Issue 12S 路Wednesday, May 2, 2001
STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
FREE by CHARLOTTE RONALDS, Assistant News Editor
A UEA student was left fighting for his life after contracting a potentially fatal strain of meningitis during the Easter break. Austyn Allison (SOC3) was rushed to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on Saturday March 31 after being discovered suffering from the brain bug at his Golden Triangle home . The 23-year-old was found by his friend Gavin Murphy (HIS 3) - who phoned three NAM students, Elaine Clarl<, Sam Miller and Ali Turner to help him. He was hospitalised for ten days after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis B with meningococcal septacaemia - but he claims he was ill for a while before. "I'd been feeling like I had flu for a few days and I had to leave work early when I started shivering the night before. Early next morning I was throwing up, and that was on my 23rd birthday," explained Austyn.
Rash "I still thought I had flu , I was a bit gormless really as it took me a while to realise that I didn't have it, but the nurses found the meningitis rash on my ankles and took me to casualty." "The septacaemia was so bad that at one point that doctors were worried as to whether I would have any feet at the end of it," he added.
Meningitis near miss
"I originally weighed 10 stone 13 and when I was discharged I weighed under nine stone, but I weigh just over 10 stone now so I'm fine ." Dr Coathup, UEA's Medical Officer, insists it is not uncommon for students to get meningitis and anyone who fears they have the illness should get it checked out.
Significant "There are a splattering of students who had meningitis and we'd rather have students come and see us with what they fear is meningococcal disease rather than assume it isn't anything of any significance and have their friends find them dead," he said. But Union Welfare Officer, Pally Morgan, also urged students not to over-react to the latest case, and keep the dangers in perspective. "The University has a meningitis awareness and response team. All those in close contact with the students are offered either a vaccine or antibiotics," she explained.
Lucky escape: Austyn Allison came one hour from death with meningitis
MOTIO HARASSMENT ROW by KA TIE HIND, News Editor
POET laureate Andrew Motion is embroiled in a row with a student on UEA's prestigious creative writing MA over allegations of harassment. The EAS prof ha 路 been accused of sending u p to 40 "ex pl ici t" c ma il s to postgrad student Laura Fish. 37. a nd kiss ing her on a visi t to her campus room. Miss Fish. who has a five year-old son, claims she was
bombarded with emaiJ<, from the poet - her academic advis-
er - over a six week period.
Distress ''Thi ngs happened which are unacceptable. The point here i that I have paid to come here to do this course and I ha\e had a huge amount of harassment and diMress ... said Miss Fish.
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But Prof Motion, 48. claims that he is the victim of harassment, and has complained to the Univers ity that Miss Fish has spread rumours about him to her class mates and the national press. According to his wife. Financial Times booJ..s editor. Jan Dalley. M is'> Fish called
their home "at all times of the day and night . and accused Andrew of all sorts of inappropriate behaviour:路
Formal In a statemen t on the dispute. Prof Motion said: " I have reluctantly been obliged to ma~e a fonnal complaint to
the university au thorities about a matu re student on the creative writing MA cour~. in which I have accused her of harassing me. and some of her fellow students and of slandering me to the Press and elsewhere." Now the University - which
continued on page 6
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Concrete
W EDNESDAY, MAY
2 , 2001
MAST YOU? Film prop explosives cause havoc By KATIE HIND News Editor
STUDENTS were evacuated from Union House after security staff found a suspected bomb in the roof. They were ordered to leave their pints and leave the building while porters and stewards checked the tickin g device on Friday April 27 at 6.30pm . But while hundreds of people were left out in the Square, security workers di scovered the bomb was really a prop being used by third-year EAS student Mike Osborne and hi s medi a proj ect group for their course production .
Discovered
A prop-er bomb: Union House device
The pretend bomb was discovered while Mike, who was di recting the production , took time out from hi s work to go to the bar, leav ing the
set in place in the roof. Students were left worried about what was happening after they were alerted to the suggestion that there was a bomb in the building. "We were told to get out because something seriou s was happening. The staff seemed scared. "I don' t understand why someone would plant a bomb at the University," said James Gill att (SOC 2) after the building was cleared. But others criticised Union
staff ove r the way they handled the situation.
Alarm "The proced ure wasn't earned out very well , I don't know why they didn ' t set the firm alarm off, and then we had to stand very close to the building. " If there was a real bomb. we wouldn't have been very safe," said Tara Hayes, (SWK 2).
Mike Osboume refused to commen t on the incident.
LIVE AND KICKING
CAMPUS radio station , Livewire finally hit the waves last week after their long wait for a new transmitter.
presents a day at the races with the May Day stakes on nday, May 6 from 2pm
Eight races throughout the day Tote Betting and horse sp.pnsor$hlp
All races shown on six screens and a wldescreen outside, weather permltting Free DIY B:BQ from 3pm (We'll supply the hot dogs and burgers ut If you want steak, bring your ow.nl)
And with the DJs going live again , their new aeri al means they will be able to broadcast throughout Norwich. everything has gone and the 24The station, who re-launched hour broadcast went really well, after winning their long-awaited 'We have had so much support mast last term , are now back on from everyone on campus and it the air on 1350AM. has been worth the long wait for And to celebrate their new and the transmitter, everyone has also improved service, which began seemed to realise that it is worth last week, a comedy duo, The Two having a campus radio station," Amigos completed a 24-hour said Paul. radiothon. And he is calling out for any Shows suggestions that other students may have to improve Livewire. Students will now also be able to watch he Union House-based Transm itter station in action as DJs will bring "If anyone knows of anything their shows live to the Hive at happening that we may be lunchtimes - with "Hivewire", being interested in then they should on air every Tuesday and Thursday come and let us know about it," he between 10 and 12. added. And Station Manager, Paul Members of Livewire have been Eldridge is delighted with Livewire's re-launch - labelling it a waiting for two-and-a-half years for the 拢10,000 transmitter, which has huge success. been put in the University car park. "I am really happy with how
Aerial threat?: Library masts
UNIVERSITY bosses have rebuffed claims that they are making profits at the expense of students and staff health after installing mobile phone masts on the Library roof. The aerial cluster, which was erected over the Easter break, aroused fea rs among Library staff about levels of radiation, writes Sarah Kiddle. But Director of Estates , Richard Goodall has hit back insisting there is no risk to students or staff. "Before giving the go-ahead for this installation , we had to reassu re the Library staff that there would be no adverse effects;路 said Mr Goodall. 'W e did investigations and got expert advice. We are able to reassure them to this effect."
Supported And a Library spokeswoman supported this, saying that after a presentation from the Estates Department, the installation was shown to meet the current government codes of practice. "I! was agreed by the staff, not forced upon them," she said . Academics that have studied mobile phones' affect on health have also reassured university members. "At the low levels of radiation employed by mobile phones, it is difficult to establish any deleterious affects on health ," said the School of Environmental Studies' Professor John Plane. And students are happy with the mast too - they claim the benefits outweigh the risks. Emma Stevens, (SOC 1) believes that we are subjected to so much pollution that the mast poses little threat. "Everyone uses mobile phones anyway," she said. "I'm glad because I did have terrible reception - but we should have been told," said Emily Lumb (WAM3).
NUS ELECTIONS THE election for the Union's NUS Officer will take place this week - after nominations were re-opened before Easter. Five candidates, Tom Penny. Andy Holt, Martin Elliott, Terry Eden and Jamie Ratcliff are all competing for the post. The ballot boxes will be open between 11 and 5.30pm on Thursday May 3 in the LCR .
Concrete
WEDNESDAY, MAY
NEWS 3
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2, 2001
, Students slam· local housing _1gencv. By KATIE HIND News Editor
THREE female students have hit out at a popular letting agency - accusing them of double dealing over a house. First year Drama tudent , Fiona Pettit and AI ice Jewitt and Salvia Cardoso, who is studying Natural Sciences claim that Kent Management let out a house to other tenants - despite the girls already paying a deposit for it. The disgruntled students, who were promised a four-bedroom house on Portland Street signed a promise for a contract and paid Kent a holding depo it of £140 which they believed would guarantee them the lease. But two days later, the three girls claim the agents had given the house to another group of students without telling them, even though they had promised to find a fourth member to share it with. ''The house is for four and there were only three of us, but they told us that would be okay as long as we could pay the money. We said we would try and find the fourth, so they gave us until the end of the month to do so," said Fiona. "And about two days before the end of the month, they called u to say they landlord would really appreciate it if we found another person soon, preferably by the end
of the month." "A few days later, I was talking to someone whose friend had signed a contract for the same hou e. So we called Kent and they told us that the landlord wanted to give it somebody else," she added. But Steve Wickham, Owner of the Unthank Road agency defended his actions.
Contract ''There was no contract. They filled in their tenant registration form, they didn ' t have enough people for the house, and we gave them a date for when they would have to get the fourth person by that date," he said. "The landlord told us to let it to four people. They didn't sign the contract, we gave them the deposit back and I offered them al ternative accommodation." And he still claims that his
business is number one for student accommodation. "We are the biggest student letter in Norwich and percentage wise we get very few complaints." "We have students coming to us who have been let down by other agents, we do everything we can to accommodate students," said Mr Wickham. But Union Welfare Officer, Polly Morgan has warned students about the practice of paying out money before offically signing a contract. " If students are considering using a letting agency, they should ask for details of administrative charges as some of these can come as a nasty shock," said Polly. "They should also always ask around to see if people have had any bad experiences with particular agencies or tenants," she added.
TWO local men have been charged with criminal damage after a dispute involving two students in the Union Bar. The incident, which occurred on April 8 at around 7pm, involved the men and two male students. The pair are alleged to have harassed the students as they entered the Pub and when they were ignored one of them threw a punch. Police were called after the glass in an entrance door to the Pub was smashed by large flints. Union Communications Officer, Wayne Barnes believes the students didn't want to take legal action. "The Police have charged one of the locals with criminal damage but the two students chose not to press charges for assault," he said.
GRAD TIDINGS
TICKETS will go on sale for the Graduation Ball this week- and it promises to better than ever. The ball, which will take place in the LCR , will feature the popular George Micheal tribute band , Faith and R 'n' B group, FBI. The night will also include fairground rides , a climbing wall and a 100 feet bungee jump. Tickets, which are priced at £37.50 for a meal and £27.50 for an entertainment only one, will be available to buy from the Box Office on Friday, May 4 at 9.30am.
FORCiERY FAILS
DISHONEST students were caught out trying to forge LCR tickets - after leaving them in a University photocopier. Head Library Janitor, Peter Gorringe, found three tickets in a colour copier in the library, and handed them to security after reali sing they could be part of a ticket forgery seam, writes Katie Hind. Later, two girls returned to collect the tickets - saying they were stolen from their bedrooms but were told to go to Porters Lodge to claim them. "They wanted the best of both worlds. I told them to go to security and get them, but they didn't want to," said Mr Gorringe. The girls refused to give their names and never tried to claim the dodgy documents again.
Stingy And dozens more stingy students were turnep away by vigilant door staff after they tried to gain access to the popular Thursday night event using fake tickets. Union Communications Officer, Wayne Barnes says that the Union will do all they can to make sure only students with legitimate tickets can enter the disco - and
warns students to check the validity of their tickers if they buy them from anywhere but the Box Office. "The Union are concerned when people are attempting to make profits illegally from our members, and our door staff will continue to check tickets thoroughly to ensure that only valid ticket holders will be allowed entry," said Wayne. And UEA Security Coordinator, Ron Elliott has warned students that forging tickets is not only immoral, but illegal. "The
a criminal offence, and if they are detected then it will be investigated. lt is an offence of forgery and criminal deception:
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Concrete
W EDNESDAY, M AY
2, 2001
NEWS IN BRIEF A clean getaway A SHOP assistant scared a thief when she chased him out of a Middlesbrough newsagents - with a jumbo-sized plastic bottle of washing up liquid. The woman clobbered the robber on the head with the weapon, but he still got away with a packet of cigarettes.
Awoman scorned
,
A ROMANIAN woman ruined a night of passion by hacking off her drunken husband 's ear after he fell asleep during sex. But the 40-year old man says he has forgiven his wife and claims he will not be slacking off on the job again.
e
Holiday hell A LANCASHIRE country lane seemed the ideal place for a holiday - if it wasn 't for the locals. A nudist a woman staying at a country cottage there complained that people kept staring at her as she stood naked in the garden. A Chinese family staying in a cottage down the road also gave the locals lots to talk about after they shot all the ducks on their property and ate them for dinner in Peking style.
Political Openness CampAign branded biased By SARAH KIDDLE
A NON-SABBATICAL Tory candidate has slammed the Political Openness Campaign blaming it for his defeat to RON. Cu rrent Communi!)' and Int ernational Officer. Tohy Mauhcws. Ios! out b) just 14 votes. after the group expm.cd the political aniliation' of 'oOnJe of the canc..lic..latcs. .. Without the Consenali\cs the " I bclic\'e 1ha1 I would ha\e v.on !h~ election had I jw.t not Union v.ould struggle to fi ll its had 'C'o nse n alivc· after my poqs name. This prm·es candidates Elected cannot be C\pccted In label The 1\\0 Ctuberlilli \ Cs clceiccl themscl\es and !herd>~ ruin out of se,cn standing. Paul their elcc10ral chances ... (;oodchild fm l'uhlicil) and Mori11 Radical Dinger for (h crseas. both also lost And Toby feels the campai gn tllcr 1-Hl \Oics 10 ROt\. 13oth poqs
Is she loo-ny? THOUSANDS of Christians flocked to a Nigerian toilet after a soldier's wife claimed she had met t he Virgin Mary in there. Christiana Ejem bi of Nigeria claims she met Jesus' mum whilst on the toi let, and now claims that the Virgin visits her at the new tourist arraction daily, offering her advice on crowd control.
You big gallah!
\\'a~
AN AUSTRALIAN boss has paid business consultants over £10,000 for advice on how to make his office more efficient. Steve Bracks, premier of the Australian state of Victoria, paid consultants £10,500 only to be advised to keep a pad on his desk for jotting down telephone messages. He has since started to make his own decisions.
unfairly bia~cd again~t the
Tories. "Other candidate' "crL' from political groups '' t!h more radical agenda' than our,. but they were not targeted."' he said.
\\ere uncontc:-.tcd.
13tn 1\loriiL 'oa) s that they did less than other party candidates. "Keeping a l<m prolilc at UEA elections" ~" more eiTcctivc than a full commitmcnllo campaigning for the Conscn alive, ... he commented. Other Tory can didates who lost out were Simon Walkla!c. who was beaten for the Cl ubs and Soc ieti es post by Helcn GrcU\es. while Communi!) and International ctmpai~;nin g
Angry: Toby Matthews
,·urnpctilor. '\iathan Bcnnell. was second best 10 Sarah Gu rney · who is delighted" i!h her 1·ictory. " I was ouhide Unto n I louse on the day so people recognised me from Ill) manifesto. I am ICI") pkased:· 'he ,aid.
