Concrete 332

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6th December 2016 Issue 332

P.10 P.11 P.16 P.18 P.19 P.21

12 7 >> Concrete spent the night with UEA security

>> Anarchy in the UEA

Swo what now?

The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk

>> Campus divided: 33 percent of students believe Swo should step down >> 49 percent believe Swo should stay

>> Conflicting motions brought forward for discussion at council >> Consequences of a censure unclear EXCLUSIVE Megan Baynes, Jessica FrankKeyes & Caitlin Doherty Senior Editorial Team Campus is divided following the behaviour of union officer, Jo Swo, at an A-List LCR night on Saturday 26th November. Following the incident, conflicting motions regarding her position have been proposed for discussion at at the final union council meeting of the semester on 8th December.

Last week Concrete exclusively broke the news that while on a night out with other union officers Miss Swo had engaged in “minor theft from the bar”, “minor assault of a member of security” and “attempted to use the cloakroom without paying.” Her behaviour was reported to the union by a number of students.

Describing the process the SU has gone through so far, an SU spokesperson said: “The judgment made about the incident involving Jo was that the offences were minor in nature- it is clear that the theft (of crisps) and the assault (a non invasive bite to the arm) were not intended and no harm was caused.”

Following this incident, Samuel Cross, union representative for Postgraduate History, proposed a motion of no confidence in Swo, asserting that, “the actions of the Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer on the weekend of 26th - 27th November 2016 whilst at the LCR cast doubt on their ability to continue in the role.”

The motion continues: “as such, Union Council must now consider a vote of no confidence in the Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer”.

This motion was posted to the pri-

vate UEA union council Facebook page on Thursday 1st December.

Union bylaws state that “a member of the Student Officer Committee shall cease to hold office if they are subject to a motion of no confidence, submitted by ten or more members of Union Council, passed by a 75 percent majority of those members of the Union Council present and voting at a quorate meeting.”

However, a conflicting motion to censure Miss Swo has also been brought forward to council, which would effectively block the motion of no confidence. Union bylaws are unclear on the consequences of a censure, however. They state that union council shall have the power “to pass a motion of Censure or Commendation on any member of the Student Officer Committee.” Yet, they do not clarify any specific out-

comes associated with receiving a censure, and it is unclear what the ramifications of this motion would be.

The motion of censure has been proposed by Nicholl Hardwick, Equalities Champion of UEA Migrant Solidarity Campaign, the same society where Miss Swo is Secretary. It has been seconded by Madeleine Colledge, Postgraduate Education Officer who was present at the LCR, with Miss Swo, on the night in question.

Commenting on the censure motion, SU Chair of Management Committee Madeleine Colledge said: “As someone who worked in the LCR as a student for four years I know that Jo’s drunken antics crossed a line, so as the Chair of the SU Management Committee it is clear to me and many other students that we need to publicly condemn

Jo’s actions last weekend.

“Jo received the standard four week ban in this situation, but we should expect higher standards from our Officers which is why I was happy to join others in signing a motion to Censure- which is the only form of political punishment we can use other than Jo losing her job altogether. The motion also includes a review for how the SU responds to inappropriate Officer behaviour so this doesn’t happen again” Nicholl Hardwick did not respond to Concrete’s request for comment.

If council chooses to censure Miss Swo, then she will continue in her job until election season. In order for the motion of no confidence to be passed, council must first decide whether or not to even debate Continued on page 4

2

6th December 2016

Editorial T'was the night before deadlines and all across campus...

Emily Mildren

Caitlin Doherty Jessica Frank-Keyes Deputy Editors

UEA's own 48 percent

The SU has been the talk of campus, but is there change on the horizon?

Megan Baynes Editor-in-Chief

Last week Concrete broke the news that a union officer had been suspended from the LCR following their behaviour on a night out. Since this story broke, several conflicting motions have been brought against Jo Swo and will be discussed at union council.

Over the weekend we spoke to students on campus to gauge their reaction to the story. Although almost half of those surveyed felt that Miss Swo should remain in her position as Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer, most did feel that a line had been crossed and there should be consequences for her actions. On the whole however, there is a large amount of sympathy felt for Miss Swo, with many students of the idea that “we all make mistakes, particularly after a few drinks.”

With conflicting motions about to be discussed at council, there is confusion over the future of Miss Swo’s position at the SU. 62 percent of students we spoke to said that did not understand how union council works and, having spent most of the weekend trying to decipher the union bylaws, I don’t entirely blame them. As it currently stands, both a motion of no confidence and a motion to censure Miss Swo have been proposed for discussion.

As these motions have entirely conflicting consequences, the proposers of both motions may meet before council to decide which is a more appropriate course of action. Should this prove fruitless, the censure motion becomes an amendment to the no confidence motion, which will then be debated first. If this censure amendment is approved, then if the no confidence

motion passes, it will be passed as a censure motion rather than a no confidence motion. In order for the no confidence motion to be passed, it now has to win two votes in its favour, the latter of which needs to be more than 75 percent. Confused yet? Me too.

“Yet what was more worrying was that 48 percent of those we spoke to said they they feel the SU does not accurately represent their views. I seem to find myself saying this most weeks, but it's not been a good semester for our SU." Many students we spoke to felt that they did not how to get involved with union council, and it’s not difficult to see why. However, all that I can suggest is that if you feel particularly strongly about this, or any other vote, contact your union council representative to voice your opinion. Democracy only works when we get involved, which is perhaps why so many feel disconnected from the SU at the moment.

Concrete will be present at the union council meeting and will be livetweeting throughout the night.

Make sure to follow the Media Collective on Twitter: we'll be bringing you on up to date news, as well as many cat gifs. You can find us at @Concrete_UEA and @UEA_

media.

Yet what was more worrying was that 48 percent of those we spoke to that said they feel that the students union does not accurately represent their views. I seem to find myself saying this most weeks, but it's not been a good semester for our SU: from rent strikes, to calling poppies “oppressive”, to the actions of union officers, it seems that UEA’s 48 percent are once again sighing as they continue to feel disconnected from an institution that is supposed to represent them.

Yet it’s not all entirely bleak: this week, Campaigns and Democracy officer, Amy Rust will be publishing a major review into the SU Officer structure that aims to increase transparency within the SU and open up the leadership to more students than before. We can only hope that this will improve relations within an ever-fractured student body.

It is a shame that a lot of the good work being done by students within UEA as a whole is overshadowed by the actions of a few. Last week UEA SU celebrated Aids Awareness Week, aiming to increase visibility and campaign for PrEP to be offered on the NHS. It is thanks to the work of these, and others like them across the UK that a few days ago the NHS announced it would be funding a large scale clinical trial of the drug. I spoke to Kieran Burden who helped organise the week at UEA: turn to page 5 to read more.

Hopefully we will see you next semester on a more optimistic note, and with more positive change being enacted throughout the SU. In the meantime we hope you have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy your break. Thank you to all our incredible writers who made this semester so much fun, we couldn't have done it without you.

T’was the issue before Christmas, and across UEA, students were slaving at their laptops, for a 2:1 on that essay.

We can almost smell the mince pies and feel the fully functional central heating of home, but with two weeks still left to go it feels like there is still a snow-topped mountain left to climb. The library is full, third years are reduced to tears by a whisper of the word ‘dissertation’ and the coffee queues have never been longer.

‘Anarchy in the UEA’ just seems like the headline to Week 11, however, despite the relevance, it introduces this week’s rather strange story involving UEA Vice Chancellor David Richardson, the Sex Pistols and a UEA bobble hat. (Page 7). The revelation that our VC is a punk rock fan, having once danced the night away to the Buzzcocks, The Clash and The Damned, and that “UEA has played a major role in punk rock history” seems an appropriately absurd end to a term that has given us the campus-wide mourning of Cloud Dog, voyeurism on campus, ‘killer clowns’ at midnight, and everything in between. It’s certainly been a busy one.

The days until the Christmas break can be counted on two hands, but if you have some spare time on your hands, Concrete’s Christmas edition can provide you with some excellent procrastination material.

On pages 16 and 17 Our comment writers take a look at charity and consumerism during the festive season, that one is definitely worth a read if you’re feeling particularly cynical.

However, if you can’t wait for the impending arrival of the sickly sweet Christmas season, stick on some Mariah Carey and have a go at making the mince pie recipe that Features have included on page 11.

And finally…

To all you students in the library, not seeing daylight, Merry Christmas to all, and just remember to cite…

concrete-online.co.uk ConcreteUEA

concreteuea

concrete_UEA

The University of East Anglia’s Independent Student newspaper since 1992 Tuesday 6th December 2016 Issue 332 Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk Editor-in-Chief Megan Baynes concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editors Jessica Frank-Keyes Caitlin Doherty concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Online Editor James Chesson Online Assistant: Freddie Sallis concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News Emily Hawkins Senior Reporter: Amanda Ng concrete.news@uea.ac.uk concrete.seniornews@uea.ac.uk Global Ollie Watts concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features Lillie Coles Lydia Lockyer concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Comment Charlie Dwyer concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Science Sophie Christian concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Travel Jennifer Redfern Senior Reporter: Milly Godfrey concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk concrete.seniortravel@uea.ac.uk Sport Richard Ewart Nick Murphy concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy-Editors Molly Burgess Emma Slaughter concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Marketing Director Katie Gleeson concrete.marketing@uea.ac.uk Social Media Coordinator Charlotte Spencer concrete.socialmedia@uea.ac.uk Events Manager Sam Naylor Events Assistant: Grace Fothergill concrete.events@uea.ac.uk Editorial Enquiries Complaints & Corrections concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

No part of this newspaper may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the Editor-in-Chief, Megan Baynes. Published by the Union of UEA Students on behalf of Concrete.

Concrete is a UUEAS society, but retains editorial independence as regards to any content. Opinions expressed herein are those of individual writers, not of Concrete or its editorial team.

NEWS

3

6th December 2016

MP blames UEA voyeur on gender neutral toilets Caitlin Doherty Deputy Editor UEA alumnus and Labour MP for Don Valley, Caroline Flint, has claimed that gender neutral toilets allowed convicted voyeur, Luke Mallaband, to harass women on UEA campus.

Participating in the first ever House of Commons debate on transgender issues, the Labour MP referred to the incidents at UEA when questioning the House on the safety of women in gender-neutral facilities.

She cited “a recent case at my old university, the University of East Anglia where they have gender neutral toilets, [and] discovered that a man was using that to harass women in those facilities and has been convicted on charges.”

Flint then asked Chair of the debate and leader of Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee, Maria Miller to “make some comment about that issue and how we protect women from male violence in gender neutral environments?”

Luke Mallaband was convicted of voyeurism in October, having secretly placed phones in showers and toilets in several locations across university estates. However, it was noted during the criminal hearing that these incidents occurred in female only facilities, as well as in

COMMENT Rhys Purtill, President of UEA Pride addresses Flint's misguided concerns

UEASU has worked tirelessly to establish and increase the number of gender-neutral toilets across campus in recent years. To see that hard work tarnished due to a mixture of misinformation and ignorance is incredibly disappointing. The acts of voyeurism that Caroline Flint referred to in Parliament occurred in a variety of bathrooms regardless of whether they were gender-specific or not. To bring this criminal act into a discussion about transgender equality is irresponsible, as its use as evidence was not only misinformed but misguided. Perhaps the most disappointing part of all is Flint’s rhetoric, in which she separates transgender individuals and women as two different categories.

For a Labour MP who studied at UEA, a campus which has fought hard to support its trans peers, to not openly acknowledge trans women as being women at the first parliamentary debate on transgender issues is incredibly Theodore Antoniou-Phillips damaging.

ungendered bathrooms.

Conservative MP Ms Miller responded to the question by affirming the separation between the issues of female violence and transgender rights.

“At my old university... they have gender neutral toilets, [and] discovered that a man was using that to harass women in those facilities."

“Giving rights or enforcing rights that one group has does not mean that we have to see those rights taken away from another group. I think we have to be careful in this place that we don’t appear to be undermining the rights of trans people [that] they are afforded under the Equality Act”.

She pointed out that “many organisations have had genderneutral toilets for a great many years... if you go on an aeroplane, you don’t have a men’s and a ladies’ and you don’t see particular problems there."

The Chair concluded by warning that discussions surrounding female violence and transgender rights risked being wrongly conflated: “I think we need to be careful that individuals are not necessarily using or perhaps misinterpreting Labour has shown to hold values of gender equality close to their heart. The previous Labour government passed both the Gender Recognition Act and the Equality Act, giving trans people legal recognition and making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender reassignment.

Unfortunately, Flint has not upheld these values in Parliament and by bringing UEA into the mix it is now the responsibility of students to demonstrate that we are an open and inclusive campus for everyone.

Just last month we celebrated Transgender Awareness Week, which included a range of events from talks and an open mic night, to an incredibly moving vigil for all of our transgender siblings who we have lost. This sort of work by UEA Pride, FemSoc and the LGBT+ Officers is so important in ensuring that trans students at UEA feel happy and safe on our campus, we should continue to develop these events and campaigns throughout the year in order to foster a progressive and liberated university. It is this sort of work that gives a glimmer of hope for those who are frightened by the rhetoric of the far-right, the likes of Trump, Greer and even Flint.

We have a responsibility to create an environment here on campus where everyone feels safe and like they belong, and therefore we should always call out ignorance when we see it.

what is a serious problem in terms of threats to women in those sorts of environments by undermining the rights of transgender people, which we should be upholding as Parliamentarians."

Ms Miller’s rebuttals of Flint’s comments were echoed by the opposition bench. SNP Member John Nicholson suggested that the Labour member’s question was irrelevant to the transgender discussion. “The point that has been raised is a matter for criminal law. This has nothing to do with transgender equality."

Speaking to LGBT+ news website Pink News after the debate, Ms Flint reaffirmed that her question was one of female safety.

“The issue of concern raised during today’s debate was about women’s safety at the hands of men.

I fully appreciate the risks faced by the transgender community who live with violence, intimidation and hate crimes. I do not want women to be preyed upon, or vulnerable to, male violence in shared spaces."

Historically, the Labour Party has generally supported transgender rights. Between 1997, when Ms Flint was first elected to office, and 2010 the Labour government gave transgender people legal recognition for the first time following the passing of the Gender Recognition Act in 2004. The Equality Act in 2010 also outlawed discrimination based on gender.

Flickr: Policy exchange

UEA voyeur sentenced

Megan Baynes Sacha Silverstone News Reporter Luke Mallaband, who admitted to recording in various locations of UEA, including the library toilets and student accommodation, was spared jail last week.

The infamous UEA voyeur was sentenced to a six-month curfew from 7pm to 7am, and a three-year ban from entering female and gender-neutral toilets.

He was also given a three-year community order, a mandatory 200-hour sex offending behaviour programme and fined costs of £170.

The prosecution stated that, earlier this year, a woman found a plastic bag with a hole cut out in a gender-neutral toilet of the library.

"A probation report later called Mallaband a 'high risk of posing serious harm to females'."

Thirty-eight voyeuristic videos were found on Mallaband’s phone, filmed between July 2013 and February 2016. The bag contained food, drink, and a box with another hole.

In the box, she found an iPhone on record mode. The woman handed in the bag to the library helpdesk, after which Mallaband admitted the belongings were his and promised to delete the videos, saying that a phone malfunction caused his phone to record by itself.

Later that day, the woman thought back on the incident, and filed a complaint with UEA and the police. The woman said she was concerned about "what the offender would do in the future if this offence was not dealt with at the time"..

A probation report later said Mallaband posed a "high risk of posing serious harm to females".

4

6th December 2016

News

Norfolk foster care Reform for Welsh under investigation student finance Imogen Barton News Reporter The Norfolk Foster Care Association (NFCA) have submitted complaints to a national inquiry.

