Concrete issue 143 30 10 2002

Inside A guide to your best Halloween ·ever Issue 143 · Wednesday, October 30, 2002

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UEA's independent student newspaper

Students furious at £1 ·per day charges for UEA car park STUDENTS are launching an attack against ttie University's controversial car park plans which were exposed in Concrete.

The University is proposing to !ntroduce a £1 per day cost, resulting in an annual expenditure of £240 for those who commute to UEA. Many students feel that the University's suggestion is about generating more revenue rather than addressing the problem of overcrowding.

Law student Hannah Whitmarsh says the University's solutions are always focused on how much money they can take from students.

"The problem will remain and the University will make four times as much money."

And MGT student Gemma Sayer feels that Travel Coordinator Dawn Dewar's comment saying it will be "hard for those who live in rural areas" is simply not good enough.

"I am in a similar situation to Catherine Wilikinson as described in the last article, living 14 miles from campus."

Gemma points out that when

REBECCA LAWRENCE News Editor

applying for parking permits it does not matter if you live miles away or right next-door on Earlham Road.

"You can still have a permit if you pay the £30 charge. I would suggest that the existing permits without daily charges should be issued only to those living outside Norwich, or to those with a disability. Everybody else who lives in Norwich should be refused a permit and face daily charges."

Norma Henderson, a postgraduate law student also has no option but to use a car as she cannot get to campus by 9 o'clock if she uses public transport.

"As a postgraduate student, my only income derives from teaching work, and the £250 or so per year it would cost me to park on campus would cause financial hardship."

Norma recognises that a parking fee would make a difference to car parking on campus.

"However, if this is done some sort of provision must be made for those who have no genuine option other than to use private

transport."

Union Finance Officer Michelle Pratt said that it is obvious to all that we need to find a way of reducing the number of cars coming onto campus.

"Our concern is that students who need to run a car won't be priced out of driving to campus.

"The plan would have to allow for special circumstances."

The Union have placed copies of the travel plan in reception along with a comment book.

'We are also holding a UGM in the LCR on November 5th at 1pm. TheUniversity Travel Coordinator Dawn Dewar will be there as well as the Director of Estates Richard Goodall.

"Students will have their opportunity to put their questions to the University in a question and answer session," she added. · "Using the comment book and the meeting we will gather student opinion and report back by the deadline November 22."

Travel coordinator Dawn Dewar was unavailable for comment.

To see a full selection of letters, turn to pages 18 and 19.

And let us know how you feel about it. Email us at su.concrete@uea.ac. uk

Comment comment, page 6

Meet this· Harry Potter star working • • In a Cinema near you See The Event. Page 4

LCR Kl LLER JAILED THE LCR CLUBBER who killed a fellow dancer In a vicious assault was jailed yesterday for only three years nine months.

Norwich Crown Court

tured by a single punch from 21-year-old Andrew McPhee, writes Rebecca Lawrence.

heard how Richard Walls, 29, died after an artery in the left side of his neck was rup-

The blow knocked Mr Walls to the floor leaving him unconscious at the Pam's House trance event.

Clubbers on the dance floor

looked on as McPhee continued to punch Mr Walls in the face and head until he was finally pulled away.

Richard was treated by first aid staff at the scene and later in hospital but staff failed to revive him.

As reported in Concrete,

Judge imprisons McPhee for less than four years McPhee of Northfields, Norwich admitted manslaughter on March 9, after previously pleading not guilty. He appeared for sentenc· ing yesterday (October 28.)

The incident allegedly started after McPhee bumped into Richard as he was making his way to a phone box at the event

packed with over 1000 clubbers.

Judge David Melior said to the defendant that he saw red in every sense.

"Red no doubt because of the blood from your nose and red in anger, then what followed was in retaliation."

Continued on Page 5

Page 2

Sport fee fury TINA HAGGER

USERS of the Sportspark are infuriated over the charges to enter the building.

A Or in the Climatic Research Unit, Peter Thorne entered the sportspark last week with a friend to use the lockers for their kit whilst going on a jog around campus and was charged 50p to enter the bu ildi ng on both thei r first and second entries.

Students and staff alike feel the 50p charge to merely enter the sportspark building is bad enough , but th e fact that the locker key is not accepted as proof of previous entry, and a further 50p is demanded on return is unbelievable; particularly as the sportspark is the only place outdoor sports users can use public shower facilities and lockers.

Mr Thorne was shocked at the incident. "lt was a crass, incompetent and shameful moment. This is a ridiculous state of affairs and should be rectified immediately.

Charging once is questionable, twice is risible".

This is unfortunately not the first time the issue of the sportspark entry policy has been raised.

Former Union Sports Officer Line Jenssen previously approached the sports park and was reassured the entrance fee is for use of the facilities such as the showers etc, but that the locker key wou ld th en be 'proof of entrance'.

But this still does not seem to be the case. lt is recognised that the sportspark is a great asset to the UEA, but it is difficult to understand why the readmission policy cannot be fairer and more coherent, allowing sport to take place around campus as well in the sportspark itself.

The sportspark were unavaliable for com ment.

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

UEA'S MP EDAS NEW EDU JION BOSS Charles Clarke takes over Estelle Morris' role REBECCA LAWRENCE News Editor

MP FOR Norwich South Charles Clarke was made Education Secretary last Thursday, after a cabinet reshuffle motivated by the resignation of Estelle Morris.

The ex-Labour Party Chairman , who has strong links with UEA, started his duties straight away.

He attended education ques路 lions at the Commons on the morning of his appointment.

Clarke was previously School Standards Minister, but the 51 year old remained seated during the session , allowing Schools Minister David Miliband to answer the questions.

A spokesperson for Tony Blair said that Mr Clarke had the qualities to cope with the tough position . ''The Prime Minister is very confident in his ability to manage what is not only a high profile department but a department which now has to build on the fundamental transformation that has been brought about by

David Blunkett and Estelle Morris."

But the new education secretary has already caused trouble with th e teacher unions, warning them that their annual conferences are a bad advertisement for the profession .

He believes the ritual of delegates jeering and heckling ministers does no favours to the workforce and suggests they are out of touch with reality.

Clarke spent nine years as Neil Kinnock 's ch ief of staff until the former Labour leader's defeat in 1992.

He became an MP in 1997, and in 1999 he moved to the Home Office and joined the cabinet as party chairman in 2001 , as the first person to hold a ministerial position paid from party funds rather than the public reserves .

Morris' departure comes in light of th e A-Level scandal this summer, which Mr Clarke will have to contend with, dealing with a possible restructure of our examination system. He will also have to get targets in primary and secondary school on course.

Yet a source close to Mr Clarke said he was delighted with his new position .

Above: Charles C/arke

POLICE TAKE ACTION OVER THEFTS THE POLICE have launched an operation to attack the number of car thefts taking place on campus.

In the last two weeks, there have been nine car thefts from the yellow overflow car park near Wolfson Close.

The Operation Bulrush was undertaken in response to the high amount of veh icle crime. lt

RE BECCA LAWRENCE News Editor

involved seven undercover offi路 cers carrying out observations and patrols in all UEA car parks.

The operation led to the arrest of four people from cars in which all the property was recovered .

Campus police officer PC Richard Bell said the officers have been greatly assisted by UEA security officers, and he advises students and staff to be

more vigilant when leaving their cars.

"Always lock your cars, and never leave valuables on display.

If you see someone trying ca r doors, looking into cars or hanging about the car park ca ll security and the police. Try to note down their description and direction of travel."

Intelligence has shown that the culprits are juvenile males.

Two have been arrested, and two have been given a police reprimand .

PC Bell added that the number of officers involved in the operation shows the importance given to the issue .

"I can't go into details of the observations carried out as it could compromise future operations, but I would like to stress the importance of crime prevention."

If anyone would like furthe r advice or guidance, they shou ld come to the police surgery every Wednesday between 12pm and 2pm in Union House.

Charles Clarke: An apology In the last issue of Concrete a fortnight ago, we wrongly reported that MP for Norwich South , Charles Clarke is Chairman of the Conservative Party.

This is incorrect , as Mr Clarke, was until last week, Chairman of the Labour Party.

We apologise for any embarrassment or inconvenience cause by our oversight.

Inside this fortnight: Page 2: Announcement that Charles Clarke is to be new Education secretary Page 3: LCR special: Bomb scare on club night and students left outside after alarm Page 6: Have your say in improving our buses Page 10: How those celebrities fall - a special report Page 12: Guide to your best Halloween - ever.

Page 14: Winter gettaways Page 16: Get that goth look Page 22: Rugby player seriously injured

Are you worried about your alcohol intake? We reveal all on Page 8

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

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Video vending machine to come to UEA A BLOCKBUSTER video vending machine will be coming to campus.

Students will be able to borrow up-to-the-minute videos by swiping their credit or debit cards against the machine.

Hoax call threatens dancers at UEA event A BOMB scare threat was Issued on UEA Campus at the Sundissentlal club event last week.

Local police received a call to a recorded number at 9.40pm on Friday 18, from an unknown source claiming there was a bomb due to go off at midnight in an unspecified building on the UEA campus.

UEA security took the decision, because of the vague nature of the call, to mainly concentrate on the buildings on campus occupied at that time of night.

In conjunction with the local police they searched the LCR, Union House and the Square areas, establishing that the call

TINA HAGGER was in fact a hoax.

A member of the Police Media Office Nina Goad said that the call was given "a low risk assessment" from the beginning.

But head of campus security Mike McCormack reassured students that the threat was treated sincerely, and dealt with in an appropriate way.

"The call was treated seriously and security was maintained throughout".

Mike McCormack was unable to give a profile of the hoax caller but did comment that the call was clearly not from an expert and seemed "frivolous".

The imprecise nature of the call also leads him to believe the person may be unfamiliar with the UEA site.

Students at the club event were unaware that there was a bomb scare, as they did ·not have to be evacuated.

SOC student Vikki Shaw was at the club night and said everything was fine.

"I didn't notice any security problems, and only found out about the bomb scare the next day. They couldn't evacuate, as they didn't know what building the bomb was in. If it was a more serious threat, they should have told everyone but in the end it was a good job they didn't,as there wasn't a bomb."

In 2001 Union House stewards were praised when they evacuated the building after finding a device resembling a bomb. lt later turned out to be a prop being used by a group of film students who were working in the building .

FALSE AlARM FORCES STUDENTS OUT OF UNION Fire bell leaves mass queues at LCR CHAOS struck at the LCR when security guards failed to organise students after the fire alarm was set off.

The LCR had to be evacuated on Thursday October 17th following the installation of a new fire alarm system. lt was quickly established as a

-----~

CHARLOTTE ROLAND false alarm. A smoke detector had been activated in the bar at the back of the hive.

The security staff stated that the alarm is directly connected to the fire brigade. "lt cannot be stopped and reset until everyone is out and the fire brigade give the go

ahead".

Yet the evacuation was far from organised. Students who were already in the Hive for the night made their way to the nearest fire escape, yet security guards told them to walk all the way round to the LCR entrance in order to get tickets to come back in.

Daniel Summers (EAS2) who was inside when the alarm went off stated that he was told not to leave through the hive doors.

"This surprised me as it was the quickest way out".

Members of security explained that from the fire panel they had located the activated alarm, and could see people weren't at risk by going across to the LCR doors.

By this point it had already been established that it was a false alarm and it was more practical for people to leave though the LCR doors and wait in the area outside.

Ellie White (MUS2) was one of the clubbers forced to wait outside in the cold for about forty minutes.

"Everyone waited patiently outside and kept up the party sprit, even though it was a bit annoying and freezing cold."

Union Finance Officer Michelle Pratt said that companies are constantly looking for new products that will sell to the student market.

"This particular product came to the attention of the managers who asked us if it would be a good idea. I'm not sure of the hire cost yet but it will be comparable with video shop prices.

We are all looking forward to its arrival and we believe it will be popular with students."

The Union is not sure exactly when the machine will be here but it should be outside the bar, near the photo booth soon.

Psycho murder chat THE PSYCH society are organising a discussion of murder enquiries and the use of psychology police investigations.

The talk, which will be held on Thursday October 31 , will cost £1 .50 for non-members and £1 for members. lt will be between 7 and Bpm in room 0.06 of the Elizabeth Fry building.

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BACI< CHAT CONCRETE'S GUIDE TO WHAT YOU SHOULDN 'T KNOW .....

Charl ie's eh allenge While our local MP Charles Clarke cannot deny he has had a pretty good week, it certainly has had its down point.

Our insiders told us that within an hour of being told he was the new Education Secretary, following the resignation of Estel le Morris, good old Mr Clarke was back in parliament answering questions about his new department.

P""'=11~~~'!';1'~~~, The weekly meeting, which is obviously designed for fellow ministers to put their questions to the cabinet experts would probably not have been such a big deal if he had been doing the job for a while.

A source close to Mr Clarke, who is described as a bruiser by the media, explained that he was shocked and scared about his first session.

He went to Downing Street and got the job, bu t strai ght after he had to go to parliament to answer questions on education , which even for him must have been very frightening."

Never mind Charles, we're sure you knocked them dead.

Battle of the bars it seems there is some kind of bar war going on between staff at the Waterfront and the Union pubs.

Last Thursday, outside the LCR numerous party-goers watched in horror as the mass brawl ended in a 20-year-old student being rushed to hospital while bleeding from the head .

