Concrete 342

V

14 10

>> Venue's Halloween special inside

>> Students gambling with their futures?

24th October 2017 Issue 342

>> Halloween tricks and treats

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

Campus condemns Clive Norwich South MP apologises for "get on your knees b***h" comment

Sophie Bunce Deputy Editor Clive Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, has faced criticism from UEA students following the emergence of video footage of him saying “get on your knees bitch” to an audience member at Labour conference.

One student union officer said Mr Lewis would be removed from the LCR if he had made the comment at UEA. SU Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer India Edwards condemned the Norwich South MP’s remark.

Ms Edwards said: “There are no circumstances under which behaviour like this is acceptable‘banter’ like this, especially from someone in public office is simply Never OK. I’m proud to say that if

this rally was being held in the LCR we’d have had him removed.”

The recently emerged footage, shot in Brighton last month, shows a man called up to stage, before he is told by Mr Lewis to get on his knees.

Mr Lewis has since apologised for his remark by tweeting: “I apologise unreservedly for the language I used at an event in

Brighton last month. It was offensive and unacceptable.”

He followed the apology with a tweet thanking “friends, colleagues, constituents, comrades and passers-by” who had supported him since media reports of the video, published by the website Guido Fawkes.

Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called Mr Lewis’s comments “completely unacceptable”.

Mr Lewis was booked to meet with Mr Corbyn on Saturday 21 October for an ‘in conversation’ event when the leader visited N o r w i c h ,

however cancelled after the video surfaced.

Thai Braddick, President of UEA Momentum, told Concrete: “The language Clive used, despite it being said in jest, isn't acceptable to any stretch of the imagination. His apology was genuine and we hope to take it to heart that Clive will be challenged on and be a lot more aware of the impact of his language in the future.”

The UEA Conservative Association also condemned the remarks. They said: “Misogynistic language isn't acceptable in public or in private, in leisure or in work, at the Labour Party conference or at the LCR. "There is no reason why Clive Lewis would not have be removed from the LCR had he made his comments there instead of in Brighton.”

Mr Lewis received extensive criticism for the remark from female Labour MPs who criticised his use of language.

Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, said: “It’s not ok.

Even if meant as joke, [it] reinforces menace that men have the physical power to force compliance.”

Jess Phillips, who represents Birmingham Yardley, tweeted on Friday afternoon: “Just seen the Clive Lewis video. Obviously I am appalled, just listened to 7 teenage girls speak up about gender inequality. Perhaps I’ll bring them to work on Monday.”

A spokesman for the Labour Party said: “The Labour Party condemns the language used by Clive Lewis. It was completely unacceptable and falls far short of the standard expected of Labour MPs.”

Council reject referendum motion Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief UEA union council has voted to reject a motion which would have seen campus hold a referendum before products or people are banned by the SU. Motion 135 Giving the SU Back to its Members was rejected at the first union council of the academic year, on Thursday 19th October.

The motion proposed any proposal “to prevent co-operation with an external organisation or person” be automatically put to a campus-wide referendum. It also applied to any intentions to “prevent supply” of a particular product.

The motion was proposed by Jack Robinson, the Campaigns and Democracy officer, and seconded by Mae Kabore, the LGBT+ Open Place officer.

Mr Robinson, before the motion was discussed, said: “If Union Council are going to take a

stance and subsequent action on a controversial issue, it should be our job to get out there and win the argument, explaining why we support or oppose something rather than making the decision for students behind closed doors.”

"UEA has faced controversy following union decisions to ban, disinvite, or not stock controversial products and speakers" In the last three years, UEA has faced controversy following union decisions to ban, disinvite, or not stock controversial products and

speakers. In 2014, an event with the city’s parliamentary candidate for Ukip was cancelled following a student petition.

Most recently, a decision to ban local Mexican restaurant Pedros from handing out sombreros to

students at a freshers’ fair in 2015 led to national press coverage.

Dan Box, a union councillor for the LDC school, said he supported the motion because it would “allow the entire student body to make decisions, thus becoming much

more active members in our union”.

He said: “At the end of the day it’s the reputation of the university which will be affected, so it’s a decision in which everyone should Continued on page 7

24th October 2017

2

Editorial I was busy thinking 'bout beans Sophie Bunce Deputy Editor

Emilia Bugg, Laura Ali and Lois Arcari

We asked Concrete's illustrators for their version of UEA at Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief Last week Concrete reported on a video of UEA’s local MP jokingly yelling “get on your knees bitch” at Labour conference. Mr Lewis has since apologised for the comment, but no doubt about it, he’s lost the respect of a fair few UEA students.

Often with politics, we’re told to overlook a politician's personal opinions or scandals and focus on their policies and political actions instead. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Personally, I don’t care whether Theresa May says she’s a feminist.

I think most of us care more about how her policies actually affect women and other marginalised groups.

Having said that, sometimes this line of thought is used to sweep justified complaints from minority and disadvantaged groups under the rug. Just because you agree with somebody’s political decisions doesn’t mean it’s reasonable to think their off-hand remarks don’t have any weight.This incident, whilst one Mr Lewis swiftly apologised for, is a reminder that we still have a long way to go before lad culture disappears entirely.

On a lighter note, this month Concrete are excited to have teamed up with The Forum. Next issue you can expect to see our coverage of the Norwich Science Festival,

we’ll be reporting on events and interviewing any famous astronauts we spot traipsing through the Norwich lanes. We will be hosting a live-blog for budding young science journalists from local schools, helping Norwich pupils cover the festival.

UEA constantly gets dubbed with a ‘bubble’ reputation, sometimes fairly, but here at Concrete we want to change that!

You can read the work of the Young Communications team on their liveblog on our website concreteonline.co.uk.

"UEA constantly gets dubbed with a ‘bubble’ reputation, sometimes fairly, but here at Concrete we want to change that! " Concrete editors and writers will also be having fun at the annual UEA Media Collective Halloween event on Friday 27 October. Why not come along and chat to the team?

You can find out more information on the uea.su website.

Speaking of spooky, Features have examined all aspects of the night you need to know. They’ve

covered how to have a good night, whether you’re drinking or not. In the interest of student journalism, I went on a ghost walk last Tuesday evening. It was very exciting and you can read the edited highlights on page 10.

(Though truly I would recommend experiencing the tour for yourself. They run three times a week so there’s no excuse). On Thursday night, also in the interest of student journalism, I went to union council. Place your bets on which was the more harrowing experience.

If your eyes just glazed over at the mention of union council, you might not be alone. For our front page story, we spoke to students who said they hadn’t known how to vote on a motion because of how it was presented. One student told Concrete she abstained because she didn’t “feel like the cases were presented or explained that well to the union council” and didn’t understand what the motion discussed would really mean for campus.

This isn’t a new issue, it’s something that consistently crops up in our reporting on council.

Whether you support UEA having a representative or direct democracy, surely what matters more than anything is a system where people are able to understand what it actually is they’re being asked to vote on? I’ll leave that to readers to decide.

Beans: comfort food for most and a staple for the cold winter days ahead but my own personal hell. In this issue, Features get spooky on page 10 with Halloween’s history, but I can think of nothing more terrifying than their foodie feature on baked beans. I unashamedly hate them and here’s why you should too.

Disliking baked beans is a confession met with raised eyebrows and scoffing. I hate this, because I hand out the arched brows. Not the other way round.

What is inviting about a stagnant orange plate of disappointment?

Always sticky, mostly messy and never quite hot enough. They are singly left on plates and their goopy remnants solidify into disappointing remnants that make you wish you’d never got the tin opener out.

If you’re not like me, have a look at features on page 13 for their take on the best beans on student means. Features editors Tony and Hattie put their time aside to do the unspeakable and all for the greater good of our readers. At least their investigation lowered the number of beans on the planet.

That can only be a good thing.

Talking of all things orange, this week we had Storm Ophelia to thank for turning our skies an eerie shade of orange. Have a look at page 18 for an update of the freak weather phenomenon and pictures of UEA basked in its glowing hues. It’s almost as if the weather knew Halloween is right around the corner.

Enjoy our orange-tinted issue.

I will try and focus on the pretty pictures of the sky and forget about beans (sorry Features). I wish I had a better excuse but beans are gross.

I will always side with their superior: the spaghetti hoop. I owe many a childhood memory to the versatile spaghetti snack.

Meanwhile, my nightmares are far more beany.

concrete-online.co.uk ConcreteUEA concreteuea concrete_UEA Front page: Wikimedia, Chris McAndrew, Boxes: Public domain pictures, Vecteezy Headshots: Sarah Okello, Sylvie Tan

The University of East Anglia’s Official Student newspaper since 1992 Tuesday 10th October 2017 Issue 342 Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk Editor-in-Chief Emily Hawkins concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor Sophie Bunce concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Online Jacob Chamberlain Nathan Price Natalie Cotterill concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News News Editor: Matt Nixon Senior Reporter: Shannon McDonagh concrete.news@uea.ac.uk concrete.seniornews@uea.ac.uk Global Eddie Booth concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features Hattie Griffiths Tony Allen concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Comment Jack Ashton concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Finance Finance Editor: Jodie Bailey Senior Reporter: Will Richardson concrete.finance@uea.ac.uk Science Science Editor: Beth Papworth Senior Reporter: Alex Millard concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk Travel Beverly Devakishen concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Sport Daniel Cook Sophie Christian concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy-Editors Hannah Brown Sophie Clayton concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Marketing and Events Amelia Rentell Social Media Coordinator Emily Latimer concrete.socialmedia@uea.ac.uk Art and Design Yaiza Canopoli Emily Mildren concrete.artdesign@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, Emily Hawkins. 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.

7

News

3

24th October 2017

Student officer speaks out against bus company India Edwards criticises standard of service

Shannon McDonagh Senior News Reporter Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer India Edwards has expressed dissatisfaction at the First East Counties Buses, UEA’s primary public transport service.

The officer wrote a blog post titled 'enough is enough', marking the latest in a string of disagreements between the union and First Group,. The SU called on students to boycott the service at the end of the last academic year due to a price increase on student tickets.

"Queues repeatedly stretch long beyond the bus stop" Ms Edwards published a letter originally sent to the marketing manager for First East Counties Buses, David Jordan. It details concerns that the company is not doing enough to accommodate the increase of 1,000 extra students on campus.

In the letter, Ms Edwards shares her experiences using the 25/26 service to travel to UEA from the city center, stating that she has “had a full bus sail past both me and a long queue of staff and students on multiple occasions this term.”

She also states concerns regarding evening travel in peak times. She said: “Queues repeatedly stretch long beyond the bus stop, wait times have been up to an hour before a bus arrives with capacity for some in the queue, and buses are repeatedly leaving with students standing on the stairs, the top deck and next to the driver - which presumably is unsafe.”

Other issues raised in the letter include the lack of a single ticket option on the M Ticket App, something available to students in other cities across the country.

She concluded in saying “bus service quality is an issue that is consistently at the forefront of students’ minds - something of which I am acutely aware as it is often brought up in conversation when I talk to students.”

Since the publication of the blog post, there has been news of the creation of a First Bus Users forum.

The university is seeking volunteers in both staff and students to share their experiences with First

First Group calls service 'sustainable, affordable and convenient'

Photo: Geof Sheppard, Wikimedia Group, with the inaugural session taking place on Friday 27 October at 12.30 pm. Anybody that wishes to be involved should contact Dawn Dewar.

A spokesperson for First East Counties said: “We have a strong working partnership with colleagues

at the UEA that has been built over buses to meet additional demand, many years with the objective being especially in the morning at peak to deliver a sustainable, affordable times." and convenient bus service Photo: for ZakNelson1995, With regards to Wikicommons the focus group, students and staff at the university." they said they “encourage any They continued: “We constantly student with an interest in making monitor our services and when bus services better for all to put necessary we will run duplicate themselves forward.”

Universities told "commit to free speech" Matt Nixon News Editor

The universities minister, Jo Johnson, has said universities that use ‘No Platforming’ and ‘safe spaces’ to prevent free speech could face action from the Government’s new higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS). The Times have reported that this action could include powers to fine, suspend or even deregister universities if they “do not meet a statutory duty to commit to free speech in their governance documents.”

"Universities that prevent free speech could face action from the government" The Department for Education (DfE) added that the OfS will be able to hold universities to account on their duty to secure free speech – ensuring that staff, student unions, and student societies do not attempt

universities to encourage a culture of openness and debate.”

Photo: Yaiza Canopoli to limit free speech.

‘No Platforming’ is a policy used by the National Union of Students (NUS), which asserts that certain people and organisations are not given a platform to speak.

The term ‘safe spaces’ refers to environments where individuals can come together and feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, or harassment. Opponents to these policies, such as Jo Johnson, claim they stifle free speech.

Last year, the University of East Anglia was given an amber alert for free speech by Spiked magazine.

The magazine also went so far to give UEA’s Student Union a red alert for banning and actively censoring

ideas on campus.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Johnson said “young people and students need to accept the legitimacy of healthy vigorous debate in which people can disagree with one another.” He continued: “That’s how ideas get tested, prejudices exposed and society advances.

Universities mustn’t be places in which free speech is stifled.”

On their official Twitter page, the DfE released a statement from Mr. Johnson, reiterating his previous comments. The post says “free speech is one of the foundations on which our higher education tradition is built. This is why I want the Office for Students to work with

"Students need to accept the legitimacy of healthy vigorous debate" The NUS responded to this statement, claiming that Mr Johnson is releasing “a story where it appears [he] is helping students but without actually helping students.” They also add “the education system is collapsing around us and students can barely afford to eat,” and accuse Jo Johnson of distracting the public from these issues.

The universities minister’s free speech proposals and comments come as part of a general consultation which aims to work out how the OfS will operate in its regulation of English universities.

Commenting on the Freedom of Speech proposals, SU Campaigns and Democracy Officer Jack

Robinson said “the minister talks tough, but in truth he’s rehashing a duty that has been on universities to protect freedom of speech since 1986.

“It proposes a code of practice we already have, and it certainly won’t stop students deciding for themselves what they want to stock in their shop, or deciding not to invite someone to an event because they are proponents of hate speech.”

Robinson also commented on the wider proposals of the OfS. He said “It’s called an ‘Office for Students’ but there’s not much in the 177 page document that addresses students’ and their families’ concerns about tuition fees and value for money.”