This is not the first time concerns over the treatment of local foster carers has come under scrutiny. In September, Norfolk County Council submitted an independent review which concluded that the council mistreated six carers. Yet this did not include those affiliated with the NFCA. Allegations made by foster carers include lack of financial and legal support provided to them, the unnecessary removal of children from their established placements, and failure to ensure that complaints are investigated fairly.

The fairness of the 'Staying Put' scheme has also been contested.

The money awarded to foster carers declines after a child turns 18. Concerns that whistleContinued from front page the proposal. This effectively means those proposing the motion of no confidence will have to win two votes at union council, with over 75 percent in the second vote, in order to remove Miss Swo from her position.

Concrete spoke to 151 students over the weekend, and campus was divided over Miss Swo’s position. 48 percent felt that she should continue in her role, whilst 33 percent felt she should resign her position. 17 percent were unsure.

One student said, “She's made a laughing stock of herself and the union,” while another described Miss Swo as, “not just a normal student: our nine grand a year literally pays her £17,000 a year.” They added: “she probably gets a pound from each of us. Basically we are paying her to go and bite people. I am financing her drunk rages."

Another student told Concrete: "I do think she should leave, I don't agree with most of her policies and I don't think she's a valuable member of the Student Union in any fashion."

Another student said: "If the uni [union] can ban sombreros and then see this and not give any punishment... I wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn't suspended or if they didn't do anything."

However, opinions were split, with a different student stating: “I think she's good at her job but the actions that she did were unacceptable.

If it were in any other work place

blower reports are not thoroughly investigated are also included.

In response, the NFCA have suggested stringent procedures for assisting whistle-blowers. A rigorous standardised procedure for carrying out investigations is also recommended.

"The failures in the fostering system have been particularly acute in Norfolk."

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb supports the reviews.

He said, “The failures in the fostering system have been particularly acute in Norfolk, where I have been shocked at the way in which foster carers have been treated by the county council in recent years."

The findings follow a long line of flagged up issues regarding Norfolk child services. Since 2013 Ofsted has rated them 'inadequate' twice.

There have been four department directors in the last four years. she would have been fired, but at the same time I do think she is good at her job and she does well for the people here."

Regarding the removal of an officer, union bylaws state that “if a full-time Student Officer ceases to hold office their successor shall have full-time status provided that they take up office within a period of one month from the beginning of the first semester of the academic year.” This means that if Miss Swo is removed from her position it would not be filled with a full-time

“However we also know there’s still a problem with the SU’s democratic structurestoo few students know who the SU Officers are, what we’re doing or how to hold us to account. This week I will publish a major review into the SU Officer structure."

— Amy Rust replacement welfare officer before the student elections in May, but could be taken on by a student as a part-time role.

A student who spoke to Concrete over the weekend claimed that: “if she was on a sports team she would have had the

Rebecca Graham News Reporter In an overhaul of Welsh student finance, the standard tuition fee grant of £5,100, paid to all Welsh students, will be scrapped and replaced with a grant of £1000.

"The aim was to “introduce the most generous and progressive system anywhere in the UK”."

These grants will come alongside a means-tested maintenance grant of over £8,000 for students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Students from households earning over the £59,200 threshold will only be eligible for the £1,000 grant.

The changes are hoped to be implemented in the 2018/19 academic year and would enable book thrown at her," with another describing Miss Swo as “disgraceful.”

Alex Edge, station manager of Livewire and union councillor for Wateraid, told Concrete that: “I think it is incredibly tough to go up against people that know how to work the system and have good connections within the Union bubble.”

Over 94 percent of students surveyed said they did not know that a censure motion had been brought against Miss Swo, with a majority not understanding a censure motion at all. 62 percent of those surveyed said they did not understand how council works and 48 percent said that they did not feel the student’s union accurately represents their views. 46 percent agreed the SU does represent their views, and 4 percent were unsure.

Commenting on the suggestion that “a large majority feel that they don't understand how Union Council works and … does not represent their views” SU Campaigns and Democracy Officer Amy Rust said: “When it comes to representing students on academic and welfare issues we’ve done more polling, surveys and face to face work this year than ever before– so on stuff like timetabling, mental health and space on campus, we know we’re getting it right.

“However we also know there’s still a problem with the SU’s democratic structures- too few students know who the SU Officers are, what we’re doing or how to hold us to account. T his week I will publish a major review into the SU Officer structure that seeks to change that, opening up leadership across the SU to vastly more students than ever before.”

Miss Swo did not respond to Concrete’s request for comment.

students from families of average income to receive around £7,000 annually, with a pro-rota version available to part-time students.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams voiced her support for Prof Sir Ian Diamond’s recommendations for the student finance system, saying that the aim was to “introduce the most generous and progressive system anywhere in the UK”. She continued, "Our proposals are a fundamental shift so that Wales can develop a higher education funding and student finance system that really does provide for all."

Prof Diamond, vice-chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said that the shake-up would result in students from Wales facing a “significantly lower level of debt on leaving university than those from England”. Figures from the Student Loans Company reveal that the average loan balance for Welsh students who started repayments in 2015/16 was £16,120, compared to £24,640 for English students.

We asked you what you thought: Have you heard about the incident involving Jo Swo in the LCR?

74

percent said yes

26

percent said no

Are you aware a no confidence motion has been brought against Miss Swo?

58

percent said yes

42

percent said no

Are you aware a motion to censure has been brought against Miss Swo?

6

percent said yes

94

percent said no

Do you feel you understand how union council works?

38

percent said yes

61

percent said no

Do you feel the SU accurately represents your views?

46

percent said yes

4

48

percent said no

percent were unsure

Do you think Miss Swo should step down?

33 49 18 percent said yes

percent said no

percent were unsure

Union recommends changes to prevent further drop in student satisfaction Amanda Ng Senior Reporter The Student Union has released their summary report listing 34 recommendations to improve UEA’s student experience. Each year, the report covers concerns that may damage the reputation of the university and student life.

The university will then assess the recommendations and act on them in time for the next SEC meeting in February. The report this year noted undergraduate and postgraduate issues drawing from data collected from a wide range of surveys, including the Student Union’s Survey 2016.

As UEA student satisfaction decreased by 1% from last year, research shows part of the reason was due to an inconsistent approach to the organisation and management of classes. The Faculty of Health and Medicine for example, rated the organisation of placements poorly with some Health Science students complaining: ‘some placements are brilliant. Others are not. It's a lottery’. Commenting on the recommendations, postgraduate Education Officer Madeleine Colledge believes: "our recommendations on investment in Mental Health services are absolutely vital."

Other students are dissatisfied about the timetabling of essay deadlines and changes in course content and structure. Amongst the other issues, the report recommends that the teaching hubs, learning resources and facilities, teaching and assessment quality and postgraduate experiences are all factors to consider improving.

Colledge is positive that: "although we’ve made over thirty recommendations, for a student focussed University like UEA none of them should be difficult to meet.

It’s particularly important that the University takes action on the costs that students are facing at Uni. Too many students are finding the cost of food, books and off campus accommodation are leaving them skint at the end of term."

The Student Union also provides suggestions to tackle UEA’s growing student population by increasing the number of computers and library capacity and space.

Undergraduate Education Officer Theo Antoniou Phillips said that the union "are focussed relentlessly this year on representing students’ academic interests effectively… the top concern is space."

The union also claimed that identifying specific work to promote diversity and inclusivity in teaching curriculums in higher education was vital.

5

6th December 2016

News

Aids awareness week at UEA

COMMENT

Megan Baynes Editor-in-Chief

After a lengthy and controversial legal battle that began in March, NHS England issued a statement on 4th December 2016 that a larger scale trial for Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP for short) would begin in the spring of 2017. More than ten thousand people in the UK shall be given access to the medication over the course of three years, after which it will be issued more widely to those within high-risk populations. HIV experts are already suggesting that this new preventative programme is a “game-changer” in the UK’s battle against the disease.

However, this decision has shocked many, as prior statements issued by NHS England during the court case suggested that if PrEP was funded, treatments for cystic fibrosis and cancer would not be possible. They also suggested that PrEP would be mainly issued to gay men that engage in ‘high-risk unprotected anal sex regularly’.

At the same time, a homophobic narrative began to surround PrEP, leading to it being seen as a drug that facilitated a ‘promiscuous lifestyle’. What should have been a simple decision considering the overwhelmingly positive evidence that surrounds PrEP, became a political battlefield with blatant homophobic, ableist and slutshaming undertones.

Whilst the decision to issue PrEP is ultimately a great one, NHS England has done nothing to negate the stigma already attached to those living with HIV. Instead, by generating a discourse that suggests PrEP facilitates a gay man’s ‘promiscuous lifestyle’, they have re-established the notion that HIV only affects the gay community. This is both a homophobic and misleading statement that puts the lives of many at risk. By linking HIV solely to ‘promiscuous gay men’, NHS England twists the truth about how HIV is contracted, and whom it affects. They failed to acknowledge that anyone, irrespective of age, gender, sexuality or ethnicity is at risk of contracting HIV. They also failed to recognise that not everyone who is living with HIV engaged in a ‘promiscuous lifestyle’ of frequent unprotected sex.

Ultimately, NHS England failed to make a simple decision and protect the sexual health of thousands. Instead, they chose to demonise populations that are already at risk. For every day that NHS England dragged out their decision on PrEP, 16 more people contracted HIV. These are lives that could have easily been protected from HIV if PrEP had of been available. So whilst I will celebrate the fact PrEP is now available, I will not be thankful to NHS England. Instead, I will acknowledge the fact that whilst my country pays lip service to being LGBT+ friendly, medically, I still face the same stigma that was perpetuated in the 1980’s.

UEA celebrated Aids awareness week, with events running aiming to "increase transparancy and visibility" for those affected.

One of the organisers of Aids Awareness week, Kieran Burden, became concerned about Aids visibility after growing up watching his mother work as an HIV care worker for ‘Fight Back’. He said, “I grew up helping my mum, asking her questions like ‘Why are these people sick?’ I am now in a position where I can actually do something.”

“I grew up helping my mum, asking her questions like ‘Why are these people sick?’

I am now in a position where I can actually do something.”

Burden led the project, alongside UEA SU Campaigns and Liberation Co-ordinator James Barker, LGBT+ open place officer Sharmin Hoque, and LGBT+ Trans and non-binary place officer Lee Brown. There were events, run throughout the week, such as a PrEP discussion group with UEA Pride.

The ‘Beat the Stigma’ exhibition (pictured) featured artwork by Debbie Peek, Lizzy Graham, Blyth Aimson, Georgia Tomlinson-Spense and Kieran Burden. Covering a variety of mediums, from video to the stencil prints, the artists focused on issues surrounded HIV and Aids, such as the desexualisation of those living with HIV. The exhibition also featured a petition that demanded the NHS provide PrEP treatment to MSM

(L-R) Lee Brown, Georgia Tomlinson-Spence and Kieran Burden. Photo: Megan Baynes communities.

However, on the 4th December the NHS announced they will be launching a trial of the PrEP drug, after losing a Court of Appeal battle over who should fund it. This drug has been shown to reduce the risk of infection in people who are at high risk by more than 90 percent.

Last month, the Court of Appeal upheld a High Court ruling which said NHS England did have the power to fund the drug, despite their insistence that responsibility lay with local authorities. The NHS have since announced that they will fund “a large scale clinical trial in the early financial year 2017-18” for the drug.

At least 10,000 people will be enrolled on the trial over the next three years.

Megan Baynes

Lettings fees to be abolished in 2017 Amanda Ng Senior Reporter Chancellor Philip Hammond presented this year’s Autumn Statement with plans to ban letting agents from charging fees to tenants.

Figures from the Index of Private Housing Rental Prices (IPHRP) show that student accommodation costs have risen 18 per cent from September 2011 to May 2016.

Campaigners have said that despite this rise in costs, the quality of student accommodation has not improved. According to VicePresident of Welfare at the National Union of Students (NUS), Shelly Asquith, the average student rent is totalled to 85 per cent of the maximum student loan and grant available, leaving a small amount of money for other expenses.

Lettings and managing agents

were legally obligated to publicise their fees in 2015, which saw amounts varying widely in cities; an average of £1,000 paid towards upfront costs. Until now, letting agencies were able to charge both tenants and landlords for administrative services, including checking references, preparing tenancy agreements, renewing tenancies and ending contracts.

The agencies will now need to pass more of those charges on to landlords, or deal with part of the costs themselves.

Some UEA students are anxious that finding a house may become even more difficult as the plans have been viewed as counter-productive.

Georgia Eagleton, a second-year Pharmacy student, said she was worried that "the race for students to find the right house might become even more competitive."

Landlords have described concerns with not being able to

meet their property service charges, insurance and mortgage bills, only leading to an increase in competition to grab the cheapest agent.

In cases where landlords increase rents, students could find themselves having to sacrifice more of their spending to pay for the same house that other students had paid less for in the previous years. The ban may also hurt estate agency businesses expecting to expand their lettings divisions as the amount of homes being bought and sold remain low across England.

The government say they believe that the move will save an estimated 4.3m households hundreds of pounds, as tenants will no longer have to face non-refundable deposit charges in tenancy agreements.

John Wheeler who works for the Prolet lettings agency in Norwich, said of the plans that he hopes "a positive outcome is reached which will not affect in particular the

more vulnerable tenants who may ultimately be disadvantaged."

Regarding students' worries of about potential rent increases, SU Campaigns and Democracy Officer Amy Rust said: “Although the theory is that landlords will absorb the increase, the feedback from those we talk to suggests that in the student market the extra costs will lead to higher rents."

Rust added that "there's a looming crisis" for Norwich student housing, describing "a perfect storm of more regulation, increased student numbers and concern from the local community." She said that these factors "could see huge numbers of homeless students. " UEA's Student Union are calling on university management and Norwich City Council "to develop and publish a Norwich wide student housing plan to ensure we spot and avoid these problems before it’s too late," according to Rust.

Kieran Burden discusses the issues surrounding PREP and the NHS

6

6th December 2016

News

Norwich MPs' expenses revealed

COMMENT

Jack Ashton commends Clive Lewis and Chloe Smith for their frugality Luckily, Clive Lewis and Chloe Smiths' expenses are overall rather boring. There are no moats for duck houses, no Jacuzzi fittings and no dodgy low quality porn films. Quite the boring bunch.

The two Norwich MPs claimed £160,000 and £168,000 respectively, smack bang in the middle of the pack; so cheers to them, thanks for not stealing all our money.

"If Lewis wants to claim a juice on my tax money then go ahead, chances are I’d buy him a pint if I saw him anyway."

Wikimedia: Kinbersan Shannon McDonagh News Reporter The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) have published figures on Norfolk MP’s expenses for the year of 20152016 as part the annual procedure formulated following the MP expenses scandal of 2009.

The figures reported cover accommodation, travel, staffing and office costs, with Conservative MP for South Norfolk Richard Bacon coming in highest with yearly expenses amounting to £189,656.

However, this figure still falls below the mean average across all Members of Parliament of £200,000.

Conservative MP for Norwich

£3,000 in rail fares alone.

Current Labour MP for Norwich South Clive Lewis fared slightly better, ending up in the lower third

of the data reported despite start up costs of up to £6,000 after assuming office just last year during the 2015 General Election.

Overall, the total figure reached across all MP’s came to more than £133 million, a £7.7 million increase from the year prior.

Chief Executive of IPSA Marcial Boo has attributed the increase to the one off costs of the 2015 General Election, insisting that there is a “strong regulatory framework” in place.

He said, "MPs’ business costs in 2015-16 were broadly the same as in the previous year, with the addition of the one-off costs of the May 2015 General Election, such as the winding up of MPs’ offices and paying start-up costs for new MPs."

to rebuild their lives. That makes them less likely to become involved with the police, the criminal justice system and mental health services."

The current budget is spread around a variety of services including commissioning support workers to assist adults and young people at risk of becoming homeless, providing hostel places and supporting those in sheltered housing.