Results The other results saw Alcx Dawso n la~in g the post for Int ern al Affairs, after heating Chris Ows1ro1"ki by 90 \Otes. Line Jcnssen won the Sporb po'oilion
Pleased: Wayne Barnes
and 1\ ndi Herringlon "ill he ne\ I year's Wurnen' Officer. Un ion Commun icat ions Ol"llccr. Way ne Barncs is pleased "ith the number of stuclems "ho 'otcd. "The turnout "'" roughly 1he 'ame as 1:"1 year. even though certain parties urged student; not 10 vole and thus "e arc pleased ... --we woul d like a la rger turnou t. it "sa shame that th e pa n-li me cxec e lections don ' t get the sarne turnout a:, the full-time one;:· said Way ne.
Union deny email affected results UNION officials have thrown out a complaint over the NUS delegate elections- despite allowing a similar complaint during last year's Comms officer fiasco.
MEALFOR ONE £6.99 One regular piua plus two toppings One garlic bread or wedges one canned drink
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Offer valid for collection or deliverv to the UEA campus or Village. Please mention this offer and have vour NUS card readv. cannot be used in coniunction with anv other offer. Valid until further notice. 4
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The complaint - from members of the Tory Society, including Toby Matthews , Pete Collins and Paul Goodchild was about a mass email designed to influence the election , the topic of hot debate during the aborted 1999 sabb elections. students. Then , Eleclion Committee NUS delegation elections. "lt would be nonsensical for ru led that the mass email broke And Tory society members the Union to think it can control the rules, because it was not have accused the Union of not the web and thus feel that any enforcing their own rul es. produced wi th Union or Copy attempt to introduce rul es would Shop duplication machines. Peturbing be farcical," said Wayne. This time , the comm ittee "This was perturbing from my decided lhat it would be point of view because these impossible to police the interne! people are ganging up on the - and threw out the complaint. Tories. Now the Union are not And the row grew more going to do anything about contentious as it was revealed people sending emails telling th at the controve rsial email was others not to vote for them," said sent from the non-sabbatical Conserva tive Society Chairman, officers room in Union House. Toby Matthews. The letter, which was sent to But Union Communications more than 400 students, Officer, Wayne Barnes believes revealed the political affiliations it is impossible to stop emails of four members of the from being sent out to groups of Conservative Society before the
Concrete
WEDNESDAY, MAY
2, 2001
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NEWS&
CAMPUS REVAMP
Ten building_p[!)jects set to transform campus
who left her post , was chosen by the dent body at the meeting in Blackpool - a she is delighted. "lt is really good, I will be ordinating the NUS's work on welfare, which is quite will ing as we campaigning around issues," said Claire. she believes her job as a at UEA will help her In new post. terms of seeing things NUS do well or badly, sabb position definitely I help as it's still quite in my mind;' she added.
OPEN MOST HOURS
By CHARLOTTE RONALDS Assistant 路News Editor
UEA is getting ready to really put itself on the map - as buildings bosses unveiled dramatic development plans for the campus and beyond. The work, which will start this June and are expected to be completed by September 2005, will see ten major changes to the university. Work will begin on the new finance initiative deal and provided campaign was spearheaded by ProSchool of Medicine and - if we can close the deal, then a Vice Chancellor, Shirley Pearce funding can be secured - a new will be built on Chancellor's Drive, private sector building developer base for the School of Nursing and opposite the Elizabeth Fry will put up the building and the Midwifery (NAM) this summer Building. University will take a long term and both are pencilled in for The new NAM site will be lease," he explained. completion by next year. situated just off the main campus, Cash between the Norwich Research Increased Park and the new Norfolk and The medical school is to be The School of Medicine has also Norwich Hospital at Colney. funded by Higher Education increased its original student intake Director of Estates, Richard Funding Council for England, but by 20, bringing the total to 130 Goodall, is hopeful that the Mr Goodall has confirmed the students a year taking its five year building work will begin on time. University will have to stump up medical degree. "We're in the pre-contract some cash. The school, whose creation planning stage. NAM is a public
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LEARNING DOWN UNDER
UEA is also set to go underground, with more additional faculty space needed.
EARLHAM HALL TO SPORTS HALL
POTENTIAL lawyers at UEA could soon be housed in a purpose built new home as the University's ends its lease on Earlham Hall. The lease on the prestigious building, which is the current home of the School of Law runs out in October 2003 - and University chiefs have confirmed the contract will not be extended. They hope to build a brand new building for the school, together with a visitor and con-
ference centre on the site of the former sports hall, which is currently being used by the Tyndall Centre. The new building will contain a hall for conferences, concerts ra1s1ng the and exams, prospect of a rival to the LCR's dominance of the Norwich gig scene. The Tyndall Centre will move to the new Institute for Connective Environmental Research (ICER), next to the EDU building. Work will start on the new centre in November.
To begin in 2005, proposals have been put in for a semiunderground building situated between EDU and The Queen's Building . Partially lit by sky lights and with a grassed over roof, work will begin in September, 2005. Joseph Saunders, Estates Development Manager, is thrilled with the plans. "This is a fantastic opportunity, more than an opportunity, these are real projects," he enthused. "This is just amazing and marvellous for the University. lt will take a quantum leap forward, so this is really good news," he added. The Library will also be extended as more call is made for books, though work will not start until 2002, conditional on funding . The sciences are also being given a boost as four new buildings are being dedicated to research, the first of which is to start taking shape in August.
Planning for the future: Medical School (top) and NAM (above)
THE UFO's opening hours will be extended permanently after a successful trial run last term. The shop will now be open from 9 to 5pm on Saturdays as more students used it in the afternoon. But the Union have dismissed attempts to extend the opening times on any other days. "At the moment, there are no plans to change the Sunday hours. We trialed later opening hours last year, with the UFO opening every day until 1Opm. This caused people to cram buy during the last hour and the trial did not continue," said Union Communications Officer, Wayne Barnes.
& NEWS
BUDDING entrepreneu have a chance to get t business venture off the ground by entering a competition set up by the University. The Business Innovation Centre are looking for the best business plan and the winner will have the chance to take their idea on with the help of industry experts. BIC Manager, Sue Lester is hoping the com petition will encourage students to become more bu siness orientated. competition is open to students , researchers and lecturers and proposals should be submitted by the end of June.
MOTION continued from front page
has no formal procedures for deal ing wit h non-academic com pl ai nts of this so n - has pledged to look in to the confl icti ng claims. .. We have a si tuati on where a rncrnhcr of stall and students have made statements to th e media. What wi ll happen is that we will loo" at the facts of the mall er and deal '' ith it accordingly."" sa id a UEA spokesperson. The Un ivers i ty's investigation panel is due to meet on May I 0 to cons ider the allegat ions.
DON'T HESITATE, MEDITATE! Norwi ch Buddh ist THE Centre is cel ebrating the Bhudda's enlightenment with its annual five day celebration . From May 8, the group is inviting people to have a taste of meditation until May 11 at noon , 2.30pm and 7.30pm. For more information , contact the Norwich Bhuddist Centre, 41 A All Saints Green , Norwich or call 01603 627034.
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Concrete
WEDNESDAY, MAY
2, 2001
Union to chang@. Constitution and abolish UCiM By JAMES GOFFIN
ONE of the biggest shake-ups in the running of the student union was set to be voted on by students yesterday. Union sabbs pu t their plans to what could be the linal Union General M eetin g ever on Tuesday. M ay I . in a hid to win mass approva l for a new U nion Consti tuti on . The main change in th<: new consti tution is to abolish GMs in favour of a reformed St udents Forum. ne"' ca lled Studelll Council.
Incentives .. it has been years si nce we had a quorate meding. Numerous Execs ha\ e tried bribery and other inccnti\'cs to get studenb in to the meetings. hut it wou ld take a big issue to get th<: 'iudems there:· explained Academic Officer. Em ma Price. " In the absence of UG M s. Students Council becomes the chie f decision mak ing body. The new Council still has school representatives. and we arc introducing a rep for each club and SOCie ty.
Approved If approved, the new document will also sec several of the nonsabbatica l posts sc ra pped , includi ng the US. Internal A ffai rs and the Communit y and Overseas
Orliccrs. and the Disabilities. Race Awareness and LGB Officers comhincd into one Liberations The end is nigh?: The UGM Officer. But the Union is kec~ng ~le ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Women·, Ofliccr position, despite at 57:-B fcmale:male st uden t rati o. and a good hi story of female repre<,entation with Union ranks.
IS SUM-THINCi WRONCi?
Vacant .. The liberations posts were not offic·ially "ithin the constitution. and some of them ha\'e been regu larly vacant. This year on ly the Women ·s Offi cer post was fi ll eel... said Emma. Changes to elec ti on ru les likely to prove controversial include sc rapping ca ndidates right to complain after elec ti ons. and stopping cand idates promot ing each other on election materi al. Cam paign budgets have been slashed but studen ts are no longer restricted to using th e Union or uni vers ity Copy Shop to prod uce prom otional materi al. Pos tal ballots have also been imrod uccd.
STUDENTS living on campus in September will be hit with massive bills after the biggest rent shake up in recent years. Accommodation bosses arc set lO hike up the price s of their most popular hall> of residences hy 7 .I 'if. Under an agreement betwee n the Union and the University, rents can rise by no more than 3.9% in total, but this rise ca n be divided between th e residences unevenl y.
Charged This wi ll leave the new occupants of Nelson Court a nd Constable Terrac e being charged a huge £63.21 per week, up 7.1% from the £57.82 paid by current tenants. whi le future residents in Waveney Terrace will only have to pay 2.9% more than th is year.
And after more than two years of waiting , students living in University residences can fi nally look forward to having their ow n telephone connectio ns in their bedrooms - if they can aHord them.
"Th e University had been unwilling to spend the money itse lf for what is essentiall y an non-acade mic faci lity, thu s passing the full cost onto th e student vi a rent ," said Union Welfare OHicer, Polly Morgan .
Work began on the lines during the Easter break and is planned to be finished before Chri stmas.
Negotiations
Pressure Th ey will set residents back £50 per line - and that is after pressure from th e Union to decrease the cost.
"The Union 's disapproval of th is was mad e clear both in negotiation s and in th e paper sent to the University's Planning and Resources co mmittee, so being instead of students charged £86, it will cost £50 ," she added.
Monday
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2 , 2001
students will to wait even longer for a city nightspot to open the council refused to give it a licence. The club, which was destined for the old ABC Cinema building on Prince of Road, was refused an entertainment's licence after planners decided that there are not enough police in the city to deal with more
Plans for Breakers site still not decided By SARAH KIDDLE
The promised Breakers 2 bar revamp will not be complete until summer 2002 at the earliest. A Con crete investigation has di scovered that the development has stalled due to a breakdown in communication between the Union and University over the cost of the site. The main pub was problems with the Union takthen supposed to be ing over responsibility fo r extended into the ex istplant equipment and repairs," said Wayne. ing Back Bar and plans are for the old re taurant "We will al o require planto be turned into a nonProblems smoking facil ity with pool tables - but buildning permission when these ing work has been put problems are solved." on hold. And Director of According to Union Residences and Services, Jenny Grant has al so put a Blame block on the plans - insisting Communication s that restrictions apply to what Officer, Wayne the Union can use the building Bames no plans have for. been finali sed for "I am not allowed to open a Breakers 2 - either supermarket on campus and for the new use or [in return] the Union cannot timetable. use the Breakers 2 site for "We are still catering purposes," she said. wai ting for the But Director of Estates, Univers ity to repl y Richard Goodal l admits the to a letter we sent in high price of an advance l ea~e January which asked - UEA is demand ing three about rent and the lease years' cash in advance - is to and pointed out poss ible blame for the halt in the devel-
What a burger: The Breakers saga
opment of the site. He claims the money is needed from the Un ion before the former Lloyds Bank site can be refurbished in to a new Pret-A-Manger style sandwich bar. Students are excited about the proposals, but are getting fed up of the long wait. "The bar at the moment is far too ~ mal l for 12,000 people, and
non-smokers only have the option of watching TV," said Charlotte Tedman (WAM 3).
Overdue " It 's typical of how UEA deals with these things, slow coming off the ground and long overdue," she added. Negotiations are expected to be fi nal i ed in the next few weeks.
TOP OF THE SOCS THE Union are searching for societies who have made a real difference to student life this year. They are on the look out for the the cream of student clubs who have improved their group most for its members in the Society of the Year competition. To nominate a society, write 100 words explaining why they are the best, get it signed by two UEA students with their registration numbers and give it to Communications Officer, Wayne Barnes or email it to comms@stu.uea.ac.uk.
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SOCS FUNDING ILLEGAL Investigation reveals Union is breaking Education Act THE way the Union funds its clubs and societies is illegal, a Concrete investigation has revealed. Under the 1994 Education Act, students unions must have a set procedure for handing out cash to students to ensure they don't favour certain groups for political or personal reasons. But despite having such a said Tory Chairman , Toby "This procedure is followed with procedure in place, sabbs have Matthews. the Finance Officer and chosen to ignore it, preferring to "I hope that it isn't a personal Management committee let the Finance Officer dish out attack against the Tories, but it administering the Non-Sporting cash as they see fit. seems ridiculous that our funding Societies' grant account funding FuriOUS has been kept the same even instead of the non-existent though we have more members." Societies' Committee." The move has left societies, But Union Finance Officer, Committee including the Conservative Society Becky Thorn has defended their furious, claiming that they have procedure of allocating cash to And Becky claims efforts have been sidelined because they don't societies. been made to set up a committee match the priorities of past and "By the 1994 Education Act we - but it has never got off the present sabbs. do have a set procedure for ground. "Our funding wasn't increased allocating money to Clubs and "Societies Officer lbi Gowan has for the year before I took over from Societies as laid down in the made attempts to set it up, and it is lan Mackie. Even in line with Constitution in Appendix H." said a loss not to have a formal input inflation we should have got more," Becky. from societies into the Union."
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Concrete
WEDNESDAY, MAY
LEADERS 9
www.concrete-online.co.uk
2, 2001
LEADERS
LEADERS
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CONCRETE Issue 125
Bugging doubts
Driving forward?
The resurfacing of meningitis at UEA should not be underestimated. The deadly disease almost claimed another student victim over the Easter break: we all need to be on the lookout for symptoms of the infection. The Health Centre is on hand to deal with any queries or doubts, even if you suspect you might only have flu. We all study and live within such close proximity to one another, and tend to zip across the country and beyond so frequently, that the risk is always there.
The dramatic plans to improve campus could not have come soon enough. For too long students have had to make do with over-c rowded seminars and substandard facilities. What hasn 't been addressed, t hough, is how t he University plans to tackl e the inc rease in traffic that will occur from the new buildings: the car park is full to bursting, especial ly since the opening of the Sportspark . Meanwhile, the landscape of UEA is going to change beyond all recognition. And not a gl impse of concrete in sight . That is something we can all look forward to.
Editor
James Goffin Deput y Editors
Adam Chapman Nick Henegan News Editor
Kat ie Hind Assist ant News Editor
Charlotte Ronalds Features Editor
Wil l Halsey Assistant Feat ures Editor
Jo Locke
Short fuse
Sports Editor
While the recent "bomb" scare that caused the mass evacu at 1on of Un1on House was hardly on a par w1th the bl itzs of World War 11 , it provided much needed relief for all currently under pressure to finish essays and start revision . However, the inc 1dent did highlight the need to rev iew security procedure if such an event, unlikely as it is, did occur. lt wouldn 't be a wise idea t o kill us before we 've had a chance to do our exams, would it?
