Concrete issue 160 11 02 2004

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Knife attack highlights safety concerns at city residence PAUL VINCENT Deputy News Editor

A man wu attacked by an armed mugger aa he walked through the Mary Chapman Court neighbourhood on Monday evening last week.

The victim. who is not a student at UEA. was visiting his girlfriend In the council estate behind Mary Chapman Court (MCC) when he was attacked by two muggers brandishIng a knife. Shortly after the Incident, the victim asked some restdents of MCC for help and told them that his attackers had taken two mobile phones and 拢60.

Mike and Jane SOC 1 (names have been changed to guard anonymity) were returning home at the time and say that the victim was wounded and had clearly been "held at knife point". Police attended the scene and arrested four people from Norwich.

One male and two females were released on bail and a 37-year old man was taken Jnto custody, he appeared In court on Tuesday February 3.

This attack is the latest In a series of Incidents at Mary Chapman Court, the university's city-centre accommodation on Duke Street.

Residents are very much concerned over their own security and that of their belongings with a complete lack of securtty personnel and no CC1V system. Concrete found the secure underground car park was easily penetrable, with one of the "locked" gates found ajar.

Conllict between the residents of MCC and those of the neighbouring council estate is constant, with students frequently witnessing drugdealing on their doorsteps and even occurrences of prostitution. The problem is aggravated because the residence's courtyard is open to the public, thus compromising the security of parked bikes. as highiighted In the last Concrete.

Peter Morgan CMP 1 explains that he has heard "many reports of violence. theft and vandalism In the adjacent council estate" and has "witnessed such things as drug dealIng taking place actually inside the

grounds of Mary Chapman". His flat was subject to an attempted robbery last semester In which a disguised intruder "demanded money while threatening us with an iron".

Toby Brunt ART 1 comments that Mary Chapman "scares the hell out of me". he says that on one occasion he "was woken up by screaming" to Above: Mary Chapman Court. Below: 1he Residences' Alarm System find "a woman scrambling back over F=:=-:-:;-:;;n;r;:;;;::;;;:;:;;;iiii the riverbank". As with most restdents of MCC, the city accommodation was not his first choice of housing, he finds the location "very unappealing".

A variety of 'other security worries are apparent at Mary Chapman Court. such as evidence of windows forced open. In addition, as with some campus residences, girls are now being allocated ground floor rooms. Director of the residences and services division Jenny Grant said that "following a recent safety/security review of MCC, a letter has been written to Norwich City Council asking about a number of issues such as CC1V. We will contln-

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Co.aete Wednesday. February 11, 2004

News

Disruption through the last year due to the Grade 2 listed Norfolk terrace showing its age JEFF CLAYTO N

PEOPLE living in Norfolk Terrace's block A suffered t heir third major setback last week, since moving in only in September.

THOM SMITH News Editor

POLICE have warned students to be on their guard for a fake taxi in Norwich after a 19 -year old girl was sexually assaulted .

The girl was picked up in a car with 'Taxi" written on the driver's door. at about 12:45 am, Sunday February 1, and d riven fro m Riverside to Hellesdon. where the driver assaulted her. She s truggled

Occupants of floor 03 were at s hort notice informed that their s howers were leaking very badly. and that a drainage problem required urgent a ttention. But by the same token , residents called into question the u rgency of

her way out of the vehicle and called the police.

Police s pokeswoman Nina Goad said this was a very distressing ordeal for the victim.

"We are looking to the p ublic to give us information a bout who this man is. It is believed that the vehicle was not a genuine taxi or private hire vehicle and we are keen to remind people of the dangers of getting into unlicensed taxis."

Genuine taxis in Non.vich

the work given that it was not scheduled to take place at some point d uring t he Christmas break.

Back in October, a situation concerning drainage quite literally surfaced when domestic waste began to overflow from s inks in two rooms . Occupant of one room, Cameron Grant, was away for the weekend and only thanks to t he q uick thinking of his frie nds and Security were the belongings in his room saved. "It was quite a shock to receive a call at home, informing me of the crisis that had suddenly developed. Needless to say. I wasn't particularly looking forward to coming back and seeing it for myself!"

In November. a gas main on the road behind Norfolk Terrace began to cause problems. Maintenance staff had

The suspect car is thought to be a silver coloured Citroen saloon , and the a ttacker 35-40 years old, 5' 7", of "chubby" build and clean shaven. He spoke with a local accent.

PC Richard Bell had the following advice for s tudents "Only Hackney carriages [black cabs) can be hailed and do not have to be booked in a dvance. Ring for a taxi with a reputable cab finn. preferably one you h ave used before and check tha t the one you ordered is the one that turns up, by checking the name the taxi was booked under. All taxis should have plates on the rear with the local council licenses and the driver's name and photograph on the dashboard" Anyone with information is a sked to contact DC Steve Wood, from Norwich CID on 01953424242 .

Inside Concrete This Wee Page 2: Norfolk Terrace feeling its age.

Page 4!

Lecturers want better pay Page 6: Union Elections Page 7: Beached Whale Page 8: Anger over restructering programmes

Page 9: lan Gibson speaks out against top-up fees vote Page 10-11: The infamous Sex-Survey Page 12: UEA Enquirer Page 13: The less students at University the better Page 14: Fashion

Page 15: Travel to Sherringham Page 16: Campus Comment Page 17: Superbowl Page 18: Athletics reports Page 19: Lacrosse, Golf, football Page 20:

UEA football

been monitoring the s ituation daily and when one night the main failed a safety check, all residents in block A were duly albeit suddenly informed of the possible worsening danger - to which effect, they were evacuated.

Whilst e ngineers worked through the night to repair the defective main, residents s pent the night in unoccupied rooms in accommodation around the campus.

Because of the uncertainty of the situation, there was very little time to pick u p any belongings. Nevertheless, all evacuated looked forward to a free breakfast in the Diner the following morning.

The Accommodation Office simply "apologise for any inconvenience caused".

Concrete spoke to a number of students liVing in the residences. While the frrst stu-

c

dent. of HIS1 si mply sald that "Norfolk Terrace is excellent!", the others were more muted in their opinions. It generally was accept-

ed that there could be improvements made to the buildings, but "at least it's not Waveney" .

AME Other Names Suggested, and the reasons given:

by Staliard House r Because I a m gracluating lis year. have been s uch a • ood studen t. a nd love U EA!")

rnard Matthews Hall (In especl to his bootiful urkey) THOM SMITH News Editor

AFTER a c ompetition open to all members of the University, the new residences' name has been decided upon.

The Winning name is "Colman House". suggested

by Mrs Babs Trepte, who works at the UEA as a cleaner in Wolfson Close. The University has accepted the name, but will still check with the Colman family to ensure there no objections to their using the name. The three runners up were students, Virginie Mortier, Mike Gogoj and Tom Gibby. Their suggestions were "Paradiso" and Broadview Terrace.

These entries will receive a copy of "Concrete and Open Skies", a book about UEA. while Mrs Trepte wins £200.

Cocrete recieved a copy of the full list of suggested names, which ran to 29 pages. Most e ntries were explained to the judges in

less than ten words; however so me went for miniature essays. There was one particularly lengthy entry explaining that George Orwell s hould be remem bered . a pparently unaware that "Orwell Close" already exists on campus. However, one of the interesting justifications used for a name (in this case 'Tilde") was "... Please use my entry to name the Halls; I deserve the £200 more than most; I have had to put up with the building noise for four months now, living directly oppositell" Students have reacted to the news in a somewhat ambivalent way. Chris John CMPI explained "I think it's an OK name, but not the best ... " Others said "It sounds like a jar of mustard!" (Nick Tredwell, CMP 4) and 2Why did they call it that?" (Mickey Lo ngstaff NAM 1). Other names suggested are on the right.

veli Block/ Close.

Court/ House/ Terrace etc (named after Edlth Cavell, e Norfolk WW l nurse) Climate Control ("UEA Is a iadlng [sic] institution on lima te controland issues ound it") Diffe rent Dorms ouse of the Dead "(if you are going for wmething a li tUc more post-modern") onkey Terrace ap oleon ewwave uey The Bunny Warren a veney Column avy 'r,errace Jonny) Wilkinson Terrace

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SIMPLY FILL IN YOUR DETAILS BaOW AND HAND IT IN AT RECEPTION FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A BRAND NEW SMART CAR NAME_

0.0.8_ ADDRESS_ POSTCODE_

TEL_ EMAIL_ I'QI,IlDfT,.._.WU.IIWJQIA--IMY.-CJtTO-~

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Concrete

\\'ed'"'·" '" "· FehmatT 11 . 200-1

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www.concrete-online.co.uk

Got a story? Email us at su.concrete@uea.ac.uk Lect'urers' Union ballots for strikes, and the NUS pledges students' support THOM S MITH News Editor

UEA could be hit by massive disruption this month as the AUT (Association for Univ ersity Teachers) threatens s trike action , and the NUS c alls for student protests .

As reported in th e las t edi t io n of Concre te. the AUT is unh a ppy with the gove rn ment's p lan s for lecture rs' sala ries. Des pite bo th th e AMI US / MSF and NISO unions acce pting th e pay

dea l provisionally. The AUT be lieves th at the proposed na tiona l pay fra mewo rk w ill lead to a many-tiered system of pay scales . a n d cou ld coa l tho e a ffected a lot of mon ey. with some staff losing a bout £47.000 over the next 21 yea rs . As a res ti t, th e Uni o n is ba lloting its m e mbe rs ove r wh e th e r to hold a s trike . a res ult tha t loo ks likely . The ba llo t will en d on Fe brua:Jy I I. and the resu lt will be known the follmvi ng d ay. If the ba llot is in

favou r of a s tr ike. there \vi ll b e trikes in each of th e Il ome n a lion s and across th e UK. Th e s trikes th a t wi ll a ffect the UEA are a n Engla nd wide st t·ikc. wh ich wi ll ta ke place on Fe brua:Jy 24. and the fo llowing d ay . th e re \vi ll be a UK \vid e s tri ke .

The AUT h as a bout five hundred m e mb e rs at t h e UEA. . mostly lecturers but also s ome suppot·t s ta ff. a nd if th ey go o n st rike th e re will b e prob le m s fur s tude nts .

wh o wou ld oth e f\vi e h ave lec ture s and se min a rs . l lowcver. th e Na tiona l Un ion of S tud en ts h a s come out in full su ppo rt of th e AUT a n d th ey arc calli ng for s tud ents to ta ke di rect ac tion. includ ing an "educa tio n boycott" o n Febmary 25 , a nd o the r. as yet un s pecified direc t protests.

Th e Un ion of UEA Stude nts ' Communica ti o n s Office r. Mr Ned Glas ic r. explained th a t the policy of a n educa ti on b oyco tt was

fo unded by th e NUS' coun cil. a ncl wh ile the Un ion wa s a ffili ated to t h e NUS. it was for the studen ts at UEA to decid e wh eth er they wo uld s upport th e po licy . lie sa id.

"The issu e of wh ether UEA s tud e n ts s h ou ld partic ipa te in this boycott \vill be put to the next Union Council mee ting. What is decided there will be th e Union 's policy ...

According th e AUT. th e m aj o t·ity of st ude nts a re in s upport of th e AUT's ac tio n s.

1\ Sllf\'CY th a t they co ndu cted

of 73 1 stu d ents a t severa l unive rs iti es a r o und th e country s u ggested tha t some 64.8% we re in favour of the stri kes. However. tuclents at th e UEA s eem to be less co n vi n ced of th e case for th e lec tu rers to strike .

First year La w Stud e nt Vera Fields gave a typ ica l r esponse.

