Concrete issue 168 03 11 2004

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SEE CENTRE SPREAD

CONCRETE REFERENCE ARCHIVE

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ISSUE NUMBER: ISSUE DATE:

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CONCRETE REFERENCE ARCHIVE

CONCERNED POLICE MOVE WAVENEY STUDENTS TO NELSON COURT Katharine Clemow Deputy Editor Last night a range of emergency services were called to Waveney Terrace Residence responding to a report of a student in distress. The action resulted in blocks A to C of the residence being evacuated at half past midnight and students were moved to Nelson Court Common Room until they were allowed back in to their rooms at 1 :45.

Police arrived at the scene at 11.30 and began

assuring residents that there was nothing to worry about. but that people should remain In their rooms. After Police Dogs and an armed response unit were called, the students were evacuated to Nelson Court. One Police Woman was heard to say that the resident had threatened to "torch the building" .

At the scene, rumours persisted that the student was in possession of a shot gun and had taken a vast quantity of the drug temazepam. There is. however. no accurate supp ort for this information. Waveney

r esident. Matt Simpson, was told by police that the student had taken an overdose. though they did not say of what. and that he was in possession of knives.

Concrete reporters responded to a call from someone at the scene of the incident at I 1.45 and counted 6 police cars. 3 vans. an ambulance, paramedics. an armed response crew and police officers with dogs. A fire engine later arrived at the scene,

Concerns for resident See Page 2

NO NESTLE FOR QUO SHOW UNION BANS STATUS QUO FROM PROMOTING NESTLE ON TOUR

Robin Budd The Union have prohibit ed Nestle from being promot ed on campus after it emerged they were sponsoring the Status Quo tour. booked to play in the LCR on th e 2801 of November. The veteran rockers will pull their "XS All Areas· tour into the university. supported by

Mike Peters of The Alarm.

This is the band's 37th year of being together. and promises to attract a lot of attention . The twist in the tail comes from the tour's sponsor Nestle. specifica lly the new "Drifter· bar. As is well known. the Union operates a boycott of all Nestle advertising and merchan dise in their campus outlets.

Earlier this term. promoters of the Norwich dub "Time were asked to leave the cam-

pus after handing out promotional bags which contained the popular Nestle snackable, Kit-Kat. The worldwide boycott on Nestle. supported by the Union. is in reaction to the promotion in third world counti;cs of Nestle baby milk formula. This formula needs to he diluted with fresh water. and in many of the countries where Nestle promotes itself there is either no regular access or no access

at a ll to pure. uncontaminat ed water. If the milk is diluted with contaminated water it is harmful to the baby. and if the water supply dries up the baby has nothing to drink. as once a mother has stopped breastfeeding she cannot start again. The baby milk formula has been the cause of a large amount of third world infant mortality.

UNICEF. the United Nations body concerning itself with the safety of children across

the world. has itself co n demned the baby milk marketing pra tices. Nestle have also been in the press under controversy recently for suing Ethiopia for S6m. after a commun1st dictatorship took over a Nestle subsidiary in 1975. Despite the age of the case. and the fact that F:th iopa is already heavily burdened with debt,

Union prohibit promotion on campus, see page Four

. lADIES ANNIHilATE THE OPPOSITION - SEE SPORT PAGES . '

www.concrete-online.com

2 concrete.ncws @uca.ac.uk

From the

Edito r

Concrete \Vednesdm·. Nm ·emhn 3rd. 200-1

HEALTH CENTRE RESPONDS TO CAMPUS REPUTATION

concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

Alyssa Morrisey y the time you begin reading this, the results of the American election will already be known. It would be easy at this point to descend into some polemic about whether or not the world's p remier superpower is still in the hands of a base simpleton. But I won't. The most positive thing about the election is the National and Global interest it is receiving.

Well it should, the Americans risk the current 'anti-Bush' climate b ecoming one of 'antiAmerican'; while America- the place, the ideal - r uns the risk of being regarded by the world as a 'Sup erpower' only in terms of it's economic and military sup eriority, and not for the desirable qualities of re garde d as a b eing Superpower: truth, justice, and the American way.

The worrying thing about the whole affair, though, is the way it seems to have swung round to an unequivocal notion of Bush = Bad; Kerry = good.

