I
University bosses bid for med school to gut UEA amongst the elite By JAMES GOFFIN, News Editor UEA COULD soon be home to a state of the art new medica l school under rad ical plans being put together by University bosses. If successful, the move could see UEA rocket into the top ten universities in the country as funding and sponsorship pour into the school's coffers. Under the prestigious bid 400 medical students would be trained at the Government's new nagship hospital currently being built at Colney - with the first students enrolling as early as next year.
Revolution UEA Vice Chancellor, Vincent Watts. is promising the plan will revolutionise the way British doctors are trained. "We've in the process of creating a bid with the various health trusts in Norfolk. We have an innovative approach and believe we are well positioned," he said.
Qualification "We believe that we can reduce the medical qualification time from its current five years to about four, and that is the basis on which we're bidding," he added . And in a move that would break the
mould of medical training. students will be working on the wards from day one. watching patients to help them learn. Dean of the Schools of Health, Shirley Pearce, explained, "There is a huge amount of evidence that shows that problem-based learning is much more effective than more formal lecturing programmes. "Medical students can lose interest. so seeing patients keeps them interested." she continued.
Confident And Professor Pearce is confident that UEA will win backing for the scheme. "We are putting together an excellent programme and it should do well - we have the infrastructure and the experience to do it. " she said. UEA's bid has also been given a huge boost by Norwich North MP, Dr fan Gibson, who has thrown his weight behind the plans.
''it's wonderful. it is radical and it offers new ideas and new approaches. The University is ideally positioned to develop a new training for medical students.
Top league '' It would put UEA into the top league of universities. Combined with the research park, and the Schools of Science and Health, UEA would be really attractive,'' he added. Many current students at UEA have already been won over. "A new medical school would be great for the University, it would really help to raise its credibility." said Vicky Page (810 3).
Enthusiastic Lindsay Bowskill (LAW I) is also enthusiastic, although her reasons are slightly different. "The prospect of having lots of sexy doctors on campus is good'"
VALENTINE'S SPECIAL
I
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2 News
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
Poor advice
UEA set for windfall from massive new arms comP-any
The British Aerospa ce made and GEC-equipped Hawk
r-----------·
by Adam Banham
University coffers look set to receive a controve rsial boost thanks to a merger deal between GEC-Marconi and British Aerospace (BAe). UEA, 11 hi eh already ha~ a C-100,000 ;tal-...:: in GEC-Marconi. 'hare' from the creation of the llC\\ 'upcr ann' cornpan). As pan of the dea l GEC share in BAe. there is ju~l no "ill split from its Marconi \la) they can reconcile ha1 ing arms divi-,ion. with BAe BAc shares while claiming 10 swallowing Marconi support a further education. crea ting New Brili~h Public Aerospace. Howe\'Cr, the windfall .. They should \(:ry puhlicly has been a!lacked by ethical gel rid of them and say why they arc gelling rid of them:· he investment group Campa ign Aga in st th e explained. Arms Trade (CAAT). who He also criticised the links have urged UEA lo sell between UEA lecturers· national their shares in the newlypension schemes and arms arm s formed man ufac turers that support giant immediately. repressive reg imes. .. The Universi ty Bad enough Superannuation Scheme (USS) holds millions of shares in arms " Holding share> in GEC is bad enough bu t BA.: is companies. they've got many !he UK·, number one arms more than e1ef) uni1ersi1y in the exporter:· stonned a CAAT UK put together:· he claimed. t\ national campaign run b) 'pokesper»on. ·'UEA cannot maintain a ethical pressure group People and Planet has been '>Cl up 10 try and raise awarene'>S amongst lecturers. man) of whom are unaware !hat thei r pcnsions arc irn·cslcd in such companies.
'land' to gain thou,and' of
Ill!\\
l"rorn Ul:A mer 120 member-. of rh.: L'SS scheme ... said Mr llugh.:s. llo11c1cr. Ul:A has again rel"uscd !o ans11 er Concrete·~ questions regarding the holdings. despite !he ou tcry over their investments. Union Welfare Officer. Claire White. has 'poken ou t though. accu,ing UEA of h) pocrisy in ~upporting arm' companies.
Farcical .. l t does seem farcica l !ha! schools like Developmen t Studic~ arc trying to do projects 10 improve certain worldwide issues, and then on the other hand the money UEA gets from that is going into these things ... .. lt is not an ideal -.ituation a! all:· she fumed.
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THE UN ION have ad mitted that they made a wasteful and costly mistake after repeatedly changing the name of the student advice unit, writes Nikk1 Mallett. The facility has JUSt been rebranded as the Student Advice Centre after it's name was changed from the Advice Unit to the Student Support and Development Unit last September in an attempt to better reflect the services it offered. However, the number of students using the facilrty plummeted after the name change and a survey revealed that the new title was causing the problem, since, ironically, few people knew what services the unit had to offer. Union Welfare Office, Claire W hite, explained the alteration. "W hen we had a reshuffle last yea r th e Sabbs decided to change th e sign from its original name because it didn't say enough about what the facility offered." But Claire now admits that the com m itted a Union embarrassing financia l faux-pas. "In hindsight th ere was no need to change the original sign . 1t was defini tely a silly way for the Union to spend money, but we then had to rectify th e mistake we had made," she conceded . "We are now planning to advertise the facilities provided by the Centre, it doesn't only supplies give advice but in formation abo ut the Union , housing, employment representation ."
NETTED!
Response
Concrete launches it's nry own websitc this week at www.uca.ac.uk/-suconc. Come and pay us a \'ist e-mail us to tell us what ~·ou think!
Campaigns Co-ordinator Guy l l ughcs has explained th e response at UEA to their petition. .. There has been a very ~trong res ponse in terms of lecturers
Artistic opening Lottery funded revamp complete as Arts Centre opens by Luke Turner
Norwich's cultural scene is set for a substantial boost this week with the reopening of the nationally-renowned Arts Centre. The ve nue, w hich has been shut for month\ to allow for a huge louery funded reva mp, wi ll have i ts grand reope ning on February 8th. The most obvious fea ture of the
(750.000 faccli fl is the new orH!rcct entrance - in the past audiences had to wa lk down a narrow side alley to get into the centre. The Centre has abo readied iL~ main hall and cafe for !he new millenn ium with a huge redecoration and opened a media sui te and improved darkroom.
Delighted Rob Lockwood. Arb Centre spokesman. is delighted wit h improved faci lities . .. They arc a god-send. They give us the opport uni ty lo do what we've wanted to do si nce the !me 1980s," he enthused. He also hopes Lhal the re-developed site will help t11e Centre cont inue to auracl as many Lop names as in the past. The venue hosted early perfonnances by irvana and Oasis.
as we ll as the legendary incident when Manic Street Preacher Richcy Jamcs. carved the words ·4 Rea r into hi' arm during a backstage in terv iew. Mr Lockwood also urged
students 10 experi ence the new faci l i t ie~.
.. Students are open-minded and the Arts Centre puh on entertain ment for the open-minded:· he said.
News3
F YE STAR
DRU BU T drug-u~n~~:u:~~. ~h~e~s~:~:=:~t N 0 RW I C In a stark warning to UEA security called In the police after discovering two first year LAW students In posseslon of cannabis.
The Waveney Terrace re~idents, who have since been camion for possession of the outlawed drug, were discovered by security during a fire alarm evacuation of their halls on December 3.
And in a clear signal to any students using drugs in residences, University spokesperson, Annie Ogden has since reissued the University's zero tolerance policy towards narcotics.
Unlawful "The University's regulations state clearly that no student shall commit or participate in the commission of any act which is unlawful." "Being convicted of any criminal offence could seriously affect a student's future career prospects once they leave University:' she stated.
Problem UEA security co-ordinator, Ron Elliott, has denied that there is a drug problem at the University though.
"UEA is no different from any other university with a student population of around 9000, you have to anticipate that a number of students will experiment with drugs" "Out of nearly 1500 incidents at UEA in the last 18 months only 22 of them were drug related that amounts to only 1.5% of the problem which Is a very small proportion;' he added. However, Union Welfare Officer, Claire White, has urged students to be careful when using narcotics. "lt is important to make students aware about what can happen to their body if they take
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4 News
Too Tame A PUB boss is taking legal action against Sky TV 's Adult Channel because its programmes aren 't raunchy enough. Disgruntled Rick Sheldon complained that the channel was " about as sexy as a warm beer" and he wants his £37 subscription back. He added " I really thought it was going to be the hottest thing since mustard. But it was as tame as the Archers ".
In The Money A STUDENT at Leeds University was rolling in it this week when he went to withdraw his last £170 from Barclays Bank. The student got the shock of his life when a cascade of cash spurted from the machine, totalling £15,000. Feeling lucky he used the same card in another cash point and was rewarded with a further £20,000. Unfortunately he has got to return the money but he admitted it was fun while it lasted .
Swing Of lt AN INNOVATIVE new golf course designed to appeal to all sexually frustrated golfers has opened its doors in Macon , France. The new course sports acres of greens and fairways shaped like naked women as well as one in the shape of a willy to appeal to female golfers.
Size Does Matter
A SENIOR academic has launched a stinging attack on University management, accusing them of being unresponsive and undemocratic. And he has raised fears that students will suffer, with decisions being taken on "'"''nr,m•r • rather than academic grounds. Dr Eric ll omherger. 'cclor c hair o r American Lilcr<llure. in !he IIOrld re,p.xied School or I nglr'h and American SIUdie'. ha' 'Po~en oul again'! Vice Chancellor Vinccnl Walh m er !he managcm~nl :-.tructurc he irllroduccd 10 L' l·..·\ mer !he . . ummcr.
A ROBBER attempting to hold up a supermarket in Germany fled in disgrace because the size of his weapon didn't come up to scratch. The German thief wielded a knife at a sandwich-making shop worker and was astonished when she whipped out an even bigger knife in defence.
Compromise The nc11 'c!Up. 11 hich 'cc' 'chool' handed lllgclhe• a' Group,. 11a' 1he ,uhjecl or healed inlcrnal r<lll '· and a<:<:cpled h) D~:an:-. onl) ~ha comprom i:-..c after lhL") rcje<:lcd plam ror rul l-hloll n
merger . . hctWl'L'll School ..... Budge!> and de,·elopmclll plan' arL· nm\ deudcd b) lhrec Pro \ iL'L' Chan<:ellor,. 11 ho head up !he group> of ll umanilies and ~ocral Scien<:e' . l'rok"innal Schoob. and Science. "S ince !he 'l: IHJnl, ha\C been hroughl imo 1he'e grouping' . l: r\S ha' found ibelr ah,olutcly ,badkd. he<:ause olher 'L·hool' deri.:ih ... Dr ll omhcrgcr. "We <:annol make appoirllmcnls in .\meri.:an lilerature 1ha1 11 L' tlc,pcralcl) need hccau'e !he Schoob or Modern Language' and European Sllldi cs. and World An Sllrdic> and Mw,i<: arc in dcti<:il.'. he co mplai ned.
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i\ nd he dcnoun.:cd !he new group '-l rucl urc m. undcmocrali<:. lea\ ing sludenls and siaiT in !he dar~ m e r .:hangc' 10 !heir s<:hoo l>. . " There i> a democrali c dclicil. The group' never ha'c an) slrUCIUrCS 10 CO illmUni caiC bCliiCCil members of ranrlt) or even slud e nb.'. raged Dr Hombergcr. Bul !he Vi<:c hancd lo r ha' hil hac~. blaming a drop in inwmc for !he need In ma~c <:as h in gs anoss !he hoard . "We.,-c go1 trade o lh 10 make
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alii he- lime. and ir 11c don·! gcllhc hcndih OUI or !he group 'lru<:lurc. 11 e ' 11 bel\ c le" acadcm i<: 'I all.'' , ;ud \lr \\aih. •\nd he poin!ed 10 ihL' SUL'CC\S or till'
group 'tructun: in SL·icnt:c.
11 he re "hool' ha\c pooled !heir hudgch lo 'uppon ead1 olhc r.
Pooled budgets " Bolh Biolog) and f: m ironmcnlal Scien <:c arc 'er) ,ll l'L"L'" rul ,eh'"'"- and !he) holh said 1ha1 a ' lrong S.: hnnl of Cheml,lr) 11 '" essemial ror them. The) ha\C 'uh,nihcd lrnm !heir 0\\ n re,ourcc> 10 'uppon Chc rni slr). rcnu ilin g addllional people ... he explained. "There " >omc noss'uhs idi ,ali o n. hul I would " t) for good academic reason: · c laimed Mr Walls.
A MASSIVE shake-up is on the cards for one of UEA's most diverse schools. The School of Modern Languages and European Studies (EUR) looks set to be slashed in size, leaving it to deal solely with languages and linguistics. Under the secret plans being considered by University bosses , EUR 's literature units would be swallowed by the School of English and American Studies (E AS), and its European studies courses transferred to the School of Social Economic and Studies (SOC). The confidential proposals are currently before UEA's powerful Planning and Resources Committee, and will soon be passed to Senate and Council for rubber-stamping. of Director UEA Communications , Alan Preece, insisted that the plans are about improving qual ity as well as cutting costs. "This is about investment in languages and con tempo rary Europea n Stud ies in o rde r to max 1m1 se ou r ability t o deliver good quality teaching and research ," he claimed . " Th is is an opport unity to do so mo re effectively against the background of a difficu lt financi al very situatio n broug ht on by co ntinued c ut s in our res ources fro m t he Govern ment."
Above the limit
Students found guilty after drunk crash course in car park By OWEN TH OMAS TWO UEA students have been convicted of drink driving after their attempt to dodge the charge by claiming that the University's car park is not a p ublic place was thrown out of court. Colin Berril l and Sarah Jane Spiller, both studying on the prestigious Creative Writing MA, had been drinking in the Union bar when th ey decided to move their car for fear of being clamped. However, Ms Spiller drove the places. January 19 at Norwich car into a tree before Mr Berrill , In cou rt , the students' lawyer magistrates, with sentencing who had taken the wheel, was attempted to argue that th e car adjourned for a later date. stopped on University Drive by park was not part of the public Ron Elliot , UEA security's highway. so they were not guilty manager, was not surprised by campus security, who called the police. of the charge. the decision to reject the Both were breathalysed, and However, this claim about the students' protest. car park was thrown out of court, found to be more than three Reject times over the legal limit. as PC Richard Bell of Norfolk "On numerous occasions in Police, explained. Breathalysed court proceedings the car park "lt's considered a public place has been held to be a public because the public has access to When they were quizzed by place, for the purposes of road it, but it's still private property, in police at th e sta tion Berri ll, traffic legislation , and that's the the same way as a shopping claimed that he had been the important point," he said. mall." only driver of the car, although Neither Berrill or Spiller were Both Berrill and Spiller were CCTV footage of the car park available for comment. found gui lty at the trial on showed that they had swapped
N ws5
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
Working up a steam? Students interested in spending the summer working in the US are being offered the chance to meet with prospective employers at a job fair organised by the Council on International Educational Exchange. The job fair is being held in London on February 23, between 3pm and Bpm, and will be attended by seven top student employers from across the United States. All the companies will provide company and job information, conduct walk-up interviews and offer on-thespot summer employment. Many of the employers have in excess of 400 summer vacancies to fill and the hundreds of jobs on offer will include food service, amusement park attendants, sales, photographers, bartenders and many more. CIEE is offering students the chance to win a free trip to work in the US on the programme, and as an added incentive anyone who applies for Work and Travel USA at the fair will receive £30 off the normal programme price. For more information contact CIEE on freephone 0800 731 9076.