"I t hi nk th a t lect u re rs s hou ld be co n ce ntra ting on th e ir import a nt work - teach ing stu de nts ...

~~~!!NCi'" ! ~,~~~n IT'S SNOW JOKE (SO RV) News Edito r

UEA IS one of e ight leading universities in the country to introduce a new t est for all those applicants who want to s tudy law .

The n ew test is design ed to d iffere nti a te bc tweC' n peo ple with s im il a r /\ -level results. and test th e rea son ing. ju dgement a n d comp rehen sion of th e wo u ld be s tu dents. by h a ving th e m a n s wer a two h our pa per includ ing mu ltip le ch oice ques ti ons on s ta tem ents a nd a rg u me nts w ri tten in ver bose . lega l la n g u age. a nd a lso a s hort essay. T h e s k ills tested a rC' those th a t th e uni ve rs ities feel law s tud ent s n eed to be a ble to u se. a nd a re d iffi c ult to a s sess from AIC'vel res u lts a lo n e.

As we ll as Th e UEA. th e Un ive rs ites of Birming h a m .

Bti s lol. Cam btidge. Du rha m .

No tting ham . Oxford a nd Uni ve rs it y College' Londo n (UC L) \vi ll use th e new test.

T hese plans follow UCL a nd Oxbridge's dC'cision to start an a ·scssmcnt paper fo r th ose wh o wis h to st u dy m edicin e .

Th C' fir s t Biom edical Admissions Tes t was ta ken las t a ut u mn .

The univers ities have submi lled sa mp le qu es tio n s to th e m edi a. th ough no a n swe rs . a nd la ter in th e yea r the re \vi ll b e sa mple pa pers m a de ava ila ble for the app lica nts to prac tice on .

Dr Alista ir Mullis. th e Dea n of LAW is unavailable for comment a t th e m o ment. but \vi ll be interviewed in more de pth a bout t h ese tests in the nex1. issue of Concrete.

Sample questions are s hown below : Consid e r the foll o win g argument: 'There are numerou s men ta lly ill offenders in our ptis o ns. This is sha m eful. The on ly poin t of pu nishmen t is But to be d e terre n ce . de te tTed one needs to be a ra ti o n a l pe rson . and a

who u nd ers ta nd s the likely co n sequ e nces of hi s o r h e r ac tio n s. Men ta lly ill offe nd ers are. by d efiniti o n . less th a n fully ra tio n a l. So they ca nn o t b e d ete rred . a nd s h ould not be in pri o n ."

I. Whi ch of th e fo llo\ving is a n un a rtic ula ted ass umpti on of th e a rgument? a ) th a t there are nume ro u s m en ta lly ill offen d ers in ou r pri so n s b) tha t im priso n ing the m e nt a lly ill is s h a m efu l c) th a t imptis onment is a form of puni s hment cl) that rational people unders ta nd th e li kely consequ e nces of the ir actio n s C') th a t th ose wh o ca nn ot be d ete tTed s h ou ld no t be in priso n 2. Whi ch of t he fo llO\vi ng i · a na w in the a rg um ent? a) it doe's not tell u s a ny thin g abo u t th e de finiti o n of mental illnC'ss that it is using b) it starts fro m th e assumption that we should be asha m ed of our pti son s c) it '>UL(g<'sts that we Ita\'(' to C'mhark on a very trouble :,mm· re\' icw ur th C' way th at imptisonmen t is used as a pu n ish m ent d) it does not allow for th e possibilit y th at some peupk who we re not mC' nta lly ill wh en th C'y offended might become mentally ill in p ri son C') it relies on sta ti s ti cs 3. Wh ich of the fo llowing ca n we m ost relia bly in fer that th e a uthor of the argu m e nt believes? a ) th a t people s hou ld n o t be sent to ptison exce pt as a last res ort b) th a t m e ntally ill people s hou ld be trea ted in h osp it a l for the ir illnesses ) th at offen de rs who a re no t m enta lly ill s h o uld a lways be p u n is h ed by imptisonment d) th a t a ll offenses h ave consequ en ces e) th a t th e point of pun is h m ent is not reh abili tation .

Answers are not provided .. .

PAUL VINCENT Deputy News Editor

A FEW inches of snow brought Norwich to a standst ill at the end of last month.

T he wintry weather. which h ad bee n pred icted well in a dvan ce by th e Me t Offi ce. s we pt ac ross mos t of the Un ited Kingdo m two wee ks ago to reac h Nonvi ch in th e ea rly a fternoon of Wedn esday J a nu a ry 28. There was m as s ive t ra ffi c g ri d loc k on Wccln es lay even ing . with tra ffi c at a s ta nd s till throu gh out the city cen tre a nd on Unlh an k Road .

The leader of th e city coun c il Ja n Co u zen s bla m ed th e co n ges ti o n o n drive rs a ll h ead ing h ome at the sam e lime. Mr Co u ze n s s u ggested that "s now clays" (as in North America) shou ld be consid -

creel. he expla ined that this "would keep t h e roads clca:J-er so th e gti tle rs co u ld get out and do th e ir j obs".

Wh il e th e city's major road s rem a ined la:J·ge ly free of s now a n d ice. preventing any se t·iou s a cciden ts. ve ry few res ide nti a l s treets we re gti tted , leading to a number of minor crashes o n b ac k s t r ee ts. T h e roa d gr illing process is co ndu cted by th e o rfolk county council o n mos t of th e coun ty's 6000 m iles of road bu t Nonvic h c it y counc il is respo n s ib le fo r the city centre's s tree ts a nd Th e Highways Agency ta kes ca re of th e A 11 (N ewmarke t A 12 a nd A47 Roa d).

(So uth e rn By p ass) tr un k roads .

T he co un ty h as a Ilcet of 56 gtitting lo rties a nd spen t £500000 on clearing roads over th is year 's three-day

cold pe tiod . On average . each lorry t ravels a bou t 11 miles every ho ur. di s pensing n ea rly 2 to nn es of sa lt a t a cos t of Cl 50 .

Amazingly. there were not m a ny casu a lties rela ting to th e ice; th e Unive rs ity Healt h Cent re was act u a lly qu ieter than no rma l as people with

a ppointments fa iled to turn up.

Prac ti ce manager C hri s lina Fie ld ing said th a t "th e nurses re po t·ted no s pecific injuties res ulting from s now a nd ice" but requ es ted th a t "people let u s know if they a rc n o t able to a ttend for an a p po intment. we ca n the n offer it to ot hers".

DRINKSPIKINGCAMPAICi PA UL VI NCENT Deputy News Ed itor MERCY nigh tclub on Prince of Wales Road is running a c ampaign again s t drink-spiking . in c onjunctio n with Norfolk police.

The ca mpaign. w h ich s ta rted two weeks ago and ru ns every n ig h t . aims to ra ise a wa reness of th e issu e a m o ng cl ub -goers. \vi th s taff

dropping cocktail tirrers bea ring a wa rning message into una ttended drinks. The la bels o n these cocktail stirr ers read "h ave you been s piked ". indica tin g th a t someone e lse cou ld have ta mpered wi th t he d tin k. m anage r Toby Me r cy Midd lelo n advise s "not to leave d ti nk s unattended" and suggest t h at "as you h ave a DES (design a ted d ri ver) to p r eve n t d rink driving you s h ould a lso th ink a bout h av ing a DES for looking after yo ur dtinks in thC' club".

Altho u gh s toc ks of th e special coc kta il stiiTcrs ra p idly Mr Middl e ton exp ired. a d m its t h a t "we ac tu a lly u nder estima ted the number

of stirrers and add itional pro m o ti o n a l mate ri a l req u ired " a nd expla ins th at more have been ordered. The campaign is expected to last a n o the r siX weeks a nd uses th e club's la rge screens to di play "spiked" m essage .

Co m edi a n Ri c h a rd Blackwood and for m e r Eas l En d e rs s tar Dea n Gaffney wi ll be appeari ng at Mercy regul a rly ove r th e coming weeks to fu rther promole th e campa ign.

Th e campaign is part of Ope ra ti on Enterprise. a proj ec t ru n by No rfolk Cons ta bu la ry. o nvi ch City Ce ntre Man agem ent Tea m a nd th e Norfolk Dmgs and Alcohol Acti on Team . O U1er

venu es in Ptince of Wales Road a re a lso pa rticipa ting a nd will be d is tributi ng S pike. a g ree n h ed ge h og.

Pos ters will be o n di s play in th e ve nu es a nd una ttend ed drinks wi ll. s im il a rly to in Mercy. be "spiked " by the h edge hog.

Th ose con cerned tha t thei t· drinks m ay h ave been s p iked s h o uld stick with t rusted fticncls and be a wa re that colleagu es. "fri e nds of ftiends" or eve n th e pers on th ey are d a ting co uld b e respo n s ible . T h e Na ti ona l Drugs Helpline is avai lable o n 0800 776600 a nd the Roofie Foun dation h as h elp a nd a dvice at www.roofi e.co m .

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Paoc 6

Co.aete Wednesday, Februarr 11 . 2004

News

YOUR GUIDE TO THE UNION ELECTION CANDIDATES FULL TIMEOFFICERS I ACADEMIC Chris Otrowski

I

Next year will sec a massive change in the academic structure a t UEA. ) l wi ll keep EVERY st uclen t r eprt'sc nt ed represented in EVERY school of study.

I will campaign lor l!rcatcr· eq u a lity between schools tor coursework penalties and !or be tter printing/pholocopyin,l( facilities in t he library. I will make YOUR \'Oice heard'

Jen MeTaggart I want you to he ab le to say on gradual ion clay '"UEA has given me the best access to acadc m ic re so urc es.'" Basically I want you to feel you've h ad value for your student loa n!

I be lieve I can coordinate a knowledgeable. friend ly and di verse team of reps. but m os t impo rtan tly l wa nt you to feel re laxed abou t ta lking to me wherever or whenever.

Ruth Martin academic offi cer I will be ab le to make approp ri changes to th e

cu rrent successes . As aca de mic officer I wi ll pus h for be tt er ti me lab lin g a nd in crease lhe library openi ng hou rs. I wi ll a lso address a ny other issues which arise.

Make you vo ice h eard. remember lo vole!

COMMUNICATIONS Anna Steward you see <1 women in y-fronts swimming in the sea on Nexu s TV . or jumping 10.000 feel out of a plane- th at's me! I'm J\n n a Stewa rd a nd I b r in g you .. . original researched ideas - a passiona te. repre sentative Commun ica tio n s Officer. l a m an EAS a nd Unio n Co un cil re prese n ta ti ve d ed icated to ta ilori ng our studen t Union to suit yo u.

Cat Lumb Hi. I have been a history student for the past 3 yc•a rs. and have bct'n irwoh·ed in ,.,po rh and socs. I 1111 willing to listen 1o pco pie·.., ick <h <llld dhc tl"" llw IJ(l'>'iilJilit!l'o., tO m.lkt• iill'l ll ill't'OJIH' t'(',i\ litl. I , !I ll \'C l )' C'O!IIIIlitt<'d lO c\Oilll! li lt' hl''>l job I c:111 il I :11 11 cil'ncd.

Commun il'.\Tions . it just lils.

Dipesh Palana .------., n ccesb e an c c t i v e Co mmunica tion s Officer. If elected I will ensure that th e re nre bigger and better eve nt s . more effective cam paigns. and a more dc>mocra tic and accou n table Union that is representative of the 1·iews of an of its mcmlwrs.

Emma Cirant Hi! I'm involved with Speak (wh ich ca mpaigns against social injustice). Rock Gospel Choir.

Un ion Council. and Dance Upon Injustice.

I'm standing for: •Greater communication belween the Union . s tudent s a nd societies.

• Fair Tra de an d tlr C' Cancelling of Top-Up Fees .

• Better Fres hers' Week Together We Can Ma ke A Di fference

Martha Orbach Br ave, expe r ie n ced . comm itled, dynam ic . emethical. fair. focu sed . frie ndly , h a ppy, h a rd working. helpful. organized . sen s ib le, a pproach able . serio u s. resourceful , relia b le.

EVERYfH ING A COM UNI CATIONS OFFICE R SHO ULD BE MART I-IA ORBACH • Com m itted to ensu ring you get the most form your un ion • Experi en ced • Lively enough to make things happe n Nice girls do it conscientiously

Richard Bowyer Hi. I'm runn ing fo r Co m ms to gel you a better deal.

Did yo u kn ow th a t a ro un d £30 .000 of yo ur money was a ward ed recenUy to Livewire for a studio refit?

Co uld thi s money be be tter spe nt elsew here? I b elieve you h ave a righ t to kn ow. and we have a du ty to listen.

Gel more ou t of your Union.

Get Bowyer for Comms.

TomCrosby ~~ ude~~cc~~l~~:~ needs effectil·e eo m mu n ica t ion between its mC'mb<"rs and rcpn'Sl'n lal ivc,.,. Throughout Ill\' years here mv expcli<'lll'l' a" a LclllOII Co uncil rep ITse nt ali\'!' h as provitkd IlH' with ilt(• nC'cessary skills to Pnsul'C' I his. My pled~es arC'

realistic and a tta inable. and will create a m or e s uccessful Union.

FINANCE Anna Muir I h ave been lhe Societies offi cer for the las t year. so I know how the Union operates. I h ave been a member of the Livewire co mmitlee for li1C' last two yC'a rs a nd i like numbers and ha\•e studied accounlin~ at high sC'hool and UEA so I am con fident with budgC'ls.

James Drakeford As this yC'ars Sports Officer I have the experience to rC'ally benefit students. l undl"rstand how the Un ion and University work a n d h ave made valu ab le co ntacts th at will a ll ow to impkm ent my me pledges.

Most import a ntly a ll my decis ions wi ll be made in a n a ppropria te . e thica l. finan cia l. a nd benC'ficia l way to the student body . without prejudice .

MatthewSparkes "Spark of Innovation for the Union". CMP 3 I o n ly have 50 words here so I -....,= "-!..I""won'l t ry to li st my policies but instead urge you to read my m an ifesto lo see h ow I can improve uni versity li fe for a ll of you. I p romise lo respond to a ll EMails with answers to your questions.

(M .Sparkes@uea.ac. uk) If you worry where your money goC's.

Malt's the o n e that surely knows.

I will so rt il, yo u s hall seC'.

Co n1e on in and vole for m e.

WELFARE Alex Parker thi rd yea r d evelopme nt s t u dies s tudent. l wan t to prom ote a n d m a ke th e we lfare su pport system available to everyone a nd prevent the aceommocla t io n service from overbooking again. continu e important cam paig n s like 'No to Top-up Fees·. Fair Trade and a n improved freshl"rs week with no lectures.

Elspeth Jones Welfare' Officer I

to m ake st udC'nt s aware' of t lte advice and sup port avail iablc to them in the Uni on all(! t he University.

Frances Stapleton Med ia !-m en tor.

Llllii• •U. s pecia 1- n ee cl s programme coordi n ator in Nottingham.

• Pass iona te. committed& empa thetic.

We need: •Our rig hts secured • Quality of life& future guida nce •Assimilation of all socio cu ltural backgrounds& needs.

• More than 50 words in Co ncrete!! (Check out my Manifesto!)

Jo Wright I'm e lected. welfare offiwill be. fr·icndly. open. enth usiastic: a lways ab le to m a ke lime for you a nd experienced of working within your Student Un ion. I won' t make unrealistic promises b u t wi ll listen to you r views and work to ensure that your we lfa re is a lways th e priori ty at UE/\.

Suzi Shimwell

. lnslead it seems m ore co ncer ned to t r ea t u s as co n s um e rs. expecting us lo prop u p its ex pe n s ive r e fu rbi s hmen t h abits and huge salaries fo r th e managem ent with our loan cheques.

Tom Jarret h a ve a real desire to h e!p and improve essentia l services s u ch as the advice centre •~~!!~•• and m a ke all forms of s u pport more accessib le to all. Key areas t h at n eed addressing are acco mm od a ti on. financ e. safety a nd transport. Any iss u e th at affects you becom es my priori ty. You r problem is my proble m.

IPART TIME OFFICERS I I ENVIRONMENT I There are n o candidate<; for I his position.

INTERNATIONAL Joe Moon Hi I'm ,Joe Vloo11. was born in So u th Korea. but moved to the states when I was u....""-'=--"-''"' 1:>. I a111 runnill.l! for th e position of 1111 C'rna Iio n al Officer for Olll'

DON'T FORGET TOVOTE

reason. to make UEA a better place. not just for the internationa l students but for everyone. If e lec ted I WILL m ake a diffcrencC'. you have Joey's guarantee.

ll is vi tal that the Student Union does everythin g it can to promote and support the activities of stu dents and the clubs and societies. If elected I will do th is .

LIBERATIONS

SOCIETIES

There arc no candidates for this posi tion .

PUBLICITY Andrew Wallen .--- -- -,The Union is an integral part of the University.

Successful pub licity is one of the ltlll~~~~~-key way;, in which the University can gain rC'Venue and support various event5. lt also helps to embody students \vithin the Union by promoting servic C'S. If nom inated it \vill be my a im to integra te us further and improve financial 5uppo rt. VOTE MI\NDY 1

Dan Pearson Publicity I want to r evitalise this role. making il for you. I my personal commitment lo represent UEA students. coupled with my attributes of innovation and motivation can help you gel the most from your union. Vole Dan for a new. committed pu blicity officer who will represent you and your interests!

Rowena Boddington passionate ly lievc that the Union is one of the m ost exciti ng paris of university life. From societies to stud en t advice. th e Union provides u s with tons of se rvices and facilities. It would be my mission lo C'nsure no-one misses out on any of these. and th a t the Union misses no -o ne.