Sweeting added: "we helped more than 100 people get back into work last year and we need all public agencies to be working together. When the county council takes a single agency approach, it knocks out of kilter what is a very finely balanced system."

As part of their consultation, NCC said that due to ongoing budget cuts, “we are proposing to reduce the money we spend on housing related support services.”

Earlier this year similar proposals to cut 40 per cent of the budget were shelved. Out of 1283 responses to its

consultation, over 1000 registered disagreement.

NCC continued: “although members decided at that time not to take those proposals forward, the level of savings we need to make now means that we are having to take another look at the future of some of these services."

Since 2011, two separate funding reorganisations have already seen a total of over £5m slashed from housing support and connected services. Norwich City Council have carried a motion asking the County Council to reconsider the measures.

Gail Harris, the deputy leader of Norwich City Council and cabinet member for housing warned against the plans.

She said that the support given to the homeless by housing providers was "at risk," continuing to say "I do not use those words lightly or for sensationalist effect.” Consultation with service users and the public continues, with the results set to be published in Februrary 2017.

North Chloe Smith accrued the highest travel and accommodation costs across the 10 MPs that represent constituencies in the Norfolk county, claiming almost

"MPs’ business costs in 2015-16 were broadly the same as in the previous year, with the addition of the one-off costs of the May 2015 General Election"

£168k

£160k

The total expenses claimed by Chloe Smith's office The total expenses claimed by Clive Lewis' office

total £1.72m The figure of

Norfolk MPs'

expenses Flickr, Cabinet Office

If I wanted to be cynical, I could argue that the devil is in the detail, and if you look closely at their expenses there are some pretty bizarre things that they both claimed. Some of their claims for trivial purchases do pose questions. Smith claimed £30 for an Ipad cover and Lewis claimed £1.20 for a juice.

Sure, it’s not a big deal at all really. But on the matter of principle, why does the tax payer need to pay for Smith to have a protected iPad? Evidently her salary can cover it.

However, I’m nitpicking here.

Between them Lewis and Smith have showed serious respect to the taxpayer this year, by not taking liberties. I mean if Lewis wants to claim a juice on my tax money then go ahead, chances are I’d buy him a pint if I saw him anyway.

Concerns over cuts to Red Cross launch homelessness services first aid skills app Tony Allen News Reporter

Concerns have been raised that Norfolk County Council’s (NCC) latest round of proposed spending cuts could hit the most vulnerable and lead to an increase in the number of people sleeping on the streets.

NCC estimates that presently 11,000 people benefit from their £10 million yearly spend on housing related support services. However, plans are being discussed to cut this by over half, to £4.5m. There is widespread worry among local homelessness charities and councillors over the additional strain this might place on voluntary and other council provisions.

Tim Sweeting, the chief executive of the YMCA's Norfolk branch said: “It’s about supporting people in terms of their safety and their security and helping them

Dianne Wu News Reporter

The British Red Cross has called for all university students to undertake training in first aid. They have done so through the launch of an online interactive quiz for UK students learn basic first aid skills.

Research reveals that up to 59 per cent of pre-hospital deaths can be prevented if someone with first aid skills steps in. However almost 70 per cent of university students lack confidence in actually performing first aid.

Joe Mulligan, Head of First Aid Education at The British Red Cross said “The good news is that most people are calling 999. But after calling 999 we want students to do something in those crucial minutes before the ambulance arrives.”

The organisation is encouraging students to download their free first aid app, called Don't Stop at 999, which gives instructive advice on how to help someone in cases of

accidental injury and trauma.

The app involves a quiz to test knowledge, particularly on how to help someone who is unresponsive but breathing and how to help someone bleeding heavily.

"After calling 999 we want students to do something in those crucial minutes before the ambulance arrives."

Jack Robinson, speaking on behalf of the UEA Red Cross committee, said "Our recent campaign, Don't Stop at 999, aims to highlight the issue of many people being unaware of what basic steps they can take to increase the chances of people's survival once they've called 999."

He said, "Students might be unaware of what they can do to help in that situation and Don't Stop at 999 seeks to help change that."

6th December 2016

7

News

Anarchy in the UEA Megan Baynes Editor-in-Chief Punk enthusiast and UEA ViceChancellor Professor David Richardson has written to Sex Pistols frontman, John Lydon, to apologise for his predecessor cancelling their gig at UEA forty years ago. Included in the letter was a Norwich City bobble hat and UEA library card.

The show, due to be held at UEA on the 3rd December 1976, was billed as 'A Punk-Rock Evening.' Tickets cost £1.25 in advance and £1.50 on the door. Yet it was cancelled two days after John Lydon appeared on Today, a live London regional TV show, where he repeatedly swore.

Then Vice-Chancellor, Dr Frank Thistlethwaite, banned it “on the grounds of protecting the safety and security of persons and property.” The university ended up paying the band not to appear. 50 students protested inside UEA's administrative block, calling the gig's cancellation "a direct attack" on the ability of the student union to make autonomous decisions. In a letter to Mr Lydon, Vice-Chancellor,

David Richardson, wrote, “Sadly I never got to see the Sex Pistols play Newcastle City Hall on the same tour, as that gig was also cancelled, but I did go on to see many of the punk bands such as the Buzzcocks, The Clash and The Damned. This would, I’m sure, come as something of a surprise to today’s UEA students.”

“It’s arguable that the cancellation of that first gig of that Anarchy in UK tour at UEA has played a major role in punk rock history.”

Professor Richardson, a big punk rock fan himself, also took a term away from university to follow The Clash on one of their tours.

Richardson continued, “By way of marking the upcoming 40th anniversary of the world of the Sex Pistols and UEA colliding, and as a way of saying thanks for the hugely creative and positive impact you have had on music. I have enclosed

a Norwich City bobble hat (you do mention in [your autobiography] that it was a favourite of yours) and your own UEA library card.

“Unlike in 1976 you are very welcome to visit UEA and to use our university library. If you are ever passing through Norwich again with Public Image Limited, I’d be delighted to show you around.

UEA remains a place that values teaching and learning and our campus is a place where you would be welcomed.”

In an interview with BBC Radio Norfolk on the 3rd December, Professor Richardson said, “The impact of it was huge and many of the Anarchy in the UK gigs were cancelled. In many ways it helped to create the Sex Pistols.

“It’s arguable that the cancellation of that first gig of that Anarchy in UK tour at UEA has played a major role in punk rock history.

"We were the first gig, and we cancelled and that was significant."

He added, "The fact that I became Vice Chancellor of the first university that banned the Sex Pistols is really quite an irony."

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GLOBAL

January Tsai Ing-wen made history in January when she was elected to be Taiwan’s first female president.

As leader, Tsai led thr Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to an overwhelming majority victory. In her acceptance speech, Tsai said that she wanted to “emphasise that both sides of the Taiwanese Strait have a responsibility to find mutually acceptable means of interaction that are based on dignity and reciprocity.”

February Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church met in Cuba looking to heal a 1000-year-old rift in Christianity; the first between the leaders of the two religions since the 1054 schism that helped shape Europe and Middle East. The pair signed a joint declaration on the current persecution of Christians in countries such as Iraq and Syria.

6th December 2016

March On the 22nd of March, suicide bombings in Brussels killed 32 people and injured many more.

Twin blasts hit the main terminal of Zaventem international airport, and the city’s metro system.The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

April

May

171 countries signed the Paris Climate deal, a record number of signatories for a new international treaty.

The deal aimed to keep global temperature increases well below two degrees.

The agreement also seeks to peak greenhouse gases as soon as possible and to achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century.

The ratification of the agreement by the US and China sees the two countries responsible for the largest carbon dioxide emissions give their full backing to the monumental agreement.

On 19th May, Egypt Air Flight 804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing everyone on board. The plane was travelling from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Cairo International Airport. 66 people were on board the plane, including 56 passengers from twelve different countries and ten crew members. Wreckage from the crash was found in June, and both black boxes were recovered.

The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, although Egyptian investigators did confirm that smoke detectors were set off shortly before the plane disappeared, and that the wreckage showed signs of damage caused by high temperatures.

November Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election in a shock win. Presidentelect Trump gained 306 Electoral College votes as he rode a wave of discontent to notch impressive state wins, particularly in the Rust Belt states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio which had been predicted to turn blue in favour of Clinton.

October Turkey’s president threatened to tear up the deal restricting the flow of refugees into Europe after the European parliament advised governments to halt EU accession talks with Ankara. The warning emphasises how far relations between Turkey and the European bloc have waned in recent months, particularly after a coup attempt in July. Erdogan, in response to the EU talks stated that “If you go any further”, referencing the blocs downplaying of Turkey’s role, “these border gates will be opened. Neither I nor my people will be affected by these empty threats,” he said. “Do not forget, the west needs Turkey.”

Erdogan’s words are the most direct warning to date that Turkey could give up on the agreement to limit the flow of migrants. It came in response to a symbolic, non-binding vote in the European parliament on Thursday that demanded an end to the decadelong accession negotiations. Turkish officials said the vote brought back to the forefront the debate about the partnership between their country and the European Union.

Trump, terror and Turkey: 2016 in review Reporting by Beverly Devakishen, Charlotte Gaines, Eddie Booth, Judith Howe and Ollie Watts, James Chesson and Emily Hawkins August

September North Korea conducted, what they deemed, their biggest nuclear test to date. A 5.3 magnitude tremor had earlier been detected near its nuclear test site. South Korea believes it is the North’s biggest-ever test, raising fears it has made significant nuclear advances. North Korea is banned by the UN from any tests of nuclear or missile technology and has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since its first test in 2006. The North claimed the test had been of a “nuclear warhead that has been standardised

to be able to be mounted on strategic ballistic rockets”.

Estimates of the explosive yield of the latest blast were varied with experts suggesting that the yield may have been at least 20 kilotonnes, if not more.

The North often uses nationally important dates as an opportunity to show military strength.

The North claimed that their test displayed their ability to produce ballistic warheads, although this is unconfirmed.

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Central Italy, killing 299 people and destroying many historic towns in the region. The quake was the country’s largest since 2009 and hit 93 miles outside of Rome. Rescue attempts were hindered by the hilltop locations of the affected towns, including Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto. 80% of Amatrice’s old town centre was destroyed and many buildings will have to be pulled down.

4,000 people lost their homes, with the earthquake causing maximum surface damage due to its shallow 4km depth.

There were approximately 60 aftershocks following the initial quake, some measuring as strong as 5.5 magnitude.

July More than 300 people were killed and over 2100 were injured during an attempted overnight coup started by a faction of the Turkish military.

The group claimed they wanted to overthrow the government to protect democracy from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodogan. A curfew, martial law and the preparation of a new constitution were announced.

President Erdogan called on his supporters to take to the streets in protest.

Throughout the night, many explosions occurred and countless shots were fired.

The death toll included coup plotters, pro-government forces and civilians. The coup failed due to lack of public support and of wider military support.

June A terrorist opened fire in the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding a further 53. There were over 300 people in the nightclub when the shooting began around 2AM, and as it was a Latin themed event most of the victims were young Latino men.

It also marked the deadliest mass shooting by an individual, and the deadliest anti-LGBT violent incident in US history. Although the media focused heavily on the shooter’s Muslim faith, further reports showed he was not highly devout.

Although the shooting was followed by worldwide messages of grief and condolence and widespread calls for gun reform, as in previous cases no change has taken place. With the hours-long queues to donate blood for the victims the following day, the world regained some hope, but families and communities will feel these losses for a long time coming.

Brexit: The UK voted to leave the European Union with a 51.9 percent mandate.

The shock victory for Leave came after former Mayor of London Boris Johnson made a surprise decision to support Brexit. The result led to the resignation of David Cameron and the succession of his replacement, Theresa May, as Prime Minister. Negotiations are due to begin over the British departure from the bloc in April, at which time Mrs May has declared she will trigger Article 50 and begin the formal withdrawal process.

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Features

10

6th December 2016

More than just knitwear This year, don your Christmas jumper for charity

Sophie Bunce Features Writer With Halloween well in the past, it is time to ditch the dreary cobwebs and embrace some festive cheer.

Gone are the days of hollowing out pumpkins; we are ready for Christmas jumpers.

The Christmas jumper, once an awkward itchy gift from Grandma and relegated to the back of our closet, is now the highlight of the festive season.

Whether embroidered, glittering or displaying a Christmas themed pun, we can’t get enough. Honestly, the gaudier the better. You officially have permission to go to the the back of your drawer, where it has been lurking for the past year, take out and wear your christmas knit. The Christmas jumper is endearingly cheesy whilst being comfortable and hiding the fact that most of us have eaten enough mince pies to fill Santa’s sleigh. They also allow you to wear the same knitwear for all of December, not because you haven’t done your washing, but because it’s Christmas. Bring on family photos all in matching winter jumpers, this is the season for fun fashion. Any age, any taste, there is a Christmas jumper for everyone.

You just have to go out and find it.

Go to any clothes shop and there will be racks and racks for you to choose from this winter. Do you want to look like an elf? Head over to Primark. Fancy some sequins?

Pop into Topshop. We even have our own UEA Christmas jumper to prepare us for the festivities. It will get you in the spirit of the season and you can buy it from the SU shop when you go in to pick up bread and milk. That’s what student loans are for, right? You can treat yourself, it’s Christmas.

“The Christmas jumper, once an awkward itchy gift from Grandma and relegated to the back of our closet, is now the highlight of the festive season.”

But the beloved Christmas jumper is not just for fun. They can help raise money for charity too.

Save the Children hold an annual ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ on the 16th December. You can wear your

favourite Christmas jumper and donate money to help vulnerable children who may be refugees, disabled, in minority groups or subjected to gender discrimination.

Whether it’s £2 or more, donating helps raise money for a range of different causes. It goes towards ending preventable diseases such as malaria, allowing deprived children to access healthcare, education and aid those who are unable to access basic support. Who knew a Christmas jumper could do so much? When it comes to picking your jumper, the more ridiculous the better. Fashion goes out the window. If there is ever a time for glitter and flashing lights on clothing, it’s Christmas. It doesn’t matter what you look like if you’re doing it for a good cause. You’ll feel utterly festive and charitable too. After all, Christmas is the time for giving. So tell your family, your friends and if you can, donate.

The time of the Christmas jumper has well and truly begun. It doesn’t matter if you prefer an understated knit or a jumper with a 3D reindeer on the front, wear it with pride. All the fun of a Christmas jumper can also do some good, remember the 16th of December and donate to Save the Children. I hope you have a very woolly Christmas.

Lillie Coles tells us where to find that festive feeling in Norwich Victorian Themed Christmas Market From Saturday 17th December 2016 09:00 to Sunday 18th December 2016 16:00 At OPEN Norwich Make the most of free entry into OPEN, and come and see a traditional Christmas market, with Victorian themed food and drink, and a selection of gifts available to purchase from independent craftsmen and traders.

Festive Fun at Strangers’ Hall From Wednesday 7th December 2016 10:00 to Wednesday 21st December 2016 16:30 Head down to Strangers’ Hall museum to see what the Tudor household was like at Christmas time. With the great hall decorated for the occasion, and a treasure trail of gifts to find, don’t miss out.

Norwich Cathedral Christmas events Many events are taking place at the city’s main cathedral throughout December. With everything from chamber choir music, Christmas carols and even an appearance from G4 (X factor throwback!) there is plenty on for you to get excited about. Take a look here for details: http://www.cathedral.org.uk/whatson/events Festive afternoon tea at The Assembly House For £25 per person, including a glass of bubbly, enjoy the afternoon tea with music series – three events throughout December with different musical acts to enjoy alongside the delicious festive themed afternoon tea. The Assembly House is also hosting the Norwich Christmas Ceilidh on the 22nd December, only £13 per person, for those of you spending Christmas in Norwich.

The history of Father Christmas Beverly Devakishen Features Writer We all love Santa Claus. That bright red suit, his typically round belly and his bag of toys make children and adults alike smile. Generations after generations have been blessed with his magic, and he has been adding to the Christmas joy for centuries now. However, not many people know about the rich, and globally reaching, history of our

favourite Christmassy chap.

