Concrete issue 167 20 10 2004

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SEE FEATURES PAGE 13

CONCRETr.: REFERENCE ARCH IVE

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PROBLEMS WITH NEW STRUCTURE EXTEND TO SENATE Robin Budd It is not only students who are set to be pushed out by the new governance plans. Members of the teaching staff may be replaced. as appointments by the Vice Chancellor become more common and democratically chosen faculty members are phased out.

The changes have been described as "a move away from the democratic checks and balances that are part of the existing system" by senior philosophy lecturer

Rupert Read. Unfortunately. no other faculty member has been willing to comment so far.

Under the new plans. each of the four faculties social sciences. arts and humanities. health and science - would be run by an executive; this executive comprises of five appointed members. in charge of overall faculty policy. There is no involvement at this level for students. and no real way for school members to question Purely consultative see page 6

STATESIDE UEA MEETS TARCiET FOR STATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

Celia Dearing & Helen Pike News Editors UEA has met and exceeded its target for state school admissions this year.

According to the Times University Guide. 88.4% of students admitted to UEA come from state schools.

This is significantly above the suggested target of 77% set by the Government and an encouraging achievement. Universities are , however. permitted to set their own benchmarks for admitting an appropriate proportion of state school students. according to the size of the university and nature of the region.

David Marshall.

Director of Admissions. says that "we do not outwardly seek out state schools. but UEA strives to be fair and we are getting students from a broad spectrum".

The success of UEA in this area may be a result of the accessibility of its admissions system. UEA admis-

sions currently have two Schools and College Liaison Officers who maintain communications with state school students through sixth form visits. open days and higher education fairs. where. in their capacity as UEA graduates. they are able to deliver a repertoire of relevant advice. In addition. there are summer schools planned, which aim to give young people a taste of what life as a student entails including attending lectures and living in student residences.

The importance of such transparency has been emphasised in the Schwartz Report on Fair Admissions

to Higher Education. which states that "higher education is a commodity. it can affect salary. job security and power to influence society. It is therefore vital that all stakeholders in the admissions process - applicants. parents. schools. teaching and admissions staffbelieve the system is fair".

There were. however. universities across the UK who didn't meet their targets and were thus "named and shamed" recently in the national press.

Those Universities included Oxford. Cambridge.

Warwick. Edinburgh and Exeter. Both Oxford and Cambridge missed their tar-

gets by about twenty percentage points and have been warned by the Office of Fair Access (OFFAl that they face tough penalties if they fail to reach their targets in the next academic year. This could include removing their ability to charge up to 拢3000 per year in tuition fees. This has muddied the waters somewhat and many of the leading universities have accused the government of "social engineering" in their demand that state school targets are met.

Conversely. last Thursday's speech by higher education minister Toothless, see page

2 co ncrc tc. ncws @uca. ac .uk

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wa s , I ima gine , diffe re nt no from growing up a nywhe re e lse. The way in which we d eve lop knowledge of our imme di a te surroundings is a go o d analogy for the way we ge n e rally le arn. As we mature , we e xplore m ore e nvirons , we expand our horizons ; sometimes this leads to unwelcome information. Such information can c ontinue to exist a t the p e riphe ry of all subsequent e xper ience an d lear ning; it can draw your entire perce ption into the neg ative .

It is p erfe c tly p o ssible to live in ignorance. Since com ing to UEA I've met ple nty of p e ople from Nottingham wh o aren't aware of - or simply d on 't c are ab out - the r isin g gang viole nce. And it is risin g .

Th e recent s h oo ting in Nottingham is the latest e xamp le of how- in this case, crack -wars begin to targe t innocent people . The m ost te lling thing about the re cent reporting of the incident in Nottingham is the image s of the police: white p olice m e n inve stigating the incident; a white p olicewom a n app ealing fo r witnesses. This is PR at its most am ateurish. lt seem s we are becoming out o f touch , m ore obs e s s e d with symptom than cause.

As a cure for symptoms , d rugs are likely targets for a tta ck . 'Drugs ' is another of those words that exist s o peop le h ave somewh e re to apportion blame; o r s h e lve their proble ms . The real problem, of cours e , is d e privation and its result ant fa ctor ; m argin alisation. But we d on't like to talk about depriva tion or pove r ty b e cause we are a d e ve loped c oun try, and tho s e kin ds of things d on 't h app e n to us. lt d oesn 't matter if rail travel is awful - so awful that it m ake s th e n ig htmare of c ar trave l appeali ng - b e cause we ca n 't take the £1 5bn ne cessary to b uy it back away from "h osp itals or schools". " Hospita ls or Sch oo ls"' ? He ave n forbid it shoul d come out of defence mo 11c·y. b nt tha t v.;ould be because defence money rs P''Y'l1CJ fo:· c1 ··Zl th er la rge -

albeit ille gal - war. It 's inte re sting tha t the same be-suite d people tha t a re telling us there 's no m oney, except that in "hospitals an d schools " , are warning us th at we might not have a p e nsion; e ven though they seem to b e doing alright . nethe r inte resting thing s the close link d e priation sh ares with single parent familie s . And the interesting thing about single parent famili es is the lack of male role m o dels . So whe n young p eople from such background s are looking to so ciety to provide them with stability in male fo rm, they can lo ok to the most acces sible corne rstones of mode rn society: the a uthorities - and their repre se n tatives - an d the world of ente rtainme nt. If the symb ols of authority around the m do not b ear any rese mblan ce to them, the n they 're bound to lo ok e ls ewh e re. But n e ithe r aren a s are p articularly g ood s ource s of role -mod e l m ate rial, m ainly because the peop le that occupy th e role s aren 't re quire d to b e role mode ls anymore, but also b ecaus e b o th a re immerse d in vi olence.

This is neith er a cr iticism of gover nment , nor an argume nt for censorship. It 's a concern for the gene ral state of so cie ty. If we a re g oing to e mbrace capitalism and be more individualistic , the n we have to ac cept a greate r degree of pers onal resp onsibility for our actions. Part of th a t resp onsibility is inclusion - th e d ecision to incorporate the need s of others , no m atte r h ow fa r rem oved they seem from us , into our everyday life .

Fro m that p e r sp e c tive , it's good to see th a t our Unive r sity is tre ating the issue of state sch oo l m e mbership m ore serio us ly than some of the more ... elitist. .. insti tuti ons. As ind ividu als, th e re a re two a ppr oac h e s we c a n ta ke towards the process of inclusion: a cce ptance an d ignorance. The latter just fee d s on itself while the for m er comp e ls us to cha ng e.

P hilip Sainty Ed it or 20 04 -05

STATE SCHOOLS ADMISSIONS From Page One t.h e d ecis ion s of lh e executi ve. Th e r e w ill b e on e m eetin g a y <'rt r . with a ll sc h oo l a nd s tucl e nl re pre se n t a ti ves prese n t. Howeve r. thi s is pure ly a co n su lt.rt t.i ve m eeti ng. wi th no opp or-t uni ty to t ruly sc ru tini se t h e executive's d ec is ion s . S ome fac u lty m Pm be rs a re rt lso con ce rned tha t t h ere wo uld b e n o frtc ility for c h ec king t h e powe r o f th e a ppo in ted h ert d s of frt c ult y: w h e n th ese c h a n ges we r e d is c u ssed .

Ru pc rt Rert cl we nt on reco rd rt s asking fo r a fa cility fo r a ·vote o f n o co nfid e n ce · in th e h ea d s o f fa c u lty . T h is was di s m issed a s "h e rtvy -h a nd ed " - h oweve r w ith n o fa c ilit y to h o ld th e h e rtcls o f sc h oo l to a ccount. o th e r th a n info rma l m e e t in .e:s . a lo t of tru s t wou ld h a ve to b e in ves te d in w h oe ve r th e Vice C h rt n ce ll or <lp po in ts .

Ex te n s ive c h a n ge s a re

a ls o pla nned a t. t h e lop leve l o f d eci s io n m rt king. in th e se nate . Whils t a s limming clown o f t h e se n a t l" wa s agreed to be n ecessary . th e p ro po srt ls for a pp oin t ing n ew se n rt tc m e mb e rs c o u ld pote ntia lly m ove away fro m d e m oc ra tic processes .

In t h e recom m e nd ed struc ture. e ig h t o f t h e twe nt y - t h r ee m e m b e rs wo ul d be di rec tly a ppo int ed . a nd four m o re w o uld b e n o min a t e d b y a ppo intees of th e vice c h a n ce llor. Ju s t th re e m e mbe rs of th e se n a te wo u ld b e s t u d e nts - two union o ffi cers a nd on e g ra du a te s t u d e n t.

O nly e igh t re pre se nta ti ve s would b e e lec ted h y th e aca d e m ic m e mbe r s h ips o f the frt c ult ies . wi t h th e re m rt in ing vacan c ies b e ing trt ke n u p by t h e Aca d e mi c Reg is tra r a nd e ith e r th e Dea n o f S tud e nts o r a lib ra ri an .

Th is s t a n ds in s t Z~ r k co mpa ri s o n to oth e r uni ve r in thi s r<'g io n : s it ies Ca mbri d ge h a s a s e na t e co un e il co m p ris ing twnlly o n e m e mb e r·s . nin t> tee n o f w hi c h a rc e k ckd - s ix teen fro m a mo n g t h e t e rt c h in g

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d e n s omc· . Whil e everyon e recog n ises th a t a u nive rs it y in fin a n c ia l h a rd s hip h as to im p rove it's d ec is io n m a king p rocesses . th e re is a cl a n ge r th a t t h e rl"form wi ll "t h row th e b a by out w ith th e b<llh · wrt te r" rt ncl c rea te <1 s e n a te whi c h is j u s t a ru i> b c r s tamp in p; co m mittee for th e Vice C h a n ce llo r. T h e s e p la n s a lso s h ow a tr e nd towa rd s a frtr less tra n s pare nt a n d in clu s ive syste m . as Deans a re e n co umged in th e new p lan s n ot to co n ven e formal m ee tings. wh ic h co u ld lea d to fac ulty m e mbe rs fee ling exc lud ed fro m the d ec is io n m a ki n g a n d co n s u lt a ti o n p rocesse s. Th e m od l" rn isa · t io n co mm ittee m ee ts o n e m or<" lim e rt t th e e nd o f thi s se m e s te r. with th e ir reco m m e nd rt ti o n s to b egin im p le m e n i <~ ti o n in Jiln u a ry twxt yea r. T im e w ill te ll if th e ir pro p o s a ls s tay a s utJb a la n ced rt s tlwy c une ntly <t rc .

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s taff a nd three s tud e nts. Th e se n a te rt t th e Unive r s ity of E s s e x c o n t a in s th irt ee n e lected s tud e n ts a n d twe nty four elected s ta ff m e mbe rs.

Comme nti n g on th e c h a n ge s . Uni o n Acad e mi c O ffi ce r Cht; s O s trowski sa id th a t it see m ed ·crazy" n ot to includ e a r e p r e s e n tat ive fro m evP t)' s c h oo l. citi n g las t yert r ·s case in w h ic h th e ll"a c hing of Drrt m a was on ly c ontinu ed a ft e r th e dra m a fa c ult y 's p r·o p o sa ls fo r re form we re a pproved by t h e se na te.

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Concrete

Wednesd{/\'. Ocwher 20th. 200-1

PEACE PROTEST

STUDENTS FED UP WITH 'UNACCEPTABLE' KENT LEADS UNION TO BAN ADVERTISING ON CAMPUS AND IN UNION MEDIA J a ne Douglas Notot·ious lettin ~ compa · ny KPnl Prop e- rty Ma nage- m e nt is now banned fro m a d v(Tlising in uni o n h o u se- a nd a ny of th e u n ion publica ti on;,.

Th e d e ci s io n . to exclud e- I he le tting co mp a ny from Union House wa s m a d e by the mana~emcnt c-o mmit · tee this week following a fres h wave o f s t uckn t co m p la ints .

The n ew tt>rm brottgh t with it o ld grievances as nu m e ro u s s t ud e nts m oved in to th e ir houses on ly to discove r t h e m in an in adequ a te c ond iti on . T h e le tting c om pany did ve ty littl e to man age some o f the p roblems a nd in ce rt a in cases we re o utright co ntemptuous o f a nd eve n ab u s ive towards the- d isi llusioned s tudents a nd their parents.

In more t han o ne insta nce stude nt s who we re co ntractuall.v o b li,l.(e d to be~ in paying re nt in August. but who did not intend to move in unt il S e pt e mber. vis ite d th P prope-rties in Aug us t a nd found ~o m eo m· living th e re. O ne s eco n d yea r s i udcnl w ho e ncountered this p r ob le m desc ribe d how when h e we n t lo th e I<cnl Prop erty Mil nageme n t o ffice

to tty il nd resolve the s it ua t ion he was "bas ically to ld to go away". It loo k thi s ~ro up of second years two weeks of corres ponckn cc a nd th e threa t o f lec;al ac- ti on to gai n a m o nth s rent in com pe n sat ion. · Howeve r thi s kind of Cilse is only t he t ip of t h cKe nt Prope rty Man ilgemen t iceberg. The re a re co unlless exa mples o f pro ble ms with houses including: ex ploding toaste rs. poor q uality fu rniture . fm tl ty ove ns. malfun c tio ning plumbing a nd h e a t ing. not to m e nti o n hobs whi c h don 't turn off. Several students h ave moved into un -cleaned res idences a nd in one Cilse the b ins had not eve n been e mpti ed.

Others h ave fo und gardens whi c h rese m ble rub bish dumps a nd mildew in th e ba th roorn. O ne g roup of s e co nd yea rs d iscove red il di s tinct lac k of furnilttre a nd a broke n wi ndow in the ir house . Astonish ed that this h a d not b ee n n o ticed whe n th e pro pe tiy was ins pected t h ey a pproac h e d Ke nt Propl'rty Ma nage m e nt o nly to be s hrugged -oil: it was anot her three weeks be fo re a new window was ntted. Ke nt ofte n pu t t hl' se problems dow n to the landlords.

However. it has co me to light

that th e le t li ng co mpany a ctua lly ow n. s ome of these h Otl Sl'S .

Whe n a pproac hed abo ut iss ues c once rning the prop ert ies . l(en t Prope rty Milnage m ent has . been fa r pro fcss io n il l.

One fr o m gro up of te n a n ts wh o threa t ened to go to the au tho ri ties. we r e m e t w ith a n a n gry res ponse fr o m t h e ow n e r who did his best to intimid a te the te n a n ts te lling the m to leave the pre mises in less than c ivil language.

After a previous ban on Ke nt Prope ti.y Manilgeme n t. a dvice centre s ta ff worked close ly with th e le tting co m pany in a n a ttempt t o l'nco urage t h e m to deal with s t uclents in a professional m a nne r: but despite ini tia l signs of improvement they h ave re turned to t heir o ld ways. Welfm·e Officer J o Wt·ight d esc ribed how Ke nt Pro pl'rt y Ma n ageme nt "a re _ju s t a wful to peop le·· and t real th e m ·· in a completely un acce p ta bl e m a nn e r ". Jo \Vri g ht r ecomme nds t hat stude nt s u se th e advicl' cen lrT wl w tl re nti11 g accommod a ti on.

CAREERS f'AR Affinity Recruitment Solutions, Allies Computing, Army, ACCA, BBC East , Bernard Mat thews Foods, Broads Auth ori ty, Cadbury Trebor Ba ssett, Camp Counselors USA, CIMA, ClOT, Cogent , Coral Cay Conservation, East of England Energy Group, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Environment Agency, Foundation Softwa re Soluti ons, Frontier, GradsEast, Grant Thornton,

UEA LECTURER RALLIES AGAINST WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION Laura Palmer On Monday 11 Octob e r. peace activists from a ll over Britain brought a huge mode l T ride n t s ub m arin e to th e sca t o f British govern a nce to c h a ll e nge Labour to abando n it s WMD and to co mply fu lly with its inte rna tio nal trea ty ob ligations.

International ex pe rts includ · ing Kat e Hudson. the C hair o f the Ca mpa ign for Nuclear Dis a rmament. wat c hed as e ve nt s unfo lded .

From lOa .m. til 3 .30pm. the ·sub" b locka ded t h e e ntrance to Downing S treet. p reve nting veh icles from e nte ring a nd leav ing. Fo ll owi ng a dea l s truck between the po li ce a nd t he 28 ·s ubm a riners· inside it. the s ub was d is · mantled by th e peace a c l ivi s ts r ath er th an destroyed by the police. ·"l"m de light ccl"". said one o f th e Theatre o f Wa r· m e mbers who h e lp ed bu il d th e ·s ub" : ·· because n ow we ca n reassemble this ·s ub" again an d do more s tree t th eatre with it. o n a future occas ion!""

During the fi nal minutes of the b lockade. at th e c;ates of Downing Stree t. Tri de nt Plo u g h s hares s po kespeopk An g il' Ze ltc r a nd Ruperl Reil d h a nd ed in a letter lo a rept·esent a tive of th e Primt M i ni~ter. To n y !3 la ir. call ing on h im t o e n sure t h a t Brita in wi ll reh tse to r<"IH'\\" lite 1958 nudcar coopt·ra lion pact (VI utual Deft-nce /\gtTt"llH' n t ("MD A") with I he United Statt·s. anrl \\"ill c·om pi\ lull) \nth tlrt· NudL"ar 1\Jon l'rolifnation Tr<'<ll\' ("NI'!"") \\lliC'!r rvcp11rcs

Britain to take ste ps to e n gage in nuclear disarm am e nt. By contrast. ren ewing Lhe MDA wou ld see Britain co ntinuing to work toge the r wi th t h e wo rld' s bi ggest nuckar natio n. the U.S.A:. which s h ows no s ig n at a ll o f fomenting o r participating in disarmament.)

The le tt er· urges thl' Ptime Minister to uphold inte rnational law. rcjl'ct th e pact's re newal and ,ge t rid oft h e Trident nuclear weapons system . This ca ll fo llows p ublica tio n o f a n authoritative kga l op ini o n fro m Ma t r ix C h a mb e rs. whi c h co nc ludes that B ritain will be in b reac h o f the NPT if it continues with th e MDA with the US. wh ic h both parties a re sel to renew thi s year.

Tride nt Ploughsha r es s pokes m a n An g ie Ze lte r. said to Lh e represe n tative of Numbe r I 0 w h o a ccep te d the le tte r. ·'Ple ase ta ke this pe rson a lly to Mr. Bla ir. and remind him that wh e n two I rea ti es a r e inco mpa tibl e . one has to give way! Britai n c a nnot claim the m o ra l h igh g round on pro life ration wh ile it p la ns to el\1:end it s ow n a rsenal. T h e nuclear co ll a boration with th e United Sl ates h as to s to p a nd both countri t> s m ust liK e up to I h e ir o b li~a tion s und er th e NPT." Norwic h G ee n Pa rty Co unc il o r Ru pe rt Read . wh o acted a.., a spokesperson for Trident Plougltslt;ircs today. ad d ed. ··The inten t ion ol today's event an in te n t ion that lt;1s plainly sttccccckd was to lwlp make it politic-.lll\' impossiiJk I or the ((m t"!"l ll llent to '-.lay in the

nucle a r -WMD bus in ess without at least a seriou s public a nd Parliame nta ty d is cussion of whe t he r we in Britain o ught to vio la te the NPT a nd hold o nto o ur illegal nuclear weapons. or n o t.

Whil e Ira q h a s now b een co nclusi ve ly hown not to have ha d any WMDs. Britain has them a ple n ty. a nd in llagrant disre ~a rd o f inter· national law and treaty ob ligations. like a n ou tlaw s tate is doing no thing to rid itse lf o f them. O n t he co ntraty. il is co-o perating with the reactionary Bu s h regime to ex pand its WMD ca pacity .

T his in tol e ra bk s itu a tion was g raphically h ig hlig hte d tod ay by th is la rge g roup of brave pe aceful pro testers prepared to put their bodies on th e line . on White h a ll. All right thinking -people s h ou ld support a nd s alute the m."

Messages of suppo rt we re received from numerous Pa r li ame ntar ia n s. including Green Party mem bers of the Scottis h Pa r li a m e nt.

Green MEP Carolin l' Lucas. t he Scott ish Socialist Pati.y . t h e Sco ttish a nd We lsh National ists . an d backbcnch Labo ur MPs J e remy Co rbyn .

Alice Ma ho n . a nd Ala n Simpson .

Kate Hud s on. the Cha ir of CND . said a t the scen e. "T he ti m l' h as com e to e n d o ur ~over nm e nt ·s WMD hyp oc risy! Co nt a ct you r MP s now. and ttr((<' them to see k to block the 1\lDA. and to c·n lorce tlw NJYr. "

Lond o n on Sa tu nlay . w ith tlte fundra is er b e in g s u p po r ted by UEA ,ocil'ly SEE D (Socie ty fo r Eve ry th in g o n the En viro m11 e nt a nd Development). S oci e ty jJrl'S· tclcn t Lyn cl se\" McLc ll a n said: "We a ll h l' lped to ra ise awa re n ess !o r a n inlpm·tant cause that is not \\"l'll k nown and lttav hold ft tturv even ts."

AltlH111gh then· wa'-. an op1 ion a I fancy dress tlwme.

7()".., disco kn-r. Jew braved it !3tlrl11f'Sl' food was on o iTet· as we ll a s a ra nl e. ba r. d a nce floor and info rmation o n Burma . Th e lti,ghlighl o f

the eve n ing was till" Love Da te a tt c!io n. Peop le o ffe red thc m seh·es to lw auctio n ed off fo r th e ni gltt. "It was a m az mg.

Ly ndsey r e marke d . "Some pe op le we re bidding 0\'('r £1 oo··· You can find out m ore a bottl SEUl b:-• ,. m a ilin U: Ly nd scy at llt'aSeCd fJ VaiHHl.t"O.lll' or b\" popp ing alung to oJJl" of their llll'e t inl(s on Ttlt·~d.t\ s at 5pm in Union llousl'.

