Concrete issue 028 08 December 1993

8

LOVING LIONELI

10

16

Children in Need pictures inside

Prices of 8 typical items at 12 local stores

FEATURE

CENTRE

INTERVIEW Writer Ion McEwan talks to Concrete

SPORT

INSIDE: • NEWS • FEATURES • ENTERTAINMENT • SPORT • · LETTERS • CLASSIFIEDS • LOCAL NEWS • CAMPUS TO CAMPUS •

Issue 28: Wednesday, December 8, 1993

•

FREE

The strong reaction to Government cuts PROTEST! This was the reaction of UEA's students to the Government's latest attack on Higher Education - Chancellor Kenneth Clarke's announcement that student grants would be cut by I 0 per cent each year over the next three years. his proposals have angered across campus, resulting in an occupation of the Registry at the end oflast week- supported by various Government attacks on around 100 students, some of education." whom staged a sit down protest in She added that the traditional the City which disrupted traffic in apathy of UEA students has been the middle of the rush-hour. eroded by the ·Budget proposals.

And in The Hive on Monday, "Students have been directly atover 450 students successfully tacked by the Government, who mandated the Student Union to have told them that they're not organise protests "in support of going to get 10 per cent of their the campaign to stop student grant grant for the next three years. It's reductions." As a result, the Union also been leaked to the press that organised a rally in The Square for the Government is seriously conTuesday December 7, with a local sidering introducing tuition fees . demonstration in Norwich on "Basically, the change that's Thursday. happened is that they have attacked Said Union Communications students so strongly that students Officer Jacqui Mackay, "The are not prepared to sit down and meeting today overwhelmingly take it. The strength of feeling is showed support for action to be obviously a direct response to the taken. People may feel that the strength of the Government's atUnion Executive haven't acted tack." strongly enough, but we have been The motion calling for protest campaigning for weeks and for Turn to Page 2, Col.l months to do something about the

j;NiallReport by~ Hampton

Story by Marina Johnston Photo by Mark Turner STUDENTS angry at HE cuts took to the streets of Norwich to protest last week - and held up city centre traffic for five minutes.

•~EA's _lndepe0dent Student New~paper

Forty students arrived in minibuses outside at 6 pm at the St Stephen' s Street branch of Marks and Spencer. They then carried out a five minute sit-down in the road whilst other students . explained the protest over a megaphone and distributed informative leaflets to members of the public.

One woman supported the protest, saying, "I have a daughter at the University~ but if we weren't willing to support her she wouldn't haveachance.HigherEducation is an elitist system and unfair." In contrast, a man on his way to visit a friend in hospital did find the demonstration very disruptive.

6000 copies every fortnight

Nevertheless, the protest did succeed in attracting attention.

One freelance photographer arrived and leaflets on the Budget cuts in student grants were handed out. Fifteen minutes later, a policeman arrived and approached the protesters, but only to request volunteers for an iden-

Tel: 0603 250598 i

''

2

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Enough ...

Cont. from Page 1 was submitted by students involved in the occupation, which started last Thursday lunchtime after an open meeting in The Hive. Those involved- who were acting without the support of the Student Union - made a list of demands to the University, including one ''that the UEA authorities back us in our struggle against the Government."

But UEA spokesman John Wood pointed out that the University was "deeply concerned" with the implications of the Budget speech, and that the Yice-Chan-· cell or had made a statement against the Government proposals before the Budget speech had finished.

"Universities have spent a lot of time trying to broaden access, to make it easier for more people to get to University. The effect of the Budget speech must be to close doors which we've been trying to open for the last I0 years", he said.

He added however that direct action could not change the situation. " All this can do is disrupt the University which doesn ' thelp anybody", he said.

Jacqui Mackay was keen to emphasise that the Union Executive were un able to support the occupation of the Registry, but recognised it showed the depth of student feeling.

SaidJacqui: 'TheExecutivedid not have a mandate to support it in behalf of the Student Union because it had not gone as a motion to a UGM or an EG M and it would have been unrepresentative of us to have supported it."

I• I•

Occupation!

LAST week's occupation of the Registry was staged by a group of students angry with both the Gove rnment's Budget proposals and with UEA's policies,

writes Niall Hampton.

After formj ng an occupation committee and releasing a statement and demands to the University, the students organised sup-

The writ is served

PHOTO: Mark Turner

plies of food and drink and started to arrange publicity, which culminated in coverage o n Radio Broadland, Anglia News and the BBC, amongst others.

The statement from the occupation committee included demands that "the UEA authorities back us in our struggle against the Government" and "that future course structure changes, rent rises, charges, price riscs ... not be imposed without the consent of students democratically given in UGMs." Because the Union had not been mandated at either a UGM or an EGM to organise an occupation, the Executive were unable to offer their support, but several members were occasionally present during the protest, and Welfare Co-Ordinator Janet Peck advised the occ upiers of their legal rights.

Univers it y authorit ies were unimpressed by the Registry occupation, but their initial attempt s to make the occu piers leave o n Friday evening backfired when a writ was served in the name of two students, who soon left the premises.

It also failed to stop the other students involved continuing their protest, with the result that the Regis try was occ upied until Monday morning, when Universi ty authorities took advantage of the fact that only eight students were there at the time, and ejected them.

'

I ,-

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore Registry spokesman John Wood said that UEA had to "deplore direct action by a minority", which is how the protest was viewed by University authorities. " It was action by a minority group and not supported by the Students Union, whom we always take notice of. We were pleased that the occupation was orderly and civil and that people left when they were threatened by legal action. This wasn ' t a disruptive protest, but any occupation of any building does hinder the day to day life of people."

Many UEA students were also unh appy about the Registry protest. Third year, Dominic Macaleenan thought that the occupiers had not gone through the right channels in organising their protest. "They've taken over the Registry,. and have taken away any credibility that the Union had. There was a good working relationship between the University and the Unio n and now that' s all gone", he said.

Second year Iona Sinclair was

prevented from applying for a student loan on Thursday because UEA shut down ground floor Registry services.

"I was completely frustrated.

The fact that the Student Loans Office had to be shut because of them being in there was shooting their own argument in the foot really. I don't think they've fully thought about the actual repercussions for the students they say they were representing - and they weren't representing me," she said.

Union Communications Officer Jacqui Mackay thought that the closure of Registry services was a "very regrettable action", but added, "Some students may feel alienated by the occupation I hope that what we do now is we target everything, and have demos that everyone can be involved in and do somethlng for the good of all students."

•One of the ~~tud ents on the writ- SW3 uckJey to Concrete about the occupation but later retracted his comments because of legal implications.

NEW SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN !! £5 50 I special offer: £2.00 off any 2pizzas during 19931 £1 95

TWO PIECES AND CHIPS

BARGAIN BUCKET 6 PIECES & 3 CHIPS

•

•

S TOTTS & PIZZA PLUS .

Tel51260 Tel250543 QUALITY FISH & CHIPS Established 50 years

Parmenter Road, South Park Ave, Norwich A delivery service with a difference

and Delivery Service only vailable 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 SOp Garlic Mushrooms SOp Coleslaw 60p Garlic Bread £1.10 Canned Drinks 40p

FISH & CHIPS DELIVERY

MENU

DEEP PAN

REG

PRA WNS-ONIONS-PINEAPPLE-SWEETCORN-TOMATO-CH ILLI-

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

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

BACON-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

CHEESY BACON - BACON, DOUBLE CHEESE HAWAIIAN - HAM, PINEAPPLE, MUSHROOMS FARMHOUSE- CHICKEN, MUSHROOMS, SWEETCORN SPICY- PEPPERONI, PEPPERS, ONIONS CANARY- PF.PPERS, SWEETCORN, PINEAPPLE DIY- ANY THREE TOPPINGS

----------------~-----+-----+-----+----~

SEAFARER- TUNA, PRAWNS, ONION VEGI- ONIONS, MUSH'S, PEPPERS, PINEAPPLE, SWEETCORN

4.00

6.00

4.40

6.50

4.50

6.50

4.90

7.00

TANDOORI- SPICY CHICKEN, ONIONS, SWEETCORN MEXICAN A- GROUND BEEF, ONIONS, PEPPERS, CHILLIES MEGA MEAT- HAM, CHICKEN, GROUND BEEF, PEPPERONI FULL HOUSE- A Y FIVE TOPPINGS

Select any two pizzas of your choice and Example: 12" regular pizza 1f2 Cheesy Bacon = £2.75 we will split them, making one 12" 1 /2 Mexicana = £3.00 mouthwatering pizza. 12" pizzas only

£.

575

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

rl ~­

----

-~-m THE Rag week issue of Surrey University's newspaper, 'Bare Facts' has caused outrage among the student body, many of whom have written to the paper to voice their anger. The offending issue, which was taken over

by Rag itself and renamed 'Beer Facts', is being accused of gross racial discrimination and misrepresentation of facts concerning issues including rape and the HIV virus. Regarded as a publication covering sex and drinking, it included crude jokes and poems that were found to be insensitive and unamusing.

ACCORDING to a report by merchant bankers Noble and Company, not only is Binningham University the wealthiest ~!ea1:lennic ins tion in the country with net assets of ÂŁ494 million, but is supposed to be the most efficient, with 93.2 per cent of its funding spent on academic activities. The report places Edinburgh second place and Cambridge in third. There has also been a dramatic decline in applications for the former polytechnics, with more established institutions seeing a 9 per cent rise in student numbers.

THE latest wave of racist attacks is continuing at London City University, with most recent assaults reported to have hit both staff and students alike.

Police claim the attacks, which take place on public areas near campus, are unprovoked and are being carried out by certain external radical elements. They have invited the gangs .concerned to express their racist attitudes to the police, rather than assaulting members of the public.

OXFORD University's student union have made an emphatic response to Government proposals for NUS reform. About a third of the executive have resigned, claiming that they cannot be part of an organisation that is gradually being destroyed.

Although the Conservative executive officer has hinted at the real reason for the resignation being the rapid approach of finals, his colleagues claim that such criticism is totally unjustified. Richard Kirby, one of those resigning, has added a warning for John Patten, the MP for the Oxford area, reminding him that, 'There are more students in the University than his own parliamentary majority."

Compiled by Christianne Ward

version to the new system, and

Cigarette causes Norfolk terrace fire

despite initial snags, remains optinnistic for the future . " I'm not unoptimistic at all.

Wherever the problems derive from, they have to come back to

the relationship between teacher and student. It's not a question of origin, but rather one of can we make it work, can we discard all the bad bits."

Debating Society's debut THE newly-formed UEA Debating Society sent two pairs of debators and five enthusiastic supporters to the Birmingham University Inter- Varsity Tournament on Saturday Week. 10.

This marked the first time that UEA was represented in this prestigious event, which drew 64 participants from over 20 universities and even legal Inns of Court.

The two pairs were Faz Gbouri

and Andy Perry, and Dominic Wilson and Amir Muharnmad.

The motion for the first round was 'This House Would Rather be on the Inside than the Outside".

Each debator bad five minutes to put their case forward, and this was made more lively when points of information were accepted from opposite teams.

The points used ranged from Northern Ireland peace negotiations to coitus interuptus!

Due to the very high standards of the more established teams, neither of UEA's pairs reached the Final, which was judged by, among others, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and Clare Short MP. The eventual winning team was from Edinburgh University, which proposed the motion "This House Would Welcome a World Without Religion."

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore EMERGENCY services were called to Norfolk Terrace on Friday Week 9 after smoke was discovered coming from a room,

writes Katie Lane.

Floor fire warden Martin Chohan noticed smoke coming from a bedroom on floor 05 on the evening of Friday Week 9, and raised the alarm.

Four fire engines, an ambulance and police then rushed to

the scene.

The blaze was found to be caused by a cigarette end smouldering in a waste-paper bin, which was quickly removed and extinguished by frrefighters.

Tina Barnett, Resident T.Ptor for Norfolk Terrace E and F, stressed that Martin was "extremely capable and prevented a situation from becoming much worse by_his immediate action."

Confusion over HE term plans THE Flowers Comnnittee, who have been appointed to shape the future of higher education, recently recommended universities that adopt semester-style acadennic years to start teaching from September, writes Lisa Bushrod.