During the last elction, we forget Al Gore was no marvel to b ehold. He and his wife spearheaded many campaigns throughout the 80's and 90's that compromised civil liberties. 'Be st of a b ad bunch' is increasingly becoming the staple p hrase of any election, and not just that in the US. While the idea of having Bush in power for another term is awful, we have to b egin to question what we exp ect Ke rry to do. Will he b e able to p ull out of the b usine ss deals that have the Bush family sitting so pretty? Will he b e able to turn US foreign policy on its head while he's de aling with a war left over fro m th e p revious Government? What exactly is it we expect him to accomplish? The way it is covered, and the ways we think about it, really run the r isk of confusing the issue(s) - although this seems to be the main, if not the only, purpose of politics.

The main issue; perhaps the only issue- to my mind at least - is fairly simple: Money. If we are governed by a system that is constantly bowing to the pressures of large corpora-

B

tions, then we are unable to call that system of Government a Democracy. All the criticisms of Bush that have occurred in recent memory boil down to one simple fact: he and his family are very good at business . So, ultimately, he is being reproached for being part of a system that allows for such abuses to take place y Gove rnment that folows another has to ea! with the existing systems of power. In this country thi s has b een slightly alleviated with Blair's reforms of the House of Lords because, before the se refor ms took place, eve ry d e m ocratic process had to be cleared by an institution almost e ntirely unde r the auspices of the Land-owning elite. What has never been fully cleared up in this country or any other, however, is the power wielded by the Multi-Nationals. In the US, a country that has fully embraced capitalism; a country where it is not so easy to point to a social class and say "they are the land-owning elite", .this problem is rather more severe.

Democratic governance comes from the 'bottom up'; it comes from the de sire of the people. This theory is easy to forge t with the langauge of the coverage used to refer to it by a me dia that see ms more concerned with entertainment.

What e merge s from this is that our apathy is the main reason why all these problems are not b eing solve d , or eve n addresse d . Response at our own e lections is shabby, largely d ue to the myth of 'voting with our feet' and while the b oycotting of certain products is certainly worthwhile b ecause choosing what to buy is fast becoming the only real free d om available to us - we certainly aren't taking enough of a pro-active interes t towards our affairs, and how global finance is conducted. This failing is the real catalyst for the disasters that are becoming associated with another term of Bush Presidency.

Philip Sainty

Editor 2004-05

University Health Centre Director and Physician. Dr. Paul Coathup. ex pressed his concerns over the reactions of fe male students re ported in the last issue of Concrete.

He was conce rcned lo h ear that some female students h ad experie n ces of h ealth centre staff making comments lhal implied they were promiscuous.

Hb concerns follow a co mplaint m ade by an anonymous fem a le firs t year student about having been turned away by the h ealth centre when she asked to be given emergency contraception . on the grounds U1at she had nol yet registered with the University Health Services.

Dr. Coathup was eagee r to point out that the problem may have been li nked to the "difficul ty of someon e com-

ing to the cen tt·e for the first time and actually asking for em ergen cy contraception. It is difficult to communicate a problem for so meone who is young. nervous or scared ...

He also notes the a wkward n ess someone might feel while trying to communicate a problem lo the reception desk . du e to the lack of pri vacy.

"If she had not let us know then that she needed help . we may not have had U1e opportunity lo help right away.

Though there is sti ll no evidence as to wh eth er or not the a llegation was true.

Dr. Coath up acknowledges

that "there are definitely th ings that we can learn from [it] ."

He claims that health ce ntre sta ff will take the complaint into co nsideration. a nd encourages anyone with co mments o r concerns a bout th e University Health Services to "come and say something.". preferring that the students a ctress any problems with the practice lo h im d irectly.

The UEA Health Centre can be reached by p h one Monday through Friday from 8.30am lo 6.00 pm on (0 1603) 592172 or by email al:

uhs @uea.ac. uk.

WAVENEY EVACUATED Fro m Page one Police warned those lhal h ad left their rooms lo have a look ou tside lo stay away from the windows and subsequently cord oned off the area surrounding the building and evacuated those inside . Waveney occupants are obviously a nxi ou to know what the situation is regarding their fellow re ident and to be assured that th ey are safe and secu re in their rooms.

Concerns about the stu dent are. obviously. high.

Anyon e affected by the incident or concerned about other stud ents. are encouraged lo seck help al the Union Advice Centre.

Officers al the scene did not wish to to comme nt on the incident. saying it was a University mater.

The Univeristy has issued lhe following statement: "The po lice were called lo an incident involving a student in Waveney Terrace . This is now the subject of a police investiga ti o n and we arc SPgiving them our fu ll support. It is inappropriate for u s to comment furth er. ..