The boy was taken away by an ambulance at around 1.45am - just after the event finished .

But little did they know that the bout of fisty-cuffs began with a row between two groups of male Union staff.

A source close to the a victim who works at the Waterfront explained that the students involved may lose their jobs.

'They have been suspended from their work and will probably be sacked . I don't really know what started the fight off, but it did get pretty nasty."

Ready for a scrum?

Last issue you might remember that we gave those rugby boys a bit of a slating.

While we still don't really want to see their naked bodies in the Square on a night out, they must be congratulated for their attempts at raising money for a mens' cancer charity.

Yes, the boys finally published their calendars last week and not only is it damn impressive, so far they have raised over £300 for the Orchid Cancer Appeal.

A word of advice girls: Get your copy before they all run out.

Students protest over increased late fees and rude staff STUDENTS are angry about the increase in library fines, criticising the library's service and attitude.

The UEA lib rary has raised the levels of its fines from 1Op to 25p per day for standard loans, and from SOp to 75p per day for seven day loans and recalled material.

Th e rise has enraged students. A second year student said ''they were extortionate anyway" even before the prices rose on September 30th.

Students feel that the library is just trying to make money out of poor students.

Director of Library Resources Kitty lnglis said that the rise in fines was not imposed dictatorially.

'The levels of fines have been reviewed , as they are every year, by the Learning and Resources Committee which

Even we didn't think going to the LCR could be quite as hilarious as it was the week before last.

Having had some fairly inebriated evenings at the Thursday night bash , we were surprised to see a member of one of the more high profile clubs/societies on the floor for most of the night.

She didn't just fall to the floor with a bang once , we witnessed her legs in the air on numerous occasions.

At first we felt quite sorry for the poor lamb, that was until she knocked our drinks out of our hands on one of her 'trips .'

And it was left to her poor boyfriend to save her from even more potentially cringeful moments.

Bless. Or not.

Have you got any g ossip ? Email su.concrete @uea.ac. uk

has student representation on it."

She also said that the point of the fines is to deter students from removing books for long periods, and depriving other students of them.

"Students could avoid the

fines if they brought their books back on time, or renewed them , and it is possible to renew books over the 'phone, on the library catalogue, or in person."

Ms lnglis did make it clear that the fines are across the board , so that lecturers and other staff have to pay the same rates as everyone else, if they keep books too long.

Above: the library

Responding to the last edition's article, Ms lnglis made it clear that the UEA library is not a public library, and is not funded as such. lt is however possible for anyone to use the library for reference purposes and anyone may apply for membership. UEA graduates, local teachers and certain groups do, however get preferential rates .

Students, however have yet to be convinced that the library is run to the highest standards.

The stock of journals was criticised by a number of students.

Biology student Stephen Robinson also complained about the closing time being too early.

'There is virtually permanent queue at the service desk."

A number of students complained about the staff's attitude towards the students - one said they were "just really rude".

There were a number of suggestions as to how the library could be improved, and what the money raised from fines should be spent on .

NINA SPEAKS OUT OVER a• J ION RES I(iNK

Ex-Liberations ~fficer puts the record stra1ght

NINA Ammundsen, who resigned as Liberations Officer on Thursday October 10, has told Concrete that there was more to her resignation than simply " personal problems."

She stresses that her decision to stand down was not just about work.

PS SST!

THO M SMITH

"I think all the executive do an amazing job and work very hard. But the fundamental difference between their jobs and the job of Liberations Officer is that the post is about representation and should be a job for three people.

"The primary reason I resigned is because I do not represent ethnic minorities or the disabled."

Until recently there were three separate officers that now fall under the single heading of Liberations Officer, Race Awareness Officer (for ethnic minorities), Disability Awareness Officer (for students with disabilities) and LGB officer.

In 1997/98 there were no nominations for the role of Disability Awareness Officer and , similarly, in 1999/2000 .the posi-

GAVIN BATES tion of Race Awareness Officer was not filled.

When in 2000/2001 the role of LGB Officer was not filled the Union , despite the fact that an LGB Officer had been elected for the following year, decided to scrap all three positions.

These important decisions were made at a council meeting in 2001 , where there was no representation for the LGB, the disabled or for racial minorities.

This is the first year we have had a liberations officer and all students, regardless of sexuality, race or ability, vote for the post.

Therefore, we could end up with a Liberations Officer who is racist , homophobic and disablist.

One advantage of the new role is its vote on the Union, whereas previously the other three positions were not entitled to one. But they did all have an individual voice, which Nina now believes have all beeri lost.

"I think representation is more important than a vote on the Union executive" She would like to, once again , see the ethnic minorities, the disabled and the LGB all voting for their own representatives .

Nina argues that women vote

for the Women's Officer only and, although the position does not have an individual vote on the exec, it still has a voice and, therefore, an influence.

'The Union would say that they are acting in the best interests of all minority groups by giving everyone a voice and a vote. However, in reality they have, unwittingly, created a posi tion that misrepresents the minorities .

After all, how would female students feel if the Women's Officer was a man?"

Although the nominations for the new Liberations Officer closed on the 25th October there is still a chance to vote on the 7th November.

Commenting about the elections, Nina said she wanted to encourage coloured, disa~led and LGB ~,t,u dents to vote .fqr·someone who

they feel will best represent their interests, this year and in the future .

'That will best be done by someone who will fight to reinstate all three part-time officer roles."

The election for Nina's replacement takes place tomorrow in the LCR, between 11 am and 5.30pm .

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

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MANSlAUGHTER CONVICT SENT TO JAIL Continued from Page 1

Norwich house owners not part of new deposit system LAST FORTNIGHT Concrete launched a campaign against landlords taking student's deposits without a satisfactory motive.

In an undercover investigation local letting agents revealed their policies on deposit schemes.

None of the agencies questioned belonged to the tenancy deposit scheme, which is a government initiative to protect the deposit, giving students a good way to challenge disputes over deposits.

Temples said they do not belong to the scheme because their landlords have not asked them to take part.

"If they wanted us to, we could ."

Lettings Department employee Shirley Woodhouse said that if a student is unhappy with the deductions they should write to

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REBECCA LAWRENCE News Editor

the company.

"They could also liase with the landlord. We send a letter round before advising students about what they should do to clean up their property."

Norwich Accommodation Agency claimed that fifty percent of their deposits are returned in full.

Lettings manager James Whittacker said there might be a reduction for cleaning.

"We go in and asses the damage and then estimate the cost of contractors, so as deposits are returned quicker."

But the agency said the tenancy deposit scheme is not something they have looked into.

"We haven't had any prob!ems with our system. If someone was unhappy, we would review it ourselves."

Kent Management manager

Steven Wykham said the agency was not a member of the tenancy deposit scheme, as they did not want to get another body involved.

"Last year we returned 60% of deposits in full. We do a preinspection to give students an indication of what they should clean up. We suggest that students hire cleaners to avoid deposit reductions."

But there are not only pro~ lams.with letting agencies.

Private landlords can create enormous problems over deposits.

Last year student John Essex had £150 of his deposit withheld.

"Our Landlord, Mr Keith Rodney Newnham, claimed decorations we carried out were "not to the incoming students taste." I don't see how this can possibly be justified."

John has launched a complaint through the Homerun Office in Union House who are

sending the landlord a letter, as he will not respond to the students.

"He thinks that eventually we will give up trying. I don't know how likely it is that we will regain our deposit. Hopefully Mr Newnham will be removed from the official list of HOMERUN recommended landlords."

John wants to warn the current tenants of the house, 502 Earlham Road, about the landlord.

"I would like to ask whether they genuinely did object to the decoration because I suspect this is a complete fabrication by the landlord. When we moved in to the house the previous tenants were having a row with Mr Newnham, which makes me wonder if he has 'cheated' other tenants out of money before."

If you have had any problems with private landlords or agencies please get on touch by emailing us at su.concrete@ uea.co.uk.

"I bear in mind that this is a case where death followed a single blow but that blow has to be seen in the context of your angry retaliation for what happened to you."

He said McPhee had an inability to control his anger.

"The sentence will no doubt bear heavily on you and those who hold you dear. 11 will of course be nothing compared to what has happened to Richard Walls or the loss that has been borne by those who mourn his death."

Prosecutor Andrew Munday QC said that Mr Walls, from Gallon hall Flats, SI Faiths Road, had gone to the trance event with friends.

He said those who knew him

described him as a relaxed character that was never aggressive.

As Mr Walls, who worked as a supervisor at Banham Poultry, lay on the ground McPhee sat crouched down on his chest punching him until he was pulled off.

The court heard that McPhee had two convictions for common assault. He admitted to police in an interview that he used to have a temper.

Graham Parkins QC defending said it is a·classic manslaughter case.

"There is no suggestion that either of them went there either intending or anticipating any trouble at all.

"Whatever the precise sequence of events we will never really know."

POET MOTION EVEALS H SSILLY DRUG HABIT UEA's Professor of Creative Writing Andrew Motion has revealed the source of his inspiration.

Throughout history, numerous literary figures have used drugs in an attempt to inspire them and increase their creativity.

Samuel Coleridge, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sigmund Freud, are well known writers reputed to have taken drugs, such as laudanum in Coleridge's

NICOLA HANLEY and GENEVIEVE KERR

case to encourage their creativeness.

• But modern day writers seem to be looking for a healthier literary aid. · Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has claimed that the cold treatment Lemsip helps to inspire him by making him feel slightly unwell.

11 gives him a greater scope to consider and examine his ideas in more depth.

Preferring the lemon flavoured

drink to the blackcurrant and neutral flavoured lemsip, Motion has one cup a day prior to beginning work, and has done for years.

Fully aware of the addictions of writers before him, the poet seems relieved that he is in the habit of taking the safe, nonaddictive cold remedy to inspire ·him rather than something harmful. "lt's my lemsip-inspired trance and I can only say thank heavens it's not laudanum or absinthe."

But students approve of Motion's muse, and have added their own ways to help the poet get more inspiration .

EAS student Suzie Johrison said she puts on some chilling music.

"I close my eyes, and think about what I need to do."

But other students prefer to get their essays done using the drug alcohol.

While using alcohol for inspiration seems to be a common trait amongst UEA students, SYS student Ash King said he goes to the pub, and has a pint or two.

"Then I go home and get into a bed with a book. I then practice safe meditation and reading under the sheets."

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~xc~: Happy Modem Clalelea.· ClwnpCod. . ..

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

JOIN OUR FIGHT FOR A BE

Taken for ride A month ago, Channel 4 news visited UEA to find out if students actually cared about anything anymore. The findings revealed that on the whole, the answer is no.

However, the news that a group of students have decided they have had enough of the city 's poor buses and are determined to run their own service proves this theory wrong.

Every morning and evening, especially, students are left out in the cold and rain while waiting for a bus to come along . To make matters worse , we have to pay an obscene amount of money to travel on them .

Not only is this annoying and inconvenient, but also degrading. Many of us do not have any other mode of transport to get to and from university, so we are forced to put up with the poor service we are given.

Eve ry winter, there seems to be a shortage of services from the Golden Triangle to UEA and it is about time it stopped.

So why not join in and tell the bosses at First that you are not prepared to be treated like this any longer.

Fire alarm fear

Drivers furious at bad service while U THE CITY'S bus drivers have revealed their anger towards new working conditions which result in a poor service for students.

Staff at First Eastern Buses, who take the brunt of passenge r complaints, are becoming increasingly angry.

One driver, who would not be named for fear of losing his job, said the poor service is a result of new working conditions.

While we can congratulate the Union's door staff for doing a fantastic job most of the time, it cannot be denied that there was a major example of disorganisation at the LCR two weeks ago.

Following the fire alarm , the whole of Union House was evacuated, leaving over 1000 students waiting outside to get back into the building.

During this time, student safety was at an all time low, it would only have taken a few silly people to push forcefully through the crowd to get into the front doors of the LCR first, to cause a mass crush , putting our lives at risk .

Admittedly there are very few incidents that threaten our safety, but when they happen we should feel safe that they will be dealt with appropriately.

Cash campaign The unbel ievable response we had from last issue's news that students and staff are going to be charged £1 per day to use the car park shows that the new plan is fundamentally wrong .

The negative views of the users of UEA should be top priority when such decisions are made. All too often situations are resolved on our behalf by those who are only trying to make as much profit as possible.

U EA is not a corporate business, but a University.

Th erefore, it's high and m ighty should not be attempti ng to make money over everything else . The we lfare and respect towards its students and staff shou ld be top of the agenda.

The majority of stu dents at this Unive rsity will not even be able to drive to UEA anymore as Transport Manager, Dawn Dewar proposes to slap a ban on anyone who lives within a mile radius. With the state of the buses , this is just a pure insult.

So don 't let it stop here. Join Concrete and make those at the top of UEA's hierarchy listen to us.

KATE JONES

"Drivers hate going past stu· dents when their buses are too. full. The reason there aren't enough buses going to the university is because so many buses are un-roadworthy, especially since the redundancies in the engineering department.

Don't blame the drivers".

But bus users have found themselves waiting at bus stops for up to 45 minutes.

EAS student Cheryl Pearce is demanding that the service is sorted out. "lt is appalling. The system obviously isn't working . lt has been a problem for a while now and it's unfair on students and drivers."

The tendency has been to blame the drivers, but since the proposed strike action some students feel attention should be focused elsewhere.

WAM student David Bone thinks UEA should be behind the bus drivers.

