Concrete issue 025 27 10 1993

9

10 Exclusive report from King's College, London

ANTI- RACISM

20

Reports from UEA meetings and the Unity Demo

UAUs Timetable threat on Wednesday afternoons

NEWS

SPORT

INSIDE: • NEWS • FEATURES • ENTERTAINMENT • SPORT • LETTERS • CLASSIFIEDS • LOCAL NEWS • WORLDWIDE • DIARY •

Issue 25: Wednesday, October 27, 1993

CITY RESIDENCE STUDENT TELLS OF SAFETY FEARS:

'

I

•

' 'No obligation to provide security' UEA' s Housing Chief A UEA student says she's frightened to go out alone... beacuse a severe lack of security at the city centre residences where .he lives. For this semester, the Mary Chapman Court tenant . . twice been harrassed on her way home, but unable to report the incidents immediEXCLUSIVE ately to anyone.

By Jo Stubblngton Last week she w~ attacked by and Ablgail Clements

an unknown assailant, and although he ran off when chaldenged, she found him lying in wait back at the unprotected residences.

And three weeks ago she was also flashed at outside the student lodgings after returing home from a city nightspot.

"It would be nice to have a Porter's facility available, just something to make us feel safe", said the third year undergraduate.

In fact, the lack of security includes: •No lockable external doors, •Poor and insufficient lighting, •No security phones, or even payphones, •Public access to the car park, which students feel should have a barrier.

But just two weeks ago at a meeting to discuss previous problems at the residences, UEA' s Accommodation Manager, Roger Lloyd, said he 'was under no moral obligation to provide security of any nature' at the site, suggesting that students purchased personal attack alarms.

And although signs at Mary Chapman Court state it is patrolled 24 hours a day by a local security firm, Mr Lloyd stated this was not true, when questioned by Concrete. ''To ensure income during the holidays [when the flats are rented to non-students) we do provide an occa sional patrol during the hours of darkness," be said.

Turn to Page 2, Col. 1

Flashback to the London Unity Demo on October 16... more on centre pages. Exclusive photo by Rob Hardy

UEA s Independent Student Newspaper 1

6000 copies every fortnight

Tel: 0603 250558

2

Concrete , Wednesday, October 27 , 1993

Afr aid to go out...

Cont. from Page 1 But he added it was not an effective deterrent, and that students do not need reassuring.

Union Communications Officer, Jacqui Mackay, described security measures as "unsatisfactory", saying: "Security for students -be it on campus or at Mary Chapman Court - is a priority concern for the Student Union ."

Roger Lloyd said that some security measures, including increased lighting, may be approved, but that would not be until Christmas at the earliest. ln recent weeks, another female student was attacked in broad daylight at Mary Chapman Court.

Ten vehicle crimes have also been committed.

• concrete has respected the privacy of the female student implicated in this story, and has therefore chosen not to name her.

THE WATERFRONT What do YOU think about the Union's plans to open the Waterfront?

Is lt going to be as good, or better, then it used to be?

Or Is it j ust a waste of time and money?

HAVE YOUR SA Yl Write to Concrete about it.

Send your letter to: The Editor, Concrete, Union House.

I• I•

Waterfront deal No. s:ub~iJiy "yc~vrY o ~~m!!,~~"' for SafeiyJ.w.-_. __

by Niall Hampton PLANS to open defunc t City venue The Waterfront have been criticised by three local music enthusiasts, one of whom was instrumental in establishing the current negotiations.

Ex-Finance Officer Chris Hollingworth voiced his reservations to Concrete about the Union's Waterfront plans.

'They've got no historical perspective of what went on in the past; when the Waterfront opened, it was the people of Norwich's venue", he said.

Chris, a former Chair of the Waterfront User's Group, claimed that the Union were not being very receptive to outside opinion in developing their strategy for the re-launch . "It's been kept

Chris Hollingworth

that they ' re refusing to take advice from ex-users."

But Lizzi Watson, Union Finance Officer, disagreed. "Because of the way that the Waterfront went down, we attempted not to bri ng people back in who were previously involved. It doesn't mean that we don't welcome input from other people; we have talked to people", she said.

However, other local figures have also been speaking out about the Waterfront relaunch plans.

Lib Dem councillor and former Waterfront DJ, A!ex Findlow, accused Norwich City Council of making a political choice when it decided to appoint the Student Union to operate the venue, because of 'Labour interests.'

He added that the council and the Union had the whole venture "stitched up", as, in his opinion, other interested parties were "just brushed off' .

His views were lent a certain amount of credence when the SheffieldLeadmill, who expressed an interest in re-launching the Waterfront, told Concrete that Norwich council seemed to have decided on their partner some time ago. Spokeswoman Eileen Malloy said that despite proposals being made last May, the Leadmill had yet to receive an answer from the council; they learnt of the Un-

Report by Caroline Adlem

Alex Findlow ion's deal from another source last week.

Chris Hollingworth confirmed that the council had made their decision "very early on" and added, 'The reason we started off was to improve links, to provide Norwich with a much needed venue which was taken away from them, and also to provide a venue for students. That [a student venue] was not the main reason and I think that's been taken as the only reason for the Union to go into it.

'The present administration is going back on those assurances and that is very dangerous and very sad for the people of Norwich."

Said Lizzie Watson, 'The whole point that we've put across is that the Waterfront is opening hopefully in early December for a trial period. In that scope of things of course we can't fu lfill all the aims of the original venue."

THE UNION has been unable to secure a subsidy from the University to reduce the price of personal attack alarms, despite Maurice Morson, UEA's Security Chief, strongly recommending the device.

Available from the Steward's Office in UH, the alarms are reduced in price by around £3, a loss which the Union absorb on each sale.

They had hoped that a subsidy from UEA could have enabled them to cut the price even further.

Whilst UEA is a relatively safe campus, Mr Morson and Union Welfare Officer Shelley Wright agreed that awareness must be raised as complacency is the greatest enemy of good ecurity.

Female students gave mixed reactions when asked if they felt safe on campus.

Fran, a fresher, jogs alone at night without fear and has no intention of buying an alarm although Karenza, who feels safe on campus, has bought one.

Lindsay, a second year, fmds some of the less well lit areas of campus frightening and carries an alarm at night.

The personal attack alarms are a key feature of the Union's move to provide a safe and positive

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore atmosphere at UEA which was recently strengthened by the introduction of a women's taxi scheme in conjunction with Beeline Taxis, the Union's favoured cab company, whose phone number is clearly displayed throughout Union House.

Since the beginning of the semester, any woman stranded on her own in Norwich without the necessary money to return home can use their UEA registration card or NUS card as a guarantee of future payment.

All three students liU'cMJovu reassuring, with Karenza commenting, "It's nice to know you've got a lifeline."

NEW SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN !! £5 50 I special offer: £2.00 off any 2pizzas during1993 1 £1 95

TWO PIECES AND CHIPS

BARGAIN BUCKET 6 PIECES & 3 CH IPS

•

•

S TOTTS & PI Te l 51260 QUALITY FISH & CH IPS Established 50 years

A PLUS Tel 250543

Parm e nter Road, South Park A v e, Norwi ch A delivery service with a differe nce

and Delivery Service only on Thurs, Fri, Sat 5.3010.30pm. Sorry- we only deliver to UEA campus and South city area. FREE DELIVERY on orders over £5.00, otherwise 50p.

Side Orders Onion Rings 50p Garlic Mushrooms SOp Coleslaw 60p Garlic Bread£ 1.10 Canned Drinks 40p

FISH & CHIPS DELIVERY MENU Chips 50 Plaice 1.30 Scampi 1.60 2.35 Chicken Qtr 1.25 1.40 Battered Burgers 45 Cod 1.25 Rock 1.25 NEWI Doner Kebabs 1.95 Jumbo Sausage 55 Pies 95 Spring Rolls 60 % lb Burgers IN A BUN all with salad and dressing Chicken Burger 1.40 Cheese in burger 99 Beef Burger 99

NEW !!PIZZA SPLITZ

l__

PEPPERONI-HAM-MUSHROOMS-CHICKEN-PEPPERS-TUNA-

DEEP PAN

REG

PRA WNS-ONIONS-PINEAPPLE-SWEETCORN-TOMATO-CHILLIBACON-GROUND BEEF-SPICY CHICKEN-EXTRA CHEESE TRADITIONAL - CHEESE AND TOMATO

9"

12"

9"

12"

3.00

4.50

3.40

5.00

3.50

5.50

3.90

6.00

4.00

6.00

4.40

6.50

4.50

6.50

4.90

7.00

CHEESY BACON - BACON, DOUBLE CHEESE HAWAIIAN - HAM, PINEAPPLE, MUSHROOMS FARMHOUSE- CHICKEN, MUSHROOMS, SWEETCORN SPICY- PEPPERONI, PEPPERS, ONIONS CANARY- PEPPERS, SWEETCORN, PINEAPPLE DIY- ANY THRFE TOPPINGS SEAFARER- TUNA, PRAWNS, ONION VEGI- ONIONS, MUSH'S, PEPPERS, PINEAPPLE, SWEETCORN TAN DOORI- SPICY CHICKEN, ONIONS, SWEETCORN MEXICAN A- GROUND BEEF, ONIONS, PEPPERS, CHILLIES MEGA MEAT- HAM, CHICKEN, GROUND BEEF, PEPPERONI FULL HOUSE - ANY FIVE TOPPINGS

Select any two pizzas of your choice and Example: 12" regular pizza 1/2 Cheesy Bacon = £2.75 we will split them, making one 1211 %Mexicana = £3.00 mouthwatering pizza. 1211 pizzas only

£.

575

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

3

US students upset by UEA authori·ti•es Compiled by Emilia Gwyn STUDENTS at the University of Kent are more than likely to be sleeping on the floor for the rest of the tenn as over 700 students are still waiting for hall places. The e~tingaccommodationcri­

sis has rut the University as there has been an 20 per cent increase in student numbers with no corresponding increase in accommodation places.

What a good introduction to university life...

LONDON University's King's College student union have come up with a solution to reduce the ever-present student overdraft by launching 'Unistafr, an employment bureauwberestudentscanregister to work. The aim is to give students the opportunity to get paid the standard student rate for work that was previously contracted out to temping agencies. Students will be able to work up to 15 hours a week, in posts varying from secretarial work to stuffing

SOCIOLOGIST from Sunderland University has just been given a £16,000 grant to investigate Newcastle's most popular drinking areas for students. His aim to produce a guide of the pubs and clubs has sparked a national debate as to the relevance ofsome academic courses to the real world, leading to tabloid headlines such as 'Boozy Bob's Big Night Out'.

However, he is bound be getting plenty of volunteers to help him with hls research.

MANCHESTER'S Welfare Collective are attempting to educate the student population over the dangers of faulty appliances after the deaths two Liverpool students from toxic fume inhalation.They are encouraging tenants to draw up a written agreement with their landlord or landlady confirming that they will have all the appliances professionally checked for safety. This comes at a time when Manchester has been described as Britain's worst city with regard to safety and accident prevention.

QUEEN Mary & Westfield College student's union have pulled out from the London branch of the NUS. The decision was taken after much internal debate over whether it was financially viable to remain affiliated to the national student body.

News sources: Grip, London Student, Mancunlon, Universal Post

~

I I

AMERICAN exchange students arrivingatUEAthlssemesterwere angered to find that they were not allocated the accommodation they were promised by the University, writes Nathan Crick.

A letter from Assistant Registrar Naomi Perowne sent to those concerned in September stated that a rise in costs due to an increase in licence lengths to 38 weeks might cause an excessive burden to some students, and it was therefore decided to house them in the "most economic possible accommodation."

As a result, visiting American students have been allocated double instead of single rooms, despite UEA advertising that, "all visiting students are guaranteed a single study bedroom" in a Junior Year Abroad brochure sent to exchange students last year.

After being swamped with complaints about the situation, including a letter threatening legal action, the Accommodation Office fulfilled many requests from the American students for room changes before Week 4's clearing exercise.

In a letter to Concrete, Naomi Perone said that some students housed in double rooms had asked to stay in them rather than to face the extra cost of moving to a single - which could be as much as £1,246.50 for the year - and stated that the University's brochure has now been updated to reflect the change to the accommodation arrangements for exchange students.

She apologized for the situation, and added that, "We do hope our US students will not allow it to spoil their experience at UEA."

However,one when asked for their opinion, American student told Concrete, "I felt intensely unwanted when I first got here," whilst another said that, "It sucked." A third added that "Certain members of the administration seemed very resentful that we confronted them about it."

Union Welfare Officer SheUey Wright declined to comment on the situation. Most of the students affected had already endured two years of living with a room-mate at an American University, and were looking forward to single accommodation at UEA. But because no infonnation to the contrary was offered, their advisors in America all emphatically assured students that they would receive single rooms at a cost no hlgber than £970, somethlng which was not the case when

PHOTO: Peter Hart they arrived. Despite this, the University has not addres ed the American students' questions about why the US seems to be singled out among all of the inter-

national countries, and how a top university such as UEA could fail to notify partner institutions of a change in a condition that affects students' University experience.

Wage cut for popular job Report by Kester Hynds WAGES in an annual stock-taking weekend traditionally popular with UEA students have been cut by 15 per cent.

In previous years, students had eamed£3.70perhourworking for Air UK at the Airport Industrial Estate near Fifers Lane, but thls year, the rate has dropped to £3.25.

Recruitment for the weekend used to be handled by city employment agency Alfred Marks, who lost the contract this year because they were reluctant to lower salaries.

RivalagencyBrookStreettook over, and students who work on the weekend, commencing on October 30, will now earn at least £50, instead oflast year's higher

wage of sixty pound .

Air UK employ one hundred people in total for the stock-take, though it is unclear how many UEA students are taking part.

Despite this cut the weekend has still proved popular, with only stand-by placements available at the time of Concrete's going to pres .

When contacted about the decrease in salaries, Air UK were unavailable for comment.

Photo and story by Keith Whitmore IJThe Anglia Square shopping complex was one of Norwich's many flood casualties caused by the heavy rains of a fortnight ago IJPictured are Norwich firefighters pumping out Budgen's supermarket whlch flooded after rainwater running off the shop's car park inundated the shop floor. Manager John Gallagber said be was forced to close the store for safety reasons and to enable the frre brigade to clear up.