UEA STUDENTS ''TOO MIDDLE CLASS'' FORMER UEA LECTURER PRETENTIOULSY WISHES THAT HE COULD REMOVE PRETENSIONS FROM STUDENTS' WORK Isabel Dyson Author and ex-tutor Paul Magrs has commen ted on his old creative writing course students at UEA with the observation that they are too ··m idd le-class··.

Magrs. who taught on the creative writing course for seven years at UEA. left thi s s ummer for Man chester Metropolitan University. where h e expla ins his hopes to fmd a breed of less ·· pre tentious" students.

In an interview with The Independent on 12th Seplembec Pa u l Mag rs

claimed that his students at UEA tended lo be "<~bout 30 who"ve burned out doing something else" . He hopes that his move further north will find him students who are perhaps more apathetic. and don't show any enthusi asm " . .. lo rein vent the European novel by wr·iting about their gap year and Roland Barlhes ...

Magrs did the interview to publicise his new novel.

To the devil - a Diva! In addi tion lo his b etter known novels. Magrs is well known in lhc Sci -Fi world for his Doctor Who novels.

During the interview.

Paul Magrs also hit o ut a l copy-editors who question his use of the universally known MFI and Richard and Judy. d eclaring lhe: r ignorance to be a resu lt of t h em being "posh ba••ard who n eve r go out. have never read owt and h<~ve no inter est in life. " His more liberal imagination wou ld favour controversy in children's fie lion. describing most of it as "r ubb is h " a n d s u ggesti n g c haracters s h ou ld "touch each ot h er up halfway th rough" to add an imation .

Magrs expla ins in t h e article how his lime a t UEA was marred. nol only by the overbearing middl e -class atmosphere. but a lso by offending incidents. one concerning a student who

Ex-UEA Lecturer Paul Magrs left to pursue his poledancing career

"turned up wearing a beret" lo one of his seminars.

Magrs. who was born on Tyneside. grew up in Newton Aycliffe. and, a lthough hi s parents divorced. is not from a working-class background.

His apparent d esire to join lhe drinking classes is apparent in his seeming co ntempt towards those he co n siders to be middle-class.

The level of his midd le-class status is further reinforced in the a rticle by h is a dvoca ting a ·naneu r" lifesty le. He explains how h e sends his students to eavesdrop in ·greasy spoon s" for fictional m ateri al beca u se he is n ot afraid to use such modern day references. un like some of hi contemporaries who. h e believes "jusllwal ar·ound twittering about nothing."

Magrs explains in the article how his major aim in leach ing is lo re move th e pretensions from the writings of his students. His own

nove ls lry to avoid such stereotyping by featuring cha r acte rs lhal shop in Poundsaver and work in potpourri s hop s across Ma nchester and Norwi ch.

Magrs h ad a reputation on the cou rse for being hard to gel hold of. The 'insider knowledge· on the creative writing undergraduate degree was to have Vi Sage as a dissertation supervisoc due to him being far more available and approachable .

One ex-student, who fear·s for his future literary caree r and wishes lo r emain anony mous . said: "Perhaps the socalled p retensions of UEA students were somewhat of a response to his own d iscourtesy in ignoring them outside o r t h e classroom - not lo m ention the poor attendance and quality or adm inis tr·a tion shown to them.··

See Opinion Page Twe lve

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Concrete

Wednesdal'. Not •ember 3rd 200-1

NESTLE PROMOTES 'THE QUO' Nestle backs Quo From Page on e Nestle even tu a lly settled for $ l. 5m.

As qu ite a n apo liti cal band. Status Quo have had little invo lvement in third worl d causes. T h e band's history of c h ari table actions include famous ly opening the Live Aid concert in 1985. a nd in a r ecent inte1view willi Metro gui tarist Francis Rossi said that he suppo1'led wi ping t hird wo rld debt. It is a s h a m e. t h en . for the band to let down the legacy of Live Aid by al lowing th is s ponsors hip o n t h eir to ur.

As a solu tion to the prob lem . the Uni on h ave n egotiated a deal wi t h t he band's touring company. No Nestle a dvertis ing wi ll be permitted on campus - parts of the tour poste rs with t h e 'diifter· logo on h ave actually b ee n c u t off - a n d a ll p u b li city fo r t h e gig wi ll be c h ec k ed.