It all started with a kind monk called St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was very much respected for kindness and generosity, which prompted people to create myths and legends about him. It is said that he gave away all his riches to the p o o r and the sick. One of the most famous stories tells a tale about how St. Nicholas provided three impoverished daughters of an upright man with dowries so that t h e y

could g e t married and escape prostitution.

In some versions, he dropped the bag of gold down the chimney of their house, and it landed in a sock that was hung by the fireplace to dry - hence the Christmas stocking tradition.

During the Middle Ages, the feast day of St. Nicholas was held on the 6th of December, and children would get gifts in honour of his generosity. After the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, saints like St. Nicholas fell out of favour in the ecclesiastical

community in Europe.

However, people were still fond of the holiday that allowed their children to receive presents. Thus, the feast of St. Nicholas was moved to the 25th of December, to be merged with Christmas Day. The name Santa Claus originated from St Nicholas’ Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened version of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for St. Nicholas). However, even after he got his name, Santa Claus still existed in many different forms. He was still tied down by vastly different myths, such as the scary Germanic gift-bringer who disciplined naughty children. Furthermore, at this time, Christmas did still lack

the magic and joy that is present in the modern day holiday. It was still regarded as a holiday for a rowdy community fueled by alcohol, and there was still no place for a bright and cheery Santa Claus.

“St. Nicholas was much respected for his kindness and generosity, which prompted people to create myths and legends about him.”

Writers and poets in the early 19th century helped change that.

In 1809, Washington Irving’s book, ‘Knickerbocker’s History of New York’, which had several references to a pipe-smoking Nick soaring

in a flying wagon and delivering presents to well-behaved children and beatings to bad ones. In 1821, a famous

a n o n y m o u s illustrated poem called ‘The Children’s Friend’ was published, and it featured a Christmas figure that had almost all of the modern characteristics of our Santa Claus; although a single reindeer was still pulling his small wagon, unlike the nine we associate with him today.

A great political cartoonist called Thomas Nast produced drawings of Santa Claus that further developed and shaped Santa Claus’ appearance. There were many more late 19th century artworks, which contributed to the image of Santa Claus we know and love today, and all of them helped him become a lovable, friendly, fatherly figure.

May Santa Claus bring joy and luck to you all this Christmas!

6th December 2016

11

The curse of the Christmas birthday

Lydia Lockyer laments the problems of having a birthday so close to the festive season I am the unfortunate owner of a festive birthday. My special day sits in the first few days of January and is usually overcome by the rest of the country’s onset of the January blues. We’ve partied December away in the lead up to Christmas, consumed our body weight in food on the big day itself, had the short gap in which we snaffle up leftovers, and enjoyed the gradual stewing of alcohol in our systems over the New Year – and then there’s me. By the time my birthday swings around, everyone is feeling pretty rotund and in need of a diet.

I don’t help myself – I too, freely scoff on the endless food that makes Christmas what it is, while in order to save myself, perhaps I should be holding back for when that birthday cake arrives. But who has that kind of willpower?

Now, a lot of people might say – ‘two lots of presents, you can’t complain about that!’. True, true.

While there are always those who go for the combination, luckily for me, being nine whole days after the big event I do get a look in. I know those poor souls who are well and truly hit with the one gift covers

We asked you what have been your best worst Christmas presents:

all bases practicality, and without sounding spoiled, it hurts.

With the extreme spending event Christmas has become for many in this age of consumerism, where we all have to have the most current gadgets and games, it’s no wonder that people are spent out by the end of the festive season. Then there is the feeling that the festivities really have been stretched on as far as they can go - everyone becomes slightly miserable and in need of a month of hibernation.

And that’s fair enough.

But, unfortunately, that doesn’t

excuse the fact that there is an overwhelming sense of your day being swallowed up and forgotten about. My brother, sister and parents celebrate in May, July and September. Perfectly spread out. Delightful – until it comes to January.

And what is the best solution for this tragic issue? Obviously it’s completely dependent on your individual feelings – maybe you love your festive birthday, or decided years ago to celebrate in the summer when the sun shines and everyone is looking for an excuse to celebrate.

Strawberry flavoured mascara (bleurgh) and a Bible. Same Christmas, different gift-givers.

Well, I’m pleased to say that I have found my solution. It won’t work for everyone, but it’s something I think a lot of people could get on board with. Last year, I discovered that people love a post-Christmas spa day. It’s the ideal way to start their New Year detox, while I sit in the corner of the sauna eating cake. The perfect compromise. So whether it’s a spa session or a trip to the cinema featuring buckets and buckets of (healthy) popcorn, be sure to make the most of your festive birthday and don’t be afraid to demand company in your final binge of the season.

One year we opened lots of little presents and then my parents said there was one present left each for me and my brother. His was a PlayStation 4 and mine was a (slightly posher than Wilko Basic) frying pan.

Jessica Frank Keyes

Katie Gleeson

When I was ten I unwrapped some batteries.

I think it might have been a joke.

Connor Gani

When I was eight my Grandad gave me a Christmas tree chain since my birthday is so close to Christmas. It’s on the 26th of November...

Marty Ruczynska

“A kids’ encyclopedia.

When I was 17.”

Nick Mason

“A Bratz doll.

I was 16”

Megan Baynes

Emily Young tells us how to make perfect mince pies this Christmas Mince pies are a Christmas staple, and perfect gift adornments to show you care and to show off your cooking skills. They are also equally appropriate for your snazzy Christmas mulled wine party, or a treat for a cosy night in with your flatmates binge-watching every Home Alone film. I’ve got a recipe for completely homemade sweetcrust pastry and the mincemeat, as well as a cheat’s version! You can always mix and match too – make one part and use the shop-bought for the other.

Makes 16 Ingredients: For the Pastry: •125g plain flour •75g butter •62g caster sugar •1 egg yolk •1 tbsp water •Optional – 1 tsp Christmas spice For the Mincemeat: •155g mixed fruit and peel (currants, raisins, sultanas, cranberries etc.) You can buy these altogether or separately, and you

can get away with only using 2 different kinds •20g chopped mixed peel (lemon and orange) •25ml brandy, rum, or whiskey •62g dark brown sugar •1 small cooking apple, peeled and grated •1 tsp lemon juice •75g suet, shredded (you can buy vegetarian suet!) OR 75g grated butter, just freeze it for ten minutes first •¼ tsp ground nutmeg To top: •1 egg, beaten •Icing sugar Method: 1) Soak the fruit in the alcohol. It’s best to do it overnight, but just for the length of time to make the recipe should give them enough flavour.

2) Sift the flour and cube the butter.

Add in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, and then stir in the sugar, and Christmas spice if using.

3) Add the egg yolk and water, and mix into a stiff dough, and chill for 30 minutes.

4) On a lightly floured surface, roll

the pastry to about 3mm thickness.

5) Use a 7cm diameter cutter to cut the bases, and line a cupcake tin, and a 6cm diameter cutter for the tops from the remaining pastry, and set aside.

6) Drain the brandy from the fruit, and set aside.

7) Mix together all the ingredients.

8) Add the brandy when everything else is well mixed.

9) Spoon 1 tsp of the mincemeat into each pastry tin.

Any leftovers can be put into sterilised jars and will last in a cupboard for up to 6 months.

10) Brush the bases with a bit of

the

egg and place the

at 140C for 15 minutes if they – miraculously don’t get eaten all in one go.

Cheat’s Options: You can buy Sainsbury’s Desert Pastry Block (500g) for £1.55, or Jus Rol Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Sheet (320g) from Tesco at £1.75, or at Asda for £1.50, although it’s currently on offer for £1.00.

tops on, and squeeze the edges slightly to seal the pies.

Glaze the tops with the egg and bake at 180C for 15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve! You can reheat

But you’ll need two packs of this one because the recipe needs 400g of dough. Once you’ve bought it just follow the cutting recommendations in the recipe and you’re good to go.

The mincemeat is probably the item you’re most likely to cheat on. Use Tesco Mincemeat (411g) for £0.95, or Sainsbury’s Mincemeat (411g) for £1.00, and just spoon in one teaspoon just like the recipe says!

Photo: Petr Kratochvil

6th December 2016

12

Features

“I thought you said it was Lisa L’Anson Our guide for the night was Lisa in love with the city / country vibe: L’Anson who has worked as a especially as this gave her enough member of UEA’s security team for space to continue adopting over ten years, winning Security animals.

Officer of the year in 2014 from ‘Women in Security’ Magazine.

Working the B shift her standard week is two days, two nights then four days off. She said, “the team gets tight. We’re a perfect working team.”

After starting work as a After working for the civil store detective at the age of 18, service, she became a member of Lisa quickly progressed to Staff UEA’s security team and has never Detective. Working as a Private looked back. She tells us how UEA Investigator and receiving training hired the first female prison guard, in fraud, theft and body language, who used to tell her horror stories she assures us she can immediately about working within a largely tell when a student is lying: “I’ve male dominated industry. seen it all before.”

Her animal She then spent three years family has working as an body guard for continued to a Saudi family. Although she grow, and flew around the world, visiting she now countries and experiencing a life owns six far removed from what she had dogs from been used to, she said, “I was Romania, as a nodding dog. They were so well as two generous, but eventually it was not cats. about the money.” So she moved to Spain with the intention to buy a bar but, she and her partner eventually wanted to return. She laughs when she talks about returning home: “We had a lot of rescue animals — about ten.

So we drove back.

It took us three days and I’d never repeat that journey!”

She moved to Norwich after falling Photo: UEA Security

“I’ve seen it all before.”

Dealing with drugs on campus

It is just after 3am and we are completing a final lap of campus.

Lisa has just walked home a very drunk first-year who was crying about a boy who didn’t want to get serious with her. After giving her advice on who to talk to, Lisa made sure she was safely inside her flat before continuing on her walk. We are rounding the corner of a block of flats when we get our first whiff of weed. Lisa follows the smell to find a group huddled around a doorway, passing a joint between them. As we walk up to the group, the person holding the joint hastily tries to pass it to someone else.

Unsurprisingly, no one takes it. He drops it on the floor.

“It’s just a cigarette.” he offers.

Lisa raises her eyebrows: “Are you really going to make me pick

that up off the floor and check?

Tell me the truth.” This is how Lisa deals with most of the students on campus: she’s kind, but firm and reminds this group that not only are the using drugs, but they are also disrupting students by smoking so close to residences.

She can tell immediately if you’re lying and informs the students that it is likely the consequences will be less dire if they own up and apologise. After radioing in the boy’s campus card number and whilst the group stare sheepishly at their feet, Lisa reminds them that campus has a zero tolerance drug policy.

We leave and continue our lap, and I look back over my shoulder and see the group scampering back into their flat. MB

Megan Baynes and Caitlin Doherty s watching how th “You’re lucky. Ten years ago, this place was manic. Six, seven, eight fire alarms a night we were dealing with. You would have been out in the cold already!”

This, alongside the offer of a cup of tea, is what greeted me when I handed myself over to the Security Lodge at 10pm on a Tuesday night in November. Caffeinated and already losing the feeling in the end of my toes, I could not imagine anything worse than shepherding pyjama clad students whose Tuesday night had been rudely interrupted. The night shift team had already been on duty for three hours when we arrived, and had nine long, LCRnight hours in front of them. “We can always tell by half past 11 what sort of night it’s going to be,” explains Lisa, the security duty manager tasked with showing us the ‘other side’ of the LCR. “If the kitchen parties are loud, and if we have lots of loud walkers from The Village, we know we’re in for a busy one.”

“Whilst she can roll her eyes about Chinese takeaways being delivered to the Lodge, or having to deal with yet another locked out fresher, there are still plenty of incidents that leave their mark in memory.”

On a cold night such as this one, it was very easy for me to appreciate the lack of fire alarms, but that is not to say that the security team were without anything to do. The number of incidents reported between September and November of this term have been up 30 percent on last year. Somewhat unexpectedly, it’s obvious that a large proportion of security’s business is relatively uncomplicated resolved within a matter of minutes: lost keys, lost campus cards, and countless Dominos deliveries to the Security Lodge fill a large proportion of their time.

The first few hours of our visit were relatively quiet, and by the time that is got to around half past midnight, and aside from a tenminute stop along the LCR queue, the entirety of our time so far had been spent patrolling campus. Closing the odd window and throwing the empty wine bottles in the bin are all

part of the job, but most importantly Lisa was using this time to look out for students who may have been in trouble, rather than causing it.

Whilst she can roll her eyes about Chinese takeaways being delivered to the Lodge, or having to deal with yet another locked out fresher, there are still plenty of incidents that leave their mark in memory. Lisa tells us that she is filled with a familiar dread when she is contacted for

next of kin details of students found unresponsive on Prince of Wales Road, or when the Police inform her that they need to search the Broad as part of a missing person’s enquiry.

“Mental health problems are a big issue, especially during the winter term”, she explained. As students move away from home and into new environments reports of self-harm and suicidal tendencies

6th December 2016

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Features

going to be a quiet one?”

spent a Tuesday night with UEA’s security team, hey help students stay safe. night pulls up outside the Security Lodge. “I thought you said that this was looking like a quiet one?”

I asked Lisa. She laughs as she tells me that only one ambulance by 1am means that tonight is an especially quiet one, as there are multiple ambulances called to campus every night. At least 90 percent of these calls – they estimate - are related to alcohol. This ambulance will be responding to an alcohol related call at one of the Terraces and we have been warned not to head over the walkway in that direction, or run the risk of standing in something unpleasant. There is already another security officer there dealing with the situation.

“By 3am, I had been astounded by the patience and perseverance of the security team. With four hours left on their shift, the kettle in the lodge was churning out yet more coffee, as the team returned for a quick pit stop, weary smiles on their faces”.

Photo: Megan Baynes peak. The first year of university is accompanied by so many clichés, and rites of passage that it’s easy to forget about the emotional upheaval that can accompany a move away from home and the desperate need to form new relationships so quickly.

Aside from the emotional and bureaucratic pressures these incidents place on the security and pastoral teams, Lisa seemed far more concerned with the impact

these have on other students. “It puts a lot of pressure on everybody’s friends and flatmates”. She worries that students are often caught between a rock and a hard place, worrying about their friends or course mates, but terrified that reporting them elsewhere will just cause unnecessary pressure and panic.

It is at this point - just after 1am - that the first ambulance of the

We’ve all heard the old adage about waiting for buses, and clearly that same sentiment also applies to ambulances. We had waited three hours without a single sighting, and now suddenly it felt like we couldn’t move for blue lights and yellow trucks. As we headed back down towards Union House, a police car pulled up outside of the LCR at 01:40am. There was a sudden rush of security activity when the police officer informed us of reports of a boy having fallen, possibly having been assaulted ‘somewhere near an entrance’: this officer had been called on to campus by a paramedic.

However, before we can get to the bottom of the problem, Lisa was distracted by a request for police assistance elsewhere on campus.

The incident in the Terraces from half an hour earlier still hadn’t been resolved. The female student involved needed a trip to hospital, but she was reluctant to go, so had to be spoken to by an officer before she could be taken for treatment: Paramedics are within their right to refuse treatment to any patient, regardless of condition, if they are subjected to any verbal or physical

violence.

At 01:48, whilst the team were still trying to establish whether there had been an assault on campus and whether there was anybody else in need of emergency assistance, another ambulance arrived this time, having been called to treat a male patient inside the LCR. Eventually, at 01:50, it was established that there had been no assault at either of the university entrances. The police officer had been called regarding a patient in the LCR medical room – next to the entrance of Union House - that we had heard about two minutes earlier. He had some sort of blow to the head, a panic that translated to ‘assault’ when communication had been passed between LCR security, campus security, and the St John’s ambulance team that had been treating him inside the Hive.