IJBudgen's staff joined in with the clear up effort by providing a continuous flow of tea and copious amounts of pizzas and meat pies for the Norwich-based firefighters .

Graduates in court over loans RECENT statistics show that more than 600 graduates have ended up in court after failing to repay their Student Loans, writes Jo Stubbing ton.

Figures released last week indicated that by the end of the last academic year defaulters owed the Glasgow based Student Loans Company a total of almost £5,000.

In 38 cases, courts had ordered that payments be deducted from the graduates' wages, and by the start of last month, 636 offenders had been issued with County Court judgements. Bailiffs were instructed to recover£ 1,100 from defaulters and debt collectors were commissioned to trace 200 fonner students believed to be abroad.

The Student Loans Scheme was launched in 1990, when grants "I I .. • •

.a

1.1

ll.

were frozen, in order to spread maintenance costs. In 1991/2, it lent £139 million but collected only £3 million. Two weeks ago, Labour MP Stepben Byers described the Loans scheme as being "fundamentally flawed."

One EAS student summed up a popular opinion when she commented, "It's a catch 22 situation, but basically the scenario is that we need money to live. We can't be expected to live or work on the Government's pittance alone."

Said Shelley Wright, Union Welfare Officer, "In the present economic climate with prices increasing, the recession still biting and grants frozen at ridiculous and unrealistic levels, the Government are forcing students into this situation. They have no choice." .IJ

I. •

•

Stoc

of:

Quicksilver Mambo Simpsons Daniel Poole Levi's etc Levi 501 's only£36.99 .J J 1

rc• •

.. r.r.

•

.I

.,

tr_.

JJI

• offer v.tlile stoc~ lost

I I I f •

\

lll

,

J I I

·-·-----_,-

...

r

........... -"" ~~--------~~~~~~~~

I

I

4

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27 , 1993

UGM blues return

By Mark Austin

ANYONE wishing to submit any funny stories, anecdotes, embarrassing moments, ideas, etc for the new, improved RAG Mag should hand them into the RAG office before December 22. There is no limit on length and all articles will be considered.

THE BWOD Transfusion Service have expressed their grateful thanks to all who donated blood on October 11 and 12. In all, 297 donors attended, of whom 56 were new volunteers.

BUILDING operations will start on November 1 on the site at the back of Constable Terrace, to construct the new Elizabeth Fry building, which isn't a chip shop, contrary to poular belief. A hoarding will be erected to ensure privacy for students in the new residences. 'Frying' ... er... building will start from 7.30am and UEA officials have warned students that there will be "particularly loud or intrusive noise and vibrations," but apparently no large cod and chips.

RECORDS by ragga chart buster, Shabba Ranks, have been banned from Union disocs,juke-boxes, and radio station Livewire. Speaking about the ban, Socs Officer, Daniel Owen said the ru li ng had come into effect following Ranks' "outrageous" comments on homosexuality and women. At the time of going to press, a Shabba record remai ned in Livewire's record cabinet...

Exec members at the UGM

PHOTO: Keith Whitmo re

Go-ahead for AMSevent

By Mark Austin A DANCE event due to take place at Fifers Lane K Block this week has been given the go-ahead despite Univers ity concerns about the "psychoactive smart drinks" advertised on its flyer.

The event, organised by the dance wing of the Alternative Music Society under the title of "Pure Sheng", hopes to attract a crowd of at least 200. Its organiser, Jo Elkington, said that the psychoactive drinks are in fact "completely harmless, a novelty, just something a bit different." Maurice Morson, Superintendent of Portering and Security Services, said that the reference to the psychoactive dri nks may have drawn attention to the party in the

THURS 28 OCT

DESPITE the largest amount of students ever at UEA, the first UGM of the academic year was woefully inquorate.

Due to the increase in numbers, 295 students needed to attend Week 4' s meeting for it to gain quoracy, but despite the provision of a free bus from Fifers at 7 pm and a free bus to Peppermint Park after the meeting, only 145 turned up.

The best efforts of the Chair to lure those watching football in the Hive also met with limited success.

No binding decisions were able to be made due to the Jack of quoracy, but this did not stop some healthy debate taking place.

One member of the floor was threatened with expulsion from the meeting when he repeatedly heckled Jaz Ihenacho, Race

T HURS 4 NOV

E V E NING ~~IN]l.UJ

All dishes flnoured with Hoot Nm,a pungent fi sh sme 1. CAHN C HAM £1.30 (Ja&in eoune fish soup with ctull le• I vegeta~e•)

THI T GA KHO GUNG

ldehc1ous caSS!J~e ol vegetables

BOTH SER V ED WITH A JA C KET POTA TO (bak e d "' 11 "'• in the•r aJ. In•l

Jo Stubbington LAST week the LG B Society unveiled its proposal to make the LG B Office r a full voting member of both Executive a nd Forum.

At present, the position of LGB Officer is only a n exofficio (nonvoting) post and is,

Phil Clegg

wrong way. He added that the organisers have been advised as to "what they were letting themselves in for" based upon experiences of similar parties at Fifers Lane in recent years. There was some doubt as to whether the event would be allowed to go ahead due to the University' s concern about a possible drug problem, which was fuelled by the way the night had been advertised, with 'Fifers Lane Halls, near Norwich Airport' being given as an address, rather than 'UEA Student Residences'.

However, any misunderstandings now seem to have been resolved, although Mr Morson has stressed that he will not hesitate to pull the plug on the event if any trouble does develop. . ._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. . TWO surprise resignations

Cbr•ised ehfcllen

R eport by

Reshuffle for Live,vire 945 '

VI E TN.A.IVI E SE

laced w 1lh herbs & e h lilt)

Awareness Officer.

When asked about the inquoracy of the meeting , Comunications Officer Jacqui Mackay stated that she was "disappointed."

"We will be working very hard to to publicise the next UGM which is being held at I pm on Monday Week 7 in the LCR", she said.

Only two of the six motions on the meeting' s agenda were discussed. A motion calling for equal voting rights on the Executive for the LGB Officer and the adoption of an anti-discriminatory policy against lesbians, gays and bisexuals on campus was overwhelmingly passed by the floor when put to an indicative vote .

But a second motion proposed

by SWSS, demanding that aBNP bookshop should be closed, was rejected.

LGBwant the right to vote

£1.50

with ginger I Nuoe tn a m)

last week led to a major reshuffle of campus radio station Livewire 945.

Literally days after collecting the Student Media Broadcast prize at the NUS Guardian Media Awards, Matt Pells stepped down from his position as Station Manager into the lesser role of Production Manager.

In the reshuffle, Fluff Arundel becomes Internal Station Manager, and will be responsible for the day to day running of the station . DJ Mark Edli n becomes Station Manager of Programming, dealing with who and what goes out on air and Nicola Mcdonald moves from secretary to External Station Manager.

When asked what prompted his resignation Matt explained, "I felt that it was time to make way for some new members" and cited an increased workload as a contributing factor to his decision.

His successor, Nicola McDonald, told Concrete, "My mai n objective this year will be to get Livewire back on an even keel, and to establish the talion financially ."

as such, excluded from having full voting rights. A change to the constitution of the Union of UEA Students would be necessary to accommodate such a change in status.

The LG B O ffic e r is not elected by a cross-campus ballot but, uniquely, by rn .. rnh.. rc of the LGB Society. incumbent Phil Clegg cla ims that the idea behind this is to eradicate the possibility of" any old anti-queer bigot standing or getting elected."

The society's ma in argument is that the Horsham Halls Committee Officer, who potentially represents 600 Fifers Lane students because of where they live and not because of their race sex or gender, has full voting rights.

In contrast, according to the Kiosey report, the LGB Officer could represent a potential 10 per cent of the population, a fact reflected in the society's highest ever membership, which currently stands at 131 people.

THE acquittal of London Universi ty student Auste n Donnellan has not undermined the 'No Means No' initiative, according to Women's Officer, Sophie Reading.

Speaking to Concrete just after the jury's verdict was announced, Sophie said, "Without readi ng all the coverage of the case, I'm reluctant to comment about the verdict, but as far as I'm concerned, no means no what ever th e circ um stances. " Donnellan walked free from the Old Bailey last week, after a jury found him not guilty of raping a fellow student after a Christmas party last year.

The case attracted much publicity, some of it which detracted from the actual gravity of the issue.

FIND WORDS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH THE RUSH OF EVENTS YOU'LL NEED ALL THESE QUALITIES AND MORE TO WIN A TELEGRAPH YOUNG SPORTS WRITER AWARD WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN INTEREST AND AMUSE OUR READERS WITH UP TO

800

WORDS ABOUT LOCAL SCHOOL, COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OR OTHER YOUTH SPORT.

PRIZES INCLUDE A TRIP OVERSEAS TO A SPORTING EVENT FOR THE FIRST PRIZE WINNER IN EACH AGE CATEGORY

(16,18 AND 19,23 YEARS

OLD) PLUS PRIZE MONEY. FOUR SEMI FINALISTS FROM EACH CATEGORY WILL BE SENT TO COVER A SPORTING FIXTURE IN THE

UK.

SP8RT Y 0 Ll :\ (;

S P 0 R T S

\\' R I T E R

I 9 9

+

THE COMPETITION CLOSING DATE IS

23

FEBRUARY,

1994, SO REGISTER NOW!

fOR RJRTHER INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO: THE TELEGRAPH YOUNG SPORTS WRITER CoMPETITION 1994, P.O. Box 26, ASHWELL, NR. BALDOCK, HERTFORDSHIRE SG7

...

路. . - ,. ~

SRZ, OR RING OUR HOTilNE ON 0462

743018 TO REGISTER .

=====

6

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

Fewer books and less hours LffiRARY opening hours and book lending arrangements have been changed with the result that students may borrow fewer books and have less access in the evenings. /Jy Claire ,~~wlney Undergraduate and postgraduatestudentsalike have had and 1/e/en Mcl\en:.ie theamountofbooks available to them on their tickets cut, but as School Boards alike were anxious a consolation, the issue desk to offer the best possible service now opens on Saturdays. Openfor students with the funds availing hours have been reduced, able. and during the week, the Library Said Miss Fudakowska, closes one hour earlier than last "Funds are not unlimited", alyear, at 9 pm. though she added that extra reWhen asked about the alterasources were provided to cover tions to the service, Deputy the cost of opening the issue desk Librarian Miss E Fudakowska on Saturday. pointed out that semesterisation In order to make the distribumade the changes a necessity, tion of books fairer under the and that the Library Commitstrain of limited finances, a retee, the Student Union and duction was necessary in the

number of books issued on each library user's card, affecting both students and faculty.

Union Academic Officer, Annie Hillyer, said that a drop in the number of students attending the Library in the evenings made the new earlier closing time of 9 pm viable and that the additional opportunity to borrow books on Saturday was a useful alternative.

A review of the efficiency of the new system is planned for the Spring semester and both the Library and the Union are eager to receive feedback from its users in the meantime.

Stretching that grantabitmore THE UNION have launched a new pricing policy in their commercial outlets designed to reDect the financial position of its members, wriJes Mark Aus-

TV hell for licence dodgers Report by Paul Silk PEOPLE who possess a television but have chosen to avoid purchasing a licence should beware, as the consequences should not be underestimated, according to the Home Office.

For they are targeting students, warning that failure to pass the hitech TV licence test could lead to a fine of£ I ,000.

"We realise that many students find it hard to make ends meet," said Tony Kitt, Director of TV Licensing, who urged students to think about using the Quarterly Budget Scheme.

This allows payment of the £83 colour licence to be spread over four instalments in the year for a small premium of£ 1.25 per quarter.

However, the general feeling on campus is that those evading will not get caught and that a television licence is too expensive for what it is.

Nevertheless, I ,000 evaders are caught each day by detector equipment capable of indicating exactly where the TV is situated, and the Home Office can use data from LASSY, TV Licensing's central database, to track down offenders. For more information, call the general helplineon (0272) 763763 or for the Budget scheme application form (0272) 769100.

PHOTO: Mark Turner

tin.

Their 'Grant Stretcher' initiative is aimed at "cutting students' costs" and sees many prices in Union outlets frozen at last years' levels.

The general feeling among studeuts still seems to be that the Union prices are too high, with the traditional complaints about the price of beer and Union Supermarket prices remaining prominent.

A comparison of the supermarket's prices with a store of similar size on Unthank Road revealed them to be roughly comparable, which perhaps lends credence to the Unions' denial of higher prices.

The Union spent £15,000 on refurbishing the supermarket over the summer, with an extension of opeuing hours from nine in the morning until nine at night having been implemeuted last term.

According to David Hooper, the U~' Commercial Services Manager, this means an extra£Z,OOOperweek in transactions and that the money invested over the summer will be recouped within three years, probably less.

The 'Grant Stretcher' initiative will be reviewed at the endoftheterm,and according to Lizzi Watson. the Union Finance Officer, prices in the bars will hopefuUy be frozen at current levels, depending on the content of the Government's Budget in November.

"The Union has kept prices down for students, to continue to provide a service to the membership while allowing any profitsmadetobeputbackinto the commercial side of the Union", she said.

ln1proven1ent in EC ruling

By Paul Wray

The AVC

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

S-VHS at AVC MAJOR concessions made by UEA' s Audio Visual Centre will mean greater access to Media and Film Studies students in EUR and EAS, writes Harry Stockdale.

By cutting their charges from last year's original amount of £50 a day to a package deal of £50 a week, students will have more time to edit and experiment with their video productions - time which Or Higson, Chair of Film Studies in EAS, asserted that the school could not afford.

But the Centre's streamlining initiative, under the directorship ofWally Tyacke, has come about because of a necessary acquisition of a new Super VHS editing system, whichcostover£10,000.

Normal VHS systems are actually used by film students on their courses, and though they are superiorto the Super VHS systems

inNexusUTVandEUR'sJames Platt Centre, they pale considerably before this new professional Super VHS editing suite.

