Concrete issue 165 22 09 2004

CONCRETE REFERENCE ARCHIVE

Not to be taken outside the Concret e office. Return after use.

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Advertisment Optic· Feature

Optic", the classiest, inde-

pendently owned night club in Norwich would like to extend a warm welcome to all UEA students, new and old. Please read this 4page guide to Optic" (which conveniently doubles up as a great kitchen-decorating poster!!) in which we aim to tell you all that Optic" has planned for Norwich's student populace. These events are open to anyone aged 18 or over and the dress code is very relaxed.

Wicked Mondays: The freshest, funki est student night in Norwich ... great music, party atmosphere and cheap drinks. Volunteer yourself to spin the 'Wicked Wheel' and complete forfeits to win great prizes inclu ding 30MPH

Minimotos, Llmosine rides, VIP evenings, drink vouch ers. haircuts (from the city's top stylists) and loads more .

The first 250 people to arrive before 9 .30pm can get any 5 drinks for just £3 .00. See inside right page for d etails.

Connected @ Optic" on Wednes days: We are pleased to have incorporated East Anglia's newest urban club night into our premises on a weekly basis.

Connected bring award winning djs to Optic", promising to play the finest Hip-Hop, swing, r 'n' b & old skool garage. £2 will get you any drink you want, and we recommend you get down early on the launch night to avoid disappointment. See inside left page for details.

Thursdays Live

@ Optic": If live music is your thing, head on down to Optic" on Thursdays to hear some of the finest rock and pop orientated bands East Anglia has to offer. The club is also open downstairs where you will fmd the greatest dance anthems from the 70's , 80's and 90's. Later in the year, we are proud to be hosting the 'Young Musician of the East Awards'. Oh, and the first 250 people through the door get a free drink. See back page for details.

So, wh at are you waiting for ... stick this pullout up in your kitchen . keep your eyes peeled for more detai ls. and get down to Optic" for the launch nights!

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STUDENT LOANS COMPANY LEAVES STUDENTS SHORT Becky Wiltshire Thousands of students have been left wo~dering whether they'll be 'able: to afford the initial university expenses following problems with a new computer system at the Student Loans Company.

Students who applied for their loans before the 2 n d July dead line are u naffected by the problems b u t fo r the estimated 200.000 students

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who applied after this date it is possible they will have to start the new term withou t their loans. One arrtvin g student. Dan from AMS, said he had been told his loan wi ll be a month late, but this may be an underestimate.

Hazel Cadenhead, a Student Loans Company spokesperson put the delays down to "teething p roblems" Continued on page 6

STUDENTS FULLY HOUSED THIS YEAR Colman House means surplus rooms for arriving students Helen Pike The s tart of this academic year is brighter for residents on campus as last year's accommodation crisis appears to have been avoided.

Last year many students who were promised accommodation on campus were forced to stay in temporary rooms. including host families and staff homes. due to oversubscribed university admissions .

Each year the University

guarantees accommodation for first year students with in a twe lve-mile radius of the university . as long as they fill in an Accommodation Preference Form (APF) before 27th August.

This year. however. those who are entitled to accommodation will not face the same problem. Welfare officer Jo Wright told Concrete that the Union has been assured that all stu -

dents promised a room will gel one. "We have been told that contingencies have been put in place to ensure that last year's problems will not be repeated".

Measures include the open ing of Col man House. a new accommodation building which will house 401 stu dents.

In an email. Jenny Grant the Director of Residences and Services -admits that some degree of

uncertainty is inevitable when it comes to the numbers of students who are coming. Of the process she says !he University has the complex task of assigning students to over 3000 rooms in a matter of just a few weeks. The Access and Admissions Office and Schools work very hard to identify those students who are coming and those who for a variety of reasons fail to take up their place" .

The Accommodation services have a llowed for a number of overflow bed spaces in the event of an ill judged influx. Mrs Grant explained that once term starts they will have a better idea of how many cancellations have been received . enabling them to move in students to permanent rooms as soon as possible.

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concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

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Editor concrete.editor@uea .ac.uk

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dents , new and etuming.

I'm sony if the pseudofront page was a bit of a shock. This year, we will be producing a number of themed issues and this is the 'sell-out' issue - Bob Dylan eat your heart out.

While the 'ad wrap' may seem a bit excessive - for those of you who don't know - the paper suffered from severe financial trauma last year, and Optic have done us a big favour in sponsoring our first issue as it gives us some financial stability for the year ahead.

The attitude towards Concrete is always a bit of a mixed bag. When you dare to ask people what they think of it, they usually respond in the negative, or with an agenda;· like someone from WAM telling you that there aren't enough articles on the quasi-ontological effects of the herringbone school of block-paved · drives. We do try our best, everyone does. As with any media, it exists for Its audience: In this case, you. Over the years it has garnered a ·reputation for not listening to - or representing - you, and for being unapproachable. I've tried to change that.

The organisation of the society -has been restructured m make it more amenable to members, and - more importantly I'm trying to be more honest with people about how Concrete is put together.

Sometimes it seems like 48 pages will never be filled , and the next minute people are being turried away at the door. What remains important throughout is involvement. Involvement doesn't always mean writing for the paper. in theory, every student Is a potential news reporter because they are

living the lives that need to be reported on. So if some company stiffs you, come and tell us; if your loan doesn't come through , please make sure we know. We can't do anything without the knowledge . Contribution to <<Concrete>> is volunand has to be balanced with other commitments, so we can't be everywhere at once. You as a community - can.

There are plenty of tasks in putting the paper together that need doing.

It exists to help you and your careers. lf you want to go into marketing, help us market the paper to other media. If you want to do media sales, come and help Ben, the Sales Manager. If you want to write, come and see what needs writing, and find out how the writing is a small, but necessary, part of quite a large operation.

There is a lot to do.

Most important of all, have some fun. Whether new or returning, there aren't many times in life where you get to 'play' at things. University is, obviously, a place to develop.

And that's arguably the primary role of any paper: to report on the activities of those who are responsible for our individual and communal development.

The ways in which we do this are both big and small. Analogoty~' to the way the paper Is put together.

Do come and visit us at Soc Mart, or mail me on the above address. Any feedback about the paper will be greatly appreciated, and I'll answer all mails, except during a production weekend.

Everyone at Concrete wishes you the best for the next year. Enjoy it.

tary:

Philip Sainty Editor 2004-2005

Cotcrtte Wednesday, Septemb.er 22nd, 2004

VCWTWOOD PRAISES .JOPUP FEES Pro-Biair and Pro-lop Up Fees speeth-not appreciated by graduates Ross Grainger

In his speech the VC said, "It would be foolish to say

that the HE act gives everyGood speech, wrong audi- one everything they·wanted ... ence. That Is the feeling The result of the HE act will amongst many students and be to put more resources into alumni who listened to the teaching and learning in unispeech given by UEA's Vice versities, though in real Chancellor, Professor David terms funding will remain Eastwood. The VC addressed below levels that university four graduation ceremonies teaching enjoyed in the 70's this past summer. In each and 80's." appearance he gave enthusiThe VC was unavailable astic support for top-up fees for comment as Concrete and had few bad words to say went to press, but offered to about Prime Minister Blair. comment on his return. The Many graduates were position of Vice Chancellor is bemused by the VC's mes- the most senior at UEA, sage. Support for Tony Blair Professor David Eastwood at UEA plummeted after has held the position since Britain's role in the War on September 2002. An Oxford Iraq. The No Top-Up Fees graduate, Prof. Eastwood campaign was a huge pres- became Vice-Chancellor after ence on campus in the past being Chief Executive of the two years, and support for Arts and Humanities the fees among the student Research Board. He has been body Is low. UEA's protests involved in numerous nationmirrored those of uni~rslty al committees and bodies campuses around the coun- throughout his career, and U¥. which culminated with a . since 1991 has been a Fellow. massive protest march in of the Royal Historical London. ' The Higher Society.

Education Bill was passed on The Student Union has no role in the graduation cer_the 1st of July by five votes.

emony. It Is tradition for the Vice-Chancellor to address the audience, which includes not only students and alumni, but also parents, donors, and members of the press.

Several current and former members of the Student Union are still confused by what the VC said. "He was honest and sincere", said Academic Officer Chris Ostrowski, "but I feel it wasn't appropriate given the audience and occasion."

The average university student in the UK graduates £12,000 in debt. Critics of the HE bill allege students will graduate further in debt, and that poorer students will be put-off higher education because of the Increased cost. The underlining feature of the bill Is that universities will - from 2006 - be allowed to charge up to £3000 a year for tuition.

Supporters of top-up fees, like VC Eastwood, do not care for the name "top-up fees". They point out that universities will still be charging less than the actual cost of a degree, so the term "top-up fees" is .incorrect.

They also point out that higher education needs increased funding if Britain's universities are to compete with those in America, where students are often charged over £20,000 a year for university.

The question is whether or not the money should arise from student debt.

That the Vice Chancellor knows his material, and is a fine speaker, is not in doubt. What is questioned, though, is whether it was right of Prof. Eastwood as UEA's senior representative - to use the graduation podium to express a political opinion.

Safe Houses Theft from Comms Officer prompts fresh warnings from campus PC, Richard Bell PC Richard Bell

Helen Pike This week the police will be urging . freshers to take simple measures . to prevent burglary in h alls.

With everything else to

think about- socialising, register4.g, settling in- the security of valuables Is often not high on the list of priorities.

PC Richard Bell, the campus policeman , stresses that there is no cause for concem.

"It's just a case of taking simple precautions to prevent valuables being stolen."

PC Bell particularly highlights thefts occurring In halls of residences. Last year there were 68 burglaries from campus residences. Although Norwich has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, PC Bell believes this could be lowered even further if students locked their doors.

"Even if a student was just in their neighbour's oom or in the kitchen , the open plan nature of much of the accommodation makes it easy for someone to walk in and take something". And although there are a variety of offenders, there have been cases of students taking from ·

students.

The warning stretches out to all corners of campus.

Students are being told to take care of their belongings in the library. where there can be a tendency to leave bags behind when looking for a book. In recent weeks Communications Officer. Cat Lumb, was a Victim of crime when she had her purse stolen from her office in Union House . She told Concrete how disappointed she felt that soine people would go to such lengths as to steal from those who are working for them .

The police are therefore making efforts to help stud ents tac kle s u ch c rime.

Ea ch fresher has received a welcome pack from PC Bell explaining his role a t the University and what measures to take to keep valuables saf~ . including leaflets on stud~nt· survival and mobile ·phone 'p rotection.

Ultra-violet pens are also included to help mark valuables and increase the chance of retrieving stolen goods.

All throughout Freshers' Week PC Bell Will be on campus in a police pod, available for advice and queries. The chance is also available to register your bike, D-locks and laptops, and each laptop registered is entered into a draw to Win a s ecwity pack age usually worth £30. In week two, PC Bell will also b e Visiting each residence on campus to give advice throughout the year. He will be in the Hive, every Wednesday from 12-2pm for an open surgery. Above all, PC Bell wants to ensure that the police are seen as a pproachable rathe r than inti~idating. "If anything is a cause for concern then we want people to_know that we · can be -contacted at any time." ·

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Mental Health Policy To Be Re-Thought

·c as tle' by a member of th e Northwi ch local li n k grou p . From www.mentalheallh .org.uk

Plenty of room to stay From Page 1 In judgement of th is p reparation Jenny Grant does not anti cipate th e need to acqu ire add itional rooms lhis year.

Welfare Offi cer Jo Wrighl a lso a dd ed lhat should the sam e probl ems repea t th emselves . U1e Union will be '·extr emely disa ppointed" .

The University has a limited numbe r of rooms available to ren t for those without an accomm odation guarantee. For fu rther information contact the Accom modation Office .