“Given the raft of hidden costs and charges that students face at university - along with the rocketing cost of accommodation and concerns that locals and students share alike about university expansion, we’d like to see a focus on student worries rather than what plays well in the Telegraph and Times.”

The SU also note that The Education Act 1986 already requires universities to “ensure that freedom of speech within the law is secured for members, students and employees of the establishment and for visiting speakers.”

" ha st

4

News News in brief

UEA ranks 15th in 'Table of Tables'

UEA has been ranked 15th in this year’s Times Higher Education ‘Table of Tables’. The table seeks to combine the results of the three primary rankings of British universities - The Guardian’s rankings, The Complete University Guide, and The Times’ own Good University Guide.

The table was first produced in 2008 due to criticism from various institutions that different tables place greater value on different qualities, such as the Guardian’s inclusion of a ‘spend per student’ category or the Complete University Guide’s more succinct ranking based on solely four factors.

This year’s placement is one up from last years ranking, and sees UEA placed above several ‘elite’ Russell Group institutions such as Kings College London, The University of Birmingham and The University of Nottingham.

Shannon McDonagh

24th October 2017

Cambridge VC refuses to take pay cut Natalie Cotterill News Reporter Professor Stephen Toope, the new vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, has refused to take a pay cut to his £365,000 salary and is encouraging others to do the same.

Speaking to The Times, Prof Toope, a Canadian who has spent the majority of his professional life in North America, explained that the role of vice-chancellor is “relentless” and not understood properly in the UK. He said: “People don’t understand how a vice-chancellor’s job has evolved. I am essentially responsible for £1 billion a year turnover, 11,000 employees, 19,000 students, and am in the lead to complete a £2 billion fundraising campaign."

He added this means that he is: "searching for all possible sources of income, while developing the international reputation of the university, working with business,

government and civil society to develop partnerships, while being responsible for operations and the entity of the university.”

He stated that senior salaries are not an issue for individuals, but for the entire sector, and expressed the wish that no action be taken to

"People don't understand how a ViceChancellor's job has evolved. I am essentially responsible for £1bn a year turnover" appease critics.

University bosses on average earn £257,904, which has prompted the Office for Students (OfS) to require that universities justify any salary above that of the Prime Minister (£150,402) and fine those unable to do so.

The chairman of the OfS,

U

Sir Michael Barber, urged vice- are very strong, and Cambridge is chancellors to accept pay cuts to the pinnacle. restore public confidence.

"I very much hope Prof Toope also feared that the government rising student loans could realises what undermine UK universities’ a tremendous global standing, and questioned national asset this the interest rate of 6.1 percent is for the UK. when commercial loans are Anything that much lower. undermines that However, Toope added that asset would be a he had high regard for the true own goal."

UK's Higher Education system.

Speaking to The Times, Toope said "The HE system in the UK is the envy of the world."

He added: "The UK has a t t r a c t e d generation after generation of people from all parts of the world as the Photo:Milan Ilnyckyj, Flickr universities

Islamic Society host charity week University funding on the rocks ahead of review Jack Ashton News Reporter UEA's Islamic Society (ISOC) are hosting a week long charity event in aid of Rohingya Muslims.The fundraising is done on behalf of the 'Islamic Relief' charity, which help supply education, healthcare, infrastructure and security to multiple regions and thousands of

"The money raised has helped people in Palestine, Damascus and Jordan among others" citizens worldwide. The week itself consists of a variety of activities including a bake sale, a 'pamper and pancakes' and a HalalFest most of which are free and rely on

donations from the public in order to fundraise through them.

Charity week is a larger scale event, where multiple societies and universities will dedicate their time to raising money for a charity through the help of Islamic Relief.

The movement started off as a small group of 20 students, but has now transformed into a nationwide event, raising over £3million in total since its founding. The money raised has helped people in Palestine, Damascus and Jordan among others.

The event begins on campus, with their first event, the 'Bake Sale' starting Monday 23rd at 10am in The Hive, and their last event ending the following Friday at 4pm in the same location.

More information is available on ISOC's Facebook page.

Photo: Wikimedia

Cat Leyland News Reporter At a party conference held last week, Prime Minister Theresa May announced a major review of university finance, which could change the way universities are funded.

"Absolutely everything gets thrown up in the air again" While the terms of the review are still yet to be announced, new policies could potentially include a return of the student numbers cap, and even reducing the current cost of tuition fees.

The decision has been widely criticised as a political move in

response to the electoral impact of Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge to scrap tuition fees and return maintenance grants in the latest election.

One critic, Andy Westwood, government practice professor at the University of Manchester, stated that a finance review was politically inevitable under the current circumstances.

He also suggested that the Conservative party in fact had “some very clear objectives” from it, with “price differentiation, price competition and a big theme on value for money and cross subsidy” adding to the current Conservative focus on the marketisation of education.

However, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), Nick Hillman, offered a more positive attitude towards the outcomes of the review. He stated that if it was a "genuine review" then

“absolutely everything gets thrown up in the air again.”

"New policies could potentially include a return of the student numbers cap, and even reducing the current cost of tuition fees" While this poses a potential risk for universities, Mr. Hillman claims it could also “lead to some improvements for part-time students, [whose numbers] have had a massive decline or there could be some extra focus on the quality of the student experience, or it could lead to the redisposition of student number controls and less money for funding each student.”

A f T h p u t

Norfolk police announce huge reforms Shannon McDonagh Senior News Reporter It was announced last week that Norfolk Police will face radical reforms to its resource allocations, with an expected loss of up to 178 jobs. The changes come after a review of Norfolk’s policing model was launched in 2015 due to the “changing face of crime”, with an increase of over 300 percent in crimes requiring “complex investigations” since 2012.

This includes an unprecedented rise in the reporting of sexual offences, child abuse, and cyber related crimes.

The force will be the first in the country to scrap all Police

Community Support Officers (PCSOs), leading to concerns from residents regarding the lack of police presence in their local areas.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey stated this was because the cost of training a PCSO is only £1,800 short of a fully trained police officer.

"The force will be the first in the country to scrap all Police Community Support Officers" In the event of the plans going ahead, Norfolk will also see seven stations closed, with another seven relocated. In addition to this there

will be a loss of 28 jobs incurred from the closure of seven of Norfolk’s ten public enquiry offices. The estimated £2 million a year saved from these changes will be used to train 81 extra police officers and 31 extra members of staff for complex investigations. Bailey expressed that the constabulary has saved £30 million in the past five years but that the force needs to find another £10 million by 2020 to coordinate the changes. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk said residents of Norfolk will have a chance to raise concerns, saying: “The next Police Accountability Forum meeting will take place on Tuesday 14 November 2017 at the South Norfolk Council Offices in Long Stratton.”

t i h d s i c A d p

c w t p e p

c r

7

w

n

l n e

d y

t

5

24th October 2017

News

UEA student loses £830 deposit Matt Nixon News Editor A UEA student has found himself £830 out of pocket, having not received his deposit despite leaving his flat almost a year ago.

23-year-old Film student Tom Hall, and his girlfriend Cassie Healey, have been ‘powerless’ to take any action against their landlord due to the type of document signed.

Instead of signing a shorthold tenancy document, which requires landlords to protect their tenants’ deposit, Tom and Cassie signed a licence to occupy agreement which gives them fewer rights.

"Because of the nature of the document, it is unlikely that Tom and Cassie will get back their money, even if they go to court" Because of the nature of the document, it is unlikely that Tom and Cassie will get back their money, even if they go to court. The tenants were told that their deposit would be used to pay their last month’s rent, but by this point they had already paid for rent and were trying to get

t h e

Man charged for stealing from hospital

t o carefully c h e c k what t o check t h e

Photo: Francis Tyers, Wikimedia Imogen Barton News Reporter

Photo: Tom Hall, Facebook deposit back.

The estate agents, Max Estates, last contacted the tenants in December 2016. Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Tom said he “tried to contact [the estate agent] twice a week for about a month.

They’ve ignored emails since. We just felt completely powerless.”

Since then, Tom and Cassie’s story has been reported on BBC one’s ‘Rip Off Britain’, which showed another case in Berkshire where another tenant of Max Estates faced the same problems.

The show reminded new tenants

documents they were signing, and the protections they offered.

Speaking to Concrete, Tom Hall said his main advice for students "would be to make sure what you're getting into before you sign anything. In particular, avoid licence to occupy agreements and make sure your deposit is going into a protection scheme."

UEA students are encouraged to use Homerun – the SU’s approved service for renting accommodation off of campus, which lists trusted landlords and properties around Norwich.

Norwich Crown Court have sentenced a former Norfolk and Norwich Hospital employee to 32 months in jail for stealing £153,000 from the hospital’s charitable fund.

Stephen Hart, 42, made more than 140 cheque payments from the fund, which was intended to assist with medical research and provide additional care for the sick, into his personal accounts.

The defendant, of Arlington Close, Attleborough, had worked at the hospital for around 20 years and administered payments for the fund. After accounting abnormalities came to light, it was discovered that he had forged his manager’s signature on cheques so that he could pay them directly into his accounts or credit card.

Adonis: 'Polytechnics should lose university status' Seàn Bennett News Reporter

garner any more support from universities, not least from those institutions that stand to lose their status should his calls be answered.

Indeed, Lord Adonis has passed comment on more than just polytechnics.

Upon being prompted by a committee, he said of the Prime Minister's recent tuition fee reform “It looks to me as if the whole system is a pack of cards waiting to collapse.” Each modification to the system, he argued, simply increases the costs of keeping everything afloat until eventually the entire thing is sure to collapse.

Andrew Adonis, a Labour peer and former Education Minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has called for more than 30 former polytechnics to be stripped of their university status, due to his belief they are “lower-performing.”

"[Adonis] has called for more than 30 former polytechnics to be stripped of their university status."

A polytechnic is a term for tertiary education teaching institutions in the UK which offered higher diplomas and undergraduate degrees focusing in STEM subjects such as engineering. 25 years ago, in 1992, it was decided polytechnics could take the title of a university.

According to Lord Adonis this decision was made “without any proper consideration or advice.”

Speaking to a House of Lords committee, Adonis said: “I think we’ve lost a very great deal of the edge and focus of vocational, particularly technical, higher education as a result of [giving polytechnics university status].

“I think there is a very good case for reversing that reform, in respect of the lower-performing

"It looks to me as if the whole system is a pack of cards waiting to collapse"

Photo: Cicero Group, Flickr former polytechnics and doing it in the context of a very significant reduction in the fees they are allowed to charge students.”

Lord Adonis proposes that by reforming the amount these “lower-performing’’ institutions can charge, students will be given “a much better deal.” His comments

come ahead of a general review of higher education funding promised by the Prime Minister.

No stranger to conflict, Adonis has clashed with the top brass of the higher education sector before, namely over matters such as vicechancellors’ pay and tuition fees.

This latest proposal is unlikely to

Among his many issues with the Higher Education system, the Peer of the Realm has repeatedly claimed that universities in the UK have colluded in setting tuition fees at the highest possible level.

Arguing against Adonis’ comments Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said it was ‘extremely logical’ for intuitions to charge the maximum that the government will allow them to. Adonis eventually backed down from his stance, admitting that he had no evidence to back up his accusations.

The thefts took place over a sixyear period between January 2011 and November 2016.

Andrew Oliver, on behalf of Hart, claimed that his client was a chronic alcoholic who “would not be able to get through a day” without drinking.

“This is not the sort of case where money has gone on luxury or lavish lifestyle. He has consumed it on alcohol.”

He also noted that when the thefts came to light, Hart “found himself in a very dark place and admitted all matters and demonstrated a high level of remorse.”

The judge, Stephen Holt, claimed that he did not accept that the defendant had spent an average of £700 a week on alcohol over the sixyear period “unless [he was] buying the most expensive red wines.”

He added: “Your actions were mean and despicable. You were stealing from a charity."

COMMENT

Harry Routley says this decision won't improve academic standards

The story of British polytechnics is one of resilience. They occupy a key role, opening up higher education for the masses. ‘Traditional’ universities face systemic problems with working class demographics and the ex-polys allow for talented students who may be lacking a classical academic background to gain access to the university experience. It is an economic reality that degrees are an increasingly essential requirement for higher paid entry-level careers; therefore, the ex-polys that provide qualifications to these low-income students also create wider access to the jobs market.

If Adonis’ plan went through, we would surely see a tiered system created when applying for graduate jobs, with employers potentially being able to accept applications only from ‘real’ university graduates, rolling back years of progress in reducing inequality.

Ultimately, what Adonis doesn’t seem to understand is that the polytechnic vs university debate ended after 1992. Most modern students won’t remember that there ever was a division and trying to reverse such a monumental decision won’t improve academic standards for either group; it will only serve to bring back a relic, a binary system that discourages progress for all students.

6

24th October 2017

News

Survey investigates the housing horrors of Norwich Rodents, leaky pipes, and broken furniture

Chloe Howcroft News Reporter The Labour Students organisation are running a nation-wide survey that they say will reveal the realities of poor student housing standards.

"After a long day at university, there is nothing worse than not wanting to go home" The survey, which is part of the organisation’s primary campaign this year and is titled Somewhere to Call Home, aims to collect the personal testimonies of students living off campus. They say they will

use the survey to expose and “tackle poor living conditions” in order to “improve standards of housing for students.”

Labour societies across the country voted for student housing to be their primary campaign this year.

Rhys Purtill, a member of the National Committee of Labour Students, told Concrete the survey was very significant for Norwich students. Speaking to Concrete he said: “I think the reason that this survey is so important is that everybody - students, lecturers, SU officers, the government - knows that it’s bad. but there is no data on it. There is no evidence to say ‘here’s what students are saying".

“After a long day at university, there is nothing worse than not wanting to go home. I’ve been in that position and it’s not great.” Eliott Simpson, a TV and Film Graduate, recalled the multitude of problems he faced when living in student

UEA students show the realities of student housing

housing. “From week one there were leaking pipes in the bathroom, crumbling bathroom tiles that had to be immediately replaced, and shelves and drawers that had come loose and needed repairing. They weren’t the worst of our problems.

"It wasn't uncommon to see your breath appear in the air" “It wasn't an uncommon sight to see your breath appear in the air when you breathed in the house, regardless of whether the heating was on or not.

“We told the landlord about these issues but they were never fixed. The landlord and agency were just generally very unhelpful, being slow to respond at times and being incredibly vague in messages.”