When asked why it will take six months for the new system to be fitted,MrTyachesaid, "Wedon't use it yet because we have had to modify space and set up a studio cupboard; finding space takes up a lot of time."

Film Students will therefore havetocontinuetousetheAVC's ordinary VHS editing suites until January. However, as the Audio Visual Centre only receives funding by the University for its core services, such as maintaining and operating LCD panels and TV projections across campus, it will have to reimburse the money that it spent on the new Super VHS suite by charging EAS and EUR for the use of its facilities.

EC legislation may enable UEA' s expanding numberofEC students to have their tuition fees paid for by the British Government.

EC students on full undergraduate and PGCE programmes as well as those students studying for part of an undergraduate course could well be eligible.

Although this legislation has ben initiated for a number of years it has been given a bigger profile by the university due to the increase in EC students at UEA this year.

According to Eleanor Martin, UEA's Assistant Registrar, UEA has 65 EC students on a three year undergraduate programme and a further 20 as part-course visitors.

EC students who feel they may be eligible or have any questions concerning the scheme can come to a meeting on 3 Nov at I pm in the Arts building room 2.18 where Eleanor Martin shall be available to answer any questions.

Fears voiced at Socs meeting THE first meeting of Societies Forum took place on October 14, and provided a chance for the presidents of all non-sporting societies to discuss, amongst other things, their fears over Government proposals for student union reform, writes

Christianne Ward.

Union Communications Officer Jacqui Mackay announced that state plans would weaken student union power by cutting university grants for 'non-core' activities, which could include nonsporting societies and oncampus services.

She attacked the new proposals as potentially "devastating" for student societies, which are described by

UEA's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Derek Burke, as being essential for the student community.

Society presidents were informed that in the next two weeks a poster and sticker campaign will be launched to target individual students, who will be encouraged to write to their local MPs by a stall in UH, to voice their opposition to Government plans.

It is hoped that this measure wiLL be more successful than Last year's one day closure of all Union services which was widely criticised by students and staff alike due to the lack of communication by the Union Executive.

Worst Grad outlook for 20 years

By Hwee Hwee Tan ONLY30percentoflastyear's graduates were known to be in permanentemploymentatthe beginningofthenewacademic year, according to figures released by the Central Services Unit In addition, 58 per cent of graduates who contacted their college careers centres during this period reported that they were unemployed.

An adviser at UEA's Career's Centre offered a possible explanation for the poor employment prospects facing graduates.

"I think it's caused by two reasons; obviously the problems with the economy, but it is also due to the increase in numbers of graduates from university", she said.

Most students were resigned to poor employment

prospects, with one stating that, "I can do everything I can, go to the Careers Centre, get in touch with employers, butintheendifthere'snojob there, then there's not much you can do about it."

A third year added, "lthink it's bad if you have to put all that effort into getting a degreeifyoucan'tgetajobatthe endofit."

--~--------------------------- -~ - -

-~

--

-

Incentive: for engineers only Story by Garry Bonnick THE Government have recently announced a scholarship scheme for talented engineering students in an attempt to dispel the stereotype of a career in the sector as "irrelevant, unglamorous and boring."

The scheme, launched by Education Minister Tim Renton, is open to applicants with 28 UCCA points, who each stand to receive £500 per term, as part of up to £2,000 for a four year Engineering Council approved course.

However, Union Communications Officer Jacqui Mackay described the scheme as a "continuation of Government policy to

promote sciences while cutting funds for arts subjects."

She added that while the £500 per year bursary will be a great bonus for the cream of the engineering fraternity, it is the financial situation of all students that really needs to be addressed.

Major political embarrassment was caused over the summer when it was revealed that there were huge vacancies on science courses in Higher Education, and the Government hope that the scholarship will attract more women to a subject that is traditionally 'boys only'.

SCHOOLCHILDREN on

half-term were yesterday blamed for tbe frenzied destruction of a Norfolk Parish church. Vandals fon:ed their way into into the church where they inflicted more than£ I O,OOOdamage wiping out months of tireless fundraising at tbe historic church at Hempstead. near North Walsham.

The Lemonheads' Evan Dando playing his sell out gig

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

That's entertainment, Feeling lonely? that is!

A NEW publication aimed at lonely people has been launched by two leading organisations, Person to Person and Future Friends, under the banner of "the magazine that puts people in touch", writes Martin Plant.

1be need for the magazine, 1'efson to Person, with its distinCtive witty and teasing style, is more than apparent as current estimates suggest that there are 12 million unattached people in With a brief to help the lonely, Future Friends was set up in

1984 by the Portia Trust as a non profit-making body, whilst Person to Person was formed in 1989 as discussion forum for single people.

They have recently joined forces to publish the new title.

Salacious adverts are refused, but if you want to get in touch with genuine adverts, including 'The Mysterious Melissa" or Svetlana, who "seeks a tender treasure", then Person To Person could be well worth a browse.

FOLLOWING a packed Fresher's LCR and a sell out gig by the Lemonheads, Union Ents have had their best ever start to a term, writes Jo Stubbing ton.

And Ents look certain to build on this success with live appearances by James, Teenage Fanclub and Aswad in the LCR, and with many popular acts returning to Live in the Hive.

With attendance figures for the LCR disco 30 per cent up on last year, Concrete asked Ents assistant Gavin Hudson whether he considered the re-

Second hand in Off the

THE UNION are staging a second-hand sale enabling students to sell anything they wish free of charge, writes Paul Wray.

Students wishing to sell any items at the sale, which will be held in the LCR on November 5 at 11 am, must first obtain a space through the Union on production of their NUS card.

The Union sees the sale as part of an initiative to combat increasing student poverty and debt.

"At a time of student hardship second-hand sale provides an excellent opportunity for students to supplement their income and malc.e some additional money", said Jacqui Mackay, Communications Officer.

theLCR

Jacqui Mackay Any item may be sold at the sale, except books, as the Union already provide an facility for this in their Second Hand Book shop.

• FREE pool at lunchtimes • Specials every day • Full Vegetarian menu Food: 12.00 -

rails...

STUDENTS from UEA were amongst those who demonstrated against the Government's forthcoming plans for rail privatisation.

They joined a large group of protesters at the House of Commons who are hoping to persuade backbench MPs to derail the impending BR bill.

UEA's contingent was organised by the Lib Dem club, who chose, somewhat paradoxically, to eschew the train and travel to London by bus.

cent upturn to be due to programming or merely to the increased number of students.

He pointed out that this year's programme was compiled in response to a student survey which was carried out

by Ents last year, something which he saw as being representative of student preference. Gavin explained that the opening of an extra dance floor at Thursday night's LCR, the introduction of late night cult film showings and the diversity of the Live in The Hive programme were all requested by the students themselves

and could all be seen contributory factors to the increased student interest. When asked how they rated Ents, several freshers claimed to be impressed by the gig line-up and thought that they would be regular visitors to both Live in the Hive and the LCR disco.

However, some second and third years were less optimistic, withJane(EUR2)comrnenting, " After a year of going to the LCR I prefer to go off campus now, and as for this terms gigs - no thanks!"

ADRIVEil witbat.gevebicle is being desperately sought to join an aid trip 10 Norwich's twin town of NoviSadintbefOOIJCI"Yugoslavia. Thelrip,duciOsctoff on November 30 will take medicines. detageots. food and sports equipment to refugees. Anyone wbo can help should contact Diaoe or Peter Beckley on (0508) 480262.

NORFOLK teacba-s are 10

be issued with updated guidelinesaboutdrugeducation next week. The new Drug Education Guidelines from Norfolk County Council which outline plans 10 incorporate drug awareoess training and role-play practice are aimed•cbikkcu from five to sixteen years and will be introduced into lbe GCSE teaching prognunmcs.

8 Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

:::':':~:':::~,~~~~~:j:.~

been published by I vanhoe, wntes Kester Hynds.

Could it be worth going all out for the full-time job on the pig farm, or does the attraction of sitting in a bank hold more promise? lvanhoe's guides offer cornprehensive information about graduate careers and provide current details of firms who wish to recruit graduates.

Nine guides have been published in total, covering Accountancy, Engineering, Law and In-

an

surance, Management Consultancy, Pensions Management, Chartered Surveying and Actuaries and Patents.

Ivanhoe are currently offering them for only £4.95, plus 80p postage and packing, which represents a considerable saving on the Career's Centre price of £9 .95. eFormoreinformation,ortoplace an order, contact AlastairTweedie at Letts of London House , Parkgate Road, London, SW 11 4NQ. Tel: 071 403 6729.

Going global · WORLD leaders will meet in Manchester for next year's 1994 Global Forum, which follows on from the successes of the Rio Earth Summit and 1992's Global Forum, writes David Hatton.

The earlier events had been criticised in some quarters for their lack of positive action, but organisers believe this is not a charge which could be levelled at next years's conference.

Taking as its major theme "Cities and Sustainable Development", the event features representations from SO of the world's largest cities, and is-

sues tabled for discussion include health, transport, poverty, finance, employment, consumption and management of resources.

Further to the main debate, the Manchester Public Forum offers an opportunity for individuals to voice their own opinions, and delegates will also be able to examine the work of the main assembly and the United Nations Committees which have been set up to try and solve the planet's ecological problems.

Further details are available on request from Global Forum '94, Castle Street, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4LZ.

reoenUyboenred"""'"''"' although official sources refute the claim that portions have followed suit, writes John Miller.

R egu la r visitors to 'The Diner' may have felt aggrieved that, although the cost of their meal was the same as last year, they could have been getting less for their money.

Roger Hawkes, Catering Services Manager, said that the only reduction in the size of the plates was the loss of the rim and that portions were the same size as last year.

He pointed out that the purchasing of new plates was necessary because replacements were needed and that these were in fact cheaper than purchasing old stock. He added that the old plates were not being used for banquet functions, as previously thought, but had simply been disposed of.

However, 'a sauce' in the Union refused to believe that portions in 'The Diner' were the same size as last year, and claimed that reducing the size of the plates was a conspiracy "to undermine students."

ID

The Diner?

•

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

Escape to Ex01oor Happenings BEAUTIFUL landscapes, fast flowing rivers and steeply wooded hillsides are being offered to people staying at the National Trust's Exmoor Basecamp Annexe, North Devon, writes Joanna Emsley.

Holiday breaks are available from around £4.50 per person a night and are offered throughout the year. The basic, self catering accommodation sleeps a maximum of nine people in two dormitories and includes showers, toilets and a fully equipped kitchen.

Situated at Countisbury, on the Watersmeet Estate, first class walks along the North Devon Coastal Path, Tarka Trail and Exmoor are readily available, and opportunities exist to fish in the river Lyn or, by special arrangement, to canoe.

However, transport is required as the base camp annexe is remotely situated, and no bus service is provided.

• For further information, contactTimLarnerton, I Town Farm Cottages, Comtisbury, Lynton, Devon, EX3S 6NE

Co01e fly with 01e THE Guardian and STA Travel are offering a Student Travel Bursary with the chance to fly to a destination of their choice as a prize for the five prospective winners, writes Martin Plant.

Held in association with Pentax, who are awarding a camera to each of the winners, entrants should submit no more than 200 words on their travel experience.

This could have been anything from an African safari to a day trip to Southend, but entries should also include a further 20 words on where they want to take their next trip and why. The Student Travel Bursary is open to all UK residents between 18 and 26. Entries should be sent before February 28 to STA Travel, Priory House, 6 Wrights Lane, London W8 6TA.

As readers will see from the page opposite, we have decided not to run our usual 'Happenings' section- Concrete's diary pagefortnight.

We have, instead, given much of the page over to the important issue of date rape.

Happenings will return in the next issue of Concrete.

Student denies rape charge A CITY College student stands accused of raping one of his colleagues in college accommodation last January.

It is alleged that he had sex with an 18 year old girl without her consent, a charge which he denies.

The court were told how the accusedinvitedhertohisroom after they had been drinking together.

Although she told the court that she was flattered by his physical attention, she added that she was not expecting intercourse.

The case continues.

Concrete Is photo processing and prlntlng by

•· • 1 HOUR QUALITY • DEVELOPING •• & PRINTING •• SERVICE

• KODAK FILMS

• KODAK BATTERIES

• REPRINTS

• ENLARGEMENTS

a BLACK & WHITE AND E6 PROCESSING ·WEDDING, INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL* PHOTOGRAPHY *PROFESSIONAL PROCESSING LABORATORY*

· GREGCHANDLEilPH010SERVICES

40 EXCHANGE STREET, NORWICH

•• •• •• •

(0603) 615652

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

Seth Levine reports exclusively for Concrete from AFrER the alleged victim of the date rape at King's College, most accusatory fingers in the media have been pointed firmly in the direction of the university social life.

In the wake of this incident, it was inevitable that certain tabloid papers would use the case as evidence of the debauched life that students reportedly lead.

King's College, London, has suddenly become the focal point for all that is perceived to be wrong with having too high a concentration of students in a small area.

The reaction of King's to the case seems to echo the national mood. Its students seem to be as willing to accept that a woman's sexual history and degree of inebriation are of key importance when considering a situation such as this.

Unfortunately, it also appears that this is where the consideration ends. However, talk at King's at the moment is not really concerned with the facts of the Donnelan case.

Students are more concerned with the portrayal of King's

social life, as described in a Sun exclusive. Paul Curry, a second year law student, summed up the sentiment around the college. Referring to the recent Sun article, de-

scribing an evening of drunken excess at the University's bar, Paul quipped, "Everebody wants to know where they got their story from, we've been looking for

a party like that all year." Second year history student Judy Hill believes that most students are pleased with the publicity that King's is receiving. "The student in the Wa-

Across

King~ s

9

College in London

terfront [the King's student bar] was been interviewed by a reporter from the Standard a day after the Sun article. "I heard him describing how all King's students are alcoholics

and that most of the night, everybody's falling over because they've drunk so much.

Everybody loves the idea of King's being the centre of media attention, so they will say what they're expected to say until the excitement dies down."

Unfortunately, it appears that the whole incident is helping to perpetuate the myth that university life is concerned dominantly with Bacchanalian and carnal pursuits. Certainly the students of King's are proud of their new found infamy. This case ho;ever, raises .questions that transcend the bounds of SU bars.