THE RESULTS Would you like to replace UGMs with a Student Repre>entative Council? YES: 363 (93%)
NO: 24 (6%) UNDECIDED: 4 ( 1%l Do you think that the emergency fallback measure to ensure that the enure student population vote on an ~~~ue should be by \\ay of an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) or Referendum ? EGM: 104 (27%) REFERENDUM: 257 {66%) UNDECIDED: 31 (7%)
CamP-aign for 'yes' vote on SRC comes under attack from ang_ry Forum members - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , RADICAL PLANS to overhaul Union democracy and improve student participation have been set back • by a lack of student Interest.
FAT CAT VOTED TOP DOG
Norwich drinking hole scOORS CAM RA award
A referendum on abolishing UGMs and Students Forum in favour of a new Student Representative Council was declared inquorate. after falling four votes short of the required total. 392 students cast their vote in the "No one approached us and said But she stres,ed that only a ballot on Friday, January 20, with they wanted to run one, if students quorate UGM or referendum had an overwhelming 92% givmg the had come and asked for funding, the power to make changes to thumbs up to plans for the new allthey could have had it." she smd. Union law. powerful SRC. . . . Re-write "We must follow the constitution However, Umon h1gvngs, who that the Students Union is bound by proposed the changes in an effort to The future of the plans now lays which clearly states that boost democracy after years of in the hands of Student Forum's constitutional changes must be inquorate UGMs, have come under constitutional review committee, passed either by quomte UGM or who will continue to work on a repolicy ballot. fire for only publicising the positive side of the proposed changes. wnte of the Union ·s rules before "It would he unethical and illegal "I thought it was unfair that the asking students to vote again later in for us to take that decision when the Union onl) had a Yes (ampaign." the year. referendum was quorate," she said Forum member Marcus "Students Forum took the view emphasi,ed. Willlams. that the huge majorit) of 92''} could be taken as an indicative vote. hut it Unfair \\ill have to go to another "Apparently it \\as asked at referendum to he passed." explained Students Forum and no one was Katy. prepared to put forward a no Indicative Gmlpaign. but I think the Umon should have pressed it • the SRC is "By the next time it comes to a a gross!} unfair process," he fumed. \t>lC. students will have an exact Academic Officer, Katy Fil\ter. view and will be approving the has defended the Union's actions entire proposal and the exact though. blaming opponents for not mechanism by \\ hich the new coming forward for funds to run an constitution will function." she opposing campaign. continued.
By CHRIS BROWN
ONE OF the Golden Triangle's most popular pubs has been named Britain's best boozer by the prestigious Campaign For Real Ales (CAMRA) group. The Fat Cat free house, located to scoop the high-profile award. CAMRA spokesperson, !an Woolverton, praised the Norwich pub for its down to earth approach. "The Fat Cat is a traditional
on West End Street ofT Dereharn Road, beat off nationwide competition pub serving an excellent range of good quality real ales, locals regard it as a beer drinker's paradise," he explained. The Fat Gat's landlord, Colin Keatley, who was presented with the prestigious award last Thursday, has run the Golden Triangle pub for six years.
Success Explaining the pub's success, Mr Keatley said, "We serve beer straight out of the barrel,
which not many places do nowadays. 'We also have 12 beers on hand-pump with others on gravity-pull, adding up to about 25 different beers on tap at anyone time," he said.
Favourite And the pub is definitely a firm favourite with students who live in the area. Said Niall Battson (SYS 3), "It's a cool little pub with a great atmosphere and a fantastic selection of ales. "In fact, the only trouble is that it's so popular it can be too busy for its own good!"
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& News
Concrete Wednesday, Febraury 3, 1999
Flame grilled CAM PUS FAST food addicts were forced to get th eir fix elsewhere last week after a chipfryer blaze cut ser vi ces at Breakers 2. The fire. which took place early on the morning of the January 26, meant that students were unable to munch on chips, veggie burgers and other items from the campus eaterie at the begtnning of last week. The faulty chip-fryer has now been replaced, and take-away junkies will be glad to know that fu ll service has resumed at the troubled outlet.
Arts alarm
Kit comP-any demand money for wrong shirt
HUNDREDS OF disgruntled students and staff were left standtng out 1n the cold last Thursday because of an overheating light bulb in the Arts Building. A florescent light fittmg on the second floor had began to burn and give off poisonous fumes, prompting a member of staff of break th e emergency call button linked to local fire stations. Th e three fire engines and turn table ladder which arrived to combat th e problem were able to make th e faulty light safe without even having to use th e fi re extinguisher. Director of Safety Services, Robtn Thomas apologised for the inconvenience. "Sorry you all had to go out in the cold again, but this time at least tt was for good reason!" he said .
By NIKKI MALLETT, Chief News Reporter
UEA'S WOMEN 'S rugby club could face a head-to-head battle in court over a kit mixup with a shirt manufacturer. Th e lega l row llared up after the tea m o rdered a new kit in O c toher, des ig ned to m atc h th e sh irt s o f the me ns team, after len gth y ta lk s w ith suppli e r Moe tt~.:. l lowe\er, when the shirts arriYed the team were forced to <T) foul play. since instead of featuring the ne\\ design they were ident1calto the current kit.
Mix-up
lliilllllilllll.
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Rachcl Perry. the president of the Women's Rughy Club explained the mix-up. "' lt \\as a lack of communicat ion on both panic<" she claimed. "'Regardless o f the l~d thw we constantly asked for three colours, Mnclle claim that the fact that the official order form only mentioned two colours e liminates
e,·crythmg e lse we ever said."" she complained.
Offer Sa id Perry. "'We haYC offered to pay them at least a third to half of the ongina! price. hut the only thmg we haYe heard 1s that they were· considering the oiler·· "' If anything. they will take us to court for refusing to pay. They ha\c refused to take hack the goods that we don't want."
Backing Un1on We lfare Officer. C lairc \\ hitc . is hacking the team in the rm\. despite the fact that their
refusal to pay for the sh ub could lead to a courtroom scrumdo~'<n. "'The actual order form didn't mention the "h1te stripes. hut the team sent oiT a shirt and a picture of the new design "hen they ordered it."" she s:ud.
Judge HoweYcr. she hoped it wou ldn't take a1udge to sell le the
score. "'The Un ion are he lp ing the team out all we can. but l don't thin k it would be worth the expense of going to court hecau., e if we did lose we would still haw to pa) for the >h irts."' she argued.
CHA GING TIMES
Change machine finally_m be installed in Union House
a
a
eo
IMG HOU S 9 s• -
or ic
By DAVID ATKINSON SECURITY MEASURES have been bumped up in the FRUSTRATED LAUNDERETIE users could soon get the Launderette after the £350 change machine they were promised - over a year after it smash and grab theft last was supposed to have been installed. October. UEA pledged to pay for a machine over 12 months ago, just as The thief. Mark MacVay of Norwich, has now been long as the Union ordered it and placed it in Union House where convicted of the break tn , security could keep an eye on it. But the machine still has machines". after he appeared in court on The Union's plans were 12 November last year and not been bought, and to also hit by the discovery that students continue pleaded guilty to 16 offences struggle to find the right thieves around the country including the Launderette had discovered a way of money. theft. . UEA have stnce Said Gilllan West (MUS3), "I illegally emptying the model they had picked. have used the launderette for implemented new measures two years. I never have any to deter any other would-be Affordable change. it's a great idea but thiefs, including CCTV Tom explained that they why has it taken so long?" cameras and more targeted have since found "a different, patrols. . Problems affordable machine, that the UEA security boss Ron Elltott University is prepared to pay Tom Connors, Union is confident the cameras wtll put off any potential thieves. Communications Officer, has for, we'll hopefully have it sometime this term". "Any form of surveillance ts a justified the delay by blaming deterrent to a would be space problems in Union Promise criminal. Plus if anyone does House, where the new However, not everyone is commit a crime, the cameras machine will be sited. "The change machine is convinced by this promise. provide good evt"d enc e for "They've been ages going where the Ribena the police :' "We record all incidents , machine is, and the Rlbena thinking about this coi n machine, but are they ever which we analyse, and then machine is going where the going to do it?" asked we direct patrols to deal wtth Pepsi can machine is. At the Caroline Rlchardson moment we're waiting to get the problems," he added. rid of one of th e Pepsi (EUR2).
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News 7
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
UEA'S VICE-CHANCELLOR, VINCENT WATTS~ HAS NOW BEEN AT THE HELM FOR JUST OVER A YEAR. HE TALKED TO CONCRETE ABOUT HIS TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY SO FAR, AND HOW HE SEES UEA'S FUTURE ••• first year at UEA has been an - eventful one. lt has seen the arrival of the first tuition-fee paying students, and the departure of some of the University's last Physics graduates. A flood of internal reports have been commi~sioned, condemning UEA as third rate and painting a possi b ly disastrous future for the institution - resulting in the introduction of a radical and controversial new tructure for the University's schools of sttffi:Meed, when he arrived at UEA, many students and staff doubted whether Vincent Watts' background in management consultancy would fit him for the job of Vice-Chancellor education, after all. is a special business. But Mr Wau, has no time for his critics. "I've got lot~ of experience of the sorts of issues facing student> when they get a job. Arthur Anden.on, the firm I spent virtually all my career with wa.' mad about training. and most of my time was spent recruiting graduates. ''I'm familiar with the sorts of issues of managing an organi'<llion made up of professionals. Arthur Anderson is a partner,hip, made up of professionals who get their authority from their dealing with clients. and there are a lot of similarities with the Uni\ ersity. where academics get their main job satisfaction from the work they do in their disciplines." He also insi,Ls that the same key skills are essential for running a business as running a higher education institution. And he is sceptical about the idea of education as a special case. "Every business is ;,pecial in one way or another. There are a lot of things that are the same in all businesses at the chief executive level. "We're actually in two primary businesses here, the lirst is teaching, creating a learning environment for students. the other is research, which is a contractbased business aimed at persuading people to give us
money to do certain projects. "The teaching side is very interesting, because students tell us that they like to be part of a scholarly community and not be treated like customers. However. some areas that we provide to students are customers services, like residences, and IT and the library service, while some element~ are about that scholarly community. Some are about a very formal structure of assessment in which there are certain ~tandards. and you have to meet them. "lt's an unusual type of business. where students are sometimes customers and sometimes part of a community." And as cu;.tomers - some now paying £1000 a year- students have rights, although according to the Vice-Chancellor those rights don't extend to endless complaints about grades and teaching. lt is a vital issue at UEA: former postgraduate student Don Staniford has been a highly vocal critic of the appeals procedure. damning it a<; secretive
sure there is lots of scope for improvement - but we are acting on student feedback." And that student feedback is vital if the University is to root out bad teaching. such as that delivered by highly qualified research staff who ~imply don't know how to teach. "I've seen that. Every new lecturer who comes to the university is now taking a certificate in teaching. which teacher; lecturers how to teach. That also applies to staff who have already been lecturers at 01her univer ities. "You have to look at lectures a' part of the course. but if some turns up and reads fwm a 3 year old script, with no visual aids, then that would be unacceptable." And he urged student$ to make their feelings known if their lecturers aren't up to scratch. He as~s. "How are we going to knO\\ if students don· t write that down on the course evaluation forn1s'?" The dire financial state of universities isn't helping to improve
"lt's an unusual type of business, where students are sometimes customers and sometimes part of a community" and slow. A national survey he pioneered revealed UEA to be one of the worst offenders in terms of its appeals system. "Problems do arise in supervision of students. particularly students doing an MA or PhD, and there is a formal process there. I know it works because I have seen some that go wrong," protested Mr Wau,_ "You can't create an environment where student> put a great deal of energy into appealing again't asse;.sment results. it's much more in the interests of the students to learn what they need to and sail through the assessment rather than put their energy into fighting the assessment:· Overall, Mr Watt, is confident that UEA' is living up to its motto of excellence in research and teaching. although he admits that there is room for improvement. "Recently we have had four of the major parts of our teaching reviewed by external assessors. It's marked out of 24. and the last four have all been in the 22-24 range. In Maths we got the highest teaching score of any university that's been assessed so far. "We may not be perfect - J'm
teaching standards either. Around 40% of UEA's income wmes from
unpredictable research contracts, making it difficult to pay for and keep good staff. It means an increa.'e in part-time teaching staff on temporary contracts, a change that Mr Watts concedes makes it impossible to develop quality cour,es. "It delinitely affects quality. We're just planning tile next live years. but we are having do it in the tenns of a I O'k reduction in income. Effectively, the gov.:rnment is saying that we will be teaching the same number of studenh with 10% less people. I0% less hook-. I 0% less everything. And that is called an efficiency saving. "Is teaching a cla~s of 40 more efficient than teaching a cla~s of 30? If the student experience is identical then yes it is, but 20 years ago it was assumed a seminar of 12 people wa~ getting to the limit of the and 20 was manageable. unacceptable. If we weren't now doing seminars of 20 we wouldn't be doing seminars at aiL "I suspect a lot of the culs over the last I0 years may have been efficiency savings - universities
were overstaffed and spent a lot of time doing a lot of things that weren't necessary - I don- t fee I that at all now."
getting quite a~ good an experience as students five years ago." "We have something like 150 units that have 5 or less people and
"In many ways you're not getting quite as good an experience as students live years ago" The only solution that will prevent standards slipping further, claims Mr Watts, is take radical action now by slashing unpopular courses and merging admissions and support activities. "If we don't do anything your successors will not have as good an experience as you have today. and in many ways you're not
240 that have I 0 or less. That is great if you are one of those students but someone else is not getting the time. "We've got some very good teachers here who are Strt1ggling to find new ways of teaching that enable them to provide the quality they used to provide. but they can no longer do."