Lifetime bans for lethal drivers Seàn Bennett News Reporter The government have recently announced that drivers who kill as a result of their dangerous or careless driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will now face life sentences for their crimes.

Deaths which arise as a result of mobile phone use, speeding or unlawful racing will be equated with manslaughter.

"21 year old Rebecca McManus, a UEA graduate, was hit and killed by a drunk driver" These changes come after criticism was levied at the government and justice system for being too lenient on the perpetrators of fatal road incidents.

Justice Minister Dominic Raab announced the new legislation saying that the decision was "based on the seriousness of the worst cases, the anguish of the victims’ families, and maximum penalties for other serious crimes such as manslaughter."

This matter holds particular weight here at UEA as in 2014 a then recent graduate, 21 year old Rebecca McManus, was hit and killed by a drunk driver in Birmingham. Her father, Gerald McManus, began a petition earlier this year lobbying for lifetime driving bans for those who cause death by dangerous driving.

The changes, far stricter than those being called for Mr McManus, have been met with mixed responses.

Unsurprisingly, charities who deal with road safety issues, such as Brake, have heralded the stricter rules as a ‘major victory’ for victims’ families.

In the light of the new punishments for lethal drivers, Brakes director of campaigns, Jason Wakeford, said: “We applaud the

government for at last recognising that the statute books have been weighed against thousands of families who have had their lives torn apart through the actions of drivers who have flagrantly broken the law."

"Changes come after criticism was levied at the government" However, not all agree. Barrister Matthew Scott argued on BBC Radio 5 Live that the changes would not make roads any safer and that the move was a ‘crowdpleasing gesture’ from Theresa May's increasingly unpopular government.

He said “taking out a mobile phone while driving without any intention to cause death” should not be considered akin to the heinous crimes which currently carry life sentences.

Neglectful landlords appear to be a common thread among UEA students living off campus. Second year Media and International Development student, Marina Shishkin, revealed how her bedroom door immediately appeared to be stuck when she moved in. “When I opened it, the whole frame came off. We notified our landlord who sent builders, but it still hasn’t been fixed.” Ms Shishkin's doorframe still remains hanging loose.

One third-year History student, who wished to remain anonymous, commented on their appalling living environment.

They said: "At night, in your bed, there were scratches and scrapes as rodents scurried along behind our walls, in our rooms, and through our ceilings. We found out that our house was built over a sewer, but this unfortunate anecdote was only the beginning.”

Evidently, student housing is experiencing a crisis in standards.

Continued from front page get to have their opinion heard.

When the elected SU officials made decisions on what to ban in the past without consulting the student body via referendum, we got stupid decisions like Sombrero-gate.

“It’s about time the gap between students and the SU was erased, and the first step to that in my opinion is letting every students decide what they want to ban.”

The union has held a number of referendums to decide policy in the past. Students voted to boycott Nestle in December 2005 but overwhelmingly voted against banning the controversial song Blurred Lines in 2013.

Union councillors voted 42 to 26 against the motion. There were 16 abstentions.

Abbie Mulcairn, union councillor for Leeway Society, spoke against the motion. She argued the motion would instead give more power to the Campaigns and Democracy Officer.

The motion proposed ideas submitted to the union’s website be “rapidly” implemented by default and to “mandate the Campaigns and Democracy Officer to develop internal guidelines on how student

According to Mr Purtill we are likely to hear of some results from the survey within a month.

"In your bed there were scratches and scrapes as rodents scurried along behind our walls" In the meantime, UEA’s Labour Society currently has plans to invite local councils and academics into UEA to speak with students on why housing standards are a “fundamental human right” and what they can do to protect themselves. suggestions should be handled to avoid student thinking they have to take a simple idea to Council.”

Ms Mulcairn said: “This was a blatant attempt to shift power from elected councillors to the Campaigns & Democracy Officer wrapped up in a lie about 'giving power back to students'. I found this power grab an absolute insult after 3 years sat on union council.”

Mr Robinson told Concrete: "We had proposed that when a student has an idea- like a new item in the shop or a theme for Damn Good, the SU should just get on with it instead of asking a student to "write a motion". The idea that that represents a power grab is laughable."

Misha Camp, representative for International Development Society, said he felt the motion was unclear.

He said: “A motion that designates where and how democracy should be working in the student union needs to be very clear and understandable.”

An anonymous suggestion has been made on the ‘I have an idea’ section of the SU’s website following the vote that “all decisions to ban things should go to an all student referendum”. If an idea receives 425 up-votes on the website a referendum on the policy will be held.

1 PIZZA GET 1 FREE

BUY

ENTER CODE AF115E IN YOUR BASKET Collection or delivery Limited time only. Lowest price pizza is free. Deal does not include small pizzas. Ask instore for more details.

Minimum delivery spend applies. Only available from participating Pizza Hut Delivery stores. Not available as takeaway from restaurants. Subject to availability.

T&Cs apply, see www.pizzahut.co.uk/terms ® and ™ indicates trademarks owned or used under license by Pizza HutInternational, LLC © 2017.

ORDER ONLINE PIZZAHUT.CO.UK

01603 220066

Grove Road Mon-Sun 11:30 - 01:00 Tues & Sat 11:30 - 04:00 Minimum delivery spend £11.99

8

Global

24th October 2017

Austria: dust settles on heated election Daniel Peters Global Writer On 15 October Austria voted in one of the most heated elections for many years. It now seems likely that Sebastian Kurz will become the country’s new Chancellor, a result that will have implications throughout the continent.

Aged only 31, Kurz is set to become Europe’s youngest premier.

Suave and charismatic, he has rebranded the centre-right People’s Party (ÖVP) in his own image. Since 2013 Kurz has served as Austria’s Foreign Minister. In this position he called for tighter control over the EU’s external borders and led a controversial amendment to Austria’s Islam law. Key pledges of his recent election campaign include a curb of immigration and a reduction of refugee financial support.

“Today the world watches on with quiet acceptance” However, Kurz did not win an outright majority. At 32 percent he secured the largest vote share, but will require a coalition partner in order to take government. The socially democratic SPÖ finished second, but it is the third place Freedom Party that grabbed news

Catalonia: crisis mounts, reports Nick Stokes The situation in Catalonia is getting closer to breaking point, as the Spanish government has said it will meet to discuss invoking Article 155 of the national consitution.

This would remove autonomy from Catalonia. The region’s leader Mr. Puigdemont has said the Parliament will vote on independence if Spain continues its repression. Direct rule from Madrid would likely constitute repression in the eyes of Mr Puigdemont, and potentially trigger an internal referendum vote in Parliament. This comes after the referendum on independence, which was declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Spain. Many within Catalonia accused the government of heavy handedness after a number of people were injured on independence day when riot police turned up. There was a counter protest the following week where a reported 350,000 people campaigned for Spanish unity.

Catalonian independence has been a long standing issue since the region was subjugated under the rule of General Franco.

There is widespread Catalan resentment about treatment, with Madrid perceived as dominant, and the use of Barcalona’s wealth to fund poorer parts of Spain.

Photo: Kurz, Bundesministerium für Europa, Wikimedia headlines. The Freedom Party was founded by a former Nazi official, and their current leader HeinzChristian Strache has previously been arrested for participating in a banned neo-Nazi rally. Their policies show extreme opposition to immigrants, especially Muslims.

Their candidate for the ceremonial role of President in the 2016 election missed out by a whisker to the Green Party candidate, a swing of just three percent away from capturing

the Head of State role.

It now seems likely that Kurz’s ÖVP will approach the Freedom Party as potential partners. Should he do so, the Freedom Party will play a significant role in government.

With 26 percent of the popular vote, the Freedom Party have earned themselves a significant voice in any coalition they enter.

It is worth noting that, despite this strong performance, the OVP will be slightly disappointed. Before

the meteroic rise of Kurz, the Freedom party had been leading the polls.

However, not since 2000 has Austria seen the formation of a People’s/Freedom Party coalition.

Back then the result was met with EU diplomatic sanctions and global outrage.

Today the world watches on with quiet acceptance – a striking sign of how far European politics has changed in recent years.

Global Editor Eddie Booth on the rise of the far right The Austrian election saw the latest instance of a Europe wide resurgence for the far right.

Though beaten into a narrow third place, the hardline anti-migrant Freedom Party pushed the centreright OVP mentioned in the lead article to a more hardline position.

The trend towards nationalism in European elections has been reflected in the strong showing for Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, the Front National’s Marie Le Pen reaching the run off in France, and the increasingly anti-migrant stance of the Visegrad bloc in the EU. Whilst further right parties have been growing for some time, the likely involement of the Freedom Party in the Austrian government represents the first time that one of these parties has successfully entered government in a position of considerable power. This has the potential to cause a real headache for the EU, whose migrant quotas have been very unpopular with the Visegrad bloc, and whose leader, Germany, is still coming to terms with the recent messy election.

Iran: Trump threatens nuclear deal Ollie Ryan Tucker Global Writer In a move that has caused a major rift between the US and its global allies, President Trump has refused to certify the Iran Deal.

Negotiated by his predecessor Barrack Obama and major world powers, the deal was made in 2015 to prevent Iran developing nuclear capabilities. The permanent members of the United Nations including Russia, China and Great Britain as well as Iran signed the agreement, and it was widely seen as a major foreign policy success of the Obama administration. The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) welcomed the agreement. According to the IAEA Iran is upholding the deal.

The deal has long been criticised however by Israel and Republicans.

They believe that the deal opens the way for a nuclear weapon in the future, despite heavy restrictions on Iran’s enrichment level and capacity. There are several so-called “sunset clauses” in the deal which remove many of these restrictions after 2025. Many are also angered

by Iran’s actions across the region, such as its support for the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and

Photo: Iran, US State Department, Wikimedia. its subsequent involvement in the Syrian Civil War. The US President is required by Congress to certify every 90 days that the deal is being legitimately enacted however Trump’s concerns lie with the deal itself rather than its implementation. This refusal to re-certify leaves Congress with 60 days to decide whether to withdraw entirely from the deal and re-impose sanctions.

The Trump administration is expected to heavily sanction the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), a branch of Iran’s armed force largely responsible for its overseas involvement. Sanctions are

also expected to fall on Hezbollah, an Iranian affiliated militia in Lebanon.

The United States’ allies have been quick to point out that the deal is not a bilateral treaty between the US and Iran. EU head of foreign policy Federica Mogherini stated there had been “no violations” and that “it is not up to any single country to terminate” the deal.

Theresa May, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron released a joint statement saying that they “stand committed to the [deal] and its full implementation by all sides”. Hassan Rouhani, Iranian President, responded by calling the US “more than ever isolated”

and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei angrily responded to Trump by calling him a “brute” and “foul-mouthed president”. He also threatened Iranian withdrawal from the deal should the US de-certify it and implement sanctions on Iran.

Iranian strength and influence in the Middle East is at an alltime high, with its successful and ongoing involvement in both the fight against ISIS and against Syrian rebels in Iraq and Syria. The IRGC has promised reprisals against US troops in the region if sanctions go ahead, leaving a potentially dangerous choice for American lawmakers.

9

24th October 2017

Somalia: Bomb blasts kill hundreds Chloe Howcroft Global Writer Over 300 people are expected to have died in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, following a double truck bombing on Saturday afternoon.

The vehicles were allegedly loaded with cooking gas, with the first explosion taking place at a busy junction close to government buildings and restaurants, and the second occurring two hours later near the Medina district.

“Over 300 people are expected to have died”

The death toll is likely to rise as ambulance services and rescue teams continue to pull bodies out of the rubble. Over 200 people have been injured and are being taken into nearby hospitals, while more severely injured civilians are reportedly being flown to and treated in Turkey. Thus far, no organisation has claimed responsibility; however, the nature of the attack is largely indicative of the country’s armed militia, Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab, which means ‘the

youth’ in Arabic, is an insurgent group in opposition to the Westernbacked government, with a priority to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law in the country. Since its formation in 2006, the country has experienced over a decade of fighting, including an attack on public spaces and pro-Government troops last February, as well as the seizing of the Westgate shopping mall in neighbouring country Kenya in 2013, which had a death toll of over 60 people. In recent years, the organisation has reduced in size and capacity, with some of its key leaders being killed, but this latest attack reminds the international community of its ability to remain a threat to society.

Somalia has suffered violence for decades with the country’s history of unsuccessful transitional governments, political upheaval and now concerns of piracy, too.

The impoverished, war-torn country has another consideration too: famine.

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon has been urging all nations to respond to the crisis which affects approximately 3.1 million people in Somalia alone, according to UN reports, and countries across the Horn of Africa, too.

Photo: Staff Sgt. Kenneth W. Norman

uea and your SU are offering you the chance to Do Something Different every day this year. find out more: uea.su/dsd

10

24th October 2017

Features

We’re going on a ghost walk...

Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief There are few things in Norwich scarier than the LCR on a Tuesday night. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Norwich Ghost Walks is one of those things but nonetheless last week I found myself, and a few friends, trudging through the city’s streets behind a man in a black cape detailing the macabre tales behind Norwich’s quaint medieval veneer.

“There are few things in Norwich scarier than the LCR on a Tuesday night.”

Around forty soon-to-be ghostwalkers congregate in the car park of the Adam & Eve pub as the walk begins with ‘The Man in Black’ introducing himself.

Thought to be the oldest pub in the city, the Adam & Eve was host to one of the sixteenth century’s most famous uprisings, where 15,000 farmers and peasants rose against Lord Sheffield and the local nobility in Kett’s Rebellion. A butcher from Cromer armed with a meat cleaver dealt the final blow to Sheffieldwho died in the pub’s bottom bar.

The Man in Black tells us how the pub played witness to dancing tankards, dripping blood onto the bar, over the centuries since. “It’s

never been scientifically analysed”, the Man in Black insists, “but this is a ghost story, and so it must be blood”.

The route takes ghost-walkers through the medieval heart of the city over two hours, covering Tombland, Elm Hill, and finishing by circling the Cathedral’s estate.

Tombland, we learn, was blighted by the plague and is thus home to six of the city’s plague pits. The Man in Black says these victims had “no requiem, no epithet, no headstone.” It is no surprise, he adds, that the area is host to so much spectral activity. He’s right - well, about the neglected status of the plague pits at least. There is hardly any sign that the large lavender pits in the court between Palace Street were filled with the bodies of thousands (4,500 roughly) of plague victims in the early modern period.