In the fallout from the Austen Donnelan case, it was widely accepted that the incident would not have arisen had the woman in question not drunk to the point of unconsciousness.

It has then led to a public indictment of universities.

Nobody has however, addressed the root of the problem; nowhere was it asked why alcohol. which can have such serious consequences, is so widely condoned by society.

tbe cbannel

"Concrete's Vicky Whitfield reports from the University of Lausanne

MAGAZINE • A new series ofreports from Concrete's own correspondent at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

The movement was so THIRD WAVE OF successful that the FEMINISM daughters of secondwave feminism - toSPREADS day's college-age students - have grown up ACROSS taking equality for CAMPUSES g.ranted . In fact, femiA new wave of feminism nism became so passe is spreading across U. S. among the young that college campuses, high- by 1990 only a small lighting issues such as fraction of colleg.e date rape and biased women would associate curricula, and attackthemselves with t he ing the presentation of women's movement. women by the media.

That complacency is Contrary to the stunow giving way to a dent apathy associated new, third wave of with 'Generation X' , feminism among the young women in their student population. teens and twenties are Much of the r ecent currently paving the momentum for this moveway for the so-called ment can be traced to 'third wave of femithe writings of Yale nism. • senior Rebecca Wal ker.

Thi rty years ago, The goddaughter of Betty Friedan's groundfeminist Gloria breaking book 'The FemiSteinem, Walker has nine Mystique', urged also founded the Third women to reach beyond Wave Direct Action the •comfortable conCorp. , one of dozens centration camp~ of the of young women's groups home and find added sprouting throughout fulfilment in careers. the States . Nearly The book and the times every college campus prompted a surge of now boasts a variety activism unseen since of grass-roots organithe women's suffrage sations such as movement .

Voice, Fearless,

AXE SHOCK Womanist and Students Organizing Students that have placed gender issues , like date rape and biased curricula, at the forefront of college activism.

Even a t the high school lev el, groups are launching campaigns for better sex education, highlighting the omnipresence of sexual harassment, and fight i ng stereotypical female images. Ol der f eminists agree that if young women can break free from the apathy stifling present-day campuses, they can tear down t he whole array of remaining barriers to a higher quali ty of life for women - including v iolence, povert y, racism, homophobia, inaccessible heal th care and rigid workp lace structures.

•Young feminists are far more courageous than we were at their age~, secondwave feminist Gloria Steinem asserts, •and they have higher standards".

Students of Lausanne are still in shock over t he state decision to axe their longstanding pub1 i c a t i o n , ~UNILausannen.

The magazine was established in 1971 and provides a service that has become indispensable to students, but obviously not to the body that funds it!

Being an external publication, it not only serves students in Lausanne bu t goes to the partner institutions in Switzerland, Europe and t hroughout the world, including ~chool and P.rofessional orientat ion services, private and public colleges, Swiss ambassadors, foreign embassies in Switzerland and so on.

As part of a series of economic measu res t hat the state is taking , ~UNILausanneN will unfortunately not be published i n 1994. Although this proposal is only for one year, students and staff alike fear it

will be a permanent fixture.

Director of Lausanne University, Pierre Ducrey, said the decision came as a "violent and personal shock,~ having devoted much of his time to the magazine and having already ac cepted very heavy cuts to the 1994 budget.

The popular feeling now is to raise the money independently to pay for the magazine, to find sponsors, call for donations or even, if desperation overcomes, to produce the magazine using stencils!

'MOOSIC' TO YOUR EARS? SWISS researchers are on the verge of solving the myster ies of •mad cow disease, according to 'Le Nouveau Quotidier. ' Contrary to popular opinion, Charles Weissman and his colleagues at the University of Zurich believe that the cause of the N

disease is neither a virus nor a bacteria, but an abnormal protein that is naturally present in the cells of the cow's brain.

The proteins cause normal proteins to turn infectious, until -lJle b uild-up breaks out and begins to kill off neighbouring cells.

Although Weissman refuses to consider his work as the definitive answer to the problem, he has detected the same condition in contaminated mice, and evidence of the protein in the brains of sick sheep which was first noted in 1982 by a Californian researcher, Stanley Prusiner.

Whether there i s a risk of humans being infected with the dis ease i s still very much in question, but Weissman believes that "the barrier of spec ies is a good protection for mankind.

R

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

''The colour of a person's skin is as irrelevant as the size of your nose.''

Report by Anthony Cartwright in London Exclusive photos by Rob Hardy N Saturday Octo ber 16, about lOO UEA students joined the ill-fated Unity march through the streets of Plumstead, south-east London.

They joined a crowd of nearly 30,000 who had assembled to demonstrate against the far-right British National Party (BNP).

The aim of the march was to pressurise the local council into closing down the BNP headquarters situated nearby.

Violence flared near the end of the planned route when demonstrators were kept at a stand-still for almost an hour by a police road block preventing access to the BNP headquarters, but also, strangely, to the meeting places for coaches home.

The original plan bad been for the march to go right past the headquarters but a refusal by Scotland Yard on safety grounds made the junction adjacent to Plumstead Cemetery a potential trouble spot, which it proved.

Mounted police blocked all exits at the junction, frustrating any efforts by the marchers to proceed.

Tension grew during the lengthy wait and missiles were ! d at the lines of police, wrm'se response was to charge the front of the crowd on horseback.

In the ensuing chaos part of the cemetery wall collapsed under a

0 Raising Awareness Seth Levine rep9t:t~ ~n Week 3's · debat~ on institutionalised racism, an event stage-d ,:·as· part of the .

Union's Race Awareness Week - .

-

N Thesday October 6, the Union invited a number of cam paigners involved in ·the struggle against racism to attend a poignantly-timed debate on the rise of fascism at UEA. Its panel consisted of speakers from The Union of Jewish Students, the African National Congress, the Society of Black Lawyers and the NUS. An obvious priority on the agenda was the recent council election victory of the British National Party (BNP) candidate, Derek Beacon, who secured a seat in a ward of Tower Hamlets, East London.

His victory came scarcely a few days after a gang of white youths thought to be BNP supporters attacked and seriously inj;Jred Quaddus Ali, a young Indian student, two miles away.

0

" Anyone from an ethnic minority is going to experience racism ... " Both incidents highlight the unfortunate fact that racism is still very much in existence and that fascist groups such as the BNP are more than capable of inciting racial hatred in the crowdeEI inner cities.

Their Wapping 'manifesto' was fought on a housing issue

which claimed that the local Bengali comrnuruty received the best council homes in preference to white people.

When asked if he thought it was possible that the election's result could serve a positive cause by highlighting the issue of inner city racism, Jeremy Newmark of the Union of Jew-

and it's not surprising that more black people have been mur· dered in Greenwic h than an! other part of the country.

"There is a relationship be· tween the activities, and theelec· tion of Mr Beacon does bring il home to the rest of the popula· tion, but within the black corn· munity it's been going on fo~

Both incidents highlight the unfortunate fact that racism is still very much in existence and that fascist groups such as the BNP are more than capable of inciting racial hatred in the crowded inner cities ish Students agreed in principle.

"Certainly it has woken people up to the fact that it can happen here: it has put the issue onto the agenda", he said. "It makes people aware that the rise of fascism is not a problem that happens just in France, Germany or Eastern Europe."

This view was shared by J ide Lanlehin of the Society of Black Lawyers. He agreed that the BNP victory has helped to increase public awarenessof the existence and, it would appear, the increasing 'popularity' of fascist groups in the UK, but added that there was no doubt that the Party incited its supporters to racial violence. ' The BNP has been very active in Bexley for many years,

Enter Now! Speech Competition for 15-30 year olds Simply write 3-4 sides A4 paper on one of these themes • 1)Why Me? 2)That Taught Me! 3)This Is The Life! 4)The Best Thing I Ever Did. We're looking for your personal experiences and conclusions. Closing date 30th November.

Send To: Reiyukai Centre, Unit 24, Saint Marys Works, Duke Street, Norwich NR3 1QA, or ring 630857.

many years. It's not a new phenomenon."

All those attending the debate recogruzed the need for aiJ minorities to work together to combat racism. Jeremy Newmark was unambiguous on this point and was eager to promote uruty.

"Anyone from an ethnic minority is going to experience racism.

"If we're going to combat the problem effectively, it's important that black people, Jewish people and people from any minority group do get together and realize that racism is a shared experience."

The panel were also uruted in the belief that to ban the BNP would be a step backwards in a democratic society. Mr Lanlehin did suggest however, that the ex-

isting legislation on racial offences should be strengthened.

"When people are subjected to racial attacks, when they are picked out because of the colour of their skin, this has both physical and psychological effects.

"Further, perpetrators of racial attacks may feel that society condones racism if it's recogruzed not only as an assault. but as a racially motivated assault.

"Therefore, racial motives

should be seen as an aggravating factor, which incur further penalties."

H owever, two weeks ago, Home Secretary Michael Howard stated that the Government were reluctant to change the current law on racial assaults, claiming that proving the assaill!J)t's intention in a racial attack would be extremely problematic in court.

Any legislation and change to the law could surely only be effective if the fundamental causes of racism are addressed.

All the speakers agreed that the best way to eradicate racism would be to attack the root of the problem. namely ignorance, while stressing the need for every citizen, regardless of race or creed, to help stem the growing tide of racial hatred in this country and around the world.

B rian Molese of the ANC summed up the ideals of the debate.

'The colour of a person's skin is as irrelevant as the size of your nose. It does not say whether you laugh, whether you hate, whether you' re intelligent or whether you're stupid", he said.

11

weight of people, and a potentially lethal incident was caused directly by police tactics.

Unfortunately, the collapsed wall provided more ammurution for missile-throwers.

In the battles and stand-offs that followed, access was gained by the marchers to the road that led to Winns Common, where the demonstration was due to end.

Fighting continued in side streets with brick-throwing, and many offensives were mounted by the police.

In retrospect, it was a sad day.

The 3,000 police present were heavy-handed and accusations of brutality were rife.

Some witnesses claimed to have seen a girl beaten by four policemen for complaining about the.i r conduct.

But on the other hand it was apparent that there was a small minority in the march intent only on provoking the police.

In the chaos it was easy to lose sight of the reason for attending the march.

The BNP hopes to field a record number of candidates in next year's council and European elections. Meanwhile, Quaddus Ali, a Bengali teenager, lies in a vegetative state in an East London hospital, the victim of a racial attack. His assailants have yet to be caught, but there are no prizes for guessing who will get their vote next year.

Jane Horner interviews ex-footballer and ardent racial equality campaigner, Garth Crooks. any people who have attended matches recently will be aware, racism within football is sadly on the mcrease. To combat this alarming regrowth, the Professional Footballer's Association (PFA) and the ommission For Racial Equality (CRE) have joined forces and launched a campaign to "kick racism out of football."

As part of the Union's Race Awareness Week, ex Tottenbam Hotspur player Garth Crooks took part in a debate about institutionalised racism.

Crooks, the former president of ..... PFA, and now a member of the ..., tute of Professional Sports, explained that the aim of the campaign who commit this offence are igis to show that the clubs and play- nored by the stewards and the poers involved are actively opposed to lice. But one only has to watch an any form of racism.

England match on TV to see the By printing articles in match pro- large number of Union Jacks grammes and displaying posters emblazened with the words "Naaround the stadiums it is hoped that tional Front" the small minority of 'fans' who Yet again, nothing is done, and Garth Crooks participate in racist chants will be they are allowed to remain unfurled able to face being the target of such deterred from continuing their throughout the match, displaying hatred, and fans from ethnic minoriabuse, realising that their attitude is their minority's attitude to the world. ties are also being driven away from unacceptable.

Crooks believes the Football the game, unable and refusing to tolHowever, the campaign has not League and the FA have done little erate seeing their heroes abused. been greeted with enthusiasm by or nothing to remove such people, They have even being targets of every club, and some Premiership even those who distribute racially abuse themselves. sides, including Norwich City, have motivated leaflets around football The way forward, says Crooks, categorically refused to participate, grounds. lies with forcing the stewards and claiming that they do not have a Both organisations have failed to police to implement the law, ejectproblem with racism. appreciate that, were they to exert ing anyone who participates in this By refusing to participate, teams their combined powers, they would abuse, and banning them from future such as Norwich City are alienat- be able to virtually eradicate this sort games. ing supporters from ethnic minori- of behaviour.

Wben asked if he thought Engties and are giving licence to those This, says Crooks, is the crux of land would ever have a black manwho have been carrying out racist the issue; the people at the top are ager, Crooks laughed and said that abuse to continue their bigotry. The not prepared to do anything, unwill- be would like to think so.

Football Association Ground Regu- ingly to admit that the sport has a He added that if it did happen, it lations state that, 'The use of foul serious problem. would mean that we would have a and abusive language, obscene Crooks brought up the worrying classless society free from racial chanting or racial abuse towards any point that English football must have abuse, and this was something he person is strictly forbidden." lost a vast number of talented black thought England was "light years However, the majority of those players because they have been un- away from that at the moment"

Ai

Kicking out • rac1sm

THE OSB BRAINWAUE RANGE D386-DX40

0486-DX33

0486-SX25

111111111 ~I

111111111 ~ 1

111111111

2Mb RAM DESKTOP CASE 1.44 FLOPPY DRIVE SVGA COLOUR. St 2 GRAPHICS CARD 170Mb HARD DISK DOS6 WINDOWS 3.1 AMI PRO MOUSE

2Mb RAM DESKTOP CASE 1.44 FLOPPY DRIVE SVGA COLOUR. 512 GRAPHICS CARD 170Mb HARD OlSK DOS6 WINDOWS 3.1 AMI PRO MOUSE

2Mb RAM DESKTOP CASE 1.44 FLOPPY DRIVE SVGA COLOUR. 512 GRAPHICS CARD 170Mb HARD OlSK DOS6 WINDOWS 3.1 AMI PRO MOUSE

£899-95

Et31

£999-95 £1149-95

OPTIONS

INCREASE TO 4Mb RAM £15-00 £50-00 240Mb HARD DISK £50-00 1Mb GRAPHIC CARD FUJITSU KEYBOARD £20-00 :=====11 r ONLY AVAftiBLE AT TlME OF PURCH~A~S'Ei.J

D

111111111 BBI

386-SX 25

ALL PRfCES fNCLUDE VAT!