But the independent body then armounced that 'A' level exannining boards are not prepared to publish their results earlier, something which has thrown the future of the acadennic year into further confusion.

Chairman Lord Flowers said 'A' level results would be needed only two or three days earlier, but three or four weeks was considered as more realistic by the lecturer's union, the AUT. Union Acadennic Officer Annie Hillyer supports this extended calculation and described UEA' s

semester dates as an "utter cockup."

The report also proposed the introduction of two 15 week semesters, supposed to finish in December and in May, which would allow a further 15 week semester to replace the summer holiday - thus enabling students to choose their study periods in a given year.

Running three semesters per acadennic year opens the possibility of a two year degree course, but whilst the Union is in principle supportive of modularity, it is against the move towards two year courses.

Academic Officer D I Rich refused to comment on the implications for UEA of the Flowers report due to the student occupation of the Registry.

Knowledgeapple It rakes product knowledge, experience and commitment to the customer to become an authorised AppleCentre.

Only one operation in Norfolk has made the grade. So for advice on a new Apple, or how to make the most of your existing system, contact AppleCentre Norwich, Norfolk's only authorised AppleCemre.

Call Paul Freakley today on

(0603) 630252.

tilM AppleCentreSM Norwich No-one knows more about Macs.

Barrack Street. ~orwich NR3 ITH Tel: 0603 630252

AppleCcnuc os a >ero;a,nwt< of Apple Computer u:. Ltd.

Apple and the >,pple logo an: trodcmarks of Apple Ulmp<Jtcr. In<.

4

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Fleet Street judges UEA students

By Alison Wisely and ]oanne Potter

NEWS:(JN_-Q'AMINJS FORMER students and senior officers of the University met last week in London to celebrate the launch of the Alumn i Fund, which aims to raise money for University projects. The fund, initiated

by Nina Anstee, Director of Development and External Relations, and Ray Pierce, a 1968 graduate , has already rai sed more than £95,000 which will be spent o n material for the Library, student hardship support, research s tud en ts hip s o r sc holar shi ps. Over the next couple of months the Society hopes to rai se another £30,000.

TEACHING of Law at UEA was graded 'excellen t' and teaching of Chemistry and History were graded as 'satisfactory' in th e recent HEFCE's ana lysis in detaiL "1 am very pleased for Law' said Tony Ri ch, the Academic Regi strar,' but di sappointed that both the others were very close to an excellent rating. In Hi story a substantial minority of classes were judged excelle nt W e believe the quality of teaching is excellent"

Jet off • Ill top gear IF you enjoy writing rather than bragging about your car then the 1993 Jet Media Excellence Awards could provide you with a good opportunity to air your vi ews, writes Paul Wray.

Although the awards are specifically designed to promote excellence in professional motoring journalism, Jet are looking to attract student entrants for the ' Young Writer' section, which is open to all aspiring motoringjournali sts who have not necessarily had any articles published.

The winner of the category wi ll receive a prize of £500 with the chance of collecting a further £ 1,500 if the entry wins th e overall prize. Any budding motorin g journalists should therefore move up into top gear and start writing.

The judges are looking for stories or fea tures that show a high standard of original thought, research and writing related to motoring.

The 'Young Writer' category is open to entrants under 23 as of January I 1994 - the closing date is January 28. Ent ry form s are obtainable from Debbie Young on (0926) 404608.

STUDENTS at UEA are into indie music, Vi e Reeves and left-wing politics, at least according to The Daily Ex press.

This is the image of the university the paper conveyed to its readers in its recent fea ture 'The Pick of the Redbri cks', designed to be a guide for those considering enterin g Higher Education.

This well-researched piece of journalism was shown by the facts and figures it offered; there are only 4,700 students at UEA and not 7,365 as previously thought.

Other cases of disappearing students were reported by both Hull and Warwick Universities when contacted by Concrete, with at least a thousand from each given as inexplicably missing.

More revealing facts about UEA included the avai lability of somethin g known as a " pick ' n' mix

degree", but the article did not mention Woolworths in any connection with thi s.

In a vague generalisation, it also describes UEA students as being "a bit cliquey", suggesting either that students decline to mix with locals, or that a real stigma is attached to sitting in The Hive as opposed to Breakers. Although Stuart (MTH2) thinks that UEA is "really friendly", he did not rule out the existence of th ese infamous 'cliq ues'. "Obviously you can't go up and talk to anybody but you meet people through mutual frie nds and widen your circle of friends that way", he said.

The article also described Warwick Universi ty students as "unpretentious and fun" and their campus entertainments as "pretty spicy", but considering the accu-

Nestle boycott survives UGM

By Seth Levine W EE K lO 's UGM , which reached quoracy at the seco nd attempt when 30 students were poached from The Hive, extended voting rights to Union officers but fai led to reverse the Nestle boycott when a motion was withdrawn.

The first major business of the evening was a vote to decide whether the Women 's, Race Awareness and LGB Officers should each be given voting rights on the Executive. After some quasi-parli amentary procedural banter, the debate was cut short by a moti on to move straight to a vote, which was carried by an overwhelming majority by the floor.

The next item on the agenda was a motion calling for the Nestle boycott voted in at the last UG M to be abandoned by

the Union, but the motion was withdrawn by its proposer, Garth McKenna.

In a letter read out to the floor, he said that his intention was simply to "highlight the un democratic nature of the Union" and to urge its members to "stop trying to change the world". The ban on Nes tle products being sold in Union outlets therefore remains in place.

The meeting then turned its attention to the Universi ty's recent Mission Statement on increasing class sizes. UEA have stated that they can be increased, then "there is a danger th at greater teaching loads will squeeze out research time." A motion was passed insisting on a maximum class size of 16 and an end to the lecture series. The UG M was disbanded after on ly 45 minutes as there were no lo nger suffi cien t members present to vote.

Awards for 3rd years By ]oanne Potter PUBLIC relations consultancy VoxPrism have just launched a communications training award for fina l year undergraduates of any discipline with a specific interest in healthcare communications.

Es tabli shed in memory of YoxPrism's former Medical Education Manager Diane Gregory , who died of cancer earlier thi s year, the GREGS Training Fellowship offers an intensive twelve week programme in vol ving internal seminars, external visits and projec t handling. It also includes

an expense allowance of £500 and an award certificate upon completion .

The successful applicant will be selected on the basis of a short essay prepared on a stipulated topic. Detai ls of the award have already been circulated to thecareers departments of over 100 universities.

The closing date for entri es is January 14 with the first award winner taking up their place in July 1994.

For furth er information contact Diane Mathias at YoxPri sm, telephone (0753) 63 1033 .

racy of the section on UEA, what is supposed to be made of these statements remains unclear.

The biggest mistake made in the

artic le, however, was not the outdated facts and figures or stereotypical cliches, but the inclusion of Sir Clive Sinclair amongst

UEA's alumni list - just when everyone was trying to forget about him.

AIDS campaign 'a great success'

By Jo Stubbington LAST weeks Aids Awareness Campaign has been described as 'a great success.'

Said Union LGB Officer Phi I Clegg,"The campaign proved very constructive, positive and high profile."

The three day programme of events which was held to coincide with World Aids Day on Wednesday December 1 consisted of a series of talks, videos and campus· wide di stribution of _3000 free condoms to students.

Said second year, Adam Baker "The interest shown by students has been tremendous, the response has really been the best thing about iL"

On Monday 29 November an HIY positive student talked about living positively .

Said Phi! , "This was definitely the highlight of the week and speaki ng before the UGM meant that he reached a large audience."

Guest speakers from the NUS and 'Act Up' also visited the university to give talks on Aids awareness and Aids activism.

A substantia amount money was also raised from the sale of the red ribbons and will go towards helping the victims of Aids and HIV, coordinating campaigns and publicity.

The Union will be running an LGB awareness week from February 28 to March 4 which promises to be 'very exci ting.'

Said Phi!, "Wecan'tgiveanything away at the moment but can promise that there wi ll be nationally acclaimed speakers every day at what promises to be a great campaign."

Coping with HIV AN HIY-positive student from Durham University came to UEA last week to speak about coping with the condition,writes Jo Stubbing/on.

Larry Gurney, spoke before last week's UGM in an even t staged as part of the three day campaign organised by the Union to rai se awareness of HIY and Aids.

He was keen to stress how attitudes to th e viru s mu st change. " I still run 4 miles a day, I still play sport and the reality is that the majority of people I play sport with don' t know that I' m HIV", he said.

"You really don't know when someone is HfV positive. Look carefull y at yourself and the people around you. Look at what you th ink is safe and not what someone else thinks is safe. Your life is in your own hands."

Larry outlined two important courses of acti on; firstly, safe sex, and secondly, the value of

thinking very seriously about testing and to ensure anonymity. He explained, "I didn ' t consider my actions, so unfortunately the HIV test got my name attac hed to it."

He went on to outline the difficu lties which can ensue in such situation s.

Insurance compa nies are not pre pared to insure someone who is diagnosed as HIV and if that person lies and is discovered to ha ve done so, then any policy will be nullified.

Said Larry, "The only thing I felt I could do was to stand up and say 'I'm HIV positive'. l look healthy and you wouldn't know unl ess I to ld you. HIV people are often labelled by many as victims. But this 'victim' word is quite dangerous as it stops people coming to terms wi th themselves."

He finished his talk by reemphasising the importance of responsibility. "I would rather not be HIY. I would rather not have the trauma every time I cut myself shaving. I would rather not feel uncomfortab le when I cook for a group of friends at home just in case I ni ck my finger with the knife. I'm sure that you too would rather not be HIV positive but you can't make sure. This virus doesn't care whether you' re young, old, heterosexual, gay or bisexuaL" He concluded, " It doesn ' t have the intelligence to sit down and make choices, you do."

,..

-- - - - -- - -

-----

--1

I

I

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993 5

The School ofExcellence UEA's School of Law has been awarded the official status of 'excellent' by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC), out of only three UEA schools who applied to receive the award, writes

Lisa Ford.

Following a week long period of assessment, the Schools of European History and Chemistry were judged to be 'satisfactory.

The award is a tribute to the hard work by LAW' s teaching staff, most notably Gareth Thomas and Francis Coteman, but the former passed on the credit to the undergraduates saying, "excellent schools need excellent students."

As well as the obvious ' snob value,' this award has value in real terms for the School and its students, especially in terms of the extra funding for both the short and long-term.

This will not only allow the construction of a much-needed largelectureroomatEarlhamHall, but also that of a new path to the building, which is one obvious outcome of the HEFC report' s of the "shuttJing of stuL A W and the Plain" without adequate facilities.

The decision to award the

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore School with 'excellent' status will hopefully prompt a change in the University' s recent decision not to "prioritize research in law". which placed the important link between teaching and research in jeopardy. This isafeatureofwhich the School is fiercely proud, something which the HEFC report

. , • ., ~'1.1§ Try our popular home made LA.S.ACIME, BeeforVegetable or a generous helping of SP.ACIHE......I BOLOCIM.AISE

.........

......................... ....................

Egg pasta, filled with beef, mortadella sausage,parmesan cheese Rosettes of spinach pasta filled with rlcotta cheese Both these dishes served with:

praised.

Students will not only benefit from the results of the extra funding, but also from improved job prospects as the School joins an elite group of law schools containing the likes of Oxford, King 's College Cambridge and Nottingham.

Graduate Student's .Association New Graduate Committee Elected After a landslide election win , the new Graduate Student's Association committee pledged to continue the sweeping reforms that have rejuvenated both the GSA and the new GSC (Graduate Student's Club).

Tony Burton became the new President, lndira Bedl - Vice-President, Flona Ponwlker became Secretary, Treasurer - Geoff Wllllams, Events Officer- Andrew Mlllar, Publicity Officer - Uwe Brunssen and Loulse Evans bacame Bar Manager.

The committee aims to set up one year scholarships for Post-Graduate students, a scheme which will be funded by the profits from the GSA bar. lt is also trying to strengthen the political voice of the 1,500 P/G students at UEA to make their concerns and priorities felt, particulary since the number of graduate students is set to rise dramatically over the next few years. There will be increasingly diverse events both within the barsuch as last Friday's highly successful Jazz and Cocktails evening- and outside, such as in sport. The GSA has a grant of £3000 to spend on such graduate student events.