Harper Collins Publishers, Hays Accountancy Personne,, HEART Foyers, Hess Educational Orgamsation, HM Prison Service,

Inland Revenue,

Institute of Food Research, John lnnes Centre, Jobserve UK, Larking Gowen, Lidl UK, Lovewell Blake, Majest ic Wine, Marsh , McDonalds Restaurants, NHS, Norfolk Soci al Services, Norwich City Council, Norwich Union, Police· (High Potential Development Scheme) , PWC, Protocol Professionals, RAF, Royal Navy & Royal Marines, ScreenEast, Teacher Training Agency, Teaching Projects Abroad , UEA RBS , UEA Volunteers , UEA Postgraduate Study, UEA School of Education, VS O, Westoby Yates

Tuesday 26 October 1230-1530 Sport sPark

Li zzie Cook Over .1.:2500 wa!> raisl'd t hi s wee ke nd at a c harit y eve nt for a n unu s u al sc h ool o n 1 h P Th ai-Bur m ese IJm·de r.

Ben Hammon d. former UE/\ st tldcn t. orl.(amserl t lte part:. to rat'-.t' mom·y for the Ytt<ln~ Ni On Sdwol \\"lwrc IH \\"ill Ill t ,H hin.!! for t•·tt nlotllll..,. Su 1vri'-.i1u.Ov. this ,.,, !tool nm < s to \\"lttT<'\"lT there an· concetltrations of n lt 1get· ch il dren needing t>d u•·atio n .

So it \\,ts party ti me in

6 concrete.news@ uea.ac.uk

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LESS WORK FOR EVERYONE Kate B ryant There wi ll be less work for students and teac hers al ike this semester as the amo u nt of coursework in som e un its has been halved.

Anxiety is now spreading over how the reduced workload wi ll affect prospec tive students' per ception of UEA and in particu lar its EAS department. hitherto a jewel in UEA"s crown. This feeling is heigh tened by the ongoing disappo intment with the closure of LLT a n d Drama.

Wh ilst it is only English Literature u nits that have bee n changed , the trend that it m ay set will have wider repercussion s.

Previously Englis h Lite ratu re u ni ts wou ld encompass two pieces of coursework. a project of 2000 wo rds and a fmal essay of 3000 word s.

Students wi ll now on ly be asked to write a s ingle, fmal piece of 3000 words a t the end of their twelve week

units. The essay will be marked out of term-time, when lecturers have no other commitments to that particular u n it. In previous years the 2000 word project would be handed in at the end of week six and th en m arked and returned by the end of th e semester.

The ch ange comes as an upsh ot of the maj or restruct ure at UEA designed to m argina lise courses with a s mall intake and foreground those with larger populations. Vast as the intake for a ll EAS courses is, the reduction in the time being devoted to English Literatu re units goes against the grain of the grand plan.

Indicative of the great workload being given to lecturers, both acad emic and a dministrative. the need to lessen coursework high lights how s tu den ts a re not reaping the benefi ts of the new system as intended . It is n 't redu ction in the vo lume of assessed work that bothers many stu den ts. bu t tha t the first essay of the

DESOLVED From Page 1

the decisions of the executive. There will be one meeting a year. with all school and student representatives present. however this is purely a consultative meeti ng, wiU1 no opportunity to tru ly scrutinise th e executive's decisions. Some facu lty me m bers a re a lso concerned th at U1ere would be no means of checking the powe r of the a ppoin te d head s of faculty. Wh en thes e c h a n ges we re disc u ssed Rupert Read went on record as asking f01路 the facility for a

'vote of no confidence' in the heads of faculty. This was dismissed as 'heavy-handed' - however willi no opportunity to hold the heads of facu lty to account other than ir1formal meetings. a lot of tr ust wou ld have to be invested in whoever the Vice Chancellor appoints.

Extensive changes are also pla nn ed at llie top level of d ecis ion making. in the sen ate. Whilst a s lim m ing d own of th e senate was agreed to be necessary. the proposals for a ppoin ti n g new m emb ers co uld s e nate potentia lly move away from

semester is so mething of a trial ru n, and the feedback they receive is u sed to improve their fin a l essay.

The changes m ean that they are essen tia lly flying blind into their only assessed piece. with no indication of their individua l weak points.

Clare LIT says "I'm worried th a t my m arks won't

reflect the work I've p u t into the ch anged u ni ts becau se I've not h a d the ch ance to be pointed in the righ t d irection . I h ave no real ind ication of how we ll I'm doing. I know that the previous system had its fai lings, particularly for lecturers. but I think studen ts s hould at least have som e marked work through ou t

the sem ester...

Not everyone is against these changes h owever, as many stude n ts see the benefits of being focu sed on on e goal only. Becca LIT reasons "I'd ra ther be in a s itua tion where I co uld focu s my effo rts, that way I could avoid do ing essays h a lfway throu gh a unit wh en I d on't feel en tirely prepared ."

it remains unclear wh ether the changes will remain permanen tly in place. or whether they wi ll s p read to other u ni ts in the near fu ture . While m any stud en ts feel uncomfortable wi th the n ew layou t, there is not the u nited up roar th at m arked th e closure of LLT and Drama.

In de m ocratic processes. the recommended s tructu re. eight of th e twenty -t h ree members would be directly appointed. and four more would be nominated by appointees of the vice chancellor. Just three members of the senate wou ld be students - two union officers and one graduate student.

Only eight representatives wou ld be elected by the academic memberships of llie faculties, with the remain ing vacancies being taken up by the Academic Registrar and either llie Dean of Stu dents or a lib rarian .

This stands in stark comparison to oth er univers ities in thi s regio n ; Cam b ridge h as a sen a te council compris ing twenty-

one m embers. ninetee n of which are elected - sixteen from among the teaching staff and three students. The senate at the University of Essex contains thirteen elected students and twentyfour elected staff members.

Commenting on the changes, Union Academic Officer Chris Ostrowski said that it seemed 'crazy路 not to include a representative from every schooL citing last year's case in wh ich the teaching of Drama was only con tinued after the drama facu lty's proposals for reform were approved by the sen ate.

Under t his new s tructure, a drama fac u lty member would not h ave had the opportuni ty to d irectly contribute to th e se n ate.

Severa l members raised tl1is as a poin t of concern in the senate meeting where U1is was discussed. and it has been referred back to the joint committee.

These changes are best summed up by the objective of the modernisation com mittee - 'a cultural shift away from formal committees and procedures. towards processes that are less administratively burdensome'. While everyone recognises that a university in fi nancial hardship h as to improve it's decision making processes, there is a d anger that th e reform will 'throw the baby out with the bath water' and create a senate whic h is j u st a rubbe r s tamping committee for the

Vice Chancellor. These pla n s a lso s h ow a tr end towards a far less transparent and inclusive system. as deans are encouraged in the new plans not to convene formal meetings. which could lead to faculty members feeling excluded from the decision making and consultation processes. The modernisation committee meets one more time at the end of this semester. with their recommendations to begin imple mentation in January next year. T ime will tell if their proposals stay as unbalanced a s they currently are, however it seem s unlikely any m aj or changes to the existing proposals wi ll be ma de.

Cota'lte Wednesday, Ocorber 20th, 2004

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lARGE RISKS EAST ANGLIA'S PIE CAPITAL STATUS IS ATRUE HOMAGE, BUT IS IT AN INDICATOR OF A WIDER, NATIONAL PROBLEM Isabel Dyson Norwich Is the largest consu mer of pies In Britain.

According to a survey conducted by Tesco, figures show that Norwich has eaten 1.8 million pies so far this year. Of the 122,000 Inhabitants of Norwich these figures Indicate that two fifths of a pie Is consumed every week per person - that's 200,000 pies ahead of Its close rival, Leeds.

Although locals might be proud of the record pie sales, obesity is becoming one of the most serious m edIcal problems in Britain today, with one In five people registered a s being clinically obese . Major government campa igns are already underway In an attempt to reduce the national obesity figures and substantial EU funding has been donated to the British Heart Foundation to help battle the problem.

After research Into the lifestyles of students , the

idea that UEA students could be In danger of becomIng obese, through their contribution to the consumption of pies In Norwich, appears to be unfounded. Despite the large Intake of fattening beer, kebabs and pizzas durIng an average night out, Sportspark figures stand to defend the healthiness of students.

From August 2003 to August of this year, students visited the gym at UEA's Sportspark 52.000 times and the swimming pool 31.000 times. As well as aerobic classes and badminton, squash and basketball court use - averaging 50,000 visits - students appear to be largely healthy. Despite the popular meals of chips , beans and sausages In The Zest and the limited nutritional food available on a student budget, the dancing that accompanies the average calorie-fuelled night out and the enormous membership of sports societies, combine to suggest that the m ajority of UEA s tudents are avoiding contribution to the national obesity numbers.

MIND YOUR DRINK! Celia

Dearin~

News Editor Students are being urged to watch their beer as a new drink-spiking campaign Is launched by UEA Student Union. Women's Officer Kat Bowker wants "to break the silence over drink sptking and Increase awareness" of what has been known as an "invisible crime". 路 The campaign Is In resp onse to u nanimou s

agreement In the Women's Committee that drink-spikIng is becoming a continually frequent occurrence, often hitting close to home. The committee felt that awareness needed to be raised In order to break the taboo of a difficult and often macknowledged subject.

Adding alcohol or drugs Into a person's drink often takes the form of a "harmless prank" but it may also be d one with the Intent of rob-

The conside ra ble cons umption of pies in Norfolk could well be a factor of the countless traditional bakeries found all over the county as well as Its resident master chef and Chairperson of Norwich City football club, Delia Smith , whose pies were voted the Best Match-Day Pies by supporters. With the success of Norwich's Canaries, the traditional pie that accompanies the tension of a match has obviously not been neglected . One local supporter claimed, "It's true, football wouldn't be complete without a good pie and a pint to enjoy it. That doesn't mean we eat them all the time though!"

The BBC has joined the bandwagon to "get Britain fit" with its new Fat Nation programme.

The series attempts to put Britain through nine challenges. including clenching your bottom at every opportunity and aiming for 10,000 steps a day. The British Heart Foundation's Step Up Challenge hopes to get people to record enough steps a cross the country to climb 100 of the world's highest mountains 21 times, raising l p per step and accumulatIng 拢!million . Funds raised will go to heart research , education . s pecialist care a nd th e p romot ion of h ealthy living.

bing or a ssaulting them .

With the first national survey of the crime revealing that one in four women who regularly visited clubs and pubs had their drinks spiked last year, the proactlve approach of the union Is reassuring.

There is no reason for panic however and Kat Bowker says "it's a low key campaign, not there to cause fear and alarm, but to highlight the fact that it is sometimes not safe to leave drinks around. We want to make people think about where they are leaving their drinks and to keep them on their person Instead".

A series of posters have been put up on campus to alert students to the risks Involved and there will be a stall In the Hive on Wednesday 27th October from 12:00 until 14:00, where the Union will be distributing leaflets on how to prevent drink spiking. what to do of your drink Is spiked and also Informing of the potential consequences, such as sexual assault. By providing Information In a bid to Increase awareness, unnecessary fears should also be allayed . Drink stirrers will be roaming the LCR on Thursday 28th October planting swizzle sticks In unassuming students' drinks, to demonstrate "just how easy it is to go unnoticed wbeo tampering with drinks :

Toby Cunningham, UEA

Ente rta inments Assistant Duty Manager, thinks the campaign is "an excellent thing" adding that "drink spiking happens anywhere and eve rywhere, students need to be aware of this and never leave drinks unattended".

Graham Clark, UEA Group Bars Manager, also takes the issue seriously and highlights that "due to the nature of the Union pub the large number of people often In there and the rectangular structure of the bar, drink spikers are diffi cult to see as people don't stand at the bar. Of course, all staff look out for it, but it is Impossible to see everywhere at all times ." His

a dvice to s tudents is "not to let go of your drink at any point".

For students out and about In the city centre there is also action being taken by Operation Enterprise . th e project run by Norfolk Constabulary. Norwich City Centre Management Team a nd Norfolk Drugs and Alcohol Team. They have been working with venues on Prince of Wales Road, an area frequented by students. to make it a safer place to socialise.

Project Director of Ope ration Enterprise, Gavin Tempest. assures us that the project Is "not to raise fears of sex attacks but to educate people about safety

Issues".

His advice Is to "plan your evening, do not accept drinks from strangers and always ensure that you have orga nised tra nsport home" . He emphasises the need to "think safety. planning and prevention".

These campaigns follow a series of national coverage on the Issue, including the recent Channel 4 Dispatches Drug Rape Investigation and numerous preventative campaigns nationwide . However. statistics show that Norwich students should not be unduly worried, the key message being to simply to keep their wits about them when having a drink.

.I

8 concrctc. ncws@uca.ac. uk

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"THIS IS REALLY SAD" BlAST THREATENS PEACE IN EGYPT Amir Michaeel &

Shaan Pa tel On the 7th of October b lasts in Ta ba. Egypt. lost 3 0 people their lives a nd injured many. The ta rge t was one of th e coun try's la rge holiday res orts on th e west ban k of the country bo rd e ring Is rae l. A blac k tru ck. estima ted to h a ve been canying about 200kg (44 1 pounds) of explosives. brought down 11 s toreys on one s ide of th e Hilton Hotel.

2 oth er explosion s on the nea rby resort of Nuweiba occ urred but ha d no fa ta l im pact.

It is still u nclear who was behind the th ree explosion s. and as a result the p urpose

of these explosion s is still uncerta in . Fingers are pointing to 2 m a in pos s ibilities .

Some people believe th is was a Pa lesti nian a ttack against Is raelis. a s Ta ba is a ve ry popular Is raeli holiday d estinati on du e to its location on the Egyp tian: ls raeli border.

Howeve r, it is improbable that even a large Palestinian m il ita nt group s u c h as Hamas can arrange s u ch a s trategic a ttack. There h as also been an explic it d enia l of involvem ent in the Egyp t attac ks by a Ha mas s pokesm an in Gaza.

The other finger of bla m e is pointing to Al Qaeda du e to the nature of these syn ch ronised attacks a nd the b rutal disregard of the victims a nd who they m ight be.

which once again resurrected m emories of the a ttack on September 1 1th.

This a ttack is a real blow to the Midd le Ea st and Egypt in pa rti cu la r. Tou ri s m in Egypt and the sta tus of the Egyptian economy wi ll lose its sta b ility once agai n . In fa ct. it was only recently that Egyp tia n auth orities h ave removed heavy military protecti on accompa n ying touris ts anywhere they went in Egypt fo r s ecurity purposes. whi ch was very restric tive to touris ts . Tourists in Egypt ha d jus t s ta rted enj oying their n ewfound safety a nd freed om in this m agnificent coun try. only for a n u n civilised attack to ruin their joy.

Stu dents arou nd cam -

pu s expressed varying levels a bo ut th e o f concern a ttac ks. 'This is really sad , the country was just s tarting to sta bili se its eco nomy whe n so m ething like th a t ha ppen s: it will have a huge impact on Egypt's tourism ." said Recta Youssef. 2nd year Pharm acy Stud ent a t UEA. "My co n cern s a re fo r m a n y coun t ri es s u ch as Egypt. who a im to d evelop their eco nomic and political secto r by being peace fu l.

However wi th the d isaster they have experien ced : the world need s to be aware of the problem s in tha t regio n and act positively on thi awareness." - Joh n Roger 2nd year Oceanography and Meteorology S tudent at UEA.

No one has gained anything from the events. Th e ter rori s t group in vo lved fai led to deliver its message. a s it remains unknown to th e wo rld! Wh e th e r th is grou p wa s Palestine based or not. Isra el wi ll con tin ue its war in Palestine a nd no peace will be reached . in fact it is more likely to trigge r m ore b loodshed in th e Middle Ea st.

And wha t a bout Egypt? A la nd with so much to offer people. who will now su ffer greatly with regard s to its m a in interna tion a l incom e which came from tourism. In this gam e. n o one wins. only more lives are lost and inno cent blood is shed. 'Tm concerned abo ut many cou n-

tries like Egypt. who aim to develop their economic and poli tical sector by being peaceful. However. with the disaster they have experi en ced the world need s to be a ware of the p roblem s in th a t region and act positively on this a waren ess... Said J ohn Roge r 2nd yea r Oceanogra phy a nd Meteorology S tu dent a t UEA. We n ow face a n ot h e r prob lem . neutra l land is now being a ttacked. this is no longer a war aga inst An1e rica or 'th e West'. it is now a wa r aga ins t the whole world . a wa r agai n st h umani ty. a war with no bou n daries. a war with no winner.

Concrete Wedl w ldav. Octohn 20th. 200-J

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 9

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BLOOD CiROUPS Sarah Smith A couple of weeks ago. the Nationa l Blood S e1v ice took over the LCR for a clay to a llow stud e nts and staff to do n ate a pint of blood. On October 4th I 0 l p eop le attend ed a nd 88 donations were m a d e. Alth ough a ny don a tion is a good thin g. with th e number of students and staff at this university it co uld b e hoped that we co uld ge t a few m o re toge th e r than this. The number of peopl e cion a t ing is s li g htly clown from th e sa m e time last yea r when I 12 people dona ted.

Over 3 days in Marc h 2 002 . 371 people attended blood giving sess ions a t th e unive rs ity and 3 25 d onations we re ma de .

This was a longer period of

STUDENT DENIED EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES Alyssa Morrisey Last week.

Concrete received a n a nonymous tip a lleging that a girl who came into th e unive rs ity Hea lth Cen tre. asking fo r th e morn ing a ft er pill was refused it on the grounds that she was not yet registered. There is no evide nce that the a llegations were tru e o t· false. though after severa l at tempts to contac t someone from th e Hea lth Centre for info rm a ti on abo ut e m e r ge n cy co ntracep tion. or th eir policy on h ;mding out con tracept ives to studen ts. a

Concrete correspondent was

to ld repea ted ly that there was no -o ne available for comment. The Hea lth Centre h as had a reputation in the past for be ing inaccessible to fe m a le s tudent s wa ntin g info rm ation abo ut sexua l issues.

Emerge n cy con i raceptive pills. which can be taken upto 72 hours a ft er unpro tected intercou rse. are free and legal in the UK. T h ey can be purchased from the n ea r est pharmacist. or o bta ined by vis iting the nearest health or family planning clinic.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Sarah Smith Think Pink' is the th eme of thi s years Breas t Cancer Awareness Mon th (BCAM) .

Every year the major breast ca n ce r ch a 1il ics a nd groups organize the BCAM to raise public and professional awaren e ss of th e disease and to raise money to fund research programmes into th e cause. prevention and cure of breast cancer.

Nearly 40.700 new cases a re

diagnosed every year an d 1 in 9 women "'ill be affected at some tim e in th eir lives.

This m ea ns that a t so m e stage nearly evc1-yone will know of someone ••; ho is affected. 4 in 5 of I hose women with breast cance r \vill be over 50 years old but it can affect women as young as their 20s .

As pnrt of this years awareness month people are being enc-oumged to organ ise 'pink days·. e ith er at work or with family and fri end s. to r a ise money .

lilllt' il11f l 'O I II]l<ll'('d to (](l• most recent s essions there was s till a decline in the numbers of ·tuclents and staff at te nding. lt is unfortunate th a t in rece nt yea rs it h as beco m e more cliiTicult fo r the NBS to hold th ese lo nge r sessio n s beca u se of th e frequ e nt u se of th e LCR fo r gigs and other events. One option that is being co nsidered is the u se of a NBS van on campus.

These self co ntain ed vans m ean that that a ll th e NBS would need is a pl ace to pa rk.

One pint o f blood is ta ken fmm eac h person but did yo u know that one pint can be used to h elp up to three peo ple? That m ea n s th a t from the rece nt dona tion sessio n . up to 264 peo-

People ca n pay mon ey to wear pink to work o r sell pink ca kes: anyth ing pink goes.

Various shops a nd co mpanies are selling breast ca n ce r m e rc h a ndi se. such as Asda. Bhs. Boots. Olay and SI Tropez. wit h money from s ale s being donated to the cnu se during October.

T h ese product s range from lipstick to li n ,g cric nnd manv stores will be s e lling breast cnncc r pins. The Uni on \vill be selling brcnst ca n ce r pins n ncl h a nding out information du1·ing the n ext two weeks in the Hive during lunch. At th e m om ent. h owever. there are no further plans for

pie co uld bt' I wiped or s a w cl .

Blood h n ot jUS t w ,ccl tor <H'<idcnh o r s t r r~t· r ~ \\·h en peo pl e h a ve lost la rge <IIIHHIIIIS of IJ !ooci. it IS < liSO gi\'en to patients ..,ufTe rin!! wilh Leukemia . cancer and women dur·ing mate rnity . So just think how much your one pint of blood co uld h elp.

If you h ave now decided you would like to become a blood d ono r. there a re sess ions at va rious locatio n s in th e city. The n ext UEA sessions ar e now in Ma1-ch. A chart for booking a ppoint m ents . as well as d etail s of when you can don a te. is ava ilable at th e reception in Union Hou se. If you wou ld like more information visit th e NBS websitc at WW\V.blood.co.uk or call on 08457 711 71 [.

fundraising on campus but if you a rc int e rested in o rga ni s in g so m e thin g yo u ca n contact th e Wom en' s Officer at su. womenslluca.ac. u k.

If you wou ld like fu1·ther information on brenst cnn cer and th e awareness month or infor m at io n on lundraising. visit th ese we b sites fo r more informa l io n www. breas tcancercare .org. uk/Home . and www.can cerresearchuk. o rg/breastcancer.

10 concrete. news@ uea.ac.uk

DECREASE IN INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS EXPECTED Norikazu T a k euchi Concrete hns been informed that th is year has seen <1 drop in the number ol internntional s t udents wish ing to study at UE:A. UnfOiiunately the adm issions figures for inlcrnntio n al s t udents have n ot yet been publis hed nml Directo r of th e In te rn a tion a l Office Gc ra rcl Go u k h ns !we n u nwilling to co mment until th e fin a l fi gures n r e in .

Howeve r th e ri se in tuiti on fees fo r intern a tio n a l s tu d ents. in conjuncti on with a s udd e n m ass of reel ta pe con ce rning visas . m ay well prove t o b e a s ignifi ca nt d e te rre nt fo r p rosp ec ti ve inte rn a tiona l s tud ent s con side ring studying at UEA. As cuiTe n t fi g ures indi ca te. inte rna tio na l students a re be ing required to pay e ithe r £8 175. (for n rt s. s ocia l scie n ces. a nd som e math em a ti cs co urses) or £ 10.600 (for sc ie n ce. e n g inee rin g. n ncl o th er math e m a ti cs co urses) whils t h o m e a nd E U s tud ents pay £ 1.150 fo r th eir 1uition fees. This is more than seve n 1imes th e a m ount than hom e and EU s tud ent s . In a dditio n . whils t th e tuitio n fees of h om e a nd EU s t u dc n ts inc r eased between 2 a nd 3 perce nt thi s yea r. intc rnntiona l s t uc! ents ·

fees increased more than 5 percen t.

