Concrete issue 117 01 11 2000

Issue 117 · Wednesday, November 1, 2000

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Room gutted in residence arson attack

By KATIE HIND Assistant News Editor

STUDENTS cheated death after an arson attack gutted a residence room • but failed to set off fire alarms.

The fire started in one of the study rooms at Campion House, Bowthorpe, which was fortunately empty at the time of the attack.

And as the blaze took hold, nearby residents remained ignorant of the risk because smoke alarms didn't go off.

One student who witnessed the fire now says his life was at risk because the residences don't have efficient fire alarms.

Alarm "I understand that the residences are cheap, but I wouldn't say that a fire alarm is a luxury", raged resident Ben Martagh (ENV 4).

"We weren't even evacuated and I live in the flat next door to the one which burnt down, there was smoke everywhere."

He and fellor students are furious that they weren't alerted earlier to the risk.

Burnt "Bowthorpe may be hell, but I didn't think I would get burnt alive there", he stormed.

But Christopher Smith, Housing Manager of Broadland Housing Association, lwhich owns Campion House, dism1ssed the tenants complaints.

And he passed the buck onto individual students, saying it was up to them to fit smoke detectors.

"There is an overall fire alarm, but they are not in individual flats as

we are not legally required to have them," he insisted.

"There is a risk, but it could happen in any flat so it would be wise for people to have them and make sure they are up and running," he added.

Smoke But Polly Morgan, Union Welfare Officer was astounded to hear that the rooms - which are mostly offered to returning undergraduate students - do not even have individual smoke detectors.

"Surely a fire alarm is an elementary fire precaution even if they are not legally bound to have one.

There should be fire alarms in every unit.

"A whole flat shouldn't have to be burnt out before a fire alarm goes off", she stormed.

And students demanded that the University be more vigilant about safety in property it rents out to

students. "lt is terrible. The University should make sure that all residences have alarms. "lt should be across the board, after all it's peoples lives that are at risk," argued Dan Hurlbut (BI04).

"I thought it was a legal requirement to have smoke alarms.

Responsible "I thought the University would be more responsible," moaned Stuart Thornton (DEV2).

• Detectives are currently investigating the incident, which took place on Saturday, October 21.

The arsonist appears to have entered through a first floor balcony, and set off the fire in three places.

If you have any information, please contact Bethel Street CID on

01603 768769.

ARTHUR MILLER INTERVIEWED EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH AMERICA'S GREATEST PLAYWRIGHT - EVENT CENTRESPREAD

2 NEWS

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Concrete

WEDNESDAY, N OVEMBER

1, 2000

UNIVERSITY SEC URITY bosses want to issue a warning to students about a man who has been conning money off students.

The seam man has been popping up on campu s' all over the country, spinn ing sob stories in order to rid generous students of large amounts of cash, the last incident being a loss of

£360.

The warning originated at Southampton University, with reports that he was spinning the yarn that he th e was attending University to give a lecture and he's had his wallet stolen.

The conman has been sucessfully using the seam for several years, and currently has a warrant out for his arrest for similar offences in the past.

Security Co-ordinator Elliott is asking Ron students to hold firmly onto their cash.

"Everyone must be very careful, we have no reason to believe that he will come to UEA but th ere is no ·reason to believe that he never will."

"However heartwrenching the tale might appear, people should never part with money on the basis of some story," he advised.

Students slam draconian parking scheme

r-----------·

By NICOLA MALLETT

UNI BOSSES have finally began cracking down on permitless car users, in the fearsome form of the wheel clamp.

The Universit y's new parkin g scheme met with uproar whe n it was introduced in September, and many staff and students have refused to pa y for a permit. which cos ts £30 for stud ents or 0.3% of sa lary for staff earn ing over £10,000. for the scheme ... has been a two month period to get So far. camp us bosses have used to it." turned a blind eye to people And he felt that the University But students were less happy. were dealing very fairly with the breaking the rules. but now the Uni, e r~ it y arc showing that th ey objecting to the move as too strict offenders. mean business and arc literall y "The fee to take the clamp off i> and unfair. clampin g down on any un£::!5 and we arc sa) ing to people Stu pid registered vehic les. that if th ey re-register immediately we will not charge them the £25." " it is just stupid . Students haYc Tough he added. no money. there are loads of spaces Richard Goodall. Direc tor of Union Welfare Officer Pally in the car park so why not just let u> Estates explained th e reasons M organ backed the clamps. saying in an) way' it seems so ex treme, I behind the tough new stance. they were the only way to make the expect the poner> are just bored."

"This is to indicate to people system fa ir. compla ined Enayah Byramjee "There have been some (EAS3) who arc continuing to park wit hout re-reg iste rin g that they arc in comp laints from stud ents about the "They have to clamp car> if breach of th e regulations and in scheme. but they were going to someone hasn' t paid , but why arc fa irness to the vast majority of staff begin the barriers -.chemc at the we paying anyway?" asked Dan o· Loghlcn (HIS 3). beginning of September so there and >tuden ts who have signed up

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A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR NORWICH?

.tiJy bid for £50 million weather centre WEATHER BOSSES could make the future brighter for Norwich if they approve plans to move their headquarters to a site next to campus.

The Met Office has decided to spcml £50 million on a nev. nati onal weat her ce ntre and Norwich's hid has made it into the last four.

Global Environment (CSERGE) Norwich is up agai nst sti ff future is in jeopardy despite competition from other securing a massive £2 million candidates, Exeter, Wokingham grant from the Economic Social and Bracknell , who are al l Research Council. fighting for the centre wh ich will surely bring economic wealth.

Tempoary Dave Screen, a spokesperson The Centre faces being kicked for the Met Office explained why out of its cu rrent home after Norwich was in the running , "it's Norwich City Council refused an the rig ht sort of site in the right appli cation for a further fi ve years sort of area with the rig ht sort of temporary planning permission transport links". for its offices in Norfolk Terrace , And Professor Phillip Jones branding UEA "arrogant" and Director of the Climatic Research Unit underlined how the Met Office would be a great asset to UEA . "lt wo uld strengthen contacts, it would be much easier for the staff to take part in joint projects PHD student and also supervision would be much easier."

Academic Officer Union Emma Price agreed that it would be a valuable facility "lt is a ve ry positive thing for the uni t as it is bound to feed into thei r work ," she enthused.

• UEA's Centre for Social and Economic Research on the

"lazy" for not finding a permanent site.

But Director of Estates, Richard Goodall , reckoned that the Uni ve rsity had always planned to move the centre despite its proposed home only winning funding approval this summer.

"Th e intention has always been to move CSERGE into the new ICER building and that building has been in the planning stage for a long time now," he claimed.

"By the time the planning permission runs out , CSERGE should be lodged in the new building. "

____________________ ________________ "

Concrete

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

--- -

NEWS 3

www.concrete-online.co.uk

1, 2000

CiOOD COPY

THE COPY SHOP has launched a new range of products and services. aimed at making it easier for students to get all the work done without leaving campus.

New stationery products include tshirt printing kits, business cards. and specia l photo pape r, all designed to be used with standard inkjet printers.

The shop is also launching a competitive fax service, giving a cheap alternative to the Union Post Office.

By NICOLA MAlLETT News Editor

ACCO DATIO BO SE'S are scrabbling to d r ow orwlcho nightclub got hold of three master keys to campus residences - blowing. a massive hole in student sec:urity.

The security breach was discovered by Union employees, who found the keys on a teenage boy delivering leaflets to itself is against University rules.

The three master keys were immediately confiscated by ecurity and an investigation by both campus security and the police is now underway to discover how they obtained the keys.

Security Co-ordinator Ron Elliott wa~ shocked that the keys had fallen into the wrong hands. " It is a very serious matter, we regard any compromise of security in residences with utmost imponancc."

Concern " lt is a grave concern to me that someone with no connection to the University shou ld be found with keys that would fit any doors on campus," he agreed.

And Carol Tun stali -Turner,

campus rooms for city nightspot Ikon - which in Assistant Accommodation Manager stressed the need to look after keys to residences and said the University would do all it could to keep students safe.

Serious "Th e Accommodation Offi ce takes an extremely serious view over security of students in residences.'"

"We would also like to stress that students are responsible for their keys and what happens to them and must return them to the Accommodation Offi ce when they are fini shed with them," she emphasi ed.

Union Welfare Office r, Polly Morgan, attacked the University for losing track of the valuable

keys. " I think we need to find out matter urgency got the keys." " It is very worrying and think we need to look directly at the whole issue of locks and the

use of master keys, security was lax on campus. " I think students should be better informed about these things.

The University doesn ' t inform people on campus about security ri sks, o we don ' t know that we need to take more care," claimed Andrew Simp on (LLT3).

Agreed Phi! Gibbs (HlS2) "The

security is obviously lacking. I know a lot of people who have keys that they shouldn't have and I know people who have kept old keys." lkon manager Peter McKay initally denied any knowledge of the illicit leafleting, but club spokesperson Mr Jack on later acknowledged the incident , although he claimed to be "too busy" to comment any funher.

Adventurous students can benefit from special travel grants, designed especially for UEA students.

The awards of up to £1500 for group expeditions and up to £100 for individual travel projects, and are available for journeys that Involve physical exploration, human development, and professional or personal development.

For more details, contact the scheme administrator, Janet Havers, in the Dean of Students office on 01603 592491, or email j.e.havers@uea.ac.uk

into residences," she added.

But students claimed that even without the unauthori sed

RAPE DRUG FEAR Incident at LCR sparks Union warning over RohypJ!!!

By NICOLA MALLETT

A GIRL was hospitalised last week at the LCR after apparently suffering the side effects of the date rape drug rohypnol.

The incident is a stark warning about the risks of thi s serious tranquilliser, which is odourless, tasteless and can easily be added to drinks without detection .

The victim, who was not a UEA student, was offered a drink by someone she didn't know, and whom she also thought was a

Suffered UEA outsider.

She suffered alcohol-induced side effects within 15 minutes, in which time she was sick and eventually passed out, but when in hospital her blood showed a very local alcohol intake.

Union Welfare Officer Pally Morgan is concerned that the controversial drug which causes victims to fall unconscious and lose short-term memory - could be being used on campus .

. . . ' ....... . ........... - ....... -

"We do check for drugs and if we confiscate them then we give them to security and then the police. But we can 't catch everyone, and we can't search everyone."

"Unfortunately, you have got to be suspicious of people. We are trying to raise awareness with

Strangers posters in the bar and toilets," she insisted.

The posters warn students not to accept drinks from strangers, and to never leave drinks unattended.

Students were quick to voice their fears about the date-rape drug.

"I'm shocked, I always leave drinks around without a worry, it's appalling," worried Holly Murray (EAS1 ).

And Jenny Jolly (EAS2) agreed that it was too easy to be complacent.

"Its the sort of thing that you never think will happen to you," she said.

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4 NEWS

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Concrete

W EDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

1, 2000

NEWS IN BRIEF Little witch A WANNABE sorceress has been suspended from school in America after alledgedly cursing teacher.

Brandi Blackbear, 15, from Tulsa, Oaklahoma was given the punishment after casting a spell on her teacher who was subsequently taken ill.

God is love A WOMAN in Detroit noticed that the car in front of her had a bumper sticker that read " Honk if you love Jesus".

Trying to be one of the gang the woman honked her horn, however to her surprise the driver of the car in front got out and bashed a dent in her bonnet with a baseball bat.

lap of luxury A LAP DANCING club in Hove, East Sussex, has asked to changes its licensing laws to su it all it's customers.

The club received Ocomplaints that the stringent no-touching rules discriminated against blind customers.

Men and their toys AN INNOVATIVE shopping centre in Batley, West Yorkshire, has opened a creche for men.

The facility is designed for all those boyfriends and hubbys who hate trekking round the shops with their loved ones. lt features a 20ft replica of Brands Hatch and a giant train set.

Food for thought 57 GYPSIES were taken into a hospital in Romania after they made the unfortunate mistake of eating rotten horseflesh.

However only hours later they asked to be discharged because the hospital food was so bad that they preferred to take their chances with the horsemeat.

lt's the pits A DRUNKEN Dutchmen lost part of his nose when he tried to give a vicious dog a friendly Eskimo kiss.

The 43-year-old man spotted the pit bull terrier in an Amsterdam market, and was trying to rub noses with it when the dog attacked him, biting off the end of his nose.

Security chiefs advise caution after SP.ate of camP.US thefts SECURITY CHIEFS have advised students to take more care following the theft of a stereo from Wolfson Close.

Res ident ' have been urged to be vi gi Iant and kee p th eir doo r' loc ked both int e rnall y and ex te rnally after a portable stereo was swiped from a room in the res ide nce bloc k o n th e ed ge o f ca mpu s.

Secu rit y Co-ordinator Ron loo ki ng for a fri end.

Elli ott beli eves s!Udelll s are th en th ey kn oc k on \.!a!-ty t a rge t ~ and i~ urg in g eve ~ door and if the m to be aware of somehod} is in they trespassers. clai m that they must " If yo u arc ex pec tin g havl' the wrong roo m . friends . do not resort 10 bu t if it is open and leav ing th.: exte rnal door open .: mpt) they wi ll go in:· \\'arncd Ren. - mak e- prior arrange ment s to meet them ala neutra l ve nue"_ Union Welfa re he all\ iscd.

Olliccr.

Poll) lorgan claims that Careful stud en ts oft en leave \\'olfson C' lme resident the door open tutor. Ben White also advised bccau>c there arc no stutknt'o to h.: mor.: rardul 111 doo1 be lls 111 th.: standard futur.:. accommodat 1011. "'The) 11 a it for som.:bod) ·· 1 ha\e tried and 11 ill c-ontinue to to open or clo'e the door and enter h) sa) ing they are bring up the i"ue ol doorbells and non transferable ~l') s 11 ith the

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UniYe~it~

For the ~kc of~curit) it is not righ t that Norfol~ and Suffo lk Te rrace ~ C) s work in

Loves tore

. teve \Vooth\ard. ( 81 0 ~) s) mpa thisecl with the Wo ll'son CIOSL' victims. " 1 li l'ed there la't )Car and three people in my flat had bikes. all or whi ch were stolen within 11ecks.

enough lighling. no camt.::nh dlld no

drug addicts 11ho li\c around the Bluebell Road arc•'- •111d desLrihe

I OL"~L'd

on~

The securit) is a11 fuL there is not sheds," he J'umed.

a-.. hcing in hi-.. early 1\\·cntic-...

