at 12 noon.

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IT’S MODULE FEEDBACK TIME Coming to the end of this semester’s modules? Make sure you take the opportunity to give module feedback- constructive criticism can help improve the learning experience for you and for future students. This is your chance to have your say, and your feedback is used for in the module review process and in annual course monitoring. You’re entitled to a response to the comments you make, so ask how this happens for your course.

If could be via email, on E:vision, or on physical noticeboards.

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BEYOND YOUR DEGREE

THIS GIRL CAN - The Union and UEA Sport are working together to celebrate This Girl Can at UEA from the 20th-26th April. During this week clubs can open up their activities to women, and UEA Sport will have some specific sessions for women for the week. At the moment we are asking Clubs to fill in the form on the website if they want to get involved and the programme of events will then be posted on the 13th April. So let’s get ready to jiggle and wiggle!

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Lifestyle

For some delicious winter herb recipes, turn to Page 24

At some point or another, all of us will have said or done something that’s hurt or offended someone else. It could have been a simple mistake, a badly phrased joke or a seemingly innocent comment which touched a nerve. As Elton sang, sorry seems to be the hardest word to say, but say it we must. The real question is, what’s the best way to go about apologising?

Apologise quickly

As soon as you realise that you have offended somebody, say sorry. There’s no point wallowing in your own guilt, or feeling embarrassed. The earlier you say sorry, the less time both of you spend feeling bad, and the more likely your apology will be accepted.

Be sincere

Nothing is more offensive than an insincere apology, so say it like you mean it.

Intent doesn’t matter

Even if you never meant to cause offence, the fact that you have means that you have to

acknowledge your fault.

Photo: Flickr, Butupa

Correcting your wrongs the right way Photo: Flickr, IvanClow

Photo: Flickr, Butupa

Vicki Maitland advises on the best - and worst - ways to say you’re sorry

Acknowledge your responsibility

Just saying sorry sometimes isn’t enough, you need to make sure the other person knows you know what was wrong. Things like “I’m sorry you got offended” are the worst culprits on the faux apology circuit. Try rephrasing to “I’m sorry I offended you.” This shifts the subject of the sentence onto the offender, rather than the offended.

Face to face is best

Looking into the persons eyes when you apologise will cement your sincerity. If you’re unable to apologise face to face, then send them a message or give them a ring apologising, and offer to meet up to talk it over if it’s something more serious.

Understand if they don’t accept it

Nine times out of ten, provided you apologise swiftly and sincerely, they will accept it.

However, if, for whatever reason, they choose not to, then don’t hound them about it. Accept it and move on – chances are they just need a little time or distance.

Awards season has given us more than our fair share of celebrity mistakes, and they have had varying successes at apologising afterwards.

If you’re looking for a good guideline to follow, Giulianna Rancic’s apology to Zendaya Coleman ticks all the boxes. Rancic made a racist joke on her show Fashion Police about Zendaya’s hair. Shortly after the show was aired Zendaya turned to Twitter to express how hurt she was by this remark. The next day, Giulianna Rancic made a video, not only apologising to Zendaya and anyone else she offended, but also highlighting the depth of the problem with her joke. Despite the fact it was later revealed that she did not write the joke, and the producers decided not to edit the joke out, she accepted full responsibility for her words. Saying sorry can be hard, for both parties involved, but it’s much better to apologise than to have caused long-lasting hurt.

The dangers of screens before bed Rebecca Bemment Lifestyle editor

It’s almost become natural to check our phones before going to bed, but studies are showing that this could be causing havoc with the quality of our sleep. Research suggests that the effects of using screens before bedtime could be even worse than just taking longer to get to sleep. This isn’t just restricted to phones,

“without proper sleep, the risks are pretty much endless” but also TV, tablets, laptops and e-readers.