'The 25 is primarily a student service so we should be supporting the drivers".

Managing Director of First Buses Barry Pybis said that the company is making progress in reaching a compromise with th e driver's trade union.

He claimed that the majority of drivers were happy with the new working conditions.

"We are not asking the workforce to work longer hours.

There will not be a reduction in the rate of pay".

But more than 200 drivers voted to ask the union to conduct a ballot about strike action.

The unnamed bus driver explained that the new system would result in a reduction in driver's wages.

"I work a four hour shift followed by a 49 minute break. I

then work for another four and a half hours before having a 44 minute break. But I only get paid for 45 minutes of those breaks".

This results in a loss of £4.50 per shift, which works out at approximately £1170 a year.

Bus Drivers are only paid £5.45 per hour but are not asking for an increase. They simply want to return to their previous working conditions.

One of the main worries of students is that overcrowding on the buses will result in an accident. Buses are regularly overcrowded , with older people and those with children having to stand.

Bus regulations clearly state that passengers should not stand to the front of the luggage racks, but it is not uncommon for up to five people to be in this area.

The bus driver also revealed that First drivers are only given nine minutes to check the safety of a bus before they start their shift.

As this situation has a direct eHect on students, there are calls for students to support the drivers.

There will be a petition , calling for an improvement to all services to the University, as well as for support for the drivers,ci rculating in Union House this week.

The People's

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Andrew Motion's revelation that he drinks Lemsip to make himself ill explains a lot.

Firstly, it highlights why perhaps, his poetry has come under so much criticism. Maki ng yourse lf feel rough while you are attempting to write poems for the Queen is hardly going to ensure that one will win an array of support now, is it?

Secondly, it shows just how silly Mr Motion is. First of al l he is caught out 'dating' one of his students - and now this. W hat next Andy? Nothing would surprise us.

And surely you could find more· appropriate drugs to help with your habit.

Vauxhall street parade of shops, 100 yards from The Rose Pub *Non-Smoking*

Above: A c ity bus d r iver

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More sex for students

TTER BUS SERVICE FOR STUDENTS

CASH-STRAPPED students are being offered the opportunity to apply for their dream job condom testing for condom brand, Condoml(r).

EA students vow to set up their own transport STUDENTS are so infuriated over the appalling bus service that they are boycotting the First Eastern buses, and organising their own transport.

The bus services frequently do not turn up, leaving students late for lectures and seminars.

Chemistry Student Louisa Wronska is fed up with the waiting. She has come up with a plan to boycot the 26 and 27 services on Wednesdays. With the backing of the Union, she has proposed to organise a coach service, which would be more regular than the buses.

"The 26 and 27 buses never turn up. Over the weekend, my house and I worked out that we wasted ten hours between us waiting for buses. Last week, I waited for an hour between 11 .30 and 12.30, when four buses are supposed to turn up an hour."

Louisa is particularly angry because she inve$ted in a £175 bus pass for the year.

"I don't know if it is refundable.

The published conditions advertised on the pass seem to be unavailable. I'm worried there is a loop hole."

The Union is discussing the implications of hiring a coach company every Wednesday.

Louisa feels that First Eastern buses currently have a monop-

REBECCA LAWRENCE News Editor

oly over the service.

"To have our own service on Wednesdays would cause less disruption to students as people have less lectures, but will show the company that we are serious."

Welfare officer Ehi ldahosa said the Union has had numerous complaints from students about the infrequency of buses.

"We are assessing student opinion. We have contacted the bus company and are now waiting for a reply. We are also . finding out what student rights are on obtaining refunds on their

bus passes."

Ehi claims that the whole situation throws into perspective the university's plans to prevent a significant number of people coming into campus by car.

"The University will need to consider runn ing its own bus service like local school boards. lt is completely understandable that anyone who has paid £175 for a yearly bus pass would feel frustrated if aren't getting much use out of the pass or are not getting an adequate service" Louisa argues that if the car .park charges are put up, it will force more people on to the buses.

"But there isn't any more buses for people to fit on."

Louisa is organising a petition

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Above: Lou/sa Wronska and her friend, Car/ Rlvett

How you can get involved In order for the campaign to be successful, Louisa and her fellow protesters need your support. lt is impossible to hope for improved service unless students work together to show those in charge that they cannot keep providing us with such a poor transport system .

a much

So by signing Louisa's petition, which will take all of 30 seconds, you could be contributing to helping to get back our previous service.

Or, you can show your support by writing to Concrete. As your student newspaper, we are here to represent your views.

We will pass them onto First on your behalf.

Otherwise, why not write directly to First at Surrey Street, Norwich, Norfolk.

and needs to get support if her idea is going to come to light.

"I've been speaking to people in the mornings and they are all very annoyed. "lt's not just students who are affected, but elderly residents who are waiting in the cold with their shopping. At the moment, it's an idea to scare the First Eastern buses into doing something. If they don't, then the plan will get well underway."

This is not the first year that students have been victims of poor bus services. Every year we tell of the poor transport systern in Norwich .

If anyone wants to help Louisa with her campaign, or give her some support, email her at L.Wronska@ uea.ac.uk.

Students are invited to take part in the exercise, which will involve rigorous pleasure tests on Condomi's(r) range of condoms, writes Genevieve Kerr.

Anyone who is interested can apply online at www.condomi.co.uk where they will need to complete a questionnaire. Successful applicants will then be chosen to sample the entire range of condoms, filling out a 'pleasure control' form for each one.

The form asks students to comment on the comfort, pleasure and all round performance of the condom to assure the quality of the condoms.

Condomi(r) anticipate a huge response for this recruitment drive, which has never been done before. The Condom Testers will be paid £100 per term.

Marketing Manager Victoria Wells said that the company are always looking for ways to improve their condoms.

"Using feedback from eager consumers seems an ideal opportunity of testing every aspect of performance, " she said.

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Ring for further details on extn external 01603 592415 Prices are inclusive of VATcredit cards are not accepted

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

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Students have a reputation for being big drinkers, but many do not realise the extent to which alcohol can damage your body. Ruth Charnock explains why we should all be aware of how badly those nights out at the LCR can affect us.

T

ake any typical Thursday night at the Union bar and you will undoubtedly see evidence of excessive alcohol consump-

tion .

In fact, take any night (or day, for that matter) on campus and it would not be difficult to find a student in some stage of inebriation. Students drink and for some of us, it is what we do best. So many social activities seem to revolve around the liquid stuff, to the extent where a lot of students spoken to would not consider going out without consuming a sizeable quantity. But why is there such a culture of drinking among students? Are we in danger of crossing the line between enjoying a pint and not being able to enjoy ourselves without one? Alcohol Concern states the recommended alcohol consumption for adults as 14 units per week for women (1-2 units a day) an d 21 units for men (1-3 units a day). A unit qualifies as 1/2 pint of

I

t is precisely this climate of binge-drinking that charities, such as Alcohol Concern caution against. Yet what they constitute as a 'binge' is a little ambiguous. Definitions of binge drinking range between "drinking more than six units (for women) or eight units (for men) on a night" and "drinking sufficient alcohol to reach a state of intoxication on one occasion or in the course of one drinking session". Basically, it comes down to a case of personal limits. Do UEA students know when they've had enough?

For many students, it seems not. In fact, many boasted of their binges, suggesting a worrying trend . Incidentally, I don't disassociate myself from binge drinking - I lost a night in a bottle of vodka just last week. But the general consensus when I visited the pre-LCR bar seemed to be that you could not not be wasted if you were to go to UEA's finest night.

"You have to be drunk to go to an LCR", said Kathryn of LLT 4, "it's too depressing otherwise."

I asked the same group what they would expect to drink on a typical LCR night.

ordinary strength beer, lager or cider; 1 small glass of wine; 1 single measure of spirits; 1 small glass of sherry (for the slipper-wearers among you), or 1 single measure of aperitifs.

These figures are presented as a 'safe' amount to drink, when spread across a week. Alcohol Concern definitely does not advocate consuming your weekly unit quota in one night. But the latest government figures show over half of British men and one third of women aged 16 to 24 regularly drink hazardously.

As a resu lt of this excessive consumption, Alcohol Concern state that 20% of men and 7% of student age wpmen can be classed as "mildly dependent" on alcohol. This is defined as not necessarily craving a drink when waking in a morning but fi nding that alcohol consumption (and resulting hangovers) seriously affects other areas of life,

such as the ability to attend lectures.

Going on these criteria for dependence, many UEA students would sur,ely be implicated. it is no coincidence that my Friday morning seminar is filled with pasty looking individuals frantically supping at bottles of iced water, in an effort to dilute last night's hedonism . We've all been there.

Recent media publicity has focused on fears about levels of student drinking, portraying university campuses across Britain as sites for Bacchanalian levels of binge drinking and drunken havoc. Horror stories of alcohol-fuelled mishaps gone wrong are rife.

In 2001, an Oxford student fell 200 feet after climbing a crane when twice over the legal driving limit, while a Welsh student drowned in Cardiff Bay after a lengthy drinking session . Closer to home,

r---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ SOC studentBen

Cannon found himself "vomiting red and black stuff" after consuming 10 double vodka red bulls and three pints two weeks ago.

When asked whether he wo uld consider drinking that much in a sitting again, he replied "I don't drink very often, only once or twice a month , but when I do it is carnage ."

Recen t med ia pub I icity has focused on f ears about levels of student drinking, portrayi ng universi ty cam puses across Bri t ain as sit es for Ba cc hanalia n levels of binge dri nk ing and drunken havoc.

"A bottle of wine before we go out and then maybe 10 bottles", suggested Dan, EAS 4. Other students I spoke to agreed that a good night out involved drinking a sizeable quantity. Andy, MGT 2 recounted a typical night out: "Last Saturday I drank 20 bottles of Reef. I go out to get hammered and to let my hair down." He told me that he was never ill from drinking: "I can control it."

Mike, SYS 2, told of the amount of drinking that takes place in many sports societies.

'We play drinking games where someone has to down a 'spoof pint' ." This, he informed me, consisted of up to ÂŁ13 worth of spirits, picked by teammates. "Some people don't want to join in , but are forced to. Others just don't bother turning up because they know they'll be forced to drink." He asked me not to mention the particular team he played for and hastily told me that he enjoyed the drinking games himself. Other games include drinking through the alphabet (presumably until you pass out) and drinking races.

Welfare Officer, Ehi ldahosa informed me that efforts are being made to control drinking at initiation ceremonies in.

"A memo was sent out to all sports clubs on the subject of initiations stating that although alcohol can be fun it can also prove fata l. Initiations must be non-threatening ."

Unsurprisingly, drinking games are not confined to sports teams or to UEA. Similar drinki ng activi-

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Are you an alcoholic?

D

o you think you might have a drinking problem?

Alcoholics Anonymous has devised a set of 12 questions to help you. If you think they may be able to help you ring 01603-621128 or visit www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk. Other help is available at the University Counselling Service and the Health Centre.

Do you drink because you have problems? Or to face up to stressful situations?

Do you drink when you get mad at other people, your friends or parents?

Do you often drink alone, rather than with others ?

Are you starting to get low marks?

Do you ever try to stop, or drink less - and fail? ¡ Have you begun to drink in the morning? ties at Cambridge University have recently been publicised. At St Catharine's College, a female group called the 'Alley Catz' hosts an initiation ceremony that involves women dressing as cats and playing the 'pennying' game - throwing coins at someone's wine glass and making them down it. Such games were blamed for the college's fall in the Cambridge league table.

Similar societies at UEA are devoted purely to the pursuit of getting inebriated. And most people's fresher week experience takes a similar tone. Alcohol is pushed upon students as the ultimate bonding toot. Having difficulties getting to know your flatmates? Have a few and suddenly everybody is your best friend . The first thing I did when I got to my first-year room was pin up a sign on my door that said 'come in, I have alcohol'. Most of my first term was spent in an orgy of drinking and cleaning up other's vomit.

There seems to be a certain amount of pride involved the morning after a big night in recounting how rough you feet and using it as an excuse to not do any work or tuck into a huge fry-up.

We revel in the amount we drink, but the consequences could be potentially very nasty. Alcohol plays a part in 50% of fights , 75% of stabbings and 70% of murders, claim Alcoholics Anonymous. Fights regularly take place at the LCR that can be, in part, attributed to alcohol. The flip side of the euphoric high you get when you're drunk is a distortion in perspective, leading to shorter fuses and faster fists .

That's not to mention the ubiquitous falling incidents. Everybody has their own favorite alcohol injury anecdote.

However, the long term is more frightening. You can took forward to blackouts, malnourishment (because you're so wasted you forget to eat), violent shaking, hallucinations and cirrhosis of the liver.

Appearance wise, broken blood vessels (resulting in the attractive 'drinker's nose') and potbellies can both be expected. 11 is easy to scoff, but no one looks too hot when they've drunk enough for a small Russian settlement and have lost control of all their vital faculties.

the levels of student drinking and offered up a range of explanations for the situation. They referred to the trend among students of drinking purely for the purpose of "getting blitzed" and attributed this to the excitement of being independent and (certainty at the beginning of term), the temptation of the loan cheque.

Yet it would be facile to say that we all decide to drink just because we've flown the parental nest and have some cash in our pockets. Geoff suggested that peer influence also played a huge part.

"Social pressures are huge and this is compounded by drink promotions at local bars and student nights; he explained.

