Concrete issue 078 29 10 1997

PLUS I The Peacemaker

Union admits "lax" GIAIT TBABAG BITS DBA FOB ALL·IIGBT BVBIT procedures as over g§,OOO is stolen

By MATTHEW RAY, News Editor

COMMUNICATIONS Officer, Andy Watson, has admitted that Union security procedures are "lax", following a lightening theft.

The astonishing admission comes after £6352.56 was stolen from the Hive bar shortly before lam at the Ministry of Sound club night on October 18.

Stacks of notes and three pint However, he confessed that bar glasses full of change were taken staff have no rigorous procedure to from a Manager's Office after a door follow when handling large was left unlocked by the Duty Bars' amounts of cash.

Manager.

"The procedure down there is The cash had been sitting on a lax," he said. table, just feet away from a safe, and "l! has been brought to our as a result Union insurers may not attention that perhaps security is not cough up to replace the loss. as good a it cou ld be."

The Manager was counting the He added that Union bosses money just before the theft , but left would be taking some responsibility the office to supervise closure of the for the theft, although the Duty LCR bar after a fight broke out in the Manager may receive a verbal Hive and security taff rushed to stop warning. the violence. " It was a complete oversight that Speculation that the thieves the office was not locked," he said. planned the grab and used the fight "Security has been tightened up as a distraction has raised concerns as much as possible in consultation that they had inside knowledge of with the Bars Managers." the Union Bars' procedures.

The Union will now carry out an Said Union Communications investigation, but stunned bar staff Officer, Andy Watson, "From the claim action to protect students' story we have heard and this is pure money is long overd ue. speculation , it looks like it was a "I think that something should professional job. with people have been done before now about security of money considering the causing a distraction and getting ecurity removed." continued on page 2

NORMALLY, if a student told you he had seen a giant glowing inflatable tea bag, you would assume he had spent too long in the bar, writes James Goffin.

But that is exactly what came pyramid-shaped tea bags. to UEA as part of a nationwide A 60ft plastic pyramid was promotion for PG Tips' new erected outside Nelson Court on

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October 16 as UEA became one of 10 venues to host an allnight performance event.

Students who braved the rainy we a the r enjoyed performances by Pure

Passion, an all-girl rock band, Funny Business, a comedy trio, and Mister Fied, a magician and balloon sculptor.

The acts were performed continued on page 2

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

OPT STUDIITS lleiBD OUT or POPULAR eArl continued from front page amount of cash around the bars," said one member of staff.

Norwich Police were called to the scene and evidence. including CCTV tapes of the entrance of Union House, till receipts and cash were taken away for examination.

DC Nadia Nicholls of Norwich Police says that the investigation is "going very slowly" and urged any witnesses to come forward.

She confirmed that fingerprints have been found on the three pint glasses, but further details have yet to be rel eased.

The Community Service Volunteers (CSV) is co-ordinating a volunteer event on November l to improve public access to Drayton Wood .

The organisers, who are working in conjunction with the organisers of ' Diana Day ' and the Yell ow Pages Make a Difference Day, aim to clear paths and damaged trees.

Anybody wishing to join in this activity should contact Andrew Gaines on 01603 767300.

i:UN In last issue of Concrete, we informed students that they could obtain a l 0 percent discount at the Union Post Office. Sadly, the Union does not have a Post Shop in their out let. Students can obtai n the l 0 percent discount on Post Shop items on production of their NUS card at the Cast le Mall Post Office.

Call 761635 for more details.

By JAMES CURTIS

OPT STUDENTS have expressed anger at a recent decision by 810 chiefs banning them from the 810 cafe during peak hours.

The move was made after the Schoo l received complaints from BIO students who were unable to use the cafe due to overcrowding.

Dean of Biology, Alan Dawson, regarded as such because of a lack However, OPT studen ts have of facilities at this end of the expressed anger at the decision to says that BIO students must take ban them from the cafe from lOampriority in the cafe. which was campus and as a result, we have opened in 1995 and is run suffered from overcrowding." ll am and 3pm- 4pm, when the cafe He ex pressed disappointment independently by the School. will be used exclusively by BIO ''The Biology cafe was set up as that the move was made necessary. students and staff.

"I very much regret that we had a meeting place for Biology "All the physiotherapists use the students and was never intended to to do this ," he said, adding, "[ do BIO cafe during their break times," be used as a University catering sympathise with OPT students said one student. outlet." he said. because they do not have facilities "We are barred from entering at "Unfortunate ly it became in their own school." exactly the time when we have our

By CAROLINE VINCENT

THE UNION is considering screening sporting events in the LCR after a recent fight in the Union bar, it was revealed this week.

Chemistry student, Martyn Cole, was punched in the face on October 11 by a local man during a screening of the England versus Italy match .

Since then. the Union has been "When students stand up at the met with calls for improved securi ty front it always causes animosity ," and Union Communications Officer, he said .

And he added, "In the Pub it is Andy Watson has admitted that the event was poorly handled. difficult for security to move " It cou ld have been better around and see everything. In the organised," he said.

LCR it will be like being "It has been brought to our steward ing a normal gig ." attention that it was a very, very However concerns have been raised over whether students will nasty incident, but it has prompted us to look at ticket sales, maybe actually be better protected in the using a bigger venue and controlling LCR, with Union Entertainment's who goes in and out of the bar."

Manager, ick Rayns saying that whatever the venue, the Union He added that because the Pub is a public access bar, the LCR is likely should expect "high spirits". to become the venue for future And he added, "In my view, if you have alcohol at all day sports screeni ngs, with entry on a studentonly or ticket-only basis. events, the venue does not make a " But we have got a logisti cal difference.

"To move the venue to the LCR problem with charging students and would increase problems, si nce it checki ng when they get in that they are not too drunk," he said. has a capacity of 1700, instead of Preside nt of the Football 600 in the Bar." Association, Peter Nevertheless, Andy Watson is Supporters Russe ll, who witnessed the Pub hopeful that a student-onl y event will deter troublemakers. incident, insists that violence can be "We can only speculate that if it avoided and is supporting a move to the LCR. becomes a student-only event, then He believes that people will be we hopefully won't get any problems." able to ee the screen more easily.

breaks."

Nevertheless , OPT Undergraduate Course Director, Richard Stephenson, accepted the decision.

"I can understand why they are doing it because their students are not getting access to the cafeteria," he said .

"Bu t I do know that our students use it regularly and get good service from it."

He was confident that current bad feeling would not affect relations between the two schools,

say in g, "The re is no friction between us."

Norwich North MP and ex-Dean of BIO, Dr lan Gibson was a founder of the cafe and expressed sadness at the news. " It seems to have been a victim of its own success," he said.

"I fully understand the annoyance felt by OPT students. and I hope they can look to their school or to the University so that they are not dependent on the School of Biology for high quality catering services."

Energy bill slashed bY. over £5,000

By NADIA ELGHAMRY

CAMPUS IS set to grow greener after environmentally conscious students amazed UEA officials b contributing to over a £5,000 cut in electricity costs.

The startli ng news comes following a pilot scheme launched last year overseen by the Government , urging students in residences to rn•n<e r w• • resources and reduce waste.

UEA was the firs t university to union that wants to put ecological be studied , and University Energy thinking at the heart of its Manager, Mel Pascoe is del ighted activities," he said. with the results.

"They will help us assess the " I had high expectations and sit uati on and draw up an act ion th ose expectations were plan." substantiall y met," he said, "We He added that the assessment had a successful project." will identify needy areas.

Due to students switching off "I am keen to see as much unnecessary lights and turning environmental good done around down radiators, UEA bosses are to campus as poss ible," he said.

"There are massive holes in give a cash sum to the Union . £1268 , representing 25% of the areas which co uld easily be overall saving, will be donated to Lightened up ." the Union for an environmental Meanwhile, Mr Pascoe remains project on campus, with the rest of committed to change and urges the cash being used to cap rent everybody on campus to think rises. green.

Union Communications Officer, "We are trying to get others to Andy Watson, says the cash will be follow the example to help the u s~d to launch the US-related earth and the environmental scheme, Pl anet Pledge on the imperative that we hopefully are camp~s . building," he said. But he added, "Planet Pledge is a easy to use "There is a lways room fo r scheme designed for every student improvement."

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

By SIMON MANN UNION SAB BS faced a n e mba rrassingly low t urnout in a campus-wid e refer endum asking stud e nts wh e the r a not her Sab batica l Officer is need ed a nd w hethe r the pos t should be for s po r ts.

O nly 91 stud ents • less tha n one percent of UEA's student popula tion voted in T hursdays referendum on a the creation of a new fift h Sa bba tica l position.

By NIKKI MALLETT and LEE WEBSTER

LAW FINALISTS have branded a move by University chiefs " atrocious" after their library was relocated to make room for computers.

Students were outraged early in the semester to find that the Law library had been moved from a quiet area in the basement of the main library to the middle floor.

And now they have made "I think it is atrocious," he said. complaints to University bosses over "It i overcrowded and impossible reduced studying space, fewer desks to work at the momen and there are and tables and increased noise no seats. levels.

"Plus it is where the Library offices are so it is noisy."

Disrupted However, Director of Library Third year Law student, Tom Services, Jean Steward, says that the Hawes has made several complaints move is in response to students' to Library staff and feels that demands and is pan of a three year development plan to improve studyi ng is being disrupted.

"Law students are going to suffer services. this year and degrees are bound to be Requests affected," he aid.

"It is an example of University "We have had numerous requests overcrowding and the poor facilities to improve access and opening hours that students are being offered to this facility and the only way we nowadays." cou ld do that was to move Fi nalist Jeremy Robson also computers to ground level," she believes that Law students have said.

However, Mrs Steward admitted been badly hit again, following that it was a difficult situation.

Concrete 's revelation last issue that "We need to find the best possible lectures are packed.

/ Law students try to study in crowded, noisy conditions compromise for incompatible demands," she said, adding, "If I can put more seats on the floor then I will do it."

Solutions Possible solutions to increased noise levels include sound-proofing windows, ensuring office doors are shut and forcing staff to use back instead of main stairs.

Union Academic Officer, Becka Currant recogni ses students ' complaints, but supports the move to create a dedicated computer area.

Lagging behind "The Library is trying to get as many computers as possible and wants to increase its IT provision," she said.

"At the moment, UEA is lagging behind and there are not enough computers."

Nevertheless, students are fighting against the decision and remain unconvinced by the move.

Said Jeremy Robson, "The University has shown no consideration for Law students who arguably need to use the Library more than anyone else."

or the tiny number of students who voted, the majority were in favour of a new Sabb, but not all thought that it should be a sports position.

56 (62%) said 'yes' to an other Sabbatical, with 36 (40 %) voting in favour of a Sports Sabb and 35 (38%) voting against. or the 39 students who wanted either a fifth Sabb or a post other than Sports, 18 (49 %) opted for a n Environment Sabb, with the rest fai rly evenly split between of eight other positions.

