Concrete issue 166 06 10 2004

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Celia Dearing & Robin Budd It can easily go unnoticed in the light of more eyecatching architectural restructuring, but UEA is also in the process of a dramatic governance restructure. Teaching at UEA has being divided into four faculties - Arts and Humanities. Science, Health and Social Sciences - and within these facu lties, the proposed governance p lans have t h e potential to reduce stu den t

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NEW SYSTEM MAY MARGINALISE STUDENT REPS

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Student voices are dJmtnlshing in campus governance

representation and student decision-making power. School Boards. which have previously been the most democratic and effective mouthpiece of student opinion and a great example of staff-student cooperation, wou ld have their meetings cut down from four times a year to only twice. Where the Boards were once open to all students and faculty members who wished to participate, - the fi rst meeting of School Boards this year will only be open to two students Boards to implement changes - see page 2

Ligusa crossroads cornmunity centre is situated in lower Nyakach division, Kandaria village in Sigoti . Lower Nyakach division is a poor section of Nyando; a district in Kenya. where the majority of inhabitants are infected with H!V or Aids. In lower Nyakach division 95o/o households have lost three of four of their family mem-

hers to HIV or Aids. Thousands of children are becoming orphaned and some are born infected due to mother-child H!V transmission. There Is also a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia and syphilis. This ·is due to low rate of awareness among the teenagers, lack of facilities to create the necessary awareness. poverty. and a promiscuous ltfe style which

is the result of poverty, depression and lack of hope. In addition to the constant threat of disease the lower Nyakach division suffers extreme poverty due to the lack of basic human needs like clean running water and a proper basic electric system. Women walk long distances in search of water and during dry seasons most households loose their animals to

drought. a condition that further increases their impoverished situation. Apart from animal deaths. agriculture becomes impossible and so most young men opt for migrating to the near by towns in search of jobs so as to take care of their families. Those in city jobs become elusive and the resu lt is a break down in families with most children and women suffering depression due to luck of

parental love and economic support. Due to the problems listed above, a group of students from the University of East Anglia have launched a major fundraiser drive to sponsor the construction of a community centre in lower Nyakach division. This centre aims to be self sustaining in the long term and mainly focuses on rehabilitating the community and bringing people back to

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the main stream of human society. The students are raising funds through personal donations. sponsored sport events and numerous parties held for the purpose of saving the lives of what they call 'some of the most wretched people of the earth.' The centre has a wide range of objectives which focus on reducing death

Tackling AIDS, see page 7

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4 concrete.news @uca.ac.uk

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Editor begin; it like many interesting ppears th e_re issu es it does divide peoare some nus- ple. Despite several onc e ption s a ttempts . UEA is not a a b o u t Fair Trad e University. Concrete's role in the Ma ny simila r institutions scheme of things h e re at · across the country are UEA. It is very hard to b ecoming so, a nd for se pa rate Concre te the UEA's motto to carry any paper from Concrete the sort of weight we can society. just as it is diffi- ·hope it will soon follow cult to separate a ny busi- their example. n ess into its component Ifs easy to dis miss employees. That's not to Fair Trade, a nd the say that Concrete is a issu es s urrounding it as business p e r se. but it is purely the preserve of a commercia l venture. It bourgeois va lues. But the ga th ers a dvertising to move towards more globpay for it to print and a l sen ses of ·community' cover the expenses the m ean that our attitude Union does n't provide a nd the way we ac t (staff costs, e tc.) . As towards other p eople s u ch . while it m ay b e edi- n eeds to b e a ddressed. torially independent. it is With increased access to comes not wholly finan cially informa tion. independent. The Union. grea ter knowledge, and a nd the Ents team have with that comes a n sense of m ade large contributions exte nded to the upkeep of the res ponsibility. As stupa per when it has h ad d ents , we · have an trouble in the past. and emphasised responsibilifor tha t the peopl e a t ty - we r epresent the Concrete a re very grate- edu ca t ed m e mbers of fuL But it must b e s ocie ty. It is. in many rem embered that ways. our responsibility Concrete. and the adver - to u se our extended payti sers therein , are not ch eques for the b en efit of expressing the opinions. others. where possible. It or t h e advice, of the m ay not b e possible at Union - that is what the moment, but it's cerRa bbit is for. tainly worth rememberConcrete rema ins - ing for the future. If the a nd hopefully sha ll a rticles in this issue don't remain - editorially inde- convince you of that , pendent, s·o that the stu- then I hope that they've d ent's who contribute to managed to strengthen it can comment on the your resolve - you'll need activities of the institu - it. tions around them withAlso, this issue plays out having to adhere to host to the much-awaited any ·agenda·. The arriva l of the Concrete Concrete society exists as website , please do check a social extension for it out, it's been a long people to join if they h ave time In Absentia. I hope a n interest in print you enjoy the issue, media. If the people in thank you to those who the society want to con- have given us feedback, tribute to the paper they and do keep us in mind if can, but they don't have you hear of anything to. And it's always good around the campus or in to meet them . · the town that you feel fellow students' should be at said ; this issue aware of. s themed around Philip Sainty Fair Trade. It's an Editor interes ting issue , and www. concrete-online. eom

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From the concrete.editor@uea .ac.uk

Concrete

Jassim Happa

nces may ave housing crisis, but some students are complaining of faults Celia Dearing The University m ay be breaking their pmmises a nd shirking their responsibilities towa rds students with regard to n ew reside n ce Colman House. Resid e nt of Colman House. Laura Healy. says th ere are some majo r problems such as lack of heati ng a nd water fac ilities. b ut most importantly regarding the lack of payphones witl1in the residen ce whic h th ey were promised they would have. She says that "in the accommod a tion brochure it stated that a ll residences would contain a payp hone that could receive incoming calls . However, there is no payphone in any part of Colman House and we ha ve

bee n infor med tha t BT are unwilling to fund the ins tallation of a ny payphone." She wants to know if the univers ity is wi lling to pay for this fac ility th a t th ey we re ass ured t·o have. The mai n co nce1·n is llie threat to safely that this m ay cause. While there ar e pay phones s ituated n ea r th e secui; ty lodge. at night lliis area is not well li t and many peo ple would agree with Lau ra's con cerns lliat "llie path is fa irly intim ida ting." In add ition. stud ents h ave paid fo r TV licences. only to d iscover lliat they can not pick up any channels their televisions. on Residents are a lso eli.'Peri en cing problem s when trying to conn ect to the internet and UEA intranet. On the issue of heating

BOARDERING ON TROUBLE From Page 1 - in spite of the recommendation by llie Governance Consultative Committee lliat llie School Board "should continue to be inclusive in membership as it is now ... Allliough lliere will be a vote at llie first meeting on how to extend representation, tllere is no obligation for llie schools to include more than two reps, which in larger s chools such as

Environmental Sciences would mean lliat students would be dras tically marginalized. Academic Registrar Shelagh Cottrell commented that no statem ent has so far been ma d e on the number of student reps tha t should be present on llie boards, and lliat future Board m embership will be reviewed based on c urrent experience. The initial schedule for the School Board meetings was also obstructive to stu dent participation, with the first m eetin g pla nned for October, wh e n very few schools h ave h a d time to organise and elect a student rep . and the second to be h eld during the busy exam period in May. When there we1·e four meetings a year, th ese were U1e Boards witll the worse atte nd a n ce reco rds. Following discus s ions with t he Students' Uni on. lhe seco nd Board meeting will now be held ea rli e r in th e sp rin g. Although staff stude n t lia ison co mmittees will contin u e to meet in th e pei;ods between Boa rd m ee tings. last year's Un ion Academ ic Officer. Sa1·a h Gu r n ey.

the rules and regulation s state th a t the University will provide water. lighting and heating however in Lau ra 's flat there is only one heater. s ituated in the kitchen . S he says that "of a morning a n d late at night the roo m s a re freezing - lliere is a switch under lhe d esk which we have assum ed to b e th e heating but wh en turned on it smells like plas ti c is burning. " The Colma n Hou se residents h ave n 't h ad mu c h s u ccess in the ir a ttempts to ad dress t he proble ms they've bee n h av ing Resident Tutors have not been able to help and residents are currently frustrat ed as the1·e is no obvious avenue to take to address their grievan es. The University responded \vith a re mind e r that "this is a new building \vith excellent fac ilities fo1· stude n ts and we hop e a n y early teelliing problems a re on llie way to being ironed out. .. They also state that the tem expressed conce1·ns that this reflected a "replacement of current s tud e nt involvement with pure ly consultative staff-student liaison committees." At faculty level. d espite a pledge by Vice-C hancellor Eastwood in February that the restructure would give students more opportuni ties to become involved in the d ecision-m a king process, th e m ajority of decisions made on funding , access, research , recruitment and strategy will be clone by two Executives. neither of which will contain student reps. The ViceChancellor's e ffor ts to reduce "burde nsome admi nistration " a nd "duplicity 'of tasks" co uld m ean th at students will only have one opportunity to be involved a t faculty level, in the annual "open" m eeting. Ne ithe r st ude nt reps nor staff will be given any right to veto actions of the Executive and co nsequently will not have a ny influence over how th e ir facu lty a nd th eir s tudi es . are con d u cted. More wo rrying s till is llie suggestion that some stud e n t sub -co mmittees. which d eal \vith a ffa irs such as recruitment. a dmiss ions

perature and the timing of the warm a ir hea ting have bee n a djusted and the re have been no comp lai n ts since lliis was d one. They a lso say that internet co nn ectio n s were up and runn ing by th e e nd of the first week a nd TV aei;als are not provided in a ny of llie new residences. leaving resid ents d epe nd ent on getting rece ption throu gh the ir portable aeri a ls. As far as security co n ce rn s go. the University was kee n to e mphas ise th at "The re is a n emergency tel ephone in eac h foyer with a direct lin e through to Security . The wi d es pread u se of mob ile phones now means lliat BT is reluctan t to put in pay phones which wi ll have li ttle u se. The Univers ity will loo k in to wh eth er there is sufficient d emand for a pay phone to be insta lled in Colman Hou se . We will a lso ensure that the acco mmod a tion brochure is upda ted." a nd teaching quality , may be abolished a ltogeth er and their role ta ken over by faculty co mmittees . This is currently under review, but if such changes were to be imple mented, it would be a potenti a lly d evastating development for committees such as the Admissions Sub -Committee that are heavily reliant on student input. As we wait for the final form of lliese developments to become clear, lliere m ay still not be cause for con cern . _The review will be brought to the Joint Committee on Governance in December. on whi ch the Students ' Union is represented. Acco rding to Shelagh Cottrell. "fin a l deci s ions on committee gove rn a n ce will b e taken by Senate a nd Council. where s tudents are also represented. " Acade mic Officer Chris Ostrowski co mmented that while he was "not supportive of th e changes." h e saw them as "an opportunity for the Union". Neve rth eless. he expressed co ncern that the proposals "h ave th e poten tia l to carve students out of the unive rsity."

4 concrete.news@ uea.ac.uk

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Concrete

Wedn esday, October 6th , 2004

Th e Listed Ziggurats will soo>J b e refurbished in k eeping with the new residential developments around campus

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REFURBISHMENT PLANNED FOR NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK RESIDENCES J ane Douglas UEA's dis tinctiv ziggu rats a re soon to be re furbis hed . The gra de 11 * li ted bu ildin gs, wh ich have becom e a la ndm a rk for Norwic h , wi ll receive a 拢4 million refurbi s hmen t set to begin n ext a utumn. J ose ph Saund ers, th e univer s ity's director of esta te . said th a t : "Th Ziggurats ha ve done well to withstand 4 0 years of s tu -

d nt hijinks" , but even he admit that the insides are looking "pretty ta tty" and "cla us trophobic". The c h an ges ca nnot affecl th outwa rd appearance of the Ziggura ts but the bedroom s , ba throom s and kitchens will be s tripped ou t. J oseph S a unders said that they wi ll "try as much as ppssible to retain th eir chara ter" in th e bedroom s, "but in the kitchen s things have moved on as to wha t people expect"

Mr Sa unders also hop s to re-open the balcony roofs. which were shut in 1999. There a re concern s ove r health and s afety a s we ll a s Englis h He i-itage r egula tions which mus t be a dhered to. Mr. S a und e rs said th a t : "When t he roofs we re d esigned , th e univers ity was not s urrounded by h ealth and s afety con s traints , however now it mus t en s ure that people cann ot fall off the roofs. This would involve co n stru ctin g han d r a ils

whi ch would conflict with English Heritage regulations on th e refurbishm ent of gra d e 11 * lis ted buildings" . OU1er changes may in lud rem oving the ba ths to make room for m or e s howers and toilets. The four year re furbis hment will also mean up-to-d a te power s up plies and communica tion s for the residences. The c h a racte ri s ti c Ziggura ts, designed by Sir D n ys Lasdun and completed in 19 6 8, becan1e lis ted buildings in 2003 not only for their dis tinctive design bu t also their early use of pre-fa bricated con crete con s tru ction.

The buildings are part of a pilot scheme by English Heritage involving 14 other sites nationwide . The s cheme is designed to decid e how best to manage lis ted buildings and will d etermine th e nature of n ew legis la tion planned for 2007. "This work will d emon s trate pra ctical experien ce of the s trategy, which will b e in contras t to the d esk top na ture of some of the other s ite . Jt is going to b e ve ry important indeed " s aid Mr S a und ers. The r efurbi s h m ents are part of a conservation s tra tegy for the whole university being designed by UEA and Englis h Heritage.

The work wiJ.J continue with little interruption to students. As rooms become availa ble to n ew s tudents with th e cons tru c tion of Colman House. s o rooms in the Ziggurats will be taken out of se rvice, thus ma in taining th e same a moun t of a ccommoda tion each year. Suffolk Terrace will be th e firs t to be refu rbis hed foll owed by Norfo lk; the work is expec ted to take between th ree and four years. The director of esta tes ha s s aid tha t he h opes: "The refurbis hmen ts will once again m ake the Ziggurats attractive accommodation for n ew s tuden ts".

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concrete.news@uea 7

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TACKLING AIDS From Page 1 rates related to HIV I Aids and improving the quality of life for all in the community. They include providing piped water for the local community. providing a programme supporting 3rd generation care givers of orphans. constructing a hospital with wards for clin ics for antenatal cases. and providing a rendczvbus for exchange programme with doctors without boardet·s for research and treatment for neurological cases. The basic needs of the community need to be met first and therefore it has been decided by both the committee in the UK and Kenya. that providing clean running water thmugh the construction of three water boreholes in the Kandaria would be the first step

towards creating a more healthy. sustainable environment for the community. Our first project here at UEA is to mise funds for the construction of two manually pumped boreholes which will cost £2400. The boreholes will be constructed in two different areas. so they can be accessible to the whole community and a local contractor. Mugoya Construct ion has agreed to carry out the project. Fundraising is set to nm throughout the year and the group are looking for volunteers to help with anything from disttibuting flyers to suggesting new. fun ideas to raise funds. Please do not hesitate to contact the treasurer Zuleika de Aguiar at z.aguiar@uea.ac.uk for further information.

CALLING TIME Time Promotes Nestle on UEA Campus Alyssa Morrisey Student feathers were ruffled on Tuesday the 21st when an incident involving promotional staff from Time Nightclub and seveml packets of Kit Kat Cubes occurred. At least two men from Time. reported to be passing out 'student welcome packs'. containing a small promotional flyer and a packet of Kit Kat Cubes were asked by the Union of UEA students to leave the campus early in the afternoon on Tuesday. The actions of the union coincided with the union's

ban on Nestle products due to its scandalous marketing habits among mothers and children in developing countries. ·we can't stop companies from coming onto campus. but we can control the umon. Environmenta l Officer Andy Higson claims. 'We basically told them about our position on Nestle products ... wh ich seemed to have quite an effect on them.· After being asked to leave the campus square and Union Street. the two men allegedly left the premises. only to return the fo llowing Wednesday with the

SADIE FROS.T ANGERS TRADE GROUPS AND STUDENTS OVER NESTLE CONTRACT

Actress and fash ion designer Sadie Frost has controversia lly teamed up with Nestle in her latest advertising scheme. Sadie Frost's fashion company FrostFrench. wi ll be des igning a series of li mited edition wrappers for the food giant's Double Cream chocolate bar. All Nestle products were banned from being sold by university outlets after a ballot held on campus by the union. Two thirds of student voters supported the boycott on Nestle products after the company was found to have bmken World Hea lth Organisation rules on the m a rketing of b r east milk s u bstitute to m others in t h e d evelo ping wo rl d. Ma n y

welcome packs. 'I was shocked that they could have come [onto campus[.' A second year LIT student said. The incident follows a student vote which took _place five years ago placing a ban on all Nestle products in the student union and union owned outlets. The company is accused of encouraging women in developing countries to use powered milk instead of breast milk. contr ibu ling to the suffering and death of infants around the world. 'If you use powdered mi lk. breast mi lk will dry up. Welfare Officer Jo Wright explains. It's a way of keeping women using their products.' In early 2003. students again voted to keep the ban early in 2003 until Nestle . agrees to abide by international marketing require-

men ts. T h ough. they have yet to convince the Un iversity that a ban on Nestle is the right thing to do. as such products as Kit Kats are still sold in The Blend. 'We wanted to show [Nestle[ that it is so clear cut. so unacceptable. . .and so indefensib le to be selli ng

mil k to these women when studies have shown that so many ch ildren are dying from it.· Time denies send ing any promotional staff to the UEA campus on these dates. though does agree to act in accordance with union po licy.