"The only thing you can get cheap on this campus is booze, I came on to buy some stationary and it would've been cheaper to buy a bottle of vodka ," added Bill.

Both men also suggested that there is an element of denial.

"Students shouldn't think that just because they only drink, say beer, that they don't have a problem. People think alcoholics are just dirty old men in raincoats, or tramps on park benches. But alcoholism can affect anyone - people who drink every day or those who will binge once a month and then not drink for a while."

I asked them both how they thought drinking levels could be curbed among students: "You can't dictate to people", said Geoff, "Students are bombarded with alcohol at every level. I drove past a bar the other day that had a huge banner outside saying 'if you want to think like a student, drink like a student'. What we would advise is moderation."

That seems to be the message from every quarter. But judging by the copious pools of vomit that decorated the Square this morning,

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Do you gulp your drinks, as if to satisfy a great thirsty?

Do you ever have loss of memory due to your drinking?

Do you avoid being honest with others about your drinking?

Do you ever get into trouble when you are drinking?

Do you often get drunk when you are drinking, even when you do not mean to?

Do you think you're 'big' to be able to hold your drink? students are not listening very hard. Last night was another large one and you'll never drink that much again. But the cosiness of the shiny new bar draws you in around lunchtime and from then on, it's all downhill. After all, you deserve a drink, you've just had to sit through a mind-numbingty-boring lecture and have an essay deadtine for tomorrow. You're so stressed, you need a drink to relax. Or maybe two. Before you know it, you're far too wasted to do anything worthwhile and another afternoon is lost in the bottom of a glass. ut, if slightly fuzzy.

The essay can wait until tomorrow. For now, all that's important is getting pissed. Yes, we've all been there.

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na, as the University Counselling Service advises: "Drink greatly lessens people's ability to say no to unwanted sexual encounters which they would have definitely avoided had they been sober."

One wonders how many students woke up this morning with that sinking feeling that they did something really embarrassing last night.

The difficulty comes in remembering what. Over to the University Counselling Service: "We encourage students to take care of themselves when considering using alcohol and to avoid taking any risks which they might regret later." Problems arise when trying to project this message to the average student ensconced in the bar, who considers a pint as vital nutrition .

As part of the bid to educate. students about the potential evils of

"Students shouldn't think that just because they only drink, say beer, that they don't have a problem. People think alcoholics are just d(rty old men in raincoats, or tramps on park benches" - Alcoholics Anonymous bbA

alcohol. represenlahves from Alconoucs Anonymous v1s1t on the last Thursday of every month. I spoke to 'Bill B' and 'Geoff', who prefer not to use their real names. Both expressed huge concern about

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

The last year has been a dream for the tabloid press, almost every week there is another celebrity getting themselves in trouble. Unlike the rest of us, their misdemeamours are published nationally and can leave their careers in ruins. Ed Purkis looks at some of the tragic cases.

T

he last year has been tragic for many ce lebrities. So many have fallen from the top of thei r game, into a downward spiral of media abuse and a severe decrease in job offers.

Indeed, the lives of stars have never been safe, recent months have shown that they can not get away with th eir abysmal behaviour anymore. As a consequen ce, many have not only seen their personal lives go down the drain - but their jobs too.

Us normal people get great satisfaction to watch supposedly 'untouchable' celebrities crumble.

Whenever the media find out something th at exposes something a celebrity didn't want the world to know, we lap it up.

Despite knowing th e sometimes tragic consequences of infringing on the privacy of big names,

it must happen - ce lebrities thrive on publicity because that is how many of the m make their money. With th e public's eyes always glanci ng in their direction , when a celebrity does slip up, th ey don't just stumble, th ey fall to the ground with a loud thud .

One of the most poignant examples is Michael Barrymore . He once loved the attention he got for frolicking around studios shouting "awwwighf, inspiring his audience to giggle. People once laughed at his comic idiocy, now they shake their heads and tut at foolery which no longer seems quite as amusing. People felt they knew him, and feel betrayed when his off-stage antics aren't quite as family friendly as they thought.

Alleg edly hosting cocaine pool -parties is never something most people want the world to know, especially when th e host is a star whose persona is so detached from his secret life. But the news-

papers had al ready reported him to be an alcoholic in the past, and his shows still did well enough afte r admitting he was gay after a twentyyear marriage. These things are not desirable characteristics for a TV entertainer to possess, but it would be politically incorrect to condemn a man for such personal quibbles.

Although unfair, it · makes sense in a way.

Deayton has never pre.tended to be anything other than a smug git. it was only Stuart Lubbock's drowning at a supposed hedonistic party, which is thought to have involved gay sex and hardcore drugs, when Barrymore's mistakes fi nally ruined him. The public ca n cope with a ce lebrity having both a secret life and addictive tendencies, but once we see the most devastating effects of such problems it becomes too much to bear and forgiveness is impossible.

Chances are that Barrymore will never work in te levision again, but when a celebrity is involved in a more acceptable kind of scandal , they can escape with little more than embarrassment and a tempo rarily upset personal life. Angus Deayton has bee n accused by his ex-lover Stacy Herbert of taking cocaine , and enjoying threesomes and prostitutes. it remains to be seen what state his career will finish up in. However, the public already know him as the smarmy, sarcastic know-it-all whose jokes are frequently at the expense of others. One BBC 'insider' forecasts his career to keep going, insisting, "more people will tune in to see him squirm."

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lthough unfair, it makes sense in a way. Deayton has never pretended to be anything other than a smug git.

The ones who make the loudest thud when they fall are those who are the unlikeliest suspects.

Hugh Grant's shy but charming public schoolboy image was threatened after his sexual exploits with

prostitute Divine Brown. Yet he has now gone back to doing popular romance comedies and blockbusters. He was never labelled an 'baddie', he was merely laughed at and then the whole sad event was forgotten about.

And then there 's the childrens' favourite, Jamie Theakston. His cheeky grin must have dissolved when he realised he was being photographed in a brothel with three girls performing sexual favours on him. He described it as "one night before Christmas that went too far" , apologised and probably vowed not to go anywhere near such a place when drunk again. At the end of the day, nobody really bothered with Jamie Theakston because he had an excuse, and like Deayton, he has never really pretended to be something he's not.

They deserve everything they get Stars revel 1n newspaper public ity, that is until they get caught out, says Katie Hind •

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TV presenter's slip of the tongue last week caused one of the biggest libel rows in showbiz, ever. Channel S's Matthew Wright revealed to the nation that it was in fact John Leslie who Ulrika Jonsson claims raped her in 1988. The next day Leslie was absent from his chair on This Morning.

Undoubtedly, his life will never be the same again, although he has not been found guilty, or indeed entered a courtroom yet, the pub!ic will always have a new, negative view of him.

While critics of the press will blame the redtops for ruining his career, it also sparks the debate of how celebrities are treated by newspapers.

Just recently, supermodel Naomi Campbell sued The Daily Mirror for disclosing that she was visiting a cl inic for using drugs. However, earlier this

month, an appeal court ruled in favour of the newspaper. After his victory, editor Piers Morgan was delighted, and as one of the most experienced showbiz journalists, Insisted that newspapers do have a right to uncover the truth about celebrities.

"If they're lying to the public, then newspapers are perfectly entitled to put the record straight;• said Mr Morgan, left.

This is just a typical exampl e of how celebrities such as Campbell are more than happy for their publicity staff to use newspapers at other t1mes.

Indeed, they are just people, like the rest of us, but they have exceptionally privileged lives. They are paid obscene amounts of money to do a job they enjoy and while some, namely Victoria Beckham and Geri Halliwell use the ir fame to help needy causes, others are more than happy to use

their position in the limelight to their own selfish advantage.

This brings me nicely onto John Leslie.

Although! it has not been proven that he did rape Ulrika Jonsson - and it probably never will, numerous other women have come forward to claim that he has used them sexually. Indeed, he is not alone here, the majority of professional footballers use their fame to allow them to play the field and then they complain when one of their conquests sells her story.

Being in the public eye all day, every day cannot be easy, but famous people should feel lucky, and therefore set an example to thei r adoring fans who look up to them.

Sadly, it seems, many do not. And that is exactly why John Leslie has found himself in this tragic position.

Concrete Wednesday October GO 2002

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But how does a celebrity keep his or her skeletons in their closet? The simple answer is to trust no one, especially when the allegation as is heinous as rape. John Leslie's TV counterpart Matthew Wright accidentally revealed Leslie as the protagonist in Ulrika Jonsson's date-rape ordeal on The Wright Stuff.' As of yet, there has not been time for the truth to be fully ousted from this sensational tabloid whirlwind, although we could see Ulrika's broken person image deteriorate further in the following weeks. But one thing is certain, John Leslie's career will never be the same again, even if he is not charged formally. lt has been hard to avoid the revelations involving the once light-hearted Ulrika.in recent weeks. lt started with the Sven affair coming to light before her involvement in amateur pornography was revealed in the tabloids. Ulrika has never presumably courted the tragedies and relationship ordeals she has had, although the masses of media a~en颅 tion she has had in the last week have not been bad for the sales of her new autobiography.

Media attention can be the best friend to a struggling career, although people whose tame comes from off-screen activities have an easier time in maintaining their high profile position. Bill Clinton famously lied about not having sexual relations with Miss Lewinski yet his post-presidency life is far from one of shame, still nudging shoulders with Blair and receiving standing ovations at speeches. President Bush also has a questionable past. He was thought to be an alcoholic in his youth and was convicted on drunk-driving charges just over twenty years ago. Despite thiS and the fact that he has the lowest IQ of any previous president he is now hypothetically the world's most powerful man. Will public opinion of him devastate his chosen media image? Not for the time being, at least in the US and the UK.

H

owever, some of those in high places can turn such disadvantages to their benefit.

Lord Jeffrey Archer thrives on his failings. This is a brilliant diversion tactic - ignore your mistakes and others will too. His prison diary will undoubted-

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ly preserve his fame, and increase the support of his readers. He acts as though his imprisonment is a great injustice, as if money laundering is okay if you are a high- brow writer and Lord. He also seems to think that celebrity prisoners should wine and dine when on leave and that publishing names of other prisoners and prison-workers is acceptable despite laws and regulations to the contrary.

The Daily Mall has continued to publish excerpts from this prison diary despite such illegalities.

Archer knows how to turn his supporters against the prohibitions placed on his freedom, although whether he will be able to rise again to where he once was is doubtful.

Media attention can be the best friend to a struggling career, although people whose fame comes from off-screen activities have an easier time in maintaining their high profile position.

We will inevitably see more examples of celebrity misconduct and celebrity exploitation, whether

ifs the littler name accusing the bigger name or vice versa. We live in an age where to be famous means to be cautious, and if stars want to take risks, they have to be prepared to deal with the consequences, especially it it means their names are forever tarnished.

However, as for who falls and who stays comfortably on their pedestal is all a question of luck.

There are numerous factors which come into play, incl uding clever publicists, their previous reputation, and sadly, their own ability to win the public onto their side.

Fsr left:Jsmle Theskston, left: Mlchsel Bsrrymore, this psge: Angus Desyton

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LIFESTYLE.

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

LIFESTYLE Page 13

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So you thought October 31 was just for kids? Think again . Us stu·dents can partake in the fun that we all did when we were younger, Danielle Agius and Ruth Charnock .explain.

hat time of year has come again. lt's time to whip out those stylish novelty devil horns, whip up some Halloween-themed nosh (sheep's eyes, anyone?) and scare yourself shitless with spooky stories.

Alternatively, you could just get smashed and go terrorise your neighbourhood under the guise of wholesome fun.

For those more historically orientated, and those with a fetish tor pointless facts, that can only ever be told in cocktail party banter, (and when are you seriously ever going to attend one of those? ), All Hallows is actually a Catholic day of observance in honour of saints.

But nowadays, Halloween is yet another market· ing ploy in the world of commercialism and the tact that it's inescapable might be more frightening to you than the rest of it. Some say it is a historical celebration, others a form of demon worship. So keep an eye out for anyone locked away in a room with light and smoke filtering under the crack, and

the low muttering of chants clearly audible • we all know what they're really up to. Whatever your fancy, hold on to your broomsticks as we give ycu the ultimate guide to a UEA 'Studoween'.

Firstly, you have to make sure that your pad has that authentic witchy feel about it. Why not create a steaming cauldron? Pour hot water over ice to c·e· ate a steaming effect of boiling brew and add a glow stick for extra authentic eeriness. Be careful though, dry ice can actually burn very easily (so I' m told by an interne! site on Halloween safety · yes one does exist). You may need to recruit an attractive assistant to create this effect all night • fresh ice is essential.

If that all sounds a bit technical, go traditional and get yourself a whopper of a pumpkin. Make an incision in the top of your orange friend, cut i1 off like a boiled egg and scoop out that flesh. For any budding Jamie Olivers, pumpkin soup also always goes down well. Sadly, no cocktails involve pumpkin, so you might have to be a little more creative when it comes to booze. Go for strange and exotic concoctions involving cranberry/blackcurrant juice, (pretend it's blood) and sizeable amounts of magic juice (whatever liquor floats your boat, although vodka has a certain Transylvanian je ne

sais quoi). Add a few eyeballs (grapes), et v6ila· your very own witch's brew! There is a plethora of Halloween-themed foods on American housewives' web-sites, but we suggest either whipping together something suitably scary using noodles and ketchup or resorting to Plan B, and stuffing yourself silly with trick-or-treat goodies, as outlined below.