11 llh medn1111 length. str•11ght hnm 11

Rubbish

hair and a

Agreed Chri; Co' (HI S :ll

~amp

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i ...

sa id to he shorter but no other

.. There are n' t enough camera~ anti

dc~crip t ion

the onl'" then: arc. aren't \Cr) good .

Scc urit) i' o~ay 11 hen an event is 011. l i~ c the LC R. hut when it co mes to accommodation. it" ' rubhi,h_--

The theft too~ place on Sunda).

October 15. bet11ecn I ~pm and 2pm.

Anyone "ith an) informa ti on should cont act Earl ham police on

Po licc

in,cs tiga ting

the

incitk nt hcl ic\e th at the culprits arc

\\as gi,cn .

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SWEET MUSIC UEA choir to release chariJy Christmas CD

By KATIE HIND, Assistant News Editor

THE UEA Choir are set to sing their hearts out on a new Christmas music CD with all proceeds going to charity.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Bach's death , the choir have recorded his Magnificat, as well as a piece of part one of Handel's Messiah.

Th e profits from th e to do, we could never run it record ing will be split as a professional recording , between a local charity and so th e mon ey has to go one of the national cancer somewhere," he added . charities - although the exact Enthused Lee Seaman. details have not yet been (WAM 2) "The ch oir are confirmed. putting in lots of effort and I lan Roberts, Head of UEA think that Bach is still quite popular, so lots of students Choir believes that the CD, which is the first ever by th e will buy it." music society, will appeal to "The principle is very many students throughout good , but I don't know wheth er it will be a success the University.

"A lot of people listen to or not, but th eir hearts are in this genre of music and far th e right plac e," argued Sieve McMahon (BI03), more people are more aware if it in recordings and through Copies of th e CO s will be concerts", he explained . on sal e from the recepti on of He also added that they Music Centre, and at all of were trying to appeal to th e choir's Chri stma s people's good nature during concerts priced at £5 fo r th e season of goodwill . students or £6 to the general "lt seems like a good thing public.

I I

Concrete

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMEBR 1,

www.concrete-online.co.uk

2000

NEWS &

Zjggurat residents' spirits dampened by lealw. roofs

By CHARLOTTE RONALDS Chief News Reporter

CAMPUS RESIDENCES have been left sopping wet after recen t heavy rainfall caused the flimsy roofs of Norfolk and Suffolk Terrace to leak.

But despite admitting that the ageing buildings are in dire need of repair, UEA bosses are refusing to bring forward crucial building work that is not due to be completed until 2004.

The first heavy raim, of the the rooms better and lc<,s better now but it hasn't rained yet, autumn left students with pools of dangerous." so who knows~·· seethed Lizzie UEA'<, Building Maintenance Dilley (LLT I) . water in study rooms and kitchens, and the noods look set to continue Manager, Martyn ewton, And Polly Morgan , Union Welfare Officer, accused as the weather deteriorates. admitted, "A number of leaks have The leaks occurred despite been reported from the 190 rooms maintenance staff of outright worked on this summer." incompetence. main tenance work over the summer which saw blocks A, D "The main defect was the maslic "It just shows that the work is and F of Norfolk Terrace fitted seal between the walls and the not good enough quality. and all with double glazing and modem windows," he added. the blocks that they haven't waterproof membranes in the According to Mr ewton, work worked on yet in Norfolk Terrace roofs. on the residences forms part of a must also be leaking,'' she steamed. four year plan to replace all Repairs Permanent Norfolk and Suffolk Terrace Students currently living in the " It's 1960s concrete and when windows and roof coverings. they bujJt it they thought it would architecturally acclaimed Norfolk is supposed to be be permanent but 30 years down residences are in uproar that they completed by 2001. with Suffolk being finished in 2004. are paying to live in such the line it all needs replacing," she concluded. conditions - and are demanding Angry But Jenny Grant , the proper repairs now.

Resident Emily Rogers (DEV I) But students are angry that they of University's Director arc faced with leaks now, and described her kitchen as a Residences and Services was ·•swimming pool", despite it being adamant that the repairs were claim that the University is being too slow in putting things right. refurbished for the second time. efficient and successful.

She added "The water was on "Any leaks that occur are dealt "Workmen came and looked at my electrics. so I think more my room and three weeks later still with promptly by the Estates money should be put into making nothing had been done about it, it's department:' she insiMcd.

Students cautioned for not having TV Licence CAMPUS RESIDENTS got an unwanted surprise this week when a number of them were cautioned for not having a TV Licence.

The unlucky few were told that if they didn't pay the hefty £104 fee then they would be fined a whopping £1 000.

Despite warnings in the Union "You're meant to have one, at Handbook that TV Licensing do least they've given me a bit of a spot checks on campus, it seems chance and not fined me straight that students were still unaware away," he conceded.

Union Welfare Officer, Polly of the risk.

Morgan, reiterated the need to Warning have a licence, although she did Chris Brown (LLT4) lives in feel that the rules were unfair.

Suffolk Terrace and was issued "lt is difficult, I think it is very with a warning only last week. unfair and quite ridiculous that "I didn't expect anyone to you have to have a separate TV come round and check on license for each separate flat." campus but it is fair enough, I'm "But it is better to get a license not bothered about it." than to get a £1 000 fine," she

agreed.

There were also other calls for the licensing rules to be changed.

Expensive "Licenses are very expensive and it's unfair that each room should have a separate one, I think they should introduce concessions for students," argued Nilum Pate! (SOC 3).

And Edmund Gillingwater (810 1) agreed, "If a student owns a TV then it is the same as anyone else, but there should be a reduced rate one or we should be allowed to have one for a whole floor."

& NEWS

PENNY L ESS stuuents can now trade in all of their old tex tbook; for cash fo llowing the launch of a new website.

BOOKS4B EER .C OM was beg un by two former stu de nt s and offers th e chance to se ll old book; over the l mernel.

Students also have the chan ce to wi n loads of booze ju st by joinin g the site.

M anag ing Director. Will Broome claims the lntemet is the mos t convenie nt way to get rid of those use le ss books. " Lea\ in g un i\'c rsit) wit h stacks of boob. the Internet wm. a simple step to sell your books without pullin g up hundreds o f posters arou nd campu s". he expl ai ned.

WORK ON RELAXING

STRESSED-OUT students can learn to let thei r hair down with a new re laxation workshop, which is opening thi s month.

Dr Pearl Cooper will be teaching relaxation skills to help to reduce tension , improve sleep, concentration and confidence.

The course will take place on Monday November 13 and 27 at 6pm.

For more details contact Christine Jope at th e University Counselling Servi ce on 592651 .

www.concrete-on line.co.uk

Concrete

W EDNESDAY, N OVEMBER

1 , 2000

•

Games Soc evicted from Nelson Court after seven years

By CHARLOTTE RONALDS, Chief News Reporter

THE Games Society have been forced to move home after the University told them to pay for the venue that they had used for over seven years.

The G ames Soc iet y meets every mass o f equi pment has been stored Howeve r. for the last semester the ir swo rds have bee n shoved a;,ide to make room for the Islami c Society.

The Uni ve rsit y claim that th e Games Society has not take n car~ of the area. accusi ng them of a number of damaging the fac ilities.

"We ·ve been accused of all >orts

11 ; -·-

--• 11

Sunda y to enact battl es and since N elson Court was built 1993 . their in the Common Roo m area. people breaking in and we ge t the ··J thi nk the Uni ve rsity said to blame.'' fumed Neal Long. an ex them ' Don't make th is an issue with Concrele. don' t make it look UEA student. hut still a dedicated bad. beca use then we' ll j w,t ;,ay no member of th e soc iety. outright ':· she revea led.

"We we re broken into three tim es las t year. with personal Solution be long in gs and no\'Cit) swords bei ng taken. It 's unfair to pay for an Games Socie ty Presiden t Tom in secu re room:· he co mplained.

Buuerwort h would on ly conlinn th at he was workin g with th e A ft er much negotiation with the Universit y towa rd s find ing a Uni ve rsity the soc iety have now ag reed to reloca te solution. the Yorkon " Mi ke Stamford. the Campus Services Manager. has so l\'ed half the prob lem. hu t not all of it. The situati on is creepi ng along. but Thorn.

Uni on Finan ce we 're not go in g to stay in a roo m and pay feeS:' he concluded.

Offi cer was upse t Estates spokesperson. A li son that the soc iety had bee n forced ou t of Ri ckert rejec ted the socie ty's complai nts, sayi ng the University th e buil ding.

"They're a rea ll y had to charge to ensure eve n access active soc iety. th ey for everyone use th e room about " We don' t charge for th e >torage space . they have free storage in Nelson Court ," she explained. when; they store their " Bu t one of the problems we ha\'e is supply and demand. a lot of equ tpment.

She also all ege d soc ieti es want to book roo ms and it that the Uni ve rsit y had is difficult to help eve ryone.

"We onl y charge if people book the soc iety ;,o that a fuss

CamP.US CCTV set for UP.grade CCTV IS getting a much needed upgrade in a bid to stamp out crime and vandalism on campus.

T he presen t sys tem. which has bee n a hotbed of con trover>y for many years. and branded i neffic ient by slllden ts. has bee n frequent ly criticised due to a lac k of video surve ill ance cameras and not enough staff to man th em.

Security Co-ord inator Ron Elliott explained that the overhaul was part of a fi ve year pl an to rectify th e probl ems that have c ropped up in th e past. ''This is a fi ve year project and a great deal of money has recently been spent on enhancing t he present system , because obviously th e nature of the campus has changed since 12 years ago. "

Effective "The re are considerations for the future to expand the number of ca meras and possibly recycling th e existing cameras to make them more effective," he explained .

And students are concerned that campus security isn't up to scratch .

"CCTV is obviously not effective enough , th ere needs to be more ~

.

'

"

cam era s," moan ed Ho lly Murray (EAS1 ).

"I lived in hall s last year and there wasn 't any CCTV cameras in them , I really think the system could do with an improvement."

Union Welfare Officer, Polly Morgan believes that the upgrading will com bat the existing problems.

"They do need to upgrade the cameras they have and put some more in ," she agreed .

But she was quick to reass ure safety consc io us students.

"They are changing the cameras from black and white to colour, which is much more effective."

Concrete

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

NEWS 7

www.concrete-online.co.uk

1, 2000

Law Ball to go solo after STAR TURNS Union back out of funding_ COME TO UEA

By SARAH WRIGHT

UNION OFFICIALS have snubbed the Law Society and refused to give them financial backing for the Law Ball, despite receiving a detailed business plan supporting their case.

Only two weeks ago the Union agreed that if the Law Society outlined a detailed financial agenda then they would underwrite the event, but in a surprise U-turn the Union have now changed their mind .

However, unfazed the Law Society are continuing alone with their plans to revive the muchmissed event.

Law Society committee member Lindsay Bowskill was upset about the Union's decision. "lt is a shame that the Union decided not to give )inancial support at the last minute, after we had given them the detailed business plan they had asked for."

"But it has motivated us to find our own underwriting insurance from somewhere else, which is a greater achievement and something we would not have done before," Lindsay added.

Union Finance Officer,

Becky Thorn, defended the decision not to give the bash Union support.

"We do support what they are doing, but we are not going to underwrite the Law Ball because we can't underwrite any social event."

Justified "We felt we couldn't make an exception becau e it would set a precedent, even though it is very well planned and thought out," she justified.

The Ball, which will be held at the Ipswich Corn Exchange on December 13, will include a live band, adult games and a luxury buffet.

Lindsay hopes that the Ball will

give new life to the legends that surrounds the event.

"There were problems finding a big enough venue in orwich and not many people would allow adult entertainment. We have a license until 3am and the bar prices will be reasonable."

And students seems enthu iastic about the event's come back. " I think it should be good because it's the revival. lt is finally back with a vengeance," enthused Sarah Whelband (LLT3).

Added Becky Saillet (LAW 2) " it is a good idea because in most universities the Law Ball is a prestigious event and UEA doesn't have one."

• Tickets for the ball, priced at £39, went on sale on Monday, from the Union Box Office in the Hive.

Our ON-SITE WARRANTY is 3 years leq ••• ceulti !be as leq as yeur ceurse?

Q)

FUJITSU COMPUTERS SIEMENS

I NEWS

www .con eret e-on Iine.co .u k

Concrete

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMEBR

1, 2000

ABC and Odeon go under but Rlans for revamR are in pjReline THE CLOSURE of two Norwich cinemas cou ld have a silver lining - if plans to convert one to a concert hall are pulled off.

T he Odeon in A n g lia Squ a re loc ked it s doors fo r the last ti me on Su nda y a fter nearly 2 0 yea rs of e nt e rt a in in g film fan '>.

And now Lloyd Add ison. Labour coun ty counc illo r for the Mancro rt wa rd in No rw ic h has ca ll ed out for th e o ld bu ildin g to be tra nsformed into a conce rt hall.

"T he county is lookin g for a n a rti stic, cu ltural and to uris m focus a nd thi s wo uld be an ideal ven ue." ex pl ained Mr Addi son.

Benefit '· lt ha> al so got the car park ing faci liti es and the advantage of being in the c ity centre wh ich is essenti al to rnake sure th at local busi nesses benefit," he added.

Las t weekend also marked the e nd for the ABC Cinema on Prince of Wales Road. as it closed its doors for the last time.

Th e pi ctu re house. which ope ned in 1922. look s set to be turned into a new night>pot after an Essex businessman recent!) put in a bid fo r th e ve nu e.

Staff at both ci nemas are dcva'>lated b) th e loss of the two long-running

c in e m a~.

''lt 's awful tha t everyone now wants the new co mplexes and no t us. we were hopi ng th at we would have o ur littl e niche in Norwich and we do have o ur loya l c ustome rs. but there a re far too many c inemas he re," so bbed Odco n Ass ista nt Manager Heath er Fou nt ai n.