·------------------/

2Mb RAM. DESKTOP CASE. 1.44 FtOPf'V. UGA COLOUR. I OSMb KARODISK. 512k GRAPHICS. DOS 5 AND TOPCOPV PRO

£699-95

.----lli

OPTIONS

INCREASE TO 4Mb £75.00 1Mb GRAPHICS £50.00 DOS 6 £30.00 SUGA £50.00 WINDOWS 3.1 £50.00

9-11 BEDfORD STREET. NORWICH. NORFOLK.'f!'TEL 0603 616313.

-------

Concrete. Wednesday. October 27. 1993

IZ.

·: ~$0tcites

~~~~~~~~~~--~~--------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--

M

ost of .us foreign stu dents arrived at UEA alone and our first impression of the campus was that it was huge and there were many steps.

So, lugging our suitcases and rucksacks along, we covered lots of ground before arriving at Waveney Terrace.

Things then came to mind, differing from "Oh God, what an ugly place", to "I like the architecture of the buildings."

On the continent, most students do not live on campus, but in student's houses in the city.

It was a surprise (to me) that British students prefer to live on campus, because you can never

An Overseas Vision Of UEA VISITING STUDENT MART/NE VAN POUCKE GIVES HER ACCOUNT OF ARRIVING AT UEA AND EXPERIENCING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS IN AN BRITISH UNIVERSITY being so near and so involved in the system, it is perhaps easier to learn how to study.

Still, it is a good thing that after your first year you have to live off campus, because this student society is nothing like real life; you need to become independent at some point.

All of us like the adviser system, even though none of us have got problems.

Things come to mind, differing from "Oh God, what an ugly place", to "I like the architecture of the buildings." really get away from the university.

On the conttary (provided you have enough money), you can stay on campus for months, because to our amazement, everything you need is right here, from banks to a church to a supermarket and even a disco.

We all agree that this may be a good system for Freshers, because

In that way, the system here is much more personal than on the continent, where the groups are often much larger. We expected it to be difficult, but most of us do take part in the discussions in the seminars and we know we are up to it.

So much for the campus and the university, what did we think of our

rooms?

We are used to larger rooms and are not used to having to share a kitchen and bathroom with so many people.

Something we really miss is a shared telephone in the corridor, because nobody can be easlily contacted, and that is not a very pleasant situation. 1t could be possible to share a phone, because the atmosphere in most corridors is very cheerful and sociable (even after the Holland/England football match, although I am Dutch). ln a way, Waveney Terrace is a bit ofa ghetto, which is a pity, because we were planning to meet some natives.

On the oth.er band, if you want to know about many different countries and their customs quickly and cheaply, Waveney is the place to go.

Of course we also met some Brits, and again, first impressions differ. Those from the north of Europe say the British people are very obliging (sometimes as the

Germans say: "It went beyond biscuit". meaning a bit too much), polite, and have a sense of humour (although I must say that I do not understand half of their puns) and are very friendly.

There is just one thing we have to get used to and that is their strictness. For example, when you have only got a £10 note and no small change, bus drivers are bound to

become somewhat angry with you.

On the other hand, it is nice to get so many compliments on our command of the English language.

Those who come from the South of Europe say the British are cold in their greetings, but then they themselves are used to being very lively and kiss each other when they meet.According to their standards, Brits are reserved and diffi-

happy with the progress made by the NIC and he acknowledged the benefit of the club for Norwich from an international perspective; City Hall has a responsibility to cater for the overseas residents in Norwich, be they temporary or permanent It is the mayor's belief that this

year will be a record one for City Hall on the international level.

The city has hosted over forty different overseas organisations in the five months that he has been in office.

In his own words, "hardly a day goes by where the mayor does not extend the hand of friendship to

cult to have any contact with.

Even though we have all met loads of people and are bound to meet many more, there are still some things we miss from home, such as our friends obviously, but what I really mean is food.

All of us miss brown bread, or at least the crusts, which takes me to the Dutch and Belgian paprikaflavoured crisps and the chocolate confetti ...

To us, British food is not very interesting; we have a wider range of vegetables and meat. The main want, however, is coffee (especially in the morning), and a nightlife as we know it (leave borne at eleven. dance until four, have someting to eat and come home at six).

I don't think anyone expected such differences when they came here, but, as the year goes by, we will all get used to it, and who knows, perhaps we will miss it when we go back home.

• Thanks to Renate, Berdi, Eva, Marc, Heidi, Ana and Vero in the compilation of this article.

JAMES TANSEYREPORTS ON THE CELEBRATIONS HELD RECENTLY AT THE NORWICH INTERNATIONAL CLUB, WHICH IS NOW ONE YEAR OLD

Happy Birthday!

HE Norwich International Club (NIC) held its first birthday celebrations on Sunday October 11 despite the fact that it started in 1947.

Confused? The anniversary marked the re-launch of the club which had folded in the mid- 1970s and started again after an initiative

T

by a former mayor some four years ago.

The club was originally intended for refugees who had moved to Norwich after the Second World War and was also a meeting place for overseas students at City College who lived in lodgings.

Later it also became popular

AU photos by Kate Bailey

with foriegn au pairs working in the city.

Members of the re launched club are mostly from UEA, though there are still members who attend from City College and from the Bell Language School.

Bridget Lely, secretary of the NIC, is very keen for the club to be accessible to the local community to encourage interaction.

Their events are well advertised around the city and local residents often attend functions.

At the birthday celebrations, there were over a hundred members present and all seemed very enthusiastic about the opportunities offered by the club.

A student from Beijing felt that the type of environment offered by the club was essential with the current economic and political environment in the world in order to facilitate exchange of ideas and cultures.

Other members appreciated the friendly and welcoming atmosphere and the opportunity to meet people, some of whom might be experiencing the same kind of homesickness or difficulty adjusting as themselves.

Balvidar Kular, the club's chairman, is also an executive member of the Norfolk Asian Society and is very optimistic about the future of the NIC. In a speech, he announced that the club now had 479 members from 85 different countries.

The current mayor of Norwich was present at the celebrations and was asked to propose a toast.

He is understood to be very

people from around the world."

The NIC is keen to recruit even more members at UEA, from both Britain and overseas.

There are over 800 overseas students at the University and those who are not already members are encouraged to join.

Bridget Lely also made the point that any international clubs and societies on campus wanting to organise performances or parties would be welcomed by the NIC, who have access to excellent facilities.

• Forthcoming events include a Balkan evening, a Ceilidh, and a Halloween disco, in addition to evenings organised by Egyptian and Irish members.

Anybody interested in the Norwich international Club is encouraged to contact Bridget Lely directly on (0603) 425546 or through the Union International Officer, James Tansey.

The club offers a friendly and interesting meeting place for students from all over the world anr' eems to have a bright future ir 'eh.

.... , Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

13

The Funding Conundrum Marina Johnston examines the possible implications for students as the Government review the future funding of Higher Education T b e recent debato of qualified and promising stuthe Commission of dents, who could be ruled out Vice-Chancellors by financial constraints. and Principals The rise in student numbers (CVCP) in Leicester over intro- also carries some dangerous ducing tuition fees for students implications; not only would it has a number of distressing im- lower the standard of entry replications for students. quirements and, in effect, deJohn Patten, Secretary of value a degree, but it would State for Education, has handed mean even larger seminar over the decision-making proc- groups and less tutor-student ess to the universities them- contact, an essential part of a selves, stating that they must university education. seek every opportunity to inAlready, Vice-Chancellors crease efficiency. But at what across the UK are introducing cost? staggered terms, semesterThe Government's aim is to isation, new learning methods, increase the percentage of fewer tutorials and larger leeyoung people in Higher Educa- tures. tion (HE) from 33 per cent to HE administrators are there40 per cent by the year 2000, a fore under pressure and are target which naturally increases looking outwards to raise the universities' demand for funds. funding.

Most recent opinion in the However, any increase in in- quality press is of the view that 1e tax to generate more rev- students themselves should ue would run the risk of de- take the initiative. In an article terring voters, so the Govern- in The Independent headlined ment will have to find an alter- "Why Students Must Learn To native source.

Pay", Colin Hugbes states that, It would appear that the bur- ''We want expansion and high den could once again fall on stu- quality and expect the taxpayer dents themselves, and the uni- to find the funds. versity tuition fee is likely to be In other words we want too the first area under reviewed. much."

Surely any proposition to But the claim that students force students to pay for the desire expansion (even if it is expansion of HE is actually to be at the detriment of the heavily ironic and self-defeat- educational infrastructure) is in g. fallacious and yet, as a result Nothing could act as a greater of under-funding, this is curdeterrent to prospective stu- rently occurring. dents and such a change could That it is simply too much to take place only at the loss of want both expansion and high some of the most well- quality with no extra state fund-

ing closely conforms to the attitude permeating recent Govemment 'reform' considerations which, in the words of Communications Officer Jacqui Mackay could "undermine and undervalue education" if implemented.

The actual schemes proposed by the CVCP to enable students to pay their tuition fees have numerous drawbacks. A system of loans along the lines of the "highly acclaimed" Australian scheme would mean a loan of around £1,000 per annum approx., a quarter of the real cost of the average course.

The alleged advantage of this scheme lies in its 'transparency', as students would know how much they borrowed and what they borrowed it for.

They would not have to pay it back until they could afford to do so, as with the present Student Loans scheme, introduced controversially in 1990.

But at a time when the average student leaves university with a debt of £1,787, with the Loans scheme now accounting for 46 per cent of this figure, to increase this burden still further seems unacceptable.

It is unlikely that the Government will introduce a scheme based on the Australian model, however, as it would be many years before it generated any real saving, or indeed revenue, for the state.

This is reflected in the current Loans scheme, which cost £13 million to set up,lent£139 mil-

NEW STORIES FOl :TACKANOR

READ 8Y JDHN PATIEN M. P.

. I

I

lion in 199112 but has collected only £3 million to date, engendering cases in which bailiffs have been sent to retrieve amounts from students who have reneged on payment.

A system of top-up fees set up by universities at different levels would probably create an elite group of 'super-universities' dominated by wealthier students, to the disadvantage of groups already under-represented.

It would appear that the only remaining option is Graduate Tax. The idea of scrapping

loans and parental contributions altogether and giving each student a full grant to be repaid by way of a tax levied on them after graduation, is perhaps the most appealing at first glance.

However, it lacks the transparency of the Australian-style loans scheme, as students would be repaying substantial sums set at a rate of perhaps 2 percent.

Graduate tax would also set an alarming social precedent: if we were to be taxed individually depending on our relative

consumption of public goods, any illusion of a Welfare State would be eroded from the very core. But the above proposals seem to eclipse the current, and fair, system. Student tuition fees may appear to absorb, in the eyes of certain observers, the allocation of Government funds, but this is indubitably a justified social investment.

Surely it would be unwise to make such radical changes to a unique HE system which, also rather uniquely with proper support, has the potential to operate very well.

The Careers Centre wants to see you!

M

st students cringe at the dea of a visit to ~e~ ea eers centre; conJunng up a nightmare array of probing self-assessment tests, lengthy prospectuses and careers officers who slowly hypnotise you into becoming a Chartered Accountant.

However, UEA's Careers Centre couldn't be further from this sinister scenario.

Unobtrusively situated just behind the upper floor of Waterstones, opposite the Library, it humbly offers help and advice within a warm and friendly openplan atmosphere.

Fresher, Michele du Randt, pays an early visit to the Careers Centre Although the majority of the Centre's users are third year students seeking advice an graduate opportunities, there is no reason why Freshers and particularly second years shouldn't drop in to meet one of the duty advisers, or just to browse through the ample information, reference books and newspapers available.

Careers Adviser Anne Williamson stresses the importance of getting involved whilst at

university, pointing out that, ''The key is for aJI students to try and acquire as many skills as possible, for example to become a member of a club or society." ''Every school has its own careers information notice-board", she added, "and most events are po ted there a week or two in advance."

From now until the Christmas break the Centre is offering an extensive series of interesting talks, fairs, visits and training sessions,

starting with a 'Teaching Talk' on Wednesday October 20, to be followed up with weekly events.

Along with the recently extended opening hours, everyone has the time and opportunity to go and see what the Careers Centre has to offer.

• The Careers Centre is open all week, from Monday to Friday between 10.30 am and 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm.

Late night openings are held until 8.00 pm on Monday to Thursday evenings.

Anne Wi/liamson

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

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

-

~--------

-

- -- -

... ST~ETC . . YOUR GRANT ~ , t HERE IS JUST A SELECTION Of THE . ' With the tJBtOB S OffERS AVAILABLE IN THE UNION Grantstretthet SHOPS AND BARS TODAY. LET YOUR

~.~

. .1111"'

tiOBS

pr0m0

MILK 29P lARGE lOAF 43P COCA COLA 29P BAKED BEANS 22P liTRE ORANGE JUICE 59P lARGE SELECTION OF FOODS AND NON-FOODS TOO. OPEN 9AM TO 9PM WEEKDAYS, AND WEEKENDS.

160 PAGE A4 PAD SPECIAl 160 PAGE A4 PAD RECYCLED 200 PAGE A4 PAD A4 RINGBINDER RECYCLED A4 RING BINDER CRESTED