According to the ViceChancellor, UEA's future is hanging in the balance. The University either takes drastic action now, or condemns itself to an every worsening future. "We're a first division team. and the way funding goes, you 're either going to slip down or climb up, because the first division isn't a stable state for a British university. The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer- to get promoted we have to ensure that the quality and quantity of our research increases signilicantly and that we have both more effective and more efficient teaching." By James Goffln
-----------advertisement----------NUS Conference Elections These are the candidates for the NUS Conference 1999. The election takes place on Thursday 4th February from 11 am to 5.30pm in the Bill Wilson Room
1. Katy Fixter 2. Rufus James 3. Simon Hall 4. Claire Kober 5. Tina Williamson 6. Graham Read 7. Nadia AI Yafai 8. Thomas Dunn
9. Katherine Benson 1 0. Elinor Kaye 11. Samueal Azoulos 12. lan Mackie 13. Chijioke Dozie 14. Kevin Howlett 15. Anthony Little 16. Lee Webster
Further Meeting Skills Date to be confirmed Calling all School Board and Forum Representatives - would you like to learn how to, plan effectively, approach decision makers and get results, and improve your performance in meetings. If so this session is for you.. If you are interested, sign up in the Student Advice Centre. For more details contact Deirdre Can路oll (01603 431676).
Training for new Clubs and Societies Committee members 18th February 5 路- 7 pm Jumping in at the deep end isn't always the best way to learn, and particularly so when you've got a limited time to get to grips with it - like when you've agreed to be a Club/Society Committee member. That's where this session comes in. It'll run through the basics of becoming a committee member, how things work in relation to the Union and also help you begin your planning for Soc Mart Sept. 99 and that all important recruitment drive. Open to all committee members this session is a must. Interested then sign up in the Student Advice Centre.
Training in meeting skills and organising an event for clubs and society members. 17th February 2-4 pm One of the most important skills required to keep your society and committee together is meeting skills - it's all about com municating, agreeing aims, recording what's been agreed and working together as a team. This session will help you consider how you do just that and will then go on to look at how as a group you organise an event- something which most societies need to do from time to ti me if they are to be successful. Interested in developing some prac6cal and CV enhancing skills. Sign up in the Student Advice Centre.
UNION PAPERSHOP
Don't forget Valentines Day February 14th Large selection of cards from 拢1.20 Remember your loved one with chocolates
Ill
this issue Martin Bell 10 Love lines 12
Cupid's corner? 14 Gifts and Guilty! 15
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Katie CrockeH heads to the Big Apple with some mates in search of cheap Levi's and a millionaire and comes back tired and culture shocked ...
e might think the movies have shown us everything there is to know about the Big Apple, but New York is still a stunning, shocking experience for the first-timer. The size, the height, the people, and the traffic, will amaze you. Everything about this City is taken to the extreme. There's so much to take in that even us four sassy London chicks found we weren't quite so cocky after a week in the Big Apple. On arriving in Manhattan it's easy to get dragged along by the tide of people and end up totally lost. Make sure you' re armed with a decent guidebook or map, and be prepared to be dwarfed by practically everything you see. it's a good bet to go up one of the skyscrapers and get your bearings. You could either go up the twin towers at the World Trade Centre, or go, as we did, to the Empire State Building. $6 takes you up to the observatories on the 86th floor - although this is not something to try if you are afraid of heights or at all concerned by the idea of being squashed into a lift with bus loads of tourists by a big Hispanic woman. But if you can overcome such fears or fancy walking up the 1,860 steps the view from the top is spectacular. The buildings and skyscrapers really do look like a model village, and the people are not unreminiscent of scurrying ants. Even if the visibility isn't up to the 25 miles they promise a good day will bring, the green oasis that is Central Park will stand out in all but the heaviest of fogs. Don't be deceived by the distance though, it may look like it's only five
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of detachment from the intensity of the City and you'll realise that it's vital to every New Yorker's sanity. As you might expect, hundreds of jogging, cycling and rollerblading businessmen and women descend on the Park at lunchtime for a quick shape up. The rest of the day you will find a fair number of duck-feeding children, strolling OAP's and camera-wielding tourists like us. Even though she hasn't been working out in the Park every day, there is one woman in the City who has aged considerably well. We are, of course, talking about the most important girl in New York, and visiting her has to be the next stop on every tourists' agenda. Even though the Statue of Liberty can be seen from miles away, it is worth
'lt's easy to get dragged along in the tide of people and end up totally lost, so take a map book wherever you go'
heading down to Lower Manhattan to get a closer look at this monument on Ellis Island. The best and cheapest way to do this is to take the famous Staten Island ferry across the Hudson, travelling directly past the Statue and islands. The yellow ferry only costs 50 cents, which you have to pay on the return journey to New York (but only if you actually get off at the other end). The tug boat may not be the most luxurious form of transport, with its slat wooden seats and cold wind, but you -~------------------,get to pass right by the lady and her torch, as well as a chance to snap up an unforgettable view of the Manhattan skyline. Back on dry land, Wall Street and the stock exchange are nearby, as are the Brooklyn Bridge and the Seaport. If the buy-sell, consumer atmosphere doesn't appeal, how about searching for a bit of culture? Like everything else about this City, the art galleries are big and plentiful. First there's the famous Solomon A Guggenheim Museum.The Museum is not only home to a fantastic collection of modern and contemporary paintings and sculpture, but is also an architectural masterpiece in itself, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The minutes away, but once you get back down to the Guggenheim has a sister museum in the City's streets and it's traffic, shops and beggars and SoHo district which exhibits special exhibitions as sellers shouting through the exhaust fumes, the well as showcasing pieces from the permanent walk is longer than it seems. The Park is one of collection. the City's most striking features, and you wil~ be Of all the galleries on offer, the Museum of glad to sit down in the sunshine once you get Modern Art in Upper Midtown offers possibly the there. You may be disappointed to find that the most compr1:1heosive collection of contemporary park is criss-crossed with main roads and that art in the City. This eclectic collection, includes most of the grass is fenced off however. it's not all works by Monet, Dali and Miro, as well as Van bad though. The Park does provide a great sense Gogh's The Starry Night.
Trekking around galleries all day is all very well though, but what about the shops, I hear you cry? Well, when you've finished at the MoMA it's not far to Saks on 5th Avenue - a kind of Selfridges for New York. Macy's and Bloomingdales are the two other places to be seen shopping in much the same style as Saks, except that Macy's has the added extra of the Macyland giftshop which even sells Statue of Liberty snowstorms. (Though if it's snowstorms and postcards you're after, there are plenty of tacky tourist shops along the streets with slightly more reasonable prices.) For the serious bargain hunters among you, we found the best place to head for is the south end of Broadway, where you'll find GAP and Urban Outfitters, among others, with the all the usual stuff at amazing prices. For girlies, Ricky's sells coloured wigs, false nails, false eyelashes and false eyebrows(?!), as well as every cosmetic and hair product under the sun. SoHo is a great place to find unusual gifts, with shops selling everything from rare posters to retro gear. For us, the grooviest shopping discovery of the day had to be a store at 216 Lafayette Street. This seemingly ordinary shop actually contains enough pairs of spangly platforms and flares to kit out every Retro LCR-goer for the next year. And what's more, they're all originals. After a hard day's shopping, there's nothing better than grabbing a large cafe latte from Starbucks, a cream cheese bagel from the local bagel shop, and jumping on the subway to head back to the hotel and get ready for a night out on the town. Finding funky but cheap places to go out drinking and clubbing in New York can be difficult though. Whatever your music taste, it is worth getting hold of New York Time Out or Village Voice for the "what's on" listings - they are a pretty good starting point. However, no matter what you do, it's always a gamble
when you go out in a new City. We began our night at The Ludlow Bar on the Lower East Side, after contemplating (briefly) and deciding against a place called the Live Bait Bar. Yellow cabs are probably the safest way of getting about after dark, but remember that the sleazy driver comes as standard. You should also expect the ID hassle when you try to get into a bar, as the legal drinking age in the USA is 21 . There are three options open to you at this point. Option one, look mortally offended at the suggestion that you are underage, then get your passport out of the communal handbag and grin smugly at the doorman . Two, try the fake ID you procured earlier from a bloke on the corner of 8th Avenue and West 42nd Street or three, snog the bouncer. Wherever you end up, you'll probably find that the extremely large standard measures of liquor (and the willingness of rich blokes to buy them for you) will be enough to get your evening off to a good start. The clubs to head for later are The Tunnel, for a spot of house, or Shine or Life for a spot of celeb spotting. If it's midweek you'll get in free, but at the weekend you'll probably have to fork out $15 or more for most of the clubs. By the end of a week in the Big Apple you'll be knackered - or at least, you should be if you've done it properly. We had. We'd eaten kosher hotdogs, smelt steaming drains, refused fake ID's, hailed yellow cabs, peered into limosines, shopped in Saks, drunk "cawfee", stared up at skyscrapers - and then gone up them, commuted on the subway, carried brown paper bags of liquor, watched Hollywood blockbusters being filmed, walked down 5th Avenue and talked to loonies. lt was incredible and, by the end, we were totally New Yorked out.
.For students the flights are slightly cheaper, but there Is that added consideration of how much spending money to take, with all the shops and sights to see there Is plenty to spend that student grant on!
•cost : Alghts. lt Is much cheaper to fly In the winter. At the moment you can fly with Air India to Ney York for £133 plus £50 tax. In the summer this will Increase to £300 plus tax.
.Accomodatlon: There are plenty of places to stay In the Big Apple, from Youth hostels to cheap hotels, Its a good Idea to pre book If you are going at a busy time of year
10 ln:Focus
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
What's the story behind Martin Bell, the war correspondent turned independent MP 路 the man who always wears a white suit? Paul Stokes finds out more about the man with the biggest dry cleaning bill in parliament ... estminster is a somewhat unusual place. Not only is it the home of the nation's parliament but, thanks to the cathedrals, the London borough is also the centre for three of Britain's major Christian denominations. With these features, the unexpected has not only become common, but, well , expected. As if to prove this point, the randomness of Westminster was clearly apparent on the bright January morning of this interview. Opposite the entrance to the House of Lords, a large and vocal group were protesting against Chile's General Pinochet (whose second trial was to start that day). whilst not far from them the quieter supporters of the General were, proclaiming that the old butcher was nothing but a national hero who should be sent home post-haste . Meanwhile. a horde of cameras . microphones, and clean cut . fake-tanned reporters combined to make a media circus as the police buzzed around trying to keep everything moving smoothly. And just to complete the unreality, one of the boys in blue had paused from his duties to explain to a tourist on a mountain bike the subtleties of Big Ben. Did you know the name belongs to the bell, not the tower? lt seems fitting that with his varied and unusual career, a resilient and determined character like
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Martin Bell should have ended up in this arena. As the former war zone correspondent-turned MP for Tatton admits, his route to the House of Commons has followed "a very roundabout and accidental path," - a bit like parliament itself. Bell's path to the Commons began with him doing what he
reporting on soldiering. As a national service conscript, Bel l joined the Suffolk regiment in 1957 and saw action in Cyprus. although his journalistic talents were able to shine through the uniform thanks to his time editing the regimental magazine. After leaving the army in 1959. Martin Bell proceeded to Cambridge University before turning his attentions to journalism. "I was always going to be a journalist," he says with confidence. "My grandfather was the news editor of the London Observer in the 1930s and before the old man died I talked to him and became convinced that this was by far the most interesting way to earn a living." Indeed, soon after he joined BBC Norwich in 1962 - where he was one of Look East's "founding fathers" - he fou nd the intrigue he was looking for when he swapped these sedate pastures for "a lot of war zones." Reporting for the BBC, Martin Bell has visited a considerable amount of the globe from Vietnam to the Gulf, which he covered with th e British infantry. In fact, he was one of the first Western journalists to enter Kuwait . after the Iraqi invasion . However, it is for his coverage of th e Bosnian civil war that Martin Bell has become most noted. The wa r, which saw Bell not only report but fall victim to the hostiliti es ,
had a deep and marked effect on the correspondent. He has published a book of his experiences, In Harms Way, and has continued to be active in respect to the region , having recently
"In some ways it was quite simple, it was the agresstion of the armed against the unarmed, the strong against t he weak"
.::::::~--=-------given evidence at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Indeed, in the introduction to the book, Martin Bell charted this effect, saying that 'this war has mattered more to me than anything else I have lived through . and still does.' Three years on from writing those words it is apparent that this sentence still holds. "11 was unlike all the other wars ," he says. trying to explain the deep impact Bosnia had on him . "I was there much longer than for any of the other wars , on and off for three and
a half yea rs, I was wou nded in it and I was so close to the suffering of people all the time. If you're living 200 metres from the front line you are, to some extent, sharing their risks and th eir hardships. Though not really, because we could get ou t of the area when we wanted. Sti ll , you co uldn't help empathising and sympathising with the victims of th e war." Along with th e difficult task of staying ali ve - Bell was injured in a mortar attack - he re mained comm itted to news reporting an d th e importance of deliverin g "the facts" in th e chaoti c situati on. "I was not a crusading journalist," he expl ains, "but I