Studies have suggested that using screens before bed can impact your alertness the following day, decreasing your overall energy and how you perform generally. But of course, as students, we use screens most of the time to do work, making it difficult to escape screens when we’re working at all hours of the day. It’s been suggested that if you can, using printed books is far better than using an E-reader, because they are easier on the eyes.

For those of us that cannot escape using

screens before bed, there are ways around Photo: Flickr, Chrisphotoof our it to avoid reducing the effectiveness sleep entirely. Filters can be installed to block out the blue light on screens; for android and PC users there are apps and websites for this,

“filters can be installed to block out the blue light on screens” such as F.lux, which enables you to download software to reduce the blue light. Because the lights from screens stimulate our brains, it makes us less tired, meaning we take far longer to fall asleep. The tiredness then kicks in the next day because we’ve cut our essential sleep short. Not only does the lack of sleep make us less alert, it reduces our melatonin levels, which are important in helping to regulate our sleep.

And without proper sleep, the risks are pretty much endless, like increased chances of developing cancer from that suppressed melatonin. If you don’t have to look at screens before bed, then it’s definitely best to avoid it to ensure you get your normal amount of uninterrupted sleep!

Photo: Flickr, Wicker_man

24

Lifestyle

The guide to the best pick-me-ups Dahlia Al-Abdullah Lifestyle writer

Sometimes when exam time hits, we start feeling a little under the weather. It doesn’t feel great, especially when it’s something we are forced to go through. The best things you can do for yourself are most probably the simplest, so we’ve thought of a few things that are quick and easy pick-me-ups that will get you feeling better, faster.

Get breathing Okay, so it sounds weird right – get breathing? We’re already breathing! Well yes, but rarely do we ever spend time focussing on breathing deeply and fully, and it is unbelievable how therapeutic this can be. As odd as it sounds, when stress hits us from all the essays and exams, taking a few moments to just focus on our breathing patterns can actually make our body produce endorphins, which calm us down and make us feel happier.

Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth; the simplest way to feeling happier almost instantly. There’s a great app called ‘Headspace’, which gives you free, simple, ten minute meditation sessions, absolutely perfect for a revision break.

Get moving

If you do have the time, or if you can make the time, the best thing you can do for your mind is to work your body. Disconnect from the Internet, go outside, walk through the park, put some music on – it feels so great!

Seeing as spring is on its way, there are no excuses. You might feel reluctant at first but once you get outside you’ll be so glad you did it.

Get laughing Laughing is always the best cure for when you’re feeling down, and probably one of the easiest things you can do. Find your housemates or friends and have a chat with them, watch a funny movie together or put

“There’s a great app called ‘Headspace’, which gives you free, simple, ten minute meditation sessions” on some viral YouTube classics. Revisit old Facebook photos (it’s hard, but you can do it!) and have a good chuckle over the way you used to pose. Sing really badly, really loudly.

Get motivated

Get making

As students, we spend a lot of time on our laptops. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to stop ourselves from opening more tabs and getting lost in the world of the Internet.

So why not use it to your benefit instead? If you only have a short break, shut down those tabs and visit sites like Pinterest, which are brimming with motivational quotes to get you inspired again. Also, a great blog to have a read through is ‘Zen Habits’, which is full of posts that break down problems such as procrastination, giving step-by-step ways of overcoming it.

Do something you enjoy, or maybe something that you’ve wanted to do for a really long time. Cook a new meal, read your favourite childhood book again, or make something from that DIY board you have on Pinterest. When you feel stuck in a routine, it can get suffocating. Doing something new can make you take pride in yourself, and can create something useful out of a break. If you took our advice in the last post and did some really loud singing, maybe it’s a good idea to cook some brownies as an apology to the neighbours!

Winter herbs: Hassleback potatoes Dahlia Al-Abdullah Lifestyle writer

These potatoes are a really easy, filling snack that’s great for sharing with friends because it’s so easy to tear slices off.