Alex Thorpe Editorial Contributors
Sarah Kiddle David Jonson Lyndsey Anderson Al ex Schmer Matthew Wright M1ke Milner Kathen ne Trehane Michelle Margot Jonat han Symes Photographers
Letters to the Editor
Nick Henegan Nico Hilary Ed Webb-lngall Will Benthall
PO Box 410 · Norwich · NR4 7TB Tel 01603 250558 Fax 01603 506822 · E-mail su.concrete@uea.ac.uk
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Fine if you have the money Upon returning to university after spring break, I made my routine check of my pigeonhole, hoping to find graded essays. Much to my horror and disgust, what I found instead was not essays, but a barrage of notices of unresolved charges from the UEA library totalling £20.20, roughly my food budget for a week. In all fairness, I understand that we all , students, faculty, and staff alike, must share the library and its resources. I also understand that overdue fees are implemented as a means of deterring those who would hoard resources to which we all require access. However, I feel that a punishment should fit a crime - none of the books I checked out was more than six days late, and the vast majority were only one day late. A friend of mine pointed to the necessity of imposing some sort of penalty, and I couldn't agree more - I only wish to see a just means of dealing with the situation. Why not have the offending student buy a pint for anyone unfortunate enough to need the book in its absence? This suggestionwould be an equally effective means of dealing with the situation as the one we now have. As a visiting student from the University of New Mexico, a large public university that does not have a superior library by any standards, I have been continually disappointed with what I sincerely feel is a lack of resources at the UEA library in general. Should we, as tuition-paying students, be charged with the impossible task of maintaining our library? Perhaps the problem lies a bit deeper than we realise; perhaps our priorities are in the wrong place. The Sportspark, on the other hand, far exceeds any expectations I may have had. Checkout procedures at my home university seem fair enough: an undergraduate student is entitled to check out up to ten books at any time, which may be held for the duration of the present semester. Should a student fail to return any borrowed books at the end of the semester, a late fee of five cents (roughly 3p) per day is imposed. UEA late fees vary depending on the title, and some titles. such as The Selected Works of Wittgenstein, (I sincerely apologise to anyone who was searching for this volume during the six days of my spree, for whom neither of the two other copies in stock would do) which , for some reason , carries the exorbitant and arbitrary fee of 60p per day. I did not feel shocked and maligned at what was,
admittedly, only a single example of bureaucratic abuse of power. I contained the Michael Douglas within, threw up my hands (and my lunch) in defeat, paid my fee , and asked myself what else I could have expected from a profit-driven institution. I have come the sad conclusion that the phenomenon of exorbitant late fees is just one of many examples one could cite in defining the aims of universities in general : a university is less the benevolent, supportive centre of higher learning and more the bureaucratic, profit-driven organisation. A university, I concluded, is an institution , much like McDonalds or Gap, bent on squeezing its customers (ie. students) for every penny it can. To those who would tell me, "go back to New Mexico, then, if it's so much better there ," I can only reply that I will , provided that I can still afford a plane ticket home after my late fees are paid. Justin Parks EAS 1
Eating disorder support We read your article "Starving for Perfection" (Concrete 124) with some interest, and dismay. The situation with eating disorders is serious and of much concern , there is no specialist NHS unit locally, but there is hope and the1 e is help available. A copy was sent to us by a student at UEA, we regularly have a stand at the UEA Healthy Living Forum, yet both you , and Dr Coathup appear to be unaware of our separate existence and the extent of the help we offer. Effective help has been in place in Norfolk for over 25 years and we are very concerned that interested people in Norfolk are directed towards the accessible, free support and information on offer to them through our organisation. This is Norfolk Eating Disorders Association at The Colegate Centre, 34 Colegate, NA3 1BG. Tel. 01603-767062; email: NEDA@care4free.net; our website will be launched in March - watch this space! We are a local charity, funded by Norwich Primary Care Group, and have been helping people in this county with problems around eating disorders since about 1974. The services we offer are for sufferers, friends, families and professionals. They are accessible - people do not need to go through the national EDA to obtain our help. We are confidential, and free of charge, except for the small charge made for the self-help group meetings (£2 or £1 for students).
We are dedicated to the hands-on job of supplying the following services to people in Norfolk: a selfhelp group for sufferers of anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating, and their friends and relatives ; a range of booklets in response to local needs; a library of books for people to borrow; innovative work with teachers, school nurses and students in schools and colleges, talks to interested groups, the chance for people to talk one to one about their eating problems and to explore the options of help and support which are open to them. Although we do not offer counselling from within the organisation at present, because we are not funded to do so, we are well aware of the need for low cost options and accordingly offer information about such counselling available in the area. Our estimate is that locally there are likely to be in excess of 7000 people with problems around food and eating. This is based on the population statistics supplied by County Hall Demographic Unit and may well be a low estimate as complete, accurate national statistics do not exist. Last year we received 1371 telephone calls, dealt wi!h 829 letters, gave 10 talks, were visited by 447 people, referred 65 people for counselling, mailed our self-help group programme to over 100 agencies, as well as GP surgeries and dentists, and had a total attendance of 7 41 people at the self-help group meetings. We hope that people who have become concerned through reading the spread on eating disorders will be reassured that they can get effective and confidential help and support through contacting us on the above number, address or email. People take a huge step when they make the brave decision to telephone about an eating problem. lt is important that, when they do, they reach a source of direct help, not a national helpline that will give them another telephone number whe re they have to start all over again . We would be delighted if Dr Coathup or one of his colleagues at the UEA Health Centre wished to visit us at Colegate, to find out about the services that are available to people in Norfolk who are struggling with an eating disorder, and those who are trying to help them. Margaret Duncum Office Resources Co-ordinator, Norfolk EDA
Wait a minute Mr Postman My girlfriend recently picked up her mail upon
Clare Hami lton-Eddy Distribution Manager
Steve Quirke
Concrete is published by UUEAS Concrete Society. © 2001 Concrete. ISSN 1351-2773. Opinions expressed are not necessanly those of the Publisher or Ed1tor. Use of the name The Event is by arrangement with the copyright holders. Planet Zog Ltd . No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means. including threatening faxes or phantom cheques. without the express permission of the Editor. Disease of the fortnight : motion Sickness. Pnnted by Eastern Counties Newspapers. Tllanks to Union House Stewards and ECN.
returning from the easter holidays. Understandably some of the mail had been languishing there for almost four weeks and was marked for return on the April 28, however she noted with horror that an extremely important piece of mail containing cheques amounting to a considerable sum was marked for return on the April 28 when she knew full well that her parents had only sent this particular letter on Monday 22 April! The return of this letter would have caused inumerable problems for many people, precipitating confusion and anger (not to mention a number of late payments!) . Also - the opening hours. I had, admittedly left it a tad late in the day to go grab my mail after the Easter hols. I was intending to visit the post room but I had to get a piece of work in. At 3.1Opm, I raced to the Post Room in the false hope that it would still be open, but no. Hopes dashed, mail burned! lt would be handy for them to open just a little bit later on a Friday in case other degree threatening deadlines rear their ugly heads in that "unexpected' fashion (come on , we all get the dates mixed once in a while) or buses are late etc. Stefa n Cook SYS 3
Letters should be addressed for the attention of the Editor, lames Goffin. Letters must include con tact details, but we will consider anonymous publication. We reser ve the right to edit for length and clarity as neccessary.
10 FEATURES
www .concrete-online.co.uk
Concrete
WEDNE SDAY, M AY
2. 2001
ave . r•
For one student, t he generosity of Peter Pan creator J M Barrie was a life-saver. lames Goffin tells about his time at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and UEA's fund-raising efforts ... t might sound like a cliche, but I owe my life to doctors- not least to the medical staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Born severely ill , I spent the first few days of my life there, followed by return visits for treatment and monitoring for years afterwards. Then, as now, the hospital was the centre of paediatric care in the UK, and the only chance of survival for thousands of babies and children a year. Then, as now, it relied massively on donations to carry out its work. I was born with a common virus, known as cytomegalo type - literally meaning 'big cell' which 97% of the population has immunity to, and carries without any risk. I, unfortunately, fell into the 3% that doesn't carry protection , and was left dangerously exposed . I had an enlarged liver and spleen , a heart murmur, jaundice, and a film over my eyes ; my blood wasn't made up properly, causing dozens of bruises all over my body, and my kidneys we ren't functioning as they should. The paediatrician at my local hospital didn't think the chances
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were good, and on arrival at Great Ormond Street - where they identified the cause of my illness - the prognosis didn't get any better. The majority of cases where a foetus contracts the virus result in either a miscarriage or still birth . Where th e baby survives through birth, the toll of the disease is often so great that they do not survive much longer; if they do there is a risk of long-term damage to the brain and nervous system. The consultant at GOSH said the last baby they had treated with the virus died two hours after birth , and he knew of only one baby that lived for two days. For me it was very much a case of waiting and seeing; I was kept in an incubator, tube fed every two hours, with my blood sugar, temperature, heart rate and pulse closely monitored. Tests were carried out on my blood and urine to chart the progress of my battle with the virus. The tailored intensive care offered at Great Ormond Street is crucia l in cases like th is, monitoring and supporting babies in their fight for life. The hospital is also a centre for operations on children - and although in the case of my 'hole in the heart' an operation wasn 't suitable - the surgeons at GOSH perform hundreds of complicated procedures every year. The specialised knowledge and equipment is often unavailable elsewhere in the country, sometimes the world. Luckily for me, that support in my early days helped secure my life. Within two weeks I was transferred back to my local hospital , although my outpatient visits to Great Ormond Street continued for many years, as any lasting effects of the ordeal were monitored. Now, almost 23 years later, I'm pretty healthy; my heart has recovered almost fully, and my liver deals admirably with the amount of alcohol I throw at it. My blood count is still a little out, but not enough to
cause any real concern .
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world •. 1 record for the number of peo) ple abseiling in . ten hours at 589; / last year, 1089 people \ _j.( ~) made it down the con#J crete face in 12 hours . ~ " This year the organisers \ "'--. " are hoping for even more. More important than the world records though, is the money raised for Great Ormond Street. Last year's sponsored event raised over £32,000 for GOSH and the local Big C Appeal , helping to pay for a new intensive care bed and monitoring equipment for the hospital's paediatric intensive care unit. Organiser David Federl is optimistic about raising even more cash for Great Ormond Street, and this year's partner charity, Operation Santa Claus (which supports dozens of local chari ti es), throug h a combination of the abseil event, and other even ts and attractions on the day, including live music and a fun fair. The support of students in helping the abseilers save even more lives is crucial.
ack in 1978, the hospital I arrived at by police escort through London was a different beast to that which it is now. Then , it was still predominantly housed in Victorian buildings, as friendly to children and their families as the surroundings would allow, but rapidly outgrowing both the physical and emotional needs of its patients. The hospital has always relied heavily on fundraising to pay for its work: most famously, J M Barrie donated the copyright to his play Peter Pan to the hospital shortly after it opened on February 14, 1852, securing a steady stream of income. Charles Dickens gave public readings to help raise cash , and Queen Victoria also became a frequent benefactor. More recently, in 1985 the Hospital launched its Wishing Well Appeal , patronised by the Prince and Princess of Wales, with a by then obligatory celeb rity single release, featuring Boy George and Paul Young amongst others. 1t was this appeal that helped pay for the hospital 's recent transformation, moving many of the wards into modern accommodation , refurbishing in a more child-friendly manner, and providing r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . . , better support for parents, who are often as " emotionally vulnerable ~~lr:~~'t>~k" as their children are physicall y. Over the last few years, UEA has developed a special relationship with Great Ormond Street, as the home for it's annual charity abseil event. The event has grown over the two years its been held on campus, with volunteers plu nging down the 67ft drop of the Arts Building , grabbing world records as they go. In 1999, the event set the Abseil organisers with equipment they helped purchase, and (left) last years abseil event
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------------------------112n 1 Entry form
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To enter Abseil 2001 please complete and return tbe form below with your deposit and we wi ll send you your Abseil 2001 fundraising pack . The minimum sponsorship ent ry deposit is £5 for students and juniors, or £25 for everyone else. Prizes awarded to fundraislng superstars Include: a Sony Playstatlon for the highest student or junior fundralser; an exclusive Absell2001 T shirt for raising £50; a free colour television for raising over £1000
Name: ... ...... ............ .... .............. .... ...... ....... ...... .. ... . . Address: .... .. ..... .......... ....... ...... ... ........ .. ... ... .. .. ... .... . ... .......................... Postcode ...... .......... ... ....... .. ... ... Daytime Tel: ........ ... ... ........ .... .......... ..... .. .......... ...... . Email: ........... ... .. .... .. ............. ...... .... ....... .. ..... ... ...... . Enclosed is a cheque/post al order payable t o GOSHCC Abseil2001 for £ ........... ........ ............ ...... .. Absei l ti me preference: AM PM Name and signature of parent/ guardian if under 18 years old: ......... ...... ....... .. ......... ... ..... ... .... ...... ... ...... .
Return to: Absei12001, 76 Cuckoofield Lane, Mulbarton, Norwich, NR14 SAZ 1. There is a minimum sponsorship of £25 for adults and £5 for children and full-time students. 2. All funds will be split equally between GOSHCC and Operation Santa Claus Appeal. 3. All entrants wi ll receive full Instruction from a profession al abseil team on the day. 4. Partoclpants must sign an events disc laimer prior to abseiling. 5. A free colour tv will be given to individuals raising £1000 or over (not groups raising joint funds). 6. Cheques paid for entryj.$p6nsorsllip.must'be suppQtted b~ a>.tlle~ue goara<>tee card.
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FEATURES 11.