99P £1.45 £1.75 £1.10 £1.45

LARGE RANGE OF STUDENT STATIONARY, SWEETS, CIGARETTES AND NEWSPAPERS

All BOOKS SECONDHAND AND AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES.

UNION SERVE YOU- IT MAKES MORE SENSE THAN EVER.

FREE PlUG WHEN YOU BUY ANY ElECTRICAl APPLIANCE FREE BATTERY WHEN YOU BUY AN AlARM ClOCK MOST SHOP PRICES FROZEN AT 1992 lEVElS

UEA JOGGERS SPECIAL OffER £8.95 UEA T-SHIRTS FROM £5.95 UEA SWEATSHIRTS FROM £f0.95 COTTON TRADERS RUGBY SHIRTS £5 OFF. SCARVES, TIES AND MOST OTHER ITEMSSAME PR/ AS LAST YEAR

BRITISH RAil CARDS £16 NATIONAl EXPRESS CARDS £7

MOST UEA COURSE BOOKS STOCKED

SPECIAL STUDENT fliGHTS

BOOKS AlWAYS WANTED

PlEASE BOOK BEFORE END OF OCTOBER FOR CHRISTMAS

WE PAY THE BEST PRICES

All DRAUGHT PRICES THE SAME AS LAST YEAR! COFFEE S TEA PRICES STill THE SAME COMPARE OUR PRICES WITH PUBS AND CLUBS IN THE CITY! BITTER AND LAGER FROM £1.32

£10 DEPOSIT SECURES SEAT.

THURSDAY DISCOS STill ONLY £2 FILMS: SEMESTER PASS £15 All YEAR PASS £26 GUEST TICKET £2

c:e

The latest news from your student union. Issue Three, Semester One, 1993

'IS

11

On October 31st the consultation period between the Department ofEducation and student unions on the issue of student union reform ends.

Students have been writing letters to their MPs and giving feedback through meetings to ensure that they have their say in the future of their union. Both the UUEAS and NUS will be producing documents to go to the Government representing students' views on the proposals for refonn.

The campaign doesn't end here. The Queen's Speech is on November 18th and student union reform is currently on the short-list of Bills she will announce for discussion in Parliament. Students need to achieve two things- making sure that it isn't in the speech and ensuring MPs know that reform is an unwanted and crap idea so that they are aware that supporting it could loose them votes and a well paid job.

Unfortunately if we achieve the victory of reform not being in the Queens Speech then it can still be dealt with by Parliament - it shows however that it isn't a priority.

John Patten is trying to save a flagging Parliamentary career and student unions are his scapegoats.

You have lost your rights to benefits, your grant has been frozen, unless you take out a student loan you are expected by this Government to live below the poverty line, your seminar groups are getting bigger, there aren't enough books in the library- neither Universities nor students have enough money and there is talk of making you pay some of your tuition fees to make up for the shortfall in funds provided by the state to pay for Higher Education. At such a time it is ESSENTIAL that you have national representation so that you and your education don't have to suffer any more.

It is no coincidence that the Government wants to take funds from your Union when it is continually undervaluing you as students and underfunding your education.

IT IS YOUR UNION. IT IS YOUR RIGHT to have the services and representation provided for you by your Union. John Patten is a flfill supporter of free speech but not for student union members As far as John Patten's defence of free speech goes, it seems that students can only get state support as long as they do not express opinions.'

(Guardian 19/10/93)

WRITE TO YOUR MP AND EXPRESS YOUR OPINION WHILST YOU CAN. Your Union will keep you informed of development and will continue to campaign to fight against these proposals for reform.

'Cement' is written and compiled entirely by the Students Union. lt appears here by commercial arrangement with Concrete

....

r -

-- lCS

____..~----

-

-

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27 , 1993

E L Doctorow creates a type of fiction which could perhaps best be seen in his own words as "a kind of speculative history, perhaps a super history by which the available data for the composition is seen to be greater and more various in its sources than the historian supposes."

When interviewed by Larry McCaffery in 1980, Doctorow claimed that his strength in writing was not autobiographical, but as seen in his novel 'Ragtime', much of the setting of the story was based around his family home and neighbourhood.

So What is the source of the 'fictional' elements in your work?

"Obviously every book has to reflect who you are in that sense is autobiographical, but a book is a composition and even if you use autobiographical elements which obviously I do, they change as the book is put together.

"I would say yes , they are and literary theory and how autobiographical in the sense doesn 't; most of the time it important is that to you now, that they're mine, but every doesn't but you see when you book is a coded version of the work kind of spontaneously and in the formulation of you as a writer in the first place? author's life and when you from self-generated material "Sometimes I read good critiuse the word 'code' you have you can't plan in advance the to be aware that something cism. The old sort by way a book will express itself to Edmund Wilson, Alfred cryptic is going on." you. You find a voice for it beKazin, lrving Howe -the In the past, you've been labelled fore you think of doing anything American critics who put as a writer of 'historical fiction '. else. themselves in the position of Are you satisfied with this tag? 'With 'Loon Lake', the novel connecting their work with the "Somehow it's worked out that just came out of the sounds general public." most of these novels of mine of the words; I saw a sign in To conclude , what contempohave been set in the past, but I the Andirondoncks mountains rary writers of fiction are you wouldn't describe them as his- and New York State and it interested in at the moment? torical fiction - maybe that's for said 'Loon Lake' and I loved "There's a lot of good work the critics to decide upon .... l the sound of those words and being done but when I'm deal more with myth than with that was the beginning of the working I'm not caught up to history and the other thing is book in that sense that from it, so I'm the wrong person to that of course when you're writ- those words a whole kind of ask. ing about the past you're really narrative began to emerge." writing about the present - in- With something like 'Ragtime' "I only really catch up beescapably. tween books and I've just did you have the germ of a "So, I tend to reject any modifi- story first or the inclination to finished a book, so I haven't cation of the word 'novel' or set a novel in the actual pereally been able to read any'novelist' : I'm just a novelist re- riod? thing recently. You'll find that's ally." true of fiction writers."

"What happened with that You stated before that you write was that I was sitting in the Doctorow seemed to have to endeavour to 'find out what study of my house which was confirmed during this converyou're writing about', so how built in 1906, I was having a sation what is perhaps one of much of your work do you feel bad day, so I started to write the most appealing things you discover as you go along? about the wall I was staring at, about his approach to litera"lt really works that way, for ture: that he didn't have a lot and then the house the wall most of the book I've written to explain about his work. was part of, and then the I've rarely started with any As he has said himself beneighbourhood as it must plan or framework. They fore, "I don't think the real life havelookedthen,andthe usually come out of images in writer has anything to do with customs of that time, and the my mind that have been the literary movements and so president - Theodore evocative and they've led to forth.

Roosevelt - and one thing led books - that's the way it works to another, and that's how the "You're just singing, you're most of the time ." just doing what you can!" book began - with nothing Just talking about the sounds more than that, a moment of of the words and their rhythm, desperation . Desperation is how much of a role does this an essential element in the have in your work; how ·much production of books." do you consider the poeticality All of your novels seem to have of what you write? a great cinematic potential; is "lt plays quite a large part es- this ever a consideration in the pecially in 'Ragtime' and 'Billy early days of writing?

Bathgate' for example - I was "Never,no; as a matter of fact "I feel very lucky as a writer very conscious of a kind of people often say my work is cinin that I'm not bounded by music I heard in the sentences. ematic but there's a great deal any kinds of conventions or This book that I've just done is of moral action. " limitations. less so , this is more like the Were you happy with the film Book of Daniel in that it was less adaptations of your novels, for "Any story that I feel I want attentive to rhythms and example, 'The Book of Daniel', to write, I feel that I can." sounds. " 'Ragtime', 'Billy Bath gate' and T Coraghessan Boyle So was this a preconcieved 'Welcome To the Hard Times'? proved exactly that when he style? launched into his readings "No. One of them I have an "lt was simply how the narrative affe'ction for - I worked very at the UEA Literary Festival. expressed itself, nothing par- closely with, and wrote the His first story, 'Modern ticularly conscious on my part. screenplay for, 'The Book of Love' , was about a man There's nothing programmatic Daniel' film - I think there's who makes love to his hyabout my writing. some wonderful stuff in that pochondriac girlfriend "You know when you're work- film. lt makes some mistakes through a Swedish fulling everyday you have a lot of but I'm fondest of that one." bodied condom. ideas and sometimes it turns Have you ever, do you still, For his next title, 'Zapatos', into a novel and sometimes it read much literary criticism

Jon Batty meets the man labelled by many as the present day 'Great American Novelist, E L Doctorow

--

Funny enough- TCBovle

Hwee Hwee Tan interviews America•s leading comic writer

•. ~--~~

Boyle created a fictional South American country with a hostile Government.

"We are born, we die, it rains, it clears, the Government is unfriendly.

"Facts of life", he writes.

The national currency is "huevos" (translated as 'male genitals').

But the greatest piece of comic outrageousness was saved until the end , when Boyle read 'Hard Sell', the story of how an American PR agent tries to upgrade the Ayatollah's image.

..____,____ ~· iiiililllililllli·-------~ ----..;.;.··-·;..·._~~_;;_::-:: _·--·.....;;;.;§€Jo;:.@::;;;-ii:,;·U:..

- ;;;ii-.:.fitJi: · i...·-·--·-·~ -•--·-"·_:~ -·-- ...:.:;,;·--;;:..:.:;-4::!.1s-=--~------·-·~o~ii;,. .·· .. 't

"Hey, babes," the PR man tells the Ayatollah, "the beard's got to go. And the thing on your head too (I mean I can dig it and all; it's kind of wild actually) but if you want to play with the big boys,we'll get you a toup."

However, the road to success for T C Boyle was not an easy one. "I knew no one, I had no contacts, I was living in New York, I was involved in the drug culture very heavily, and I

had no prospects", he said.

"I loved literature and began to write .

"I could paper this entire room with rejection slips.

The worst rejection that I had was handwritten, and it simply said 'not funny enough.' I thought the story was pretty funny."

Not funny enough.

Boyle laughed, but judging from the audience's laughter during his readings, he proved exactly the opposite at UEA.

.

· ··'· : ~ .,~

Concrete, Wednesday, October 27, 1993

17

Entertainment - in association with The Event

Union Films PREVIEW Red Rock West sees drifter Nicholas Cage (Wild at Heart) mistaken for a hitman by Red Rock's bar owner who is eager to rid himself of his wife. Cage goes along with it, eagerly pocketing the $5,000 dollar down payment and the arrival of the original hitman played by Dennis Hopper (Blue Velvet) sees the sparks fly in this low-key but effective thriller. Essentially, a film worth seeing solely for the prospect of looney-tunes Cage and Hopper meeting face to face. Thursday October 28.

Robert Redford's A River Runs Through 1t is the story of a father and two sons growing up together and discovering the meaning of life through flyfishing in 1910 Montana. Brad Pit! (Thelma and Louise) and Emily "where's she been" Uoyd star in a film that you will either find totally enchanting and beautifully filmed or just plain dull.

The choice is yours on Friday

Amir Muhammed interviews Elmore Leonard, acknowledged as the world's greatest living writer of crime fiction

October29.

Patriot Games sees Harrison Ford as retired CIA agent Jack Ryan who stumbles on an IRA attack in London and kills one of the terrorists. The terrorist's brother, fellow IRA member Sean Bean (recently seen exposing all in the BBC's Lady Chatter1y's Lover) pledges revenge and pursues Ryan to the US. Forgetting some of the politics, this is a Hollymovie. Enjoy this overrated yet OK thriller. Tuesday November2.

Groundhog Day is certainly the most original and funniest film from Hollywood for years. Starring Ghostbuster Bill Murray and the delightful Andie MacDowell (Green Card) it's the story of Phil Connors, a local weatherman, who unexpectedly finds himself reliving Groundhog Day (some weird US celebration) over and over again, something which leads to all sorts of hilarious situations and opportunities.

Featuring a superb performance from the cast and first-rate entertainment, Groundhog Day is definitely worth a night at the movies. Thursday November 4.

Matinee is the story of 1950s ..'Ticwr~l-m,~ut~u Lawrence here played brilliantly

by John Goodman (Roseanne and King Ralph). The film follows Woolsey as he promotes his new monster film Mant - half man, half ant. Matinee captures all the feel of the 1950's 'B' movie, with cheap special effects and poor acting, and the reaction of American society to it. Directed by Joe (Gremlins) Dante, who obviously regards the era with affection, this is a small but charming film. Friday NovemberS.

Peter's Friends follows the New Year's reunion of a group of old Oxbridge pals, which threatens to be a disastrous and tentative affair. Gradually the reminiscing of past glories helps the characters to evaluate their own present lives and difficulties. Although not as riproaringly funny as first expected, the cast of Kenneth Branagh (who also directs), Emma Thompson, Fry and Laurie together with the unavoidable Tony Slattery, produce a film of substance and quality. Tuesday November 9.

Paul Wray

E/more Leonard

Henryk Gorecki • Symphony No. 3 esvmphony ol Sorrowful Songs) PREVIEW Performed by Norfolk Sinfonietta; conducted by Stephen Metcalfe. October 30, 8pm, St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral For a musical work which received gold disc marketing awards for a recording sellingat its peak- up to 7,000 copies a day nationwide, and reaching an extraordinary number 6 in Britain's pop album charts, it is somewhat surprising that UEA music student Stephen Metcalfe is soon to rake in the credit for what is probably to be - as yet - only the third performance of Gorecki's Third Symphony, 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs' in the country.

The huge sweep of Polish composer Gorecki's recognition throughout the West last year with the marketing success of the Nonesuch recording of the Third Symphony lead to what has been described as his 'cult status in the UK and US' (Bill Holland, Warner Classics).

Melvyn Bragg's heralding of the composition on a 1992 programme of The South Bank Show and the featuring of the music at the end of Maurice Pialet's film 'Police' served also to increase this popular success and establish its reputation as being what has to be one of the century's most moving and beautiful musical works.

The three slow and orchestrally restrained movements contained in the Third Symphony have an emotive quality focused around a haunting soprano voice (UEA student Jo

Morton) which poignantly draws from traditional Polish songs of Lament - the second movement stemming from a poem inscribed into a cell wall in Auschwitz.