Ingredients: 4 kebab skewers 2 baking potatoes 6 sprigs of fresh thyme 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary 6 peeled garlic cloves 4 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp cheese 1 tbsp salt Method: • Begin by preheating the oven to 180°C and wash dirt from your potatoes.

• Dry the potatoes, and then cut out any bad spots and blemishes. The potato skins taste great at the end once they become all crispy, but if you prefer to have your skins off then get peeling now!

• You may be wondering what the kebab skewers are for when we’re cooking potatoes – well if you stick one in at either end (lengthways), it’ll stop you from cutting the potato all the way down to the bottom!.

• Put the skewers in so that they’re about a quarter way from the bottom of the potato and then slice down into the potato, to create lots of cuts about 3mm apart.

• In another bowl, mix the oil and salt together, and drizzle over the potato, making sure to get it into all the slices!

• Stuff the garlic, rosemary and thyme in between the slices. At this point the herbs should smell really great. Pull out the skewers and stick the potatoes in the oven for around 50 minutes.

• Once they’re done, take the potatoes out.

Spread a little butter on them and sprinkle your cheese on top and there you have it!

Photo:Dahlia DahliaAl-Abdullah Al-Abdullah Photo:

Photo:Flickr, Flickr,Tim Bunches andLesley Bits Katon Photo: Rich and

Winter herbs: warm salad Dahlia Al-Abdullah Lifestyle writer Ingredients: Handful of sundried tomatoes 2 baby courgettes 1 leek 1 white onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 sprig of fresh rosemary 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp pine nuts 1 tbsp paprika 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsps zaatar Method: • Begin by putting a saucepan on a medium heat, while you get washing and chopping all your veggies and garlic. Remove all the skin from the garlic cloves, and remember to remove the outermost layers of the leek.

• Once the pan gets hot, drizzle in your olive oil and add the vegetables. Adding in the herbs now will let them perfume the vegetables, so throw them in too!

• Once the vegetables begin to brown and look a little more cooked, add in the nutmeg, paprika and zaatar.

• Zaatar is an Arabic herb mix that is mainly comprised of thyme, which works

really well with the fresh herbs to bring out an earthy flavour.

• When everything is looking almost done, throw in half of your pine nuts so that they can get a little toasted before serving • To serve, chop up some sundried tomatoes (the sharp flavour tastes great with the milder winter veg) and sprinkle the remaining pine nuts on top.

• This salad is healthy, it tastes great, and is super easy and cheap to make.

Photo: Dahlia Al-Abdullah

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26

Sport

James Newbold Sport editor

R

ewind to March 2013. Wales had battled past Scotland to set up a Six Nations title showdown with England in Cardiff. Lewis Hamilton was anxiously hoping that his shock move from McLaren to Mercedes for a crack at a second Formula One World Championship would pay dividends, while in the Premier League, Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez – a marriage doomed for failure from the start – was fighting a losing battle to win over his fan-base and chase down Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the Scotsman’s final season. At the University of East Anglia meanwhile, Derby Day fever was taking hold, as UEA battled through the snowy conditions for a popular home win.

Two long years later and the wait is, at last, almost over. After months of preparation and fine-tuning from teams and organisers alike, 14th March will see Derby Day return to Norwich, in what promises to be another enthralling competition with our fierce rivals, the University of Essex, across 67 different matches.

Following UEA’s narrow away victory in 2014, the Blades will no doubt be eager for revenge, and keen to avoid the ominous fate of suffering three consecutive defeats for the first time since 2005. Historically, Derby Day has not been especially kind to the away side, with UEA’s triumph last year the first in ten years, so the omens certainly favour another win for the yellows.

With the Superbowl not long in the memory, much will be expected of the UEA Pirates, who followed up last year’s Derby Day victory with an 8-2 win in the league

“Historically, Derby Day has not been especially kind to the away side” back in November, while Men’s Futsal, the university’s highest ranked team in BUCS competition and Men’s Fencing, UEA’s only unbeaten side this season, will also be eager to impress on home turf.