As a student, you are never to old to indulge in shameless blaggi ng of foodstuffs around your neighbourhood To further add to the spooky aura in your boudoir, may we suggest a liberal scattering of tea-lights (purely for decorative. purposes, we do not endorse pyrotechnics), and some artistic draping of diaphanous materials. Try to avoid draping the materials over the tea-lights, or you could find yourself with a bona·fi~e Bonfire Night on your hands. To complete the effect, round up some moody, gothic types (or random catatonic drunkards)and have them lounge decadently, sipping from goblets and reading Anne Rice novels. Sling some suicide music on the stereo and think dark thoughts. The overall vision should be more Dracula-chic, less Hammer House of Horrors.

The history of "Trick'Or'Treating" can be traced back to the early celebrations of All Soul's Day in Britain. The poor would go begging and the housewives would give them special treats called "soulcakes". This was called "going a-souling•, and the "soulers" would promise to say a prayer for the

·0

dead.

yer time the custom changed and

the town's children became the beggars. As they went from house to house they would be given apples, buns, and money.

As a student, you are never to old to indulge in shameless blagging of foodstuffs around your neighbourhood. We suggest adopting a sweet and innocent demeanour when preying on your locals during trick or treat season. If you play it right, you could quite happily score enough food to feed you for a week. Just don't get desperate and resort to violence in an attempt to score one extra digestive biccie from that old dear who lives next door.

Alternatively, If you're feeling philanthropic, (and too lazy to go out), you can be the bearer of gifts to all the little treasures in your area. Depending on the average age of your trick· or- treater, alcoholic and nicotine substances could be out of the question. Instead, try sticking with chocolate and sweets, they're always a favourite.

Try to avoid your Grandma's tendency to dish out fruit and vitamins, not sure whether they'll be as gracefully received . And don't think that you can get away with the remnants of last week's food shopping either. You might want to think about stocking up on a few goodies unless you want some of those eggs splattered on yoULwindow.

Alternatively and boringly there's always the option of total denial. No light and no TV means no one's at home here.

But if it's you that's doing the tricking, 'be well prepared with a hefty supply of silly string. If you're behind the door, waterproof clothing is recommended, if you're on the other side a super

soaker should teach them a thing or too. Oh, and setting off the fire alarm in the early hours of the morning is never a good trick and doesn't go down well with anyone • resist temptation. Qtherwise, as far as tricking naughtiness is concerned, the sky's the limit. Use the festivities as an excuse to get back everyone that has pissed you off on your corridor all under the guise of healthy fun.

When you're all trick-and-treated out, get on all that's fancy and dress up the town. This year, Halloween falls on a Thursday, you lucky LCR revellers. So now there's no excuse not to get out the ghoul's rags and scare the town. You could kit yourself out as a devil, horns on, tail swishing and pitchfork jabbing the air. Alternatively, grab yourself a fistful of bin liners, a broomstick and a random cat and make like a witch. Just go easy on the warts · aesthetically speaking, it should be more about Sabrina, not the wicked witch of the East.

And don't think that swooping around cackling "I'll get you, my pretties" will cut it on the dance floor, either.

8

e careful if you pick up a visitor at the LCR, your tongue may look red from all the snakebite-and-blacks you've consumed, but your blood isn't going to taste as good as it looks. If such a situation should crop up · suitable escape lines could be - " I'm one pint down, I just gave blood", or "I had garlic for din· ner".

We all know you probably didn't if you were out on the pull but this situation could be dire. Stay away from overly friendly werewolves, the stubble rash could be nasty.

However you choose to celebrate Halloween, remembar to steer away from the black magic and avoid those shady areas at midnight. You never know what might be lurk· ing...

E Q) ...0 0 \, \,

'm in my second year and finding the increased workload really difficult to cope with. I'm not eating properly and I can't sleep. I'm seriously thinking of dropping out of uni as I can't cope with how stressed out I feel. What should I do?

I

"Try the careers centre, relaxation classes maybe. If you are really stressed you could go to the counsellor or even phone Nightline."

Alex McMillan HIS 2 "I always try sticking on a CD before I go to sleep, that helps me relax."

Chris Farmer EAS1 "I don't know. What do you usually do when you get stressed out?

I've never been stressed in my life. Usually, going to the bar helps."

Phil Hansford DEV 2 "You need to go and speak to someone. Friends are always helpful.

If you have no friends contact Nightline, they might be able to help."

Anne McCormick BI02 "Organise your time better to make sure you do everything. The work shouldn't get on top of you. University is about experiencing life, so don't get too stressed." · Frances Watson EAS 3 "lt's just a period of adjustment. 1had the same problem when I started my second year. Bear in mind its only week 6 or so and I'm sure you'll get used to the increased workload."

Tristan Sherer LAW 3 "Maybe university isn't for you. If it's the academic side you're find· ing hard then you should see your advisor and consider changing your course. As a last ditch effort, you could ring your parents.• Mark Simpson EAS 2 "Just try and do as much reading as possible and you'll find that the work will get easier. Don't worry:' George Fitt DEV 2

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www.concrete-onllne.co.uk

Winter ·warmth lt's that time of year again when we reach for the woolly scarves and wish we could hibernate until May. But it need not be so bad, especially if you follow Ruth Charnock's guide of where you can go to enjoy the cold, whatever your budget.

New England

I

f your wallet is feeling particularly bounteous, go transatlantic and take advantage of the famed New England autumn. Think picturesque landscapes and a wide range of activities. The region encompasses ~hode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Mai(le, so if it's variety you want, you can't go wrong. Each state has its own attractions, but for most tourists fall in New England is all about the leaves. Fair enough, you can watch the leaves turn for free in Norwich, but where's the fun in that? And Primark has nothing on the cornucopia of retail delights that is Boston. lt has been dubbed the 'Athens of America'. But believe me, I've been to Athens and you can expect more from Boston than manic Greek taxi drivers and tacky Acropolis replicas. Go with an empty suitcase and take advantage of the fabulous markets. For the preppier travellers among you, news flash - Gap is

cheaper in America. If your tastes run to something a little pricier, the majority of the boutiques in Boston are on Newbury Street.

And, to round off your trip, think Boston Tea Party. Throw (fake) tea off a (fake) Boston Tea Ship. If that doesn't scream autumn festivities, then I don't know what does.

Cost-wise, return fares on British Airways and Virgin start from around £258. Think of it as the perfect opportunity to stock up on Christmas presents for beleaguered relatives and see some pretty trees.

Prague If you're more inclined towards winter travel in Europe, drag yourself away from the sometimes culturally sparse East Anglian climes and go Czech. Freed from the rigid grasps of Communism, Prague is emerging as one of Europe's most beautiful cities, and its gothic architecture is perfect for ~his time of year. Sling on a furry hat and a pair of shades and pretend you're a moody local with lots of 'Zs' in your surname. But If you think that the icy chill whistling through the Square is enough to induce severe pneumonia, then you might be a bit too delicate for the Prague climes where' the winter temperature usually hovers around freezing, although -20°C days are not unknown .

The city itself is a wonderful juxtaposition of urbane young Czechs and ....__ ...;.,j. ancient history.

Composed of five key districts, the centre remains an evocative maze of cobbled lanes, ancient courtyards, dark passages and churches beyond number, all watched over by an 1100-year-old castle with liveried guards. A lot of the action takes place in Old Town Square, where you might have to fight it out with less refined tourists. Try and distance yourself, remember you're here for the culture. The nearby Old Town .Hall houses Franz Kafka's childhood home, perfect for any existentialist angst you might be going through. Prague Ruzyne, on the western outskirts of the city, is the Czech Republic's only international airport, but trains also run daily between Prague and most major European cities. Go Travel are offering flights from London Stansted return from as little as £20 (one way). You might want to come back though, think of all the LCRs • you'll miss while you're fraternising with Prague's intellectual glitterati.

Norwich Closer to home and potentially less taxing on your funds, our fine city has plenty of places to snuggle up and keep out the chill.

My own particular favou rite is the huge chair next to the window in the top of Starbucks. I know it's a shameless surrender to corporate monopoly, but nothing tastes more like happiness than a steaming mug of Seattle's finest on a crisp, pre-Christmas day. Hours, days even, can be whiled away peering down upon the crowds as they rush to wherever. If over-priced coffee doesn't tempt you, then Norwich has some lovely autumn walks.. Exercise might be anathema to the average student, but take a stroll down to the lake and you could almost (emphasis on the almost) be in a Swiss alpine forest. We would definitely caution against slinging on the lederhosen, although a few bracing yodels might be just the thing to warm you up. No skating on the ice though, kiddies.

And don't forget the Earlham Park bonfire, a Norwich tradition and the perfect place to regress to childhood, nibble on a toffee apple and write you! name with sparklers.

· Concrete Wednesday Oc'tol>er '36 2002

Qui to Sounds Interesting, but where exactly is it?

Ecuador.

Right? So, Ecuador Is close to??

Well, alright. Ecuador is in South America, with the equator splitting it right down the middle.

Peru is to the South and Columbia is one of the other bordering countries.

So, it's safe then? Being so close to Columbia and all Ok, so it is in South America, and Columbia is right on its doorstep. But honestly, it's not that bad. Only the usual happenings that go on in any South American city.

Sounds like you are painting Qulto as a pleasant picture?

In reality, many people say it is not quite as exciting as, say Uma in Peru. However, it is similarly surrounded by amazingly beautiful mountains, and has some wicked markets. As well as that, you get the 'real' indigenous Indians walking about with the most unbelievable heavy sacks on their shoulders. And if you're looking for traditional clothing and presents, you don't have to venture very far before you stumble across one of the many street sellers.

·~ I I

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Interesting, but does n't lt get damn cold up there?

Ok, so it isn't the warmest of places, being as it is over 3000 metres above sea level. And it rains almost daily. But then, if you want continual sun and warmth, go to the beach. This is culture (and excitement), man.

Right, so you mention culture. Anything of real Interest?

Well, there are churches dotted all over the place.- Some plated entirely of gold, others with paintings of what will happen to you in hell if you even consider committing a sin! If you want • something a little different, then you can visit the snake museum and have a picture of you with a python around your neck!

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I've heard that capital cities In South America feel more like a modern New York?

The skyscrapers, supermarkets and multiplex cinemas make half of Quito feel something similar to New York. However, in the older, more traditional town, it still has that real South American feeling to it, with shoeshine boys constantly asking to clean your (non-leather) shoes. Then of course, there are those cheap, but dodgy looking, food stalls. Existence of motoring tactics such as ignoring red traffic lights, is another advantage Quito has on cities in developed countries.

Well, I might be Interested, but I'm a poor student.

Once you've got there, there are no worries. They use US dollars, and an 'all you can eat' meal can be got for about $4, less if you eat in the dodgy looking places! And of course, more importantly, a pint and a half (bottle) of beer costs about $2. The main snag is getting there, which will set you back around 500 quid.

I'm still feeling a little undecided, anything else v.ou can tempt me with?

Well, the salsa that they dance damn well always gets the blood rushing. And if in need of a little more alcohol, but running low on funds, a bottle of spirits is only a dollar or two!

Toby Gethln

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Aries

Things have gone from bad to worse this fortnight and the future isn't looking bright. Start asking for an essay extension now because there is no chance it will be finished in time, especially as you haven't even got a title yet. Start getting your priorities right or your degree and your relationship will be in jeopardy. Use free time well and take control of your life now. But you might receive a windfall this fortnight so your degree isn't that important and you can always get a new partner.

.,

www.concrete-online.co.uk

Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

it's that time of year again. Make sure everyone knows it's your birthday. Rather than waking up disappointed, let your friends know now and then keep reminding them. The next fortnight will prove fairly lucrative financially. Your grandparents will dig deep this year - it doesn't matter that you are too old for birthday money, they can't remember how old you are anyway. All those £20 add up to a new outfit and a wild night out. Enjoy yourself but remember your bank account isn't completely in exhaustible. You're looking hot this fortnight and you know it. This new found confidence will do wonders for your sex life and there is no reason why it will stop. People are clamouring to be your friend.

,... Taurus Well you've had a wonderful two weeks and now it's time for reality to kick in. Essay deadlines are looming; your finances are almost gone and you've been through everyone in your little black book twice. Maybe it's about time you knuckled down to some work.

So you keep your costs down, get your essays in on time and give your equipment a chance to recover. Two weeks of abstention wouldn't really hurt. If that's impossible slow down a bit - there is no hurry to sleep with as many people as possible who are you racing?

Sagittarius

-1'1.

You've had a rough ride recently and you have come out of it relatively unscathed. Give yourself a pat on the back or go out and get laid, whichever you prefer. it's about time you had some fun for a change. The planets are conspiring to make the next fortnight everything you could possibly hope for. That translates as plenty of sex, booze, money and adoration. All you have to do is make the most of it. Essays can wait for a bit longer. This period can't last forever, no matter how much you want it to.

' j Gemini You really need to pay that special person in your life more attention.

If you don't they may not be there for much longer. Stop relying on · them to do everything and show them your appreciation - take them out, buy them presents Money is the way to their heart. If that doesn't work then they are probably not worth it.

Apparently there are plenty of fish in the sea, maybe it's time you cast your net a little bit wider.

Don't jump into a new relationship too soon though, have some fun first.