Said Union Academic Officer , Becka C urrant, "I am disappointed with the turn-out, but it was a good time to test the water for a referendum."

And she · added ,· "Unfortunately, because the Constitution demands a quorate UGM or referendum before we can have a fifth abb, the issue will have to go back to a student vote for the membership to decide."

FIVE STAR

NORWICH Three UEA students have been arrested in a Police drugs crackdown on at the popular Return to the Source club night, writes Simon Mann.

The students were among 15 people arrested during a five-hour police operation at in the LCR on Friday night. Cannabis and significant quantities of ecstasy and amphetamines were seized.

10.30pm, two Two of the students may be .approximately charged with possession for personal officers entered the LCR, followed use, when substances allegedly by another seven shortly before found on them are analysed. midnight.

At least one of the 12 other people It is believed that at least two of arre ted may be charged with the arrests followed from police pos e sion of Cla s ' A' drug , with action inside the LCR. University Pol ice Liaison Officer, intent to supply.

The Police operation started at Inspector Sandra Wilkinson, about 8pm when UEA security described the operation as routine officers set up a road block by the and said that it had not been Sports Hall to prevent traffic going prompted by a tip off. down to the LCR. She praised the Union ' s drug Police officers then began to policy saying, "The Union has come randomly stop and search people a long way in recent times, with improvements to its drug policies approaching the venue.

Sources claim that at and seizure of drugs at the door.

However, there cannot be a let up; we' re not talking about cannabis for personal use, we' re talking about dealing in hard drugs which ultimately can kill."

However, Inspector Wilkinson accepts that is impossible to stop all drug dealers from entering the LCR, "A determined dealer will always get into the LCR, the thing is to make it as difficult as possible."

Commenting on the operation, Union Communications, Officer Andy Watson said, "I would welcome any activity that would eliminate the possibility of drugs being brought onto our premises."

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Car Rark Racks out with record number of motors

By BEN ELLIOT

Up in smoke This fortnight saw the release of a new smoking report which confirmed the inueased ri ks of smoki ng r elated d iseases even for passh e smokers. Meanwhile, ex-chancellor and fo rmer health secretary Kenneth larkc has recently been made non-executive deputy chairman of British American Tobacco. The company produces both Benson a nd fl ed ges and Lucky Strike brands for the forl'ign markets.

lt's a fake A .Japanese insurance firm got a shock recently when they found out that the 1>ainting they bought for C22.5 million wa almost certainly not painted by Vincent Van Gough. The paintin g has been slammed a tb e work of a clumsy artist. There are thought to be as many as one hund red fak e Van Gough paintings in circul a tion.

CA R-PARK congestion has hit an all time high with UEA chiefs calling in outside consultants to find a solution.

T he co nsultants, w ho wi ll b id for te nder, w ill ta ke o n a Traffi c Manage m e nt Survey and look a t ways 10 case UEA's parkin g nightmare, including ban ning student s wi thin a two mi le m·ea fro m park ing o n si te. ··S tudents who li\e wi thin the taken that have mi ldl) em.ed the Golden Tnangle area are bri nging srtuatron. their cap, onto campu-.. when really However. the problem ,., there is not a despe rate need for worsenin g a nd this year -1,500 them 10 do that."" ~ard Unron permits ha\e bee n ,.,.,ued for o nl ) cademic Officer. Becka Currant.

177'2. parkrng space.,.

"There are plenty of bw, route~ nion Welfare Ollrcer, Gar) a nd it is not that far to walk.""

Massey ~ays that in the fu ture.

AI the moment, the normal and public transport \~Il l h:ne to be overflow car-park'> are often jamseriously considered by car-driving pac ked be fore mrdda), leavi ng ~t ud e nl s. and that he ha~ been 111 comact with repre .senta ti ve~ from student> fuming.

Ea.,tem Counti es Buse~ .

"The Univer\ity hould realise that a large number of studenh dm·e 10 cam pu s from outside Norwich and \O a car-parking ~pace rs · we would pm.srbl~ look at the provr<,ion of heated bus shelters. and e"scntr:ll :· "aid Pat lloward sub~td i sing bus pa.,.,es:· he sard.

"We need to look at the po,i tive a\·enues as to how we encourage UEA • ecurit) Supremo. Morri" Morson. "as keen to pornt out that people out of therr car' and onto the Univen, ity has tried to comhat public transport.· ll o\\ever. UEA spoJ..espen.on the problem. "'You can keep rmprovrng the Annie Ogr.lcn. p01nter.l out that change., during thi ~ academrc year \ituation. whic h i' what we have done over the last few years .. arc un lrkely.

'The ni\ ersil) ,., about to ··The denial of perm rh to a major traffic comm!'>s ron Unl\er"IY campus resrdent\. the ban on overnight parJ..ing. and an managemen t wrvey not ju\1 on o,·ernow car park have been acuom campus. bu t abo of the enviro ns of

Positive

Into the fryer Steph en F ry found himse lf in trouble with the Uni versity of Dundee aft er r emarks made in 'eon magazine when he admitted to ta king and cond oning the use of Ecstasy. Fry is Rector of the University wbich has a strong anti-drugs policy and have disassociated th emselves from Mr Fry·s remarks. He conclud ed that " on e hould try ever) thing once, except incest and country dancing."

Tellybaby A couple have named their new born baby daught er Laa Laa aft er the famous yell ow T eletubby due to her ellow complection as a result of jaundice. T he name was thought up by the ba by's sister, a t••o yea r old Tell) tu bby fan a tic.

At omic legacy

Combat

the University,"" ' he 'aid.

"11' is likely to take several months fo r the extern al consultant s to undertake therr sun ey and come up wnh optron\. "l lowe\er it r unlikel) that any changes will be implemented d urin g

thi' academic year:· She added that stude nh ' oprnrons would be sought vi a another suney. but th at these resu lt s would simply pas\ on '>laff and 'oludenl op rnron rather than maJ..rng recommendati ons.

BAR STAFFSUFFER AS ARGUMENTS OVER COST RAGE

Britain has come und er fire following the discovery of new evidence r egarding Britain ' 11-bomb testing in the P acific. Aid workers on C hristm as Is land have discovered equipm ent used by Britain in 1958 which they believe to be responsible for toxic and car-cinogenic poisons lea king into the wa ter SUPI>Iy.

By NICOLE RUS SELL

BAR STAFF have been left swelterin g in soaring heat as Univers ity and Union chiefs batt le over who sho uld foot the bill for a new ventilation system .

T he pro bl e m is a t its mo'>l ex treme in the LC R bar. where temperatures have reached a nHt'>Sive 31 d eg ree,.

The problem is cau<.ed by drinJ..., fridges blowing out hot :ur. and the only attempt made to remedy the si tuation lms been the mt roductio n of cooling equipment.

Said Da' rd Bugg. a me m her of the Ur11on bar staff, "There are two barely adequate portable cooling sy\lerm m the LCR:· But he added. "'Even these are bette r than nothing :·

Responsible A first year UEA student has hit the literary big time after being published in an international anthology of poetry.

Kri Iran ieflen bagged the publi hing break after winning a poetry competition.

In between doi ng a Joint Major 111 Engli~h and American li terature, Knstian writes poetry and has ju~t started Ius first novel.

KristJan is very happy wrth the deal whJch he hopes will put his name on the literary map. ··1 am very pleased, 11 has already opened doors for me as the publishers called me and aid that they want to see everything else ...

ll1c poem is entitled Last Words and is about the death of a fri end.

Kri tian has spent five years travelling the world and u ed to work as the Administrator of ottingham nightclub, The Black Orchid He has been writing for srx years and uses hrs experiences for ideas. "'You have got to ha\e somethrng to wnte about. · he said.

Unron Welfare Oflrcer. Gary Ma.,.,ey says that the Un ion i' taking responsibility for workrng conditions. ·· we are cthrcally bound to make sure itr s a comfortahlc cn,ironmenl for our members and our staff to worJ.. m."' he sat d ... hence we'' Ill do what needs to he done to make sure the) are comfortable·· ll owe\er. Gary rs adamant that the Unrvcr"t). as owner ol Lnron Hou'e should fork out cash for a new ventilatron system to ea. e the problem

·· we are askrng the l!ntvcrsny. as the landlord. to look rnto the arr conditromng and get 11 sorted :· he sard.

And he added thrs message to UEA bOS'>CS. "The venlllation S)slcm ts gorng to cost We now need you to help us out - 'o put your hands in ) our pocket " Union Communrcations Officet.

And) Watson believes the l nin~rsrl) " not fulfilrng rt s

respon>rbilrty '"Ultimately. they are supposed to provrdc the burldtng whrch rs sen iceab le to the standard that we need to carry out ih dutres:· he satd

Increase llnw ever. L LA Drrector o f Estates and Buildings. Rrchard Gondall claims the Unrnn"s aheratrons In the bar last summer are the cause of soaring temperature,. nd he added that l 1EA would

not foot the bill fl>r a solutton 10 the Unron ·;, problem .

"There ts really no prmpect of the Univer\ ity paying for this remed ial worJ... the cause of which rs drrectl) attributable to the way in w hi eh the bar has been refurbished:· he -.atd.

"The l nion h,ts responsibility for lining it out for their purposes:· ,\ team\ hrle stall are ha,·rn! to put up with madequate condnions. "'11 is workable , but " not plea~ant," satd Steven Drack

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Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

GET 10°/o OFFUK BOOKS The Guardian and The Observer are giving students a discount on newspapers and books.

Students are offered a book of vouchers giving 25 pence off the Guardian and Sunday's Observer.

The offer also includes a book service, which gives students a 10 percent reduction on any book published in the UK. This service provides free delivery to your door. Students will receive a card and PIN number which they can use to order books. After joining they will be given their first booklet of vouchers and they can order more, or phone in book orders simply by telephoning the freefone number given below. scheme, To join the telephone 0500 500 172.

Get insured!

Student's are underestimating the possessions, value of their according to research carried out by Nat West.

They found that average value of student possessions is £2,500, with computer equipment being thieves' favourite. Nat West claims that few students know the value of their possessions and fewer still insure them. They advise shopping around for the most competitive package, looking at whether cover replaces possessions as new and the excess amount.

By NICOLE RUSSELL

FOUR UEA students have found themselves in trouble with the law after attending a fox hunting sabotage in Suffolk.

The students were arrested by police on suspicion of aggravated tee pass after they tried to disrupt the hunt on October 18.

The party included two Despite the arrest , the event Concrete journalists who were was trouble-free . re earching a feature, together "We are a direct action, nonwith members of the Norwich and violent Society who go there not Norfolk Anti-Bioodsports to stop people hunting," said Society.

David.

They disturbed the hunt having "By distracting the dogs, we are spent over an hour on private there to stop them making the kill.