Having won their league with a game to spare, the Men’s Hockey first team will also be strongly favoured, as will the Pool team led by 2014 Derby Day hero Josh Edwards and the Women’s Rugby Union team, which scored a mammoth 15 tries against the University of Bedfordshire seconds last month.

The home support will undoubtedly play its part as all eyes turn to the Netball first team for the evening feature match held at 19:00. Captain Asha Williams said; “We really hope to put on a good show on Derby Day. We know we are the showcase match and that comes with some pressure, but I am confident that with enough support we can do well. Derby Day is such a good day to showcase all sports and we are so excited that it is being held at home this year. We are just looking forward to being part of what should a great day, with a brilliant atmosphere”.

UEA students can get minute by minute coverage of the action throughout the day from the Media Collective, with a live blog and scoreboard on the Concrete website and dedicated live broadcasts from UEA TV and Livewire 1350 FM.

Photo: Flickr, Naparazzi

England dispatched by classy Sri Lanka Owen Riley Sport writer Any hopes that victory over Scotland was to act as a catalyst, kick-starting England’s World Cup campaign, were emphatically dashed as Sri Lanka dealt Eoin Morgan’s team a heavy defeat.

Joe Root’s impressive century (121) was to be in vain as Lahiru Thirimanne (139) and captain, Kumar Sangakkara (117) propelled The Lions to a momentous nine-wicket victory, leaving England’s quarter-final hopes hanging in the balance.

Fielding an unchanged side, Morgan won the toss and elected to bat first. Led by Root’s ton and a late cameo from Jos Buttler (39), England posted what looked a relatively competitive total of 309. Sri Lanka, however, had other ideas, making a mockery of the Wellington venue’s previous record ODI run chase of 254 set by South Africa in 2012.

The top order never looked in doubt, effortlessly knocking off the required total with 16 balls to spare. Moeen Ali and Ian Bell had given England early impetus, the latter in

T

oo often, Tottenham fans rejoice in moral victories when playing Chelsea.

They spend less money, aren’t greedy enough to win everything, and generally cheat less. That was once again the feeling bounding around Wembley at the final whistle of the Capital One Cup final as Chelsea marched away with a 2-0 victory, despite Spurs’ best efforts.

On this day, Spurs’ ‘little victory’ was the atmosphere – that is coming from a fan who was confined to the lofty heights of the very top of the top tier. Even following Chelsea’s goals, the Spurs end rocked from start to finish. There is a reason it has become known as the people’s cup final. For unlike the FA Cup or Champions League, this is a final for large, large numbers of real football fans.

The party atmosphere in the bars beforehand, and indeed along Wembley Way carried on into the stadium. The odds may have been stacked in Chelsea’s favour, but there was a glimmer of hope with Nemanja Matic suitably suspended for his outburst against Burnley the week before.

Chelsea’s record without him has been poor this season, but that was never going to be the deciding factor on its own.

On the contrary, the Lilywhites’ was characteristically ‘Spursy’. They displayed

particular, flashing the blade displaying intent to take the field on and dealing in boundaries.

England, though, could not maintain their early pace, with Moeen first to fall chipping one down the throat of mid-off.

That brought an out-of-sorts Gary Balance to the crease; the Yorkshireman’s poor run of form continued as he produced a tentative prod back to Tilakaratne Dilshan for the simplest of caught and bowled dismissals. As Sri Lanka’s attack reduced its pace, England’s positive start dwindled.

Bell chopped on, falling one run short of his 50 before Morgan (27) and Taylor (25) produced plucky if unspectacular efforts.

Root, the Three Lions’ only real positive in a disappointing display, completed a run-a-ball century, as England increased their rate in the final 15 overs, amply aided by the impressive Buttler to propel England beyond the 300 mark.

