Concrete issue 011 14 10 1992

UEA' s

INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

UNIVERSITY ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS - THE SHOCKING TRUTH

INTERVIEW

CONCRETE TALKS TO THE STAR ABOUT IDS LA TEST FILM

Nigel Harding

I

By Gill Fenwick News & Features Editor demic staff as well as students is also under threat.

John Holmes, Union Sports Officer, claimed there is a "tacit understanding" in all Higher Education institutions that Wednesday afternoons are left free.

Tina Bament, Captain of the Women's Rugby team, said DEV's programme conflicts with the University's commitment to "Sport for all" in the 1993/4 prospectus, .

"The University is all up for encourag-

Union Officer 1resigns .....----By -----.

e

Students in the school have accused their faculty of disregarding an unwritten national rule that Wednesdays should be free for non-academic activities, forcing them to choose between their sport or studies.

Field trips and lab sessions have been timetabled for the afternoons when important inter-university matches are scheduled.

The Grand Prix which includes aca-

14, 1992

PatrickSwayze

Wednesday sport could be under threat

SPORT on Wednesday afternoons is being placed in jeopardy by changes in the DEV studies timetable.

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ing you to get involved with sports and representing them nationally .

"But UAUs are a problem because they happen on Wednesday afternoons.

"The fact that we've got scheduled lectures on Wednesdays is fine, if we just had Wednesday mornings.

"The problem is the field trips. I don't think anything can be done this term, very reluctantly we'll go on the field trips, but I certainly don't want this hassle next term".

Chris Coole, captain of the 2nds Rugby team explained that as captain, "it's not

A MEMBER of the Student Union Executive has resigned over the censoring of a Survival Guide for freshers at Fifers Lane.

Lucy Broadhurst, the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Rights Officer of the Student Union cited several reasons for her resignation from her ex-officio post last Wednesday.

She was unhappy with anumber of decisions taken by the Executive including the vetoing of material in the Survival Guide \\bich the Horsham Halls Committee planned to distribute to first-years at Fifers Lane.

The HHC hoped to warn new undergraduates to be aware of 'sharks' - second-year students returning to the residences during the first few days to "F**k a Fresher."

The Executive decided that this warning would be "off-putting"

for Freshers and banned its inclusion in the guide.

Lucy also felt a close vote which gives the Executive absolute power to pass new rules in the absence of

Broadhurst - resigned

Union General Meetings and Student Forums was "unacceptable".

The last straw, however, came at the UGM in Week 1.

Lucy, a member of the Socialist Workers Student Society, did

Turn to Page 2, Col.3

Turn to Page 2, Col.l

Freshers housed in City

By John Barton A SHORT AGE of campus accommodation due to the increase in student numbers has forced the University to house first years in Mary Chapman Court and city residences this year.

University authorities state that this measure has been planned for some time to cope with this increase.

Estimates from the registry suggest that there has been a rise of 350 in first year undergraduates compared with last year. This is very much in line with the strategic plan which

projects an overall increase of25% in student numbers over five years.

Some students are upset about being located so far away from campus.

Helen Hutchinson SOC I was disappointed with the lack of campus atmosphere at Mary Chapman Court and described it as "Prisoner Cell Block H." Andrew Woodard EUR I, living in Clarendon Road, described similar feelings but also told of "appalling living conditions."

His catalogue of horrors included : "A hole in the back door which allows slugs to crawl through, slugs

5,000 copies every fortnight

appearing in the bath, the lack of water pressure, temperamental cooker and faulty heating" When Concrete contacted Clive Winter at the Accomodation office he was unaware of the problem and promised to contact the agency concerned with the management of town properties.

The agency refused to comment to Concrete and referred us back to the Accomodation office.

It has emerged that representatives of the agency have been to the Clarendon Road residence and steps are being taken to rectify the situation.

Tel. (0603) 592512

Shelley Wright and Richard Hewison A RENT strike is to go ahead after a quorate Union General Meeting held last Monday in the LCR. Students in residences are being asked by the Union to pay their

PHOTO: Forrest Wentworth ~t

into a strike bank account.

Thi! will enable the Union to bargain with the University officials over rent rises.

Full story Page Three

Concrete, UEA, Norwich, NR4 7TJ

2

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

No time?

· Union objects to University censorship

Continued from Page One just the fact of turning up, you're supposed to be there, to organise the team, the kit, transport etc .. n Andy Ward, a member of the 1st Ru gby team said, "If I don't turn up every Wednesday, I'll lose my position on the team, after working hard last year to obtain it".

Ian Raben-Christensen, President of the Rugby club, is also annoyed at the conflict, "It mucks up the team, because Andy is in the 1st team and if we lose him we would have to borrow from the 2nd team and then they would have to borrow from the 3rd etc.

"Everyone is losing out because all our hard training and team work has been disarrayed" .

But Mr Yvan Biot, Course Convenor in DEV, explained that as "the student population increases , resources and time available does not increase.

"I find that time allocated for sport is taking a huge chunk out of the timetable n.

He continued that if people have to play sport, "They should do it at the weekends like everyone else in Society".

By Sarah Cantor A UNANIMOUS vote for Union autonomy ended the first Union General meeting of the year .

Mike Stocking, DeanofDEV reiterated Mr Biot's point, "We wouldn't use Wednesday afternoons unless it was absolutely essential".

However, according to one DEV student , "On Thursdays and Fridays, we have no timetab le apart from a video slot".

Andy Ward is more worried about the future.

"There is a danger it will escalate, the more students and less funds, the fuller the timetable will be. There is even talk of lectures on Saturdays as well which means there will be no time for sport".

Mr Biot's has advised students affected by the timetable change to officially complain to the Dean and take it to the School Board.

"I am only course convener for one year," he said.

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The motion was proposed in response to the University's censorship of information on the rent strike that the Union attempted to send out over the Summer.

Anger was also expressed over the subsequent and unprecedented letter sent out by the University itself which asked students to pay their rent before 23rd September.

The Communications Officer, Richard Hewison, labelled the University's actions, "disgusting" .

...:=======================-, Broadhurst resigns Continued from Page One not approve of Communications 0 fficer Richard Hewison 's decision to reject a late proposal from SWSS on behalf of the Executive without first calling a meeting to discuss it.

Richard defended this move by explaining that he was acting in the role of Executive Coordinator and "simply did not

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p eo: a

rose

Chris Hollingsworth, the Finance Officer, said that the censorship was, "a blatant violation of the University Royal Charter concerning freedom of speech and the Union's right to autonomy".

The motion was actually passed half quorate with 120 people in the 2nd count.

However the debate had already been proposed by the Chairman Richar Hewison whilst the meeting was full quo rate and thus it went ahead.

As Communications officer Richard then went on to present the reasons for Union autonomy.

The floor did not oppose at all and the motion was carried unanimously.

I an e

£1 admission £1 50 with the freedom 1 n d d a n c e n 0 d r e s s

have enough time to call a meeting before the UGM." Despite their differences of opinion, Richard stressed that the Executive "deeply regretted " Lucy's departure and are "sorry to lose her."

A new Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Rights Officer will be elected next week.

Student outrage at 38 wk licence

By Suzanne Davis and Melanie Watts FIRST year students who have been given 38 week licences are outraged that they should pay for 8 weeks they don't want.

This has come as something of a surprise to the Executive because previously first years have always had 30 week licences unless they requested otherwise.

In fact, this was stated in this years joining instructions.

But the students, housed in Waveney Terrace and Mary Chapman Court, were sent bills requesting payment for a 3 8 week licence without requesting them.

One First-year student said, "Its unbelievable that I should be forced to pay for a 38week licence when I have no need for it, I can't afford it and did not ask for it.

"What is the use of having an empty room in the holidays and yet having to pay for it? Especially at Christmas when most people go home."

The University however seems to think that they are doing students a favour by

providing them with a roof over their heads, at any price, to avoid an 'accommodation crisis'. However, the Director of Public Relations, Mike Benson claimed that the University had "no dark motives", such as covering the cost of new accommodation construction with money from unsuspecting Freshers.

Yet Richard Hewison, Communications Officer of the Students Union, states this has never happened before and indeed the Accommodation Manager, Clive Winter, claimed to be unaware of what was gomg on .

The Union say they are totally opposed to the idea, especially as they disagree with Freshers being placed in Mary Chapman Court- residences traditionally reserved for third years. They plan to bring the topic up at the Tuesday Club meeting and "in the meantime I advise first years to with-hold rent and pay it into the Union Rent Strike Fund", said Richard Hewison.

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

Still in dark over semester system

3

Rent strike to go ahead

jReport by John Bartonl THE introduction of the semester system is now only a year away.

Most students are aware of its arrival but few know how it will affect them.

ReshPatel, EUR2, felt she spoke for many when she said, "Bearing in mind this scheme has been in the pipeline for three years, I still feel totally in the dark about it. No one really knows what will happen" .

David Marshal(, Assistant Registrar, aims to have a full information sheet available by the end of this term.

General information covered is as follows; Semester I : 27 September 1993 - 2 February 1994, Christmas Break : 23 December 1993- 19 January 1994, Semester 2 : 3 February 1994 - 22 June 1994, Easter Break : 17 March 1994- 13 April 1994.

Semesters will each comprise of three modules representing 20 credits, each amounting to a total of 120 at the end of a year.

Assessments will take place at the end of each semester.

Final arrangements are still not in place and this accounts for much of the confusion, especially from the student angle.

Discussions within school boards are planned in the coming weeks.

The ease with which the scheme will be implemented varies, depending on existing course struc-

tures.

The sciences, due partly to the fact that a similar scheme has been in operation for a number of years will fmd the change less disruptive.

Arts and humanities will experience more problems.

Dr Stocking, Dean ofDEV, admits there are "considerable problans because coun;e ~ need to be extensively revamped, while disrupting students as little as possible" .

Tony Rich, Senior Registrar, is keen to stress the benefits of the new system: "The semester policy pursues the direction taken by the Government to make Higher Education more lloOCeSli>le, improve the choice available and increase coun;e flexibility".

Mr Rich also indicated that the new system would enable the University to accept more students especially on a part-time basis, placing an even greater burden on already scant resources.

In bringing in this new system the University is following a nation-wide trend toward semesterisation.

With the publishing of a students' charter planned for next year, meaning greater accountability on the part of the teaching establishment, this is all seen as an essential step forward.

A RENT strike will go ahead at UEA, after the motion was voted in at a Union General Meeting held on October S. Proposals for a strike arose last term, and the quorate assanbly a the meeting voted overwhelmingly for immediate action .

It will be highly publicised, asking Frrshcrs to pay their tcrmly rent into a high interest account opened for the strike.

The aim is to force the University to freeze rent levels for the next three years.

Welfare Officer, Colin Browning, said of the latest S .S% rent increase: "Does this allow an increase in higher education?

• Do rents really need to be on the level they are, to subsidise the £80,000 a year loss made by University Catering?"

Finance Officer, Chris Hollingworth, assured Freshers that the Union will accept both legal and fmancial responsibility for all those who support the campaign .

He confirmed that the rent money will be returned to the University by the beginning of next term.

Protesting students will then still be able to sign on for their

PHOTO: Qara Tuckey courses.

The Union initially thought that the interest earned on the money in the strike account would pay for the fines issued against students witholding rent.

But with the fine for late rent now fifteen pounds per person, Cbris Hollingworth said, "The interest on the rent alone cannot cover the fmes.

"The Union will make up the difference from the campaigns budget."

Even though the strike was welcomed by the vast majority of students, anxieties were raised over the reliance on first years to exe-

cute the action .

In addition to this, the University could gain more revenue in fines than the interest it would have received on the rent.

But Chris Hollingworth hopes that this will be outweighed by the inconvenience of the strike.

He said, "The main thing that the rent strike will do is create bad publicity and interrupt the University's cash flow."

He added that if there is no rent freeze by Christmas, a strike will be proposed for the spring term .

University Publicity OffiCer, Mike Benson, reacted to news of the

strike by saying, "Rent has been raised every year for many years in line with inflation and to reflect maintenance costs.

I think the rent strike is misjudged, unhelpful and I can't see what it is designed to achieve."

He stressed that a survey carried out in University residences showed that students did not mind paying more rent for better accommodation.

He added, "Rises in rent are decided in consultation with Student Union representatives.

"There are plans to negotiate new rent levels next spring ."

By Nigel Harding and Tara Hoke DUE TO government underfunding, a rising proportion of students at universities across the UK have to work part-time to make ends meet.

A recent study by the Student Guardian showed that an average of 29% of undergraduates are in paid employment during term-time. Though some of these students work merely for pleasure, Union Communications Officer Richard Hewison pointed out that "student hardship is such that many people are forced to take on jobs while they study."

He believes that working during term-time can only detract from students' academic performance.

Eva Jelnikar, a first-year Biological Sciences major, currently works five hours a week in the Union Supermarket. "I need the money," she said . Eva hopes to gain extra shifts in the future, adding: "I don't think I'm going to come through on the grant."

Cardiff University has pioneered a new employment initiative providing up to 15 hours of work a week for needy students.