The Bar itself will build on its reputation as the cheapest and friendliest bar on campus. Drinks will continue to be cheap and special quest ales will be regularly on offer. lt will also ensure that the desires of its diverse members are catered for. There is•already a new juke box and there will be new games kept behind the bar.

The new committee: Tony Burton is doing a PhD in Economics. lndlra Bedl is doing a PhD in Linguistics.

•a•ll•

WE WANT YOUR OPINIONS!

TRADS PIZZA J!liJJtL Afflnu.

•

Licensed Restaurant Take Awvay Menu Our pizza•s are baked 'lreshly to order INith our special sauce

53 Ear/ham Road, Norwich NR2 3AD

Saue~e

The classic Margherita, a freshly baked pizza topped with Mozzarella, Tomato and Herbs Small Medium Large CLASSIC MARGHERITA £2.15 £2.95 £4.95 45p 75p 35p Eachextratoppingadd

Choose from

Spicy Beef spicy Sausage Bacon Pepperonl Ham Tuna Sardines Prawns Anchovies Capers

a rich cheese sauce with cream

Onion Peppers Fresh Tomatoes Mushrooms Sweeteo m Pineapple Crushed Chillies Black olives Extra Cheese Egg

Tandoori Chicken

~ittlfl £xt'Ctd Gartlc Bread £1_00 Mixed Side Salad £1.50 (with choice of Blue Cheese, Thousand Island or French Dressings.)

Coleslaw 75p Baked Potato £1.75 with grated cheese or coleslaw Gateaux or Cheesecake £1 .50 ASK FOR TODAVS CHOICE

Flona Ponwlker is doing a PhD on Vampires in EUR! She is an Assistant Senior Resident Tutor at Fifers Lane.

Geoff Will lams is doing a PhD in Economics. He is also an active member of the LGB. Andrew Mlllar is doing an MA in Development Economics. He is an Assistant Senior Resident Tutor in Waveney Terrace.

Uwe Brunssen is starting a PhD in Film Studies. He is also teaching German at the James Platt centre.

Loulse Evans is completing an MA in Comprative Literature.

There are still vacancies for the ex officio posts of Membership Assistant, Sports Organiser, Rota Organiser and Schools Liason Officer.

The GSA also has, and needs, representatives on the University Council, Safety Advisory Committee, Student Affairs Committee, The Senate, Joint Disciplinary Committee, Senate Disciplinary Committee, Senate Appeals Committee, Library Committee, Board of Graduate Studies, Careers Centre Advisory board.

These are open to all members so please GET INVOLVED! If you have any news of views which are of special interest to Graduate Students please contact C. Davis through the EAS P/G pigeonhole.

This section is written and paid for by The Graduate Student 's Association

A tomato sauce with vegetables and herbs or

For...

She is also a Resident Tutor in Waveney Ter-

race.

SpoiiC for Choice11 Try our spec~als: SltAll £J,J5 ltEDIUit £'1,50 LARGE £7,95 Op~n

every evening Sunday: 6-lOpm Moo-Sat: 5-llpm (Last order: 10.30pm)

UEA deliveries to Porters Lodge or to Union House Reception ONLY SORRY!! NO DELIVERY TO FIFERS LANE Voted 'Number One' by lconcretel (issue 20)

TRAD : Spicy beef pepperoni. mushrooms, onions.

THE FISHERMAN: runa.

prawns. sardines. fresh tomatoes.

?fCCANTE:

Spicy sausage. pepperoni. crushed chillis. onions. fresh tomatoes .

VEGETARIAN:

Fresh tomatoes. mushrooms. peppers. sweetcorn. onions.

II

6

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Budget dressing for Xmas

I

~

I

I

~

By }o Stubbington HEALTH Secretary Virgini a Bottomley has boosted Norwich's hopes fora new hospital after a tour of the city' s health district last Friday.

Said Mrs Bottomley, "We want to see further health care improvements for the people ofNorwich. and a state-ofthe-art new hospital would play a very important part in th at." She added, 'There are greatdisadvantages to havinga split site as exists at the moment with the Norfolk and Norwich and West Norwich Hospitals. This is an opportunity for Norwich to put thei r hospital on the map." Although she could not give an exact timetable for development Norwich Community Health Counci I chairman Mike Tomlinson said, " I am very encouraged by what I have heard."

AS the snow begins to fall outside, models can be found pouting fro sti ly against white-s peckled backdrops. Or at least for those who mode lled Topshop and Topman 's Christmas collection.

The high street retai ler, who are advocating what they are referring to as 'The Art of Budget Dressing', have launched a drive fo r out standin g va lue, which means that selected fashion garments from their stores are now even more affordable than before.

This allows the potential fash-

ion victim to reassess their wardrobe and get ready for the nonstop party season without worrying too much about their purse (or seemingly about their shoes either as all the models are in fact barefoot!)

Velvets are a must for men with crushed velvet waistcoats in red and navy a snip at a mereÂŁ 16.99.

For the more adventurous, there are ve lvet shirts which can dress up any pair of jeans with an inspiring range of colours and patterns including racy stripes and prints .

For her, a white shirt is a key

gannent which can be dressed up or down to take the wardrobe from day into ni ght when it can be worn with black trousers and a black crotched vest. Yes , the grunge look is back - aga in I Layers, the waif look (a la Kate Moss) and dishevelled locks are all still very much in- so if you've spent the last few months cultivating that special half starved andj ust gotout ofbed look,don't worry.

But what do UEA' s doyens of style think ? Said Keith (ENY2), " It doesn ' t reall y seem to be very ' budget' although I would wear that ribbed top."

Waiter, High dope count Waiter from CAS survey

THE latest addition to Norwich's city centre, the multi-million pound Castle Mall shopping complex, is breathing new life into historic Timberhill, city planners have been told. As a direct result of the mall's opening the number of empty shops on the street has fallen and the numberoflettings increased. However,J ulian Swainson, chairman of the council 's inner area subcommittee finds the Timberhill private car park to be "an eyesore" and is urging mall developers Friends Provident to do something about it.

'There are still one or two people knocking the mall but this shows it is breathing new life into the city centre.

If something can be done to landscape the Caf])ark or something. it would make this street really wonderful'', he said.

By Alison Wisely

Restaurant Open Monday to Saturday 9am io Spm

InexpensiVe stood. qualifY meals Vestefarian lood available lunc;hfime dallY spec;ial menu lie;ensed (hildren Weltome No Smoldns!

Private parties catered for in the evening

lrom ÂŁ9.50 per head lor 3 tourses Brins! your own wine! ( SOp corkade lee)

IU Bedford J/rcc~ Norwich 622611

REQUESTS made at restaurants across East Anglia included those for a cappuccino withou t mi lk and a white wine sauce without wine, according to a recent survey.

Such responses formed part of a national research project conducted by the AA of I ,000 restaurateurs to reveal the eating habits of the British people.

Accordi ng to the su r vey, women are more likely to complain in restaurants than men, with some unusual complainls ranging from "th is tuna is too fishy" and "it's raining." But drunken men win the accolade of "the most difficult customer", narrowly beating women in groups by one per cent.

Unsurprisingly, the Americans are noted for generous tipping with the British renowned only fo r being the worst customers, closely followed according to one restaurant, by "domestic science teachers."

INITIAL findings from a crosscampus survey indicate that over 90 per cent of UEA students have tried cannabis, writes Sirrwn lggi.

Research conducted by the Cannabis Awareness Society (CAS) over the past month questioned 350 students from a fourpage survey document designed to assess attitudes towards cannabis and marijuana.

Said CAS Chairman -Simon Iggi, "I am pleased to report that CAS has successfully accomplished its four planned main objectives for this term- the CAS party tri p to Amsterdam, the 'Student Opinions On Cannabis Survey' and most importantly, getting students to think about cannabis issues. They were all a great success, and I wou ld like to thank everyone who helped in making them so."

He added, "What would your parents think when they consider the fmdings of the CAS Survey, in which a staggering 92.5 per cent of students had

tried cannabis?

Decrirninalisation is not the same as legalisation. However, our survey suggests that many students are, under current legislation, either criminals or have committed criminal acts."

The CAS are therefore keen to draw attention to the fact that anyone caught in possession of the drug - even as little as one sixteenth of an ounce could face a 14 year ment. They are calling for parental and student action on the issue of decriminalising cannabis, which they claim is fast gaining momentum.

"Cannabis is obviously a trend for you ng people and, as such, do your parents want to risk the possibility of your future being ruined by a drugs conviction? CAS is proposing to protect students where all others have failed. Please pick up one or even two of our letters from UH on Thursday Week 12."

BMA visits UE

By Caroline }enkinson FOLLOW ING their motion to boycott Nestle products from Union outlets on campus, the proposers DevSoc held a follow-u p meeting to disc uss the issue on Friday Week 9.

Two members from Baby Milk Action, Dav ida Higgin and Linda Mitchell , were invited to speak on be half of the national campaig n to boycott Nestl e products, but no representati ve from Nestle was present due to th e Union's 'No Pl atfo rm ' policy.

The meeting raised questions concerni ng Nestle's marketing of baby milk in the third world, their supposed bribery of hospital workers and the most effective means of action to bring such alleged practi ces to an end.

Though a complete ban of Nestle products on campus was we lcomed by BMA , Linda

PHOTO: Mark Turner pointed out that if people were finding it hard to cut the entire list of Nestle goods fro m their diet, then they cou ld simply boycott just one product instead.

According to BMA, there has been considerable success with the Nestle boycott. Said Linda, "There was a 5% dent in their sales of coffee last year." Another of their successes has been per-

suading a local branch of Sainsbury ' s not to run a Nestl e promotion stall.

BMA 's next local objective is to introduce a boycott similar to that in the Union at City College. Said Davida, "We've written to City College and we're hoping to make some headway there."

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993 ~--------------------~--------------~~~----~----------~~~~~~~-~~--~~~--~

7

Features

Joining the s·ck Soc Fresh from suffering a prolonged bout of flu, Gerald Jackson explains why UEA is such a bad place to be when you•re ill Have you had it yet this term? If the answer is 'no' , you must think I'm talking about sex. Relax- I' m actually referring to the flu epidemic and its symptoms which are even marginally worse than a post-LCR hangover.

It is at least an egalitarian's illness, fat, thin, black, white, Norfolk or Nelson. Yes, even the glucose injecting fitness fanatic who sleeps in an oxygen tent has at some point this term coughed up green stuff into his or her seaweed tea; this time we are all mortal.

Perhaps that was my problem, that too many people had already caught the flu so my case didn't seem special. BUT IT WAS! Of course, I had it ten times worse than anyone else- not that I'm a hypochondriac or crave sympaor anything - but UEA is a horrible place to be ill.

Firstly, when you are ill you are immediately assumed to be a

hypochondriac and secondly, there is no sympathy to be found anywhere!

On Day 2 of my illness, I went to the Health Centre. All my doctor said was, "You're an asthmatic - smoke and you'll die soon."

I didn't even get any antibiotics because I apparently "only had a virus." Just one bottle of anything vaguely pill-like would have made me feel so much better; I could even have walked around displaying them, and rattled them in seminars to provoke all sorts of sympathetic responses.

However, all I got was bursts of laughter from my 'corridor mates' who said that the doctor bad rumbled me and my hypochondria.

It would now of course go down on my medical record and I would never get any medication for anything ever again ... If

they are right, I might as well just count the days before I go down with TB or leprosy and turn up at the Health Centre with a 'green' leg hanging off only to be told to take a paracetamol.

My lecturers were just as unenthusiastic: one just grinned and said, "Yes, it's terrible but all that time in bed will mean that you're so much better read at next week's seminar." BASTARDS! Well, honestly, was I really capable of reading in my condition?

On Day 4, I could barely see at all, or even walk in a straight line - some good samaritan had to help me home after the bar shut.

I refused, however, to give up in my quest for attention. I started to stagger around Suffolk Terrace without eating or speaking much.

I'd collapse at least three times a day, talk gibberish and have all

manner of terrible fits. But no one seemed to notice any change in my behaviour. At one point my performances became so terrifying I even began to believe them.

I'd crawl to bed waiting for someone to call a nurse, an ambulance, a priest, ANYBODY! But nobody came.