But stu dent s d id n ' t ag ree. instead th ey arc thrill ed a t the prospec t of hav in g somewhere else to go a nd see thei r favourite bands .

Mi c he lle C lark (LLT 2) fee ls tha t Norwich is definit ely lacks places where bigger band s can perform.

into some th in g. Ang lia Sq ua re is abo quite dodgy, so I tri ed to avo id goi ng to the c ine ma dow n th e re. but a concert ha ll would be idea l." he

I

Cool .. it 's coo l. we need more places fo r live music but I suppose it's sad that it' s sh ut down. Thcr~'s o nly so man y peop le to go so many c inemas and there were too ma ny". she declared And C hri s Cox (H IS 3) doesn't th ink the picture house wi ll be mi,scd. .. Whenever r ,·c been there it ha, ne, er been full so it ha' to he turned

Graduate Students' Association Elections for the Graduate

COMPETITION! COMPETITION!

W N FLEECES!

" Students' Association " Committee are on

Thursday 2nd November

Graduate Students' Club Fri 3 Nov Live music,a rt istTBA

Tue 7 Nov Sci-fi Quiz

Happy hour Mondays 8-9pm Fridays 7-Spm Fosters· John Smiths · Strong bow · Real ales £7 (normally £1.40) Shots £1 (norma lly £1.20-£1.40)

Gu iness • Kronenberg £7.40 (normally£ 1.70)

~

If you want to stand for any of the positions • President •Secretary •Treasurer • Entertainments • Publicity • Bars Manager come and see Jack in the bar Voting is on the web, so please vote on Thursday at http://www.uea.ac.uklmenu/grad_students/

With the weath er getting chillier by the day, it's time to start wrapping up warm - and Concrete has teamed up with employment website HotRecruit.co.uk to get you started .

The website, which offers details of hundreds of temporary jobs that are perfect for students, has given us two comfy fleeces to give away to Concrete readers.

To win , all you need to do is to visit the HotRecruit website and find the answer to the question below, and then pop your answer together with your contact details into the Concrete competition box in the Hive, Union House .

Whilst you r at the site, you might also want to take a look at the jobs on offer which include a speci al section of "Crazy jobs" including from wi ng-walking, to table dancing and puppeteerin g. The site also has details of 2,500 Christmas vacancies in some of France's top ski resorts.

The question to answer is: How many HotTips are there in HotRecruit.co.uk's HotTip section?

Concrete

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

LEADERS 9

www.concrete-online.co.uk

1, 2000

LEADERS

LEADERS

CONCRETE Issue 117 Editor James Goffin

Staying alive

Getting heavy After months of tip-toeing around protesters, the University has finally decided to implement its (flawed) new park ing scheme.

Although many would prefer to see a completely different settlement , at ~::iiiii::::;~~~~~~ least campus managers now seem to have got the bottle to make the ex ist ing scheme fa ir for those who are playing by the rules.

lt is shocking that a University residence like Campion House does not have a proper fire alarm system. As one of the residents of the fire-ravaged block commented, it seems l,ike that UEA regards the rooms as cheap, and so only worthy of cheap safety measures. it's simply not good enough. The false fire alarms that come with a central system can be a nuisance, as anyone who has lived in Waveney Terrace knows all too well, but they are a small price to pay for being able to sleep safely, and staying alive.

Deputy Editors Adam Chapman · Nick Henegan

News Editor Nikki Mallett

Assistant News Editor Katie Hind

Chief News Report er Charlotte Ronalds

Play safe

Features Editor

We hope that the Union 's suspicions about the use of Rohypnol on campus are wrong. But what we can't do, and what no student should do, is be complacent about the risk .

UEA is generally safe, and club nights like the LCR and Retro a fun part of university Iife.

No one should stop enjoying themselves, but we should all remember that not everyone has good intentions, and look out for ourselves and our friends.

Will Halsey

Sports Edit or Alex Thorpe

Assist ant Sports Editor Chris Webber

Creative Writing Editor Kris Siefken

Editorial Contributors Denny Coote, Jo Crookshank, Keren Garrett, Tom Jamie Kaftash, Seth Landau, Jo Locke, McGregor, Mike Milligan, Rob Pearce, Katherine Rowbotham, Sadiq Usman, Sarah Wright

Letters to the Editor

Photographers

PO Box 410 · Norwich · NR4 ?TB Tel 01603 250558 Fax 01603 506822 · E-mail su.concrete@uea.ac.uk

Nicko Hillary

Advertising Manager Clare Hamilton-Eddy

Cycle of despair I am writing as one of the many people each week who get their bike or parts of their bike nicked from on campus. I know it's a massive problem, and I guess that's especially true this week seeing as it's half term and so all the kids come onto campus. So why don't the Union do anything about it? Fair enough CCTV is too expensive, but there is a much better, and far cheaper, option, already established at a number of uni's across the country.

What we need is some sort of bike compound basically a huge shed or something similar that is well lit and secure, with access from a padlock or through the campus card etc. Seems to me to be an easy and cheap solution · obviously effective seeing as a number of universities have them.

Yet again it seems that UEA is well behind the times and more concerned with making money than student welfare. Surely it's something worth considering?

James Ward LAW3

Green with envy?

I can only assume that the double-page spread on Charles Kennedy in the last issue of Concrete was not intended to be taken seriously. The article beings by outlining how, typically, the liberal Democrats have no policy on cannabis other than to set up a Royal Commission . They fail to make the link between hard drugs and the illegal market, which causes all the problems as it prevents state regulation and catches victims in a cycle of addiction where they steal to feed their habil.

Mr Kennedy also claims that revenue from fuel tax should not be spent on the public services that it is needed to fina·nce, whilst calling for taxes not to be increased any further. Instead, we need to be creating a system that does not hit hardest on the poor and an integrated public transport system to encourage people to get out of their cars.

The Liberal Democrat stance on the environment must also be questioned when they support the World Trade Organisation and the Euro, both of which are designed to make long-distance trading easier for big business. The lack of any dell')ocratic accountability of the single currency, and its unrealistic monetarist and centralis! economic policy, makes one question whether Mr Kennedy really wants people to have control over their lives.

Whilst I agree with Mr Kennedy's sentiments in

favour of proportional representation and cooperation between parties, these factors are just about how parties operate and cannot provide the entire basis for a political party. The fact that there is a Green Party on campus but no Liberal Democrat one suggests that the Greens are far more in touch with the views of the future generation and the only real alternative to Labour and the Conservatives. As it is the Greens who have had more electoral success in the past two years than ever before, I wonder why a high-profile Green was not interviewed instead. Dr Caroline Lucas MEP would have been happy to oblige while at UEA for a public meeting on the Euro recently · which was wellattended despite Concrete failing to even mention it, and there were no Liberal Democrats in sight!

The real future of politics is Green .

Adrian Ramsay, SOC2 Chair, UEA Green Party

Good job?

In reference to your front page report concerning my unfair dismissal from my job as Waterfront Coordinator by the Union of UEA Students, I should like to make a couple of observations.

Firstly, at no time did I ask for £30,000. The Union is well aware that I offered to settle on the first day of the Tribunal for considerably less than the final amount agreed after the Tribunal's verdict.

Also in pointing out that the money came from Waterfront reserves the Union acknowledges that it could not be used for other Union activities. lt could of course have been used to improve facilities at the Waterfront, so I'm pleased that the Waterfront is doing so well that this is an insignificent sum that will not damage its activities.

Finally, the Union may well consider that the chair of the Tribunal , former UEA lecturer Christopher Ash made "intemperate remarks" in what Concrete described as "a stinging attack on the Union's handling of events" but they were his and his colleagues considered views after hearing evidence from both sides and reaching their verdict that the Union had commited an act of unfair dismissal.

Steve Forster With the loss of £16,000 via an unfair dismissal of a member of Union staff, reading the last edition of Concrete it came as no surprise to learn that last year's sabbatical 'team' still manages to cost every single student money even though they have left but have they?

This was of course the same 'team' that wasted £7,000 on a sports ball that did not happen, hundreds on the re-running of elections and countless thousands on NUS 'fact finding missions' around the country as well as the £40,000 fee we pay to affiliate to the National Union of Students.

Therefore, it is somewhat disconcerting to know that this years' sabb team are still close friends and recipients of advice from the last lot.

News of a 'new constitution' in the pipeline smacks of the cold leftovers from Lisa Eldret's disastrous efforts. If the 'new' is anything like the old attempt to change the constitution it will have serious implications for a number of Executive Officer posts and the overall accountability of our union.

The fact remains that students did not elect a sabbatical Academic Officer to once again spend a third of their year messing with something that will not effect the academic services that this Union and more importantly this University provides. Get on with the job you were elected to do and not the solving of problems leftover from the last shower!

P A Goodchild HIS 2

Vice-Chairman, Conservative Society

Transparent pricing Just to tell you that the Union shops sell acetates for overhead projectors that cannot be used in photocopiers on campus, which seems totally pointless!

They also charge 30p for these pointless pieces of plastic.

Students need to be made aware of this, as the shop seems reluctant to do anything about it.

Two MGT 3 students Please send letters to the address above, marked for the attention of the Editor, James Goffin. Letters must include contact details, but we will consider anonymous publication.

We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

Distribution Manager Steve Quirke

10 FEATURES

www.concrete-online.co.uk

Concrete

era e lt appears that fury is the latest fash ion, as more and more people throw rages of one form or another. Will Halsey suggests we all calm down a little ... oad rage, air rage, trolley rage there's almost no area of daily life that han't been allocated its own unique brand of anger. But the question as to why rage has gripped us so furiously is less obvious. The idea of patience as a virtue is long outdated , and these days everything needs to be done that much quicker (with some exceptions. men should take note) .

Even so, this explanation cannot excuse air rage , which is arguably the newest craze.

In terms of speed, it's hard to get much quicker than 700mph, bu t irate passengers still insist on caus ing disrupti on at 30,000 feet . With alcohol rage incidents were recorded by aviation authoroften involved, it is estimated that there are four ities last year, which is over twice that of 1995. cases of air rage a day on British airlines alone, Another recent case saw the captain of a British but than kfu lly, us reserved Brits have not gone jet bound for South Africa almost forced to land as far as those across the Atlantic. early after an incident on One month ago, board. Plumber lan Jonathan Burton, just Bottomley, drunk on 19, was murdered by a ori~inated champagne, threatened to mob of up to eight fellow bite and kill crew mempassengers when be bers before staff had to began threatening crew handcuff and tie the 36 and moving towards the year old to a seat in the cockpit. The passenrear of the plane. The gers, who rose as one trouble had originated when Bottomley insisted to beat and strangle the teenager, did not face on studying porn on his laptop, and crew memcriminal proceedings, either, due to th e law in bers objected. the (appropriately named) Land of the Free statBack on the ground, though, road rage is proving that self defence is a legitimate reason to ing to be a much more dangerous problem. The kill.

R

The trouble when he ins1sted on studying porn on his laptop.

.GAZON LASER

ADVENTURE

St Step ens Rd PRICES: Mon-Fri before 6pm: 1 game £3, 2 Games £5; 3 games £6 After 6pm & all weekend: 1 game £3.75; 2 games £6; 3 games £7.50 PRICES ARE PER PERSON FOR CONSECUTIVE GAMES

high profile case of Kenneth Noye, the professional criminal jailed for life for the M25 road rage murder, threw rage into the spotlight. His altercation with Stephen Cameron in 1996 ended with Noye stabbing the 21 year old twice, but the case also saw road rage hit the front pages.

Indeed, police have had to deal with many angry motorists in recent years, which begs the question of why we are all so furious?

PC Kimberly Diehl, spokeswoman for Norwich Police, suggests that the stresses and strains of everyday life are to blame. "I think it's fair to say people lead very busy lives," she explains. ''The majority suffer stresses at work, and they can then manifest themselves when people get behind the wheel."

Certainly, the new millennium sees a society intent on looking out fo~ · · itself. TV breaks are dominated by adverts encouraging people ~ ~-·!':11'1 who have had accidents to find 'I someone to blame and claim compensation . This is a paradox in itself, the idea of an accident in the true sense being lost in the scramble for the courts. it all contributes to a society that is turning to blame and confrontation - be it in the courts or on the roadside - before accepting that people can make mistakes. s rage incidents continue to rise , it is difficult to see how police can target this new problem . PC Diehl admits it is impossible to plot against directly, but steps can be taken .

"There needs to be a clear message fo r people to be more patient, more tolerant." she explains.

"Perhaps people can use that time effectively. it's like queuing in the supermarket, we all get irritated, but just using the time to th ink of something nice would make a difference."

Road rage is beginning to effect more and more people, as motorists partake in a multitude of angry exchanges. Sadly, th is has even led to lollipop ladies being trained to deal with the psychological stress of raging drivers. Incidents such as being attacked by hot coffee have led to pleas for training , and one in ten ladies have reported violence in the last year.

But while incidents of air and road rage are creating panic and costing lives, there are also more bizarre episodes where anger is just impossible to contain. Certainly, in Wakefield, west Yorkshire, it is not safe to go shopping. In the aisles of Morrisons, it was a case of Mr Kipling's exceedingly pissed off shoppers, where a running battle between two men and their trolleys ended up with one bleeding in a pile of Kipling 's finest. Laurence Cottam, a security guard, was unhappy when Joseph Wilkinson rammed his wife in the back with his trolley.

Retaliation occurred, before fists were employed near the bakery. Cottam was convicted of actual bodily harm for dumping Wilkinson in the cakes, wh ich proved a sweet moment fo r the victim.

Perhaps even more bizarrely, surf rage gri pped the world this summer, affecting th e beaches from California to Cornwall. The incidents in the south west of England caused minor injuries and schoolyard reven ge, with one irate board merchant covering a fellow surfer's windscreen wipers with surf wax, wh ich ruined the glass when switched on. However, this petty reaction to the breaking of unwritten surf rules is beaten by an altercation in Australia, where a young surfer required six hours of surgery to fix his smashed cheekbone after a row broke out over a wave.