VOTE FOR TRADE JUSTICE

SAD-lE Jane Douglas

PlAIN TEXT

believe that this has lead to high er rates of infa n t morta li ty. with babies dyi n g because. t h e breast m ilk powder is mixed with unclean water. A spokesman for campaign group Baby Mi lk Action. who p lan to oppose Frost's latest project. h as said that they: "Imagine the decision to associate themselves with Nestle is down to ignorance". We'd li ke to make contact to raise awareness of Nestle's h uman rights abw;es. so they' ll reconsider. I suppose this depends what you want to make a profit from." Although this may be a bad move for Sadie Frost it wi ll probably not affect the average student's s h opping h a bi ts as a pa ir of FrostFrench soc k s cost £ 10 0.

Students everywhere are being asked to cast t h eir vote to put a s top to unjust trade. Traidcraft has launched an onlin e voti n g system on its website www.geoactive.co.uk. in

~:~~et~r=;~e~~ ;~~~%; ~! a resu lt of trade exploitatio n . Overwh e lming sup p o r t has a lready been shown for the cause as the webs ite received hund reds of votes within hours of launch ing the voting system. Traidcraft is joined by over 60 other organisations taking part in the Vote For Trade Justice Campaign. which was launched in September. The aim is to collect m illions of votes in time for the G lobal People's Week of Action in Apri l. Th ese votes will be shown to th e government to demonstrate that the people of the UK care about t rade j u stice. Next year is a cru cia l yea r in th e fi g h t agains t poverty as in Ja nu ary t h e

UK wi ll assu me the presidency of the EU a n d in December 2005 it wi ll host th e EU Heads of State meeting. Other important events include the report of the Commission For Africa. the 20th anniversary of Live Aid

and the UN review of the Millennium Development Goals. For mo r e in fo r mation you can vis it www.traidcraft.co.uk or contact Peter Coll ins or Fiona Thomson on 019 1 497 6462.

October is Black History Month This OctobeL the 18th Black History Month. the Student's Union is joining with groups throughout Norwich to mark culllll·al diversity. All the events organised will have the aim of raising the awareness of and allowing people to enjoy the contributions that black men and women have made to Britain and the world. They are intended to be fun and diverse. Along with such events as films . story-telling and dancing. the Union is also holding a writing competi tion. They are inviting evetyone to submit stories. poems. articles or essays based on the inspiration of Pablo Fanque. the first black British circus owner. who was born in Norwich in I 798. The theme may be used as creatively as desired. The winning entries will awarded prizes and be published in Concrete. The entries must be no longer than 1500 words and be handed into Union House Reception by the 5th November. Entrants are asked only to put their name on a cover sheet rather than the pages of their submission so that entt·ies can be judged fairly. Other events commemorating Black History Month include a variety of music events. Students can enjoy mus ic at the Waterfront from The Selector on the 14th October and Killa Ke la on the 28th. There will a lso be . an Afro-Brazil n ight in t h e Hive o n t h e 25th October. The Un ion's We lfa r e Officer. Jo Wright. said. "the events o rganised are a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate cultural d iversity here at UEA". She encouraged people to support the events. and said she was especially keen for groups s u ch as clubs and societies to get involved and p lan events to run in the n ext month. If you a t·e interested in getting involved. or h ave any otl1er ideas about celebrating Black History Mon t h . p lease con tact Jo on su. welfare@uea.ac . uk .

.--N-O_R_W_I_C_H __C_E_N_T_RA __L_B_A_P_T_I_S_T_C_H_U_R_C_H_____, Duke Street WELCOMES STUDENTS We are an all-age, caring church with a w ide range of activities including a special programme for students. Help w ith transport, meals and family link-up. Sunday Services 10.45am & 6.30pm Further info on Chaplaincy or Ch rch Office 01603 760497 weekdays 9.30-noon

8 concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

Concrete

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WNI11esdav, October 6111. 2004

KENTPlAINTS COMPLAINTS INCREASE ABOUT LETTINCiS TJ Watson Complaints have been lodged following a wellknown letting agency"s controversial failure to return damage deposits. lt was revealed late last week that students who deal with Kent Property Management. who were previously banned from advertistng with or around the Union for 'perpetual complaints· stand to lose deposits that run up to ove r £300 per person. The agency. who has been demanding over a month's rent to cover any possible damages to property th roughout th e year. is one of Norwich's largest student Jetting agencies. Kent stated that "the reason for the increase in th e damage deposit requested from each tenant is down to the increase in the number of

student tenants who do not pay their last months rent." "It is unsurpristng that they deal with so many students as they are ideally situated on Unthank Road"" claims one disillusioned tenant. "We were required to pay an extortionate damage deposit. unlike that of any of our friends . and it 'crippled" us before moving in"" warned the second year law student. One month before collection of their keys. each of the five housemates was charged a £330 damage deposit in conj unction with a month's rent of £230. The total deposit fo r the house amounted to a startling £1650. One tenant. Phi!. PSI 2. to ld Concrete. partly tn jest. " 1 wou ldn't mind if the contents of the house amounted to that figure .·· He referred to examples of a supposedly new bed in which the mattress was plagued by worn and stained patches as well as a primitive heating system that has required two services in three weeks. rendering them each time without hot water or heating. Anoth er student said h e couldn't get a key for the front door. and told of doors that 'were fa lli ng off. One househo ld arrived to find their Central Heating inoper-

a tive. In response to such claims. Kent Management Property retorted that such complaints were "small in number" they then went on to assert that "of the huge number of students we deal with . these complaints represent such a small percentage". They tnformed u s that, without the details of the individuals making the com plaints. they are unab le to comment on the examples they have been given . Ken t are keen to emphasise that they simply act as middlemen between tenants and landlords; and u nless ten ants are given written con formation that new furniture will be provided landlo rds only have to provide the necessary fittings . the quality of which is down principally to the land lord. Worries concerning damage deposits are not specific to Kent as a ·rise in national interest has deve loped this summer. It is becoming increasingly apparen t th at some land lords and letting agencies are exploiting stu dents as more cases arise of deposits being withhe ld to merely fund upgrades within household. With th e increased interest. question s are now being raised over the agency's storage and use

of deposit money and wh eth er they stand to earn from such fees being invested in high interest savi n g accounts. Kent Property Managem ent answered such complaints by stating that "Within the terms of our standard contract we as an agency hold the deposit on the behalf of the landlord

and if the land lord requests ded u ctions from the deposit we are obliged to carry ou t the ir wis h es.·· T h ey also declared that 96% of dan1age depos its are returned withi n twenty-eight days providing that the tenant has provided them with a SAE and 79% of those deposits are returned in full.

If you are experien cing trouble with you r la nd lord or hou s ing agency you are en cou raged to seek advice from the Welfare Offi ce in Union House or a lternatively info rm Conc1·ete by emailing: concrete.news@uea.ac. uk

BOOZE BUSTERS SU~ERCRACKDOVVN

HAILED AS SUCCESS AROUND NORVVICH AND NORFOLK Emma Chaloner

and Helen Pike A s u mmer 'crack down' on bin ge drinki ng carried out durtng J u ly and August in many city centres was h ai led as a s u ccess by the Hom e Office. With 14 units per week being th e medically recom mended amo unt of alcohol to be con sumed by women and 21 u n its for m en . during an eight week initiative the police a nd gove rnm e n t worked togethe r to ta rget s uppos ed binge drinkers a nd reduce s u ch extrem e in ta ke of a lcohol by handing out on the s pot fines. antis ocia l beh aviour orders and carrytng ou t s ting operations through out the most troubled areas . Norwich may not be seen as a huge cause for con cern by the govern men t. but as a studen t concentrated area, drink p romotions are rife. These d eals were especially promtnen t during Fresher's Week and will co n tin ue to be so du ring the oncoming

year. Targeting new and returning students. they promise free entry before 1 1pm with certain leaflets. 2-for- 1 drinks. four shots for £5 or reduced prices on various alcoholic beverages. Students are especially targeted as these deals are extremely attractive to those on a tight budget with Mon day. Tuesday and Wedn esday being labelled as s pecific studen t n igh ts. "I'm inclined to go out . on the cheaper studen t n igh ts if I wan t to drink s imply because m oney is an issu e. I'm n ot going o u t to get drunk. just to enjoy a ch eaper drink or two" says J oe LIT 2 . S u ch a dvertis in g is brightly colom ed . highly a ppealtng and is ha nded ou t on fliers tn the city cen tre. in bars. s h ops. cafes and even on can1pus . Norfolk Police are aware of th e problem s caused by excessive drinking gen era lly encouraged by th ese numerous promotions. "Binge d ri nking in relation to these deals b u t also in general is a huge problem-it is not purely centred in Norwich . it is a difficulty the police have to

face all over Britain and its various city centres" says PC Louch. "it is one we have to address on a daily basis". With 44% of violence being fuelled by alcohol (according to Home Office statistics) it is of little wonder that the police have extra patrols out in Norwich city centre when the clubs are em ptying during week nights and weekends. "We are also trying to persuade clubs and pubs to cut back on such enticing promotions that are so popu lar amo ngst · the stud ent population. These deals only encourage stud ents to drin k la rger quantities and the consequ ence of such excess ive d rin k ing is neve r pleasant" continues PC Louch . Jo Wrigh t. Stud e n t Welfare Offi cer says "alcoh ol cons umption is gen era lly a large part of stud en t cul ture" . The n ature of these deals is actu al ly key to m any a s tudent night out. "l'm a socia l drinker - d rinks offers s u ch as th e on es on the leafl ets do persuad e a nd tem pt m e" says Adam FTV 3. Therefore Jo contin ues "when it co mes to d rinking the ma in worry is that many social events revo lve arou nd the consumption of alcoh ol. the main message the Union wants to promote is that of student personal safety that is wh at is m ost important".

Colcrtte Wednesday, October 6th, 2004

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WILL WE EVER LEARN? DESPITE PERSISTENT POLICE WARNINGS lAPTOPSAND PHONES ARE STILL UP FOR GRABS Helen Pike Police in Norwich are repeating their advice to students on campus to secure their rooms this week, as the threat of burglaries is ever present. Despite thorough wamings from the police throughout Fresher's Week and an attempt to crackdown on campus crime, there have already been five cases of reported thefts from accommodation. All thefts

BUSSIN<i IT Jeff Clayton The summer In Norwich and the UEA was a typically quiet one, until the city's various bus companies Implemented some competitive service changes In time for the new autumn season. Signs of a bus war were showing when ANGLIAN . COACHES Introduced new service 520 In August, takIng the maximum number of buses every hour between the UEA and the City Centre from 12 to 14. This service is operated by double decker buses that hav.e been painted In the company's yellow livery, and branded for the route. The service runs from the main UEA stop to the Fiveways Roundabout, Earlham Road , City Centre, Morrisons and onto Heartsease. The service operates every 30 minutes throughout most of the day, and any single joumey will cost no more than £1. This means that you would save money compared with travel on FIRST's services, as their return ticket costs £2.40. In response, First slashed the cost of a weekly

ticket ('FirstWeek']. which gives travel around Norwich zones 1 to 4, from £8.50 to £5. However, this will rise to £7 'from 3rd October. Their FirstDay ticket remains priced at £2.80. Timetables for First services 25 [Blue: Costessey Park & Ride - N&N Hospital - UEA - Unthank Road City Centre Rail Station/Riverside], 26 and 27 [Purple: UEA - Fiveways or Northfields - Earlham Road City Centre Aylsham RoadHorsford/Hellesdon] are available free from the Union Travel Shop. However, none are available for service 520, and when your sub-editor asked a member of staff for some Information he was greeted with a look of confusion. Passengers using First route 25 can now use a special text service, which will provide them with timetable information moments later. The 24-hour automated system works using code numbers on individual bus stops. Users text the bus stop code to the Traveline text number 84268 and receive back the departure times of all forthcoming buses from

occurred between the 17th and 28th September. with two In Waveney Terrace, and one each In Norfolk Terrace, Nelson Court and the Village. All, with the exception of the Village, were student rooms. In all cases a laptop was taken, with one instance when a mobile phone was also taken. None of the rooms which were targeted, however, were secure, and either the doors or windows were left unlocked. PC Bell, the campus policeman, once again reminds all students the Importance of securing their rooms regardless of where they are on campus. This means that even a trip to the kitchen or bathroom requires locking doors and

windows. PC Bell Is asking campus residents not to take any chances due to the fact that so many thefts have occurred In this short space of time. In addition to securing rooms, labelling possessions is strongly advised. Home students need to Write their home house number and postcode with an UltraViolet pen, and International students with their seven digit code. "This way it's easIer for the police to recover stolen items". If there is any suspicious behaviour occurring in halls then notify the ·police immediately. PC Bell Is available on campus every Wednesday In the Hive from 12-2pm for any queries or information.

that stop. The trial scheme Norfolk, NRl lRB. will last until 15th Customer services teleNovember, and texts cost phone: 08456 020 121. 25p each. Additionally, Anglian TRAVELINE [National bus On Saturday night dur- jumping up and down which have their own text service timetable enquiries service] Ing the Pam's House event 3 started the lift mechanisms for route 520, and full Telephone: 0870 608 2 608 people found themselves working again. On the same details can be found on the Webslte: trapped In the lift in Union night fire alarms were timetable leaflet for this www. traveline.org. uk House. On discovering that unnecessarily activated service. But as it stands, it the emergency phone didn't causing a full evacuation of appears that the only place NATIONAL RAIL work they called the contact the event. Following the to get hold of one Is on the ENQUIRIES [Timetable and number that was displayed night it was discovered that buses themselves. As well as fares information] In the lift from a mobile. several fire extinguishers the Union Travel Shop. the Telephone: 08457 48 49 50 Despite 2 fire crews being have had their safety tags Traveline Shop in Castle Website: called they were able to removed rendering useless Meadow does not stock them www.nationalrail.co.uk extricate themselves by until serviced. either, and the bus company has put no timetables up at l~iiijiiiiii;;::-------..:.....---:::;;;jjjiiiiiiiii;;:---~iiA----------l any stops along the route! ~ Anyone Interested In getting hold of a leaflet might be best advised to contact the company. It r.emains to be seen how long the service will run when people are unaware that it exists - not so much a case of "catch it while you can" as "catch it if you can".

PAM'S HOUSE MAlARKY

~PICE

USEFUL CONTACT POINTS:

ANGLIAN COACHES Angllan Coaches Ltd, Beccles Business Park, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7 TH. Telephone: [01502] 711 109.Website: www.angliancoaches.co. uk. FIRST IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES First Eastern Counties Buses Ltd, Rouen House, Rouen Road, Norwich,

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Concrete

Wednesday, October 6th, 2004

AWARDING THOUGHT UEA PHILOSOPHY SUCCESS The UEA School of Philosophy has cause for celebration as it has been nominated as a regional centre of the prestigious Royal Institute of Philosophy. The Royal Institute aims to promote the study of philosophy and does this through the sponsorship of lectures and conferences. and the publication of its journals. UEA will be one of only eight lucky regional centres to be sponsored . 路 Or Timothy O'Hagan. professor of philosophy at

UEA. comments: "This is an honour for us and is a reflection of the outstanding ratings which philosophy at UEA has received both for its research and its teaching standards by the national university assessment bodies. We fully endorse RIP's commitment to making philosophy relevant to all areas of thought on a broad and accessible basis." The university is marking this achievement by organising a series of public lectures by UEA lecturers

including Rupert Read. John CoTlins and Catherine Osborne. The series is entitled "Paradoxes" and includes topics ranging f.-om the pre-Socratic thinkers of ancient Greece to the most recent contribu tors to the theory of games and rational choice. For further information. please contact Peter Sheldon Green at p.green@uea.ac.uk or Mavis Reynolds at mavis.reynolds@uea.ac .uk .