At this point, I lost track of the number of people that I had spoken to; who is where and whether they needed a sticking plaster or a pair of handcuffs, but all I could think was that the Kaiser Chief’s I Predict a Riot that was blaring from inside the LCR had never seemed more relevant.

Meanwhile, Lisa calmly moved from student to student, clarifying issues and making sure they stayed safe.

The night continued in this vein for our final 90 minutes with the team.

As the LCR emptied out there were several cuts and bruises, reports of drug use (which are swiftly followed up and dealt with) and more alcohol related illness from across campus, as well as a familiar declaration from somewhere in the square: “I want Chinese food!” Remarkably, this was followed by a friend producing a perfectly packaged chicken chow mein in a lunchbox.

By 3am, I had been astounded by the patience and perseverance of the security team. With four hours left on their shift, the kettle in the lodge was churning out yet more coffee, as the team returned for a quick pit stop, weary smiles on their faces. Our last incident of the night was the giggling of a colleague over Lisa’s radio: he’d just had to chase a first year student leaving the LCR around campus. She was armed with several traffic cones.

The team talk about the students on campus fondly, endeared by their escapades, their concern for them is their priority. They assure us they’ve seen it all before.

As we returned home at 4am and tucked ourselves into bed — the soberest LCR we have ever experienced — Lisa and her team continued watching campus until the early hours of the morning.

CD & MB

Is binge drinking a right of passage?

Turning eighteen, getting your first job, and moving away from home for the first time can all be classed as rites of passage – typically events which mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. But how significant is getting drunk for the first time in comparison?

For many, university is the first time they’ve been of legal age and living away from the watchful eye of mum and dad. This combined with drinks at the Union only costing a couple of quid - and deals which combine alcohol with the Holy Grail of all student food (A.K.A. pizza) - make it easy to see why drinking is a popular distraction.

If new-found freedom and dirt cheap VKs weren’t already reason enough to drink; consider the sheer number of drinking socials during Freshers’ Week, ‘chunder charts’ which position drinking to excess as an achievement, and peer pressure to drink alcohol in order to be socially accepted.

Whilst drinking isn’t something that all students choose to partake in, it can seem like there is an expectation that alcohol is mandatory to have a good time.

I know people who choose not to drink: some abstain from alcohol for religious reasons, some for health reasons or medication, and some simply don’t like the taste.

Many would argue that drinking alcohol is a vital part of student life. “Are you really a student if you haven’t turned up still drunk to a 9am?” At risk of stating the obvious, well yes they are. The idea that a personal choice of this nature automatically constitutes a student’s experience as lacking is somewhat dismissive of the fact that university life is made up of varying experiences.

For most, drinking is a casual pastime, but lest we forget that excessive alcohol consumption can come with severe health consequences – a darker side to the UK drink culture that we hear about all too often on the news.

The thing to remember about university and human experience more generally is that we all perceive and experience things in differing ways. What may be of paramount importance to you, another person couldn’t care less about. So whilst drinking may be a rite of passage for some, it certainly doesn’t have to define your university experience.

Hopefully unlike being drunk for the first time, you’ll achieve lots of other milestones at university that you’ll remember come the morning.

Rebecca Thompson

6th December 2016

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Features

Islam and sexuality James Chesson spoke to Sharmin Hoque about the relationship between love and faith

James Chesson Features Writer Openly LGBT+ Muslims are often difficult to find, but one such person is the SU’s LGBT+ (open place) officer, Sharmin Hoque.

As a bisexual Muslim woman she provided a fascinating insight into Islam’s relationship with LGBT+ issues when Concrete spoke with her.

We started by discussing her experience of discovering her bisexuality and coming out: “From a young age I knew I definitely wasn’t just into men. I knew from the age of seven, so it was very early on. You know when people watch films and fall in love with the actor? I fell in love with the actress. But I came out to my friends.

All my friends know, but none of my family do, except for my brother and my sister in law. I came out to my friends through sort of being outed.

It wasn’t really being outed more like my friends being like “Sharmin you’re really tomboy-ish”. Then at the same time I kind of fancied my history teacher, so it didn’t help that I used to talk about her all the time.

And then, I came out as bisexual from year 10 onwards, so all my friends know but family on the other hand is a whole different situation.

I came out to my brother by telling him that I kind of liked a girl in Year 11. I told him with The Fray’s How to Save a Life blaring on repeat in

the background, so when I hear that song now I cry. My brother’s response was “I know” and to hear that from my brother was a relief that he wasn’t angry. But obviously my brother told me to not tell many family members, just for my own protection. Because within Asian culture there’s this whole status idea and keeping the status as good as possible, so if I did something bad it would reflect badly on my family, and then community-wise everything collapses, basically. So I never came out to my mum or dad and still am not. Being LGBT+ officer is a bit of a struggle, because if they Google my name it will probably pop up.”

“In Islam it’s often the case that you have to choose between being LGBT+ and your faith.”

This brought us on to the subject of her decision to take on the role of LGBT+ officer, despite not being out to her parents: “Loads of people come up to me and say “I’m a Muslim too” or like “I’ve never seen a Bengali person who’s bisexual” so to hear those little things I know that it’s a good

thing that I ran. But in terms of home stuff only my brother knows.

My mum knows I’m an officer, but of what, she doesn’t know. I have no family on Facebook. When I ran for officer I took everyone off, which was a big sacrifice because I’m such a family orientated person. It was a bit sad going through my friend list and removing all my family. If I came out to my mum or dad, it could go either way, I could get kicked out, or they absolutely accept me for who I am. It’s the fear of not knowing that really hits home hard.”

We moved on to talking about Islam’s apparent intolerance of LGBT+ people and how true that is: “It’s very true - I’m not going to lie. There’s a few lines on LGBT+ stuff in the Qu’ran, but it is definitely there, that a sexual act with the same gender is not allowed. You know how Christianity is now very accepting LGBT+, in some denominations anyway? In Islam it’s often the case that you have to choose between being LGBT+ and your faith. For me on the other hand I don’t intend to do that anymore. I used to.

“When the Orlando shootings happened my two identities were at each other’s throats. I find that the media’s portrayal of Islam is not the Islam that I’ve grown up with. Mine is all about peace and the stuff in the media is shown as being really bad.

Islam doesn’t really accept LGBT+ people, but I know so many people who are both LGBT+ and Muslim or

people of faith.“ With 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and estimates of the percentage of people who are LGBT+ ranging anywhere from 1-10%, there must be tens of millions of LGBT+ Muslims. As to why it is rare to find openly LGBT+ Muslims, Hoque thinks it is because of the danger that comes with it:

“With 1.6 billion Muslims and the percentage of LGBT+ people ranging anywhere from 1-10%, there must be tens of millions of LGBT+ Muslims”

“I know people who are gay in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, which is difficult for them. In Bangladesh LGBT+ people are literally considered alien. You will never come out because the whole country is either Muslim or Hindu.

“You just wouldn’t do it due to the fear of being killed. There was a Bangladeshi activist who was LGBT+ and Muslim who was murdered - hacked to death.

He was one of the main activists

in Bangladesh and to hear of something like that happening, you wonder if there is any hope.

But people of faith who are LGBT+ constantly hold on. In this country I know a few people at open mosques who are very accepting, so there are people out there, there just needs to be more of them.”

Hoque also spoke openly about the extent to which she experienced Islamophobia and homophobia: “For me the Islamophobia has always been higher, because if I walk down the street people don’t know that I’m bisexual or lesbian.

With being a Muslim there were moments when wearing my chains with symbols that was terrifying.

When leaving Arabic school with my brother … there were moments growing up where I had more Islamophobic attacks, mostly racist slurs.”

In her role as LGBT+ officer, Hoque is in a position to support LGBT+ Muslims at UEA: “I like to Photo: sit with themAndy and Le talk Flickr, through their experiences, connect with them and show them that they are not on their own. I also refer them to secret support groups that exist around the country, like Facebook groups for LGBT+ Muslims.” In her manifesto, Hoque promised to work with UEA’s faith groups on LGBT+ issues.

She said she is making progress with that and “in February we are having a week of events dedicated to LGBT+& faith.”

Does Gilmore Girls trap women?

Molly Burgess Features Writer

Like thousands of other Gilmore Girls fans, the majority of my November was spent counting down the days until ‘A year in the life’ was released on Netflix. I couldn’t wait to revisit Stars Hollow and see how some of my favourite characters lives had changed.

While I

loved the majority of the revival; the Life and Death Brigade scene, Emily in jeans and the mystery of Luke’s Wi-Fi password, seeing the women in Stars Hollow in pretty much the same situations as they were in 10 years ago left me feeling a little flat.

Gilmore Girls centres around

strong, independent women.

Throughout the original seven seasons we watched Rory Gilmore get into Chilton, work as the editor for the Yale Daily News and choose her career over marriage when she worked as a journalist during the presidential campaign. Yet, when we return to Stars Hollow ten years later nothing about her character has changed.

Most of her storyline centres around her inability to hold down a steady job and her affair with her engaged exboyfriend. Rather than working for the New York Times, the series ends with Rory back in her home town working for t h e

Stars Hollow Gazette and telling Lorelai she’s pregnant in those famous ‘last four words.’ Rory spent the first seven seasons achieving her goals and building her career, and yet in the revival she is 32, unemployed, pregnant and back living with her mother.

“When we return to Stars Hollow ten years later, nothing has changed.”

But even more frustrating than Rory’s lack of personal growth, was the fate of her childhood friends Paris and Lane. We left Paris at the end of season seven about to continue her studies at Harvard medical school. However when we return in the revival her impressive career is only briefly touched on, as most of the episodes focus on the breakdown of her marriage and her detachment from her childrena fault of her own mother that she

spent much of the original series complaining about.

Moreover Lane, who spent the whole of the original series working towards her goal of forming a successful rock band was hardly shown in the revival, and the moments she was she was seen working at her mother’s antique shop and looking after her children.

It felt as though no time had passed from the end of season seven and the revival, if it wasn’t for the references to Hamilton and Zoella, there would have been little indication that the new season was set ten years later. What makes it worse, is that a show that thrived on strong independent women showed only the male characters such as Logan and Christopher in successful jobs. The women of Stars Hollow however, were left in the same situations as they were in the original series, or settling into motherhood at the age of 30.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed going back to Stars Hollow, but if I need my fix of smart and sassy women, I’ll binge watch the original series.

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news

words provided by your students’ union officers

academic

we care about your academic interests! theo antoniou-phillips SU undergraduate education officer

>>

I’ve been working hard to try and work out what academic issues are most affecting UEA students.

Though over 6,000 of you voiced your opinion in the academic polls, and I also wanted the chance to talk to some of you more in-depth.

One of the ways I’ve done this is by running focus groups, where I invited all students to come along and share their experiences.

Lots of you turned up – from first to third years – and you had a loads to tell us about your academic life at UEA. Given the range of students that were involved, there was lots of really interesting discussion and debate.

We were able to pull out a few key

ways you thought the SU could better represent your academic interests: * Lobby the University for more space in the library * Better communicate our academic-focussed campaigns * Invite local companies and organisations to networking events where they can meet students * Provide more career-focussed events and better collaborate with CareerCentral All of this feedback has helped us develop our academic|su campaign.

postgraduate

During Refresh (our events and entertainment programme for Jan) we’re going to be running two academic days – on 17 Jan from 11am – 3pm, we’re going to be running an Academic Fayre in the Hive, showcasing all of the academic support you can get at UEA. We’re also asking Academic Societies to get involved in a specialised societies fayre on 24 Jan. Keep an eye out on social media and uea.su for more info!

* What you think our academic priorities should be

Get Involved

As always, I want to hear your comments, ideas and feedback.

Get in touch t.antoniou-phillips@ uea.ac.uk or @TheoUGofficer

Couldn’t make it to a focus group but still want to give us your feedback? We’re looking to find out:

* What academic events or projects you’d like to see happening at the SU * How you’d like to be kept inthe-loop about our academic campaigns * What ‘academic interests’ means to you as a student

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postgraduate|su funding: supporting academic interests maddie colledge SU postgraduate education officer

>>

At postgraduate|su, we’re committed to financially supporting postgraduates in their academic study. Though some postgraduates are given a grant from the University to support them through their studies, many aren’t. They’re also not eligible for student finance loans in the same way undergrads are, so finances associated with their academic study are a major issue for these students.

also be used to help students travel for their research – for instance, to visit an archive.

The Conference / Research Fund

As with most charities or funds, the applications we receive can act as a thermometer – giving us an idea about what’s going on in the University. Particularly, it tells us where University funding is falling short of demand, and can help us pinpoint schools where postgraduates are feeling the

The postgraduate conference / research fund exists to help postgraduates with travel costs and registration fees incurred while attending a conference which is relevant to their research. It can

We can award up to £150 per student. Last year alone, we helped over 40 students attend a conference or travel for their research – meaning that over 40 academic projects were assisted with our funding.

The funding thermometer

squeeze funding.

on

Higher

Education

but will ultimately realise it’s useful for the whole group to attend.

Most of the Conference Fund applications come from the Faculty of the Humanities (HUM), particularly the School of Art, Media and American Studies (AMA).

There’s a funding shortfall for the Humanities across the country, so while this isn’t surprising, it doesn’t make it any less of a problem.

We try and find a way to support each student in these cases, but we’re often not able to reimburse the entire cost for every student on the module.

This year, we’ve seen a growing number of incidents where entire classes or module groups are applying to attend the same conference. In these instances, a tutor has usually recommended the conference to students as it’s relevant to their course. It’s difficult, because the tutor will know there’s a funding shortage,

What I’m doing to help I’m trying to work with schools where this happens to improve the situation: surely, if a conference is important enough to be recommended, the school should be able to allocate some funding to cover the costs. Even if it’s a matter of meeting us halfway, this would be a good step towards better supporting postgraduates.

COMMENT 16

6th December 2016

Are charities right festive goodwill?

The OED defines “right” as “that which is consonant with justice, goodness, or reason; something morally or socially correct, just, or honourable.” I question the use of “right” according to the implications Christmas humanitarian appeals have for Western perceptions of and engagements with foreign affairs, and on the crises they are trying to ameliorate. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the focus of one organisation’s (Christian Aid) 2016 Christmas appeal. According to the International Rescue Committee 5.4 million people have either been directly or indirectly killed since 1998 as result of conflict; the UN considers the situation as one of the world’s most protracted humanitarian crises. Despite this the DRC is experiencing a forgotten war which has attracted little Western attention.

An appeal for the DRC will generate attention and funds, so will alleviate immediate human suffering. This appears a positive series of events, but its deeper implications are problematic, not

least because the causes – including the legacy of colonialism and ethnic tensions throughout the Great Lakes region of Africa – and consequences of the conflict can never be fully addressed by such short term action. After Christmas any public interest in the DRC will likely fade. Western organisations cannot sustain public interest in protracted humanitarian crises.

Short, bloody violence sells; disease and malnutrition do not. Compare, for example, American intervention in Somalia but not Sudan. Conflict in the DRC will continue long after organisations refocus their efforts on a new disaster.

The concept of worthy and unworthy victims then becomes important. Cameras and campaigns, and our concern, are trained on certain places at the expense of no-less afflicted others: some lives are inadvertently prioritised over others. The problem is compounded by the fact that so often action is not determined by the severity of humanitarian crises but by

to capitalise on our asks Abielle Hallas hidden geopolitical and economic considerations. Western actors are not impartial in their distribution of humanitarian action, challenging the extent to which such action is “just” and by extension “right”.

We can also use Christmas appeals to more broadly consider how we in the West perceive humanitarian crises, and our relation to them. We could perceive ourselves as distant from a crisis occurring 4,000 miles away in the DRC which has no observable impact on our daily lives, and decide on a policy of inaction.

For most of us, this simply means choosing not to financially support a campaign; for some the decision is more explicitly political. If we choose not to support humanitarian action when we could, are we complicit in the perpetuation of crises and human suffering?