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Concrete WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2001
The sound of music
The noise level in clubs can cause permanent hearing damage. Jo Peios spoke to DJs and clubbers about woofers, tweeters and the dangers of the dance scene ... s our society getting noisier? Crowded modern life has caused noise to rise in our society; everywhere we turn everyone seems to be shouting louder and louder to be heard. Is this what we really want when we go out to socialise? You know the intense ringing that you hear when you leave a club or a concert? That's a warning; the first sign of ear damage and your first steps towards permanent hearing damage. lt's always hard to drag yourself away from the speakers when the music sounds so good and you can feel the bass deep inside you. Indeed, why deny yourself the pleasure? Perhaps because over the past few years there has been an alarming rise in hearing related problems of young people. Pat McNulty, 23, used to be a regular and dedicated clubber; who would go out two to three times a week at dance nights such as Gatecrasher in Sheffield. She is just one example of our generation that has already shown worrying signs of . permanent ear damage. Two years ago, Pat noticed that she had ringing in her ears for a few days after she had been out clubbing. What brought it home, though, was a night spent in the chill-out room at Gatecrasher, when the ringing became unbearable. Apparently, there were signs on the walls saying that the venue accept no responsibility for damage incurred by their sound system, but she does not recall seeing them. She suffered for two days afterwards, and claims that since that one night, the ringing in her ears has not gone away. A couple of months later when she'd been out to nothing more than a noisy pub, the ringing became so intense that she decided to go and see a doctor to find out what was wrong. Tests showed that she
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has tinnitus; an irreversible condition. Pat has a deafening levels. Robin Tyndale-Biscoe, 23, an attract the best DJs, its sound system boasts environmental noise and vibration consultant, is 30,000 watts of amplification and the dancefloor is continuous hig~tched ringing sound in her ears 'bodysonic': you literally feel the music vibrating also concerned with the noise levels. He says: (like the noise an old TV set makes when turned through you. But is this immense sound system "Because the music is allowed to be so loud, peoon but the sound is turned off) and as a consetoo much for our ears to handle? quence needs prescription drugs to sleep at night. ple will assume it is safe and not think twice about it." He claims that he once had to leave The End "I don't go clubbing any more; she says. "lt's a Fabric's sound engineer Dave Parry admits it is major handicap on my social life, and it got me club in London as the music was so loud that it dangerous. "The general thing that screws up peo· really depressed at first. But I can't risk it. I wear pie's hearing is the sound system distorting at the was impossible to be in the room. "Hearing damage is a very real but subtle levels we run at," he explains. earplugs if I'm in a danger," he adds. "You may well · bar or pub where "When I designed the original spec we put in an Pat has a continuous there's a lot of not realise what you have done extraordinary amount of head room and the syshigh-pitched ringing until it is too late." tem was designed with minimal spread, which people talking and Luke Richardson, a sound engiallowed the bars to be fairly quiet areas. Running music being sound in her ears, and played.» neer and promoter, has been on at the levels we do it is difficult to totally stop any needs prescription hearing damage." the club circuit for over ten years. She believes drugs to sleep When out clubbing, he insists on that clubs ignore noise level laws all wearing earplugs and takes regular breaks from the noise, which the time. "The • Conllder ..mg .,-plugs at CUJ nlghla noise level that night at Gatecrasher was ridiculous are both simple yet effective mesures to take in a • Don't be templed 10 dlnce • next 10 lhe - it's completely toxic for the ears; she explains. bid to lessen the damage. He thinks that dance music gets blamed a lot, yet live music venues "lt's ironic how much clubbers now know about the apealcera have speakers that are just as loud and damaging. dangers of necking amphetamines and ecstacy; regular tnelcs from lhe daucaloor • go 10 , . dlll-oul "You are most at risk in confined spaces; he but know nothing about what they are doing to explains. "lt is the tweeters [the speakers that pro• If your_. a t Jtnglng, give tan a l8lt their ears." vide sharp trebles] that are the worst, not the • Complain 10 . . mallllg8mllflt . . . nulc .. Perhaps the problem is rooted in the fact that we bass." This is because treble noise is at a much too loud or leave. live in a society that revels in excess. The younger higher frequency and is therefore generation are pushing their social lives to extremes; searching for the ultimate thrill, be it very directional. Richardson also drug induced or pure adrenalin. To meet with these stresses that a more mature demands, music events have become more comresponse is needed by club managemercial and sound systems louder, as promoters ment. "They should make a concerted effort to improve their systry to make their nights as appealing and as legtems," he says. endary as possible. People attending dance events D'jeiko, 23, is a local drum and are most at risk because they subject their ears to bass DJ - playing Prophet at the up to eight hours of repetitive loud beats, often in a Waterfront among other clubs - who confined space. Most clubbers would openly admit to dancing next to the speakers in order to experihas been DJing for three years. He is another example of somebody pasence the maximum effect of the beats spun by the DJ. Drink and drug casualties are often spotted sionate about the music scene yet fast asleep next to the speakers, totally oblivious to worried about the risks involved. He the thundering music behind them. But it's not just experiences the tell-tale sign of ringhardcore clubbers that are suffering in ignorance; ing ears after club nights, parties and every time you step into a club or a concert hall even whilst lying in bed at night and even the LCR - you are at risk from damaging levinsists he will stop DJing in clubs if the problem persists. els of music. 0 available "There's a temptation to crank up The vast majority of people know nothing about what level of sound is safe. Exposure to sound the bass as much as possible to cre( vegetarYa pressure levels exceeding 130 to 140 decibels, ate the best vibe," he explains. "But even for short periods, involves a risk of tissue all that is really needed is a quality 0 til 2.30pm ewry sound system that doesn't distort the damage to the ear. To put this in better context, a beats.• normal conversation is in the range of 60dB, and 0 EveniMCf04t)CI. noise levels in clubs and concert halls can be as 8pm much as 120dB. A jet plane produces 1OOdB when abric nightclub in London is a taking off. Guidelines issued by the Government 'superclub' that has been 0 ,n. rut~ln .um are still inconclusive and state only, "lt is recomdesigned specifically to provide £5.25 mended that patrons should not be exposed to the ultimate club experience. lt has sound pressure levels greater than 1OOdB during a gained an unrivalled reputation since four hour period." its opening eighteen months ago and eer garden, car parking, .Jccess f.Jcilities In April 1997 the Noise Act came into force. This has already installed a new sound [o; &>disabled, pool t,b/e, quiz tNclrine, reinforcement system in two of its gives authorities the powers to fine people who create noise pollution over 35dB and also to conrooms. Owner Keith Reilly is paswell IH:I..vecl children welcome sionate about the sound. He says: fiscate noisy equipment. However, no proper "We' re looking at taking the sound in regulations exist for club venues. Few clubs actually adhere to the recommendations and until firmer Fabric to the next dimension and this rules are made, they will continue to play music at is the start." But while the club may
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True Love Waits is an American group set up by virgins determined not to have sex until their wedding night. Jo Locke found some students this side of the pond who are holding out too .•. tudent' and 'virgin' are not two words that are immediately spring to mind when thinking about sex on campus, but as the Concrete Sex Survey illustrated earlier this year, more UEA students are choosing to keep their knickers on than ever before. Whether it is because of the lack of talent here in Norwich or Christian piety is unknown, but what is definitely true is that being a virgin seems to be becoming fashionable. If Guoci or Prada could put their label on virginity it would be parading down the catwalks in Paris, but with role models like "Virgin Queen" Britney declaring their purity it's as good as. But the question remains, as with all fashion trends, will it be here one day and gone tomorrow? The bible not only includes a lot of sex, but prostitution and drug use. James, a devout Christian and student, finds the religious pressures difficult, but whether he is going to wait until marriage was never really a hard decision. "The virginity question is something that all Christians face at some stage, but I really felt that God wanted me to wait, and so there was no hard decision for me. I knew I was making the right choice". • Despite James' strong faith, he learnt the hard way that there's a thin line between virginity and having sex. "I ended up in bed with my girlfriend, who wasn't a Christian," he describes. "I had been drinking, and it got to the stage where it was really hard to say no. But something came over me, and I had to force myself not to, and that was that. We split up straight away because she obviously didn't respect my decision, and that was really hard to deal with. lt would have been so easy to have had sex, but I'm glad I didn't". Nevertheless, coping with the sexual urges has not been easy. "The bible says it is ok to masturbate as long as you don't think of someone in particular, because that's almost as bad as having sex," James explains. "I have to do it a couple of
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Statistically Speaking••• 9% of male and 5% of female respondents to the UEA sex survey have never had sex. The most popular age to lose their virginity for women was 18, while most blokes either did it at 16 or 18. Approximately two t hirds {65%) of men thought 1t was the right time to lose their virginity, while 69% of girls were happy lt was the right moment.
times a day sometimes just to be able to comentrate, but what bloke doesn't? I don't think it's sinful as long as it doesn't become too sexual. I try not to fantasise, so I think about inanimate objects lke ovens so I don't get too carried awa'(. James highlights the practical reasons for waiting until marriage. "it's a good idea to wait because I don't think that I could deal with the seriousness of the whole thing," he admits. "You have to be able to deal with it emotionally, and I don't think ttat I want a relationship that serious or one that goes that far at this point in my life. I don't think you should have sex un1il you can cope with the implications of pregnancy. I got really hurt last time and I want to avoid that e.<perience again". Jenna, a first year UEA student, is also a Christian. She hasn't waited until marriage before losing her virginity. However that doesn't mean she feels she's made the right decision. "I came to university very naive about men and sex," Jenna admits. "I thought virginity was a really big deal and that I'd only ever have sex once I was in a stable relationship. I was worried everyone would have lost their virginity by the time they got here, and that I'd be the only one.• Jenna upbringing had a profound effect on her decisions. "I always had really strong beliefs about vi19inity because of my background," she says. ·sex IYBS never discussed, because you don't have sexual · relationships before matriage." Despite her upbringing, Jenna's opinions on masturbation are somewhat more liberal. "I don't think there is anything sinful about masturbation," she says "You can take these things to) far. Perhaps God invented masturbation because we shouldn't have sex before marriage". Ultimately, pressure from peers at uni who have already popped their cherry had a significant effect. "There's sex everywhere at uni, and I felt slightly pressured to have sex," she confides. "When I went home, I had sex with a guy that I didn't know, and I
immediately ·egretted it. I haven't been able to forgive myself for losing my virginity.• Interestingly, she adds: "I actually think there's more pressure to have full relationships at UEA than just random sex." For Je~na, it's a question of faith. "I haven't been able to talk to God about the whole thing yet. I know you should be atje to, but I can't face it at the moment. I haven't lost my faith, but I have a lot of doubts, there are so many conlradictions. "If there's someone out there who is feeling pressured to have sex. I'd say don't do it, and if you must, make sure ttat you at least like . them. You can't go back after you've done it. it's so hard to keep your virginity these days."
I have to masturbate a couple of times a day to keep my concentration. I think about ovens so I don't get carried away.
rue Lo\e Waits is a Christian organisation in the USA, and over a million students there have signed a declaration that means they will abstain from pre-marital sex. As one such student explains, "I am challenged to offer my body as a living sacrifice. I sacrifice my urge to watch a TV show that glorifies pre-marital sex, or give up my desire to listen to a new song with a great beat but nasty lyrics, or I remove myself from situations which could lead to impure thoughts or actions". Some students in the States have signed credit card-type declarations that are carried in their wallets, as well as wearing TLW necklaces, bracelets and rings to pledge their virginity. But despite this, research in the States has suggested that !B% of girls have lost their virginity by the age of 1S, and that the Church hasn't been able to prevent prolific oral and anal sex in the Christian student community. Indeed. the term "technical virginity" has been coined, whereby you can get away with anything but vaginal intercourse. Some might say that's cheating, but an interesting way of getting round the rules.
T
I was worried everyone would have lost their virginity by the time they got to UEA and I'd be the only one.
There's so much sex on TV, at the cinema, and in advertising, not to mention general conversations with friends, some virgins may feel like they're outsiders for sticking to their virginal guns. As another student explains, "lt can be quite difficult, because when my friends talk about sex I don't really have anything to contribute. Instead I ask questions, so I guess it's kind of educational. They're all very easy about it; I don't feel under any pressure to have sex. No one's hung up about it, it's my choice"
75 year old prostitute recently got married, having had sex with thousands of men in her 'career'. She walked down the isle in white, holding her head up high. Indeed, from some points of view, if we decide that shagging our brains out at university wasn't a good idea after all, we can repent our sins at a later date and be forgiven. While this should not be taken as a license to do· whatever you like as long as you pray afterwards, it does appear that the idea of sex as a sin is far from clear. The general consensus is that it isn't a sin, and that it's just a practical measure - some might say a 'controlling mechanism' of the Church - to help people make responsible decisions. While it is clear that a strong faith is keeping some students virgins until marriage, others will continue to mock this stance. Whether it is right or wrong ultimately falls to personal opinion, but what is perfectly clear is that to some students both here and in the United States, virginity it is an important issue. After all, in Florida you can pay $20,000 to have your hymen repaired for your husband's birthday. Now that does deserve ridicule.
A
The celebrity virgins: How waiting is becoming the new fashion Britney Spears
Ronan Keating
Ann Widdecombe
Katy Hill
She must have had sex... Nope, allegedly not. But have you seen her video? Which one? Er, any of them ... Yes, but that, my friend, is merely an act. She is actually a very respectable girl waiting until the wedding night. So who Is the, ahem, lucky man? Justin Timberlake of N Sync is the man with balls as heavy as his wallet But apparently, he is happy with the situation. What does she say about H all? "I hope I don't make a mistake and manage :o remain a virgin until marriage." Headline when she loses H? Britney Speared!
Now he ha had sex. He's got kldsl Admittedly, Ronan is no longer a virgin. But he did, apparently, wait until the wedding night before taking the plunge. So what's the sHuatlon now? Well, married to Yvonne, one kid already and another on the way. So L"e Is A Rollercoaster for Ro nan right now? Yep, it's fair to assume that Ronan is Lovin' Each Day since the wedding vows. And how's t he solo career? Pretty good, although going on the quality of his lyrics, he spends more time having se.x than thinking up words. What does he say about the vlrglnHy thing? "I'm not into one night stands, sex is something that should be saved until marriage.•
What? No one has ever slept w ith Ann? Er, no. Isn't she getting on a bit? Ann is now 53, so any hope of moving into the wor1d of sexual relationships is fading fast. What's the picture all about? That's Ann stroking her pussy. I beg your pardenl Ann's companions in her long life of abstinence are cats Pugwash (pictured) and Carruthers. So why Is Ann a virgin ? She is very religious and will not have sex outside marriage. And no one's ever wanted to marry Ann? Er, no. Can you blame them? Er, no.
Katy who? Katy Hill, recently of BBC Uve & l(jcking 'fame'. She also presented Blue Peter for five years. Why no sex? Katy is a devout Christian and was determined not have sex until she got married. How long did s he wait, then? Katy tied the knot in March 1999, at the age of 27. Was she not interested in sex, then? Well, her ambition from a young age was to present Blue Peter, which can hardly be described as racy. What's her ambition now? "To seize the moment and live life to the full so that I never have any regrets•. What bollocks•.• Damn right.