11 then. In the end I did it out of independent. "They don't see me as a threat to cussedness really. I would their system, but as an a bit of an anomafy. have wondered 'what if?' for They're very kind, they know I'm only there for one -.,,....,_ the rest of my life if I hadn't." term of parliament, and MPs of all parties are very Having accepted the helpful actually." Bell's promise to the people of mantle, both Labour and the Tatton to sit for only one term was much Uberals retired their publicised at the time of the election; now two candidates, making it a years into that term equal publicity has been given straight fight between Bell to his regret for making it. "I do regret it, especially and Hamilton. Backed up by because I think I have found that there is a role for c:...-•c:•-• his larger than life wife, an independent in Westminster," he sighs, "but I Christine Hamilton, the made the promise in the heat of the campaign and I did it for a very good tactical reason. I figured 1 former minister proceeded to could persuade more Conservatives to vote for me ambush Martin Bell's first press conference on Tatton if they felt they were not going to break the mould. Heath in an attempt to keep And so I made the promise, and having made it the seat. Bell, who had quit I'm going to keep it." the BBC only days beforehand, appeared to be stunned and bemused by the "No amount of spinning could much publicised encounter. "I save Peter Mandelson · reacted very badly, I wasn't peo~le have common sense ready for it, I was completely and he was gone In two days" ~~.,..~.I wiped out. I conceded something I shouldn't have Along with his duties on the Standards and conceded, I thought I'd given Privileges Committee, Bell has contributed as an it away there and then." He MP on many fronts. He was instrumental in getting the treaty against land mines ratified by admits, however, a Conservative victory wasn't suggesting a special vote on the anniversary of to be. "In fact the ambush the death of the Princess of Wales'. If the probably won me the Government could not find time in the usual election. lt was so session - time was found, and naturally he has Bell witnessed the ho"ors of the war In Bosnia on and off for three"'a_n_ d _a_h_a•lf~ -e-a_r:_ s _....,...,._ _ _ _ _ _ _. ._..,. discourteous, and I don't like taken a continued interest in British policy towards discourtesy in politics and neither do people. I the Balkans, tabling questions on the current did hope that by the presentation of the facts and negative. I can accept that sometimes in situations thought I'd lost it then, but I probably of civic commotion, riots and so on, the presence the presentation of the suffering of these people won it then." that the Government would be moved to take of cameras can exacerbate," he explains, "but this Not only did the career switch bring some action, to intervene. To cause an is not true about wars. That war was going to the former war correspondent to greater intervention was not the intention, but I hoped it have happened whether television was there or public attention, but it also opened his would be the effect." Eventually, the United not, but once it was started, television affected the unique dress sense to greater scrutiny. Since the Slovenian war, where he had Nations did mount a humanitarian effort backed up way in which it was conducted." by force, though not before several thousand Eventually a fragile peace was established in wanted to stress his identity as a civilian, Bosnia and Martin Bell came home. At this point civilians lost their lives. Bell believes that it was Bell had worn a white suit for all his the future was uncertain. By his own admission he the presence of foreign news teams that helped to professional activities. "lt's for keeping trigger this response. "I don't think the UN would was too old for war reporting and it was unclear safe in hazardous environments, it's a what other role he could fill at the BBC. However, superstition. When I'm off I don't [wear it], but when I'm anywhere near the that was before Neil Hamilton, Tatton and the "lt was so discourteous, and 1997 general election propelled the man in the political scene I do." So far, Bell believes I don't like discourtesy 1n white suit to the House of Commons, and into the the outfit has worked. "I had a bit of a going over by the Daily Mirror last public arena as never before. politics and neither do Hamilton, a Conservative junior minister, was at January on my legal fees. I paid the people" money back and then I told my the centre of the 'cash for questions' sleaze scandal after it was alleged he took money to ask have intervened if there hadn't been television constituents, and I asked them to write there. lt would have just been regarded as a questions in the Commons for Harrods owner, to me to give me their views - I didn't distant war in a country of which we don't know ask for their support, I asked for their Mohammad AI Fayed. Despite the fact that he had been forced out as a minister and there was very much." views - I got 700 letters in favour, seven against. Kosovo crisis. The former reporter also has Along with the effect it had on foreign There aren't many politicians who come out of a overwhelming evidence backing up the something to say about Labour's obsession with governments, Martin Bell also talks of the effect scandal stronger then they went in, but I did and allegations, Hamilton refused to stand down and spin doctoring everything in order to try and put a went on to contest the seat. lt was then suggested that was the end of it. So since then it's been OK. news reporting had on the warring sides. They positive angle on it. "I think they are trying too were forced, some more successfully than others, that an independent, anti-sleaze candidate should You never know what they [the press] are going to hard and it will rebound against them. They've been quite effective, but to some extent it's been a to take crash courses in media relations. be found to challenge Hamilton. However nobody, come up with. What have I done that I've forgotten waste of energy. If you' re not doing a good job least of all Bell, knew who it might be. "I was about that someone's going to dig up? You always "We had open access when the war began," he wonder. The Daily Mail would love to have me, aware the Hamiltons were in trouble, I knew the explains, "but after about a year they started to then no amount of spinning is going to cover up. believe me." opposition parties were looking for an No amount of spinning could save Peter close various areas off to us." Military considerations were not the only factor which Unfortunately, wearing white suits does have independent," he recounts, "but it had never Mandelson - people have common sense and he occurred to me in a million years that I might be was gone in two days." forced this change in attitude. People's perception one big draw back - keeping them clean. "I am the MP with the highest dry cleaning bill, no the conscript." After Terry Waite, whose family are On the other Labour problem of late, cronyism, abroad became an increasingly important from the constituency, turned down the invitation preoccupation, as Bell explains. ''There were question," admits Bell with more than a hint of he is slightly more forgiving. "Well, I do not see a to stand ("he'd already done five years as a humour. many attempts to manipulate and obstruct the pattern of sleaze of the kind we had in the last hostage and didn't want to do another," Bell After such an unusual start in politics Martin Bell parliament when there was buying and selling of media, because it was so important." has since been able to settle down to business in influence, for example. But I do see an suggests), Labour MP Kate Hoey suggested Bell. The Serbs, who were often seen as the aggressors in the West, were, in Bell's j1.1dgement, the House of Commons, while the political parties extraordinary lack of common sense, and in the "lt was her idea originally," explains Bell, "lt was suggested and I didn't say no absolutely there and have come to accept Bell's unique position as an particularly bad at fighting the news war. "They question of the loan [made by the Government's were very bad news managers," he explains. "My Paymaster General, Geoffrey Robinson to Trade own view is that Sonja Karadic, Or Karadic's [the and Industry Secretary Peter Mandelson), an leader of the Bosnian-Serbs} daughter, did more extraordinary remoteness from the interests of damage to the cause of the Serbs then even her ordinary people." father - she ran their press operation." With at least two years, by his own reckoning, However, despite this perception, Bell was not left in parliament, Mr Bell has no immediate plans prepared to allow public opinion to interfere with for the future, except to write a book about his the reporting of the reality. "I don't like to just time at Westminster and perhaps, if he allows simplify it to the good guys/bad guys, it didn't himself the time off, to see more of Norwich City, respond to reality. There were massacres of Serbs the football club he supports. He also professes a desire to visit Suffolk more. In fact Martin Bell as well as by Serbs, we must never forget that." knows East Anglia well, having been born, The difficulty of conveying the reality of the situation was endemic of the war as a whole, educated and employed here. He even has an particularly as many Western viewers had little honouree degree from UEA, although he claims it understanding of the problem and its history, as was given to the wrong man, "They should have given it to my father [Adrian Bell). He was a very Martin Bell concedes. "lt was particularly difficult to explain. When eminent Suffolk writer [and first ever setter of The you've got to try and explain something like the Times crossword] and was very much alive at the Bihac, where there were Serbs, Croats, and two time when the University was founded. I felt he different factions of Muslims all fighting each was just the kind of man they should have given a other, you felt that peoples' eyes would glaze degree to, but they never did. When I accepted it I over. lt was complex, but in some ways it was said 'this is for Dad you know.'" quite simple, it was the aggression of the armed Whatever he does in the future, it is unlikely that history will forget Martin Bell's unique contribution against the unarmed, the strong against the to British political culture. As a reporter he forced weak." the British public to confront the truths, particularly In many ways, television news learnt some in Bosnia, that world leaders would rather have important lessons from the Bosnian crisis and, been hidden away, while as an MP, he has helped though not totally satisfied, Bell believes that TV to produce a genuine clean-up in British plays a constructive role in such situations. "I think parliamentary politics. You might even say he is it's generally positive," he says tentatively. "lt tells Shocking attroc/tles of war politics' very own great white. truths. I can't see that telling the truth can be
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121n:Focus
ln:Focus 13
To My Parisian Imp Till the axle breaks, The Fan belt rips and the wheels come clean off
Blower You are the love of my life, there is always something to play with! Love overcomes all problems - even yours. Grotbags x
Are words enough to express your desires? Find out if you've got a secret (or not so secret) YourGr admirer on the pinboard of passion, and find out about other peoples memorable Valentines Nana lan Mackie Suits and ties and sexy eyes Would you come and stroke my thighs Be my Valentine you sexy thing I've seen you in my maths class And I hear your name is frog Can I be your girlfriend Cos your other one's a dog From Miss Piggy To the eight minutes past midnight lady Afternoon strolls in DC. Sharing history as the sun sets. Log fires. Open words. Riverside walks. Watching you sleep. Christmas together. Thank you for showing me that dreams can be real. Forever, your man To my scarecrow, My little Wurzel Gummage I know you have a heart So follow my yellow brick road to heaven And I will be your Aunt Sally
? To Bob Although you have the name of a bloke, you are 1 00% all bird With your curly locks and your considerable assets, You're nothing like Thora Hurd You can play with my joystick anytime you like The thought of your disk drive makes me wild Although I am shy, some say I am meek I want to give you my love child Love M
To my three Swedish meatballs I have enough love for all of you northern lads Love Sophie lrvin Roses are red Grass is green Shall I use yoghurt Or do you prefer whipped cream? Big S
Hola Chico Muy guapo....Jose y tambien mi Brazilania Adriana Muchos muchos besos para ti Y el trio ......si!
Dear Em You can be mardi around me anyday Let me take the blues away I love you more than words can say Love from the karma killer xxx To my international man of mystert I love you Always, your attention seeking, Pussy cat xxxx
To Cosmic Caz You're dazzling as Daz Come out on the Raz You're the Disco Diva With the Tuesday night fever So don't leave me ever You're K2's coolest mother A joy to discover . Love from someone or other
I want to eat your bra! Love Rob
Ivan You're my thrusting engine I want your piston Love as always, Thomas
Dear Bee's Are you really clueless? Or is it just to fool us? Either way you're a total sweetheart Love From King Edward xxx
Teresa, Every minute of every day with you is a gift. Thank you for choosing to share so many of them with me. All my love, always. Kris
Shazza Your pasta sux, even though we cooked i:! We love you anyway Love Mat and Dave
Ian I love you more than words can say This feeling grows stronger day by day I want to be with you forever, You are my one and only fellal Be mine
To ~11 the party animals at 196 You are all such a brilliant mix Thank you for always being there Even when I am never there! Love CAZ xxx To Alton Towers Hoping for the ride of our lives LoveS&M To V As morning hues of sun swept fire Caress your passioned face Alone with you pure desire To worship untold grace My heart would cry in silent prayer For a moment kept apart Your essence warms the evening air As I dance into your heart
Dear Richard Dean I long to see you star in "Ricardo the naked" tonight. Happy Valentine's day, you naughty boy!! From CeeJay PS. No chocolates this year please, I'm on a diet!
She's a golden goddess A Buffalo booted dream She's a poet and a flirt , And a perfect dancing queen She's lovely and she's luscious and her name is Althea And my heart is broken cos everybody fancies her! Lovely Lucy Elbourne - EAS 2 We've joked about my 9 inches Now lets turn the joke into a hot romantic affair
Em Stop dashing about and come drink fran my font of lurve. ATM
The way you wiggle your bum, Always makes me laugh, You're often lots of fun, Except when you barf. You're the ruler of the roost And always give things a boost. Thanks a lot! ToCarl, You are so sexy, you are so cute, I h~d you once, was it a fluke? Be my Valentine, Love, your secret admirer xx To Mr Sporty, I love your sexy Robbie style, Your glasses are so cute and square, I want to stare into your eyes, and run my fingers through your hair (or what's left of itl) Love your darling ? John, you know who you are Those secret coat-notes Mean a lot to me!
There's no one better than Jeater, because there's no one to beat her, and she won't mind if I go off metre and say: give us a snog!! From? Wurzal I want you Love Byker To the woman with ; UEA's s_.xiest walk I miss being able to watch you walk to our house (And back again) Love T.B
To the fantastic red cheeked maiden Let's go crazy together From a budding poet You're tall, blond and dashing When I see you dancing at the LCR You set my heart aflashing, On the squash court you're a star, And even when you're plastered, You're still a double hard bastard But we' re not scared, From all your beautiful babies XXX
Dear sausage roll man I see you at the bar with your pastry And I sit and wonder how maybe, just maybe, We could get together and open a bakery. XXX
. To Scragbag How I love your scurvies lt s just a shame you hang around with lurvies Oh why can't you be mine Then again I haven't got much time From Magnum P.l To The Hammer Let me be your Leo And the chief news will be our love affair And not a sinking disaster From a teenage millionaire xxx Olwen I want to eat your bra! Love Rob In French love poetry I was taken by your sparkling blue eyes Your steely grey hair made my blood pressure rise Averting my gaze from your kissable lips The piece de resistance were your bicycle clips
? 路 To The Marshmallow Man You're the one for me fatty, You're the one I really, really love Wurzat I want you Love Byker
Mark, Be a sport And take a look at my section I promise it's juicier than yours. (No news there).
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Want to come round and watch some videos? Love J XXX Eugene Cuddle this chemist and see the reaction! CU Soon Love X To D.H To know you exist makes me happy To know you and have you in my life is a priceless gift Thank you for finding me worthy of your friendship Lol(e you, K.H.S John You may not drink, you may not swear You tend to point your finger in the air You support Norwich City football club And visit daily the Student Union Pub You judge people on just their looks And read others like a book You may be sad and full of baloney But, hey after all your name is John Maloney! Gloria G, Kate F & Sandra I My three beauties Love from your beast
Will you ever love me as much as your lemurs? Can I explore your jungle sometime? Love ya Loads Marcel xxx To lnma You are the best Te quiero mucho SAMxx
Bob - I'm so pleased you said yes I can't wait to be Mrs Boom! From your bitch xxx
To Noel When you look in the mirror and you gaze into space My eyes begin to gleam and my heart begins to race You know that you are good looking, you know you are so fit You know that you are charming and oh so full of wit You know that we all envy you and want you in our lives But how can we commit to you when you want so many wives Instead we've tried to be friendly and we've tried to get along We assumed you'd get to know us but now we know we're wrong Even though we offered you sex, happiness and wealth How can we compete ~ when you're so in love with yourself?
To my Sweetheart Happy one year anniversary, Thank you for making it one of the best years ever We were obviously meant to be You are my best friend {J(;.-,..._.,.iliii~'' My lover, my soulmate & I love you loads Love your little snuggler xx Oh Marie, Oh Marie, Oh Marie Please say that you'll be Oh very rude to me Hop on baby & ride the love wave lckle Nancy I love you I'd love it if you'd love me too
? Your handsome and sexy And sensitive too Your fiery and fervent I'm VOLCANIC for you! With Love
Comrade Wendling If property is theft Be my favourite criminal
Baby Boy I love you with all of my squashy bits From lckle Baby Girl
Paul Of course you will have a valentine Your arty ways are truly sublime Will you be mine?
XXX
To Charlie I love your sexy bottom I think it is really sweet lt makes my head go funny and my knees turn weak E.C. To a St. Louis Poet In a world that judges by surface appearances you have an acknowledged beauty Yet you have shown me that you have something even more precious You have a beautiful soul. Happy Valentine's Day
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To Claire You can always come to my first aid!!