COMPlAINTS PROCEDURE GAINS NEW TIER NEW COMPlAINTS SCHEME OPENS FOR STUDENTS J ane Douglas The Queen will no longer be d ealing with student complaints. On the 29th March this year a new office for handling these issues was set up which m eans her Majesty will be able to concentrate on matters which pertain more directly to her role as h ead of state. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) was created by the recent Higher Education Bill to replace the archaic 'Visitor' system that is in place in many of the older universities. the rather bizarre figureh ead for which was HRH Liz, and to provide an independent

review process for student complaints from the newer unive rs ities. The aim of the n ew Office is to create a speedier and more efficient system. Careers and reputations are often at stake when a stud ent cannot obtain a qui ck. transparent decision on a co mplaint. The new office is h eaded by Dame Ruth 路 Deech, governor of the BBC. and has a team of dedicated adjudica tors specialising in high er education complaints. The service is free to students. Because complaints have not always been easy to resolve. a growing number of students are taking their complaints to court, and are suffering from the

associated costs and delays. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education a ims to deal with complaints quickly and fairly and with no cost to students. This will clearly reduce the costs to Universities as well. Most Universities have signed up to the transitional scheme and all Higher Education Institutions will be required to s ubscribe when the scheme becomes statutory. early next year. Union Academic Officer. Chris Ostrowski said of the scheme, "This is a fairer deal for students that creates more equity in the appeals process."

NEW STUDENT IN FINANCIAL STUDENT RESEARCHING HELL Steven Street Another example of students suffering serious inconveniences from banking backlogs became apparent at the UEA this week as the case of fresher Graeme Colverson, 18, from Cambridge, came to light. Graeme's story. which was highlighted in the 路 Fina nce section of Saturday's Independent (25th September) , underlines the growing crisis in student fmances. The Independent's story tells of Graeme's attempts to set-up a student account with Nat West. who's accounts have been particularly popular for their free railcards, only for Graeme's Nat West branch to claim that the matter was in hand, then that there was an 'overflow' of applications and then that they could not fmd out details of his account creation, due to an overload of applications at the Glasgow offices dealing with the account. The fresher waited almost a month for an internet account with Nat West before being told it would be quicker to open the account in person . However, though the account is now open. he has still not received his welcome pack despite being told again that it would

arrive on September 28th. Graeme is certainly not the only student suffe ring at the hands of a fmancial sector which some see as operating without due regard for the pressures, both time-wise and monetarily, that students are under in these weeks when undergradu ates should be attempting to settle in. Joe Cardew, 18, a native of Norwich. was shocked to be turned down by Halifax earlier this year after being told categorically that she would be accepted to receive credit. Joe, who had no previous history of bad credit, says s he is now trapped in a 'catch-22 situation', where failing the original check marked down her credit rating, and yet she cannot improve her rating without first gainin~ acceptance for a card. I'm now stuck; my only option for improving my credit is a joint account with my parents. which is not at all what I was looking for when I applied for a credit check. I thought a credit card would make me more independent!" Graeme and Joe are just two of thousands suffering financial difficulties after a summer that has seen bank backlogs and the "teething problems" of the student loan company's late payments. Many students fmd this to be yet another burden at a stressful and often fraught academic period .

COLOUR BLINDNESS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Colour Blind People Needed. UEA student Luke Jefferson is looking for colour blind students to help him with research on developing technologies to assist colour blind computer users. Luke is a student in the School of Computing Science and recently won the UEA/HSBC business plan co mpetition. This was followed by recognition for his work with an i I 0 Enterprise Fellowship that has allowed him to suspend his PhD studies and concentrate on developing technologies. which are accessible to colour blind people. If you are colour blind or know anyone who is and would like to be involved with Luke's research please contact him at laj @cmp.uea.ac. uk

Coautte Wednesday, Ocorber 6rh, 2004

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concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 11

GOVERNMENT UPDATE Sam Webber Even the most apolitical of students will know something of the tenific pressure Prtrne Minister Tony Blair is under at present. Many were shocked by his sudden announcement on 30th September that he was to have minor heart surgery the following day and that he intended to stand down as PM towards the end of his 3rd term. assuming Labour wins the next general election . This move is intended to draw a clear line under the speculation surrounding his leadership and of

rumours about his troublesome relationship with Chancellor Gordon Brown. Labour also managed to hang on In the recent Hartlepool by election, caused by Peter Mandleson's new job as European Commissioner. The Labour candidate lain Wright managed to hold the seat with a reduced majority of 2 ,033. The Liberal Democrats performed well again. as they have done In other recent by elections and it was the Conservatives who were most damaged by this result. For the first time in history they went from 2nd to 4th in a by election, and the new far right threat of

UKIP beat them into 3rd place. As we go to press the grave situation in Iraq concerning British hostage Ken Bigley remains uncertain , although he and his family are continuing to appeal for his safe rel ease. Representatives from the Muslim Council of Britain have even been to Baghdad to lry and negotiate with the captors. We can only hope. pray and then wait for a successful outcome to this appalling tragedy. At what was probably the last Labour Party conference before the next general election, the whole issue of the conflict in Iraq dominat-

ed the proceedings. This was only heightened by Blair's admission in his own speech · that, "The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons has turned out to be wrong. I acknowledge that and accept it". Many must for have thought for a moment that Blair was apologising for what has been widely regarded as Britain's greatest military blunder since the Suez crisis in 1957. They were wrong. He quickly followed this weak acknowledgment of the inadequate intelligence with a strong plea for support from Labour Party members, "I can't apologise for remov-

ing Saddam. The world Is a better place with Saddam in prison , not in power" Whilst this is perhaps an easy statement to agree with, many people feel it does not excuse the killings In Iraq which are continuing. Two Bliti h Army personnel were killed only last week and the Iraqi people continue to face frequent attacks from rebel forces. The first democratic elections are still due to take place in January, yet this may seem like an increasingly unlikely prospect whilst the situation there remains so hostile. Student top up fees continue to remain an Issue at the top of the domestic poll-

cy agenda for all 3 of the main parties. It is widely felt that this Issue, together with other contentious proposals such as foundation hospitals and the imminent ban on hunting with hounds. will seriously damage Labour's majority of 158 seats, at the next general election. This is of course difficult to predict, but suffice it to say that national party politics is only set to get more intense as the country waits to see whether Mr Blair does indeed secure what he refers to as something unique in the 100 year history of his party - a third term in government.

fight for the City in which I live and work. It'll be a hard campaign but with Labour in freefall and the LibDems trailing in third, people will know that only a vote for me will rid us of Charles Clarke." Despite VC Eastwood's support for top -up fees Charles Clarke has come under continual fire from UEA students for what many perceive · to be shameless exploitation of people who need Higher Education to pursue their career plans

and from whom society could eventually not do without. Little says "I loved being at UEA and I've carried my passion for the University forward . I gave my all to serving students on the student council. as part of the Union Exec and on the NUS - and I hope to do so again as MP." He is sympathetic to the need for politicians to understand the financial strain put on young people in Higher Education today say-· ing "I know all too well the problems our universities and students face. I am utterly opposed to fees unlike the LibDems who

want to make you pay, I think education is a light and should be free to all. Graduates play a huge role in our national life - as teachers and doctors for example - and we need to support them ." Despite his strong feel ings about the way paying for education seems to be going fees won't be the only issue In Little's campaign. He says he's "all about getting tough on crime and anti-social behaviour. Having seen friends at UEA beaten up . attacked and harassed he says he is "determined to change the culture around here to one

of respect and safety for all. We'll only do that by making a stand on behalf of decent citizens." Little's campaign team is partly made up of. and apparently supported by, a number of UEA graduates and he is optimistic about his chances against Clarke. But the education minister has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with and despite the feelings of the majority of students at UEA. and indeed acros the country, may be more than Little bargained for.

IN THE RUNNING TEACHER TO TAKE ON EDUCATION SECRETARY A UEA graduate has been selected by the Norwich Conservatives to be their man to unseat. Education Secretary Charles Clarke. Antony Little, 25, lives in Bowthorpe with his wife Louise who Is also a UEA graduate from EAS and they are expecting their first child in February. Antony ~arks

as a High School teacher at Notre Dame, in the City Centre. He studied at UEA from 1997 to 2001 , living In the Village and then the City Centre and throughout his university career was a high profile and active member of Union political life. serving as NUS Officer from 19992000. Commenting on his selection at the frrst meeting of the UEA Conservatives. Antony said: "I am so so pleased to be selected to

H~esic

WAR OF WORDS LIB DEMS AHEALTHY ALTERNATIVE FOR STUDENTS? Alyssa Morrisey Tensions mount in Downing Street and also at UEA as the date set for the UK general election draws nearer in 2005. In a letter addressed to Concrete last week, Conservative Society member William Kemp explains his doubts that a Liberal Democrat minority will reign among students in the next term. According to Kemp ·a vote for a Lib Dem is a vote for Labour.· The letter is in response to the Liberal Democrat conference that took place little over a week ago in Bournemouth, at which party members confirmed their stance on issues such as the war in Iraq. political asylum and immigration. and education. Wilh the Liberal Democrats now becoming a competitive counter-part to the Torfes in the next election. Kemp claims that the party's own internal divi sions and inability to deliver on issues like tuition fees have contributed to their demise in the European elections and plagued their chances of winning over stu dents. 'Lib Dems In Scotland

have twice broken their promises.' Kemp explains. They said they wou ld scrap tuition fees in Scotland. which they did not. and that they would scrap tuillon fees for all Scottish students in the UK. which they also did not.' · Wide-spread dissent among students has guaranteed that tuition fees will be one of the premier subjects of debate this election year and one of the many Ingredients to the teetering status of Labour support among students. A recent poll shows that 80% of students now oppose variable tuillon fees. a notable Increase since the beginning of the year. Kemp also claims that Conservatives are running a close second to Labour's Charles Clark. leaving the Liberal Democrats at a distant third. This may be largely due to the fact that the Tories. having adopted a set of popular policies to address their constituency. has announced that they want to abolish top-up fees and restore a proper measure of funding per student. Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Society Andy Higson defends the party's stance on isstles such as top -up fees. "A vote for the Tories is

wasted because for most students, the alternative to the Labour government is not the one that the Tories are offering.· Higson explains. "More students support the Liberal Democrats than any other political party. We opposed the war in Iraq. have a senible policy on drugs, believe in free education and are a modern, progressive party.' Higson also denounces Kemp's statements about the effectiveness of the Lib Dems on the issue of Scottish students and tuition fees . In Scotland. as part of a coalition government. [the Liberal Democrats) forced Labour to abolish tuition fees. [The conservative[ stance against tuition fees is hardly a part of their fundamental beliefs. and their admission that they want credit card-style interest rates on student loans is disgraceful.· Many predict that the figure among students for Liberal Democrats and Conservatives will be neckin neck next year. as many look for an alternative to the Labour party ticket. To find out more about both party's stance on the issues. visit their homepages at www.lib dems.org.uk or www.conservatives.com

ent --utors

Due to unforeseen changes in personal circumstances there are Resident Tutor posts available on the Plain and in the Village. Applications are now invited fr~m highly motivated, enthusiastic and suitably experienced full-time students and members of staff. Part time (including registration only) students and executive officers of the Union of Students are not eligible for appointment. Resident Tutors play a key role in making new students feel welcome, helping them to settle in and in providing advice and support throughout the year. They help maintain a balance between the rights and interests of individuals and the community of which they are a part. Successful applicants will have good all-round people skills, be good listeners and be able to remain non-judgmental. They will need to be flexible, energetic and to have a strong sense of responsibility. Experience outside formal education would be an advantage but is not essential.

Further particulars are available from the Dean of Students' Office Reception or from www.uea.ac.uk/dos/intraneUwelcome.html (click on to Residences) Closing date for applications: Monday 11 October 2004

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12 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Opinion _

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wit h ' Blend ', 'Zes t', th e Bar and the nameless H ive, campus ha s become like (and I quote my house mate Roz) "an audition for Hollyoaks ." lt has stopped being quirky and original and become neutral an d vacuous. Not that I don 't enjoy watching Hollyoaks , but that's just because it's kitsch and si lly, not because I am thrilled by the design of the set. An d I don't see anyone being kitsch, silly or particularly creative on campus these days w hy don't we st a rt ' Do ing Different' again?

around ta bles in which you could see all the faces in your booth, in the next booth and even outside the windows ; o r indeed you could hide in a corner behind a newspaper, able to read and smoke in comfort . I loved that pla ce Th e hu ge whi te lights shaped like g lobes on pillars at intervals alo ng the is les , the metallic hexagonal tables and the purple b~oths made it see m like a room full of tiny 1970's livin g rooms . You had to climb around and over each other in order to get in and out , whic h made it seem friendlie r and made physical contact less taboo . I loved con-

cept. Nature is an argument in itself - if I already fee l at hom e in m y own co unt ry w ith o ut th e he lp of a na ti o na lis t pa rt y, am I unn atura l? Does th is m ake me wro ng? These a re two ext reme exam pl es in a pl et ho ra of ma rketing and p ropaganda , whi ch wo ul d take m o re than this a rt icl e to si ft th ro ugh. Th e point I hope to ill ustrate is the necessi ty in as king questions and being sceptica l of the info rmation that co nfronts us. Eve n 1n th1s art1cle . As a publica ti on wntte n by students for students , I feel I can exp ress my op1nion with o ut fea r of censo rshi p (and ad m1t free ly th a t I m ay be b1ased a nd that I m ay not ha ve a solution), but what wor ries me IS th a t th1s is not th e case for o th er wnt-

ers or edi to rs . Ask not what your media can do for you, but what you want from your media- it is not so much about what you read , but how you read it . There a re many forms of linguistic devices which contribute to the deceitful m a nne r in which we are ' ke pt info rmed'_ Margaret Thatcher used one and it cons ists o f repeating a wo rd o r phrase in public media until it is accepted . lt is still co mm o n practice tod ay. If I sa id to you 'weapons of mass d es truct ion ', 'axis of evil' or ' Islamic fund a mentali st', I am presuming that yo u would have a notion , carefull y co nstru cted by media , of what th ese s igniflers represe nt , where they co m e fro m and how you a re ex pect ed to react o n reading them . This me thod of co ntrol thro ugh language IS so effective that it's now di ffi cult to s epara te t he wo rd 'activis t' fro m the wo rd 'te rro ris t' _ Th e sa me app lies to 'ext rem ist' o r 'fund amentali st ', es pecia lly whe n pa ired wi th those wo rd s we are taught to fe a r. This is troublesome because we have a pol1cy on ter ro nsm; we do not negot iate, we np out root and branch. Should ' th1s be the same po li cy applied to an acli vist conce rned of the role of the WTO 1n the globa l eco nomy ? Or a protestor handi ng ou t leanets about viv1sect10 n) lt is a means of pige on holi n g -

which , rathe r than co nfronting the issue that inspires concern or protest, immediately condemns, in order that it can be safely ign o red . Sound bites are another way of keeping the nation stupid . 6o-second news bulletin s that can fit into breaks for adverts , poorly placed gags meant to keep th e news ' light-hearted ' a nd the same stories reported on every channel a re a movement away from the diverse and independent journalism of which our nation is so proud. Broad sheet newspapers also seem inc reasingly concerned with 'life style' - the weekend s-upplement beco ming m o re like a celebri ty-ba s ed m agazine on each read . When a controve rs ia l story d o es brea k, the ba c kla s h fro m co rpo ra tio ns o r indeed , o ur ow n gove rnm e nt is to be ex pected . As I said befo re- Con crete, wri tten by student s, fo r stud e nt s - s ho ul d it not be th e case tha t th e gove rnm e nt , who represe nt th e popu lace , a ll ow thei r n ews service to broadcast stories, wh ich a re relevant to the same) Ha v~ng m e ntio ned the government, I should in clu de o ne of the ir newe r tactics; emo tion ove r fact. Mr Bla1r, 1n his co nference speec h yeste rday declared 'I only know wha t I believe'. Good for h1m , but how do we know what he believes 1s right - do we base it o n tru st ? Rathe r tha n be

allowed to ba se our opinion of him on factual evidence, we are instead indulged with some comp lacent self-assurance. lt is audacious to state a belief in place of fac t and not ack nowl edge personal bias . More so, to presume its acceptance, wit hout question, in the hope it goes unnoticed is intolerable. At least, that is my belief. Whil st it may be biased, I am not in control of the country and this is only an opinions co lumn . I do not know to what extent this article is stating the obvious, talking of issues of whi ch the reader is already awa re . Al o ng s ide thi s grand-sca le marketing of d eceit is a move ment aga~n s t it (one that I hope UEA is interes ted in) , as kin g q uest io ns, writing letters and a rti cl es. Th at is why publi cati o ns like th is are so impo rta nt. Rea l comm u ni cation is, in m y belief, o n e way to escape thos e ba rrie rs that wo u ld he m us in _