It was soon evident though that 309 was in no way insurmountable due to a combination of uninspired bowling and a display of imperious batting. This swiftly turned a mildly encouraging performance into an instantly forgettable one. England’s seamers were

unable to make any inroads, with Jimmy Anderson failing to command the white ball to swing in the same fashion as a red Duke under overcast English skies.

All the while, Sri Lanka’s batsmen exuded an air of composure typified by the languid wizardry of Kumar Sangakkara. Thirimanne was dropped on 3, as Root at first slip could not snare the catch, perhaps distracted as glovesman Buttler shaped away to his left before deciding otherwise. In truth, it would likely not have altered proceedings, serving only to accelerate Sangakkara’s arrival to the middle, and thus signalling the beginning of the end.

Despite the encouraging sign of posting a total in excess of 300 for the second successive match, and this time, with no meant disrespect to Scotland, against considerably stiffer opposition, the end result was no less devastating than those at the hands of Australia and New Zealand.

For England, their World Cup now rests on a two-game shootout in which they must overcome Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they are to progress into the final eight. If the pressure wasn’t on before, it certainly is now.

COMMENT Kat Lucas reflects on Tottenham’s valiant defeat in the League Cup final at Wembley. it once again in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Swansea – they are one of the Premier League’s few clubs with the ability to dominate play and go 1-0 down time and time again. In front of a boisterous Spurs end, John Terry’s struck after a poor clearance and saw the ball go through three defenders before hitting the back of the net.

The party was finally being spoiled.

The frustration amongst Spurs fans was tangible. Chelsea seemed virtually impossible to break down, displaying the defensive prowess expected of any Jose Mourinho side. Even Spurs’ sole goal machine Harry Kane could not make much of an impression. Neither could Soldado.

That said, Mourinho was full of postmatch praise for his opposite number Mauricio Pochettino, who still has much to offer and was not outclassed by the Portuguese perfectionist. This year has at the very least seen the Argentine – who only took over from Tim Sherwood in the summer – reach a cup final and manage a respectable top four battle.

Kyle Walker’s own goal sealed

Tottenham’s fate, but their ultimate failure to carve out decent chances had long been their undoing. In truth, neither Chelsea nor Spurs looked anything like the sides that took to the White Hart Lane pitch on New Year’s Day for Tottenham’s 5-2 win.

Lightning was always unlikely to strike twice, but the resounding feeling amongst an ever-cheery crowd on the return journey out of Wembley was that Spurs had done themselves proud. On a side note, Matic’s week of misery continued as he bizarrely managed to injure himself in Chelsea’s celebrations, which were played out to an equally bizarre backing track of Uptown Funk. Undignified indeed.

There is always a sense of inevitability about Mourinho winning trophies; this was the 21st of his career. Consciously or not, he rubbed salt into the wounds by giving veteran – and current contender for world’s slowest man – Didier Drogba a last-minute cameo appearance. If Spurs still lack the necessary confidence against the heavyweights, Chelsea have the swagger that leaves them on course for the treble.

Sport

27

UEA Futsal gearing up for Derby Day Mark Riemer-Elms gives the lowdown on UEA’s highest-ranked sports team.

W

idely regarded as being the greatest player ever to grace a football pitch, Pele attributed the development of his ball control, quick thinking, and concentration down to the lessons he learnt on a futsal court. This year, the popularity of the game has increased tenfold at UEA thanks to the recent achievements of their own squad.

Having achieved the unprecedented accolade of reaching the quarter-finals of the national Bucs championship last season, the team has gone from strength to strength, giving rise to the most successful Bucs society at UEA by a staggering margin. The team has scored over twice the next society’s score, attaining nearly 20% of UEA’s overall BUCS points. Its president, Edward Dodman, praised the team spirit and the coaching abilities of Timmy Henery.

“I don’t think we care too much about the BUCS points but a lot of credit has to go to Timmy. Without him, I don’t think we could have progressed so far in the competition.

