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A officials U-Thrn on Fifers Lane: 0 and P blocks close and students will be forced to move out after all Report by Niall Hampton UNIVERSITY officials bave betrayed students in two blocks at Fifers Lane - by reversing a decision not to permanently close 80 bedrooms.
By The Editor, Peter Hart
Their move means that 0 and P block residents have had to gather their belongings, say goodbye to friends and relocate to other blocks at Fifers Lane, which is itself due endoftlllsacaderrric But some are moving out to the private sector, thus defeating the Registry's attempts to cut costs, and one resident has left the University altogether, disgusted at the way the affair has been conducted by UEA authorities. Acting Director of Residences, Dennis Brown, was keen to refute suggestions that UEA had treated students unfairly, saying, "You' re asking for my views on what was actually discussed in making the decision, and I cannot give that information because I was not involved in the making of that decision." He added, "I have actually seen a number of residents from 0 and P block and I have discussed their particular concerns and, where possible, if I can resolve those concerns, I've tried to do so." But Union Communications Officer, Jacqui Mackay, voiced her dismay at UEA's decision to
Students have been forced to move out of 0 and P blocks at Fifers Lane. go back on their original intentions. "It's typical of the University's attitude towards students putting money before individuals that have come to study here. 'They handled a bad decision that resulted from bad management with great insensitivity and to go and try and do it again and tell the students five days before Christ-
mas is an appalling way to treat someone." UEA initially intended to close 0 and P blocks in November because of financial constraints, but backed down after student opposition. They then looked for other ways to cut costs. These included plans to cut cleaners' jobs and a cam-
UEA's lnde endent Student Newspaper
paign to advertise the spare rooms available at Fifers Lane. But this latter initiative proved unsuccessful, and the body that represents Fifers residents, the Horsham Halls Committee (HHC), opposed plans to make students responsible for cleaning their own rooms, as they feared for job losses.
PHOTO: Steve Howard The University then claimed it had no further options, and in a letter sent to 0 and P block residents over the Christmas break, officials said, "Both alternatives having failed, the University advised the Union of Students that it would revert to its original pro-
We're two years old this week, and what better way to celebrate our second birthday than by bringing Concrete's 7,500 readers the paper In colour... for the first time ever! It's not just a first for us, though, but a first for all student newspapers in the country. Forwheras they've sometimes managed colour on special occassions, Concrete will continue to be in full colour, next issue, and all those after that! At this stage in our life it is also good to look at what we've achieved in these last 2 years: namely the best and most widely read student media ever seen on this campus: and that's what you told us in our survey last December. All that, and we're still completely independent. Most people said we couldn't do it. But two years on and we're still here. Here's to the next twenty!
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