14 FEATURES
Concrete WEONESOAY, MAY 2, 2001
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Death by dangerous drinking Health Centre GP Paul Coathup believes it's only a matter of time until someone dies from alcohol abuse at UEA. With three high profile Norwich deaths recently, Will Halsey investigates the 800-a-week killer... ustin Garland. James Toms. Nick Green. problem lies, and stresses that what students drink All under 21 and all dead after a night of is as important as how much. "There's been a change in the drinking pattern in heavy drinking. More specifically, the three Norwich lads died because they recent years:· he suggests. "Previously people went and drank eight or nine pints to get drunk were to horrifically drunk to take care of before throwing up, but now there's a movement themselves: Green and Toms drowned after falling towards spirits. You can drink a lot of spirits in a In the River Wensum; Garland collapsed in the short space of time, and you don't realise you've toilets at Mojos on Prince of Wales road. loaded yourself up with such an enormous dose of Indeed, while drugs such as ecstacy grab the headlines, alcohol remains comfortably in the alcohol." background, despite killing over eight hundred peoOne of the problems with drinking in Britain is ple a week. Last that licensing laws seem to semester UEA Medical encourage binge drinking, with You drink a bottle of Officer Or Paul Goathup getting drunk before 11pm the vodka, your respiratory key objective on a night out. issued a warning that "lt won't be long before Goodwin believes that relaxing centre fails, you fall licensing laws may improve the someone at UEA dies asleep in a corner and current situation despite giving of alcohol poisoning." simply stop .breathing. people more time at the bar. And with three high profile deaths in Norwich in "We believe the issue of closing time is a big problem," he the last five months, it stresses. "You call time, so people get one or two would appear that Goathup's ominous prediction will prove correct sooner rather than later. drinks in which will then be downed very quickly. Pinpointing why alcohol is quite so dangerous is Flexible licensing does not mean 24 hour drinking and it can only be a good thing.• less easy; thousands of students at UEA drink Allowing slower, more social drinking -could have heavily and do not appear to suffer any serious an effect in preventing deaths caused by a rapid, damage. Similarly, with the LGR a weekly affair toxic intake of alcohol. Goodwin adds: ''You pace and student bar prices low, drinking is clearly a significant part of the student lifestyle. But perhaps yourself according to your budget. If you can drink the most obvious problem with alcohol lies not with for longer, you won't have any more money, so you'll pace yourself. If you want a good night out students but a wider culture. Certainly Geoff, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous who comes to with friends you don't want to get slaughtered by UEA once a month to help students with alcohol 10pm.• Essentially, the real danger in binge drinking is problems, sees a wider cultural phenomenon. immediate rather than long term. When the amount ''Your hear and see people saying, 'I am going of alcohol in the blood reaches toxic levels, the out to get drunk'," he explains. "That is the target, body can simply pack up. Or Goathup suggests that is an attitude of mind, and it seems to be a that this is the most likely cause British thing." of 17 year old Justin Garland's Graham Goodwin is You can drink a lot of Head of spirits In a short space death. "One thing excessive alcohol Communications with of time and not realise intake does is suppress the resthe Portman Group, which promotes safe the enormous dose of piratory centre. So, someone drinking. They have and drinks a bottle of alcohol you've downed goes recently launched a vodka, falls asleep in a corner and simply stops breathing." campaign against drinking simply to get drunk, but Goodwin believes that it's far from the only way to die from alcohol, too. Coathup adds: "Your gag reflex also gets supchanging attitudes will take time. pressed. And as the alcohol is likely to make you "Among 18-24 year olds 17% drink to get drunk vomit, the vomit can get into your lungs. Then the regularly," he says. "lt is very hard to change a culacid starts to eat away, and you die of chemical ture, but if we can get a message across that pneumonia." people believe is relevant to them, we might start Consistent, heavy drinking holds difference danto influence behaviour." Or Goathup is more specific about where the gers, though. The Portman Group campaign is
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Advertising Manager ,. .. Applications are invited for the position of Advertising Manager, Concrete, for the period September 2001 to June 2002. The position is open to any student studying at UEA during 2001/2, and involves selling the adverts that finance Concrete to local and
, ! .....
national customers, developing new relationships and nurturing existing clients in a professional manner. The successful applicant will have sales experience, a friendly telephone and personal manner, and ideally layout experience. Closing date: May 14, 2001
Distribution Manager ,..,.. ~ ,.. Applications are invited for the position of Distribution Manager, Concrete, for the period September 2001 to June 2002. The position is open to any student studying at UEA during 2001/2, and involves overseeing the effective dis-
tribution of Concrete to 3,000 study bedrooms and over 50 campus pick-up points. Applicants must be aged 21 years or over and should be in possession of a full UK driving licence on taking up the post. Closing date: May 14, 2001
Full dl'tails of both job~ and instructions on how to apply t·an lw found dt: h 11 p ://1n; w .1·• 1111 r•-1•· -IJilh r.'· .(.<J.IJ 1- /yJ•J~
CONCRETE
concerned with young people drinking to get drunk, but alcohol addiction is also a problem among 18-24 year olds. Because it is such an ageold affliction, alcoholism is often swept under the carpet, but university is a breeding ground for alcoholics with peer pressure, cheap alcohol and the stresses of leaving home combining to devastating effect. UEA is the only university in Britain to allow AA on to the campus to help student alcoholics, and Geoff, who is available monthly to listen to students' booze troubles, is certain that there are young people studying in Norwich who are fighting an addiction. "University does provide pressures that can lead to drinking problems," he stresses. "For people on the wrong course or just under pressure, then
drink is an easy, temporary way out. Drink is also part of the growing up process, leaving home, trying things out." The recent emphasis on alcopops and spirits also contributes to a situation where drunkenness is a regular way out, an escape from unhappiness or stress. it will take a lot more than the needless deaths of three Norfolk lads to change the entire drinking culture in Britain, but initial steps are being taken. Most people enjoy a drink; the key is keeping it in moderation, rather than cutting it out. Binge drinking and alcoholism can kill and Or Coathup has a stark warning for UEA students. "Downing spirits in drinking competitions is like Russian roulette. lt really surprises me that UEA hasn't suffered a death so far. Most universities have, so it's just a matter of time?'
"I am an alcoholic and can't go back" Davld Johnson Is a recovering alcoholic who started drinking at university. He came off the booze just months befOre lt would have killed him ... y background was typical of most students. I was very active in the sports clubs, with all the drinking that went with it. I handled it quite happily, drank more than average but I didn't see it as a problem. I finished up and went off to be a secondary school teacher, living in digs. The pub just became a routine part of every second or third evening. Then it turned into fNery night, and instead of two pints, it was three or four and a scotch. After fot,rr or five years doing it weekends as well • I was getting through five or six pints fNery night. Didn't see a problem. By that time, it was beginning to take hold. My behaviour started to become affected; losing my temper, desperate to please people. I moved into a cottage that I bought off someone in the
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pub, which was 100 yards from the pub. I was totally losing it, but kept functioning. People knew I was losing control, but all they it I approached them was 'Fuel< off, I can drink you under the table'. I started getting acute stomach pains, and my doctor said my lower duodenum was not
only ulcerous but one giant ulcer. I couldn't keep food down, but I found a double scotch would bum and then settle. lt got to the point where I would wake up hungover, and would have to kneel in front of the toilet and heave, sometimes for 20 minutes, bringing up blood and yellow stuff that might have been stomach lining. And I had acute diarrhoea which was often bloody. My toes and fingertips lost all feeling, because there was so muctl alcohol in my system that the nerve endings were giving up and shrinking away. I was getting scared but still in denial. On top of this, I was suffering total loss of memory. I went to the Samaritans in the end, and they told me to ring Alcoholics Anonymous. But I didn't go to the meeting and kept drinking for another 18 months. Eventually, I ended up going to a meeting some distance away, and I discovered that I could do something about it. I physically recovered quite rapidly, as many people do, so I thought I'd cracked it. I drank a couple of pints, and I was fine. That evening I drank six double scotches, and within three days I was out of my head. A friend caught me drunk in the street, try· ing to get into an off license that was closed because I didn't realise the clocks had gone back. That convinced me. I'm an alcoholic and I c;an't go back."
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Concrete
WEDNESDAY, MAY
FEATURES
www.concrete-online.co.uk
2, 2001
•
11
es. ••
1n A recent report has claimed that the gene responsible for ginger hair descends from the Neanderthals of 100 million years ago. As strawberry blonde Lyndsey Anderson explains, it's the last thing redheads wanted to hear... o, the gene responsible for ginger hair is descended from the Neanderthals. But the fact that the gene is responsible for pale skin, freckling and severe sun burn in addition to hair colour suggests that those who possess it have enough to contend with without its full history being broadcast to an already prejudiced nation. When I discovered that the gene was over 100 million years old - and could not, therefore, have originated among Homo sapiens who have been around for a mere 50 million years - I was delighted. I was getting all ready to boast about my more mature and thus superior genes, to shove years of merciless teasing back into my peers' faces, when I realised what this actually meant. The gene could only have passed from its Neanderthal origins to Homo sapiens in one way. Therefore, I am, in fact, the result of some highly dubious cross breeding. And, as anyone who watched the recent Neanderthal series would know, procreation in those days was not the pleasant, romantic affair it supposedly is today. In fact the female would continue her meal or the process of de-fleaing herself while the male went about his business. Having ginger hair is truly a trial; perhaps this is why Neanderthals died out. They simply did not have the strength of character we display today in living out our ginger existence. As a young girl, when upset with the teasing, my mother would tell me that other children only laughed at me because they were jealous of the wonderful colour that made me stand out. I had my doubts as to the truth in this story at the time, but denial being such a wonderful thing I put up with the abuse, smugly believing myself to be a superior being. However, hearing stories today about the treatment of people with ginger hair has made me realise that jealously was simply not a factor. Us 'gingers' get teased as it is deemed a negative quality; it is deemed a negative quality as a result of the temperament associated with being a red-
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head. Egyptians would bury their children alive at the first sign of having a rogue red hair through fear that the child would turn out to be fierce. In Greece, red hair was a sign of mental instability and accordingly gingers were packed off to the asylums. And perhaps in retrospect that was the best place for them; at least they were among their own kind, accepted despite their freaky appearance. I, thankfully living in a rather more civilised time, have not had to withstand this level of extreme treatment. That is not to say I have not suffered at the hands of my affliction. Walking to lectures from the 'Village' in my first year was a harrowing experience. Due to my hair colour, a group of, to put it in the nicest possible way, little bastards felt the need to throw stones at me and shout 'GINNGER' at the top of their voices. As I am sure most people can appreciate, when you start university you want to draw as little negative attention to yourself as possible, especially in the confined community of campus accommodation. This incident did little to aid my campaign. The fact that ginger haired people are said to have fiery tempers could support the Neanderthal connection; they, after all, were not the most passive race. Personally, I consider myself to be even-tempered, although others may disagree. Even if I was to have a slightly short fuse, my similarity with Neanderthal man ends there. I do not share his penchant for walking around naked, in fact the university lifestyle has robbed me of my previous lithe, toned figure and I am now wholly opposed to such activities. I do not share his desire to eat raw animals. I have been tempted in the past by a good barbecue but that is a totally different matter. And on good days I can articulately construct sentences whereas Neanderthals did not get beyond grunting. Whilst I am denying that I possess these Neanderthal characteristics, a quick look at celebrity red heads suggests the connection is perhaps stronger than first thought. We have much
I am, in fact, the result of some highly dubious cross breeding. And procreation in those days wasn't pleasant.
We are simply not deemed attractive people. How many redheads do you find in your average boyband?
Would you go out with a redhead? "No, his hair might clash with my oulfir Helen Roberts, DEV 2
"Right now, anything will do!" Kat Realff, ART 1
"As long as she wore a har Mark Webster LLT 3
"Fundamentally, yes, but the quality of ginger girls around UEA is so appalling that to lay one of them would be to forfeit all pride and dignity" Christian Gaskell ART1
"During winter, but he'd hold me back when summer came" Nicola Smith SOC 1 "Yes, 1do" Katy Wood LLT 3 "Well, I've fancied a ginger third year WAM student for a while. He's my type." Harry Scrymgeour, WAM 1
"Well, my girlfriend is g•nger and and I thought it was okay for a while. I would, however, like to take this opportunity to dump her... Sorry, Carolina." Richard Gauntlett, WAM 1 "I tried it once. lt made me last longer.· Will Benthall, WAM 1
Pick the odd one out ...
A) Nlgella the Neanderthal
B) Nell the Neanderthal
C) Nlcholas the Neanderthal
D) Chris Evans
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to boast of among our fine species; Sonia (of Eurovision fame), Fergie (of toe sucking fame, even the Neanderthals did not lower themselves to that level), Charlie Dimmock (of bra absence fame), Anne Robinson (of complete bitch fame) and, last but not least, Palsy Palmer (of loud-mouthed EastEnderfame) . Admittedly, spawning the lovely Julia Roberts was perhaps one of our finest hours, but she soon 'skanked us' (to return to high school discourse) and dyed her hair in favour of becoming an Oscar winning actress. Sadly, it appears loyalty to your roots is not important. Perhaps, then, gingers should be ashamed. I mean, we are simply not deemed attractive people. How many redheads do you find in your average boy or girl band? None. Why? Because selling records relies on being attractive and ginger hair does not help this cause. Another prime example is the cast of ER. Every single doctor and nurse is gorgeous with the exception of redhead Carrie Weaver. And now she's considering becoming a lesbian. But despite this stereotyping and prejudice - and the recent revelations about my ancestry - I am still proud to be a ginger. Perhaps it's true that your mother is never wrong, and bullies are just jealous. After all, blondes are stupid and brown hair's boring. Afen'tthey?
16 FEATURES
60 Second City
Geneva
www.concret e-online .co.uk
Concrete
W EDNESDAY, M AY
2, 2001
Bangkok's bars Thailand has a reputation for sleazy bars and sleazier tourists. A/ex Sehmer delved into the Pat Pong district and found out just how low you can go ... ust before the four of us left for Thailand I got a panicked phone call from a friend in Manchester. "I want you to be very careful about ladyboys." she said , having just finished reading an article on them. "I don't think I could tell the difference." I thanked her and promised I would score lady-boys off my list of things to do in Bangkok. it's a dreadful injustice to Thailand 's astonishing capital city, but in the minds of many, the go-go bar is to Bangkok what the cannabis cafe is to Amsterdam : the sole reason foreigners visit the country in the first place. Despite, or rather because of this, I'm not ashamed to admit I felt obliged to make my own night-time pilgrimage to Bangkok's fascinating Pat Pang district. At first, it merely seems like a street congested with stalls selling the usual tourist collection: chopsticks, silk boxer shorts, sarongs, 'designer' clothes and miniature replicas of the Buddha. But this is only the beginning . Pat Pong is not merely a street, in actual fact it covers almost four acres of Bangkok. it's wildly exciting and absolutely stuffed with bars, most offering you alcohol at inflated prices and a 'show'. In tact you 'd have to work fairly hard to find the kind of bar where you could simply sit with your beer and chat with your mates. But it quickly becomes evident that no one goes to Pat Pong for a quiet drink. The bars' have girls outside the door who all but beat you (no doubt they would if you asked them) to get you to drink in their bar. I lost count of the number of times I was attacked by a Thai girl in high-heels and brilliant green eye-shadow, refusing to let go of my arm and pointing to the bar she wanted me to drink in. One particularly attractive girl managed to get us to hover long enough to see through the doorway of her bar; we observed a line of girls dancing in lime green underwear. lt was surely only a matter of time until our resolve was to break. All the bars in Pat Pang are built on a similar format to each other. They are just long thin rooms with a stage. In our first chosen bar we were settled into a booth with a view of the stage, our hugely over-priced beers brought to the table. There were five girls up on the central stage. The ultra violet light flooding the bar had made the few clothes they were wearing glow with a fuzzy iridescence. The girls moved provocatively and made brief eye contact with the customers. The content of Pat Pang's strip shows can range from the dull - tour Thai ladies stood on a stage in bikinis and high heels barely moving to the music and generally looking very bored - to the practically unwatchable: fo ur Thai ladies on a stage, again to music and again generally looking very bored, only this time doing things I wou ld never have imagined it possible for 'women's bi ts' to do. The music in the bars was a dreadful collection from Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith 's back catalogues. My experiences of Thailand led me to believe that this is one of the few places where there is not an almost ,, .. continuous flood of Thai pop-music. "" The reason for this, I would suspect, is because the Pat Pang clientele are almost
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Geneva - I'm sure I've heard of it somewhere ... Geneva is a French speaki ng city in Switzerland on the border of France. Think Lindt choco late, Swiss army knives, the United Nations, and off-shore bank accounts. Did I mention the chocolate? So, do I need a Loui s Vutton handbag or a million pound bank ba lan ce to vi sit? Certainly not. Geneva has a reputation for being really expensive, but the drinks are only slightly more pricey than in the Union! Going out is on a par with London , and as for Louis Vutton , get a copy from Top Shop if you 're worried . Where's the best place to start? Geneva is one of Eu rope's smallest cities , which means less staggering distance when you go out at night. The "Vieille Ville", or Old Town, is the best starting point. If you 're slightly nervous abou t the language barrier try Spring Brothers or Flanigan's, two friend ly Irish pubs as the beer flows you'll find you r French gets a whole lot better and you can get more adventurous. Geneva lacks decent clubs, so unless you fancy lap-dancing , try Shakers -you get a massive free cocktail on entra nce. By the way, all the bars stay open until 2am , so there's no hurry. What if I wa nt some Swi ss cu lture? There are numerous museums, from horology (watchmaking) to fine art and sculpture. If you're not sick of churches after living in Norwich , Geneva has plenty from the Protestant Reformation so the architecture is really beautiful. You can visit the UN and pretend to be a foreign spy for the afternoon too. Alternatively, there's a beach on the lake if the sun's out and you can even go water skiing. So am I meant to walk to all these places? Britain co uld learn something from th e Swiss about public transport. The tra ms and buses come on time, at least every 10 minutes, and take you everywhere including France. A day travel card is 5Fr (about £2) . Don't try to get away without buying a ticket - they catch a lot of people with hefty on the spot fines . If you want to visit other towns around the lake get a day pass on a ferry. What's the food like then ? Famous Swiss dishes include steak or cheese fondue one that will definitely give you weird dreams. And because of the lake, there's a lot of fish about too. The great thing is that Geneva is a very international place. There's French food - obviously - but also German because of the other half of Switzerland speaks German. Throw in Italian, and a lot of Chinese and Thai , and it's clear there's plenty of cho ice . Fai ling that there's your standard McDonalds and Burger King for the particularly adventurous. How do I get to Geneva then? Prices start at £60 return from Stansted with Easyjet. Booking as far in advance as possible makes sense to keep the price down. Check out www.easyjet.com or www.statravel.com And if I still need convinving? Well , the Swiss women are all beautiful and most of the men are millionaires ... Jo Locke
The travel details Flights STA Travel are currently offering flights to Bangkok starting at £437 with Thai Airways . STA also have limited late deals as low as £338. www.statravel.co.uk Acco mmodation is very cheap. Double rooms with private bathroom ca n be as low as £18 a night.