Tor Brierly my name is and l want to Union office r my vo ice h ear d. T he Un ion n.ms rea lly smoothly but some changes that need making and l can make them. I want to raise ,.,tudent awaiTness of. and :.cc an increased Student p1·esence at. a ll Un ion C'Ven ts. I think i'm the best pC'rson fo r the job.

There are no candidates for th is position.

SPORTS Helen Davis the

on Union Council. ng me a good understanding of Union pol itics. As Sports Officer I will be answerable to you. l intend to improve Colney Lane. campaign tor non assessed leaching on Wednesday mornings a n d provide support for both BUSA a nd non-BUSA sports.

Martin Cirieller believe sport plays a vital role in life at UEA and if elected some ~-~~· thtngs I will look r;;; to do include encou ragtng m ore people to participate in sport at UEA. h elp you . the students get the m ost out of sport at UEA and help the s ports clubs at UEA achieve thei r fu ll potential. I will also encourage more fund raising events lo h elp clubs gatn extra revenue to h elp with the runn ing of the clubs.

WOMEN'S Katherine Bowker r!!••?"! Hey am K a lh a rin e Bowker. and want to be your women 's office r! I -L...--.a:.:...o~ wi ll raise awa reness of women 's issues both in university life and in the wide r world. I will work alongsid e you. and by listening. d iscussing and laking action we can try and make the u nive rs ity experi en ce the best it can!

ALL POSITIONS RON

William Kemp I'm a second year Politics student and a m em ber of 1hree < lubs nn d societies. l al'>o sit on Union Council.

Don't see anyone you like?

Then Re -Open Nominations .

Cnncrct<' can not be hPid rcs pon sihk !or en·or~ or onlis<..,ions

IN THE LCR: TUESDAY FEB 17 11am-Spm, WEDNESDAY 11 am-Spm and 7.30pm 9.30pm, THURSDAY 11 am-Spm

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c:..n.. Wednesday, February 11,2004

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The body of a 60ft aperm whale bu beeD wuhed uhore Dear to Tbomham.

OD the Norfolk coutllDe. Wildlife experts believe that the animal died after getting lost at sea and that the carcass .will probably be washed out to sea again and will vanish. The dead whale was initially spotted off Holme,

Norfolk, earlier this week then it was buffeted by the tides to nearby Thornham.

Some individuals seem to have removed the whale's teeth over the course of the weekend and questions have been raised by visitors as to whether the whale had suffered from a propeller wound, from a ship. Tills opinion Is due to a gash visible on Its side.

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Page7

News

W A EBEACHED IN NORFOLK SEA

TOBYLEWIS

-·---

According to the Times newspaper. the public were being directed on a two mtle diversion to see the whale, in order to protect the ecosystem on the beach nearby where the whale was washed up.

Norfolk authorities are fortunate that the whale will be washed away, for in the Taiwanese city of Talnan attempts were made to transport a whale across the centrefurresearchpurposeson January 26th; due to pressure butld up caused by the decomposition process, gases butlt up in the whale's belly so that it exploded and splattered the entire Taiwanese high street in blood and guts.

NO TO NEW MARKET? Traders and customers against Coucil's plan to change market, saying it should stay as it is.

ISABEL DYSON

CONTROVERSIAL plaDa to improve EDglaDd'a leacllag opeD-alr market are beiDg coDaldered.

The local Uberal Democrat CODDCII ID Norwich have come DDder fire after local traders were Dot appropriately cooaDlted about plaDa to traoaform the 2()()-atall market.

Roughly 3,000 people responded to an online and telephone poll. carried out by the local newspaper, The Norwich Evening News.

Nearly 100% of telephone response and over 50% of online comeback was in favour of improvements rather than complete change.

The outdoor market, open six days a week, was moved from the Tombland area of the City during the Norman conquest of 1066. to Its current location and has remained in the main trading area of the City ever since.

Top: Three pictures of the whale beached in Norfolk.

Left: a 17 metre whale being transported through the city of Tatnan. bloated with gas exploded, showering the street with blood.

Offering a huge variety of fresh fish, meats, fruit. vegetables and cheese, as well as books, music and clothing, the market, it Is argued by many, Is merely In need of Improvement rather than total modernisation.

The major needs of the market area are modern electrlcs and drainage systems, which are presently over 30 years old, added to the narrow aisles and the poor condition of the stalls -

thought to be beyond economic repair. The new intended plans will also include new weather protection, which is currently temporary on the low outdoor stalls and Inappropriate for extreme weather conditions.

The council has drawn up proposals for three alternative new models for the market including 'hovering pods' over the stalls, allowing air to circulate whtle providing sufficient shelter and illuminatIng, square concrete stalls with circular roofs incorporating street art.

The proposed £4 million overhaul will now be decided In a compromise between traders and local councillors after a meeting was called by the City Centre Resident's Forum and more than nine thousand signatures were gathered in a petition urging for no dramatic renovations.

Pictures: 1l1e market as it Is

now and many want it to stay.

ELECTIONS THIS year'• UDioD electhere will be plenty of chance tlooa promlae to be bigger to put your questions to all thaD previooa years, with a the candidates at Question hqe DDDJ.ber of caocli- · Time in the LCR on Monday. datea, aod Dew vot!DC aya- February 16 between 12 and tema.

2.

But for three of the posts Most Importantly however. there have been no candi- the Union has extended the dates nominated. According voting period from one to to Union's Communication's three days in order to Officer Ned Glasier the Union Improve turnout and enable is disappointed. students on placements and "Although we've attracted living off campus to vote more candidates to the elec- more easily. The voting days tions. they are not as spread are Tuesday 17th, out as they normally are.· Wednesday 18th, Thursday The Environment, 19th Voting is also possible Liberations and Societies between 7:30 and 9:30 on posts are very important the Wednesday night. roles and we will be holding The results will be by-elections very soon to announced at midnight on ensure that they are filled Thursday at the LCR disco. with good quality candi13 February dates."

CampalplDg begiDS Whtle the candidates are 16 February listed on the facing page, for QuestloD Time 12-2pm the first time in the history of 17 February the Union of UEA students, Vot!Dg llam-5.30pm all the candidates' full mani18 February festos are available on the Vot!Dg from11am-5.30pm union website, aod 7pm-9pm www.stu.uea.ac.uk. As in 19 February previous years however, VotiDC llam-5.30pm

Pizzas 2 for 1

Mon, Tue, Wed 5-8 with NUS

Paoe 8

Co.crett Wednesdar. Februan· 11. 2004

News

IN BRIEF LOCAL NEWS FROM THE LAST WEEK THE Unthank Road Budgens has removed displays of bacon to be hind the de li counter. beca use so much of the meat was being shoplifted . Shoppers will now have to ask staff for bacon . ssausages a nd other m eats.

The shop has had vast qualities of bacon stolen. in clud ing £30 worU1 being stolen hy one person in one d ay.

The Norwi ch Evening News published CCTV pictu res of some of th e thieves back in October.

Th e area m anager of U1e s h o p . Mr Robe rt Hea d explained that "Theft is a pre t ty m ajo r problem in Norwich . People use b acon as a currency for drugs. " Mr Head add ed: "At the end of th e day. it is high va lue st uff. Bacon is smaJ I a nd can h e st uffed down trousers."

i\N ex-convic t who had an

a lcohol problem was so badly affected by the break up of his relationship. he b roke into his ex-partn er 's Mile Cross house . a le a ll the food there. and th e n attempted to commit su icide. Magistrates hea rd that Mr Steph en Fran klin broke into his C'X -pa liner's s h ed .

IC' ft behi nd "C'xp ressio n s of love". before' breaking in to hC' r house. sleepi ng th ere. eati ng left over fo od. a nd tried to kill himself. staining sheets wit h blood.

He \\·as given a o ne-year com mu n it y rC'habillat ion order. a nd ordC'red to pay .l.::lOO co mp<'n sa lion ancl 1.: 120 costs.

TROUBLE BREWING FOR ASSEMBLY The UEA's annual assembly, to be held on February 25, during the proposed lecturer strikes, will face motions brought by staff against the proposed restructuring of the UEA's schools into four faculties , and also will have to deal with the is sue of top-up fees .

In four assembly motions put forward by Or Jackie Granl ecse. a m ember of the AUT Un ion the principles of cha ng ing the sch ools a rc being questioned a nd th e m ethod by which th e proposed ch anges will be m ade h ave bee n a ttac ked.

The first motion asks the Assembly "to condemn the lack of du e process on the nature and content of the proposed UEA CORE

restructuring". it is alleged in this motion that th e project's leade rship group took decis ions on res t.ructurin g in a utumn 2003. without prop-

er consu lta tion in advance.

The seco nd part of th e docu ment asks the Assembly to qu es tion and "condemn" th e lack of factu a l data with refe rence to th e Vice Chance llor's asse rtions to how the restructuring programme will benefit the UEA. The assemb ly is urged to denounce the failure of the Vice Ch a ncellor to provide guarantees against man datory redundancies. Simila rly. the VC 's a lleged "spin-doctoring" of th e proposaJs. Meanwhile . Doctors Rupcrt Read and Ne il MacM as tcr h ave submitted a m otion questioning to p -up fe es. The

:

:s I

c \jf?

LUKE KEMMETT

THE number of unions disaffiliating with the NUS has risen term by t erm ove r t he pas t fe w y ears .

At present Edi nburgh .

Glasgow.

North a mpton.

Southa mpt on. Dundee. St. Andrews.

Sunderla nd.

UM IST a nd Imperi a l College London h ave a ll recen tly m ade th em selves independ ent of the National Union. and th e Un io n of Sussex is awa iting th e resu lts of its refere ndum at the e nd of thi s week.

Hut why 0 The NUS costs each u ni on ap proxima tely £45.000 a year. money th at many IJdicn· cou ld be bet tcr spent elsewhere on st udent societi es a nd \\'e lfa re . Tl1 e

2003 NUS confe rence introduced poli cy that cou ld potentially in crease the affilia tion fee to £80. 000. So what do you get for your money?

The NUS a rc recogni sed as the 'collec tive voice' for s tu dents . and they h ave rece nt ly campaigned against top up fees a nd organised lobbies of pa rliam ent as well as demon st ra tio ns.

But th ere is mu ch disillu s ionm ent over their representation. Conference d elega tes can be elected by les than 1% of U1e students a t their u ni o n . and this body of delega tes can represe nt a political p arty or interest g r oup . r at h er th a n re presen tin g the typical s t u ctc nt 's interest:'. .

Un ion Commun ic at io n s Office r Nt' d Gla sicr sa id th e

with beer a nd stoc k for their s h ops.

UEA's ti es with th e US a re st rong. but the c urre nt unres t sur ro unding the orga nisat io n s uggests now is the tim e for th e US to imple m e nt important changes to make their services better val u e fo r m o ney. a nd to m a ke themselves m o re accoun tab le to th eir represen ta li ves.

Third year Soc st ud e nt Ge mm a said s h e was n't bothered wheth er th e Unio n s taved in the NUS or nol. '"I'm not really s ure wh a t it does for the Union to be hon est. except pPrha ps give us ch ea per drink s in the bar. but I do like n'c<' i\in!( my 10 '3-o discount in Tops hop. I think morP sh o ps need to give di:'.Count s though."

UEA Union was not considering leaving the NUS. "it wou ld h ave to go through a re ferendum of a ll students. The a m ount we s pend on b eing a ffil ia ted to the US. we save on being pa rt of US services limited."

He added tha t th ere were defin a tely ar eas of conce rn with the support a nd re prese nta ti ve se rvi ces NUS p rovices .

"NUS is domin ated by politica l factions. b u t as ye t the Union h as n o pla n s to hold a re fe re ndum.

Gen e ra lly peo ple arc pretty a mbi vaJent to th e NUS ."

Affili at ion with the JUS means st ude n t disco unts in \'a ri o u s hi g h sll-eet s to res and cheap a lcohol in th e union bar. T he NUSSL cu rrently supply s tudent ttlliOII!:>

Above: Ned G/asier

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Offer valid Mon-Thurs 5 - 10.30pm.

Sundays 4.30 - 9.30pm until Thurs 4th March 2004 Please book early to avoid disappointment.

Wide Vegetarian Choice Available.

Just bring this voucher or show your student car d.l

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QUESTIONS

I

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Picture: se/tools at UEA

WHY ARE UNIVERSITIES LEAVING THE NUS?

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:

motion says that top-up fees will cripple s tudents. a nd will not meet the fu nding gap in higher educa tion . it asks for the lobbying of MPs in pa rlia ment a nd governme nt to reject top up fees as it continues in its passage throug h parliament and if this is not poss ible to at least rejec t th e variability of the top-up fees proposa ls.

The n ext ed ition of Conc1·ete will cove1· the effects th a t th ese motions will h ave a n d th e like ly effects th e lecturer strikes m ay h ave.

Bookings:(01603)61472

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TffiS week. the Christian Union asks "What does the word 'Christianity' mean to y ou?" l'E:\ h h osll n!.\ a Jtu mbn or {'\'('nt-. ollerin!.., 'he ch .tll('(' to learn lllO IT about \\'hat C'hnstJ.tn'o bdit·n·. Th is 1,., a r h ann to ask all the qtt<' ,., tio n "' \"l>tl lla\1' wa n tt·l to a s k. b ut lll'\'c·r dn red.

Those with que stion ,.. on Ch ristianity arc im· ited to come to Ill• 1\Pwl. be t\\T<'I lOam and l:!pm. 01 ~pm and ·l pm tll\' <1.1\ this \\"l'l'k. where tiH'I"' \\"ill I)(' IH'opl read\ to t;tk<· qtwo.;litJJts Th<'ll ,tn• t].._, a numlll ol di-.1'\ 1-. ... lfll lttlll iH·s I hi-.. week .... I art i11~ 11 J p11.. \ho 7· ~() O'l tiHT< ;,.,

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Spn r hp;trl; (2:30 :1) pro vid cs t IH· l ilancc to lt <t\'1' a clise uss ion on Chris ti anit.v in hl't Wl'('ll rou nds.

IS BEING a DJ your dream job? Smirnoff Experience is looking for up and com ing DJs from UEA to play on the same bill as music artists Adam F and the Freestylers in the forth coming NUS tour through out February and Mar ch .

T lwv an· look i n~ lm li\'1' ba nd s or DJs \\' h o pia~ d a nrt· Jt ltt s ic. ori~in<t l JllJ:\ ma terial. DC'c ks n · l'llech. ,..natchin' or Ujill!.. \\it il .tll :V1C . l~ntr lllb llllhl '"no! ,, t I> (no l on~er than I 0 nJmut t·,..) nl thcir 0\\"11 on~111.tl work \\"ith tlwtr n.unl. cont<H t dt•taib .tlld lllitlko d "'Sumnofl l::xpl'rit'IH"l' tu r·rliH'~"t'lt ror Li\ <'\\'in·.

'I ill' l>cst thn·•· l'ltlric,.. .t't hoscn ll\' tIll' ('on .,.,.,, i·,d1tor. 11< dd 'll Ll\'t \\"il ,. oiP<I l llttlll En ... i\1il11 t!!,t' \\ il IIt'll IH' jl\(l~ed lm lin;tl sl'l,·t·t 1nn l>\· t lw Smirnofl 1·>-;pt'l it'JH·c tl'<llll ol I).],.., :l!!,l'lth and m u,., ic· !wads Til e winn e r \\' ill pl.ty <t l:'i· mi nut e set as the o.;uppo r t act for tlw (' \ Tilt.

c..a.t., Wednesday, Febntary 11, 2004

Features

Page 9

Charles Clarke

Secretary of State for Education speaks out about his fight to win the tuition fees vote Yes the Second Reading vote on the higher Education Bill was close but no it was not a disaster. Taking on an important issue and winning people round is far less a crime than sitting back and watching universities and students suffer.

I look forward to carrying on this important debate in Committee Stage where the Bill will be scrutinised line by line and clause by clause. No-one will be able to say that this major reforming Bill did not get the scrutiny it deserved.

On the one hand the Bill will allow universities to charge up to a maximum of £3000 a year for their courses providing them with up to £1.3bn extra income every year. But, on the other hand it introwo weeks ago Tony Blair suffered a duces a student support package which is more humiliating blow to his authority when generous than it has been for decades. his bill to impose top-up fees on univerTherefore, those who argue against the Bill have sities scraped through the Commons to face up to a series of stark alternatives. by only five votes. The Higher Do we get rid of upfront fees for all - or force middle class families to continue paying £1,200 cash Education Bill was given a second reading by for each year their children are at university?