In the end, I gave up and rang home only to be told they all had it as well . At least mutual sympathy is better than none at all.

As a 3rd year, I should have by now learned from experience that UEA doesn't cater for the emotional needs of the sick.

I am therefore starting up a new society- SICK SOC- which will, for a small fee, lavish sympathy and tender loving care on all its members and patients.

From now on, people like me are going to enjoy being ill whether they are truly afflicted or not. UEA will then be a much 'better' place ...

PHOTO: Keith. Whitmore

I

U9J90 . . . ,ents

CH

0.

Concrete. Wednesday , December 8, 1993

Features D

D

D

CP速ITU DITU

Fund raising fever hit UEA on Friday November 26. Mark Turner and Keith Whitmore were there

Concrete. Wednesday, December 8. 1993

11

9

11

I Having to work during term time has become a common occurrence ·tor many, and UEA's students are no exception to this.

Concrete asks a graduate for her experiences of having combined several jobs with her degree, whilst finding out what those popular student jobs are all about Working and studying

T

here is no stigma to work ing in order to supplem~nt your meagre grant and overflowing overdraft. Far from it, it's now almost a necessity as student numbers are up, grants are frozen way back to the Ice Age and any part time jobs are hunted down by an ever increasing amount of hard-up students.

The typical work available to tooents is mostly in service indus- uies -barjobs, waitering and shop work etc. While this is hardly exotic stuff, it can however be quite ample. Let's face it, after slamming out an essay for Week 2's deadline (it's now Week 11), you hardly want to tax your tired-out brain now, do you?

There is another beauty of student employment though: tax, or the Jack of it, as there's nothing like opening a pay slip and comparing it with a non-student. The

trouble is, when you do get round to graduating, the amount of tax can bring a nostalgic tear to your eye...oh, the heady days of the taxfree student status.

Amazingly enough, working evenings and weekends doesn't really tend to mar the social life. If you were as lucky as I was, you could manage to effectively combine the two, and still have the privilege of having someone payingyou.

Getting a weekend off to go home or visit friends sometimes poses problems, but in turn, it forces you to at least try and be a bit more organised and plan in advance.

Being employed, no matter how casual the job, always bears some degree of responsibility, which apart from explaining why they pay you, is why future employers love to hear about it. 1 have finally discovered the trick of CV fact-

stretching: if you're a waitress which is not really that exciting the option of making it sound like you work for a brilliant company is always there. The lesson is to never underestimate what you can get away with.

Inadvertently, by doing such quality jobs, you possess vital communication skills and can handle a pressurised environment and delegate responsibility left right and centre. Let's not forget the essay that's 4 weeks late complemented with the lame excuse of 'flu -employers will still rush to get you to sign on the dotted line.

Perhaps it's not that simple, but such creative use of your job description sure helps to fill a sparse CV. In short, student employment can be a pretty good deal as long as you don't overdo the hours; that's not mentioning your academic work though ...

Angels Dsvles

Student jobs in Norwich ocal employment provides great opportunities for stu dents, and notjust for the extremely bard-up ones but also for the fun-seeking, go-getting types.

And what could be more local than your friendly Union bar?

Ralph Maynard (CHE2) has worked at the Horsham bar for over a year now and really enjoys it.

"It's a fun and constructive way to fill all my free time", be said (whoever said that arts students have the easiest courses?). Ralph works about 15 hours a week, and feels that the flexibility in the days he has to work does not adversely affect either his studies or his social life. But be advises other students to work "only if they want to and not because they need to."

But if you'd not rather not work so close to home then there are numerous opportunities throughout

L

the city, particularly in restaurants.

Again, those who would refuse to serve their friends need not apply.

Mark Smyth (CHE2) works in Pizzaland to pay his rent "I like the free pizza and meeting Jots of different kinds of people", he said, adding that working has encouraged him to organise his time more efficiently. But he feels that students should only work if they can fit it in with their'studies. .

So how does the possibility of watching all the new Cinema releases for free appeal to you? If it does then you could work at one of Norwich's three cinemas. Even if you have watched 'Much Ado about Nothing' for the fifth time, it might get slightly boring, but just think of the quotes you can reel off in your next seminar or even in the pub...

Sara Parkin (EAS2) is one such person, and could tell you the script

of 'Jurassic Park' backwards. She has worked at the Cannon cinema complex since the start of this term, and says that '1t's fairly relaxed and friendly."

Sara started working there for the money and can take home up to £60 ·per week. She says.that it does affect her social life, as she works both evenings, but she still finds the energy to go to nightclubs after work. "At the moment, "I am getting behind with my work, so a week-end job would be better", she added.

So, as long as working during term-time does not drastically affect all theother~ngs that you're supposed to be doing, then it looks like a good opportunity to be take advantage of. It can be fun, a valuable experience, something to put on your CV, and it does pay off that rather large overdraft.

Janet Lambert

fclipse 4 Royal Arcade, Norwich· Clothing and jewellery and bags with an Eastern flavour

10

01 -~

0

DISCOUNT ON PRESENTATION OF ~~~;~~i~!~ REGISTRATION CARD

15°/o STUDENT DISCOUNT WITH THIS ADVERT!

T

I

.

10 Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

11

Features

World

..

I

I '

.....

~-

rying to Uve off the basic student grant is a trial in itself, and mastering the art of shopWhite Sliced Bread - 29p White Sliced Bread· 19p White Sliced Bread • 29p White Sliced Bread · 39p White Sliced Bread • 29p ping on a tight budget is a ,,, 1 Pint Milk • 27p 1 Pint Milk • 25p 1 Pint Milk • 30p , 1 Pint Milk· 29p 1 Pint Milk • 28p major hurdle.

Pasta Twists 500g • 62p I• ..' Pasta Twists 500g • 49p Pasta Twists 500g • 62p Pasta Twists 500g • 55p Pasta Twists 500g • 62p i"' Cheddar 11b • £1.59 Cheddar 11b • £1 .38 Cheddar 11b • £1 .49 Cheddar 11b • £1.79 For this reason, Concrete Cheddar 11b - £1.49 kt: 2 Toilet Rolls- 69p 2 Toilet Rolls • 65p 2 Toilet Rolls· 79p 2 Toilet Rolls • 52p 2 Toilet Rolls • 59p 4 carried out its own shopping Baked Beans 425g - 16p Baked Beans 425g -14p If· Baked Beans 425g · 14p Baked Beans 425g • 21 p Baked Beans 425g • 28p survey in a week in Novem,·_ Plum Tomatoes -19p Plum Tomatoes ·19p Plum Tomatoes • 19p Plum Tomatoes ·19p Plum Tomatoes • 23p ber to check out the prices of Apples 11b • 39p Apples 11b. 39p Apples 11b-35p Apples· 29p Apples 11b - 39p some products.

Armed with a ''typical student's shopping list" our researchers sought out the prices of eight products, visiting a toRoys - .In general, amongst Tesco - Apparently the Sainsbury's • Reasonable ~· • Largely good value Gateway • Now more of a tal of twelve shops, ranging the lowest prices for basic most e~nsive supermar- value for money. "Multibuy" in the supermarket fre- convenience store since its from the large and popular sugoods. The bread was the ket. · Their ~Economy' se- indU:,ded a few attractive , queltted by Fifers La!le, recent refit. Many of the bapermarkets to the useful local shoppers! chea~fwe,couldfind -19p. lec:tion inCluded a lot of the bargains, for example, l sic products have been cut packets of pasta for93p, savconvenience stores. in price, like milk and basics at very reasonable prices. · ing 3lp. bread.

The table opposite shows that a distinction has been made between those two kinds J' of store: since it is unfair to compare supermarket prices 11 White Sliced Bread· 58p White Sliced Bread- 42p White Sliced Bread - 53p White Sliced Bread • 43p White Sliced Bread · 56p with those of a convenience 1 Pint Milk· 32p 1 PlntMilk-36p 1 Pint Milk • 28p 1 Pint Milk • 29p 1 Pint Milk • 32p shop.

Pasta Twists SOOg • 74p Pasta Twists 500g • £1.01 Pasta Twists 500g - 57p Pasta Twists SOOg • 99p Pasta Twists SOOg • 89p I• Our shopping list consisted Cheddar 11b • £2.83 Cheddar 11b • £1.95 Cheddar 11b • £1.86 Cheddar 11b • £2.52 Cheddar 11b • £2.75 2 Toilet Rolls • 20p 2 Toilet Rolls· 30p 2 Toilet Rolls - 30p of 'essentials' such as tinned 2 Toilet Rolls • 72p 2 Toilet Rolls • 30p Baked Beans 425g ·19p Baked Beans 425g • 29p Baked Beans 425g • 27p Baked Beans 425g • 27p Baked Beans 425g • 22p tomatoes, pasta, bread, 11 Plum Tomatoes - 22p Plum Tomatoes· 26p Plum Tomatoes • 22p Plum Tomatoes • 23p Plum Tomatoes· 22p minced beef and condoms!

11 Apples 11b- 40p Apples 11b • 40p Apples 11b • 39p Apples 11b • 36p Apples 11b • 39p But in the final analysis there were 8 items for com! parison due to the unavailabili!' ity of condoms and fresh or The joys of shopping!

Happy Shopper (Love/ace T J and M Davies and Son frozen minced beef in some Finance Officer, says that the threat they see coming from Union • Prices were average Gr.ove Stores • Expensive Unthank News and FoodRoad) - Again, price of Fair and certainly cheap compared to other conven- pasta but cheap toilet rolls! ~ewsagent and convenience stores. prices are higher on campus competition posed by a newcheese pushes up total. prices for a convenience ience sto~s. store ~ one. Unfortunately Roys, the supermarket ex- because "It's a convenience comer: the much publicised Cheap beans though! the price bfthe cheese pushes · store. Bargain toilet rolls and store, people don' t bulk buy NB: All .s hops were surveyed on The problems At most stores pasta. up tbe' o verall total. as they would at large superone particular week In November that the Union we found that markets, so we can' t make prices so cheap". has with people they were already pulling down the costs The problems that the Unonly buying a few ion has with people only buy- running special of basic items in an attempt to items is maintain their share of the offers, ranging ing a few items, is something which nearly all convenience something which from the Union's market.

Potential competition may stores share. Therefore, their nearly all 'Grantstretcher ' not be good news for shareprices, as the survey shows, 1 x Cheapest ava;/able whl!e sliced bread holders, but for the people benearly always came out as convenience to Gateway's 1 x Pint of Pasteuriseri Semi-Skimmed m;/k hind the trolleys, it means the more expensive than the sustores share ' Price Check.'

1 cost of that weekly shopping permarkets. x Cheapest Pasta Twists _ 500g bag trip should be less.

For this reason, the stores American chain, Costco. elusive to Norfolk area came 1 x Cheapest available cheddar cheese ( 1/b) Will prices remain permaCostco have just op: ned out the cheapest with a shop- have been broken down into GRANT ping list total of £5.10. two categories in our table - their first British store in Es- nently low, however? It ret;1Htf 1 <,.• tt tt ~ ll·t t<, uf tj 1 x Pack of 2 of the cheapest toilet rolls (Aftfh..'f lJf()l(.£ PG 'TIP$ They say they try to stay convenience stores and super- sex (after the major chains mains to be seen.... ~8At:S 1 x Can of cheapest baked beans425g itA~ What do you think of the cheaper than the rest by check- ·markets, so that like is corn- failed in their court action to 89p survey?

Does service matter get building work stopped), ing the prices of the competi- pared with like.

1 x Can of cheapest whole Plum Tomatoes $ll>ti.Mt.~""leJ'-tion - "We will always be the At most stores we found and promise a " no-frills" atti- while shopping? Write to the 1 x 1/b of Granny Smith apples cheapest when we can", said that they were running special · tude to shopping, with mem- Editor, and let him know your GRANT f< I H~H)I-<\.14 Bill Warnes, the Trading Di- offers, ranging from the bers of the Costco 'club' be- views. Send correspondence n:.ri.Pis Sains bury's 'Multi buy ' to ing able to get their groceries to: 'Shopping', Concrete, PO rector for the chain. m SNt.S Interestingly, the Union su- Tesco's 'Economy' and Gate- at a substantially reduced Box 410, Norwich, NR4 7TJ. R esearchers: Caroline permarket came out fairly fa- way's ' Price Check.' price.