We just have a great winning mentality and a squad harmony that has allowed us to be successful”, he said.

Last year’s success has been mirrored this year, with UEA progressing from the group stage to set the stage for a tricky first round match against Sheffield. Beforehand, there was a university-wide ‘call to arms’ to garner support for the futsal team. And it worked a treat. The support for the team made the Sheffield team feel and play like an away team and showed the excellent spirit of the UEA’s sporting society.

“The support was fantastic. There are obviously close ties between the football and futsal clubs, but also a few mates came down, which really gave the match a sense of occasion and helped motivate the players”, he added.

UEA took an early lead and obtained control over an organised Sheffield team, with a hat-trick from captain Chris Swann, including a beautiful lob, and goals from

Photo: Amit Puntambekar Ewan Hall, Brandon Maysey and Joel Potter, whose volley was “the highlight of the match” according to Dodman, resulting in a hardfought but earned 6-3 win.

The victory set up a tough, quarter-final away match against a strong Cardiff side who had topped their regional group and dumped Hertfordshire out of the competition with an emphatic 12-3 win. However, UEA were confident that with the correct performance and commitment, they could get the result and progress in the competition.

It was obvious that Cardiff would be a step up, and were visibly physical. However, UEA team’s technical and physical abilities outshone Cardiff in the opening minutes, with Potter and Swann testing the very capable Cardiff goalkeeper.

Against the run of play, Cardiff scored two goals in quick succession after a communication mix-up in the UEA ranks, and took this lead into half-time despite UEA having played by far the better futsal. After a rallying team talk, UEA started the second

half strongly and pinned Cardiff to the ropes.

UEA soon made their spell of pressure count, with a well-worked individual goal from Ewan Hall reducing the deficit to 2-1. However, the deficit was immediately returned to two goals, with another Cardiff goal stemming from defensive mistakes. UEA rallied once more and were able to reduce the gap back to one goal with a fine solo effort from Mike Shaw.

With the game at 3-2 and the clock counting down ever faster, the decision was made to press higher up the pitch and pressure the Cardiff players into mistakes, with the possibility of a Cardiff break. Despite a solid period of UEA pressure and a number of ridiculous saves from the Neuer-esque Cardiff keeper, Cardiff went onto score three goals on the break to put themselves out of sight in the match.

So with the final score not greatly reflecting the overall play of the match, UEA were defeated 6-2 and Cardiff will face Brighton in the semi-finals. Despite a difficult day for UEA, they can still be incredibly proud of their achievements this year and now focus their sights on Essex.

There is one scar over the past two years that has yet to heal for UEA futsal: the Derby Day defeat at the hands of Essex. Even with the majority of possession and chances throughout the match, defensive errors allowed Essex to win the match 9-6, even with a spirited second half display, considering UEA were down 6-0 at half time.

“We didn’t perform at the level we could have. However, I’m confident we will be able to beat Essex on home turf”, said Dodman.

Essex finished a disappointing third in their regional group, but an impressive victory against Bath led them to the quarterfinals of the Cup where they were humiliated

by Loughborough 12-2.

Of course, games aren’t won on paper, but if UEA play to their ever increasing standard and with the same home support as witnessed at the Sheffield game, then Essex will certainly have their work cut out on Derby Day.

UEA Athletics perform admirably at Indoor Championships Sophie East Sport writer UEA Athletics team last week joined 6,000 students in Sheffield for the Bucs National Indoor Athletics Championships at the EIS Indoor Track in Sheffield.

The event commenced with the men’s 60 m, where Myles Lynch (following a personal best (PB) the previous weekend) clocked 7.4 seconds, and Adam Vaughan crossed the line in 7.38 seconds. Unfortunately, neither progressed to the semis, but both were happy with how their training had transferred into competition.