In California, undercover police officers in only swimming trunks and wrap around sunglasses have been patrolling beaches to try and cut down hospital admissions after surfers rowed over hijacking waves. The thought of Cornish police officers patrolling in Speedos after one too many pies is not a savoury one, but as rage spreads, this is the kind of world we have to face up to.So as the rising tide of fury continues, the only advice can be to count to ten, take a deep breath , or th ink nice thoughts. But don't you just hate it when people give you such obvi ous bloody advice, God, it makes me so mad ...

A

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

1, 2000

111111

Incidents of unparalleled anger are sadly not confined to the outside world. Indeed, even the UEA campus suffers from raging students, furious at one thing or another.

Here we look at several incidents that may have taken place ...

LCR Rage Icelandic exchange student Havvto Movsson (LANG 1) was waiting for friends at the UEA Thursday night institution when he realised he could not move. Having received no prior warning of the alcohol content in the carpet that spans 30 years of abuse, Movsson's trainers were stuck fast.

So furious was the Icelander, he attacked revellers with various vodka-based drinks before being escorted back to Waveney Terrace.

Launderette Rage Frustrated Robin Smith (EVN 2) was denied a tumble drier for 90 minutes after other users clean forgot their washing. He proceeded to take his anger out on all 10 loads by urinating evenly in each one.

Fridge Rage One year ago, Charlotte Pinamonte (SCO 2) smashed 12 eggs on each of her corridor-mates' pillows when the single fridge freezer reached breaking point following the introduction of 16 frozen economy chicken legs. On discovering the eggs, her Norfolk Terrace friends frogmarched her to Breakers 2, where three 'fully loaded' burgers were forced upon her. This year, extra fridges were placed in every Norfolk Terrace kitchen.

Bar Rage Gerard Bonetti (SIH 2) waited to be.served for 22 minutes In the Union bar when fhe drinking establishment was only half full. On reaching the front of the queue, Bonetti was so furious he ordered 16 shots of vodka, poured them over the bar and applied a match. The flaming alcohol handily spelled out 'ARRGG' as Union staff used extinguishes on the blaze. When the commotion died down, Bonetti calmly ordered a pint of Kronenberg and paid using correct change.

Computer Centre Rage Trevor Flies (SEA 2) was enraged in week 12 of the spring semester 2000, when he could not find a computer to complete a crucial essay. Using calculated evil, Flies released three hamsters into the ITCS nerve centre, causing over 300 essays to be handed in late. Trevor was charged with criminal damage, but the hamsters escaped without punishment.

' Concrete

WEDNESOAY,

FEATURES

www.concrete-online.co.uk

NOVEMBER 1 , 2000

11

Drinking, clubbing, and the occasional essay. Life may not seem hard for the average student, but, as Denny Coote found out, exhaustion affects us all ... tudent life is a bit of a joke to those bear in mind but it is something that students who live in the 'real world' and have often ignore. When we take into account all of our other priorities, sleep somehow seems gets a nine to five job with responsibilities. left behind.

What right do we have to get exhausted? After all, some of us are Some of us may be lucky enough to have late on courses where teaching time for a whole lectures and can have long lie-ins but if the week is less than one day at work. I only have sleep that you're getting is disturbed by lots of noise or an uncomfortable bed (those in halls six hours a week so no cause to complain, but will recognise this) then the quality of sleep is the fact is that student life is tiring. lt seems there are not enough hours in the day · bound to be poor and it's quality over quantity to finish the reading let alone attempt anything every time. more. Coursework deadlines all converge Getting over physical illness is also exhausting. together and then there's the prospect of life Any severe, long-lasting or painful condition can after graduation. We all know that we should be be very tiring, but even short illnesses like chest devoting our time to gaining useful work experiinfections, sinusitis or glandular fever can leave ence and picking up skills for the workplace but you feeling like you've done 12 rounds with we need money now and for many part time Mike Tyson. jobs are a necessity.

However, psychological concerns are someOn top of all that, and possibly more importanttimes more significant than physical problems ly, university is also about having fun and time when it comes to a complete lack of energy. should always be Stressing about work or put aside for a good financial worries is obvisocial life. Bearing ously a huge factor, and it all of this in mind its can be more exhausting to no small wonder think about coursework that students at than actually doing it.

UEA are a pretty Setting sights too high is exhausted bunch. also something that stuThe circumstances dents can be guilty of. Its probably fair to say that at around exhaustion times we expect too much of ourselves and we appear to be obvious -'always rushing around doing stuff' and 'never leaving yourself time to go on and on like a Duracell bunny rather than admit that we're exhausted and take a rest. think' but there are other factors which are often overlooked. Being very over or underweight is a Of course there are also causes of exhaustion major one. In both cases your body has to work that we can't help, like trying to get over a much harder to carry out most tasks. The smallbereavement or a relationship break up. est thing can be exhausting.

Crucially, exhaustion should not be underestiEven if ..you're at an ideal weight, though, being mated. Tiredness is quite natural but when it unfit makes things a struggle because you don't gets to the point that you can't get out of bed, have the energy to get things done quickly or or simple tasks are a struggle, then help should efficiently. Lack of sleep is an obvious factor to be sought. Exhaustion can lead to serious ill-

S

I

I

University Is all about having fun and time should be put aside for a good social life.

Beat exhaustion Improve your sleep••• Go to bed and get up In 1he morning at

the same time f!Nery day no matter how you feel. This will give your body some sort of routine and should reduce the need to take naps in the afternoon.

Ensure that your bedroom is comfortable and not too cold or too hot.

Have a hot bath and soak in it for about twenty minutes before bed. This will calm you down and help you to relax.

Do something relaxing before bed like reading a book.

Don't eat too late in the evening and the same goes for drinking caffeine.

Take some exerclu You may think that you're too tired to exercise but keeping yourself fit wiH give you more energy.

You don't necessarily need to join a gym or take up a new sport, just something that gets your heart rate up and · burns a bit of fat will do the job. Walking is probably the easiest exercise to statt off with.

Maintain your weight You should consult your doctor if you think you are very over or underweight

nme...,•••ant A cause of exhaustion major

is trying to

fit too much into a short space of time.

You need to look closely at what time you have and the ways that it can be used most efficiently.

improve after trying some of the more obvious ness or may be a symptom of a condition you solutions. already have. Depression is often a result of There are a small number of people who suffer being completely wiped out, with sufferers feeling no control over their time or life in general, from prolonged, severe and disabling tiredness and naturally this can lead to severe unhappifor which there is no clear cause. ME (Myalgic ness.

Encephalomyelitis) or Chronic Fatigue eeling run down and neglecting the needs Syndrome (CFS) is a serious recognised diseas. Only recently, of your body also invite~ ~iruse~ that Getting over physical !hough. did _the medcreat?s a VICIOUS.CirCI_e Illnesses can be tiring lcal pr~feSSI~n - gettmg over a v~rus IS • • recogmse th1s exhausting in itself. A Even short Infections exhausting condition friend of mine got shincan feel like you've as an illness, and gles because she had f ght Mik T doctors still know worn herself out cornou e yson. very little about it. pletely when studying If you've made it as for her a-levels. Shingles is something that usufar as university then its very unlikely that your exhaustion is due to ME but remember that ally affects older people - not 17 year old girls and it was ample indication to slow down and your GP won't laugh at you if you are conpay attention to the needs of her body. earned. Now that ME is a recognised illness it Severe exhaustion in rare cases can point to is taken seriously, but basic exhaustion should hormonal disorders or even muscular and neube treated as a problem as well. If things do not rological problems which is why it is so imporimprove, then seek help - it may not be nine to five but university can still take it out of you. tant to check with your doctor if things don't

F

Before taking on a new commitment ask yourself if this is really necessary: learning to SEtf no can be tough but worth it.

Make sure you leave some time in 1he day to relax and do something that you enjoy. Nobody should spend their whole day studying, in fact you study better

For many students part time jobs are necessary but should never come before study. look realistically at how many hours you can afford to devote to your job and don't go over this amount.

If you find that you don't have enough money then look at your finances and where your money is going, ask yourself if your CD collection is really worth sacrificing your sanity for. Ask yourself again if you answer~·

when relaxed and tocosed.

Try and plan your week ahead and stld< to it. Keep a diary or checklist of things that you need to do so nothing creeps up on you without your realising it Part-time jobs

The University's support services are there so remember that help is always nearby If you need to talk your anxieties through. The University Counselling Service is situated behind the Dean of Student's offiCe (near Waterstones). lt provides a range of counselting and stress relieving ser· vices Including workshops and individual and group services You can also consult Nightline, a student-run confidential listening and information service that operates nightly on campus from Norfolk Terrace, Block C, Floor 3.

Remember that all of us can get run down and this is a natural part of University life. Putting pressure on yourself does not help though and admitting that you need a rest is the first step on 1he road to combattlng your exhaustion.

Try not to set yq<ne1f W'lr88ilstic targets.

Unfortunatlaly IT106t of us can't write for Concrete, captain 1he foolball team, hold dOwn a bar job and do 1he odd bit of voluntary worl<, While getting a first.

Facing your problems

Pregnant?

Little known to most people, Norwich is one of the most haunted cities in Britain.

Jo Locke donned her white sheet and looked for the most notable spooks ... ver felt a bit spooked walking at night through Norwich? Ever had that feeling that you're not alone, as if you're being watched? Well, those hairs standing up on the back of your neck may not have been caused by a figment of your imagination.

That's right, Norwich is one of the most haunted cities in the UK. Initial impressions of Norwich as a city worth spending little time in can be dispelled now, for it seems people are keen to stick around in this corner of East Anglia even after meeting their maker. But spectres don't just wander around anywhere, so let Concrete guide you to the most haunted haunts in this fine city ...

E

Most haunted pub If you're looking for an eerie encounter the Adam and Eve public house in Bishopgate should be your first port of call. As Norwich's oldest pub, dating back to the thirteenth century, it is said to house three ghosts. The most well-known is that of Lord Sheffield or •sam" to those who know him on an intimate basis. Sam met his untimely death during Kett's Rebellion in 1549, where he had been sent to Norwich to crush a peasant revolt against aristocratic corruption. Unfortunately he didn't get a chance to suppress the revolt and was promptly hacked to death by the protesters at St Martins Place. An employee at the pub claimed "I didn't believe in ghosts until I moved here 14 years ago, I had to see it to believe it, and now I have".

Lord Sheffield's ghost makes frequent visits to this world, and at most disappears for a few months at a time. The employee explained "one day we ~~~~~~~

a long grey coat, pretty normal you might think, perhaps she had drunk one too many. However, she had no legs.

Most haunted area

it out, and found that the door was in fact locked. Then the cellar door started vibrating, which freaked us out, and there was a loud moan from behind the door and then a crash."

Apparently there are another two ghosts who they don't see much of, a monk buried under the bar, and another man who they don't know, but seems to be connected to Lord Sheffield - "we think it was him in the cellar that night". But be warned, Sam protects the pub from those who infringe on his space. A rugby player who had had one too many and was getting a bit rowdy was stopped mid-sentence by a wine glass flying through the air from the bar and smashing on the back of his head. No one had thrown the glass, and the rugby player quickly left, a bit shaken by the ordeal.

I asked the staff if they would ever want Sam to be removed from the pub. "I like him being here as he protects the pub Unfortunately, he didn't and keeps an eye over the place, but get a chance to on the other hand, suppress revolt, and I'd never sleep here was promptly hacked to alone".

Holly Murray death by protestors.

(EAS1) spent an evening at the Adam and Eve. "11 was certainly atmosshirt. She was told he ~w<>•on't coming in that day, and pheric, and the creaking was quite everyone went upstairs to look. The scary" explained Holly. "We were sitting on a high-backed bench and two times only other male employee was sitfootsteps and called for some help. The sound conting on the couch in cream trousers during our drinking session there was a loud bang tinued but no one came, and the stage was a navy shirt, there was no one else on the back of the bench". Holly wasn't sure what it deserted. was. "lt really made me jump, but what freaked me According to a former director of the theatre, he spc>oKiest thing which happened out was that there was no one about except us," would walk into the stage area on a Sunday and was when one of the antique beer she said. Holly remains open-minded "l don't disthere would be a strong smell of freshly swung miss the idea that ghosts are a possibility and I had a stream of water pouring out incense, just like a Roman can't explain how those it. They hang from a beam on the Catholic Church. ceiling and a puddle of bangs occurred," she admit- ' ' I don't dismiss the idea water was on the floor - I ted. seen on numerous thought we had a leak. I Other haunted pubs include that ghosts are a sions, but never by a picked the mug off the wal the Rat and Parrot, formerly possibility and I can't · large group of peoto check it out, but it was the Lamb Inn. The landlord explain how those ple until a class trip bone dry inside, and there was murdered by his alcoto the theatre took holic brother-in-law who was no water leak in the occurred. broke in to the pub with ceiling" - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - place some years ago. The school friends to drink the beer in Apparently Sam plays regtrip was from outside the area, and ular tricks on the staff at 1787. The landlord, John Aggas, loved children, they knew nothing of the ghost monk. and nearly every landlord since has been told stothe pub. "Just as we're ries by his children of a man who visits them at After the play, the children were closing up, I'll hear coins night to tell them 'old-fashioned' stories. to write an essay about their favourite jangling in the bar upstairs part of the performance. 14 of the 30 and a man's voice saying twelve-year olds said their best bit was "Excuse Me", I'll go and when the monk walked on to the stage see if there's a customer and turned the crucifix around without who has come in, and touching it; there was no character of a there'll be no one there.