Adlem, Caroline Jenkinson, One of the reasons for this (They will pay a set amount vourably compared with other sudden flurry of price c uts in each year to join the 'club'). John Miller, Janet Lambert convenience stores.

Above: There 's our shopping list of eight items The supermarket chains are and So-Shan Au. Lizzie Watson, the Union's the major supermarkets is the

Roys

Tesco

Gateway

Asda

Sainsbury' s

~ ~~

TOTAL£3.72

TOTAL£4.50

F TOTAL£4.04

TOTAL £3.93 · li

.

TOTAL£4.26

.

Student Union

Grove Stores

Unthank N

I! ll

TOTAL £5.1 5

White Sliced Bread • 29p 1 Pint Milk • 30p Pasta Twists 500g • 67p Cheddar 11b • £1.59 2 Toilet Rolls • 79p Baked Beans 425g- 24p Plum Tomatoes· 22p Apples 11b-37p

TOTAL £4.47 Co-op (Love/ace Road) Again, mort of a convenience store, and therefore reasonably priced - but still linked to a big c~in.

._:$ppy Shopper T J & M Davies A&M Durham

lt.

TOTAL£5.66

Co-op

TOTAL£5.80

TOTAL £5.32

TOTAL £4.42

Rights

legal and political systems if they be dictatorships or democratically elected governments, but which have failed to prevent these crimes or bring those responsible to justice.

A list of these countries where these violations occur may include some surprising names. Chad, Columbia, the Philippines, Senegal, India, Thrkey and former Yugoslavia, for example, have all been cited as .countries where "disappearances" have occurred.

Often these tactics were employed to remove "problems" like political opponents, trade unions, ethnic and religious groups or simply the unwanted poor.

But these statistics disguise the real horror of the crimes.

It is easy to find protection behind figures.

Each of the numbers represents the life of a real human being, who, l.ike you and I, had their own family, hopes and ambitions.

The killing of Brazilian street children is an example of what Amnesty is fighting against. There is no solid evidence to link the police to the "disappearances" of children, such as Robeno Carlos da Costa, an 18 year old street kid from Sao Paulo who went missing on September 10, 1992. Just months before Roberto had publicly complained that he had been tortured by the police.

The pattern of political killings and "disappearances" suggests a possibility of collusion between vigilantes and the local police.

A Parliamentary Commission of

By Martin Plant

So-Shan Au and Caroline Jenkinson go shopping for value around Norwich•s stores

T

Huma~

To coincide with World Human Rights Day, on Friday December 10, the Amnesty Society at UEA is ruming a campaign to raise awareaess of human rights violations.

As a completely independent movement, the objectives of Amnesty International are, essentially, to end the abuses of an individual's rights.

The movement opposes the use of the death penalty, torture or other degrading treaunent of all prisoners.

This includes the abuses by government opposition groups, as well as government itself, such as the IR<\ or UVF in Northern Ireland, whose tactics may include hosta~ taking, torture or killing of pris,ners.

Am1esty also campaigns for an end to extra-judicial executions and "dsappearances", a term used to deS<ribe kidnapping, often followed by tortu.re and death, by govertment agents or opposition group! who deny all lmowledge of the detention.

In 1992, Amnesty International reponed that political killings had occun-..d in 45 countries. "Disappearances" were recorded in 20 countnes, while earlier unresolved "disappearances" can be found in a further 29 countries.

Suc1 violations are world-wide phenomenon. Often such abuses occur in countries with structured

[)~y

Enquiry concluded in February 1992 that the involvement of civil and military police in the killing of poor street children was "far from exceptional".

Only after an international outcry are these crimes being investigated.

Other. cases include that of Chris Baton, a human rights worker, who was shot dead, in the Philippines on February 23, 1993.

The killers were identified as members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, a gov. emment backed militia used in counter insurgency operations, and one was even named.

Despite an investigation being opened and an order being issued for the arrest of the suspects, local village residents said that they had seen the CAFGU members involved in the killing at liberty, testifying those who might testify against them.

The worst aspect of such cases is that they can be stopped. Those in danger can be identified and protected. What is needed is the will power to bring cases to the attention of the international community.

On December 10, the Amnesty Society will be running a Christmas Card Campaign. in the foyer of Union House between 10 and 4. Similarly, every Thursday, there is a letter writing stall between 12 and2.

For some, a little effort on your part, can decide their future.

I I

I

·I I

White Sliced Bread· 49p 1 Pint Milk · 29p Pasta Twists 500g - 79p Cheddar 11b • £2.69 2 Toilet Rolls · 30p Baked Beans 425g- 27p Plum Tomatoes· 26p Apples 11b • 40p

TOTAL £5.49 A/an and Margaret Durluun Reasonable prices - highly prices cheese once again. .

.

Sega Megadrive 2 + Game + Joypad Our Price

SHOPPING LIST

£99.95! ~~~

~--~

November 799J

Super Nintendo Mario All Stars Console

......£99.95!

Our Price

~

..

~----

.,

"'r j

'[

12 Concrete. Wednesday, December 8. 1993

Feaft:iies

By Fi Mitchell and Jane Edwards his year's winter fashion sbQw certainly sent tern peratures soaring as a full turn out saw an exciting variety of fashions in the LCR. We arrived in time to see the finishing touches being made by the models and soon after the atmosphere was buzzing with anticipa-

T

tion!

Firstly, we saw a selection from Bazaar - a dramatic mixture of red and black, closely fitted evening dresses together with moody pouts from the models.

Perfect for that formal occasion, but not really for Peppermint Part or the LCR on Thursdays!

A most appropriate outfit would be the denim gear of the next number which provided a great casual look.

The choreography of the fashion show was something else they could be proud of, with professional movements throughout and providing us with an excellent performance from the Contemporary Dance Society.

This added more to out entertainment than the ordinary "bumdrum" fashion show.

Looking around the LCR at this point, there was not one still body in the room to be seen, whether this was down to the drink or the sheer brilliance of the models, we'll leave you to decide!

Things really let rip in the next scene - literally!

According to this fashion statement we should all be bearing out bottoms in black leather trousers!

Forget those jeans with modest rips- you ain't seen nothing yet!

For those of you who weren't completely convinced by the brash look before, the Blue Jean Company came to the rescue with a display of alternative casual wear.

The audience then saw the talent of Lisa Cook singing that brill Rasbdance track "What a feeling''.

But ' unfortunately the dress, which was a bit on the tacky side, did not complement her stunning performance.

Rammi Dean Soc U said, ''I'm quite impressed by the type of music they've been using in line with the style of clothes."

This comment, I think is quite apt when considering the nonchalance of the five guys wearing the cool Dogfish style.

This gave the more extrovert among the models a chance to shine and there were screams from the audience as John Holmes strutted his stuff at the front of the catwalk!

Then another of the models provocatively undid his dungaree strap revealing a bare chest!

Nontheless, all of this did not fail to show off the clothes themselves!

The Catfish collection displayed one of my personal favourites - a .stunning jade silky zip top.

The next set of clothes was a dramatic contrast to the former lively, easy going styles. ~t was a shock to see the sombre figures walk out praying in black outfits.

However, their plain clothing accentuated the individuality of the No.7 hair-cuts, styles ranging from the conventional long hair through to the up-dated seventies crop.

After the interval the inspiration continued with a mystical approach to fashion.

Gothic style accessories were the order of the day with the models wearing crosses round their necks, coupled with a nostalgic mix of white frilly blouses, black overcoats and crushed velvet dresses.

In contrast with Lisa Cook's Aashdance number, Jaz provided us with a slow Jazz ballad, this time the dress was more tasteful -a tight fitting evening dress with a split up the side- very sophisticated.

Just when we thought the show was dying down, there was a sudden spurt of energy with a display from the union sports shop accompanied by the sound of "Let's get physical".

As well as providing extra vitality, it was a superb opportunity to see the guys stripping down to their shorts!

And they showed how great you

can look in your Union's sports gear!

As a cooling finale, members of the Ballroom Dance Society showed off the Classic Collection and Moss Bros to give us ideas for that Christmas Occasion.

This was elegant, though per: baps a little staid in comparison to the previous vivacious display. . As Nick Holden Bio II said, ".1 don't think they engaged the audience to the same extent and there was a lack of sparkle in general for a 路 display of party-wear, but it wasn't bad by any means."

I suppose this was a more 'regal' affair and therefore had to be displayed as such.

So the end of the show had arrived - it was doubtless that the audience had had a great time, but bow about the models?

When asked, Bruce, one of the group 'D' models said, "It was one of the best experiences of my lifeI can't wait till the next one!" and when asked how he felt at the end of it, Tigga, one of the group 'C' models said, "I feel really empty now it's all over."

Well, there you go!

It just remains to say, well done everyone, the models and the organizers, on all your hard work and effort - we'll wait eagerly for the fashion show!

Photos by Mar#( Turner,

and Keith Whitmore

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993 13

Features

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

The cycle of discontent Many students find cycling an ideal way of cheap and easy travel. But, as Stuart Campbe/1 reports, this popular means of getting between home and campu·s is not always stress-free ...

S

o you moved off campus did you? Seems like miles away doesn ' t it! Even further when it's cold. So how are you going to get in for that 9 am lecture?

Well for those of you who bother to turn up to lectures could consider the bus. Too much money? £78 a term does seem a bit steep and you 'd probably rather spend that in the pub anyway. So what are you going to do?

Before you left the comforts of home you remembered that old bike in the shed.

A bit dusty, a bit rusty but nevertheless, it works, sort of. When you frrst try to stop at the junction of the Avenues and Colman Road and find that you can't because your brakes don ' t work, you decide to take it to be repaired properly. But will it?

In my frrst year at UEA I had my cycle stolen but was lucky enough to have the police recover it and return it to me. Great stuff I thought.

However, when I cycled home I realised that the thief had joyridden it up the Kilimanjaro mountain and back. Not bad considering it's a racing bike. I also realised that I'd be using the bike every day so it

would be worth paying the money to have it repaired 'properly' .

I took it to a nearby cycle shop and asked them how long it had to live. "Oooo aaar, well, it's ten pounds for the service and the paaarts if you needham, ooo and a fiver for the labour too, oh you'll need a new one of them and one of those too, that '11 be £25 altogether." Not bad I thought, somewhat sceptically, as I noticed his cowboy hat. So I left it there.

When I picked it up, I thought that I'd better buy a D-lock too, which was another £20.

After collecting it and riding it home I realised that it was worse than it had been when I left it there -still no brakes and in a very embarrassing moment, the chain fell off just as I was overtaking an eld-

erly lady on her 'shopper' cycle. ' Great' I thought as I watched her cycle past me smugly. So I took the bike back only to be told that my chain needed replacing, which was another £22, oh, and £5 for labour. Why I wasn't told this in the first place I don't know. So I agreed and told them to fit it.

"Oooo aaar, well, it's ten pounds fo_r the service and the paaartsifyou needham, ooo and a fiver for the labour too, oh you'll need a new one of them and one of those too, that'll be £25 altogether."

After a week of waiting for the chain in question to arrive from Istanbul or somewhere and another couple of days because they forgot about it, I cycled home contented at long last.

But as I hit full speed on the Avenues the following morning the chain came off. There goes that old lady again, funny that! This time I

was angry and ready for a row.

When I got back to the shop another member of staff told me that I had the wrong chain on my bike and needed to buy the proper one!

"You fitted that one!!", I said.

"Oh, did we? Well it's not that it's the wrong chain, it's just that it needs wearing in a bit, errn, cough

cough." Wearing in a bit, I asked myself. A chain that needs wearing in? Sure, just like the new knives and forks that I bought the other day, they need wearing in too.

After taking their advice I gave it a few days to 'wear in' . No joy!

When I took it back again they told me that it wasn't the chain, it was

just that the gears hadn't been adjusted properly!

Then my D-lock broke and I couldn' t get the key in! They tell me that I' m unlocking it wrong. No comment.

Meanwhile, my housemate decided to buy a second-hand cycle from the same shop. Interesting

paint job on that bike I thought, hmmmm. Anyway, it seemed like a good bike until the back wheel fell off on his way to a lecture - need I say more?