Representing the women, Cerys Currie continued her indoor season of consistency running 8.51 seconds whilst Danielle Hamilton had an early birthday present of another PB of 8.35 seconds. Danielle has dropped 0.5 seconds from her PB this season, a testament to her hard work in training, and the sprint coaches Mike Utting and Nate Rogers.

A superb performance from Scott Greeves then saw him win his 800 m heat in a time of one minute and 55.52 seconds. Greeves led from the off, showing great maturity from an athlete in his first year of Bucs competition.

Victoria Onyeka ran a strong race in the women’s 400 m, but was unfortunately disqualified due to a lane infringement. In the men’s 400 m, Amardeep Sangha struggled with a persistent hamstring injury, resulting in a time that he is looking to reduce in ten weeks’ time at outdoors. Rest, ice, compression and elevation await!

In the field, Elise Williams reached 9.84 m in the triple jump, just 3 cm off her PB. Although slightly disappointed, she had the long jump to look forward to the next day.

The second day started with disappointment as the team learnt that the minibus had been broken into overnight, with the physiotherapy table stolen. Undeterred, Alfie Bentley brightened the teams’ mood by running a PB of four minutes and 40.9 seconds in the men’s 1500 m. He topped off his successful day by running the anchor leg in the four-by-200 m relay, with some coercion from the boys!

In the long jump, Elise Williams returned to the pit, recording a best jump of 4.53 m, whilst Sara Henderson, an experienced Bucs competitor, leapt to 4.23 m in the yellow and blue colours of UEA. Back on the track, Scott Greeves ran a well-executed race in one minute and 54.65

seconds, but was unlucky to miss out on the final of the men’s 800 m. He will be looking to build on this Bucs experience in his next races and for the outdoors competition at Bedford in May. Saturday evening bought the excitement of the four-by-200 m relay races. Adam Vaughan, Myles Lynch, Idrees Mughal and Alfie Bentley faced off against tough competition, just

“Danielle has dropped 0.5 seconds from her PB this season” missing out on the final, while the female quartet of Sophie East, Elise Williams, Abielle Hallas and Emily Rogers finished third in a fast heat that included Brunel and Birmingham universities. The girls were happy to execute the race with no hiccups as all members were new to the hectic environment of the indoor relay events.

The final day saw UEA back at the track early ahead of the women’s 200 m races. Emily Rogers ran a confident race, despite an ongoing hamstring niggle, but was disqualified for a lane infringement and was unable to find out her time. Sophie East secured a season-best

time of 27.91 seconds to just miss out on the club record and a place in the semi-finals. Both girls will be training hard to break the outdoor club record and reduce their times.

For the men, Myles Lynch was disappointed to run 23.7 seconds, despite finishing second in his heat and running a fast relay split the day before. Adam Vaughan finished his successful weekend with an indoor PB time of 24.1 seconds from the very tight bends of lane one.

Despite no athletes progressing to finals at this year’s indoor Bucs, the club were proud to send their biggest team yet and were regarded as the loudest supporters of the weekend. At times, the commentator had to pause to allow the team to support its athletes in true UEA fashion.

Derby Day is up next, and after the promise shown at Bucs, expect UEA Athletics to put on a good show.

Team: Sophie East, Cerys Currie, Sophie Morris, Emily Rogers, Natalie Herbert, Elise Williams, Abielle Hallas, Sara Henderson, Danielle Hamilton, Victoria Onyeka, Georgie Corkett, Adam Vaughan, Myles Lynch, Amardeep Sangha, Scott Greeves, Andy Holliman, Alfie Bentley, Idrees Mughal, Luke Dexter

C

Sport

SPORT

Issue 310 10th March 2015

concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper

UEA Avalanche celebrate their first win of the season after three goals from Craig Jacobs Flickr: Trish Thompson

Birmingham buried by UEA Avalanche

Photo: Dotun Bolaji

Derby Day Preview Page 22

UEA’s ice hockey club secure victory 3-2 in a closely-fought match that was their first home game.