Sometimes we Jay down false property, despite being told by police beforehand to keep off the scents, and when the dogs are onto land. the prey, we try and pull them Said David Finn, a member of away or get in the way." the local Anti-Bloodsports Union Communications Society, ''The police came up and Officer, Andy Watson said that chatted with us before the hunt, the Union supports the motives behind the protest but could not but I did not take that as an official warning. condone the students' actions.

"The next time I saw the police "We back the philosophy, but they were running across a field to you have to stay within the arrest us." constraints of the law," he said.

The students were taken to Police will now decide whether Halesdon Police Station in to charge the students, when they Suffolk, where they were return to the police station on questioned by police for several November 30. .However, a police spokesman hours before being released.

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financial penalties or imprisonment.

"It is possible or even probable, that some, or all of them might not even be charged with anything," he said.

David has not been deterred by the arrest and still intends to protest against fox hunting.

"I go out twice a week and I am still going to go out," he said. "I will just have to be more careful."

Meningitis threatens campuses Students are under threat from meningitis again this year.

Cases of meningitis have occurred this semester in Leicester, Nottingham, Salford and Southampton Universities. The news comes after students across the country were affected by the disea e in several outbreaks last year. NUS is trying to avoid panicking the student population and points out that only four people in every I00,000 are

susceptible to the bacteria which is carried by I 0 per cent of the population. However it is keen to promote awareness of the disease, as early discovery is a priority in treatment. Symptoms include: fever, vomiting; drowsiness or impaired consciousness, rashes, stiff neck, and a dislike of bright lights. If you or a person you know are displaying any of the e symptoms you are advised to seek immediate medical attention.

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Concrete, Wednesd ay, October 29, 1997

PG hits UEA -

continued from front page inside the pyramid with UEA's audience watching from outside. ''The balloon modeller was much better than Pure Passion," said Julia Pearson, who bagged a heart-shaped posy and teddy bear balloon sculpture as a present for a friend .

However, another student was upset by the lack of free cuppas. ''There should be samples for the populace to try out," she said.

"Is it about music or tea?"

For Peter Jones , who designed the pyramid, it was about art, with previous works including floating 50ft diameter spheres and a touring project called Colourscapes, featuring a labyrinth of 90 inflated rooms.

But would it sell tea? Amber Rosenthal thought not. "lt is not obviously a tea bag. lt looks more like a jellyfish," she said.

As for the performers, band Pure Passion we re more concerned about the pyramid which could hold 4 million of \he new tea bags - blowing over.

"But it is . nice to do someth ing different, something bizarre," said Charley, the band's guitarist.

"And we are being paid in tea - we each get a year's supply."

NUS has set up a free 24-hour legal helpline for students with personal injury claims , in addition to the advice already available on housing, family and criminal law.

The new service should help students who suffer injuries playin g sport, through substandard accommodation or even medical negligence .

Solicitors behind the scheme, Thompsons, have already won £8,000 damages for a student whose fi nger was chopped off by a fau lty sash window, and £4,500 for a student knocked off her bike, Students can call the hotline number now on 0800 7314 795.

A UEA steward has won a cash sum after a local brewery swiped his promotional artwork to help increase beer sales.

Gary Laidlaw, who works in Union House, contacted Norfolkbased brewers Buffy's after discovering six months ago that his logo (pictured below) was being used to promote beer as far afield as Newcastle.

The motif was originally taking liberties with something designed for guest beer. Polly's that was not theirs," he said.

"It is· not the money, it is the Folly - brewed for the Graduate Students Bar after it suffered an principle." attempted break-in in 1995 .

However, Gary is yet to receive Then Union Communications the cash from the brewers.

Officer, Pally Knewstub, resigned "Until I get a cheque in my hand over her involvement in the break- I will not believe that I have not in, leaving Polly's Folly as the to do," he best-selling beer in the Grads Bar from 1995 -6.

Pub Challenge Britain's students are being challenged to come up with a new concept for a high street pub.

Whitbread Inns' Young Pub Entrepreneur Competition gives students the chance t o win £1,000 for their team, and the c hance to work as an assistant house manager at one of the chains 1,700 pubs. " This is a serious challenge - but at the same t ime we hope the teams will have a lot of fun preparing their proposal," said Martin Wom ack, sales and marketing director at Whitbread.

Fo r more details conta ct Angela Wajner on 01 14 2612651.

Success Grads Bar Manager, John Vaughan said, "We sold it for three years and it was a good success."

Gary did not charge the Grads bar for designing the logo, but is set to receive £200 from the brewers who carried on using it without his consent. " I j ust felt the brewers were

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l

SHOCKED STUDENTS may well have bumped into Jeff the P*****g Man in the Square last week," writes Graham Diggines.

Created by the Society for Environmental Action , the papier-mache sculpture was used in a demonstration against the investment policies of the four mai n high street banks. " We are running a campaign to draw attention to t he fact t hat Ll oyds, Barclays , Midlan d and Natwest all invest their customer's money in highly unethical enterprises." said Dominic Scholfield of the Society for Environmental Action.

Dominic added that the aim of the campaign was to educate students rather than to directly challenge the banks. " We want students to realise what the banks are doing with their money," he said.

NelNs: In depth 7

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

As the number of people suffering from depression increases, Concrete looks at UEA's stance on the issue, and asks why students are vulnerable Recent coverage of depression has once again pushed this controversial issue into the media spotlight.

do perbap the academic work that suggested another volunteer. needs to be done," be says.

Professor Thome stresses the "When I first came to UEA difficulty of transition to a new there were always some students environment in which expectations to have a good time run high, who came to see us because they were actually frightened that they whilst pointing out the "cover-up But this time there is a more job" that is really going on. were going to fail their degrees.

Now we do a very healthy trade in 'The truth of the matter is that worrying angle to the discussion more and more students are falling clients who are frightened that half the time people are living in a victim to depression. fantasy world, they don't actually they are not going to get fust class It i a trend that Director of know what other people are degrees." thinking or feeling, they just Depression Alliance, Rodney Other changes in society also play an significant role. assume that other people are Elgie, recognises. having a great time." he said.

"The incidence of campus "The disintegration of much depression is ri ing steeply," he family life in this country is The campus layout of the University tends to exaggerate says. undoubtably instrumental in some At UEA, depression, illustrated these social problems. of the difficulties and concerns that bring people to us here, and by motivational loss and very low "When you're living in that self-esteem, is recognised by the which cause a lot of unhappiness community-type atmosphere, if in University Counselling Service as fact you're really totally not well and depression," said Professor a major problem, appearing as a Thome. integrated, it can make you feel primary issue in 2700 of the 3909 He cited fmancial problems and very much worse," said Professor sessions conducted last year. the necessity of seeking tiring partThorne, adding that study at other The annual report for the provincial universities can be just time work as another important University's Coun elling Service, as difficult when digs are situated factor. published last week, stated that last "If you have a lot of very tired miles away from the main people around, and I believe that year 555 people had individual buildings. counselling sessions.

"So I think in sum total, the lot you do here, the chances are that That' an increase of 14.5% on you'll have a lot of people who are of students is generally pretty the previous year. awful in some respects throughout actually pretty depressed." This, the country." he concluded.

Professor Brian Tborne, he feels, is a newer problem given Director of the Counselling In respon e to the increasing that it used to be against university regulations to seek part-time work. problems of student depression, Service since 1974, highlighted the rising demand for help.

Volunteers from Nightline, the Depression Alliance is bringing "Indisputably, far more students confidential campus in higher education are now listening and seeking the help of counsellors information service, also than probably has ever been recognised the financial before." aspect of the problem.

"It's like the student He suggests some reasons for prerogative to whinge the rising numbers of campus depressives, including his belief about just about anything, but I think that there has been a large cultural poverty and pressure are shift, leading to a very out a booklet to be distributed just getting more and more," said competitive, ruthless society. around universities for students one trained volunteer.

"It's the fear of failure that often with depressive feelings or "[ think it can have a lot to do actually induces all sorts of depressive feelings and makes it with, particularly in the fust year, tendencies.

'There is a dearth of supportive the feeling that you don't fit in." very difficult for some people to . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -......- - - - - - - - - - - - - . information and advice for new students," claimed the organisation's director, Rodney Elgie.

Nightline volunteers emphasized that there are in fact many points of contact around the university that depressed students can approach, starting with their own service.

"Basically what we provide is a listening service in complete anonymity.

Whatever, whenever, whoever, we will listen. And we won't judge. And we won't tell

anybody," said one of the volunteers: Union Welfare Officer, Gary Massey, promoted the system.

"Nightline counsellors come from within the student body and although their training is

personal exercises about feelings understanding other people's feelings. We are trained to be here but we're not professionals, we can only do so much." she explained. highlighted the Gary relationship between Nightline and the University Counselling Service.

"The two complement each other quite well I think, they work closely together."

However, as in all universities, the Counselling Service is under a lot of pressure, with an almost permanent waiting list, presently of about 30 people.

An initial exploratory session there is easy to obtain, though, and there are some other options raised by one of the Nightline volunteers.

"You can see a counsellor for an exploratory session, then there's the Dean of Students and Resident Tutors. For more practical things, like problems with landlords, you can go to the Advice Unit. And there's all sorts of national organisations based in Norwich," she said.

Support is also avai lable from the Chaplaincy, where taff offer an informal drop-in service. The Chaplaincy is multi-faith and staff will offer a listening ear, no matter what your religious beliefs.

"The disintegration of much family life in this country is undoubtedly instrumentai"¡Director of Counselling, Brian Thorne professional, the idea really is that it is a service run by students for students. You might find that there are times when chatting to a little student about a specific studentrelated issue is going to be better and more beneficial than perhaps the formality of actually talking to someone who is a counsellor."

Gary also explained the other aspects of the service.

"It 's also an information service, it doesn ' t only deal with the negative aspects but, as Nightline themselves have advertised quite well, it's anything from a wind down chat if you've been working all night right through to 'where can I order

pizza?'"

One of their volunteers explained the type of training they receive. â&#x20AC;˘ "You have role play practicals, like what might happen in certain situations, but you also do more

Ultimately, advised one of the it 's Nightline volunteers, important to seek help, no matter where.

"Don't worry about who's the right person to go to. Once you start on the steps of getting help, eventually you will find somebody who'll do the right thing by you," she maintained.

In spite of the increase in student depression , Professor Thome was keen to put the present situation into perspective.

He refutes The Guardian's suggestion that 10-20% of new student intake will be in need of p ychiatric treatment before graduation.

"It is not that they need psychiatric treatment, they are actually, if you like, problems which come from the human condition," he said.

"Even if the human condition nowadays is quite difficult, it doesn't mean to ay that they should all be shooting off to psychiatrists.

"In any cohort of students graduating [from UEA] each summer, about 12-14% of them will have con ulted the counselling service, but the number who have consulted a psychiatrist will be very, very small.

He concludes, "I wouldn't like anyone to think that UEA is full of people who are going to need psychiatric treatment."