RosaJind Col'ernan

Constructing stupidity? he re is an advert th a t has bee n bo th e ring m e rec e ntl y. A h is tory bo ffin who plays with techn ology jovially ass ures us tha t 'Tax does n't have to be taxing' . Come again) Tax is not tax ing you say) Is that not the nature o f th e beas t ... to tax) T he co m placency in wh ic h the crea tors of thi s advert drop the concept a t the roo t of a wo rd IS in credibl y tro ubl eso m e to me . Language is dangerous, and th1s otherWISe harmless co mm e rcial IS symptom a ti C of the way 1n wh 1ch our media add ress us relentlessly. For another example, I quo te the BNP; " Is 1t not natural to wa nt to feel a t home 1n your own country )" Th1 s d oes no t dr op, but add s a con-

for its se nse of community s ubdue my excitement about the present; where space was ting, pretentious, pseudosuede, antisocia l seating, no smok in g and rubbish TV, lords it over me wi th its "fu nky " lighti ng and tasteful orange a nd fawn colou r plan . This spate of redecoration on campus started with the Old Bar. The multi million pound redecoration was an atfemp t to make it attractive for prospective student s. Admittedly, the Old Bar was in need of some new seat covers and a lick of paint. However, the appal ling mixture of cheesy night-club combined with a Weathers poons pub that is the curre nt pub is quite simp ly a parody of a good enviro nment for socia l interaction. This is a hippy university, not a f'' '"H'g meat market. How do I hate thee? Le t me count the ways : The cou ntless TV's wh ich seem to play nothing but peculiar moving shapes and football, the sound system whi c h is n't very good, the Juke Box that doesn't work, the over-zealous a ir conditioning, the seating which means that you're constantly turned away from your mates . When the New Bar came to fruition I said that they s hould stop attempting to improve ca mpu s because they we re obviously at a low point in their aesthetic karma, but they didn~t . and now

The Long Lost Sanctuary of Smoky Diversity

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stantly meet ing new peop le who ca me to s it at my table and were relaxed enough, encouraged by the e nviro nm en t to talk . I thought of it as a kind of home . lt was a focus for my idyllic vision of studen t life whe re people of all differe n t backgrounds, habits and foibles could sit around and e njoy a good smoke and a barny in th e inherited retro lifes tyles of stud ents past. And then one dreadful summer, th ey changed the Bowl into 'The Blend ', which is reminisce nt of a P&O ferry and , rather like the new Bar, loo ks frighte nin g ly like I d o n't bel o ng in it or else it belon gs somewhe re else . lt claims to be a 'relaxed coffee and snack bar ... and an ideal venue for meeting friends a nd c hatting a bout a rece nt lecture'. NO I In fact it is an ideal venue for pretending that you aren 't a student, and in any case, I sa t in there for a whi le this afternoon and I didn't see any of my friends, probably because they were all s itting outside of th e huge circular wal led -in couch which I was sitting on . lt is meant to have th e effect of seem ing like another room, for privacy I think, but it just wastes space. Seriously, th at place used to ho ld up to a hundred peop le and now I doubt it could comfortab ly manage thirty. I am holding on tightly to my memories of the past, and waves of nostalgia

s tand inside you ca n see th e tower of th e church opposite throu gh the glass front. Shakespearean sonnets jostl e next to CD's and in ternet-ready computer sta tions . Stuffy librarians sit behind shiny new tables and tap away at networked co mputers . This brand new building co llects the trea su res of the county and shows them off in the museum Origins . Running around o n the top noor, th e BBC prepares radio and TV broadcasts, looking ahead and planning for the future. Here we have past , present and future ro ll ed into one . I see the University of East Anglia in much the same light. lt was conceived in the 196o's to be the seat of learning for

Catherine Kemp -

that monument to the '6os . A skylight put into the Hive, to ge th e r with the glass door at the new entrance, means I can now see the food I am eating . The place has become a ha ven of light and a comfortable space to be one of those ' H ive bunnies ' . The re va mp ed re staurants The Bl en d and Zest will add flavour a~d bounce to otherwise ill-fed st udents . Colman House, sq uatt ing just behind Waveney Terrace, is badly needed, and looks good too, but it can never fully replace Wa veney. A gene rati on of exWaveney-ites admit their old stomping ground is a bit of a dump, but they are drawn to rom a ntici si n g their time there; it seems to embody the perfect student- life . UEA has a lways found a way to combine the '6os with whatever age we are living in now, but for some reason Colman House doesn't sit quite right . We are having a rough tim e with blending the o ld and the new. Waveney looks like a dated, unsophisticated monstrosity in comparison to Colman Ho use. Let's hope th at none of the other origina l building s are torn down in such a rage of modernity. May those faded con Âˇ crete cubes remain as long as they possibly can and sit happi ly with whatever we choose to build next to them . I am so proud to be at UEA.

nee upon a tim e there. was a place on campus ca ll ed 'The Bowl '_ lt rested modestly just above the old diner. lt was a place where soci a l people met in crowds a nd lounged a round in retro wooden booths with purple padded seating, bathed in the glow of such tele-visual delights as Diagnosis Murder and Neighbours . We whiled the hours away ho lding a lingering cigarette in hand and drinking cups of coffee (that only cos t 6op as opposed to 70p as it is now'). having intellectual conversat ions

date. Combining innovative new building tec hniqu e s and ground -breaking research , I think it takes its rightful place o n our campus . Looking more like an ae roplane hangar than a rt museum , Th e Sainsbu ry Centre for Visual Arts is an odd sort of building, but it wo rks. Especiall y at night, lit up by spotl ights, but also during th e day when the white walls ren ect a lot of light, daring you to go inside. The sexy new sports arena , the Sportspark, adds flare and colour to the north -east corne r of campus , and I think enhances Earlham Park opposite too. Are they not both for recreation and e njoym e nt? You can now ride your bike throu gh the park befo re enjoying tai -kwon do at the Sportspark. You can now head home along that road watching the men's rugby tea m wa lk by. You can even have a swim before going into your lecture in Earlham Hall. The Sportspark is funky, well designed and serves the local community as well as students of the UEA. Th is summer saw an exp losion of building works, turning the campus into one huge building site once more . Though the c hange s aren't m assive , the UEA will never be the same again . An exten sion to the library wil l mean that it can serve more students, but still remai n

Campus Evolution

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the Ea st . lt comb ined th e cla ssi ca l sc ie nces, a rts and hum a niti es but a lso ground -breaking new co urs es, s uc h as En vironmental Sciences . lt was alrea dy pushing the bo und aries of study. lt had , at the time, a lso pushed th e bou nd a ri es of architecture. The in stant ly recognisable s hapes of Norfolk a nd Suffo lk te rraces were an innovation, and their pyramid s hapes softened the blow as you went from forest and broad to harsh concrete and roads . They now sit, housing our scientists and artists of the future , in perpetuity th anks to receiving Grade 11 -listed building status. The terraces and m a ny other buildings on ca mpu s sta nd as monument s to the U EA's concep tion ; as unchangeable record s of the sty le and fashion of the 196o's, a tumultuous decade for post-war Britain. But just look at what has come afte r it, what has been added to th e campus to enable this seat of learning to co ntinue a nd to reach more peopl e each yea r. We have buildings li ke Elizabeth Fry, not only merging we ll into the architectural style of the ca mpu s, but also merging new technologies s uch as a state-of-the-art ven tilati on system. The Zuckerman In sti tute for Connective Environmental Research , ZICER, is one of the most environme ntally-friendly constructions in the UK to

Steven Williams

hen choosi ng my university this tim e two yea rs ago , Norwich did not cry out as any kind of interesting or outstanding pla ce to live. I was looking at th e bright lights of a northern city like Man che ster or Leeds . I eventua ll y chose U EA because it had the best Environmental Sciences department in Britain, but th e cam pus had a certain charm too. I cou ld see it was evolving out of its '6os roots and into modernity. I could see myself livi ng and s tudyin g between it s concrete alleyways, and that I would enjoy watching that evolutionary proce ss happen before my eyes. I come from London, where ultra modern skyscrapers si t happily next to ancient ca th edrals and court rooms , so I am used to th e juxtapositio n of new and old. I think a perfect examp le in Norwich is The Forum, and the way that if you

Wedne~dar. Oc10ber 6th. 2004

Concrete

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Cotcnte Wednesday, Ocotber 6th, 2004

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concrete. features@uea.ac. uk 13

ows

Sir Bob Geldof; musician, philanthropist, and general bad-boy of the charity sector, visited UEA over the Summer to receive an honorary Doctorate. He still had time for Concrete, though .... Bob Geldof, in his Graduation robes, was labelled a 'doctor of effective troublemaking when he visited UEA over the Summer.

hoto courtesy of David Kirkham at Fisheye images

ince heading The Boomtown Rats, Sir Bob Geldof (or Bob he doesn't care) has acquired many titles. He was an angry young man, he was bequeathed a Knighthood, he's become a grumpy old man, and he now has a PhD courtesy of the UEA's school of Development Studies. The knighthood and the PhD are both recognitions of his philanthropy. The other two are common titles given to people who lament 'man's inhumanity to man' and try to do something about it. Despite being held up because UEA's official Mercedes was not registered with the DVLA, Bob was happy to spend some time talking to the students, parents and staff of the Development Studies programme about his current activities. Between the graduation ceremony and meetings with local media, he allotted some • time to share his views on Fair Trade and the surrounding development issues. His immediate reaction to Fair Trade was clear "I think it benefits a limited number of people. The iss"u e is the trade rules. The only thing that Fair Trade does is stimulate people into thinking about the origin of their food; from that point of view, it's valid." He was quite keen to emphasise throughout the discussion that Fair Trade is really

would stabilise volatile exchange rates between international markets. "I don't think the Tobin tax will ever get passed.~t's one idea and you have to be pragmatic. George Soros [an international economist and graduate of the LSE], who is a huge activist, was swung over to the Tobin tax; but he's also an advocate of Gordon Brown's International Financing Plan [a scheme which purports to secure rich countries' future aid pledges, and could raise an extra $50 billion a year at no additional cost to taxpayers), which is far more 'do-able'." DATA is now part of Bob's latest venture, The Commission for Africa, which coincides with several junctures in British and International politics. "Next year will be a great political coincidence. Britain is Chair of G8, it is President of the EU; it will be the 20th Anniversary of Live Aid; and we're the fourth richest country in the world. So I thought this would be a good time to stand back and say: what's going on?" and Aid still exists, collecting royalties from the records and images, and people still leave money to the charity in their will, which is distributed through· out Sub-Saharan Africa. But the current aim of Bob and Bono is to produce a report into the problem at the heart of all the other issues. "They are all just symptoms of one singular condition; and that condition is poverty. We don't die of our AIDS; we don't die of our corruption; we

The question of image over content is perhaps the key issue when it comes to international trade, epitomised in the issues that surround the sale of clothing- from companies like GAP - that is manufactured in sweatshops. only a small part of the issues about international trade and the exploitation of developing countries. "it's one of the components of the development issue, and if you focus on one, then you imbalance all the others. In the context of Africa, you have to ask: what are they going to trade? So I'm sort of against the fair trade concept." The overriding criticism is of a key symptom of western society: you can't substitute good intentions with a symbol,·even if it is the Fair Trade logo. The question of image over content is perhaps the key issue when it comes to international trade, epitomised in the issues that surround the sale of clothing - from companies like GAP- that is manufactured in sweatshops. "The Government is very clever, it makes the NGOs complicit in the process - it feeds them the issues that they can afford to change - and the NGOs look like they are doing their job. Of course this isn't what should happen, the NGOs should push back, but this is what does happen. They set you off after these hares." lt is analogous to the problem of celebrity. Bob and Bono have now teamed up to create a company called DATA (Debt Aid Trade Africa) along with several leading international economists. Celebrity is a double-edged sword: one side guarantees your views and opinions coverage, but the other means people tend to follow what you're doing, rather than doing it themselves. 'Geldof' the icon has the potential to become a hare of its own. This is probably one of the reasons he is keen to highlight practical solutions. One of the current popular solutions to the inequitable trade regulations is the Tobin tax. This was an idea proposed by James Tobin, a PhD. Nobel-laureate economist at Yale University where 1 percent of every financial transaction in one trading day (est. $8bn) in the developed world goes into a development fund, which

don't die of our hu.nger. But they do; they do die" The commission has faced criticism, from commentators such as Naomi Klein, who feel this is Blair and Bush's realisation that, as Asian countries become more educated and demand higher wages and more equitable working conditions, they are going to have to look elsewhere for their cheap manual labour. Africa is a prime candidate as it is starting to come into the necessary stage of economic development that allows for the cheap surplus labour they need. The cheap labourers are dying as AIDS affects the young population at the peak of their working life. Whether this is correct is still a matter of discussion; the US certainly has its favourite commodity tied up in Africa: a large percentage of oil comes out of Nigeria. Given his comments, Bob is certainly not unaware of the issues at stake. lt is clear that the trade regulations are weighted against people in the south. For Bob, the debt issue has not gone away, "The trade issue is not about fair trade it's about trade regulations and rules. They have to be taken out and made equitable. I don't think it's knowingly, but I do think it's unwittingly, that the people who make the rules balance it against the producers." Producers are the bottom rung of most, if not all, markets, but in the markets of the northern hemisphere it does not generally have such dire consequences. Despite all this, Bob's message to graduating students was to enjoy their privileged lifestyle, "lt's no fun being poor". He seems happy with all his titles, the official social titles have allowed him to bring important issues into the public arena. The informal ones serve only to strengthen his convic· lions. He cites Dylan Thomas to remind us to make the most of it, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

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14 concrete.features @uea.ac.uk

2004 .