Ghosts of monks are a familiar tale in Norwich, but monk in the play. The theory is that The I'll hear it down stairs · he does it to have a laugh." none quite as well known as the Maddermarket because the theatre is built on an old By this time I was getting a Monk. The first authentic sighting was made in the Roman Catholic sit, and as the monk 1920s during a matinee performance. The prompter often appears where the confession box little uneasy about all the lost his place and the players forgot their lines. At was, he is returning to complete a mass. creaking and banging the end a member of the audience also saw the figgoing on, and asked her if ure of a priest who was supposedly staring into the she had ever been scared audience. by his presence. "There was this one time not long The stage manager often feels the presence of the ago. I was in the kitchen ghost, and was once climbing a ladder up to the If you happen to walking down lights when he felt someone behind him. He looked with my mum, when the Magdalen Street and see a young round - but there was no one there. toilet door started banging girl's face at a top floor window, you violently. We went to check Percy Ayres, while working under the stage, heard might want to look again!

t

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and brother to find ~ wwaeeskn, oevwet·nndV:.hTehnetnheornee herself trapped with ~ no response to her m day the student returned to cries for help. Weeks her room to find splatters of fresh blood in her sink. later, the house was reopened for burial, Woman with no 1 8 haunts Ikon ~ "I have no idea how it got 0 where the daughter's there. No one had been in body was found by the door. According to reports, my room ... l couldn't touch it and had to get the there were teeth marks on the legs of her parents, cleaner to remove it. Since then its been very quiet" and their flesh was found wedged in the throat of Rumours are also circulating of a ghost at the old house at the bottom of the village. The house, due the daughter. She choked on eating her parents to to be demolished, has a hauntsurvive, and died. She

g e

the

Most haunted theatre

Ghostly girl

UEA ghosts

After some 'digging about' it turns out that there are This, unsurprisingly, goes to Tombland. The old site some ghostly goings on at the University Village, of the Norwich market in 1067, is named Tombland and term has only just begun. from the Dutch for open space, but also because it Manna Bevan (EAS1) reluctantly revealed her is a highly haunted area. ghostly experiences. "When I moved in, my room The most famous had a strange atmosphere ghost in Tombland is . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - , which I picked up on the Lady in Grey. The straight away" says house was boarded Manna. "For over a week and locked up with the in the early evening I'd feel occupants of the like I wasn't alone, until last week I was watching house, killed by a TV with my friend on my sweeping plague. The authorities could not bed, when I felt someone deal with the huge definitely tap me on the number of deaths at shoulder twice. No one the time, so closed off was behind me and my the houses and filled friend couldn't physically have done it t0 wind me up them with lavender to purify the air inside.

- it really freaked me out" The occupants of Another student, who wishAugustine Stewart es to remain anonymous, House were believed also has a haunted room. to be dead, but the "The window kept blowing daughter was in fact ~ violently open when I had alive. She awoke next ~ locked it" the student to her dead parents ~ described. "lt did it for a

came down stairs to open up and all the stools from the entire pub had been stacked from floor to ceiling, wedged so that we had to pull them apart".

She knows when he's next to her as all the skin on the side of her body goes icy cold. "11 feels like someone blowing on your skin, its really cold, and there are definitely never any windows open•. Not only does Sam cause sensations, but makes sounds too. "Sometimes when the pub's really busy and I'm serving behind the bar, I'll hear him sigh in ear. He's so close that I can hear it over all the noise."

Lord Sheffield's ghost has only beer seen twice in recent history.

Mpst significantly, two years ago, an employee had in sick, unknown the kitchen staff. A lady in the kitchen out to another RVol <>onnlnvo><> in the bar, having seen out of the corner of her eye a man walk up the stairs the flat

bangs

and the maid is believed to be checking that all is well.

The old building used to be a 'house of disrepute', where a young beautiful girl was brutally murdered in the the window looks out of. The room , . . . . .~.i~tself remains 10 degrees colder than ~ other room, and there are no differences. The window ' "L'u.."'" on the outside of the buildbut there is no trace of a window on the inside, and was believed to have been covered over as the girls face being seen. ,...,.,v"'u" occupants have coffee cups flythe air, lvDf~writers working by \'"\:~.,. ·rn.,.,m~:AI''"'~ and cliplf~lltOOai'CIS floating above desk. Such goings on prompted a ouiji board session in the basement to discover the truth behind the tale in 1972. To their surprise, girl - called Sara appeared to them, and told her story of being attacked and murdered ~~ff{,!'i\15 by a man in the room. n,.,,.,,, ._._.Unfortunately Sara didn't know that she was dead, and kept moving objects to attract attention. In 1973, the arranged an ,ex1:>rciism However, because exorcisms can only get rid of evil

ghosts, Sara is still there at the window looking as beautiful and dead as ever.

Most horrific bedroom This resides in the YMCA. Following the terrible plague that hit Norwich following Queen Elizabeth l's visit from London, huge pits had to be dug out to dispose of the excess of infected bodies. All 5,000 bodies were buried in such a hurry that they were filled in and finished off within a day. Hundreds of years later the YMCA building was built on the site.

For about twenty years, people who stayed in one of the basement rooms dreamt of being buried alive. People who knew nothing of the history of the site, and had never met each other all had the same dream that the soil was pushed over them, surrounded by dead people, until they could no longer breathe. Eventually the room was sealed off and certified out of bounds.

Spookiest club This goes to Ikon. Indeed, if you thought the only thing dodgy about Ikon was the men that frequent the place, you were wrongl Unknown to those who bop on the dance floor, there is a swimming pool underneath you. When it was being built, the builders unearthed many human remains, the previous occupants of a plague pit. Unofficially, a bouncer who used to work at the club claimed one night after they had closed, he heard a noise in the ladies toilets. He tried to find a woman to check it, but there was no one available, so he went in himself. AI first he saw no one, but when he turned round he saw a woman leaving through the door in

has been seen walking ' ' When he tumed round ed history. According to up and down Tombland h construction workers who were Alley and inside the e saW a WOman on campus recently, there is a house, supposedly waitleaving through the ghost of an old lady. Some ing for her lover whom door In a long grey people believe that the ghost coat. She had no legs. may be the exercised paltershe never saw again. geist of a house on the According to Dave Chisnell, who operates Larkman estate. The poltergeist ghost walks in Norwich, was vacated from the house on the estate by the exorcism division of Norwich this one is pretty freaky. "After one outing a woman and daughter came up to me and asked how we Cathedral.

So, remember when you're staggering back home did the lavender smell," he explains. "The walk includes theatricals, but not lavender. The mother after a night of revelry in Norwich to be careful. and daughter went away thinking it was all part of What you thought were just drunken hallucinations, may in fact have been a real spook, haunting the show, but it makes me wonder how many things like that happen on the walks, and people Norwich for all eternity. What a depressing thought... think we're doing it!'

The Maid's Head Hotel has a ghost maid who is seen during refurbishment and decorating periods • Ghost walks leave from the Adam & Eve pub on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm. Cost is £2.50 walking from the top floor into the basement. The housekeepers have on many occasion felt uneasy, each.

14 FEATURES

www.concrete-online.co.uk

Concrete

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

1, 2000

Three's a crowd for Gore and Bush Little known to those outside America, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader is also running for President. And, as Seth Landau explains, US students are gunning for the underdog... f you are British, you're about as likely to be voting in the upcoming presidential elections as the average American student. lt is expected that less than 30 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 will vote, representing a trend of apathy towards electoral politics amongst the youth of the United States. In 1998 (a nonpresidential year), only 16% of America's youth voted; in 1996 - Bill's re-election - 32% voted. This percentage is expected to drop during the upcoming elections this month. Gore and Bush are apparently not inspiring the youth of America any more than the youth of Britain.

Is this because American youth are lazy and uneducated? On the contrary, a higher percentage of young Americans participate in community service and activism than ever before. lt seems that the American youth feels let down by electoral politics and the two party system of governance.

"Bottom line most of the non-voters I talk to think the whole electoral process is pointless; says David Resnick, a student who is involved in a voter registration drive on his campus in North Carolina. Indeed, Gallup polls have shown that 39% of non-voting youth agree that "politics is just about money and lying and I don't want to be a part of it." The poll also shows that 58% prefer local community involvement. These are the non-voters being reached out to by the leading third party candidate in the US elections.

Unknown to most people outside the United States, there is a third candidate in the American elections.

Long time environmental, consumer, and overall anti-corporate activist Ralph Nader is also running for the office as the Green Party candidate. His campaign has mobilised tens of thousands of people, especially students, into volunteering for a political campaign. His name is on the ballot in 48

I

of the 50 states. Currently, Nader has between 4 and 10% of the public opinion, depending on which poll is used, while his grass-roots campaigning style has brought life to the Green Party, USA. He has had numerous rallies attended by tens of thousands of people from San Francisco to New York City, and his political idealism and reputation as America's 'Number One Public Citizen' has ruffled quite a few feathers in both the Democratic and Republican Party leadership. His short term goal is to gain at least 5% of the vote in order to secure public funds for the next election cycle for the Green Party. His long-term goal is to get Americans educated and involved in the political process, and to get what he perceives to be too much corporate influence out of American politics.

For those who are unfamiliar with Nader, in the 1960s he basically brought the American auto industry to its knees, forcing the government to make laws requiring crash tests, seatbelts, non-exploding engines etc. In the 70s, Nader founded dozens of prominent groups in the US such as Public Citizen (one of the primary organisers for the Seattle protests of the WTO), Adbusters Magazine, and Clean Water Action. Perhaps most importantly for the youth of America, Nader helped start the environmental and social advocate, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which has student chapters on hundreds of college campuses in 23 states, as well as lobbies at the state and national level.

The organisations Nader helped to found have also been influential in the passing of several laws such as the Clean Air Act and Right to Know Act. Opponents of Nader say that he is meddlesome and that his plans are far too liberal and idealistic to work. He is running for President with a Native American woman activist named Winona La Duke for the Green Party.

Polls have shown that Nader has upwards of 18% of support from likely voters between 18 and 25, which begs the question, why has his campaign

struck such a chord with American youth?

Hundreds of college students supporting the Nader campaign have been willing to risk arrest (and

''

In the 60s, Nader forced the government to make laws requiring crash tests, seat belts, non exploding engines â&#x20AC;˘.â&#x20AC;˘

many did get .arrested for sitting In the streets and blocking traffic) at protests at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. Thousands have been attacked by police with pepper spray and rubber bullets outside the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles (while Rage Against the Machine's permitted protest concert was shut down).

Tens of thousands have taken Nader's campaign to the streets, talking to people at their doors, getting petitions signed, holding tundraisers for the campaign, and generally getting involved with the political process. any young Americans feel that the Republicans and Democrats are very similar and that politicians are basically liars controlled by corporate money.

Joe Cervini, a visiting student at UEA from New York perhaps puts it best in asking, "Why should I vote when it's just choosing between the lesser of two evils?"

Indeed, many feel money is too influential in American politics, and the numbers do tend to speak for themselves. In the last election cycle, 94% of General Election seats in the Senate were won by the candidate who raised the most money.

Raising money involves gaining huge donations from (mainly) corporations and unions. In the 1996 elections, corporations alone contributed $204m to political candidacies. Unlimited "soft money" donations to political parties involve fundraisers where a dinner is routinely $40,000 per head. So far, both Gore and Bush have spent over $70m on their campaigns, more than in any other election cycle throughout history. Nader's campaign relies on thousands of people giving on average between

$50 and $400.

To gain attention and mobilise people, Nader has involved citizens around the country by holding huge rallies. These are fundraisers (which all sold out, charging $10 per person) where up to 20,000 people cram into arenas like Madison Square Garden to hear songs from Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam singer), Ani DiFranco, Ben Harper and speeches from people like Susan Sarandon, Phil Donahue, Michael Moore, and finally Ralph Nader.

The predominant chant heard at these rallies is echoed at protests all around the country: "Let Ralph Debate!" This is because the predominant debating organisation, the Commission on Presidential Debates, has made it a policy to require at least 15% of the opinion polls for a party in order to be invited to participate in the debates.

M a safe, respectful, tolerant place .. .always open for UEA people -

regardless of faith

Come in for a cup of tea or coffee; take part in some of the many and varied happenings; have a chat; or spend some time in quietness. Ask for a leaflet for details of events and different groups- chaplalncy@uea.ac.uk

Many Nader supporters believe this is the equivalent of locking out third party candidates fron the electoral process, although mandatory requirements perhaps are necessary.

Interestingly, the debate commission is run by executives from corporations such as Budweiser and AT&T. Conspiracy theorists have supposed tha the requirements tor the debates, which have just been introduced this year, were instituted to keep Nader's anti-corporate agenda out of the national public eye. In British terms, these requirements to debate would fundamentally change the political system, as the Uberal Democrats often poll between 10 and 15% and so they could be banneo from the key debates.

The differences between Nader and the other two

FEATURES 11

www .cone rete-online.co.uk

Concrete WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000

l

Battle of the B-Lis The race to replace Clinton is proving embarrassing. Alexander McGregor looks at the merits of two- political sons •.. ever before has such an epic, Homeric battle been fought between two such patently B List personalities. Gore versus Bush feels small time. You cannot help but think that someone will quietly tap the candidates on the shoulder, they will take a bow before being replaced by the actual stars. But no, Gore versus Bush it is and while Bill Clinton could attract the likes of John Travolta to play him in a film (Mike Nichol's Primary Colours) one gets the impression that Bush would be lucky to get Rutger Hauer to even read the script.

Part of the problem is that both candidates are unable to remove themselves from the shadows cast by their prestigious fathers. Not to be glib but instead of trying to separate himself from Pop and standing as his own man George W Bush revels in his father's ex-presidential status. If one could sum up the entire Bush campaign in one succinct sentence, it would be: 'My daddy used to be president and he told me I could be president too, so you all have to vote for me'.

Then there's AI Gore, or rather AI Gore Jr. His problems in this paternal quicksand are two fold.

Firstly AI Gore Sr was a successful Democrat senator during the 60s and 70s. In fact, Gore Sr was so well liked by both parties that he even brought his son AI to the White House when Richard Nixon was in office. Nixon sat Gore Jr on his knee and told him that he could be President one day if he worked hard and stayed in school.

Although, knowing Nixon he probably swore a few times as well. The second problem for Gore is that he is trapped, like a rabbit in the headlights, in the glare of his political father, President William Jefferson Clinton.

In fact Clinton's presence has been by far the most exciting aspect of this campaign for a number of reasons. Firstly AI Gore and his team have tried to distance themselves from Clinton on a personal

N

candidates are numerous. Nader opposes the death penalty and favours free public higher education for high school graduates. Both Gore and Bush support the death penalty and speak in terms of loans and grants for university education. Nader favours full public funding for elections. Bush and Gore oppose this idea.