ISABEL DYSON

to my studies . and ended up missing lots of lectures and deadlines.

Mental heal th is to be 'Though l did try to find give n increased focu s by th e out what l s hould do and unive rsity to h e lp ra is e who to inform . the longer it awaren ess of the is sue and went on. the more difficult it beca m e. a n d eve ntu a lly l provide support for s tudents wi th m e nta l h ealt h co n - h a d to leave by in tercalating. cern s. This acad emic yea r and return to start again the th e Uni on of UEA Students nel\' t year. Some staff were (UUEAS) will b e wo rkin g lovely. but some we re less than sympa the tic, and l wa s close! alongside Un ivers ity mad e to feel a nuisance. I've s taff wil:h~tb e a im of d i-afting and impl e ili ~1.ting a fiXed heard eve n worse 1·eports policy regarding provjsions from friends at UEA in s imi a nd s upp ort for s tud ~ Jar positions" . wh o are menta lly unstable . -~ The te rm "m ental illness " M e r yea rs of neglect. covers s tagge ring number both th e · UUEAS and of condition s . These range !ve rs ity s taf f a r e keen to from people d epressed by pus h for.va rcl a co ncrete pal- th e stress es and d emands of icy and effective sys te m of everyd ay life, to the m ore su pport to un ders tand and b leak issues of s e lf-harm tackle the is s ue of mental and suic ide. Condition s health . A la rge m ajority of s uch as dmg and alco hol stud e nts with s uc h prob- a dd iction and eating cliso rlem s often lack the ca pacity de rs are often caused by lo recognise and con front m e ntal instabili ty. De s pi te th e s itu at io n by seeking th e number of condi t ion s at that are cau s ed by m ental he lp . pa rti cularly Univei-sity wh en u s ua l home illness. a hard stigma still a nd peer s upport networks s urrounds the issue. are not a lways ava ilab le. "A "Acknowledging th ese big pa rt of the problem for arts of problem s to your s elf m e was llia t it just wa sn't is hard enough. a nd there is obviou s who to go to or what till stigma and mis under to do ... s aid a UEA student standing s urrounding menwh o w is hed to rem a in lal illness. even from doctors an onymous . 'Th is is why 1 and other profess ionals". be lieve llie re s hould be a "Mental h ealth problem s sys tem in p ia e. whereby are m ore commo n th an you s tud e n ts have a co ns picu - think. They could affec t you . ou s fi rst poin t of contact yoLU- m a tes. or anyon e you know. But the trouble is we wh e re t h ey can find ou t don't talk abou t what's I-ealwhal support is a vai lab le. ancl gel information a bout ly go ing o n. Becau se we who to a pproach . a nd wha t don't kn ow wh at to say . Or to d o , both in tem1s of th eir beca u se we 're a fra id , as hamed. or wo rri cl wh at illness a nd their s tud ies."

Accord ing lo lhe Mental peop le wi ll think. Whi ch Health Fo und a ti on (men tal- m ean s th at m ental h eallli healU1.org. uk) . one in four proble ms often s tay hidd en .

Biitons will experien e so m Peo ple suffe r in s ile nce , kind of menta l heal th prob- whe n th ey could be gett ing help and sup port". read s th e lem U1is year. New r e ea rch s uggest th e n um be r of s tu - in t rod u tory page of clen ls s uffering from men tal readtl1esigns.org , a 'webs ite setup to he lp edu cate an d health prob lems is grea ter th a n p reviously tho u gh t. aiel yo ung people.

86% of 18-2 1 yea1· old kn ow Re s id en t tu tors an d so m eone who h as exp e ri Un iv rs ity sta ff wi ll be given enced a menta l healU1 prob- a d equate tra inin g a nd brieflem. ing for recognis ing problems "Having d eveloped M.E. and dealing wiU1 students when 1 was nine. and then who feel unh appy. The cam variou s m en tal h ealth probpe titive atm os p here an d !ems throughout my teens , high el\'lJectati ons placed on when l got to u n ivers ity 1 or felt by Un ive rs ity tu wanted lo ge l on an d e nj oy d e nts , as we ll a s h eavy myse lf rat h er th a n th ink dri nking and lack of fa m iliar abou t illness", a id U1e UEA routines . can all contribu te stud en t. "[But] four weeks lo lh e instigation of m ental into my first te rm 1 s tarted hea lth co ncer ns . This year h aving h eal th diffi culti s UEA want to prom ote awa re again. wh ich resulted in a nes of m en ta l health prob full rela pse. I did n't know le ms a nd are offerin g a dvice who to a pproach . in relation a nd co un selling for a ny stu -

d en ts who feel under pres sure.

Uni on Welfare Officer. Jo Wright. v.rill be involved in llie process and is particu la rly looking forward to working closely with the n ew Dean of Stud ents , Anni e Gra n t . Both h ave exp ressed th e n eed remove the stigma s urrounding the issues of me ntal health and promote a pos itive an d a pproach a ble conce r n in g th e m e thod seeking of s up port and provis ions for students a t UEA. Anni e G rant h a s been involved . in s imilar schemes, both in p revio u s emp loym ents and also on a na tion al leve l. an d h as express ed great co nfid ence tha t im po rtan t changes will occur.

!em s might be a ble to postpon e U1 e payment of their fees a nd un ivers ity accom mod a tion b ills .

She a lso gave info rmation on t h e 'Access to Lea rning· funds a nd U1e 'Vice Cha ncellor's Ha rd s hip Fund' payme n ts from whi ch can som etim es be received W11hin 24 h ours of a pplicatio n . The univer s ity has been in close contact with Norfolk LEA ove r the s umm er and a re a ware th a t th e prob le ms a r e be ing by the a ddressed Departme n t of Education and Skills following pressure

accoll1J11odation . th ose stud ents For affected by th e prob le ms this year, U1 e a d vice from th e S tud en t Loa n s Co mpany wa s to a pply on tim e nell.' t year when paym ent will be gua ran teed fo1· the b eginning of ten 11. Meanwhile Lind a Shephard to ld Concrete th a t the best a dvice s h e could give stud e n ts was : "d on' t pan ic, fi nanc ia l assistance is availa ble but it's in1portant to keep in touch with the fmance office."

LOCAL NEWS...

POLICE U-TURN ON NORWICH SPEED CAMERA New. hig h -tech speed cameras are to be installed on two road s in Norfolk in an ~ffort to increase roadsafety.

Nor folk's traffic unit will install th e n ew camera s on Gra pe Hill in Norwich and o uts id e th e Jame s Paget hospi tal in Gorleston.

The d ecision is a parad oxi cal one , s h owi ng a police force willing to listen to the pu blic on on e h an d , and a controversial practice be ing imp lem en ted on the oth er. Chief Cons table An dy Hayman says th e cam eras can be s ited wh ere th e most a cciden ts happen , and th at the fa ct that the police are insta lling U1e cam e ra s s hows they ar e listening to t he pu blic.

"James Paget Hospital is a n a ccide n t h ots pot a nd tec hn ology a llows u s to reposition th e Grapes Hill cam e ras ... he said .

S peed cameras remain a d ivisive loo! in th e quest for roa d s afety. Many m otorist ha ve feel loca l forces installed cam eras with an eye for easy profit, ra th er tha n a need to cu t down co ns istent road accide n ts.

'This is especially important in orfolk. wh ich is a coun ty which ell.'lJeriences a la rge nu m be r of accid ents ,'' s aid Hayman

Loans company blames 'teething problems" From page 1

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tha t wo ul d occu r wi th any n ew sys te m a nd exp lained that U1 e system ha d been rigorou s ly tested .

Wh e n as ke d by Con c r te about the pos sible effect on students she s a id th a t t u d ents a pplying after th e 2nd July dea dline ha ve a lways run the risk of not getting the ir loans before the s tar t of term bu t "bra nd new stu dents a re alrea dy being pri oritised and will get their exact payments on day one of term". This will be a we!-

co me ,-elie f to a ll new s tu d e n ts b ut wh at a bout return ing s tude n ts who will face l he same fin a ncia l b u r d en s as n ew tud en ts, wi th rent. food a nd books al l having to be paid f01· in U1e firs l few weeks of term? Minis te r for Education a nd MP for No twi ch SouU1 . felt h e wou ld not be "able to ommen t on U1e m a tter" . Adt·ian Ra m say , a Gree n Pa rty city co uncillor and UEA postgra du a te s tu dent, offe red th e foll owing commen t: "It .is d eeply con cerning that a large number of s tuden ts may spend their

fir s t month a t un ive rs ity without th eir loan money in th e ba nk. I hop e th e Governm <;n t is d oing a ll il can to en s ure th e loans are pa id a s s oon a s possible a nd will co nduct a thorough investiga tion of th e reason s for th e prob lem s in order to en s ure they d on 't re-occur next year.

The univers ity does provide assistance for s tud ents fac ing seri ou s fin a n c ia l problem s. Linda S hephard , The De puty Dean of Students expla ined llia t students a ffected by the prob-

from organisations such as th e Nationa l Uni on of Students (NUS) .

It is hoped U1a t in tet·im loan payments will be availa ble for s tud e nts wh os e a p plications have yet to be A state me nt p rocessed. from NUS explained that let ters will be sent out th is month to students that are e lig ib le fm· inte rim payments . Following regis tra tion it is h oped U1a t stud en ts will receive th ese first paym ents within 5 working days. allowing students to meetc ur~ent bills such as

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Recycling will begin this semester in UEA resid~nces Lucy Mowatt

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A trial scheme, which ran last year and proved to be successful. has been extended over all UEA campus residences. Before this, it had been solely offices that had been involved with such environmental action.

Janice Borne of the Residences and Services Division said that UEA been

FROM ITCS MY PC PAL IS BORN

looking into uch a scheme "for years" but it has not been financially or environmentally feasible until recently.

Norfolk Environmental Waste Services (NEWS) opened up a new recycling plant in Costessey in April this year; which is the largest in Europe. 1his company deals with all of the recycling needs of a vast majority of Norfolk, which means that

those living off campus are also able to recycle in the same way. The proximity of plant means that the recyclable waste is not transported too far which is not only expensive but increases pollution itself, a problem shared by many universities across the country.

Evexy five years the University has to review who disposes with the waste from campus which happily coincided with the opening of the plant. The trial scheme. which ran in offices and Norfolk Terrace last semester proved to be a success and has been continued ln academic buildings from 1st August.

Environment officer at the Student Union, Andy Higson. said that ten per cent of household waster can be recycled, which will lead to less material being taken to the region's land fill sites. Mrs 'Borne referred to the government's attempts

STUDENT ARRESTED WHILE REGISTERING

Sean Laver-Vincent, an ex-ITCS employee has set up his own business after leaving prior to the restructuring of the University.

My pc pal (www.mypcpal.co.uk) is designed to appeal to students at home. where ITCS or Union IT support is not available. He is offertng a large discount on his supP.ort to students of the UEA - quoting a 37.5% discount on labour for students, with no call-out charge for home or campus.

He also has equipment for sale and his UEA experience means he is used to dealing with the student body and their common difficulties.

An international student was arrested by members of CID for downloading child pornography while registering this week.

He was returning to the country having been horn or the holidays and officers challenged him as soon as he was heard to say liis name. ~ Campus PC chard Bell was not aware of the details of the ev nt however he did want to emphasise to all students that anything they download from the . Internet at UEA can be monitored. PC Bell was keen to point out that UEA isn't operating a system of Big Brother style surveillance, rather that they are aware of the threat of computer viruses and will also investigate anything that suggests illegal activities are being carrted out.

to reduce the amount of Waste which is taken to landftlls, which has resulted in an increase in landftll tax.