FIVE STAR TAXIS NORvVICH

or 619289 or 619280

No extra charge after midnight This programme, known as Unistaff, employs 600 students to perform general maintenance and clearing jobs around campus - work which has traditionally been granted to outside contractors . Unistaff pays £3 an hour, more than the going rate for similar jobs on offer in Car-

diff. The programme, entering its second year, has become so popular that there isno longer enough work to go round .

Press Officer, Michael Benson, was unaware of the Unistaff Programme but mentioned that a similar scheme might work at UEA.

UEA to anywhere within the inner ring

road:.....:~

UEA to Thorpe· Rail Station: £3.50

4

Concrete , Wednesday, October 14, 1992

UCCA ntix-up UCC A caused an anxious moment for the UEA admissions office when it fai led to register the vacancies in all unfilled courses .

The courses were not, therefo re, adverti sed in the first few [ndependent listings publicati ons .

The mi stake was quickl y remedied giving place-hunters the chance to fi nd a sui table course at UEA. " The implications o f such

By Marina Johnston a mistake going unnoti ced are worryi ng since surplus unfilled places at the end of clearing would cause government cut-backs in the amount allocated to the Uni versity C o mmittees fund " sa id Co mmuni cations Officer, Richard Hewison .

This fund pays a percentage of all fees and consequently

creates competition for students between uni versities.

The clearing procedure is unclear for many applicants who were left waiting for UCCA forms to be transferred from UCCA to U EA The cause of the delays was a computer failure at the most vital period of clearmg.

This was the culmination of notorious problems with image-processing equipment which have caused difficulties throughout the year.

UEA lecturers dislike degree ¡plans PLANS TO abandon the classification of degrees by the traditional fi rsts, seconds and thi rds could spell disaster for UEA students .

Lectu rers at London University have recently proposed the introduction of a system of percentages similar to that used in med ical degrees.

Instead of being awarded a class of degree students would be given a precise percentage to be used on fu ture Curriculum Vitae.

This figure would be arrived at by calculati ng the mean of several percentages obtained

By Heidi Bulcock m termly assessments and coursework.

However, the general consensus among UEA Deans is that, although it would separate the good and bad students often bunched together in the 2.2 class, many students would lose out.

Dr Mike Stockings believes "averages are too mechanical ". At present examiners try to be "very accommodati ng".

The current system allows both flexibility and compromise, each student is consid -

ered individually.

He expressed his dislike of a system which unfai rl y allows a meagre "one or two pieces of work to greatly reduce the fi nal result achieved after th ree or fou r years of study".

John Street, publicity officer of SOC , stressed that lectu rers realise nobody is immune to the occasional mistake and so are unde rstandi ng of such matters.

He feels that if classification of degrees was changed , this personal approach would be replaced by a statistical calculation.

Litter in square cleared Lecturing THE UNION and University Catering have each contributed ÂŁ200 towards cleaning the campus of last summers litter.

However, the Union insists the donation was given as an act of concern for the environment and not of responsibility for the mess made by individuals.

The popularity of the Square outside Union House as a place to sit and eat during the less drizzly days has been the cause of a widespread accummulation of litter- which is indeed most unsightly.

In a letter to the Eastern Daily Press, Charlotte Heath apparently held the Union liable.

Richard Hewison, Commu-

By ]ulian Taylor nications Officer, made it perfectly clear that the contribution by the Union to help this situation was not to accommodate Ms Heath' s claim.

"The reason we gave the money was because it was quite clear that the quad was disgusting and the Union is committed to environmental action and we agreed that if University Catering was prepared to put forward this sum so would we, in the interests of improving the working environment".

Richard ia adamant that duty does not come into the issue at all.

"Al l we can do is try to educate people into not dropping litter on campus."

He also pointed out that the

Rats The square last term Union has provided "more bins in strategic places" (and that they are green) .

Also concerning the environment of the square is the apparent disappearance of water from the fountain.

Five weeks ago a recirculating pump needed fixing.

This has been done and the

maintenance people do not know why the fountain is not functioning yet.

They are rechecking the pipes to make sure it is safe before the go ahead can be given to switch the water back on.

Michael Benson's PR office stated that things had just been left to one side.

Recycling bin vanishes!

By Simon Pearlman THE RECYCLING bin at Fifers Lane has disappeared.

Many environmentallyfriendly freshers have noticed the absence as they arrived in their new homes.

Greeted by mountains of

paper publicising everything from Peppermint Park to the Christian Union the need for a recycling facility was apparent.

This need was reinforced when as parents finally departed and cans and bottles were charitably exchanged , no bottle or can recycling was available either.

A 'RAT' , acco rding to the Scottish Educational Research Association , is an academic whose main pursuit is research , followed by administration and , fmally , teaching.

Most academics enjoy their research but it also plays an important role if they want to get ahead in their careers .

The current reality is that published works count for more than good teaching .

The worry levels associated with this and the increasingly stressful nature of teaching have resulted in lecturers becoming anxious , depressed and obsessional, showing a higher than normal level of psycho-neurotic illnesses .

"Well, I certainly recognise some of the symptoms," laughs Dr. J . Casey, EUR, when told this .

Although he places research slightly ahead of teaching, he sees the two as being inter-related .

"Teaching is a stimulus to research and helps put it in context. Without the aid of research , there is a danger of teaching becoming too general."

"All you'll have then are lecturers reading the same books as

By Amir Muhammad their students, only a few chapters ahead . Although a teaching-only schedule would probably increase productivity , the quality of the information passed on would suffer."

Dr. Casey also notes that the sense of personal gratification that research gives a lecturer can be passed on to his students , as increased morale.

Professor R. Price, EUR, meanwhile, fmds that he "can't separate research from teaching."

While acknowledging the pressure from the University to maintain research oulpiA and from publishers to meet deadlines, he would "hate to give up teaching."

He attributes the decline in teaching standards not to anxiety about research but the inevitable result of over-sized classes and under-resourced education facilities .

"The whole system is under pressure," he says .

He ends optimistically by saying this would not be a problem with the right attitude.

"If a lecturer can maintain an even balance, he would not see one part of his job as an irritant to another. "

Charity phone line launched Illusions of university life as being modem and environmentally responsible were now lying shattered by the wayside as Alex Tricket commented : "It seems ironic that we as the next 'responsible generation' are not given the opportunity to put our environmental beliefs into practice."

In previous years there were some recycling facilities at Horsham but no longer.

Both the porters and the reg-

is try office are equally mysti fied as to the disappearance.

A Fifers Lane porter said on the subject: "It' s ridiculous, the amount of paper that gathers is huge".

Whether it is a question of the nuisance of paper or global warming, greenhouse gases and subsequent world devastion , it appears that all at Fifers want the return of recycling .

The cry is out , " Can we have our bin back , please!"

FROM this week, you can re-dial that unused amount of retained money after a telephone call to charity - a scheme organised by Radar.

Simply press the Follow On Call button and dial 0891 444 555.

The fastidious will claim the number is difficult to remember and as the conscientious have the exact change, will the rest of us bother?

The problem in fact requires patience. At present, to donate, yo u must dial and continue holding the line until the money is spent.

For the business man with 90p, this is madness , and unless British

By Camilla Edwards Telecom waves the commission on the line, the profits will be marginal .

To the rich unattainable change is trivial , to the student , frustrating and to the taciturn , it is a recurrent symbol of the ineptitude of the phonecall , but it would be reassuring not to unwittingly give money to British Telecom.

Radar hopes to overcome this two-fold failing by persuading British Telecom to waive its commission charges and by increasing the rate on the Iine to ÂŁ50 per second . Alternately and ironically the Charity line will go .

-l Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

5

Name change Polys causing problems CONFUSION continues as over thirty polytechnics have started the new academic year as universities .

The 'new universities', as they are being termed, have fmally decided on their new names.

Problems arose when universities situated in the same area objected to them stealing their identity and were concerned that confusion would ensue.

Anglia Polytechnic, in Cambridge, was prevented from using that name, by the University of East Anglia because thay felt it was too similar.

Problems like this have led to an array of ambiguous and bizarre names.

After much deliberation, An-

By-----.

Polly Graham glia Polytechnic came up with the paradoxical title of Anglia Polytechnic University .

However, the switch board fmd the full name too long-winded, so have opted for the simpler Anglia University.

As yet the 'new university' claims that there have been no major confusions.

Although Rachael Grose, President of the Student Union, believes that there is potential for disaster. "You can't be a Polytechnic and a University, its got to be one or the other".

Leicester Polytechnic commis-

sioned a consultant ftrm to decide upon their new name. After conducting a survey, they came up with De Montfort University, after the 13th century Earl of Leicester, who was the first man to set up Parliament.

David Chiddick, DeMontfort's Pro Vice-Chancellor commented that the Leicester campus was in "utter confusion" because the sign posts were in the middle of being changed, leaving some sporting the old name.

He believes that the teething problems are worth while. He said, "Re-naming is a natural consequence of the development of polytechnics. It proves a recognition of the quality of our institutions".

New names on the acaden1ic tnap

Goodbye to Poll Tax Voluntary NUS membership

By Keeley Smith

THE STRAIN on student finances

will be slightly alleviated by the introduction of the new Council Tax, which replaces the Community Charge on April 1 next year.

Assistant City Treasurer, Colin Thrower, said that the Council Tax, "is an improvement on the Poll Tax," and all students living in university residences or in a property entirely occupied by students will be exempt from payment.

Students in the city who own their homes will also find themselves exempt, but 50% of the relevant level of Council Tax may be charged to residents in the property who are not students.

Instead of sending bills to each eligible individual for their use of local authority services, Council Tax bills will go to households to remove the problem of chasing individuals.

Each property in the county has been valued by the Inland Revenue, enabling eight different bands of payment to be set

up.

These bands are in accordance with the value of a home in relation to other properties in that area.

The figures for these bands will be released in December, and until the Government announce their level of financial support the Council cannot tell how Norwich's bands of tax will compare-with the rest of the country.

90% of the properties in Norwich will fall into the first three categories of payment; A, B and C. This means that Council Tax levels for most people in the city will be lower than the standard band D, which all calculations for the other bands are based upon.

Although a majority of students will avoid having to pay any form oflocal authority tax, there are some students who may be asked to contribute to a property's bill.

This situation can arise if a student is living in a property with a non-student, whece Council Tax will be charged on their home with a discount of25%.

In theory the responsibility for the remaning 75% of the bill falls upon the non-student resident.

However, such residents could request a fmancial contribution from the student.

If a student is living in a property with more than one nonstudent, the property does not qualify for a discount at all.

There is no system for claiming benefit for students who are faced with this dilemma; the only people qualifying for financial aid being single parents and those on income support.

In Mr. Thrower's estimations, the Council Tax will be both easier and cheaper to collect than the Poll Tax, "It remains to be seen whether the Council Tax is fairer for the less welloff members of the community."

Students who have not completed their Poll Tax payments by the time the Council Tax is implemented will still be re-sponsible for late payments.

Mr. Thrower said, "We will continue chasing money still owed, and will probably be doing so for many years."

More links with City THE Student Community Initiative, formed by last year's Executive, will be launched this term.

The Initiative aims to make UEA a more integral part of the Norwich community and to break down any barriers that may exist between the University and the city.

This is to to be achieved by students of UEA going into the surrounding areas and assisting those in need, particularly the elderly , the

Report by Polly Knewstub disabled and the young.

Other aims of the Initiative are to encourage Norwich residents to take advantage of UEA's facilities, specifically the concerts on offer.

A full time worker will be appointed to coordinate the activities created by the Initiative.

This will attempt to bring together the charitable bodies already in existance at UEA

as well as promotin new causes. working in particular with RAG. By encouraging the professional charities ofNorwich to promote their issues of concern in UEA, as well as involving local residents of Norwich it is hoped that a more rewarding relationship can be established between all three bodies.

The Initiative is due to be launched on the Friday of Week Two with a campaign promoting its ambitions.

By Polly GraluJm THE NATIONAL Union of Students' closed shop came under attack last week at the Conservative Party Conference.

John Patten, the Education Secretary, announced plans to shake up compulsory membership of the NUS, rousing a rapturous applause from party members.

The legislation is not likely to be introduced for another year. It is not clear whether individual students will have the choice to join their Student Union or whether each local Student Union will choose as a body to affiliate to the National Students

Union.

The decision comes as no surprise, the Conservatives have previously tried to curb the power of the NUS. For decades the Conservatives have accused the NUS of wasting public money on fanatical causes.

John Pattern's main objection is that the NUS is a closed shop - which students are automatically members of. Loma Fitzsimons, President of the NUS, pointed out that students are not forced to pay any money or to particapate in Union events. She said, "The voluntary principle already exists. When a student becomes a member of the educational establishment they

have access to all the facilities of the institution ranging from the library to the union. A student can choose whether to use it or not."

Concerns have been expressed over the future of important services student unions currently supply, such as welfare services.

A spokesman for the Committee ofVie&Oumcellors and Principles said, "We fully support the work of local student unions on campus: they run many of the facilities better than we could. Students are a large body of people and need an organisation to speak for them at local and national levels. Richard Hewison, Communications Officer, thought that the decision was a pointless attack on students. "All indications are that John Patten doesn't really know what he's doing.

He's saying things to appease his party during a difficult period for the Conservatives."