Love lan xx Chief Nikki Will you let me into your wig-wam of love? Come suck on my pipe of passion. Running Bull Jim
Adarr OPX ZPV'WF GPVOE UIF LFZ .UP UIF DPEF, J DBO UFMM ZPV IPX 1\VDI J MPWF ZPV. POMZ ZPV J=>ME UIF LFZ UP NZ IFBSU BMM NZMPWF Jules To my barman at the York Tavern Happy Valentine's Day Love Sandra Doran
Oh we know how you love to scheme, You'd like us to think your conscience is clean, But we know the truth, We know what you're like, So give it up and get on your bike love the boys. To Peaches Pearman Peaches grow in Africa They grow in India too But it takes a place like Surrey To grow a peach like you! Lots of Love Jason xxx PS I love your petals!!
Delicious Delany You rock my world baby I dream of your love truncheon Give it to me baby Love as always Aunt Jenny
I see your smiling face when you serve me in the shop I love your sexy stance and your short brown curly mop Love
Carolina Pages and pages of words Couldn't focus on all the glorious Features Wrapped up in you. Pity.
Jason Sinclair Smoothesome hunk - notice me! Your Secret Voyeur
DearCeri I know that my eyes are ridiculously close together But please be my Valentine anyway Yours Joseph Fiennes To the most beautiful girl in the world Teamo. Ultimate fighting champion of Bury St. Show Js your arms or lose us Forever, Love Muppet 1 and Muppet 2 Hey Baby I love you just because you're you ...and I j ust can't keep my hands off yoLr chocolate salty balls! Love Sally Struthers XXX
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My dearest George, Kerrie and Laura Thank you for the foursome, must do it again sometime Love Don Juan
I love you so much, Each time I look in the mirror I love you more! Dave Vainian To my petite popsicle By my Valentine Love M To all the fine barmaids in the Mad Moose, When you serve us a pint you set loose our juice, love the c-males.
You've a squashed heart, The Delectable Sarah You're tongue's tart, Your heart is like the sun, so warm, so loving it can Your voice is strong heat a1 entire world, Your legs are long Your voice is like the birds singing in the trees You are abusive So gentle and soothing like music to my ears. But still conducive I am so happy that this year I can say that you are To lots of fun and laughs my Valentine From the butt of your jokes As life without you would be as cold and dark as To all the stars upstairs life wit1out the sun. Who make what we have so tab Lots of Love Simon I love you all from you know who XXX
Your come-to-bed bottom makes me late But seminars will have to wait Why should study wrest me from this bed And getting up for you instead?
Your eyes are so bright You're my shining light I'll you forever If you squeeze into that leather love Spandex Sam
Competition winners announced in next issue
14 ln:Focus
Concrete Wednesday, Febraury 3, 1999
Is Norwich a cupid's corner for romance? Nicofe Fortmann finds the love hot spots for couples this Valentine's Day hat fun student life would be if grants or loans stretched to romantic weekends in gay Paris, or elegant Venice. Sadly though, at this time of year when the rich and famous a re whisking their loved ones off to the smoochiest corners of the world, we all have to hope that Norwich has enough appeal to evoke at least a little passion. But who needs gondolas and frogs' legs to have a good time? If you fancy giving your nearest and dearest a thrill of the adventurous kind (no we're not talking S&M here) how about seeing some of the Norfolk Broads on a cruiser? Unfortunately there are no manned cruisers at the moment as it is out of season, but if you are confident enough to take the helm yourself you can hire a cruiser for £100 a day. However; if you would rather sail through the sky with your loved one, you can buy an hour in a hot air balloon and admire the beauty of Norwich's rooftops. Make sure you're not dating a vertigo sufferer though, or the said rooftops may come into contact with the romantic picnic lunch you so carefully prepared. lt's not cheap at £100, but at least you get to celebrate in style with drinks in Earlham Park when you land! Better still, you could both see Norwich for fifteen minutes by
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helicopter....for £851 If a calming stroll is in order after the excitement of floating through the clouds, the cathedral gardens are an extremely pretty and peaceful haven for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the City centre. Equally romantic is a walk along the River Wensum (not to mention invigorating in February). You could admire the beauty spots of the area, such as the fifteenth century Watergate in Cathedral Close or Bishops Bridge, the only medieval bridge in the city. Alternatively, it might be more sensible to just cuddle close to your loved one in an attempt to survive Norwich's Arctic winds. If you foresee your future as a happy couple lasting well into retirement then you may want to cut out a few decades by behaving like OAPs now. There is a clustering of quaint tea rooms and cafes situated along the City's charming and picturesque old cobbled streets. The Gedge on Elm Hill is a traditional tea room and is the perfect place for a cosy and intimate chat. Remember to take your rheumatism tablets though, that hill can be quite steep. For the more cultured amongst us there is Take 5 on St Andrew's Street. Here you can enjoy a truly enchanting afternoon tea within the fine surrounds of a 14th century merchant's dwelling.
Later, you may want to test the prophecy that the way to a person's heart is through their stomach, by taking advantage of one of Norwich's fine eateries. The Floating Restaurant is an intimate setting in which to wine and dine that special person. This restaurant is actually a 100-year old SO-seater Dutch barge which offers a variety of delicious international cuisine at affordable prices. If the calm and relaxing atmosphere of this restaurant does not put you in the mood for love then indulging in the ultimate dessert - a 'Godfather' - for two at Bella Pasta surely will. Just imagine how romantic it would be to recreate that sickly feeling from the hot air balloon ride together. But for the most romantic place? I would suggest your bedroom with Belgian chocolate Haagan Daz ice cream!
Take a romantic stroll by the river
Valentine's Day: heaven or hell?
Love it or loathe it, you can barely avoid it, Darcy Hurford explores the highs and lows of surviving the romantic season
alentine's Day Is all very well If you're going out with someone, but what about If you're single? The days leading up to February 14 can be a nightmare for the unattached. Everywhere you turn, love Is In the air. The newsagents are packed with heart-shaped c:ards and boxes of c:hoc:olates, while you c:an barely walk down the high street without tripping over flower sellers hawking their numerous red roses. Valentine's Day Itself c:an be even worse. All those smooching couples whispering sweet nothings to eac:h other c:an only Induce utter nausea on the part of the single spectator, to say nothing of blatant jealousy. Of course, you might be happier being single. After all, not being tied down to one person means you c:an flirt with as many people you like. If you're suc:c:essful at this, then Valentine's Day will be great. All those c:ards from secret admirers! Not only will you need to take a day off from lec:tures In order to read them all, but you don't have to underco the suffering that a real, 'committed' relationship would Involve, suc:h as visiting their parents. Then again, even If you are In a relationship, the Big V c:an be problematic:. For a start, the
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Whole present buying process Is fraught with dlffteulty. Supposing they give you diamond jewellery or a weekend In Parts, and your gift, based on the ' lt's the thought that counts' prlnc:lple, consists of a handmade c:ard and tube of Smarties? Could be embarrassing, couldn't lt? On the other hand, your partner's c:holc:e of &1ft might give you some valuable lnslghts Into their personality. If, c:ome the big day, your boyfriend surprises you with 12 plastic: roses and an ornamental slamese c:at, he may not be the man for you after all. The most awkward scenario, however, must be when you have become the unwilling participant In a relationship. All your attempts to let them down gently will be destroyed In the nauseous romantic atmosphere. How c:an you finish with someone who Is enthusiastically planning a present for you? Apart from this, there's the expense factor to consider. All this c:ard-buylng and dolphin adopting doesn't c:ome c:heap, and let's fac:e lt, lt's a drain on money that c:ould be muc:h better spent on other things. St Valentine has a lot to answer for.
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ln:Focus 15
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
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Be original this Valentine's day. Chocolates and flowers might be the traditional method to woo a loved one or potential flame, but to stand out from the crowd try our handy gifts tips for a more unusual gift to the one you most desire ..... 1. Name a star You gaze up to the sky, eyes locked, as you strain to spot your very own star, now not only Patrick Moore will command the galaxy with his astrological know how. If you decide to name a star after your nearest and dearest you will have a choice of 15 million to pick from. This is a gift that will last a lifetime, and therefore might break the average student bank balance. But at £55 you will get a commemorative gift set and have the star officially registered in your chosen one's name, your love can be as immortal as your star.... before it explodes that is. For more details contact the International Star Registry on 0171 2266886.
Stuck for ideas on what to buy a loved · one? Caroline Jeafer investigates the more unusual gifts on offer this Valentine's day...
~. Adopt an animal Show your sentimental side, by adopting a whale, seal or dolphin for your beloved. lt is not as expensive as it sounds and also holds the added bonus of removing the hassle of having to remember to feed you'r pet daily. By adopting an animal you are also helping to protect them in their natural habitat and will receive a gift set detailing your purchase. For more into ring the Whale Adoption Project on 01732 866955, cost: approx £15
3. A singing teiegram/kissogram Serenade your loved one with a poem written by your own fair hand ... and get it read out by someone else to show the extent of your devotion! At least this way you don't have to be the one who gets a bucket of water tipped over their head when the neighbours start complaining about the no,se from downstairs. Equally a kissogram could be a better alternative if you are feeling a little on the shy side about reveal ing your emotions and
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want to reveal your true feelings to that special someone! Contact Stunnerz on 01493 855482, prices range at about £45.
4. Astroscope readings To help reveal whether you're a match made in heaven or hell, Concrete's very own Mystic Rod can plot a personalised astrological reading from your birth date, time and place. Rod can reveal your compatibility profile or provide a personality profile and birth chart and even a yearly forecast to help predict your future into the millennium. Each reading costs £10 (special student rate) whilst for non students prices range from £18-20. Just think plotting your future together could provide a truly unique and personal gift on Valentine's day.
5. An Interactive kiss For those of you unable to afford such expensive extravagances as those listed above, all is not lost. You can still express your emotions through a simple snog . That is a kiss through the internet, you can choose your own lips and message and e mail it to your chosen one for free! Try www.thekiss.com/default.asp These sites get very popular towards the big day though, so it might be worth having a back up plan in case the site crashes and your romantic attempts are thwarted by technology.
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Fancy being famous for five minutes? Sarah Moore headed ove r t o Anglia Studios to pass verdict on new TV show Guilty! being .filmed ••• een enough of the audiences on Vaneesa or Jerry Springer? Think you can do a better job yourself? Well, get down to Anglia TV studios and grab some tickets to Guilty!, Norwich's very own audience participation programme. who's tuned Into One lately wiU probably have seen the traiJer for "Guilty" - lt's a cross between "Trlsha" and the American courtroom drama "Judge Judy". However, since I had neither seen nor heard of the show, I was under the mistaken Impression that I had nothing to lose when a rather overenthusiastic Guilty representative accosted me In Norwich and
of the show's studio audience. Before I knew lt, I found myself bundled Into a taxi and hurtling around the ring road on the way to Anglia TV studios, looking forward to my first experience of heckling and shouting. As we sat down In our seats an Anglia TV rep explained the set up for Guilty. A member of the public was about to be put "on trial~ by a friend or relative for some 'crime' which they were being accused of. lt Is then up to the audience, as the Jury, to decide the fate of this person. Not such a terrible Idea - after all, daytime chat shows are quite fashionable at the moment, and this seemed to be a rather original version. And as the cringe-worthy disco music blasted out of the studio's PA and I helped myself to coffee and crisps, I decided that the best course of action was to go along with lt all, and have a bit of a laugh. The show's producers quickly made this a lot easier, and after a fairly Intoxicating pep talk we were soon swept along with the rest of the crowd. The first case Introduced by Carol the Judge Involved a family In which Gill's sister In law Ann was accusing her of being a snob. Whether such an "offence" required the decision making efforts of a full jury and a judge Is questionable but I gave them the benefit of t he doubt and continued paying attention to t he proceedings. As the case began to progress the bickering between Ann, Gill and their respective supporters and witnesses seemed to escalate to unfound heights, with retorts being hurled from each side In an attempt to decide who was the guilty party.
Eventually, after a couple of retakes for fluffed lines, we were allowed to decide our verdict • a resounding ~not guilty". Cheers of elation erupted throughout the audience. However, considering the rather tortuous process we had been through to reach the verdict, lt's quite likely that half of those shouting were not doing so In support of the decision, but rather out of relief that the whole process had finally reached a conclusion. However, 1t wasn't over yet- there was another case to be examined! This hugely Important trial Involved a woman who accused her husband of being obsessed with wrestling yes, well, you could call lt original! Going through the whole process again was somewhat of a challenge, but we eventually made lt and my chants of ~Guilty, Guilty, Guilty" were certainly full of vigour by the end. Indeed, If you're looking for a non-taxing afternoon of triviality, watching a TV show being filmed definitely provides the light entertainment you would be looking for - but you wouldn't want to go more than oncel
THE DETA ILS: If you have an afternoon to spare, get round to the Guilty studios. lt ha to be seen to be believed I! Contact Anglia Studios for more details on being a member of the audience at one of t heir shows on: 01603 615151 Guilty Is returning to Sky One on February, 8 at 6prn - Monday to Frtday
161n:Focus
Concrete Wednesday, February 3 1999
Horoscopes
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So you think you know about
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Government?
1. How many Cabinet positions are there?
2. What alternative tittles does the Prime Minister hold? 3. Who is the current Minster without Portfolio? 4 ... and who is the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancashire? 5. Where does the Speaker live?
CLUES Across
I) it's got to bcece ... (7) 5) American spit (5) 8) it calls the kettle black (3) 9) Ambulance man (9)
6. What does the title Right Honourable mean? 7. At which department will you find civil servants "promoting arms control and non· proliferation" and "promoting inward investment" amongst other things? 8. Who was the first Prime
I 0) Type of deodoram or act ion that isn't thought through (7) 11) Black bird (6) 13) Young lover (6) 15) Position or attitude on something (6)
17) To say yes to (5) 18) Little things that need doing (3. 4) 2 1) Something that bends light (9) 22) Van 24) To cunningly avoid or hide from something (5) 25) To make someone happy (5. 2)
Down 9. Who lives in number 11 Downing Street? 1 0. What colour paper are new government proposals printed on? )
I I I
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I) Brand of fizzy drink (5) 2) Contributor to local taxes (4, 5)
To throw out (5) Famous English painter (6) Black Mark or worthy o f blame (7) Porridge ingredient (3) Sec 16 Down (7) 12) Canad ian City (9) 13) Soothing, antiseptic o il (3,4) 14) To make something work, exert power (7) 16 and 7) Bend ing the truth for the sake of art (6, 7) 19) Song of grief (5) 20) Organi se (3. 2) 22) Span ish import that makes you fee l ill in winte r (3) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)
Issue 94: Answers Accross I. Graduate 5. Quid 7. Energetic 9. Nomad 10. Edge 12. pot 13. Aye 15. Icon 16. Lids 17 . Dim 19. Lie 20. Pine 22. Sacks 24. South Park 26. Died 27. Mindless Down I. Gown 2. Animation 3. Used 4. Ere 5. Queue 7. Dec rease 8. Envy 11 . Dislocate 12. Dispose 13. And 14. El m 18. Inca 2 1. Est 22. Skid 23. Says
Competition winners Psycho: Shower curtain · Suzie Mills Bathroom Kit · Dan White .T -shlrt • Mlchael McDermoH and Anna Vergetakl
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Concrete Wednesday, February 3 1999
EUR CUTS VC Vincent Watts insists that UEA will have to change its way if it is to survive in the future, and the changes being put forward for EUR are definitely radi.cal. Moving the School's foreign literature to EAS and its political courses to SOC could help improve standards across the board. But it could also leave the remaining parts of EUR vulnerable to the same fate as the doomed School of Physics, and the transferred units feeling like second-class citizens in their new homes.