This means that the University's landfill tax could increase from £15 per ton to £35 per ton in the year 2010. NEWS say that if the scheme is a success it is possible that they could recycle as much a 75 per cent of the waste. reducing the land fill cost even more.

Paper. envelopes, all cans and plastic bottles for shampoo or drtnks can all be recycled under the new initiative. Residences will be provided with two bins which will be marked as whether the waste -placed in them will be going to the recycling plant or to the landftll, "the beauty of the scheme is that the waste does not have to be segregated and can all be placed in the same container". stated Mrs Borne. All it ha.~ to be is

clean, to stop unwanted contamination, and it will be collected once a week and taken away with the rest of the rubbish, which will make recycling simple. Glass cannot be placed into these bins because the waste is not separated and is therefore too dangerous for NEWS to take. Residences do have a wheelie bin, however, which is for glass only for those who are serious about recycling. Certiun forms of plastic cannot be taken, such as cups from Union outlets or plastic bags. A poster will be up in each kitchen detailing what can be disposed of, but Mrs Borne points out that if students have any doubts that they should put it Into the ordinary bin.

The Unive,rsity is working with the Student Union to encourage students to participate by appointing "Recycling Champions" so

that someone responsible ln each residence will be txying to motivate. students to do more. 1his was a solution to the apathy encountered during the pilot scheme, particularly ln the UEA offices.

The amount and the quallty of recycling will also be monitored, and it is hoped that incentives may be introduced to spur students to recycle as much and as responsibly as they can.

The University will monitor how well the system is working and how much of a saving is being made so that attempts might be made to make recycling more efficient. but no solid results will be clear until next year.

The University and the Student Union are vexy positive about the action and Mr. Higson hoped that this was an opportunity for "Everyone on campus to do their bit".

BYAWH SKE ID a dramatic transformation from a building site to the plush new venue for chat and social mlnglings, the revamped Hive opened just in time for the Freshers who will no doubt be enjoying it. At a cost of around £ 2 .5 million, building on the site has been going on throughout t he summer bu t time began to run out as the projec t was plagued by a lack of the right materials caused by miscommunication among workers.

However, these obstacles were eventually overcome and while things weren't quite ready for the party held to celebrate the grand openj.ng - the floor was one of the only things properly in place - by the time students

descended on the following Wednesday they were greeted with the new design in all its gloxy. As with all modem refurbishments responses to The Hive's face lift have been varted and some are focusing on its resemblance to an airport waiting room.

But the majority of students seem to appreciate the bright, stylish looking interior as a change from the dim and somewhat dingy looking place it was before the summer. One student was even heard to say he thought the design was 'pretty nice' and he looked forward to many afternoons · to come spent studying and socialising with his friends under the sail-like ceiling decoration.

CITY MP ILL IN ISRAEL patient, friendly tuition Linda Crassweller

0:1..603 870989

Norwich North MP Ian Gibson is recovering in an Israeli hospital after suffering a suspected mild stroke. The 65 year old who has represented Norwich North since 1997 was on a fact-finding mission and was meeting with Palestinian officials when he was rushed to hospital.

The former UEA Dean of Biological Sciences has been described as fit and healthy with a passion for football who tak s good care of himself so it came as a suprise to both his colleagues and family when he was admitted to the Jerusalem hospi-

tal.

Dr Gibson is widely recognised as an influential figure in improving the quality of life for people living with cancer and has recently been given an award by Macmillan Cancer Relief for his work ln the field.

The MP is married with two daughters and Charles Clarke, Minister for education and MP for norwlch South summed up many people's sentiments Sa.ylng 'I was very disturbed to hear about Ian. My thoughts are obviously with him and his family.'

Reports from the BBC

suggested that the ambulance used to transport the MP may have been held up at an Israeli check polnt for several hours which must have caused concern to those accompanying Dr Gib son.

However, the delay doesn't appear to have r suited in any long term damage and a spokeper on at the hospital where Dr Gibson Is recovering said that do tors are happy with the patient's condition.

Colcrltl Wednesday, September 22, 2004

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

Page 9

WHI EYOU WERE AWAY••• MANAGEMENT SOCIETY RE-STRUCTURE

Isabel Dyson The UEA Management Society have given themselves a complete overhaul In preparation for the comIng year. After disappointments with the running of the society last year, new ChalrmenJamesCharrsand Richard Maxwell are headIng the new committee with an Innovative and fresh approach designed to signifIcantly Increase prospects for Its members.

After a severe lack of regular meetings and social events last year, the new committee are determined to make the society a success.

A new web site Is under construction and socials, guest

UEAwins

awards.

Workers swarm to complete the Hive.

Somebody likes Norwich FHM confirmed what many have long suspected: UEA Is the sexiest university In the country. UEA student Alexandra Sim-Wise, aka Pink, did a photo shoot In the August 2004 edition to promote the uni and show off her, er, degree. When asked why she thought UEA won the prestigious. if somewhat shallow award, Pink said, "111ere's two parrs of tits for every man."

FHM production editor Russell Lewln had a nice word to say about our uni's farr city. The August question was 'what has been your greatest FHM moment?' To which he replied simply, 'Norwich'. 10 years of editing FHM, a magazine packed with naked and half-naked models, and his best experience Is Norwich? Makes you wonder ...

The Norwich-based webslte Electronic Square (electronlcsquare.co. uk), run by UEA student and former Nexus station manager Geoffrey Okol, was nominated for best student webslte in the Guardian Student Media Awards. The winners will be announced in the

speakers, Industry tours and work experience placements are already being organised.

The Management Society are also building connections with large, local companies including Marsh and Norwich Union with alms for setting up a graduate trainIng scheme for society members as a means of developIng experience and · completlng MA degrees. Certified courses are also underway for members to complete health and safety programmes at cost price.

The Society are linked closely with Dr Bob Lowson of the Management school at UEA who Is hoping to raise funds through the

University to aid the society with their Increasing agenda and provide a link for representation In the school.

With SocMart approachIng, James Charrs expressed his anticipation; "We are really looking forward towelcoming both new and old, enthusiastic members this year. We have drastically Improved every aspect of the Society and know we can better the frustrations caused by last year". The Management Fresher's Party will be held on Wednesday 22nd September between 5 and 7pm In the Management school and SocMart Is In the

Guardian on November 15th.

Despite looking a lot like a newspaper and calling ourselves one, Concrete was nominated for Best Student Magazine In the aforementioned Guardian Student Media Awards. But hey, best newspaper, best magazine, we're not fussy.

Even the most lncognlsant student could not have failed to notice the numerous construction projects going on around campus. The new and Improved - and larger Hive

abound about a new multistory car park being built In place of the current one.

And on a final, utterly unrelated matter.. . a few weeks after Greece won Euro 2004, Brazil won the South American equivalent, the Copa America. They beat Argentina on penalties In the final. And a few weeks after that, Japan won the Asian equivalent, the Asian Cup. They beat China 3-1 In the final, prompting fans of the defeated host nation to riot.

LCR. ..

UEA STUDENT TO RUN AGAINST CHARLES CIARKE In local poUtica, UEA'a Adrlan Ramsay will stand against Education Secretary Charles Clarlr.e in the ne:rt general election, Ulr.ely to take place in 2005. The 23-year old Ramsay is studying for an MA in PoUtica here at UEA, and la also a member of Norwich City Council, where he represents the Green Party. The party has five people on the Council and did well in the June local elections, poling 19".-il of the Norwich South vote.

The Green Party Is revered by many for Its dedIcation to environmental protection and animal rights, Issues Ramsay believes are not being tackled by larger parties. "It Is

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vital that Greens are elected to Parliament to ensure there Is a political voice for those Issues on which the other parties seem to be silent.. . The Green Party's opposition to hunting. vivisection, factory farming and live animal exports will be key Issues In my campaign."

Councilor Ramsay can expect to do well amongst UEA students, the vast majority of whom live In Mr. Clarke's constituency, Norwich South. Ramsay, like many at UEA, was a firm opponent of top-up fees, saying, "Top-up fees will Increase the burden of student debt and Increase the gap In resources between richer and poorer universl-

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ties .. .It is disappointing that the Government has not been prepared to make the case for paying for higher education as a public service through Increasing Income tax for the top earners."

Ramsay was also opposed to the War In Iraq.

Both the war and top-up fees were supported by Clarke and the Labour government. Speaking about the war, Ramsay said, "111e basis on which the Labour Government took us Into the unpopular war on Iraq has proven to be false - while lives still continue to be lost In conflict."

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Page 10

,.

Conaete Wednesday, September 22, 2004

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

"QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT HOUSE"

MOVING WI-TH THE TRANS

LGB STUDENTS FAILED BY LANDLORDS

UiB TO PROPOSE NEW LETTER TO GO WITH NEW NAME

The new academic year s ees millions of students n ation wide m oving home, a nd with that comes numerous m arket ing surveys about which house suits who? This year, a s urvey into the Lesbian and Gay property market. carried out by n a tional accommoda tion agency 'Outlet' , has d iscovered some fascinating insights into the apparent correlation between gay pride, and h ouse pride.

The survey found that while 67o/o of landlords would prefer gay and bisexual students to heterosexual students, most accommodation and letting agencies still do not undertake the needs and requirements of gay customers.

A vast 67o/o of those surveyed believed they could tell the sexuality of a house vendor or landlord 1ust by looking at the decor!' It may seem strange to some that landlords stereotype homosexu al students as more 'easy going, clean and openminded', but the survey does seem to be accurate in revealing more important requirements of gay men and women in terms of

Fran Stapleton The next Union Council meeting to take place in October will see a proposal to make UEA'S LGB group inclusive of Trans-students. At present, the LGB provides support, representation and integration for lesbian, use a or gaygay and bisexual students, friendly letting agency.

Steve, a media consultbut it is a growing conant in East London reflects cern that trans-students on the need to feel his sexuare not receiving the supality is respected in regards port and representation to the services provided by they are entitled to. letting agencies: 'I put my It was hoped that the flat on the market with an · NUS LGB Summer agency who were by no Conference would see this means the closest to the change implemented nationally, but it in fact left property, but I knew at least one agent there was gay, so the delegates in attendance his colleagues were all gay somewhat confused as to friendly, and I felt more comthe move towards an LGBT fortable asking them to come group throughout the in to value my home'.

National Union of Students.

The astounding results For some time, LGB students and trans-students of this survey are welcomed

by Darren Brady, founder of nationally have been pushOutlet, who recognises that ing for trans-student representation within the NUS, gay customers are much more concerned about safety but seemingly to no avail.

LGB NUS winter conference than living in 'a trendy apartment in the centre of may see a definite change in town'. All students deserve this.

Carli-Harper Penman, to live in a place 'where they last years NUS LGB officer, are free from discrimination and allowed to be themargues the controversy of the move, claiming transselves.

For instance, 62o/o of respondents to the survey believe the most important issue as lesbians and gay men, is the need to live in a safe environment. Pmecdotal evidence has revealed that very few letting agencies recognise this.

Many gay students feel the need to seek out an area in which they will feel safe and comfortable but the attitudes of agencies do not empathise with this, as r eflected in the case of Michelle, a student in London. When Michelle pointed out to an Agent that she wouldn't feel comfortable walking through a local estate with her girlfriend, she was dismissed with the flippant comment; 'Why? A little name calling doesn't hurt.' 87o/o of lesbian and gay tenants share the view that their house-hunt will be rooted in prejudice if they do

students are too dissimilar Many universities in to lesbian gay or bisexual Britain have now made the move from LGB to LGBT, students to be included in the LGB community. Whilst and this has been massively this is a strong point, as a successful nationwide. trans-student is not necesCalle- Henrik Olme, this sarily a homosexual or year's president of the LGB bisexual student, Unions at UEA. feels very passionfeel that a network of LGBT ately this move should be groups will help trans-stuimplemented: "Officially - including Trans-stu dents in dents 'catch up with the good work already done for the support group here at LGB students'.