Radio station comes to the Waterfront

By Peter Hart

and Neil Stock

LOCAL bands will be broadcast to the City when a brand new 'alternative' radio station takes to the air next Thursday.

And for 28 days, Frontline FM will play music like Norwich has never heard before- including indie, rave and grunge - in the hope of giving struggling City bands a wider audience.

The statim, which begins broadcasting on the night of the Waterfront's second birthday, is the brainchild of local music enthusiasts, John Cargill and Lisa Quattromini.

But they say it will be run purely by volunteers - from presenter level to programme controller.

Said Lisa: "We're not doing this for any other reason than that we really want to make a

difference in Norwich.

"It comes out of a recognition that existing broadcasters aren't able to programme the kind of music and features that we think a lot of people would like," she added.

The station reach an estimated five mile radius, from a studio at the Waterfront, where earlier this year Radio 1 FM's Mark Goodier broadcast to the nation during the Sound City '92 Festival.

I

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. 6

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

Features

Campaign to regain Paradise Lost The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection is currently in the process of carrying out a nationwide tour which is aiming to both disclose and highlight the appalling international trade in primates for the use of research in British laboratories.

Pamela Sarna looks at the tour highlighting animal experiments in Britain's universities

The only real means the BUAV have of revealing what goes on behind the laboratory doors is by checking the scientific journals and theses published at UEA

The' Paradise Lost' campaign , as it is called, was launched following a year-long undercover investigation into the trade, which traced the cruel process from the capture of the wild primates in the tropical rain forests of both Asia and Africa, through to the cramped holding stations, the long, caged journey over to the U.K. and their final exploitation and death in the hands of the researchers .

The tour reaches Norwich on M on-

Dr Edmund Rolls and his team have been researching taste - in which macque monkeys have a metal ring cemented to their skulls and electrodes planted in their brains day 12th October in the Haymarket where a lifelike monkey designed by a top 'Spitting Image' model maker will be released from a giant laboratory cage.

The monkey has been named Gina

by BUA V investigator Terry Hill who worked undercover for several months at Shamrock (GB) Ltd. who are the U.K.'s major supplier of primates.

BUAV Campaigns Director Steve Mcivor commented: "Gina represents the 2764 monkeys that suffer and die in cruel and pointless experiments at places such as Oxford University each year.

Thousands more are used abroad and yet more die before even reaching their fmal destination.

The BUAV is campaigning to end this "brutal trade in suffering."

Atrocites have already been revealed at several British universities

(GB) Ltd. in the area.

The BU A V had no recent information on animal experimentation at UEA but we know from past reports that it could still be occuring.

An article publ ished a few years ago in the Eastern Daily Press clainm that animal rights campaigners were calling fo r UEA laboratories to be opened fo r inspection amid allegations of cruel experiments on ani -

PHOTO: Rob Hardy particularly at Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology which is one of the major users of primates in research in this country .

Dr. Edmund Rolls and his team have been researching taste in which macaque monkeys have a metal ring cemented to their skulls and electrodes implanted in their brains.

Solutions of varying tastes are squirted into their mouths and brain activity is recorded.

These sessions go on for many hours each day and the same animal may be used for several years confined in solitary cages.

Monkeys are injected with an artificial chemical which induces symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease.

The animals may endure this for several months The scientists claim that experiments of this type are aimed at understanding human eating disorders but it is known that illnesses

such as anorexia nervosa are highly complex involving emotional and environmental factors rather than a defect that one is born with. rt seems therefore that these experiments are highly academic and curiosity-driven and have very little to do with human health.

Manchester University's Cell and Structural Biology Department have been using primates for many years to research movement disorders such as Parkinsons disease.

Macaque monkeys are injected with an artificial chemical (MPTP) which induces symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, such as uncontrollable tremors, slowness of movement and severe twisting of the limbs.

The animals may endure this horrific state for several months until dying or being killed.

The problem with this type of research is that the MPTP chemical produces a different type of brain damage in monkeys to what Parkinsons produces in humans and the results are extremely variable in each animal.

Powerful new brain scanning techniques on human sufferers are much

more likely to provide relevant results rather than attempting to imitate symptoms in animals by crude chemical poisoning.

In 1988, the government stopped issuing and publishing information on animal research so what goes on

mals. University Press Officer Michael Benson denied all claims at the time - saying that "We are moving very strongly towards experiments fimded by anti-vivisection bodies." However, inspection was never allowed to be carried out. The only real means the BUAV have of revealing what goes on behind the laboratory doors is by checking the scientific journals and theses published at UEA. In the 1980's, such publications included research on

An article published a few years ago in the

Eastern Daily Press claimed that animal rights campaigners were calling for UEA laboratories to be opened for inspection amid allegations of cruel experiments on animals.

University Press Officer, Michael Benson, denied all claims at the time - saying that "We are moving very strongly towards experiments funded by anti-vivisection bodies behind the laboratory doors can be legally kept secret BUAV have uncovered many similarly distressing findings at other universities including Newcastle and Cambridge.

They as yet have no knowledge of any use of primates at UEA but a company near Diss in Norfolk called 'Life Science Research ' is one of the biggest customers of Shamrock

rats' and amphibians' eyes, breathing experiments on the gills of fish and amphibians, and studies on the digestive systems of rats and mice.

Looking back further to the 1960s and 1970s, some tests involved forcibly submerging live ducks underwater - although there is no evidence of similar ~xperimeJlts

now.

The Tuesday Club - what is it anyway?

By Craig Eason Is this a model-making exercise or a workhorse in the communication between the student body (the Student Union) and the academic body of the University?

Not many students attending the University of East Anglia are aware of the Tuesday Club, let alone it's role in the smooth running of the university.

Despite it's innocent name, the Tuesday Club serves as a weekly meeting (every Tuesday) between members of the academia and the Union to

discuss the welfare of the students. It raises such items as the rent strike, the accomodation letter sent to first year students, thefts of bicycles, litter around campus and other items that either party feel need to be aired and dicussed.

The University of East Anglia Executive Sub-Committee of the Stu-

dent Affairs Committee (to give it's full name) 'is a good tool for the Union to raise non- academic matters with the tutors and Deans , though it is joked that we should take along our paper-mache and squeezy washing up bottles for the Dean to teach us how to build the Eiffel tower'said Colin Browning, the Welfare Officer, one

of those attending the Tuesday Club.

It can be hoped that students, knowing of this weekly link between the student representatives and the university, will be more forethcoming with their problems and approach the Union representatives at this meeting (The Communications Officer and the Welfare Officer).

First General Meeting a huge success MONDAY week 1 saw more than 350 turn up for the Union's General Meeting - more than have turned up to an ordinary General Meeting in the past 3 years!

The issue on everybody's mind was of course the Rent Strike.

After a debate on the issues, the

distribution of publicity unammously .

However, earlier in the evening the Executive faced some stiff questions on the activities they had undertaken over the summer, the new disco lights and the beer prices being two main points of contention . Nev-

meeting accepted that direct action was the way to achieve results, but did stop short of calling for an occupation to be organised for the second term.

The meeting then went on to pass a policy calling on the Union to oppose any further interference from the University in its

The plight of 38 week licence holders

Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Rights Officer resigns

Many students have complained to the Union about the fact that they have been forced to take on 38 week licences without option to change. The Union will be organising a survey on how many people have been forced into these licences, and what success they have had in getting out of them.

Should you pay for your Union?

The Conservative Party Conference in Brighton this week brought out once again the old chestnut ofkerbing the activities of Student unions. But what is it in effect that they are proposing?

Well, I certainly don't know, but then that makes me just as well informed as John Patten.

There may be many forms this proposal may take. One of those is that Students may be given the "right" not to have the right to

ertheless, most people seemed satisfied with the answers given, and the meeting was on the whole very positive The next meeting will be the Annual General Meeting.

This will take place on Monday Week 4 in the LCR at 7.30pm.

vote in unions if they so wish (?) .

This means basically that if you don't want to be a member, you just say so at the start of the year and that's that.

The other alternative is to make people have to actively join student union's- a move which may prove a lot more difficult from the point of view of running a Union . People would have to first join the Union before they could join any clubs and societies, etc. and raise questions as

Lucy Broadhurst has resigned her post as Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Rights Officer after political differences with the rest of the executive became, in her view, insurmountable.

In her letter of resignation, she cites both the executive's decision to intervene in a document the HHC attempted to put out,

and the behaviour of Richard Hewison at the UGM in rejecting a SWSS amendmert on behalf of the executive.

Many members of the executive were saddened at her decision to go, but respected her decision and wish her well with the rest of her involvement with the Union .

to how representative of students the views they put across could possibly be.

But the question which remains unclear throughout this is what will happen with fmances? Will people be expected to pay to join the Union instead of the current system whereby it is free to all?

It seems the government is not wanting to force this ahead . But all this seems to mean that not being in the Union has very little

meaning. In effect, you will go up to the Communications Officer and say "excuse me, but I don't want to be in your Union, thank you very much!" and that will be it. All in all, these plans are very sketchy at the moment, but what seems clear is that John Patten is completely out of his depth with this issue and doesn't know what he's talking about! If anybody ever explains itto him, we'llbe the first to let you know.

Recent decisions by Forum and the Executive In its first meeting of the year, amongst the more interesting thmgs the executive discussed, were their plans for the Autumn term (see last issue), the UGM, Undergraduation and the removal of a controversial paragraph from the Horsham Survival Guide.

Whilst most of this was standard stuff, the discussion on the Horsham Survival Guide went on quite long, and the final deci-

PROBLEMS WITH YOUR COURSE?

~av.da

sion to replace one of the paragraphs with something milder was taken only after much heated debate.

Forum's first meeting, on the other hand was fairly quiet.

One issue forum did discuss was whether or not the executive should go to General Meetings with a "position" in the first place. However this was eventually agreed by a fairly large

majority to continue.

The other major item of controversy at Forum was the policy the Union should adopt with relation to Associate members people who are not students at UEA, but who still want to become members of clubs and societies.

In the end Forum decided to take each case on its own merits, subject to the person giving

full details of why they want to join.

The executive meets every Monday Lunchtime at lpm, whilst the next meeting of Forum will be Tuesday Week 3 at 6pm.

Both meetings are held in the conference room (upstairs in UH) and you can attend and speak even in you are not on either committee.

Then make an appointment to see Nicola Sainsbury, the Union's Academic Officer.

Nicola will be available every Thursday Afternoon without appointment to deal with your queries.

Rent strike goes ahead Last Monday saw more people attend the Union's General Meeting than for the past last two years.

The overwhelming motive for most people seemed to be the debate on the rent strike.

This is basically what will now be happening on the Rent Strike: - As from Monday Week 2, students will be invited to pay their terms rent in to a special account held by the union.

You can do this at the Finance Office, upstairs in UH. -The Union will withhold the rent until one week before the start of next term (so that you will be able to register for the Spring Term) .

-The Union will take responsibility for fmes levied by the University in regard of late

payment taken on by the Union .

- If you have not received your grant by Friday Week 3 and having reported this to the University and brought proof to the Union, we will undertake responsibility for any fmes levied .

- No-<>ne will lose their room or be thrown out of the U niversity if they follow the guide lines set out above.

- On paying your rent in to the rent strike account you will be given a contract from the Union which will outline the above.

The Union will use the money raised to negotiate for a rent freeze - the more who take part, the more likely we are to succeed.