Instead, they lie inconspicuously amongst quirky bookshops and tea rooms.

The walk is full of obscure tiddbits about the city, for example that ‘tombland’ isn’t a signifer of the area’s morbid history but is derived from Nordic and means “open space”.

The night dipped into pantoesque theatrics, with multiple “ghosts” popping up. A furious Benedictine monk appears to call the crowd scum for example.

An evening of ghost stories, haunting histories and autumnal air, this really isn’t to be missed.

Halls: what a scream Georgia Rees-Lang Features Writer It is a truth universally acknowledged that moving into university accommodation isn’t easy. For some, their first day in halls meant roaming the corridor like some kind of deranged double glazing salesman knocking on doors in a frantic effort to make friends.

For others, however, the day consisted more of curling up in a foetal position on the bed crying into the (single) duvet whilst desperately Googling if it’s possible to pass a degree without attending any seminars or lectures, or in fact even going outside.

We took to the streets (or, The Street, to be more precise) to find out more about some of this year’s fresher halls experiences, in Concrete’s most tenuously linked to Halloween feature.

“My flatmates awoke to find

“In the Village, just before

vomit spewed all over the

Halloween one the tiles

floor of one of the shared

in our cieling fell to the

bathrooms. We all had our

floor. We thought it was ominous but decided to

“In the lower village we

just go with it and we

used to get visits from

ended up throwing some

this massive bug that had

fake cobwebs and plastic

pincers and a stinger but

spiders up there”

no one knew what it was.

We were all scared of it because you could hear it coming but you could never see it - we could

suspicions, it was like an Agatha Christie murder mystery, fingers pointing in all directions. Eventually one of the cleaners came in demanding the culprit to clean up their mess, but the person responsible remained unfound.”

sense his presence.“ Photos: Pixabay

11

24th October 2017

Features

Booze and Boos

Fancy a pint in the spookiest taverns in town? We’ve got the low-down Isabelle Siddle Features Writer

old holding cells for people accused of being heretics and witches who were burnt at the stake in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The prisoners would be held there overnight, and then made to cross the river towards the pyre in the morning.

After they were executed, their bodies were tossed in the chalk pit that can still be found in the garden behind the pub. It is said that you can still hear the screams of the prisoners at night, and they can be seen crossing the bridge in the early hours.

Adam and Eve

Built in 1249, this is the oldest pub in Norwich. The most commonly sighted ghost, affectionately referred to as ‘Sam’ by the regulars, is thought to be the ghost of Lord Sheffield, who died in the building after being stabbed in Kett’s rebellion in 1549.

“People have reported hearing footsteps, seeing ashtrays and glasses move by themselves”

The Murderers Pub

People have reported hearing footsteps, seeing ashtrays and glasses move by themselves, feeling hot and cold spots, and feeling fingers running through their hair or tapping them on the shoulder.

The Coachmakers Arms

This pub, built in the 17th Century, sits on the site of an asylum, and boasts multiple apparitions; the most commonly seen is a highwayman who stands at the end of the bar, and is often mistaken for a customer – until he vanishes into thin air.

Also seen is a woman in a long

Photo: pxhere black dress who walks down the pub stairs and then disappears, and bottles, glasses, and pictures on the wall have been seen falling without being touched.

The Lamb Inn

A little more upscale, The Lamb Inn has recently been renovated.

It is supposedly haunted by John Aggas, a former landlord murdered in 1757 when he intervened in a fight between his sister and her husband, Timothy Hardy.

Hardy stabbed Aggas in the stomach, and he died the next morning. However, his ghost is said to be friendly; he sits in one of the

chairs by the window, and children staying at the inn have said they’ve been woken by him reading them bedtime stories.

Lollards Pit – Riverside Lollards Pit was built sometime between 1620 and 1670, on the site of

The Murderers Pub, built in 1696 and originally named The Gardener’s Arms, owes its current name to the murder of landlady Maria Wilby’s daughter, Mildred, in June 1895.

Mildred, affectionately known as Millie, was killed by her estranged husband, ex-cavalryman Frank Miles, following an argument the previous evening when Millie, sick of Frank bringing multiple women into her mother’s pub, had walked in with another man.

Frank was due to hang for the murder, but due to public outcry his sentenced was commuted, and he died in prison in 1905.

The Murderers Pub is incredibly interested in its own history; the current landlord, Philip Cutter, has displayed birth and death certificates of Maria, Millie, and Frank, as well as newspaper clippings and even the murder weapon!

Traditions of TERROR

Natalie Cotterill explores the origins of the festival that we love to celebrate today Whether you are someone who goes full out with costumes, decor, and parties, or the one who silently leaves the house as night falls to avoid the trick or treaters, Halloween is here.

“Many have forgotten the roots of the festival, thinking they are little more than relatively new fads” Whilst some see it as an Americanised holiday, it appears

to be gaining popularity in the UK. Many have forgotten the roots of the festival, thinking they are little more than relatively new fads, but most of the traditions date back to earlier times.

The Celtic festival of Samhain, which is still celebrated by Pagans today, marks the end of the harvest season and is symbolic of the boundary between the living and the dead.

As the Celtic days ran from sunset to sunset, fires would be lit to ward off any evil spirits, as it was believed that the ghosts of their dead would return to the mortal world.

A name that many people recognise for Halloween is All

Hallow’s Eve, which is down to Pope Gregory who, in the eighth century, moved the All Hallows’ Feast from 13th May to the 1st November, so that it would coincide with the Celtic festival, and eventually replace it with a Christian occasion.

Most Halloween traditions are fairly old, despite the common view of them being a relatively new thing.

Dressing up goes back to Samhain and the Celts, where they would dress in white and paint their faces black in order to confuse any evil spirits roaming the earth.

This tradition was then adapted

by Christianity and costumes have been becoming increasingly creative since the Victorian era.

‘Souling’ had become a popular event by the 11th Century, during which children dressed as saints, angels, or demons would go door

“October 31st has had a supernatural focus for around 3,000 years, and in many ways very little has changed” to door and ask for soul cakes (small sweet cakes marked with a cross on top, representative of a soul being

released from purgatory when eaten), in exchange for prayers for the souls of family and friends.

Pumpkin carving is another tradition that comes from the Celts, though the choice of a pumpkin was simply due to a lack of turnips available to the Irish immigrants to North America in the 1840s.

The original reason for carving faces into turnips was so that spirits would be kept away and fairies prevented from entering houses.

October 31st has had a supernatural focus for around 3,000 years, and in many ways very little has changed in the way it is celebrated.

24th October 2017

12

Features

2

The teetotal student’s handbook Jodie Bailey on the best of Norwich’s non alcoholic options

Mocktails As a teetotaller, you may feel like running a mile in the opposite direction when you see a pub/club/ bar come into view – the sinking feeling that accompanies the realisation that you’ll be drinking orange juice or coca cola all night can do that to you. However, you needn’t miss out on the bar scene altogether.

Teetotallers and designated drivers alike will be able to join in with an enviable mocktail or nonalcoholic wine or beer. Some of the best places for mocktails include Be at One, whose mocktails (at £4) are much cheaper than alcoholic cocktails with student discounts applied. Other great places to try include Mr Postles Apothecary (which has the perfect vibe for Halloween), Revolution and Turtle Bay.

UNESCO city of literature With a world-famous reputation as a place of literature, UEA and the city of Norwich host many literary events, including the current Autumn Literary Festival on campus (opened with a live talk and book signing with Nobel PrizeWinner Kazuo Ishiguro). Season tickets are £40, but individual tickets for students are £4.

Alongside this, UEA Live organises free readings with authors at The Flamingo @ The Pig and Whistle in Norwich. Other great places for readings include local bookshops like Waterstones and The Book Hive, and The Birdcage bar in the Lanes regularly hosts poetry nights that are well worth attending.

Museums and art gallaries The one thing that astounded me last year as a fresher was how many students had never visited the

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

Situated near the Ziggurats, and known for being the set of Avengers HQ, the gallery is an underappreciated gem.

“Teetotallers and designated drivers alike will be able to join in with an enviable mocktail ” Students can also enter all the exhibitions for free (including The Russia Season Exhibition which is on display now in the centenary year of the Russian Revolution), so there’s no excuse not to check it out if you have an hour or two to spare on campus. The Norwich Castle Museum, the Museum of Norwich, and the Stranger’s Hall are also all

accessible in the city centre, and each has a range of artefacts and exhibitions including local history.

Just be sure to check the opening times so you don’t get caught out!

Riverside With the Odeon flanked by Nando’s and the Bowling Alley, and Gravity Trampoline Parks further along, Riverside Entertainment offers a great evening out for sober students.

And as long as the trampolining doesn’t leave your stomach churning, you can grab dinner at the likes of Frankie & Bennie’s, TGI Fridays, Chiquito’s (again, there are some great mocktails at some of these restaurants), and countless others. If you fancy walking on a little bit more, you could spend the night at the Waterfront – not only do they host Propaganda, but their reasonably priced live gigs may mean that you also get to see one of your favourite indie artists.

Cinema and theatre Norwich has a great selection of cinemas and theatres to choose from. Not only do you have Vue and Odeon to choose from for mainstream blockbusters with student discounts, but Picture House’s Cinema City has a wide variety of independent showings. Cinema City also hosts the Philosophers at the Cinema series, where UEA philosophers introduce movies before they are played. The Norwich Theatre Royal, Maddermarket and Playhouse also have a great range of plays and shows, from Shakespeare to Christmas pantos.

Or, if you’re on a real budget and don’t mind some amateur drama, the Drama Society often puts on various performances in the drama studio.

With off-the-wall pieces, originals, and classics like Shakespeare, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to film and drama.

Images: Vecteezy

C

F

VKs on me: a Halloween drinker’s guide Emily Paterson Features Writer An evening largely celebrated around the world on 31st October where many of us as children will remember the customary game of trick-or-treating and coming home to bags of sweets that lasted all of five minutes.

As innocent young children grew into young adults Halloween became a celebration filled with alcohol and a rather bad hangover in the morning.

Perhaps the largest event since

Freshers Week, with yet another excuse to have a big flat party before hitting the LCR for a night of witchcraft and wizardry, Halloween is a ‘must do’ party in student life.

However, partying like there’s no morning lecture isn’t going to look good on that attendance sheet with your signature absent from it.

It can cause great difficulty when catching up with work and drives lecturers to despair if you aren’t there. So save yourself the stress and have the best of both worlds with these tips and tricks for safer drinking and attending those morning lectures this Halloween.

Stick to a budget and avoid taking the debit cards out with you.

The 50 pounds your mum puts in per week is for food not booze. Try and be realistic with yourself and take out enough to have a good time but not too much that you’ll forget how you got home.

Eating a good meal before a heavy night is always a good idea.

Even though it isn’t an excuse to drink more, it will delay the feeling of being drunk. It just makes getting up in the morning a bit easier.

There is no harm in skipping a drink now and then. Don’t rush to finish the drink you already have in

your hand just because your friend downed a VK. It’s just as cool to be savvy with your drinking so even though that double for an extra pound sounds appealing now, just remember the feeling in the morning.

Even though the drinks are piling in and the chances of you going to that morning lecture are becoming slimmer, why not set an alarm for the morning? You’re half way there to attending the lecture, it’s just the getting up bit you have to worry about.

Leave ibuprofen by your bed and take it first thing in the morning

to alleviate that painful morning headache. Avoid looking in the mirror, as chances are you still have last night’s face paint on so just jump in the shower and refresh. Drinking plenty of water during and after a night out so that your body remains hydrated can lessen the effects of a hangover.

If there’s a group of you that all have a morning lecture, why not just avoid the clubs altogether and stay in with horror movies and junk food? It’s highly likely that the city will do weekend events so no one will miss out!

S a t f b H c d b f

T

7

n e

r h e a

s a s e , e s o

d e s . , l o

13

24th October 2017

Foodie Features

Biddy’s Tea Room: Alice in the real world Hannah Brown Features Writer

Located in the Lanes of Norwich, Biddy’s Tea Rooms is a classy, Alicein-Wonderland-esque tearoom over two floors and with a delicious menu.

Much of their inspiration is from Lewis Carroll’s classic, and it shows in their décor and atmosphere.

Opening in 2010 in Norwich (with another tearoom opening in Aylsham in 2014), Biddy’s is named after the owner’s dog, Biddy. The owner, Charlie, aimed to “recreate that traditional village staple in the city.” In my opinion, she has achieved this successfully.

Coming from a small village myself, it definitely has the vibe that you don’t always get in a city.

Visiting with my parents for the first time, we discovered that we couldn’t get in; on days of high activity, you have to book online to ensure that you can get a seat. Visiting the second time with my best friend, it was a quieter weekday rather than a weekend, and we were able to take a seat and enjoy the experience.

The first thing that you notice

is the smell. It smells of old books, tea, cake, and a quietness that you find it quaint houses where you can feel relaxed and safe.

Upstairs has a 20-seating capacity of chairs and tables where you can take you high tea. The first time I was able to get in, this is where my friend and I sat as we ate lunch (and what a delicious Cheese Ploughman’s that was). Downstairs, it’s far more relaxed, and features enormous leather sofas. Perfect for chilling with a friend, or even for a first (or second) date.

I won’t lie, the menu for drinks is pretty overwhelming. It features over 50 blends of tea, from the simple Earl Grey and English Breakfast to the far more exotic Nettel, Lapsang Suchong, and Liquorice Tea. Y ou can either choose tea from the pre-set menu, or you can ‘invent’ your own tea by using a mix of blends. Don’t worry if you aren’t a tea drinker – there is coffee, hot chocolate, and an array of soft drinks if you don’t fancy it.

Not only is there just tea, but there is an awesome array of cakes – your mouth will water even before you’ve sat at your table. Their food is also pretty delicious; the high

Photo: Biddy’s Tea Room tea is popular, featuring finger sandwiches and cakes. However, the food isn’t necessarily cheap – the high tea for two is £22.95, although a Cheese Ploughman’s may be more reasonable at £8.45.

It might make a good present for

a friend, but perhaps for a weekly student budget, tea and cake might be a far more reasonable treat.

So, all in all, Biddy’s Tea Rooms is perfect for an hour or two, to sit, relax, and enjoy good tea.

I would definitely recommend

it, and taking a friend for their birthday wouldn’t go amiss if you happen to be close with a tea-lover.

There’s plenty of reasons to go; I know I’ll be visiting quite a few times over my next two years at UEA, just to sample all of the different tea types.