Above: a Th1gh Bar in the Pat Pang district. Below: Night falls on Bangkok and the bars fill up
sively westerners. In tact, lechery on the part of the western tourist is expected if not encouraged. Once they have had their spell on stage, the girls come over and try and make you buy them a drink, for which they get a commission. But allegedly, the bar with the girls dancing in green underwear was just light entertainment, and nothing compared to what is supposed to be out there in Pat Pong . Most people, I'm prepared to hazard, have seen a naked women before, but the experience of Pat Pong is something unexplainably new. We decide unanimously to press on and find something really offensive.
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On stage, Pussy was opening bottles while her friend fired pieces of banana across the stage.
e headed for the bars that didn't have insistent Thai girls outside them . The people who approach you outside these establishments look like disillusioned taxi drivers and they talk about exactly what 'Pussy' will do tor you. A man , who stood so close to me I could smell his rather unpleasant deodorant, stuck what looked like a small menu under my nose with a list of Pussy's various acrobatics on it, sometimes with diagrams. lt included the suggestion that she would blow out a birthday cake and write me a letter. He also insisted that there was to be no cover charge. In the bars where there's a 'real ' show, when you are finally billed for your drink, there's usually a whacking great fee for what you 've just seen. After a brief conference, he led the four of us a little way down a back alley and up a flight of stairs. Agai n we were seated in front of the stage. By this time in the evening we had moved on to Thai whiskey, because some bright spark had said it worked out cheaper. The women in these raunchier clubs disregard clothes, though some of them still wore their panties knotted around one leg. Here the women approached us more insistently, four of them came over to our table and hung q about our necks. If they had known what a
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Food Bangkok holds an incredible 50 ,000 places to eat, with massive menus common and prices low. Worth checking out is the Indian district Pahurat and neighbouring Chinatown for top quality food . Most restau rants have English menus and places with air-conditioning are advised. don't suppose they would have bothered trying to talk to us, but that is by the by. In a proper British fashion I tried to stop my one rubbing my crotch and instead attempted to engage her in rather stunted small talk. She turned out to be a student at the university. Her family were from Chiang Mai , a beautiful town in Northern Thailand . She told me the money was good. She gestured to me and pointed upstairs. The universal sign, surely, that she wished me to fix a leak in the bedroom ceiling. On stage Pussy was opening bottles while her friend fired pieces of banana across the stage. The banana was travelling a distance I would have ordinarily assumed was impossible. At one point a section ended up on the bar near my elbow. Later she used the same trick to burst balloons - firing darts from what looked like an adapted metal pea-shooter. Pussy was, we discovered, doing pretty much the same thing in every bar in Pat Pong. Some included a trick with string and razor blades and at one point we were promised that Pussy would do something unspeakable with a champagne bottle, but we left that bar whilst she was still limbering up. By the end of the evening we had lost all dignity. lt became evident, as the morning crept upon us, that unless we were going to take advantage of one of the bars' 'alternative services' we were going to have to leave. I was practically on the floor and we were all blurry from alcohol. We had very little money left and by this time the bar we were in was hosting two girls, one of whom had strapped on an enormous dildo and was taking her partner every way she could. We crawled out onto the street, muttering to each oth er something about our girlfriends and staggered to the end of the road to try and barter for a taxi . We told the driver to just take us away. As we sped off he handed us a selection of pictures of western men in jacuzzis with Thai women . "You want show?" he asked, "I take you."
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WORK AROUND YO R STUDIES Shifts 6am- 2pm 2pm- 10pm 6am- 6.30pm 6pm- 3am 7.30am- 4.30pm AVAILABLE FOR FOOD PICKERS & PACKERS TRANSPORT AVAILABLE FROM UEA
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18 FEATURES
www .co n c r ete-on l ine .co. uk
Headscratcher
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What is the Welsh national flower?
0
At whic h race cou rse is the Grand Nat ional held annually?
0
1959?
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What was the name of Edw ard ll 's French wife?
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Where in London was the main site of the Festival of Britain in 1951?
( ' : ; \ Wh o wrot e Bridget Jones ' Diary?
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Q3) Bridget
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IAJ December 1, 2001
I A) Kensington Gardens
11 B) South bank
ICJ St Paul's Cathedral
Il D) Battersea Park
In what year was the British Broadcasting Corporation set up?
On what date wil l the Euro become the only legal tende r in the 12 count ri es that have signed up to it? Il B) December 31 , 2001
~~A=)=19=32= ===::::::11 BJ 1942 L..:IC..:... ) _19:..:2.::.. 2 _ _ _ __JI ;;ID::):::; 19::: 52 ; ::::===:::::: Q6) Hovercraft
( ; ; \ What is t he capita l of Uruguay?
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Q9) The BBC girls
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A bit of luck this fortnight. You won 't have to go on the • game! Yes, all those money worries you've been having recently will seemingly disappear. leaving you with a greater range of opportunities for the future . This will only happen though if you take a more grown-up attitude to all matters financial. lt beats a fiver for a few minutes down a dark alleyway.
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Gemini You're in for a big scare this fortnight. one that is going to have fa r-reaching consequences for the rest of your life. it's a lot to take in , especially as your maturity is being called in to question from all quarters. You are really going to have to take a step back and take stock of what is important to you. Ot herwise you are going to end up close to a breaking point as events begin to spiral out of control.
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Cancer Which British man was the first person to break the speed of sound at Black Rock Desert , Nevada in 1997?
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Aries ~ 1
You may be tempted to lower your standards this fortnight as you become inundated with offers from people you wouldn't normally look twice at. Now , I know you 've been going through a bit of a dry patch recently (in all sense of the word) but don't let desperation rule your groin , because you'll be suffering the consequences when you wake up.
I IDJ Karl Benz
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Horoscopes Who invented the hovercraft
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Concrete WEDNESDAY, MA Y 2, 2001
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it's all turning a bit queer in the next couple of weeks as ~ confusing sexual messages cause you to question what you are really all about. it might not be what you were ex pec ting, coming, as it does. out of nowhere (if you' ll pardon the sub-Carry On pun). You would be wise not to get too freaked out by this new development in your life. Others don't seem too surprised and whether its a temporary ex periment or a life-c hanging epiphany. you won't be wa lking straight for a while.
Student speak
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Leading North American dignatries came face to face w ith violent protests in Quebec last month . And with pol ice fearing the worst at this year's May Day rally, we ask you w hether th is type of anti-capitalist demonstration has any bearing in a modern democracy. Also, do the protestors have any real chance of making multi-national companies stand up and notice?
Virgo
Leo
Violent protests wi ll always get noticed , by th e public, media and multi-national companies. Whether action is th en taken by these co mpanies is highly doubtful and violent prote sts certainly do not incite sympathy. Will Benthall (WAM 1) No, protestors make no difference because multi-national companies make so much money th at th ey don't care what smaller groups of people have to say. Plus multi-
nationals really make the rules over cou ntries, so they aren't going to change their ways. Vi olent protestors themselves seem to convey the impression that they cannot think of another more intelligent way to get their point across. The fact that violence is illegal surely proves that high-powered multi-national companies are not going to take any notice. Anon (DEV 1)
it is a pity. The protests are theoretically sound , but the method , despite attention in the public eye, warrants no respect and is nothi ng but aggressive and thuggish behaviour. H Scrymgeour (WAM 1) Violence is wrong , unless it's against President Bush, because he looks like a ca mel. A Sharma (LAW 1)
Classifieds FOR SALE SONY ST-GT350 Stereo Synthesiser Receiver, Top class separate tuner with AM/FM aerial possibi lities (AM loop supplied). 20 station presets and fancy search knob thing. Chri mbo present from last year, only ever turned on about 5 times. Sale due to upgrade. Lost the box for this one I'm afraid, bu t got all the instruction s. Contact R.Davey@uea.ac.uk WARDROB E - very big antique with waln ut finish and mi rror. You will have to pick it up as it's quite a large one. Good condi tion. We can negotiate the price. Contact Eli n on (01603) 66491 1.
WANTED ROOM available in th ree bedroo m shared house, from June 200 1. Rent very cheap only £125 per month. this excludeds bills
obviously. Ideally situated fo r Unthank road shops , pubs, Somerfields. Only a ten minute walk into town , and twenty minute walk into uni (and on the direct route along the Avenues) Centrally heated, electrically heated shower, fully equipped kitchen etc . If interested call Lucy on (01603) 766087. wanted for HOU SEMATE Golden Triangle house near th e Mad Moose. £215 a month but very worth it. Fully furnished (Habitat), do uble be d (a bi t squeeky) , bathroom carpet a bit skank and most rooms newly decorated. Will have Sky Digital by June. Contact Adam.Chapman@ uea.ac.uk ROO M avai lable in three bedroom shared house, from June 2001, Rent ve ry cheap only £125 per month, th is excludes bills obviously. Ideally situated for
Your intoleran t side is goi ng to get an airing this fortnight, as the ac t ions of those close to you cause you to raise more than just an eyebrow_ Your Hit lerian prejudices are likely to offend (not much of a su rprise there). but they are also likely to get you in to quite a bit of trouble. We don't live in a Daily Mai/esque wor ld of 1950s virtues where everyone " knows their place", so enter the real world.
Peaceful protest is fi ne, as long as it is in accordance with the Public Order Act 1986 Section 1, but I do understand it is needed if civil liberties are being violated under the Human Rights Act 1988. D Bennett (LAW 1) For many people who get involved in violent protests and anarchism it is more about the image that goes with it, especially amongst some of the younger protestors. Being anti-anything that goes with the government has, to an extent, become fashionable. In London the May Day riots have become trendy, and many people lose the principles behind it. Z Grumbridge (HIS1 )
Advertise anything - even yourself - for free. Simply write up to 25 words for your ad and pop it in the Concrete box in The Hive, or emai l it to su.concrete @uea.ac.uk Terms and conditions apply. Not available to private traders or businesses
Unthank road shops, pubs, Somerfields. Only a ten minute walk into town , and twenty minute walk into uni (and on the direct route along the Aven ues) Centrally heated , electrically heated shower, fully equipped ki tchen etc. If interested call Lucy on (01603) 766087 _ MAN DRAKE 8 to try out Linux on a dual boot system. I'll pay for the CDRs and a bit more for the trouble , p.delf @uea.ac.uk HOUSE MATE req uired for 33 Wilberforce Road (the one next to the Un iversity Village) £45 a week, large house, big bedrooms, kitchen and lounge, well situated . For more into e-mail simon.cox@uea.ac.uk or call 07980312527 MAMOD table-top stationary steam engine - to help explain science and motion to my kids . Cash waiting. Mail to
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PERSONAL SH Y and sensitive second year male student, seeks caring and compassionate female for a relationship. Apply to Concrete Box 107. COSMOPOLITAN , ambitious , intelligent, sexy lady wanted by controversial politician for fl ing, and maybe mo re.. Apply to Concrete Box 108. DAVE seeks Steve and Louise who I met while travelli ng through Europe last year. Never got your address and really want to get in contact with you again as I had such a good tim e. Co ntact polite_Dave@hotmail.com TWO eager second years gi rls seek a couple of big burly rugby players for physical acti vities and stimulating conversation. Con tact Concrete Box 109.
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The old adage "know your enemies" should be one you pay a lot of attention to this fortnight. For some bizarre reason, ( ie. you've been a heinous pai n in t he arse) t he likelihood of you getting excrement thro ugh the post is quite a possibility . The thought of being unpopular will appeal for a bit, in some twisted way ... but it might get a bit monotonous, especially when all you have to keep you company is a meal for one.
Libra Ok ay, it's true t hat you have the slapper routine down to a fine art. but events this fortnight command that you tone down your tendencies in this area. You don't really want to end up in the waiting room at the clap clinic do you? People are st art ing to take advant age of one of your most popul ar attributes. it's no surprise, therefore, that you are starting to feel a litt le bit used. Tone it down! You aren't a walking sexual organ.
Scorpio What you say and the way you say it will be of the utmost importance this fortnight. Your usual ham-listed style is making you seem decidedly socially retarded. You are going to have to communicate on a slightly higher level than wondering who brought the condoms, so grasp the wonder of words that contain more than two syllables.
Sagittarius '"--...
The breaking couples up rout ine may sound like a bit of fun, but you might want to question the way you go about th1s. You m1ght also want to ask yourself whether the long-term goal is one you really want to achieve. The person who caught your eye might only be appealing because he/ she is attac l1ed. Cast your eye around. there are far better people out there. Apparently. ~
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Capricorn
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Your ideal partner lies in Gemini this fortnight. Take ' advantage of their insecurities and you'll be able to worm your way into a relationship with someone so fragile they can g1ve you their undivided attention. The emotional retards are always the best ones to manipulate .. . and you're so good at it!
Aquarius
il\ ~
The idea that there is someone out there who could fulfil! your every need and make you happier than ever before ~\ has been your guiding light over the last year. Brace yourself .. . you're a delusional fool who really needs to get out more, as events this fortnight will prove all to effectively. You may like living your life as if it's a Hallmark card but people do take advantage you know. Dumb arse.