Coacnte Wednesday, October 6th, 2004

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A Simple Choice

concrete .features@ uea.ac.uk 15

Investing In Change

Simon Sheridan looks at the impact of Terrorism on the west and discusses how buying a F~irtrade

Ross Grainger & Matt Shoesmith ventured north of the city to meet two UEA graduates who are part

chocolate bar could save lives.

of a ·Norvvich firm attemtping to change the way we invest.

he West has diverged signifi· cantly from the concept of free market economics. The infa· mous European Union Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one such example of this. Approximately half the EU's annual budget (some 40.5 billion Euros) !s used to subsidise farmers - the reason for this: to keep EU

anonymous CIA operative, one of Bin Laden's main grievances with the West, and America in particular, is oil. it is number five on the list o_ f six foreign policy goals of AI Queda as quoted in Imperial Hubris. "First, the end of all U.S aid to Israel" and the ''elimi· nation of the Jewish State ... Second, the withdrawal of all U.S. and Western military forces from the Arabian Peninsula...Third, the end of all U.S. involve-

free market prices tor petrol, we would not only reduce our chances of being on the receiving end of an AI Queda bomb, but the subsequent fall in demand means our carbon dioxide emissions would fall. The phrase 'killing two birds with one stone comes' comes to· mind here. For once in politics there is a 'right' answer something on which everyone can agree. All it

For once in politics there is a 'right' answer- something on which everyone can agree. All it takes is a little sacrifice in our day-to-day activities.

farmers competitive in the world market. Tre USA has a similar subsidy programme for its own farmers. Anyone familiar with basic economic theory can see that by ensuring our own farmers fall in line with the ment in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fourth, the end of U.S world market for say, grain, other producers are Ios· support for, and acquiescence in, the oppression of ing out. They are not being paid what they deserve for their goods due to the increased supply. One only Muslims by the Chinese, Russian, Indian and other has to watch the evening news to see what damage governments. Fifth, the restoration of full Muslim this is doing to the third world. Poverty, according-to control over the Islamic world's energy resources the UN index, is increasing, in spite of our govern· and a return to market prices... and sixth, the ment's rhetoric. Therefore, by purchasing far trade r~placement of U.S protected Muslim regimes that products, you will actually be more economic'llly lib· . do not govern according to Islam:• oes this mean 9/11 happened because era! than any western government! we do not trade fairly? In a manner of That, of course, is not reason enough for some, speaking, yes. Obviously it is much particularly tho'se who cannot afford the e-xtra 30 more complex than that -many factors pence for a fairtrade chocolate bar. However, the fol· towing example shows that it is not just pove·ty that have contributed to the terrorist threat is caused by our unwillingness to trade fairly. Osama we face at the moment, but underlying it all is our Bin Laden, despite.what George W. Bush says, is not reluctance to pay free market prices for oil. Yes, it will a man trying to "destroy the West." According to a mean petrol costs that little bit more, but the alternative is surery worse. Think of it this way - by paying

takes is a little sacrifice in our day-to-day activities. Instead of reaching for the Dairy Milk, buy a bar of fair trade chocolate instead. The extra money goes to a worthy cause and what's more it tastes better. The same principal can be applied to coffee - Cafe Direct being readily available in most supermarkets. The oil problem is slightly harder to come to terms with and will require significant pressure on the government, but for a start you could just not drive to university every day. The Union is currently erecting a multi storey car park to cope with the demand for spaces and as a collective group all of us should be ashamed that this is necessary. Driving· exacerbates the problems caused by' the most unfairly traded resource in the world, oil. As the famous American comedian Bill Mayer remarked, "When you ride alone, you ride with Bin Laden:•

oney can be a force for change". This is the idea behind Investing Ethically, a Norwich-based investment group dedicated to helping people put their money in ethical industries. In the world of retail, the Fair Trade logo helps conscientious consumers buy products without feeling guilty about how (un)fairly it was produced. Investing Ethically is ·Fair Trade for investors. Not just investors, mind. The company offers a range of servi.ces from independent financial advice to life and income insurance. lE is like any other group of financial advisors, except that they cater to people who do not want their money invested in a disreputable company. "Our business will operate in a small, but functional office without unnecessary consumer durables," reads the first of the company's five princi· pies. Following our interview with two members of the lE team we can confirm that this principle is strongly adhered to. The lE office, in a larger co_ m-

on Duke Street, is simple, clean and welcoming. The lE staff could be forgiven for adoptinga holier than thou stance. After all, they have taken an important global industry anq given it what is for many an indis· pensable ethical edge. But the staff are hardly interested in studying your moral soul; the only questions we were asked were about tea or coffee. When lE was setup in Norwich in the summer of 2000 it was well .received by local investors. "People were surprised and genuinely pleased," said Lisa Hardman, a financial advisor at lE. Hardman has worked in the education and development sector since earning an MA in Education from UEA in 1994. She worked for NEAD (Norfolk Education & Action for Development) for eight years and is also director of Labour Behind the Label, a UK group working to improve conditions in the global garment industry. Investment may not seem like the next step for somebody with Hardman's background, but Hardman said she was looking for "a new challenge''. "If people are unsure whether a company is dealing fairly, they can come to us;· she said. ''We have 400 clients at any one time, and about 60 of those are active ...lt's a really interesting job." The idea of ethical investment originated in the USA with the Methodist

Come and dine at the

ceased .to be considered gambling, but the Church did not want to ·invest in industries involved in !!rearms, tobacco or pornography. The Vietnam War was the turning point for the idea of ethical investment. Individuals demanded the right not to invest in companies that supported the conflict. Since Friends Provident brought ethical investing to Britain in 1984, ethical, or screened funds have flourished. In twenty years it has attracted £2.5 billion of investment. There are currently 470,000 ethical fund account holders in the country. Phi! Cockrell has worked at lE since February 2001 and enjoys the challenge of working for a small business. He gradu~ted from Leicester University before earning a Master of Science at ENV in 1998. "In a large office or business you don't feel very included;' said Cockrell, "and the monotony of it can be tough, but here you're part of everything. We help with the advertising, the marketing fairs, seminars and conferences." The five person team has made impressive inroads in a competitive market. In terms of size and profile they are a small fish in a big pond, but Hardman and Cockrell are buoyed by the important value of their work. "Our aim is not to expand the size of the compa· ny, but the size of the idea ...Our company shows that people have a heart," said Cockrell. it's a testament to the appeal of ethical investing that a one· floor office with five employees can take in · £7 million worth of

· investment a year. lthough the company has done well since it was founded four years ago, Cockrell points out that it is difficult to fuse the benefits of ethical investing with the mainstream conscience. lt is difficult for the average citizen to make the connection between ethical investment and the fate of a third world farmer. Such international consumer con· nections are at the heart of the global Free Trade movement. "Free Trade won't solve all the problems, but it is a good thing and should be expanded. There's no reason it can't," said Hardman. Both of the former UEA graduates share the passion of the company's director, Alan Kirkham, for ~nvironmental and human rights issues. The company, quite necessarily, has a financial as well as ethical agenda. There is no blacklist 'of unethical companies. When researching a company, although the most important part of their work is .catering to the ethical needs of customers, the finan· cial performance of the company is well-researched. "IFA works with a number of outside sources to get a good picture of the financial and ethical profile of the company, then offers their advice," said Hardman, though pointed out that, ·"If somebody , asks for help investing a company we know to be unethical in some way, then we will say no and sug· gest another one." . Despite their respective degrees in development studies and environmental science, Hardman and Cockrell .

are both well versed in the often cryptic language of modern economics. They are keen to point out that investing ethically does not mean investing irresponsibly. Investment of any kind is always a risk, but Hardman points out that lE is "a different risk, not a greater one". "Obviously when you exclude

Our newty extended stof'e is I!»W open, feall!.lring a J1leW' . . _ . shop, ............... and iinlroducing: ~

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ReGIS HA.RSTYUSTS

certain companies you're limiting your options," she says, "but when the economy is stable ethi· cat investment can produce equal and sometimes better results.· A recent study by the Ethical Investment Research Information Service showed that the performance of ethical funds compared well with others. The difference was usually whether the right

All

fund manager had been picked. ''We seek to tell the facts sim· ply," reads the second of the com· pany's principles. And the truth is quite simple: Investment is a risk

Recieve a :LO«x. discount off all food

on production of student ID*~~~

no matter how or with . whom. it is done. tnyesting Ethically will do all the complicated financial work you don't want to, but will do it with a clean conscience.

22 Prince of Wales Road Norwich TE~(01803)62639~

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UEA graduates Lisa Hardman and Phil Cockrell in front of the Duke Street

CHINESE

RESTAURANT

~----------

16 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Coaaete Wednesday, October 6th, 2004

www.concrete-online.com

Johan Boiling in front of an early coffee machine

Catering to your needs Now the proud surveyor of a newly refurbished catering block, Johan Balling took some time out of his day to talk to lsobel Dyson and Anthony Jackson about Fair Trade on Campus, and ....food

• • • • air Trade is an unavoidable issue of our time and is slowly affecting a huge majority of people, especially here at UEA lt may be a matter of passion for some and apathy for others but students, both new and old at UEA, must be aware of the ongoing campaign and its focus on campus. Although the Student Union services have already been Fair Trade conscious for a number of years, until last year the University's own services had not yet become fully responsive. The input of Univ~rsity Catering Services General Manager, Johan Boiling, who joined UEA last summer, brought an influx of Fair Trade products to UEA After being inspired by an article in the Eastern Daily Press about the City's inclination to support Fair Trade, Johan felt it was something University Catering Services should follow and decided to test various products last year, prior to the overhaul of the new Zest and The Blend. After experimenting with a selection of Fair Trade products in the now-deceased Bowl, Johan found that customers were inclined to purchase them and after receiving extensive encouragement, both ver-

bally and through e-mails, he decided to continue the line of beverages supplied by Grosvenor Continental, after renovations were complete. Although the L!niversity catering outlets, including Zest, The Blend, Vista and Mango are not exclusively Fair Trade retailers, Johan records that 60% of beverages sold are Fair Trade. Explaining that although he is "not aware of a written policy regarding Fair Trade products at UEA" and recognises that many customers request regular products, he is still keen to promote a Fair Trade range. The principal of Fair Trade is that producers are paid fairly for their products so that workers are guaranteed a minimum or living wage. Fair Trade organizations bypass exploitative middlemen enabling them to cut costs and return a greater percentage of the retail price to the producers.lt is estimated that Fair Trade accounts for roug~ly £200 million, just 0.01 o/o of all global trade. However, the rapidly growing movement is setting standards that could redefine world trade to include more social and environmental consid· erations. Johan makes it clear that although the decision to support Fair Trade will be continued at UEA, products will only be bought if the quality is of ample standard; "we looked at food and tried GeoBars and sugar but the price

wasn't right for the quality of the goods. There must be quality and it must be of reasonable standards". Mr Boiling told how termination of the sale of Fair Trade orange juice was a result of its failure to sell and the replacement of Fair Trade tea with traditional tea in the Vista staff dining area was in response to repeated requests. Nevertheless, if the demand becomes apparent and the sufficient supplies are available it is possible that the range of products sold will increase, but until that time it is clear that beverages are the main concern of Fair Trade in University outlets. Despite the lack of available Fair Trade foodstuffs, Johan tells how "90% of the Fruit and Veg we buy is fresh and comes from local suppliers who we are also keen to continue to support by trading fairly. We now even have a spare freezer as a consequence of the frozen produce we have stopped buying. lt is just as important to us not to forget local businesses in favour of purely far-reaching suppliers."

fter replacing previous contractors when he joined the University Catering Services, Johan has introduced all the Fair Trade products that are available so far in the University outlets and if prospects increase and the quality of food enhances, more Fair Trade products will certainly be offered. Johan points out that when a demand is made clear, the demand will be met; "if people continue to buy the produce, which they are doing, we will continue to sell it. We want to identify what our consumers want whilst maintaining a policy of value for money". lt is likely that students, being the principle customers of the University outlets, may lie behind the reason as to why the Catering Services are finding it hard to introduce a full range of Fair Trade commodities. The notion that student eating habits and the general need for cheap yet quality food is possibly making Fair Trade produce difficult to be introduced; the bestselling food on the menu being chips, sausage and beans make it financially unviable to test a successful Fair Trade range. Although Fair Trade impulse foods were sampled, actual fresh produce would be harder to maintain; "If something sells we offer more variety of it. If we offer it and it is bought, we will continue to sell it, but initially we must have the opportunity to test it; because the meals of chips and beans are so successful, at this time it is not in the Catering Services interests to offer greater variety. We are a self-supporting business and presently we must repay the invest· ment made by the University before we can afford to experiment further, in a financial sen~e". Johan makes it clear that Univeristy Catering Services "do listen to what students want, obviously through what is sold we get a general message but would love to hear from students directly as to what they want and do encourage any constructive criticism". The decision to maintain the trade of Nestle products was justified by Johan through the continued successful sales figures, therefore it would seem that if the Fair Trade campaign is to continue its growth on campus, as principle customers of the University Catering Services, staff and students must voice their desires for it, both verbally and through the significance of continued purchasing.

The FairTrade coffee machines are now a familiar sight on the UEA campus

l Colcnte Wednesday, September22,

2004

www.concrete-online.com

STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA EAST ANGLIA MEETS EAST COAST FASHION IN THE USA This week we go state side to see what the kids of America are wearing. It seems like a mix of Sex and the City meets the G Unit. With the hip-hop look anything we English do baggy, they can do baggier.

Americans might not dress up as much in the evening, but they surely make up for it in the day. South Street in Philadelphia is like a concrete catwalk. I went trend spotting and in true Bruce Springsteen style, 'on the streets of Philadelphia I walked the avenues, 'til my feet felt like stone'.

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18 concrete.fas hi o nlifes tyl e@ uea

Concrete

\Vedn e.\'1/ov. October 6.

200~

Do something amazing today · impress your friends with your marvellous cookery skills whilst supporting the Fairtrade cause too!

WHY FAIRTRADP.

Minnie Driver - helping fairtrade

Fa it·trade do es exactly wh a t il says o n th e la be l it g u a rantees a be lte r d eal fo r produ cers in the d eve lo ping world a nd a llows UI< s h op pe rs to buy grea t qu a lity fo od loo! Too m a n y fa rme rs in th e d eveloping world h a ve to co n te nd w ith fl u c tuating pl"i ces th a t m a y not eve n cove r the costs o f produ c ing th e ir c ro p . Fairtra d e e n s ure a s ta ble ptice. whi c h cove rs the ir produ c tion cos t s . a long with a pre mium th a t the far m a n reinvest e ith e r in th e bu s in ess or in soc ia l a nd e nvironme n ta l s c h e m es a mon g th e wid e r community. By doing thi s. il is n o t just th e fa rme rs who b e n e fit. but th e wid e r community. whom rece ive

be tte r hou s ing. edu ca tion a nd h ea lth . And wh a t's g rea t a bo ut Fa ir1ra d e is th a t we d o n 't h ave lo d on a te so mu c h pe r m o nth to th e m or b e confro nted by th e m as we d o o ur s h opping in Norwic h o n a Saturd ay a fl e n 1oon . All we h ;w e to do is buy Fa irlra d e wh e n we do o ur s h o pping! At prese nt th e re a re a ro und 250 produ c ts a va ila ble fro m re ta il outle ts throu gh out th e Ul< and thi s fi gure is t·is ing and ti s ing a th e m o nths f1y by. S a les of produ c ts canying th e Fa irtra d e m a rk a re running a t a n annual rate o f £ 100 mil lion . Am ongst th e I 7 countries ac ross Euro pe . North Amc ri c<J a nd J a p <~ n

th a t ma ke up the Fa irtrm le L<lbe ll ing Orga ni sa tio n s lnle rn a li on <J l (FLO) . th e UK h as th e s eco nd la rges t Fairlra d e m <J rke l a ft e r S witzerl a nd . Celebrit ics a re begin nin g lo a dd th e ir voi ces to th e Fa irtra cl e ca mpa ign with J a mi e Olive t·. Minni e Drive r a nd eve n P Diddy a m o n gs t th e m a ny celebri ti es ca mpa ig ning for Fa it·tra d e . Ja mi e Olive r h as prod uced a \vid e ra n ge o f re c ipes. o ne o f wh ic h is ou tli n ed b e low for yo u to ti c k le your tas te buds ove r!!! So buy Fa irtra d e ... yo u kn ow il m a kes se n se!!

Fairtrade recipes•••

Jamie Oliver - producin~ some ·pukka ' fairtrade recipes (even if h e lS slightly a-nnoying)

Fairtrade chocolate pots

Orange and chocolate biscuits

by J amie Oliver

Makes 30

Serves 4

What you need:

What you need: 2 85ml/ I /2 pint s ingle c re m 2 00g/ 7oz F<~iri ra d e d <~ rk c h oco l o=~ t e (70o/o cocoa so lid s ) 2 la rge egg yolks 3 t<1 blcs poo n s bra ndy 20g/3/4 oz b u tte r

150g (5oz) bulter 175g (6oz) Fa ir Tra d e go ld e n cas te r s uga r 175g (6oz) p la in f1 o ur 2 teas poo n s ba king powd e r 75g (3 oz) Fa ir Trade Maya Go ld da rk c h oco la te. c hopped Gmt ed zcs l of 2 ora n get-. l tab lespoon orange ju ice Ex t ra Fa ir Tnlde go ld Pn caste'!' s11ga r to d eco rate

In a thi k botto m ed pa n . hea l th e c rea m until nea rly bo il in g. Re m ove a nd se t <Js id c fo r I minute be fo re s n <1p p in g in yout· c h oco la te . S tir in unti l m Pit e cl and s m oot h . O nce m e lt eel . b eo=~t in your egg yo lk s <1 n d b ra n dy <1ml s t ir in u n til s moo th . Allow to coo l s lig h tly be fore s li n ing in th e bulte r tlll l il t h e m ix tu re is sm oo t h . Po u r into ind ividu a l se rvin g po ts.

face. Us in g a 5 e m (2in) c ulte r. c ut out th e round s a nd p l <~ce on th e ba king s hec l. Sprinkle th e biscuits with a lillle a dditio n a l s uga r a nd ba ke in th e oven for a bout 12- 15 min ut es unti l th e biscuits begin lo co lo ur. Re move from th e ove n a nd lea ve to coo l for <J t leas t five m inutes to a ll ow th e b isc u its to firm up be fo re t r<J n s fe rr ing to a coolin g rac k . S to re in a n a iJ·tig ht tin . T h ese b iscu its a re g reat with va nill a ice crea m . Kee p <1 n eye on ih e biscu its whil e th ey a re cooking. lh «".l' n eed to be ta ke n out w he n s ti ll so rt . bu t will h a rd e n as t hey coo l. An d vo il a - yo u <1 re in s t a n tly popu la r!!! The perf<>cl a nc·e clo te to m ake m ore fri en d s !!!