This m ay ce r tainly prove to be a grievance. as one internationa l stu<knt asks "Wh at is the difference between these huge gaps in tu ition fees? Is it because we nrc inte r na l iona l stude n ts a n d UEA believes that they cnn afford to pny much m o r e? It seems rather u n fair. don't you th ink?"

Accord in g to Th e Ob se n rc r. a t Uw top end of th e ra nge. for eign stude n ts ca n pay £30.000 " year to s tudy for a b usiness degree s ix times the inco m e received from a UK under g radu a te . Eve n m as te rs degr ees in trad it ional acad emic s ubj ects can cost as mu ch a s £ 7 .000 for foreig n s tud ents. It s h o uld be n oted th a t un ivers ities m a ke a loss of a bout £ 5 .000 on each UK s tud ent. It is th e i-efore clea r that interna tion a l s tudent s a re a lu cra tive a nd fi n a n c ia lly d esirable option for a ny unive rs ity. Howeve r. qu estions a r e b eing a sked as to wh e th e r 1hi s in c rease in tuiti o n fees h as ac tu a lly see n the UEA s h oo ting it self in th e foo t so m ewh a t , if a d missions fi g ures . wh e n releas ed . d o s how that t h ese fees a re ac tu a lly deterrin g inte rn a ti o n a l stude n ts in ap plyi ng to UEA. In te rms of visa concli ti o n a lity fo r int e rn a ti o n a l

Concrete

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students. it seems harder than ever before to obta in a visn in Britain. 11 was r('port ed in thr Observe r that one in three foreign st udrnt s appl_:,ring to enter Britain is being rejected in " clamp clown . According to UK visas. t h e joint Foreign Office-Home Office agency which processes applica tions. 52.520 requests for student visas we re refused in 2 003-20 03. a ri se of 13.64 7 fro m th e previo u s yea r. Furtherm o re. Home Office statist ics s how tha t the numbe r of peo ple fro m ou ts ide th e E uropea n Uni on a niving in the UK o n s tu de nt visas fell by 14 per ce nt to 3 18.630 in 2003 . Na ti on a l Audit Offi ce fi gures reveal t h a t the refu sal ra te fo r s tu dent visas is t'\vi ce th a t of toulist visas a nd more than fo ur tim es that of work visas ..

UEA n eed s its in ternati on a l s t u d ent s. but Ih ere is a danger th a t if diffi culties with visn cone! it io n a lity rem a in a nd tuition fees con tinu e to Iise . UEA will expe ri e n ce th e d ire eco nomic co n sequ en ces. not to me n lion the d evas ta ting cultura l I hat a r a mific a l ions dec rease in our intern a ti on n l s tud en ts w ill bring. We awai t t h e offi c ia l a dmi ssions figures in <~nlic i pati o n .

ends sunday 31 october

autumn r1ce

llh /nndar. Octohcr :!Ut h. 2UO-I

RAMADAN BEGINS AT UEA Shkow Sharif The Month of Ramndan has arrived for 2004. On FJ-iday 15th October mil lions of Muslims around t h e world began to fast.

Ramadan is the most imp01iant month in the Is lamic calendar. For m il lions of Muslims all over t he world. it is a time for inner refl ectio n . devo ti o n to All a h a n d self-control as t h ey fast for 29 to 30 clays. from su n Iise to sunset.

Ra m a da n ta kes place o n th e ninth m o nth of th e Isla mi c calend a r. As the Mus lim calendar is deter mi ned by astrology a nd th e posit ion of the m oo n . m a ny calcu lations are n eeded to de ter min e wh en Ra m ad a n \vill b egin.

Ra m a dan is o ne of the five p illars of Is lam whic h m eans t h at it is compu lso ry fo r eve ry Mus lim to fas t during t hi s m onth . un less th ere is a m edical co nditio n preven ti ng t h em from doing so. Eali ng and c!I-inki ng from sun r ise to sunset. sex u a l intercou rse. p laying gam es of ch a nce. a nd s m oking are a ll pro hi b ited.

A gro up of Mu s lim stu de nts in the square at UEA told m e. "Ra m aclan is the re to teac h Mu s lims self con trol a nd pa ti en ce ...

The end of Ra m a nd a n is m a rked by the festiva l of Eid a l-Fitr (Eid) . Mus lims celebra te Eid by s aying prayers . giving money to th e poor. s ending Eid gree tings a nd feas ting with th eir fa m ilies.

How wi ll Mu s lims cope a t UEA? The o nly enter ta inment ava ila ble in the

eve nings is t h e S tud ent Bar a n d th e LCR. bo th obvio u s ly n o-go a reas for fast ing Mus lims . Ha fi zur Rahma n a first year a t UEA sa id "this is my first year a way from h om e a nd as yo u can und ers tan d. \vit h ou t mum' s food and \vith the UEA ente rta inment. Rnmad a n will b e incredibly h a rd ...

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Coacnte Wednesday, Ocotber 20th, 2rxM

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concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 11

EUROPEANS FLOCK TO LONDON FOR SOCIAL FORUM

Michael Roberts Banner s wave, leaflets fly and a youn g guy s houts angry s logans again st state oppression. It could be the square on a lively top up fees protest. In fact, it's the e n trance to Alexandra Palace, main venue of the Euro pean Social Foru m (ESF). From Friday to

Sunday last week Lond on h osted 3 days of meetings, debates and semin ars a tte nd ed by more t h a n 20 ,000 people from all over the world.

Trying to make my way in on Sa turday morning I am confronted by dozens of newspa per h awkers insisting the global revolu tion is d ep ende n t on m e buying Socialist Worker. Inside, one

of the great halis is filled with a Socmart-eat-yourheart-out plethora of civil society groups, NGOs and factionist political parties.

There is, in total, more than 20 00 organisations. Okay, so the Maligned Conservative Party did not show the same brave presence they do at Socmart, but the ESF can cope with the loss.

LIB DEM CANDIDATE SPEAKS THE lATEST CONTENDER FOR ClARKE'S SEAT TALKS TO CONCRETE ABOUT HIS HOPES FOR THE ELECTION Sam Webber Following an article in the last edition of Concrete about Anthony Little, the Conservative PPC (Prospective Parliamentary candidate) for Norwich South, Concrete decided to find out a bit more about his Liberal Democrat counterpart.

Andrew AaldersDunthorne is 34 years old and married with two children. He Is a Norwich man through and through, having gone to Bowthorpe High School and Norwich City College. After taking a degree In Environmental Biology, he came to UEA to do his teacher training, before securing a post at Bignold Middle School.

Norwich where he teaches Biology. Andrew combines a busy working life with raisIng a young family and he is still is able to fulfil his duties as one of Norwich City's 18 elected Lib Dem councillors.

He is also about to fight his third general election, having fought against sitting Labour MP and Education Secretary Charles Clarke both In 1997 and 200 l.

Andrew seems very serious about his chances of beating the Labour Cabinet minister who introduced Top-up fees and taking the seat. He cannot stress the importance of the 'UEA vote' enou gh. When I suggested that many students are like-

Iy to vote in their home constituencies, Andrew was quick to explain that as students we can vote here instead, assuming we are on the electoral register in Norwich. Students living on campus are likely to get added to the electoral register automatically.

Particularly given that the Labour majority in this seat is.8,816 votes, the votes of the 10.000 UEA students will have, as AaldersDunthorne explains. "a major Impact on the result".

The latest poll of students, conducted by Mori in August, states that 4 7% of students support the Lib Dems, while 28% would vote Labour and only 20% would vote Conservative. The levels of support for the three main parties here at UEA are uncertain, but it's certainly clear that as traditional Labour and Tory voters of whatever age are leaving those parties, it's the Lib Dems who are benefiting most.

Perhaps in a plea to quash the national surge in support for fringe parties like UK.IP and the Respect Anti War party, AaldersDunthorne tells students "Don't waste your vote!" The war in Iraq is being shown to impact on Tony Blair's popularity and as a result the smaller parties have received more votes than usual at recent European and local elections.

AaldersDunthome is keen to point out that the Lib Dems "were the only one of the three

main parties which was consistently against the war." In response to the increase of support for parties such as Respect or the Green Party he says "The Lib Dems are the only anti war party that can beat Labour". In a seat where the Lib Dems polled about 23% of the vote in 2001, it does seem likely that they will do considerably better here next year.

When pressed on the Liberal Democrat stance on tuition fees, I'm told that they would scrap fees altogether and make up the deficit by taxing the biggest earners more. "We would tax the highest earners 50p in the ÂŁ on any amount over ÂŁ1 00,000". Whether this policy will attract more voters to the Lib Dems is diffi cult to gauge. but it certainly would even out the system, enabling those graduates on modest salaries to get on without huge debts hanging over their lives.

It is, as yet unsure when the next general election will be, but the date widely suggested is 05/05/05. One certainty for this hard workIng teacher Is that the next few months will be seriously busy indeed. Andrew surely hopes that the expression "thlrd time lucky" will be true for him in Norwich South. Whether or not he can pull off the rare coup of removing a high profile Cabinet Minister however remains to be seen.

First meeting on my agenda, 'Challenging US Imperialism' with a panel of speakers including Alelda Guevara, daughter of Iconic revolutionary Che. Ocean Press give out leaflets with great Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman's words "The powerful of the earth should take heed: deep inside that T -shirt where we have tried to trap him, the eyes of Che Guevara are still burning with impatience.The debate ignited after someone questioned whether the speakers risked glorifylng violence used by anti-US forces In Iraq.

George Galloway responded that, just like in Vietnam, the "bloody good hiding" the resistance is giving its occupiers must be seen as the swiftest way to end the occupation. An attack on US troops may not be something to agree with, but it is part of a necessary struggle to reclaim sovereignty. If the US is defeated in Iraq, it will be a lasting defeat to imperialism. Regretfully, another speaker adopted Bushite

logic, claiming you're either with the resistance or with Dubya. A slight over-simplification perhaps?

In truth, a minority of meetings had fewer disagreements between panellists than a US Presidential debate.

Some speakers sought merely to astonish audiences with the new realisation that the world is not a fair place.

Later, intrepid Concrete reporter questioned environmentalist George Monbiot how it's possible to convince people an 8 0 % reduction in fossil fuel use is the only way to avoid a pocalypse. I have enough trouble convincing my flatmates to put their pizza boxes in the recycling. The short answer? Get out on the streets.

On Saturday at around 7pm an anarchist gro u p forced their way into the Stop Fascism meeting and took over the stage. "We dunt' like Ken Livin'ston", a balaclava clad girl announced. 'Nor does The Sun Newspaper, now fuck off groaned the crowd. Then

CONSERVATIVES BACK FATHERS 4 JUSTICE AdamW. Honeysett-Watts Conservative Future Correspondent At a recent talk held by the UEA's Politics Society.

Polistic. Fathers 4 Justice were more than happy to comment that the Conservatives are the only political party who acknowledge and wholeheartedly support the organisation's blue print plans.

Although Fathers 4 Justice remain politically neutral in their outlook. last night they clearly demonstrated that the present Labour government are making matters worse and the Liberal Democrats are as usual on a different planet from the rest of us.

The organisation has made itself known recently with a series of successful, hard-hitting media scoops. engaging large numbers of

membership. Unfortunately. some people would argue that climbing the walls of Buckingham Palace and throwing purple dust at Tony Blair in the House of Commons are simply demonstrations without cause, and potentially damaging any success with their future campaigns. However. this is far from the truth.

Fathers 4 Justice have earned themselves an 'eccentric' reputation but with it. an increase in support and the continuing support of the Conservative party.

There is no two-horse race here between the Conservatives and Labour. It is laid in stone and pure common sense that the success of a child is aided by a loving famlly. The family is an essential factor of conservative politics. Times have changed and it makes common sense that the father should have equal rights, as

press photographers pounced as a scuffle broke out on stage. Only chants of 'no violence' seemed to discourage the anarchist fervour. redirected into rantings on police brutality.

They had points to make. the great shame being nothing stopped them booking a meeting weeks ago.

Regr etfully, im partial Concrete re porter lost h is cool, s hou ting "thls is the way the ESF will be reported , get off the stage" at the mob. Before finally leaving, one of them stole an antifascist speake r 's mobile.

One step closer to a world free from inj u stice. More in the general spirit of the ESF, a charismatic s peaker dusted himself down, regained his seat and b egan "I seem to have lost my notes. If I appear muddled , this Is not due to lack of dedication to the cause."

The forum finished on S u n d ay with a rally in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, under the general banner "stop war and occupation of Iraq and end privatisation". should the mother, and fairer mediation in the legal system. As it stands, Labour wants more and more fathers to see their children less and less due to the complex maze of spiralling legal costs and exhausting waiting times - sound familiar?

What thls Labour government is doing is cruel and crushing to many fathers who simply want to be with their children.

Let it be known that the Conservatives would not restrict a father to see their child once a month in a contact centres with random civil servant guards observing his every movement. Let it be kn8wn that the Conservatives would not endure any father to this cruel and unsympathetic approach to what is no less than preventing democratic equality. And let it be known that the Conservatives would not ignore the facts.

Once again, Labour is letting people down time after time and yet they wonder why nobody trusts them.

12

concn:tcJcalurc~<£t uca.ac.uk

ETHICLESS FA love football . I love playing ll, I love talkmg about 1t w1th friends, family and passionate taxi drivers, and I love watchmg it. I am obsessed wlth footbal l.

Premiership, ChampiOnship, LDV Vans Trophy, 1t doesn't matter. l even like watching people play footba ll on the PlaystatiOn. The zenith for any football fan is the passion and joy of watchmg your home country. I'm English and I love watching Engl<:md. I remember where I was for every big match. l was living m Cahfornia m 2002 and stayed up until four in the morning to wat,·lt us lose to Brazil.! missed school 10 watch our opening match of the : il98 World Cup when living m Milssnchusetts. I cried when we beat Ge1many 5-l.

Cngland bnngs ont emotion in me like nothing else on Earth. l cheer. scream. laugh and cry.

But now I'm going to comp lain.

I

STUDENT LIFE IS CONFUSING IS you go to university. f you're daring you take year out ftrst, where you gain an interludal grasp n "reality '·. But really you're not paying mu ch rent, probably no bills and have a contmuous flow of black cash in your pocket from the job you're working to save money to go travelling. But travelling becomes two weeks in Spain at the end of the year. It doesn't matter, though, because it was probably a really good year, you learnt a lot, stopped fee ling institutionalised, gained confidence. By the e nd of the year or at the e n d of A-levels you may have had doubts · about the course you know, wha t's the p oint of Ma th e matics , or Biology or what have you? How can this comple x world become suffic iently explained within

A

HOW FAR IS TOO FAR? a turday 17th O ctob er is Global Anti-McDonalds d ay.

The re will like ly b e an eve nt in Norwich which takes a ction to express the views of those members of the public who are c oncerned about the effect that this huge conglomerate is having on our society. Like other events such as V-Day, Buy Nothing Day or The European Social Forwn, these happenings serve to involve and inform others who might be interested in the c ause. Generally, these days are peace ful learning experiences, which look to find a realistic alternative to a perc eived problem that dire ctly a ffects the popula ce, with music , debate and fun . But recently, in both n a tional and international media , there has been a growing conc ern about whe re the ' activism' stops and 'terrorism' begins .

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Not about Sven's mfideltty. not about Beckham's t:ttto0s or missed penalties. or the fact that Michilel Ov:en JUst isn 't good anymore, or the new, tardy and expens1ve Wembley. nor even about the fact that desplle our patnotism, support, world-class players and truck loads of funding, •:;e haven·, won any thing since 1966.

I'm going to complam about our sponsors. There are five offi(')a l FA partners : Nallonwide, McDonalds, Pep si, Callsbe1 g and Umbra. You probably a lready knew that.

Whenever England h;;ve il match their logos are plas tered everywhere - at the trannng ground, on the backdrops during mterVlews and on the adverllsmg boards dunng matches.

Read the hst again. I have no problem 'Nith Nattonwide. People need buildmg societi<os. >nd they're as good as anyone. Plus they're British. I'd like to say that I've never bought anything made in a sweatshop, but I have, so I can't really criticise Umbra. and in any case, I like Umbra's slogan: 'Only football since 1924 ' My beef is with the remaining three-fifths of our sponsor team McDonalds , Peps t and Carl3berg.

They'd be g reat sponsors tf we v1ere lwstmg the lnternallonal Conver.tton for \Jncthtcal, Fattcmng Crap, but thts ts our mttwnal team, our thre e !tons, our pttde ;md JOy. England umtes us like nothmg else on Earth. Our foot ballts onr ~oul , hut it has been sold to the htgh<es btdders. et's s .ut with my least favounte of the three, McDonalds . Ftrstly, thm k ;,bout the massive cl;,sh of values that exrsts m our football team bemg sponsored i_,y McDonalds. In one cornt.:r 'jJU helVe some of the finest athlete" m the world - footballers Hho are fttte1 than we ·ould ever mngine who push theit bodies to the limit for ten months every year. and whose d,ct ts a crucial aspect of their fttl'ess illld rs rcgu!ctted by their club.

Then you lnvE· McDonalcls. I'vcn Ronald McDonald vwuld have a hard time using the word 'healthy' to describe anything in McDonalds, let alone the food. Footballers eat pasta, rice, p otatoes, fruits and vegetables.

Not btg macs. fries or chtcken nuggets.

And I take it the FA have no problem with McDona!d's other ethi cal shortcomings? Let 's see: they destroy

nmforest to graze ca ttl e. direct thetr advertlsmg at chtldren (m much the same 'Nay as tobacco compames used to) and take advantage of then niltvety, they sttfle thetr employees attempts to form a union, and hecausc the majonty of their employees are young, mexpenenced and temporary. they are patd low-wages , work long hours wllh few breaks and wrth no room to complain. Thrs global beast sponsors our national team.

And hke a beast. they inspire fear and hatred. There are very few comIX\ntes that are so detested around the world that they provoke an entrre day of protest. Satnrday the 17th of October was Global Anti-McDonald's Day. Players don't consume beer, ftzzy drinks or McDona!ds , but apparently rt·s good ettou gh for us fans. It's not, though, it's only because McDonalds, Pcpst a nd Carlsberg paid exuberant amounts of money so they could get their messages across.

And there message is thrs: BUY OUR CRAP 1 Buy it now. buy tt in your car, have it at the ground, on the way to the ground, on the way h ome , think about us all the ume, don't worry etbout the ethics, the thud world, the

charred rainforest. or the obesity, because we $ponsor your natwnal team so we must be good.

It 's not g ood, though, it's crap. It ts high in fat, sugar, salt sodmm, glu cose, artiftctal flavounngs and tt is making us fat.

And that 's the worse part: Carlsberg, Pepsi and McDona!ds are making us fat. We arc the fattest co untry m Europe, a porky little off-shoot from whence two of thesc. three compames came: the United States. Our obesity rates are ci\tchwg up to thens. Adult obesity in Bntam has quadrupled m the past twenty-five years. Twenty-two percent of us are obese and 75 % o f us are overweight.

One out of ten stx-year olds is obese.

The n ext generatiOn of England players ts walling m the wings. But while we watch Beckham, Rooney and co. try to reach Germany, the future stars are fattening themselves up with the crap our FA is telling us to consume. When all v1e can fteld for the openmg match of the 2014 World Cup is a team of distend ed, dehydrated dumplings WJth two chins and bloated livers, we'll realise the e rro r of our advertismg ways.

the boundaries of this one subJect, or you're thinking 'I vvish I could just get a job and live in Australi a' or something. Maybe not , maybe you're happy thinking yes, I want to be a student and a student who studies. But anyway you go along, justtfy tt by saying- everyone's doing it, my parents would dis app rove if I didn't go and in any case it will probably be fun. I am not talking about every student ever, JUSt most.

So you start, but unfortunately you have no money, and since they cancelled grants and added tuition fees they have also conveniently set up loans companies at your service. So you borrow money and then you keep borrowing money for the next three years. But that's ok because everybody is. And you do have a nice time at university; you have intelligent, crea tive friends. You spend a lot of time self improving and thinking, and having h o use parties , worrying about the War, a nd discussing what the value of being a student is, writing for the newspaper and meeting eccentrics wh o become you 're best mates , and being in plays , getting drunk an d

bemg basically qulle free. But, and thts is what I have noticed a lot, you are also ungrate fu l, confused and depressed. You suffer from anxiety, high leve ls of stress, you are m e lodramatic, self obsessed, concerned with shit.Why? school your academtc xpertise is refined over the ears into three key subjects, like French, English and History. Then you pick your favomite subject and go to university and during the degree the subject becomes even more refined, so post colonial literature or modern history from 18901950 is what you prouclly wrtte your dissertation on. University teaches you how to be a good academic researcher but the emphasis shifts; it 's like the world revolves around you and switches arguments. Instead of 'have you done your homework?' it's 'have you written your CV and done you're homework?' You realise that the degree you're reading is not compatible with a real job. The careers centre shimmies its orange frontage at th e corner of your eye every now and again as you shuffle p a st to the

library. And you worry about it.

Yeah, you are shit hot at dis cussing films from the French surreal1St movement, but can you ge t a job which isn 't for Norwich Union? Do you even know how to write a successful CV? What kind of job would you be good at? You have been shown the intellectual dream, the conundrums of truth, spent hours dis cussing the meaning of a sentence in order to get a job?

Times have changed, Bunnies!

When my Dad left university 40 odd years ago he walked into a job in advertising. He had the run of the country. He had studied poly-cottons.

I was talking to my sociology teacher a few years ago. She remembered when working class young men and women , usually the fir st generation to go to universi ty, would be given enough grant money to send a fair amount home to their parents! My income is an outcome; I feel like a smiling haemorrhaging sitting duck.

So, what's going on with degrees?

It is disheartening that you can g raduate from UEA, which is a g ood uni7 versity, with a fir st and b e told that

you are simultaneously too inexperienced to get a job in an office and too overqualified to make sandwiches or wash hair. Where is 'The Milk Round' as my dad calls it? What is the point of getting £.10,000 or more m debt for a career path which is so terribly crooked?