Concrete talks

Features Editors Tony Allen and Hattie Griffiths tested what baked beans had to offer so you don’t have to

y

Tesco healthy living

Heinz Beanz

Euro Shopper

Heritage

Co-operative loved by us

Sadly, in this case, reduced salt and sugar does equal reduced taste. These beans sadly suffer from a watery consistency and badly miss the salt, tasting bland.

However, with some careful concentration it is possible to detect some decadent flavours bubbling under the disappointing façade of dullness.

4/10

The big daddy of beans shows its class once again. The flavouring of these beans is spot on, which is why Heinz has become a household name in the field. The skins are just right, however the beans did tend to be a little mushy. But the slightly-off texture pales in importance compared to the superb taste. Congratulations Heinz. 8/10

There seems to be more sauce than bean in the can, with a bit of separation occurring in the pan. These beans are firm – they might be too firm. When you’re a journalist, you need a thick skin.

Sadly, when you’re a baked bean you don’t – someone needs to tell the Euro Shopper beans that. 7/10

An upsettingly watery can of beans,. These are well salted but a little on the sweet side. If you like that sort of thing. The beans are mushy, however, which sadly ruins the overall experience of these.

Very average, very unimpressive and they hardly deserve too be included. It’s a three from me. 3/10

These were exceptionally disappointing and sugarier than Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Not only are they too sweet, the skins are tough and hard to eat.

These beans are pretending to be something they’re not . That doesn’t work for people and or beans. They may be ‘loved by us’, but they weren’t loved by me. 1/10

The verdict:

It’s very much the case that while all baked beans are equal, some are more equal than others. When it comes to quality, you get what you pay for.

14

FINANCE

24th October 2017

Investigation launched into the SLC

The Finance Roundup

George Goldberg reports on the latest investigation into student loans The Treasury Committee is to investigate the Student Loan Company (SLC) and the financial implications of tuition fees, joining two other committees that are also looking into higher education finances.

Led by Nicky Morgen MP, the probe will examine the repayment threshold and interest rates as students face rates of 6.1 percent.

It will additionally assess the impact of higher education on public finances and the viability of introducing a so-called ‘graduate tax’. Mrs Morgen, the committee’s Chair, and former Education Secretary under David Cameron, said: ”the Treasury Committee is appointed to examine government expenditure”.

“Student loan debt is projected to be around £160bn within six years, and the government has announced that it will review the whole student finance system.

The committee will scrutinise the current system and any future developments closely.”

Tim Bradshaw, acting director of the Russell Group of universities, was positive about the review.

“We need a system of student finance that is fair for students, the taxpayer and for universities too”, he said.

“I have previously called for the interest rate attached to student loans to be looked at again and am

UK banks reviewed in wake of South African scandal.

decision to cap tuition fees has created uncertainty about the long-term funding of universities, and of the implementation of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and other regulators are to investigate whether HSBC and Standard Chartered were involved in a South African corruption scandal. Labour peer Lord Peter Hain suggested that up to £400m of funds may have been laundered, with the banks unwittingly becoming channels for money laundering in a scandal relating to South African President Jacob Zuma and the Guptas, who are a wealthy business family.

“We need a system of student finance that is fair for students, the taxpayer and for universities too”

pleased that this will be considered by the committee.”

The inquiry follows the Prime Minister’s promise to reform the student finance system earlier this month at the Conservative party conference in Manchester.

In her speech, Theresa May announced plans to increase the loan repayment threshold from £21,000 to £25,000 for students that started university in or after 2012.

Mrs May also outlined that tuition fees are to not rise by inflation next year for students in England.

Instead of increasing by £250 they

will be capped at their current level of £9,250 until 2019.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said Mrs May’s plans are “a significant giveaway, largely to middle-earning graduates, who are likely to repay around £15,700 less over their careers”.

The IFS also heeded that these reforms are expected to increasew the cost of providing higher education by around £2bn per year, with the government’s actions to increase the proportion of graduates who won’t fully repay their loans to 83% (from 77%). The

Retail sales September.

declined

in

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded a 0.8 percent fall in September’s retail sales, an unexpected figure considering a rise in retail sales in August.

The ONS noted prices across all stores in the sector increased by an average of 3.3 percent from this time last year.

The body, which awarded UEA a gold rating after they won an appeal in August following an initial silver rating, was introduced by the government in the last parliament to reward universities deemed to have a good teaching quality with the ability to raise their fees.

The first evidence session of the inquiry was held last Wednesday with Dr Helen Carasso and Dr Andrew McGettigan, who have both written on student loans, where it focused on the impact of student finances. Dates of future hearings are yet to be released.

Illustration: Vecteezy

Competition for cities to host second Amazon HQ.

$5bn (£3.8m) of investment from the online retailing giant is up for grabs. Over over 100 US cities have applied to become Amazon’s second home. They already have a Seattle HQ , with more than 40,000 employees, and the second site is will create many more jobs.

Disappointing icecream sales this summer.

Unilever, the giant parent company of the likes of Magnum, Wall’s, and Ben and Jerry’s, has had a weak sales period this summer. Unilever blames new competitors and poor weather in both America and in Europe for their decline in sales.

Students gambling with their future

Mobile companies continue to overcharge customers.

In the last five years, online betting has taken centre stage in the market, making it even easier for students to register, log in, and spend their week’s food budget in mere minutes.

Regulations were also lifted on casinos, when revisions were made to the Gambling Act, allowing them to take customers who are not registered members. Rows of betting shops are now a regular

£

£

£

Jodie Bailey

£

£

£

“More than 100,000 students could be in debt from gambling across the UK"

feature on any town’s high street, dominating parades, and offering an oasis of stress relief to many students in the evenings.

One research company argued students fall into the trap of a gambling addiction when they try to make ends meet by betting. Save the Student said 7 percent of students surveyed said they gamble for extra cash.

Jake Butler from the website said: “We would never condone gambling as a way to make money and it’s disappointing to see that the current student loan system is pushing some students down this path due to sheer desperation.

“If you ever consider gambling yourself, it’s important to know how incredibly addictive it can be, and remember the odds are never in your favour – no matter how much it might feel otherwise!”

The UEA Student Support Service can offer help and advice regarding money and gambling.

Illustration: Vecteezy

£

Commission’s conclusions stated one in eight students in their survey said they had missed class because of gambling.

£

Research into student gambling has reignited questioning as to whether government regulation on the betting industry should increase.

A survey conducted for the Gambling Commission concluded many students put their health and education at risk after falling into dangerous gambling habits.

The National Union of Students (NUS) said gambling is seen as “a quick fix” for growing financial pressure for some students. In a statement responding to the recent figures, the NUS said addiction to gambling can cause students “to lose huge amounts of money in a very short amount of time,” which is especially problematic “for students with existing mental health issues”.

Gambling Commission director Ben Haden said more needed to be done to tackle the issue among undergraduates.

Mr Haden said: “Clearly with the raft of new students heading to uni at this time of year we should do more for the student population.”

His organisation used a research agency to survey a thousand young people online. The survey asked students whether they had gambled in the month leading up to the time they filled out the survey.

Three out of five students said they had, leading the Commission to estimate more than 100,000 students could be in debt from gambling across the UK. Speaking anonymously, one undergraduate told Concrete they placed bets regularly, and had lost almost £200 since the start of the academic year.

They said it was not having a detrimental effect on their health, however, and said it was fun to place bets on political events as well as sport matches.

This convivial approach to gambling is not the picture for many students, however. Gambling

£

Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief

Research has found that the likes of EE, Vodafone, and Three are charging customers for mobile phones bought as part of a contract deal even when the cost of the phone has been paid off. The new research from Citizens Advice found that affected customers are paying £22 per month extra as a result. The providers responded that their payment systems are fair and that when their customers are reaching the end of their contracts, they are offering other options.

£

£

£

24th October 2017

15

Zara financial faux pas after profit fall more consumers moving towards online competitors such as Asos, the pound falling, and a move away from consumers spending on material goods and greater expenditure on experiences, the UK market has changed dramatically recently.

Charlotte Manning Finance Writer

“Now is such an uncertain time for the UK high street fashion industry" Photo: Bigdee, Wikimedia losing stores in Oxford Circus and Gatwick Airport, however they have also carried out a lot of refurbishments in many of their London stores to “keep the stores’ layout and atmosphere in line with the Zara brand image”.Maureen Hinton, director of retail research

at Global Data, cited another issue that contributed to the unexpected profit loss being the increasing cost of expansion for retailers in the UK, saying “that will be a challenge for most retailers, Inditex (Zara’s parent company) isn’t immune from that”. She also added that the fall in

profits “doesn’t denote a decline” and is simply part of the fabric of a functioning business.

Even given their loss in profits, Zara is still performing well within the market considering that now is such an uncertain time for the UK high street fashion industry. With

The influence of Indetix in the UK is not to go unnoticed, having just launched a cheaper, but incredibly stylish sister brand, Berskha, in the US. With brands such as the ever expanding ‘Pull and Bear’ and chic ‘Massimo Dutti’ under its belt, it can only expect profits to rise.

Courtesy Taxis Store this number in your mobile NOW!

01603

44 66 44

FIND US ON PRINCE OF WALES ROAD 24HR SERVICE • NO INCREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT, 6,7 & 8 SEATER MINIBUSES AVAILABLE e • sa em

r taxi sch fe

me • sa e h

www.courtesytaxis.com

r taxi sc fe

Despite a year of record sales for Spanish fashion giant Zara, in which they saw sales break the £600 million mark for the first time ever, they reported a steep loss in profit following a move in head office location and mass reinvestment back into stores. Pre-tax profits, from the 31st of January 2017, reportedly dropped from £58.3m to £39.2m in a year.

The news seems surprising perhaps, especially seeing as Zara is one of the most popular fashion brands, loved by bloggers and features constantly on social media.

The fashion brand launched in the UK in the 1990s and is loved by fashionistas everywhere for its clean-cut and sophisticated brand image.

However, the company only just makes the top 20 of women’s retailers based on market share, with a slim share of 1.5 percent.

Zara went from 68 to 66 stores in the UK in the past year after

Wik

Comment 16

24th October 2017

Welfare in crisis?

Comment editor Jack Ashton argues for Universal Basic Income

The Government received a historic defeat this week when Labour’s Opposition Day motion was passed with an incapacitating 299 votes to 0. The motion aimed at stopping the Government’s disastrous welfare policy Universal Credit being rolled out after it was found claiants were being charged a staggering 55p per minute to access the helpline.

“It’s time we developed a welfare system that fixes these problems and solves any future ones” There’s been some bad policy decisions over the decadesEmployment Tribunal Fees, Poll Tax, more money for Help to Buy schemes- but not a lot comes close to the Tory Government’s flagship welfare policy of Universal Credit.

The policy has left people starving in await of payments, desperately trying to prove they’re

legible. It’s forced working families who are below the ‘just about managing line’ to saddle themselves with even more debt and to undergo desperate measures in order to feed themselves, protect their children and make sure they have a roof over their head.

But sadly, its rather summative of the Tory’s callous, cold and calculating attitude to welfare.

The legacy of 2010’s ‘Broken Britain’ combined with 2017’s system of welfare- a system devised by people who have never experienced being on welfare and largely don’t have constituents on welfare- shows us how politics is increasingly becoming a middle class conversation about what to do with ‘those poor folk’.

But what it shows is that we do need change. More people are going to be pushed onto welfare as jobs are being lost to automation at an alarming rate, people in developed countries are forced into food banks awaiting payments and people with debilitating conditions are being told they’re ‘fit for work’.

It’s time we developed a welfare system that fixes these problems and solves any future ones- that system is Universal Basic Income (UBI).

Under UBI, each and every

citizen would receive a certain amount of income from the state.

This would probably be decreased for dependent children and increased for pensioners and those receiving disability benefit. What this means is that absolute poverty would abolished outright, no one would fall below the breadline- the true goal of the welfare state.

It also ensures that work always pays- there would be no possible situation in which you could earn more on welfare than you could in work, as you would either have your income on top of the UBI payment, or just your UBI payment- meaning the right wing demagogues who love to demonise the working class would have one more arrow removed from their quiver.

The world is about to undergo another Industrial Revolutionincreasing automation (the use of machinery for jobs) is the biggest cause of unemployment in the US today- it’ll hit Britain as well. We can either allow capitalism to create more and more bullshit jobs that are insecure and don’t pay enough, or we can use UBI in order to provide a safety net for those seeking skilled training, meaning we can engage with other countries with the highest skilled workforce in the world, a stark contrast to the low

skilled force we have now.

UBI has its flaws, it would largely lead to an increase in inflation, meaning it would have to be introduced alongside radical social housing programs, rent controls and other economic incentives like free trade in order to keep prices up and inflation down.

Chloe Howcroft on Campus Kitchen’s “The world is home-cooked about to undergo goodness

another Industrial Revolution”

It would also not solve inequality, but it would be a massive step towards abolishing poverty.

Any problems could be solved through a trial run like they are being in the dozens of countries that are currently or have previously trialed it.

UBI would eliminate poverty, limit bureaucracy, protect the nation and provide the biggest investment this country has ever seen. If we are to stay on top for the rest of the century we need to start implementing it now.

Time is running out and we are already slipping.

Gucci fur ban shows consumer power Imogen Barton Comment Writer

move.

Some activists may argue that the rationale is irrelevant as long as the company makes some sort of effort to commit to animal welfare. I would say that keeping your eye on the real reason companies perform these PR stunts is important if you wish to influence their decisions more effectively.

The main reason given for discontinuing the use of fur is because it’s ‘outdated’ and unfashionable. While there’s a nod to environmentalism and animal welfare, that’s because it’s targeted at the millennial generation.

“No wonder it’s going out of style...”

“It’s ostentatious, impractical to wash and unethical” The focus on whether using fur is ethical or fashionable also masks another reason for not using fur: it’s expensive. It is far easier and economical to mass-produce synthetic materials for insulating clothing or new designs. Making a fur coat, however, is a specialised skill that cannot be carried out in factories, requires skilled labourers to work with the pelts, and anywhere between 40-100 hours on one coat.

It is, therefore, naïve to think that

the opinions of ethically-minded shoppers were the only factor influencing Gucci’s decision.