Altogether I spent over £60 at this particular shop whose name must remain unknown for legal reason s- damn! I then tried in vain to find a decent shop with people who knew what they were doing.

I cycled up Cambridge Street and found a small shop on the corner. From the second I stepped in I could tell they were 'professional' .

At last. I was soon told that my bike had been very badly repaired and that I was over-charged, and that the D-lock could be opened with well, a banana! (I' m not telling you what my bike looks like.)

After paying less to have it done properly it rides like a dream. I learned the hard way, as have a lot of others I' m sure.

The moral of this story is to watch for the bubbly paint jobs if you ' re buying second-hand, to be I 00% certain that they know what they ' re doing, and find out if the shop is reputable.

It's worth spending the money to have it done properly! After all, I'd rather pay the money than watch that elderly lady overtake me, while hotly being pursued by my back wheel.

And wouldn't you?

.

AYAILABl£ FROII 69111 • 10.•

-

r

-

-

•

• ,

t..

-

.·

'

with the union's Grantstretcher promotions Off SAlES BARGAINS! (SAlE OR RETURN FOR PARTIES +GlASS HIREJ HEINEKEN LARGE CANS 69P KESTREl LARGE CANS 59P STONES BITTER 75P TETLEY CANS 6 9P l/EBFRAUM/lCH £2.39 GRAVES £3.99 CHAMPAGNE £7.99

-

LOTS OF BOXED CARDS FROM £1.99 TO £5.99 GIFT WRAP 6 PENCE PER SHEET CAlENDAR AND ANNUAlS DIARIES FOR All OCCASIONS CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS BOXED CHOCCIES OF All SIZES PARKER PENS (AND MANY MORE!)

POST YOUR CUDDlY TOY BEFORE THE lAST DAY21ST DECEMBER SANTAS FROM £3.99 BOXED CARDS FROM £1.50 CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS FROM £f.25 GIFT WRAP £1.50 (PER 6 METRES) CRACKERS FROM £1.50 PER BOX

UEA SCARVES FOR All 12 SCHOOLS UEA TIES, TSHIRTS AND SWEAT SHIRTS JOG TROUSERS SPECIAl PRICES! HI- TEC SPORTS BAGS !'iS.~ £10.95 !'?~~ £8.95 NEW DESIGNS: COCA COLA T-SHIRTS £10.95

SPECIAL TRAVEL OFFERS

I

II

HERE IS JUST A SElECTION OF THE OFFERS AVAilABlE IN THE UNION SHOPS AND BARS TODAY. lET YOUR UNION SERVE YOU- IT MAKES MORE SENSE THAN EVER.

-

LARGE SELECTION FROM UNDER A POUND GENERAL TITLES ON MANY SUBJECTS SEll YOUR BOOKS FOR CASH!

LONDON TO PARIS RETURN RAil 6 FERRY FROM £39 STUDENT RAil CARD (THIRD Off) £16 STUDENT COACH CARD (THIRD Off) £7 RESERVE YOUR RAil TICKETS HOME IN ADVANCE AND SAVE MONEY

--

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

-

-

c:e

The latest news from your student union. Issue Six, Semester One, 199 3

The Story So Far...

1989 Student Grants Frozen at 1989 levels 1990 Students lose their right to claim Income Support, Housing Benefit and all other benefits. Student loans introduced.

1993 636 graduates face court proceedings as result of loan non-repayment.

The right to existence of Student Unions, local and national, is threatened.

The student grant to be reduced by 1Oo/o every year for the next three years I

What Next?

In 1991 the government introduced a White Paper outlining plans to increase student numbers with the aim of having one in three young people in Higher Education, however funding has not been maintained in line with this ambition. With increasing financial pressure on higher education, institutions are being forced to increase seminar sizes and run lecture-only courses.

The reality is that student numbers have expanded beyond all expectations and that money is not being made available by the Government who are dramatically changing the way they fund Universities next year.

Institutions will be forced to look at alternative means of meeting these demands, one of these •means• could be you, the student 1) Next year your grant will be £225 less than it is now.

2) After rent, this will leave you with £240 for the whole year. lt is time to act. Enough is enoughl lt was leaked in the press on Monday 6th December that Government ministers have been discussing students contributing to their tuition fees.

This would mean an end to free education which is a right: Your right and not a privilege.

Demonstration on Thursday 9th December through the city, supported by other local colleges.

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

16 Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Entertainment - in association with The Event

I Caroline Ad/em meets lan McEwan, acclaimed writer and ex-UEA student, who visited the university last week to speak in the ·Arthur Miller Centre's Literary Festival Considered by many to be one of the most significant contemporary writers of English fiction, lan McEwan's credits range from collections of short stories the first of these, 'First Love, Last Rites', included work written whilst a Waveney Terrace resident - to such successful novels as 'The Child in Time', which received the Whitbread prize for fiction . His most recent novel, 'Black Dogs', was shortlisted for the Booker prize, and he has also written plays for television, including the controversial 'Solid Geometry', banned by the BBC in a flurry of publicity. His original screenplay 'The Good Son' has recently been released in America .

Unusually for a writer, McEwan's first publication was a collection of short stories, the attraction of which was, he explained , that they allow you to fail. ''You can take chances . it's also a good way of feeling out your own voice. I think when you start to write there's always great satisfaction in actually finishing, a short story delivers that for you", he said.

McEwan is noted, and often criticised , for the inclusion of such contentious issues as nuclear warfare, women's rights and the aftermath of war in his work.

When I asked him why he chose to give political and public issues such prominence, he answered that having always been interested in public affairs he was just waiting to find "the right kind of holes to pour them into my fiction."

Not only a writer of novels and short stories but also of oratorios, literary journalism and screnplays , McEwan accredits the wide variety ·of forms he has used to restlessness, commenting that he finds the move from writing novels to short stories to films "no different from how one moves from breakfast to lunch to dinner".

"Personally, I would find it very hard to just sit at home and write novels all the time.

In fact, I can't even write all the time - I have long periods in between where I just mope around, travel , do housework, look after the children, and do a great deal of reading. My theory is that you have to have a bit of life between books, otherwise life is just going to be books and nothing else", he added.

His screenplay 'The Good Child' has just been released in America, and grossed $20 million in its first weekend and $30-$40 million the first ten days of release . McEwan attributes this to advertising, and not the. film, which he described to me as being "a

piece of s**t". The film is about a boy who, after the death of his mother, goes to stay with his cousin , whom he discovers to be psychopath. No-one will believe him , putting his disturbance down to his loss of his mother.

The film has had a very bumpy evolution; initially, many studios refused to touch it becaue it was "too weird, too strange". Finally, work started in '91, but just as filming was about to be-

gin, Macau\ay Culkin's father decided he wanted his son to be in it and forced the studio to suspend production. A year later production started again, with a new director and producer who promptly sacked McEwan and brought in another writer.

McEwan feels that the finished version of the film is not only "absolutely terrible", but a feeble, watered-down version of the original , and he is very disappointed with it. He describes Hollywood as "a

snoo¥-ef ... r-.nd a 'i'Jnole \o\ mote\

minefield", and himself as "one of the walking wounded British writers who thought they could dabble in Hollywood."

Speaking about Hollywood, he said ''the pain comes if you get too closely involved, if you actually care about what you've written. If you feel you've finally solved the colossal riddle of how to make a commercial film that has integrity, is good, with that Shakespearian ideal superb and yet accessible, then you start to care about it. You fight your corner, and very rapidly you find you can't beat the system.

Writers are powerless, as are directors for that matter, within the studio system."

Much of McEwan's work has been very controversial, perhaps most famously his screenplay 'Solid Geometry' , which made headlines when it was banned by the BBC in 1979.

McEwan claims that the BBC never consulted him about it, saying "I would have had no qualms at all in making the cuts that would have been necessary." He attributes the press attention he recieved to it being the 'silly season', commenting, "it was an hysterical, crazy reaction . This was a

story which was already published, it was alreay out there."

On the subject of controversy, McEwan said "I don't seek it, but I don't mind it.

Writers are meant to kick up a little dust. I've always taken it for granted that writers cou ld and should write whatever they liked, and no subject matter was beyod their reach."

Described by some as 'very much a product of the new British universities', McEwan attended UEA in 1970 and completed an MA in creative writing (last year he was also awarded an honorary degree by UEA).

The only student on a course which had previously been closed down for lack of applicants, he ''wrote short stories like a maniac."

He added, "I met Malcolm Bradbury every now and then in a pub to talk about them, met Angus Wilson in the summer, and that was it really, as far as the course goes. But, I was taken seriously, I suppose that's what was important, and had real writers reading my work".

I asked McEwan how he remembered UEA. "Very bleak", he said, "lt was only half built. lt looks rather nicer to me now, with the steps and the pub and things as there used only to be a coffee machine. it was rather enlivened by a sit-in during my first term here, which was I think a revolt against the architechture.

"I loved it here, actually. I got to know the Norwich countryside and fell in love • with it. For me everything just clicked here, I read more, wrote more, talked more, spent more time with friends. it was one of the best years of my life."

• Satellite Television - all channels, wide screen

• Video Games f1 £150 jackpot machines • Hot and Cold Food always available -Low Low prices eg Chicken Nuggets and chips £ J.50

OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY

7 DAYS A WEEK 21

S~OOKER

TABLES .-\\"0

~

POOL TABLES

(Snookt.>r tahlt.>-. £2.20 per hour pt.>r tahlt.> midnight to 6pm. £2.60 pt.>r hour per tahle 6pm - midnighn. Pool ~Up pt·r gamt.'

• Licensed Bar - Low Low prices eg Carling Draught £ J.45 a pint - Bar Ope n JOam - J Jpm Mon- Sat, J2am - 3pm & 7p m - J0 .30pm Sun.

FREE Membership on production

Concrete. Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Leffers

Entertainment

lan McEwan PREVIEW

When writer lan McEwan came to Norwich to read at UEA's Literary Festival, it marked the return of one of ·s most celebrated . McEwan first work, a collect of short stories, "First Love, Last Rites" was exceptionally successful, and his novels, "The Cement Garden· and "Black Dogs• (1992), have received widespread critical acclaim.

His success led to Hollywood, where McEwan agreed to write the screenplay for a horror movie, "as long as it was a psychological thriller.

"I wrote the script very rapidly, very intensely in two months. Then word came back from the studios where's the actoLater, much to McEwan's disgust Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin was cast in the lead role of

17

McEwan's script, "The Good Son". Although the movie is currently doing well in America, McEwan was eager to distance himself from the it. "I really hate it when I read newspapers that I'm now writing movies for Macaulay Culkin."

Ear1ier on McEwan read an excerpt from the latest novel, "Black Dogs" which is set in France immediately after the Holocaust.

His reading centred on a woman June's reminisces about her relationship with her estranged husband Bernard.

Much of the discussion that night centred on McEwan's views on the nature of evil, and the moralistic and cosmological structure of traditional religions like Christianity. "I think we're doomed," McEwan concluded. "But interestingly doomed."

Union meetings are Disappointed with a rudderless rabble Thelma interview 1\vice in the last couple of weeks I, a mature student, have attended the Union meetings. On both occasions I have been struck by the ineptitude of the (paid) executive to conduct meetings which have any semblance of either order or discipline. It seems the me that our 'rudderless' union executives, in the name of democracy, are intent on causing as much confusion as is possible in order to get half baked and ill thought out proposals through. The 'democracy' that allows a meeting (rabble) to carry on without someone in charge , a single person who can be called upon to rule on procedure or even ensure that a meeting is conducted in an orderly fashion is not, and cannot, be called democratic. Indeed the meetings are clearly regarded by most students , almost 96%, as non-events- possibly because of the apparent vested and narrow minded interests of the executive.

May I point out to those who have not attended the meetings that we, the students, have voted for Nestle's boycott and, in a blanket motion, agreed to allow non-sabbatical executives to be given executive voting rights without either universal franchise or arguments being individually made on behalf of any of the three interest groups involved. The latter situation being voted upon when there were clearly less that the required quorum of 294 members present.

We have also, apparently, agreed that ALL executives should be allowed free entry to the (previously) loss making Waterfront which was criticised in the past for the 'freebies' enjoyed by the 'management'.