I don't have an answer. I tlunk everyone should be able to study what they like for as long as they like.

I think that being obsessed with one cell of one piece of skin for an enttre life time is bnlliant. I think university is where communication, respect for knowledge, and philosophy are fostered and made part of everyday life.

But we've got to be more innovative.

We've got to continue to involve the real world and practical understanding in our learning. And not let snivelling, arse licking Vice Chancellors and other disempowering politicians get away with turning universities into grave yards for talented young people. I realise it is all much more complicated than just b laming one man or group of people, but this is wh at we've got to learn about and effectively fight against.

Increase d media attention of violent ac tivi s t groups bri n g s up seve ral impor tan t issues .

The fir st is that non -viole nt methods are n o longe r working - if writing le tte rs to your MP and leafl e ting at festivals d oes n ot work, must one turn to a bomb in a bin liner inste a d ?

The protest group Fathers 4 Justice have been criticised for what have been labelled 'publicity stunts '.

Whilst they are still non-violent, and rely on notoriety through dre ssing up a s super-heroes, a question has been raised - where does it stop if this method is not successful? he second issue is intriguing when applied to the plight of the peaceful animal rights activist. Would the public condemn violent action as m uch if it were for civil rights? The Black Panthers were an active and violent group that were seen not as a threat to the American Civil Righ ts Movement, but as a movement inspired by the rational and non-violent views of Martin Luther King. In the case of animal activism, if the perp e trators see animals as hwnans, can we still condemn their actions entirely? When a group

believe so strongly in their cause that they are pre pare d to resort to violence, rather than p ass the b uck to the police an d dismiss the is sue as terrorism, would it not b e more insightful to di scover what inspire d such angry, radic al m ethods?

The last is concerned with the idea that the a ctivism takes priority whilst the issue take s a back seat.

Again Fathe rs 4 Justice has been condemned because their 'leader ', also known as Batman or Jason Hatch, has been accused of not being as interested in his children as he claims to be. If this is the case then it seems that participation in activism is becoming protest for protest's sake.

The fact that violent protest is increasing should be seen as a worrying trend . The White Overalls , one of many groups who p rotested a t the 2001 GB summit in Genoa, have a novel approach . They are non-violent, but they also reject the pacifist refusal to stay away from physical conflict.

Clad in body suits stuffed with rubber foam , plastic water bottles and cushions, and equipped with plastic shields, helmets and kneepads, they b ounce their way in police block-

ades , safe from the trunch eon blows that assail th e m. This has the effect of first getting through the p olice line , an d m ore importantly creating a p icture of where the real violen ce com es from .

This is the n ecessary evolution of protest - away from violence, brands of terrorism a nd towards cre ative methods of demonstrating the cause to the masse s . The Biotic Baking Brigade, now legendary through their combination of slapstick, politics and cooking pies to throw in the faces of those they oppose, have managed to bring issues to the forefront of discussion through hwnour and theatre. If you are lucky enough to get involved in Global Anti-McDonalds day, remember that you have a right to protest, but also that the people who work for MaccyD's have a right to work for whom they want. Ingenuity, hwnour and inventiveness are a few of the reasons I am drawn to protest, but I do worry that soon anyone who disagrees with the status quo will be placed in the same box as those who resort to violence, scare-mongering and bullying.

The case of the desecrated grave in St Pet e r 's church cem e te ry, Yoxall , is a n e xamp le of a minority of militant animal a ctivists who seem to have found n o reconciliation in peace ful, n on-violent protest. It has no t ye t b een ascertaine d wh o was re sp onsible , b ut o the r groups asso ciated with animal rig hts have been quick to disassociate themselves from this a ct, branding it as unnecessary and unhelpful to their cause and how they choose to fight for it. Regarclless of who committed the crime, this news has helped to highlight the increase in violence towards those who work alongside animal testing, and to brand anyone involved in the protests as terrorists .

The Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1976 defines terrorism as "the use of violence for political ends [including] any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public or any section of the public in fear" . Whilst this definition might apply to the case in Yoxall (if, indeed, it transpires that anti animal testing militants were responsible) it does not apply to those groups who attempt change through non-violent means .

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Co1G'tte Wednesday,

Ocotber ZOtll, 2004

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13

WHO'S EATING ALL THE PIES? In the wake of Tesco's report that Norwich consumes ~ore pies than any other city, Matt Shoesmith attempts to discover who's eating them ...and why. t's official: Norwich is the pie eating capital of the country. The pastry-prone population of Norwich consumed a staggering 1.8 million pies between January and September of this year, which works out to 14.8 per person, a figure made all the more astounding since it assumes that babies, vegetarians and the elderly are all eating their 14.8 pies per year.

But what is it about pies that makes them so irresistible to our local cornmunity, and above all els.e, who is eating all the pies?

Seemingly, there are no exceptions from the pieloving phenomenon. Donna Woodgate, an employee at Bakers Oven explains, 'We sell pies to men and women of all ages," although, she did single out one group for their particular devotion: "we serve a lot of middle-aged men, who work in nearby offices and come in for their lunch."

Hardly a shocking revelation. If anything it's a reinforcement of the stereotypical podgey, grey suited businessman that often springs to mind when considering an average pie enthusiast. However, it is interesting to note the growing number of

start 0 f young women who now consider pies a fashionable lunchtime indulgence, preferring the meaty heart and crumbly pastry of a pie to a bland salad or soggy sandwich.

But what actually goes into a pork pie that keeps the people of Norwich coming back for

.. .it is interesting to note the growing number of young women who now consider pies a fashionable lunchtime indulgence, preferring the meaty heart and crumbly pastry of a pie to a bland salad or soggy sandwich.

A crumbly porker... widely

regarded as the Nation's favourite pie

more? Bryan Pickering of Pickering's Meat Specialists had much to say on the subject: "most mass-produced pork pies nowadays are made from mechanically recovered meat," he revealed, "which is the unwanted soft tissue removed by the manufacturer at

processing a pig."

Not very welcome news to the uninformed consumer. Bryan was quick to add, though, that, "there are no bad parts of a

pig," sentiments that anyone who's seen the film Babe will surely echo.

There are other options open to the pie-crazed public, though, as the meats used in some pies do contain higher quality meat from more mentionable areas of the pig, as Mr. Pickering went on to describe: "in a perfect world, all pork in pies would be made from the shoulder or belly of the pig, like it is in the pies made by high quality butchers and bakers:路 Everyone has a different idea of a perfect world, though, and not surprisingly, where conflict does arise, it's that old chestnut - the North-South divide: "People in the North tend to prefer pies with grey meat, whilst those in the South prefer pink, cured meat."

These differences, though, are not irreconcilable. Indeed they provide a welcome source of diversity, and have sparked many debates and tasting sessions nationwide, not least in Yorkshire, where a group of young pie connoisseurs have established The Pork Pie Appreciation Society.

Now in its twentythird year, the society meets every Saturday night to discuss the finer points of all things pie. Some are so passionate that they can identify the manufacturer of any given pie, simply by looking at the pastry.

Such skills are not reserved for occasional use as a party piece, however. The Pork Pie Appreciation Society put their knowledge,

c o mbined with that of top TV chefs (no, not Delia!) and local fdod critics, to the test at the yearly National Pork Pie Competition. The competition attracts around 60 entrants from around the country, all vying for the title of Nation's Finest Pie. Despite not yet having its own branch of The Pork Pie Appreciation Society, (although there's plenty of time before next years SocMart), Norwich is still 200,000 pies ahead of nearest pie rival Leeds.

Perhaps one reason for the all-conquering attraction to pies in Norwich in particular is the thriving production of that favourite pie-accompaniment, mustard. Furthermore, the strength of the pig-farming industry across East Anglia means that the ingredients of its bite-sized beloved are never far away. nfortunately, the happy consumer often ignores the hidden social and economic costs of a pie. lt is arguable that the pie-eating inhabitants of this area are an unhelpful drain on national resources by; for example, forcing an undue number of people to be employed in the pie industry who might be better employed in other professions, or being an expensive drain on the NHS when they have one pie too many.

Furthermore, the ethical issues from last week's Free Trade issue emerge: are there any fair trade pies available? Are workers in pie manufacture getting the appropriate union representation? Is money from the over-inflated pie industry funding nuclear weapons programs in the Middle East?

The latter is unlikely. However, the effects of Norwich's die hard (or should that be pie hard?) devotion to pies are worthy of note. The average pork pie contains an artery-clogging 320 calories, a fact which suggests that those who overindulge may gain a more "distinctive" figure than they might hope for.

No wonder, then, that SportsPark refused to give an interview on the subject; the jelly-filled pastry snack is clearly a long-standing adversary of fitness advisors the world over. lt would take approximately one hour to burn off one piesworth of calories.

Don't feel too sorry for SportsPark just yet though. The increase in pie consumption in its catchment area may have meant higher revenue from the membership fees of those wishing to balance out their greater intake of pies.

But, before the fattening content of Norwich's savoury saviour makes you decide against revelling in the culinary delights of a Melton Mowbray, consider the weight-watching scientific evidence against some other, arguably more reliable sources. Was UEA not voted the sexiest University this year in FHM? Perhaps the inclusion of 14.8 pies per year in your diet, far from making a person unattractive, provides the consumer with a sense of satisfaction, which makes them more confident, whilst giving them a fuller and healthier figure, and thereby making them more attractive. So go on, reach for the pie!

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PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

THE 2004 US

THE DEMOCRATS

THE REPUBLICANS Bush's Favourite Numbers

THE INCUMBENT

In the 2000 Presidential campaign George Bush ran on a platform of •compassionate conservatism", promised he would be •a uniter, not a divicer", and promised a more "humble• foreign policy. After he won the controllerSial election things did nd exactly go as planned.

That is largely due to the terrorist attacks of 5eptember 11th, 2oo1. Less than a month later the US Invaded Afghanistan after the ruling Taiiban party refused to hand over Osama bin L2den. By 2002, though, attention had shifted from th~ moun· talns of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq, and Saddam Hussein. On March 17th, 2003, US-led forces invaded and overthrew Saddam's regime.

For better or worse, Iraq will be the defining legacy of George Bush's presidency. He went to war on a premise that Saddarn was developing weapons of mass destruction and that in the post-9/11 world pre-emptlve action was the only option. A recent report shows that Saddam had no weapcns, and was unlikely to develop any. Despite a hand over of sovereignty on June 28th, violence and unrest con· tinue to plague the country, prompting six nations to pull out of the 32-nation coalition.

With US forces engaged in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world as part of his global War on Terror", President Bush has made national security the focus of his re-election campaign.

9/11/01 1.5 million - Number of new jobs created since August2003 260 million - The amount, in dollars, that Bush has raised tor his re-election campaign, $20 million more than Kerry.

6 - Number of months prior to Bush's inauguration in 2001 that an 18-month lon=ecession began. hanis that have reg10.5 million -The number of istered to vote in October 9th · ns.

Bush's Least Favourite Numbers 5.6 trillion - The size, in dollars, of the fiscal surplus Bush inherited in 2001. A record.

2.2 trillion -The size, in dollars, of the current fiscal deficit. A record.

7 - The number of minutes Bush spent sat in a Florida primary school classroom after being told that another plane had hit the second WTC tower.

139- The difference between 1209- the number of coalition deaths suffered thus far in Iraq - and 1070 - the number of those deaths that have been American.

0 - The number of weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq.

Good quote: "Our Nation • this generation • will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause ~ our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."

Bad Quote: ~ey misunderestimated me.•

The 70-year old consumer rights activist is loathed

Ralph Nader

by Democrats and adored by Republicans in equal

THE RANK OUTSIDER Four more years or three more weeks? n 2000 the world witnessed one of the most controversial and contested Presidential elections in U.S. history, the eventual outcome of which saw the White House receive one of its most controversial incumbents to date. Four years on, America's politically active (traditionally a minority but perhaps not this year) will be called upon once again to determine both who wil l govern their nation and, potentially, the fate of the rest of the globe. What is already apparent is what this election is primarily being fought, and decided, on. September 11th and the Bush administration's subsequent war terror has undeniably bequeathed the 2004 election a unique international resonance, prompting the question, at least to my mind, whether the right to vote should, on this occasion, be extended to non- U.S. citizens. One can almost visualise with relish the collective cold sweat and sense of abj ect horror that would break out amidst the ranks of the Republican Party were the residents of Baghdad or Kabul to be handed ballot papers (Bush always claimed he wanted to foist democracy upon the Middle East). Whilst I might not genuinely proffer such an action, the essence of such an implication does, albeit glibly, illustrate the extent to which the outcome of this election will

Born: February 27th, 1934, Connecticut.

Hometown: Washington, D.C. Family: Single, never marrieil.

Education: Bachelor's degree, Princeton University, 1955; l:iw degree, Harvard Universty, 1958 Military Service: Army, 1959 Political Career: Ran for President in last three elec· tions.

THE CHALLENGER

o -The number of terrorist attacks on US soil since

George Walker Bush Born: 6th Jutv, 1946, Connectlcut Hometown: Crawford, Texas Family: Wife Laura, twin daughters Jenna and Barbra. Father former US President George Bush.

Brother Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Education: Degree from Yale 1968; MBA from Harvard 1975 Military Service: Fighter pilot in Texas Air National Guard 1968-1973 Political Career: Governor of Texas 1994-2000 (re· elected in 1998). US President since 2001.

measure. Many attribute Bush's narrow victory in 2000 to the 2 .74% of the popular vote earned by Nader, then run· ning as the Green party candidate. Had he not run, Democrats say, those 3 million or so votes cast by liber· al Nader supporters would have gone to AI Gore and given him the Presidency.

This election is shaping up to be just as close, but to the fury and despair of Kerry·supporters and Bush· haters, Nader is running again, this time as an inde· pendent candidate.

A Harvard and Princeton graduate, Nader is the son of a Lebanese immigrant, and has spoken Arabic since

invariably affect us all, and the onus on all Americans to vote.

Yet it would be all too easy to focus this entire election on Iraq and the threat of terrorism (c.lthough that is undoubtedly what both candidates are doing).

Attention needs to be paid to the other issues and failings surrounding Bush's first term. During his first four years in office Bush has managed to reject the Kyoto treaty on international global warmng and has repealed the clean air/ water Acts. He has also instituted the Patriot Act, a piece of legislatio1 that is widely accused of having infringed basic civil liberties. Finally, since coming to office, Bush has advocated extensive tax cuts that have helped cause a massive budget deficit. Should he get another four years, Bush will continue to pursue many if not all of his original policies. Equally troubling are t1e new policies he intends to pursue such as the gra1ting of increased prosecution immunity to gun companies and ending the prohibition on the sale of assault rifles. Bush also aims to impose consttutional amendments that would prevent marriage between gay couples.

But what of Bush's opponent, John Keny? The man upon which the Democrat's have pinned their hope, and the only man who stands any credible chance of deposing George W. Bush. Intellectually at least the general consensus is that Kerry is the more capable contender, something that the recent series of political debates attest. In terms o' actual policy, however, there is frequently a startlirg simi· larity between the candidates. Although alegedly

committed to promoting renewable fuels and clean energy, Kerry refuses, like Bush, to adhere to Kyoto.

Equally, whilst he has proposed certain amend· ments to it, Kerry supports the Patriot Act and has no obvious plans to rescind it. Kerry also voted in support of military action in Iraq, a war he now considers flawed and unjust, and it is on these uncertainties that the Bush team have concentrated the bulk of their fire. Kerry's often-inconsistent approach to policy, or what the Republican's gleefully refer to as 'flip-flopping', has been his main weakness dur· ing the electoral campaign. Bush, by contrast, whilst hardly the most articulate orator or gifted politician is still generally considered the more 'straightforward' and decisive of the two candidates, and it is in this respect that he wields popularity and appeal. opularity itself will be a determining factor in this election, but is presently far from clear-cut. The ABC and CBS polls both put Bush and Kerry as neck and neck, whilst a quick examination of the views of Arab-American voters posted on the BBC's website generally reveals indecision and even disillusion with both main candidates. Jess Durkota, one of UEA's many American students, echoes this sentiment. Despite her intention to vote for the Democrats, claims that she supports Kerry "Not because he is Kerry, but because he is not Bush" are far from unique. There is a common perception in America that many voters may support Kerry not because he is the superior candidate, but because he is the surest way to get rid of Bush. Conversely

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5

Founded: 1854 by anti-stavery activists Nickname: GOP (Grand Old Party) Masoot: T he Elephant Past Presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush Recent History: Following the 9/11 attacks the Republicans, with the help of President Bush, sculpted a tough-on-terrorism image for their party, and a weak, uncertain knage tor the Democrats. lt worked very well. Republicans now have a majority in the House, Senate, Supreme Court and the Governors' mansions. Unofficially they also control one major news network, Fox News.

In a nutshell: 'With a core belief in the idea of the primacy of individuals, the Republican Party, since its inception, has been at the forefront of the fight for individuals' rights in opposition to a large, bloated govemmenr. From www.gop.com In a hate-filled nutshell: "Your good conscience tells you to vote democratic, b ut deep down you long for a cold-heated Republican -to lower taxes, brutalise criminals and rule you like a king!" Sideshow Bob, 'The Simpsons'

he was a child. He began his career as a spokesman for automobile safety. His 1965 book "Unsafe at any speed" was a bestseller. He has since written twenty-five other books.

He first ran for office as a right-on candidate in 1992.

In 1996 he ran again as a Green party candidate, receiving .71% of the national popular vote. The 2000 election was his most celebrated political achievement when he earned 2.74% of the popular vote.

Despite the desperate pleas of Democrats, Nader is running again. In his own words, "To say someone is a 'spoiler' is to relegate all third-party and independent candidates to second class citizenship. American does not belong to two parties." there are those who, although far from satisfied with Bush, will vote to re-elect him purely because they feel the opposition has not presented them with any kind of substantial alternative. Only Ralph Nader, an independent who stands accused of poaching deci· sive votes from AI Gore in 2000, can be said to represent a more radical manifesto although his is one unlikely to be considered viable by the majority of voters.

So why should Americans vote at all? In an election where the furore over Iraq threatens to marginalize other important issues such as the increasing number of Americans who do not possess health insurance and/ or are unemployed, and where many feel there is a lack of real alternative. Put simply, political inactivity (like the Patriot Act) is just a further manifestation of a willingness to cede our democratic rights. Jess Durkota particularly stressed the importance for fellow American students (who haven't already) to register for an Absentee Ballot, insisting that such votes could make all the difference particularly in the various swing states. I personally second Jess's plea, particularly as someone who is ineligible to vote in the U.S. but believes the outcome will have an effect ·upon my life. I urge all Americans to do the right thing and vote on the second of November... preferably for John Kerry!

Timothy Tonkin

Founded: 1792 by Thomas Jefferson.

Nickname: None Mascot: The Donkey Past Presidents: Thomas Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton

Franklin

Recent history: The Democrats are a long way from the glorious 90's of Bill Clinton. The 9/11 attacks were as terrible for the Democrats as they were wonderful for the Republicans. 1t took over a year for normal partisan politics to resume in Washington, where any criticism of the President or his poflcies after the attacks was treasonous and simply not done. In the 2002 House and Senate elections the · Democrats became the minority.

In a nutshell: "An abiding faith in the judgment of hardworking American families, and a commitment to helping the excluded, the disenfranchised and the poor strengthen our nation by earning themselves a piece of the American Dream. We remember that th is great land was sculpted by immigrants and slaves, their children and grandchildren". Ron Brown, former chairman of the Democratic Party In a hate-filled nutshell: "When you close your eyes, can you see the Democrats defending Amenca?

Because I can't see it.These are the people who are obsessed with getting the French to like us." Ann Coulter

Quotes From the Debates Miami, Flo rida. Septem ber 30th Bush: I believe I'm going to win, because the American people know I know how to lead. I've shown the American people I know how to lead. I have - I understand everybody in this country doesn't agree with the decisions I've made. And I made some tough decisions. But people know where I stand.

John Forbes Kerry Born: 11th December, 1943, Colorado Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts Family: Wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, daughters Alex and Vanessa Education: Degree from Yale, 1965 Military Service: US Navy 1966·1970. Naval Reserves 1972· 1978. Spent four months in Vietnam, earning a silver star, a bronze star and three purple hearts.

Political Career: Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor 1982·1984. US Senator 1984 - present, re-elected three times.

A US Senator from Massachusetts with the ini· tials JFK sounds like winning formula, but John Forbes Kerry faces a very different election than that won by John F. Kennedy in 1960.

The long-serving Senator won the Democrat nomination with startling ease and, after choosing North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate, began running on the promise to make America "stronger at home, respected in the world".

To counter the power of a wartime President, Kerry has made his military service record the cor· nerstone of his campaign. While Bush served intermittently in the Texas Air National Guard - without going to Vietnam - Kerry volunteered for the US Navy and spent four months in Vietnam. He was wounded several times and earned three purple hearts. When he returned home his criticism of the war thrust him into the national spotlight. On national television in 1971 he famously asked members of a Senate hearing, "How can you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

The endless crltlciam of Kerry is that is a flipflapper. He voted in favour of the War in Iraq, but, as Bush supporters love pointing out, he voted against a bill giving $87 billion to the war effort. While he has the real war on terror in Afghanistan against Osama bin Laden and taking if off to Iraq, where the 9/11 Commission confirms there was no connection to 9/11 itself and Saddarn Hussein, and where the reason for going to war was weapons of mass destruction, not the removal of Saddam Hussein. This president has made, I regret to say, a colossal error of judgment.

St . Louis, Missouri, October 8th Bush: I don't seen how you can lead this country in a time of war, in a time of uncertainty, if you change your mind because of politics.

Kerry: Smart means not' diverting your attention from

HOW,THE ELECTION WORKS n election sounds straight forward Show up at the voting booth, tick the box and pat yourself on the back. But how do you get on the ballot? When is the election? And what's all this about an electoral college? Here's the Concrete guide to the US Presidential Election.

1) When is the election?

The US Presidential election is held every four years in November on the first Tuesday after the first Monday. This year it is on Tuesday the 2nd of November. The winner of the election does not officially become President until January 20th the fol· !owing year.

2) Who gets to run?