ATTACK ALARMS Now available from the Steward's office in Union House Subsidised cost 拢1 each

is wr.itten and compiled entirely by the.Students. Union~lt ..appea.rsllere. .br~ comme.rciaLarrangement with Concrete

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8

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

~~~~~~~~~~Features

NO JOBS FOR

GRADUATES? Erica Stoutenburgh and Niall Hampton look at what students can expect after Graduation IN THE first six months after Graduation, 9.5% of UEA 1992 graduates could not fmd employment.

This figure marks an increase of 1.3% from 1990, and it appears that this trend towards unemployment will continue.

Graduate job vacancies are projected to fall by 17% in 1992.

The economic recession is causing a shortage of jobs nationwide, but those just entering the work force are fac ing particular difficulties.

As the recession continues, 1992 and 1993 graduates are, and can expect to be competing for employment with 199 1 grad uates.

Graduates with a first degree in the sciences faces a higher increase in unemployment than those graduates with a degree in the Arts and Social Sciences .

MAP, ENV and SYS graduates faced the largest increases in unemployment. MAP graduates saw an increase of 7% with the percentage of those unemployed sky rocketing from 9.9% in 1990 to 16.9% in 1991.

"On average, 11.9% fewer graduates from Science schools entered employment, a deterioration for more than twice that experienced by Arts and Social Science graduates".

This statistical fact, direct from the UEA Careers Centre Annual Report 1990-91 , paints a dim picture for all UEA graduates.

Many graduates are choosing to continue with their education, rather than attempt to seek employment under these unfavourab le economic circumstances.

Approximately 25-31% of Arts and Social Science graduates went on to furthe r study or training.

About an equal percentage were able to find permanent employment with the most success going to EAS (31.4%) and EUR (31.5%) graduates.

More that one third of CHEM, MAP and 810 graduates went on to further their educations.

ENV and SYS graduates had the best chance of finding permanent employment, 41.4% ofENV and 56.0% of SYS found employment, but these figures are lower than in past years.

So with the recession continuing, unemployment rising and graduate recruitment declining, what can you expect to find upon

receiving your Honours degree?

First it is important to remember that many first degree graduates are already planning to continue their education due to the structure of many fields .

As !an McGilvray , Director of the Careers Centre said that UEA is "a non-vocationally orientated university where the majority of people inevitably go on for further study or training" .

However, if you are planning on seeking employment immediately following graduation, then perhaps you should prepare to face an extremely competitive and unsympathetic environment, with jobs being so scarce and with an enormous decrease in graduate recruitment.

You need to make yourself an outstanding and perhaps unique candidate - this is where the Careers Centre can help.

A poll conducted by !CM for 'The Guardian' indicated that 61% of students interviewed had never used the careers advisory services available to them at university.

Third year students in particular, should plan on using the valuable resources provided by the Careers Centre.

It can give you some tips for creative job hunting which could allow you to find out about an up-coming job opening before it is advertised .

The Careers Centre also has many videos and the staff can assist with your Curriculum Vitae.

If you are unsure abo ut what type of occupation you are most suited for, the Careers Centre has a computer program called 'Gradscore' and a 'Getting Started' package.

A forthcoming 'Personal Development Programme' run by the Careers Centre seeks to, 'inter alia' recognise and develop skills and personal qualities as well as to improve academic references, which are essential to prospective employers during the selection process for jobs.

As !an McGilvray enthuses, "University is not just about absorbing information and knowledge; character and skills development are also important"

Eating Out in Norwich Report by Simone Dunn Although Norwich is a fairly small city, it has a surprisingly varied selection of restaurants and cafes.

Many freshers will, no doubt, over the fust term, be facing the constant struggle to cook something relatively decent.

When things get desperate and you really can not think of anything else to do with a packet of pasta and a tin of tomatoes, the temptation to eat good food cooked by someone else will probably prove too great.

There is not much food-wise that Norwich doesn't have with everything from Spanish Tapas to Danish but here is a selection of a few restaurants that have proved popular with students, and which will hopefully cover most tastes.

The Waffle House, 39 St Giles Street The Waffle House is one of a number of 'right on' eateries in Norwich , using only organic ingredients . However, they do not sacrifice taste for their morals - the waffles are excellent.

Both sweet and savoury toppings are available and they have a number of specials every day ranging from vegetable stroganoff and organic beef bolognaise to a wealth of meltin-the-mouth fruit puddings. The fresh banana milkshake is definitely worth a mention , with organic wines and beers also on offer. Prices are very reasonable and there is a 10% discount for students .

Take 5, Cinema City, St Andrews Street Take 5 is immensely popular with the arty croud in Norwich.

Linked to Cinema City i1 is housed in an old church, making for somewhat inspiring surroundings.

The restaurant's atmosphere is almost ambiant - they usually play ethereal sounding music and display local artists work. A wide selection of food is available at good prices, including chilli (both vegetarian and meat~ and baked potatoes with various fillings.

There is a large selection of desserts, the calorific Banoffee pie usually being the first to disappear. They have a licensed bar and serve a large range of fruity/ heroal teas.

Although not really aimed at the budgeting student, a meal there can be just about reasonable.

The Bombay, 19 Magdalen Street and 15 Prince of Wales Road Of the numerous Indian restaurants in Norwich, the Bombay is

The Treehouse, 16 Dove Street The Treehouse caters exclusively for vegetarians and vegans and is housed above a health food shop.

The menu varies each day, always offering a choice of tasty, wholesome food. Drinks include herllal teas and fresh fruit juices. The setting is cosy and calming, providing a healthy escape from the city streets.

Pizza One, Pancakes Too, 24 Tomb land Pizza One, Panckes Too is always seething with people, which is not surprising since the food is consistently good and pretty good value. As the name suggests, pizzas

Captain Americas, 4 Exchange street Walking into Captain Americas Hamburger Heaven , you might think you have just stumbled on to the set of 'Easy Rider' . The place has a definite 'seedy sixties' feel with wonderfully tacky interior decor and walls painted up like the star spangled banner.

Although American-style burger joints are springing up all over the place, Captain Americas was one of the first and is still oneofthe best. The burgers are probably the finest in Norwich, but you can also order other typical American dishes, such as ribs, hot dogs and BBQ chicken . The milk shakes are heavenly and there is a wide selection of American beers.

The Waffle House one of the cheapest and best for a curry and a pint of Kingfisher.

The menu offers a good choice of Indian dishes ranging from the mild to the 'my head is going to explode' hot. The service is efficient and you can have the works for ÂŁ10 a head . An added attraction is the Bodie and Doyle style wig worn by the head wailer - you can't miss it.

PHOTO: Dan Hammersley and pancakes are its forte, but other food is also on the menu .

The pizzas are a bit more imaginative than most, with names such as CID Special. The panckes are sweet and savoury - their special is the Banana Dog which is something else. They have a student reduction but make sure each person has student I.D .

Zone 3, The Waterfront, King Street Zone 3 is a small, lofty studio above the main gig/ club area at the Waterfront. Being part of Norwich's foremost music venue, they host specialist music nights including jazz and reggae evenings, whilst doubling as a cafe/ bar serving lots of really good food.

Snacks include nachos with salsa and guacemole and big baskets of chips . However, they do offer more substantial dishes, such as burgers and salads.

They also open on Sunday mornings for brunch, which is always popular as a quiet way to recover from the night before!

Pizza One, Pancakes Too!

PHOTO: Dan Hammersley

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

9

Features

Does size count?

IAbi Patton investigates ... , Men still think that si2e cotmts.

And it's not just one part of their anatomy they over exaggerate - scientists have found that men consistently overrate their brain size, or rather their IQs. In April of this year the results of five years research

by Dr. Halla Beloff were announced at the annual British Psychological Society's meeting in Scarborough.

Dr.Beloff's research was carried out on 750 male and female students at Edinburgh

Men consistently overrate their brain size, or rather their IQs University over a period of five years. The results showed that men awarded themselves an average IQ of 127 whilst the women rated themselves at no more than 120.

The male students also assessed their father's intelligence as higher than their mother's.

Unfortunately for these men their arrogance is almost 80

years out of date - in 1912 psychologists established that there was no difference in intelligence levels between the sexes.

Ironically the women ques-

dren shape our self opinions.

Women are taught not to press forward, but to conform.

This can lead to women not valuing their competence. As for the students rating their

Ironically the women questioned showed a more accurate prediction of intelligence levels - according to Dr Beloff the average IQ of a student is likely to be nearer 120 than 127 tioned showed a more accurate prediction of intelligence levels- according to Dr. Beloff the average IQ of a university student is likely to be nearer 120 than 127.

She stated that the results were highly significant and had important implications.

Dr. Bel off said "If you have a high opinion of yourself, you are more likely to accept difficult challenges and succeed. " "Men forge ahead and, unless absolutely covered in mud, think they are doing alright.

Women monitor their lives more carefully and take their failures more seriously."

It would appear that the lessons we learn as young chil-

fathers IQ as higher than their mothers' this may be related to the idea of housework being menial.

Men put their fathers intelligence on the same level as their own and their mother's lower down the ~e. whereas the women put their mother's IQ on their own level, and their fathers' higher up the scale.

After revealing the aim of the experiment to students Dr. Beloff said that the male students fOI.Dld it difficult to accept the results.

Altogether this just goes to show that it isn't what you think you've got, it's what you think you can do with it.

Don't worry, be happy Marina Johnston and Jacqui Mackay give some helpful tips for those who haven't yet mastered student life NO Fresher has an easy life.

To begin with they are conf:-onted, sometimes for the firsttimc, with the ;,asic difficulties offending for themselves . This can prove difficult.

Public telephones, radiators, laundrettes, shopping-trollies and buses all seem joined in a conspiracy specifically designed against you. There is also a collection of practical frustrations.

This includes walking up and down the same corridor hundreds of times while other corridordwellers gaze at you questioningly or, even worse, discovering you've forgotten vital pieces of crockery.

The lack of a tin-opener can prove difficult when everyone knows that student diets are almost exclusively reserved for the contents of tins.

But beyond the pressures of such practical difficulties which can be

quickly forgotten if a large supply of alcohol is at hand,lies the problem of social acclimatisation.

In the concrete jungle of campus lie a multitude of unknown faces .

Student advisors, tutors, lecturers, thoroughly experienced looking third years and finally, other first years, the people who are supposed to be in the same boat as you in this ocean of confu~ion.

There are many first years who are divided purely by circu'T!stantial factors from other freshers .

James Maddox (MAP I) is disabled and alone in a flat which should normally be shared with two other people.

Although UEA offers good facilities in comparison to many other universities, he said "it's harder having to take a different route from everyone else to reach the same destination."

PHOTO: Craig Eason Paul Murphy (EUR I) finds that as a mature student he too is cut off The ice-breakers in the first week are targeted at eighteen and nineteen year olds.

Having been to college before, he said it was easy to feel prejudice against "immature students" but once he !Wted talking to people,

this quickly dissolved .

The easiest way to make friends is probably through shared accomodation .

Harma and Duncan from Fifers Lane say there is a "brilliant communal atmosphere" and it's nice to come "home" to somewhere away from campus where the lecture theatres are not actu-

ally visible.

Living in the city can make it harder to settle in since social meetings have to be arranged and don't just spontaneously evolve.

Sally Kefford (WAM) who is living at home in Norwich says "The university wouldn't give me accommodation because I'm living within a twenty mile radius so

I've only met a couple <:>f people from my course so far."

Some students, however, choose t<:>live out. Andrew Stave already has friends in Norwich which makes coming to UEA less of a transition.

He also spent 6 months camping in Australia which he says gave him the bonus of a lot of confidence and independence.

A year off does seem to make coming to university a lot easier.

Theresa (SOC) says "it gave me the experience of organising my own finances and getting on in :1 \!/Orking environment" .

At all soeta1 events, whether you're bored of smiling inanely at everyone or genuinely very nervous, make the effort to go and introduce yourself.

If you show some confidence (even if it's a pretence at first) people willltdmire you.

A second year .::ommcntc<! "it's horrendous when you first nrrive but everythinjt improves in time."

The best advice is to find a phonecard, a spanner, a shopping-trolley without its own personal sense of direction and a bus timetable and " keep smiling, or at least " start smiling."

The motto is "Don't worry. Be happy ."

10 · Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

~~~~~~~~~~Features

Norwich - home of a futuristic wasteland In the heart of Norwich lies a futuristic wasteland. A place where flashing lights blind you, smoke rises up from the depths below and rave music blasts out incessant! y.

Surprisingly enough, its not Ritzy's on a Saturday night.

No, this is Megazone- the ultimate laser experience- which has crept up on an unsuspecting City.

Here you must stalk your enemy, using stealth, caution and cunning, watching out for the deadly shots from Sentinels' guns.

The lobby of the building looks much like any arcade: video game machines and MTV blaring out from a TV set mounted on the wall.

Waiting to play was like waiting to sign up for the army.

Worse still, half the people in ihe queue looked as though they should have been waiting to sign up for the army...

This, though, is just to keep the punters happy while they wait to go through the door marked 'airlock' and into the 'wasteland' beyond.

Maybe I sound cynical but, believe me, before I played the game I was.

Cynical and scared. Waiting to play was like waiting to sign up for the army .

Worse shll , half the people in the queue looked as though they should have been waiting to sign up for the army. These huge Naarwich lads almost blocked the doorway as we entered the preparation zone where

Megazone, the ultimate laser experience has come to the City, as Peter Hart discovered

PHOTO: Simone Dunn

twenty-one of us donned futuristic body-armour and clasped our laser guns in our sweaty palms.

I swallowed as I realised that I would be entering a room where it

microchips turned them into Am old Schwarzenegger.

The prospect of wandering around this room for twenty minutes where everyone was intent on killing ev-

the game so seriously. But after five eight-year-olds had decided to have a shot at my laser pack (by now vibrating madly to tell me I was 'dead for ten seconds') I hit the

I swallowed as I realised that I would be entering a room where it was virtually impossible to see, together with the lads who thought that some moulded plastic and a few microchips turned them into Arnold Schwarzenegger was virtually impossible to see, together with the lads who thought that some moulded plastic and a few

eryone else was not a pleasant thought.

I stood for a couple of minutes wondering how people could take

trigger .. . That was it - the feeling of absolute power was enough to send me firing wildly at anything that

made the slightest movement. Even an unfortunate Megazone was not exempt from the beam of my deadly weapon. Within minutes I was imitating the tactics of all the best television detectives who have so frequently displayed their skills over the years .... spinning around in doorways, creeping behind walls and shooting through windows. Only I wasn't quite such a hot-shot. A quick glance at my score-{;ard (issued to all participants at the end of each game) showed that I had been hit fifty four times, most probably by the under tens playing the game.

Worse still, my high-score was just 3, 351 compared with the best player who managed a stunning 12,759.

Manager of Megazone, Richard Lake, says that business has gone "exceptionally well" in the four weeks its been open, as "anyone can play." And he added that its currently being updated every week as computer technology advances.