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Capricorn .Aquarius ~

You are in danger of spreading yourself too thinly. Of course, all your commitments are equally important to you but you may have taken too much on. You've managed to maintain the status quo so far but if you don't let something go then the whole lot is going to tumble down, then you won't have anything. Even if you manage to keep it all up, you will suffer. Prioritise your life and put yourself and your relationship or learn to delegate, people can and will manage without you.

~Cancer

. . Leo

Well you didn't stay single for long. I hope you know what you're getting into. Just because someone says you can trust them, doesn't mean you should. Tread carefully with this one, you don't want to hurt people but you have to be firm.

Don't let people walk all over you. On the up side, everything else in your life is ticking along smoothly. Ok so it's not hugely exciting but at least your on the ball academically and financially. Take the next two weeks steady and your caution will pay dividends in the long run.

Things haven't been going very well for you lately but all that is set to change in the coming fortnight. You've dealt admirably well with insensitive annoying housemates, who take your listening skills and calm exterior for granted. it's time they helped you out and they realise it. A link between your ruler the sun and Venus means romance is on the cards but don't get swept off your feet (however gusty those East Anglian winds get). As long as you stay in control of the situation the future's bright.

~

,,

TEA •BREAK

The weather may be getting you down, but booking your summer holiday in Ibiza is not the way to go. Can you really afford all the presents you've been buying yourself recently? There are better and cheaper ways of cheering yourself up.

The party season is corning so get your friends together and go out and have some innocent Halloween. Or you could recoup some of that cash you've blown by going trick or treating. You won't even have to buy a costume - you look like a witch already.

.:J

Thanks to Mars' movemen! in your sign, at last you've got the message you've been waiting for.

Now you can get on with your life. Be careful though, things and peopie are not all that they seem. You need to spend some quality time with your friends at home and forget about the past. You can't go to every gig and night out going on in Norwich can you?

Work on the future and getting to know the really important people in your life, before they forget who you are.

Your constant refusal to heed advice was bound to land you in trouble eventually. This week you are well and truly up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Your sign might be balanced but you are not. Don't worry unduly, though, there is still a little time to even the scales but you must act quickly.

Gather your true friends .

Even though you don't deserve them, they will help you get out of trouble and next time listen to people. They are looking after your best interests - most of the time.

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Virgo

You seem to have gone from one extreme to another. Ok so you're not selfish anymore but now people are taking advantage. You need to realise that people liked you before. There is no need to suck up to tl:lem; all you are doing is irritating them. Try not to take advice too literally either, people can be cryptic sometimes and they can also talk a lot of shit. You need to sift the information and go with your instincts. On the plus side, things can and will improve for you.

At least you're heading in the right direction.

c.,\ass

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FASHION

www.concrete-online.co.uk

Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

â&#x20AC;˘ Black is definitely back and by mixing this tradi tional chic colour with this season's gothic styles, we created a look perfect for those dark moments.

W

ith the help of our hai rstylist and a few extra members of the make-up team we were able to create a perfect style in tune with this season's popular gothic glamour look.

Don't just thi nk that it is the colo ur black that has proved popular on the high street, reds, plums and skin tones can also be easil y matched with the timeless colour. And what perfect timing. What with Halloween and Christmas just around the corner, these looks are perfect when indulging in some devilish behaviour.

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FASHION Page 17

Style and the City

S

hopping in Norwich is no longer a happy experience.

What with Half term and early Christmas shoppers, trips to the city has become a real bum fight.

Gone are the days when we could stroll into the city on an unsuspecting Sunday and flitter from shop to shop without the crowds of happy spenders. Now every Sunday there seems to be hundreds of queues forming outside the Castle Mall shopping centre and any other car park that is within walking distance from the city. lt seems a real shame that Sunday has become like any other day in Town and we can no longer enjoy the serenity of the city, or in other words, we can't enjoy having a whole changing just to ourselves.

I

What must I have?

These relaxed boots can be found in almost every retailer that contain a shoe depatment. incorporated with both a high and flat heel and pointed o'r new favourite, rounded toes, the slouch boot is a must have. As a matter of fact, any suede boot is a must have this season and can easily be teamed with trousers, baggy, cropped or jean, short and long skirts and they can be worn to every occasion. Take a look at our spotted winner this issue, who has already caught onto the trend. A good selection of styles can be found in Faith, lmeldas and New Look. Our suggestion is to team them with a short denim skirt and fishnet tights on a night out.

Kat Realff

HOT OR NOT?

Samantha Mumba

Stylists: Kat Realff and Ellie Shears Assistant stylist: Naomi Astbury. .

Hair stylist: Luis Roldan, 07900551882.

Photographer: Ed Webblngall, Assistant: Will Benthall.

Make-up: Crystal Waldman, Alexandra Degas and Lydia Kennard.

Models: Andie Francis, Rosie Macarthur and James Taylor.

1

Other page: Top, far left: Rosie wears black and beige lace dress, £30, by Topshop.

James wears black creased shirt, £30 by Moto at Topshop and distressed jeans, £1 03 by Seal Kay at Elements. Andie wears plum satin fishtail dress, £35 by Topshop.

Top, middle: Rosie wears dress, same as before, black fishnet tights, £4 by Miss Selfridge, Lace and ribbon necklace £7.99, by Accessorize. Shoes, model's own.

Top, right: Andie wears dress, same as before, Lilac multi-beaded necklace, £7.99

by Accessorize. Boots, model's own.

Bottom, far left: James wears outfit same as before, belt, model's own. Andie wears black satin scrunched tunic, £25 at Topshop and plum cord trousers by D&G at Elements.

Bottom, middle: Models all wear same as before.

Bottom, right: James wears jeans, same as before and black printed T-shirt, £1 0 by Burro at Elements. Andie wears crochetted and beaded black top, £25 and black satin stretched trousers, ·£32 both by Topshop.

This page: Top, left: Rosie wears plum satin laced corset, £30 and black satin stretched trousers, £32 both by Topshop. Cross and velvet neclace, £9.99 by Accessorize, black satin gloves, models own. Top, right: Andie wears outfit same as before, red beaded necklace, £12.99 by Accessorize.

Bottom, right: James wears jeans and T-shirt same as before, Black biker leather jacket, £140 by Moto at Topshop.

She can do no wrong. She is the typical girl next door type. Beautiful and stylish yet not in a bitchy limelight grabbing way. Sam always looks her best, whether it be at a roadshow, premiere or awards bash, the girl can always be found in up to the minute high fashion.

The face of River Island she is never without a funky outfit to wear. The epitome of high street style, Short skirts, figure hugging trousers and spiked heels or most recently in thigh high boots are her preferred looks and many of her outfits can easily be copied. A follower of this year's peasant trend and folk look, short jean skirts, tasselled belts, suede accessories can be found at her favourites, River Island, Topshop and Hennas, with independent retailers also stocking up on the designer takes on these items. After her role in the drama, 'The Time Machine' her image in the public eye has just grown and grown, therefore it is more important for her to be presented as a fashion . and pop icon. With rumours of Samantha dueting with Robbie Williams and Puff Diddy, no doubt we will be hearing about her for some time.

Chrlstlna Agullera Dirrrty? Yes and we don't mean in a good way. Christina constantly gets it wrong, and just when you think it couldn't get any worse, it usually does. lt all started off with her britneyesque wholesome image in '98, a little cleavage and a little midriff we can·handle, J mean underneath all that r'nake up and hair extensions she is really pretty. But then she felt it necessary to show us more and more and simply turn herself into a tiny transvestite looking clown. Her hair got blonder and blonder, her belts became her skirts and most recently, along with the release of her new album she has been seen wearing chaps with knickers and yes that is about it. Ok, so she keeps reminding us that she has been fighting feelings of rejection and loneliness but please Miss Aguilera, we don't need you to gyrate your scantily clad body infront of us to remind us about your mediocre music. Try bondage shops found on St.Benedicts and maybe Ann Summers for something vaguely similar to what Christina wears.

Take it from us girly, you looked a Jot better when you didn't try so hard.

Spotted!!

If it is and you were spotted on Friday October 25, then you're the lucky winner of a £15 voucher for Norwich retailer, Asylum.

Come and find Kat in the Concrete office, upstairs in Union House to claim your prize.

Asylum can be found on Lower Goat Lane, Norwich. The shop stocks an eclectic mix of clubbing, casual and designer gear. But keep your eyes open as it is about to relocate to a bigger and better premises on the same road.

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LETIERS

www.concrete-online.co.uk

•

our v1 ew Send your letters for t he atten t ion of the Editor to Concrete , PO Box 4 10, Norwic h, Norfolk , NR4 7TB or ema il them to su.co ncrete@ uea.ac . uk

Parking fee fury This is going to be a rather long e-mail as there are several issues I want to raise about parking on campus.

First of all , I fully accept that there are just too many cars on campus much like Catherine featured in your article I have no real option but to use a car as I live 20 miles from campus and cannot actually get into campus by 9am using public transport (I have three 9am starts per wee k- I can't miss them , rearrange them or just turn up late because I'm teaching the classes!)

Secondly, I'm a postgraduate student and I have to come onto campus most days all year round , holi· days included, to access the materials and facilities I need, which would mean I would effectively be forced to work a sixty hour week including travelling time. Anyone who believes sitting on a freezing bus for an hour and a half and then having to get on another one to get from the city centre to UEA isn't work is welcome to swap places with me! For personal reasons moving nearer to Norwich is not an option.

Thirdly, I mentioned the fact that I teach 9am classes three days a wee k. I'm a postgraduate student and my only income derives from this teaching work. I don't have an affluent partner to support me, (he's a postgraduate student also) and the £250 or so per year it would cost us to park on campus would cause more than a little financial hardship.

Fourthly, and this is my main point, £1 per day plus petrol is still only half of the cost to us of using public transport. If the purpose of this proposal is truly to reduce the number of cars parked on cam-

Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

This week we have been inundated with letters about the University's plans to charge a daily fee of £1 to park in the campus car park. Two weeks ago, we revealed that the new Travel Plan could mean students will be forced to spend an extra £240 each year. Wh ile UEA's Travel Co-ordinator,Dawn Dewar insists that "the current scheme simply isn't working", students are angry at the new charges.

Last issue we asked you to write in an tell us how you feel about the new move, so here, in an extended 'Your View' column , are a selection of th e letters we have received during the past fortnight.

As promised , they will be passed on to Dawn Dewar.

pus it simply will not work. it costs more than £1 per day to commute from the city centre to campus and back. So who will be put off using their cars?

The bottom line is that any charge made for parking that is below about £5 per day will make little or no difference to the number of cars coming in.

Increasing the parking charge, and above all chargi ng a flat rate fee which takes no account of income or need (to use a car) is an absurd policy which can only cause hardship to the less well off.

I'll admit I don't know what the answer is.

Certainly improvements in public transport will ease the situation for those who live locally and the imposition of a parking fee which realistically would make this a viable option is almost certainly desirable, albeit likely to result in revolution!

However if this is done some sort of provision must be made for those who have no genuine option other than to use private transport. it's the University of East Ang lia not the Univers ity of Earlham after all.

Norma Henderson LAW PG I feel that there is no reason whatsoever to charge people £1 a day to use the car park. I understand that there is a traffic problem but increasing charges is not the answer. The conditions for getting a parking permit need to be stricter; a lot of the lecturers and other people who live within either cycling or bussing distance are given a permit. For people who live in the country like me, we have no other option but to drive.

Also, a lot of people who drive are people who live at home during term time ; these people in turn often stay at home because they cannot afford university accommodation and increasing the parking

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charges is going to further put people off coming to University. We simply do not have the money.

Jo MTH Having read the parking proposal in Concrete I am extremely annoyed by the plans. I love the way that the university hides behind the fact that they want to red uce congestio n and the cy nic inside of me thinks that they have cottoned onto the fact of how much money potentially could be made from the scheme.

The grievances I have with the scheme is that they talk of promoting an increase use in public transport and yet for some students it is just not feasible to travel in such a manner. I travel from Hemsby into University, a roundtrip figure of approximately 70 miles. The amount of time it would take travelling via public transport would be colossal which could subsequently affect my degree. The fe;a system could also cost a total of £215 per academic year if required to co me in everyday - a very nice little earner for someone .

So I wou ld just like to thank 'the powers that be' in advance for all their support that they have provided me with wh ilst being at the UEA. Juliet Key DEV 2

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My view on parking is this : The new system is absolutely pathetic. Last year you could only get into the car park if you either had a swipe card, or if you had permission by the Porters and they then lifted the barriers for yo u.

With this new system ANYONE can bring a car onto campus, as long as they are wi lling to pay th e fee (which is very low compared to parking costs in Norwich ca r parks) , which seems to have increased the congestion in the car parks.

And I think that the hike to £1 per day is very unfair. I live 20 miles away from the University, but still have to be in every day.

Therefore my petrol bill is already £25 per week. I HAVE to use my car, as there is almost non-existent public transportation where I live, whereas a lot of the people who I know, live within the city boundary and still bring cars into University.

I believe that the only fair thing to do would be this, fo r those of us who ABSOLUTELY MUST drive to get to un i pay the standard charge. For those who live within the city area, where, despite how much moaning goes on, public transport is very good (buses to and from city at 1Omin intervals) , are not allowed the standard permit and have to pay the daily fee, as they don't really NEED to bring the ca r on campus.

This could be easily done by determining a list of postcodes where the Uni is either within walking

distance or on a good bus route , and banning those people with those postcod es from getting a permit.