Together they create an elevating style which 'reaches beyond the confines of its Polish background' (Adrian Thomas, critic) and seems to serve as a positive reminder of the universal significance of these sorrowful roots.

What Metcalfe sees as Gorecki's 'simple but monumental style' will be combined to give this work its extraordinary essence in the resonant surroundings of the awe inspiring Roman Catholic cathedral of St John the Baptist where the concert is to be held at the end of the month (October 30).

All proceeds will be donated to Amnesty International which Metcalfe sees as 'an organisation befitting the sentiments of the work'. 'If Stravinksy's 'Rite of Spring' heralds the beginning of our bloody century and the storm to come, the Gorecki's Third Symphony could mark the wor1d ... at the end of it.'

Melvyn Bragg, South Bank Show. 'The most distinctive musical creation of recent times.' Adrian Thomas, critic and composer.

•Tickets £5.00 to £12.00 (£3.00 to £10.00 concessions) available from Prelude Records, St Giles Street; Box Office, Music Centre, UEA; Festival Ticket Shop, The Guildhall, Gaol Hill.

Jon Batty

There is a scene in the movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, where Harrison Ford is confronted by a group of Arab thugs, one of whom pulls out a sword to perform virtuoistic tricks with it, displaying menace and razzmatazz in equal parts.

Our hero looks at him, takes out a gun and shoots him dead.

Even though Elmore Leonard had nothing to do with the screenplay for the film , that scene, particularly Ford's response, is a perfect paradigm for his writing style.

Let others bother with selfreverential stylistic flourishes.

Leonard is content to stick to what he does best: it's faster, more surprising and best of all, much funnier.

His 30th novel, 'Pronto' (published by Viking at £14.99 in hardback) deals with a 66year old bookie who wants to retire to an Italian town where he once met Ezra Pound; his ex-stripper mistress, who used to perform with thickrimmed glasses, an eccentric Southern cop who always wears a stetson and uses words like "tummy", a 300 pound mobster who is obsessed with caterpillars, his ambitious but bimbo-ish bodyguard ... in other words, just another day in Leonard-land.

In an interview on the eve of his appearance at the Arthur Miller Literary Festival, I asked him about his greatest influence, which he gave as Ernest Hemingway.

"When I was in college in the 40's, I studied every one of his works, but I don't write exactly as he did.

"I soon realised that style comes out of attitude, instead of vice-versa. My attitude is a

lot different from Hemingway's, I'm more willing to see the funny side of things."

But why choose crime fiction as a genre?

"I started with Westerns, because the market for that was very good in the 1950s.

"Then the market collapsed, so I turned to crime. I've never hidden the fact that I'm a commercial writer. I mean, I want my books to SELL. "However, it still came as a surprise when 'Giitz' appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, because I didn't think until then that my books were good enough or bad enough to appear on it."

So what does he think distinguishes his books, which have won praise from sources as diverse as The Washington Post and Melody Maker, from other contemporary fiction?

"First there's the dialogue. I try to make myself absent from all my books.

"I reject the idea of the omniscient narrator, someone through whose eyes we see and interpret everything; I want my characters to have their say.

"I'd like to have the plot move as much as possible through dialogue alone.

"That way, I can achieve two things: the story will progress, and the reader can get a clue of the characters attitudes to it.

He added, "Also, my books are driven by characters instead of plots.

•A lot of other books these days have sections where the story stops and the research takes over, but I will never do that."

Yes, research; his books contain lots of esoteric knowl-

edge, which is unobtrusively inserted to appear like the most natural thing.

How does he do it?

"I have a researcher I've used for the past 12 years or so.

"I'll tell him what I want, and he'lllook for members of that profession that are the most knowledgable or receptive to questions; then I'll interview them or follow them around a bit, to get their inside stories."

But with this research , why are all his books so short?

"None of my books exceed 400 pages.

"Quite simply, I don't see the point of putting so many words inl" Since he usually writes about low life, does he feel the need to impose a sort of moral viewpoint?

"I have my own moral viewpoints, but I don't force them on my characters.

"I'm interested in the grey areas, especially concerning policemen: there are a lot of cops who'll do things, shall we say, unconventionally, if they can justify it to themselves.

"I like to go into this justifications, to test them. I like my characters, or I pity them.

They all want to be loved."

But, as chairman Chris Bigsby later pointed out, perhaps the greatest 'moral' that Elmore Leonard, now easily the most successful crime novelist today, can offer to creative writing students is this: his first novel was rejected by eighty four publishers!

•Appearing next in the Arthur Miller Centre's Literary Festival are Graham Swift, on Monday, November 1, and Martin Amis on Monday, November 8. Tickets are £3 on the door, (£2 students, OAPs and the unemployed).

BOOKSHOP

Welcome to your local SPCK bookshop for: Religious Books - Cassettes - Greetings Cards - Gifts Secondhand Books - Book bargains Church supplies - Plastic Book Covers 19 Pottergate Norwich, Norfolk NR2 lDS Tel 0603 627332 Opening Hours: 9.00am- 5.3prn, Monday- Saturday

_, I

I

-----~-------=-~

- - - - - - - - -- - -

18 Concrete, Wednesday, September 29, 1993

Letters & Classifleds

concrete '0 603 250558 University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ Publisher: Stephen Howard Editor: Peter Hart Deputy Editor: Niall Hampton Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Hawkes Picture Editor: Phil Vickers Staff Cartoonist: Tony Lansdowne Advertising: Simon Mann PhotoQraphers: Kate Bailey, Keith Whltmore, Rob Hardy, Mark Turner Editorial Contributors: Georgina King, CarolineAdlem, Paul Wray, Jo Stubbinmon. Hwee Hwee Tan, Kester Hynds, Anthony Cartwrlght, Seth Levine, Jon Batty, Vlcky Whltfteld, Martlne v~ PoLJCI(e, James Tansey, Ablgail Clements, E:milla , Gwyn, Nathan Crick, Mark Austin, Claire Sydney, Helen 路 McKenzle, Harry Stockdale, Paul Silk, Chrlstlanne Ward, Garry 6onnick, Martin Plant, David Hatton, ,John Miller, Jo l;plstey, Marina Johnston, Jane Homer, MiChele du'Aandt, Ai'nir Muhammed, Jerry Spheres, Julie Drewitt

Production: Paul Coslett, Sam Webster, lTine, Toni Brodelle

Typists: Joanna Stubblngton, Andrea Bird, Jo Phillips, Julie Cunliffe, Amir Muhammed Proofreader: Alistair Cushion Many thanks to Technical Advisor: Neil Bamden Special thanks to: Union House Stewards &Mogwai Thanks to everyone at ECN for putting up with our very, very 'flexible' deadlines . Concrete Is published independently at 4~.

Opinions expressed are those of the contributor and not necessarily those of the publisher or Editor.

(C) 1993. Printed by Eastern COunties Newspapers, ,1 Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich

FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T FIT IN?

PHONE 503504 8PM-8AM EVERY NIGHT CONFIDENTIAL, NON-JUDGEMENTAL, STUDENT SUPPORT & INFORMATION SERVICE

Norfolk Terrace C03-12 Ground Floor, Private Entrance From Road

Comedy capers in Constable Terrace?

A copy of the letter sent to Roger l.Joyd (Registry): Dear Mr Lloyd, As new tenants of Constable Terrace, I would like to thank you for the unique experiences I have had over the past 4 weeks.

Your team of top comedians have done nothing but keep me in hysterics 24 hours a day. For fu ture reference (so next year's tenants don ' t miss out) I have Listed my personal favourites: 1. The Hot Water Game.

Hot water systems can normally be so boring, but not if you have the phantom plumber who will select a room's hot water pipe and turn it off first thing in the morning (without warning).

What wit (if you have no objections I would like to send this one to Noel Edmond's House Party!)

The best part of this joke was on the engineers, who were completely baffled by the problem and spent half an hour of their valuable time running around trying to solve the mystery.

2. Spot The Difference.

Furniture hasn't had a good

press as far as classic comedy has been concerned and it was refreshing to see a new approach to this topic. First, don't bother putting all the furnitu re in the room; better wait to see if the tenants notice the absence! When the tenant does notice, keep him/her wa iting for a couple of weeks and then send "temporary" furniture. In the mean ti me subtly keep going in and out of the room changing items such as the desk lamps. I can ' t wait for the next instalment of this gag.

3. The Vent Game.

It was nice of you to make the environment of my room the perfect choice for the next National Mould Convention. Don't bother having the vent working (even after reporting the fault to the Accommodation Centre); that might kill the mould off.

Well, contrary to the advice from the curious Biology Department, I have exterminated the mould (if you were interested, it was on my window), so now it looks like you might lose out on your conference.

On the subject of windows, before I came here I thought they were for

looking out of. Well your crew has been at it again, and now I can only do that after whipping the swimming pool of condensation off first, or turning my room into the Antarctic by daring to open it.

4. The Fire Alarm Game.

I thought I would leave arguably the best joke to the last, and it was touching to see you include the Norw ich Fire Department in the caper. Yes, the trick fire alarms were excellent, and, as designed, they did go off at the most inconvenient times. The top three are as follows: 12 am on a wet/cold Sunday morning; 6 am on Sunday morning; just as I was eating my tea on Monday (By the way, you will be pleased to know that the Sainsbury Centre was particularly stunning at 6am on a Sunday morning with closed eyes!)

On a more serious note, the problems I have encountered with the new Terrace ranged from the irritating (a freezer that looks remarkably like an ice box) to the dangerous (the power sockets tantalisingly close to the tap in the kitchen). As a result of all the fire

alarms most residents are now so complacent that they actively go and try to fi nd the fire (I hope for our sakes that there does not prove to be one)!

A lot of the aggravation fe lt by the residents is not due to the problems themsel ves, but a general reluctance by people such as yourself to inform us as to what is going on. I do not classify fl yers warning us not to hinder the contractors informative, quite the opposite.

I find them insulting to the students' good character and intelligence (of course we want the place to be finished as soon as possible).

A good example of this lack of information : is the heating on? No one seems to know! (If the cold air coming out of the vents is anything to go by, it's not). What is most upsetting about the general attitude shown by your department is that despite all the problems we have put to with, we have not heard one word of apology.

I look forward to you reply. Stefan Brittain

Bleating about LAMB (Lloyds and Midland Boycott) Regarding your article on the LAMB (Lloyds And Midland Boycott) campaign which was so apparent at the beginning of the year, I would like to put the other point of view to the argument and represent a group of people involved in this debate who are currently being overlooked.

Over the past several years, Lloyds Bank has written off millions of pounds of Third World debt, and subsequently Lloyds Bank employees did not receive a pay rise last year. My mother is one of those employees working this year for a sum which works out at less, in real terms, than last year's wages. As such my financial position as an undergraduate at this University has been made that little bit harder. To all those who support the LAMB campaign, I hope that you realise that not everyone

is benefiting from your activities.

We are now not at the worst end of the results; at least my mother has not been asked to accept voluntary redundancy yet (which some people have been, not undue I believe, to the LAMB's actions). I quote: "Lloyds Bank lost 40% of student accounts in Manchester during last year's Fresher Week, allegedly as a result of the LAMB campaign" (Concrete, Issue 24).

Are LAMB and the Student Union members who support the boycott of Lloyds and Midland Banks going to pay my rent and buy my books and food if my mother becomes unemployed?

Somehow I think not. Therefore, may I suggest that before worrying about anybody else, they start to consider their fellow students a little closer to home.

... The recent campaign by LAMB, supported by the Students' Union, is laudable for its efforts to highlight the problem of Third World debt. It suffers, however, from blatant inconsistency.

The two banks targeted, Lloyds and Midland, do have substantial involvement in Third World debt, far more than their main competitors Nat-West and Barclays.

This latter pair have some involvement, but less than the former: more ethical, evidentlypresumably why they are not currently subject to a boycott.

The saintly duo obtained their beatification, however, not by writing off the debt, but by selling it

on: the debts they once handled, comparable to those of the other two, continue to bleed the poor.

The solution to the issue would seem to boycott them all, turning instead to a bank like the Co-Op, which operates an Ethical Investment policy. Yet the Co-Op offers none of the "student" features of the iniquitous quartet: with STUDENT debt on the increase, few can afford the ethical option.

If the Students' Union really wants to hit unethical banks it should be encouraging the NUS to engage in talks with "ethical" banks to offer Student Accounts: it is simply not enough to make examples of two offenders.

Shelley Hill (lAW I)

Andrew Sharp (EAS I)

Concrete welcomes your letters your letters on any subject... whether it refers to something that's been published in the paper... or if it's just something you want to get off your chest. Send to the address above.

...It is unfortunate that your columnist was so quick to label LAMB derisively as .e mblematic of political correctness and what is wrong with this SCH:aUed counter-orthodoxy.

Really, the columnist should come out and say, "I am fronting for conservative elements in this society and would rather justify the status quo by making ad bomenem attacks on my opponents". If the author purports to be more than a mere propagandist for social obstructionists and reactionaries, he should do so.

Yes, it may be that "in your face" demonstrations do not persuade people to accept the legitimacy of one's arguments.

On the other hand, the effectiveness of the boycott may, in fact, be heightened by such tactics.

Remember, here at what has been termed the University of Extreme Apathy, a wake-up call in the fo rm of so-called "radical" action may be one strategy in a successful movement. A second strategy

which I think the author was looking for is education. You can shock the people all you want, but you have not truly succeeded unless you win their hearts and ~ minds. ,..,.

Perhaps, there should be a lesson learned.

Finally, I see the tendency for political correctness to have a stultifying effect on discourse, Limiting the realm of discussion as people fear being branded racist, sexist, homophobic or "politically incorrect" in general.

However, to decide those who question racism, sexism, homophobia and anti-environmentalism in our society as homogenous agents of a counter-orthodoxy is to deny ourselves the moral responsibility for important social matters.