316 votes to 311, but it was a close-call for the Do we give around a third of full time students a Prime Minister who right up until the vote did not minimum grant of £2,700 each year, with a further know which rebels could be swayed. This is the 20% receiving part of this amount - or deny them Government's lowest majority since coming to power in 1997, but just why were so many of such support?

Do we want to increase the living loan to enable all Labour's own MPs against the bill their leader students to borrow enough from the Government turned into one of confidence? to cover essential living costs - or drive many of Labour MP for Norwich North lan Gibson was a them to commercial companies which charge high leading opponent of the tuition fees bill and said he was disappointed with the vote's results. interest rates?

Do we want to make the repayment system fairer "I thought we'd won. it was so close, the battle by ensuring that no-one earning under £15,000 was on, and a lot of people were very positive.• pays anything, cutting weekly payments for all, Gibson was surprised at rebels who converted to and writing off all debt after 25 years? Or should the Prime Minister's cause at the last minute. we keep graduates paying back when they're earning £10,000, and in some cases paying until they retire at 65?

Do we want to create an independent and sustainable source of Income for every university- or deny them such funding?

I believe the answers to all these questions are obvious, and the Bill will bring about sensible and essential reforms. Nevertheless, there has been a long and hard debate. I have tried to take full The most notable of these was Nick Brown, a foraccount of the concerns held by coHeagues and mer chief whip, who felt enough concessions had others in working out the details of the Bill. Critics been made by Secretary of State for Education are concerned that our proposals would Increase Charles Clarke. debt, and that the perception of this debt would "There were all sorts of different pressures on turn off many students; that low income students Nick, and other MPs who changed sides. They would be forced to choose the cheapest course just got cold feet, and gave in." rather than the one best suited to them; and that 1 But Gibson says he has no idea whether Nick have some sort of secret plan to allow universities Brown and Chancellor Gordon Brown came to an agreement as rumours had it. His conversion did to charge up to £15,000 in the near future.

Ifs very Important to distinguish between com- follow early morning talks with the Chancellor. mercial debt, and student debt, which will only be "There is no evidence for the rumours. Nick repayable after an earnings threshold of £15,000 thinks he got a deal. I don't. Not for one minute is reached, and then at a level related to income did I consider changing sides. I support my own rather than the amount owed. The further safe. ideas, and I'm not a follower." guard of a 25 year cap on the amount of time But Gibson, who is Chairman of the Commons graduates have to pay back means that however Science and Technology Select Committee, did much Is owed there is a finite period of repayment, not think the small majorily by which the bill was regardless of income. I believe that aD this plus passed would have many repercussions for the the fact that around a third of all fuU time students Government. will get at least £2700 in non repayable support "There will be discussions, as there are lots of each year wiU mean that no student will need to elements people are unhappy with. We should choose a course based upon cost. have been consulted. The vote shows the I want to make it clear that the maximum fee will Government should listen." not be able to rise above £3000 plus lnnatlon for Gibson is absolutely against the variable fees put the remainder of the next Parliament. That Is a forward in the bill, allowing Universities to pick cast iron guarantee that wi8 be written on to the how much they will charge with a cap of £3000. face of the BHI. I haYe made sure that even after "There is still not enough money going into unithe next parliament there would still need to be a versities. Industry should pay more, and we should get more money from graduate tax." debate and vote in both Houses to raise the fee.

Like many Labour MPs, lan Gibson feels the There has been talk of arm twisting, cajoling and Government intentionally made the vote a test of bullying. But, I want to make dear that we won the vote using the powers of persuasion because Blair's leadership to scare MPs into voting for an issue they did not support. the principles of opportunity and fairness that lie "lt was made into that by the behaviour of the behind the Bill speak for themselves. If we are to whips, which was wrong. People were muscled continue to safeguard the best universities in the in terms of loyalty. it was all about the whips, world whnst offering a more generous student when it should have been about the issue itself." support package we must be brave enough to During the lead up to the vote, rumours were flyintroduce majof' reform. This has not been an ing that many 'rebel' MPs were voting against issue for the faint hearted but then again those more than fees, but Gibson denies being part of with faint hearts should not be in Government.

so

ar•••

The tuition fee debate culminated with an exciting and close vote but despite the Government's win, many MPs, including Labour's own party members are extremely angry with the proposed Higher Education Bill. Rebecca Lawrence spoke to rebel Labour MP lan Gibson and Shadow Education Secretary Tim Coli ins about their fears for the future of Education

T

"People were muscled in terms of loyalty. lt was all about the whips, when it should have been about the issue itself."

this group, and he is unconcerned about the consequences of having voted against his leader.

"I'm here to fight for my constituency, not my career. I'm chairman of the select committee and I'll carry on with that. Yes, a few MPs were running their own agendas, which was a cynical approach." ibson stresses that the Government needs to listen to its members or the bill will continue to be voted down in further stages.

"The Government must react to the closeness of the vote. Vice-Chancellors want more money, and are selected and appointed on the basis of how they will fund universities. Universities will certainly end up charging more than £3000."

If Gibson had contributed to the details of the bill he says he would take out the variable fees.

"I would also hold proper debates, and get real money to the universities, not in 2009. I feel Labour has broken its manifesto, and I find this upsetting.

"My constituents will come and talk to me, and yes, I will give the official answer, but I'm not happy. There is a lack of support now for Tony Blair in his own party."

This is not the first time Gibson has had to vote against his Government. He did not support the bill for Foundation Hospitals or the war in Iraq. "it upsets me that I have to vote against my party, but I think I represent my constituents, and the Government is not doing that."

G

"Be in no doubt: our alternative will NOT involve fees."

He feels Gordon Brown will almost certainly be the next prime minister.

"I'm not sure when, but yes, I would support him, unless someone else comes along, although I don't know what he stands for at present. Blair is somewhat weakened, but he will still stand in the next election."

Gibson asserts he will continue to vote against the top-up fees bill until he is happy with it.

"The Government need to make more concessions. This is not a good bill."

Shadow Education Secretary MP Tim Collins was also disappointed that the Labour bill went through but was not surprised as the Government has a majority of more than 160.

"What was tremendous was that the majority fell to just five-which shows how much anger there is inside, as well as outside Parliament."

He feels that this should be a serious wake-up call for Ministers and if they don't reconsider fast it will cost them millions of votes in the next Election. "it's a bad deal for just about everybody.

Students face a catastrophic surge in debt levels.

Universities have no guarantee of extra money, since the Governmenfs concessions are not only more expensive than the fee income but according to Charles Clarke will have to be paid for from within the existing higher education budget."

If in power, the Conservative party will scrap Labour's top-up fees.

"Well before the next Election, we will set out in detail the conclusions to the work we are now doing- but be in no doubt: our alternative will NOT involve fees."

Collins adds that the Labour Party have definitely broken their manifesto which said 'we will not introduce top-up fees and we have legislated to prevent them.'

"The Conservative 2001 Manifesto also said, 'we will not introduce top-up fees.' We are keeping our promise- Labour is breaking its words.

"The latest poll I've seen puts the Conservatives five points clear of Labour, and at our highest level of support for 12 years- so there is at last a real chance that Tony Blair will not be Prime Minister after the next election."

Like Gibson, Collins predicts problems for the Government in the next stages of the bill.

"As one Labour rebel pointed out, majorities go down, not up, as a Bill progresses through Parliament. The battle is far from over- and my colleagues and I will do our very best to kill it off completely on one of the later votes."

Page 10

Sex Survey

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Concrete

HARDER BABY, YES, NO, DON'T THERE, A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT, WOW THAT'S GREAT, OH YES!

CoiG'Itt Wednesda)\ February JJ, 2004

Page 11

Sex Survey

Fantasy Be GIRLS

HOROSCOPES

e ows

UNISEX

BOYS

Capricorn Love is in the air. In the form of pheromones. They will go to work on your brain making you feel all nervous and flitty when you come into contact with that special person.

Aquarius You will find a handsome man in the swimming pool. Oh no, but he's drowning. Save him! Quick!

Pull him out. Now kiss him, that's it... yeah, with tongues.

Getting jiggy, doing the bad thing, hiding the snake in the forest - whatever the subtle euphemism, the Valentine·'s issue means that sex is on our minds. Toby Brunt roots around in the dirty underwear of UEA students to bring you the annual Concrete sex survey. Read it, feel dirty and used, then go and procreate ... es, beloved readers, as your favourite independent student newspaper slides further down the greasy slope into the perverted realm of tabloid journalism, another sex survey is complete. Wehhey, etc.. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Concrete hopes to provide you with some background reading on the sexual mon~es of UEA students, just in case that someone you've always wanted to bed should fall for your illusionary romance on the most rehearsed day of the year. I'm not bitter, just tired.

This year, we have managed to gather around 115 completed surveys from male and female Hive-goers, with ages ranging from seventeen to sixty-eight. First of all, we thank you all for participating in the survey, and promise never to burden you with such a heavy emotional/physical load again. Secondly, we would like to apologise in advance for the ridiculous amounts of puns we will be making in this analysis. Thirdly, please try not to take this survey too seriously, it is no way an accurate representation of the entire student body, and is merely for comical and perhaps (at a

Y

%of single UEA students:

stretch) sociological purposes.

Well, it looks like the rainy days will be brightening up for many singletons out there, with 56 percent of male respondents and 48 percent of female respondents ticking the 'single' box.

However, it's stormy for the devoted man. 52 percent of female respondents are in a relationship in comparison with 40 percent of males. Perhap-> the long-distance thing isn't working anymore?

Go on, put some clothes on over that old Sex Pistols t-shirt and head down to the bar. At leas!

50 percent of the women there will be single. You have our personal assurance. Who needs that boring cling-on you left back home anyway?

As your heart rate increases with the possibility of getting laid, yet more good news that will hopefully increase your chances: over 83 percent of m~:le and 88 percent of female respondents are heterosexual. That means they like you! Yey! Even more interestingly, it appears 11 percent of both male and female students are turning their game in both directions, with bisexuality ahead of homosexuality in the charts. However, an absence of responses confirming female homosexuality may leave Internet porn addicts as shocked as experiencing a total network crash. Less than 1 percent of females surveyed are actually homosexual, in comparison with 5 percent of males. Time to get serious about those Google image searches guys; it's going to be a long, hard winter.

Now the labelling process is done, we can start to look at the real reason you picked up this newspaper. Out of 64 females and 56 males wto responded to being asked how often they had

sex, 20 percent of females said they did daily, with 28 percent sounding lire in the bedroom on a weekly basis. But, an unnerving and slightly bewildering fact revealed itself as the results unravelled: only 16 percent of men said they have sex daily, whilst 38 percent said at least a few

birth control -women: condom-

41 .7°/o 5°/o 53.3 °/o

rhythm method the pill-

times a week. If 20 percent of women are having sex daily, and only 16 percent of men are, then whom are all the women sleeping with? Answers on a postcard, prizes await. lt is uncertain whether or not celibacy is a fashion that is commonplace amongst the student community, yet 12.5 percent of women and 3.5 percent of men admit that they never ever have sex.

Considering 74 percent of men and 78 percent of women say that there is enough sexual health information available on campus, there doesn't seem to be much emphasis on the safety of condoms in these results. Both male and female respondents agree that the pill is the most preferable choice of contraception. 53 percent of

women and 48 percent of men say yes to its advantages. However, one can only hope that those participating in a sex are wise enough to use both.

Onto lighter subjects and greener pastures, we have our favourite and most used positions to be intrigued by. 0 1' doggy doggy style is a big hit with the ladies, with 40 percent of female respondents adhering to its greatness. Indeed, one sincere young woman found it necessary to explain to us "being shagged doggy style in front of a mirror" was one of her best sexual experiences. On the male side, we have the woman 'on-top' position as a favourite with 25 percent, just beating doggy style by 2 percent. However, it seems we're a pretty unadventurous bunch of idlers, with the missionary style being the most commonly used at a 50 percent pass rate for female respondents, and 31 percent for males.

Who gives and who receives during oral sex is often a subject of debate. To jog your memory, you are one of the 64 percent of women who prefer to receive and your partner is also one of the 56 percent of men who likes to receive, yet you are eager to please him and he is happy to let you, so you get annoyed and after a while the whole thing just crashes down on its head. Yup, perhaps you should insist for some off him and follow this respondent's example; •coming from oral sex whilst reading porn" is supposed to be a good one. Also, the results curiously show a majority of women who prefer to swallow rather than spit. 54 percent in fact. This is convenient considering 60 percent of men like you to as well.

56°/o 48°/o Some Best and Worst Sexual Experiences

Men :

women-

Best

•bird up against all the walls and in every room with no Johnny in •Been apart from my girlfriend for drunken passion •Climaxing over a month. When we met up •In my parents' summer house we had the best sex ever.

•Sex in the surf on a beach, after on a chair that creaked every time we stroked skinny dipping, getting pissed, •Make-up sex and songs round a camp fire.