When you are next in Norwich I would give my full recommendation for you to try Megazone- better still, get together with another twenty people and book a twenty minute session for £40 to play anytime between 12 and 6 from Monday to Friday.

If you do want to go on your own , or with just a couple of friends, Megazone is open lOam - lOpm from Monday to Saturday and midday - lOpm on a Sunday.

Prices for a twenty-minute game are £3. 50 peak (Monday to Friday after 6pm and all day Saturday and Sunday) and .£2..50 off-peak (at other times). Alternatively you can buy a year's membership for £ 15 which gets you in for £2. 50 at any time.

Get down there soon and experience the ultimate laser adventure.

Wrongs and rites of initiation

By Paul Lynes and Adena Graham Bizarre, degrading and sometimes dangerous initiation rites are being fo rced on many freshers in the academic institutes around the wo rld .

There has been growing concern in French colleges over such practices .

Experiences include blindfolding girls and forcing them to eat a

commonplace. O ne such ritual , 'circling the fat' , involves a female freshman standing naked in a circle of established sorority members and having her fatty parts circled .

subjected to these rites.

The psychology underlying initiation rites is clear. For the newcomer , getting involved is a method of getting accepted; to the established members the bizarre rituals

One ritual, 1circling the fat 1 , involves a female freshman standing naked in a circle of established sorority members and having her fatty parts circled

ba na na that has been precariously

O ther cases ha ve go ne even fur-

placed between a male student' s legs.

In the U .S ., rituals are often a ticket into the fraternities and sororities .

This act , known as hazing , is

the r , resulting in injury , rape and even death .

The Inner Fraternity Council has been established in the States with the sole purpose of preventing bodily or mental injury to those

are a yardstick with which to measure a prospective member' s commitment , loyalty and trust.

However , one U . S . student at U .E.A. stressed that many of the rituals described do not actually take place.

Scaremongering is good e nough - after all if somebody is willing to have their naked flesh openly ridiculed to become a member of a society then surely their loyalty is not to be questioned .

In British Higher Education, such initiation rites seem thin on the ground and are certainly not as institutionalised as in the American system .

That does not mean , however , that judgement is not passed upon our freshers, albeit in a more subtle form , indicated by frenzied drinlcing and traffic cone stealing.

There is an undoubted display of conformity and indeed most of us mould ourselves into some type of role, in-keeping with the view s and beliefs held by the peer group

we choose to associate with (the Rugby team speaks for itself) .

Yet , perhaps the time has come for UEA to take the lead and

One U.S. student at UEA stressed that many of the rituals described do not take place fo rmalise initiation rituals fo r freshers.

They could be forced to eat a Breakers burger , or even worse, to sit through the whole of a Student Union General Meeting !

Watch the demand for bananas soar!

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

11

Interview

Milky, milky tour? Lovely! ...-.

Hugh _De_n nis- of BBC 2's 'The Mary .Wh_itehouse Experie11ce' talks to ·Peter Hart .about comedy, carrots .and, of course, ·milk /

... ·

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"We don't give a toss what people in Norwich think," was what Rob Newman and Dave Baddiel of television's 'The Mary Whitehouse Experience' told Concrete when they visited the City earlier this year.

And as the 'other half of the show now set out on tour,

and a midnight, and the difference between the two is incredible. The earlier show is quite civilized , but the midnight one is just a late bar - if you headline you go on at three in the rooming and people are completely pissed."

Their turn to be 'spotted' came when Jasper Carrot saw

Mr Strange's fetish for milk which is so old it has turned into yoghourt - is the stimulus for his catchphrase, which has also become the official name of the tour it would seem that they, too, are avoiding us like the plague.

Yes, in the whole of their 42 date tour, the nearest Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis get to Norwich is Lowestoft.

Hugh, however, accepts no responsibility for the tour dates: "I don't quite know why we aren't coming to Norwich- it would be quite nice to do the Theatre Royal, " he says, probably trying desperately to think of a polite way of saying that he wouldn't be seen dead in the City.

To some it may seem strange that the pair are touring together (reaching Lowestoft Marina Theatre on Friday, November 13) but Hugh explains that he has worked with Steve Punt since 1984, when they started together on the London cabaret circuit, also preforming at the Comedy Store.

"The Comedy Store is very good training but it can be an absolute nightmare, • says Hugh.

• On a Saturday night there are two shows -an 8 o'clock

them and asked them to be on his show.

Although they are still regulars on 'Canned Carrot,' they are now best-known for 'The Mary Whitehouse Experiea:e', mw a rult BBC 2 show.

Two series have been broadcast, to date, but the programme actually began on Radio 1 in 1989 - winning a Sony Award for Best Comedy.

Hugh says there were problems in the transfer from radio to television: "I think the first series on TV had a radio legacy, but the second series has been much more visual."

But despite the fact he likes the 'look' of the show, he cannot pinpoint what makes it so successful, simply saying that there are 'lotsofbits' which have caught on amoogst the audience.

Undoobtedly one of the tmSt memorable 'bits' from the second series is the 'Milky Milky' sketch and the ~ 's character, Mr Strange.

Mr Strange's fetish for milk - which is so old it has turned into yoghourt - is the

.

.

.

stimulus for his famous catchphrase, which has also become the official name of the tour.

As well as starring in 'The Mary Whitehouse Experience,' Punt and Dennis have tmSt recently featured in 'Me You and Him' (which they also eo-wrote).

For a long time Hugh has also been the voices behind a number of 'Spitting Image' characters, including John Cole, Norman Lamont and Brian Gould.

However, he laments: "Generally I also get the vegetables to play ... if there are any talking carrots it tends to be me." Avid commercial viewers may also have noted that he is the man who says "Semi-skimmed milk. You can't beat it," "Don't forget your tiger tokens," and "I think that was a Tango taste sensation."

"Generally I also get the vegetables to play•.. if there are any talking carrots it tends to be me" In the tour he promises that a number of the regular characterswill be present, including Mr Strange, but there will also be a lot of material which is new to audiences, generated from their former club days.

If you cannot make it to see them in Lo~ft. then don't fret- Punt, Dennis, Baddiel and Newman are currently negotiating a third series of the Experience for 1993.

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

MEP ready for war over Europe IN an unprecedented attack Norfolk's Euro MP, Paul Howell, declared that ifEuro-sceptics wanted war over the Maastricht Treaty "then I'm ready for it".

He also said "I don't honestly believe there is an alternative and those who are against the Treaty have never presented an alternative" .

Mr. Howell rounded on those who welcomed Britain's withdrawal from the

Paul Howell blamed public ignorance of the contents of the Maastricht Treaty on the media and press, saying that "politicians haven't been able to get across what Maastricht is all about. " Exchange Rate Mechansism by stating that a " floating pound is in reality a devaluing pound. It has never floated upwards, it has always floated downwards" .

He blamed public ignorance of the contents of the Maastricht Treaty on the

Phil Scott talks to Paul Howell, Norfolk's Euro MP media and the press, saying that "politicians haven't been able to get across what Maastricht is all about" .

Such concerns were reflected in an exclusive Concrete poll which found that 90% of students did not believe they knew enough about the Treaty.

Mr. Ho well said he believed the most important aspects of the Treaty for Britain were those of a common European defense and security policy.

Also, that it was important that countries who didn't obey European laws could be brought to court, which at present they cannot.

Moves towards monetary union are desirable, he commented, but they would have to take account of differing econ~ic conditions in different countries.

"The powerful economies seated at the centre [of a unified hard currency area] will inevitably have consequences for us all and, the far better approach will be to get the economy in to such a shape that we can join that central core".

However the Concrete poll showed that a majority of students are sceptical of

greater European unity.

A massive 72% believe such moves were undesirable with an unexpected 14%

A Concrete poll showed that a majority of students are sceptical of greater European unity being in favour of withdrawing from the Community altogether, a figure exactly the same as those who wanted progress towards a United States of Europe.Students are also overwhelmingly in favour of a referendum with 64% saying yes, 26% no and, 10 % don' t knows.

Paul Howell rejected the idea of a referendum for the present, "few people know what Maastricht is all about.

People elect us to do this job for them. There's no way that every individual is going to be able to know what is right or wrong , or understand fully the Maastricht Treaty".

However perhaps the most revealing comment came

way forward for the UK, but if we get ourselves further into a mess it's going to be the only way out".

Such a move would undoubtedly be welcomed by students at UEA. However whether people would vote directly on the Treaty is

Whether people would vote directly on the Treaty is questionable

from the Concrete survey , one Euro-Fedralist saying that he was not in favour of

lose.

Mr. Howell did not rule the prospect of a referen-

Mr Howell did not rule out the prospect of a referendum completely: "I don't believe it is the way forward for the UK but if we get ourselves further into a mess it's going to be the only way out" a referendum as he thought the pro-Europeans would

dum out completely saying that "I don't believe it is the

questionable. In Denmark many voted against the prospect of a European army, a concept not even mentioned in the Treaty .

In Ireland their referendum was caught up with the debate over abortion whilst in France the unpopularity of Mitterand and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy were key issues.

Again Maastricht has little to do with the CAP. Yet demands for a referendum may yet prevail, if only to avoid assaults from the Tory backbenchers on the Cabinet frontline. Internal party politics may well determine Britain's future in Europe.

A referendum may be the only way the Conservative Party can quell "open warfare" in its own ranks .

State-of-the-art notepad 1

Coumputer illiterate? Anyone could use the new Amstrad Notepad, it is claimed In his foreword to the

manual of operating instructions for the Amstrad 'Notepad' computer Alan Sugar (the chairman of Amstrad) surprisingly admits to being computer illiterate.

He issued a challenge to his boffins in Brentwood to produce a computer that is simple to operate and understand.

The result is the state-ofthe-art word processor the Amstrad 'Notepad' Computer NC l OO.

The laptop computer comes complete with BBC Basic Programme, mail merge, a 48 000 word dictionary (you can even add words you regularly use) and with the ability to send and receive documents with other computers.

Following the introduction of the ' Notepad' at the Earls Court Computer ' 92 Show the Students' Union purchased four of the laptops for student take-away.

For a modest payment of £5 a day (£7 .50 over a weekend) students can now work at home with a corn-

puter and can also print out their own work for £2 including paper. The Union Business Centre is grateful to Dave Bowie (PG ENV) for his work in producing the facility to transfer the all important work to floppy disk . This added service can be carried out in the Business Centre for £2. Why not visit the Union Business Centre (located in the Union Post Office) and ask the staff to show you the simple to operate word processor or even consider outright purchase at the Union special offer of £ 189. 99?

1

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE 10•••

13

•

en1n ••• WHAT'S ON WHERE

Florentine drawing at the SCVA A new exhibition is to go on show at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

Under the title 'Florentine Drawing in the Age of Michelangelo', a selection of over fifty works by masters of the Italian RenaissanC-e is on loan from the British Museum from October 13 to December 13.

Artists whose work can be seen in the exhibition include, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Fra Bartolommeo, Pontormo,

The loan of the exhibition has been made possible by the Trustees of the British Musaun and by sponsorship from Norwich Union and the Trustees of the Sainsbury Centre Endowment Fund.

Raymond Wilson, Norwich Union's Group Corporate Mfairs Manager said of the sponsorship, "It is a rare opportunity for Norwich Union to sponsor this truly unique event. We extend our thanks to our friends at UEA for making this joint venture possible".

The exhibition will be shown in the Sainsbury Centre's new Lower Gallery this is equipped with an environmentally controlled exhibition facility and a stateof-the-art lighting system, specially designed to display drawings and other sensitive materials Bronzino and Vasari.

The University of East Anglia deems itselfhonoured to host an event which enables the region to see masterpieces of such quality and beauty.

The exlnbition will be shown in the Sainsbury Centre's new Lower Gallery.

This is equipped with an environmentally controlled exhibition facility, with a state of the art lighting system, specially designed to display drawings and other sensitive materials.

Norwich Union's presence is also hoped to boost attendance, and students at UEA would be well advised to take the opportunity to see the exhibition.

This particular Renaissance exhibition would not usually travel outside metropolitan art galleries. However, the loan continues a series of loans and good relations between the British Museum and UEA. The exhibition will be accompanied by a number of events and lectures.

PHOTO: Gara Tuckey Although there is a fee for the lectures, entrance to the Sainsbury Centre is free.

A survey exhibition of the paintings of the French artist Charles Maussion will run concurrently at the Sainsbury Centre.

Below: Andrea Del Sarto's 'Four Studies of a Child.'

Red chalk and some red wash from the sixteenth century. (British Museum Photography Department)

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

Iconcrete I

Film

White Men Can't Juinp (15) Preview by Simon Litton Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) and Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) are basketball hustlers in the urban jungle of Los Angeles. Sidney plays to feed his wife and child, Billy plays to keep himself and his game-show addict girlfriend out of debt to some local hoods. When Sidney himself gets conned

by Billy, he recognises the earning potential of a partnership with him, and the two set out to work the cow1s of LA, and clean up.

The problem is that Billy is the kind of hothead who ends up losing most of what he has eamt, leaving him back to square one, with his debtors closing in all the time.

The film follows their developing friendship and their frantic juggling of finances, women and the basketball.