The crucial question is, are the changes being put forward to benefit students or simply to cut costs? Everyone accepts that the University needs to be flexible in the face of a constantly falling income, but it must not be at the expense of students.
Good and varied teaching must be protected.
VILLAGE BAR The news that UEA's Vice Chancellor, Vincent Watts is lending his support to the campaign for a bar in the Village is great. Villagers have been calling for some decent facilities on the site· ever since it was built - and now it might finally look as though something might be done. Admittedly, there are still problems where it should be built, who would run the shops and bar and whether it would be financially viable. But the need is there and something should be done.
Come on Mr Watts, give the Villagers what they deserve.
·Editor: James Graham •Deputy Editor: Emma Newbery •News Editor. James Goffin •Chief News Reporter: Nikki Mallet •Features Editor: Caroline Jeater • Assistant Features Editor. Carolyn Boyd •Sports Editor: Mark Edwards •Assistant Sports Editor: Nick Henegan • Distribution Manager. Oliver Polhill •Editorial Contributors: Chris Brown , Adam
Banham, Nicole Russell , Claire HamiltonEddy, James Tapsfield, Pete Large, Darcy Hurford, Elisha Calvert, Nicole Fortmann , Nicholas Lerner, Simon Cogswell, Robin Millard, Laura Doherty, James Brown Nicole Russell ·Photographers: Chris Brown, Russell Burton , Arsa , Rob Lutyens, Steve Cullingworth •Ad Manager: Emma 'starer' Newbery
•Special Thanks to: UH Stewards, everyone at ECN ·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 Evenf appears by arrangement with the copyright holders, Planet Zog Ltd. •No part of this newspaper may be reproduced or transmitted through courgettes, incestuous valentines messages, Nicole's lips, exasperation of a spud or Big Jack's hat •Printed by Eastern Counties Newspapers Ltd., Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RE. © Concrete 1999.
If you have an opinion you wish to air in Concrete, please write us a letter at the address below, marked for the attention of the Editor, James Graham. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. Got a story? You can give us a ring on 250558, E·mail us on su.concrete@uea.ac.uk or come and find us in the office at the top of Union House.
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Democracy or ~.~~,!~,,;!!~!"~~ction D·lctatorsh .1p... - t1' •
e would like to speak up for our Forum Rep Antony Little, who has been badly treated by certain people in our Union. Antony has proved to be a hard working, diligent and loyal Rep, who is always willing to keep us up to date with news from the Union and work on our behalf. He has views - we knew that when we elected and reelected him - and it is a good thing that he is not afraid to a1r them. This Union is run by a bunch of tightly knit cronies and the more opposition and scrutiny that can be provided the better - and that vital service is what Antony provides, when necessary. When he opposed the Referendum on the SRC, he used his democratic right to
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abstain and encouraged others to do so. To harass a member of Forum for doing that IS not right - but this is only the tip of the iceberg wtth regards to a more important issue. lt seems like Antony is often singled out for poor treatment within the Union because he is neither a member of the Labour Party nor a close personal friend of those who have a grip on our Union. Our Union hates criticism, and treats with contempt those who dare question the way things are run . At best this is blatant hypocrisy from an "inclusive" Unton; at worst it proves that UEA is far from a democracy it is a dictatorship. J1mi Matthews His 11 Kristy Nicolaou His 11 Guy Handscombe His 11 Laura Curt1s H1s 11
Bra Battle C{:Pllle:l. to see tlat i.rlverts for tiE vJ::rDerlra have been taken do.oJn an:l raroved fran canpus. ne Sb.rl:nts Uri.P1 clearly has a big prchlem with pq;lle rrt t:acirg en :irte:e;t in it. 'll1is is s-o..n cy tlE fa:t th:lt its Ge1eral t-Ee~ are al....ays very p:xrly attexl3::1. I m rure OE cL tiE :t:e3S:rS fi:r this is its silly>Dlitical atteJ::if£6 cL Wridl this 1:Et in:::idrt is jL& ooe exarrple.
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Y.B.S
It rra::y l::e tJ:u: th:!t t:te,r hrl cx:nplaints. fb...ever, tre p:q:~le v.ixl cx:npla..inal did so
on thealcoholi"n feature in the Ja-.t I>,uc entlllcd "Studem Drinking". I low can the reporter -,enou,Jy -.uggest that the reason for high alcohol intake among't swdcnts is "the >trcs,cs of everyday life'"> I think a more rcaJi,tic explanation would be the heavy encouragement. almo't expectation. from univer-.itie;, and unions that much drink will he
lnyouro\.\lln ... ,,,papcrtherearc countless quirky references to excess l1lX)Iing; some events seem to he advertised more for their drink price' than their music and the union-run LCR was proclaimed last issue to he a "cla.,.,ic night of drunkenne,,:· Will Anderson PS tudcnt life for me has certain!) not been too stressful!
nightline 503504.Norfolk Terrace C03.12
everything from hostels to homesickness
~fically J:a::a..ae t:h:¥ h:d en a>e to grirrl. '1h! rmjarity dicn t ot:1Er 1::a::ause t:h:¥ saA rot:hirl;J to cx:nplain ctx:ut. In &ort tre St::u:B1ts Uri.cn &n.lld list:m le$ to tlE vi&s of tre roisy min:n:ity ani ncre to tlE v.i.e,..s cL tlE silert: najcrity.
K Brisloe
s::x:: 2
t·nnlidential listening and information service
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Union News is a newsletter written by the elected representatives of the Students Union. The purpose of these pages is to keep all students up to date on relevant Union issues. Although the mention of the word Union can sometimes put people off, hopefully this will make you aware of just how many services ~ advertisement from the students union and issues the Union of UEA Students covers.
·-c
93% ofUEA students say "YES"
93 lf'c of students voted " YES'' in the L'nion referendum. on the rrinciple of rerlacing the
cxi'-ling L' nion General Meeting <UGMJ ~truc t urc with a ~tudcn t n:prcscntati\e council (S RC). Dc~p it e thi ~ rn a~~ i \C majority vote (on!) 6'( of ~ t udc nt ~ voting 'A i~hed to retain the UGM ). the refere ndum fai led to reach the level of quorac) required under the Union\· constitu tion for th e res ult to be r oli cy of th e Uni on. Fo ll ow in g the indi cati ve re~ ult. Students· Forum have taken the deci\io n to p re~s on wi th the curren t rev iew of the constituti on. and to in co rporate the SRC int o the draft co n ~ tituti o n . whi ch will be rut out to a fu rt her re ferendum at a later date.
. J
n Village People There is a poss ibil ity that, at last. li ghts may be put up en route to the village. Either way pl ease bear in mind that Norwich isn·t completely crime free and try not to walk through the park on your own. If you have to, try to go the long way round by the road or get your persona l alarm from the stewards in Union House for only £ 1. There wil l be a 'community power' meeting on 28th April in the Vill age. Being sli ghtly off campu s vi ll age res idents see m to have concerns all of their own. If you want to be involved. or have suggestions Email su.welf @uea. ac. uk
n Block insurance The Uni o11 has been looking int o the cost of bl ock insurance in res idences. do you think we should continue lobbyi ng fo r this? The cost would be onl y about £ 12 each for 12 months whether you are at home or at UEA. At the moment the same cover costs an indi vidual over £30. Belongings would be covered whil st you are in transit. so peop le would be cove red during unde rgraduation when luggage is bei ng shi pped around ca m p u ~ en masse and wou ld cover items li ke library books aut omati ca ll y. The company invo lved would have closer link s with the Uni on and there houldn "t be any difficulties making a claim. They would be easier to hold to account. Of the people l have asked so far, the majority don't seem to mind ei ther way. But. fo r every ten people whi ch strongly agtTee with the proposed scheme, three strongly disagree. The problem is th at it woul dn't be possb le to opt out of the scheme as it would be included in th e package of li ving in residences. Some people are insured by their parent 's house cover or th ink that UEA shouldn 't provide a ·nanny state'. But talking to fi rst ears. the majority don' t seem to be covered at all. there is ju st so mu ch to spend money on. What would it fee l li ke if al !of your be longings were destroyed. I don't think it is worth taking the ri k to save £ 12. Wh at do you think? Feedback to su.welf@ uea.ac. uk
n Housing Face it. Getting a good house off-cam pu s can be a real pa in - particu larly if you get it wrong. it costs so much. probabl y at least half of th e money you have to live on. and then there can be horre ndous probl ems: landlords who won't give you your depos it back. ~ma l l print in your contract, and house-mates who leave you Iiabl e fo r rent when they move out. There are so many h o u ~i n g pitfa lb you' re almost sure to get caught out- aren·r you? Nonot if you come to H o u ~i n g Week! 15 t_sth February is Housing Week when we wil l be holding a range of events including a <;tall from 12-2 p.m. in the Hive manned by trained advisers . They can offer tips on finding hou~ ing, contract checks, housing guide~ and much more. The 3rd Febru ary is the cl imax of the ll ousing week. A panel of experts will answer questions from: · I pa inted my room purple and now my landlord won't give me back my depos it '1 What can I do?' to: T ve been a~ked to pay a retainer, what is it and will I get it back.' Come along on Wed 3rd February from 7-8 p.m. in Lectu re theat re 4. And fter that at 8.30 p. m. in the Hive A free Housing Quiz wi th pri zes including beer and free shoppin g. If you can an swer questions like: Who said: 'A n English man's home is his castle?' then you might be a winner- come along, its better odds than the lottery and entry is free ' And fin all y. l f you 're reading thi s afte r the 5th February, don' t de~ pair. The Studen t Advice Centre helps students all year round, on a huge range of issues - we have a housing bureau with hundreds of safety checked prope11ies, two full y trained advisers, a housing pack and a range of leaflets. All students welcome, we' re upstairs in Uni on House near the Grad Bar so pop in.
Res ults of referendum held on 22 nd January 1999 Quc\tion I: Do )OU bclic'c that L'nion Gene ral Meet i ng~ shoul d he rep laced with a Student~- Repre~cntati\C Council. v.hich would inc lude rep resentat i ve~ from: Schoo l ~. Clubs and Socs. Sport~. Graduate Students Association. Mature Students. Students'' ith caring re~ron~ i bili t ics. Race 1\ wan~ n css Socict). Wornens Action group. LGB Society. International Student\ and Students With Disahi l itie~. YES NO l!N OE C JDED
36~
2~
(93 %) (6 % )
4
( I o/c)
Total
392
Question 2: Do you th ink that the emergency measure to ens ure th at the ent ire ~ tu dcnt ropulation has the orport unity to \'Ole on an i~s u c be by way or a) Eme rge ncy Genera l Meetin g or b) Refere ndum Eme rgency Gener al Meeting Referendum Undecided
(27 % )
104 257
(66 %)
31
(7 % )
THE UNION WOULD LIKE TO T HAN K EVERYBODY WHO TOOK TH E TIME TO VOTE
1st annual sports dinner for 1999 Big Jack set to launch fantastic new annual event this Easter Dc\pitc yea r\ of \ Uggest ions and ha If-hcartcd attcmph. there ha~ never been an annual event at UEA to bring together ou r be lO\ ed \j)Olb club\ in a coJJccti\e celebration Of the :ca t··s ac hic,·cmcnt\. until now that i\. The Annual Sport' Dinner j, \Cl to become an essen tia l date in the UI::A \Ocial ca lendar. and this )Car\ launch could he the mmt taiJ..cd about C\Cnt of the )Car. England Wor ld Cup\\ inner. former Eire bO\'> and all round top bloke Jack Char! ton \\Ill be the speCial guc\t ~peakcr. The ball \\ill be held at St Andrews Ha ll in the City centre. catering. for mer 500 people. maJ..ing it the 'ccond higgc't L'nion L' \ cnt of the ) car behind the Cnion 'ummcr ball. A\ \\CII <t\ the no'h and big .lacJ... guest\ can C\pcct after dinner
entertainment til l the earl: hour\ and the prc~entalion or the first sports personal it) of the year a\\ ard. voted for b) you. LooJ.. out for the nominees in the next issue of Conc rete. Rumours that Jackic is having a bitesi;.c Shredded Wheat ~tartcr arc un fo un ded. The big da) i\ Tuc,day the 16th 1\brch. ticket'>\\ ill be availab le as of the 8th Februar) at !::25 each. Further information '' Il l be circulated \OOtl.
n Fancy a career in TV? Nexus UTV require actors , actresses, production assistants, technicians etc for spoof docu/drama. No experience necessary as training will be given . For more into contact Toby Cunningham on t.cunnin gham @uea or ring (eve) 621 605 (day) 5925 15.
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news h
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so WHAT'S IT LIKE BEING A SABB? My office is based with the Student Advice Centre and if elected you would have responsibility for running welfare campaign and helping the non abbs with some of theirs. For example the World AIDS Day campaign and Meningiti awarene • there is more to it than you might think. I also have a role in looking out for over eas tudents. The Welfare officer takes on a heap of responsibility for undergraduation and you get to know a Jot of staff around campus as they prepare for
the new seme ter. Throughout the year I have contact with the University mainly through student affairs group and via the dean of student office. Case work can be the most sensitive and difficult bit, it i certainly varied, but you get lots of training and the taff in the tudent Advice Centre i · there to help. To do this job you need initiative and commitment, it can be stressful. However, when it all comes together you can really achieve thing .
Nominations are opening for the Sabbatical Officer elections on the fir<;t of February. the four current sabbaticals are not running for re-election and would like pro'>pcctive candidates to know just what it's like. From the outside. students could be forgiven for thinking that the main role of a sabbatical officer is to get their face pla'>tered all over concrete every fortnight and ponce around the hive all day like they own the place. Well there's more than a hint of truth in that but seriously the most important aspect of being a sabbatical is that it carries large amounts of responsibility. ow responsibility is not a concept many students are familiar with, so it may come as a shock when you suddenly realise after post-election euphoria that you are a trustee of the Union and a director of its subsidiary companies (which have a combined turnover of £7 million). Clearly a Sabbatical post is a position of power, however you must remember that the most important role of student officers is to represent the desires and opinions of the student members . There is a dedicated team of professional staff who deal with the majority of the day to day running of the place. however all major decisions are made by the elected officers at executive and management committee. It is therefore vital that Sabbaticals maintain close contact with students in order to gauge opinions on important issues and are not seen as aloof. Students will let you know if they're not happy about something, be it Union or University related.