UEA by becoming an LGBT This view was powerfully group is important so that reflected at 'Trans-student Trans-students feel welday' which took place in come to join. Excluding London this May. The meetTrans-students for political reasons does not encourage ing served to highlight how strongly all trans-students diversity within the group . in attendance feel about a We want as many students change in NUS constitution. as possible to feel welcome."

Rikki Arundel, who was UEA's LGB group can be involved in the event, felt it contacted on uealgb@hotconfirmed 'how crucial it is mail.com or through the to be part of the LGBT links on the Student Union Community and not isolated website. as a small ineffectual group spread around the country.

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I

Colcntt Wednesday,Septemebr 22, 2004

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

.. ::~, . . . 0 p1n1on

.路.

Do western life-styles make you ignorant? went to Mexico City four years ago in October 2000 when I was eighteen . I worked with people who lived in slums in a community centre called 'Armenia'. People around me were characteristically individualist and creative, adapting to change without sacrificing their aesthetics. I saw wheels used as window frames, car alarms as complicated doorbells, street signs painted pink because pink was cheap. The bare essentials were used to make things that worked and were useful.

People knew how to make a car, build a house and decoration was extremely important in this process. I remember one of the Combi-van taxis that were our ride to work every day painted with a huge Virgin Mary stretching across the ceiling, with rosaries hanging from the mirror; rock and roll blaring. lt was important to look your best at all times . Even if you

lived in a corrugated iron shack with thirteen people; it didn't matter because everyone you knew lived the same way. I felt ndoculously under-dressed and so I used to pile on the make up everyday.

Politically, the leadership in Mexico had just changed hands and assassinations of corrupt officials were imminent. For seventy years 'The Institutional Revolutionary Party' (PRI), had remained in power withstanding several popular challenges to their rule. My friend recalled to me an election four years beforehand where the government had made up excuses saying that their computer system had broken down . The votes couldn 't be counted and there was no re-vote. The public dod nothing, it was that easy.

In the most recent electron, the last PRI president Ernesto Zedollo had supported a much freer election and PRI rule ended with the election of

..

Page 11

Vincente Fox, leader of the National Action Party. Dr Saul, who was my boss told me about the day when PRI was voted out. Thousands of people went to the maon square in Mexico City and had a massive fiesta .

They saod over the loud speakers, stand still of you support the PRI and then the thousands of people jumped up and down - glad to be rid of the PR I. n Mexico there was real life corruptoon., street parties, relief. People were proud to be Mexican. In an art gallery I saw some prints by Mexican graduate art students. The prints portrayed a culture of rebellion and dynamosm . In the traditional Mexican imagery of 'The Day of the Dead', which consists of macabre dancong skeletons - gnnning and wearing over dressed hats - the artists portrayed the corruptoon of the PRI using these figures to play out contemporary polotocs. As if the old Mexican spirit of revolt was beyond any political rep-

I

resentation. Each artist signed their print proudly with the year 2000.

In England everyone seemed bored of history and meaning, more concerned with the colour of Cherie Blair's night dress than the policies her husband was passing. Current exhibitions at the time, like 'Sensation' - where repeated dots and comical cut-in-half sheep were the stars of the show seemed glamorous and controversial but they were also sanitised and context-less. A signature was an absence and a moody photograph on an expensive book.

Good art is made because it has a purpose, such as Marcus Harvey's, 'Myra', which portrays a collage of Myra Hindly's iconic mugs hot made out of children's handprints. At the time it caused disgust and outrage . lt was seen as onsensotove but ot was just makong a point, don 't hide from realoty - nothing can shock you more than reality.

In England one doesn 't build one's own house, nor make one's own car, you can't smoke on the tube and soon you won't be able to in public, where if you make one false move, it's on camera. I heard the other day you could go to prison for three years if you have sex in public. Where infrastructure, education, law, the national grid, government - have become inhibiting because there is too much of it. The systemisation and legislation of life is steadily making apathetic robots out of us. As a result we don't take enough responsibility for our produce and consumption, our health . Like the NHS which is slowly but surely falling apart. We rely too much on a system, which isn't perfect and needs publoc fostering.

England has its share of poverty and crisis but being in Mexico I was looking at a new cross section of the many layers that form development. From abject poverty to menacingly rich, I was meeting people from all sections of society with a tourist's eye.

Maybe it was this difference, which inspired my sense of something more genuine. But I did arrive back in England feeling that I was looking into people's eyes for the first time and being concerned with my family and its unity. Instead of seeing a drab and hopeless England I saw a place full of humans living in a world that is not desogned for community or ondependent thought to flourish .

Opinion

Proud to be Homo? ver the summer cities up and down the country have been hosting proud and colourful events to celebrate doversity and to reon force a sense of communoty. But os' rt a communrty worth celebratrng, and do the gay, lesboan and brsxual people of thrs country make up a community at all? I was away thos year, but I can still remember the vovod colours, outrageous costum~. laughter and fnvoloty of last year's Soho Pride in London on the baking August heat.

There was a lot of fun to l:>e had that day, although a lot of people ask themselves what are Pride Events

for? What exactly are gays and lesbians so proud of?

Why do they feel the need to wear theor sexualotoes on their sleeve and then proceed to shove ot on London's face every summer) I thonk of we dodn't have Gay Pnde and rndeed the Bnck lane festoval the Nottrng Hill carnival and all those other festovals run by mrnonty groups, we would be takrng our great modern mix of cultures for granted. These events are a show of how loberal 21st century Bntaon has become, and every songle one of us should be proud of that. When walkrng through Soho that day I was not only sayong "I'm gay" but also "I'm proud of it too". And this reflects not only my feelong o( self-acceptance, but also of our socoety as a whole You all have helped me

accept who I am, who I love, and I can now walk down the street beong proud of it. y boyfriend, on the other hand, takes the voew that Soho Pnde, and the scores of somolar gay events across the globe are dovo sove and only help to sustaon the dovode between the heterosexual and hornoscxual worlds He argues over a cup of tea that of we dodn't go to gay clubs, weren't members of gay-only gyms, dodn't JOin LGBs and cancelled Pnde then we would all JUSt 'fit-on' woth the rest of socoety If we stopped claomrng we're dofferent on those raonbow banners and via loud-haolers then that dofference would dosappear Unfortunately I dod not agree woth horn that

M

night and I still don't now.

Pride is a difficult one, but I thonk I can argue for the rest pretty easily. The reason gay pubs and clubs exist is twofold . One is to provide a safe and relaxed space when you want to show affection for your same-sex partner in public - without feeling self-conscious or having that strong feeling of being 'different'. The other reason , to put it bluntly, is that it JUSt makes florting and dating a whole lot easier if you know you're in a gay bar!

Gay-only gyms, football teams and such like are an easy way of meetong people woth the same interests as you (with the added benefit of being the same sexuality as you) .

So what are the Lesbian , Gay and Bisexual Societies for then? LGBs meet up not only for a political purpose but also for social support and a chance to have fun with people they know aren 't going to judge or have problems woth theor sexuality.

Pride is difficult to argue for because ot is pure drama, a day of show and showong off. lt is a day to strut your funky gay ass, so to speak. lt has very little to do woth political pressure or creating a socially supportive network, it os pure party, and an expensive one at that. The risong cost of holdong such an event has meant the amount of advertisong and commercialisation of Pnde has risen to match. But then lofe has to be at least in part a party, otherwise we would be Thatcher-esque on our boringness I am sure if we took these things away, we wouldn't just fit on as normal anyway. You would stoll find ot difficult to tell your fnends and famoly, you would stol l get stared at on the street of you were holdong your partner's hand, and you would still get laughed at if you tned to get marned. Gay people haven't fitted on legally or socoally for centunes; this is the first time on gcneratoons that our life and loves have been taken senously. Why not be proud of thos?

Page 12

concrete.features @uea.ac.uk

CoiiG'Ite Wednesday, September 22, 2004

MAKING A NIG T OF IT Though recently little-used, Nightline offers a worthy service to all students. lsabe/ Dyson went to visit the office to talk to the unerringly friendly staff, find out just how many condoms they have, and discover if their bed is really that comfy If the thought of a new year ahead away from home is getting you down or making you nervous about the workload approaching, don't sit in silence. Like every other society at UEA, Nightline is yet another Union service_open and welcome for listening to all your student needs, as well as free tea, coffee, biscuits and ("lots of ") contraception - what more could you need?

Formed at Essex University, Nightline has been running for over thirty years and has branched to Universities all over Britain as well as n

America

and

~

The< C l Canada.

Nightline group is run by students and offers confidential and friendly help on every single issue and problem you can think of. Like any other support group, Nightline do not judge or repeat what you discuss and are not politically, racially or religiously motivated. So if you are feeling the pressure of Freshers' Week or the prospect of another academic year, Nightline is always on hand to help.

For such a worthy facility, Nightline has not been used in recent years as frequently as it has the capacity to be. This year the UUEAS are aiming to make the previously taboo areas of student depression and mental health problems less stigmatic and to raise awareness of these issues in the student community. Nightline will be working closely in this campaign and are keen to promote further understanding of such concerns and to encourage those who feel low to seek them out.

Or to simply pass a lonely night and have a break from a night's session in the computer room, Nightline are keen to listen and happy to help to pass the time.

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Nightline is not purely available for an impartial ear but information on a huge variety of subjects is also on hand from takeaway numbers and train times to money problems, free contraception, gay, lesbian and bisexual groups, AIDS support, clinics, and a lot more. Nightline volunteers are given full training to offer help and talk to students; though for professional aid they will always advise callers to seek expert advice. volunteers The open their doors from Bpm every night of the week and devote themselves throughout the night to Barn, when, like every other student, they must go to lectures and complete coursework. The office is in Norfolk Terrace C on the roadside entrance and not only offers a good ear for listening as well as company through the evening and night, but also free contraception and a bedroom for use as a refuge. Alternatively, if you prefer complete confidentiality you can simply call Nightline on 01603 503 504 and talk about your concerns.

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Cotaete Wednesday, September-22, 2004

Toddling along

Lucy Mowatt visited Northfields School and discovered a little haven of learning.

orthfields First School and Nursery is an LEA maintained school which admits children from the first term after their third birthday to the Nursery and children between the ages of five and eight to the school, throughout the academic year.

In recent years the school has accepted students that the University's child care facilities have not been able to admit because they are oversubscribed. Northfields, on the other hand, has been suffering from the opposite problem with many parents thinking it's too far away to be convenient

Teacher Robin Sewell is keen to point out that in recent years the school has had an increasingly diverse intake of students due to its Special Needs Unit. There are also a number of children for whom English is their second language and the school prides itself on not being fazed by any needs, however varied or complicated, that a student might have; and that they are very successful in meeting a range of requirements. Recent OFSTED reports show that the school is rated as 'Good', as is the children's quality of learning; and the LEA's reports each term are equally favourable: The school teaches the required curriculum, such as English, Maths and Science as well as having their own aims. Mrs Ellis claims that the school has a "hidden curriculum" which encourages the children to be positive and behave as good citizens. The Head teacher also emphasises that the diversity of the school's population helps to prepare the children for life in the wider world because they come into contact with not only teachers and students from different cultural backgrounds but also through the activities in which the school is involved. Northfields School runs break time clubs throughout the year such as football, chess and ITC, which vary so that students get many experiences and can decide what they like and what they do well.