We must be willing to challenge establishment norms, not to replace them wholesale necessarily, but to define constantly our conception of the good Life and individual sibility in our shared world.

le).

]osh Busby (DEV 11)

Search for eager Beavers I run a local Beaver Colony and I am desperately looking for an assistant leader to help me run the group. We have been meeting for the past seven years, but for the last six months without an assistant.

If anyone interested has a couple of spare hours each week and lots of enthusiasm, I would love to hear from you.

We meet early on a Friday evening in the Scout HQ next to St Anne's Church at the junction of The Avenue and Col man Road;

and there are usually between fifteen and twenty boys aged between six and eight years.

If anyone would like further details I can be connected either on Wymondham 0953 603 840 (answerphone); Norwich 57422 at the address below; or through my mother, in the Finance Department, ext 2681.

0 These are the workshops that will shortly be being run by the Student Counselling service.

The workshop subjects, dates and times are as follows : Introduction to Relaxation Tuesday November 2nd or 16th : 6.00 - 8.00 p.m.

Mature Student Workshop -

Wednesday November 3rd : 2.004.30 p.m. International Students Workshop :"Reflections on UEA so far" - Friday November 5th : 7.30 p.m. ln Your Own Right (An Assertiveness Workshop) - For women, October 27th, 30th and 31st. For men, November 24th, 27th and 28th

Lindsay Parfitt, 125 Lime Tree Avenue, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 OEJ

..

Concrete, Wednesday, September 29, 1993 19

COMMERCIAL UNION UAU SPORTS REPORTS FOOTBALL: 2ND TEAM UEA 3 vs ESSEX 1

A

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

FOOTBALL: 1ST TEAM UEA 1 vs ESSEX 0

TI

opening UAU fixture of season showed promise wtth a 1-0 victory. In the first 15 minutes UEA totally dominated the game and should have been three up. Essex, however, gradually came back into the game and thanks to George Patterson in goal, the half-time score was still level.

UEA's presence began to become too much for the home side and Paul Evens came close on several occasions, hitting the bar with his efforts. The goal fmally arrived with a simple one yard header from Ian Numby.lt seems that with such a strong squad in depth all four teams should do exceptionally well this year.

VINTAGE display of football in the fU"St half from UEA's second team secured an impressive victory over a strong Essex University side.

UEA began the show with a beautifully executed shot from Jez Lowery, and the "rock-soHd" Kevin Rohioson made sure of a 2-0 half-time score.

In the second half Essex came back into the game, despite an unfortunate error by Scott Wade. However, in the closing minutes, the guilty man secured the points with a perfectly angled cross that left the keeper stranded.

It certainly appears that the UEA 2nd eleven have a strong squad, and, with them also having an unbeaten record in the Saturday League, it could weD be a successful season for the Football Club.

RUGBY REPORTS -Mens 1sts & 2nds

T

HE I st fifteen lost to Essex 3-8 in their first Commercial Union UAU fixture of the year, in a very hard fought were very unlucky to lose by such a large margin, Giles Webb scoring for UEA. The 2nd fifteen however, showed total domination in all ar-

eas of play and beat Essex 27-0.

Tries were scored by Bruce, Tom Webb, Fred Ponsonby and Paul Slack, with conversions and penalties by Will Silk.

The thirds finally got their act together after a slow start to the seme ter and both the forwards and the backs played well and as a team.

The backs tackled like demons

SQUASH: MENS UEA vs ESSEX

I

N the Commercial Union UAU squash match against Essex University, a depleted UEA scored a surprisingly comfortable victory.

Dave Brown (I) made hard work of winning against last years number three from Essex while John Caton (3) showed that aggression alone can overcome talent when edging out this years Essex

3.

(4) proved once again age and cunning will normally prevail over youth and skill, and Daryl Piper (5) indicated that once over debut nerves and out of the ' super-cool' mode he'll be winning regularly.

DARTS REPORT: WHALEBONE 4 UEA 3 LAKENHAM AND DISTRICT DARTS LEAGUE - MONDAY WEEK 3

U

EA came up against a much higher standard of competition in their second fixture than in last week's opening match.

Once again the 'pairs' were halved. The first of UEA's foursomes however started their leg very poorly and despite catching up well,lost the leg giving The Whalebone a 3!2 advantage.

UEA's second fours however were in inspired form and squared the match with their opponents still needing 232 to finish. Highlights

and demonstrated rucking skills the forwards would envy.

The forwards won nearly every scrum and line-out with the scrum half and fly half gelling as an efficient unit.

Nesbo scored a hat-trick and Anton kicked well.

HOCKEY REPORTS- MENS 1sts, 2nds & 3rds ATHED in sunlight at Wivenhoe Park in Col chester, the three UEA men 's hockey teams took on the University of Essex in the first UAU tie of the year.

The 2nds and 3rds were the first sides to enter the battle playing alongside one another on two very well prepared pitches.

The 3rds started well, but Essex gradually gained the upper hand and their pressure was justly rewarded as they went in at half-time leading 1-0.

The second half was a different story, however, as UEA came out fighting, pinning Essex back and restricting them to the occasional counter-attack, and UEA's dominance finally paid off in the final seconds. A strong attack from the forwards produced a fine save from the Essex keeper, but the UEA halfbacks were following up, and Bob Saynor looped a glorious goalbound flick over him.

The ball was stopped on the line with the illegal use of stick and Tom

B

Ware converted the resultant penalty flick which proved to be the final touch of the game, a fine 1-1 draw for the 3rd XI. Unfortunately, the 2nd XI could not produce such a result despite an impressive start, yet the ftrst twenty minutes belonged to UEA as they mounted attack upon attack, forcing numerous short corners.

Their superiority in the early exchanges produced a 1-0 lead through Jeff Carpenter, but it could have been so many more!

The slender advantage lasted until just before half-time, when the Essex 2nds stepped up a gear scoring twice in the space of five minutes to lead 2-1 at half time. The second half was almost a carbon copy of the first with UEA exerting pressure on the Essex goal and Essex mounting dangerous counter-attacks. It was one such counter-attack that put paid to the UEA challenge, as Essex added a third goal. Despite continued efforts in attack, UEA lacked finishing power and the score remained 3-1 in Essex's favour.

With the 2nds and 3rds matches completed, the lsts took on Essex on the astroturf pitch. Fired on by boisterous support, UEA responded and immediately took control of the game, going ahead in the first half, although the scorer remains a mystery.

The ball was driven into a crowd of players and ended in the Essex net, and was "credited to the marauding UEA forwards".

As the game progressed, UEA's dominance began to frustrate the Essex players and shortly before half-time, the Essex goalkeeper was shown the yellow card for dissent, forcing him to sit out 15 minutes of the game.

It was on his return that UEA extended their lead, Eddie Costello striking the ball home from a short corner. The score remained 2-0 and in the last few minutes the lsts played impressive hockey, every pass being cheered by the very-contented UEA supporters. A fme ending to an enjoyable encounter.

ChrlsBal/y

Knights) proved that we were finally on track. All this coupled with a big intake of talented freshers, promises hind Norfolk Terrace. In 1991 we to make this year our best ever. All reached the zenith of our short hiswe need now is your support. tory, when we won the Southern ConferenceoftheBCAFLandcame eUEA Pirates home games take runners-up in the National Student place at Fifers Lane on Sundays at Conference Final. And last season's I pm. The first game is on Sunday comprehensive wins over our rivals 21st against Cambridge. and thi is (including Oxford, Cambridge and the grudge match, so it will defmitely the now defunct Reading White- be the one to watch.

We are The Pirates!

EVERY Sunday morning, a group of people perform acts of extreme physical violence upon each other.

"Masochists", I hear you mutter.

No, it's the Pirates, the UEA American Football team, which was formed around eight years ago, when a few people decided to go out and throw a "football" around be-

Everyone played a stormer.

-

SQUASH: MENS UEA vs ESSEX

T

he No 5 players played first, Lyon Musonda (Es sex) vs Julia Metcalfe (UEA). Julia lost the first 2 games, 9-6, 9-5.

After some advice from her captain and the No.1 seed -"Hit everything to the back" - Julia came back brilliantly to win the match3-2.

No 3 players played next, and Tanya Bostock (UEA) beat Phillipa Ward (Essex) 3-2, amid complaints about the slippery Essex courts.

No 4 player, Lucy Graham (UEA) slaughtered Fiona Banks (Essex),9-1, 9-1,9-1. No2 player, Hwee Hwee Tan (UEA) also beat Essex player Vanessa Vladimir in straight sets, 3-9, 3-9, 5-9.

No 1 player Barbara Chess (UEA) lost fU"St game to Karen Littlewood (Essex), 9-0, then in the next game, won 9-0. The third game was close, Barbara losing 10-8. Essex won this game by getting the 4th game. OveraD: UEA 4 vs Essex 1.

Hwee Hwee Tan

NEXT WEEK•s UAU FIXTURES

Knowledgeapple It takes product knowledge, experience and commitment to the customer to become an authorised AppleCenue.

Only one operation in Norfolk has made the grade. So for advice on a new Apple, or how

HERTFORSHIRE vs UEA ESSEX vs N.LONDON

to make the most of your existing system,

MIDDLESEX vs UCL

contact AppleCentre Norwich, Norfolk's READ THE RESULTS OF THESE MATCHES, PLUS REPORTS FROM THIS WEEK'S UAU GAMES vs UCL (at home) ONLY IN THE NEXT EDITION OF 'CONCRETE' ... OUT NOVEMBER 10.

MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR COPY! of this leg were Johan 's 115 and Rick's 160 throws.

In the deciding 8's match, UEA matched their opponents score for score but were not allowed a throw at the double, The Whalebone hitting theirs at the first attempt.

mGHEST AVERAGE: Rich- 85.1

BEST FINISHING: Nic - 2 doubles

ffiGHEST THROW: Rich- 160

mGHEST 'OUT':

only authorised AppleCentre.

Call Paul Freakley today on

(0603) 630252.

Tom- 61 (11 and bull) Matches are every Monday and new players are always welcome.

'Jerry Spheres' DO YOU WANT YOUR TEAM OR MATCH REPORT TO BE SEEN IN 'CONCRETE'?

RING 250558 AND ASK FOR PETER

·~ AppleCentreSM Norwich No-one knows more about Macs. &rrnck Street. '\orwich NR3 ITH Tel: 0603 630252 ApplcQ:mrc 1s, sen.-.a:mark of Apple Ccmputer l.K. Lld.

Apple and the ~pple lq;o"" tr:lderrwks of Apple Ccmputcr. Ine

20

Concrete, Wednesday, September 29, 1993

FIVE STAR TAXIS NORWICH

concrete sport 55555i~:~J~~ U A Us threatened by timetabling 1

No EXTRA CHARGE AFTER MIDNIGHT

i

I I I

I I I

_.I I

I

I

THE STUDENTS Union have hit out at UEA's policy to timetable academic activities on Wednesday afternoons, the time traditionally reserved for competitive sport. Sports Officer Liz Chard called it "short sighted", adding that, "the University has a really great chance to show how good it is, and we are going to be unable Report by to do this as we can't put our best St h u k teams together." ep en naw es "Norwich is already isolated and seminars or laboratory work, and in the long term some teams may we need contact with other institutions. We may become a second be forced to consider withdrawing choice for prospective students from the competition. who would prefer to go to a UniThe difficulty stems from the versity where Wednesday after- semester system implemented at UEA this year, and with the add.inoons are kept free for sport."

Last Wednesday, teams compel- tional range of choice available to ing in UAUs against Essex Univer- students, together with the quessity were adversely affected by acationably large increase in student demic tirnetabling. The Rugby intake, pressure has mounted on timetabling and room bookings. team were missing I0 players and their first team lost 17-3. In addiRecent proposals from a Govtion, UEA's tennis team just man- ernment-appointed committee sugaged to scrape a team together on gested that a more efficient use of the morning of the match. university resources could be Many students have been findachieved through utilizing Wednesing it hard to miss essential lessons, day afternoons for teaching. AI-

though this is not a current policy at UEA, some schools, for example CHE and SYS, schedule lessons on Wednesday afternoons.

Following talks held with UEA in January by last-year's Sports Officer John Holrnes, Liz Chard wrote to Prime Minister John Major, local MP John Garret, Sebastian Coe MP, as well as the University itself over the summer to try to highlight the problems affecting the university's sporting programme. Although her replies were encouraging, they suggested that the decision of timetabling lessons on a Wednesday was purely an autonomous one, taken by UEA itself.

Said Liz Chard, "I' m worried for all sports and activities, as we need to maintain Links with the local region. It's just a shame seeing as sport is at the centre of most peoples' social life."

~

•

Sports Centre ID 'no children' row Story by ]ulie Drewitt

I

I I I

I

I

~

CONFUSION has arisen as to whether children are allowed in UEA's Sports Centre after two student parents and their children were recently asked to leave.

In the incident, student parent Gillian Barnes was attending a club activity when she was told by a senior staff member that chiJdren were not allowed.

Ms Bames claims there is confusion with both Sports Centre staff and others as to whether children are allowed in the Sports Centre, and points out that the University's prospectus does not make clear the Centre's policy regarding children.

Sports Centre Director Keith Nic holls said that there was a

policy allowing supervised children to take part in activities with their parents, when something was booked on an individual basis.

He added, "The case involving Ms Bames was not representative and, although the staff had been justified and a complaint had been received, it could have been handied more sensitively.

"It is not fair, or safe, to include children in club activities and we have had problems in the past with people leaving children unsupervised.

"We are not a creche and cannot accept responsibility for looking after children."

Ms Barnes fe lt that she had initial ly been treated rudely, but was

happy with the apology she received the following day.

One thing she was particularly concerned about, however, was the lack of written information or notes to explain the Centre's policy regarding children.

"I want people to be aware of the situation and maybe then something can be done to improve facilities for people attending the Centre with children", she said.

Union Welfare Officer Shelley Weight felt that, like all UEA facilities, the Sports Centre should be free ly available to all students.

"The Sports Centre should be avai lable to student parents with their children, as long as they are superv ised", she said.

THE STUDENTS' LANDLORD Studio flats available now in tlte city eonveniently located for buses, local shops and tlte city (1JSS no problem)

SPORTS RESULTS ... SPORTS RESULTS ... SPORTS RESULTS ..

BADMINTON

GOLF

SQUASH

MENS 16-3 WOMEN 5-4

5-1

MENS I 4-1 MENS 110-5

Q[J

FOOTBALL

-c-

MENS I 1-0 MENS 11 3-1 MENS 111 2-0 MENS IV 2-0

MENS 12· 0 MENS 11 1-3 MENS Ill 1-1 WOMENS I 0-0 WOM EN 11 1-3

RUGBY

NETBALL

MENS 13-17 MENS 11 27-0 MENS 111 32-5 WOMEN 0-15

I 42-40 ll 55-21

TABLE TENNIS 14-3

WINTER TENNIS MENS 1-5 WOMEN 5-1

..,.... ....

4194 2 7 D

HOCKEY

1

"at\e·.

e\eV

.f._.

---'·