Writer/ director Ron Shelton, who scored a home run with his baseball comedy "Bull Durham" , fails to match the wit and sophistication of his earlier effort; this time the plot has too many predictable turns, and the film is about twenty min-

All the Entertainment on campus from Union Ents Wed 14 Oct Fri 16 Oct Sat 17 Oct Sun 18 Oct Wed 21 Oct Fri 23 Oct Sat 24 Oct Sun 25 Oct Sat 31 Oct Wed 4 Nov Sun 8 Nov Fri 13 Nov Sat 14 Nov Wed 18 Nov Wed 18 Nov Fri 20 Nov Sat 21 Nov Fri 27 Nov Sat 28 Nov Fri 4 Dec Sat 5 Dec Sun 13 Dec

FILM LISTINGS

The Pogues The Quireboys Judie Tzuke Bob Geldof & the Happy Clubsters Manic Street Preachers Magnum Joan Armatrading The Orb The Australian Doors Show ** Roy Harper ** Jimi Hendrix 50th Anniversary Experience Spear of Destiny Dr. Feelgood The Farm Peter Zenner Hypnotist Show Galliano The King and I lan Botham & Co. Bill Hicks - Comedy Ned's Atomic Dustbin The Wedding Present Bjorn Again ** Sugar **

£1 O.OOadv £7.50adv £7.50adv £9.00adv £6.50adv £8.00adv £10.00adv £7.50adv £7.50adv £7.50adv £7.00adv £7.50adv £7.00adv £6.50adv £3.75adv £6.50adv £7.50adv £5.00adv £8.50adv £7.00adv £7.50adv £6.50adv

Tickets for all shows are on sale in the Union Finance Office 11 - 2.30pm weekdays and are CHEAPER in advance.-

UEA, Lecture Theatre One/ Two, 7pm. Admission £I .75 (6-7pm UH foyer)

Octobt'r

•

.. utes too long.

The basketball scenes are beautifully choreographed and fil~. but they do get slightly repetitive after a while.

Both lead actors perform well, with Harrelson in particular making the leap from TV sit-com actor to big screen

'

I

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leading man with more success than his "Cheers" eo-star - Ted Danson. The film lacks the broader scope and appeal of "Bull Durham", and is therefore of most interest to fans of basketball and those who enjoy lingering shots of sweaty male torsos.

UEA Films Preview Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe At the heart of John Avnet's flim ' Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe' lies the American South , both that of the Railroad Age and the supermarket-dominated environment of modernity.

Oscar-winner, Kath y Bates (Misery) plays Evelyn , a present-day housewife with depressingly ordinary problems.

Her life is changed by the stories of Ninny (Jessica Tandy), a lonely nursing-home resident.

As the adventures of ldgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth (Mary Louise Parker) unfold against the landscape of a past

Alabama, Evelyn finds the strength to face her life in the present.

The parallel storylines wind up in a conclusion that is both beautifully meditative and surprising .

Apart from a disj ointed feel to the pacing , especially towards the end , the scrccnwriters have done an admirable job of adapting the complexities of the novel of the same name .

Striking scenes in the first hour, and truly memorable performances all around create strong and believable characters.

A must-see for anyone who appreciates a good story, solidly told.

It would seem that Steve Martin has a gift for the

kind of role tbt director , Charles Shyer, has presented him with in " Father of the Bride".

This I 991 remake of the 1950' s comedy which will be shown on campus this coming Tuesday (October 20) has echoes of another Steve Martin Box-office bit "Parenthood" without the complications of a large cast.

Steve Martin's representation of the harassed father envisaging colossal wedding bills and chaotic

CANNON- tel62331 :2 Adm : £3.40 UP UNTIL AND INCLUDING THUS. 15 OCTOBER Screen 1: Patriot Games (15) 2:30 5 :40 8:25 Screen 2: Unforgiven (15) 2:30 5:30 8:20 Screen 3 : Blue Ice (15) (not Thursday) 1:20 3:40 6 :00 8:25 Screen 4: City Of Joy (12) 3:25 8:10 Housesitter (PG) I :20 6 : I 0 Thurs Special: Romeo & Juliet (PG) 2:15 5:30 8:15 ODEON - tel 0426 932450 Adm . £3.80, or £2.50 stu. weekdays (not last show) UP TO AND INCLUDING THURS. 15 OCTOBER Carry on CoJumbus (PG) I :30 3:30 6 :00 8:00 California Man (PG) 2:00 3:50 6:30 (not Sat.) 8:40 A LeagueOfTheirOwn (PG) 1:15 3:45 7:30 Beauty And The Beast (U) 10 October, 6:50 Only (Advance Booking) CINEMA CITY- Tel622047 Adm . (stu .) £2:50 £3 Fri. late, £1.10 mat

Matthew Broersma

Father of the Bride Preview by Julia Smith

Tuc 13· Tic Me Up, Tic Me Down Thu 15: Fried Green Tumatoes Fri 16: High Heels Tuc :20: Father Of The Bride Thu 22: Waynes World Fri 23: Turtle Beach

scenes on the big day , is equalled in humour by the wo nderfully exaggerated character of the MarriageCoordinator played by Martin Short.

Diane Keaton plays a comfortable but rather uninspiring mother to the bride.

In the run up to the wedding there are, of course, tears , laughter, anguish and hysteria , but the balance between the emotions is workable with happiness winning through.

This film is no thoughtprovoking Block-buster, but if you are after something to chase away those lecture blues, buy a ticket for 'Father of the Bride' now.

OCTOBER Until Sat 17: Van Gogh (12) 5:15 8:00 + Tue/Thu 2: 00 mat Fri 16: Angel Heart ( 18) 11 :00 Sat 17: Back To The Future (PG) 2:30 Sun 18: The Man Who Knew Too Much (PG) 5 :00 + Dangerous Liaiso ns (15) 7:30 Mon 19to Wed 21: Noises Off (PG) 5 :45 8:15 + Tue 2:30 mat Tue22 to Sat 24: Auto bus (1 5) 5 :45 8:15 + Thu 2:30 mat Fri 23: Delicatessen (15) 11 :00 Sat 24: The Wizard OfOz (U) 2:30 Sun 25: Evergreen (PG) 5:00 + Les Enfants Du Paradis (PG) 7:30 Mon 26 to Sat 31 : Problem Child 2 2:30 except Saturday Mon 26 to Sat 31: Europa , Europa ( 15) 5 :45 8:15 + Thu 2:30 NOVERRE- Tel630128 Phone for details.

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

15

ore talk than action Patrick Swayze tells Concrete's Sheldon Hall about the making of his new film, 'City of Joy' Though he admits to being more talk than action these days, Patrick Swayze had no hesitation in rolling up his shirt sleeves when he encountered official opposition to the making of his latest film.

In "City of Joy", he stars as Max Lowe, a disillusioned American doctor who comes to India to seek a reason to live, and finds it looking after lepers in a makeshift clinic in a Calcutta slum (the "City" of the title).

Among the friends he makes are an Irish nurse, played by Pauline Collins, and a poor rickshaw-puller and his family, including two young sons.

For one scene involving a flood, the Indian boys playing them had to learn how to swim, and Patrick wanted to take them into the swimming pool in the hotel where the film unit was based.

Told by the management that the boys were "unclean beings" and not to be admitted, Swayze threatened to take the unit's business elsewhere. "To make my point." he recalls, "I said something like: 'You do this and I'll break both of your

Swayze - best known for his roles in 'Dirty Dancing', 'Ghost' and 'Point Break' - abhors violence and the narrowminded mentality it represents legs.'"

Despite his tough line in the face of bigotry, Swayze -best known for his starring roles in "Dirty Dancing"' "Ghost" and "Point Break" - abhors violence and the narrow-minded mentality it represents.

"I realise that it's the very mentality that I hated when I was growing up, and for years I saw myself starting to become like that," he says.

Swayze comes from Houston, Texas, and though his parents tried to bring him up without prejudice, in the Redneck South it wasn't easy.

"I was raised uniritentionally, as a nanow-minded, judgmental white· boy and I've tried to move in other places in my life so as not to be that.

Until I went to India I felt that I had no prejudice, but you don't kwon how deep it goes."

"India," he says, "threw me

a curve-ball in that I went there with a great deal of pity for people who have to live in such horrific conditions only to find that I'm the one to be pitied, along with the rest of the world which has so much and does nothing with it.

"For example, I had a position that I would never ride a rickshaw while I was there because these rickshaw-wallahs became our friends; I felt it was showing respect for them by not allowing them to be a human

little research showed he had died of cancer.

"You can understand an Indian's fear of a white director coming over with a lot of money behind him thinking he's going to interpret India as a country," Swayze reflects.

"But Roland Joffe is a very special and caring man, and I knew he wouldn't rip India off in this movie.

"The longer we were there, the more the people of Calcutta realised this wasn't some

"We were shooting during the Gulf War and you have a huge Muslim population there, so there were pro-Saddam rallies and anti-American demonstrations going on. If you stopped for ten minutes, you'd have a crowd of ten thousand people watching you which makes it very difficult lining up a shot." horse for me. I only realised two months ago that what I was really saying was that they do is sub-human and beneath me."

Racist hotel managers weren't the only obstruction the film crew had thrown in their way.

They also had to endure public protests and demonstrations against their presence, which often threatened to disrupt filming and which at times confined them to the hotel, preventing them getting out to the film set.

Says Swayze, "We were shooting during the Gulf War and you have a huge Muslim population there, so there were proSaddam rallies and anti-American demonstations going on.

"If you stopped for more than ten minutes you'd have a crowd of ten thousand people watching you which makes it very difficult lining up a shot.

"We found that demonstrations were a way of life over there it's like dial-a-crOYid, you could pay each member twenty rupees a day and that's how they feed their family. " They'll shout any slogans you want, even if they don't understand what it means."

Thinking that the film would show the city and its culture in a bad light, the Communist West Bengali government had originally denied permission for the film to go ahead, and been over-ruled by the central parliament.

The film-makers were caught up in the political crossfire, while the crew had to pay off local Mafia Godfathers and two crew-members were accused of killing a journalist, though a

irresponsible white boy but someone trying to do something which honoured them and showed their dignity.

Gradually the protest organisers got fewer and fewer demonstrators to go against us."

Patrick had hesitated about committing to the film until his wife Lisa (like him, a former professional dancer) told him that Joffe, maker of "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission", hired him because he knew Swayze wasn't going to shut his emotions off at the horrors he was going to see.

"Guilt is the first thing you move through in order to survive the horrors you see in Calcutta," Swayze explains.

"It's interesting to watch the volunteers working in the clinics.

Youths from all over the planet come there and you can see the righteous look in their eyes, but it changes when they've benn there a while."

Swayze says he learned humility when he prepared for the film by working in Mother Teressa's hospital for the dying; changing bedpans, bathing patients and helping to make their last hours bearable: "You start losing this better-than-thou attitude and realising that we 're all in the same boat."

For all the suffering and poverty he witnessed in the subcontinent, going home to his own country was "light years more horrifying than anything I saw in India.

We have the power and resources to end hunger on this planet right now, yet we don't because it would screw up our

economic system . " Swayze admits that making a film which can, as he puts it: "Touch people's hearts and souls", does tend to spoil you for less ambitious work.

"The best film in my life have been the ones that make a contribution- I don't want to get on a do-gooder's trip here, but I hadn't done a movie in a year because I couldn't find anything that was even close to reallly special like 'City of Joy'."

As a leading Hollywood star, Patrick has had to accept that others will try to exploit his success.

"I have to have millions of dollars worth of umbrella insurance policies now in case someone recognises me driving in my car down the street and pulls in front of me so that I crash into them and they can sue me for everything I have.

"I hate that kind of attitude.

I've never sued anyone and no-one has ever sued me.

"My position is that if you cross this line, it's you and me, it ain't gonna be n? court."

THE SNOWBALL at Norwich Castle

f"nl n

arriva~ you will be guided to the

Keep where aperitifs

~will be served. You will then be escorted to the Rotunda

where a jou1· course, silver service meal will be presented with wine.

Fm· your further entertainment, a five piece ensemble will pla_v dwing Lhe meaL Afterwards, tours of the castle dungeo-ns will be regularly conducted and dancing to both a jijtl'en piece band and a disco will be available. The bar will be open all evening.

l.imited ticket .sales, starting Monday Week 3.

Priced £30 each, from U. H. Jo;·er, 1-2 pm weekdays.

Saturday Week 8

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

Ugly Kid Joe at. the LCR ·

Music MUSIC LISTINGS WA'IERFRONT- tel 766266 OCI'OBER (all at 7:30) Wed 14: Lemonheads £6 (£5 Adv) Thu 15: Rubicon £5 (£4 Adv) Mon 26: Gallon Drunk £5 (£4 Adv)

NAC - tel 660352 OCTOBER(all at 8:00) Thu 15: Byther Smith (£4 cones.)

Sat 17: Indie Band Night Sat 24: Mean Red Spiders (£4 cones.)