Pisces
Your sense of style will take a battering this fortnight when you finally realise that looking like everyone else rea lly does leave you lost in the crowd . Individuality over conformity. That is the message that you are going to take away with you, and with it a little bit of originality.
• Concrete
WEDNESDAY , MAY
FEATURES 19
www.concrete-online.co.uk
2, 2001
Campus Comment
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Revision ridicule
Graduate Courses M is for Media Production
ith careers leaflets springing up in pigeon holes, this is the time of year in which futures are considered and panic sets in . lt is also the time when students receive advice ranging from humanistic 'do what makes you happy' bollocks to hardline take-the-money-and-run cynicism. And while some graduate packages are most certainly financially attractive - who doesn't know some lucky final year student lining up the £25-30k starting salary - the jobs on offer range from the dull to the positively tedious. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. West Hertfordshire College's postgrad course in Digital Media Production offers a way into a fast moving industry whilst learning interesting things such as picture and sound editing or digital animation. Now that's got to beat graduate accounting schemes ...
The decision to move all our exams to the summer term has left students with little hope of fitting in enough time to revise. Matthew Wright explains. even days. the title of two tracks, one good (Police) , the other pretentious crap (Craig "I've no Brits" David). Seven days is also what everyone needs to revise , but thanks to UEA we cannot have them . While Craig dreams (like so many) of pulling mingers in Ikon, students will be having nightmares about whether they will be able to pass their degrees. In their esteemed wisdom, the people who pretend to run this university decided to change the structure of the academic year. "Great!" they would have exclaimed, "another chance to save some money at the expense of our student's welfare!"
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The only people to gain will be the University, who have cut some red tape and saved money, as tutors will have at least three weeks of term time to mark our
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some students will have to sit a paper on the Monday after finishing on the Friday of week 12. Secondly, many tutors are attempting to schedule revision classes for autumn subjects in the next two weeks. One slight problem there are no rooms available. Perhaps the University could re-open Breakers in order to fit struggling students in? lt would be a nice idea to think that the site has some purpose. But then again maybe not, as they seem to have forgotten it exists. As a result of the University's cost-cutting, students in history, believed to be a 'doss' subject by students who do such taxing degrees as
Another chance to save some money at the expense of our student's welfare!
papers (therefore no need for extra markers) . However, two problems are apparent. To start with, we have no time to revise. Last year, students had the whole of Christmas to revise before coming back to take the January exams. Now
media studies (reading newspapers) or IT (Death Quake anyone?) have to sit up to three exams from autumn units with little hope of getting a revision class. Perhaps UEA may want to think about what will happen to the level of applications to study here when everyone starts failing their degrees?
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Where is the course based? The Diploma in Digital Media Production is run by West Hertfordshire College on their Watford campus. How long is the course? The diploma runs for 25 weeks and is a six month, full time course. lt runs from January to June.
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CONCRETE Get Involved! Would you like to be part of the country's most successful student newspaper?
What do I need to get on it? Gay McGiaughlin, course director at West Herts. says that the requirements are not overly strict. 'You need a degree based in media or arts,' she explains. ' But people don't need to have had any work experience in the industry.•
How much will it cost me? The course starting in January will cost around £1,000 for the six months.
What exactly will the course cover? The course covers a whole variety of media production, with an emphasis on new media. 'We cover digital video production, non-linear editing, and digital sound and music production," McGiaughlin adds. 'We also teach digital animation and computer graphics, as well as multimedia and interne! design . Students get a choice over what to specialise in for the final project." What possibilities will this course open up for me? "Last year's graduates ail specialised in website design," McGiaughlin explains. "A lot of them have now gone freelance or set up their own companies." How do I apply? To apply or get futher information , check out www.westherts.ac.uk, or email the course director, Gay McGiaughlin on gaym@westherts.ac.uk. Alternatively, phone Gay on 01923 812 654. Will Halsey
We have opportunities for writers, photographers and Illustrators, providing Invaluable experience and great CV material.
Past writers have gone on to write for and edit national newspapers and magazines Contributor meetings take place every Monday at 1pm in Room 1.33 of Union House.
lt's your paper so get Involved! THE INDEPENDENT Student Newspaper of the Year
7beGuardlan Student Newsl')llper of the Year: Runner-up
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u ate stud ents club (yep, it is actually that simple)
hours: monday-saturday noon-llpm sunday 5-10:30 pm happy hour: monday-friday 7-Spm
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20 SPORT
ww w.concrete-online.co.uk
Concrete
W EDNESDAY , MA Y
2, 2001
Ill United sign 12-year-old superstar MANCHESTER UNITED have been fo rced to pay £136, 000 for th eir latest sig ning from Preston. The twist in the tale is that their new striker is only 12 years old. Daniel Rowe, who once scored eight goals in one Academy League ga me, was poached by the reds from Preston North End. PNE will recieve the all money when Rowe plays 10 first tea m games - but they say it isn't enough. Shou ld Rowe fulfi l! his potential, by the time he is 18 he would be worth over £1 million.
Rugby know-ails? THE BBC 's RUGBY pundits were put firmly in their place in the Heineken Shield semi-final between Harlequins and Necastle. At half-time Jeremy Guscott and Jonathan Davies slated Scotland fly-ha lf Craig Chalmers, saying: "Harlequins' biggest hindrance is Chalmers. He's playing more like Judith Chalmers." 40 minues later, Chalmers was clutch ing the man-of-thematch award after an outstanding try, drop-goal and penalty.
Big Ron vs. totty at ITV
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RON ATKINSON shou ld begin looking for a new job after the newly-crowned Miss Mexico said that she had a 'God-given' talent for football commentary. She is also scouting for a footballer to take her on as girlfriend . Jacqueline Bracamontes is also chasing a cure for AIDS and is scared of cockroaches. Now, that could make for some interesting scenes in the commentary box next season.
Awommi dead interested in cash
NIGERIAN FOOTBALLERS are trying desparately to ra ise enough money to buy back the corpse of former captain Sa m Opone. Witch doctor Blacky Awommi stopped treating Opone when his money ran out. Opone died, and now Awommi won 't give the body up until his debts of $1,200 are paid off.
Ill
lt t akes courage to follow the Welsh football team. Travelling around the world to see your nation embarrased by another Mickey Mouse side. Mike Milner travelled to Armenia, hoping for better... rumbling tenements, potholes in all the roads , a dilapidated stadium and some of the most lacerating poverty I've ever seen . lt could only mean one thing. We were in the back of beyond watching Wales again. Despite the ra mshackle city surroundings, the towering mountains overlooking the stadium made for an awesome setting - beauty overshadowing the ugly concreteblock city. To top that for strangeness, the PA was playin g some incredible Arabic music - it sounded like a muezzin calling the faithfu l to pray. And we we re greeted by the loveliest, friendliest horde of locals we've ever encountered. Curiously idle and reluctant to shell out 500 drams (75p) for a ticket because they've got more important things to do with their money. In a way watching Wales play football in such places is an obscenity - and you can tell the locals inside are thinking : "You 've spent money to come all th is way, just for a football game." So we felt humbled off the pitch, and
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be about hum•~................................................~:::::::::::::::::::;I} towere bled on the pitch. Most of the locals watched the game for free through the railings , from hillocks outside the stadium , or from their bedroom windows. And half the kids climbed
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fence. Yet, by this stage most of the Welsh contingent had given up on the football and were still marvelling Max, the one-armed Armenian outdoor snooker supremo, who we met when he was busy honing his skills as we strolled through Yerevan 's Victory Park. Aged about 45, dressed in a blue shell suit and sporting three days' bristle on his chin , he was the custodian of a tatty building with rotti ng timbers. Two pool tables stood on the grimy veranda. This was Yerevan's fabled outdoor snooker centrea shantytown shack that looked ready to fa ll down . A hundred ya rds away on top of a hill overlooking the city, a 100-foot high steel statue of Mother Armenia, surrounded by a tank, missile launcher and other armoured vehicles, stood sen ti nel over the capital. Bu t we were irresistibly drawn to the sound of clicking balls. All 16 were the same colour - white. How did you play this bizarre game, exposed to the elements, and not a bar in sigh t? lt wasn 't until we had taken off our jackets and teamed up that we noticed our host's singular style. He had no right arm and , standing ramrod straight, with a violent stabbing jerk of his left arm, imparted a vicious sidespin to the cue ball. Armenia's answer to Ray Reardon. We spent the half-hour ostensibly playing a hybrid of pool and billiards - the rules are too dull to go into - but we were secretly marvelling at melancholy Max . We'd just met another ~!'11!!111111•"' poverty-stricken , resilient , friendly and dignified Yerevan citizen who'd made this trip one of the best ever. Getting stuffed by a one-armed snooker whiz was another
fter seeing the lives of so many downtrodden people - one concierge at our hotel wh ose husband died in the 1988 earthquake was a qualified doctor unable to get wo rk and who earned $28 a month for worki ng ten 24-hour shifts - it would be churlish to bemoan our luck on the fi eld.
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/wa n Roberts: sub in Armenia
In a rare lapse of co urtesy, the Armenians had swiped our seats so we pitched camp behind the goal for another great showing by the World's Greatest Fans. Armed with drums bought in a flea market and dressed in dirt-cheap Armenian football shirts and shorts, Cardiff's Boore brothers - Alun, Gwilym and Rhys - and pals had the game of their lives. Looking like the clap-happy troupe tra-la-laing down your local street they banged out, to the tune of Hare Krishna: "Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary , Gary Speed." Maybe you had to be there but we thought it a cracker. Well worth it just to see a prospective parliamentary candidate for Plaid Cymru jigging along to it. Anne Robinson deservedly got a good spanking but I will abstain from that one. The first goal was a classic example of why the team should have played a friendly in February instead of topping up their tans in La Manga. Ych a fi , I swear- rust spilling out of our defenders ' ears. Hartson 's equaliser was a smasher and his second goal cued the usual Jingle Bell chants about winning away. But, as against Norway, we seemed frightened by the prospect of winning and it was no surprise to see Armenia come back. I blinked hard but it wasn 't Roberto Carlos, though it might have been . Liked the newspaper observation that Movsesyan , who played for Saturn, scored a goal from a different planet. Andy Legg then nearly had a late throw knocked in by their Alexei Sayle-lookalike keeper late on and an even later mix-up between Robert Page and Paul Jones was scary enough . On the whistle, only John Robinson ven tured near our end to acknowledge another tremendous effort by us - in the rain too as the roof had yet to fixed onto the already constructed gantry. What a great, humble player this man
more juice in his legs than a pack of hyenas chasing down a wi ldebeest. At one point, he closed down three Armenians at the same time. Cheers Robbo, such efforts are noted and cherished. Needless to say we'd just witnessed a game we'd have won if Ryan Giggs had played. That would 've been the icing on the cake of a marvellous six days (the highlight being a fantastic World War Three-esque snowball fight by 20 or so middle-aged men with a bunch of local kids on the shores of Lake Sevan after visiting a monastery). Like Belarus, the friendliness, the resi lience of the locals and the glimpses of beauty amid the squalor - Mount Ararat, visibl e on a clear day, from Yerevan, is an awesome site that reduces you to silence. And Max and me won th e snooker 2- 1!
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www .concrete-online .co.uk
Concrete W EDNESDAY, M AY 2 , 2001
21
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By ALEX THORPE
AT CHRISTMAS it seemed somewhat unlikely that Norwich City would be thankful for the points won by Bryan Hamilton. The Northern Irishman looked to be leading City on a disastrous run to Division Two, but his bad form has been nothing to that shown under Nigel Worthington. Indeed, City are simply lucky that thi. year's relegation dogfight is composed of three teams that are j ust plai n abysmal. W ith Tranmere and QPR already dispatched downward , and Crystal Palace looking to follow, the worry must be that there will be less strugglers around next season. The visit of Preston was a bad day for City fans as they slumped to their fourth successive defeat after an incredible goal from North End captain Sean Gregan. The Preston skipper lobbed Andy Marshall from 40-yards to give his side all three points. A goal apiece in the first half - I wan Roberts scoring for City, David Healy for Preston -would probably have been enough to keep Worthi ngton happy, but it wasn ' t to be.
Stunned 11 only took two minutes after the interval for Preston to grab their winner. Gregan took aim and very deliberately curled an effort toward~ goal, and as it dropped inside the far post there was a couple of seconds of stunned disbelief among both sets of fans as Marshall put his hands on his head and tried to come to terms with what had happened. That was enough fo r the fi nal whistle of the
left-back Ada~ Drury from Peterborough (or a reputed £500,000.
Workhorse The moves were financed by Lee Marshall's surprise £600,000 move to Premiership Leicester City. Despite being a regular in the starting line-up at Carrow Road, the deal was seen as a successful piece of salesmanship for a player who is esscntiali!Y a workhorse out of contract at the end of the season . The signings, and a 14-day break for international football, caused heightened anticipation then for Norwich's next home game against Grimsby. The Canaries couldn't have got off to a better start, as they took the lead inside three minutes through Roberts. Once again though, Norwich fai led to capitalise on what should have been enough to kick-start a great win, and Grimsby got the goal they deserved Stuart Campbell heading in unmarked at the far post. Chris Llewellyn sealed City's win in the 74th minute - blasting past a stranded Owen Coyne for his seventh goal of the season. As usual, Worthington ordered City back into their shells - happy to play a 6-3- 1 formation - to consolidate the win.
With the game in the bag, the Gills relaxed and let Norwich score three sloppy goals through Llewellyn, Dare! Russell, and Roberts. And it was lwan Roberts who opened the scoring in the next game orwich played. Unfortunately it was to put through his own goal to give Sheffield United a vital lead at Bramhall Lane. Daryl Sutch, Holt and Peschisolido were the victims of the Gillingham defeat as Worth ington looked for someone to blame. orwich somehow managed to grab a point from a game they should have lost in the last minute, when Darren Kenton lashed a piledriver past Simon Tracey to bring the score back to 1-1. orwich grabbed even more lucky points at Tranmere, when Brian McGovem - thrown on in dc;peration by a fretful Worthington - scored with their only shot of the game five minutes from time.