Nader supports universal health care for all Americans, while the other two talk of providing some more public aid In prescriptions for the elderly, but don't discuss universal coverage. Nader supports decriminalising marijuana and nationalising the prison system in the US, which houses over 2 million people (the highest prison population of any country in the world). Bush and Gore are silent on issues of prison population and support stricter penalties for drug use.

These issues divide the more progressive population in the United States. Many environmentalists and socially progressive people (including many students) see Bush as a nightmare on these issues - over 250 people were executed while he was governor of Texas, which had the worst air pollution, and also some of the worst health care and education systems in the country.

In these respects, Gore is better than Bush in some liberal eyes, while others are not sure of the difference.

Nader's campaign has focused on grassroots, which has gained support from disenchanted college students and other young people interested jn gaining political power for the idea of progressivism.

At one Nader rally outside a debate in North Carolina, hundreds of young and old activists and citizens came to voice their disappointment with the current two party system's failure to fully address issues that they are concerned with. "Instead of the candidates talking about how we can vitalise our communities by building real wealth, health care, education and democracy, all we get is minor issues like partial-birth abortion, minor tax cuts, and ominous talk of 'big government'," said Harry Halpin, a Computer Systems student from North Carolina. Ralph Nader's campaign will not win a Green Party election in the coming weeks, but in the long run, it hopes to energise the youth of America into getting involved with the political system and making it work for the issues they care about. As Ralph Nader once said: "If you don't get into politics, politics will get you."

''

sense of humour. Only this 'home video' was directed by acclaimed auteur Spike Jonze. Then there was 'the kiss', the moment that had Republicans across the globe punching a hole through their hats.

After his Democratic Convention speech Gore took to the stage and planted on his wife Tipper, the most testosterone injected display of primal affection he could muster. And it worked; Gore went from a seventeen-point gap behind Bush to a ten-point lead.

Bush meanwhile illustrated why his opponents regard him as unelectable. While out on the camp~ign trail he called a journalist an "asshole" while his microphone was live. Then there was the now infamous television interview where Bush failed to name a single world leader (including Britain's), and remarked upon how the "General in Pakistan was elected to bring order back to Pakistan and that's what he's done". When asked if he could name the General, Bush replied, "Yes I can, he's the General". At this stage, with only three weeks to go and Bush trailing Gore in all polls by at least eight points George took to desperate measures and appeared on the Opera Winfrey Show.

Despite Gore winning two of the three debates

with his opponent (Bush by all accounts did far better than expected), his lead has now shrunk. Recent polls have shown Gore one point ahead in the polls - but they all have a four-point margin for error.

This campaign has been riddled with contradiction; in George W Bush the US has the choice of a Vietnam draft dodger who is in favour of greater military expansion. A man who has left his home soil only three times and yet believes America should be the policeman of the world. In Gore the US has a choice of a man who wants to be like Clinton but doesn't want to be like Clinton at all. A man who has claimed to have "invented the Internet". A man, who to prove he was environmentally conscious flooded a hundred acres of woodland so he could go canoeing for the world's media. On November 7, America goes to the polls. Hopefully the photo finish envisioned between the two candidates will draw more people to the polling booths than the 48% who turned up in 1996. Sadly, the B-Ust campaign could help drive a nail into the coffin of voter apathy.

r-----------------------------------------------------------------, ;

CAFE BAR Farmers Avenue 01603 765512

If one could sum up the entire Bush campaign it would read "My daddy used to be president•.• "

level, (AI is a family man who would never cheat on his wife), yet attempt to take credit for all Bill's achievements as President, (the US economy as of September 2000 was eleven times stronger than when Clinton took office). At the same time, Gore is hoping and praying for some of the glitter of Bill's charm and charisma.

Another problem for the current candidates is that Clinton clearly loves being president and nobody is really excited by either Gore or Bush. Indeed, the US public want Clinton to carry on, Clinton's approval rating is still over 60 percent which does officially make him the most popular president in the history of the United States of America.

And Bill is lapping all this up. His farewell speech at the Democratic Convention in August was supposed to be the moment when Clinton stepped down from the limelight but Bill had other plans.

"Ladies and Gentleman" the announcer began "your President, Bill Clinton". Fifteen thousand people screamed as if the Beattes were about to take the stage. Enter Clinton, tall, smug and with a swagger in his step that would make Mick Jagger jealous. Anything after this speech would be an anti climax.

To be fair, Gore and Bush have done their best to enliven proceedings. Gore's attempts to prove he is a real man and not a wooden stooge have been outstanding. Firstly there was the home video that showed the Gores larking about. This showed AI to be strong but tender, focused but with a colourful

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VI

Martin Rosenstock mma was sure that Deirdre Clark was a witch. She had heard her mother say so in so many words: "The cheek of that woman! Comes to the counter she does, puts down her basket, looks in her purse and then asks if I could chalk it up. Chalk it up!

Well, I told her off I did. Said if she couldn't pay she'd just have to put it back where she got it from ." Mrs Gaffney shook her head at this point, smiling grimly at the same time; Mr Gaffney nodded mutely. But his wife had not yet finished: "That woman has no credit in my shop! That..." At this point Mrs Gaffney's voice faltered . She looked at Emma, her mouth searching for the right word, and finally came out with "witch I" But Mrs Gaffney had merely confirmed her daughter's suspicions. Emma only had to see Miss Clark on the other side of the road to feel a chill pass through her body as though a cold fish had been laid on the nape of her neck. And when Deirdre Clark came into the shop while she was stacking shelves Emma disappeared into the room where the supplies were kept and stayed there until she had left.

The storeroom's door had a plastic window and standing on a stool Emma could peer through it and watch the witch's slim figure walk along the aisles with quick, deliberate steps, the clicking of her shoes as regular as the ticking of a clock and her long raven black hair swinging from side to side like a pendulum. Once Deirdre Clark had turned around quickly on those clicking shoes of hers, and before Emma could pull back her head the witch had seen her through the window.

Miss Clark had a narrow face with high cheekbones, but her lips were full ; her skin was of a milky white complexion and absolutely blemishless. How did she do it?, Emma thought in the split-second they looked at each other, the image of her own pimply features at the back of her mind.

Then something horrifying happened: the witch smiled at her and winked. One of those big green eyes closed and opened, and Emma could have sworn for a moment there had been a red sparkle in it.

Lying in bed that night Emma had thought that Miss Clark must have sold her soul to the devil for her beauty. She got up and peered through the curtain. From her room , under the roof, Emma could see Deirdre Clark's house. lt was a solitary house, set back from the road about hundred yards and enclosed by a garden of swaying oaktrees. Tonight its grey facade lay in darkness; this, however, was not always so.

"No?" Miss Clark opened her big green eyes. "Not even for a few days to Dublin?"

Emma swallowed and shook her head again. The witch looked down at her shoes and Emma could see that she had lifted her eyebrows.

"That," Emma coughed, "that will be five punts ninety-five, Miss."

Miss Clark pulled out her purse and began counting coins. Then she looked into Emma's eyes and the girl thought her heart would freeze, but Deirdre Clark just gave her the money, said thank you, took the bottle and the pasta and clicked out of the shop. The spot where Miss Clark's dark-red fingernails had touched the palm of Emma's outstretched hand felt hot - as if a flame had touched it.

Two hours later Emma started to bleed. When Mrs Gaffney came home she found her daughter doubled over on the toilet-seat, crying and clutching her sides. Between two sobs Emma brought out: "She ... she did it, Mummy." But Mrs Gaffney didn't listen to her daughter; she only said: "Good Lord, your startin' early, girl."

Later when Emma had taken two aspirins and was lying in bed exhausted, her mother sat down beside her and pressed her shoulder. "You're a woman now, Emma," she said. The girl noticed her mother's narrow lips, the stern expression in her eyes. She followed those eyes to the crucifix above the door. "Say a prayer," her mother said , "and then go to sleep. Everything will be all right."

Emma said a Hail Mary and when she awoke the following morning she felt weak but a little better.

E

''

Lying in bed that night Emma thought that Miss Clark must have sold her soul to the devil for her beauty

Almost every night Emma had to go to the toilet and coming back into her room she habitually looked out of the window. Quite often it was the case that all houses of the village lay in darkness, save one. In a room on the second floor of Deirdre Clark's house light glowed through a red curtain; sometimes Emma could even make out shadowy movements behind it. Twice she had seen headlights swaying on the bumpy driveway, either headed for the house or picking their way out back to the road . Probably, Emma thought, witches didn't fly on broomsticks anymore but drove large cars, for she was sure that behind the red curtain a coven gathered to brew magic potions in a huge black cauldron.

That was how Deirdre Clark had become so beautiful, and that was also why she wasn't married.

For weren't witches brides of the devil just as the sisters at her school were brides of Jesus? And hadn't Father Flanagan said as much when Emma had once been taken to the grown-ups' mass on a

Saturday evening because they were visiting Aunt Kitty the next day? "In our midst persons without morals flaunt their vices," Father Flanagan had cried, stretching out his arms. "The foot of evil has been placed on the threshold of our very door." A murmur of approval had run through his congregation and Father Flanagan had swept the pews with steely eyes as if looking for the person without morals - without success, Deirdre Cl ark never went to church. few days after the chalking-up-incident Emma had to take care of the shop for a few hours - her mother had an appointment at the dentist's in Galway. 1t was Friday morning and there was little business. Emma had mostly sold newspapers, bread and cigarettes, and now she was sitting behind the counter, flipping through a magazine.

She felt a bit guilty because her mother didn't like her reading "that indecent stuff", but she couldn 't help herself. She loved looking at the shining photographs of women in expensive clothes. Pictures of herself in a few years time, robed in a shining garment of white satin, danced in her mind. But immediately a nagging little presence inside her spoke up: Could she really imagine any woman in the village wearing those dresses? No, she couldn't, Emma was obliged to answer, that was with the exception of one ...

A voice interupted her reverie : "Well , young lady, dreaming of fame and fortune?" Emma felt the blood draining from her head and for a moment she stopped breathing. When she finally managed to look up Deirdre Clark smiled at her. "Mistress of the shop today, are you?" she said in a voice which sounded too rich and too clear for a woman's in the girl's ears. Emma nodded and at the same time noticed the thin line of mascara over Deirdre Clark's long eyelashes.

The witch placed a bottle of white wine and a bag of pasta on the counter. Emma knew the prices by heart. While she keyed them in Miss Clark asked: "Another six weeks till school starts, isn't it? Are you going on holidays?"

Emma shook her head.

A

''

The spot where Miss Clark's dark-red fingernails had touched her palm felt hot- as if a flame had touched it.

She wanted to get up but her mother told her to stay in bed . She brought her daughter some toast and later a bowl of soup. She only stayed a few minutes each time, the shop was busy, she said.

When she came to kiss her daughter good night that evening, she could see the veil of impending tears in the girl's eyes. Mrs Gaffney pushed her hand through her hair, wearily. No, not today, it would have to wait. She wasn 't up to it now. She bent down and pressed her lips firmly against her daughter's cheek. "Sleep tight," she said.

But Emma was wide-awake. She lay on her side, staring into the darkness. There was a lump in her throat. lt wasn 't fair, it wasn 't her fault, the witch had touched her. Her bed felt hot and sticky. She got up and went to the toilet. When she came back she hesitated in front of the curtain. Maybe that

was why the witch had hurt her, she didn't like being watched. Emma bit her lip. Could the witch hurt her again, now that she had done it once?

Probably she could , but if she was careful ... Emma pushed the hem of the curtain aside half an inch.

The witch's window was a glowing rectangle sus-

''

The witch's window was a glowing rectangle. Dim shadows were moving in the red, moving fast.

pended in the night. Dim shadows were moving in the red, moving fast; it looked almost as if they were dancing. After a while the curtains in the witch's window began to twitch. Suddenly they were wrenched aside. For a moment Emma could see Deirdre Clark's face behind the window, a while ellipse bordered by black hair. The next moment the ellipse was on the other side of the window and darkening fast. Emma realized that the darkness was blood just as some vicious power yanked Deirdre Clark's head back through the glass. Emma knew she should wake her parents. They had to call the police. But she stayed where she was, her lips gradually becoming thinner as she watched a single shadow in the red window. lt was beating someone lying on the floor. lt served her right, Emma thought, as she remained standing at her window for twenty minutes. Then the light went out in the witch's window. he milkman noticed the broken glass on Monday. They found Deirdre Clark in her bedroom, the cable of the bedside-lamp around her neck.

When the police came and unrolled their yellow tape around Deirdre Clark's house, Emma's window became the most sought-after place in the village. Her parents and some of their friends spent hours standing there, watching .

Emma couldn't join them. She sat downstairs and tried to read. But the sentences didn't make sense .

There was something in her chest which made it hard for her to breathe. lt wasn 't a pain , it was much worse, and Emma had a feeling that it would never go away again.

T

Text @ Martin Rosenstock Submissions for this page (short stories, 1800 words max, and poetry) should be made to Kris Siefken in the Concrete office, or emailed to su.concrete@ uea.ac. uk Please include a contact number or email address

LOOKING FOR AN EVENING JOB TO SUBSIDISE STUDENT LIFE? ANGLIAN HOME IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE THE ANSWER .

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18 FEATURES

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Complied by Adam Chapman

Student speak Following the resignation of David Elstein , the chief executive of Channel 5 over criticism of the network's sleazy image we ask the question on most people's minds : Is Channel 5 too obsessed w ith porn or should there be more on TV?

"-

There are not enough sado-masochistic orgies. Sex is simply a selling point.

Chann el 4 used it more rgularly wh en it had just been formed and if it helps them attain viewers and, th erefore, money, they may make better TV. If we accept liberal restrictions on sexual development we will not only become prudish but regressive too.

Richard Evans (EAS 1) Yeah , Radio 4 is much better.

Claire Golding (SOC 3)

WEDNESDAY , N DVEMB ER

1, 2000

Horoscopes Aries ~~

lt may seem that you are destined to spend the rest of th e term with the perman ent tag of "Bill y No Mates", and to be ~ honest, this is probably true. True , that is, unless you change whatever has been eating you of late. You need to get a life. Geek chic is not a look adopted by th e catwalks this autumn .