The school has excellent facilities, with a Nursery that's specially built for the purpose on site, as well as a large playground and break areas. There is also a purpose built ITC suite, Art, Music and Technology rooms which the children all have access to as well as a small wildlife garden and a hall for PE lessons and events su.ch as music recitals.

actively.

Northfields also has links to UEA which aren't restricted to the teacher training programmes.

The University Volunteer Scheme sends over approximately 15 students per week to hold clubs, such as football during break times, or to help with reading, which the school wishes to continue because Mrs. Ellis finds that the volunteers have been "lovely role models". Barclays Bank also sends volunteers each week to the school to help the chil~ren with their reading and in the class room.

Acknowledging achievement is taken seriously by the school with frequent Awards Assemblies as well as trying to provide excelling children with new challenges and activities such as kor1ball, higher thinking skills, or with music.

Field trips are organised regularly to help the process of education continue outside the school

Recently the school was host to Zulu dancers and held a Japanese Tea Ceremony, where parents provided kimonos. for them. Head teacher Diane Ellis explains that people do not realise how close the school actually is to UEA and, situated just off The Avenues, is less than a fifteen minute walk from the centre of campus. Northfields should become a first choice for parents rather than a last resort.

Classes tend to be small at the school, with a high ratio of adults to students so that the children get the most out of their early education. This is possible due to the number of visiting, training or foreign teachers along with parents and volunteers from the area. They have also t?~ken heed of recent research results by providing the children with water in their classes to aid their capacity for learning and encouraging them to have a healthy diet by providing fruit. arents and local organisations are encouraged to become involved with the school. As well as families being invited to meet their child's new teachers, Mr. Sewell mentions the possibility

P

Ju•t_-one part' of tbe large outdoor pace .able1orthe children to spend their 10.

-.... ... - -

of a Family Learning Group starting again this term. The idea is one that has been run at the school before and aims to help parents to help their children. Activities can involve improving literacy and numeric skills and was attended by over half of the parents that had children at the school. Mrs Ellis highlighted that it was not only successful because of educational factors, but also because it enabled parents to meet each other and build a social network. Northfields School recognises the benefit of University students away from their families being able meet other parents.

Parents also become involved with events that help the children to become more culturally aware. Recently the school was host to Zulu dancers and held a Japanese Tea Ceremony, where parents provided kimonos and information.