There are three criteria for being US President. A candidate must be at least 35 years old and be a US citizen born in the USA. 3) The Primary In Britain the party picks its leader. In the USA the voters do. The party in power, the Republicans, do not need a primary, but the opposition Democrats do. This year ten Democrats ran to be the official Democratic Presidential candidate, including John Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark. During January, February and March states hold primaries, in which voters choose a· nominee for the party. John Kerry won easily.

A

4) The Convention The party convention is held only during a Presidential election year in August and early September. The city in which the convention is held is carefully chosen. This year the Democrats chose Boston, Kerry's home town and the capital of Massachusetts, the state for which he is Senator.

The Republicans chose New York City and, to the fury of many, ended the convention at the latest pos· sible date, September 2nd, to be as close to the third 9/11 anniversary as possible. The official pur· pose of the convention is for the Presidential nominee to accept the nomination and give a big speech.

This somehow drags on for four days.

5) Voting and the Electoral College The American voter ticks the box of their candidate, but the Electoral College elects the President. There are 538 electors divided amongst the 50 states. The number of electors per state is the number of Senators plus the number of Representatives in Congress. Each state gets two Senators, but the larger states get more Representatives, meaning they also get more electoral votes. The largest, California, has 55 votes, while the smallest, Rhode Island and Hawaii, have 4. The candidate with the most votes wins all of that state's electoral votes, except in Nebraska and Maine. There, the electoral votes are divided amongst the candidates according to their proportion of the vote. The entire process came under scrutiny in 2000 when AI Gore won the popular vote, but lost the Presidency due to the Electoral College.

stopped short of calling the War in Iraq a mistake, he has repeatedly criticised President Bush for the way he handed the war and his inability to win the peace, both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kerry's Favourite Numbers 90- Percent of casualties in Iraq that are American, and per~nt of the cost of the war being paid for by America.

75 - Percent of world's opium coming out of post· Taliban Afghanistan.

4 - The number of months Kerry spent in Vietnam, four more than Bush.

45 million - The number of Americans without health insurance. 5 million more than when Bush took offic:~.

160, 10 - The number of nations and years that went into framing the Kyoto protocol on global warming, which Bush refused to sign.

Kerry's Least Favourite Numbers 87 billion- Amount, in dollars, that Bush asked for in a 2004 bill for military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a bill Kerry voted against.

0 - The number of government branches in which the Democratic Party has a majority.

600 million - The estimated value, in dollars, of Kerry's wfe Teresa Heinz Kerry, none of which can be used to fund his campaign.

98 - The number of times Kerry has voted for tax increases of one form or another during his 20 years in the Senate.

48 - Sales rank on amazon.com of ' Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry' Good q uote: "For the sake of our children, for the sake of our security, for the sake of our economy, for the sake of our environment • we must make America energy independent of Mldeast oif.• Bad Quote: "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it."

Kerry: The president didn't find weapons of mass destructioo in Iraq, so he's turned his campaign into a weapon of mass deception. The world is more dangerous today because the president didn't make the right judgments.

Kerry: Wten it comes to the issue of the environ· ment, this is one of the worst administrations in modern tistory. The Clear Skies bill that he just talked about, it's one of those Orwellian names you pull out o' the sky, slap it onto something, like "No Child Left Behind" but you leave millions of children behind. Here they're leaving the skies and the envi· ronment tehlnd ·

Te mpe, Arizona, October 13th Kerry: I regret to say that the president who called himself a uniter, not a divider, is now presiding over the most divided America in the recent memory of our country.

Bush: I believe law-abiding citizens ought to be able to own a gun. I believe in background checks at gun shows or anywhere to make sure that guns don't get in the hands of people that shouldn't have them. But the best way to protect our citizens from guns is to prosecute those who commit crimes with guns.

The 2000 Presidential Election. Red = Bush, Blue = Gore. Numbers represent states electoral votes.

At first glarce it appears that Bush ran out an easy winner. Appearances can be deceiving, though. Gore actually won the popular vote, but lost the electoral vote 271 to 266. The map reflects the trends in American political opinion. The west coast, particularly California, is a traditional Democratic stronghold, while the Midwest is Republican country. Texas is George Bush's homestate, while a Democrat has won Kansas only once in the last 60 years. New Hampshire (NH) notwith· standing, tte northeast is another Democratic stronghold; Massachusetts is John Kerry's homestate. · swing states• are those whert the outcome is uncertain and the electoral prize is high. They include Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, New Mexico and, as the whole world knows, Florida. Both candidates will spend a lot of time and money wooing the voters of these states in the runup to election day. In terms of colours, the map of the 2004 election will look the same. which con· firms what Ne have known for many years: America, contrary to Ralph Nader's claims, belongs to two parties.

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16 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Coacntt Wednesda y, October 20th, 2004

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THE FOX AND THE HOUND For some it is barbaric, aristocratic and inhumane. For others it is a tradition, a way of life and a fulltime job. Whichever position you take, fox hunting is one of the most devisive and bitterly-fought issues of modern times. Lucy Mowatt looks through the furour and finds some interesting facts.

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n abuse of human rights or an abuse of animal rights? The debate over whether banning fox hunting will have more effect upon its supporters than foxes has been raging for years, but who will really suffer?

Foxhunting is controversial and has had plenty of attention in the media recently. lt appears to be an issue which no one is capable of sitting on the fence over. Yet it is questionable whether either side of the debate has a clear and objective view of fox hunting and what is involved.

Violent protests by hunt supporters in Westminster were seen as a backlash against the the Labour government, attempting to win back favour from its traditional supporters, by banning a rural pastime that urban dwellers may not understand. Mrs. Sheelin Cuthbert, of the North West Norfolk Hunt, asserts that a ban is no longer about cruelty towards animals but about the Labour Party regaining the support of their back benchers in view of the next General Election, ignoring The Burns Inquiry claim that there is no scientific evidence of cruelty.

Nevertheless, it is a strange state of affairs when the citizens of a country can let a pensions crisis and an illegal war wash over them; but the removal of the right to chase a wild, defenceless, animal across acres of countryside results in an invasion of the House of Commons. The decision to ban hunting follows from Labour's previous attacks on the ruling aristocracy. One of their first tasks in Government was to slowly dismantle the House of Lords - for centuries the seat of England's land-owning power. Fox-hunting is also the preserve of this tier of society for, while the people seen confronting Police may have been the landworkers, it's the landowners that derive pleasure from the Hunt.

Hunting for pleasure dates back to the Norman period, where boar and stags were hunted by the Royal family. Popularity rose by the thirteenth century; hunting became more widespread, with licences being issued, and began a trend as a means of employment. Hound involvement emerged in the sixteenth century and became a primary pastime by the eighteenth century, when stag numbers dwindled and foxes took their place. Farmers were pleased that predator numbers would fall as well as satiating hunters. lt was farmers, however, that began to cull Rabbits.

By doing so, they removed the fox's natural diet, and forced it into the status of rodent.

By ttie eigtheenth century, the hunt was so prevalent in rural life that foxes were introduced to Australia by the aristocrats that moved there so they wouldn't miss out on their favourite sport.

Indeed, Norfolk's main hunt is an established way of life, dating back at least two centuries. lt is a sport which Mrs. Cuthbert claims attracts followers from all walks of life, including children and those that live in Norwich, who want to enjoy rural pursuits at the weekend. The numbers that follow each hunt can vary between twenty-five and 120 people depending on what day it is held on. lt is very much a community activity.

The regulatory body, The Masters of Foxhound Association (MFHA), issue rules and a Code of Conduct to hunters. 11 states that foxes must be hunted in their 'wild and natural state', and that if a fox is handled it must be either destroyed or let free immediately, not hunted again. This attempts to destroy the impression that foxhunting is inhumane. lt also asserts that foxes should be immediately destroyed, normally by shooting. Mrs. Cuthbert claims that this makes foxhunting more humane than other forms of hunting, which may just involve shooting the animal, leaving foxes to live in the pain of indirect wounds.

Yet those against hunting argue that there is nothing humane in chasing an animal across the countryside fearing for its life so people can have fun. Whether it is killed or not, outrunning a group of hounds is enourmously stressful for a fox. The technicality of the Code of Conduct may also seem to be breached; a fox's 'wild and natural state' is not daylight, they are nocturnal, so hunt-

ing in daylight would be a breach of the code. he obvious reason for hunting in daylight would be safety. Mrs. Cuthbert claims that any rider takes a risk, but that hunting with hounds is still one of the safest means. Sf:le explained the lesser known form of hunting called 'Lamping'.

'Lamping', or hunting after dark with firearms, is risky. Just this season a twelve year old boy has been killed and two others injured through nocturnal hunting - with firearms that, apparently, may not kill outright.

An inquiry claims that there are over 300 packs of hounds in the UK and that overall there are 20,000 hunt days a year with an attendance around 1.28 million people. Sixty-one per cent of England is hunted land. Yet the economic implications of a ban are also highlighted. A ban on foxhunting places 13,600 jobs and 378 retirement pensions at risk, and takes from the economy the ÂŁ243.1 million spent on hunting each year. The impact, it seems, could be huge. At least three families may lose their employment and homes in Norfolk if foxhunting is banned, and those that help the hunt may feel a loss of social interaction because so many are involved.

One response to this would be a two year period in which those affiliated with foxhunting could find new employment between the passing of the law and the introduction of the ban. Anti-foxhunting protesters find that economic reasons are unsuitable in preventing a ban - it is merely an excuse, they say, and those involved can safeguard their future.

The cruelty to other animals concerned with the sport is pointed out by Mrs. Cuthbert too. She believes that the horses and hounds involved will cease to have a purpose. The hounds cannot be re-homed because they are bred to live and hunt in packs and so may have to be culled. Horses could also become surplus to requirement because owners will not be able to hunt.

Pro-ban supporters may use this motive against hunting though. lt may be perceived that hounds in retirement may already suffer through having no purpose; the hounds which retire will not be able to be domesticated and therefore live their lives in relative isolation. lt may also be perceived that the horses Mrs Cuthbert expresses concern for can still help people learn to ride, that horses are not solely used for hunting, and therefore may still have a life after the potential ban.

Mrs. Cuthbert remains optimistic though, pointing out that the Act to ban foxhunting still has to be accepted by the House of L.ords, and that a Parliamentary Act may not be enough to encourage the Lords to vote in favour of it. Anti-hunting protesters are equally pleased that a Parliamentary Act remains a possibility.

Mr. Roger Williams, a Liberal Democrat for Brecon and Radnorshire, stated in the House of Commons in September that 'British people will be able to beat their children but not chase a fox'. lt would appear that whatever the opinion about foxhunting may be, this will be true, and shows that the Labour Party is attempting to win easy votes.

T

All of this ... ...for one of these

For more Information about the Inquiry into foxhunting, or t he beliefs of either group contact : The League Against Cruel Sports: http://www.league.u k.com Sup port Foxhuntlng: http://www.supportfoxhuntlng.co.u k The Hunt Inquiry: http://www.huntlnginqulry.gov.ukl The Countryside Alliance: http://www.countryslde-alllance.co.uk

Colcrete Wednesday, Ocotber 20th, 2004

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 17

TERM INATING CONTRACTS Having big muscles is no qualification for being in charge of the world's sixth largest economy. But is a big personality? A California native, Alyssa Morrisey, wonders if the joke's on her; or him. et's get something straight, Arnold Californians were desperate for change.'

Schwarzenegger may now be a California citizens turned out in record numbaby-kissing politico, but he has bers on election day in one of the most famous definitely played Conan the elections of all time, earning Schwarzenegger 48 Barbarian when it comes to politics. percent of the votes, it has been a little over a year since News of 'The Governator' seldom leaves the the famed Austrian-born actor, 'entertainment' section of many media outlets • • •• known for his role in the motion pieoutside of the US and reporters use his performlure The Terminator. took part in a strange politiance in office as a chance to poke fun .

A guardian report calling Schwarzenegger cal phenomenon that landed him in the gover'history's most expensive Tin Man' claims that 'he nor's seat in California.

Many Californians began to feel like the subis the Terminator, an outsider who'll keep on coming until he has completed his mission: saving the ject of a very large, very expensive joke when actor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on The human race from the Democrats. Once the con Tonight Show that he would run as the republican fetti was cleaned up, though, many found that the joke was at the expense of millions of candidate against Governor Grey Davis, and then broke into a long political speech littered with Californians, as they felt the effects of living under a highly experimental government. Like catch phrases from his most popular blockbuster hits. ~-0"'!0::7'""-.

President Bush, Schwarzenegger is Though never before having been a republican and his intertaken seriously for his muscle-bound ests gravitate toward roles in major motion pictures, his business and the pri'terminate terrorism'; tactics were vatization of public sure to completely sweep away an resources. Unlike Bush, though, incredibly unpopular and unattractive Governor Gray Davis, whom Schwarzenegger most blamed for the state's $38 bilhas a more 'liberal' approach to lion budget deficit, the energy crisis and unemployment. social issues. He 'lt was an election about charsupports a woman's right to acter, about Gray Davis' lack of it and Arnold Schwarzenegger's ease choose, though of it.' BBC correspondent Katty Kay he is adamantly opposed to the explains. 'He lost, not so much because he had failed to fix issue of marriage California's finances or enerlicences to same sex couples.

espite his very vague political agenda, Schwarzenegger immediately accomplished some of the tasks he had promised right, such as repealing both SB-60, the law that allows undocumented immigrants to hold driver's licences, and the car tax initiative proposed by the former governor. However, the months following his campaign also witnessed a long stream of broken promises. Several his more liberal social policies began to fall through the cracks when conservative promises to not raise taxes and cut state spending took first priority. Among the first things to suffer: education .

Despite his campaign promise to protect schools from budget cuts, a position which won him support among parents and teachers, 'The Governator' quickly instituted a $25 billion decrease in education spending by suspending proposition 98, a bill that guaranteed elementary, high school and community college education some 40% of the State's revenue. He promised to raise alternative funds or restore the missing money once the budget crisis subsided.

Desperate students from a Contra Costa County school district - which shut down nearly all of its school's athletic programs, counsellors, libraries and elementary music programs to close a $16.5 million budget deficit, gathered children, teachers and parents for a protest walk head70 miles over eight days to the governor's office n

D

Sacramenta.

When they arrived , Schwarzenegger refused to meet with them . lt was only after 2 members of the county posed a 25-day 'water only' hunger strike that the governor agreed to refinance a state loan to the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

During the Spring , the actor-turned-politician made a deal with the California State University and University of California systems to withdraw millions of dollars from higher education in a deal that made Tony Blair's tango with top-up fees look like a tap dance.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian called it 'Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to finance the state's budget deficit by mortgaging the future .'

As a result $241 million were taken from the California State University system, $16.5 million was taken away from the University of California system . Most students saw their fees increase by about 25% percent, while enduring larger class sizes and a smaller class schedule . The University restructured their academic departments, closing several of them completely, laid off hundreds of its faculty and eliminated countless student services such as sports teams and outreach programs.

Once again, Schwarzenegger proposed the deal on the grounds that it would return the money in the future through alternative sources or when the economy would improve.

Despite the education fiasco , Schwarzenegger impressed dubious Californians by imposing several specific environmental measures that protect California's coastline, address air pollution and encourage the use of hybrid vehicles. Sierra Club California leQislative director Bill Allyaud said that 'the governor-elect has a great environmental platform on paper,' and called the proposed plans for urban development ''the best I've ever seen by a candidate."

On the other hand, as part of his recent plan to make the state government 'more efficient and accountable,' he proposed to eliminate virtually all of California's independent environmental boards and commissions, many of which have played vital roles in making California a worldrenowned leader in environmental protection.

Shortly after being elected, Schwarzenegger immediately began toying with the possibility of becoming president of the United States. Luckily the US Constitution prevents any non-natural born citizen from seizing office, even Arnie.

'The Governator'

Name: Arnold Schwarzenegger Position: 38th Governor of California. Sworn in on November 17th, 2003 Party affiliation: Republican Muscles: Significant Accent: Thick Born: 3oth of July, 1947, Styria, Austria Age: 57 Nicknames: 'The Governator'; 'Conan the Republican'; 'Arnie'; 'Austrian Oak' Family: Wife of 18 years M aria Shriver, four children Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher Memorable films: Terminator; Terminator 2; Terminator 3; Conan the Barbarian; Kindergarten Cop; Predator Not-so memorable-films: Batman & Robin; Collateral Damage; Junior; Jingle All The Way In his own words: "To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic girlie men!" Speaking at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

-=--

SUSTAINING SHOPPING The new Chapelfield Shopping Mall is raising ecological eyebrows

Students a re now being cha rged for p la st ic bags, s ho uld this be exte nd e d to a d eposit fo r bottl es and glasse s at the Unio n Ba r?

"I thin k t h at stu d e nts s ho uld be issued with ca rd s th at ca n be ma rke d o r credited e ve ry t im e a bo tt le o r g la s s is re turn ed . On e hund red c red its should ea rn the s tud e nt a free a le.

I a ls o think some a le co mpa ni es s hould be responsi b le for th is and act as s ponsors. " Luke Robe rts, LIT

"In theory I agree, but implementat io n is always tougher in practice. lt is benefiting us in the long run, and a lthough some people complain a bout the extra money on the bags, s t udents throw away much more m oney on other needless things."

Ann a Steward , LIT

The re is a lso growi ng co nce rn that Chape lfle ld will put No rwic h into t he fra me of a 'clone d c ity'; w he re t he sa m e sto res w ill be se ll ing th e same merc han di s e as eve ry o th e r c it y. Council lo r Ra m say, a n MA Po litics s tu de nt at UEA,

T

he d eve lo pm e nt in -p rog ress

No rw ic h o n th e City Co unc il. He co m -

of

s h o ppi n g

me nted t hat " El sewh e re in th e co un try,

m a ll o n St Ste ph e ':' 's St reet

t he o pe nin g of la rge s ho p pi ng d eve lo p-

h as

Ch a pe lfie ld

been the sou rce of

mu c h up ro ar fr om th e e nvi-

ments has res ulted in ind e pe nd e nt and local b u si nes ses cl o si ng dow n"

ro n me nta l comm unity. it wa s op posed by

O t h e r iss u es bro u g ht fo rwa rd by

t he Gree n Pa rty four yea rs ago when it

o rga ni s ation s s uc h a s Engli s h He rita ge,

went before the Ci ty Counci l, with t he

voice co n ce rn a bo ut th e s ite's bound-

oped in Norwich by the Chapelfle ld open-

view that it posed a threat to the surv1val

aries; th e Grad e

ing date, increasing traffic in this area.

of the c ity's indepe nd e nt and local busi-

and St Ste ph e n' s Church , both impo rtant

The susta1nabil1ty of the devel-

nesses.

1

listed Asse mbl y House

change over time."

With no long term environmental outlook or sustamability strategy,

to Norwich ' s herita ge, a re vuln e ra bl e to

opme nt is poor; it has been desc ribed as

this short-te rm money maker is likely to

The Green Pa rt y's local candidates,

the deve lopme nt wo rks a nd the pedestri-

an 'al l or nothing' scheme in 1ts nature ,

harm

Co u nci ll o rs Adria n Ho lm es and Adrian

a n o r vehicl e t raffic t ha t Ch a p e lfle ld wil l

with t he Comm ission for Arc h itecture

traders , independe nt and loca l business-

the c 1ty of Norw1ch's market

Ra m say, have p le d ged not to s hop at

bri ng. Th e re will be

ca r pa rking

a nd the Bu il t Environment c ritic is ing it,

es wh1ch g1ve Norw1ch 1ts distinctive ide n-

Chapelfleld . This h as received support

spaces created at Chape lfl eld a long w1th

as the project "does not seem to a llow

tity.

from the local independent businesses

the

easily for the possibility of evolutiOn or

10,000

1,00 0

t hat are already being devel -

Hannah Newton

UK TO INVEST IN BIOMASS FUELS

T

Next issue' s quest1on.

mtroduc-

White made the announcement, explain-

any carbon d10X1de released

mg a ra n ge of gran ts to

ing that "Biomass energy has the poten-

when the next crop

e ncourage t he s u pp ly and

tial to be of huge benefit in terms of com-

and sustained b1o-energy industry would

demand fo r b1omass fuels

bating cl1mate change, boostmg farm

not therefore contribute to global warm-

Mm1 s ters hope t hat th 1s will

diversification, and creating more rural

1ng.

he governme nt

IS

to

IS

IS

reabsorbed

grown. A contmued

10%

jObs". it is an industry that has so far

This 1s sure to be a popular move

of ene rgy d e ri ved from re newa bl e so urces

failed to take of and White hopes that th e

from the government, as it will boost the

by

he Ip th e U K reac h its ta rget s to have

Should the government rea ll y have outlawed fox hunting~

'

rich c hai n s to res like Ho use of Frase r an d m a instre a m res taura nt s like Mc Dona ld 's.

re prese nts th e go ld e n t ri a ngle a re a o f

"A depo sit on bottles and glasses would just be ridiculous! I agree that we need to recycle more but you can't honestly expect students and bar staff to keep track of 1 deposit on every drink they buy. it's just not practical." Robert Z1mmerman, MUS

Send your op1n1ons concrete.turf@uea.ac uk

w ho are m o s t vuln era ble to t he influ x o f

it wil l also come as a welcome

grants will increase confidence in farmer s

countryside's economy a nd potentially

boost to in du st ry in th e co un t ryside,

to 1nvest in b1omass and help 1t to

reduce carbon em1ss1ons.

deve loping fa rmin g a nd fo restry.

become a viable energy sou rce.

2010.

A task fo rce has bee n set u p, headed

lt is thought that this move 1s 1n

by the former pres1dent of the Nat1onal

respo nse to a cntic1sm last May from the

Farmers' Un io n , Sir Ben G ill . The [3-5

Royal Commission on Env~ronmental

m1llion scheme will offer g rants 1n all

Pollution that cla1med that the govern-

aspects of bio-ene rgy develop m ent, from

ment was neglect ing biomass as a way to

harvest to storage to process to supply.

tackle climate change. One of the benefits

The Food and Farming mi ni ster Larry

of b10mass as an e ne rgy source

IS

that

-------

\

· ;\ Some st:udent:s are t·~ brighter than ot:hers ...... . • . t:h

v

know Carb"ldge World

can REFf •L L

~heir

empty Ink

.and laser ,...,. r t'rldges Wo roffU n""to~t m

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TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT Al t hough the more exotically minded tree lovers may be d1sappomted, it was an overwhelming demand from Turf's readers that made the Common Oak, or Quercus Robur, the tree of the fortnight. While not an observed distinction, what Common, or English oak,

IS

IS

often referred to as the

in fact a Dutch species mtroduced into

t he British ecosystem in favo r of 1ts long trunk that made 1t ideal for increased wood production. This tree can also absorb up to

1000

liters of wate r a day, which is one poss1ble explanation for the fact tha t dur ing a storm over a mixed forest. any lightening wil l always ta rget an oa k.