While I believe that there may be a case for non-sabbatical executives (the unpaid ones) being offered this 'perk' I feel that the need to lodge a protest

against the (paid) sabbatical executives of out Union who have, by their own choice taken their paid 'year-out'.

I also agree with a sentiment expressed, at the back of the meeting on Monday 30th November, that our executives are probably doing their 'thing' because it will look good on their CV's to have been involved with 'politics' during the time that they have spent at University.

May I as a final point enquire just how much of which funds were spent on the 'NO MEANS NO' and anti-Nestles' posters etc. which, although I certainly agree with both campaigns, seemed to me to be both a waste of time and a waste of money.

AND, that these campaigns were initiated by people who had an axe to grind and, in the end, looked foolish as a result of the acquittal of both, dare I say it, males on the one hand and the withdraw of the other by the (now chastened) proposer of the Nestles' motion AFfER it had been passed at a previous meeting which surely, AND LEGALLY, ain't on!

G Terry Weaver

PHYI

As an MA student of Film Studies I write to you to voice my complete dismay about the 'And cut' interview with Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell. The interview failed to address Mrs. Powell as a practising film maker in her own right. Having interviewed her myself, with another MA and PhD film student and offering Concrete the right to publish the said interview I was dismayed and disappointed with what appeared in the paper.

To those of us who were given the rare opportunity to meet such an important, delightful person it was rather disappointing not to be able to share the experience with other Film Studies students.

As well as addressing the Michael Powell issues we also focused our attentions on the various aspects of her career as a highly regarded feature film editor. We questioned her in terms of her style and collaboration with Martin Scorsese, [not 'Scorcese' as your article so unfortunately misspelled]. I feel confident that other film students would have found our interview more substantial and relevant.

We also had access to current photographs of her, unlike the obviously old one that was pub-

lished. I am sure if she was to see the article she would share in our dismay. Michelle Barta

EASPG Editor's note: The focus of the piece was the late Michael Powell and his recently released book. Mrs Powell, as his wife, provided an insight into his life.

Further, Concrete has to appeal to a wide cross-section of students. Unf011Ullalely we do not have the space to publish lengthy 'literary' articles for the benefit of a relatively small number of film students.

Occupational hazard?

So we have managed to breach the top security at the Registry, again.

While north London university managed to storm the Tory offices, our students left the warmth of the Hive for the warmth of the Registry, all of200 metres away.

Next time, maybe we should occupy somewhere more interesting or possibly more relevant. Just to let you know you' re not on your own, I managed to occupy a toilet for at least 10 minutes, if that didn't tell the Government what I thought of their policies, I don't know what will. Case solved.

Neil Holdsworth ENVIII

Merry Christmas from NORWICH

Theatre Street

Norwich NR21RL

.-

18

Concrete, Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Letters & Classifieds

concJete 0603250558 University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ Publisher: Stephen Howard Editor: Peter Hart Deputy Editor: Nia/1 Hampton Picture Editor: Phi/ Vickers Advertising: Simon Mann Photographers: Keith Whitmore, Mark Turner Editorial Contributors: , Carolina Jenkinson, Stephen Hawkes, Steve Unsworth, Pete Snowman, Caroline Adlem, Bob Scott, Paul Wray, Hwee Hwee Tan, Mark Smith, Kester Hynds, Anthony Cartwright, Seth levine, Saskia, Rachellawlan, James Melville-Ross, Clare Ollerenshaw, Jo Stubbington, Fiona Anderson, Dazza Fisher, Simon Mann, Lisa Bushrod DTP: Nik Davy, Paul Coslett Typists: Joanna Stubbington, Andrea Bird, Jo Phillips, Martin Plant Proofreader: John, Alistair Cushion Additional Production: Nell Barnden Special thanks to: Union House Stewards & Mogwai Thanks to everyone at ECN fo r putting up w ith our 'flexible' deadlines Concrete is published independently at UEA.

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

Copyright (C) 1993 Planet Zog Ltd Pril'}ted by Eastern Counties Newspapers, 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

Concrete welcomes your letters on ariy subject. Whether it is something we've written about and you· want to take issue with, or you simply vvant to make a point, ,we want to hear from you.· So why not drop us a line?

The address is simply 'Concrete', UEA, Norwich. Anonymity will be respected but you must il1clude your name and address in the first instance.

Defending the date • rape campaign "The 'Yes means yes, No means no' posters are implicit and suggestive crap" (Concrete Letters, lOth November). What the heck does that mean? I didn ' t devise the slogan, but it's a good one. I don't think it was intended to offend (or even to leave someone stuck for any coherent arguments against it), but to provoke debate and discussion.

We aren't talking about the intelligent, rational thought and logical deduction in sexual attraction when we talk about date rape. The thin g we fear (and I might be speaki ng for men too here) is the irrational attack. The date rape debate is murky boundaried, but it is cri ti call y important, because we aren't just talking about someone feeling sheepish after clumsy and/ or drunken sex. We are talking about a sexual attack that makes us feel self-loathing and helplessness.

lt doesn't really matter whether the attack stops at unwanted fumbles and gropes, or whether it goes to serious physical hann. lt is the horror of a normal, secure and sexy situation turning into a frightening, intrusive one. I accept that most people aren't ogres, and most people can't imagine ever force a tongue into some unwilling mouth, or a penis into an unyielding vagina. But sometimes, just sometimes, that happens. And because it does, we all need to di scuss our own sexual behaviour more openly, so misunderstandings don't happen. We need to be aware of risks, and maybe change our attitudes about how men and women interact, so that the authorities responsible for meting out justice when things do go wrong can know our communal feelings about acceptable behaviour.

Name withheld by request.

DEVSOC speak out on Nestle boycott I would like to clarify DEVSOC's position with regard to the Nestle boycott and the letter from one of our members which formed the basis of the fro nt page of the last issue.

Fi rstly, I feel it necessary to correct the impressio n giver by your article - th at members of DEYSOC are beginni ng toquesti on the wisdom of the boycott.

No member of the society has expressed such an opinion to me, and we will therefore be supporting the boycott until such time as Nestle adheres to in tern ational codes of practice regarding the di stribution of baby milk powder products.

Secondly, I fi nd Concrete's eagerness to use the opinions of one confused indi vidual to sensationalise an importan t iss ue (a nd knock th e boycott in passi ng) quite worrying.

By using the headline "Student be hind Nes tl e boycott apo lo gises ...", Concrete is insulti ng not only the members of DEVSOC and SEA (amongst others) who put in a lot of time and effort wo rkin g to make sure th at the UG M was quorate, but also the 300 odd students who attended the meeting and exercised their democratic right to change Union policy.

Yes, Garth proposed the motion, but he cannot be said to be responsible for its bei ng passed.

Concrete, as an independent student newspaper, should be encouraging students to take part in the democratic process of the Union, not implicitly questioning the right of "less than four percent of UEA's student populatio n" (sic) to make decision s which affect those who you obviously feel to be a ' silent majority' against the boycott. If there are people who hold such views, they should enter into the debate so that what is a life and death issue for many in the Third World can receive the serious attention it deserves, at a level above the sort of sensationalism on which Concrete seems to thrive.

Perso nally, I th ink th at the wi thdrawal of th e anti-boycott motion at the UGM of the 29th of November, as we ll as your failure to print a single letter from the " unp rece d e nted nu m ber" which you supposedly received in opposition, is a clear indication that the Nestle boycott is here to stay - and DEYSOC thanks all those who made it possible .

Phi/ Di Palma President of DEVSOC

Editor's note: Far from discouraging UEA students to "take part in the democratic process of the Union ", Concrete's recent coverage of the Nestle boycott has provoked debate amongst students, as seen by the attendance at Week IO's UGM.

A case for Dr. Clifford?

I am writing to reply to the anonymous people who published a poster recently, enti tled "Rev. Alan Clifford- Don't Breed Ignorance" containi ng a tirade against Dr. Clifford's 'True Christian Safe Sex Guide" which was di strib ut ed around residences on campus recently.

While the quotes contained in the poster were correct, the emphasis of the original leaflet was completely ignored and so for the benefit of those who have not yet received a copy of the leaflet and as a friend of Qr. Clifford and one of those who originally delivered if around campus, I wou ld like to summarise the main point.

Its basic premise was that in the present climate of fears of HIY and AIDS the safest sexual is that commanded in the Holy Bible by God of a single sexual partner for life within marriage. Thi s view has

been rejected as old-fas hi on but is decidedly modern and sensi ble in the light of the AIDS crisis.

The obsession of students and society in general with being sexuall y active outside of marriage is due to the inherent rebellion against God in human nature called si n and (as Dr. Clifford explains in his leaflet) thi s can only be removed by faith in the atoning Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and reliance on the power of Gods Holy Spirit to the help us overcome our sinful nature. Dr. Clifford is always wi lling to discuss these matters with anyone and has also offered to come to the university to discuss any comments in an open meeting.

Please feel free to contact me via the ENV postgraduate pigeon holes- I would be willing to supply copies of the leaflet to any interested.

'

.

Law game 11 This is not a letter of complaint; this it a letter of complete frustration .

The Law Society elections were supposed to take place about two months ago, but because the members of the previous committee did not bother to keep of the students that voted, it had to be declared void and postponed.

The postponement was declared unilaterally by the president of the p revious committee, J amil Abdullah, agai nst whom allegations of financial irregularities ware made and investigated by the Student Union.

Today (2nd December) was the day the Law Society elections were to be reheld. The Student Union was supposed to be in charge of this si nce the previous commi ttee had proven incapable (or just not tru stworthy) of running a simple election.

Being a third year law student myself and a member of the Law

Society, (having joined at the Soc Mart in October) I went to vote. To my complete surprise, the Student Union representative said that my name was not on the membership list that had been provided by the Committee. I therefore could not vote.

The purpose of my letter is not to single out the presiden t of the previous Law Society commi ttee, Jamil Abdullah, but to attack the entire committee fo r being unable to organise a membership list properly.

I was informed that mon20 people ware similarly denied rne right to vote in there elections.

An apology would be appropriate from the previous committee, after havi ng proved themselves incompetent to run a students' society. This might be the only correct thing they did all year!

Yiannis Neocleous LAW Ill

C/ASS/1"/E/JS:.. C/ASS/1"/E/JS:..CIASS/flE!JS:.

PERSONAl Third year moderately mature male, kind with good sense of humour hoping to find compatible female for caring friendship. All replies answered . Box number 281 .

Concrete classifieds will return in the New Year. If you would like to leave a message here send it, together with your name and school , to Box Numbers, Concrete, UEA, Norwich .

Lizzie, sorry for redecorating your carpet on Saturday. Best wishes, You know who.

Alternatively take it to the University post room or bring it up to the Concrete office , upstairs in Union House.

19

Concrete. Wednesday, December 8, 1993

Sport

Pirate.s see hope in defeat

By Steve Hawkes Sure enough, it was still a defeat.

O.K. it was the second game running that the Pirates bad been shut-<>ut.

However, there are signs that UEA are beginning to spring to life, and perform up to their potential.

Coach Rob Burton, therefore, is pleased.

Although defeated 9-0, away at Leicester, Sunday, in Week 8 of the BCAFL season, after losing badly at borne to the Loughborough Aces 24-0 the week before, the Pirates should indeed be looking forward to taking on Staffordshire this Sunday at Fifers Lane.

UEA travelled to Leicester with an 0-2 record, after a poor overall performance from the offensive line, as well as a tendency to succumb to the big play, led to a disheartening loss against Loughborough.

1be difference between the two teams showed in the Aces ability to convert possession into points behind a powerful rushing attack, which bad rushed for near to 300 ~in Week 6, in a 41-16 maulof Birmingham.

Pirates ~ned occasionand indeed marched 50 yards on their first possession behind QB

Warren Smart.

Poor protection, however, led to fumbles, sacks and a couple of interceptions that ruined good field position.

Furthermore, QB Smart had to leave the game injured in the final quarter.

The rushing game managed around I 00 yards, but a 40 yard field goal attempt by Owen Vince, was the nearest the Pirates came to scoring.

The UEA defence continued to hold its own, on the back of fine performances from Solomon · Gorlick, Matt Mitchel, Paul Anderton as well as emerging talent Mark Cramer.