Mrs Ellis says that "the children loved it", and hope that more parents will involve themselves

~~~~i~~~~~~~

day. This is an ·aspect of life at Northfields that the teachers feel is particularly valuable to students and one that sets it apart from a system of learning restricted entirely to classrooms and textbooks. Every year the school goes to see a pantomime and in the past the children have visited Norwich Castle, a Synagogue and also Wroxham Barns where the children got to see the animals.

The Harvest Festival each year also attempts to give something back to the community; what the school collects goes to help the people who need it in the area, such as the elderly. This philosophy reflects what Mrs Ellis says about Northfields being a "children centred school" and one that has a strong focus on interaction with the community and an interest in continuing to form links with businesses and institutions in the city.

This makes it a good option for all local parents.

~----------~~ ---1---------- --------------------------------------~~-------------------------------------------=~==~ Cola'ttl Wednesday,.September22, 2004

. Coltcrete Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

11

Never afraid to ·brave new terrain Concrete's intrepid reporters Katharine Clemow and Catherine Kemp descended into Norwich's own underworld to discover what's happening at the Market, when it's happening, and why.... he Norwich City market is

doesn't want to be seen· as a grumbling stall holder

controversial face lift. At present it is the biggest 6

of sins and it's true that with the right words in the

spick and span the wooden casings no longer meet health and safety standards

home to over 200 stalls selling

day market in the country and produces revenue of

right ears you can get hold of pretty

close to anything you could

up to half a million pounds a year for the Council. it

much anything.

ever want and is the scene of

is also touted as the country's only sLrviving per-

The rumour that's

everything that's happened in

manent daily outdoor market and 'NorNich's living

circling is that while there's an obvious need for a revamp the Council

the city since the Norman inva-

link with the past'. it's a fail safe tourist attraction

doesn't trust the venders and

sion; more importantly it's

and the rainbow coloured awnings are picture post-

heading for a major and very

card pretty housing a mind boggling selection of goods.

In addition to its many obvious a:tractions as a centre for retail therapy and bargain hunting the market has great historical signficance and before

the

inception

and

expansion

of

Gentleman's Walk was towered over by the castle and attended by both the great and lowly of Norfolk society.

Today it's havin£ rules and

changes imposed on it by the Councl in the form of the square and tyrannical looking City Hall.

Stalls try to source and sell local produce no matter what it is they sell thereby providing a substantial boost to the local economy and while inevitably some stock comes from c.broad (they don't make incense in Norwich) it only reflects the great expansion of goods now available at the market.

When Tony Gould of 'Frontline'

which sells teenage fashions and shoes started

who doesn't think the Council can do a thing right.

tive to the impersonal and identical supermarkets and chain stores that are the only options in so many

But he also points out that had the market been

places.

managed effectively and changes made gradually

The annual running cost of the market is around

and earlier there would be no need for this drastic

£400,000, scheduled to drop to £150,000 once the

refurbishment and the many difficulties he and his

new design is up and running but there are concerns

fellow venders will face come January. The Norwich

that should costs remain the same there could be a

market website which has information on the coming

rise in rent of up to fifty percent which would certain-

"Norwich's living link with the past". The rainbow coloured awnings are picture .postcard pretty, housing a mind boggling selection of goods.

- -·

Reggies, in the middle of the market, is widely regarded as ·the beating heart of the trading day.

changes and a helpful index of stalls says business-

ly put a number of lease holders out. of business.

es will have to have left the current site of the market

The market website predicts as many as thirty per-

by the start of next year but that work should be fin-

cent of businesses could be ruined. While these fig-

ished in time for the Christmas rush. Building work

ures must be worrying some market retailers no one

has a horrible habit of overrunning so it waits to be

likes change and it remains inevitable so there are

seen if this deadline will be met but the more press-

pragmatists who'll tell you they just want it to get

ing concern is what state the majority of businesses

under way so they can be back doing what they do as soon as possible.

will be in when they are allowed to return.

Mr. Gould is a member of the 'Market Federation

The market is open from 8 until 5 Monday to

Committee' which represents the interests of the stall

Saturday with a handful of stalls opening on Sunday.

holders and which did finally get a say in the design-

it's worth a regular visit if not your unswerving loyal-

er, if not the design, of the new market. Local archi-

ty and custom and after the refurbishment will have

tect Michaellnnes has got the job and while the web-

improved access for disabled customers and more of an adherence to health and safety standards. Until

site fears the new design will be 'lacking the character of the real thing' the Committee felt that as a local

then go along and enjoy what is a winning formula of

man who uses the market lnnes would be sympa-

a wealth of consumer .options, venders that are

thetic to the need to maintain an atmosphere con-

friendly and helpful, and a location that has played

groceries but fruit and veg venders rook a beat-

ducive to working and shopping in the market.

host to more than 900 years of colourful Norfolk his-

ing during the last refurbishment in the seventies

As far as changes for market stall holders goes one of the main ones is that leases will be fixed five

since its conception and whatever the trials of this

out around two-thirds of the stalls 'Nere selling

and since then the site has become much more varied leading to the wide range of goods on offer.

~

it has suffered and endured many changes

and access for

year agreements and not the lifelong individually

new refurbishment it will continue to be a central,

disabled customers needs to be made possible. As

agreed ones they're used to now. A consequence of

vital, vibrant and culturally attractive aspect of the

want to be able to keep an eye on what's going on.

No one is arguing that the market can't prosper

tory.

This very wealth of availabilit'{ has been

in the long run as it is. Its own website refers to it as

Gould is ready to point out the market hasn't even

this will be that stalls which aren't doing well may

city that provides a focus for tourists and residents in

mooted as one of the reasons the Council

dilapidated. While individual stall owners are

had a lick of paint for fifteen years. In fact he's been

close making room for new outfits and while some

search of food , clothes, fabrics, books, ornaments,

doing what they can to keep their shop

working there for 32 years and there have only been

old businesses may be sacrificed, change, variety

stationary, gossip, bargains of every sort and friend-

2 attempts at refurbishment, both primarily

and competition always benefit the customer and the

ly, unfailingly individual, service.

has for the forthcoming face lift.

At the

moment the colourful awnings hide a multitude

aesthetic.

However there is a sense of mistrust of the people making the decisions, Mr. Gould suggests they don't understand the importance of the market as a source of many people's livelihood and seem to 'think we play down here'. For Mr. Gould 'the market gives working class people. an opportunity to run a small business and make a living' and if the members of Council shopped there they might come to appreciate it more and make plans with more understanding of the consequences felt by the retailers who also have mortgages to worry about and children to put through school.

T

he last time work took place on the site it took just 13 weeks as opposed to the near year that's anticipated this time but seventy-five percent of stalls went out of business. To allow business to con-

tinue stall holders will be provided with an 8 by 10 'space' but whether this will be adequate for any of

the retailers remains to be seen and anyone dealing in perishable goods such as food, whether groceries or the numerous cafes will be hard pushed to operate without power, water, telephone or waste disposal.

Mr. Gould is ea-ger to emphasise that he is positive about the forthcoming changes to the finished market, the place is in dire need of work, and

~e

Page 15

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Page 16

Cotatte Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004

NEW TRENDS FOR OLD his season is all about looking smart and polished, with some fashion houses preferring to call it 'secretary chic.' Whllst this may not be completely obtainable for your Monday morning lecture, here's a few handy hints and suggestions to help keep your wardrobe up to date without plnngtng too far into that overdraft.

T

Round-toe shoes £4.5 Poncho £30 Warehouse cropped trousers £34.99 River Island Geen pearl u ....;JUCI" ;' £5.99 River

Yes. it's time to take a leaf out of Miss Marple's fashion book and get some tweed Into your life. Whether Its jackets, tops, trousers or just a small bowling bag, tweed Is guaranteed to instantly transform your wardrobe this Autumn.

Whilst we may be able to pay around £1000 for a Moschino cropped tweed Jacket once we've graduated, the high

street are offering some excellent designer-style items. Without the designer-style price tag.

-_,..-r.,......-

,,

-<-.

-

comeback - perfect for trudging through the leaves and puddles on those cold autumn mornings.

-·.

Gone are the patnful blisters of last autumn from trying to squeeze your little footsles Into polnty-toed shoes, and in come the much more comfortable and much more practical rounded-toe shoes. Wellies are also destined to make a big

Apparently knitting is the new celeb-trend this season, wtth Kelis and others taking it up as a hobby to 'destress.' If you feel the pressure of deciding which LCR event to go to is all too much, then follow their lead and think big. chunky,

oversize knits.

Alternatively. head down to the high street where the shops have knits galore - we're espec1ally Iovtng ponchos. they Instantly add glamour and style to any outfit. Though beware of the c heap and nasty ones th at are currently floating around the underworld of Norwich Market.

They are sexy, ultraflattering, and will enhance all your beautiful curves. Dress them down wtth a patr of boots for perfect daytime chic, or wear them with great accessories and strappy sandals for a gorgeous party outfit. The glorious Topshop has cottoned onto this fabulous trend, and have got a wide range to suit any figure this Autumn.

Wrap dresses ar e just plain fan tastic.

----------~---..I IN! NI WIN!

£25 WORTH OF MISS SELFRIDGE 1 VOUCHERS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO : IS ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHAT DO THE INITIALS 1 D&G STAND FOR? SEND ANSWERS TO concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk

----

Concrete Wednesday, September22, 20(N

Chances are you've never heard of Mauritania. More than four times the size of Britain, but with fewer people than London, Mauritania is a mute on the world stage, and a stranger to much of Africa.

Yes, a Muslim state where alcohol is banned and photography is unappreciated would not sound like the best place to spend Easter break, but my friend, Thomas Morgan , and I spent a week there and had the time of our lives.

Just getting to the country is difficult. To get in you must purchase a visa, only available once you're in Africa. We got ours in Casablanca.

You'll also need reliable transportation once you approach the border. We got a very cheap lift from Dakhla, Western

Welcome to UEA, and to what should hopefully be some of the best years of your life. Shouldn't they? Well, that's what everyone's been telling you but it's hard to believe them right now when you are feeling this ill.

You've only been here a few days but already you are feeling tired and groggy, and you ache all over. Join the club, you've got the dreaded 'Fresher's Flu'. I'm here to tell you what it is, why you get it, and most importantly of all, how to get over it so you can carry on partying (oh, and learning of course!).

Flu is ca used by the influenza virus, co lds are caused by rhinoviruses (that means nose viruses) and these are passed by droplets. That means that when you breathe in bits of snot and spit that other infected people are coughing all over the place, the virus inside these droplets latches onto cells in your nose and throat and then crawls inside them. Cleverly, one of the symptoms the virus causes is an increase in the amount of snot you make and the amount you sneeze, spread1ng the v1rusy mucus around to more victims.

Viruses like Influenza can't actually live for long outside the body, they need b1ts inside our cells to replicate and as soon as they are inside that is what they begin to do. But Ironically, it is not actually the virus multiplying which makes you feel ill but the way your body responds to •t. When your cells realise that they are infected, they release chemicals that circulate all around your body. These cause a fever, wh1ch is an attempt to burn out the virus. and a feeling of exhaustion to

Page 17

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk

You also need someone who knows the desert because the paved roads become sand 50km from the border, and, more importantly, land mines are scattered in the sand, a leftover from the war over the still-disputed Western Sahara territory. The truck was filled with sacks of grain and four people, but, despite a couple of hitches, we made into Noudhibou, the second largest city in Mauritania, by nightfall.

Noudhibou was amazing . As we walked to our hostel, Tom pointed out that we were carrying more money on our backs than most of the people around us made in a year. Despite this, the locals were friendly, welcoming and always passed us on the

force you to rest and conserve energy.

Some of the chemicals released directly kill the virus but they also end up damaging the cells in your nose and throat, causing a runny nose and a sore throat. White blood cells also rush to the area of infection to fight in hand to hand combat, but th is makes the blood vessels in your nose swell up, blocking your nose. All in all, you feel pretty rough. But while 11 may seem kind of annoying that all the irritating symptoms we get from the flu and colds are actually a result of your body's defences gomg overboard, remember that if this did not happen, the virus could d1vide uncontrollably, taking over all the cells 1n your body, eventually killing you. This IS why, although flu is relatively harmless to most fit students like yourself, for the very old, the very young or the already sick, it can be fatal.

So I promised you some words of wisdom. How are you going to get over this and get back on your feet? Well . first the bad news. There are no cures for colds or flu. Antibiotics do nothtng to help as they only k1ll bactena. not wuses. In fact they can make things worse as they weaken the body's defences and make it easier for the virus to replicate. And while paracetamol ar~d ibuprofen may make you feel better by lowering your temperature, they do not actually get nd of the problem and again may delay your eventual recovery. A doctor can g1ve you a sick-note 1f you really need one but they cannot provide you wtth any useful treatment.

There is a flu vacc1ne but this is not

street with "ea va?"

One of the saddest things about Islamic extremists is that they do a terrible disservice to ordinary Muslims, the kind we met. The most dangerous weapon they have is their customary tea, which, I learnt, is scalding hot when first poured.

For all its charm, Noudhibou is very poor. Think of everything you take for granted in a town or city: pavements, rubbish bins, no wandering goats or restless donkeys (though most of the donkeys were used as transportation) .

In the hostel we befriended a Ghanaian man and his three children .

We spent much of our two days there standing on the roof gazing at the city.

offered to everybody, only people like asthmatics who might be more at risk if they get flu. And to be honest, all the vacci ne really offers is the chance to plan when you will be ill, as it can make you feel pretty rough all by itself.

But there is good news too. In the war of 'body versus flu ' the body pretty much always wins. lt just takes time, and you can help it to work faster.

The stronger your immune system , the quicker it fights off the infection .

And the quicker the infection is dealt with, the sooner you feel better. In fact , the best defences kill off the virus before it even enters the cell, and so you dof'\'t feel ill in the first place. So, how do you build up a strong immune system?