This self-incriminating thought sets our position to foreign affairs as one determined by morals, not just pragmatism, and does not comfortably fit with the other-oriented

discourse of Christmas. Conversely we could perceive ourselves as global citizens with a responsibility to act, inspired by emotive appeals and influenced by some notion of shared humanity. This is no less morally complicated. Humanitarian assistance can prolong crises and consequently put more lives at risk than it is able to save (known as the paradox of humanitarian action). Humanitarian actors – and extending responsibility, we, through our donations, – become complicit in the perpetuation of the very human suffering they (we) are trying to alleviate. Action therefore creates the same moral dilemma as that of inaction, creating an apparent impasse in determining a justifiable response. This argument does not pass overall judgement on whether Christmas appeals are legitimate or not – they are not homogenous, and do have positive effects. They can be used to question our role in humanitarian action, and challenge the normative framing of such action as unquestionably good and “right”.

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6th December 2016

The views and opinions expressed in the Comment section belong entirely to their respective authors and are not reflective of the views of the wider Editorial Team, nor Concrete as a whole.

Jingle all the way to the tills

Concrete’s Comment writers on the commercialisation of Christmas

Angel Loera defends seasonal shopping and Christmas consumerism

Christmas time is around the corner, but its signals are not new to December. In fact, we could witness them from mid-autumn: shops adorned with decorations prepared us for the festive season by tempting us with gift suggestions.

Last weekend’s Black Friday not only meant shopping deals, but the beginning of Christmas shopping time. Everywhere we go, the media reminds us that it is time for Christmas and therefore, time for shopping.

The commercialisation of Christmas has been criticised by many people, especially those who identify the holiday

as a religious celebration. Yet, traditional Christmas values are still present and the gift-giving culture associated with them is no more than a way of expressing feelings to our loved ones. A way of giving them a reminder of our appreciation for them.

Presents are particularly useful when we are far from our loved ones. A post-card or a gift can be perfect “ambassadors” of the givers. Our family, friends, or whoever gets our present will have an object that reminds them about us and how much they mean to us.

Finding the perfect gift or the best message for someone else takes time, and time is dramatically

increasing its value in the world we live in today. It could be argued that Christmas is there to show us all we can share with others.

“In the end, Christmas is about sharing, and this is not something that can always be done without consuming.”

It may be very difficult and time-consuming to decide what is perfect for what person. Thus, all the time devoted to look for the

best Christmas present is actually time shared with others, and this is certainly a very valuable resource.

In the end, Christmas is about sharing and this is not something that can always be done without consuming. But consumption can take many forms, not only in terms of toys and chocolates for children, or presents for others. The perfect Christmas party outfit and all the festive food have to be purchased.

As a result, consumerism is just a means of enjoying one of the most special times of the year. It is quite common that many family members see each other only during Christmas celebrations, so it’s unsurprising that we

want to make the most of it. What’s more, Christmas is not just a day, but an entire season which often starts early and continues up to New Year’s Eve. Our time is filled with parties with school friends, co-workers, club or society meetings, and so on. It is quite common to have a special gathering with every group to which we belong. Gift exchanges are usually present to make an exciting part of those events.

To sum up, consumerism does not erode the meaning of Christmas. It just helps us to enjoy the time we share with the most special people in our lives.

Holly Brown argues that money isn’t everything at Chrristmas time

Picture this: it’s Christmas Day, and it’s present opening time.

You sit around with your family, and open a really expensive gift.

Then you open a handmade gift that probably only cost a couple of pounds but a lot of time to make.

Which is better? Is there a better?

Money at Christmas is a big worry for many people, and students are definitely one of those groups. How do you buy gifts for people at expense to you when you also want to have a good time and live a good lifestyle? Should you sacrifice going out for a month, say, so you can buy expensive presents?

Or should you buy presents for people if they’re just going to be cheap and nasty and not special?

Personally, I don’t spend much at Christmas. I enjoy scouring charity book shops and finding out of print, first edition books, or just unusual books – whilst they are second hand, they are infinitely more special to the receiver than buying from Waterstones. I prefer to make a slab of fudge or some shortbread than buy it. I can then make the presentation boxes too.

I have wool in my wardrobe to make a scarf and some Christmas décor for special people.

I don’t believe that expensive presents are necessary, especially if you’re getting them for the sake of getting them. That being said, if you are able to afford and want to splash out buying expensive presents for people maybe a ring for your girlfriend, or a bike for your little brother - then by all means, go for it!

Along with this, I don’t believe

that shops should be open on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. With the emphasis on expensive gifts and a ‘spend, spend, spend’ attitude, I think we have lost the meaning of Christmas: it’s basis of religion and love (of course, even if you are not religious, or of a different religion, you can still celebrate Christmas). Boxing Day was meant for servants to get presents known as ‘Christmas boxes’ from their masters or employers, so logically that makes it odd that people would be expected to work long hours in crowded conditions on this day instead.

“With an emphasis on expensive gifts and a ‘spend, spend, spend attitide, we have lost the meaning of Christmas.”

Christmastime, for me, should be about relaxing and surrounding yourself with people you love, not standing in queues to get a good deal. Besides, that’s what the internet’s for!

With the average family spending £800 at Christmas, this surely cannot be sustainable for a prolonged period of time.

I know I would prefer something that came strongly from the heart, something that someone made or found in a shop for me that they knew I would love, rather than a present for the sake of giving one.

Sophie Bunce says the doors shouldn’t

be shut on the most profitable day of the year You refresh your rota. Nothing yet. You wait, you check, you sigh.

You’ve been given the Boxing Day shift. Others get to linger in the feeling of Christmas, but you are forced back into reality and all it’s shopping horrors. The Boxing Day sales are scenes of madness. Falling prices lead to falling standards, and people will do anything to get a bargain. But should the shops be allowed to open on Boxing Day?

“The Boxing Day Sales are scenes of madness. Falling prices lead to falling standards.”

As a consumer, there is nothing better than the sales. They have become a ritual and the shopping highlight of the year. You would be a fool not to rush out with the rest of the world and grab what you can. But for employees, it’s a different story. With over 200,000 signatories on a recent petition on change.org it is clear that workers in retail want the day off. They are sick of having Christmas ruined by busy crowds and rude shoppers.

Employees are asking for change.

But should the doors be shut on the most profitable day of

the year? Boxing Day spending allows companies to keep so many people in employment.

We like to think that the world isn’t controlled by money, but the reality is this: if companies don’t make money, people don’t have jobs. Would it be preferable to close shops on Boxing Day and have fewer jobs for the rest of the year? I don’t think so.

Another benefit of keeping the shops open is that, for most, Boxing Day wages are higher.

Staff are compensated, for the inconvenience of it being the festive season, with pay and a half or even more. It is unfortunate that employees in retail have their Christmases cut short, though they are being paid. I have worked Boxing Day, I have complained about my shift, the long queues and my tired feet. But I did not complain about the money. Maybe it’s just something that we have to deal with. The world can’t stop just because it’s Christmas.

Working on Boxing Day can be difficult, but worst comes to worst, at least employees get higher pay and often a good story out of it. The real question is, who are retailers loyal to? Sadly, for employees, it’s to their customers and most importantly their profits.

Background image: Jonathan McIntosh, Christmas lights in Washington DC, Wikimedia

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6th December 2016

SCIENCE

Is continuing the Santa myth worth it?

Psychologists reveal that parent-child relationships could be affected by lying about the exististence of Santa

Sophie Christian Science Editor A recent study has concluded that the great Santa Claus myth could affect parent-child relationships.

Could it finally be time for parents to reveal they are the present providers?

Two psychologists have published an article in the journal Lancet Psychiatry explaining how this white lie, despite the good intentions to add a magical element of Christmas, is detrimental as it questions the trust children have in their parents. This could leave children vulnerable to “abject disappointment” when they discover that Santa does not exist.

Kathy McKay, a clinical psychologist at the University of New England, Australia and the co-author, commented: “The Santa myth is such an involved lie, such a long-lasting one, between parents and children, that if a relationship is vulnerable, this may be the final straw. If parents can lie so convincingly and over such a long time, what else can they lie about?”

Christopher Boyle, a psychologist at the University of

Exeter and the main author, has a differing view to this argument and has stated: “I’m not planning to go through the streets of Exeter dropping leaflets through doors.”

He goes further to say that he would be more likely to continue this myth if he had children.

“Some parents use it as a tool of control when they’re under a bit of pressure in the lead-up to Christmas.

It’s potentially not the best parenting method. You’re talking about a mythical being deciding whether you’re getting presents or not.”

However, Boyle does see the problems surrounding the Santa myth. It is seen to reflect bad parenting, as it is the worst form of punishment for naughty behaviour. “Some parents use it

as a tool of control when they’re under a bit of pressure in the leadup to Christmas. It’s potentially not the best parenting method. You’re talking about a mythical being deciding whether you’re getting presents or not.”

The psychologists explain why this “collective lie on a global scale” has been prominent for generations. It is because we have a strong desire to comply, despite knowing it is illogical. Furthermore, evidence proposes that adults have an urge to escape from reality.

This is unsurprising as it must be a nice break from the daily stresses of adult life. “We’re trying to hark back to our glory days as children,” explained Boyle.

McKay’s views on Santa could clash with her family life depending on how inquisitive her three-year-old goddaughter is on the matter. “She believes in Santa at the moment and it’s not my role to go against her parent’s wishes,” she explained. “She’s never asked me about Santa ... when she does, I’ll tell her because I want my goddaughter to grow up knowing that there will always be safety and honesty with us.”

The two psychologists are not

the first to cover this subject. Richard Dawkins has queried whether children should be encouraged to believe in Santa and mythical tales. “I think it’s rather pernicious to inculcate into a child a view of the world which includes

supernaturalism,” he stated in a 2014 talk. However, Dawkins later said that Santa could, in fact, “equip the child to reject supernaturalism when the time comes.”

Flikr, Recon Cycles

UK universities fail to reach emission targets Dan Salliss Science Writer New results have found that three quarters of British universities are set to miss their carbon reduction targets for 2020.

Additionally, teams leading the implementation of green initiatives are being cut and sustainability plans are not being renewed, the 2016 People & Planet University League has found. It is the fourth year running that the league has reported a reduction in the number of universities on course to their legally binding 43 percent emissions reduction target from 2005 levels.

The People and Planet University League ranks institutions on their environmental and ethical performance, based on publicly available information. It assesses a range of fields, such as the commitment of senior management to green goals, the employment of dedicated sustainability staff and the reduction of fossil fuel spending.

It also looks at ethical factors, such as paying workers the living wage and their investment in projects that do not pollute the wider community.

UEA came in at a mediocre 48th place, achieving a 2:1 for its efforts. The university scored well in such areas as sustainability policy and human resources for green initiatives but fell down in such fields as workers’ rights and staff

building, the Pavilion, claimed first place, with Brighton following in second. 15 universities received a ‘failed’ status, including Norwich University of the Arts, which is ranked at 140th.

“The landscape looks bereft of any significant support or incentive for sustainable development in universities in England.”

Concrete Photography and student engagement.

Most worryingly, UEA achieved 0 percent in carbon reduction, water reduction and ethical investment in 2016. The league also reports UEA has no commitment to divestment from fossil fuels. This is extremely disappointing news for a university a world Photo:which Flickr,isJodie C leader

in environmental research and recently opened the UK’s greenest building, the Enterprise Centre.

The University of Essex is ranked 53 places below UEA, in 101st, and was given a 2:2 status.

However, academic reputation is not correlated with progress on sustainability and ethical issues-

Oxford and Cambridge were both awarded 2:1s and ranked 46th and 57th respectively.

Only 30 out of the 150 institutions are on track to achieve their green goals and have been awarded ‘first class’ status by the league.

Nottingham Trent University, which opened its first carbon negative

It is believed a lack of government support for public sector sustainability is at fault for the failure of energy-saving schemes.

According to People & Planet, a student campaigning network, there was an abundance of emissions reduction initiatives aided by higher education funding prior to the election of the coalition and the Conservative governments.

It is a different picture today.

“The landscape looks bereft of any significant support or incentive for sustainable development in universities in England”, says the organisation.

“We can now see the concerning impact of the current government’s short-termism with regard to energy and climate policy.”

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6th December 2016

80,000 reindeer starve to death in Siberia Ruth Harding Science Writer Climate change continues to pose a serious threat to the Arctic’s animals and this time it is Santa’s sleigh pullers in danger, reported by a study published in the journal Biology Letters. It may appear illogical that increased global temperatures can lead to more arctic ice. However, climate change is ultimately causing an increase in the rain during the autumn months, which quickly freezes.

Researchers have concluded that the rain is a result of the retreating sea ice in the Barents and Kara Seas caused by increasing temperatures, ultimately causing “rain-on-snow” (ROS) events as described by author Bruce C. Forbes.

This quickly builds up, making the icy layer several centimetres deeper. In order for reindeers to consume lichen and other vegetation necessary to their survival, they must break the snow and ice using their hooves.

The numbers of reindeer have been drastically affected due their inability to break this impenetrable barrier.

In November 2013, scientists from the University of Oxford found that over 60,000 reindeer died on the Yamal Peninsula in Serbia. This is the most significant “mortality episode” of reindeer

recorded in this area. Rain fell constantly for 24 hours at the beginning of November, just before temperatures dramatically dropped until spring 2014, leaving the Yamal Peninsula covered in ice.

During this time, scientists recorded that: “the private herders who had lost most or all of their animals to starvation were functionally stranded in the tundra.

With no draft reindeer to haul their camps, they resorted to full-time subsistence fishing and borrowed breeding stock to rebuild their herds.”

“Herders have observed that about once per decade these events are intensive and extensive enough to lead to starvation of animals, when herds cannot find soft diggable snow.”

Forbes has used mathematical models and predicted that the increase in rain will continue and become more powerful as the global temperature increases.

“We are recommending in the near future that mobile slaughterhouses could be deployed in time to the herds at risk out on the tundra” in order for the reindeer to be “slaughtered humanely.”

Forbes reports: “Herders have

Flikr, Heather Sunderland observed that about once per decade these events are intensive and extensive enough to lead to starvation of animals, when herds cannot find soft diggable snow.”

Although occurring once a decade, in combination with other events, could it cause a nightmare before Christmas?

Adding to the death toll, in July 2016, faced with a disastrous anthrax epidemic which killed a 12-year-old and infected 100 natives, Serbian government proposed the killing of 250,000 reindeer. Only a month later, more than 300 reindeer in central Norway were killed by lightening. It was reported “long-

term and serious effects” on the Yamal Nenet tribe of 6,000 nomadic reindeer herders have resulted from decreasing reindeer numbers and that many have resorted to fishing. With risks only increasing in the coming years, what will this mean for both the populations of reindeer and natives?

actions being scrutinized by the security services.

with the British Government, especially considering the huge scale TalkTalk hack in earlier 2015.

This may result in theft and leakage of personal information of UK citizens. Although, it would be grossly unfair to place the blame for the passing of this immensely concerning bill solely at the door of the Conservative party.

Unsurprisingly, the Conservatives voted overall in favour of enshrining the Investigative Powers Bill in law.

On the other hand, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the Scottish National Party all unanimously opposed the motion to pass the bill in its current state.

However, despite the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott

describing the bill as ‘draconian’, Labour surprisingly voted heavily in favour of supporting the bill.

Jeremy Corbyn himself, who has quite a reputation by now for his far-left libertarian politics, abstained from voting on the bill. I suppose all that is left for us all to do is practice that old mantra: ‘Big Brother is watching you.’

Edward Snowden noted the risk of mass surveillance is that a new leader might “say that ‘because of the crisis, because of the dangers we face in the world, some new and unpredicted threat, we need more authority, we need more power.’ And there will be nothing the people can do at that point to oppose it.”

Investigatory powers: the end of internet privacy?