•In Thailand on mushrooms wit"' •Old girlfriend Kiera Knightly a beautiful German girl •Back of the 27 Bus after the •With girlfriend at my parents' LCR house - didn't last long but was •A threesome in a VW Camper tucking good Van •In an exiting place at uni •Fantastic •3some, twins •I n a car park, on a bonnet, •Man sandwich being filmed by a security cam•Ejaculating continuously until era the whole bed was wet •Sex on my boat •My first orgasm - I laughed •One night stand with a lovely •A foursome Japanese Girl in Belfast •In a tent in Rome •Ice cubes, Gaffa tape and a •Back of the LCR with a stunner Death in Vegas CD .. .Hell Yeah!

Worst

•The 1st time •In a plane cabin •Neither of us were really up for it, just did it as a matter of course •Granny porn •43 year old guy straddling me and jerking off while saying ''who's a dirty little boy". I was 17 Drunk, passed out while on top •Injured myself during sex •She bled all over my sheets •With a Slovakian nurse - she was crap •Waking up and finding out I had my strongest beer goggles on the night before •Falling asleep •Popping some girl's cherry ouch! eQn the passenger seat of a lime

green Ford car •Sucking some guy off in the sauna •Snapping my banjo string •Being tempted to have sex outside a loving marriage relationship •Beach - sand everywhere •Ye Olde Brewers droop •Discovering we had been watched all the time by a park weirdo.

•Stoned and drunk boyfriend came home from party, had sex, then left to go back to the party •He was like the Duracell Bunny, he just wouldn't stop •A one night stand - both very pissed •Getting drunk and cheating on my boyfriend with a much older and very sleazy man

Aries Send yourself a card containing the following message: 'Roses are red, I am you, I'm so glad that you're me too'.

Feign interest in snooker. Wee ..,.aiiUillirlll.._.iiliMI in the sink. Spit in the shower. ~-=--=--,

L---.....:_

_;_--"-J

Taurus Give money to the one you love this Valentine's Day. They will think it means you care about them. Keep your eyes peeled for hidden scrolls around the tweflth. The scrolls

Gemini Look carefully both ways before stepping onto the highway of life this Tuesday. Particularly beware meat that has been made into a cylindrical shape.

Um, masturbation was an interesting subject to cover. Please excuse the pun, but it's quite big with the guys. 21 percent conduct in some type of masturbation on a daily basis, and 39 percent on a weekly one. Female respondents clearly find it less stimulating considering the majority, 25 percent, say they never engage in it at all, and another 21 percent, perhaps the more adventurous, do it weekly. Ever heard the rumours that it can make you go blind guys, come on and get a woman, you Internet freaks.

Look, if you are going to watch porn on the net and clog up the network with your Kazaa downloads, you shouldn't admit to it in a survey. 31 percent of the male respondents declared that their biggest sex aid was porn. So now we know what goes on behind close doors when the male population isn't at it like a jack rabbit 'a few times a week' . As if you didn't already know... For female respondents, vibrators were a 'big hit' with 37 percent of the total, and kinky underwear coming in second.

There is a history to your sex life, and we wanted to know about it. Where have you been, how long have you been there, why did you go? That sort of nonsense. Its all important, you'll see.

The results show that the most popular age to

60o/o of men masturbate a few times a week or more

41 °/o of women claim the same lose your virginity is 17, as confirmed by 29 percent of male and 34 percent of female respondents. This has many possible explanation, such as changing values in our society, possibly a greater need for maturity at a younger age, or perhaps it was just cool, like smoking drugs.

That's some concrete analysis from your favourite newspaper. Whatever the case, 66 percent of

UEA's favourite age to lose virginity:

17 male and 73 percent of female respondents thought this was a correct and appropriate age.

Good for them.

We decided to survey how many sexual partners people have had whilst at UEA and how many they have had altogether, probably because we are a filthy, nosy bunch of lowlifes. Of women, 23 percent had had just 1 partner whilst at UEA, but over the course of their sexual lives the average number of sexual partners was 3. In contrast to male respondents' highest of 54 (whilst at UEA!), women had an almost modest 25. If you can't see the blatant obviousness of the connotations in this comparison, you may want to go to the library and read Freud, or listen to Massive Attack Blue Lines for some early 90s male feminism.

Unfortunately, we were slightly too slack with our clarity when we asked how many one night stands our respondents have had. Because of this we ended up with 46 percent of male respondents telling us they have had 'a few'. Baffling.

Luckily, women have been far more modest: 46 percent of female respondents had had no one night stands.

To continue boring you with more pointless statistics which are actually more amusing when you stare at them for long periods of time and forget what they mean, the percentage of people that decided to tell us which sexual debacles they have been involved in is particularly high. 28 percent of men had had phone sex, and 24 had done role play. Phone sex, at 38 percent was most popular with female students, with the second being role play once more. High jinks like bondage and group sex, however, weren't far behind on the scale. 17 percent of women said they had been·in a threesome, whilst 15 percent of men came just behind. To say you are all a

bunch of ' unadventurous idlers• would not be too harsh...

A startling response found was the amount of men who have had sex in public. Out of 48 men who answered, 75 percent said they had sex in a public place, such as in "the surf on a beach, after skinny dipping", and "in a car park, on a bonnet, being filmed by security cameras". A popular choice with exhibitionists was the LCR, so you better watch out the next time you go the back dO<X for some fresh air. You could end up with a face full of indecency.

The lengths to which you all gracefully took to fill out our qJestion, "Place the following in descending order of importance ..." we feel must be justified here considering the boxes were ridiculously small and it wasn't easy to understand how to fill out the qJestion appropriately. So, in a movement that epitcmises the student population of UEA as the most morally guided in town, you rated: (1) Personalty, (2) Looks, (3) Humour, (4) Dress, (5) Accent, (6) Social Background, (7) Money.

tempted by the same sex:

T:~all

ensemble of surmen: veys was just a small insight into women: the progressive research constanty being undertaken to bring you the most educational, entertaining, and impartial news and features stories we possibly can. We hope that this year's sex survey will help you direct yoJr moral compass in the path of safety and pertaps stimulate your interest in sex as something to be explored rather than just 'done'.

One last piece of advice: wash in every orifice, don't mess people about with hard friends, and try to avoid ending up like Alan Patridge, franticaly decaring "I've got cheese." after he loses his job at the BBC.

24.5°/o 32 .8°/o

Cancer You'll finally buckle down and become more productive now that the hubble telescope is in your sign. Go to bed early, ring your mum and eat porridge. You will meet someone nice.

Leo As Mercury boosts into your erotic zone beware confusions between love and lust. Lust is like poppers whilst love is more like smelling your own armpit - - . ........~-..;J sweat. Focus on people with eye-patches and prosthetics.

Virgo Beware of the influence of Mars. Corporate chocolate giants keep files on you.

Remember that time you ate a Twix and you commented, in jest, that it felt as though you'd 'swallowed a tracking device or something'. Oh, how they laughed back at Mars HQ.

[!]

Libra You will watch a lot of Eastenders from a ninetydegree angle and listen to acoustic rock. Realise that that special person will never come back. Never. Come. Back.

'-LL, _

___.

Scorpio I'm looking at the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. And he's saying 'who are you to tell me how to live my life?' Lesson learned.

Sagittarius Chat 'n a Scots dialect, Ken. lt ull make ur seem edgy, less o' a gadge, Ken. If your name is not Ken· then I advise that you get a tattoo of your least favourite lecturer's face. Clam down: this is a sport involving sea meat and dunking.

INSIDE: SCANDELOUS DETAILS OF THAT MEETING BETWEEN CLM DUNN ANDJIMMY CARTER

Ask De Koch

Jackson incident forces UEA to question its own nipple policy

1973 a crackpot doctor was sent to military court for a crime h e probably did commit. This man promptly escaped from a mazimum security stockade UEA to - - J the In

..__ _ _ _ _ _ __

underground. Today still wanted by the Porter's Lodge, he survives as a doctor of fortune . H you have a medical problem, if no one else c an help, and if you can trust him - then maybe you can have an appointment with - Dr. De Koc h (F.F.U.R.C.S, M .E .)!

In swift response to events at the Super Bowl

haH-time ceremony in the USA, America, tTEA h u rushed through protec:tive legislation to shield the b ig innocent eyes of all tTEA stude nts.

Janet Jackson had flabby Yanks all over the US spattering their TV sc:reens with beer and pretzels when one of her breasts flopped unwanted into their line of sight. Mass blindings, seizures and many deaths were the result, highlighting the extreme danger of exposure to the female chest appendage.

"We have always been very conscious of the similarities between UEA and USA; in fact, they're only fourteen alphabet places apart" said Dr. Rea C'tionary when questioned over new laws restricting an observer's ability to discern body contours through the forced wearing

of strategic padding, harnesses and the controversial 'view purifying' technique. "This similarity", she continued, "makes UEA students particulary susceptible to US breast shock."

"After copying the semester structure and just about every other aspect of US uni life we can think of, we thought it only logical to take their lunatic knee-jerk puritannical over reaction to brief nudity as an example worthy of emulation" she added, off the record.

Women will be forced to wear cushions around their waists, limiting the disgraceful and damagingly obvious curve around their hips, whereas men shall have to restrict the visibilty of their crotch-bulge.

Further, emergency continge•. •les that have been appended to the motion which was passed by the Dean of Student's Office, the body

responsible for such legislation, included the controversial 'optical nullification' policy. "If further flashes of breasts ever appear to be likely, then we shall undertake a policy of forced blinding of students, to protect them from the harmful sight of flesh" explained Rea. Men and women will also have to wear a bedsheet over their heads when leaving the house and any failure to do so will encur a death-by-publicbeheading sentence. Other, more imaginative suggestions, considered the possibility of positioning little kittens in women's cleavages in order to dilute their breasts' harmful potential.

In addtion, CMP researchers have been give.n a large grant by the government to investigate, through simulation, the possible use of breast· revelation in neutralising enemy combatants in modern scenarios.

war

GIANT BEASTS WARNING Moose, Cat and Horse cause trouble in the Triangle The gJ'eater Golden Tri-area has recently been plagued with sightings of these grotesque creatures. Thought to be the size of your average two storey building these ghastly beasts seem to be mald.ng some sort of home for themselves here in our fair land.

So far only three monsters have been spotted, a fat cat. a black horse, and a mad moose, but each of them seem to be having some sort of magical spell over normal upstanding residents. Luckily these vile beasts do not seem to move much but instead lure innocent bystanders into their evil clutches.

Poor naive citiZens find themselves being called like siren song to the mutants.

One eyewitness, a Mrs. Ethel Enid Wensleydale reports from between her net curtains she has seen large crowds of people filing to these animals, like they where going to worship it. but when they get close enough the animal lashes out and swallows the person whole. From inside the beast's belly can

be heard cries and shouts. and occasionally breaklng glass. Yet hours later the beast regurgitates these poor victims who stumble out in a stupor obviously under some sort of magical brain washing spell.

For many of the victims will return week after week to endure the same mindless torture at the claws of these brutes, usually on a Friday or Saturday. For some reason the fat Cat seems to attract older men with facial hair cut into strange mutton chops or mustaches; while the mad Moose seems to be taking younger trendier people between Its evil antlers.

It is assumed that only an insane scientist could be behind such dastardly doings. For no one else but a scientist gone crazy could have the resources and have such a mad mastermind to think of such a plot. But the question really Is who, and why? Norfolk police have been trying to figure just this out. but when ofllcers go In. they don't come out again until lunch Is over.

Dear De Koch, I'm a 2nd year Medical student and think I am fairly attractive. There is this guy in my study group who I liked (he looks like Ross out of Friends!), but he was mean to me earlier on in the term for no apparent reason.

However. he's been really sweet to me recently and Invited me on two study dates and he helped me learn how to read ECGs (they are so hard they make my smurf brain hurt!). I really fancy him now and just wanted to know. as a doctor. do you think it is a good Idea to ask out someone on the same course as you? Because I am very tempted to, as I haven't had anyone feel me up in ages.

Laura Davi.s on MED Dear Laura.

It Is very romantic the way you describe your relationship With this guy, except for the part where he couldn't stand your guts.

Your question is one that has been echoed in many of the emalls I have received (mailto: drdekoch@hotmall.com) in the run up to Valentine's Day. Except for the emall about the freezer-storing habits of international students.

Dating somebody on the same course as you has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that you 'vill see your new love almost every day and be able to make lectures more interesting by groping each other under the table. You can walk everywhere hand in hand, much to the irritation of those sad, single people on your course.

Basically, it will brighten your day to see your new man everywhere you go.

Naturally this is also a disadvantage, because If you have a hideous break up -you won't be able to move Without bumping into the lousy jerk.

This situation is made a lot worse by the fact that you and this guy are on a medical course which lasts five years. So unless you two end up getting married at the end of it, I hope you can stomach seeing him With other girls If it doesn't work out. That's assuming he likes girls in the first place. And do you really want the babies of a guy who's like Ross? Get on the pUI NOW. The simple thing to remember is that If you like someone you should not worry about the insidious, persistent and malicious gossip that will inevitably spread around the med school like wildfire when you start going out with this guy. Good luck! You'll need it.

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

---- -

c:..a... Wednesday, February /1,2004

ccess

,

Page 13

11

Students are in more debt than ever before; we no longer receive free grants and soon we may have to pay up to £3000 to attend University, yet despite money worries in Higher Education the Government still aims to have 50°/o of school leavers in University by 201 0. Richard Si mm looks at the case against degrees for all in an attempt to reduce student debt ast October UEA celebrated forty years since it admitted the first undergraduates. Since then times have changed, and many would say for the worse. Looking back with nostalgia, or for those of us who weren't there with rose-tinted awe, to a time when cultural attitudes, popular music, fashion and so on were radical and new. The 1960s was a time of great growth for Higher Education, with more people gaining access to univeristies than ever before. Now the Government aims to have 50% of school leavers going to University but have they pushed this idea of access for all too far?