Bizzarri himself claimed that he “[needed] to do it because [otherwise] the best talent will not come to work for Gucci” which shows a long-term consideration of what future employees may want

from their career. It helps that, according to analysts at Mainfirst Bank, millennials currently make up over half of Gucci’s consumer base.

Furthermore, Gucci’s fur profits, -approximately ten million pounds per year- can be substituted with wool or synthetic materials such as faux-fur, so it is a fairly low-risk

Campus Kitchen vs Unio

It is no good yelling until you’re blue in the face about the ethical implications of wearing fur to amoral organisations designed to make a profit. Companies, are not your friends or allies in these causes and no amount of marketing they throw at you should convince you otherwise.

As for fur itself, it’s ostentatious, impractical to wash and unethical to an increasing number of consumers for it to be worth advertising. No wonder it’s going out of style.

Photo: Gucci,Wikipedia

After a long day slaving away in the library or having your brain fried (excuse the pun) by lecturers reading off a PowerPoint, the last thing any student wants to do is scurry off home to make a homecooked dinner.

Like a knight in shining armour, in comes Campus Kitchen, your goto hub to get a decent warm meal, for a fairly decent price. Where CK fills our hungry stomachs, Unio fills our cups with still expensive coffee – and if you don’t like coffee, what’s the actual point of queuing forwhat feels like 6 days?

The best part is, when Unio staff are simply far too busy to get even the likes of ‘Tom’ spelt correctly, CK staff get to know about your day, what your course is, where you’re from, your Nan’s sister’s cat’s name, and simply why you’re not bothered to cook for yourself. CK just seem to get it.

Tom Bedford on Unio’s amazing simplicity I’m not a fan of queueing, especially when I just want a tiny box of food and a drink. That’s why I love Unio, with a queue consistently smaller than the one to the LCR and food and drink that doesn’t feel like an elaborate paper mache model.

With the free drink stamps and a discount if you bring your own cup, Unio’s coffee can become rather cheap and you barely have to wait for them. Now they’re experimenting with a great range of things including festive coffees and an exciting range of ice-creams (that I will try, when the weather permits it).

Unio is also a far more important source than Campus Kitchen for students. Meals are important, of course, but you only have three a day at max, and not all of those are at Campus Kitchen. But how many coffees do you have a day? Three is the bare minimum.

Photo Credit: Mohammed1982, Pixabay

17

24th October 2017

Beverly Devakishen: why ban To Kill a Mockingbird?

‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee was banned from the Mississippi school district reading list because it made people feel uncomfortable to hear the ‘n-word’.

“There are far less progressive books that are still part of many school’s curriculum” While the ‘n-word’ was used in the book to illustrate the attitudes of racists, and the novel itself is clear

in its opposition to the use of this damaging and derogatory term, as well as to racism itself.

Its usage in this context represented a very real issue of racism that existed in the past, and continues to exist now. By taking the book out of the syllabus, the school is essentially trying to ignore the difficult truth that there were, and still are, people who cling to the views of characters like Bob Ewell, a racist white male.

Does taking the book out of the syllabus stop people from using the ‘n-word’ in real life, or alter history?

No, it does neither.

There are far less progressive books that are still part of many schools’ literature curriculum.

The English literature canon, for example, includes books that contain problematic views. Take Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ for example. The author’s racist and pro-colonialism slant is obvious, and yet it is still studied by many institutions. This does not mean we should toss Defoe aside and disregard his views, for his ideals were the very same ones that made the world so unequal today; studying them can actually help students to break away from their ancestors’ history of racism and colonialist attitudes.

The moral responsibility of literature teachers is extremely crucial, especially if they’re teaching younger students. Teachers carry

the burden of having to pick apart any problematic views that novels might perpetuate, of making students aware that these issues exist.

“A novel represents some integral part of the human experience” Refraining from exposing a child to issues like racism, sexism, and even homophobia, makes them susceptible to feeding into

these attitudes themselves.

Young children are vulnerable to the influence of the less compassionate ideologies held by people they will inevitably come into contact with at some point.

A novel, especially one that is well known enough to pass into the curriculum, represents some integral part of the human experience. Someone out there might share the same views as Robinson Crusoe or Bob Ewell, and students need to be prepared to face this ‘uncomfortable’ reality.

Not acknowledging that problematic attitudes existed, and still exist, will not make them go away — it will only make them harder to combat.

Comment writers discuss the progress of Brexit “Brexit bullies” paradox Chris Matthews Comment Writer Commons Speaker, John Bercow risked becoming Britain’s latest ‘saboteur’, last week. At least, that’s what the Brexit cheerleaders would have you believe. The Chancellor Philip Hammond was labelled as such for daring to highlight the challenges of Brexit, and Bercow caused outcry when he suggested that MPs could vote against any Brexit deal. He said it’s “opinion, rather than a constitutional fact” that MPs must vote in favour of a deal owing to the referendum result.

And you know what? He’s right.

“Woe betide anyone who tries to debate the Brexit bill” The main slogan of the Leave campaign was “Take Back Control”.

Apparently we needed our borders back, our NHS back, and most importantly, our parliamentary sovereignty back. For too long Brussels had ruled over us. MPs had become minions of the EU. It was time to put the power back into Parliament, to leap into a new Golden Age under a reinvigorated parliamentary democracy. ‘Vote Leave’, ‘we want our sovereignty!’ they cried. But that’s not what they want. Not really.

The problem with referendums is that simple questions are asked about horribly complex issues. We voted to leave the EU, but we didn’t

vote on how we should leave. Few people knew about Article 50 or Brexit bills as they cast their vote.

Parliament’s job is to debate that for us. MPs exist to represent their constituents, and any deal should be scrutinised to ensure it would benefit British people. It should go through the usual process of law, with parliamentary committees picking it apart until it reaches MPs as a chiselled masterpiece.

Wait, MPs debating a bill? No! Let a handful of Tories negotiate the deal and make MPs blindly vote it through! This is the paradox of the Brexiteers. The people who voted for control don’t want parliamentary control. In fact, any time someone speaks up in favour of parliamentary sovereignty, such as Bercow, those Brexit cheerleaders rise up in a worryingly unstable pyramid, deeming them traitors, enemies of the people, and dictators. Woebetide anyone who tries to debate the Brexit bill in Parliament. ‘Oh no, we can’t have that,’ muse the Brexit bullies.

Uncertainty is crushing Britain.

The exchange rates are laughable, the government is a mess, and Boris is still peddling the £350million-aweek claim. When John Bercow said that if MPs feel the Brexit deal isn’t good enough they have the right to vote against it, he wasn’t going against the will of the people.

He was defending Britain’s parliamentary sovereignty.

He was defending our democracy.

Brexiteers say that’s what they want too – but not, it seems, when it gets in the way of what they really desire.

UEA’s views on Brexit news “It’s in both sides interests to have a deal- I’m sure common sense will prevail” “They could be going better, but it’s nothing I’m surprised about” “I don’t know what they are” “We can’t have all the benefits of the EU without being in the EU” “Theresa May is a snake” Photos: (L-R):The White House, Wikimedia; The Council of Europe, Wikimedia.

Is it time to exit Brexit?

Evlyn Forsyth-Muris Comment Writer 1 year and 4 months post the referendum we find public support for Brexit at its lowest since the referendum. A YouGov poll found that just 42% of voters now think it was right to vote to leave, and 14% of those who did vote leave are now either saying they made the wrong decision on voting day or are unsure.

Meanwhile faith in the negotiations is pitiful with just 21% of people saying the talks are going well and just 23% of people thinking Brexit will be good for our economy. Most recently famers are disheartened by the talks after cabinet minister Chris Grayling made completely unresearched remarks that the UK could just grow more food to keep prices down post Brexit. Do we actually know how many MPs are actually supportive of it and not just going along with it because ‘the people have spoken’ or to tow the party line?

With everything falling apart and the debate still up as to whether MPs should get a vote on the final deal, I wonder whether it’s time to give up on this mess and call a day on Brexit. It’s not like our Prime Minister has actually said what she hopes to get out of the deal aside from a few catchy but meaningless slogans - ‘Brexit means Brexit’ and ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’ ?!? She has recently been advised to threaten to walk out of negotiations all together which begs the question are she and her team even fit for this job?

With no settlement on how much we owe (or rather will pay) the EU, citizens’ rights and the Irish border it seems we will never get past the divorce and into who gets

to keep the house. Will we ever get to other important items like business and trade deals? Perhaps we are better giving up on the whole thing and going back to where we were before- if the EU would even take us back.

“I just hope the negotiations actually complete and at the end of the two years we are not left out in the cold” But we are where we are, we did (sort of) vote for this and unfortunately have triggered that all important article 50; so maybe at this point it’s more productive to support our somewhat shambolic Government. Perhaps things would go smoother and less disastrously if the media was less critical, there was a bit more unity and some real political opposition - we can’t have just 12 liberal democrat seats representing 48% of the population.

It would be helpful if The Labour Party could pick a side and stick to it because is anyone really sure what our Official Opposition is really standing for? Oh and some investment in a few experts, you know those people Boris Johnson (our foreign secretary) was so rude about during the campaigning period but who actually know what they are talking about. I just hope the negotiations actually complete and at the end of the two years we are not left out in the cold with Mays ‘no deal’.

18

24th October 2017

Science

2

Storm Ophelia sparks freak weather phenomenon

Beth Papworth Science Editor

Storm Ophelia caused destruction when it raged over Ireland and the UK, killing at least three people and pummelling the country with gusts of wind up to 100 mph.

Three victims were reported to have died, with one woman killed in the south of the country when a tree

fell on her car in the storm.

Ophelia crossed West Ireland early in the morning of Monday 16 October. As a result of the high winds and foam from the sea, roads and buildings on the western side of the UK were covered with foam.

Driving conditions were therefore extremely difficult.

On UEA’s campus, there was a dramatic orange and red sky.

Ophelia was listed a Category

3 storm as it worsened over the weekend, encompassing an entire town. More than 1,000 army personnel were sent to affected areas, power lines were out and roads were blocked due to flying debris and dozens of fallen trees.

Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, said: “This is a national emergency and is the worst storm I have seen in half a century”.

According to NIE Networks, it was reported that in Northern

Ireland over 50,000 households lost power during the storm.

The orange sky (pictured) was caused by the storm pushing warm air from Africa northwards, and taking Saharan dust with it.

When the air moved towards Ireland and the UK, smoke and tiny debris from wildfires in Spain and Portugal was also transported across.

Photos: Emily Hawkins and Samhita Chaudhuri.

Planet-eating star discovered Astrophysicists at Princeton University have discovered a pair of stars – official destinations of HD 240430 and HD 240429 - capable of ingesting a mass 15 times the size of Earth.

The pair are estimated to be 4 billion years old and like the Sun, are G-type stars. The pair are separated by 2 light-years, are comoving but orbit each other on very rare occasions, roughly every 10,000 years.

Usually near-identical twins, the G-type stars are comprised of entirely different chemical makeups, making them such a point of interest with astrophysicists.

Named after the child-eating Titan of Greek mythology, Kronos (HD 240430) has been identified to contain increased levels of magnesium, aluminium, silicon and other minerals, without an equally high level of other gaseous compounds; seen as an irregularity amongst stars.

The variation in compound levels is what has excited astrophysicists most as it is such a rare occurrence. The change in composition has been suggested to be caused by Kronos ‘flying close to another star’. The interactions between Kronos and other stars and their gravitations pull “sent planets on doomsday trajectories into the star”, Semyeong Oh from the department of Astrophysics at Princeton said.

The changes in composition suggest Kronos has ingested ‘15 Earth masses of rocky planets’ and Dr. Hogg commented that “even if our Sun ate the entire inner Solar System, it wouldn’t come close to the anomaly we see in Kronos”.

Kronos may open the field and allow the composition of stars to be studied further.

Ellen Harwood

Dwarf planet discovery breakthrough Alex Millard Senior Reporter for Science Past Neptune, among the wreckage of ice bodies discarded during the formation of our Solar System lies the Kuiper Belt. The majority of readers will know of Pluto, one of the dwarf planets that lies in this region, but will not have heard of its second, smaller sister Haumea.

This is because scientists have found it notoriously hard to study dwarf planets in this region partially due to the small size but also the huge distance between us and them.

However, astrologists in Spain at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia managed to utilise a method that has been practiced on Pluto and other planets in the region to study Haumea earlier this year.

The complex method involved waiting for the dwarf planet to pass over a star, like a mini-eclipse.

Twelve high powered telescopes in ten European observatories were trained on the star to observe and record the phenomenon.

This allows several characteristics to be determined such as density, shape and reflectiveness. Scientists discovered that the dwarf planet was a lot larger than previously expected and also that, instead of the regular spherical shape of planets we know, Haumea is actually more of a squashed, elliptical shape.

But the most interesting and unexpected finding was the discovery of a ring around the dwarf planet.

There are no known cases of this occurring in smaller planets and this

Photo: MaxGreatPixel is the first instance discovered of a ring occurring past Neptune on the outskirts of our solar system.

The astrologists are now focusing on what could have caused

the development of the ring with hypotheses including a collision with another object or the deposit of surface material due to the high rotation speed of the planet.

Astronomer Professor José Ortiz of the IAA-CSIC said: “Rings in our Solar System could be much more common than previously thought, as well as in other planetary systems”.

19

24th October 2017

Humongous hole in Antartica Pre-historic croc shock Caitlin Vance Science Writer

A hole, compared in size to the state of Maine in America has appeared in Antarctica.It is the largest hole that has appeared in the Weddell Sea region since the 1970s and measures roughly eighty thousand square kilometres at its furthest points.

An open ice-free area such as this, also known as a polynya, is created by the underlying warm saltwater in the Southern Ocean mixing with the colder fresh water on the surface.

Polynyas are frequently compared to a valve as they release the heat and pressure from under the surface into the atmosphere until a balance is regained.

Usually, Antarctica’s harsh weather conditions during winter prevent observers from viewing landscape changes.

However, researchers from the University of Toronto and the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project were prepared for monitoring the area as there was

Jake Bailey Science Writer

Photo: Pixabay, Jcrane a similar appearance last year.

Nevertheless, researchers were shocked to discover an open area this large was so “deep in the ice pack.”

Furthermore, Kent Moore, professor of physics at the University of Toronto, confirmed that it is the same formation from decades before.

While some groups may attribute climate change as a cause of this polynya, as of now, scientists are unable to establish a link.

Moore has stated that the

community doesn’t “really understand the long-term impacts this polynya will have” and that outcries regarding climate change are “premature”.