Matt Parker MGT3 The University certai nly should scrap these silly plans to penalise students for their personal circumstances - simply appreciating that it will be "hard for those who live in rural areas" to find the money for daily parking charges is simply not good enough. I am in a similar situation to Catherine Wilkinson as described in th is week's Concrete article, living approximately 14 miles from campus and facing similar time and costs if wanting to use public transport.

The point I would like to make is that when applying for parking permits it doesn't matter if you live miles away or right next door on Earlham Road you ca n still have a permit of you pay the £30 charge. I would suggest that th e existing permits without daily charges shou ld be issued only to these living outside of Norwich or who have an obvious need to bring a car onto campus every day e.g. due to a disability. Everybody else who lives with in cycling/walking distance of the campus or lives in Norwich should be refused a permit and should face daily charges; perhaps they can use the new bus service being suggested - its no good to me, or anyone else who has to bring their car in!

To put it simply - charge those who don't have to bring a car in, not those who do.

Gemma Sayer MGT3 Let's be honest about it. The University's new car parking proposals are all about generating more revenue rather than addressing the problem of overcrowd ing .

First the University introduced the controversial £30 permit giving 'poor' lecturers a means tested reduction wh ilst charging students full price. Then the money-grabbing university dished them out to anybody who would give them £30, even students living in central Norwich, causing University gridlock.

Now the University proposes a £1 per day charge to use the car park. Leaving aside the fact that students can 't afford this, what happens if all of the current users decide that £1 is a price they are willing to pay? 1t won't decrease the numbers of cars at all . The type of students who can afford to go away and live at university AND run a car are the type who can afford £1 per visit. Commuters will have no choice but to pay. Parking should be for those who need it, not those who can afford it.

•

LETTERS

www.concrete-online.co.uk

Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002 The problem will remain and the University will be making four times the money.

The University solutions are always focused on how much money they can extort from us. The problem is too many cars and this needs a DIRECT solution. The number of permits should be limited.

These permits should then be allocated based on priority need, the most important criterion being distance from the University therefore giving commuters preference over local residents.

There's no simple solution, but £1 per day is just crazy.

Page 19

Boy band buff Call me sad but having just read your paper in which you do a very good job, I noticed the story about Bros.

I have to say I was pleased to see this as it reminded me of much younger times.

However just a point to make that they actually made two albums after Push, those being The Time and Changing Faces. Just thought I'd point it out.

Issue 143 Editor Kat ie Hind News Editor Rebecca Lawrence

01/ver Bett LAW 1 Hannah Whitmarsh LAW3

Rag rage

Two-wheel trauma I cycle to UEA every day, and am becoming increasingly frustrated by the number of irresponsible cyclists on the road . Every day on The Avenues, there are more than a few cyclists who think it is fine to jump the red traffic lights, particularly when the crossings are in use. Yes, it may be frustrating having to wait for the lights to change, especially if you're in a hurry, but red lights are there for a reason ... to let other traffic and pedestrians across.

All those people who feel they have to jump the lights are giving responsible cyclists a bad name, whilst annoying pedestrians, car drivers and those cyclists who can actually obey the laws of the road .

Another more serious matter is the number of quite frankly STUPID cyclists on the road with no lights after dark. Do you know how difficult it can be to see a cycle with no lights from a car driver's point of view? The answer is very difficult, especially if the cyclist is also wearing dark clothin So please, make yourself seen, to avoid the acci

dent that is just waiting to happen. Invest in a set of lights at the very least (they aren't very expensive these days) and some reflective gear if you can.

This way you are giving yourself the best chance of survival on the roads, whilst also avoiding being pulled over by the Police. Its not difficult to do is it?

Be safe and be seen.

Name and address supplied

Student speak The fire service is potentially in crisis this week as fire fighters threaten to strike following government opposition to their demands for a 40 °/o pay rise. Should strikes go ahead, or are firemen asking too much and putting the country at risk?

"The fire service is more important than most careers and firemen have to stand up for t hemselves."

John SWK 1 " The firemen should strike. They've given control over to the Army before, they can put out the fires .

The firemen deserve a pay rise."

Jay CHEM 1 "They're not asking too much , it's a public service.

If they do go on strike, it'll be a long deserved wake-up call for the government."

Judie (student's parent) "For the amount of risk firemen put themselves in, they deserve a pay rise. However, I think 40% is a

Features Editor Ruth Charnock

little unrealistic. " Dan ENV 4 " My dad is a policeman and none of the public services get pa id enough . They risk life and limb for peanuts: The government should listen up , but maybe 40% is asking too much . However, they definitely deserve a pay rise ."

Steve ENV 2 "Undoubtedly, they deserve a rise but 40% is asking too much. And the fact that the country could potentially be thrown into chaos is not on. The f iremen need to remember that their quarrel is with the government, not with the average person ."

Helen EAS 3 Ruth Charnock

Fashion Editor Kat Real ff

We as members of the Rag Society Committee, whilst thanking Concrete for the coverage of our recent event, (The vicars, tarts, pimps and ho's party) would like to point out some corrections to your article.

Firstly we would like it made clear that Rag is a society set up to raise money for charitable organisations and in this instance, Breast Cancer Care.

The night was organised by Rag and its members with the help of the ents team . All profit made from this event will go directly to the Breast Cancer Care registered charity. We would therefore like to correct the suggestion in your article that profits .made on the night go to Rag as a society. The only capacity in which Rag as a society sees these profits is through the process by which we hand them to charity. Rag as a society makes no profit.

Thank you for your continuing support for our fundraising effqrts.

Yours sincerely,

Picture Editor Webb-lngall

Ed

Advertising Manager Jenny Fry

Natalle Biggs LAW 3 (Events Coordinator) Torie Cough/an LAW 3 (Rag Communications Officer)

Liquid lover Following the articles in issue 141 of Concrete, "Union Boss Dashes Liquid Dreams" and "Balls to Liquid", I felt compelled to defend the club, and in particular its Manager, Pablo Dimoglou .

To claim, as Nick Raynes does, that Mr Dimoglou is "deliberately conning students" is grossly unfair.

Having attended the ball myself, I can safely claim that the night was markedly superior to normal club nights and it strikes me as little more than sour grapes by the Union that Liquid is taking trade away from them.

Perhaps if the Union made a better effort than it did with the quite frankly pathetic Freshers' Week, then it would not have to create this non-story, this smokescreen to deflect attention.

Mr Dimoglou is the only club manager in Norwich who is instantly recognisable due to his constant and active presence at Liquid. This, coupled with the fact that he is understandably keen to see his business succeed , unfortunately makes him an easy target. Personally, I have always found him courteous and fair, he even once lent me a pair of his own shoes on one occasion when I was wearing forbidden footwear. Hardly the actions of a character who preys on students, I feel.

Overall a case of misrepresentation and a rather failed attempt by the Union to divert the gaze of the student population away from itself, I'm afraid.

Davld Polllcutt EAS3

Boycott the buses In reference to the article about the proposed strike by City bus drivers (Issue 142, page 5), I heard about an alternative way for transport workers to strike without alienating or irritating the public.

Apparently, when suburban rail workers in Sydney, Australia, went on strike,. they still turned up for work, but refused to sell or inspect tickets, thus in effect giving the public a day of free transport. The public, needless to say, supported the action, instead of being enraged with the workers at forcing them to change their normal commuting plans.

The company, of course, lost the day's fare revenue, forcing it to consider the workers' demands.

Perhaps this idea could be passed on to the drivers' union of First, so that those of us students who live relatively far away and have to commute would not be inconvenienced?

Robin Thompson SYS-PG

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Page 20

Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

• Last season , football fans all over Norwich were left devastated as their local team narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premiership. But will they keep up the good work and win their way into England's top league? Marc Dudley investigates

M

ost Norwich fans will remember the heartbreak of the playoff final . in May, but the last team to lose on penalties in a playoff final , Sunderland in 1998, bounced back the following year to win the first division .

If Norwich City's current form is anything to go by, then many Canary fans should be looking forward to mass celebrations come May next year.

On the other hand , many pundits last season never really took Norwich seriously. Even when they were in the final , nobody, except the cl ub's 30,000 fans who had travelled from Norfolk thought Norwich were going to get promoted to the Premiership.

Financially, it would have helped the club exceptionally, but if they were good enough for the premiership was another matter. Maybe, in the long-term, the defeat in Cardiff will benefit the cl ub in many ways.

The start to the season has been very encouraging for Norwich City Manager, Nigel Worthington is not getting his hopes up that his team will be playing alongside the likes of David Beckham and Michael Owen next year.

"As pleasing as the recent results have been it

is still very early in the season and there is an awful lot of football and hard work ahead of us all over the coming months."

The difference this season to last season's good start is that the same Manager has stayed in the job and that no players have left the club.

Worthington , has also stuck with the same team in every game, which is important if a team is to work well together. Also, the experience of last season could only have benefited the club, and many of the younger players, like Kenton, McVeigh and Green are starting to show their raw talent.

"Promotion would, I feel , have been too soon for some players" Worthington admitted . "Next season I feel many of these players will become more stronger both physically and mentally, and many of them will blossom ."

A

nd we can see that his poetry has come true and that many of the players have improved as the season has gone on .

Unlike previous Norwich sides, who have attempted to get promoted , the team bases much of their game on good teamwork. Everyone works for everyone, and if players show lack of commitment, then they are shown the door. Worthington has managed to create a team, with little money,

that is capable of playing some of the best footba ll in the first division .

"Currently, the team spirit and confidence is high," said Kenton after his team 's 3-1 win over Millwall.

'We feel that we can only get better and better as the season goes on, and hopefully we can go one better than last season."

If Kenton's thoughts are what most of the team feel , then the Canaries could be in for a memorable season .

UnIi ke previous Norwich sides, who have attempted to get promoted , the team bases much of their game on good teamwork .

Everyone works for everyone However, we have all heard this before . Last season, Norwich started the season in similar fashion and were fighting for top spot with Wolves and Man City. When results started to go against them, the canaries found it hard to turn th ings

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around .

Norwich ended up sneaking into the playoff spot and in the end, many feet found themselves very lucky to even get a shot at promotion . The team is more or less the same, so why wil l th ings be different this season.

Maybe we are all getting our hopes up too early.

Assistant Manage r, Doug Livermore felt that the team should learn from last season's mistakes.

"The start has been encouraging yes, but now we must build on this and not end up getting punched in the face like last season ," Livermore pointed out.

"Every team will go though a bad patch, what makes a team is whether or not they can put the bad results behind them and concentrate on the next game."

Indeed , his statement makes sense, there will be a time this season when Norwich will go enter the slippery slope syndrome, just look at Arsenal, 2 defeats in a row when people thought they would never lose .

The question is if Norwich can manage to turn their fortunes around quicker than last season and keep their promotion push going. The start has been good , but now they must keep it up if they want to get promoted .

S

o what now for the yellow and green Canaries ? Off the field, things could be better, but the club is in a much better financial position than many other teams like

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

Page 21

CITY'S FORM FALLS Canaries drop five points in one week 11 Leicester, Watford and Bradford.

Despite one of their main Directors being Delia Smith, they have had to cut wages and sell their best players and even then find themselves in deep financial trouble. The idea qf selling shares

If they want to keep ·their best players such as Kenton, Mulryne and Green then promotion is a must this season to raise funds was also a great way of helping Norwich financially and the club raised over 2 million pounds.

However, the club would really like to be making profits and promotion would grant them that.

On the field, things are looking very positive for the canaries at the moment with good results home and away. If they want to keep their best players such as Kenton, Mulryne and Green then promotion is a must this season. Norwich have improved from last season, and have started this season with some stunning performances. The team is in confident mood at the moment and the · team seems to be getting better and better, game

after game. The question of whether they can keep it up is on the lips of every Norwich City fan and play. Let's hope they can, because it's been a long six years for many Canary fans outside the Premiership and many feel that this is the year.

So lets also hope that Robbie Greene is anxiously practicing saving penalties. .

Norwich City have had an uncharacteristic average week In the league - winning just four points out of a total nine.

But despite their poor form, they are still 13 points clear of their archrlvals - the Manger-less Ipswich, who are now not far of a relegation spot.

The Canaries kicked off their week with a home win over Millwall. But the game did not get off to a good start when Paul McVeigh had to be taken off after 15 minutes with an injury. But maybe it was a bless· ing in disguise as it meant that the Carrow Road faithful got the chance to witnsss the first of this week's two super subs.

David Nielsen came on to send the Canaries in with 1-0 lead at half time from a Steen Nedergaard cross. Millwall equalised shortly after half time with a goal from Claridge.

But Millwall's luck was short lived as Nielsen popped up again to put Norwich back in the lead. Darren Kenton pushed up in the later stages of the game to give the defender his first of the season and Norwich a 3-1 win.

Norwich moved up to second, as financially struggling Leicester lost. Norwich next

JAMES DOUGALL moved to Coventry after their draw with league leaders Portsmouth. Norwich went behind on 22 minutes to a goal by on-loan Partridge with 30yard shoot into the top right corner. lt was up to the second super sub Paul McVeigh, recovering from injury, to score the second 30-yard strike of the game on 90 minutes to give Norwich a well earned draw and keep

going an unbeaten away run.

Norwich eventually lost their unbeaten away record by losing 2-1 to Bradford after conceding a goal either side of half time to two strikes from debut Reid.