Dan Box Science Writer

Within weeks the bill which keeps many a liberal up at night in worry will be enshrined within British Law, following it successfully passing through the House of Lords recently. What we’re talking about is the Investigatory Powers Bill, or as it has been affectionately dubbed, the Snooper’s Charter Two. This controversial bill will allow the UK Government to force all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to store the internet usage data of all UK citizens. That will mean that deleting your browser history will no longer be the end of it. Furthermore, the Government will have the legal right to force electronics companies to hack into or break devices they have sold

Wikipedia, Diliff

to consumers, on the Government’s behalf in order for these devices to be spied upon by the security services. This has spurned a massive backlash from the technology industry, with companies such as Apple and Twitter standing in staunch opposition to the bill.

However, despite the backlash from technology companies and senior parliamentary committees, the bill in fact passed through parliament with little to no opposition.

The only major amendment which has been made to the Investigatory Powers Bill is that which prevents MPs devices being hacked, and thus their online

“Because of the crisis, because of the dangers we face in the world, some new and unpredicted threat, we need more authority, we need more power.”

As companies will now have to construct devices which are less secure in order to allow the security services to listen in, there are also growing concerns that citizens’ internet information may get into the hands of individuals who are not affiliated

TRAVEL

20

6th December 2016

Sat-navs, Satan and sex shops

Travel Editor, Jenny Redfern, talks us through her summer roadtrip It seemed like a great idea when we began planning our trip of the USA (starting in Santa Barbara, California, travelling via Hawaii to Vegas, through the South and up the East Coast) that we should try to travel some of our 8,500 mile journey by road.

As a group of three 21 year old girls with just one able driver, we chose the distance between our two closest destinations, namely the supposedly 7.5 hour journey between Austin, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana. It was with high hopes that we piled ourselves and our luggage into our rented five seater Toyota, excited to explore the deep South from behind the safety of our car windows and to arrive in New Orleans by dinner time.

On the road, it became glaringly obvious that our refusal of the hire company’s sat-nav was a fatal flaw in our beloved plan. Just half an hour into our journey we found ourselves victims of our iPhones’ navigational systems, accidentally exiting the freeway onto a farm on the outskirts of Austin.

We drove in circles along the dirt tracks, frustrated cries and nervous apologies emanating from the front seats until we at last passed a local jogger and wound down

the windows to ask directions. In more relatable terms, this is the equivalent of asking a man on the street in Norwich for directions to Edinburgh, so we were surprised and thankful when he provided us with helpful guidance.

“Christianity conversion advertisements [...] alternated with billboards for Chucky Cheese and any number of the deep fried, deathinducing fast food restaurants".

However, despite being back on track the journey was far from uneventful. The Texas freeways were unforgiving, with sweeping flyovers and exits from the central lanes as well as those on the outsides. The cars, driven by angry Texans with extreme road rage, were enormous.

4x4s and pickup trucks made our

Toyota look like a Chihuahua next to a pack of Great Danes, instigating a fear that was only increased by the placement of Confederate flags stickers on the rear windscreens of several of these cars. The reassurance signposted on the car doors of one particular pick-up truck that it was ‘driving with Jesus’ did little to calm our nerves. This message wasn’t the only reminder of our location within America’s bible belt; there were constant indications of the need to be saved from sin and Satan. Christianity conversion advertisements, seemingly promoting phone numbers for God himself, alternated with billboards for Chucky Cheese and any number of the deep fried, death-inducing fast food restaurants that littered the side of the road.

Nevertheless, there were stretches of vast emptiness, areas where not even confederate flag yielding vehicles could disrupt the green leafiness of the Southern landscape in the summer.

It was in one of these areas when a toilet break became necessary and we scanned the verge for signs of a gas station, a McDonalds or anywhere that would allow us to empty our bladders. The location that eventually appeared was

perhaps not the conventional destination for a quick road-side pee. Desperate times called for desperate measures, however, so we decided to take our chances.

Lion’s Den was a 24-hour sex shop on the side of the Interstate 10 in Egan, Louisiana and it was with a few nervous giggles that we pushed open the door to the emporium of all

“There are few things more awkward in life than recieving advice on self-pleasuring from someone old enough to be your grandma.” things erotic.

Butt plugs, dildos, whips and chains decorated the walls and we browsed in shock and intrigue before approaching the subject we were there for: the toilet. Surprised to be greeted by three young British girls (something told me we were

not the shops’ target audience), the shop owner, a 70 year old blonde Southern lady, thankfully lifted the ban against shoppers using the restroom (there were hints that they were regularly used for something other than peeing). On our return from the bathroom, she called us over, prepared with three vibrators that she wanted to impress us with.

Turning on the toys, she grabbed our hands and placed them on the vibrating phallic forms. There are few things more awkward in life than receiving advice on selfpleasuring from someone old enough to be your grandma.

We muttered uncomfortable words of appreciation, and it was with furtive words of thanks and stifled laughs that we declined her invitations to purchase the goods.

Airport security was suspicious of vibrating objects, we explained, in order to solidify our rejection.

It was 11 hours after we left Austin that we finally arrived in New Orleans. Our unconventional journey through the deep-south had taken a little longer than the 7.5 hours we had expected and although we didn’t arrive by dinner time, my knowledge of women’s self-pleasure equipment increased vastly. Every cloud has a silver lining, so they say.

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6th December 2016

Christmas in Cologne: explore the magic Abi Steer Travel Writer Cologne, Germany, is one of my favourite cities. I’ve spent many a summer afternoon down by the river eating pizza and scurrying between the shops, not to mention exploring the chocolate museum.

It’s a great place for young people to travel and explore another culture.

But Christmas is when the magic really happens.

Cologne completely transforms over the holiday season. Decorations are everywhere, and ice covers everything in the same shade of dull grey, making the bright Christmassy colours stand out all the more.

But its not just the usual Christmas decorations that appear to brighten up the city. Traditional Christmas markets are everywhere, from tiny collections of stalls selling hot chocolate and pastries, to sprawling neighbourhoods of fully-formed shops. There are even specialised markets – I remember finding an entirely medieval themed one whilst on a school trip six years ago, and still have the handwoven scarf that I bought there.

Of course, the big problem that I have with the markets is that I always end up spending far too much money on stuff that I don’t actually need, which is not a great idea when you’re a student. I do nearly always get my Christmas shopping done at them though, even if my family are getting mildly frustrated with the collection of random wooden ornaments that adorn our shelves. So, if you are going to a Christmas market this year, either at home or abroad, my first piece of advice would be to go with a list in mind. Be sure to leave a little extra wiggle room to treat yourself, however, as you never know what you might find! But be warned: many stalls sell similar items so endeavour to shop around as much as possible to find the best bargains!

My second piece of advice would be to embrace the culture difference.

There is always a full range of food stalls at any market, and Cologne quite possibly has the best. Of course, they serve more familiar dishes like churros or chips (nearly always with a paprika seasoning), but where’s the fun in that? Try to sample as much of the local cuisine as you can – sausages are a must,

and the local beer is pretty good too.

Personally, I always head straight to the bakeries and chocolatiers!

However, as with any place at Christmas, the markets in Cologne are always busy with both tourists and locals and so the streets can get very crowded. As I have found on multiple occasions, this creates the perfect opportunity to get completely lost. Always leave extra time to fully explore and lose yourself in the Christmas atmosphere: talk to people (almost everyone speaks English, but they are more than happy to help with your German skills), and just generally have fun. Many markets provide open air concerts and other public events which offer an extra element of excitement.

I find the entire set-up of Christmas markets completely fascinating. Although I’ve been to Cologne several times, each visit offers new surprises. I love rediscovering the charm of the tiny streets, which hold more people and taller Christmas trees than I ever thought possible every time. It is a truly magical Christmas experience, and one that I would highly recommend.

Wikimedia ger1axg

The ultimate guide to travelling as a vegan

Jean Beaufort Jodie Randell Travel Writer I have been vegan for four years now and love the lifestyle choice with all the positivity that comes with it!

However, I have experienced my fair share of vegan hurdles. Being a very keen traveler I have realized that travelling can expose some of these hurdles. Yet, there are simple ways you can overcome these, making sure your lifestyle choice doesn't get in the way of trip. In celebration of International Vegan day, I wish to share with you my most important tips on travelling as a vegan.

1) Understand that not all cultures recognize veganism For some cultures, the term vegan

simply doesn't exist. Therefore, be prepared for people in certain countries not to know what veganism is. Furthermore, don’t be offended if people look at you bemused once you whip out the v word. Even though a culture may not recognize veganism, it does not mean they wouldn’t be open to learning about it. One of the great gifts of travelling is learning about other cultures, as well as teaching people about aspects of our culture.

2) Bring a snack bag!

If you are travelling to a place where there are limited or no health food stores, take a bag of vegan bars to fill you up on your travels! I once stayed in a remote town in the middle of Malawi, where fish and chicken were the staple of most meals. However,

with my bag of vegan goodies (oat bars, hummus chips, dried fruit, nuts and seeds), I managed to survive just fine! Aim to buy snacks high in calories and protein (‘trek’, ‘clif’ and ‘naked bars’ are a good bet), to make sure you have all the energy you need for exploring!

You can find these in any health food store or online vegan shop.

the journey, ‘Happycow’, gives you a list of all vegan and vegetarian restaurants nearby for you to stuff your face in. Finally ‘Is it vegan?’ will tell you if a product is vegan once you scan the barcode onto your phone - again great if you cannot read the language of the ingredients.

3) Look for vegan apps

Certain countries may not sell things where we vegans get some of our vital vitamins from, such as nutritional yeast, non-dairy milks, a wide range of nuts or fruits or even the most common vegetables.

With this in mind, make sure you take with you the most important vitamins to stay in tip top shape on your travels! These will include vitamin B12 and D for overall health (best to buy in spray form for

Apps are a brilliant way to suss out vegan restaurants and shops in the area. If you are in a country where you cannot speak the native tongue, try the app ‘Vegan go go’.

This brilliant app will translate simple sentences you may need when eating out, such as ‘can you please tell me if this has milk in it’, into any language! Another one for

4) Get on those multivitamins

easy absorption), omega-3 tablets for your brain, magnesium for energy, and a general multivitamin.

5) Research the area Use your veganism as a tool for exploring! If you are in a location which is particularly good for vegan food (think Berlin, New York, Tokyo), then google up on your location before you go. You may find intriguing restaurants that will excite your vegan taste buds immensely. It’s also always worth making sure you do general research too. Check out the the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s travel advice pages to make sure you’re prepped and ready to go.

So go on you vegans. Go out and show the world the wonderful vegan lifestyle!

22

6th December 2016

SPORT

BUCS success for UEA PL winter break debate resurfaces Richard Ewart Sports Editor UEA enjoyed a successful week of sport as 18 teams tasted victory while twelve lost, with seven matches being called off due to weather in the British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) League.

UEA’s racket teams were in strong form picking up five wins from a possible six. Both the Men’s and Women’s badminton teams chalked up victories against the Leicester and Derby 1st teams whilst Men’s Squash beat Nottingham 6ths and the UEA’s Men’s Table-Tennis team beat Derby 2nds to continue their winning run. The Men’s Tennis 1st team won comprehensively against Leicester to top their table and only the Men’s 2nd Tennis team’s loss against Lincoln prevented a full house for the racket sports.

The Men’s 1st XI football team beat Leicester 2-1 to remain top of their league although their female counterparts were on the wrong end of the same scoreline against De Montfort. The Men’s 2nd XI match was called off due to a frozen pitch while the Men’s 3rd XI continued their unbeaten start in a 8-0

thrashing of Bishop Grosseteste’s 2nd XI. The Men’s Hockey 1st XI won narrowly against Birmingham and are now placed in a strong second in their league with two games in hand over the leaders. Women’s Hockey could not match this success and lost 5-0 away against table-toppers Loughborough, whilst the Men’s 2nd XI was called off due to a frozen pitch.

UEA’s rugby teams enjoyed mixed fortunes as the Men’s 1st XV won 25-0 against Nottingham, although still remain rooted at the bottom of the table, and the 2nd XV and Women’s 1st XV both suffered defeat against Oxford Brookes 2nd XV and Nottingham’s 1sts respectively to remain mid table.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse teams were victorious after the Men’s team saw off Northampton in the cup, with the Women’s team beating Warwick 2nds 18-5 to stay in third place and keep pace with the league leaders.

In golf, UEA continued their unbeaten start by defeating Anglia Ruskin’s Cambridge campus, winning 5.5 - 0.5 and moving up to 3rd in the league, with two games in hand over Newman who are top.

Rosberg claims first F1 World Championship Andrew MacKenzie Sports Writer Nico Rosberg was crowned the 2016 Formula One World Champion following a tense battle with teammate Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi last weekend. He then announced his retirement from the sport. The German achieved the feat 34 years after his father, Keke Rosberg, won his first World Championship, making the Rosberg only the second father and son pairing after Damon and Graham Hill to win an F1 title, also 34 years apart.

Ahead of the race the permutations were clear. If Rosberg could claim a spot on the podium, irrespective of where main rival and teammate Lewis Hamilton finished, the title would be his. For Hamilton, a race win was required in conjunction with Rosberg finishing outside of the top three in order for the Brit to claim his third world title.

Prior to the Sunday showdown, there was heated speculation over how Hamilton could possibly influence the result of the race within the boundaries of the F1s rules. One theory was for Hamilton

to push Rosberg wide at the first corner in a repeat of Canada earlier in the season and Austin last year.

The second and altogether more likely option, was for Hamilton to lead from the front and control the pace of the race, forcing Rosberg to be ‘backed up’ into the clutches of the Ferrari and Red Bull cars waiting behind. Hamilton claimed he would use neither tactic, planning instead to drive away into the distance and prove that he was the faster driver.

“When announcing his retirement from Formula One at the age of 31, Rosberg said: “I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right.”

However, the urge to claim a fourth world title proved too great for Hamilton, who instead opted to slow the pace of the race, which allowed the Red Bulls and Ferraris to put pressure on his teammate from an early stage. Supporters and pundits alike speculated that Max Verstappen would be the key,

England capain, Alistair Cook. Photo: www.wikimedia.org

Isabelle Wilson Sports Writer As the football season enters its busiest time of year once again murmurings of the age old debate rear their heads. Christmas break, or no Christmas break?

The Premier League's lack of a break makes it an anomaly. The Bundesliga has a month off, La Liga has two weeks and Serie A has just under three. So why does the English Premier League, arguably the most famous and financially prosperous league in the world, play through the Christmas period?

Firstly, it’s traditional. The Boxing Day and New Year’s Day clashes are a staple of the English game. Arsene Wenger claimed he “would cry” if the Christmas games were scrapped. He attests “it’s part of English tradition and English football.” There is also the problem of fitting in FA Cup games, League Cup games and all the Premier League fixtures.

Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive, explained that “unless someone is willing to give something up, it is pretty believing that he would provide the stop-gap between the Mercedes drivers. But almost immediately after the start of the race, Verstappen spun, forcing the Dutchman to the back of the field. As the leaders all made their pit stops, Verstappen and Red Bull then employed a cunning turn, opting to change the 19-yearold from a two-stop to a one-stop strategy, a decision which allowed the young driver to leapfrog the field and climb to second. After his own stop Verstappen emerged in fourth place and not far behind the two Mercedes cars and Sebastian Vettel, who was on a longer second stint.

Vettel eventually came into the pits to change onto the faster tyres, re-emerging in sixth, 15 seconds behind Hamilton who resumed the race lead. This gave Vettel the advantage, allowing the former World Champion to close the gap on the trio ahead by two seconds each lap. Meanwhile at the front, Hamilton continued to dictate a slower pace prompting calls from Mercedes Technical Director Paddy Lowe for Hamilton to speed up, amid concerns that a Mercedes race win could be in jeopardy. Hamilton refused, setting up a tense final five laps. Rosberg, who by this point could see fourth placed Max Verstappen in his wing mirrors, fought on valiantly, resisting the attacks of Vettel to hold on to his second place and claim the title. The top four eventually finished within 1.6 seconds of each other for one of the closest finishes to a World Championship ever.