'.

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Features 9

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

a n the superna ural forces at work in alloween was formerly a Celtic festival known as Allhallows; the eve of October 31 saw celebrations for the end of the summer. Halloween acquired a rather sinister significance because of the cold, dull time of year. Spirits of the dead were supposed to return to their former homes and people would hold fire ceremonies to frighten off the evil ones. Although Halloween has become centred around trick or treating, apple bobbing and dressing up; ghosts and the supernatural are still of interest to many people. A ghost is defined as 'the soul of a dead person' and people claim to

H

have experienced

i~~!~rions,

IS

on my own, I don't feel frightened or anything. lt's just comfortable; it is a kind ghost. Several times, some of my customers have said that they can't go into the rooms because they feel a presence, a feeling about that room, even though they know nothing about the previous sightings.• The old building used to have a tea-room and she explained that the staff there would set a table for the grey lady. They felt that they had to do it and always had a table laid for on& person in the corner.

Dragon Hall on King Street is also said to have a ghost. In the past, local papers have

a taff at D ragon H a ll c I a Im to h ave reported ghost heard strange wailing noises :~~hrey

strange lights, screams, laughter and footsteps.

Buildings believed to be haunted are often linked to stories of violent deaths and strong emotional links. The person actually being haunted is sometimes thought to' be connected with the ghost's bad experience. There's a lot of superstition about the supernatural, and we went into Norwich in search of ghosts.

Betty Godsafe of the Norwich Antiques Centre

which has apparently been haunting the building for many years. The rumours state that the ghost is a monk who used to go to St Julian's Church and walk the tunnels linking it with nearby buildings. Dragon Hall used to be the Old Barge Inn, and people say that the owner had experienced poltergeist activities, with stools moving onto the floor after he had put them up on the bar at night. Staff there claim to have heard strange wailing noises. Neil Stigsworth said, "I just coming round the , and I heard a shouting noise coming from the building. I wouldn't know how to explain it, but I wouldn't swear it was something supernatural."

"I'm often here late at night because of alarms and things, and I've never really felt a presence as such; the only thing I've really experienced is that noise." His eo-worker had a more vivid experience. He had heard the ghost while studying for his degree at The East Anglian Centre for Cultural Studies 3 to 4 years ago. He was doing voluntary work for Dragon Hall and was showing a lecturer the outside .,...,~olil.~of the building when they a shout or wail that to come from inside. was nobody inside the and on checking the there was no-one to be As they walked back to , the sound came - this time unmistakably inside the building. He .-,nrnm,AnlrAn that If he's ever in the building in the or evening, he always or goodbye to the as he believes it's better to be safe than sorry.

saying that they don't want to scare anybody off.

Vanessa McGregor of the general office dismissed the story as nothing but rumours.

Father Trevor, the Catholic Priest on campus was quick to draw a distinction between spirits

into a new home. If a person came to him, asking for an exorcism, Father Trevor said that he would often carry out a house blessing to set their minds at rest.

The. evidence for spirits manifesting

.The Old bUilding USed tO be a tea•rGOm and they WOUld &et a table fOr One fOr the grey lady there.

said that she had never seen the ghost, although many of her customers had - it's called the grey lady. She was adamant that a good friend of hers had seen the lady, and told us about a spooky encounter that she had experienced, when a chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling started swinging wildly. "I know that nobody touched it because it was high on the ceiling and it wasn't a windy day. lt only ever happened once."

The grey lady is part of the building. ·SITe- confided; "l·have·to ~a1 ttmt 9.1het,.l~ here' ·

and ghosts. "A spirit is the aspect of a dead person which is destined for eternal life."

He added, "Sometimes these souls become detached from destiny because, for one reason or another, they have not been freed. Life after death is certainly believed to exist but describing it is impossible."

After watching horror films and reading books, people often jump to the church and ask for exorcisms to remove what they believe to be ghosts in their own homes. According to Father Trevor these hauntings are not necessarily ghosts or spirits, merely an objective force of evil which makes the person feel 'possessed'. He felt that nine of ten reports were in peoples minds, but Wall unwilling dismiss the ph~nomena. When performing exorcisms, the church is under strict control and only certain priests who have been authorised by a bishop can carry them out. Unlike the stereotypical ceremony, an exorcism involves holy water and praying rather than lots of shrieking and chanting. The loser to home, various ghosts have been selected priest must also be very experienced and have a spotted on campus - an anonymous stable state of mind. They need letter to Concrete last year commented to be able to cope with such on a black shrouded figure walking across the potentially dangerous situations courtyard and disappearing into a wall. involving evil spirits and power.

Meanwhile, rumours about Earlham Hall abound after the Lady of the house committed suicide , Houses are often blessed by hanging herself from the chandelier. The law priests - many people like to departrnern tnwe reiU'Sed to· confirm 1ha Mrtdl.rt - · · llave 1his ct011e· before mo>1ing •

C

themselves is small. Sometimes there is simply no explanation for events and evil power cannot • be explained

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

In a cli111ate that strives for equality, Labour MP Stephen TlNigg talks exclusively to Graha111 Diggines about gay rights. tephen Twigg is an extraordinary figure and in many ways encapsulates the spirit of the late 1990s. He is ambitious, and at 27 he represents a new generation of politicians, and like a stick of seaside rock he has New Labour written all the way through him.

What is surprising is that Mr Twigg, who is openly homosexual, has been elected to a traditionally

S

Conservative seat defeating the darling of the Conservative right, Michael Portillo. If you stayed awake to watch the election results you may remember the hilarious exchange between Jeremy Paxman and Mr

Portillo which resulted in Mr Portillo declaring that he didn't want to answer any more questiOns because he was going to have a night oft! The next day Mr Twigg found himself at the centre of the media spotlight, to the extent that he was interviewed for the news while having his hair cut at the barbers!

In the flesh Mr Twigg comes across as a very amiable, charming man whose-manner and enthusiasm suggest that he is enjoying his new position as MP for Southgate. He is also proud to be known as the gay rran who beat Michael Portillo during the election. However he does not want to be remembereo for this alone. "I want to be known as a successful MP taking on a range of issues. Saying that, beating Michael Portillo has clearly made me popular and has given me the sort of profile that most new MPs only dream about -that's not to be scoffed at. I'm also very happy to be known as openly gay."

homosexuality in schools, equality in the eyes of the law, protection from discrimination at work, legal recognition of same sex partners and recognition of homosexual parents. The gay organisation Stonewall who run the campaign believe that these are basic human rights which go to the very heart of human existence. Without these rights gays and lesbians are effectively second class citizens.

The law of gross indecency is a major bone of contention.

This law prohibits gay sex under the age of 18, the maximum jail sentence being ·tive years.

Case studies carried out by Stonewall illustrate the way in which the gross indecency law is enforced by the police and courts. In 1991, 28 gay men were arrested in Surrey woodlands and were fined up to £1000 each. These offence.s were only discovered because the police actively went looking for_gays in bushes. By contrast in August 1992 a heterosexual couple who had sex on a train in full View of other passengers were fined only £50 each. In 1995, 519 gay men were prosecuted or cautioned for so-called acts of gross indecency. The men involved consented to the sexual acts for which they were prosecuted although they were not strictly 'in private.' Gross indecency is a relic from the law founded in 1885 and was used to prosecute and jail Oscar Wilde.

This year the Sexual Offenders Act was passed, bringing further complications for men who decide to ignore the law and have under age-sex. lt makes any "age of consent" offence such as sex between a man of 20 and a man of 17 subject to inclusion on the paedophile register.

Mr Twigg stated his hopes that the new government would go further than just equalising the age of consent. "Tony Blair wants a society free of discrimination and if that is to be achieved we need more than just a change in the age of consent. it's the clearest symbol of discrimination and it directly affects people. In fact people are in prison today because of it, but I hope we don't stop there." Angela Mason, Executive Director of Stonewall, strongly reiterated this point, "There is now a clear choice that must be made.

Partiament can recognise lesbians and gay men as full members of society enjoying the same rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. The alternative is to go hiding behind old prejudices which have forced generations of lesbians and gay men to live as second class citizens."

these issues are generational. lt's not just on the Labour side that there are younger MPs. The Conservative leader is also young and more broad minded than Conservative leaders in the past. I think that society has chariged and politicians and partiament have in the past been left behind."

Analysis of opinion polls conducted by organisations such as Harris, Guardian/ICM and

•

coming out in helping to change attitudes.

Stephen Twigg recognised that if more gay men and lesbians were to come out it would have a positive result. "I would encourage more people to come out as people's fear and prejudice is often based on a lack of knowledge and a lack of experience of gay people. I think that to a certain extent this is a generational thing.

Someone of my grandmother's generation is far less likely to have met someone who was gay than someone in my generation. However it is a personal decision and no one has the right to out someone else."

Statistics appear to support the point made

by Mr Twigg that intolerance is a generational phenomena. Surveys carried out on behalf of Equality 2000 show that the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups appear to be the most supportive of gay rights with the over 65's least supportive. The surveys also suggest that individuals are less likely to change their opinions and will maintain their more tolerant attitudes over time, raising the hope that all generations may some day be equally tolerant.

Angela Mason also stresses the need for homosexuals to come out and voice the need for equality. " We are depending on the commitment, courage and strength of every lesbian, gay man · and bisexual in this country. We must all come out for equality in our hundreds and thousands and millions. We do not have to enter the next millennium as second class citizens. We can be a force that will change history." Despite the news that homophobia is less likely to occur in the younger generations much work still has to be done to make schools safer for people declaring their homosexuality for the first time.

The Stonewall "Queerbashing" survey showed that those under the age of 18 had the worst time.

In the last five years 48 per cent of this age group had been attacked, 61 per cent abused and 90 per cent called names. 40 per cent of the attacks

"Tony Blair w ants a society free of discrimination and if that is to be achieved w e need more than just a change in the age of consent."

he fact that these issues are now being seriously approached illustrates a shift that has taken place in British public opinion; gay characters now appear in prime time Eastenders, television companies are airing programmes purely for a gay audience, and even the party in power has held a gay night at its annual conference. Mr Twigg argued that this reflects a long term change which has recently come to a head. "We have a parliament with far more black MPs, far more women MPs and far more openly lesbian and gay MPs - that must make a difference. I think to some extent

T

British Social Attitudes have surprisingly shown that attitudes do not vary greatly with voting intention.