Cartridge World

Height :

so - 150

Ft

~pread : Sa m e as he ight (app rox)

Shape: Ro und e d Fo liage: Leaves 3-5 inches wi t h 3 to 7 pairs of ro un ded lobes, deep gree n until aut u mn , t urning brown and remaini ng o n th e tree into winte r.

Flower: Ha ngi ng catk ins in sp ring

Fru it : Acorn

The Common Oak or Quercu s Robur

Concrete

1\ (•,ilh''"'"·

I"

o/hr

I

~Oil!. ~IIIJ.J

concrete.turJla uca .ac.uk 19

www.concrete-online.com

NEW ISSUES FOR THE NEW YEAR

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The ratro of Sun Guard1an rPaders

Turf talks to Environmental Officer Andy Higson and Transport Consultant Dawn Dewar to determine what issues we will see raised this year. year's off1cer, Ruth Cole. left h1m a lot to l1ve up to and he sa1d ''rny pnon ty IS to ma mta m all the pol1c1es from las t year, insunng that th ey a re all 1mplement ed and cont1nue to be successful" He exp ressed the need for feed back from fellow s tu de nt s and the •mp o rt a nce of mcreased publ1c aware ness.

As1de from thiS he was ab le to reveal a few new 1ssues that he was pu shm g fo r, but he wa rned of the t1m e 1t ta kes to get th1n gs pas t th e d1ffe re nt leve ls of Un1 vers1ty leg•sla t1 o n. Outlmed he re a re Andy H1g so n's curre nt a1m s and targe ts:

ENVIRONMENT OFFICER ANDY HIGSON ow t ha t Conc rete 1s th ree 1ss ues mto 1ts new a nnum a nd th at Tuif has estab lished 1tself as th e wor· thy new env1ron· men tal sect1 o n, 1! IS t1me to prov1de read· e rs w1 th an overv1ew of th1s year's affa 1rs Imp o rtant iss ues have alrea dy be e n ra1sed. bu t because environmental pro· ceedmgs have often gone unnot1ced and ove r 3000 students are new to the un1ver· Slty, some con text 1s defm1te ly needed T111j would also l1ke to lake th1s opportu· n1ty to h1ghl,ght all the great ach,evements the last few years have seen UEA has a great green record and although th" sect1on wdl ont1nue to h1ghl1ght problems and condem environmental rr11sconduch, rt drH 1 ~ not wrsh to under

mme the Nork be•ng done that contmues to earn the campus 1ts 11r press1ve reputa· liOn ndy H1gson '' the U[A Environmental Of',cer, and 11 will be h1s JOb s to 1nsurc that the Un1on safeguards 1ts ecofnendly pol1c1es and continues to implement 1mportant changes Andy acknow ledged that the work of last

A

Insuring the progress of the recycling scheme - Fo ll ow1ng last yea r's trail m No rfo lk Te rrace, every ha ll o n ca mpu s now has a co ll ec t1on process fo r recycl •n g. Yet cracks are al ready begmnmg to 1mmerge as it ha s bee n revea led th at co nfus io n with th e reg ul ar rubb is h has caused a lot of recyclmg to be ch ucked An dy prom1ses to look mto th1 s a nd to smooth out a ny othe r prob lems.

Improving Cycling Facilities - Th1s 1s a JOb co ncernmg the co -o perat10n of several departm e nts, but Andy is pledgmg to add furthe r pressure to sec the constructiOn of more b1ke- racks Printout Reductions Many studen ts have long been quest10 nmg the amount of paper that" wasted m pnntouts. While rece1pts are necessary Andy IS mvest•gatmg al ternat1ves to m 1n1mllC tfw use of all th1s pape r.

Increased Awareness The b1ggest concern of many s that il lot of proc~SS· CS anrl ISSUfl\ gu UrlriOtiCCd tr)·~ unchecked Andy bas plans to reach more students dlld L'nrourage otl1ers to get mvolved Tuifwill conllll<le to report on all the Un1on's progress 111 future ISsues

redders

to

The current odds of M me fester Unrted wrnnrng the ptemrershrp (rssued by Wrllram Hrll, The ratto of the amount of carbon drox1de cmrss1ons th ll dn dvuage Brttrsh crttzen ts respons1ble fo1 compdred to drt aver 1ge Afrtcdn crtrzen -

g to

ra ns po rt has beco me th1 s yea r's ho t to pi c, fo ll ow1ng re po rt s on on th e co nstru ctio n of a new mult1-storey car park . As argum ent s fo r a nd agams t such a devel o pm ent cont111u e to grow, Tuif offers a look at our tra ns po rt system as a who le, rem111dlllg read e rs of the prog ress that has bee n ma de 1n recen t years Fo r th1s we spea k to Dawn Dewar. who was brought 1nt o the UEA to develop a 'T1avel Pl a n' for the campu s. Decembe r 2002 saw th e offlc1al del1very of suc h pl ans. and s1 nce the n some rea l rmprovemen ts have bee n made.

Th e First Bu s se rv1ce saw some Slg· n1 fi ca nt changes, w1 th the 111troduct10n of th e do ubl e-decke rs an d th e annu al bus pass Ove r 1000 bu s passes have been sold so far thiS yea r, wh1ch rea lly shows how fa r we've come. As Dawn expla1ns; "ThiS success rea ll y lies w1th communicatiOn between the bus serv1ce and UEA express111g the student needs" A lot of students are stdl very diScouraged by the scrv1ce and those who contmuc to dnvc 1nto campus say they will need to see further •mprovements before they leave their Cd" beh111d But as Improvements continue to come and we Witness the amval of another bus company (Angl1a), thiS 15 "'"ISSUe that bnngs opt1m1sm and wdl be demand 111 g att en t1 on from Tuif Cycling IS another hot top1c and though nders are still 1n need of some more fac11it•es. Dawn explams thJt we have "su rpassPd ou r cyclrng targets " ThiS has mdced become a mo1e popula r form of transpo rt, w1th stud1es showmg ;m mcrease from 1999 to 2003 the per-

T

ce ntage of cycl1s ts. Th1 s rose fro m 16~o to 21% and demand 1s std l be 111 g cate red for, w1 th a plan to budd 60-100 more b1ke racks by the e nd of the yea r.

Dawn d1d no t w1sh to pass Judgemen t on the mu lt1story ca r pa rk as th1s was not her dic1s1on to make, bu t she d1d fee l th at peo pl e needed re m1ndm g tha t the UEA's car pa rk111g quota will still fa ll we ll below gu1del1nes eve n w1th th1s development Tuif will contm uc to suppo rt gro up s such as STAG who con demn the plans, bu t w1s h. l1ke Dawn, to rem1nd readers that par k1 ng spaces have no t bee n Inc rease d 111 ove r a decade, des p1te the substantia l growth of the UniverSity ove r tha t t1 me. CongestiO n IS stil l a maJOr ISS ue that co ncerns dn ve rs, bus users an d cycl1sts alike As we ll as all the developments going ahead. Dawn Dewar desmbed her role to persuade the UEA members to help w1 th th e fig ht aga 1nst congestion "ThiS IS the start of a year of hard push1ng to get everyone to act more r•'spon'lbly .. ThiS won't mean push m~ people out of therr cars, but will mcludc the encotuagement of car shdllllg dnd cont1nued surveys of student demands.

T111f wdl continue to follow the 'ongest•on P'"biPms at UEA and and report on the developm<>nt of all the ISsue's mentiOned here today, as well any other environmental 1ssues that come to l1ght Yet ,f there 15 any corner that any reader f<>els has been left unscratched let you1 vo1ce be hea rd and con tact conrete .turf@'UEA ac uk Thank you.

(T) rebte (v)o~~a

plus.

TH-5 l>LAC5 TO PARTY ....

The amoun t of ttme that elapses be tween each h uman death from starva t ion = The amoun t of ti me rt takes for t he fas tes t e lec t ric car, the AC Pro p u lsion Tze ro (prrced at [12ok) to do o to 6o = The amo u nt of ti me 1t takes to Witness 9 ac res of ra inforest betng destroyed=

3.6 Seconds Reco rde d aud 1e n ce numbe rs fo r Kil ljoy Srlk's chat show before it got axedThe amount of money that UKIP received in dona t ions 1n the second qtJarter of 2004 (rndt>cently more money than the L1ber al Democrats recell't>d) Hrghest estrmdte for the numbe1 of votes dtscounted 111 the 2000 Arnertcdn electiOn due to "vrJter error and poor operd!tons at polltng stattons"

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J A'f LOnElY NUMBERS Will BE: H

6, 27, 31, 38, 43, 48 Find out why • INSIDE

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

Dear Professor Adjusting to student li fe is hard enough . but my new neighbour in halls keeps • me awake at night. If it's not music or· drunken revellery. it's a new girl everv night. which is not doing r;1y peace of mind any p;ood at r~ll. I am so tired and exhauslt'd . Professor. I can 'r <;tnnd it. what can I do?

Repressed. Norfolk Terrance

UEA rabbits are the nicest rabbits around I

•

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th e difference. "I was wa lk ing to a lec t ure la l Wedn esday m orning wh e n I n oti ced a fa mily of ra bbits playing in the g rass. It Reports are flooding in that everyone's was th e way they we re bouncing favourite carrot eating, shotgun evading, a~·o un d a nd froli cking - I j u s t h ;ul to s ta nd an d watch the m . Then . burrowing mammel, the rabbit, is look-A.~~~·''; ing even more cute and adorable be fo re I kn ew it. it was d a rk a nd than normal this year, as it lollops ra ining: I ha d been watc hing the ra bbit s fo r t hirteen h o urs." Thou gh around c ampus with its long ears and fluffy , white tail.

Barry cau ght pne umo nia from th e Th e s pecies has lo ng bee n po pula r a t UEA. inc ide nt a nd m ay be k icked off h is cour co mi ng econd in a recen t 'Most Lovely a nd for poor a tte nda nce. he cla ims h e wou ld do Furry' Po ll o nly be hind philoso phy lecture rs . exactly t h e sam e aga in . ''They really we re Bu t n ow it a ppears tha t ra bbits a re go ing a d o ra b le," h e a dd ed . Missy Va n Peebles s tra ight fo r th e lo p . blasting th e (BBC I) reca lled a s imi la r situa tio n. "I saw Uni vers ity wi t h a c ha rism a offen so m e rabbits. they we re really cute." s h e s ive th e likes of whi c h h as neve r said . see n befo re.

While th e fac t th a t UEA ra bb its a r·c th e most delightful they h ave ever bee n is Ba rry C hu c kl es . a seco nd yea r· crim e -fi g htin g indis putable (you s h ould see they way r·em embers th e fi rst time h e n oti ced they twitch t h eir litt le n oses). th e reaso n

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why is provi ng mo re com plex. It does see m to be a local trend . Ove r· r~ t th e Univers ity of Notting ha m t h e rab bit po pula ti o n h as been d escri bed as "a bit s t a rey'' a nd Edinburgh th ere is a n brea k of belligeren ce. To ny Bla ir h as pled ged to se nd a Norwi ch to lea rn wh a t we a re d oing ri ght.

Back a t UEA. bo th Unio n a nd Univers ity o ffi c ia ls we re qu ick to cla im t h e h a ppy bunni es as vindi cati on of th e ir own p oli cies.

Ind eed . th ey ha ve a greed to s ort out who is respo nsibl e fo r th e ra bbits before tackling th e o ngoing s pate of un exp la ined expl osio n s ac ross ca mpu s th a t to ela te h ave cla imed the lives of over three hundred students (for m ore o n thi s story. see n ews in b ri e f. page 41 ).

Der~r Repressed It is a sad state of affiars. when the youth of today arc so unde rcducated that they aren't aware of the s imple j oy that m a ths can b r-ing to existence. Yo ur p roblem is no t beyo nd the glo ri o u s solu t ion s of a math em a ti c eq u a ti o n . th e processes fo whi ch I s h a ll now expla in to yo u . We ca n se t o ut yo ur problem as th e followi ng: Let u s de note t he produ cers of th e .. . er m .. . d is turbance as agents A. a nd you \vi ll b e d enoted as a gent B. Age nts A pr-oduce a .. level of di s turba n ce x wh ere x ER. Le t A's un co n stra ined optima l di s turbance leve l be xA. a nd the socia lly desired level be x•. It is left for t h e read er to how th a t xA>x* if uB '(x)>O. To redu ce xA to the d esired level one cou ld s im ply a dmini s ter a s uitable m a rginal tax o n the di sturban ce . Such a tax (say £ 1/ grun t) would intern a lise th e exte rn a lity a mi produce a s ocia lly effi cient outcome. If you rem ember s u ch formula. it will prove invalu a ble fo r t h e co ming years.

STRIKE ACTION HITS PAPER

Unexpected industrial action in the ink industry has led to printing problems with The UEA Enquirer.

A s pokesperso n fo r th e newspa per sa i

One of the strikers at home yesterday

Co.crete Wednesday, Ocorber 20th, 2004

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk 21

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Thou Shalt Not Shop Whilst Drunk...

Kathryn West and Laura Cobb combine shopping with drinking and find that the mix is rather divine ... sk any UEA female student what she believes in, and you would be hard pressed to find a girl who does not answer with the words drinking and shopping. So it was with great excitement that we descended upon Topshop, clutching a campus card in one hand and a worn out debit card in the other, awaiting enlightenment.

On the 6th October Norwich 's most fashionable females queued with the animation usually found on the faces of eager children waiting to see Santa . lt was Norwich's first lock-in* and Topshop were the proud hosts . Surly security guards held back the tides of teenagers and once through the doors, Topshop did not disappoint. As faithful fashion followers, shopping is our religion, and church-goers have never been blessed with such a discour1t (20%) .

Before we had even set eyes on the bargains, excited squeals of"Oh my God,

the alcohol 's freeeeeeeeeee?! " could be heard on discovering the rambow selection of Reefs** on offer. Helping ourselves to four bottles each (shopping is thirsty work), we hit the rails .

Topshop's autumn collection con· sists of thick knits , intrepid prints and dreamy shades. The colours span the spectrum, and our intoxicated eyes absorbed beautiful hues ranging from chocolate brown to topaz blue. Draped from Topshop to toe in dresses, shirts and anything else we could get our hands on, we were soon mistaken for man· nequins by one very inebriated shopper.

As our bottles drained, so did our budgets. News of the lock-in soon spread the nation quicker than you can say "twenty percent", (which on second thoughts isn't that quick when you've moved onto to Carling), as many-a-mother was called by many-a-drunken daughter begging for a cash injection. Cowboy boots, ponchos, logo !-shirts, pretty pearls and retro belts .. . "But it's sooo an essential, Mum." Girls swamped the dressing rooms in their scruffy student get-up, and emerged enlightened, beautiful butterflies fluttering their stuff. Cat-walk fashion collided with drunken cat-fights as a third year Law student wrestled a first

yea r Lit student for the last fake fur shrug.

By 9pm , the staff had escorted us and our eleven carrier bags out of the door. The ladies of Norwich had drunk and shopped Topshop dry. Quite tipsy, we stumbled home, feeling sinful, but very fashionable . ( .

*Lock-in: an after-hours shopping experience, only available to those exclusively invited, usually involves hiding purchases from boyfriend and lying to friends about how much was spent. **Reef: a drink favoured by females owing to it's girly coloured flavours and ability to get you very drunk without actually realising.

It's all in the name of fashion darling. ..

IS IT COS I M COO

If you pop over to Hollywood you'd probablr. pass many a celeb singing along to the catchy song 'Is it 'cos Pm coo , why you dress like me?' With this idea in mind Laura Cobb and Kathryn West wondered around UEA armed only with a camera and notepad asking students who their style icons are.

Natalie Favourite shop: H&M Who cuts your hair?· Method hair Fashion faux pas: leg warmers Fashion icon: Sienna Miller

Sarah Favourite shop: Topshop Who cuts your hair? Somewhere in Germany Fashion faux pas: hot pants Fashion icon: Kate Moss

lauren reeves

hair design

Larissa Favourite shop: Paul Frank Who cuts your hair? Toni & Guy Fashion faux pas: Bright orange combats Fashion icon: Jennifer Aniston

fye brldg treet noJWich, norfolk, nr311e. tel: 01803 818398 Qaroera tat top trained at Nnowned

8UG0811tlful

'Adrian Favourite shop: Cult in Colchester Who cuts your hair? Someone at home, a long time ago! But my friend colours it.

Fashion faux pas: Dungarees.

Fashion icon: Incubus frontman,

8hOW8 InclUding the ,., Mffllruu8, phcttograpttl

GAlW41JK

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concrete.fashion lifestyle@ uea.ac. uk

Colcrete Wednesdav. October 20til. 2004

www.concrete-online.com

I GOT THE BLACK LUNG, POP It's a problem costing the health service millions each year, it' s the subject of constant media attention, and is subject to never-ending increases in price. Yet still m illions of p eople cannot resist the temptation of niccotine, and it's a p roblem that's affectin g young people more and m ore. Health Editor Clare A itchison asks u s to stop. Right now. 路'

lease stop smoking.

I' m so rry, you've never even m et me and here I am telling you to change your lifestyle, but this is something I very strongly feel about . So please, stop smo king .

Smoking is the s ingle worst thing you can do to your health. You've all seen what it says on the packet - "smokers die young"~ Well, what it shou ld say is "smokers die young, slowly and painfu lly" . it's ironic rea ll y, m a ny peop le ta ke up smoking because it looks glamorous , it fits in with the image they want to present, but to watch someone die from a smoking-related illness has got to be one of the least glamorous things that I have ever seen.

Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals , th e main ones are tar, nicotire and ca rbon monoxide . Tar is just that, the black , sticky stuff you find on the road . When you inhale, tar settles in your lungs , clogging up the bits where air normally passes into your blood. Although your lungs have little hairs designed to sweep out all the rubbish like a broom, the tar actually paralyses them , adding ins ult to injury. The tar the n just sits in your lungs whilst all the carcinoge nic che mical s dissolved in it seep into your tissue, causing that old favourite: lung cancer.

As if it wasn 't already hard enough to get air into your lungs then, the ca rbon monoxide in cigarette smoke fights the oxygen in the air for a pla ce in your red blood ce ll s, and the carbo n monoxide always wins . This means that even when you do manage to get some air in past the tar, the chances of oxygen getting from that air into you blood a re pret路 ty smal l.

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Th is is the same effect you would get if you sat in your car with the ignition turned on and the garage door shut.

Basically you are suffocating yourself.

So why on earth are you doing this? I mean bonfi re smoke contains tar and carbon monoxide , but I don 't see that many people on Guy Fawke's night standing

Hav ing said that , an instant death is almost certainly preferable to dying from emphysema or lu ng cancer. Imagine never being able to catch you r breat h.

However deep ly you breath you cannot get eno ugh oxygen into your body. If you move even the smallest amount you become completely out of breath and you

Chances are most of you reading this are still relatively young, and the younger you are when you give up smoking, the greater improvements you will make in you health . 20 minutes after your last cigarette your blood pressure drops back down to normal and after 8 hours the oxygen levels in your blood are up as you get

lt's ironic really, many people take up smoking because it looks glamorous, it fits in with the image they want to present, but to watch someone die from a smoking-related illness has got to be one of the least glamorous things that I have ever seen. downwind of the bonfire, mouths open, breathing deeply. Well th is, as far as the tobacco companies are concerned , is the clever bit. Nicotine is addictive. it stimulates the nervo us system , making you simultaneously more alert and more relaxed . The problem is, when you take away the nicotine you end up more stressed and s luggish than you were before you ever started on it, so you need to keep on smoking. And as your body becomes tolerant to its effects, you need to smoke more of it to get the same effect. But it's not all good news; ni co tine also makes your blood stickier as we ll as making your blood vessels thinner thereby raising your blood pre ssure. This means that you can get a bl ood clot in one of you r veins - a deep ve in thro mbosis. If you are lucky thi s might just give you a bit of gangrene, if you are unlucky it could land in your lungs and kill you insta ntly.

probably fee l constantly dizzy from the lack of oxygen . Chances are you'll be coughing up a lot of phlegm , as the hairs in your lungs can't sweep it out any more , and if the re is blood in that phlegm then you'd really better start worrying. In hospital I have seen men and women so weake ned by the ir illness that when they slip down the bed , they do not have th e energy or the strength to push them 路 selves up again, and yet they can't call out for a nurse ei th er. Not exactly glamorous .

You 'd better hope you are hit by a bus befo re then . ut it 's no t a ll doom and gloom . The fact is that these people were dying from an illness that they could have avoided . And although that is desperately sad , it also means that there is hope for

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rid of all that carbo n monoxide . In fact after 36 hours, a ll the ca rbon mo noxide in your body has gone, and your risk of a heart attack has already dropped! Three days witho ut a ciga rette and your senses of taste and smell will come back , so you can really start to enjoy your food and appreciate that crisp autumn air. Within 2 weeks your ci rculation will have improved and your breathing will become easier meaning that you wil l feel more energetic th an ever. You may get a bad cough when you first give up. Don't worry, this is beca use all of th ose hairs in your lungs that you had been paralysing with tar have woken up, and they are working overtime to sweep ou t all the rubbis h, but after 3 months they will have finished the whole spring clean and you r cough shou ld have gone away. After only 1 year without a ciga rette your risk of heart disease will have dropped by half, 10 years without and your risk of lung cancer has dropped by half, and after 15 years you are in pretty much the same state of

non -s moker . the younge r you are when you give up , the better your body is at repairing a ll t he da m age you have done to it so none of this " I'll give up when I leave unifget marriedfhave chi ldren ".

Do it now 路 you will find it easier.

If you won't give up for your own health , then d o it for the health of the world. I' m not talking about passive smoking here (although it hardly seems fair to inflict all those horrid d iseases o n

other people) , but I' m ta lking about th e tobacco companies themselves . The UEA Student Union has organised a mass-boycott of Nestle to protest about its baby milk marketing policies, and good for them . But the tobacco companies have a much worse record for marketing, and yet often it is the very same campaigners with a ' Boycott Nestle' banne r in one hand who have a cigarette in the othe r.