Prc h ca t the ove n to 18 0 "(' /350 "F/G as Ma rk 4 <1ncl g rea se <1 coup le of b a k in g s h ee ts. C rea m th e b utte r <1 11d s uga r toge th e r un til th ey <1 rc p<1 lc <111d llu l'fy . Ca refully mi x in th e fl o ur a nd ba king powd e r. Add th e res t of th e ing redi e n ts tmt il yo u h ave a smooth . s ti ll jl<l Sl«" . Roll o ttt th e p<l s lc 5 mm - I c m (I I 4 in) t hi c k on <1 li l(h lly- f1 o urccl working s ur-

However•..• Just how easy is it for us student types to buy fairtrade with only a few pence and no car??

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(li ke m a nv s tu d e nts) o ur m it-.sio n to find F<J ir t m d e food it e m s ca me to a .~rindin g h a lt. Hm ttt . n ex t s lop- tcs co .com . T hi s was a lt op;cther muc h more prod uc lin• <lllcl lc iJ liS \\'O nCkri n g why people e\·en bot h er lcming there homes nowad ays \\~ I ll eH' J'}' t hing yo u wnnt t hl't't' at t lt c touc h of a b ut to n . TesC'o o11linc h <1s <1 sc p <l r<llc o,cctio n en titled Tau· Tr<lck·. all of wh ich <oJJH' with a Fa irtt<t<i< ~uarant t'<'. Tc-.co prides ttsl'!f a.., h;n lltl( '(It,· lli_g~est c·hnit'l' nl Fair Tr<Hk prodtJ< Is in lite Ul\' and it h fair to Sit\' tlh'l'<' :u·,· <1 tntntlwr ol itc·ms \'011 c.1n btJ\. lrotll

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m o re ex pe n s ive t h <1 n th eir n o ii · F'<l irtra dt• <'Ou nterpa n s. £2 . 19 fo r a _jar of hone~· ... £ I . 12 for <1 bu nc· h o f IJ;~n.tn<ls.. £ I . 7H for .t box of teabae;-. .... ;\lm1 \\'< ·n· not ..,ay in~ t lt<tl L'l::t\ student-. arl' ttl!;<1inst Fairtrcldt 111 (lilY sl'nse. but gin·n that most of us arl' phtJ J ~inl( further a 11d lurti ll' J' i11 to debt <lS t he m on l h s l(o IJ:-·. \\'l' are m o tT li kl' l_1 to 1Ju1 1lw dw<l twr prod 11< t--. Yl'-.. tilc Fil trtracl<· ill ms an tlwtT (if you lt,l\.t a t tlr or intcnh l

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Colcrttt Wednes.Wy, Ocotber 6th, 2004

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea 19

www.concrete-online.com

TRAVEL New York Dolls; one girl's search for a cigarette and a sandwich. By Erica Horton ----

t seems that for a city that's banned smoking there's a surprising abundance of smokers puffing their way between power lunches, shops and subway stops, on New York City's busy streets. However. this impression is a result of smoking restrictions meaning you're pushed to find a cafe, restaurant or even bar where you can spark up. Anywhere. So all those bud-

ding Carrie Bradshaws out there, toss those Marlboro lights away. because non-smoking is the new black. So, unable to smoke or drink (at the tender age of 19) my friend and I were grudgingly forced to flnd something else to do than get rat arsed and smoke our fabulous selves into an early grave. Fortunately New York offers a lot more; the Empire

: , I

State Building, Statue of Liberty. and for those with a stronger stomach Ground Zero, is of course, high on the tourist's to do list. But for those looking for an alternative insight. 'East Village holds a treasure trove of tattoo (and cappuccino) parlours' guitar shops and some of the most expensive second hand clothing stores you are ever likely to find; vintage "Joe's Diner" T -shirts and shabby chic taffeta dresses are apparently going for a couple of grand a pop these days. To the East of East Village you can find Bowery Street, home to the infamous CBGB's club, the flrst to host the likes of the Ramones, Blondie and Television. in the late 70's . The Gallery next door, CB's, is also something to check out. and where you can purchase one of the multi coloured. oh-so-fashionable, souvenir shirts. belt buckles or boxers sporting the CBGB's OMFUG logo .. .not entirely sure what it stands for. But then neither were any of the regulars. Now, you might well assume that in one pf New

York's hippest yet most respectable 'underground' punk clubs you might be able to spark up a single sneaky snout. -But no; one disapproving frown from the bar staff and that little beacon of hope came crashing to the ground. The music scene in the Big Apple also boasts various jazz cafes, where audience members come to click their fingers nod their heads and sometimes clamber on stage for an impromptu jam. For the theatrically minded music lover, Broadway is a must. It may be a cliche, touristy hot spot, but it is a massively fun night out, and even the

avelling though ietnam this summer it ecame obvious why the eed for fair trade is so ssential in an evergrowing global economy. Three years ago I taught in a university in Hal Phong, in the north of Vietnam. While I've been away the government has altered legislation laws to allow-Increasing amounts of foreign investors. There has been an influx of companies that target poorer rural areas and build factories. I travelled to a New World Fashion clothing factory 10 minutes outside Hai Phong. Hai Phong is a major port city, so it's ideal for export. Each week shipments of garments are exported to America,

most cynical New Yorker will confess a few goose bumps during Chicago's opening overture or Julie Taymore's adaptation of the Lion King. After seeing these professionals shakin' their groove thangs on stage. you might want to have a go yourself at the all night dance clubs and bars littering Manhattan, which I unfortunately was simply too young, too jetlagged (and too uncool) to review. I instead found my indulgences on 5th avenue and Broadway. the two shopping highlights of the city. Between Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Dior, I spent my visit to 5th in a perpetual

state of terror. convinced I would at any minute leave a careless subway smudge on a handbag and accidentally forfeit my tuition fees for the next two years. However Broadway's flagship Diesel. Wet Seal (the U.S. answer to Topshop) and Urban Outfitters, offered much more affordable, and in all honesty far funkier items. With all it has to offer your last day in New York will come far too quickly, but when you find yourself questioning, like I did, if $400 for a pair of BlahnJks ts really too much money, you know you've stayed too long.

expected to produce more than two hundred and fifty garments per day, up to seven days a week. For a days work they only get paid about 66p." The employers work up to seven days a week under poor lighting conditions and frequ ent power cuts. Ngan enjoys her job, but at the same time seems unhap-

"How many of us teally check to see where our clothes were made before we buy them?" Europe and England. New World Fashion makes garments for labels such as Atmosphere, M&Co. and Yeu. But how many of us really check to see where our clothes were made before we buy them?. Generally if the size fits and the price is right we buy it. Companies seem to be competing for cheaper labour to keep prices low. I spoke to Ngan a translator for New World Fashion, who showed me around the factory. She explained that, "Each person ts

py with how much profit companies are making from cheap labour. 'Although the cost of living here is cheaper I feel like. I've paid for myself through university, worked hard and yet I get paid ÂŁ37 each month whilst my boss gets about ÂŁ800; it doesn't seem right." Like many people I spoke to in Vietnam, Ngan wasn't aware of Fair Trade, but until recently there hasn't been an overall need for it. Traditionally. tailors ran small

family businesses or independent companies where they would sell in batch to tourists passing through. A scheme has been launched for ethnic crafts, to enforce good working conditions and adequ ate pay. However, in terms of fair trade fashion in Vietnam it is still catching up with itself and there is a long way to go.

',.

WITHOUT CONCRETE

111

RUSSIA ON BOARD FOR KYOTO Is it a good idea to maint ain a fai r-trade stat us a s a Un ive rsity? "lt is not only a good idea; it is beneficial to eve ryone on many levels. Firstly, it makes su re that what studen ts buy su p po rts the li ves of the people who prov ide for them; this s ure ly makes se n se. Seco nd ly, the official t itl e of a fa ir t rade university g ives out an im po rta nt message to a ll o th e r u n iversi ti es a nd o rga ni zati ons a nd e nco u rages o th e rs to do the sa m e . Fin a ll y it se nds out a s ign of s up po rt to a ll t hose Th ird Wor ld fa rmers a nd le ts them kn ow that here a t UEA we ca re abo ut thei r situation" - Pe te r Clutto n brook , ENV " I' m completely against Fa ir-t ra d e, but that's because I'm a g it" Ch ris Fa rn el l, LLT "I th ink fair-tra d e is a goo d thing in th eory, but how ca n we te ll it's d o ing a ll they say it is' Like a ny g lo ba l co mpany, the re's bou nd to be co rrupt io n an d we ca n neve r rea lly te ll w h e re o u r mo ney goes, o r eve n if it rea lly he lps those it c lai m s to." Jass im H a p pa , CMP Next issue' s que st ion : Students are now bei ng c ha rged fo r plastic bags , sho uld t h is be extended to a deposit for bottles and gl a sses at th e Union Bar? Sen d you r op in io n s conc re te .tu rf@ uea.ac. uk

as t week saw envi ronmentali sts rejoice as it ap pea red that the Kyoto protoco l cou ld fi nally come into action after years of setbacks, doubt s and unce rtainties . The protoco l was set up to tackle the climate change cnsis and included targets for nations to reduce

the ir gree nh ouse gas em issions. Howeve r, for the treaty to co me into effect there needs to be enoug h co untries sig ned up so th at all the signa tories co mbined will accoun t for at least ss% of emisston released in 1990. With th e USA clearly unprepa red to deal with cltmate change, the ratifi cat ion of th e Kyoto trea ty has long bee n in the han ds of the undectded Russian gove rnment. After a lot of wave nng and pess imtsm from skept1cs th e Russian government has now ap proved the protocol and the necessary law is set to pas s through thei r parltame nt with out prob lems . If all goes as expected the protoco l cou ld come into force before the year IS out; a su rpr ise to many who believed that the treaty wou ld never get off the gro und .

TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT Th is issue's tree of th e fortn ight is none othe r than the Co rylu s Colura , better known of cou rse as the Tu rkis h Filbert. A fine young specimen of th is tree ca n be viewed from the Unto n Squa re to the righ t of the cha pl aincy. This is a ve ry dramatic time of yea r fo r all th e Turkish Filbe rt s, thoug h Septem ber has already seen th em d rop thei r spi ky-h usked haze l nuts. During October th e leaves wi ll tu rn yellow qu ite suddenly, and once this shade IS achieved they wi ll drop just as quickly, leavmg 1t co mpl ete ly ba re by Novembe r. it wi ll conttnue to be of interes t as the catkms slowly npen and produce chain-

flowers by la te wi nter. Th1s tree is also noted fo r its bark, whic h is spongy, co rky and ofte n thoroughly ridged. He1ght: 3S - so Ft Sp read: Y, Height (app rox) Sha pe: Pyramid Fo liage: Lush da rk gree n durin g the su mme r, ve ry brief au tumn yel low, ea rly droppi ng. Flower: Catktns Fruit: Ha zel Nut

MAKE A PLEDGE Red, the Community Carbon Reduct ion Proj ect, ba sed 111 the School of En vironm ental Sctences, celeb rated it s "official" btrthda y on Wo rld Environm ent Day, June sth. The atm of CRed's netwo rk of partnersh ip s wit h bus inesses, local authontte s and indiv tdua ls, ts to succeed in meetmg tts target of cuts of 6o% in carbon d10xide emissions by 202SO ne of th e mos t s uccessfu l mit iati ves has bee n the "CRed Pled ge", whe reby indtv idua ls and orga nisations undertake to take so me si mpl e acti ons to cut C0 2 em iss ions . Turf wo uld like to enco urage as many read ers as poss ib le to

take the time to make a pledge, whtch ca n consist of a very stm ple act ton; just check the CRed webstte wwwc red-uk.org. Fo r exam pl e, you ma y wish promise to put on your JUmper tnstead of turn ing up your centra l heating next ttme. Or you may choos e to cycle to the ca mpu s rathe r than dri ve. You may already be doing something whi ch helps to redu ce C02 emtssio ns - if so, sim ply let th e CR ed team kn ow. Bn tai n I S lea ding th e way in its promise to reduce its emi ssio ns and eve ry little act10n he lps, no matte r how see mmgly tnvial. Do n't fo rget that everyo ne has an effect on globa l wa rmmg.

The Turkish Filbert to be found by the Un ion Square

+ (T)rtb!.t

(V) ocf ~a

(R ) ed bt.<ll

"BARt;IN!!!

C5 TO 'P ..... .

--------- --

- -

----

Cotcrete Wednesday, Ocotber 6th, 2004

concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk 21

www.concrete-online.com

Your Greener Grocers Lord Melchett speaks to Turf on the benefit of organic and local food at the launch of Earlha"!l's new Environmentally friendly and ethical Green Grocers.

Photo: (from left to right) Ben Binns, lord Melchett and Tim Cross displaying the organic meat on sale at the opening ofThe Green Grocers. hey had opened their doors yesterday but this, Friday the 1st of October at 4pm, was the official opening for The Green Grocers . Situated in the Earlham House Shopping Centre, opposite · the Somerfields on Earl ham road, this shop is part of a growing trend all over the country as consumers have started demanding better quality products. Here the only items you will find on sale are either locally grown organic food, or fair-trade produce; and by local they mean not outside East Anglia, if it has to be outside Norfolk at all! That being said, the range of products is astounding, and those who live off a diet of fast food still won't be disappointed. They offer ready made pizzas, kid's meals, curries, chips and pies. All healthy and organic alternatives to the mass produced supermarket stuff. But it's not just the products that are greener. s% of your bill will go towards one of five green organisations and charities including Friends of The Earth, OXFAM, and Hunstanton Seal sanctuary. The customers looked suitably impressed. The owners had laid out a feast of free samples, including organic smoked salmon on high fibre bread to be enjoyed with a glass of organic wine. The olives gained the most appeal; grown in Italy, yes, but part of a fair-trade cooperative (you can't catch these guys out). But it was the whole shop that warmed the customers, and the sheer variety of items on offer. "lt makes you realise there's an alternative to everything" explained Andrea Rippon, who had come along to have a look and is clearly going to be a future regular customer. "Seeing that salmon such a natural and healthy colour... it makes you wonder what you're eating when you buy that fluorescent orange stuff from the supermarket." The cu~tomer reaction had even exceeded the shop's expectations and they described how they were "overwhelmed by the enthusiasm" on the first day. Ben Binns, an academic from Cambridge who eofounded the shop with Tim Cross, gave

Turf an impromptu tour of the place. He was very proud of the stock on the shelves, especially the organic beef supplied by Lord Melchett, who would himself be making an appearance later. However, Ben seemed to be more proud of the shops decoration, making sure that the green flowered wall paper was noticed. lt was apparently picked up from a shop in North London and was, he claimed, as old as he himself. The walls, a

"the first one hundred

UEA customers

who

can

campus receive

present card

10%

will dis-

count" long with the beautiful hanging lampshades, certainly did add a sense of homeliness and completed what is undoubtedly going to be a very popular shop. it's popularity has actually been proved already. An initiative was set up where by the first one hundred customers were allowed a 10% di~count . Unfortunately this was a figure that had been well exceeded by the time of the official opening. Yet after an appeal on behalf of all those students who haven't even be made aware of the shop yet, Turf was able to negotiate a student discount. "Alright then", agreed Ben, "the first one hundred UEA customers who can present a campus card will receive a 10% discount." For those of you interested in such a deal, you are advised to make it down there soon. ord Melchett has long been a campaigner for organic food, hitting the headlines in 1999 for his protests against the unchecked trails of GM crops. He is supplying The Green Grocers with organic beef from his farm in Norfolk and was here to show his support, willingly informing Turf of the importance of shops

tests such as these, it is necessary to exclude those candidates who have been sexually active in the last twenty four hours . And for those of you who haven't guessed the conclusion of this story, it proved much more difficult to find a suitable organic farming candidate than it did for the non-organic men. That's certainly something for blokes and girlfriends to be aware of, and as good a reason as any to buy organic food . There are many other health advantages to a natural diet as well . lt is wonderfully refreshing to pick up a tin of soup, read the ingredients, and be able to count the number of additives on one hand each one being followed by that magic word: organic. Try comparing this to a mass produced supermarket brand, where the number of additives vastly outnumber the ingredients, all of which are a long way from natural. Many links are beginning to emerge between some of these additives and various disorders in young children, including attention deficit disorder and other over activity problems. The environmental benefits of local and organic food should not be forgotten here. There are still areas of Britain where pesticide residuals are a problem, and many environmentalists believe that the restrictions on inorganic farming substances are still not tight enough. There is also the point to be made about food miles. Consumers at supermarkets who pluck food off the shelves with out knowing could easily be buying products from the other side of the world when local alternatives are available. Due to absurd global trading subsidies Britain exports hundreds of tonnes offood while importing the same type of product from abroad . Fortunately, as the opening of this new shop shows, the demand for organic, local and fair-trade food is a growing trend . Although supermarkets can still attract consumers with unsustainably low prices, more and more shoppers are showing that they are willing to pay more for better quality products. Even if you do not intend to become a regular buyer of local and organic food , Turf suggests that you spend some time rediscovering the alternatives that are on offer. Understand the improvements in quality, environmental impact and ethical standards that are available to everyone. Go down to the new Green Grocers or check out their website at www.thegreengrocers.co.uk

like this and the organic food trade as a whole. "I am very keen to provide for outlets like these" Lord Melchett said as he went on to explain the importance of small local shops .for organic farmers . "On our farm we sell around £400 of meat a week, and we' re only open for three hours , if more outlets like this open then more organic farmers can be encouraged" . He stressed the importance of the farmers being able to readily sell what they produce. Because their techniques are more environmentally friendly but more costly and demanding than alternative methods, it is crucial that they are rewarded for the efforts. "We do of course sell our meat to super markets as locally grown meat, but often it can be transported to the other side of the country to be processed, which defeats the environmental objective of limiting the distance the meat needs to travel. With a shop like this, The Green Grocers , local means locally processed as well." lt is true that most supermarkets now offer organic alternatives to some items but, as Melchett explains, sales of organic food has increased much more in smaller local shops than in supermarkets. Melchett finished by offering an anecdote that he thought might appeal to student .-.they know Cartrld& World can REFILL th tr rnpty Ink readers. He told of and las r cartridges tests that were carW• ... Au ........, ..._,.... -nd• . out in ried R•RU• -~~- you -••t Denmark, regard... , no_ ononev-b .. c:l< _.... ...,,..~.-, s......-. ... .-y ing the difference H•tp__,..d'<•~n•t between organic farmers and nonorganic farmers. lt was shown, in scientific trails, that the sperm count of the former were significantly higher than their nonorganic colleuges. And that's not where it ends .