In a 1992 Harris poll, support for equal age of consent was consistently high across all the parties. On other questions, there was not much difference between Conservative and Labour voters. A majority of Conservative voters said that they would accept homosexuals in the armed services. lt could be argued that in this sense the Conservative Party doesn't seem to reflect the views of its own voters. Mr Twigg was quick to condemn the track record of the former Conservative government. "I think that the most frightening thing about the Tories was that their legislation fostered widespread discrimination. The Labour Party says that there can be no place in an inclusive society for discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, sexuality, disability or age." he evidence seems to suggest that at the heart of the prejudice lies a fear of the unknown fed by misinformation and inaccurate stereotypes. Analysis of a 1992 Harris PoiJ shows that those who agreed strongly with equality for lesbians and gay men were more likely to know lesbians and gay men, and those that disagreed with equality were less likely to know any lesbians or gay men. This suggests that gay rights activists are right to stress the importance of

T

!"!!"'------...•••----------------------.. .

actually took place in schools. Stephen Twigg argues that it is important to combat intolerance by recognising homosexuality in schools. "Certainly a lot of young people realise they are gay when they are at school. This can be a very difficult time and these people often feel isolated and face prejudice.

Schools have a responsibility to create an atmosphere that is anti-discriminatory on the grounds of sexuality. We want to ensure that the curriculum is honest about the existence of gay men and lesbians. This would include honest teaching that reflects the different lifestyles that people are going to have later in life. I want to

hope in hell that Outrage! will achieve their aim and I don't think they will receive much support from the gay community. I'm also worried that they could undermine the successful work of organisations like Stonewall which generally succeeds in building bridges between people and organisations." ne of the more insidious forms of discrimination arises from the fact that the law fails to recognise homosexual relationships. Equality 2000 documents the case of one gay man called Bill. "I lived with my partner

0

"I would encourage more people to come out as people's fear and prejudice is often based on a lack of knowledge and a lack of experience of gay people." encourage good practice but I don't think it's an area in which government should rush in. In the 1980s the question of sexuality and education was taken up in a very aggressive manner, but this only served to maximise the opposition. • Stonewall

~•-----.,. reinforce the need for recognition

of homosexuality within the education system, saying that 61 per cent of teachers felt that they should deal with lesbian and gay issues but were prevented from doing so by a fear of criticism and the law enshrined in Section 28. This piece of legislation prevents local authorities from intentionally promoting homosexuality and promoting what Section 28 describes as, "the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship." Another gay pressure group, Outrage! are calling for the gay age of consent to be set at 14. Mr Twigg voiced his opinion, "I think they're wrong. I think that the key issue is that we want equality and that we want an equal age of consent. Its very important that we remain. sensitive to issues that surround abuse of young people and if the age of consent was to be lowered below the age of 16 we may be sanctioning abus~ •f<t)'le young._, Ttwe· iSn't

a·

Peter for 35 years. We met as young men and I adorE~d him to the end. At first we were both poor, but Peter became very successful. We had a wonderful life, but a year ago Peter died. He did make a will but I still had to pay 40% inheritance tax on everything that he left me including the half share of our own home. I got no benefits from his pension. I know I'm not as bad off as some but I feel terribly angry that so much of what we had built together has gone. A heterosexual couple could be.married for a week and they would be protected. Why couldn't a relationship of 35 years be recognised?" Lesbian and gay partners face similar discrimination in pensions, workplace benefits such as health insurance, cheap or free use of employers services, taxation and housing.

Recently however Home Secretary Jack Straw has been considering allowing the partners of gay immigrants into the country. The present government supported amendments that would have given rights to same sex couples in housing and pensions, while in opposition, so people are hopeful that things will change in the future.

Looking further afield, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and !<::eland all have partnershjp laws for same-sex couples and the Hawaiian Supreme Court is likely to decide in the next year that it is sex discrimination not to allow two people of the same sex to marry. There is much to be done in the fight for equality but already great foundations for this change have been laid.

The election of a new Labour government with its promises for change has given hope to many gay ~." and lesbians.

12Features

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Sarah O'Mahoney visits Slovakia and discovers the secret promise of Eastern Europe... . ·

M

any people still think of Central and Eastern Europe In terms of famlliar stereotypes: food shortages, heavy Industry, unfriendliness and

Inaccessibility.

Slovakia's profile is, to say the least, low - both with travellers and with the rest of the world.

Those who do travel to the fonner 'Eastem Bloc' tend to concentrate on cities like Prague, Budapest and Warsaw. However, right in the centre of Europe, lies one of Its best kept secrets, Slovakla • a small but beautiful S country which, atter centuries of foreign rule, recently achieved independence.

The Slovaks have preserved a dlatlnc:tive culture, and are now making up for 1oet time by celebrating it. Nowhere is the national spirit more evident than in Bratlslava Small. lively and welcoming, it is an unusual capital city, boasting many buildings of striking grandeuf, and some of

C&rpathian Mountains. Although Bratlslava 18 In the Danubian plain, most of Slovakia Is forested and mountainous. .We took an early train from Bratislava to the northern town of Zillna which threaded alongside the Vah river and saw people of all ages wortdng with horse-drawn machinery. We noticed one pair of female diggers soaking up the sun in bikinis hardy the stuff of Communist propaganda posters I saw in my history teldbooksl Train travel is enjoyable • comfortable and

connected by a road and an antiquated tramline. Unfortunately, the Tatraa are an exception to the rest of Slovakia In terms of popularity and costs. In August, we were warned that they are unpleasantly crowded and prices rocket We found a cheap pension In the easternmost resort Tatranska Lomnlca, a quiet place whose main attraction was the thrflllng cable car service to the second highest peak in the Tatras, Lomnicky Stlt.

The return tickets cost £8 each. more than we spent on trains for our whole stey In Slovakla • but it is well worth it.

The first stage of the ride skims wooded slopes to arrive at the glassy tam of Skalnate Pleso. From there, the car Is hauled almost vertically up the rocky peak to the 2632 metre SliTlllllt.

The sight of the station shrinking to the size of a matchbox and the cable fading from light is terrifying, but you should stand by the window if you're brave enough. it Is one of the most awe-Inspiring views you will ever see without crampons At the top you have half an hour to watch the cloud swirl around the awesome black peaks, capped with snow, and the wild valleys that wind into Poland. Take a nice warm jumper if you want to make the most of it - it's freezing at any time of the year!

·r-----------------------~

l i t Is easy to seek out genuine folk culture; t rongholdS 0 f dlVerse t radltlOnS are scattered throughout Eastern Slovakla

Incredibly cheap, and If you can speak any German (English Is not spoken outside the capital), you wHI ftnd fellow passengers delighted to talk to you and offer advice. We got on surprisingly well with a phrasebook, a notepad and plenty of mlmlngl From Zlna we took a bus to the Vratna . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -..... Valley, In the Mala Fatra National Paft(. We stayed In the hamlet of Stefanova, In a chata which la a kind of hostel. These are dotted all over the republic's ll'IOUrltiU18, costing from £3 to £7 for a double room and often have incredible views. The smaller are run more like guesthouses, and can often provide information about hiking and activities in the national parks At the head of the Vratna valley, a

chiiiWI rune e1rn01t 10 tw tap ol Vel'ky KtlvM, the , . , .•• highl8t peak (1709 m.) making a good hike p088Ible for even the lazle8t visitor. The vtewa from the ridge tops

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Irritating mUiiclans, wllh gypsy-style waistcoats and twirling moustaches. But it 18 easy to seek out genuine folk culture; strongholds of diverse traditions are scallered ttvo&910Ut ea.m S1cM11c1a, which ltlllllcl• hili . . T..... to . .

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IDWered calhechl a multiple weddilg was aboul to lake place, and thent were photographefa everywhele. We cldn't m.lbWaiiiiP""lili'B two untfvlllld guests In 8cn.ilfY shorts, so we hurried down the deserted main street. passing two errant page boys playing marbles in the dust by an

orange bell-tower.

On a hll dlr8dly oppoele. abcMt the town of - - Poctvadle. loomed the rne;eatic Spls CMIIe. ...... fnlm ~yellow lllldl. .... you ..... In 8lcMidl. .. poonlf' theiOwnl and v~~~g~a-. mi thellhnic blind 11 men

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a paid advertisement by your student union

EXEC SQUANDER MONEY!

"FANTASTIC! FABULOUS! WONDERFUL" ~~~~~ "THE PACE NEVER SLACKENS FOR AN INSTANT" ~·'

UEA STUDENT PRICE £3.50 adv

LIVE IN HIVE CANCELLED Following changes to fire safety procedures, the famous weekly free event in the Hive has been moved to the LCR. As yet, the Executive can't think of a decent name for this room change, however, these free events wi 11 sti 11 go ahead on most Tuesdays during term time. "lt's a question of events clashing!" said Gavin Hudson, Assistant Ents Manager. "If we have the offer of a top band on a Tuesday we must book it for the fans, but if the night is available, we wi 11 stage free or cheap events for Union members. Already planned for Tuesdays is Echobelly, £8.50 adv; Gladiator Inflatable games, free; Peter Zenner hypnotist, £1; Latin party £tbc and karaoke. The Executive have also ordered the £1 a pint promotion to be available for these cheap or free Tuesday nights.

Last week, the Executive ordered the ents team to bring in cheap entertainment for its members.

As a consequence, new and different style events have been planned with huge discounts for UEA students. A touring stage musical with top named singers and a full supporting cast of musicians and dancers come on Nov 12, an amazing display of mind reading and hypnotism from Pete~ Zenner on Nov 25, a Latin party with top London salsa act Merengada on Dec 2 and a Club Retro Christmas Party on Dec 8 with that ace ABBA tribute, BJORN AGAIN. CLUB RETRO CHRISTMAS PARTY FEATURING BJORN AGAIN

UEA STUDENT PRICE £5adv

14

etters & Comment

Concrete, Wednesday, Oc tober 29, 1997

CRASH: THE UEA CUT

MYSTIC ROD

lt is a bit o f an e uphemi sm to say that the Cras h's screenin g, o n Friday. Se pte mber 17, in Lectu re Theater I, was not very much apprec iated by the crowd who cam e in a body to see it. if I co nfine myse lf to th e haemorrhage of peop le stead il y leavin g the roo m be fore the e nd o f it. and to th e gene ral laughter (o f rei ief?) that broke after it s last line. I personaly think the film was large ly underrated (if overrated by the crit ics) by the .publi c thi s e ve ning . bu t whose fault was it rea ll y?

The screenin g has bee n comple te ly ru ined by a seem ing ly care less project ionist who not only tu m ed the 20 fi rst mi nutes o f th e movie into a complete farce (th e image was totall y fl at, and the fi gures o n the screen comica ll y di, torted). but purely and simply left one en tire reel of the movie out. so that 20 min utes of the movie were never , bowed. Cro nenberg · s mov ie became the n incomprehe ns ible. and a lm ost non se n, ica l actua ll y. w ith characte r' s udden ly popping out on the screen (Gabri c ll e/Roseanna Arquelle).

REVEALS

HOROSCOPES

and o thers dying wi thout having rea lly been int rodu ce d (Co lin Seag rave!Peter MacNe ill ). But most impo rtant of all . in thi s UEA-exc lusive-reduced version. we never rea ll y get to kno w Va ughan (E lias Koteas) . the grand master o f them all .