With everything that is known about the ill -effects of smoking, it seems ext raordinary that someone would spend huge amounts of money and time trying to encou rage people to smoke, but this is exactly what the tobacco companies do.

Since smoking kills around 5 million people a year worldwide that 's at least 5 million more smokers that need to be recruited for the fat cats to stay fat . Young people, pa rticularly yo un g girls, are easy to influence and so have long been a target. Since advertising has been banned in the UK the companies have had to learn to use more devious techniques such as ens uring attractive, healthy, famous people are seen to be smokers. And as they were worried about losing the market in the west they have moved into the developing world , ac tu al ly persuading th e Am erican government to impos e trade sanctions on countries such as China until they allowed American cigarettes to be advertised and sold. With a record like that , they don 't rea lly see the point in treating their growers and suppliers well , but it can hardly be said that tobacco is a Fair-Trade product. The tobacco companies provide 'aid' to th e governments of countries who provi de them with land and people to tend it, and they loan farmers the money to set up, getting them into debt before they have even begun . Since there are relatively few, large tobacco companies, it has also been very easy for them to collude on prices , and squeeze the producers into even more debt . Think about that when you next have a fag with your Cafedirect.

No, there is no fair trade alternative (s hort of g rowing yo ur own which is actua lly not that hard. If you a re inte rested email me via Concrete) so the only way to boycott these companies is to give up entirely. But hey - there is not really any alternative to the Kit Kat either, and I gave that up even though I really like them . If you are addicted it is not going to be easy. But there are lots of p laces t ha t can help .

Number o ne is your GP who wi ll be so excited that you want to do this they will g ive you patches or gum or anyth ing else you need to make it more bearable. What I cannot say e nough is please, please, pl ease do everything you ca n to give up smoking. For your own health and for the health of the world. Spread the word. And if anybody snaps at me in the next few weeks I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that it is because you are on your way to being a non-smoker. Good luck!

If you want more information , or inspiration go to- www.ash .org.uk www.qu it .org.uk (t el: o8oo oo 22 oo) www.g iveupsmoking.co .uk www.qu itsmokingu k.com O r call t he NHS Smoking Helpline: o8oo 169 o 169

ere s more to rtze an an c eese and Kinder Surprise. Dean Bowman tells Concrete about his sem.ester abroad exploring . and studying in Switzerland. hen thinking of places worth visiting in Europe it is easy to over-

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Switzerland .

This is perhaps no surprise given the country's tendency to keep itself to .itself, to resist the continent that surrounds it just beyond the Alps, whose formidable peaks isolate it from the European Union. it is very much its own place and its exaggerated fear of foreigners has resulted in one of Europe's most extreme right wing governments being voted into power.

Switzerland is very much a place of extremes. There is the extreme beauty of the natural environment and the extreme paranoia of the people, which is evident in the tank traps still scattering the countryside from WWII, just in case, and the fact that every public building since the '6os has been legally obliged to include a nuclear shelter in the basement; I kid you not.

However you should not let the quirks of the national character put you off because in many ways Switzerland is paradoxically a very easy going place.

There is also the tradition_9f the sublime that links the English consciousness to this strange land . Throughout the Romantic and Victorian period the Swiss Alps were the major tourist destination for the English leisured classes outside the Empire. And they became a great inspiration for many great writers and poets, most famously Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein in the Pays de Vaud, one of the twenty seven semiautonomous regions that make up the country.

A testament to this popularity among our ancestors is the fact that the mountain overlooking the beautiful, historic

city of Luzern was home to the first perpendicular railway in Europe. lt was built because the Swiss had grown tired of carrying Englishmen up the mountain on their backs because they wanted to see the view, but were far too respectable to do anything as uncouth as climbing. Now Switzerland has the densest, and proba- · bly the most efficient public transportation system in the world , so getting from A to B is no problem even if there are a few mountains in the way. In fact the main reason why the Swiss have not fought in a war for the last 300 years is probably because they have been too busy waging a war with their own landscape.

If you ever do come to think of Switzerland it is easy to call to mind the names of famous cities worth visiting.

There's Zurich the home of clocks and watches; Bern the capital with its air filled with the scent of cannabis and its peculiar bear pit in the cent re of the city, which holds three brown bears that are symbols of the city; and Geneva home of diplomats and that famous convention that the Americans like to pretend they didn't sign.

A place that may not immediately spring to mind is Lausanne, the chief city of the Pays de Vaud ; Frankenstein country, which lies serenely upon the banks of Lake Leman just twenty miles outside Geneva. I recently spent a semester in. this city on an Erasmus exchange; until that point I had never heard of the place, but after four months I realised I had barely scratched the surface of what turned out to be an incredibly vibrant city.

Lausanne is not a huge city, it has perhaps a population of 30000 and because it shares the European apartment culture it is quite compact. That said it has a renowned club culture, at least fourteen galleries and as many cinemas, including the Swiss Film Archive housed in a beau-

tiful building in a park called Montbennon.

Lausanne is also home to the International Olympic committee and it's definitely worth visiting the Olympic museum, which enshrines the pre-history of the games and the humanist ideals on which they were re-founded at the end of the nineteenth century. Another gallery of interest is the Musee de I'Art Brut, which holds one of Europe's most unusual collections, consisting of 'outsider art' by the mentally ill, criminals and those on the marg ins of society and the arts establish ment.

There is an expansive and gorgeous historic centre, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, focused around the castle, the Calvinist cathedral and the renaissance period town hall. The city is built on a series of hills upon the highest of which is located the cathedral and from which you get an exceptional view over the city as it slopes down to the lake, the mountains beyond and into France.

Those lights that twinkle on the far

"Towards evening the atmosphere changes from this relaxed Eden to one ·of festivities " side of the lake belong to the Alpine town of Evian , home to the mineral water and also a large amount of casinos to which the rich Swiss travel by ferry because such places are , bizarrely, outlawed in Switzerland.

Although you ' re never likely to run out of things to do in the city you don'f have to go far to enjoy the famous Swiss countryside. The city is surrounded on all sides by vineyards scattered with tiny hamlets , for this is the Lavuax valley, the chief winegrowing region in Switzerland and not a weekend goes buy without some small village having a wine festival.

The most famous of them is the one at Epesse a tiny cluster of houses that nevertheless boasts 65 wine cellars - you simply buy a glass at the beginning of the festival and drink as much free wine as you possibly can.

Just outside Lausanne are the Jurat Mountains, which were fo rmed by glacial movement in the last ice age making them the youngest mountain range in the world and home to a delicately balanced ecosystem. Even the tallest mountain , Mount Tendre, is walka bl e, if you put aside a good seven hours, and affords a spectacular view of Lake Neuchatel.

However, prepare for a gruelling trek, especially if, like me, you misjudge · the weather an d e nd up walking into a bl izzard, five foot snow drifts and a white-out (what the Fre nch call 'jour blanc') .

One of the most extraordinary things about Swi tzerland in general, and La usanne in particular, is what might be called the 'lake culture'. There is a beautiful park in Lausanne called the Valley de Jeuness, which stretches down to the

lakeside along which is a length of thin beach . The atmosphere is quite unique and combines the best aspects of park and beach; all overlooked by the majesty of the French Alps. During the summer months the lakeside is a buzz of activity.

Students come here to read and smoke dope from the nearby University, women sunbath topless, children play football on the grass, rollerbladers tear down the promenade and people swim in the clear fresh water (because the water in Switzerland is amongst the best in the world) .

Towards evening the atmosphere changes from this relaxed Eden to one of festivities as large groups of people begin to claim the free barbeque spots that scatte r t he lakesi de. The parties are immense and last deep into the night until they finally break up simply because people can't see anymore, only to begin again the next day.

In Lausan ne you are also not far from the city of Montreux, which hosts a world famous Jazz and rock festival. But, for my money, Cully is the place to see good jazz.

Every yea r, at the beginning of July, this tiny lakeside village pulls together to host a huge and incredibly eclectic festival of jazz ranging from classical to world and electronic. There is a club tent and large conc~rt marqu ee for the big name acts whilst dozens of cafes and wine cellars around the village lay o n free Jazz to tightly packed crowds.

In short Lausan ne is an unexpected gem of a city and well wo rth a visit.

The National Rail Servi" would like to remind you that for just £20 a year you can get 113 oH most rail fares in Britain. All you need to do is bring a passport· sized photo, a completed application form and proof of age (or student status if you are over 25) down to the nearest staffed station. You can also buy one over the phone by ringing 08457 484950 for details on your local train company.

They also have five railcards to give away. Just answer the following question: Which British entrepreneur is now looking at space breaks?

Answers to: concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk I I

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Concrete Wedn ;sdal'. Ocotber 20th. 2004

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CONCRETE

HOROSCOPES Aries

Cancer

are going well and you 're really getting to grips with the whole uni shebang .

This fortnight is the time to try your luck, '----="""---' so go get that phone number, write that essay and clean those sheets! Hurrah! They will all be your slaves by this time next year!

Mornings? Lectures?

What are those?

You've been hitting the sauce pretty hard recently, and living it student-style. You've L.....:'----.=:..-J begun to quite enjoy the warmth that wetting the bed provides. Everything is ticking over nicely, but watch out for essay deadlines stealing your thunder.

..--~=---,Things

Lucky words: Truckers like cupcakes

Libra . . - - - - - - , Beware the she' males! Life takes a turn for the bizarre l:! · / ·.. and you need to stay .f. -~ . . .. on the ball if you're .A going to survive to see November.

Remain at home, and leave the stilettos in the cupboard where they belong.

Capricorn . . - - - - - - , You stubborn mule (exclamation mark) Yes yes, you know its time to give in to that pro==::..._-~ posal. There is so much potential to be fulfilled· before you begin to wither. You are wasting in the shadows ...

Lucky words: Wordy lucks

Lucky words: Hull and argumentative

m

Lucky words: Helper monkey Leo Last time you bought a drink in the bar you paid with coppers and a selection of old buttons. The cash situation continues to look dire for this fortnight. Still, bumming drinks proves to be a great way of meeting lots of lovely bed-able freshers. You were always good at making the best of a bad situation.

r - - - - - - - - . This

is your time, my precious. You will meet a person. You will receive a letter.

You will pass under an oak tree. You will L - -- - - - ' eat an olive. You will experience things you have never imagined. You will enjoy a shrub.

Much is in store for you this fortnight my darling.

concrete.advertising@uea.ac.uk Advertising Manager: Ben Millar Team:

concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Editor: Philip Sainty

Aquarius What merry things lie ahead for you , my dear.

Just try to keep a cool head, as you swan to your L---====.. pubs and your clubs. Making an investment wouldn't go amiss, and don't forget the little people.

r----:::::----.

Lucky words: Gambit and Huitzilopochtli

Lucky words: Bingo and bath water

Virgo

Sagittarius

Pisces

Why he-llo! You're feeling damn sexy this fortnight and you've got no reason not to. However, not everyone is sharing your view. Ok, so you might have looks to die fo r, but no one is going to care if you're a complete arse head. Do not fall into the trap that Carol Vorderman did!

She knows too much!

You're feeling alternative, which isn't · always helpful. Not everyone can be on your wavelength , so don't push it. And leave the badgers alone! Flossing will stand you in good stead , both physically and mentally. 3-D glasses are not the only fashion accesory that you own , so do not treat them as such.

Stop stealing garden gnomes!

Now is the time for you to build.

Aggravating those close to you will mean that with mercury in retrograde next month, tables will turn and if you 're not careful you'll be left on your tod .

Lucky words: Spit and shine

Lucky words: Saggy hairy arse

Lucky words: Doll and blow-up

Manager: Philip Sainty

concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor: Katharine Clemow

Scorpio Taurus . . - - - - - - , Ok, so you might have a new beau in your sights, but that's no excuse to get all goggle eyed.

Heartbreak haunts '-----~your every smooch.

Only accept invitations to boozesoaked socials written on worn thongs. Mmm.

WWW.CONCRETE-ONUNE.CO.UK

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Editor: Celia Dearing Deputy Editor: Helen Pike

Lucky words: Free love Gemini . . - - - - - - , The pizza boxes are piling up and that funny stain in the corner of your room is beginning to spread.

You've watched both L...:;;:=....;;;..;="-' episodes of Neighbours all week long and are beginning to think that you're the Susan Kennedy. it's time to stop smelling so funky and go out in search of fellow life-forms!

Lucky words: Kim and Aggie

Lucky words: Troglodyte party this weekend, b.y.o.b.

concrete.leatures@Mea.ac.uk Editor: Ross Cirainger Deputy _Editor: lucy Mowat\ Writers:

Letters ...

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Dear Sir, The Liberal De mocrats are determined to be see n as a credibl e politi ca l force, and they appare ntl y mean business, hav ing successfull y annexed the pos ition of Union En vironmental o fficer.

Andy Higson, Union o ffi cial in charge of e nvironmental concern s, seems to have di ssol ved the independence o f hi s positi on by electing to repeat the opinions of a national political party from hi s Union pedestal.

Gi ve n th at he had time to write to Conc rete, could he not have written an articl e more re le vant to student environme ntal issues?

Advise about being environmentall y fri e ndl y whil st li vin g o ffcampus for exampl e, such as: ' How to use the coun cil's green recycling boxes', ' how to start a compost heap to recycl e green waste', or ' how to keep c hi cke ns in a small garde n' .

It seems not. An attack on the Green party aimed at e ncourag ing students to vote ' lib de m' was deemed more important. It is a sha me but talli es with hi s earli er comme nts on University environmental issues, namel y hi s support for the proposed mu lti-story carpark based on the reasoning that ' the Labour government has fail ed to provide adequate public transport' - there fore we mu st support the building of thi s new cat·park. Sounds like politi cal po int-scoring to me.

I understand Andy 's ri ght to vo ice opinion ' in a person al capacity' but when thi s becomes a ' political capacity ' does it not unde rline a conflict of interests?

Jack Guest PSI 2 (Not a member of any political party)

..

Dear S ir.

I was interested to note some of Mr. Higson 's com ments regard ing his own Lib De m party policies. He suggests that the Lib Dc ms in Scotland. where they are in a coali tion wi th Labour in govern men t. "forced Labour to abolish tui tion fees" . Sad ly thi s is j ust a fai ry tale. The Lib- Lab coalition introduced the ' Graduate Endow ment Liability'. This tax is onl y payable by graduates and is paid follow ing graduati on. It does not take a university degree to reali se thi s is tu ition fees in another name. Unt il the Lib Dems sort out th is inconsiste ncy they can never be taken seriously when discussi ng higher education.

Mr. Hi gson th.cn attacks the Conservat ive altern ative proposals as ''di sgraceful ". Perh aps he should look at the policy and it s im plications before di smissing it. The current . inept.

Student Loan Compa ny onl y gives students a loan up to £4 K at inll ation rates. forci ng students into loans from hi gh street banks at much hi gher interest rate because the government loan leve l is too low to keep up wi th curre nt stuuc nt spe nding. The new Stude nt Loan Corporation proposed by the Conservati ves wi ll lower student debt as it will all ow students to borrow more money at a lower rate meaning they wi ll not have to get expensive loans from the high street banks. If Mr. Higson thinks loweri ng student debt is ''disgraceful" then he should perhaps re-evaluate his own world view. Also what about his own party's policy of linking mainte nance grants to students stay ing at home; sure ly forcing students to study at home rather than giving them the opportunity to study away from home or at a national centre of excellence is "disgracefu l" .

Mr. Hi gson also li sted 3 reasons why students will back the Lib Dems. Tuition fees we have already dea lt with. Mr. Hi gson then menti ons Iraq . Thi s is another big issue that the famed Lib Dem inconsiste ncy appears . They opposed sending troops in but have since voted for more troops and guns to be sent to Iraq - hardly the actions of an anti war party. If the war were a reason to vote for a party the n onl y Respect or the Greens would benefit. Mr. Higson then mc ntipns drugs. What a typically stereotyped view that students arc only interested in war and drugs.

Here are three other reasons why students might vote Li b Dem; I. They want to pri vati se the NHS 2. They want to put £ I0.000 on the pri ce of new house through tax- wonderful fo r struggling first time buyers.

3. Compul sory cod li ver oil for everyone.

It is a wonder anybody treats them as a serious opposi ti on.

Yours sincerely.

Willi am Kemp PS I 3, President. UE A Conservative Future

concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Editor: James (onway

concrete.lashionlilestyle@uea.ac.uk Editor: Anna Steward Deputy: Donna Boam Health Editor: Clare Aitchison

concrete.sports@uea.ac.uk Editor: Marc Dudley

.. ( 0 I Crete 1\h ln<'sdm. Ocother 20th. 200-1

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.sport@Juea.ac.uk 25

..

e-man s ow, • • was 1 or1n • Another Formu la One season is coming to an end, and agai n it is the German Michael Schumacher that has (literally!) driven away with the title. Even though "Schuy" was in a league of his own, there were many positives to take from this year's competition. Hanna h Falkingham has a look back at the year gone by and says fans may be disappointed with the current events in F1, but that the future is looking very exciting indeed. ly keen to add to their CVs. For off track actiOn we can aga1n look to Button. His announcement 1n August that he would be moving to the Wi ll iams team for 2005 caused outrage 1n the paddock and proba· bly an uncomfortable atmosphere at BAR for a couple of races. The CAB (Contract Recogn1t1on Board) 1s due to meet aga1n on October 16th to make a deciSIOn as to who Button w1ll race for. t a t1me where Silverstone IS look1ng at its most 1~secure 1n years 1t 1s 1ronrc that the 2004 race was one of the most excit· 1ng of the season. Fans were treated to Ra1kkonen huntmg down Schumacher for the majority of the race and lookmg likely to pass h1m throughout the course of the race. Start1ng to th1nk about the less 1nterest1ng aspects of the season, the obv1ous problem was Ferran and the!r clear dom1nation. They had ev1dently managed (aga1n) to make the best of the unchanged regulattons and possibly even 1mprove on an already spectacular chassis . .._...,_~ Schumacher showed no s1gn of lett1ng up 1n the first half of the season and was vrrtually untouchable unt1l Monte Carlo, where he made a very rare mistake and came out of the tunnel with his nose hanging off. Following on end of this season (the final race in Brazil on 24th from Schumacher's Monte Carlo m1stake he hasOctober) all that can be hoped for is a good. clean n't been totally Infallible th1s season. Ev1dence of race with a little bit of excitement Barrichello IS th1s came 1n Shanghai where he spun during desperate to win at home so Ferrari might manQualifying and started from the back of the grid. age to eng1neer that but hopefully there w111 be Sp1nnmg aga1n durmg the race and gett1ng a plenty of chargmg through the f1eld and dnvers puncture meant he could only manage 12th overtaking for top pos1t1ons. For next season. place meanrng no po1nts and a chance of others there 1s some more prom1se. hopefully overcom· to benef1t mg the disappointment of this year Montoya m a ith all the F1 websites seem1ngly Mclaren. racing Ra1kkonen to be the number conv1nced that Schumacher will one: Villeneuve makmg his comeback 1n a ret1re before h" contract ha., run Sauber· the potent1al super-tearT' of Webber ard out. 1! makes you wonder whether Button at w; liams. The s1gns are all good. espe'E'SLitS Ilk the WE kend hf> ha,J 11 cially as the FIA has JU~t mnounced 3 prov1s1on al ea endar of 'llneteero 'dces wl 1ch w 11 r~eiln rr>oru tur e: fo Se. urr h r to b b 1 r>n

A

Above: The awesome ferrari and F'ar Right: Schmacher collects another trophy.

004 hasn't been a champagne year. In fact, after all the hype and excitement of 2003. it has been rather a let down and disappoint· 1ng for even the most ded1cated of fans. Instead of the nail-biting race at Suzuka in 2003, F1 fans w1lling to get up at dawn to watch their sport th1s season were rewarded w1th a v1ctory for M1chael Schumacher who led from the start and never looked m doubt. To date, he has won thir· teen out of seventeen races and his unbeaten run was only halted when he had an unfortunate corn mg together w1th the tunnel m Monte Carlo allow 1ng Jarno Trulli through to his first victory. Saymg that IS easy and for anyone who only reads the race results m the paper on a Monday morning.

Formula One m1g'lt seem to have been totallv dom1nated 1n 2004 Tt,1s is 1n part t•ue but the e has tJeen much exc1tement down the; fteld and also off-track exc1tement The t1ght between BAi=l t'ler .1u11 Mclare:" and W1ll Rms to be bes• of t'l rest', now that IS :;omethmg worth watch1ng. Dave.

Richa rds' decision to drop Villeneuve at the end of 2003 was acnmonious and many doubted the move. W1th more money due to a reduced wage b1ll however, BAR have shot up the F1 rankings.

They s1t comfortably 1n second spot 1n the Constructor's Championship and only a Renault one-two at Sao Paulo can begm to knock them back And Jenson Button has been dnvmg like a man possessed Finishing on the pod1um m ten races so far and look1ng -good for victory but for some tyre 1ssues IS no mean feat. Takuma Sato has also looked good Far'trom the driver lamed for h1s crashes 1n his debut season, Taku' has matured and IS now dnving consistently for the team, sconng po1nts 1n races where h1s ea· has been rel1able Renault have als0 shr rw ,., a sea· son wt"ere fin1sh1ng t111rd ha ' eu1 • 'm tor most dr vers. A on so sPe ·, '1 r1ve: eo E f age rd IS d 1V1ng respors, ly a d ,\ ·•~ • .,. az nq p ->d He easily out 11cPd Tn.lli whtch ex~ latr< t lE l!a 1 r·s pre. P ture rrovEJ '"the Tc.yo•a tearr r the othe:• sde of th tor tr•e W1111ams :111d Mcl 1ren hove h~cl ,..~.-:-'""';11 nard seasons. Re. KKone. 1 st rtec 'I y dr lJeneVIf g ne COJid b Wor'rJ Cramp1on m 2004 but tl tJ poor start by the new Mclaren <nednt t~ at hL was never really a challenger A stur'llrg dnw to beat Sc.humacher 'lt Spo d track .vher• the German usually excels - has been the highlight of h1s seasor Coulthard has bec"l blessed w1th equally poor results and s consequently uncertain of h1s future 1n the sport Montoya, replacmg Coulthard at Mclaren for 2005, has been audibly cnt1cal of h1s f1nal Williams. His words have come as the d1stln· gu1shable walrus nose design for 2004 has been dropped m favour of a more convent1on al nose des1gn w1th the hope of better re ;ults Ralf Schumacher's massive back c 1sh•1g crash at lncl1anapolis J dr t I p Wil 11 hav1ng to use two rt>serve dr•vers w '" r Pv part of thF> plar t c:c or po1r t 0 Le 1 wh .....,"-'~,_ deputised 1r four rac s Nas go d but , OS- br not good enough to drn h1mse: d """'-:-----;-:~.,.,.,..-,--~---:---..&---:-::-:--:------..,lull-time racing driver 2004 will not be a year .___ ___;:....__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _..J that Ron Dennis and F•ank Wilhan s are over-

0

W

Rocky Horror Party Night Norwich City Footl:B.ll Club There's a light over at the Frankenstein place, and time is fleeting' If you look good with your hands on your hips and you have a little french maid's outfit stashed away somewhere then this is the best way to celebrate Hallowe'en We have the broomsticks and beer. but if you want to arrive in a glass coach that turns into a pumpkin at midnight, that's fine by us'

Call 01603 218704 to book.