Such seemed their importance to the team that the loss of them all, bar Cramer, would have spelt disaster going into a contest against 4-0 Leicester, who had recently beaten Aberstwyth 25-6, and Cambridge 21-12, in Weeks 5 and 6 respectively.

However, inspired play from middle linebacker Koram Akrarn, and especially from debutante Daniel Beltram, meant that the Pirates kept the opposition to under ten points for the flfSt time this year.

On offence, the injured Warren Smart made way for replacement QB, Daniel Smith, until the 4th quarter, and the offensive line

turned in their best show of the season, providing running back Rob Menzies with some room in which to gain good yardage.

Unfortunately, the heavily depleted squad just could not penetrate the Leicester defence.

Likewise the Pirates 'D' could only keep the Leemings out until the end of the 3rd quarter, when a 20 yard pass broke the tight game open, adding to a flfSt half safety.

That was indeed the last score of the game.

The next opponents of the Pirates, the Staffordshire Stallions, confmned their potential with a 460 demolition of Warwick University, in Week 5.

Staffordshire started slowly but 22 2nd quarter points meant a halftime Stallion lead of28-0.

Three more second half scores showed the Staffordshire superiority.

The main threat on offence appears to be Senior League standout Jon Wyse.

He ran in two first half touchdowns and passed for another two to wide receiver Matt Justice.

Wyse also ran in a fake field goal for yet another six points in the 4th quarter.

The defence seems equally impressive, having now shut out their two opponents as yet this season.

Alton Jarman and Gareth Hurd

are the leaders of the unit, and they will be riding into Fifers Lane with a high morale, kick-<>ff I pm.

Warwick University were to recover some of their pride in Week 6, beating Aston 13-0.

Warwick, therefore move to a I I record, Aston fall to 1-1_.

Bristol make up the trio of teams at 1-1 , after getting their first win of the season against lowly Aberstwyth, in Week 6, by a score of26-0.

Aberstwyth fall to 0-2.

The two-time reigning champions, the Southampton Stags, seem to have recovered from the shock of losing to Cardiff in Week 4.

After their first loss for 33 games, they trounced Reading 780, in Week 5, a team against whom they'd put up three figures last year.

The following week, the Stags moved to a 3-1 record, with a late victory against Oxford.

A touchdown catch by Jon Scott followed with a two point Eustice Fointaine conversion were the only points in a narrow 8-0 win.

Oxford fall to 2-2 after this setback.

In Week 5, Oxford had squeezed

by Bath 16-8, who, as a result have the same record as the Pirates, 0-3.

Although without a win, Bath can hold their heads high, as they have a seventeen man squad, and have kept it close in all their games

to date.

They even became the first team to notch up any points against Cardiff.

Cardiff won, 28-12, thanks mainly to the efforts of running backs Martin Bartholomew and Owen Lambert, who collected four touchdowns between them.

The Cobras can also thank the play of their defence, especially linebacker Matt Tyler, who managed to keep Bath at bay.

The other team with a 0-3 record, are Reading.

They still have yet to score, and have let in 180 points.

After their 78-0 collapse against Southampton, they narrowly lost to Birmingham by a score of 48-0.

Birmingham thus recording their flfSt win of the season, and moving to a record of 1-3.

It's a shame Reading won't come to Norwich, claiming it's their longest journey, and would

-.COMMERCIAL UNION ·UAU SPORTS REPOR WOMENS RUGBY UAUs V UCL UEA 10 v UCLS

For the second time this term, the UEA women's rugby team took on their arch rivals UCL, this time ·with the disadvantage of playing did not deter the team though, and from the kick-<>ffthey played with skill and determination, an early try by captain Anna Hillier inspiring the team further. The forwards dominated in the line outs,

and in the scrum they won eight against the head, thanks to hooker Tma Bament. This ensured good clean balls out to the backs, who took advantage of the moves developed in training sessions to create a lot of opportunities. The second try set up by full-back Cardin Tomlin and secured by Anna Hillier took the team to a ten point lead at half time.

UCL came back in the second half with some strong running, putting pressure on UEA's defensive skills, so the final score ended with a try from UCL. It would be unfair to pick out individual players in such a superb team effort, but mention should be made to Sam Limer and MicheiJe Hayes who took pat in their first game.

SO CLOSE TO THE OVAL

By Andy Knights The UEA cricket club had its flfSt taste of competitive action when the University's best six cricketers took part in the Commercial Union Indoor Cricket qualifying tournament at Essex University.

UEA breezed through their preliminary matches beating St Mary's College by 5 wickets and Sheffield University by 3 wickets thanks to some sharp fielding. Mark Edlin scored the highest individual total, 74 against St Mary's, of any player on the day. The victory against Sheffield was particularly sweet, as before the match . the Northeners had stated that the UEA bowlers

would be meat and drink. Unfortunately for Sheffield, it was their bowlers that were on the menu as UEA easily passed their total of 102.

In the semi-final Middlesex were the opposition. Again the running of Edlin and Simon Bell betrayed an almost telepathic understanding as UEA amassed 156. The bowling of Kway Colvin and Uzman Khan was far to hostile for the Middlesex batsmen, as they were dismissed for only I 06 to allow UEA to take a place in the final.

With the winners of the day progressing to the UAU finals to be played at the Oval in London, the

. .. - . .. . . .... .. ._

atmosphere became very tense as UEA battled flfSt against St Mary 's, who bad beaten Essex in their semi-final. However, UEA pressed the self-destruct button as the once assured running degenerated into something resembling headless chickens. A poor target of 60 was the result of 4 run-outs, and St Mary's eased passed this, thankful that UEA had saved the worst till last. For once, the best team had not won.

President James Grigg congratulated the team on a strong performance, and managed to console them with the comment ' At least Essex didn ' t win!'

Knock-out r<;mnd 1 (to be played 8th December) VOLLEYBALL Men v Group D 2nd place

RUGBY Mens ii v Royal Agriculture College, Chichester (Away) Womens v Roehampton Institute (Away)

HOCKEY Mens ii v St. George's Hospital (Away) Womens ii v Group 8 2nd place (Away)

BADMINTON Mens ii v Group 7 3rd place (Home) Women v Bristol (Home)

NETBALL i v Queen Mary & Westfield (Away) ii v Group 13 2nd place (Home) WOMENS SQUASH v Group 11 3rd place

GOLF v Group 12 2nd place (Away)

• 1 HOUR • QUALITY •• DEVELOPING P~INTING •• le SERVICE •

FOOTBALL Mens i v St Bartholomew's Hospital (Home) Mens ii v Group 13 2nd place (Home) Mens iii v Group 13 2nd place (Home) Mens iv v Group 13 2nd place (Home)

• KODAK FILMS

• KODAK BATTERIES

• REPRINTS

• ENLARGEMENTS

• BLACK & WHffE AND E6 PROCESSING * WEDDING, INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL * PHOTOGRAPHY * PROFESSIONAL PROCESSING LABORATORY*

GRfGCHANDtfRPH010~fRV/Cf~ (0603)

••• • •• •

615652

..:£I ..........11 ........... ...· ............. ....

••. .......0...................................• 40 EXCHANGE STREET. NORWICH

~

~

your pranhng or processang • order with this voucher :

1'f-

-

1..._

I I

20

Concrete, Wednesday, l?ecember 8, 1993

FIVE STAR TAXIS NORWICH

55555~~~:~]~~

concrete. sport

00

No EXTRA CHARGE AFTER MIDNIGHT

I I路

I I

I I

Fencing team foils opponents

By Gary Crosby UEA Essex Herts

75 69 65

Soton 49 Brunei 15 The fenci ng team left UEA last Saturday knowing th at they have t he strongest squad to h ave graced the UAU competition.

Led by the quietly confident captain, Chris Morton, the fencing team took the first round of the competition by storm in a display th at will se nd the message around the country that U E A are a team to be reckoned with.

The day started at I Oam at Essex uni vers ity sports centre with the atmosphere a mixture of tense expectati on .

The first team to take the piste was the Epee team whi ch comprised of new -boy Malcolm, Dom Hagyard , and the Swede known simply as "Class".

Dom got off to a tremendous start as did the Swede with victories over Soton and Hert s, Malcolm, though, took slightl y longer to find his form bu t did

we ll later scoring crucial wi ns over Essex.

As the day went on the Epee tea m got better and it was this grow th in confidence that helped them through a close match with Essex - UEA's traditional rivals, es pec iall y after last years close ma tc h whi c h UEA wo n by I poin t.

Nex t was the Foil team led by the quite incredible Chri s Morton .

As expected the contest were closer than the Epee.

An early win against Brunei, th o ug h , sec ured so me early points-eac h individual win gains the team a point.

Pleasing to see was a terrierlik e p e rform a nce by Chri s Burdett.

Usually a solid B-team fencer, Chris was brought in to fill a gap in UEA' s ranks.

However.he showed the form that promoted him to first team action and won important victories against Brunei and Soton.

The two Chris 's were joined by Brendon Richard,a hi g hl y talented foilist from the USA and later Marcos Simpson who re-

placed Chris Burdett towards the end , adding his experience to that o f the captain .

The foi l re sults were soli d rather than spectacular with wins over Brunei and Soton and closer matches with Essex and Herts.

As the day came to a close the Sabre team knew th at onl y 4 victories would ensure promotion to the next round .

Led by the hi ghly motivated Olivier Cahn , the Sabrers did j ust that.

Marcos Simpson showed the inspired form that eluded him last season and Chris Morton showed that he can turn his hand to anything with his Sabre debut.

Truly the best performance was

by Olivier as his focus a11d determination resulted in ending the day undefeated .

The sabre team had scored 4 victories without defeat.

Fencing meets every Monday at 7.30 pm if you'd like to be part of this winning team.

A combat sport that can be a way of relieving stress to a hi ghl y competiti ve at al l levels .Fencing provides a lot of fun and the odd beer as well.

UEA football team return to top spot

By Steve Hawkes

-

Champions last year, UEA footballs first team have returned to the top of the Gallpen Press Division One, increasi ng their unbeaten run , after havi ng beaten Spixworth and Roebuck over the last two weeks.

On the 27th November, UEA beat bottom club Spixworth 5- l , whose res ilient play belied their low position.

The top spot was obtained after dis patchi ng Roebuck 3-1 , goa ls comin g from Evans, Nu ndy and Hoskins.

The main challengers to UEA's

quest fo r a second straight title appear to be the a~ yet unbea ten Bridge House, and second placed Waterloo.

In Division Four, the UEA second eleven continue to play good football, and the past two weeks victories, against their main challengers, have drawn praise from

the local press.

After a comeback 3-2 win against Blofield, they narrowly edged leaders Costessey A 3-2, Saturday.

Local paper, the Pink ' Un commented how UEA's performances were indeed worthy of a higher di vision.

Division I

Di vis ion 4

P W UEA 8 7 Waterloo 9 6 10 6 Roebuck Bridge House 6 6

D 0 2 I 0

L F APts I 50 13 14 I 40 13 14 3 4 1 27 13 0 32 9 12

Costessey A UEA Res Blofld Utd A Hel'sden Hosp

By Alex Bainbridge

won their races against stiff competiti on, a feat not seen for quite a while.

In the ladies race, Kari n Hell man repeated her victories in the previ ous races to win comfortable by over a minute from team mate Jane Homer. The one-two was compl emented by Alii son O'Neil (6th) and

Kooms available now in the (jolden (riaHflle (close to U8;l and fit!/). ea// JIS for more details

P WDL F APts 12 10 0 2 58 19 20 9 9 0 0 44 8 18 11 8 I 2 55 17 17 9 5 2 2 49 17 12

Trojans get their wings The Troj ans cross-country tea ms have scored a great double vic tory in th e local RAF Cross-Cou ntry league.

In th e race h e ld a t Wes t Raynham on November 24th in a testing and snow-covered course, both the men's and ladi es teams

THE STUDENTS' LANDLORD

Candice McDaniel (12th).

Th e me n 's race saw Al ex Bowden cont inue his fo rm and come in 3rd , closely fo llowed by Nik Davy in 8th. Duncan Saunder's 15th, Gary Smith's 34th and Alex Bainbridge's 38th provided ample support to give the team victory .in a fie ld of well over I 00 runners.

Q[J

D ....... -

. . . . . .-.,# . . . .