Pardon? Surely the liberal minded students that make up the vast majority of university populations cannot seriously suggest that having less people go to university is a good thing? But it seems higher education has out-grown itself and something has to give.

The choices are not good; do we increase taxes, let the quality of universities fall, or make students pay more?

As a student you feel duty-bound to be against top-up fees, support grants and campaign for the improvement of university education.

But is it realistic that, this being the case, we can support the government target of 50% of 18-30 year olds in higher education by 2010. Many are now coming to the conclusion that adopting the standard student rallying cry of "grants not fees!" whilst supporting the increasing student numbers is simply untenable. Especially when you realise that the 50% target is a totally arbitrary figure, seemingly plucked out of the air by Tony and friends in their ivory tower.

The standard reply to anyone not wanting to increase student numbers is that they are being elitist. But such criticism is unwarranted. lt does not necessitate wishing to select people almost exclusively from society's upper echelons. Bigger is not necessarily better; increasing access doesn't necessarily mean widening it. In fact, the policy of increasing access to higher education and funding this with top-up fees may instead discourage people from poorer back grounds going to university. Arguably, it makes more sense to decrease student numbers so fees can be got rid of altogether freeing up more money for maintenance grants and bursaries.

Moreover, isn't it elitist to treat university as the be-all-and-end-all

L

by saying the more people with degrees the better? Isn't this implying that people with degrees are better people? This is obviously untrue. lt might be better for the economy, yet there is obviously a shortage of people with practical skills. The government says as much, but simultaneously seeks to encourage more and more into university with their largely academic disciplines.

Another concern of the already high and increasing numbers who have or are soon going to have degrees is the effect on people's prospects once they have left university. No longer are you one of the few but one out of two million. A look at graduate message boards on websites such as monster.co.uk or graduateforums.net or speaking to friends who have recently graduated tells various tales of woe of trying to find jobs after university. Many are entering companies at ground level and working their way up rather than being placed on a graduate recruitment scheme. For those who decide to be more realistic and sacrifice the prestige or interest factor of a career and decide on a job with a large company that at least pays well (after all you now have all that debt to pay back) will often also be sorely disappointed: in the current economic climate

Bigger is not necessarily better; increasing access doesn't necessarily mean widening it. it's even difficult to sell your soul.

Director of UEA Careers Centre Anne Benson assures students things aren't really this bleak. When asked whether there are enough jobs out there to suit the increased numbers of students she said, "There are job opportunities out there but whether they match student expectations about what they are like is another issue." So in being encouraged to go to university have people been sold something that isn't really there. Benson says student expectations are often unrealistic.

"They are often not going to get their perfect job by virtue of having a degree alone. A lot of students expect to magically fall into a graduate recruitment scheme, an attitude which is wonderfully naive. Those who do go into graduate training straight out of university are those who've thought about it a year or more in advance." Nonetheless surely it is still disheartening to leave university having worked hard and in thousands of pounds worth of debt and not get the supposed pay off. To this Anne advocates patience, "'Ne learn from our alumni that graduates do go into graduate jobs but after a time. In the first six months people may feel underemployed. People find within a year, certainly within three years they've embarked on a career rather than a job." n terms of the job market, then, it's about being realistic and working hard at getting on the career ladder if that's what we wish to do. This she asserts has always been the case. "How is this myth perpetuated?" she says on how people think the perfect job will be waiting for them with little effort on graduation.

Therefore, it seems that the graduate blues, or what is now being termed the 'Quarter Life Crisis' may simply be a stressful part of life but one everybody has to go through; something everybody thinks is worse for them just because it is them going through it.

However, what may make current students and recent graduates slightly more deserving of their self-pity is the significant increase in debt; and with the recent top-up fees vote this looks set to get worse. Attempting to find your feet after university is made much worse with loan , credit card and overdraft repayments . The arguments that a degree is mentally rewarding and benefits in terms of wages are more long-term are sound ones. Yet this is not going to be totally rewarding to the debt addled students of today and perhaps there is still an argument for less students, less debt.

This is not to say the fewer students the better, or that we should decrease the percentage of 18-30 year olds in higher education to 6% as in the 1960s. Rather that half of all young people attending free higher education IS obviously impractical and that a little realism should be exercised when asking for larger student numbers, better standards, more money and less debt. If we tru ly want increased access to higher education we should accept the financial consequences of th is, more debt and by extension strain for tomorrow's university leaver. Don't be fooled that the hard work and great expense of university means walking into the job of your choice without problems. Realise that although you're big and you're clever, you're probably not all that special.

I

¡-

I

Fashion

Page 14

-c irstly, let me begin by explaining that I don ' ag ree with the concept of makeovers, per se. The whole 'standing in front of mirrors in your pants, boob grabbing thing' is far beyond me. Makeovers are in fact quite a pretentious concept, rel ying upon a Sandra Dee 'Grease'style personality transplant from good girl to bad. Th is is not what happened here; he model was beautiful before-

Wednesda v, Februarv 11. 2004

Co.aete

Changes hand but was simply bored wi th her clothes. We all fall into a rut when shopping for ourselves, and only look at particular shapes and styles that we know work, but if the security guards at UEA start to recognize you by your customary all concealin g coat, you know something 's wrong. Cat usually lives in jeans and zip up hoodies and a massive smile; because Cat has such clear skin she didn't need

much make up, we used No 7 intelligent colour fo undation , Ruby an d Milli e cheek stain , Benefit Kohl pencil, Body Shop lip stain and Bou rjois black mascara. Clothes wise we victimised her into a sparkling array of outfits, picking up on the still prevailing sixties influences, monochrome and anything that sh owed off her slim neck and shoulders whilst attempting to maintain decency and wearability.

odel : Cat Woodward . Photographer: Mike Wager. Stylists: Lucy Morris and Hannah Walker.

Cat wea rs clothes from Cult Clothing; 'Jesus is my homeboy' T shirt, £19.99. Stripey mini skirt, £34.99. Black halter neck top, £19.99 by Bench. From Catfish, White and green T shirt, £37 by Diesel. Gstar jeans, £82 . Diesel jeans £130. From Topshop; Black and white polkadot bag, £15. Black and white stripy polon ec k, £25 . Bla ck and white stripy shoes, £30. White plasti c beads, £6. Cream and black sixties dress, £35 . Blue and red boob tube, £25 . Black pleated mini skirt, £20.

Cropped jeans, £30. Blue boots, Faith £65. From Schuh; White and yellow flower shoes, £44.99 by Irregular Choice.

-rrllii~Etr

Media Group Ltd

..

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Telephone Jayne Ashby on (01 603) 671802 after 4.30pm or email: jayne.ashby@ angliaautotrader.co.uk

St. Johns House, King Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1PD

As a d1e hard fan of ease and s1mphc1ty, Cat usually wears her ha1r tied back and her much neglected tresses had been deprived of a trip to the hairdressers for six years. Previously haircuts had taken the interesting form of a housemate chopping off her pony-tail with kitchen scissors. Gat's needy hair was placed in the hands of the ever- so -charming Luis at Mane. She wanted a change but not anything too drastic and something that she could do easily in the morn ing before running off to campus for a busy day of lectures and working in the Hive. Continuing with the updated sixties look, and thinking Bardot-esque, Luis began by taking the weig ht out of the ends of her hair, layering throughout the length , creating a side parting and a long sweeping fringe . Finishing by using styling products from Bumble and Bumble. If any of you are looking for a hair-

1

dresser, not that Norw1ch IS lackmg, Mane IS a good un . lUis has recently been selected to style hair for Aveda at London Fashion week, so book an appointment before he disappears off into the bright lights of catwalk hair styling .

As is blatant from the pictures Cat looks amazing , very rarely have 1 had the gift of a model who looked stunning whatever I put her in.

At the end of the shoot deciding we were all desperate tor a pint we sli nked off to the pub, new hair and all to show it off to the no doubt appreciating locals. Getting ready amongst the piles of clothes and watching Cat pull back on her Reebok classics I realised you can take th e girl out of the trainers, but you can't take the trainers out of the girl.

And why should you? r

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Page 15

features

You wear it

ove's A Beach

well ...

Aah, Valentine's Day. T~me to whisk your loved one off to sunny climes, romantic cities and big four-poster beds. However, lack of funds may mean that you're confined to slightly less exotic environs. Why not try Sheringham, the jewel of the North Norfolk coast, or so the tourist blurb tells us. Katherine Clemow tests the romantic waters.... very year, Valentine's Day highlights people's different opinions not just on chocolate and flowers but the essence of romance. Romance is about the simple things, the gestures of closeness that bring people together and consolidate existing connections. What better way to celebrate your love and luck at having someone with which to share the occasion than to retreat to a place of peace and quiet and extraordinary natural beauty such as a seaside town on the north coast of Norfolk.

The sea is always romantic, whether you sit sheltered by a rock, a gentle breeze playing in your loved one's hair listening to the waves lapping against the shore or walking along a cliff in a storm with the promise of a warm, dry room and a glass of wine around the corner, being at one with the elements brings out the wild, adventurous, caring, fluffy streak within all of us.

If you can't get to Paris or Rome, (and, lers face it, they're both getting a bit cliched anyway), make your way to Sheringham. lt's directly north of Norwich and takes an hour by train at the modest cost of just £3.05 with a rail-

E Ben Patashnik questions why we have have to look like what we listen to... ook around you. Right now. If you're in an empty oom, firstly chide yourself for being a loser then go nd find some friends. Scrutinise them - do their clothes look like they're usually worn by someone who should be on the cover of either the NME or The Face (nowadays, the two are virtually interchangeable)? Or any kind of appearance that has been made popular by music: an album cover, a live performance, a band tshirt. Chances are you've answered at least one of these questions in the affirmative. And the fact is whether you like it or not, since Ludwig Van favoured his shorter breeches for moshing, thus ensuring he didn't trip over the bottoms, music and fashion as inextricably linked as carrots and peas.

Think back to the enduring images of musicians over the last half-century. The Beatles in their immaculate suits and skinny ties, Hendrix and Led Zep in their extravagantly coloured and styled apparel, The Clash and The Sex Pistols' mutilated boutique, Cobain in his striped jumper and now The Strokes, har1dng back to the skinny tie look. Music and fashion go hand in hand for a simple reason - for those very first pioneers, there were no boundaries. Would Jimi Hendrix have described 'The Wind Cries Mary' as just a song, any more than he'd have described his clothes as just something he wore? The two were part of the same phenomenon, a true artist doing something he believed in, being both the product and producer of his own gift.

The Clash would always play their gigs in the same clothes they'd worn during the day, thus negating any aesthetic boundaries from their fans and avoiding any kind of gimmickry in order to present an undiluted message. These remarkable musicians, and indeed those we'll look back on a decade from now as being special, lived and breathed what they did.

Wearing what your heroes wear is a simple communion, a way of saying "This is what I'm into, this is part of me. • Back in the 60s, the Skins would suit up in their Does, Shermans and braces and then go have a dance at the Desmond Dekker show, fully in the knowledge that along the way there would be a plethora of distrusting and derogatory looks passed their way, just as the Punks would spend hours customising their jackets with personalised slogans specifically designed to piss off whoever was around. Was their fashion separable from their ideals? lt was an integral part of their lifestyle and beliefs: to be punk was to accept your choice, no matter to those that didn't agree.

The question is what legacy has this left? Now fashion is the biggest business, and because music bequeaths fashion and vice versa, the fashion of the devoted and true fan is being exploited for people desperate for a quick fix of cool, people who want to belong to something without the commitment of being a real fan . Preripped Motorhead !-shirts, pre-faded MC5 t-shirts and poster-boy clones clogging up the town centres now prevail, but the crucial factor is the money. Why bother wasting years loving music and absorbing the culture it presents when you can buy the pre-packaged image?

The commodification of music is nothing new, and the rape of it's principles is evident in all forms of mass culture - from the sickening Pop Idol and subsequent imitations to McTimberlake and Britney Cola, it's all one big product. Now the way the true idols dress is up is for sale, and the fact that music and fashion are inherently inseparable is a marketing manager's wet dream.

Ifs a shame, but the fact remains that as long as they keep singing whilst wearing retro !-shirts, there'll always be devoted fans singing along in exactly the same clobber. Deep down, we all know whars important, and that's not being a damn sheep.

11

... walking along a cliff in a storm with the promise of a warm, dry room and a glass of wine around the corner card. The journey takes you through green swathes of farm land, beside rivers and sea and the flatness of the county means it has more than its fair share of sky creating some of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.

As you leave the confines of the city, you can feel the air get cleaner and spaces wider. A bus goes from Castle Meadow and of course you can drive, but a car is little asset in Sheringham where everything is within walking distance and the views are best admired on foot. The two carriage train that transports you to the beauties of the coast drops you at the top of the High Street where you'll find most of the shops and from which you can walk to the beach. Particularly worth browsing in is the Westcliffe Gallery where all but the very wealthy will gaze in admiration rather than buy anything. Creativity is a gorgeous little gift shop, as is Sublime: an incense, candles and jewellery haven.