Leah Brown Sport writer It was a game of firsts for the UEA Avalanche Ice Hockey team; their first home match this season, their first time against the Birmingham Lions C team this year, and their first win of the season at 3-2. Though they faced a few challenges before even getting on the ice - such as the bus and ice resurfacer nearly breaking down, and coach Richard Spink having to step in to referee - this didn’t deter them from a stunning victory.

The first period of play began with a faceoff between Craig Jacobs of UEA Avalanche and Benjamin Tomlinson of Birmingham, sending the puck into UEA’s defensive zone.

Luckily, UEA regained possession to nearly score a goal under two minutes in, a close call just missing the net and setting the game off to an exciting start. With two saves in quick succession by each respective goaltender around the twelve minute mark, it could’ve been anyone’s game.

However, despite major possession

by UEA halfway through the period, Birmingham’s defence didn’t falter as they relentlessly deflected the puck back up the rink, presenting an excellent challenge for the Avs to show their resolve. Avalanche saw their first of two minor penalties of the night during this period; 14 minutes in John Ballinger was given two minutes in the penalty box for checking, leaving Avalanche shorthanded for Birmingham’s power play.

Finally, the no goal streak was broken by the Lions with three minutes left in the period, leaving the Avs trailing 1-0. Though an

attempt was made by UEA with two minutes left in the period to bring the scores level, the puck didn’t find its way home.

The second period began with play initially tending towards UEA’s defensive zone. There were several close calls in the first three minutes, though none found the net as UEA fought to regain the offensive ground.

However, Avalanche’s second penalty of the night, a minor to Phil Carter for checking, marked a turn in the game for the better, with a bid to score coming a minute afterwards.

While play moved away to the centre for a time, UEA soon pushed forward again with Chris Dobson nearly scoring nine minutes

“Two goals in a single shift from Craig Jacobs sent the Avs up 3-1 and gave him an astonishing hat trick in under twenty seconds of play” in. This seemed to give the team the boost they needed- two minutes later Craig Jacobs scored, bringing Avalanche level 1-1. The rest of the period was a shutout for the Avs, with several great saves from goaltender Sam Birkentals and bold plays from the rest of the team, including two more attempts at scoring from Paul McDermott, and an attempted slap shot from Birmingham with less than 30 seconds left – emotions were running high.

As the teams went into the third period evenly matched, the Avs truly began to come into their own. An impressive two goals in a

single shift from Craig Jacobs sent the Avs up 3-1, and gave him an astonishing hat trick in under twenty seconds of play. He set the stage for more aggressive plays as the end of the game approached.

Another effort was made to score for UEA

by Jacobs in the first minute of the period, however it was thwarted by a well executed glove save from goaltender Steven Thetford, who went on to stop a further three shots. Play rapidly came down to UEA’s defensive zone, however Birkentals (Man of the Match of the previous two away games) was prepared and managed to keep the Avalanche in the lead with his goalkeeping prowess, even leaping for the puck at one point. The defence’s quick action sent the puck sailing back across the rink in time for a shot from Ballinger, nearly putting the Avalanche up 4-1. However, puck didn’t quite cross the crease and bounced from the goalposts back into play.

The last few minutes of the game seemed to be a constant battle of McDermott and Jacobs pushing the puck up the rink, while Birkentals strived to deflect it from the goal. With just under two minutes remaining, Birmingham scored for a second time, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Avalanche storming to their first full game victory. The Lions declared a deserving Paul McDermott Man of the Match, whilst the Avs chose Tomlinson, Number 68, of the Lions.

It was an all-around incredible effort from both teams, only the second game for a few of the Avalanche’s rookies, making their victory even sweeter. It has set the stage for future wins and personal triumphs for the growing club, who look forward to their next game against the Hull Ice Hogs in March.

Flickr: cfcunofficial

League Cup final Page 23

Photo: Sophie East

Athetlics Indoor Page 23