Norwich had most of the chances in the game but with the Bradford keeper being outstanding, saving from lwan Roberts' penalty and the following strike.

Eventually substitute Zema Abbey pulled a goal back but it was too late to claim anything from the game.

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

Soapbox Whats best and worst in Sport today. .. ¡ A/ex Thorpe looks at the bu rning issues

WHITER THAN WHITE? SO there's been a furore over the past few weeks over the racial abuse abroad of British footballers who happen to be black.

As we've come to expect of the world's most popular sport in recent years, the governing bodies did nothing about it and the FA , sensing the opportunity to end up on the right side of an argu ment for once, complained.

But are the FA, head of the country that practically invented hooliganism in other countries, really in a position to lecture their younger counterparts on good manners in international football?

Don't get me wrong, I don't condone any abuse of a player, but for English football to come out and say to the world "look how good we are" is not strictly the brightest idea Adam Crozier has come up with.

Let's ignore their own back yard - the English leagues - for a moment and consider the 'fans' that follow the national side around the world, and in particular those in Bratislava the other week.

Th e FA can argue until it's blue in the face about provocation from racists in th e home crowd , but the fact remains that there were English fans in Slovakia spoiling for a fight just because there were people around who weren't English.

The papers in the following few days were full of stories of how those nasty foreign types had upset our gallant well-behaved fans so much that they simply had to act.

This is, of course, bollocks, and thank goodness that UEFA have seen through the remonstrations of the FA and charged both nations.

Not that UEFA can claim completely clean hands here either. While they've not got a section of their organisation that has racist thugs running about beating people up, their failure to seriously condemn clubs whose fans were racist spoke volumes.

What UEFA's failure to impose closed doors bans has done is say to racist fans across the continent that you can say what you like and the only punishment you'll get is a small fine for your club.

Coming back to England and league football, here is another area where the critics are selectively blind. Last weekend (October 20) there were two matches in English leagues that drew publicity for racist abuse.

At the Withdean Stadium referee Phil Prosser and Sheffield United striker Peter Ndlovu came in for racist abuse from Brighton fans, and at the Huish Stadium Yeovil Town fans made monkey noises towards Doncaster's Justin Jackson.

How many of you even knew of these, or many other racist abuse cases over recent weekends? Until racist fans are being shopped by the people who know who they are then it's going to continue.

â&#x20AC;˘

2nd XI record an incredible victory after trailing at half time BUSA Midlands Trophy 28: UEA 2nd XI 5, Loughborough 3rd XI 3

lt was a perfect example of t he proverbial game of two halves.

After losing heavily away from home last week, UEA's seconds were hoping to get their home campaign off to a winning start when they took on Loughborough's third team in the Midlands Trophy BUSA competition .

However, the game did not get

MARC DUDLEY off to the best of starts when the visitors took the lead after 16 minutes.

Things went from bad to worse after half an hour when Loughborough's Andy Mills connected with a cross and slotted home at the far post.

2-0 became 3-0 when 2 minutes before half-time, UEA fai led to deal with a cross and

Loughborough's Brown pounced on the chance to give the visiting side what looked like an untouchable lead at the half way point.

There must have been some strong words spoken by captain Trevor Smith at half time because just 75 seconds into the second half Ross Grainger took advantage of a misunderstanding in the Loughborough defence and elegantly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper. lt was soon 3-2 when on 58 minutes Smith headed home from a John Fish corner. The comeback was complete when

10 minutes later the visitors failed to clear the ball and somehow substitute Adam Reyno/ds managed to scramble the ball in.

UEA took the lead with quarter of an hour left, as Dan Petto beat the offside trap and put the ball in the back of the net on his second attempt, after his first shot was saved.

To put even more salt in the visitor's wounds, Mark Champ, who had only been on the field for 48 seconds, headed home a corner kick after Loughborough's goalkeeper fumbled it to give UEA 2nd XI an incredible, but deserved 5-3 win.

HAT-TRICK Norfolk FA Junior Cup Third Round: UEA 4, Zenith Windows 1

UEA might have progressed to the third round of the Norfolk FA Junior Cup, but it wasn't their strikeforce who did all of the work.

In fact, it was their opposition's defender, Jimmy Crane who scored not only one own goal - but three, to see UEA through .

Although the scoreline is undoubtedly impressive, our boys never dominated the game.

In a windy first half where UEA only managed two shots on target of their own, Crane bagged two own goals and set UEA firmly on their way.

After Paul Jarrett had forced an early save from the Zenith keeper via a deflection, UEA struggled to make the visitors work, even when the opening goal came in the 24th minute.

John Fish swung a good corner in from the left, it found a Zenith head to flick it on only for

ALEXTHORPE

the ball to bounce of Crane's thigh past the stranded keeper.

With tackles flying in thick and fast from the visitors, the referee was doing his best to keep the game under control, but did let his whistle punctuate proceedings a little too often for just three Zenith bookings.

With seven minutes left in the half UEA began to finally apply some pressure, with Andy Gaskell having two good chances to extend the leatl - the first being a 30-yard shot that cannoned o!f the bar, and the second a free header that he put wide from a corner.

Just as Zenith thought they could relax for half time, Jarrett found some space on the right and burst into the box. His shot forced the best out of the keeper, but rebounded onto Crane's left knee to make it 2-0.

Within a minute of the re-start

UEA should have been three up.

The lively Lewis Broomfield lost his marker and fed through for Jarrett, who laid the ball up for UEA's star, Jack Cullis to pull wide from just eight yards.

Instead, Zenith Windows got themselves back into the game with a bit of luck of their own.

Stuart Willis saw his corner seemingly punched clear by Van Dalen in the UEA goal, and fired a cross shot back into the area that slipped inside the far post.

This prompted UEA to give their most sustained period of pressure in the whole game as they began to look more threatening, and Fish restored the lead to two just three minutes later.

Dan Ward fired a long throw into the box that evaded all of the defenders on it's way through to Fish, whose header could hardly miss an open goal when unmarked from six yards.

The ne)<! two chances fell to Cullis as UEA looked to put the game out of reach. Firstly he

couldn't quite reach a follow up as the visiting keeper spilled Fish's week free kick, and then he saw an ambitious crack of his own turned over having clipped the wall.

Crane's misery was completed four minutes later when Jarrett again burst into the box past a full back. His shot hit the post, but in attempting to beat Cullis to the follow up all that the clumsy Crane could do was poke it in himself.

A triple substitution by UEA ended the game as a spectacle, and the Blues must now wait to see who's next on the Carrow Road trail.

UEA (4-4-2): Henk van Dalen; Leyton Hill (James Brown, 76), Lee Pendrey, JC Trinder, Dan Ward; John Fish, Andy Gaske/1 (A/ex Winchester, 76), Jack Cui/is, Mark Hickson; Lewis Broomfield (Adam Reynolds, 76), Paul Jarrett. Goals: Crane 3og (24, 45, 76), Fish (59)

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Concrete Wednesday October 30 2002

Page 23

Aye-Aye off to a good start

UGBY AS EA GET

RE

UEA boy hospitalised after injuring neck in tackle Rugby: BUSA 1A UEA 1sts 17, Cambridge 2nds

A UEA student was seriously injured during a large defeat at the hands of a very good Cambridge side.

David Barber, a fourth year who is studying Biology, was taken to hospital after being involved in a nasty tackle during some heavy attacking from Cambridge after just 15

minutes.

However, the game started very brightly with both sides starting well but it was UEA who took the lead within the first ten minutes. Some well worked passing out to the right left space for the U's to break through the Cambridge defence line and Adam Rawle to open the scoring. The following kick did not result in anything for UEA. With the winds howling,

MARC DUDLEY not much more could have been done and the U's were unlucky not to increase their lead.

Cambridge came back quickly and pushed UEA back on to their heals before scoring themselves and converting the kick to take an early lead.

After kicking off at 2.30pm, the game did not start again

until 4pm. Restarting the game was hard on the players, as their minds would have been on their friend and teammate. Many fans felt that the game should have been called off in this situation and were disappointed at there being no medics at the game, something that is a legal requirement in American football.

At the end of the day UEA were beaten comfortably by Cambridge and the score did not reflect on the team's efforts.

UEA did score again with a try from Ben Day. Richard Pilgrim followed up by converting the kick but it was not to be enough as they went down 43 -

17.

After the game, UEA captain Nail Sparshott admitted they were "beaten by an exceptionally good side."

David was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where he is said to be doing very well after treatment for a broken neck.

The UEA Ultimate Frisbee team, Aye-Aye, played their first match in Norfolk last Thursday against Wymondham Academy, which finished in a 14 - 8 trouncing by the UEA squad .

Lead by captain Will Routh, it did not take long for the team to give a few lessons to Wymondham, who have formed their first ultimate Frisbee team just this year, writes Mike Carberry.

Although Wymondham had some beneficial height and speed, it didn't prove to be enough against the playmaking of James 'Big Dog' Morris and the suffocating defence of James Drakeford.

The UEA team was able to build up an early lead by capitalising on many plays, thanks to the strong forehand tosses of Rohan Martin and Mike Gaskell.

The team is quite optimistic about the upcoming season.

"Because ultimate Frisbee is such an up-and-coming sport, the amount of time a team has played together and developed strategies becomes an important factor in their success," said Aye-Aye's Alex Parker.

The UEA Frisbee team formed only last year but most of the squad has returned for the new season with the addition of some great new talent.

... .

Above: UEA player attempts a tackle, Above right: Davld Barber

0 BOYS COME BACK TO VICTORY -American Football: UEA Pirates 12, Old Boy Parrots 27

lt's not often a team's performance on the field is bettered by that of its coach, but as UEA Pirates top man, Neil Morgan took home a 42 yard touchdown reception the team knew their boss had a whole year's worth of bragging rights.

Admittedly he was playing against his charges for the UEA Parrots Old Boys side, but that won't matter come game time on November 10 when Essex are the visitors.

Morgan's touchdown was one of four that the Parrots scored in the annual prEH~eason Zimmer Bowl, but for the first time in six attempts the Pirates got some scores of their own to add an air of respectability to the result. tan Burchett's two touchdown receptions in the second half

ALEXTHORPE were the first the Parrots had conceded, and Burchett added to his personal tally by recover. ing a successful onside kick.

Despite holding the Parrots to no score in the first quarter, things didn't go well for the Pirates in the second as the old boys scored three touchdowns to go in 20 points to the good at the half.

Rich Mortimer got the first points on the board as he rushed home from seven yards, and Neil Sullivan took the total to 13-0 with a 25-yard catch from Warren Smart.

Last season the Pirates' first ever points against the Parrots were a 105 yard interception return for two points by l'ilikolai Johansen. This year he returned the favour, picking a 52 yarder for a third Parrots touchdown on the last play of the half. .The Pirates came out for the second half like a different side

full of confidence and began to string some offensive plays together.

In their second series of the half new quarterback Jacob Banik crafted a gritty 84 yard drive in just 11 plays to give Burchett the place in history.

Along the way Burchett and Chris Lee both made good catches and the accurate throwing of Banik will prove to be a potent weapon this season.

Unfortunately for the Pirates the ir joy only lasted three plays as Morgan pulled in a pass one handed and hot-footed it into the end zone.

With all credit to the Pirates they came back out and just crafted another drive with John Gouldson and Ed Franklin taking catches on the way to the second Pirates score.

The game fizzled out after this, but with x-rays showing a knock to Banik's wrist was only a sprain there is nothing but positives to take from the encounter.

0

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LADIES HocKEY:

UEA 8, Staffordshire Stoke 0 ALEX THORPE

UEA Hockey Club's Ladies showed w hy they are resounding f avourites to repeat thei r BUSA successes of last year in emphatic fashion as they humbled Stoke 8-0 in the season opener at Sportspark.

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11

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Indeed, if it wasn't for the heroics of the opposition goalkeeper UEA co uld have easily cruised past double figu res registeri ng a phenomenal 38 shots on target.

The dominance of UEA was hinted at as early as the first minute when Alex Smith burst through, beating four defenders before forcing the first save from Simmonds in the Stoke goal.

The only real surprise was that

it took 18 minutes for the Blues to break the deadlock when Emma Lee-Smith cracked home through a crowd of bodies from a short corner she'd forced with a strong run.

With Smith and Lee-Smith bombarding the goal and lnka Brunn terrorising the defenders down the rig ht wing it was only a matter of time before the lead was extended, again through Lee-Smith from a short corner.

Alex Smith, having hit the post and found Simmonds' gloves with earlier chances finally got her name on the score sheet in the last minute of the first half, finishing from close range at the second attempt after a good save .

In the second half the chances continued to flow thick and fast before UEA just moved up another gear to score another four goals in 20 minutes.

Smith made it 4-0 in the 47th minute bursting through from the right and slotting under the keeper, before Lee-Smith completed a hat trick of short corner goals with an accurate find of the bottom left corner just a minute later.

Brunn got the goal her performance deserved with 23 minutes rema ining , followi ng up after Smith had again been given too much space.

With the game already in the bag Gemma Nicholls pushed forward more and set up a fourth for Lee-Smith with a well placed through ball, before walking in a goal of her own to wrap up the scoring .

The win comes on top of a good start to the season locally, and with the ex tra coaching received as a result of focus sport status there's no reason UEA can't go all the way this season.

Lucy Willett (above) comes under pressure from Stoke defenders, while A lex Smith (right) lays back another short corner in the 8-0 opening day home win.

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