Despite Moore’s remarks, the event has caused concern following recent events.

In July, one of the largest icebergs ever broke off from the ice shelf and, only last week, Geophysical Research published a paper about warming oceans compromising the integrity of West Antarctica.

When confronted with the idea of deadly animals, one would think of the Australian Outback or the Amazon rainforest, not the quaint town of Melksham in Wiltshire.

However, going back to the Mid to Late Jurassic period would have seen a roaming prehistoric crocodile measuring 10ft from head to tail.

In the warm, shallow seas that once covered Wiltshire, Ieldraan melkshamensis predated on large-bodied marine life - mainly prehistoric squid.

Professor Steve Brusatte, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh said that Ieldraan melkshamensis would have been one of the top predators in the oceans of Jurassic Britain, “whilst dinosaurs were thundering across the land”.

A fossilised lower jaw and broken skull were unearthed in the 1870s from the extensive Oxford Clay Formation, a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation

underlying much of southeast England - from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. Now residing in the Natural History Museum, it was thought Ieldraan melkshamensis was a member of Geosaurini, a family of prehistoric crocodile originating in the Late Jurassic period between 152 to 157 m.y.a.

With detailed re-analysis, the fossil revealed the sub-family arose many millions of years earlier in the Middle Jurassic period.

Davide Foffa, Professor at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Ieldraan melkshamensis tells us a very important story about the evolution of ancient crocodiles and how they became the apex predators in their ecosystem”.

“It’s not the prettiest fossil in the world”, he added.

The creature was given the nickname of the Melksham Monster.

As the British countryside continues to be remodelled through weathering, erosion and even development, who knows what other prehistoric behemoths will be unearthed, shedding light on Jurassic evolution?

Saturn moon storm revelation Ruth Dickens Science Writer

Titan, the largest of Saturn’s 60 moons, is a glacial, -180°C rock orbiting 1.4 billion km from Earth, where methane replaces water in its lakes and rivers.

“Titan’s surface is strikingly similar to Earth’s” NASA’s Cassini spacecraft took almost seven years to reach it, and after its 13 year mission was decommissioned in 2017.

Computer models using from this spacecraft have given unique and surprising insight into Titan’s climate and how it impacts its icy surface.

Professor Mitchell, from the University of California, said: “Titan’s surface is strikingly similar to Earth’s, with flowing rivers that spill into great lakes, as well as sand dunes forming at lower latitudes.”

The overlap of rainfall patterns completed the very familiar picture.

Higher latitudes were much wetter, where the rainfall run-off fed rivers which pooled into lakes, while lower latitudes were much drier, a known component for forming sand dunes on Earth. What really

caught the eye of the UCLA planetary scientists though, were the alluvial fans.

These cone-shaped formations are caused by mass movement of sediment usually caused by heavy rainfall associated with intense storms. The fans were found around the border between the wetter, colder high latitudes and the drier, warmer low latitudes; at around 50-80° latitude.On Earth it is the difference between two climate systems at intermediate latitudes which causes cyclones, tropical storms and blizzards, and 900 million miles away a similar phenomenon occurs.

Intense storms, some precipitating a foot of rain a day much like the recent Hurricane Harvey, were found around the same latitudes where the alluvial fans were seen.

This suggests a correlation between extreme rainfall and regional patterns of geological features. Methane rainfall may not be a relatable experience, but it seems to behave much like our own water-formed storm clouds.

Direct observations of Titan’s climate are difficult, and a year there is 29.5 Earth years so Cassini was only able to observe three seasons.

However, this new data not only shows striking similarities between the hydroclimate of celestial bodies and our own but also has interesting implications for other planets such as Mars, where alluvial fans are also observed.

Illustration: Jo Castle

Travel

20

24th October 2017

Exploring the EU in a tuk tuk Callum Fairhurst travelled to 28 countries in 1 Indian vehicle Beverly Devakishen Travel Editor

Taking a plane or a train to different countries is always exciting. But UEA student Callum Fairhurst took travelling a step further with his special mode of transport ¬– a little Indian tuk tuk.

"Most of us don't know enough about our neighbours in the EU" Over the summer, Callum travelled around in his small, black tuk tuk, also known as an auto rickshaw, to not one, but twenty-seven different countries in Europe. I heard about his story from Emily, the Concrete editor, and decided to have a chat with him about his incredible journey.

The first thing I wanted to know was what inspired him to go on such a daring trip. After all, one doesn’t just wake up in the morning and decide to drive a tuk tuk around Europe. “I got inspired to do the journey after Brexit. I didn’t want to make a political statement, but the UK had made, in my opinion, an awful decision,” Callum explained.

“And I realised that, whether we voted to leave or to remain, most of us don’t know enough about our neighbours in the EU, the 27 other countries that are part of this union.”

Even though driving a car for the trip seemed like one of the cheapest options, that didn’t sound fun or challenging enough to the enthusiastic traveller. Callum decided that he would drive a tuk tuk instead, and it turns out that that was one of the best decisions he made regarding the trip.

“The tuk tuk was like a magnet for attraction. People actually want to interact with you, they want to come over and find out more about what you’re doing,” Callum told me.

He revealed that there were many instances where these people

who came to talk to him offered him advice on the best places to go, some food, or even a place to stay.

In one particular instance, some strangers in Bulgaria gave him a place to stay for the night in exchange for Callum bringing them to Greece the next day, an arrangement that brought lots of joy to both parties.

“I wouldn’t have gotten a feel for little villages and towns and cities or wherever I went if I hadn’t met the people that I met, and they wouldn’t have come over if there wasn’t a tuk tuk,” he reflected.

Driving the tuk tuk itself was an interesting experience for Callum.

It may be a bit more effort than merely taking a train, but for him, it was worth it.

“It’s part of the fun because it’s not like you’re just driving on a motorway. You’re driving on these really lovely countryside roads, through villages, past mountain ranges, so you got a feel of the country as you went along,” Callum told me.

However, things weren’t always smooth sailing with the little vehicle. Once, it broke down in the middle of a road in Austria.

Another time, Callum and his fellow travellers were turned away at the Hungarian border because you needed a specific piece of paper to legally drive a tuk tuk into the country.

Despite setbacks, Callum still maintains that taking the tuk tuk along was something he would never regret. One of Callum’s goals was also to do a random act of kindness in each country.

These included giving flowers and food to people, and even randomly mailing cash to some stranger. One memory that stuck with him was the time when he and his friend saved a woman’s dog from getting run over.

These random acts of kindness also brought Callum closer to locals in each country. “The journey wasn’t just about what I saw, it was about who I met,” Callum said.

Everyone who has heard about Callum’s epic trip has gotten inspired to do something a little more edgy themselves, but not everyone has the capability to travel round the EU in a tuk tuk.

Even though Callum opted to go on a 3-month long road trip, he thinks that the thrill of adventure

doesn’t have to come only from big, spontaneous trips.

“Just try to put a bit of adventure into every day or every week, because you don’t have to do something big to have loads of fun,” Callum reasoned.

"Despite setbacks, Callum still maintains that taking the tuk tuk along was something he would never regret" “Whether it’s changing the way you walk to school or whether it’s going camping once in a while, everyone could benefit from a little daily dose of excitement.”

L-R: Wiper Mexico, Panaromio; Taxiarchos228.Wikimedia; Megan Furr, Will Shears, Pixabay.

21

24th October 2017

For the love of books: a travel guide Travel writer Chloe Crowther goes on a quest for quirky independent bookshops This all started with Twitter and an article in The Guardian from 2015: Marta Bausells’s ‘The 10 Best Independent Bookshops In The World – Readers Recommend’.

Finding this list was like answering a call from Destiny – I spent the next few weeks saying “I’m going to go on an around the world bookshop tour based on an article from The Guardian” and having to put up with a lot of strange looks.

But I didn’t care – I knew I’d meet people who were as passionate about literature as I was. They’d understand why I had to do this.

The nearest shop to me on the list was Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, in Bath. As a result of naïve optimism and youthful ignorance, I had no clear plan of what I was doing, other than a.) Book a train ticket; b.) I should buy one book from each bookshop, and get it signed by the staff. All of a sudden I was in Bath, and I didn’t know the first thing about being a journalist – I didn’t even know how to get to the shop.

“It’s Ok – this is what makes me so different from all the other travel writers out there,” I told myself, in an effort to suggest that my inexperience was ‘endearing’ and ‘quirky’, and not ‘desperate’ and ‘a harbinger of disaster.’

After studying a map for myself, I decided that the best (read as ‘laziest’) way was just to approach people and ask directions.

Mr B.’s has won an Independent Bookshop Award, twice, in 2008 and 2011.

Their logo is a reading monkey. I was unaware of this, and I had to ask - upon seeing a bookshelf entitled ‘The Reading Monkey’s Favorite Reads’ - “What exactly is a Reading Monkey?”

To answer my question, the staff produced the monkey of the moment; he’s a sock monkey, handmade especially for Mr B’s. “We no longer keep him on the shop floor,” they explained, “Customers kept trying to buy him.

The woman who made him cannot mass produce reading monkeys, so we have to keep him out of sight.”

However, the reading monkey

"I told myself, in an effort to suggest that my inexperience was ‘endearing’ and ‘quirky’, and not ‘desperate’" does have a few special relatives; the Golden Sock Monkeys. They’re part of an award system specific to Mr B’s’; every writer who wins a Golden Sock monkey gets one, and each one’s personalized to the winner, as he’s reading a miniature copy of their book.

When William Boyd won one he was cynical at first - then he sent Mr B’s a picture of his reading

monkey, sitting on his mantel piece, so it would seem that he came around to the idea (and why wouldn't he?

It’s the best thing to win, ever!)

This anecdote perfectly

demonstrates how it’s not just readers and booksellers who fall in love with Mr B’s; it’s writers, too.

As I leave Mr B’s, I just have time to sign the guestbook: ‘Thank you for putting up with my bookshop ramblings!

- Chloe, the journalist’.

Photo: J Alves, freestockphotos

The tiny joys of travelling by train Daniel Peters Travel Writer “Not till about one twenty on the sunlit Saturday did my threequarters-empty train pull out, all windows down, all cushions hot, all sense of being in a hurry gone.”

‘The Whitsun Weddings’, a showpiece Philip Larkin poem, recalls a train ride made in the spring of 1956. Much has changed in the sixty years since the poem was written, but the vivid descriptions of a British railway journey are as relatable today as ever.

I’m not a train enthusiast in the sense that I could recite different types of locomotives, but I would nonetheless rank trains as my unrivalled favourite means of transport. The relaxed buzz of stations, the freedom of movement within carriages and the unparalleled view of the English landscape all count towards this.

For me, stepping on a train is like stepping into the past. It is one of the few times I regularly disconnect myself from the internet and simply enjoy the nature of being. Flying through the British countryside, it feels like we are being shown a snapshot of our country we rarely get to witness. The winding bridleways, the backs of houses, rivers and fields galore – all on display to anyone who cares to watch. These

evening (made from an old set of curtains he had acquired), he and the Muslim woman exchanged stitching advice.

When the time came to disembark all three of us left with smiles on our faces, and I couldn’t help but think that there were few other places where such an unexpected encounter could have occurred.

Image: Dingbat Fonts, Wikimedia are things we often never see in our hectic daily schedules, but there is something purifying about these simple, innocent insights.

However, the most enjoyable part of any train ride has to be the people. The design and nature of most trains make it a far more communal experience than coaches, cars, planes or buses. Especially when occupying a table seat, you have the space and movability to really get lost in the great British pastime of people-watching.

As a Londoner, people are often taken aback to learn that you actually enjoy trains, but outside

of rush hour it is often fascinating to note the types of people who embark or disembark at each station and assign them each a fictitious backstory accordingly.

Train carriages are a mixingpot of people from all walks of life, and the interactions between these people often reflect society as a whole. Earlier this month I made a Friday afternoon journey from Norwich to Stratford along a train line many readers will be familiar with. Having secured a table seat, I was joined by an overtly effeminate man, probably in his late twenties.

He was dressed in tremendously

eccentric clothing, but also oozed a slight sense of reservation As the carriage filled we were then joined by a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. Given the level of prejudice often highlighted in the news over the past year, this could have been considered by some an uncomfortable mix.

However, the interactions between these two travellers was a testimony to the goodness of the human heart. Conversation began to flow, and it emerged that the gentleman was in fact a drag queen on his way to a performance. As he began sewing his outfit for that

"The winding bridleways, the backs of houses, rivers and fields galore ­— all on display for anyone who cares to watch" “They watched the landscape, sitting side by side —an Odeon went past, a cooling tower, and someone running up to bowl—and none thought of the others they would never meet or how their lives would all contain this hour.”

Sport Comment: Nadal vs Federer 22

24h October 2017

Sport writer Meyzi Adoni on the battle for World Number one This year has already been an incredible and unforgettable year for tennis fans and there is still a month to go.

With Roger Federer coming back from a long injury break and Rafael Nadal trying to find back his form after several injuries, it was a question mark whether these two tennis stars were ready to compete on the high level once again.

Most people thought that this was Federer’s last season and others were debating if Nadal could win a Grand Slam title this year.

However, all of these thoughts and debates are redundant.

“Most people thought that this was Federer’s last season and others were debating if Nadal could win” Right at the beginning of the season, we had the privilege of watching these two tennis stars playing against each other at

the Australian Open final, where Roger Federer outlasted Rafa Nadal to win the title.

The high quality tennis they played during the tournament was enough to silence everyone; and after that moment, most of the people who respected and adored tennis realized that it was a privilege to watch these two tennis stars battling against each other.

During this season, many unexpected and surprising things happened, but overall what everyone was focused on was how Nadal and Federer were playing how they did years ago.

And because it was an excitement we missed, every Rafa-Roger match was a treat something no one could miss. On Sunday 15th of October, for the fourth time in 2017, these two outstanding sportsmen shared the same court to battle for the Shanghai Masters trophy.

The Swiss lost only four times this year and he is in great form against Nadal as he won the last four matches they played.

In Shanghai, despite Federer’s incredible form in 2017, Nadal seemed to be the favorite because of his outstanding performance in US Open and in Beijing.

He had a minor injury before

the match, but it didn’t seem important and Nadal refused to talk about it before and after the match. However, Federer showed a great performance and fired ten aces to beat Rafa Nadal. He won his sixth title of the year and extended his winning streak against Nadal to five matches.