I communicate. Although that sounds rather vague it ·ums up pretty much what l do. I am generally the fir t port of call for inquiries from people outside the union and have overall responsibility for all tudent media. The role of Communication Officer i not attached to a particular department so from day to day I try to liase with everyone and make ure people know what's
little baby so if they look a bit moody it's down to me. The union ha · exten ive media facilities which are already well recogni ed nationally, but it is an area that requires lots of effort and patience to reaJi e its full potentiaL Candidates for the po ition may have ideas of moving in media circle , 'darling'. Like the rest of the Sabbs I could list off the number of committees, group and meetings a have to attend but I won't bore you.
....
You are all prospective candidates so read on and see which post what tickles your fancy. my time i pent dealing with the variou financial problems that arise from our many club and ocieties, including the sports teams. In total the Union spends around £200,000 on clubs and socs, most of which is in the form of a grant to each club. It is the overall responsibility of the finance officer to ensure that these funds are allocated efficiently and fairl . I al o look into-wa s
ng "'"'~'w'"' and procedures for running the clubs and socs. I am al o responsible for developing the commercial side of the Union, this involves taking an active role in ensuring that our outlets are run effectively through analysing management accounts and getting feedback from students about the quality of services we provide and on what ou would like to see
provided by the Union. In addition to this I also have to present the Union accounts to the members at the AGM (in the unlikely event of it being quorate!) and the University for approval. Despite what people think the Finance Officer does no alone set prices for the Union outlets, neither do I have thousands of pounds o Union reserves stashed awa
The role of Academic Officer has proved very challenging this year. The majority of my work is aiding the representation, support and advice, which the students union provide for its members. Much of
committee, library committee and senate down to smaller specific working parties (such as computeri ed timetabling this year). In addition I auend individual meeting with university staff, lobbying on i sue of tudent concern. I also undertake casework for individual students, or groups of students offering advice, representation and information on a wide ra e
Campaigning skills for prospective Sabbatical Officers. l Oth February from 2-4 pm Its all very well saying that Sabbatical candidates can campaign for a week. But how do you run a campaign. This session will help you do just that. IF you wish to come along pleases· n up in the Student Advice Centre.
•
of matters - aiding with submission of academic complaints and appeals. La t but certainly not least. is my involvement in representation within the Union. Campaigning on student issue , implementing union policy, re earching isstles of concern for students as well a being a member of e ec and forum. This year I have also been involved in the constitutiona
20 Sport
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
LOCAL LEAGUE TABLES AMERICAN FOOTBALL British Collegiate League 1.Herts Hurrc 2. Surrey Sting . 3.Kent Falcons 4.UEA Pirates
PLO 5 3 4 5
W 4 2 2 0
0 1 0 0
L 0 2 4
Norwich and District Division Three B 1.UEA 2. Valkryies 3.FBIIi 4. Besthorpe 5.Haven 6.Cringleford 11
PLO W
0
L
4 5 7
4 4 2
0
0
0
1
4
2
5 3
1 0
0 0 0
5 2 4
FOR 28 34 30 15 15
0
3
3
AGST 8 11 33 21 30 24
PTS 4 4 2 2 1
0
HOCKEY Premier Holidays Mens East League Division Four Nth
....
1.Holt Harlequins 2. Bury St Eds 11 3.1pswich Ill 4.Cambs U Ill 5. UEA 6.Nch City 11 7.Camb City Ill 8.Peterbro Tn Ill 9.Gorleston 10.Long Sutton 11
PLO 12 11 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 11
W 10 9 7 6 5 4 3 2 2
0 1 1 1 0 2 3 4 2 1 2
L 1 1 4 5 5 5 5 8 8 8
PLO W 12 10 12 9 12 6 12 6 12 5 12 5 12 4 12 3 12 2 12
1.Pelicans 11 2.1ESII 3.1pswich IV 4.Lowt Railway 5.Harleston Ill 6.Waveney ?.Bury St Eds Ill 8.Broadland 11 9.UEA 11 1O.Nth Walsham
0 1 2 3 1 3 3 2 3 0 0
L 1 3 5 4 4 6 6 10 11
FOR 72 42 32 23 31 28 20 20 11
8
AGST 19 13 22 18 22 26 40 27 48 52
PTS 31 29 21 19 18 17 14 12 6
AGST 13 22 12 15
PTS 31 24 22 20 19 17 16 15 10
FOR 47 38 43 18 27 25 22 13
AGST 18 11 23 12 25 25 29
PTS 31 28 22 18 17 15 14
44
22
43 39
8 7
14
5
BUSA FIXTURES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3
1.1pswich V 2.Nch City IV 3.Bury St Eds IV 4.Nch Union Ill 5.Holt Harleq 11 6.Nortolk Nomad 7.Felixstowe 11 S.UEA Ill 9.Lowt Railway 11 1O.Broadland IV
PLO W 12 10 12 8 12 7 12 6 12 6 12 5 12 5 12 5 12 3 12 0
0 1 0 1 2 1 2 1 0
L
FOR 52
4 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 11
44 19 21 39 22 31 15 18
8
33 25 27
22 28 72
Martin & Acock Norfolk Womens League Division One PLO 10 1.Nth Walsham 2. Herlings 9 10 3.Buckenham 4.Beccles 10 5.UEA 8 · 6.Norwich City 11 10 7Watton 11 9 10 8.0ereham Ill
W 6 6 5 5 5 3 2 0
0 1 2 2 0 3 2
L 3 2 3 3 3 4 5 9
FOR
22 16 13 13 17 12 15
6
AGST PTS 10 19 7 19 11 17 10 17 9 15 17 12
22
1.Yarmouth 11 2.0enver 3.Magpie Colts B 4. UEA 11 5.Buckenham 11 6.Magpies IV ?.Lowestoft Rail 8.Loddon 11
PLO 9 9 10 9 10 10 9 10
W 8 6 4 4 3 2
0 1 1 2 1 3 3 4 3
L 0 2 4 4 4 5 4 6
FOR 25 17 10 18 8 10
5 5
AGST PTS 8 25 10 19 8 14 13 13 8 12 18 9 18 6 15 3
Mens 1 v Exeter Mens 2 v Bru nei WL Mens 3 v Portsmouth Womens v UCL
(A) (H) (H) (A)
2.00pm 2.00pm 2.00pm 2.30pm
Mens v Imperial Womens v Sthampton
(H) (H)
3.00pm 3.30pm
Mens v Read ing
(H)
1.00pm
2.30pm
(A} (H)
2.30pm 1.00pm
(H) (H) (A)
2.00pm 2. 00pm 12 noon
(H) (A) (H)
2.00pm 2. 00pm 2.00pm
(A)
2.00pm
•nwi=M!• 4;\lld=i) Mens 1 v Brunei Mens 3 v Bath Womens v Marjons
Mens 1 v LSE Mens 2 v Kings Womens v Sussex
•M=I!JiMintt Mens v Imperial
(A)
2.00pm
4H•r"i31 Mens 1 v Reading Me ns 2 v Kings Mens 3 v Imperial Med . Womens 1 v UCL
(H)
fiP\IfJMt
•=a1aNi=M!•
•3M'9':tl
Womens 2 v Oxford
(A) (A) (H) (A)
3.30pm 3.30pm 2.30pm
(A)
4 5 4 7
FOR 33 22 22 7 9 5
4
AGST PTS 6 21 12 17 8 15 19 13 19 7 17 6 21 2
Norfolk Squash League Division Three PLO 12 13 13 10 9 7 11 10 10 11
1.Downham I 2.Hunter Ill 3.EASRC IV 4.Lakenham 5.Kessingland 11 6.UEA ?.Potters 11 8. Halesworth I 9.Barnham 11 1O.Kings Lynn I
W 11
L 1
6
7
5
8
6 5
4 4
6
1
6 4 3 0
5 6 7 11
PTS 209 143 130 129 116 112 109 95 95 52
AV 17.42 11 .00 10.00 12.90 12.89 1600 9.91 9.50 9.50 4.73
TABLE TENNIS Norwich and District League Division Five PLD W
1.Dynamic Rams 2.Sands 0 3.Ciub 75 4.Briston CS 0 5.UEA 6.Sands E 7.Taverham I 8.Taverham H 9.King Pins 10.Foxwood 0 11.Nch Union F 12.Concrete WB 13.Sands F
12 12 9 13 10 11 12 9 9 12 13 10 12
10 9 6 7 6 6 6 3 4 3 2 2 0
D
L
FOR
1 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 2 0 0 0 0
1
96 93 69 67 61 54 57 49 44 41 37 25 27
1 5 2 4 5 3 3 9 8 8 12
AGST PTS
24 27 21 63 39 56 63 41 46 79 93 75 93
42 39 29 27 26 23
22 19 18 14 13
9
7
LOCAL LEAGUES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 FOOTBALL Mens 2 v Marlboro' Mens 3 v Taverham
(A) (H)
2.00pm
l:t·13:JJj Mens 1 v Holt Harlequins Mens 2 v Ipswich & ES 2 Mens 3 v Bury St. Eds Womens 1 v Nth Walsham Womens 2 v Magpies Colt Womens 3 v Magpies 5
(H) (A) (A) (A) (H) (A)
2.30pm
2.30pm 1.00pm 12.30pm
4;1119t• Mens 2 v Lakenham 2 Mens 3 v Holt 4
UEA v Kent Falcons
ti3:Wtt Mens v Portsmouth Womens v Surrey
L
(A) (A)
ti ~~l3;1t:C:•i·1·ii=M!t
«U·l!!Jl!J!t Womens v Royal Holl
0 0 2 3 1 1 3 2
SQUASH
8
35
Norfolk Womens League Division Four
UEA 1 v UCL UEA 2 v Exeter
•i·!·ii=M!t
Womens v Bath
PLO W 8 7 8 5 8 4 9 4 8 2 8 1 9 0
3
THIS WEEK'S FIXTURES •=c·nmn.g•
1.Dereham Fillie 2.Norwich City IV 3.Broadland IV 4.Yarmouth Ill 5.UEA Ill 6.Pelicans Colts ?.Magpies V
Mens North East League Division Seven
BADMINTON . ......,
Norfolk Womens League Division Five
Mens North East League Division Five
(H)
1.00pm
(A)
5.30pm 7. 00pm
l=tj•gO:i(·B· (H) (A)
2.00pm 2.00pm
Mens 2 v Blofield 2 Mixed v Besthorpe
(A)
I SPORT SEEMS TO HAVE A MAGNETIC ATTRACTION FOR ECCENTRIC CHARACTERS. NICK HENEGAN INVESTIGATES.... he fan phenomenon is enjoying a resurgence In modern sport with more people than ever escaping the mundanity of dally life to attend big sporting events. Whether it's a world cup final or a I.Qcal rugby match the of excitement. attraction multicoloured scarves and fancy dress seems irresistible. And this i without mentioniug the huge interest generated by Mr Murdoch and hi~ friend~ at Sky who have seen to it that there i now no escape from the joys of sport both at home or in the pub. Once just the place to enjoy a quiet drink, the public house has now become an extension of the tadium, with more detached but often just a~ obsessed spons lovers enjoying the game all aided by the constant flow of alcohol. This ma~s hysteria, ha!· brought to the fore many "types" of fan each with their own eccentricities who often have nothing else in common except wanting their team to succeed. Here are just a few of them.
The Old Timer This good ol' boy is the generally polite gent ~itting behind you who harks back to the golden age of sport when players celebrated by shaking hands- in this man's mind everything was better without the complications of commercialism
and media scnniny. And even though he i often heard extolling the virtues of sta!Oding terraces, it is this u ·uaJly placid type who mysteriou·ly is tbe ftrst to blow his top when you stand up and block hi view. He probably remembers when Blackpool la t woo the FA Cup or England tbe Ashes a!Od never lets you forget iL Spot him by his hat It's bound to be a flat cap or Panan1a
The Glory Hunter A ymptom of the modem a!Od fashionable status of some sports, particularly football, this fan is despised by purists with the type of hatred that the normal population only reserve· for Noel Edmonds. If they take the trouble to visit the tadium. these just-out-of-thewoodwork characters can u ually be found residing in the stadium ·s palatial exe.:utive boxes, where they invariably watch the game on TV screens scoffing the complimentary buffet. even though the game is unfolding right behind them. As a result their opinions on the game are an incoherent mix of the thoughts of a variety of TV pundits. "l've supponed MM Utd since I was a nipper," they say, while postulating on what a good buy Henning Berg w!l! . Spot them by their BMW parked ouL~ide or the glass of champagne surgically grafted to their hand.
The Armchair Fan There i little chance of actually
seeing thi son of fan in action. unless you happen to live with them - or, God forbid, are one. Surrounded by empty larger cans and pizza boxes this s1mrting couch potato pledges his allegiance to his side from afar, and thanks to the saturation of pons coverage on satellite Md cable, generally ha an opinion on everything - from darts to dMcing. However, a~ a result of their digital isolation these sporting specimens tend to rely on Hansen & Co to bolster their spons related arguments and usually act them out on tedious radio phone-ins - more often than not a forum for the ill-informed if not down right insMe sporting opinions (the departure of David Melior from Radio 5 has not improved things). Unfortunately. before long these fans can fall into a vicious circle of TV Md junk food addiction. Spot them if you bappen to be delivering take-aways.
The Die Hards No. they don't wear battle soiled vests, nor do they crawl around air conditioning systems. but they probably would if it meant their team had a better likelihood of winning.
lt dOC!,n't eem to matter how poorly th ir team is doing or how unlikely it seems that things will improve, they maintain everything is fine and that uccess is just around the corner. At the game. they are seen abusing the officials or the opposition for their "blatant" foul play, while singi ng their teams praises with blind idealism. Spot them by their refu aJ to admit their teams uselessness.
The Heckler A notorious pessimist, the heckler is constantly at odds, both physically and verbally, with die hards both during and after the game. Although they are genuine upporters, nothing ever seems to please them - even if their team reached the pinnacle of the sport they would no doubt be heard explaining how, "We could have played better, you know done it in style." They're often true purists who object to anything but the uunost fiair Md a a result victimise anyone who departs from it whether it be the regular whipping boy or the star player having an off day. Look out for them. they'U ·be the ones at the front of the crowd chanting "sack the board".
is just an excuse for a fight Spot him by his dangerously short haircut and hi multiple Union Jack tattoos.