First you will need to give your body the chance to recover, and I'm afraid this may mean missing the Cheese Soc initiation ceremony. Your immune system needs sleep. While we sleep we release growth hormone, which allows our body's cells to repair and replicate. Th1s mcludes the allImportant white blood cells. More white cells means a larger army to fight the v1rus and a larger army means a faster end to the war Next you are going to have to hold off the alcohol for a bit. The compulsion to drink like a fish in Fresher's Week is understandable. Spend1ng days on end with a load of strangers can be pretty dauntmg and alcohol certainly makes conversation flow more smoothly (if not more sensibly), but 1t does sadly sup· press growth hormone, preventing write blood cells from replicating, trereby weakening your body to the attack of the viruses. lt also makes you dehydrated. If you also have a fever you w1ll be sweating and los1ng water.

Dehydration weaKens your 1mmune system. This 1s why you need to keep drinking plenty of non-alcoholic dnnks, even if you don't feel thirsty. Alcohol also stops you from absorbing nutrients 1n your food wh1ch are 1mportant tn

The main road was clogged with aging taxis and donkey-driven carts; a nightmare for drivers and pedestrians.

Taxis came in two types: The four seater ones, with a rope often replacing the door handle, or the minibus that picked people up and dropped them wherever they wanted . The price was always negotiable.

From Noudhibou we took a train to Choum, 100 miles east. This was no ordinary train, though . We were traveling on the 2km-long iron-ore train , the longest in the world. lt had two passenger carriages, followed by an endless string of metal boxes. lt was in one of these cold , wet boxes that we travelled for eleven hours. No roof, no seat, no toilet, and nothing to do but sit with your head in your hands struggling against the endless mass of dust.

From Choum we negotiated a lift into Alar. We traveled in the bed of a pickup truck, along with twelve other people, luggage, a fridge and four sacks of rice . I was amazed the truck could move, let alone take us through the desert for five hours. Still , for the price we paid (2000 ouigya, or 3 pounds) we were in no position to complain.

Atar was the best of the three towns. We stayed in a campsite called Baab Sahara, run by a Dutch man and his German wife. Like Noudhibou the town had plenty of wondering

goats and donkeys, but also a lot of children who treated us like celebrities.

On our last day in Atar we went on an impromptu hike. Tom was determined to ride a camel, or at the very least get a good photograph of one.

We walked for five hours and were always miles away from them. What we did see, though, was vastness.

There wasn't a hint of civilization, just miles and miles of land.

Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania and lies in the south, near Senegal. On the way there from Atar our driver stopped in a small town and for the first time in my life I drank camel's milk, and it is delicious.

We were dropped on the outskirts of Nouakchott, miles, we were told, from our hostel. A taxi was expensive and the day was young, so we walked. Nouakchott was a struggling city that embraced industrialisation too hurriedly. The roads were busy, but not policed , and filled with old , polluting cars. Billboards gave the impression of commercial wealth, but were all for cigarettes.

The Republique lslamique de Mauritanie is a beautiful country, but poor. Poor in a way I had never seen and the Mauritanians have always known.

the immune system , and this brings me to the next p1ece of advice.

For most of you this is your first time living away from home, and for many of you that means the first time buying and cooking your own food With a limited budget and many demands on your purse strings you wouldn't be blamed for try1ng to live entirely on Pot Noodles. but without a balanced diet your body does not have everyth1ng 1t needs to build all the important virus-fighting cells. Fat is important in building a strong immune system. vitamin C and zinc are also very important. Buying supplements m1ght help, but they are no substitute to eat1ng well - fruit. vegetables, fish ..

OK, I'm starting to sound like your mum now, but you''l thank me when you are partytng through the n1ght whtle your Pot Noodle eating flatmate is too stck to spend any of the money they sdved on food Of course, you could try and dVOid catchmg anythmg 1n the f1rst place. A strong immure system 1s a great place to start. but 1t helps to try and keep away from the v•ruses altogether The most common way that these v1ruses are actually transmitted 1s by hand to hand contact. Picture th1s: Your snotty,

coldy friend wipes their nose on their hand, you shake their hand or touch the1r contaminated door handle, and then you p1ck your nose, touch your eyes or eat some food with your now virus infest~d hands. Now, I'm not telling you to get all obsessive-compulsive, but if your friends or flatmates get ill then you m1ght be best ·off avoiding too much close contact with them for a while and washing your hands before eating If your brand new boyfnend or girlfriend has also started snivelling (from cold symptoms rather than relationship 'issues') then it is also good advice to keep your tongue out of their throat for a while - unless you want to snuggle up with hot lemon drinks and Kleenex.

To be honest with you, although th1s IS all good advice, chances are you will catch something in the first few weeks of term. Cramming thousands of 1Jyperact1ve alcohol soaked, under'lourished Freshers nto a small space tke the LCR IS a sure-fire way to :,p ead germs, and 't may be w1se to schedule a visit •o the parents 1n a couple of weeks time for some TLC and good food

To read more about the trip visit www.angelfire.com/treklafrica2004

concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk

Page 18

Cotattt Wedn esday, September 22nd, 2004

Multi-Storey Car Park Planned Over the summer the university has begun a project that it claims will be the solution to the parking and congestion problems on campus.

On the 6th of May Norwich Council granted the UEA full planning permission to turn the parking .!/; area next to the sports centre into a multistory car park. Many students are no doubt aware of the difficulties affecting drivers on campus and the University feels that this will help relieve the strain.

However, the project is being criticized as an unsustainable solution to congestion and action groups feel that the issue is not being handled a ppropriately. the Sustainable STAG , Trans port Action Group, is a committee of UEA stude nts who promote e nvironme ntally viable transport syste ms and they have con-

?

-

Tyndall mentioned during climate change talks Las t week saw t he leaders of the four main political parties come out to deal with the issue of climate cha nge.

First it was the leade r of t he Tory Party Michael Howard who gave a speech conde mning The prime ministe rs efforts to tackle t he growing concerns of global warming. On Monday the 13th he announced that climate change was "one of mankind's greatest challenges" and e xpla ined his disappointme nt tha t -the curre nt government has faile d to get the suppor t of George Bush on this subj ect.

The next day saw Tony Bla ir ta lking on the same topic, although no re al policies w e r e sugges te d th is ti me round . The re is hope that he w ill start to tackle the emissions created by aviation , which is one of the main sources of greenhouse gases a t the moment. He did however me ntion the UEA's very own ce ntre for climate research, the Tyndall centre , in thi s key not e speech.

It is unknown w hether this has funding implications yet but we' ll keep our finger s crossed tha t the im pot·tance of the work being done at our

un iversity continues to be recognized by t he government. lt was Charles Ke nnedy next to offer his views on the theme of the wee k as he highlighte d the Libera l Democrat's poli cy a nd a 10 point pla n.

He set forth target s extending beyond La bour's plans, promising to continue cutting e missions by 1.5% a year until 2050. And then, inevitably, the green par ty issued the ir 12 point challe nge to deal wit h clima te change, once again conde mning Bla ir's government in the process. Among t he dozen stateme nts was a need to imme dia te ly scra p the national road building progr am and to establish 2 million solar roof syste ms in the UK by 20 10. Dr Spe ncer Fit zGibbon, a newly a ppointed me mber of the Gr een cabinet, asser ted tha t "Tony Blair has a history of saying the right things a bou t cl imate cha nge, t hen utterl y fa iling to ma tch his words with act ion." This re fl ects the opinion of many e nvironments, w ho do not feel he is successfully working towards the targe ts he has prom ised.

The Stag Reers

multi -storey car park on campus . The proposed C<lr park will be a blot on the landscape. w ill increase t he nu mber of car parking spaces by around tiOO , and is a step backwards in the university's a im to reduce its carbon e missions and ongestion on campus. l ' EA ha s a wodd-renowned Environme nt a l Sciences dt!partment and hosts C Red ( http: W \\ \\ .cred-uk.org,) - s urely we s houl d be leading tht• wa~· on s ustainahk transport on our ow n doorstep?

If~ ou are interested in contributing tm\ards making your university mort' su:-.tainable t hen please cmail heth brocket((u yahoo.co.uk or come to our - next me eting at lpm on Wednt!sda) 29th September in the blue bit of the Union Bar.

If you have eve r wondered why there isn't a bus route from where \' O U live to UEA, how you can lobby for l;t'tter bike faciliti es . whv the bus fares are so high or w hy tht:re an• so man y cars on campus then the Sustain ahk Transport Action Group (ST . \(; l is fm· you.

STAG was set up this summer I<> act as a voice for sustainabk and st·nsiblc travel option s at l ' E \ . :\ Jade up of staff, st udents. represt>ntatives fnm1 Estates and i\lanagemcnt. the Carbon Reduction (CRed) project a nd the Bicycle Users Group (BUG \ it 's initial aim is to challenge the plans for a

demned the university's new project.

The group declares that more focus should be made on the reasons why so many students are driving to campus and feels that car uses should be discouraged rather than accommodated for.

Adrian Ramsey, UEA student and Green Party councilor, told us he thought the building plans were a "retrograde step" and suggests that the money being spent on the building would be better spent on improving and promoting alternative transport.

"Two ways to help achieve this," explains the councilor "would be to install many more bike racks on campus and to work with the county council and bus companies for a bus service to campus from Dereham Road" There is a view that the bus service to the campus needs improving and that the university should take more responsibility over this. However, the Union

Environmental officer Andy Higson, has announced that he feels that "the university is reacting to the rise in car use in a realistic manner". He is uncritical of the car park and blames the failure of successive governments and their lack of a coherent transport plan.

There is also further contention over the fact that little was done to publicize the plans. The law states that public notice must be made of any such building work and the University did briefly display a bill board by the site over the summer months. Of course the timing of this means that little attraction was made and students are still largely unaware. Despite the lack of public awareness and all the voiced concerns, now that the project has full planning permission it is most likely that the building will go ahead.

Plastic Penalty In an initiative pushed forward by the union's previous environmental officer, students a re going to be charged for the use of plastic bags in all union outlets . The new scheme comes into effect on the 4th October and will see all plastic bags come with a 10 pence price tag.

This is a drive aimed at reducing the amount of waste produced on campus and it is hoped that the imposed fee will persuade students to either reuse the ir bags or find a less wasteful m e thod of carrying their shopping.

Although this will clearly be an incon• venience to some it will be great step towards making the UEA a more environmentally sustainable campus.

Those who ques tion the significance of such a move may like to here a few fa cts about the e nvironme ntal proble ms involved with the dumping of plastic bags. It may not seem like much bu t all those bags add up a nd it is estimated that most fa milies throw a way around 40 kg of plas tic a year . Those bags are made of petroleum , an unrenewable resource of course, a nd though they may seem small just 8 .7 bags con tain enough embodied pe troleum energy to drive a car 1 km. That's a lot of wasted energy sitting in a land fi ll site, not forgett ing the fact that most of those bags take 5-10 yea rs to decompose and emit greenhouse gases w hile doing so. And for those bags t hat don't even make it to t he dum p t here's an even mor e shocking st at istic. Plas tic bags and othe r plastic rubbish thrown

into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.

Inte rnational student jassim Happa from Norway explained that the charging customers for the use of plastic bags ha s been a standard practice for as long as he can remember in his home country. Yet he still feel s it is unfair on the students to certain degree, as most are struggling with money problems anyway. The Union does indeed have . to be care ful about how this fee is represented as the ir has long bee n a fe e ling of r esentment among some students who feel that the Union atte mpts to extract as much money a s possible from its shops and bar. Ye t the e nvironmenta l motives behind this move will surl y convince most stude nts tha t this is not about gaining funds a nd the hope is that people opt to reduce the number of bags they use rathe r tha n pay the price.

-r'hi~"V'~S tc. ~~t s t c:l~ ..... t s

Thursda 30th September 10.00am 6.30pm 7.00pm

Regent Theatre

Calamity Jane (PG); £1 .50 Kill Bill: Vol1 (18) Jatk Cardiff Presentation & Mastertlass

HollY vood Cinema

folio~

ed !}y A alter of Life &Death (U) East Coast Fisbing Village; Singing

Ho!~

7.30pm

11.00pm

the Fisbiog; At the Apple's Core (U); £4 Witchfmder General (18)

Gl Yarmouth College Hollywood Cinema

ood Cinema

Friday 1st October 9.30am • 6.00pm 6.30pm 7.30pm

7.30pm 7.30pm 9.00pm - 2.00am

Archive & Industry Conference Kill Bill: Vol2 (18) Dad's Army Night (U) Great Yarmouth on Film (U); £3 The Red Shoes (U) Rocky Horror Party Night; £2 u in costume

Hippodrome Hollywood Cinema Ho8ywood Cinema

St George's Theatre Hollywood Cinema Atlantis Arena

Saturday 2nd October 9.30am - 9.30pm

Screenwtlting Feslival- Wrtllng for 1V

Hotel Elizabeth

10.00am • 5.00pm 10.00am - 12.00pm

Fitm, TV & Toy CoUemor's Fair; £1.50 Children's Animation Workshop; t5

Marina Centre

1.00pm · 3.00pm

Children's Animation Wo.tshop; £5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (PG) Great Yarmouth Shorts The Spy Who Loved e (PG)

2.00pm 4.30pm 7.30pm

7.30pm

C'mon Everybody; £10.50

8.00pm 8.00pm

Cinemanla (12a) Regional Premiere an on Fire (18) Re~ional Preview

11.00om -8.00am

Fright Night (15 & 18); £8

Htppodrome Hippodrome Hollywood Cinema Hippodrome Hol!ywood Cinema

Britannia Theatre Hollywood Cinema Hollywood Cinema Hollywood Cinema

Sunday 3rd October 10.00am-1 .00pm 12.30pm 3.45pm

7.00pm 3.00pm 5.30pm

Screenwritinv Festival- Writing for Film

{ The lord of the Rings-The Fellowstip ollle Ring(PG) The Lord oftbe Rings- Tile Tw~ Towers (123) an~ms ThelordoftheRings- The Retumoftheling(12a) £5 { The Matrix (18) UK Prem•ere ot e Mat m tnlogy ,'ff!rt Tile Matrix Revisited (18)

£5r!a':

6.30pm 7.30pm

bsck-lo·back The Matrix Reloaded (18} Bowling for Columbine (15) The Broads Remembered (U); £3

8.45pm

Fahrenbelt9111 (15)

7.45pm

Jlilml

AJI fitms £5 or £3 for concessions unless otherwise indicated. c, C.O&<f'

..... L'Y>~r-

:c

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Hotel Elizabeth Hollywood Cinema Hollywood Cinema Hollywood Cinema Hol!ywood Cinema Hollywo.od Cinema Hollywood Cinema Hollywood Cinema SI George·s Theatre Hollywood Clnema

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

Page 20

concrete.editorial@ uea.ac.uk

HOROSCOPES Goat ,..---:::.----, Ok, so you may have passed your retakes, but ~ that doesn't mean you are clever_ Ok! You may have bronze skin and a cinnamon tan, but that / I\. / \ was a summer jam , so get with the plan and find yourself a man _Beware of people dressed in red.

Lucky word: Elm.

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Conattl Wednesday, September 22nd, 200-1

CONCRETE +

â&#x20AC;˘

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Scales For you Freshers, the biggest choice you need to make right now is to which supermarket you will pledge your allegiance, for the forthcom ing few months_If you like conflict and Burberry, Morrisons is for you _If you prefer a more eloquent shopping experience, Sainsburys is the place. to go. Lucky word(s): Shaven Haven

Production concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Manager/Editor: Philip Sainty concrete .advertising@ uea.ac.uk Advertising Manager: Ben Millar