Now the mo vie itself started w ith a c o upl e o f severe handi caps anyway. the fi rst and not least of th e m be ing it s steamy reput ati on, whi ch drew so many spec tators to thi s Friday screeni ng. I think it is very unlike ly most of the m would have come if th ere had not bee n suc h a fuss abo ut it. and d id not rea lly know what to ex pect.

The second obvious handi cap o f Cras h was probabl y Crash itse lf. For Cronenberg ' s mov ie is ce rt ai nly no t a n ea,y-go in g ma in strea m movie. fi rstl y because of its topics (a sexual ob,ession invo lvin g car. death and mec ha ni cs) a nd Crone nberg ·' own obsess ion with the fu s io n of ma n and mac h ine (a lread y a ppa re nt in T he Fly or Dead Ringe rs). and second ly because o f it s co ld and de tached. almost mec han ica l

Crossword answers: issne77 Would you like Concrete's Mystic Rod to cas t his c osmic gaze upon yo ur own pe rs onality, and share his find ings with the entire popu latio n of UEA? Or do you know someon e whose birthda y is coming up in Novembe r a nd might be amused by a little free publ icity? If so, jus t write you r (or you r frie nd's) name, time (if yo u know it), date, and place of birth on a piece of paper and add ress it for th e attention of Mystic Rod. Please enc lose a contact telephone numbe r too, if you ca n, a nd a photo of the s ubject.

Drop a ll this off in Union House, either in the Concrete office upstairs , or in our box next to the Steward's Cabi n.

Crossword

Across 1. Jackanory 2. Noah 3. Temporary 9. Toga 10. Elusive 13. Coat 14. Estate 15. Spire 11. Asp 18. Goth 21. Rue 22. Re-educate 24. Ebb 25.1s 26. Effervescent

32. Longevity · 33. Wait Down 1. Jitter 2. Compulsive 3. Ago 4. Rare 5. Notice 6. Heartaches 8. Rive 11. Escapade 12. Dapple 15. Surreal 16. Ecu 19. Orbit 20. Tubs

Across 1. Destroy and deface (6) 5. Muscle (5) 8. Spanish boy (5) 9. He fo und the road to Wigan Pier

26. Big hairy man you might encounter at high altitude (4) 29. A person who likes nice figures (12)

(6) 10. To raise the tone or standard of

Down 1. An analytical technique (14) 2. A shivering fit (4) 3. Relating to the environment (1 2) 4. Dangerous meeting · who knows?

(3,2) 11. Desert spot or are they the Beatles? (5) 12. Darning or mending (6)

14. For all th ose little devils on Halloween (5) 15. Public house (3) 16. Antique (6) 18. Will they give you your grant on time? (3) 20. Levy (6) 22. French king (3) 23. Exhilarating pleasure (6) 25. Xenophobes believe you should stay in them (6)

(7)

5. In support of literature (9) 6. Type of fish; small lobster (4) 7. Inviting sexual occurrences (14) 13. 'Tis folly to be _ (4) 17. Pronoun (2) 19. Reach a destination (6) 21. Exacting payment from misde· meanour (6) · 24. Unobstructed space (4) 27. Snaky swimmer (3) 28. Conjunction (2)

produc ti o n (ic y im ages. lo ng trac kin gs . co ld mu sic. impassive ac tors .. .. ) th at prevents a ny kind o f ide ntifi ca ti on wit h th e characters, or amactio n to the ir obsess io n.

But last Friday' s tota ll y la me project ion was maybe o ne o f too man y ha nd icaps fo r thi s mo vie, which did not deserve that man y. For C ronenberg may succeeded in not have everything he a imed for. but at leas t he was. as a d irec to r. co herent w ith himse lf and hi s obse,s ions and to th at ex tent . he is certainl y respec table. and to be rc,pected. if not to be liked.

Now th at C rash may be di stu rbing for some. or wor>c. bo ring fo r ma ny. is a not h.:r maller. but to literall y ruin the sc ree ning o f th at mov ie as the Union di d on last Fri day. shows just a tota l lack of re,pcct not on ly for the movie. but abo for the spectator,.

What wou ld you 'ay about buyin g a boo k in the Uni on·, Secondhand Booksho p w ith .\0 pages from it mi ssing?

Florence Curet

Competition Winners: Issue 77 The lucky winner of the Se There Now CD from Select Magazine_is Esme Porter, EAS3.

Answer: Radiohead'ssinger isThom York.

The winner of the railcardcompetition\s$amG\azer, EAS2 Answer: The British film starring Ewan McGregor is TrainspoHing.

Letters &

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

The theft of over £6,000 of students' money from the Hive bar Is disgraceful - and highlights a lack of careful management.

Union Communications Officer, Andy Watson says that procedures are "lax" and bar staff have agreed. The fact that the door was left unlocked by a Bars Manager is of course, an act of human error. However, with the cash turnover of the bars each year, it's about time that proper procedures and security measures were taken.

In response to Keith Nicholls comments in your last issue.

How on earth (stronger language would be used if possible) are we supposed to take our sport seriously if the University doesn't?

Mr Nicholls says we could do better. I agree, we could do a lot better. Hoewever, the University with Mr Nicholls approval, has old our training spot out from under us.

He also does not allow us to train indoors, on exercise that improves reaction time, speed and team worth because we might damage the walls of a hall designed partly for indoor

hockey.

Yes, we could do better.

We could improve the availability of sport at our University.

There are 66 dedicated hockey players.

However, fm;t the University has got t(l do better.

Give us proper backing PLEASE! Don't for UEA go commercialisation.

Name supplied

Just think what £6,000 could have been sjlent on for the benefit of students.

Co~n~nent

The violence at UEA during the England game was a disgrace. Let 's be absolutely clear what caused it.

Concrete referred to the "ignorance and bigotry of a few" (Concrete comment, Is ue 77). That' correct.

But let's call them exactly what they are. AZIS! Their o-caiJed ideals and slogans have no place at UEA. The Union ha an anti-racism/fascism policy which must be effective. UEA has many foreign students who are welcome here. They should not be opened up to victimisation and harassment by low life scum. Let us

15

not forget what organisations like the alional Front and British ational Party stand for. A master race, and Holocau t denial . Gays, blacks, the disabled, socialists, trade unionists and single parents all fonn part of the problem according to them. We have to be ab olutely clear that nazis should not be able to air their views. They believe not in democracy, but in taking away democracy.

Remember Nazis - NEVER AGAIN.

Name supplied

lt goes straight through you as well does it?

OPT students have been banned from the 810 cafe due to overcrowding. lt's a shame that there are not more provisions for science students, located away from the centre of campus, and just after a cup of coffee during breaks from seminars.

But it also goes to show that when a decent, good quality outlet opens up on campus, students flock there in numbers. lt's something that University catering chiefs should take note of.Students have been banging their head against a wall trying to get cheap, good quality food and maybe the chance of a pizza or burger after the LCR.

Let's hope that when catering giants, Gardner Merchant come onto campus, they listen to our views on what we want and need. lt's great news ~hat students have helped to cut UEA's energy bill by over £5,000. Let's hope that as time goes on we can make UEA a greener place for all.

university ot east angua

(<~J;.~~;Jjij UEA's Independent Student Newspaper PO Box 410,Norwich NR4 nB Tel: (01603) 250558 Fax: (01603) 506822 E-Mail: su.concrete@uea.ac.uk •Editor: Jane Kirby •Deputy Editor: Matthew Ray •Assistant News Editor: Katie Nicholl •Chief News Reporter: Graham Diggines •Features Editor: Emma Newbery •Chief Features Writer: Katie Crockett •Sports Editor: Nick Triggle •Picture Editor: Rob Lutyens •Special Projects Editor: James Curtis •Editorial Contributors: Sam Taylor, Paul Pearshouse, Claudia Braun, Mark Edwards, Carolina Jeater, Sean Davies, Kate Hamilton, Stave Quinn, David Roberts •Photographers: Rob Lutyens, Graham Diggines, Sophie Edgington, Matt Walsh •Advertising Manager: Amy Kingswell •Special Thanks to: UH Stewards, everyone at ECN •Copy Editor: Kay Spragg •Proofreaders: Carolina Vincent, Melania Edmonds, Anita Miah, Sarah Harris, Sarah Pascoe •DTP Assistants: Jane Kirby, Catherine Jones, Nick Triggle, Emma Newbery, Katie Crockett, John Spacey, James Tapsfield, Paul Stokes, Stuart Dredge, James Curtis •Concrete is published by the Union of UEA Students. Opinions expressed are those of the Contributor and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. Use of the name 'The Event' appears by arrangement with the copyright holders, Planet Zog Ltd. •No part of this newspaper may be reproduced or transmitted by any means electronic, supersonic, or in any computer that crashes 30 times in one day without the prior written consent of the publisher. •Printed by Eastern Counties Newspapers Ltd., Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RE.© UUEAS, 1997

GOYLine (01603} 592505 Monday 8 -10pm (Term Times} University of East Anglia Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ su.lgb@uea.ac.uk

Confidential listening without prejudice

~592505 Monday 8 ·10pm (Term Time)

nightline 503504.Norfolk Terrace C03.12

Listening Not Lecturing ~ Opening Hours: 8pm - Barn every day for drop-in or phone 503504

...-

I

I

paid advertisement by your student union lt's hard to believe it's week 6 already, nearly reading week.

We're already making plans for Christmas, and sooner or later you'll be making plans for that mid-term break at home. However you decide to travel , your Union is here to help you on your way. Rail cards, coach cards and tickets are all available in advance from The Union Travel Shop.

Before heading off campus , don't forget to drop into The UFO & grab a snack for the journey, The Paper Shop for a magazine, The Post Office for batteries (?!) -you don't want your walkman , or anything else for that matter running out of steam half way home - then over to The Union .Bar for a swift half. Since it's reading week , best not forget that course book you've had your eye on in the second hand book shop. Oh , and don't forget to wrap up warm with a UEA scarf, available in a variety of school colours from , you guessed it. .. The Union Sports Shop! Whilst on the subject of travelling home, here's an idea that might interest you ...

LIFT S HARING , CHEAP, G REEN & THOROUGHLY ENdOYABLE! Which of the following is the odd one out?

1 2 3 4

Rooms Spit Lifts home Tazos

Answer... Rooms, you can swap the others in Union House.

(Room swaps are advertised in the Accommodation Office).

The lift sharing board is situated opposite the photo booth in Union House. As with all good ideas it is simplicity itself. If you 're looking for a lift, or looking for someone to help out with the petrol money, this is the place to advertise. As our photo shows, unli ke The Hive , there are no restrictions on how many you can squeeze in, but mind your undercarriage. The last thing you want is to damage your 'pipe ' on the A47 . Bon Voyage! Whilst on the subject of transport. ..