UEA OCI'OBER Wed 14: the Pogues (£10 Adv) Fri 16: the Quireboys (£7.50 Adv) Sat 17: Judie Tzuke (£7.50 Adv) Sun 18: BobGeldof(£9 Adv) Tue 20: The 25th of MAY (Free: Live in The Hive) Wed 21: Manic Street Preachers (£6.50 Adv) Fri 23: Magnum (£8) Sat 24: Joan Armatrading (£10 Adv) Sun 25: the Orb (£7.50) Tue 27: Energy Orchard (Free: Live in The Hive)

Preview

The Orb Sun Oct 25 7 .30pm - 12 am

;-

From the land of Oz to the Blue Room to UEA's LCR. Here you will find your very own space/ time opening to other worlds.

As you leave the biosphere piloted by Dr. Alex Paterson and his crew, experience their Ultraworld into the possible.

Switch off all guidance systems, find your steady state and prepare for splashdown!

Review

Pop Will Eat Itself Weds Oct 7 I HA YE bruises all over my body to prove just how great Pop Will Eat Itself were last wednesday night.

In between flying from side to side and being tossed around like a ragdoll I screamed along choice lyrics to the many brilliant tunes under the Poppies collective belt.

Their ne\.V album "The Looks Or the Lifestyle" was showcased and went down very well indeed judging by the frenzied hopping and thrashing of the crowd.

However the madness really started when they played old favourites from their previous albums. "Can U Dig It?", "Wise Up Sucker", and possibly one of the most brilliant songs ever, ever, ever "Def. Con One" all added up to one of the best live shows you had the good fortune to see or the stupidity to miss.

Lead singer Clint and eo-

Ugly Kid

Joe- Sat Oct 10

On leaving this gig the gen· era! feeling was one of exstatic euphoria. The crowd had really been put through their paces by both bands tonight.

Opening up were the El~tric Love Hogs, a 1ittle known band from Los Angeles. This lack

hort Grahamjumped around like a more mature Kriss Kross with their trousers on the right way round whilst the rest of the band were just great too.

Total Box Frenzy!!!

Reviewed by Abi Patton

Preview

The 25th of May Toes Oct 20 By Chris Stanners "The 25 of May" have more in common with "The Manic Street Preachers" than just the fact that both bands are playing at U.E.A. in the same week.

Both bands have come to the conclusion that democracy does not work because, although political parties change, the machinery of government remains intact so there can be no real changes in society.

In fact, "The 25 of May" go further than "The Manic 's" punkish rebellion They are named after the day in 1982

PHOTO: Rob Hardy

I Hate Everything About You!'

when "The Belgrano" was sunk during the F alk.lands conflict and openly advocate mass collective conflict with songs like " Fuck the Right to Vote".

Before you dismiss them as scuzzy radicals not too keen on taking baths you should know that they are, in fact , a dead groovy dance band.

They have a similar musical formula to "Jesus Jones", using a mixture of guitars and samples with loads of Scouse accented rap.

"The 25 of May" play "Live in the Hive" free at U.E.A. on October20. The single " It 's Alright " is taken from the album "Lenin and McCarthy" and it is out now on the Arista label.

of fame, however, did not stop them from giving the venue every· thing they had. Vocalist, John Feldman, lept about the stage like a man possesed, as the rest of the Hogs kept the driving beat pumping . Highlights oft he set were the new single "Tribal Monkey" and

epony mo us album cut, "Dissapo· inted". What with head banging in the extreme, and sp~tacular stage dives, the Electric Love hogs appeared to be a hard act to fol· low.

That was until Ugly Kid Joe took to the stage, with "Madman", the firsttrackofftheEP, " As Ugly As They Wanna Be". From that moment on it was joyous oblivion

at UEA. Tracks like "So Damn Cool" and "Neighbor" are fresh and strong rock numbers which show ugly kid joe to be a band to be reckoned with. Whitf~eld Crane, singer and frontman, produced some great vocals along with all the n~essary needed to get the gig kicking. A concert to be remembered and cherished.

Review by David Hall

All the Entertainment on campus from Union Ents Wed 14 Oct Fri 16 Oct Sat 17 Oct Sun 18 Oct Wed 21 Oct Fri 23 Oct Sat 24 Oct Sun 25 Oct Sat 31 Oct Wed 4 Nov Sun 8 Nov Fri 13 Nov Sat 14 Nov Wed 18 Nov Wed 18 Nov Fri 20 Nov Sat 21 Nov Fri 27 Nov Sat 28 Nov Fri 4 Dec Sat 5 Dec Sun 13 Dec

The Pogues The Quireboys Judie Tzuke Bob Geldof & the Happy Clubsters Manic Street Preachers Magnum Joan Armatrading The Orb The Australian Doors Show ** Roy Harper ** Jimi Hendrix 50th Ann iversary Experience Spear of Destiny Dr. Feelgood The Farm Peter Zenner Hypnotist Show Galliano The King and I lan Botham & Co .

Bill Hicks - Comedy Ned's Atomic Dustbin The Wedding Present Bjorn Again ** Sugar**

£10.00adv £7.50adv £7.50adv £9.00adv £6.50adv £8.00adv £1 O.OOadv £7.50adv £7.50adv £7.50adv £7.00adv £7.50adv £7.00adv £6.50adv £3.75adv £6.50adv £7.50adv £5.00adv £8.50adv £7.00adv £7.50adv £6.50adv

Tickets for all shows are on sale in the Union Finance Office 11 - 2.30pm weekdays and are CHEAPER in advance.

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Concrete , Wednesday, October 14, 1~

I.

Booker Prize contenders McEwan and Michele . 'from' UEA IanRoberts on shortlist

17

LISTINGs I

NAC - tel 660352

OCTOBER

Tue 13: The Maya Fholographs By

by Paul Harley at 6:30 Wed 14: Kazzum (Children) Polly at 7:30 (£2.50 Cones.)

Fri 16: Fallen Arches (Comedy) at 8:00 (£4 Cones.)

Two out of the six authors Sun 18: Reel Love - Short short listed for the prestigFihn Festival1 pm to 11 pm ious literary Booker prize are Tbu 22: Folk Devils & Mod- . from UEA. em Panic (Theatre) at 8:00 (£3 Ian McEwan, who was the Cones.) first student to take the infaFri 23: The Magdalena Projmous UEA Creative Writing ect (Tbcatre) at 8:00 (£4 Coocs.)

MA, has been short listed Mon 26 to Fri 30: Childrens with his novel 'Black Dogs'.

Festival The ghost story, 'DaughTue 27: Photo Forum at 7:00 ters of the House' by MichUEA elle Roberts, visiting fellow OCTOBER in Creative Writing, has also Wed 21: Hive Comedy- Bob made the final few.

Downe & cbris-n'Gcorge Disappointment has been ex(£1.50 Adv) pressed that two other UEA

Graham

Dubbed by critics as the 'Queen of Camp' and known to have argued that pornography is a valid literary genre, Susan Sontag- though mainly known for her influential work in the field oflilerary criticiml through works like "On Photography" (which is a text used in UEA), kicked off UEA's 'Autumn Literary Festival' by reading from her new bestselling novel "The Volcano Lover", a historical novel set in the 18th century but written with 20th century sensibilities.

The reading of her novel was gripping, especially a scene involving a description of an

Book Review by Tony Sweeney lt is impossible to be truly 'objective' about the 'truth' and 'nature' of Jesus Christ. Impossible both because of the lack of historical evidence about Him and also because of theirrelevance of factual evidence to the comfort of the faithful. ln 'Jesus' A. N . Wilson surveys the evidence contained within and around the Gospels, in his desire to sift and separate the essence of Christ's teachings from the jungle of 2000 years of Christian history .

Born and teaching within the long established and highly ethical Judaic tradition, Jesus sought evolution from and among the Old Testement teachings . Saint Paul and the Gentile evangelicals sought a correspondingly more universal elevation of Jesus himself, and his personal sacrifice, to the status of the God. Wilson explores the history ofthe 'early church' in order to

. . ... . . . . . - ... ~

Report by Hwee Hwee Tan energetic dance which reaches its climax when the protagonist in that scene kisses her maid (c. f. a similar scene which got Madonna banned from MTV in America).

However,the reading was no doubt compelling and during the question time, one member of the audience even praised her for the (ahem) "metronome" quality of her prose, which basically gives you an idea of the audience - Lecture Theatre One was bursting with sycophants who

authors did not make the list.

Both Malcolm Bradbury's new novel, 'Doctor Criminale' and Rose Tremain's 'Sacred Cmmtry' were expected to be short listed. Professor Cbris Bigsby was unsurprised by having two writers on the short list, pointing out that UEA writer Kazuo Ishiguro won the prize two years ago.

He was disappointed that all four writers had not made it but boasted, "Our record is really pretty good. UEA helps to produce many writers".

Malcolm Bradbury, who has yet to win the Booker Prize, said, "I'm naturally disappointed for both of us. The

whole question of the number of writers from UEA has become a public matter. The flat lands of Norfolk are producing ripples".

But he stresses the importance of such literary prizes.

"Prizes are important, they stimulate discussion on the novel. They create interest in fiction. Whether the prizes reflect the state of the novel is a matter of argument. It boils down to the judges tastes" .

Professor Bigsby hopes that Ian McEwan will win because he was the first creative writing graduate. But admits, "Anyone from UEA would be nice".

laughed at anything remotely witty enamating from Sontag's lips .

Sontag avoided falling into the traps set for her by those pretentious questions by answering with a great deal ofperception and honesty, even to the extent of admitting in front of hundred of strangers that she had recently lost her mother,was nearly killed in a fire and was recovering from a failed love affair.

You can still catch a glimspe of further literary greats during the Literary Festival,which takes place on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at Lecture Theatre One. Tickets are available at the door or from

the Arthur Miller Centre. l highly recommend the Festival because even if you are not interested in any literary figures, watching pretentious literary audiences can be an interesting spectator event.

trace the outline of Christian theology and indicates that much of the New Testement is equally concerned with public relations aimed at the Roman authorities, as it is with accuracy.

As with histories of all kinds , questions of convenient orthodoxy are tempered with political and personal expediency . The blaming of the Jewish people for the crucifiction of Jesus, is a case in point, and has let to 1800 years of their persecution, in an atmosphere of revenge which is light years away from the charitable and tolerant persona of Jesus himself.

This strand of argument is one of the most appealing aspects of Wilson's book, which will ho~ fully appeal to believers and sceptics alike.

The book will inevitably be better received among former or lapsed Christians, together with those suffering genuine doubt.

Inconsistencies in the four Gospels are highlighted alongside alleged events which are not

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A.N. Wilson - 'Jesus' corroborated elsewhere, but it is doubtful whether such analyses will cause die-hard believers to abandon their faith .

The words and parables of Jesus himself, which remain powerful in themselves, seem deliberately difficult to codify into a transparent ethical system for believers; as Wtlson points out, "the pattern has something which, if it existed, they must make for themselves". The difference between his teaching and actual Christian behaviour provides a catalogue of contrasts, such as pacifism versus the concept of the 'just war' and franciscanstyle poverty versus the desire for personal wealth . lt is something of a scandal that it was only twenty-odd years ago that the Catholic Church officially absolved the Jewish people from guilt in the death of Jesus . As he himself is alleged to have said: "Who do men say that lam?"

Review in association with Waterstones, on campus

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18

Concrete , Wednesday, October 14, 1992

Letters If you have anything that you feel strongly about, whether it is the content of Concrete, or something about UEA which really gets you going, write to: The Editor, Concrete, UEA, Norwich or bring your letter to the Concrete office, upstairs in Union House. If there is anything which you think we should be writing about, drop us a note, or call us on Norwich (0603) 592512 (internal 2512). We do not publish anonymous letters.

!concrete I -

M .0603 592512 2-1 University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ

-

Publisher: Stephen Howard Editor: Peter Hart News & Features Editor: Gill Fenwick Sports Editors: Katharine M~oney & Clare Gemmel Chief Reporter: Polly Graham Advertising: Simon Mann Distribution: John Barton

SINKING FEELING OVER 'WASTED' CASH

Proof readers: Ruth Austin, Helen Kennet,

-

Michael Bradbrook Typists: Craig Eason, Marina Johnston, Paul Felton, Nigel Harding, Son Truong Layout assistants: Emily Cohen, Paul Felton Photographers: Clara Tuckey, Forrest Wentworth, Craig Eason, Rob Hardy, Mark Turner, Dan Hammersley Cartoonist: Matthew Broersma

Contributors: Abi Patton, Chris Stanners, John Holmes, Julian Taylor, Camilla Edwards, . Pamela Sarna, Erika Stoutenburgh, Ntall Hampton, Amr Thilagadurai Suzanne Davi~, Melanie Watts, Russet Book~r, Keeley Smtth, Charlotte Couse, Phil Scott, Hwee Hwee Tan, Polly Knewstub, Nigel Harding, Sheldon Hall, Simon Pearlman, Dan Fox, Sarah Cantor, Julia Smith, Craig Eason, Jacqui Mackay, Marina Johnston, Heidi Bulcock Tony Sweeney, Simone Dunn, Tara Hoke, E<J Meikle, Matthew Broersma, Paul Lynes, Adena Graham, Simon ~itton, David Hall

.,

The Computing Centre needs more computers, the library needs more books, the careers service needs more space, the schools need niore funding - so what does the university do? It builds a 'sunken garden' .