'-£JJ

Taurus Have thi ngs been a bit slow in the sack department of late? ~~1 Been flying solo far more often than you wo uld like to IJIJ admit? Well , apart from the hazards this will have on your sight, things are about to change, but only if you use a bit of initiative. That doesn't, however, mean that you have to resort to livestock.

Gemini

Q5) Elrzabet h Taylor

Who won best album at this year 's Mercury Music Awards? lA) Coldplay 11r:B:::-)-:::S-::C:::-Iu7b-::7:---------,

Concrete

...1.,1.

Not everything in your life is quite as settled as you might have thought. Trouble is brewing and you are ill-equipped to deal wrth rt . Rose-trnted glasses will only get you so far, so try not to take everything you have for granted . lt might just sit up and bite you on th e arse. Hard . And not in a good way either.

'WIW

Cancer

You really can be a pain in the bum to some (a poet? And ~ yet I didn't know it. Who'd a thunk it?) . If you lay off giving others advice that they really don't need, let alone want, then maybe you might be able to re-establish some old friendships . You 're not interesting enough to go it alone so start eating humble pie and make out like you mean it.

Leo

You really do have a kinky side! You know you do .. . it's just been hidden under some fa ux-Catholic screen you seem to have erected somewhere along the line. You really need to get out there and get some life experience under your belt if you are finally going to reach 80 and be able to say that you have lived a life.

Virgo

Personally I think sex is an eve ryday occurrence and if people aren 't liberal enough to accept it in the new millennium they should turn over as there will never be enough porn on TV. 8 Petrie (HIS 1)

How does it go again? "You and me .. . babeee ... always and ~ forever. " Yeah, right. In your dreams. Hahahaha! !! You can drop th e sm ugness (it is unbelievably annoying) because your most prized relationship isn't standing on as strong foundations as you previously thought. Get ready for some falling baby. Ha!

You can never have too much of a good thing.

Jo Nay/or (EAS 2)

Libra

There should be a single channel on its own . You want to see more penetration, more close- ups. Yo u want to see them changing positions because at the moment they just magic th emselves from one position to another. Oh and really stupid faces so you can tell when they are having an orgasm. lt would be far more erotic.

Ben Standage (EAS 2)

All I had on my TV last night was porn actually. I'm amazed that you can get Channel 5 in Norwich in the first place.

Archanna Ramu (LAW 2) I think th ere's a good amount on TV. My wri sts are tired enough already.

Sam Evans (810 2)

Love? Wh at's that? Something some schmuck thought of alon g the way to sell lots of cards on one day of th e year.

You are right to be cyn ical (believe me it beats emptyheaded sentiment any day). Lust is wh at you want .. . and lust is what you'll get. And if yo u act on your animal instincts, you'll be guaranteed th e big '0 '. Oh yeah ... yeah, yeah ... yes .. . yes, yes, yes . .. yessssssssssss.

Scorpio

You may only have a scorpion as your symbol (Better than Capri co rn , all they have is a hairy-arsed goat) but that means you really have a sting in your tail. A bad thing?

Non. lt just means you'll be able to protect yourself from events this fortnight when others feel the need to let you down . Don 't dwell on it though. Revenge is your best response.

Sagittarius ......,__

Yo u are guaranteed a fruitful fo rtn ight (probably, allowing for a ce rtain degree of error on my part). Sex, "love", rock ~ n' roll and a whole lot of illegal substances will make you forget all the hassles that have been piling up of late. Just leave your beer goggles at home. You used them too much last week. Try and gain a little self-respect along the way and yo u'll be in your element. · ' 1

Y/

Capricorn Let's cut the crap. You 're a bitch. I know , harsh bu t true. a ~· Th e milk of human ki ndness really has ru n dry in you . So suckl e up baby ... you need all the love you can muster.

You can only be cold-hearted for so long . People really are starting to get pissed off at your underhand methods of dealing with you r fri ends. T ru st me ... I'm a mystic.

Aquarius ~

At Horoscope School th ey taught us how to spot a sucker .. . and you , my friend , are Grade "A", and not in a good ~\~\,. at fellatio way eith er. While you might have thought that • ·l this made you sort of endearing in the past, it ... well. .. it just doesn 't. lt makes you seem a bit retarded to be honest. So wise up freak show ... and grow a brain .

Pisces

You really need to pay more attention to the exterior of ~ things. You can only go so far on the hippy dippy idea that it's what's on the inside that counts. Why else are you ~, attracted to such mingers? lt isn't their personalities you're after now is it? Forget all your ideal s about how you want to meet someone and settle down and be happy forever because it isn't going to happen. Not this fortnight at any rate .

.J,.tJ

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

1 , 2000

..

Graduate Courses D is for Director Want to tell the wookie what to do just like George Lucas? Maybe you want to direct a stage play. Or perhaps you 've just appeared in the audience of Trisha and can't wait to get behind the scenes. As with many things in life, directing is not as easy- or as glamorous- as it seems. Some hard work and preparation is involved, which is where the graduate course comes in. With so many budding Spielbergs out there it seems smart to gain some qualifications and contacts in the media business.

What courses are there?

There are several institutions that offer directorial experience and training as part or whole of a post-grad course. These are a selection: "Directing" at Goldsmiths College, London; "Audio Visual Production" at London Guildhall; "Theatre, Film and Television Studies" at Aberystwy1h University.

,_

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Campus Comment

The joys of lycra • •• Apparently fashion is now de rigeur at the Sportspark. Joe Cervelin explains it all ...

Upon leaving the Sportspark one Tuesday night, I decided I had burned more calories from frustration than an actual workout.

Well, that's not quite accurate considering there was no workout - I wasn't allowed to use the weight room despite my paid membership. Was I drunk or naked? Nope.

I laid down my £1 at the reception desk about 9.10pm and handed my ticket to the gym attendant. While I moved toward a stairmaster the attendant followed with the urgency of a thoroughly trained security guard. I'd brought appropriate trainers, even a water bottle and weight gloves, but my loose-fitting blue

jeans were apparently offensive to "the exercise environment."

I hadn't realized that the Sportspark had been designed for a fashion show.

The attendant told me that to actually workout in this room I needed to wear shorts or the appropriate tracksuit (such as those fancy nylon things with the stripe down the side). Now, I don't know about you, but the point of wearing shorts or fancy nylon things is for comfort, right?

Conducive to a better workout?

If I was comfortable in my jeans (note: I was), then I didn't see any problem. Actually I would have been a lot less comfortable in the "appropriate tracksuir feel-

ing self-conscious and silly. But style is the name of the game here.

Perhaps the Sportspark could add a small catwalk to the room, where fashionable members could strut their stuff back and forth , staying in shape while modeling the latest exercise outfits. If this doesn't work, the Park could

design and mandate a sensational uniform sewn from the finest fitness material. Tack another ten pounds on the membership and we'll call it even. Hell, members could even get their personal ID numbers sewn on at no extra charge.

But seriously, a refund for my ticket hardly convinces me to continue using these facilities, except through a concern for my fitness. Also, all the money spent on membership and induction fees comes into play, I would've switched into shorts and returned if it hadn't been so close to closing time on that Tuesday night.

Unfortunately this was the only part of the day I could fit the Sportspark into my schedule.

Cost wise, the afternoon and evening sets me back as much as two beers at the bar, which, by the way, has a much more flexible dress code ...

Which one should I apply for?

For a theatre directing experience, Goldsmiths is a good choice. Goldsmith's drama department states that the "programme aims to enhance knowledge and potential as a director, and to that end constructs and environment for intellectual and artistic experiment."

Other courses provide a more comprehensive background including history and theory units, covering TV and film as well. For example, London Guildhall's course is "based on a commitment to high level film making across a wide range of genres including documentary and drama." Aberystwy1h's course is centred around three modules on interpretation in film and theatre, broadcasting structures and theory.

How do I get on a course?

Requirements vary but applicants are normally expected to have a "good" degree; i.e. 2.2 or above. London Guildhall states that it is helpful if it is in a "relevant subject such as communications, media studies or fine arts," but also adds that all applicants will be considered on their own individual merits.

Professional experience or training will always be helpful in gaining entrance to each institution.

Most courses can be completed as ~me year full time or two years part time.

Is there any vocational work?

Directing involves essential leadership and teamwork skills and students will be expected to take charge of actors. At the end of each course it is common to complete a project or be placed in a work position.

Aberystwyth ends its course with a practical project determined by the student.

How much does it cost?

The average cost is about £2000; Aberystwyth's course is £2740 for full time UK students. There are bursaries available from certain institutions What can I do after the course?

After the course it would be a good step to get membership of a trade union such as The Director's Guild of Great Britain. lt represents over 1000 directors in all areas of media, including film, television, theatre and radio.

Membership automatically includes you in the annual "who's who" of British directors and their work which the guild promises "lands on desks of all potential employers."

Where can I find more information?

For individual courses you should contact the particular university you are interested in. The Director's Guild of Great Britain is online at www.dggb.co.uk. Aberystwy1h can be found at www.aberystwy1h.ac.uk and Goldsmiths at www.goldsmiths.co.uk Katherine Rowbotham

19

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We have opportunities for writers, photographers and illustrators which will provide invaluable experience and look great on your CV. We're also looking for people to help run our website.

Come to one of our open meetings at 1pm on Mondays, in Union House, Room 1.33

It's your paper so get involved!

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Concrete

WEDNESDAY, N OVEMBER

1, 2000

You may not know it but UEA has its very own British Champion.

During the summer Dean Barthelemy won the inaugural TFF tournament, Mike Milligan spoke to the champ to find out what it's all about .. . f you were ever asked what TFF was your initial reaction would probably be something of bemusement and if you were also told that the inaugural British champion was a UEA student, you would probably smirk and still wonder what the dickens they were going on about.

Step forward Dean Barthelemy who, during the summer break, became perhaps the only British champion that UEA has seen outside of BUSA events.

TFF stands for the Total Fight Forum. The action takes place under the "rings" rules that come from Japan where this type of martial arts is called shoot fighting , a type of martial art that actually has very few rules at all. But as Dean states "people take it completely the wrong way." As with any amateur sport safety is paramount. Each competitor has to wear knee and shin pads, gum shields and a groin guard . The ru les stipulate that elbows or head-butts are forbidden and all blows must either be by punches or kicks. There is also the opportunity to th row your opponent and grappling on the floor in a manner similar to Judo. The opponent can be pinned using arm locks and leg locks, and if one person is grounded, they cannot be kicked or hit unless one knee is on the floor.

Points are scored for technique. For a rope escape, one point is scored, for a throw where the opponent lands flat on his back various points are scored for the difficulty and execution of the throw.

The winner is the competitor that scores the most points, pins his opponent through submission or in the result of a draw the lightest competitor wins.

Ironically, Dean only received the written rules for the event just one day before he was due to fight and decided purely to "go out and submit someone." it is easy to draw comparisons with America's Ultimate Fighting Champion or UFC , which started out by gathering all the 'stars ' of various martial arts as a way of deciding who had the best style and technique in all areas of fighting. Because some martial arts are simply kicking and punching , and others focus on the floor, UFC became an amalgamation of all the various fighting techniques to determine who is the 'ultimate champion .'

TFF, however, is radically different. Fighters specialise in both the stand-up and ground fighting , to cover "all aspects to call it a self-defence system" says Dean, rather than trying to discover the "daddy of the martial arts world."

Dean decided to compete purely to test his own skills against other fighters to see just how good he is. He openly admits that he jumped in at the deep end without knowing the standards of other competitors but luckily he found himself quite handy. Paradoxically, he admits that fighting in a formal competition worried him somewhat. "I was frightened for my life, to stand up in front of someone I had never met before and to fight them."

But fear harbours the brave and despite his lack of confidence he soon found himself in winning ways.

For in his first bout he recorded the fastest submission of the tournament, forcing his opponent to tap out within just 35 seconds. In subsequent fights Dean continued to grow in stature and confidence,

I

and as such he easily qualified for the finals.

Training for such an event requires the same amount of dedication and commitment that any top athlete must undertake before any prestigious competition and before TFF, he was fighting in numerous bouts to prepare himself and dedicating

In his fi rst bout he recorded the fastest submission of the t ournament, forcing his opponent t o tap out within 35 seconds himself to a strict fitness regime .

He was still daunted when he started the finals but "jumped in feet first and come out alright." To Dean it was never about winning, it was about putting theory into practice.

Explained Dean, "If you spend your lifetime building a car from scratch , one day who are going to have to turn the key and see if it works. But you could be so frightened of turning the key and discovering it not working, you 'd be happy to live the illusion that it will work perfectly." To Dean it was about turning the key , taking that car for a spin and seeing how fast he could go. "If you spend 15 years learning how to defend yourself, there comes a time when you want to test yourself, if it don't succeed then I'll go back to the drawing board. But if it does then I am on the road to doing it right." And succeed he did. it sounds all too easy. ean got started in martial arts, as everyone seems to because of an older sibling who was a big Bruce Lee fan. But, as he revealed he fell into karate by accident. "My mum said the kung-fu class was on too late so I could go to karate instead."

His current coach , Steve Davis, also the current UEA Karate Club instructor, was at the time a member of the then UK national squad , and his influence has had a great effect on Dean who is a second Dan in karate but because of the style Sieve trains, he has become a multi-disciplined fighter.

TFF, is still a developing minority sport but it has a strong futu re despite attempts to get it banned by the boxing fraternity which is perhaps more to do with the competition and it's superior place within the fighting sports than it's physical danger.

Without doubt it is an exciting sport. The action takes place at an incredible pace, it always guarantees a result and it is as tactical as it is physical.

There is a professional circuit, wh ich Dean would love to get into but has been warned to steer clear by the female influences on his life. Well, I suppose we are all scared of our mum deep down .

Yet, despite his considerable success, Dean achievements have been kept fairly quite around campus. When people have heard of him he is often know as '1hat hard nut from behind the bar".

He is not someone who wants to flaunt his success but he feels disappointed that his achievements have not attracted more attention. In fact he feels so disappointed by the way his success has apparently been brushed under the carpet he has refused to compete in the Karate Club's BUSA events.

TFF, you may like it, you may hate it.