SUMMED UP The percentage of the [2 trillion worth of goods exchanged globally that are fairtrade The rise in the number of under 21 s applying for university this year= The smallest proportion of GM substances that can still be detected in a product=

0.1% Amount of money spent by students in the UFO last month on Coke and Diet Coke (a very unfair-trade product) = Cost of planting enough trees to offset 225 tonnes of C02 (equivalent to the amount produced by so return trips to Australia) = The cost of ensuring that 1120 vulnerable people in South Sudan are provided with the necessary 10 litres of safe water a day

£1460 Estimated cost of the new Hive refurbishment= Cost of sending every student at the UEA on an all inclusive trip to to the Caribbean for a fortnight = Amount of funding from the Northwest Development agency and the European Regional Development Fund designed to help companies make more efficient use of resources such as electricity, water and raw materials (creating over 250 jobs, providing 1000 employees with learning opportunities and generating cost savings of over £10 million) =

£2.5 million

Some st:udent:s are bright:er t:han ot:hers ...

----d---.. .-_. . . . . . . . ._

When carrying

out l!~~=:=:~~==~=::=:=:=:=~:=~~==~~~~~==~~~~~~~====~~~~=-~

INSIDE:

t/,IJ!! P4J1/f

ALCHEMY EXPLAINED

., )'

HOW TO TURN THOSE EXCESS POUNDS INTO SOUD GOLD

TIME IS MONEY

O nce a gain The E n quirer proves i t s worth, succeeding where o thers have failed in an inv e s tigation that others had de emed uninv estigateable. Long after Scotland Yard, the MOD and the CIA c e ased th eir o perations in t h e UEA laundrett e, The Enquirer staggered on alo ne and contin u e d to seek a n swers in the name of j ustice and , perhaps, publicity. We are, of course. refe rring to pheno me n on known as "the m issing five minutes" . it iS :l f<W t 1\0\\' \\'\'11 ITCO,f!,lli,_,cci !hill 111<' ti m e r cotm lin,g clown the minutes on th e UI;;A Laun d rc tt c·s wa,.,h im( mac hi ne _jtllllP" fro m 12 minut es to 7 min utes. efkc ti ve iv miJb in _l! it s !'ll"tOIIH'I'S IJy fl\ ' l' lllilllll!''> r\ H ho u g h ctn

UEA accidentally becomes bunch of racists The fl a k was still flying last night as t h e first catastrophe of the n ew semester burst roaring, snarling and s p itting into t h e p u blic a rena . In a bo ld a tlc111 p t to re -e n fo rce it s g row in g int e rnat iona l rc p11t a t ion as h u m a ni ty's bs t rc ma in inf( ho pe !'o r :w hi ev ing \\·o riel peace. UEA rcce n t l.v co m m it ted itself to beco minf( a Fa ir T rade uni vers it y. I Iowevc r. it now :o~p p ea rs th e~ t . in it s d ~>s p e r:l l c n 1s h to d o a b so lute good. t il L' ins tituti o n ha s mi s l<l ke n · I ~· s ip;n t'cl up with t h e wr o n g org:omi za t ion . Instea d of he lp ing fa n ne rs in th e de\·c lo ping \\·o ri el to e r~ rn a d ece nt wage . UEA h as pled ge d its s up po rt to a n ex t re m e ri gh t-wing white s upr c m r~cy m ove me nt t h r~ t limits trr~ cl in g to A1ya n · o r ·fa ir' · peo p le:;. T hough deta ils re m a in s kc tc h v (o n e in s ide s ou rce d csc J·ib ecl t h e si t u r~ ti o n as "like try inf( to loo k thro u g h i'o g m a d e out o f br ic ks"). the m ost clm nning as pec t o f th e fi asco a pp cr~ rs to be th e le ng th o i' tim e it has tr~ k e n to n oti ce a ny th ing was wr o ng. Fo r t he I r~s t s ix m o nth s UEA s re ta il o u t-

our Problems Solved Phipps, Rodders to his friends, senior economic adviser to the World Bank and the IMF gives informed counsel to your personal problems. Der~ r

Rocl d e rs Me a n m e m rt n Leee r~v j u s t gon r~ n ,go t m e pregge r s in nit. I wa nn rt keep it so I ca n s in e o n a n ge t m e re nt payd . but hezc sr~y in we

le ts h m·e be come gra du a lly more exclusion ary. c u lmin a ! in .~ in la s t m o nl h 's a ppo int m e nt o f So uth Afri ca n exi les as co nsu l tr~ nt s on how to en force a pa rth e id with ou t h tTom in g p hys ica lly c rip p lccl by se n s a ! io ns oi' g u ilt a nd pe rs o n a l wo rthl es s ness. No less clrt m r~g in g to UEAs sta tus was the signi ng o f a ten -yea 1· co nt rac t to buy coffe e exc lu s ive ly fro m Sca ndin avia . kn own to be b oth th e m os t ex pe ns ive r~ ncl th e wm·s t co ffee in t h e wo r ld . A s ta te m e n t h a s bee n r c lcr~ se d a p o log is in g to Africr~ n far m e r s th :oli is be li eved to c o n s is t sole ly o f th e wo rd ·so n y' re pea ted co n ti nu o u s ly for 700 pages. !:3o th Fa ir T rad e o rgr1 ni za ti on s a re sr~ id to be sad d e ne d by th e co nfu s ion . Th e Fa ir Tra d e wor kin g fo r t:1 r mc rs h r~vc d is pa tc h ed re prese nta ti ves to h e lp recti fy the m ess r~s qu i c k l ~r as poss ible . T h e r i ght - wi n .~ Fa ir Tra d e . w ho c la im to be u n awa 1·e o f t h e oth e r g ro up . a rc s e e k ing co mpe n sa ti o n fo r th e p ri ntin g o f 10.000 lea ll c ls a n n o u n c in g No rw ic h to t he new Rc ic h. UEA we re qui c k to po int o u t thi s is n 't th e

s h ud ge t r id coz h e d 11 n t wa nt th e wh a t d o I d o? Urs p regge rs

hr~s s i e.

Dea r 'Preg_ge r s ' Wh il e th e Utili ta 1·in n th emy o f eco n o m ic in te rac ti o n was ce rt a in ly po pu la ri s e d by J e rc my Be nth a m (c urre n tly a 11 a t te nd a nt co q Jse a t th e Lo nd o n Schoo l o f Eco n o mi cs): t h e cxncl o1·ig in s o f it a 1T o pe n to mu c h di s · pule. It was · r~ n d. to a ce rt a in ex'ien t. is · a po pu lar th eo ry . wh e re th e be ne fit o f a pa rt ic· uia r d ec is ion is d ec id ed on th e ove ra ll pos i· I ive a n d n ega ti ve e ffe c t (s) o f t h e d cc is io n (s ) co n sequ e n ces . Th e a d age o f "th e greatest ha pp in ess fo r til e grea test n u m bc1·" ln,·ge iy a ttrib u te d to Hu tc hi n so n · h as rece n t ly been cTiti c ised fo r it s im pe rson a l o b jec tiv ity. whi c h . a t least . m <~ rgin a li ses an d . m ore u s u a lly. ign o res t h e pe rso n a l iss u es o f th e peo p le in vo lved. I think Ul'i li! a ii a ni s m is re levn nt to your c<Jse to r two re a s o n s. Th e firs t is th e qu es ti o n o f

firs t s u c h e rror in 1hc rcp:ion . In 200 I Fa kc nh a m Bo~· Sco11t G ro11p acc id e n ta il v don a ted th e proceed s of th e ir c h a rity bake sak to wr es t lin g s ta r i ill lk Hog: m. an inci d e n t th n i le a d direc t iy to t he d e r~ t h o r a pnnda a n d fo rced th e Wo r ld Wrcs tl in f( Fede rati o n to cha nge th e ir n <Jm c to \VWE. UEA d oes co ncede t h a t. "tha t w:'lsn 't rea lly o n th e s a m e sca le ...

orig in . I've see n yo u peo ple ha nging a ro u nd on pa rk s. d rink ing c h ea p c ide r a nd s poi·ting th e k in d o f fas hi o n s th at eve n th e co icl cs t. ill feci c h ild wou ld ba lk a t. And th e n. whe n you ' re o ld e r. a ll owin g vo u r c hi ldre n t o be h ave a t rocio u s ly o n tra in s wit ho ut th e s lig ht·est hin t o f d isc ip lin e. w hile yo u s it bac k a nd s lu1·p o n a c a n o f Ca rl ing . It 's no wo nd e r th a t yo u 're "p reg,_ge rs " as yo u ha ve no se n s e o f a wo dd o ut s ide o f you r own im m edi <tlc s uJTo un cl ings. Wh e re you ca m e fro m. I do n ot kn ow. Your cvo luti o n is tl nt e n a b le. a n d I d 1-ead to thi nk whi c h pa 1i icu la r in fe s ted piece o f s putum fi rs t gave r ise to :1 ge ne ti c m a ke- u p s u c h as you rs . Secon d ly . I d o n 't kn ow wha t yo u t hink is s o s pec ia l a bo ut yo ur ge n es th a t yo u h ave as many m a n y c hi ld re n . I wo u ld a dv ise a ga in s t bringing th is c h il d into th e wo dcl . it would be a n ot h e r dra in o n a n a i rc<~ d y b e leagu e red be n e fit s syste m . No good can co m e of it. a n d it ce rt a inly ha s no be ne fit fo r th e grea tes t. o r th e s m a llest . n u mbe r o f peo p le.

i ll t'O ll cl'h ·abh: :l i1 JOI JIH

ol p11bli<

mo n cv has bee n "IWlll on ;,cc-r,·t goverlllnen ta l cxanlilllHio n s. no l'JTdih\c rcac..:,un ~ h u·.T eve r bee n o ffe- red . Ye t The I::nqu irn l1as llladc a lntak thrm1gh . "\le; am:tling our ili\'!"Stigation '\' '" neve r n 11 nblcd." n.pl:tinL·d "ur a!' ling chit'! ol u n d r r covc ro ps. "esprria il.l· cons id crin .~ t I! at fro m MHV 2003 til mll,l';ll to Fcb n1 ary 200 -1 . r~ n cs tim r~ l e d three qlla rtt'rs of the Im m drt>ttc u se rs we re m o les Wl til e pay role of th e Enqu ire r." Tod ay we revea l \\·ha t h as hap · pc ncd to <1 ll t h o,.,e Jlli ssin_g mi1111t es. a nd it wi ll co m e as no SUI-prise to so m e th <l t thi s goes a il til e wa y to th e top . Yes. th e sd1c mc was in fac t run by th e Laundre t re ·s ca re t r~ k e r il imsc iL When in tc rv ic\wd I1 e s h owed n o s ig n s o f re m o rs e . m e re ly g rit Ling h is tee th a nd t1y ing to s n a tc h t he arrc-s ti11 g o ffi ce r,. 'T h ose lazy stu d e n ts '" h e s n a rle d. "All th ey d o is wa st e th eir tim e skc pin g and b in.f.(L' cl l"in k ing. wh a t d ifference d oes it m a ke if th ey lose fi ve m in11 tcs o f t h e ir li fe eve n ' wee k?! " Ou1· fu ll re po rt s hows t hat th e ca re ta ke r wa s u s in f( t h e co li crted m inu tes to comp let e tas ks t h a t life wo u ld ot h e rw is e not leave tim e fo r. s uc h as reading a pape r cove r to cove r. co mpl e ting ti 1e c ro sswo rd s a nd se nd ing in ie tl'e rs to opi n io n pages. Alth ou g h th e wr~s i 1in g m a chi nes a rc s tili awa iti ng re pa ir a n d a re ye t to cl i s pl r~y those e pic num be rs 8. 9 . I 0 a nd I I . s tud e nts look · ing to c la im b ac k th e ir s to le n m inutes s h m lid re port to th e Dean o f S t ud e nls. T he la st la u gh is. as a lways . wi th th e s ta ll o f th e Enqu i1·e r. wh o m fo1· po li ti ra i reaso n s neve r wash t h e ir c lo th es.

The washing machin e s featured in t he above article about washing machines .

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uea.ac.uk 23

HOROSCOPES Gemini

Cancer

Why would you ever consider cheating on such a close friend for a loose-moralled long distance affair? You know he's not that good anyway! I anticipate money coming your way in the form of a bet that you are becoming dangerously close to winning. Consider wearing school uniform at all times. Lucky word(s): Bilabial flap

All you want to do is have sex for the first time, and I can see where you're coming from. (No pun intended). You're at University now and it's the perfect place to shed the V . plates, although there's a couple of things you must do first: Loose the beard, take up elocution lessons, cease your sword fights around the lake and finally, but most importantly talk to girls. With a ratio of nearly 2 girls to every 1 guy, the statistics are in your favour. Lucky word: Sex Wee

Taurus ..-------. Pluto is moving. Actually, no its not. I have no idea what Pluto is doing. I'm a student, not an astrologer. I study '-----. ~ linguistics, not Neptune and friends. Here's some advice, never read another horoscope again because they're all bollox, except this one of course. I honestly don't care about your romance, luck of money situations! Lucky word(s): Use our advertisers Aries After recent romance disasters, you're beginning to wonder if true love really does exist. Well, for you Arians, I'm afraid to tell you it doesn't; At least not until after Xmas. You might as well get used to the idea of a celibate Autumn, save up some cash and buy some creams and 'special dvds'. Lucky Word: Lonely

Leo Who the hell do you think you are =---..., spitting on your president in front of his committee? Spitting blood is not the way to win friends and influence people. I recommend you keep all your doors locked at night and consider hiring a minder. Revenge, they say is sweet, and no one knows this like a mature student. Lucky word: Bloodbath Virgo Som~one may have been a little nasty to you lately, but given recent events, you can see it probably is quite justified. Things seems pretty much ok now and will continue to be so, as long as you cease floundering with my friends!! This will happen when you take control of

Letter! Dear Concrete,

Abi Foldes

conaete.fashioalifestyle@aea.ac.uk

concrete.editorial

· Perhaps I can respond to article about Adrian Ram ey in the last edition of concrete. I do not think that the Green Party could have been any happier with it if they had written it themselves. Lines like, 'The Green Party is revered ... ' and ' .. .it' dedication' to environmental protection ... ' were staggering! A little bit of objectivity please. I also think it was wrong for the article to suggest that the General Election will be a battle between Labour and Green. I am sure Charles Clarke will be delighted to know that the Greens will be taking votes from the Parties that can actually unseat Charles Clarke. A someone who thinks that the protection of the environment is the most important task that our generation has to deal with I respect many individuals in the Green Party and I am sure that I will work with them in the Environmental campaigns that the Union does. Their solutions to problems are less than ideal however. It is worth noting that by no means, do all those who care about the environmenr support the Green Party. The Greens have had it too easy, for too long and perhaps it's time for a little scrutiny of their policies. Andy Higson Environment Officer (in a per onal capacity)

your alcoholically enduced memory lapses. Lucky word: Cocktails.