20 bankers students tussle with a Cin

BIKES, WHO'S RIDING YOURS TONIGHT? lt's a problem as old as the 'penny farthing ' itself ... bike theft. Something however which won 't cost you a penny, never mind a farthing , is the UEA cycle coding scheme. Get yourself & yo.u r bike along to the Porter's Lodge, where the boys in blue w ill stamp, sticker & photograph your stead free of charge, making your bike less nickable.

r riding your bike, Get it code

As we're sure most of you are aware, you can 't beat a good bike shed (except perhaps that dimly lit corner of the LCR) , but seriously, until facilities improve always leave your bike locked to something solid in a well lit area .

... &finally, witty captions for the above photos to 'Andy or Gary' via the Steward's office in Union House. The best caption will receive a pair of LCR tickets. .

.

STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! TIME ON YOUR HANDS? GET INVOLVED! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! 路,

VOLUNTARY SERVICES FAIR IN THE LCR 10am-4pm WEDNESDAY 29th OCTOBER, AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE WORK OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL GROUPS

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

Sports Feature 17

Concrete. Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Recent trends suggest that hooliganism may be returning

By STUART DREDGE

THESE ARE heady days for English football fans. Last year at Euro '96, football came home with a vengeance as Terry Venables came so close to leading England to the final.

What is more, the best players from all over the world are flocking to us with exciting, fluent football, week in week out. apparent success of the foo tball We have just qualified for the anti-hool iganism World Cup, finishing ahead of the authorities' mighty Italy in our qualifying safeguards. group. Life, it seems, is sweet.

Ever since the Heysel Stadium But whatever the heroics of our disaster in the mid-80s , British footballers on the pitch, off it, an old football had made a concerted effort habit is refusing to stay dead . to clean up its act.

Stadiums were made all-seater, Those of us who watched the known hooligans were banned for England-Italy match two weeks ago life, and campaigns were mounted were treated to the sight of English fans charging at their Italian to attract back the families who had been frightened off by the violence. counterparts before facing brutal retaliation from the native police.

Only recently , the authorities were congratu lating themselves on And thi s is not just an isolated incident, when only a couple of the success of their efforts.

But like most sports for that years ago the England-Eire game was abandoned after sections of the matter, football has evolved its own English crowd decided to launch culture and mode of identification. seats, and other missiles. into the Together Irish fami ly section.

It is accepted that alcohol and It' s not just a case of violence within the grounds thou gh, as football are not just complementary; anyone who was in the Union Bar a they are pretty much joined at the couple of weeks ago will testify. hip .

What should have been an Union Entertainments As evening of celebration ended up Manager, Nick Rayns explained, with an ugly scene between local "You expect a certain aggressive men and UEA students. atti tude with football matches, but Meanwhile, in other pubs when the fans are spending all day throughout Norwich, the inebriated in the pub beforehand it can only crowds picked fights , hurled abuse make it worse. " at the Italian players. and cheered But PC Burrell also cites the very whenever the cameras showed the nature of football matches as a figh ting. All this, because of contributing factor. "It does create footbal l. an aggressive armosphere.

"There's a definite pack element Worry to crowds when you get lots of Is the 'beautiful game' in danger young men together." of slipping back to the dark days of "They become far more confident hooliganism? and brave than they are on their own.''

Possibly, according to PC Glenn Burrell, Football Liason Officer for But it is surely not all the fans' the Norwich force . fault. Despite the improvements "Football violence hasn ' t total ly that have been made to cut the gone away. it ' s very much boi ling vio lence, the authorities outside under the surface. footba ll have continued to "What' s worrying is that hold the that we' re lowering our guard.

"We now have only the bare minimum of police at matches , and those outside ground .

"And in my opinion it will backfire."

T h i s

play in the Premiership, providing Particularly abroad, the image of the English thug is sti ll enduring, as seen in the reaction of the Italian police at the match .

The fact that a minority of the English travelling contingent is able to tarnish everyone's image is undoubtedly dangerous_ For proof of that, j ust cast your minds back to Hillsborough. when this attitude on the part of the police allegedly caused the disaster.

But what about the role of the media?

There is no doubt that tabloids in particular know how to rouse support and a sense of comradeship between fans .

Let's take The Sun, whose commitment to British sport can never be doubted, but whose headlines and front page stories can incite the crowd into a state of frenzy .

When England played Germany in Euro '96, The Sun advised 'our boys' to 'go out and send the Hun back home to their Bratwurst'.

And , lead ing up to the Italy game, tabloid and broadsheet alike portrayed the Italian team as whinging play-actors who'd kick anything that moved.

As Media Studies Lecturer, Glen Creeber admitted, "I think the med ia almosts anticipates trouble and then adds to the flames and builds up public feeling.

"But it must be said that they also reflect publ ic opinion, as well as shaping it."

Future So what can be done to turn the situation around?

Real fans are already suffering, with some pubs now unwilling to show live matches for fear of the clashes that have characterised recent events.

Union Communications Officer, Andy Watson, is of the opinion that matches at UEA should be moved to the LCR as he admitted, "It's the only way you can properly organise an event like that."

Unfortunately , there is no easy solution to the problem , with more violence happening outside the grounds where it cannot be as easily policed.

And with the World Cup taking place in France next year, Home Secretary Jack Straw recently made a statement, "The Government will be offering every possible assistance to the French authorities and working closely on practical measures to ensure that the terrible scenes witnessed in Rome recently are not repeated next summer."

And we can only hope that this will be enough .

Football fans get a little heated during a match

.

18 Sport

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Burger it up!

Arsenal look set to sign ' burger kid ' Scott Parker after he failed agree to a new contract at Charlton.

Parker, who juggled a footb all in the McDonalds advert, was hailed as one of the game's brightest talents after graduating from the FA's school of excellence.

·'"

On the watch Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and J acques Villeneu ve have been warned to play fair in the European Grand Prix in Jerez.

The arch-rivals risk a Formula One ban if they step out of line, after a variety of flare ups already this season.

Record breaker Left hander Mark King crashed out of the Bournemouth Snooker Grand Prix scoring just 11 points.

The Essex player went out in j ust 58 minutes to world number two, John Higgins, who registered one of the biggest victories in snooker history.

Ferg·et it Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson was left fuming after a national newspaper printed his off the record remarks about losing to Ipswich in the Coca Cola cup being a good resull for United.

The jour nalist has now been banned from all Old Trafford press conferences.

Whizz kid In a determined bid to beat the West lndies this winter, the England cricket have called in a computer expert.

Computer whizz ick Slade will be hired to compile a dossier on England and the opponents highli ghting strengths and weaknesses.

BUSA IS BEWITCHED I

I

UEA 1 Bucks College 3 THE CURSE of BUSA seems set to strike again, as UEA's unbeaten form was shattered by a 3-1 defeat, with two late goals sealing their fate.

. '

Despite a ll the pressure com ing from the ho me s ide, Bucks C o ll ege o pe ned the sc oring a ft er I 0 minutes, whe n a deep c ross from the ri ght w as fumble d by goa lkeeper, Lee Grune ll a nd tapped into th e e mpty ne t.

And the rest of the half was a And it was from thi s impressive disappoi ntin g a ffa ir as UEA range of passing that UEA levelled the dominated possess ion. but just lac ked scores whe n striker. Matt Je lle y the composure in front of goal to level escaped his marker and ran onto a the scores. beautifully timed ball from Tim Ward The second -!5 minu tes continued to neatl y slot the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. with out incident unt il it was marred on But di saster stru ck as UEA bravely the hour w ith a s ic ke ning c lash went in search of the win ner, onl y to between Grunell , and the oppos ition's be undone by a Bucks College counter number nine that le ft Grunn ell attack from which they scored in the needin g hospital treatment for severe 89th minute. concussion.

And there was still time for Bucks Bucks Coll ege tried to test stand -in College to grab a third goal with the goalkeeper Bobby Ancil. but were final kick of the game to give them a restricted to long range shots as home nattering 3-1 victory. side· s mid fie ld kept possess ion we ll .

•4 pool esatelli e e video G • £250

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I~

Wednesday, October 29

Socce r ; Men's 1 v CCCC(a). 2 v CCCC(a). 3 v Nene(a). 4 v Essex(a). Ladies v Luton(h). Hockey; Men's I v CCCC( h). 2 v Herts(a). 3 ,. Kenl(a). Ladies I v Camb(a). 2 v Herts(a). R ugby ; Men's I \' Bucks(a). 2 v Bucks( a). 3 v Essex(a). Ladies v CCCC(h).

Basketball ; Men v Cranfd( h). Lad• es v Camb(a). Badminto n ; Men's v Herts(a). Ladies v CCCC(h). Netball ; Lad ies I v CCC((a). 2 v CCCC(h). Squash; Men\ I v CCCC(h). 2 ,.

Esse,( a). Ladies v Herts(a) Golf; UEA v Essex(a) Winter Tennis ; Men v Middx(h). Ladies v Cily( h) Lacrosse; Ladies v Camb(a)

I

Wed October 15 Soccer; Me n· s I I Bucks College 3. Men· s 3 0 Bucks College I. Men's 4 I Nc ne 5. Ladies I 16 Kenl 2 Bad minton ; Ladies 0 Cambridge 9 Basketba ll ; Men's 68 CCCC 42 Hockey; Men's I 2 Bucks College 4. Men's 2 t 7 Ne ne 0. Men' s 3 10 Essex 0. Ladies I I 9 Kenl 0. Ladi es 2 I I Nene 0 Netba ll; Ladies I 54 Bucks College 30. Lad ies 2 23 Cambridge 40 Rugby Union; Men's 3 84 Kent 3. Ladies I 5 Cambridge 51 Squash ; Men 's 2 4 Kent I Winter Tennis; Men 's 5 Herts I. Ladies 6 Herts 0

Wednesday, November 5

Soccer ; Men's I v Grec nw(a), 2 v Grcenw(a), 3 v Gree nw(a). 4v Greenw(a). Ladies v Greenw(a). Hockey; Men's 1 v LUion(a). 2 v Gree nw(a), 3 v Essex(a). Ladies I v Greenw(a). 2 v Greenw(a).

Ru gby; Men's 1 v Essex(h). 2 v Essex(h), 3 v Nene(a), Ladies v Lu ton(a). Basket ba ll ; Men v Buc ks(a), Ladies v CCCC(a).

Badminton; Men v Greenw(a), Ladies v Luton(a). Netball ; Lad ies I Bye, 2 v Luton(a). Squash; Men's I v Lu lon(a) . 2 Bye. Ladies v Greenw(a). Golf; UEA v Ne ne(a). Winter Tennis; Men v Ke nl( h). Lad•cs v CCCC(h). Lacrosse; Ladies I v t.ondo n(h).

Wednesday 22nd October Soccer; Me n's I I Lulon 4, Men's 2 0 Lulon 4. Men's 3 t Luton 2, Men's 4 2 Luton 2, Ladies I 5 Lulon I. Basketball; Ladies I 30 HertS 79. Golf; UEA y, HeriS 5Y2. Hockey; Men 's t 2 Ne ne 0, Men's 3 Brunei 0, Ladies I 4 Luton 0.