But as with any town, big or small, there is the usual quantity of rubbish. The arcade is best avoided on a romantic weekend away, with the splashing of waves against pebbles being infinitely preferable to the jangle of slot machines and the manic tunes blared out by the virtual killing games enjoyed by few and suffered by many.

Admittedly the point of going somewhere like this is not the shopping; ifs about getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

However, there are several more little gems which shouldn't be overlooked. My favourite is the Hoe House bookshop found on the street parallel to the High Street. 11 boasts 20000 books piled high, double stacked and has a sister shop minutes away if you can't find the volume you're looking for.

Sheringham has a relaxed, fairly non-committal ambience about it. The woman at Hoe House, when I enquired about the Guest House across the road, told me she'd seen a couple who had booked in advance but couldn't get in because no one was home. Clearly, securing accommodation is a bit of an issue, with the most promising prospect being probably the Two Lifeboats Hotel which looks

straight on to the sea. The restaurant and bar looks particularly enticing. At this time of year, en-suite rooms Sunday to Thursday are £35 pounds per person per night, going up to £39 Saturday and Sunday. You will need to book in advance at 01263 822401 ar.d there are other places open later in the year but for a romantic break away from the rest of the world with views of moody seas and dappled skies you couldn't do better than the Two Lifeboats and their friendly, though as ever slightly vague, staff.

There are lots of places to eat and you can get everything from a three course meal from the pre-theatre menu at No 10 which is open Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and through the window (I was there on a Tuesday and could only look longingly in) I spied pretty tables in cosy corners just perfect for that private sharing of loving looks Valentine's Day inspires in even the most level headed lovers.

A lone stranger waiting for love ... or a boat

The arcade is best avoided on a romantic weekend away....

For eating in, the town manages to achieve a comfortable balance between the traditional bakeries and family grocers and the usual Woolworths, Uoyds pharmacies and banks.

How long such local businesses will thrive is as yet uncertain; a Safeway's has just been given the go-ahead which will bring new custom to the town but provide a possible tragedy for local business. Mr and Mrs Whafs-their-name will never compete with the mass produced goods of a major supermar1<:et chain but there is something unique and to be treasured about the lasting institutions such small towns were built on. I'd like to think that in the spirit of the place the powers that be will have more sense than to let the 'What's-their-names' fold. 1t just wouldn't be the same without them , but the more custom they enjoy in the run up to the invasion the more certain their future. nother brilliant thing about Sheringham is its access to the North Norfolk Steam trains. The tourist information centre isn't open until March 29th so I wasn't able to get very much information about the possibilities or routes available but there are stops on the way from Norwich to Sheringham where you can stop off and take a bus or boat connection to explore more of the county.

-Skim some stones with your new beau

A

Proof that the path of true love can run smooth ...

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-----------------------------Page 16

Features

1\'ednellfa, . Fehrtll/IT 11 . 200-1

Campus Comment

Safe as houses Wouldn't it be comforting to believe that as soon as you shut your door at night, you were sheltered from all the nasties of the world? Unfortunately, as the various Mary Chapman security anecdotes following the recent knife attack have shown , to imagine we have complete control over our home environment seems increasingly misguided. it's naive to assume that, just because Norwich radiates a gentle , backwater vibe it is free from all but petty criminals half-inching the odd pair of pants from Primark.

Although it's easy to get alarmist about the knife attack, which would probably not raise an eyebrow in other cities, this and other incidents are definitely symptoms of a wider malaise. Why are there no sort of security monitori ng systems at Mary Ch apman Court, or, for that matter, at any of the UEA accommodation? Adm itted ly, MCC is marginally more at risk than the campus-based residencies, which have token security barriers and , of course , the Porter's Lodge . But these alone are not effective filters and also assume that students, once inside unive rsity, are of no threat to each other.

If it is the case that MCC is soon to be abandoned , then this is no reason for lax security. The powers-that-be should use this recent attack as impetus for action. We know it's costly, but students still have to live at MCC and everybody deserves to fee l safe in their own beds at night.

Place Your Votes ...

The Union Executive elections are comi ng up. so it's time to exercise some voting power and mark some boxes. Listen to the candidates , wh o will undoubtedly be ubiquitous around campus over the next few weeks, and for God's sake, numbe r all the candidates fo r each post in terms of preference . Last year, there we re a few bureau cratic shenan igans becau se of voter's fail ure to do this, mean ing that not every candidate got a fair deal. We know ti mes are hard and brain cells depleted. but you do have 3 weeks to decide who gets your vote . The el ection take place on Tuesday, Wednesday an d Thursday of week 7. so take your political little selves down to Union House .

..

it's that scary time of year when all final stude nts need a career, but Emma Rumball feels the Careers Centre is not offering the advice she needs ...

Like most fina l year students, crisis ta lks with my bank manage r finally st1rred me to ge t my backsid e into the Careers Centre to start my JOb hun t. For those of us who are not as brave or organised to do this in our second year. this journey usually involves venturing through that ominous orange door behind the library with serious trepidation and doing batt le with three floors worth of 'ad vice· leaflets.

But I decided to be brave and made the fateful tri p. I actually went to book an appointment, but on entenng I met a smiley lady who told me I could see someone stra1ght away for a "drop in' session , and gave me a n1ce pink form to fill in; one of those w rite all about you' form s; ideal job, previous achievements/hobbies, previous jobs, etc. Great , I th ou ght , quick and easy ca reer solutions (after all, this is a stu dent Careers Centre).

I went in . and got asked what my ideal job was. Now I think we all know that everyone's ideal job is to become rich , famous and never have to work again . But we all also know that th is is wi ldly different from what we rea li stically can an d w1ll do. I got told that if I wanted to do my ideal job ·this way" then I had to look here. and if I wanted to do 'tha t way' th en I had to look somewhere else· bas1c stuff wh 1ch I co uld have done off my own initiative and looked up on the ca re rs comp uters. I was tol d to co me back when I'd done one of their compute r programm es which wo uld match me best to wh1ch jobs I wan ted to do. Feel1n g rather irntated at being given pretty bog standard adv1ce. I dec1ded to be pos1t1ve and d1d th e programme . Now I do Amencan Studies. lt told me I was best suited to a job in transport. I left. quickly.

Concerned that thi s was just a fluke and th e Caree rs Centre re ally was the answer to all my job-fearing dreams, I asked some fell ow third years their opini ons to get th e

general lay of the land .

Unfortunately, I discove red rum blings of disconten t; they had had the same experience I did. Most I spoke to to ld me the advice they had received wh en they went in was ·useless. unless yo u know what you wa nt to do' and one girl I know admitted she hadn't bothered going in because she had heard such poor reviews from other people.

Most studen ts graduating soon like myself are . I 1mag1ne, not only nonplussed about what they want to do. but ternfied at the prospect of having to go 1nto full-time work.

At this time 1n our unive rs1ty career, thi ngs are sca ry and stressful and we all have enough to deal with .

What we don 't need is the extra stress of havmg to hun t for jobs witho ut fee ling there is no internal support. because of a ca ree rs cen tre wh ich recommends no direction (and th erefore no purpose) to the majority of us flail ing aroun d in the dark about what to do next. lt is useful only to a ti ny min ority who do know what they want to do.

Con sidering how much we have al l forked out to get to this point. and JUSt how much studen ts will soon be paying, a ca reers cent re which on ly fulf1lls part of its job requirem ents is. quite frankly, not good enough.

CONCRETE Editor Jim Whalley Deputy Editors Ruth Charnock and Rebecca Lawrence News Editor Thorn Smith Deputy News Editor Paul Vincent Ph otographers Gareth Davies Jass1n Happa Contributing Editor Toby Lewis Features Editor Toby Brunt Fashion Editor Hannah Walker Sports Editors Tom Czaban Advertis ing Manager Ben Millar Distribution Manager Joe Dunthorne

Concrete is published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2003 Concrete. ISSN 1351-2773 . .

Letters should be addressed for the • attention of the Editor, Jim Whalley.

Letters must include contact details, but we will consider anonymous publication.

We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity as neccessary.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. Use of the name The Event is by arrangement with the copyright holders, Planet Zog Ltd. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the Editor. Printed by Sharman and Company.

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Cotcnte Wednesday, February 11, 2004

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Page 17

sport

The wide awa Tom Czaban joins NFL fans in the Hive in the small hours of the morning to witness one of the most memorable Super Bowls in recent history.... and Janet Jackson's cleavage. ast Sunday 89 million Americans settled down in front of their televisions to watch the nation's biggest sporting event.

Meanwhile over three thousand miles away a handful of students braved the late kick off time (and the plastic chairs) to watch the game at the UEA. The atmosphere in the Hive may not be comparable to the hysteria that accompanies the Superbowl in the States-but the two hundred students who attended the event (organised by the UEA Pirates) gave it a pretty good shot.

Those unacquainted with American football may wonder what the fuss is about, in fact the game probably passed many of you by without so much of a second thought. However, followers of the NFL understand that the Superbowl is more than just a game-it's an event. And no nation hosts events quite like The United States.

As the 11 .25pm kick off drew closer the noise levels in the Hive's makeshift auditorium began to escalate-clearly the Sunday licensing laws had failed to upset some of the more enterprising students.

Even the pundits on the television were visibly excited by the prospect of the game ahead-then again Dermot 0 Leary can get excited by just about anything; this is of course a man who spends his summers dribbling over ten contestants in a house.

As the players took to the field the supporters inside the Houston Texas Stadium (and the UEA Arena) rose to salute their teams. This year's final was to feature the New England Patriots and the

L

Carolina Panthers. For these teams the road to the Superbowl had been a little more arduous than hopping onto a number 25 bus with a stop off at Budgens.

They had to first battle their way to the top of the three divisions in the AFC and NFC respectively and then see off a further two contenders in the Playoffs. Hence it is hardly surprising that the players were enjoying the moment.

Beyonce opened the proceedings with a rousing

"Followers of the NFL understand that the Superbowl is more than just a game-it's an event. And no nation hosts events quite like The United States" version of the National Anthem and an equally rousing dress. The stage was set for a truly memorable game.

In the Hive even a barren first 29 minutes (which equates to a much longer period than this due to stoppages) in which neither side was able to break the other down failed to dampen the spirits.

The American students who were present made sure of that- they were clearly intent on showing the rest of us how to enjoy a Superbowl.

The half time entertainment at the game is for

many almost as important as the game itself-and notorius for producing surprises. This year was no exception-Justin Timberlake tore off part of Janet Jackson's top exposing her breast covered only by a sun-shaped nipple shield. As if this wasn't enough flesh for viewers, a streaker forced his way on to the field , only to be tackled by New England linebacker Matt Chatham . it certainly made fans wonder what was in store for the second half. They were not disappointed.

What followed was American Football at its very best.

The match was sea-sawing back and forth with neither side able to maintain a points advantage. Simultaneously those in the Hive were unable to maintain a seated position , choosing instead to rise to their feet and roar their side on .

With four seconds remaining the match got the grandstand finish that the contest so richly deserved.

Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41 yard field goal to give the New England Patriots a 32-29 victory and their second NFC Championship in

three seasons.

Cue bedlam, on the pitch, in the stands and in the Hive. Even those succumbing to sleep (it was 4.00am after all) rose to applaud what had been a fantastic spectacle.

The event, unlike so many sporting finals had once again exceeded the tremendous hype that preceded it. As weary supporters began to disperse, one student was heard to remark that there were only 364 days and 17 hours until the next Superbowl-

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MA LEI IINGS &SAlES CALL NO\N FOR RJRTHEA DETAILS

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Page 18

Wednesdrn·. Februarr I I. 200-1

UEA's cross-country team brave the weather to maintain their excellent league position.

ANDR EW STAPHNILL

....

Th e s u ccess of the UEA cross-cou ntr y team has c o ntinued strongly into the New Year with yet m ore terrific perfo rmances by all Athletes .

J u s t befo re i he Chri s tm as b reak th e team was ou t in fo rTe fo r th e race a t RAF \Vatlish a m . J ess Trowb ridge a nd Ly nn llolmg ren ce rta in ly we ren 't ta king th e last race befo r-e Christm as easy. as th ey ca m e s torming in with fi rs t and seco nd places. In · upe rb fo rm Lou ise S im e a nd Eli za be th Da ly b o th improved o n p reviou s per for m a n ces to ac hi eve we ll deserved eig h th a nrl scve n teemh positions.

With a to u gh ac t to foll ow th e m en's tea m rea lly pu s h ed hard LO win som e vila l positio n s. Jo hn Dowding a nd Glen Rich ardso n put a ll th eir d etermina tion into fighting fo r th e fi e rce ly contes ted twen ty-fifth a nd thirty-ftfth placem ents.

Hot on their· heels were Eel Be n nin gfie lcl and Ali McGeoch -Willia ms who cam e throu g h t h e line thirt ye ig hth a nd forty -seve nth .

J a mes Colley put in a solid perfo rma n ce. wh ich contin u es his success in the leag u e with a Fifty-first plac ing.

Re turni n g fro m injury Ancl rew Sta phnill sec ured e ig ht y ninth place in hi s firs t r·ace of the seaso n.

In o nly th e second week a fter rc t u r·n in,l.( to unive rs ity th e EA tea m we re put to th e test in Ipswic h .

The tra dition a lly tou g h course wa s m a d e a ll th e m ore difficu lt with a n ea rlier d ownpour th a t le ft th e cou rse treac h erous ly muddy. othing it sea m s can s top o ur rampag in g wo m e n· s tea m as to p of th e ta b le lead e rs Jcss T rowb rid gc a nd Lvnn Emme lt once aga in b ll!·st th e ta pe in fi rst a nd second .