8pm-1 am. £7.50, mclud1ng late night hotdog .

10% discount with NUS card.

•

.

L

.

26 concrete.s ort@uea.ac.uk

•

www.concrete-online.com

PROMISING START FOR NETBALLERS Jenny Purcell AFTER a fantastic year in which t h e UEA n e tballers won p r o m o tion t o the Mid lands Conferen ce 2 , t h e girls carried t heir fine for m into t he n ew BUSA seaso n with an 11-point victory in t h e opening match . match was A lough expected. as UEA travelled to No ttin g h a m to la ke on Nottingham Trent Univers ity Artcr a close firs t quarter. th e trave ll ing n etba lle rs sta ticd to pu ll away in the seco nd with Rebecca Wi ll imott working h nrd nrounclthe a ttacking circle. feeding accu rate pnsses into UEA"s Mnttic T h o mp so n. a nd n ewco m e r Snra h Byrne giving grent su p port lo th e s hoote rs.

Nottingham Trent tried to nanow th e UEA lead in th e third quarter with so m e s tro ng. fas t a nd so m ew h a t intimidating play. b ut g reat defend ing from Ge mm a Brinkm <t n <tncl the UEA defence kept the East Anglian girls in control of llw match. whic h conti nu ed int o th r forth quarter as UEA cru ised in to :1 30- 19 win.

M<tttie Tho mp so n descn•cclly received the ·woman of the match"' award. nncl UEA \vill be h op ing their \vinning streak \vill conti nu e for a very long lime.

Opening day of season sees university teams win three and lose four matches Ma r c Dudley Sport s--l:.,ditor LAST Wedn e sday, many of the UEA sports teams go t their BUSA campaigns underway.

With many of UEA"s s id e

aim ing for p romotio n . a ll tea m s were h op in g fo r a winning s tart. but on ly three out of the seven fi rst teams th at p layed managed to \vi n . it was th e m e n 's bad minton team th a t pu lled of the best performance of the clay . w inning a ll t h e ir m a tc h es. an d end in g up 8-0 winn ers. Th er e were a lso wins for th e nelballet·s in Nott in g ham and th e women foo t ballers a l hom e to Derby. Th e foo t ballers totally destroyed th e oppo nonts a nd must be see n as one of the promoti on favo urites after the stun ning performance .

There were close defeats the female

squash players an d the m en ·s basketball team. The UEA Pirates h a d a close encounte r w ith Wo lve rh a mpton . an d th e ga m e was a lways going la go to the fin a l whi slle .

There were a lso defeats for th e m en 's fe nc ing team a nd women's hoc key tea ms.

Both these tea ms h ave a n ew bunch of fres h ers. and will t h erefore b e hoping that the players can soon s how their potenti a l. as the season progresses.

RAJ

tes lose

VILLA

•

INDIAN RESAURANT "'om ' and visit Hur new, full air-cnnditioncd Indian Re taurant in the h~rt of Norwich City.

15o/o Student Discount ....

On Production of a valid NUS Card Book arly for your Soci ty Xn1as party and

enjoy th fin st East Indian hospitality

and cuisin Ideal for an intin1ate for two.

Open veryday for lunch 12 'til 2.30 p.n1.

Sun--Thurs ev 6-12 Fri-Sat ev s 6-2 a.m.

Pht a fully li · ns d bar 1 ril cc of W ·1les

T. 1: 0160

616101 or 61

opcnin~ Qa n1c

2.:_ 3

wins out of four with a 52 27 win over Covemry 2.

All in a ll it was a good sta ti fo r UEA in the opening BUSA m atc h es. a nd the teams that lost can take a lot of positive things from the m atches.

This Wedn esday most UEA sports teams \vi ll be playing in the BUSA leagues. a ncl th e tean1s th at ar e on ly getting th eit· season unclerway tod ay will be hoping that th ey can ra ise UEA's \vin ning start percentage.

to Wolvcrhmnpton. wh ilst Above Bachninton n1en outplay Derby

BUSA Results UEA 1st XI Badminton (Men) Midlands Conference 2A UEA vs De1·by 8 -0 L'boro 2 0 0 +8 1 1 0 0 +8 UEA Notts 2 l 0 0 +S -6 N Trent 0 0 -·8 Derby 0 0 -8 Lincoln 0 0

3

3 3 0 0 0

Basketball (Men) Midlands Conference lA UEA vs Wolves 70-76 Warwick B'ham Wolves UEA C'bridge Oxford

1 I

1 1 1 1

0 0 +42 0 0 +17 1 0 0 +6 0 0 1 -6 0 0 l - 17 0 0 1 -42

3 3 3

0 0 0

Fencing (Men) Midlands Conference lA B'ingham vs UEA 133-67 B'ham

1 1 0 0 +66

3

L'cester 0 L'boro I 0 O'ford 2 1 0 Warwick 0 0 0 C'bridge 1 0 0 Notts 2 0 0 S'shire 0 0 UEA 1 0 0

0 +47 3 0 +25 3 0 +13 3 0 0 0 -13 . 0 -25 0 -47 0 1 -66 0

Football (Women) Midlands Conference 2B UEA vs Derby 6-l UEA O'ford B L'cester Notts 2 Warwick Derby

1 1 l 0 l 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 +5

3

0 0 l 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 0

1 l

0 0 0

Hockey (Women) Midlands Conference lA N'ingham vs UEA 4 - 1 N Trent S'shire Notts

0 0 +8 0 0 +3 0 0 +3

3 3 3

Derby 0 0 l -3 0 UEA 1 0 0 1 -3 0 -8 0 Warwick 1 0 0 Netball Midlands Conference 2B N Tren t vs UEA 19-30 UEA L'cester Notts 2 L'boro 2 Lincoln N Trent

1 1 0 0 l 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 l 0 0

0 +11 3 0 0 1 1

3 3 -3 0 -5 0 - 11 0

+5 +3

Squash (Women) Midlands Conference lA UEA vs Warwic k 2 -3 Warwick C'bridge O'ford O'ford 2 Notts 2 UEA

1 0 0 0 0 1

1 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

0 +1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -1

3 0 0 0 0

0

BUSA Fixtures 20/1 0/04 Badminton Men : Lincoln vs UEA Women: Warwick vs UEA

Basketball Men : B'ingham vs UEA

l~o ·1d, Nor~-vich

The seco nd XI teams a lso h ad a mixed start to the season . The women's ho ckey 2nd XJ lost 4-1 a t hom e to Nottingham 4. whi lst th e m e n's 2nd XJ won a massive 12 - 1 in Coventry. The foo tball firs t team h a d no m a tch after th e it· ga m e aga in s t Cambridge was postponed until a later d ate. Howeve r. th e 2nd XJ pu lled off a n impressive 6-2 w in in Le iceste r 4 th team. The women ne tba llers 2nd team gave UEA reserves three

Fencing · Men: UEA vs Oxford

Football Men: Lincoln vs UEA Men : UEA 2 vs De Mont (Bed)

Women : Warwick vs UEA

Women : De M (Bed) vs UEA 2

Golf Mixed : UEA vs N'ingham 2

Rugby Men: De Mont (Bed) vs UEA Men : Cranfield (Bed) vs UEA 2 Women : De Mont (Lei) vs UEA

Hockey Men: UEA vs Oxford Men : UEA 2 vs L'cester 2 Women: UEA vs S'shire Women : Notts 4 vs UEA 2 Netball Women : UEA vs L'borough

Squash Women : Notts 2 vs UEA Tennis Men : Notts 2 vs UEA

~--------------------------------------------------- ----- ----

www.concrete-online.com

CoiCNte Wednesday, Ocotber 20th, 2004

concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 27

Mr. SportsEditor Speaks...

Marc Dudley speaks his mind ...

Ziggurat University Games off to a flyer as schools battle it out in Volleyball M arc Dudley

Sports Editor Mter two events, 1 1 poin ts separate the t op eight schools in what is lookin g like the closest b attle ever in the ZJ.ggurat University Championships.

Last year's winners CAP have taken an early lead, but the combined team of AHP and CMP have gone up into a surprising second place only five points behind. AHP and CMP decided to "melt" together after the Fun Run as the schools felt their chances would b better If they played as one team.

It seemed to work, as they ran away with the vol1 yball tournament. winning all their games. LLT took a surprising third pla e after they barely had a team minutes before the tournament started, but somehow managed to find the players to form the team that won two out of their thre games.

NAM/WAM {sounds like a new sw et!) joined forces after NAM only had girls that turned up to play, whil t WAM only had boys to play.

As the rul s for Volleyball stated that the team had to consist of 3 men and 3 women, they decided the only way they were going to play was to form a team between themselves.

Even though the standards were far from what

y

0

u

Current Standings

w 0 u l d

expect in a volleyball tournament, s o m e Interesting games would be fought 0 u t between From the varl- Cook t AP

o

u

s

(After 2 Events)

Cook (LLT Oe.m). Paul

llamrnerton [M11{ Deputy Dean)

schools.

Spectator points were also handed out to the people watching the tournament. Each student or staff member got a point for the school the represented, and If the Dean or Deputy Dean of each school turned up, they would receive anything between 7 and 10 points. If the Dean played they would receive 10 points for hls school, and If they spectated they would get 8 points. [f the Deputy Dean turned up Instead, they would score 9 points [f they played or 7 If they watched from the stands.

Deans of all schools turn d up to play or watch from the stands in th volleyball tournament. The support of people like Mike (CAP) and Ell (LL11 Cook .who have been at most events. Is a major boost to the students of the schools they represent, and without

them the student games would not be the same. It is good to see the lectures and professors givng time to show that they care about how their school performs.

The first event that opened the Ziggurat games wa . as always, the great fun-run. In windy and cold conditions, 624 students turned out to run or walk around the lake for their school. The rules were simple: each runner that finished received one point for their school, so the more people from each school the more points each school would r cive.

There was also points awarded to the top thr e male and female runners. 15 points were given to the winning male or female, 10 points to 2nd place and five points to the third place runner. Every runner/walker lliat finished after that

School Points 1st CAP 145 2nd AHP/CMP 140 3rd ENV 139 4th DEV 138 5th MED 136 6th BIO 133 7th LAW 132 8th PSS/SWK 131 9th MTii 122 lOth LLT 119 11th ECO/PHI/PSI 112 12th HIS 93 13th EDU 82 14th WAM/MUSIC 80 15th NAM 67 16th MGT 48 17th AMS/F1V /LIT 46 received one point for their school.

For the men, Steven Downey (MG11 won ahead of Tim Lenton (ENV) and Calum Nlcol (PSI). Jess Trowbridge (LLT) was the first woman past the post, with Elsie Downham (DEV) following in second. Caroline R1x (AHP) was awarded with 5 points after flnishing 3rd.

The next events that will be played next are Mixed Table 'fennis and Short Tennis on 19lli October, and the ever competitive football quaU~ng tournament on the Astroturf pitches the following week. Its never to late to help your school, so contact your school rep and get behind your school!

Fun-Run Results lst

2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8U1 9th lOth 11th 13U1 14th 15th 16th

*

Total Walkers ENV 87 CAP 92 BIO 83 DEV 64 MED 63 EDU 48 MTH 47 SWK/PSS 42 ECO/PHI/PSI 19 CMP 22 AHP 15 LLT 5 MG1 4 LAW 14 AMS/F1V/LIT 6 HIS 5 WAM 5 AM 3

Bonus Pomt 10 (Lenton) 10 (Down ham)

5 (Nicol)

5 (Rix) 15 (Trowbndge) 15 (Downf'y)

Total 97 92 83

74 63 48 47 42 24 22 20 20 19 14 6 5 5 3

Volleyball Results I t AHP/ MP 2nd LAW 3rd LI.:r 4Ul CAP 5Ul PSS/SWK 6th DEV 7th MED 8th ENV 9th I<:CO/PHI/PSl lOth BIO 11th NAM/WAM 12th M1H 13lli HIS

Event Pts Rrtlly Pt 15 6 42 15 11 37 11 3 10 38 7 35

7

34

7 7

28 27

6 6

33 29

6

27

3

30

Zlgg Pts

70 65 62 60 58 57 56 55 52 51 25+25 49 48

ffhere have been a few things that have made me laugh over the past week. Firstly, there was Davtd Be kham who thought h was really clever in getting booked as he would be missing the Azerbaijan game anyway after g tttng his ribs cracked. As Beckhan1 is rarely clever. he thougl1t he would tell the world of his great new idea. However, the reason why nobody had never been r poried doing this before was because most players know that telling U1e press about something like that would get you in deep sh*t.

Of course, Beckham only relised this after he had men tioned it, and now he face pos. ible action from both the FA and FIFA. Personally, I think there is no problem with getting booked so you serve your suspension whilst 111~iltlilllli~~~injured. as you 'I want to be available to pick tor all matches. Many players before Beckham have got themselves booked, but not in the stupid fashion Becks got himself booked. He could have chucked the ball away, disagreed With the referee or even refused to move 10 yards away from the ball. Because of what he did, he can now face a 3-match ban for vtolent conduct. as he tried to tackle the player, not the ball. on purpose. Yes. he may have not intended to hurt the player, but FIFA will not see it that way. Players who have admitted going into tackles to foul the player. hav ended up with Lengthy bans. After Roy Keane wrote in his book about how he tried to hurt Alf lnge Haaland In that famous tackle. he was given a long ban. and the legendary !wan Roberts got him elf a 3-match ban after admitting In his book that he had gone into a tackle intending to punish hls opponent. Hopefully, FIFA wlll be lenient. but they may want to set an example by giving h1m a heavy ban . He is probably the biggest football tar in the world, and that wtll no doubt play against him. In the future Becks, even If you do something clever, keep your moulli shut, as I am sure somebody else would have thought of Jt already.

Another England star, or former this week was Paul Gascoigne, who according to reports want to change his name.

The name "Gazza• bares a gloomy pa t. which he wants to put behind him. Even hls own name "Paul" Js a con tant reminder of hls bad day.s of boozing. It would be interestIng to see what name he decides to choose. Maybe he should do what Prince did and choose , symbol to represent hlm, like a kebab or a pint of lager. To be honest, it \\111 not make any difference what he calls htm~elf. a · h will always be known as to all football fan . And I think he ·is more remembered for Italia '90 and that semi-final "cry" in which he touched all the hearts of not only England fans, but footb, ll fans across the globe. The passion he showed U1ere made "Gazza" a true legend in football and he -will alway.s be knmvn for that more than what followed when people talk about him in twenty years time.

As long· as he does not get advtce from his mate "five bellies" on a new name. then I will be happy with whatever he chooses, as he will alway~ b "Gazza" to me.

Norwich City are also hoping tor a change. 1l1ey are sUll looking for their first Premiership win and most Canary fans will be hoping it comes this Saturday against Everion. live on Sky. Even though they only managed a draw in a ame I hey should have won {again!). they climbed out of the relegation zone. as tean1s around them all ended up lo ing. We can all agree City are playing som<" good football. ut If you take the number of points they have dropped in the game they hould have won th 'n Clly would be nmning up the Premiership ladder.

1d firu lly this eek's "unlucky week" award goes to Mark Hugh . After lo lng 3·2 ln his final Wales game, which more or less end d llie Wal<" World Cup bid. he saw hi Blackhurn team beaten 0-4 at home to Middlesbrough on turday Hf' mu t be thinking someone ha it In for him. nd I have a feeling he could be l.n for a long <"ason unless his luck turn .

Maybe he hould change hi name, so he can start from flcmtch? What about Mr. "Need bt tt r triker • or Mr. "Why Did I take thi job." I am sure he could n k Gazza If he ha ny sugge tion

...

Opening game ends in 1-point defeat as UEA get their BUSA campaign underway BUSA Women's Squash Midlands Conference lA: UEA (2) Warwick (3) Abi Foldes ON the 13th Oc tobe r, the UEA Squash ladies sta rted their BUSA season with a home match against the University of Warwick. lt was a close fo ught b a ttle. whi ch en ded in defeat fo r UEA. Abi Foldes a n d Laura Davison were firs t on the co u rts for th e h om e s ide. a nd in th e first ga m e Wa rwick 's number three was too muc h of a m a tch for Folcles. with th e vis iting playe r winning 3-0 .

Lau ra Davison was u nde r p ress ur-e io ge t UEA back in to th e ga m e. a nd she took full ch a rge of her ga m e achieving a clear 3-0 win aga ins t h er oppo n en t. With a wi n fo r ea ch tea m . UEA were s till in the ,-un for victory.

DEV s tud en t Lo ui sa Evan s was n exi. but s h e got off to a bad s ta rt . los ing h er first ga m e ra pid ly . The seco n d ga m e was equa lly fnr s tra ting as s h e los t 3 -9 to Wa rwic k's

..

num be r fo u r. Bu t far from b eing d e feated . s h e m a d e a fantast ic come back in th e th ird ga m e. laking a 4 -0 lead and fin a lly winni ng 9 -7 .

Howeve r s h e conced ed th e last game . ending with a 3 - 1 m atch d efeal.

Fo r the s econd tim e Warwick too k th e lead . Howeve r. UEA"s number two Nicky Rees. p layi ng h er firs t B USA ga m e. m a d e a re markable de bul. Ch eered on by s ome f1i end ly s u pporters. s he ra pid ly domina ted h er o ppo n e nt.

Never losin g con centra ti o n . s h e successfu lly won her match 3-0.

Nicky"s win left Wa rwick a n d UEA in a 2-2 tie . m a king th e fin a l m a tch a decisive one . lt was team capta in. Caroline Cornis h t hat h a d to ri se to th e challe nge aga ins t Warwick 's num b er one in th e fin a l m a tch of the lie. T h e firs t game was la ul with Caroli n e clos ely losing 7-9 . The n ext match put Wa rwick clearly in th e lea d wi th a n easy 9-3 win . making it 2 -0 to Wa rwi ck.

Howeve r. Car oli n e m a d e an

a m azing co m e bac k , su rp r is in g h er op po nen t by de feating her 9 - 1 in the thi rd sel.

T h e n ex t matc h co ntinu ed to bu il d te nsion as b o th pl ay e1·s we re fo r ced into p r oth e ir lo n g ing ga m e by two points. ending in Caroline winning 10-8.

With the s core lied a t 2- 2 . th e last ga m e . was d ecisive. A win for Ca rolin e wou ld a lso m ean a win for UEA. The b eginning of th e ga m e put UEA a h ead by fi ve points. h oweve r Wa rwi c k 's numb e r on e rap idly ca ught u p laking the gam e to 9 -9.

Although Ca roline h a d two m a tch poi n ts . Warwick h a d th e final s ay.

sealing a 3 -2 victory.

On th e whol e. UEA s qu a sh ladies we re p leased with th eir per fo rma nce . The 3-2 de feat proved th ey were capable of winning even

if this wasn't the case on Wed n esd ay. Th ey h ave m a d e a good sta rt to th e seaso n and a re loo king at improving th eir perfo rm a n ce n ext t ime.

GOT ASPORTS STORY FROM YOUR CLUB? E-MAIL US AT CONCRETE.SPORT@UEA.AC.UK Concrete Prize Crossword #57 ACROSS 2 . See 27 Down 6. Perceive sound (4) 7 . Less tha n average (3) 8 . Re m a in in a ir (5) 10 . Suffolk d is trict - Noisy res ide n ce (7) 12 . Fri e nd (3) 13 . Ju ngle king [4) 15. Tell uri um symbo1(2) 16. Recr eationa l omplex (1 0 ) 21. Pa ra site (5) 22 . Knigh t atlendant(4) 2 3. Rolling rocks? (8) 2 4 . Settee (4) 26. Ma le ca t [3) 28 . Yo ko _ [3) 29 . T rad it ion (6) 3 1. T ra fa lga 1· ad miral(6) 32. Vis u a l Arts centre[9)

•

Set by Abi

DOWN 1. B ra ndon Lee b ird [4) 2 . J ee per"s or Virginia [7) 3 . Burn ed out pop g roup (3) 4 . 1)rpe of bee r (3) 5 . Pari: of East Anglia o r UEA [7)

6.

9.

1 1.

14.

15 .

16 .

Cafe/ Ba r for bees (4) S m a ll stu dent town? [7) Ying and _ ng (2) Small residen ce (7) Digit of t h e foot (3) Pa ri of East Anglia o r UEA

Sponsored by the

Avenue Book sh op 21 Avenue Road, Norwich

(7)

17. Post-Sc ript (l .l) 18. Activity in 16across (5) 19. Cooki ng conta iner (3) 20. Relax - The rem a ins [4) 23. Slean1y roo m (5) 25. S ingle (3) 27. 2a cross . City resid ence [4 .7) 29 . Answe r to why [Abb r. ) (3) 30. Violent crowd [3)

01 603 768720

Solution to crossword #56

Open 9-5 Monday to Saturday r-- - ---- - --- - ---- --- - - - --- ----- - -- ~ --- - - -------- --,

: There 's a £10 book vouc her, c ourte sy of the Aven ue Boo kshop , up for : ' g rab s for the winner of thi s c rossword, enter your e-mail address below and: r : bring it up to t he office by t he 13th October. Have fun.

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