Ladies 2 0 Ca mbridge 6. Lacsosse; Ladies I 6 BUC 10.

Netba ll; Ladies I 42 Luton 57, Ladies 2 29 Nene 47 Squash ; Men's 2 5 Herts 0 Winter Tennis; Men's 6 Essex 0. Ladies 6 · Brunei 0

Concrete, Wednesday, October 29, 1997

lt's Hert breaking

By SEAN DAVIES

Teamwork beats Bucks College

IUEA 30

3~

UEA 1ST VII stormed to victory In their first BUSA fixture, sweeping aside Buckinghamshire College 54-30 with an Impressive overall team performance.

Bucks College opened the scoring but quickly found themselve under pre ure from a home side determined to avenge last year' defeat.

Throughout the game UEA the majority of the rebounds. dominated the midfield with At the other end, Buck College•s centre, Julia Gill, and wing attack, attempts to man-mark Sara Kate Barlow, working the ball up Harri on proved useless as the court with notable fluency, and attacking pair coolly outwitted the continually creating chances for defence and continued to increase UEA. the scoreline.

The away side's frustration Quick became clear in the final quarter And the home· side were quick and the tempo of the game to capitalise on interceptions and increa ed, prompting careless oppo ition mistakes, with the mi takes from both sides. whole team interacting smoothly to But in the final minutes UEA move the ball into the attacking reasserted their control, and the third. game finished with a comfortable 24 point margin in favour of the Strong shooting from both Hannah Jessop and Sara Harrison home side. coupled with the goal attack's End advantageous height enabled UEA to manipulate the strong Buck's Overall, it bore all the hallmarks defence., and maintain the lead of a great team performance, with a throughout the first half. trong defence and smooth Bucks College were determined finishing being linked by a not to be over-run but failed to confident and well-rehearsed midfield. threaten UEA who continued to dominate the second 'half with a Captain Julia Gill was delighted steady stream of goals. by the result, "We played really And UEA's defence constantly well as a team." over powered the Bucks College "Its a great start to the season to attack, rarely allowing them within win like this and it has certainly eight feet of the goal, and claiming lifted morale."

791

UEA LADIES' basketball team suffered yet another crashing defeat against Hertfordshire In a match they had to chase from the first minute.

By KATE HAMILTON

luEA 54 Bucks College

Herts

Sara Harrlson looks on as Hannah Jopllng goes for goal

Herts scored straight from the tip-off, but UEA did manage to keep track of them until the first time out when they were only two points ahead in the BUSA clash, on Wednesday October 22.

Numerous opportunities followed for both teams, but only Herts were able to capitalise on them and they soon extended their lead to 16-8.

UEA were unable to halt the freescoring Herts who counter-attacked well, and went into half-time leading 28-15.

The second half aw UEA left with a lot of ground to catch upon, and they were immediately put under the co h as Herts increased their winning margin to 22 points.

But the home side continued to battle on, despite clear signs of fatigue, although the excellent passing and finishing of the away side threatened to overwhelm them at times.

In fact, for much of the second half, the margin between the two sides hovered at around 20 points due to the persistence of UEA. Unfortunately, Herts took control in the fmal quarter of the match, and finished the game with a 79-30 victory, despite UEA courageously battling until the end.

After the match, coach, Evangelo Panagi, said "Herts were a very good team who played well together and finished strongly."

IUEA 2 Bucks Co114l TWO GOALS In the opening minutes of each half sent UEA men's hockey 1st XI reeling to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Buckinghamshire College.

But the result could have been very different had UEA attackers been more ruthless in front of goal during the final frantic moments of the BUSA clash on Wednesday October 15.

Bucks College got off to the Determined not to be overawed perfect start with an early strike, and the 1st team fought back with a goal they extended their lead in the 12th from attacker, Pat Gill, who glanced minute, with a scrappy goal. a hot into the far corner.

UEA grew in stature after this UEA continued to apply the setback and were rewarded with a pressure but failed to convert two goal from Andy Catchpole, but clear chances, and wasted numerous Bucks College replied a minute later hort corners. to go into the break leading 3-1.

Captain Ewan Topping remained A tactical change at half time saw optimi tic about hi teams chances, the home ide push another attacker 'The early goals took us by wprise, up front but a lack of concentration but the team till played very well co t UEA dear as Bucks College especially after the change at half went three up. time."

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By JAMES TAPSAELD

luEA 4 Kent 11 UEA MEN'S squash 2nd team came close to a clean sweep with their convincing 4-1 win over Kent University.

Expectations of a home victory were running high before the match, and an impressive crowd turned out to support the team in the BUSA competition, on Wednesday October 15. the third game. within half an hour for the loss of The encounter opened with an exciting match which saw number However, he fought back and just one point. five Clive Hayden defeat Julian managed to regain his balance to And Damien Sene had few Kirk by a margin of 3-1. take the fourth game and claim problems in the second string tie, Hayden looked in total control to victory. outplaying Peck in three short begin with, but the doubts that have Fourth string Ed Stevens, on the games and supplying some very other hand, remained on entertaining rallies in the process. been rai ed concerning his fitness seemed justified when he suffered a devastating form throughout his With victory assured only the lapse in concentration and dropped match, dismissing his opponent question of the margin remained.

Number one Paul Miller came through with what could be vital extra points in the group, proving too much for his Kent counterpart, despite the worrying moments in the third game when Miller appeared to lose con ciousness altogether.

Pre ident, Dave Club Brockman, said, "These are certa.lnly the best teams we have had ince I came to UEA. "And we are hoping that all three will at least make the BUSA play-offs."

Ins-i de this • ISSUe

Committee Comes Home

By KATE HAMILTON THE SPORTS Committee has been set up in record time after a body of ten agreed to represent UEA sport at the regular meetings.

The committee, made up of five UEA sports officials and five students, aims to establish a link between the Union, the Univers ity and the students as well as controlling the sport's budget.

And it will be concentrating on addressing the issues of BUSA transport for away fixtures , and individual club sponsorshi p.

Union Sports Officer, Simon Fulbrook, explained, " lt is a fair cross-representation of all sports clubs , so when decisi ons are made it is done by sporting peers with an open mind. " I aim to have this up and running in th e near future , whereas in the past it has usually taken a term to organise."

And Sports Comm ittee member, Scott Tompsett, added, " We hope to im prove the administration process and advance the image of clubs as a whole.

"We want sports people to come up and talk to us about what they think should be improved."

..

Sports Committee 1997-98 : Keith Nicholls (UEA Director of Sport), Iona Wakely (Union Fina n ce Officer), Vanda Turre/1 (Sport 's Secretary), Simon Fulbrook(Union Sports Officer), Les At/worthy (Union Sports Co-ordinator), Scott Tompsett (Athletics), 0/iver Ryder (Rowing), Emily Rya/1 (Women 's rugby), Rob Dyer (Hockey) and lbi Gowen (Rugby)

The ladies hockey team aim to thread another pass through the Kent defence

Photo : ROB LUTYENS

By NICK TRIGGLE, Sports Editor luEA 9 Kent ol FIRST YEAR Caroline Molony produced a majestic performance, scoring five goals in UEA Ladies 1st Xl ' s 9-0 trouncing of Kent.

The result g ives the lad ie team an e mphati c sta rt to their BUSA campaign w ith th e 2 nd XI doi ng even better scori ng I I aga in t e ne o n Wedn e day O ctober 15.

The ro ut began in the opening who defe nded the D well. moments when Molony beat two 1olony scored her second after defenders, turned the third and in a Sa ll y Pate rson throu gh ba ll the ame movement smashed the released her in the area to fi nish ball in to the net. sharply on 32 m in utes.

UEA 's tw in strik e force of Extend Mol ony and Helen T owers continued to pose prob lems for the And two mi nutes later Anna nex t thin y minutes, but co uld not Barsby add ed the third , af ter the breach Kent · fi nal line of defence ba ll was scrambled across the goa l

leav ing her acres of space to tap into an empty net.

T he nood gates rea lly o pened in the econd half when UEA we nt for the throat, with Loui se Barre ll running the Kent defence ragged .

And 1-le len Towers was able to capi ta lise on one o f her mazey runs when Barrell fo und her in space on the edge o f the area .

Her first effort was aved, but she made no mistake when the ba ll rebounded back, to make it 4-0.

M inutes later Towe rs fo und herse lf in space agai n a she sli pped thro ugh the away side' s defe nce a lmost unchall enged to fini sh in style, and Louise Barrell qu ickl y added th e six th a m inute later.

Lost Despi te UEA 's rampant play, Kent 's s piri t was not en tirely broken unti l the fi nal ten mi nutes when the home side pushed four

up fro nt and scored three goals in q uick succession .

Molo ny added to her hat-trick with two we ll taken goal after some exc iting wi ng play , and Barsby completed the scoring wi th a sweetly taken goal in the dying seconds .

After the match capt ain , Jenny Howe lls enthu ed, "Th is is the perfect start to th e B USA campai gn, I could not have asked for more from any of my player . " If we ca rry on like thi s I believe we can go on to wi n the compet itio n."

Setback for ladies I UEA 5

Cambridge 51

CHAMPIONSHIP hopefuls UEA faced an unsettling start to the season with a crushing defeat at t he hands of Cambridge University.

The ladies rugby team try to evade the Cambridge forwards

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A . o litary try fro m capta in Emi ly Rya ll proved to be liule mo re than a co nso lati o n . as the ho me s ide were fo rced to g ive way to a we ll-dri lled C ambridge s ide, o n W ednesday Octo ber 15.

With UEA hav ing onl y three of Determined not to go out q ui etl y, Th i , however, was all Ca mbridgl las t yea r' s players o n it s s id e, the home side battled hard aga inst were prepared to all ow the home Ca mbridge were at an o bvwu the strong Ca mbn dge pack, and ke pt side . ad vantage fieldin g an almos t the oppos iti on m their 22' for mu ch Contin ued fai lure to brea k identica l line-up to last season. of the game. thro ugh the away side's de fence anc But the sheer fi tness and strength And in the opening minut es of the convert the hard \\ Ork into po ints of the away side was to prove too 2nd half. UEA forward s ran the ba ll le ft UEA reflecti ng on a har h result int o th e left co rner drawin g the Captai n Em il y Rya ll re maim much for UEA. And wi th th e dange ro u Cambridge defence wi th them . confident though for the rest for the Ca mbridge win gers co ntinu a ll y The back were then released, at1d season, "it was a difficult first matct poweri ng thro ugh their defe nce, tretched th e Ca mbrid ge line but we played very well aga inst ; UEA were left 4 1-0 adrift at ha lfa llowi ng Emily Rya ll to run th e ball to ugh ide and the whole team i< time. home under the pos ts. rea lly pos iti ve. "