The ten k ilome tres proved to be a real tes t of ch a rae ter for o ur me n ·s tea m but a ~ u s u a l th e ir pe rfo rm a n ces we r e exe mpl ary .

At each olher·s s ides for th e entire race Da vi d McKinlay n a rrowly fini s hed a h ead of Ali McGeoc h -Willi a m s as th ey ca m e in wi t h eleve nth a nd t hirt ee n t h place.

Glen Ric h ard s on and S teven Ha rris proved th e ir wo rth w ith we ll -ea rn ed thirti e th a n d thirt y-e ig ht pl ace m e n ts.

T h e leade r of th e J uni o r m e n· s leagu e Eel Be nningfi e ld sp rinted through the fin ishing pos ts in fourU1 position to main tain hi s s tunning leag u e position.

Newcomer Dan Weinberger s h owed hi s grit a nd d etermi n a tion in the face of the co n ditions as h e ra n in with eigh th .

Improving o n hi s la s t pe rforman ce Andrew Sta phnill is s howing a re turn to form after his a bsence from the lea gu e .

While Kcilh J en ki ns ce rta inly d idn't brin t h e wea ther with him h a vin g rece ntly re turned from a place m ent in Afr·ica. However he did take a h a rd fou ght n ine tynr· t pos itio n.

Cacnte

Soapbox What s test arrl -w::rrst in EP:rt t:cx:l:ty Tom Czaban looks at the burning issues

Barren Premiership winter

Jess T rowbridge on her way t o victory The e ffo rt s of UEA's a th letes a re now beginning to s how d ivid e nd s as th e wom en 's team is domin a ting th e top of th e leagu e.

The me n 's A tea m is c un·enlly defending th ird p lace ove ra ll wit h every ehan ee of im proving in t h e

n ex1. race.

Meanwhile th e men 's B team is sec ur·ely ho lding fo urth place in t h e leag u e. and they a re determin ed to m a inta in th e effort levels they h ave p roduced in recent perfo r m anccs.

This week the debate over whether or not Premiership sides should be given a winter break was finally put to bedfrom January next season the Premiership will close down for two weeks.

The FA has announced that the thirteen day break will be Eriksson : in favour of winter break imposed for a two season trial period with a view to making the break a permanent fixture .

The initiative will bring the Premiership in line with the rest of Europe where winter breaks are standard. Only time will tell if this decision is a sound one but theoretically the advantages of a winter break are obvious.

Firstly it will allow players to rest for a fortnight, and shake off any niggling injuries that they may have picked up during the first half of the season. Managers will be able to get their squad back to fitness and will surely relish the opportunity to assess the season so far.

More importantly however, it will ensure that players are fresher come international time. lt is fo r this reason that England boss Sven Goran Erikkson has put his full weight behind the ....--- - -- - -- - -- -----,proposal. Clearly this was a crucial factor considered by the FA when making the decision; in an

•·I!I'~Mjpii~~;J··~· attempt ensure Englandtohave the

I"'

best shot possible at claiming their first trophy in nearly forty years.

However, the plan does have its pitfalls.

Many believe that .., some sides will not ~............._ ......:=...- - ......= - -. -...:.- """""'-' use the two week These scenes could be a thmg of the period to allow their past. players to recuperate, but instead to embark on money-spinning trips abroad . A lucrative trip to the Far East is not what the FA intended when making the decision.

In addition to this it seems that essentially it is the fan s who will lose ou t. They will be robbed of the traditional matches over the festive period. A family day out to the terraces on Boxing Day is for many part of Christmas-and more importantly it wi ll make the traditional escape to the pub to watch the game a th ing of th e past. lt is for this reason that the break will have its sceptics, and while it seems a good idea in theory (particularly if it impoves England's international chances) many will argue that with the amount of money Premiersh ip players get paid they should be able to cope with a bit of cold weather.

Sport story of the week.

31 ()rf r Place, Norwich

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0 6 3 614985

A Brazilian referee caused uproar during a football match last week when he pulled out a pair of red knickers instead of his red card.

Carlos Jose Figuira Ferro made the blunder when trying to send a player off.

To make matters wo rse his wife was at the game and didn't recognise the lacy From t he BBC website lingerie.

The official ended the game twenty minutes early, and afterwards insisted that he did not know were the knickers had come from.

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c:.cnt. Wednesday, February JJ, 2004

sport

Page 19

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UEA DEBUT WIN CANARIES HAVE Men's lacrosse team win their first ever competitive match.

On the last Saturday of January UEA played their the first ever men's Lacrosse matches.

Their opposition where 3rd division teams Northampton and Hitchin ranked 7th and 3rd in the league respectively.

UEA went into the matches as underdogs and the games were to be played on a muddy pitch due to heavy rain the night before.

The side rose to the occasion magnificently and in their first game against Northampton excelled.

Some solid defence work by long stickers Michael 'Gypsy'

and "Long John" Coen ensured there were no shots on goal in this first game.

Although the offence looked strong they had trouble finding the goal until the second half when Car! 'J-Lo' scored what would turn out to be the winner in a 1-0 victory.

The second game didn't all go UEA's way. Having lost theface off the more experienced Hitchin side scored within a minute.

However, UEA then showed their true meddle; having played their game against Northampton just 15 minutes before they found reserves of energy to fight

back.

By the end of the first half they found themselves 3-2 ahead with some fine goals

by Terence 'Uncle', Simon 'Pops', and a beautiful 15 yard shot by Dun can 'Pimp'. ln the second half a solid midfleld display saw UEA keep possession with a memorable performance by Paul 'Sailor Boy·. He took the majority of the face-offs even though he only started playing lacrosse 2 weeks before.

Again solid defence work and great goalkeeping by Andrew 'Warrior' kept Hitchin's offence at bay, to give UEA a 6-4 victory.

NEW PLACE TO SIT

Biggest crowd of the season see Norwich City stay top The newness is heralded first by the glorious absence of those terrible words that appeared on all old South Stand ticket~ - Restricted View.

The cowshed corrugated iron construction was held up by four iron girders which tended to lead to parts of the crowd calling out for a free kick whilst others scratched their heads and made a note to remember to watch the televised highlights for the full story.

The old faded red and blue seats are thankfully gone.

Apparently when the seats were installed many years ago, green and yellow seats would have cost too much.

Now, having weathered the I1V digital storm, and riding high in Division One, only the proper colours will do.

The match was typical Norwich - a horrible, unin spired first half including a mindless two-footed, studsup, sliding tackle from behind from Darren Huckerby on the Sheffield United goalkeeper which under current FIFA rules

EDWARD MOONEY

Norwich City's enigmatically named 'The New Stand' opened on Saturday, three weeks early.

Perhaps this unusual early completion has taken the name choosing process by surprise, though to all supporters the name remains firmly 'The South Stand'.

As if to celebrate the shining newness of this green-andyellow giant the previously tight-lipped crowd sang out powerfully putting the notoriously quiet River End and City Stand crowds to shame. and batting chants back and forth with the ever-loud Barclay End crowd.

Perhaps the demolition of the old stand took with it the old crowd.

Actually the stand is only half finished. Many seats are still not installed and much of the cladding Is absent making it feel like you are watching the match from a spindly, though sturdy, scaffold.

C ll RI C-41135

BACK ON COURSE UEA golfers keep promotion hopes alive with vidory over Nottingham UEA put their season baclr. on track after a comprehensive victory away against a strong Nottingham side.

After consecutive losses in the last two games the victory keeps faint hopes of promotion alive.

Amid wet and blustery conditions Graham Badger, Chris White, Jonny Reason. Matt Tillbrook and James Taylor all recorded Impressive victories with Matt's 6 and 5 winning margin taking pride of place.

Afterwards he said: "today's result was something I felt

was always on the cards as

the whole team have been playing well in recent weeks and have been unlucky not to pick up a few more points in other games this year. I was pleased with the way I was striking the ball and never had any doubts I'd win."

Almost all the victories were won in a comfortable manner although James had to hole a nervy five foot putt at the last to secure his result.

Graham's result continued his fine form this season having only lost once.

First year student Chrts

White said: "It's such a confidence boost having a player like Graham in the team.

He's such a good player that it's almost as though we're leading before we start. His form this year has been amazing!"

A more modest Graham said: "I'm really pleased with the team and their form. The next game at Loughborough is vital but with Craig (Petrie) returning from injury, we've got a real chance of getting something. Even a draw should set us up for promotion. It's going to be a good game."

1•

4 •

24 HOUR

should have earnt him a three match ban.

He got away with a yellow card - south stand stalwarts questioned even this. Clearly the old sense of justice remains.

Thankfully the second half was much better football and City converted the only shot on goal from either team in the entire match.

Once they can get in front of goal the ball is going in, and this set them apart from the inferior United team.

With a string of very difficult. and scarily important. matches coming up City cannot afford only to have just one chance. While Sheffield United failed to punish City by creating chnaces of their own. others are likely to be far less forgiving.

The match was won though and the pie-munching crowd went home happy.

The rain swirled across the pitch. making patterns in the gaze of the floodlights, and. as the ground emptied, the wonderful smell of cold wet grass rose into the new stand.

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·'-

TITLE SHOT FOR UEA BASKETBALL TEAM UEA 94 Nottingham 80 TOM CZABAN

Sports Editor

The men ' s first XI Basketball team have given themselves a superb chance of topping their BUSA League following a deserved victory over a competent Nottingham side last Wednesday.

Ahead of the game Nott ingham were> sitting six point~ clear at the top of the tab\P. and with just two games remaining UEA's title hopes rested not only on defeating this uncompromising side, but on doing so by a six point margin.

Only this result would be good enough for UEA as it would ensure that they had a superior aggregate record against Nottingham, reversing the five point loss they suffered in the away fixture in November.

UEA started the game well. steam-rolling their way in to a 22- 13 lead.

By the third quarter this early advantage had been stretched to sixteen points. and the side looked confident of ending the visitors unbeaten record, with Jake Wiltgan in particularly fine form.

However. Nottingham did not lie down. In the fin al quarter the lead was pegged back to nine points. and when a hurried time out was called with six minutes remaining there were so me anxious faces in

the UEA huddle. They shouldn't have worried , the side romped to a 94-80 victory.

Following the game UEA's coach and Point Guard Tasos Karakatsanis indicated that he was pleased with the result but suggested there was room for improvement.

"We played well, but it could have been better, we lost far too many rebounds", he said.

Karakatsani also praised J ake Wiltgan and Maciej Janowicz for their excellent individual displays. But while these performances stood out he was also quick to stress that it was essen tially a team performance.

The team's fmal game is on February ll when they travel to Cambridge. A victory in this fixture would see the side propelled in to both the shield a nd the promotion playoffs.

If form is anything to go by then it is a game that UEA should win-Luckless Cambridge are currently pointless and rooted to the fo ot of the table. However, even though anything but a UEA victory would be a surprise Karakatsanis is not getting carried away just yet: "We have a very good chance. beca use we are a very good team, but as always whether we beat Cambridge depends on how we perform on the day."

The men's first XI football team move in to the playoff places with a victory over Warwick ROSS GRAINGER

The UEA men 's first XI recorded an important win on Friday at home to second place Warwick.

Centre back Lee Pendrey got the only goal in what was a tense affair at Colney Lane.

The win sees UEA move out of the relegation zone and into playoff territory; such is the tight nature of the sixteam league this season .

The weather this past fortnight meant the team's two previou s BUSA matches were postponed . The rain fell the night before this resch eduled m atch , and despite the best efforts of the grounds crew the pitch was slick a nd muddy throu ghout.

A scrappy first half produced few clear -c ut chances. the best falling to UEA left-back Dan Ward who went on a maraud ing run up the left. but hit his shot stra ight at the Warwick keeper.

UEA keeper Van Dalen was not called upon often in the first half. made one agile save from a miss-hit Warwick cross late in the ftrst half.

The difficult playing surface made qui c k passing and movement difficult. and as the second half kicked off it looked increasingly likely that a set piece or defensive error would decid e the

Back Row, (Left to right) Gary Butcher (Manager), Adam English, Chrlstoph Meyer, Tom Bouquet, Duncan McHardy, Henk van Dalen , Nick Dyer, Lee Pendry, Dan Ward, Matt Jepson, Rob Foster. Front Row, Left to Right: Tom Burton, Stuart Campbell, Torbuom Haugaasen , John Fish (Captain), Terry Swann, Trevor Smith, Alex Winchester

match.

Fifteen minutes in that is just what happened.

Fish delivered a corner from the right and Pendrey drifted into the box unmarked. met the ball on the half volley and drove it across the goal into the bottom corner.

UEA had the lead and the momentum , but h aving lost so many close matches this season there was a slight

reluctance to press forward and bury their opponents.

Warwick never really threatened and in the end were lucky not to lose by more than one.

Substitute Duncan McHardy had a great chance to put the match out of reach late on.

Having rounded the keeper his s hot was well blocked by the Warwick defence. UEA pressed to the end and got

Concrete Prize Crossword #50 ACROSS

DOWN

I) •14th February (I 0) 6) Romantic feeling (4) 7) Chair (4) 8) Will inherit money/ property or title (4) 10) To submit (5) 11) Form of transport (9) 12) Film 'Love ... · (8) 15) Spirttual servant of God (5) 16) To propel a rocket into space (6) I 7) To cause to flow (4) 19) Aristocr a tic title (4) 20) Passion (4) 22) Part of plant/ gift (7) 23) To move (2)

I) Team Sport (10) 2) Famous Art Gallery (6) 3) Central topic (5) 4) A country (6) 5) Old money (8) 9) To destroy bacteria (9) 11) T o m ove forward (7) 13) Starsign (6) 14) Loud noise (4) 18) Frozen Rain (4) 2 1) Burn or Scorch (4) 24) A piece of music (4)

th e three points they deserve.

With two matches remaining UEA are by no means safe from relegation. nor are they assured of a playoff spot.

Should they win their next two matches. away to Bedford a nd home to Wolverhampton , it will cap a remarka ble turnaround and give the Blues confidenc e going into the playoffs .

Set by Sarah

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:There's a selection of singles up for grabs for I completion of the crossword. Fill in your name :and a contact number ore-mail address below :and bring it up to the office within the next two :weeks. Have fun.

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