Libra ..-------. OK! So you're not · + being treated like a princess, but what -~\ do you expect when you don't have a Prince. The ball is in your court for love this month and you need to decide how you want your relationships to progress; you know you can do better than what you currently have if only you look for it. Lucky word(s) Jenna Jameson

•

/r\,/1\ T.l_'Y

Scorpio ..-------, Your recent quesC' tioning of both 11 .t'l!. astrological and pro• .....Y motional success ; -,...\ .. has finally been put • • to bed. Success for you this month comes from your listeners, and if you're looking for love, try the 'High Society.' Lucky word(s): The T.V. and Jez Radio show on Livewire 1350AM!!

Capricorn . - - - - - - - , You were recently dressed as Lara Croft and you enjoyed it. Ok, it was acceptable on a fancy dress pub===-----' crawl, but in your bedroom with the doors locked ... that's just weird. STOP IT, because your friends will disown you. Chill ouf, have a drink, eat some bacon .... and wear mens clothing. Lucky word(s) What is Pimms? Aquarius Would you take a bag of sand to the beach!? Exactly! Long distance relationships at University make about as much sense as UEA Security guards. Don't do it! Spread your love to many; don't just save it for one because you'll only regret it. Good luck buddy! Lucky word(s) The itchy and scratchy show

Pisces Sagittarius The explosive gassing emitting from Uranus suggest the possibility of Love. Look for a petite brunette with oriental stature. Unlike most of your LCR conquests she'll make you wait for the bump 'n' grind but it will be worth it. Money comes your way from a big guy in a suit. Lucky word: Matrix

Recent news of certain extra curricula activities has shocked you, but you'll be even more shocked when you realise those activities have spilled over to your own bed, and the shower, and the sofa, oh! And the kitchen table! Deal with it! Romance may occur when giving out flyers late one night. Lucky word(s): Paper cut

Co.c:rett Wednesday, Ocotber 6th, 2004

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uea 25

BRAZILIAN s路osSA NOVA The new Capoeira society is the UEA extension of an integral part of Brazilian culture and heritage. Fran Stap/eton spoke to the society's Secretary and Instructor, Jamie Liam Lynch, to discover why it's not a dance or a sport

any of you will already have seen the Capoeira group in Norwich strut their funky stuff. We've watched in awe the spinning kicks, the acrobatic retreats from mimetic attack and the use of cunning in what has been described as this 'physical game of chess'. What you may not have considered, is just how much history, culture, tradition and art is contained within this captivating street art. Capoeira began in early sixteenth century Brazil, when Portuguese slave traders raided villages along the Yoruban costal region of western Africa to stock the slave trade. The 'New World' colonies enforced a need for slaves to labour on plantations. This need was increasing constantly, especially in the region that is now known as north-eastern Brazil. "The Portuguese could not enslave the native Indians, so they turned to the Africans from Angola and transported them to mainland Brazil." Three million slaves were forced t:> survive in this harsh land. Few spoke the same language as each other and therefore found they were unable to integrate their diverse cultures, faith and folklore. In this isolation, with no methor1 of defence against their Masters nor rebellicn against captivity, slaves were forced to "forge a new identity" which ultimately led to their freedom. Jamie Liam Lynch, the Secretary of UEA's Capoeira group and int.tructor within Norwich, compares Capoeira ro Reggae. "Reggae was developed by the slaves taken in Africa; Capoeira was develooed in Brazil by the slaves that were taken." Both were developed under pressure by people with "no hope of going back". A new identity was therefore forged to give voice, spirit and pathos to an age of the deepest tragedy. "There's no official written documentation of how Capoeira was created, but people argue that slaves trained to fight and disguised it as a dance so they would not be killed by their Masters." However, the Capoeiran song lyrics spoke of a life of freedom and peace, and eventually Masters recognised that Capoeira was swiftly breeding rebellion amongst the slaves and so, outlawed the sport. Capoeiristas moved their training underground, where it remained until

approximately fifty years ago. lt was ultimately the influence of 'Mestre Bimba' in the 1930's that pushed Capoeira to be recognised as a legitimate sport and a vital part of Brazilian history. There is inevitably then, a lot of controversy surrounding the labelling of this 'street art'. Many consider it to be a sport, a martial art, as its ini- 路

throng of the Capoeira community, so he quickly became a professional in Capoeira. When he came back to UEA in 2000, his friend was des路 perate to learn some moves. The group was literally born down by the lake, showing his friend what to do, and then really quickly there was a group of about ten to fifteen people practising on

.. What changes it from ever just being a fight is, it is done to music and it has rhythm. Without rhythm, there is no Capoeira .. tial motive was to surreptitiously attack and defend. But Capoeira is so much more than that, as Jamie Lynch emphasises. "it's a kind of fight with rhythm, martial arts meets hustling. What changes it from ever just being a fight is, it is done to music and it has rhythm . Without rhythm, there is no Capoeira. This rhythm dictates the fast game, the slow game, the small or the large. The flavour of a broken, traditional game or a fast, upright fighting style. The music controls the game." any then perceive Capoeira as an art form: rooted in history, it contains within it the pathology of a generation in the same way as historical paintings and song. Although it is technically 'a fight', there is no competitive element. "There are no tournaments for Capoeira and probably never will be." The parodies contained within this art seem to express it more as street theatre, than street fighting: "it is a game of contradictions; the person who is smiling at you is also the person tryirTg to hit you, but Capoeira is principally and primarily the feeling of playing. it uses every part of who you are and what you are, incorporating your sense of humour, your fears, your wit and your cunning." In recent years, this captivating street art has developed in Norwich. Initially, the only local Capoeira group was based in Cambridge, until ex-UEA student, Rod Penn, bought back a passion for the dance from Tokyo. Jamie Lynch tells us the story of its origins in Norwich. "Rod was an Art history student here at UEA and took a year out to Tokyo. He went there to study Japanese Art but ended up living with a Professor [professor level teacher in Capoeira]. He lived with this guy for the whole year, in the

campus. Eventually they hired a room in the city in September of 2000 and from there the group was really born." Since then, Rod Penn has left to teach English in Indonesia leaving Jamie to instruct here in Norwich. That was just over three years ago, and in that time, Capoeira has flourished throughout the city: 'We played the main stage at the Lord Mayors celebrations before the fireworks for the city council. We also performed at the Norwich Kings Street carnival and the 'Spirit of Carnival' in Chapelfield Gardens. We've Jamie given lots of demonstraLiam tions for schools and

Lynch shares a brief moment of tenderne ss youth regeneration projects and workshops for children with disabilities and offer regular classes in town." Whether you interpret it as art, sport, or something in between, there's no denying the beautiful appeal of Capoeira. This was reflected on Monday 27th September, when an eager throng of UEA stu-

dents turned up for their first session of Capoeira. Third year students Louise Horner and Lisa Yiasemides felt the session was a great success and will be continuing to train with the group. One of the anticipated forthcoming events is the arrival of Mestre Gato from group Senzalathe most prestigious group in Rio de Janeiro. Gato is a famous figure in modern Capoeira history and will be arriving in Norwich soon to train with the group and offer workshops. "That's one of the great things about Capoeira; everyone gets to meet the Masters. They're not some figure of history left in Brazil. We want to make sure Capoeira doesn't become diluted. The wonderful thing about Capoeira is you don't need money; it's a social thing, just being there with your friends, and having fun. From here, the sky's the limit."

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26 concrete.s ort@uea.ac.uk

MARC DUDLEY SPORTS-EDITOR WITH 8 games into the season, City find themselves secon d from botto m in the "best" league in the world. Yes , C ity h ave played Newcastle, Live rp ool. Arsenal and United. but th ey h ave a lso played Crystal Pa lace, Portsmouth a nd Aston Villa at home al fail ed

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division is go ing to be tough, as there are no "push -overs" in thi s leagu e. Howeve r. if th ey a r e go ing to stay up th ey h ave to s tart wi nning al home. Against Villa. City s howed that they were jus t as good as o r even better than the boys fmm Birmingham , but for so m e strange reason they couldn 't score. Neithe r s ide looked like getting a winner, but if Norwich ha d started lo

believe that they could win. they might have got it. It was clear to see aga inst Portsmouth that City DO actua lly h ave a chance of s urviving a qui ck t rip back lo th e 1st Division (or The Championship. or whatever it is ca lled.) Against Pompey th ey showed th at th ey have the ability to put in up a tight and m aybe stay up. Three points were up for grabs on Saturday and they wo n 't co m e mu c h easie r than that late r on in the season, wh ic h is why m ost fans were left a little di sappointed a fter battling back to draw 2 -2 aga inst Ha rry Reclknapp's men . Th e normal 4-4-2 seems lo be th e best way for Norwich to play too. as the Diamond formation they have been playi n g late ly does not seem to suit th e m. lt was clear to see against Villa that n either Ha lt . Safri

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n or Francis were comfortab le with drifting to the wings to u se the width of the pitch and the ball was far too often stuck in the midd le of th e park. Against Pompey. Jonsson and Bentley were put on the wings and created many cha n ces . o n e r esulting in the Simon Charlton goal. Also. if t h ey are going to sco re goals they need to start shooting. Far too often th ey have b een trying to find the perfect pass when shooting h as been a much easier option. Wh en Holt, Safri o r Bentley have taken shots they have com e very close. The more s hots created, the g reate r the cha n ce of scoring. (Obvious. but the City players don't seem to know!) lt is a lso clear to see that Huckerby and McKenzie create more of a t hreat up front than Huckerby and Doherty. City can be h appy \vith what they have done so far.

IVnln e\ d'"· Ocorher 6rh. 2110-1

However. if City do want to stay up they cannot affo rd to drop too many points at h ome. as every point counts. lt is now time for Norwich to forget about where they are and start to believe that thev belong th e1·e o•· fans w1i1 have to make the most of \he Camuies honeymoon.

DO IT FOR YOUR SCHOOL! Show you (are by getting kitted out for the Ziggurat University Games MARC DUDLEY SPORTS-EDITOR

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OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK 20 Snooker tables 3 pool tables 2 American pool tables Satellite TV Video Games £250 jackpot machines Hot and cold food available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Licensed bar at low prices 1Oam-11 pm, 12·1 0.30pm Sun

ISTUDENT MEMBERSHIP £31 St Mary's Plain, Norwich Tel: 627478 Only 5 minutes from Norwich market

T ODAY t he Ziggur a t Univer s ity games get under way w her e s tudents c o m pet e for the p ride of their s chools. A fun -run aro und th e broa ds is not eve1ybod y's cup of tea. bu t w h en poin ts are at sta ke in t he battle between th e 23 sc hools of UEA, stu dents tu rn up to

burn off th eir alcoh olic calories. T h e rul es a r e s imple, every s tuden t t h at fini s h es the run (you do n 't h ave to run , yo u can crawl if you wan t!) will be awarded a point for th ei r sch oo l. Ther e are even ts every week a n d regul a r e -m a ils wi ll b e sen t out from your s p ort- r eps to infor m yo u w h a t and when t h e next even t is.

So if you want to p lay a part in decidi ng th e fate of you r sc h oo l. contact th e s po rts •·ep for your school or the lovely Ziggurat Orga ni ser Rach e l Tomes on r.tomes@uea.ac. u k .

This Mo nths Events Wed 6th - Fun Run Tuel2th - Mtxed Volleyball Tue 19th - Table Tennis & Short Tennis Tue 26th - Football 7 -aside

CiOOD START FOR UEA LADIES Hockey firsts win, with "freshers" showing a lot of promise ahead of new season MARC DUDLEY SPORTS-EDITOR ON the 25th of September, the UEA Hoc key ladies got the season up and going with t hree matches against local sides. The First XI opened th eir new season with a convincing 1-0 win over Carlton Park. UEA dominated the first ha lf. but the vis itors put in a good d efensive displ ay to keep the teams level at the break. However. into t h e seco nd half UEA fin a lly broke the dead lock throu g h Tessa Hilrd ing. A deflected s h ot fmm a short corner end ed up ilt the feet of Ha rding and

with a cool finish s he flick ed the ball over the keeper's pads to give the students th e lead . Hayley Payne was a mongst those w h o ca m e close to extend ing their lead. but UEA co uld somehow not find the net and they cam e away with an impressive 1-0 win. The Second XI d isplayed grea t teamwork. d es pite never playi ng together before and were un lucky not to gel more out of their hom e defeat to Briston. The visitors took an early lead a nd UEA were 2 -0 clown a t half-time. Laura Cuthbert fired hom e early in the second half to give the 2nd's so m e h ope. but Brislon

scaled the win late r on by scoring their third and final goal of tl')e match to run away 3 - 1 winners. The Ladies 3rd team trave led lo Walton and even thou gh they ended up losing 5-2. UEA can be h ap py with their pe rform a nce. The 3rd XI put in a stron g displ ay of hockey . but co uld not break back from the home sides quickly establis h ed lead. Al l in a ll UEA's hockey ladies can be h appy with the way th ey have started the n ew season. With the mix ture of experien ce and n ew fres h ta lent. the hockey ladies cou ld be in for a good season in both the local and BUSA leagu es.

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CANARIES DOaORS BECKY WILTSHIRE

Sports dubs prepare for a new season in the BUSA League MARC DUDLEY SPORTS-EDITOR

At the start of another university year UEA' s s port clubs have high hopes of doing well in this year 's BUSA Championships. The BUSA (British University Sports Association) Championships is the competition that sees universities from all over the country battle it out for promotion and relegation in their given conference. One team who will be hoping to build on last year's success is the Men 's Football team . After winning the Norfolk Junior Cup last season, the team will be hoping

to gain promotion to the BUSA Premier League. Th e Blues get their campaign underway against Cambridge in the highly competitive Mid la n ds Conference lA. Other teams who find themse lves in conference I , and 路 on ly one promotion away from the Prem ier are the Men 's Basketball and Fencing teams and the Women 's Hockey, Squash and Tennis teams. Hopefully they can succeed and give UEA a team in the Premier Division next season. The rest of the UEA teams find themse lves in Conference 2 and wi ll be

the h igher conference and quality for one of the many knockout tournaments at the end of the year. Concrete will be trying it's best to follow a ll the UEA's sports clubs progress . but since we can't be at every single match we wi ll need some help reporting from the students of UEA. So if you play for one of the teams or have an interest in one .of the sports. get in touch by sending an e-mail or come into the concrete office to talk to a member of the team. So, let'ss hope UEA's sport clubs can get off to a winning start in their bids for glory.

DPnw~~~~~--~~"~~------------IR 6~~ -= y ----------~

Men: UEA vs Cambridge Women: UEA vs Derby

Men: UEA vs Northanmpton Women: DeM (Lel) vs UEA

Golf

Squash Women: UEA vs Warwick

B ocby Men: Uncoln vs UEA Women: Notts vs UEA

1'eDDJa Women: UEA vs DeM (Let}

l'fetball

1'eDDJa Men: Notts 2 vs UEA

MJxed: Uncoln 2 vs UEA

Women: N Trent vs UEA

2oth October

GOT A SPORTS STORY FROM YOUR CLUB? E-MAIL US AT CONCRETE.SPORT@UEA.AC.UK Concrete Prize Crossword #56 ACROSS 4. Film about Tennis 9. 7 . Anger (3) 8 . To _, or not.. . (2) 10. Top of pen (3) 13. Classic LCR night 14. Self-Esteem (3) 16. Referee (6) 17. Walk Slowly (5) 18. My Fath er's Grandson (5) 20. Martial Arts film (4) 23. Part of a flower (4) 24. Paper. construction material (8) 25. See 22 Down

DOWN 1. Murder William (4.4) 2 . Education al Institution(6) 5. Society _ _ Drinking activity (3.5) 6. Toy bricks (4) 9. Spanish the (2) 11. Upper limb __ weapon (3) 12. _ Idol (3) 15. Relating to earth (3 ) 19. Trevor __ , Dj at Fresher's fair (6) . 20. Bird (5) 2 1. Mu s ical composition (5) 22. Bill Murray loses the meaning (4,2,11) With 25 across

Set by Abi

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