Is this some kind of innovative forward planning that we , as mere students , do not understand or is the rumour true that the Vice Chancellor didn't like the view from the Registry window? Either way , it is goodbye to £48 ,000!

Good one, eh?!!

Chris Hollingworth Finance Officer, Union of UEA Students

Many thanks to Technical Advisors: Neil Bamden, Mike Salmon, Peter Roberts, Dave Cartwright

Thanks to: Union House stewards ' Dan McGinn

Concrete is published independently at UEA. Opinions expressed are those of the contributor and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor.

(C) 1992 Printed by Eastern Counties Newspapers, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich

Thanks to BUAV walkers I am writing on behalf

the British Union for t he Abolition of Vivisection (BUA V) to th ank everyone in the ar ea who kindly supported our Walk for L aboratory Animals which took place in Norwich on Sunday 27th Se ptember.

0f

The ten mile sponsored walk around Wensum Valley was a great success attracting more than 100 enthusiastic walkers.

Nationwide, we anticipate that over 3,500 walkers will have raised over £150 ,000 towards the BUAV's campaign to end the suffering of animals in laboratories.

In 1991 , over 3 million animals including dogs , cats, monkeys and rabbits were used in cruel experiments .

Yet the results are of little relevance to humans and can often be dangerously misleading as animals react very differently to people.

The BUA V is leading the campaign to end experiments on animals with our highly successful cosmetic testing campaign which is close to achieving a Euro-wide ban.

To save thousands of monkeys fro m a life of suffering in a laboratory , the BUAV has also launched a major campaign to end the international trade in primates fo r research.

Monkeys are captured in the wild and taken from their jungle homes to be packed into small transit crates and flown thousands of miles to suffer the final pain of experimentation in UK laboratories .

The BUAV is lobbying for a ban on this brutal trade in suffering .

Walk for Laboratory Animals ' 92 has been vital to raise funds to help the BUAV continue with these important campaigns.

Our thanks go to all those walkers for their support .

Clare Lothian Press Co-ordinator, BUAV

Get paid to whinge at Health-Freak writers ...

Dear student: I wonder if you could very kindly help us, as we are writing a book for students.

We are two doctors who have written other books "Diary of a Teenage Freak" and "I am a Health Freak Too" published by OUP, and "The Virgin Now Boarding" published by Random Press.

These books combine medical facts and everyday life in a humourous way to make them both informative and entertaining.

We are now writing a book for students along the same lines and are writing to ask for your help in getting suitable information because, as with all our other books, we want to include peoples'

actual experiences.

We want to hear students ' experiences on: sex, lonliness, happiness , study stresses , drugs, anxieties, insomnia, friends , smoking, dieting , having a good time, contraception, alcohol, relationships, depression , being away from home and MONEY! Talking of money we know student grants don't go far so we are willing to give students £20 if we use their experiences in our book and confidentiality is guaranteed!

Please write and tell us about your concerns when you were about to become a student, or your experiences as a student at university .

Please write to Dr Ann McPherson, 12 Fyfield Road, Oxford , OX2 6QE. With many thanks for you help ,

Dr Ann McPherson &DrAidan

Macfarlane

!Recruitment I Concrete's continued success depends upon your continued support. If you would like to contribute in any way whether it be writng news, features, arts or ·sports; taking photographs or producing artwork; typing, proofreading, selling advertising, or doing anything it takes to make a newspaper work, then come to one of our meetings.

They are every Monday in Room 1.33 of Union House. Or come and see us any weekday between 12pm and 2pm in our office, upstairs in Union House. No experience is necessary.

Concrete, Wednesday, October 14, 1992

19

Sport

Under Starter's Orders I John Holmes treads the turf to explain the ins and outs of racing I They're under orders.

And they're off. The 32 intrepid members of UEA's newest societythe Racing Club - are set to go to Newmarket for the last big race of the flat season.

To most the Cesarewitch would mean nothing but to racing afficianados it's a handicap race spanning two and a quarter miles and two counties (Suffolk and Cambridgeshire).

The Club has a simple Constitution - to go racing, have a drink and a bet.

There is no doubt that for those involved, the three activities, although interlinked , will have different priorities The Club has a simple Constitution - to go racing, have a drink and a bet. There is no doubt-that for those involved the three activities, although interlinked, will have different priorities. For many just going racing and seeing at full throttle

is enough of a thrill. The excitement is enhanced, at least momentarily, when there is some money riding on the event.

Why is this the case when cash loss is the almost inevitable result?

Many compare betting to smoking in that eventually you'lllose, rut this isn't strictly fair. Unlike smoking, which can never do you good (in a physical sense) there are some who do profit from betting.

These people are calculating, methodical and patient, nothing like most gamblers, but they are a shining example of the gains that can be made.

Patience is the key. Anyone can learn how to assess form but it is the strength of will to wait for those races where form is reliable and can be used as a genuine yardstick in rating and comparing horses.

Most, including myself, enjoy the thrill of a wager too much to wait for the right race.

Novice Selling Hurdles at Plumpton are not, repeat not, reliable events so be careful which horse you back. The 11-8 shot may seem like a banker but may not run like one.

Form is IIDSt reliable in races where horses are exposed (ie they have run enough times to give a fairly certain indication of their capabilities) and

enough to ensure that most, if not all, run to their potential.

One of the problems with racing in this country, and I shall return to some others , is that prize money is abysmally low for most races. The result of this is that for many owners I trainers more money can be made by gambling on a horse rather than relying on prize money.

The way to ensure the greatest return is to run a horse badly for a few races, convince the bookmakers (and other punters) that a horse is worse than it really is and then let that horse run on its true merits and hopefully win at a big price. To the ignorant punter this practice is just another pitfall in the battle agairu;t the bookmaker.

Low prize money is perhaps the major explanation but also a major symptom of the doldrums in which racing finds itself at the moment.

The country is in a recession so any industry will be suffering from a lack of revenue but for racing the depression is a little more deep-rooted.

The majority of prize money offered by racecourses is funded by the Levy.

This is another word for the amount of money given to the racing industry by off cour~ bookmakers. In fact it is a misnomer, because the money is actually from ' tax' payments paid by the unwitting punter. So Ladbrokes,

William Hill etc pay nothing themselves for the profits racing brings them.

It has led many to argue for a Tote monopoly, in which case (as in France) all profits would be ploughed back into racing. The result would be to boost prize money , encourage owners, keep horses in trammg , improv e

racecourses, provide more employment and generally boost the industry. However, the possibility of a Tote monopoly in this country is virtually zero as too many people rely on and appreciate the choice and variety that a competitive off course bookmaking industry offers. This being the case it is up to the racing authorities to get more than they are currently getting from the bookmakers or to increase non Levy revenues through sponsorship etc. Whatever, the going is bound to be particularly sticky in the next couple of years .

It won't stop the racing club having a good time though.

As long as the horses keep running, the drink keeps pouring and the grant keeps stretching the Turf die-hards will keep supporting - still waiting for the big win that makes it all worthwhile.

For those interested in j oining the Racing Club please contact John Holmes in the Sports Centre or upstairs in Uni6a H&USe.

Korfball catching on?

Russel Hooker and Dan Fox went to find out about the fast-growing sport He receives the ball , he shoots , he scores!

Or more real istically , he fumbles , he trips, he receives divine intervention 8lld scores.

This at least w ill be the impression beginners get of the little known but fast-growing sport of kortball at UEA. Most of the peop le at the fi rst training session of the year were playing for the first time, 8lld Concrete went along to find out a little abo ut one of the few sports which can claim to be mixed-sex at the top level.

Korfball has been arowxl for nearly a century, yet it remains one of the more reclusive sports in Europe.

It originated from Holl8lld, where the national association has 90,000 members in 560 clubs .

It is a cross between basketball, handball and netball and was first played in the villages of Holland using a raised 'korf', or basket, as a goal .

It is from its village roots that kortball's mixed element is derived , because there were often too few players to have full male and female teams.

At UEA the kortball society runs two teams and holds an indoor training session every week.

The first one took place last Wednesday .

We were pleased to find coaching integrated into these sessions, it was essential because few players had experience of the game.

The few senior players were very helpful and seemed keen to pass on their knowledge.

After 3/4 hour training and wanning we were launched into a game.

At first the rules seemed quite

evident to us: everything you do is foul !

But after a few mi!lakes we picked up the rules by watching the mistakes of others and the senior players.

The basic set-up of the sport involves ~ teams each with eight players, four men and four 'M>men.

Each team has four attackers and four defenders.

They must remain in their own half of the co urt and defenders are not allowed to shoot for the basket.

After every two goal s scored attadcers and defenders mi.ch roles.

Although kortball claims to be a mixed sport it can hardly be truly mixed as men are only allowed to mark men and women are only allowed to mark women .

When we started to play an org8llised game confusion reigned supreme.

The ball flew from player to player with very few people aware of the rules or tactics of the game.

But by the end of even the first half, people were beginning to lose their markers and make confident plays.

Its not in fact like netball or basketball at all, it is an entirely different game.

It relies on speed and teamwork.

The university kortball scene is one of the fastest growing there is .

The fact that few people at the training actually fully understood the game made it perhaps a little disillusioning for the beginners, and to do korfball justice one needs to get used to it.

But for those who caught the bug, there was no going back .. .

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20

THE relationship between the Student Union and sport is not always an easy one. So why does the Union need to be involved in Sport at all?

John Holmes is the Executive Officer for Sports at UEA; ~·the position involves working through the Student Union to promote all sports. John sees his job as having two very important roles.

As Sports Officer, his first role is to promote sport amongst students. He does this by helping to organise <;uch activities as the Grand Prix - a fun event for everyone, this means sport is not limited to only those who play in competitive teams.

The position also involves

Katharine Mahoney discovers that Executive Sports officer, John Holmes, promises a better service to sporting societies. liasing with all the sports clubs and solving any problems they might have, whether it is from financial hassles to difficulties with fixtures. This means John has to gain better links with sports clubs. To do this he is hoping to travel with teams to away games, this John sees as, "All part of my role."

John therefore has an important function as someone who oversees sport and helps to maintain the day to day running. However, he could

not do this without the invaluable help of Jo Reeson, the Sports Secretary who is involved with most of the administrative work.

As Executive Officer on the Union, John has another role which is, "to oversee the day to day running of the Union."

The Union and sport are, at the moment inextricably linked. It is the Union which holds all the sports accounts and which provides the extra money needed for sports expenses.

THE GRAND PRIX And,..Nigel Mansell nowhere in sight! _ FUN!

Points are awarded on the

By Clare Gemmell EVERY year at the start of

basis of the number of teams

The whole point of the Grand

and their rank after an event,

Prix is FUN! Its aims are to

for example, if 40 teams

promote enjoyable participa-

entered, 1st place gains 40

tion in the spirit of sporting

points, 2nd place 39 etc.

competition, and it is a good

term, puzzled freshers won-

The scores are amalgamated

way to make friends and have

derwheretheracetrack is, as

after each event and the winner

a laugh.

UEA gears itself up for its

is the highest scoring team at

Grand Prix.

the finish.

Unfortunately, enlighten-

to the winners, runners-up

Last year's gems included, The Muddy Sex Gods, Time

years-only squad.

at the

The competition is spread over all three terms

and

a huge Intra-Mural sports com-

events are mostly on Wed-

petition open to any student,

nesday and Sunday after-

staff or faculty at UEA, from

noons.

the serious sports ace to the amateur muckabout.

Teams of 7 males, 7 fe-

The events, in order of occurrence, are: fun run, net-

Bar and We're Too Sexy.

Squads can be registered up to and including the netball events (Sunday Wk 5).

You do not have to have a full team to enter, just enough can add others later.

For full rules and entry de-

males, plus a captain of either

tennis, table tennis, squash,

tails, visit the Sports Centre

sex, enter as many as possible

badminton, swimming, S-a-

and pick up a leaflet and entry

of the 11 events of which the

side football, obstacle course

form.

and athletics.

Have fun!

consists.

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for the first event and then you

ball, volleyball, quiz, short

~ competition

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names imply.

and the highest placed first-

Basically, the Grand Prix is

'

'

very seriously, as the teams '

Presentations include those

- late to get involved. But not will be able to join in the fun.

do not think there is a problem with sports being in the Union portfolio - I think the difficulties and worries are due to the Presidents not understanding how the relationship works. It is up to me to try to remedy that." As Executive Officer for Sports, John Holmes has a very difficult task ahead of him. Yet if the challenge is properly met it will be sport at UEA that will eventually benefit.

new kit.

This is where the link between UEA's sport and the Union becomes so invaluable.

As John Holmes is a member of the executive on the union, it places him in a very strong position to fight for what he calls, "a suitable sports budget."

If understood properly, the relationship between sport and the union can be very benefical, as John himself says, "I

You do not have to take it

ment dawns usually just too this time! Read on and you

At present that extra money is seen as inadequate, the total union budget is approximately £50,000. It is the allocation of this money that raises difficulties. £2,500 of it is used to clean, repair and buy new kit for all teams. But as £2,000 of this money is spent on cleaning alone, it is obvious that the sum is unrealistic, as that means only £500 is left for repairs and the buying of

4194 27

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