“The Swiss lost only four times this year” Right now, we have an important question in our minds.

Who will be the number one when the year concludes? At the moment, Rafael Nadal is the number one player in the ATP rankings and it’s possible that if he sustains his current form he will finish in the same position.

However, if Federer levels up his game and carries on winning titles he can overcome Rafa in that race.

In a BBC interview, the Swiss said that his main focus is the ATP Finals at London and he doesn’t think that he will become the world number one at the end of this year. But who knows? We will enjoy watching both of them and see what will happen.

Above: Rafael Nadal, Below: Roger Federer, Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Rafael_Nadal_, Roger_Federer, wikimedia, Tatiana

Harry Harris reports the Men’s Lacrosse win against Nottingham What a start for the boys in gold and blue! Having been runners up in both league and cup in 2016/17, the men’s team are determined to put things right this year and we couldn’t have put out a more emphatic statement.

A solid fresher intake and a very positive performance in pre-season had the boys going into the game with Nottingham 3s in confident mood and it took just five minutes to establish a 3-0 lead through Hamish Lister (x2) and American exchange Joel Mayo.

A Nottingham timeout did nothing to prevent the Eagles from extending the lead further as goals from Jhan Tibudan, Jack Govey, Shu Omi and our other American import Max Yoshida saw UEA end the first quarter seven goals clear.

This quarter not only saw a rampant attacking display, it also saw Sean Cullum lose his battle with a particularly tough blade of grass and fall face first into the turf under no pressure whatsoever.

Into the second quarter, the boys picked up from where they left off, Mayo and Yoshida bagging two great goals each before one of the highlights of the day, a first ever goal for third year Patrick O’Dell.

UEA Eagles being 12-0 up at

half time was beyond what any of us could have predicted. After such a dominant first half, some overconfidence and indiscipline started to creep into the Eagles and Nottingham started to grow into the game in the third quarter.

“Winning 19-0 to open the campaign is genuinely phenomenal and also represents a first clean sheet in at least two years” However, the defensive quartet of goalie Chris Irvine and Charlie Albuery, Chris Groom and Will Vickers kept the Nottingham attack at bay. Tibudan then added his second and Owen Wilson bagged a great goal to send the boys into the last quarter 14-0 up. The team realised we needed to step our game up again and went into the final quarter determined to make the score line as big as possible. Within minutes Tibudan had completed his hat-trick before Yoshida scored an outrageous behind-the-back goal.

Photo: Holly Myers One more each from Yoshida and Mayo took the score to 18-0 before we rounded off the performance with a goal from club President Andy Bloore.

Winning 19-0 to open the campaign is genuinely phenomenal and also represents a first clean sheet in at least two years. The

two freshers in the squad, Scott Arthur and Kris Rickus, slotted in seamlessly and did themselves proud.

Credit also to Seb Grant for winning every face-off. With such a dominant first performance and great turnouts at training sessions the toughest issue right now is who

makes the squad each week!

In a close Man of the Match contest the winner was Charlie Albuery, in a game where the goalscorers took the limelight, the professionalism and discipline he showed in defence was brilliant; one of his best games for the club.

2

7

r

a

23

24th October 2017

UEA Netball defeat Coventry He shoots, he scores!

Simon Beeson Sports Writer

Photo: Phoebe Coward Molly Reeves Sports Writer The game was our first of the season for UEA Netball, as well as the first as a newly formed team, we had only had a couple of training sessions together!

Last year the team were relegated from their league, so this time around we were eager to prove ourselves and get our first win under our belts.

We set off the game a little nervous, but the gameplay flowed smoothly and we managed to

get a solid lead after the first quarter. With such a strong start, adrenaline pumping we headed into the second quarter where the gap between Coventry and UEA widened.

Rebounds in defence were turned into goals, and lots of interceptions made to give UEA the majority of possession.

Caitlin Dive in Centre connected the game play through defence to attack beautifully, where Jordan in Goal Shooter barely missed a shot. It became clear the girls were starting to tire come third quarter, so a few fresh

legs were put on court.

With a few new players who had never played BUCS level netball before, they really proved themselves as worthy of being selected for the team.

The score continued to rise as more interceptions and brilliant gameplay was made. A few more changes were made for the final quarter where UEA 2nds ended the game with a whopping win of 51-22.

We take on Northampton 2s next Wednesday, where we will be looking for our second win!

Mike Ashley puts Newcastle up for sale Daniel Peters Sports Writer Over the past decade Mike Ashley has been one of the most controversial club owners in English football. With the sole exception of Roman Abramovich, it is difficult to think of a more recognisable counterpart.

However it now appears that the Ashley era at Newcastle United is finally drawing to a close.

Last week Newcastle FC was officially put up for sale with a statement released by St James Holdings, a company established

by Ashley to oversee his control.

The decision was reportedly made “to give the club the best possible opportunity of securing the positioning and investment necessary to take it to the next level.” A new buyer is hoped to be in place before the upcoming January transfer window.

The statement also offered new buyers “deferred substantial holdings” to help a replacement make short term investments into the club.

Ashley has a majority shareholding in British retailer Sports Direct and is (on paper at least) a billionaire. However, fans

have often criticised Ashley’s lack of investment into the team, and blamed him for a lack of success in recent years.

In terms of results, Ashley’s time at the club has been disappointing. Newcastle were relegated (twice) for the first time in Premier League history, accompanied by consistent managerial instability.

A fractious relationship with fans peaked in 2016 when Ashley s a i d that he “regretted” b u y i n g the club.

Many ex-players (notably Alan Shearer) were openly critical of his leadership.

Controversy surrounding the tycoon also stretched well beyond footballing matters.

The self-confessed “power drinker” faced numerous problems with the law in recent years, based primarily on alcohol consumption and his breaching of employment

law with Sports Direct.

The decision to sell comes at an interesting time for Newcastle, who seem to have prospered since the appointment of manager Rafael Benítez in March 2016.

Nonetheless, hordes of Newcastle fans have already begun speculating over who their next owner could be, with Amanda Staveley one such suggestion. The financier has previously made bids on other P r e m i e r L e a g u e sides, and was seen at N e w c a s t l e ’s h o m e game against Liverpool earlier this month. It is however far too early to speculate with any real credibility on such matters.

This is not the first time Ashley has put Newcastle up for sale, but it would appear that now the full-time whistle might finally be about to blow on one the Premier League’s most colourful and controversial figures.

Photo: Pixabay, openclipartvectors

What was looked at as a tough opening BUCS day fixture at home to Bedfordshire 2s was made easier when the opposition turned up with 11 men. After a slow start to the game, UEAFC’s stand in captain Marcus Legg, with a top one size too small for him, opened his account with a selfish run which saw him run past four Bedford defenders before scuffing his shot into the top corner with his weaker foot.

The game then saw another slow phase with UEA still all over Bedford structured defence.

However, a questionable decision by the referee disallowed a Bedfords’ goal, and instead awarded a free kick. Unfortunately, the keeper was not ready when the referee blew his whistle and watched the ball sail over the wall and into the back off the net.

UEA then started to dominate the possession and game once again with many chances being squandered by a wasteful attacking display. However, Matt Fishman made a surging run down

the right wing before playing a neat one-two with Legg, who then played the ball off a defender into the back of the net. 2-1 to UEA. It remained this way till half time.

An encouraging team talk saw the boys head out for the second half. Bedford started better but Henry Clarke started to get on the ball more, beginning to dictate play for UEA. Bedford had no answer for the attacking play UEA were putting on show. Yet the strike force of Legg and Parot could not find the net. Chance after chance was created but was failed to be put away.

New signing Harry Knights then limped off and saw a change in to formation. Legg would now drop into midfield whilst William ‘the cat’ Spinks dropping into the back three. UEAFC would remain on top for the rest of the game however more poor decisions from the attacking force saw UEA fail to score and it was seen that it might be one of those days for UEA. It was not to be the case as UEA held on for a hard-fought victory against a below par Bedford squad!

0

Canary corner: what’s up at Carrow Road?

Norwich City fans revelled in delight after Nelson Oliveira scored a last minute goal, equalising the scores to 1-1 against 10-man Hull City at Carrow Road. The Tigers seemed to be in control, heading towards a comfortable first away win after Nouha Dicko secured his first goal by passing the oncoming Angus Gunn.

It was not a smooth match for Hull City, as David Meyler was sent off after 57 minutes for a second bookable offence. Hull’s midfielder, received an injurytime booking which excludes him from next month’s play-off first leg. Meyler was given a yellow card 24 minutes into the game after his late tackle on James Maddison. He was previously sent off for pulling down Yanic Wildschut.

Oliveira’s close range flick extended Norwich City’s unbeaten record to eight games. The team have surpassed Ipswich Town into eighth in the Championship table.

Following their 4-0 loss against Millwall in August, Norwich have won four and drawn two of their six league matches. Hull City improved their standing in the Championship table by two places, making them 15th. The club’s top scorers have bagged

five goals away from home this season.

Daniel Farke, Norwich City’s boss, told BBC Radio Norfolk: “I’m so happy for the lads that they were able to score in the end. We totally deserved at least a point.

“Sometimes it is brilliant to have an easy game and win 5-0 but a moment like this is the most amazing in football.”Farke’s excitement at Oliveira’s 96th minute goal may have got the better of him, as he was threatened with being sent off by Mr Stroud, following his on-pitch celebrations. He stated to the EDP: “I was really quite anxious at the time because in my whole career as a head coach, nearly ten years, I was never sent off. ” He continued: “We won 65% of all our duels and normally it is the defending team who win those. Sometimes small situations determine games and in that situation in the first half we were really sloppy .” Hull coach Leonid Slutsky told BBC Radio Humberside: “We showed character and good discipline” “I’m proud of our level and how well we played, especially after an international break. Seven of our 11 of our players were away with their national teams.”

Sophie Christian Photo: Optiknv, Wikimedia

24

24th October 2017

Sport

Chessboxing comes to Norwich Caitlin Vance Sports Writer

Chessboxing has made it to Norwich.

On Saturday 21st October, OPEN hosted the first ever chessboxing event in Norwich.

Chessboxing is a hybrid sport which sees a combination of two classic hobbies: chess and boxing.

The parameters of the game are fairly simple.

There are eleven rounds alternating between chess and boxing. There are six rounds of chess and five rounds of boxing with each round lasting three minutes. The clearest way to win is by checkmate or knockout, whichever comes first.

At the Norwich event on Saturday 21 October, it was mostly chess that saw players thwarted, but naturally the boxing got the crowd most excited.

A player can also win if their opponent exceeds their time limit in the chess round, by judges’ decision in the boxing rounds or if an opponent resigns.

The unusual mash-up of chess and boxing creates an ultimate test of both mental and physical strength. The fast-pacing of the sport puts intense pressure on boxers as they need to be able to switch between the physicality of boxing and the mental agility needed for chess.

However, the two sports are not as far apart as they first seem

fighters alongside chess commentary by underground DJ Craig Townsend and local cabaret at half-time, meant the event was action-packed.

While fans’ enjoyment is clearly important to organisers, this event was put on to help raise money for Paterson’s charity, Yellobric.

When asked about the charity

by Concrete, Paterson commented that it “exists to provide education to those in the world that most need

“The unusual mashup of chess and boxing creates an ultimate test of both mental and physical strength”

as both chess and boxing require strategy and quick thinking.

London Chessboxing’s finance director and Norfolk resident, Gavin Paterson, brought chessboxing to Norwich as he believed that the “creatives and media types” present in Norwich would be likely to enjoy the sport.

Moreover, two chessboxers are UEA alumni: Prince Titus BeyaSmiler, ‘The Prince of Pawn’, and Cameron ‘The Hurt Locker’ Little.

Prince Titus has been boxing and playing chess separately for years but Norwich meant his first chessboxing match.

On the other hand, Cameron

Little has previously competed twice with a record of one win and one loss. However, Little lost out at the event in the night’s final match.

With the sport’s expansion to Norwich, chessboxers like Prince Titus “hope and trust that this sport has the potential to expand.”

A mix of local and London

it.” Yellobric has been involved in projects in South Africa and Ethiopia as well as locally in Norfolk.

Recently, the charity partnered five local schools to five schools in Africa.

All ten schools successfully completed the task to ‘design, build, launch and recover a spacecraft’ with the highest altitude reached being 33km (three times as high as commercial flights).

An Amster-damn good win Chris Skingley Sport Reporter UEA Futsal won the Amsterdam Euro Fives Autumn Cup on Saturday 7th. UEA had previously won the cup in 2014.

“UEA grew in the tournament winning all their remaining group stage games” For the event, the team flew out on Friday for thei weekend after being invited by the tournament organisers. After being greeted at the Airport by the tournament driver, Futsal went straight to the hotel to meet the organisers. The tournament consisted of five teams which played in a round robin group format, with a final consisting of the top two teams after these games.

Each game was to last just 15 minutes with a non-stopped clock, something that meant a slow start to any game would be costly. UEA’s first match was against the reigning champions of the cup, Simple Seven.

After a cagey opening game from UEA it ended 1-1 with President Neil Radia with the goal, in a game where neither team really created many chances.

Despite the initial disappointment of the result, it put UEA into a strong position going into the other games, having not lost to what was believed to be the strongest competition for them.

UEA grew into the tournament as it went on, winning all their remaining group stage games rather comfortably, 2-0, 6-0 and 5-1.

Due to the superior goal difference, after all the group stage games had been played, it was announced that UEA had topped the group and would play the reigning champions and the only team to have not lost to UEA in the group stages, Simple

Seven.

High on confidence at this point, UEA got an early lead in the game after a Jason Lines precision corner was controlled and slotted into the bottom of the net by Chris Skingley.

The lead was then doubled by Sam Ballard with a fine finish with just over 5 minutes to go, putting UEA in a commanding position.

After some solid defending

by Ed Spurling and Sam Marrow usefully keeping possession, fulfilling his self-proclaimed ‘Kevin De Bruyne’ role, the final whistle blew meaning UEA had won the match and the tournament. UEA Futsal would like to personally thank Jacob Zierold for firstly organising the trip but also for only letting in 2 goals the whole tournament despite not being a goalkeeper.

Top scorer of the tournament was tied with Tom Symons, Sam Ballard and Chris Skingley all getting four goals each. The celebrations went long into the night, seeing all that Amsterdam has to offer.

Photo: William Walker