In the end, it is fair to conclude that the Championship had been all but decided long before the final race in Abu Dhabi.

hard.” In a bid to ease congestion in the English league the FA have recently scrapped FA Cup quarterfinal replays. However, as the quarter-finals take place in March, the move is still a long way from allowing a gap in the Christmas schedule. So why would we want a Christmas break? Sam Allardyce has consistently advocated a break, claiming that the league’s congested schedule has a knock-on effect on England’s international performances. He claimed that “the demand physically and mentally on the players is enormous. A break would help the players and would help the national team.”

The Premier League would also likely be revitalised by a midseason break. Statistically, in the last ten years of the League, Arsenal have famously raked in their lowest average points per game in November, dropping from over two points a game to 1.5. But the winter blues don’t just affect Arsenal. Chelsea similarly dip below a fairly consistent two point average in the months of November and December. The month of January sees Tottenham drop from an average of nearly two points a game to under 1.5.

If these stats are anything to go by, the big clubs see a consistent drop in points during the Christmas period, likely due to the packed schedule. Players become physically exhausted and become susceptible to injury, which in turn affects the latter half of the season and players are left sidelined. A Christmas break would allow the players to rest and recuperate in order to remain fit throughout the season.

One of the suggestions is to have a two-week break following the third round of the FA cup, that takes place on the weekend of the 7th January, and possibly extending the Premier League campaign. This would allow for the traditional December games to take place as usual whilst allowing the players to have a break before the second half of the season kicks off. However, for the time being the Christmas break remains a pipe dream. Martin Glenn, the chief executive of the FA explained it could only be considered “after the current Premier League TVrights deal is done”, which runs until 2019, meaning a possible winter break will not happen until the 2019/20 season at the earliest.

Hamilton had suffered greatly with reliability problems earlier in the season which had affected his grid positions and ultimately his race performance.

his title credentials.

By contrast, Rosberg has been the most consistent driver, starting from the front row in every race this season. He has always appeared focused compared to Hamilton who is well known for his love of the celebrity lifestyle, and perhaps it is that which gave Rosberg the edge.

When announcing his retirement from Formula One at the age of 31, Rosberg said: “I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right.”

Rosberg has ended his career having taken part in 206 grands prix, with 23 race wins and 57 podium finishes. In the end, history will tell only one story, Rosberg is the 2016 Formula One World Champion, and a deserving champion at that.

“Rosberg has ended his career having taken part in 206 grands prix, with 23 race wins and 57 podium finishes.”

In China his race was compromised following a crash at the start, while in Malaysia he suffered an engine failure when on course to win a race that in hindsight, may have handed him the World Championship ahead of Rosberg.

Despite all of this, Hamilton took more wins than Rosberg across the course of the season, recording ten victories to Rosberg’s nine and twelve pole positions to his team mate’s eight. In some respects Hamilton has been his own w o r s t e n e m y, failing to take advantage of pole positions in Australia, Canada, Italy and Japan which in the end put a major dent in

Wikipedia.org, Eugene Flores

23

6th December 2016

UEA’s Football 3rd XI continue unbeaten start to season

Concrete Photography

Anthony Griffiths & Jack Mahoney Sports Writers The University of East Anglia Men’s 3rd football team are sending a strong message to all future competitors from their own division and above. They continued their impressive start to the season on Wednesday 30th November with an 8-0 home league win against Bishop Grosseteste Men’s 2nd football team in Midlands Division 6A. Not only was it yet another emphatic victory, but they have extended their winning streak, having won all five of their British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) matches in their debut season, scoring 26 goals whilst only conceding twice. This

includes a 7-1 away victory in the Midlands Conference Plate against Birmingham City University Men’s 3rd team, from a division above, seven days prior. This means nearly halfway through their season, they are into the quarter-finals of the cup competition and also top of the league by two points, with secondplaced Derby’s 6th XI having played an extra game.

The match against Bishop Grosseteste was controlled by UEA from the first minute to the last with their possession based football.

The home team passed the ball comfortably around the opposition, creating a number of chances early on, while pressing quickly and successfully whenever their opponents did have possession.

From early on, UEA started to pile the pressure on with a few

chances for the home side in quick succession. This pressure eventually paid off with UEA taking the lead after 29 minutes as Rinor Plepolli ran onto a penetrating through ball to calmly take the ball around the goalkeeper and finish from a tight angle. Less than two minutes later Plepolli found himself inside the opposition box again with another smartly taken finish in the bottom left corner. As the teams went in for half time, UEA deserved the lead, and the 2-0 scoreline perhaps understated their dominance.

Any optimism given to the away team was quickly dissipated by an early goal for UEA in the second half. Three minutes after the break, Callum James struck the ball with power and precision in the top left corner from outside the box, out of reach of the diving goalkeeper.

An accurate cross from team captain Harry Cranfield allowed Pauls Dombrovskis to head the ball into the top right corner before a Jason Lines delivery similarly allowed Luke Harris to place his header to the left of the goalkeeper for another goal ten minutes later.

The noticeable difference in fitness between the two sides then allowed UEA to dominate the match and score another three goals against their fatigued opposition in the final ten minutes. Firstly another well-weighted through ball, which had been successful and regular throughout the match, allowed Alex Joseph to break through the Bishop Grosseteste defensive line, collect the ball, pass the goalkeeper and finish into the open net.

Soon after, Plepolli recovered possession following a save, and was

allowed time in the box to find James Gallagher who was unmarked at the penalty spot, and calmly slotted the ball to the left of the goalkeeper.

Gallagher then quickly scored his second with three minutes left in the game, controlling a high bouncing ball well to stylishly flick it over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Despite all round impressive performances, man-of-the-match was suitably given to Plepolli, who was a constant threat to the opposition’s defence, assisting two goals and scoring twice himself.

Following this comfortable victory, UEA will hope to continue their winning form as they strive to win the league. The Men’s 3rd team’s next BUCS league game is against bottom placed Peterborough 1st team at Colney Lane at 2pm on Wednesday 7th December.

PDC World Darts Championship preview Nick Murphy Sports Editor The 2017 PDC World Darts Championship gets underway at the iconic Alexandra Palace on 15th December with 64 of the world’s best players set to battle it out for the £1.65m first prize. The sport’s showpiece event will see spectators collectively sink 250,000 pints between them across a two week period as Gary Anderson attempts to win the crown for the third year in a row.

The Scotsman defeated double World Champion Adrian Lewis in the final of last year’s event, overcoming ‘Jackpot’ 7-5 in the final to make it back-to-back titles following his 7-6 win over Phil Taylor in 2015. Anderson has not enjoyed good form in 2016, however, failing to reach the final of any major competition and only reaching the semi-finals of four TV tournaments.

The 45-year-old has been hampered in his throwing by a switch from contact lenses to glasses, a situation

he will hope to have sorted to allow for a smooth defence of his title once again.

Standing in his way is Michael van Gerwen.

The mercurial Dutchman has been in scintillating form this season, winning seven majors including the Premier League, World Matchplay, UK Open and the most recent tournament, the Players Championship. Van Gerwen has been untouchable in the past year and will be looking to claim his second World Championship three years on from his first in 2014.

The 27-year-old has accumulated over £1 million in prize money already this season and after falling at the third round stage of the Championships last year, will be eager to make the final for the first time in three years. The World Championships have proven to be MVGs stumbling block in the past, but with such good form ahead of this year’s renewal, the flying Dutchman is the firm favourite to go all the way this year.

Van Gerwen will face competition from his closest

challenger throughout 2016, Peter Wright. The Scotsman has pushed van Gerwen all the way this year, reaching the quarter-finals or better of 13 TV tournaments, including finishing runner-up in the UK Open and World Series of Darts Finals.

Wright, famed for his flamboyant clothing and outlandish hairstyle, has upped his game to become the third ranked player ahead of Phil Taylor and now represents the biggest challenge to the world’s top two players. Whether Wright can better his 2014 showing which ended in a final defeat to van Gerwen of all people remains to be seen, but with scoring that consistently averages over 100 points and a newly found clinical finishing ability in his game, the 46-year-old is odds-on to reach the latter stages of the tournament once again.

While Wright is in the form of his life, 16 time World Champion Phil Taylor is without a major win since August 2014. The 56-year-old from Burslem has slipped to fourth in the PDC World rankings and could only make it to the round of 16 stage last

year before suffering a 4-3 defeat to Dutch whirlwind, Jelle Klaasen.

Taylor’s form this year has been underwhelming at best, sparking rumours of a possible retirement following the conclusion of this, his 26th World Championship.

Of the rest of the pack, Norwich’s own Darren Webster will be aiming for a prolonged run in the tournament after a superb showing in the Players Championship last month. The Norfolk based thrower who also works in property development produced some excellent darts to see off Raymond van Barneveld amongst others to reach the semi-finals, where he lost out to eventual winner Michael van Gerwen, that despite taking a 6-0 lead.

Webster’s best showing at the Worlds came in 2007 when he reached the quarter-final stage but he has underperformed since, failing to go beyond the round of 32 in his last four appearances at the Alexandra Palace.

Dave Chisnall will also be hoping for an extended run in the

competition after a solid 2016 on the pro tour, while Adrian Lewis, James Wade and Michael Smith will all be looking to mount challenges. The PDC is also blessed with a plethora of up and coming youth players who will be looking to make their mark including Benito van de Pas, Jamie Lewis and Welshman Gerwyn Price who has been tipped as a future champion.

One man who will not be at the World Championships is former World Champion and Sky pundit, Eric Bristow. ‘The Crafty Cockney’ has been embroiled in controversy involving a series of tweets he sent concerning recent abuse allegations within football. The tweets, since deleted, suggested that victims of abuse were not “proper men” and that they should “sort out” the abusers. Bristow also seemed to conflate paedophilia with homosexuality, calling the abusers “poofs”. He issued a statement admitting his wording was wrong and has since apologised on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, despite initially defending his tweets.

24

6th December 2016

SPORT

Sex abuse scandal reaches Norfolk Nick Murphy & Richard Ewart Sports Editors

English football has been rocked by allegations of historical sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s.

Norfolk Constabulary are one of the latest police forces to announce that they are investigating “an allegation relating to child abuse in football.”

The claims, which initially centred on clubs in the North West but have expanded to across the UK, first came to light on 16th November following Andy Woodward’s allegations against former Crewe Alexandra youth coach Barry Bennell in the 1980s.

Bennell has now been charged with eight offences of sexual assault and over 20 footballers have since come forward alleging they were sexually abused.

Bennell, who worked for the Cheshire club in the 1980s and 1990s, first came to prominence in relation to sexual abuse in 1994 when he was charged with sexually assaulting a British boy on a football tour to the USA. He was subsequently jailed again in 1998 – this time in the UK for nine years – and then once more in 2015 after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault and two counts of enticing a boy under the age of 14 to commit an act of indecency, dating back to 1980.

Questions have been raised over the safeguarding of children in the 70s and 80s, with it emerging that it was common practice for coaches to have youth team players stay at their private homes on the night before a match. It is known that Bennell was one of a number of coaches to do this.

Bennell’s crimes appear to be the tip of the iceberg, with several UK police forces now investigating claims of historic sexual abuse against young footballers, including Norfolk Constabulary. It is not yet known at which club in the

Wikipedia.org, Reubentg (Christmas Trees, Flickr, Birdies100)

area the offence is alleged to have happened. Clubs in the wider East Anglia region have also been subject to police enquiries, with Cambridgeshire Police confirming that investigations are ongoing in relation to alleged historical sexual abuse at Cambridge United and Peterborough United.

Hampshire Police said it was looking into claims of “non-recent child abuse within the football community,” while Cheshire Police confirmed that eleven people had come forward after ex-England international David White revealed he had been the victim of abuse by Bennell while at Crewe.

Another alleged victim of the abuse, Paul Stewart, believes there

could be “hundreds” of victims yet to come forward, sparking fears of a scandal larger than that surrounding Jimmy Savile in 2012. The former Tottenham midfielder, now 52, spoke of how Bennell promised to “make him a star” while forcing him into horrific sexual abuse between the ages of eleven and 15. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Stewart said: “I was always under threat, if I was not playing well, he would threaten me with violence as well as sexual abuse. He was a monster.”

“We went away for a tournament.

He abused me there too. I could never tell my teammates.”

“The mental scars led me into other problems with drinking

and drugs. I know now it was a grooming process. The level of abuse got worse and worse.”

Two weeks after Woodward’s allegations, Bennell was taken to hospital after being found unconscious at his Hertfordshire home. An ambulance was called for the 62 year old following a ‘fear for welfare’ incident.

Following the incident, Bennell was arrested and charged with eight sexual assault offences against a boy under the age of 14 between the years of 1981 and 1985. He is scheduled to appear before South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court on 14th December.

The investigation surrounding Bennell has had a knock on effect

in the wider footballing world, with over 350 victims coming forward to report child sexual abuse within football clubs. Chelsea stand accused of paying ‘hush money’ to silence a former youth player when he approached the club three years ago to make allegations about Eddie Heath, a former club scout from the 1980s. Newcastle United have also been accused of covering up abuse after Derek Bell revealed he made abuse known to the club in 1998 but no investigation was carried out and the police were not informed until Bell himself did so in 2001.

These two clubs, along with many others, are set to become part of a large scale FA inquiry into historical sexual abuse in the game.

Norwich thrash Brentford 5-0 to end six-game winless streak Claud Letts Sports Writer Norwich City thrashed Brentford 5-0 as they ended a run of five league defeats in a row and returned to the play-off places.

The Canaries’ win featured five different goalscorers as Jacob Murphy, Graham Dorrans, Robbie Brady, Nelson Oliveira and Alex Pitchard guided their side to victory.

Prior to this game, Norwich were without a win since a 3-1 victory over bottom-club Rotherham in mid-October.

Manager Alex Neil will hope that this comprehensive victory will

mark a turning point in Norwich’s season.

Norwich City’s woeful run had continued the previous weekend with a 1-0 loss at play-off chasing Derby County. Despite being given the vote of confidence by City chairman Ed Balls, manager Alex Neil’s future at the club was plunged into uncertainty after the defeat to Derby with the sole goal in the contest coming from former Canaries midfielder Bradley Johnson. The Rams, who were flirting with the relegation zone prior to Steve McClaren’s return, controlled the game throughout, with Norwich mustering a mere two shots on target in the 90 minutes.

A run of five successive Championship defeats had seen the pressure mount on Neil. The 35-yearold Scot has overseen promotion via the play-offs followed by a subsequent relegation in one of the most open Premier League seasons of all time. However, Norwich’s recent domestic form, alongside an EFL Cup exit at the hands of fellow Championship side Leeds United, has raised questions about his ability to lead Norwich out of the second tier once more. The next month is not only a pivotal period in deciding the Canaries’ fate for next season, but, more importantly, a test of Neil’s leadership skills and managerial panache.

With leaders Newcastle United and second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion closing the door on the automatic promotion places, Norwich must improve their form consistently to escape the Championship yet again. Teams such as Reading and Leeds are tightening their grip on the playoff places. Moreover, Derby County and Aston Villa, teams with new managers, are both hot on the Canaries’ heels and charging towards the promotion spots. In what has been a competitive season so far, Norwich need to remain hungry for promotion if they want to keep up with the improving form of the rest of the pack.

The Christmas period is an important one for City with a tough run of fixtures including an improving Aston Villa side under the fresh guidance of Steve Bruce, Huddersfield Town and a trip to high-flying Reading on Boxing Day. December is the busiest month for domestic football and these challenging fixtures will go some way to indicating where the Canaries are as a Championship side, and where Alex Neil’s strengths and weaknesses lie.

Maintaining a play-off spot in the coming weeks would be a positive start in Norwich’s quest for a return to the Premier League once more.