Appaling
loan from Fulham; combative midfielder Gary Holt from Ki lmamock for £ 100,000; and talented Llewel/yn: In the goals in April
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Encapsulated Sheffield Wednesday were the visitor for orwich's final home game of 2000-200 I, and the game encapsulated the whole season for Canaries fans. City were outplayed for the entire 90 minutes, but still managed to grab something out of it. The first 20,000 gate at Carrow Road since October 1996 saw a drab encounter between two sides just going through the motions. Andy Man.hall was presented with his player of the season award, and Malky Mackay scored the last goal at Carrow Road this season. Wednesday's fans where phenomenal to say the least. ot criticising either side. they managed to keep up a constant 90 minutes of singing, at a volume where Norwich fans couldn't get a look 111.
lt would have been nice to be able to say that City stayed up on the standard of their performances during the run in, but it's impossiAndy Marsa/1 p1cked up player of the year despite wanting out ble. An appalling second half performance against Bumley gift- . .- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.. ed the northemers all three points ~ in a 3-2 win. By simply giving in without a
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whimper, particu following Alex otman's firstlarly Norwich goal, was enough for many City fans. The substitution of the Scotland under-21 international led to a chorus re of doing" "'You aimed don't solely know atwhat you' one man: Worthington. For the record - Norwich took
Unstuck This tactic of defend, defend, defend came unstuck when Norwich - miss ing the injured Andy Marshall - travelled to Gillingham. Robert Green, in only his fourth game for the Canaries, had to pick the ball out of the back of the goal on no less than four occasions as City fe ll 4-0 behi nd. Gillingham raced to their big lead as the out-of-sort Canaries got buried ali ve by an Iffy Onoura hattrick and one from Chris Hope.
the lead through otman and held it for eleven minutes before Kevin Ball equalised; Roberts' 35th minute penalty was immediately cancelled out by Gareth Taylor; lan Moore scored the winner in the 65th minute. Admittedly, the Canaries showed some nice touches in their 1-0 defeat at Bol ton, but they seem unable to combine passing football with creating chances. Dean Holdsworth's free-kick gave The Trotters all three points.
DIVISION ONE P
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14.Barnsley 45 15 9 21 -1054 15.Crewe 45 15 9 21 -1554 16.Norwlch
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By KATHERlNE TREHANE and MlCHELLE MARGOT
UEA Athletics Club finished the cross-country season in fine style at the last East Anglian Cross Country League race at RAF Marham in March. The wome n 's team c locked up a noth er win, b rought home by Clare Edmonds (2nd), Michelle Margot (3 rd ), Kathe rine T rehane (5th) a nd Mind y Darrow (11 th). The men also showed good team tactics over the fas t, flat course, with Glen Richardson (1 7th), Will Vincent (18th), Chris Miller (19th), Michael Warner (21st) and Chris Leakey (45th). The club's efforts over the sea-
son of eight races were well rewarded at the league awards ceremony, with the women regaining first position overall after narrowly missing out for the past two years. The men achieved their best position for
•
several sea sons, finishing fourth overall. In the ind ividual c hampionships, club secretary Margot's dedication and dramatically improved performances this year earned her second place in the women's as well as ending up top under-21 runner. Mindy Darrow, another athlete to complete all the races, was second in the under-21 s, while Chris Miller was the best under21 man.
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Tables Football
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19 14 13 14 12 12 10 9 9 7 7
2 2 4 1 3 2 5 5 4 1 1 3 3
Division Two P W 0 UEA Res 18 15 1 Saxon Eng 18 13 1 Acle Utd A 17 10 3 Yelverton 20 7 7 Blofeld A 19 B 3
0 104 6 80 8 73 9 75 7 84 9 90 7 66 10 72 11 57 16 56 16 53 16 32 18 26
21 54 51 60 52 68 59 71 60 86 96 82 82
59 44 43 43 39 38 35 32 31 22 22 15 9
Nch Utd A
14 13 12 11 11
6 5 2 4 4
In th e 1 pm kick-offs at Sportspark, the Hockey stdes set th e standard of dru bbings. The men 's fi rsts cam e away wt th a 5-2 wm, and the women heaped furth er shame on Essex with a 6-0 victo ry Indoors, the netball ers scored a 28-1 rout. Th e interest moved down to
Colney for the second half, with the men's rugby players winntng 35-22 (see below) and the footballers winning 7-0 (Jarrett 2, Byrn e, Bamber Brown, Crozier and Swan n). Essex's women's footballers regained the slightest bit of pride for thei r university with a 5-2 win .
UEA 35-22 Essex By JONATHAN SY MES
(top 5) L F A Pts 2 4 4 6 8
1-l a\ ing stonned to th e BUSA leag ue tit le al most 3 months ago. the re stru cturi ng of the league 'Y'tcm has left th<.: side decided I] short of match practi ce . But it wa s Es,ex. a di vision above th e Us. -who were to look tired and ragged co me the end of the 80 mi nutes.
22 27 25 47 50
46 40 33 28 27
Division Three (top 5) P W 0 L F A Pts 21 21 21 20 21
1 3 6 5 6
75 65 78 59 62
27 29 39 34 50
48 44 38 37 37
The ca nce llat ion of th e equi\ak nt woman's fi\tu rc pu t more pressure on the si de to bring 'arsJty glory to the rugb) cl ub. and an earl y tl') from Ryan McVeig h set tied their nerves and put them on
their way. E"ex pul led hack three pom to, with a penalt) . hut a pO\\erful run and try fmm Jonathan D\\lgh t restored the U's co mfort able advamagc. ight con\ertcd himself and soon added a penalt) to
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give the u·, a t\\ehe-point cus hion to take Into the hreal.. .
Glimmer \\'hate\ er the hse ~ captain said to his team ,n half time seemed to worl.. . •ts "it hill five mmu tes of th e re-start the ir left winger wem m·cr 111 the corner to gin: them a glim mer ol h1lpc. A superb conn:rsion reduced arrears to li \I'! points. and there l ollowed a \ Ustamed period ol hses pre ssu re. Yet the L.'EA •kfence stood firm. and their tenaL it) \\ ,Is re\\ arded \\hen \lc\e1gh
I
charged down a kick and ran thn>ugh to score his second tr) of the game. But L"e' still refused to lie dm\ n. and another try 111 the left corner halved the deficit to fi,c points. UEA were not to he diS cou raged . hnWC \ Cr , and it \\ as not long hdore \ lc\'e1gh slid d0\\ 11 the nank once more and laid oil to Peter Taggart \\ ho sprinted clear of a lethargic hsc:\ defence to put the hall under th e pos ts. and the game beyond doubt. D" ight Cllll\erted to take Jm
a lw ays kn ew
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poi nt tall) for the match to 15. 'Whi lst a late l.ssex try proved llllle more than a C<Hlsolation .
Commanding Captain \l ex Kcnnedy whose commanding 2nd r< lW performance would hm e put Mart m John son in the shade. said he \\as pleased'' ith the win cspL·ci all) consideri ng the Jack of match pracuce . " i t \\as a rea l squad effort" he sai d, "e,·eryone stuck to their ta sks. C\C il the subs tit utes. and I'm delighted \\ llh the result "
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2, 2001
UEA'S SPORTSMEN and women powered to an almost embarra ssing vi ctory in the ina ugural Derby Day games .
DESPITE HAVING not played a co mpetitive match since January, UEA's rugby team produced a valiant performance to dispose of Essex in a frantic Eastern derby.
69 56 53 49 56
W EDNESDAY , M AY
In suffering only one defeat, th ey we re neve r rea lly worried and had gua ranteed at least a draw by the time the later afte rn oon games ca me around .
Rogers & Norton l eague Division One P W 0 L F A Pts 21 22 24 24 22 23 22 24 24 24 24
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SPORT 23
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2, 2001
UP.set short-lived as team grab eighth title in nine v.ears By ALEX THORPE
CAPTAIN GAVIN Reed summed up his sides performance, saying: "In the first half we played really well and showed how much we've Improved this year. I think everyone watching was pretty Impressed. "lt seemed that the other team was just fitter and going from strength to strength. A couple of our players, including myself, had to go off and they began to overrun us. "Their subs seemed to add pace and running, and ours didn't seem to do that. We didn't really give a full acount of ourselves." Man-of-the-match Trinder concurred: "We started off well, but Gavin [Reed] went off and we lost a bit of our shape. In extra time they were just a bit strong for us, and we were unlucky with penalties. "I was pleased with getting a couple of goals, but I would have preferred the win," he mused. After the holidays, UEA turned their attentions back to the Rogers and Norton Business
continued from back page
Thorpe in their own half. Jarrett forced yet another great save from Bloomfield after a Byrne corner had missed everyone. Crozier then showed he was more than just a poacher, coming deep and beating three players before his shot was turned around for a corner. From the resulting Byrne corner, kipper Reed headed straight at Bloomfield. Another long Byrne throw almost picked out Jarrett - already shaping to shoot - but forced another corner. Swann's corner perfectly picked out Trinder, who could do very little else but head straight into
the net to give UEA the lead again. Thorpe had a couple of chances late in the second half, when Luke Slater and Mark Coughlan combined to get free. On the first occasion, Coughlan air-kicked when faced with an open goal. On the second, Reed got a toe in before Slater could shoot. Thorpe came out for the second half a different side. Andrew Walpole had replaced the oft overwhelmed Winton, and the side just had a far more positive air about it. UEA still managed to create the first chance though, when
a Jarrett run forced a corner. Swann swung it in to Reed, who had his header blocked to Bamber, who shot at Bloomfield. Then, the real turning point of the game. Gavin Reed picked up an injury and was forced off, to be replaced by James Ryan . At the same time,
Thorpe replaced their captain Ben Lydka with quick striker Jon Forster. Almost straight away, Thorpe managed their fl!St shot on target from open play. Walpole won the ball from Jack Cullis and put Slater free, but the Thorpe striker was thwarted by an onrusbing Will AUan. Gary Joynes then brought Slater down on the edge of the box, but Walpole blazed the set-piece well over the bar. This lead to the second main body blow to UEA, as JC Trinder collapsed in a heap having received a knock. The Us held their own while Trinder received treatment, and their tower of strength returned after a few minutes on the sidelines only to be booked for return-
Thorpe pulled level within a minute of Trinder's return . A Forster freekick on the right wing missed everyone in the area except the unmarked
Clockwise from top left: Graeme Byme makes a challenge; Paul Jarratt surges forward in extra time, and Richard Crozier puts Thorpe under pressure
Houses League. Already holding a comfortable gap at the top, they clinched their eighth title in nine years in the first week back.
Consistency The consistency of their performances must be becoming an embarrasment for the league organisers - the UEA are unbeaten this season - and promotion to the Anglian Combination must be on the cards. Reed agrees, saying: "We hope to go up, because none of our team are leaving. If we go on our first years this year, which were extremely good - and I
Stefan Rider, who was left with an easy header. As the half went on, the UEA found themselves pushed further and further onto the back foot, and even bringing on fresh legs James Brown and Peter Skivington as attacking options couldn't prevent it. The still hobbling Trinder proved his worth in the last 20 minutes, making vital tackle after vital tackle, despite the obvious pain he was in. In fact, Thorpe almost stole the game in the last minute as AUan had to come out sharply to save at the feet of Slater. Early in extra-time, Skivington got the chance to show what he is capable of. Slaloming down the right wing, he breezed by Michael Gray as if he wasn't there and saw his shot just saved by the outstanding Bloomfield. The Thorpe goalkeeper then somehow managed to scramble back across to save the rebound shot from Crozier - already turning away in celebration -in miraculous style. Gaskell saw a shot deflected in Bloomfield's arms, and Trinder made a good recovery to clear off the UEA line after Forster had beaten Allan, but the game was bound for penalties. Shooting fl!St, Cullis got UEA off to a confident start by hammering the ball into the top left corner. A similar respon e from Forster evened things up before Graeme Byme had a weak penalty saved by Bloomfield. Simon Gant put the pressure on Will Allan to score, but the UEA keeper bad the bad luck to see his Thorpe counterpart pull off another great ave to make the result almost certain. Although James Brown scored UEA's fourth penalty, it wasn't enough and the game was lost.
think that the Sportspark has something to do with this - I think next year's batch is only going to make us far stronger. "It'll be interesting to see what would happen if we weren't allowed in the Anglian Combination, because our players are far too strong to play in the league we play in on Saturdays. lt doesn't do us any good. "We're not sure where we'll end up. I've spoken to a couple of referees who've said we'd go in at Division Two, others have said Division Four and others have said it would be impossible."
TEAM REPORT
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UEA Will Allan: Untested for most of the game, and unfortunate come the shootout. 7 Gary Joynea: Nothing to do in first half. Moved to middle with injury to Reed. Solid. 7 Jack Cullla: Caught out a couple of times by Forster, but othe!Wise good. 7 JC Trlnder: Outstandingly strong, even playing on through injury. Man of the match. 10 Gavln Reed: Captain. Influential enough to be missed when forced off by injury. 9 Andy Gaskell: Slightly overshadowed by Jarrett, but still helped UEA dominate midfield.
8 Graeme Byme: Didn't get forward enough, but his set-pieces created many chances. 7 Paul Jarrett: Wonderful run in first half encapsulated his whole game. Good throughout.
9 Richard Crozier: Thought he had scored an extra time winner, but denied. Played on injured. 8 Tlm Bamber: Had a couple of chances, but without joy. Ran tirelessly throughout. 7 Terry Swann: Tormented Winton for a half, but subdued by Walpole. 8 James Ryan: for Reed, 50. Unfair to compare him with Reed. Good game. 7 James Brown: for Swann, 71. Showed some good touches, but had to cover for Trinder. 8 Peter Sklvlngton: for Bamber, 79. Brilliant skill created chance for Crozier. Not given enough time. 8 Goals: Trinder 2 (8, 40). Bookings: Byme (19, Dissent), Trinder (61, Unsportsmanlike conduct).
THORPE Bloomfield, 10; Winton, 5 (Walpole 45, 7); Cutting, 8; Syder, 7; Forth, 6; Gray, 7; Rider, 7; Lydka, 6 (Forster 50, 9); Gant, 7; Slater, 6; Coughlan, 7 (Crane 62, 7). Goals: Gant (19 pen), Rider (62)
â&#x20AC;˘
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UEA's cug dreams ended in crushing enal defeat 2-2 Thorpe Rovers win 4-2 on pens
By ALEX THORPE Sports Editor
THERE'S SOMETHING about football that makes it unique. That one side could play so well , score as many goals as the opposition, and yet still lose the game in a lottery. From the first wh istle it seemed like UEA would walk their way to the Norfol k Junior Cup. The midfield pairi ng of Andy Gaskell and Paul Jarrett were cutting Thorpe Rovers to shreds, and the team generally seemed invulnerable. So what went wron g~ Injuries. Knocks picked up by centre- half pairin g Gavin Reed and JC Trinder. and striker Richard Crozier effectivel y scuppered any chances of killing the game off in normal time. From as earl y as the fourth minute UEA were causing defensive havoc for Thorpe. a~ Gaskell beat two players down the left win g and forced a corner from which Reed saw his shot only just cleared off the line.
Inevitable Thi s marked out the inevitable source of the early goal as a cross, and none oth er than , Trinder. Terry Swann was brought down on the l eft wing , Gaskell swung the free kick in to Crozier, who headed the ball back to the
Tim Bamber holds off a challenge from Thrope 's Simon Forth
For a further ten minutes, Thorpe couldn ' t get anywhere near the ball and UEA had even more chances. Jarrett forced a good save from
M artin Bloomfield after Swann had won the battle with Danny Wi nton for the left wing; a long Graeme Byrne throw caused abj ect panic in the area; and Bamber and passed their way free , fed Gasketlwhose cross was j ust in fron t of Crozier. Th e best then came from Pau l Jarretl , who pi cked the ball up on half-way, and proceeded to beat seven Thorpe players before a vital ch a ll e n ge from a recovering Simon preForth ve nted him shooting. Then ,
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UEA gave the ball away to Simon Gant. who bu rst into the box and fell under a shoulder challenge by Jarrett. The re feree gave the penalty which the same player di spatched to bring the favourites level.
Flow Th e goal did very little to change the flow of the first half as UEA con tinued to pin continued on page 23
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