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. - - - - - - - - , Bull ~~~ Love is hard to find at the moment Not because ~ you're slightly below average looking, but because you're boring. Get a life, drink some alcohol, find your sexual organs and party the year away_ Remember, all students get a discount at Sinsins .____ _ _ ___. Lovestore. Lucky word: Rabbit ~"""!':~-.....-...

Disease plaguing mankind So you were bullied at college and you're a little timid about the start of Uni. Well, you're here now, where there's something and someone for everyone_Join a club or society that interests you and if ~~~~~~~ you can write proper good like, join Concrete. t:: Lucky word : Mistress_

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Lion Beware, Freshers is all about exchanging stuff_ .. _. numbers, a-level results, glances .. __ and if you're not careful , Chlamydia. Don't follow in the path of Adonis and entertain STD's __.you must use protection . 'Don't be a fool wrap -your tool' _'No Glove no Love'. Can't remember anymore analogies. Lucky Word: Nightline .

Ram Typically, you Arians fall in to one category of student Either you're the conscious work-done-on-time quiet-night-in kinda kid or you're not a loser. Ladies, this month you'll feel like all men are bastards, and they probably are. That's what happens when you go with pretty boys. Remember, big guys need lovin' too. Lucky Word(s): Fookin' NOOO!

concrete.editorial@ uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor: Katharine Clemow Proofreading: Helen Pilch concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor: Ross Grainger Chief News Reporter: Becky Wiltshire Reporters: lsabel Dyson Lucy Mowatt Helen Pike Frances Stapleton Sarah J. Smith Chief Photographer: Jassim Happa

~:;,:;:c~~WJ Like Water - ~~~;~~~ The start of this new academic year should herald a change in the way you handle relationships _ ~;~;i;~~i) Stop pulling your friends. Stop leading people on and stop messing with peoples heads. Once you do th is, and you grow up a little bit you should be lilfi~~rm!i ok. Lucky Word: Mullet

Two Fish, always seen together, so not Cod When you move into halls this week you freshers, keep an eye for the token 'annoying student'. He will probably have long greasy hair, steal your milk, play loud rock music, have an annoying laugh and become a notorious campus cannabis peddler within two weeks. Don't encourage him, just spit at him on the stairs. Lucky Word(s) : F*ckers F*ckers F"ckers

Twin Girls - bring it! p;;;::;~lfiiljp;;?;'l Female freshers be warned, second year rugby IJ~~~~~¡~GI boys believe they have an exclusive monopoly on

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fiblllllii!lllilil

you. Proceed with extreme caution_ Watch out in particular for anyone claiming to have a 'caramel complexion' or anyone with a Northern Irish accent The rising moon pattern would suggest you spend your entire loan on the new Von Dutch Collection. Lucky Word(s) : Rice 'n' pea

Almost a Virgin ... Not Unlike Madonna Monday 27th September is the best day for you Virgo folk this month. Try something new and be prepared to take risks_ An orange coloured drink might act as a powerful aphrodisiac. Oh, and leave his sister alone .... he's a black belt in Judo_Lucky .____ _ _ __.. word: Flyer

Half-man, Half Horse; girls love him You're worried about resolving unsettled conflict. You must realise that this conflict would not have existed if you had not interfered in other peoples issues in the first place. Throwing trainers at doors and soaking a kitchen floors with water are not the actions of a sane person. Consider counseling. Lucky word(s): Speed dating .

Scorpion I sense quite strongly, from my deep astrological sources, that Wednesday 22nd of September will be a magical day. At around 10.30pm, if you visit the launch night of a new Urban club night @ a lush venue on the Prince of Wales Road, members of the opposite sex will flock to you faster than RKelly flocks to underage groupies. Lucky Word: Sa mbucca.

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Editor: Katharine Clemow Writers: Catherine Kemp Steven Williams lsabel Dyson Lucy Mowatt Crossword: Sarah J. Smith concrete. fashion lifestyle@ uea.ac.uk Editor: Anna Steward Deputy: Donna Boam concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Editor (in absnetia): James Conway concrete.sports@uea.ac.uk Acting Editor: Ross Grainger Deputy Editor: Marc Dudley Reporter: Tom Czaban Post Production Distribution Manager: Joe Dunthorne

Cotc:nte Wednesday, September22, 2004

Page 23

Former UEA Students Scale SO Peaks In Their Underwear ROSS GRAINGER

THE eccentricities of Comic Rellef have proved that the more outrageous the stunt, the better chance you have of getting people to donate.

Last year we had Jack Dee perched atop a pole and Robbie Williams llve and naked. but they pale in

comparison to the 'Up in Underwear' ca m r :11.,1• tn a id Zambia.

Ruth Williams and Pridie Davis wanted to raise money for HIV I Aids sufferers in Zambia. Their goal was to climb as many UK peaks above 2000ft as possible in just two weeks.

Here's the catch: they did all wearing just their under-

wear.

They carried food . water, camping and medical supplies, but the thrust of the project: was always on dis play. During the two weeks spent scaling the peaks the girls ran into one stunned cllmbing party after anothefit They included a large group of RAF and Navy trainee jet pilots. one stag party and a strange Russian backpacker with a large beard . All were willing to donate to the project.

Hurn Zambia was setup to help people suffering from HIV I Aids and to help local communities in Zambia to educate people about the disease. HIV I Aids has been a global scourge since it was first detected in the early 1980s. Around the world an estimated 38 milllon people are infected and 3 million die annually. SubSaharan countries like

Zambir~ r~re- the- worst affectrf':!rers ed ; live m Ul t • c:g10n .

Ruth Williams is spendIng this year in Zambia to continue work for the charity group . She will return to UEA next year. Pridie Davis fmished her PGCE last year.

The money raised by the climbs is still being counted, but is already over a thousand pounds. "We found ourselves on top of our 50th summit," said the girls. "quite unable to comprehend our achievement in the form of legs like iron, dodgy tans and tights in tatters!"

UEA Sports Club Coordinator Les Allworthy joined the girls on the 50th and fm a l peak. They celebrated the occasion with a bottle Bucks Fizz.

"It was fanta stic.- he said . "A great la u gh and a great achievemen t" .

UEA PI JES IN MEMORY OF A FRIEND SET SAIL UEA's American Football Team Ready To Raid League Championship ALEX THORPE

RETURNING players, a strengthened coaching Une-up and a reasonable schedule all point to a season of improvement for the UEA Pirates.

Having made it into the playoffs last season with an admirable 6-2 record. some might suggest that conciliation is the.order of the day, but anything less will simply not be good enough for head coach Chris Hailstone.

It all kicks off with the armual Zimmer Bowl 'friendly' ftxture against the UEA Old Boys on October 24. The alumni side have gone away with the spoils in each of the previous seven meetings, but as age catches up with them the Pirates fancy their chances more and more.

Halloween marks the start of the regular season with the visit of Andy Laing's APU Phantoms. The Phantoms visited Colney Lane for their first ever competitive game on tl

opening weekend last season. and will be looking to avoid a repeat of 2003's 37-0 shut-out.

After a bye in week 2. the Pirates then face a four week run of games in which they fac<e home ties against Herts Hurricanes and Nottingham Outlaws and indivision trips to rivals Essex p;_:;:l!t!f'~'i2 Blades and the expansion Greenwich Mariners.

The Hurricanes have emerged from four of the past seven College Bowls as national champions, and will prove to be tough opponents, but UEA will be hoping to match theif 14-6 victory from February 2002.

The post-Christmas period sees a run-in of rivalries. UEA travel to

The Annual Mike Covell Trophy Hockey Match To Aid Meningitis Trust ROSS GRAINGER

Canterbury to face the UKC Falcons, and then to Hatfleld for another Hurricanes game either side of the visit of the PA Surrey Stingers to Colney Lane.

Whatever outcome the season holds. it is sure to be full of hard hitting and thrilling action. Home games at Colney Lane kick off at 1pm.

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The UEA hockey club has had great success on the field these past few years, but greater than any championship is the work they have done for meningitis sufferers.

The Fourth Annual Mike Covell Trophy Match will take place on Sunday the 26th of September at 1pm at the UEA Sports Park to raise money for the Meningitis Trust and honour the memory of Mike Covell.

Mike enrolled in UEA's s chool of Law in 1997. He joined the hockey team and was an instant favourite; a tough player on the field and the life of the party off it. But just three days after starring in a UEA win over Lowestoft Railway. 18-year-old Mike was struck down with meningitis. Five days later, on December 7th. he passed away with his parents and brother at his bedside. Flat mate Kevin Howlett said of Mike, "I will remember him as a happy chap who made

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everybody la ugh . He was the kind of person it was enjoyable to be with".

The Mike Covell Trophy Match was created in September 2001 with the h elp of Rupert Snelling and several other former team mates. They form the Mike CoveU XI and each year challenge the current UEA XI. The old boys have won two out of the three matches, including last year's win on penalty strokes.

The match is always a good laugh and a nice introduction for the freshers. but there is a more Important reason why the Mike CoveU XI returns every year. In the past three matches the players have raised a total of £2750 for the Meningitis 11ust. As well as raising necessary funds, the group has also focused on educating students about meningitis.

The fundraising and awareness campaign will kick-off the night before the match.

Saturday the 25th of September, in the Union Bar at 6pm.

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There are s everal different types of meningococcal disease. Meningococcal septicemia is a bacterial form of meningitis. A meningitis sufferer experiences inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis is contracted virally through coughing. kissing or close contact. The social nature of university life means all incoming students must be immunized. Symptoms of the disease include fever, severe headache and a rash that develops anywhere on the body.

The Hockey Club is one of the most successful at UEA. As part of the Sportspark's 'Focus Sports' initiative the club has received increased funding and has been allocated more time on the Astroturf pitches. They also enjoy socials throughout tl'le year. Club President Norman Hart knows how important this match Is both for the memories it preserves and the money it raises.

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Problems

Solved

Prof. Roderick Mulhapton FilkingtonPhipps, Rodders to his friends, senior economic adviser to the World Bank and the IMF gives informed counsel to your personal problems.

University airport plans about to take flight

Dear Rodders, My best friend and I have recently been quarrelling about a boy. We both like him very much: he seems to have done everything there is to do, and he's very well bunt, so we're certain he'd be good in bed.

So bad is the jealousy between us that my friend has started spreading vicious rumours about the extent of my depravity in the bedroom. I wouldn't mind so much, but he seems even more interested as a result, which is a real turn-off. I'd rather have my friend back than this boy, so what do I do?

Yours, worried friend

Students are facing lengthy delays to their studies as secret plans to turn UEA into an airport threaten to take off.

For decades is has been assumed that the utter lack of charm or character, the near total blandness, the absolute architectural mediocrity of UEA's building developments was the result of an irrational fear of offending anyone. Even mollusks. However, documents leaked to 1lle Enquirer suggest an altogether more sinister motivation - the University will soon become Norwich's second airport.

Until this summer, progress was kept deliberately slow-paced to avQid suspicion; indeed, the construction of the main hanger (currently disguised as the Sainsbury Centre) and the executive lounge (the Union Bar) were many years apart. ~ut now University fat cats have been forced to show

Dear worried friend .

When John Nash feared for his life from the illusory Aliens that haunted him - not the 'commies' as recently purported in the film A Beautiful Mind - his paranoia helped him develop his popular 'game theory' of economIc interaction. Nash's ideas have particular relevance to your position, as you are clearly involved in a social struggle with your erstwhile friend .

You must pre-empt the manoeuvres of this person, form new social bonds and ensure that they are all aware of her heinous nature - real or not. In short, treat her like a developing country, and cut off all her social ties until she is forced into the kind of depression from which suicide is the only clear recourse. You can then have this boy - or any boy - all to yourself.

With more and more people being forced, often bodlly, into universities by Tony Blalr (or Tony Silly as The Enquirer fre. quently satirically lampoons him) the issue of student commitment bas become a serious problem.

An increasing gulf Is opening between the students who prioritlze their study, and those who forsake it, opting instead for a semi-conscious haze of drink, drugs and casual, casual sex. Louder than ever before, the qttestion is being asked , 'Is it fair that some students should succeed just because they try harder?'

Here at UEA the answer Is a resounding 'no'.

But after years of unsuccessfully attempting to raise the efforts of the apathetic, a new policy for the coming semester will strive instead to lower the standards of the studious. While the semester will con-

their hand, with check in (Zes t) . the departure lounge (the Hive) and the Norwich Hilton (Colman House) all completed for the new semester.

Though it is understood that most students will be allowed to complete their courses before UEA International opens for business, few will find their studies unaffected . In an effort to prepare for the more competitive nature of the commercial world, the University will be adopting many of the principles of low-cost airlines. Lectures and seminars will now only proceed once every seat has been filled and sound will only be available with the purchase of headphones.

Students with particularly heavy textbooks may also face additional charges.

So far, reaction has been mixed. Design undergraduates are said to be outraged that Practical Runway Construction is now a

compulsory second-year unit, although one student, perhaps not fully grasping the situation, was delighted he would soon be able to get home quicker. UEA's teaching staff. facing redundancy in less than three years, issued a statement last night announcing they had unanimously voted to "hit the bottle."

Confronted with such a mass of evidence regarding their future plans, UEA's top brass were immediately defensive. A spokesman said, "An airport? Don't be so bloody stupid.

What would we want to build an airport for?

That's the most ridiculous, cont<':mptibie suggestion I've heard in years. Is this your evidence? It's all written in crayon! I think we'll probably suel And anyway, what are you doing in my office? Get out!"

The Enquirer would like to point out this doesn't constitute a direct denial.

(i?

ORDR

sist of the usual 12-week schedule. students

will be asked to attend no more than eight

weeks of any unit, catching up on the remaining classes from friends' notes. This latter task may be further complicated by the additional stipulation that no more than 6()0.-tl of attendees are allowed sufficient stationary to take notes.

The University is also aware that what students do away from lectures affects their ability to learn. Assuming the necessary equipment arrives on time, breath tests will ensure all students maintain a minimum residual alcohol level. Students who, for any reason, claim to be unable to achieve an acceptable consistency of social drinking can receive alcohol supplements direct from the Health Centre.

Anyone who demonstrates a reasonable dependency on illegal drugs could se~ per-

路.

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centage points being added to their essay grades.

Finally, Lecturers are being asked to look out for 'cheats' - students who attempt to flaunt the new regulations by completing preparatory reading and sleeping regularly.

Repeated suspects will find themselves targets of 'disruption squads', teams of volunteers armed with sirens. drum kits and Stockhausen compositions. whose task will be to annoy and distract the culprits during the small hours of the morning.

How these measures will work remains to be seen, though the new Dean of Intellectual Suppression predicts success, "We have every confidence that talent will be more readily apparent, albeit through the squinted grimace of a debilitating hangover."

1lle Enquirer was unable to find a student in a fit state to comment.

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