Nevertheless, a British Champion at UEA perhaps isn't so strange after all and you have to wonder why , when we are constantly disappointed with sport at this university, the success we do get is not given a bit more recognition .

D

Dean Barthelemy, champion of the inaugural Total Fight Forum tournamnet.

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21 ¡

Poached lion anyone?

Exeter City have hit back at suggestions that they 'poached' Hull City club mascot, Roary the Uon, for themselves.

Rob Taylor, the man in said furry suit, roared his last roar at Boothferry Park last week and was expected to debut as Alexander the Greek last Saturday, but the Devon club have released a statement saying: "No approach was made, no financial incentives were offered and he has not yet even auditioned for the role of Alexander the Greek, let alone won it. â&#x20AC;˘

league Clubs Flush

Canaries move up_

the leagu..

Toilets at football league clubs often have a reputation of being piss-ridden holes.

Well, things are about to change with a new deal struck whereby clubs can sell advertising on the walls of their loos with the idea that all money raised goes to refurbishing the facilities.

League officials have missed every opportunity to play up on the endless possibilities the deal gives for puns, leaving that up to the tabloid press.

Here we add our own homage to the dives that are football bogs.

Stripper Taylor In typical 'lets give the England manager our full support' style The Sun this week revealed that new caretaker boss Peter Taylor once took his kit off for the paper. lt transpired that Taylor, also manager of Leicester, was a 'Page 7 Fella'.

The revelation became less worrying when it transpired that Taylor was only 21 at the time.

Magnet madness Football website Football365.com is running an appeal for fridge magnets, after it was revealed that Ipswich striker Marcus Stewart collected them.

When the former Huddersfield and Bristol Rovers frontman let his secret slip it was also reveled he only had three.

By the time we went to press a further 28 had been donated, including a 'Norwich-Pride of Anglia' magnet in addition to a fridge door to put them on.

UEA RUN

By ALEX THORPE and NICK HENEGAN

BUOYANT ON the back of two away wins some might say that City should be disappointed with only one win from the potential four in the last fortnight.

But with the weather having prevailed last Saturday, the optimists can point out that City are now at least showing signs of being a top

half team.

The fortnight began badly at Deepdale, with the Canaries going down 1-0 to a last minute goal from Bjarki Gunnlaugsson.

By all accounts City were unlucky not to come away from Preston with at least a point, pummelling the northerners almost to submission before being hit by an Icelandic sucker punch.

This left City with work to do as Sheffield United came to Carrow Road seeking revenge for last April's 2-1 defeat.

Stoop City created the first chance, !wan Roberts prodding wide, but it was the Blades who scored first.

Paul Devlin beat Femando Derveld all ends up before crossing low to David Kelly who stooped to score a trademark header from two yards.

United were two up mid way through the first half, as Michael Brown latched onto a Marcus Bent cut-back to rifle home left-footed.

This was just the inspiration Norwich needed and good interplay between Roberts and Mulryne resulted in the Northern Ireland international scoring his flTSt senior goal in 18 months.

on 21 minutes while Cottee missed the best opportunity of the half after some fme work

by Derveld and man of the match Mulryne on the left.

Frustrating And City were level by half time thanks to a Roberts strike after The second half was just as Giallaza picked up the ball wide frustrating with Cottee again right, and swung in a cross-shot that given a golden opportunity the Welshman got the faintest of only to waste it. Midway touches on to guide the ball home through the half Cottee was The Canaries put the game out of replaced by Paul Dalglish. reach early in the second half with And the substitution nearly two quickfire goals. paid off as Mulryne again Tony Cottee, on for the injured beguiled the Pompey defence Giallanza, scored with his first to set up Dalglish who only touch after a 1-2 between Roberts managed to follow Cottee's and Darren Kenton . example by striking straight at And it was Roberts who set Chris the keeper.

Llewellyn up for City ' s fourth , And so, as a waterlogged slotting a ball trough the middle for pitch thwarted City's attempts Llewellyn to run onto and slot to extend their unbeaten run, easily under the then beleaguered now eyes turn to the Tracey.

Worthington Cup tie with Following the excitement of Premiership Derby Saturday's game an impressive crowd of 18,772 turned out on Tuesday, October 24 expecting another commanding performance, this time against Steve Claridge's Portsmouth.

PWDLGD Unfortunately, the Canaries' 17.Tranmere 16 4 4 8 -7 faithful were left disappointed as 18.Crewe 15 4 3 8 -9 the game fade out into a 19.Norwlch 16 3 5 5 -3 20.QPR 14 2 6 6 -7 forgettable 0-0 draw.

21.S.Weds 15 3 3 9 -13 In a scrappy flTSt half the best NCFC TOP SCORERS chances fell to the home side with lwan Roberts 1 Roberts fluffmg an 18 yard effort Gaetano Giallanza 5

RIOT OVER LEICESTER Continued from back page And John Dwight made the conversion and later a penalty to make the score 10-3.

Leicester's only try of the game - unconverted - closed the gap to two, but another Dwight penalty restored a more comfortable margin.

Leicester applied a great deal of pressure in the second half, but good play from John Pritchard and the physical Dave Kershaw on as a second half substitute held them back.

Club captain McVeigh scored again and Dwight's conversion allowed the U's to relax slightly.

Yet another Leicester penalty resulted in a few frantic minutes as UEA were trying their hardest to prevent the visiting side from scoring the converted try they required.

The final whistle came after very few scares, and McVeigh was happy with his troops' performance: "We played well, they didn't really trouble us."

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www .concrete-online .co.uk

f§!§IIMens 2 1-2Northhampton

Concrete WEDN ESDAY, NOVEMB ER 1, 2000

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By KEREN GARRETI

A QUESTIONABLE decision by the referee and plenty of bad luck contributed to a disappointing late defeat for the men's second football team.

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T he dec isio n no t to pu ni sh a bl atant o ffside offe nce gi ft ed vis it ors the in the 85 th m inute o f the match p layed on Wedn esday, Oc tober 25 . to prevent th e vis itors from makin g The Nort hampton s ide appeared poor from the o ut se t but UEA any in roads into the ir lead. found the blustery cond iti ons Saved diffi cult to cope wi th and struggled to get to grips wi th the game.

Indeed, th e remainder of the ha lf ws somewhat of a stalemate as In an end to end first ten minutes UEA also failed to find the targe t.

UEA face d a team th at lacked Despi te maintain ing much of the fig hting ~ p ir it whil e th e ir ow n weak nesses were hi ghl ighted in possession as opportuni ti es were put wide or saved by the mi d fi eld where an abse nce o f Northampton keeper. communi cati on made pass ing The second half began bad ly for footba ll imposibl e.

UEA as two minutes into the half, a Flailing speculative chip from thirty yards But UEA sti ll managed to take by the Northa mpto n full back the lead in the 25 th minute when luc ki ly n oated ove r the ho me keeper to level the score. their right midtie lder picked up the Although the visitors pressured ball just outside the 18 yard box they never looked like scoring as and kept hi s compos ure to slot the shots were blazed wide or easi ly ball underneath th<! nai ling keeper controll ed by the home de fence. to score.

The turning po int of the match Th ey mai nta ined their lead for came in the 85t h mi nute and left the rest of the firs t half. ow ing a UEA ree li ng aft er a con trove rsial great deal to right back !an H ignall who displayed some fine tack ling decision by the referee.

opportun ity to steal the po ints One o f the No rth ampton fo rwards was left stranded in an offside pos ition and the vis itors ga ined the advan tage to score wh ile the referee chose to ignore the in cident.

Des pite furi ous protests from the home si de, the dec ision stood to take the score to 1-2.

Lucky UEA battled hard aftertheir late set back but they could not do enough to save the game and had to settle for an undeserved defeat.

After the matc h bitte rly di sa ppo inted captain , Be n Larkin said , "They are one of the worst B USA 11 s ides I have ever seen."

"They were very lucky with the fi rst goal and the referee conned us wi th th e second ," he added .

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Concrete WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000

By ROB PEARCE

UEA'S FIRSTS battled strongly but ultimately struggled in their opening BUSA match against an impressive looking Warwick outfit.

The difficulties facing all UEA sides in the new league structure were highlighted here, as the visitor's swift, incisive play and exceptional movement posed problems throughout Wednesday, October IS 's match.

Within minutes UEA were 5-10 down - 8-15 by the end of the first quarter - and all the good work from then on went towards narrowing the margin, rather than threatening victory.

There was good work, however, with wing defence Ailsa Hemming and captain Jo Tebbutt working tirelessly to make a number of vital interceptions to stem the flow of points.

Despite their efforts, UEA struggled defensively to contain an outstanding goal attack for Warwick, on whom much of their uccess rested.

In the second quarter a spirited

fight back from the hosts forced some resilient defensive work from Warwick's goalkeeper who emphasised the quality throughout the side as she repelled a succession of UEA attacks.

Admirable UEA goal shooter Shelley Hinde scored from . a good proportion of her chances, whilst goal attack Lindsey Bennett provided admirable support.

A half-time score line of 13-24 was a testament to the improvement in UEA's play, which resulted in a far tighter, more hard fought game.

By ALEX THORPE, Sports Editor

THE HOME side built on their opening week 6-3 victory over an Oxford Brookes side boasting a full Greenland international with an easy looking win over Nottingham's second university.

All three UEA pairings won two ties each while the number one pairing from Trent, Bowyer and Lee, claimed victory in all of their matches.

Impressive lt was a particularly impressive recovery from Bowen, seeing as he'd just come off three hours of lectures.

Bowen and Pearson didn't stand much of a chance against Bowyer and Lee in the second rotation.

And despite a brave effort they eventually lost in straight games

7-15 11-15.

But their defeat was insignificant as Gerrard and Pears took the score to 3-1, and captain Paul Tee and Graeme Johnson clinched their first win 15-5 15-5 to leave the visitors needing to win all of the games in the final rotation to avoid defeat.

Tee and Johnson obliging killed off the match almost as quickly as Gerrard and Pears had ignited it by pushing the score to an unassailable 5-2 with a 15-11 15-7 win.

Bowen and Pearson extended the lead to 6-2, dropping only three points in their final game, so all attention turned to the epic match that was shaping up

23

Warwick came out for the third quarter in a totally different gear, playing as if the game had only just begun to surge 36-18 ahead.

They asserted their intent to be a dominant force in this competition with a thoroughly professiona l performance, which UEA simply couldn't match.

They had the valuable skill of being able to raise their game at will but the UEA displayed a number of encouraging qualities themselves.

They were skilful, strong and most of all never gave up with captain Tebbutt putting in an indefatigable perforrnance.

The final quarter saw UEA improve again, narrowly being outscored 8- 1"1 to eventually lose the match 26-47.

Some fresh legs on the court aided this mini-revival, and despite knowing the better side had won , the players were upbeat with captain Jo Tebbutt praising her players saying, "It was the good team work that kept us in the game right up until the end".

Men's badminton stav. unbeaten in BUSA

UEA began impressively with Lee Gerrard and Matt Pears clinching a quick-fire 15-1 , 15-2 victory in just under 20 minutes, while Andy Bowen and Chris Pearson fought back from defeat in the first game to win 3-15 15-3 15-10.

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between the two number one pairs - Gerrard and Pears and Bowyer and Lee - battling out a 45 minute three game tie.

Unstoppable It was almost a case of the immovable object versus the unstoppable force as the stunning defensive play of Bowyer and Lee kept the awesome attack of Gerrard and Pears from the clean sweep they deserved, eventually going down 17-15 10-15 13-15.

UEA will be looking to maintain their 100% BUSA record as they visit Leicester today to take on their dangerous side.

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Dire UEA thrashed by Birmingham l@l@iluEA

I

0-6 Birmingham 1sts

By SADIQ USMAN

DULL, UNIMAGINATIVE and disorganised would rightly sum up the performance of the women 's team against the opposition from the University of Birmingham.

Things got off to a bad start for UEA even before a ba ll was kicked as the game, which took place on Wednesday, October 25, was delayed for 40 minutes because of Birmingham 's late arrival.

This, together with the very windy condi tions made it very difficult for UEA to settle into the match.

And it took just five minutes for the away team to register their first goal.

Hesitation Hesitation by the UEA defence set the Birmingham striker free with just the keeper to beat and she had no trouble in finishing from six yards out. lt was clear it wasn't going to be the UEA's afternoon when a superb move by the away team resulted in another goal for the number nine, just seven minutes later.

The- ladie from Birmingham were almost oblivious to the adverse weather conditions as they stamped their authority on the game.

Their passing and understanding with one another was a joy to watch. and as time went on the question m the minds of those watching was when the next goal would come.

UEA on the other hand lacked any creativity.

The girls weren ' t working as a team and there wasn't much width in their play.

Their problems were further compounded by the fact that Lisa Baumgartner, who had been resolute in an otherwise shaky UEA defence, had to come off after 20 minutes with breathing problems.

She was sorely missed as intensified pressure resulted 111 another goal for the visiting side just before the interval.

As the second half kicked off Birmingham picked up where they had left off in the first half.

Pressure As the half progressed U EA keeper Laura Ward was outstanding in goal. managing to prevent Birmingham from extending their already unassailable lead despite long periods of pressure.

Even being three goals down, the UEA still insisted on persevering with their negative tactics by sticking with just one striker. who was no match for the well organised Brummie defence.

The pressure on U EA became relentless as they were forced to

camp out in their own half with no sign of escape.

The eventually caved in and the floodgates opened with two goals coming within the space of a minute, and Birmin gham's sixth coming right at the death.

Edel Olscn summed up the team's performance with her comments after the game saying, "We didn't really play well.

We never got into the game, but we never gave up

victory at to Leicester to a good 1.-t•~'"'""ive performance.

The match, which place last Wednesday UEA go behind before upping their game to maintain their unbeaten BUSA record.

Going behind to an Leicester penalty, UEA ily have found themselves their backs to the wall

Practice

The sin binning of one visitors' backs gave the the opportunity they ded to get their nose ead, an opportunity th did not waste.

Club captain Ryan over to give the a 5·31ead.

Added Baumgarter, "Birmingham were a good side. We weren't too lucky, but we are starting to work better as a team. With a little more practice. we'll be good enough to go to their place and win."

Continued on page 21

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