The Anorak The most fan10us stereotype of all is the anorak, immonalised by Statto in Fa!Otasy Football League, this man (since it is invariably a man). can be found in at any sporting venue spouting useless infomtation about the most unlikely of sporting incidenu. From their extensive
"knowledge" of not only their favourite tean1 but the entire history of the sport they are only too glad to enlighten you on why it is England never win anything, or the ingredients of Alex Fergurson's chewing gum. When the match is over the anorak will quickly return home to check up on Teletext, or stick a trannie to their ear - ju ·t in case a player is injured or a number changes on the league table. Spot him by the binoculars around his neck and the Playfair annual in his pocket
oO
~ 1/1
-4
Ill
+
...1/1 ...~ I"! ...
VA
HAIR
'"z
c'"
n -4 1/1 1/1
,.. '" .:-4 -4
Ill
The Hooligan Although the antics of this rather unsavoury character were at their peak in the 1970s and 80s the hooligM is still far from extinct Fuelled by alcohol and a love of all things violent and right wing, the hooligan can still be ·een brawling with rivals or the police outside the ground and inciting trouble withm it. As a result, pemap it is wrong to include such maniacs in a profile of fans as their supposed love for spo11
·I
r I
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
lt's Potty Snooker World Champion, John Higgins has been demolished in the Welsh Open by a 300-1 outsider. The outsider Stuart Bingham, from Basildon is ranked 163 places behind the world number one , but in an amazing feat narrowly beat Higgins at the Cardiff International Arena .
Swinging Time Roger Winchester, a golf pro has had an overwhelming first round in the Heineken Classic in Perth. The Devon man has had to sell his home just to keep playing the sport, but is now on the road to success in the £250,000 competition .
Basketcase Basketball boss Bob Donewald has been slammed with a two-match ban and a £300 fine after verbally abusing a top referee. The Derby coach assaulted Will Jones with the outburst, outside the locker room after his side had been defeated by the London Leopards.
Life's A Beach Soccer supremo Ronaldo is having his own private beach constructed in preparation for the Champions League clash against Manchester United. Inter Milan bosses are hoping that the giant sandpit will get Ronaldo 's form back to its best after hitting an all time low in his career.
Packed Out Sunderland fans proved that they are the most dedicated supporters in England when the Stadium of Light was packed out for a reserve game. However, it could be that Maccums wanted a last look at Steve McManaman playing for Liverpool before his move to Real Madrid .
Concrete's fortnightly_ triR down Carrow Road Following their humiliation by Crewe the previous week, Norwich were determined to take something from their game with West Bromwich Alb ion on Saturday, January
16. The Baggies. '' ho started the match just one place above City. initiall) made the gulf between the t\~o sides look much larger hy dominating the Canaries throughout the liN half. Cit) 11crc on I: allowed two shoh Ll~11ell)n thought he had scored on goal in the entire 45 minute;, 11 hen he headed the hall out of the k~~per":-. hand and :-.lolled it into the thanks to impre"i'e perfonnanccs h) WBt\ centre hads Shaun had of the net. But the goal was di;,allowed and Murph) and Mall Carbon. This dd'ensi\c roc·k alhl\\ed the he '"'s hooked under the ruling of \ i;.it ors to push fon\ ard. 11 ith Jan1es had sporhmnnship. to the anger of Quinn's ckt.kcted shot hitting the the home support. rost alkr 10 minutes and the Dominating tbngc rous Fabien De hatas heing 'I h~ second half \\·as an enti rely denied oniJ h) a :-.uperh do...,(' range sa\T h) Andv 1\larshall. dilkrcnt affair to the first though. Nncrthc·kss. Cit\ still had 11 itl1 the Cuwrics dominating from the outsl'l thanks to a reawakened rc:l'.. on to feel thL') ... hould ha\L' gone in one goal up at hall time. alter a midlicld rcrfonnance. llm\c\er. it was Wl3;\ \dlO Canaric ... goal \\-<1..., di-..~tllowed in COlltro\·l'rsial Clrl'llrn..,talll'L'...,. initiall) took the lead after 50 In the .:nrd minute Chris minutL's 11 hen Mario Bortola11i "s thundering ~0 yard free kick took a 11 ic~ed c.kllect ion ofT Lee Marshal I. ka\ ing i\ndy Mar;,hall stranded in the City goal. This failed to stem Nof\\ ich ·s a11aeking prowess though. with l11an Roberb and Darren Eadie
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the Bagg ies defence. This prcs;.u rc eve ntu all y led to Ci ty";, muc h deserved equ a li se r when. in the 76th minute, a ri ght 11 ing cross by Chri s Ll ewe ll yn wa;, headed across goa l by Eadie allowing Lee Marshal! to slide the ha ll home. After the ga me. Ci ty boss Brucc Rioch was enormously encouraged by hi;, team\ performance.
.. it 11as the hest 90 minutes of sustained pia) we've had in a long time .. he said. And he viewed the rc;.ult as a point gained rather than two lost. adding. .. it wa;, 'ita I to get ;,omething from the game for both the players and the supporters:· Last Saturday Rioch had a tough trip to his former club Bolton Wanderers. and it was not a hapry return.
Dominating
'wa\ hack in the fa, our of 13olton and a second goal soon came in lhe shape of Neil Co,·s right fooLL·d shot. The on!: good news the Canaries could take from the game i;, the return ofCraig Bcllam). who unfortunatcl) was unable to make his presence felt on the ga111e.
CITY STATS DIVISION ONE
Bo lt on\ Dean Ho ldsworth fired ho me seve n minut es befo re th e break. aft er pressure mounted on the Norwic h goa l. City tried to make an imm ed iate recovery. but C hr i> Ll ewe ll yn unfo rt unately mi;.sed a siner. The second half "aw the ga me
P W 0 L GS Pt 7. Watford 8. W.B.A 9. NOIWiCh 10. Huddersfd 11 . Wotves
28 28 27 28 28
12 12 11 12 11
10 6 9 6 10
6 10 7 10 9
44 50 43 40 37
46 42 42 42 41
NORWICH CITY TOP SCORERS
!wan Roberts: 13 Craig Bellamy: 13
Sport 23
Concrete Wednesday, February 3, 1999
Having a ball
By NICK HENEGAN, Assistant Sports Editor
"t.l3W*' Women's
1sts 1 Dereham
ol
IN THEIR first game after the Christmas break the women's hockey firsts Impressively overcame a well organised Dereham side, despite their distinct lack of match practice. The match, which took place on Saturday, January 23, saw UEA's defence put in a mighty performance to withstand heavy and consistent pressure from the Dereham side. However, it was UEA who finally Dereham showed positive attacking play from the start, troubling UEA's broke the deadlock on the hour after some excellent midfield play released keeper in only the first minute. But UEA defended resolutely and Polly-Anna Brian. continued to frustrate the skillful The home player expertly took the Dereham attack. ball around the keeper and stroked it into the back of the net. The home side's most promising attacks came from Lucy Willett and In the dying moments UEA had a Natalie Beal on the left, pushing numerou chances to increase their forward at lead but were thwarted by the Dereham keeper as well as some inaccurate shooting.
Promising every opportunity and creating a number of chances. The best of these came on 24 minutes when some intricate play from Willett and Claire Gresswell sent Beal clear of the defence only to be denied by the sprawling Dereham keeper.
Capitalise
Kicked into touch UEA come through tougb_game victorious
After the game team captain Caroline Malony, who was sidelined through injury, commented, " It was a very promising performance against a tough opposition, it's a result we can build on, although there is still a lot of work to do." "lt stands us in good stead for the next round of the BUSA competition," she added.
The second half continued as the first had finished - it was an extremely tight affair with both sides failing to capitalise on many attacking opportunities. Dereham were still having the best of the possession though, partly due to occasional lapses in concentration from UEA, with the home side unable to make extensive progress in the final third.
i;li@:fl Men's 2nds 27 North Walsham 241 By NICK HENEGAN
THE MEN'S rugby seconds set themselves up perfectly for their upcomlng BUSA tie by overcoming a strong North Walsham side last Saturday. UEA came through in a close game after holding off a late fightback by the Norfolk side.
In the ftrSt half UEA had the better of the play, with Adrian Seddon, Richard Harris and Stephen Adams all scoring. The home side were able to pull off some fme passing movements and good support play to leave the North Walsham defence standing. However, UEA's kicking let them down as only one of the try was converted. At the break UEA were leading 22-12 with the prospect of scoring many more if they could sustain the dangerous attacking play. The second half was a much closer affair though with North Walsham looking increasingly troublesome as the game progressed.
Nevertheless, it was UEA who extended their lead with a well worked try, incorporating both forwards and backs, which was eventually scored by Keith Johnston. However, this seemed to inspire a fightback from North Walsham who replied within five minutes, breaking through UEA's defence to score a try that was duly converted.
Pressure As UEA began to tire their pushes towards the North Walsham line were increasingly reduced to counter-attacks as ihe visitors piled on the pressure. North wal ham's persistence was beginning to threaten UEA's lead as
they pulled to within three points the University side thanks to a fine individual try. UEA's lack of kicking accuracy could have been costly as North Walsham had chances to snatch victory in the dying moments. But a penalty miss and tremendous tackling by UEA's full back secured the home team a three point cushion which was enough to take the win. After the game captain Geoff Simmonds commented, "It was a close game and very hard work for us." We could have tackled better but we are obviously pleased with the result," he added.
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UEA'S BALLROOM and Latin American Dancing Society (SALADS) was back in competitive action last term when they travelled to Nottingham University. There has been a massive surge of interest in dancing at UEA, and this was the first taste of competition for many of the club's beginner members. The pick of these were Chris Lambourne and Annabel Borg, who superbly managed to reach the semi-finals of the Jive competition. Nick Medniuk and Geraldine Knowles, Andrew Wyeth and Grace Horrocks also did well at in the Cha Cha, managing to reach the quarterfinals on their competition debuts. UEA scored well in the team event too, with the couples quickly accumulating points as they progressed through the early stages. But the greatest success of the day came from Tony Burton and Mellisa Steele who managed to continue their good form from the previous meeting at Warwick. lt was their fast footwork and graceful movement which impressed the judges enough for them to be placed sixth in the A-team quickstep final. SALADS President, Gareth Ledsham, commented, "We were very impressed with the way the beginners' danced in their first competition." He added that and extremely pleased with UEA's overall performance at Nottingham. "We hope to do even better at the forthcoming competition in Sheffield," he promised.
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HIGHLIGHTS best move:
It was too close to call between Natalie Seal and Lucy Willett whose incisive play down the left hand side provided UEA with most of their attacking options and played a part in the winning goal.
Some neat passing play betw Lucy Willet and Claire Gresswel allowed Natatie BeaJ to come cl of the Dereham defence only to denied by a good save
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Big Jack Charlton to - launch new SP-Orts event FOOTBALL LEGEND Jack Charlton is set to entertain sports students this March after Union bosses confirmed he is to launch a new annual Sports Dinner. Tickets for the event, which will take place in A nclrcw; Ha ll in Norwich o n Tue sday , March 16, arc currently set at £25 . with the co't including a three course meal and a disco to fini;h off the ni ght.
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But the cen trepiece of the event will be a talk from big Jack Charlton. whose celebrated achievemen ts include a legendary performance with England in the 1966 World Cup Final, agains t Germany, and a highly successful stint as manager of the Republic of Ire land . Un ion Finance Officer, Neil Fox com men ted . "Jack was always the ma in target, he· s a household name and very experienced at doing after meal speeches. "We're de lighted to get him, the dinner '>hould definitely be a bi g success. And he went on to explai n why there was a need for such an event as the Sports Dinner for UEA students. " Most univer»it ies have a sports event. and it was a bit strange that we didn't have one- we thought it wa'o time that we created one ... The bash wil l also sec the launch or a new spoof or the BBC' s Sports Pe rsonality of the Year contest, based around th e sporting students at UEA.
Achievement Under the plans , sports cl ubs can nominate a member for the award on the basis of ach ieveme nt both on and off the fie ld of play. The vote will be made before the big ni gh t, and Jack Charlton will present the award to the lucky winner. However, it ha; also been revealed that it might be an early night for partying stud ents who attend the dinner. since a late license has yet to be secu red for the event. "We are c urrently applyi ng for a late li cence," admitted Nei l Fox . add in g, "We are sayi ng [to the co un ci l] that the dinner wil l be an annual event and thi s should bring more weight to our appeal." Tickets for the Sports Dinner go on sa le on February 8, from th e Union Box Office.
Trowse trounced bY. UEA's suP.erb second half By Mark Edwards, Sports Editor
Hj.I.ii:hiif
Mens Firsts 5 Trowse Newton
11
UEA'S MEN'S firsts maintained their six game unbeaten run thanks to a second half flurry of goals against a poor Trowse Newton team in thei r local league encounter. The win meant that the University ide remain at the top of the league, thanks to a superb turnaround performance on Saturday, January 23. However, UEA , who were always co nfiden t of vic tory over Trowse, who they have never lost to, put little effort into a first haif which was packed with mi ssed opportunities.
Threat
Big Jack: booked
Trowse never lookec a threat, but took a surpri se lead after twenty minutes wher, the ball was flicked on from a long throw and fir :d neatly into UEA's goal. The University s ide, who appeared to be suffering from shock after the strike, were relatively ineffec tive in the bitter midfield battle for the remainder of the first half. However, worse was to come five minutes before the break when captain , Sean Rugby, ·.vas stretchered off the field with a hamstring injury.
The UEA side were grateful for the interval, and an inspirational team ta lk seemed to fire the first team into action. it took just a minute for UEA to bring the game level again when debutante Luke Adlum headed home from close range off a Ben Woods corner. UEA then took the lead when Adlum ;,gain capitalised on a defensive hesitation and added his econd of the game. The th ird goal fo r UEA was an intricate move ending with Ben Larkin running onto a good ball before firing his shot into the con· ·~ r of the goal.
Textbook From then on it was one way traffic and UEA displayed some textbook flowing football , putting the Trowse defence under constant pressure.
it was on ly a matter of time before UEA wou ld add to their goal tally , and once aga in it came from the cu ltured crossi ng of Ben Woods.
Disorientated Thi time it was Roger Edmonds who headed past the disorientated Trowse goal keeper, before add ing another soon after. The exce ll ent second half performance has put the team in high spirit fo r their vital game against Exeter in the BUSA Shield. Vice-Captain, Roger Edmonds said, "A lot of the players had come into the team for the fi rst time and played very we ll. " He added, "We ' re doing very well in the league, the defence is strong and goals are coming from al l over the team."