Nestle wi ll be losing mon ey o n tl1is gig. s ince th ey s till

have to underwrite the costs as sponso r. but will gain nothi n g from the gigs.

Certain groups in campus ar n 't h appy witl1 t h e tour be ing booked in the firs t p lace, the SEED society are p lanning to d e monstrate wh en th e to ur arrives. Cat Lumb.

Un io n Commun ications Office r. explained the decision not to pro m ote th e s po n sors as "appropriate action ". and Leeds Un iversity h ave a lso n ego ti ated a si mil a r co n tract.

While this wi ll certain ly p u t a few n oses ou t of joint a t Nestle h ead qu arters. this is ce rta inly th e best possible solu tion, as it allows East Anglian 'Q u o' fans to still see th e b and with o ut com promis ing the Union's posit ion on Nestle. Hopefully we can con tin ue t o see thi s ki nd of actio n r epeated acr oss the co untry a t oth er universiti es. and Nestl e can watch t h e ir profits go ing d own, clown : d eeper and d own.

CiROWINCi STUDENT APATHY

FASHION FOR AIDS

STUDENTS' CATWALK FOR CHARITY Abi Akinde a nd Olivia Fra ser

with HIV stand s at a m ass ive 4 7 . millio n , with 8000 lives bein g lost every d ay in som e of th e poor est coun On S unday 14 th tries . In th e UK the number Nove mb e r th e Sto p AIDS of people living with H!V is and Afro Caribbean societi es · set to inc rease by 4 7 % will be h olding a fas hio n between 20 00 a nd 2005 and s h ow in the LCR to ra ise faced with t h ese statis tics m on ey for AIDS ch a 1i t ies . th e societi es h ave d ecided to Th e two societies have colta ke actio n a nd ca m e u p laborated on this event in with the idea of h olding a o rd er to try and inc1·ease fas hion show as a fun and a waren ess of the world AIDS differe nt way o f ra is ing Ciisis and to raise mon ey for fu nds and awaren ess . ch arities s upporting victims Me m be rs of bo t h t h e of HI V a nd educating t11e Stop Aids a nd Afro yo uth in Africa of the da n Ca ribb ea n societies h a ve gers of HIV /AIDS. bee n a p proac hing va1·iou s The current n umber of shops in Norwich to ask peo ple wo rl dwide infected the m to provide clothes for

the event. T h ose shops parti c ipating include : Asylu m Girls. Blue Jeans Co, Philip B.-ownc. Cult. Drift. Marks & Spencer and Frank. As well as co llections from the sto res there will a lso be models in cultural cloth es s upplied by the Asian and Afro Ca ribbean Societies.

In b etween th e mod elling of cloth es, there wi ll be a n umber of mus ical perfo rm a nces, inclu ding Street J azz a nd a group o f Afri ca n dru mmers. There will a lso be a raffl e h eld and som e of th e prizes incl ude vouch ers for m eals a t top resta uran ts. sto r es a n d gift s hop s in No rwich .

Tickets will be availa ble from the box offi ce and re presen tatives within certain sch ools at the bargain price of £3.50. with a ll of th e m oney go ing towar ds U1e ch a ri t ies.

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POORTURN-OUTS ON SCHOOL BOARDS AND LIAISON COMMITTEES PROVING DISASTROUS FOR REPRESENTATION lsabel Dyson The threat of a r eduction in student r e presentatio n a t UEA. resu lti n g fr om t h e restruc t uring of academic sch ool board s. could s im ply be in resp on se to tl1 e co n seq u ences of studen t apa t11y.

As previously reported in Concrete. t h e divis io n of leaching at UEA into fo ur s e parate facult ies - Arts and Humanities. Health. Science a nd Social Science - cou ld th reaten the voice of stu dents and greatly reduce student representation.

School Boards have p roved to be a profitable and effective method of articulation for students and hugely efficient fm· sta.ff-s t udent correspondence in the past. though the new plans will reduce Board meetings from four times a year to just twice and will only be attended by two student re p resentatives.

Past re ports s u ggest that Vice -Chancellor David Eastwood's plans cou ld well m ean Jru·ge schools. such as Environmental Science. wi ll be g r ea tly marginalized under the representa tion of just two nominated students. Academic Officer Chris Ostrowski is worried the new system. that a ims to inc1·ease the university's ndministrati ve efficiency and help with th e debt arising in th e school s because of the previous sys tem. has the "potential to carve students out of university."

Despite the concerns of de fi cien t representation . it is beco ming clear t h at stu den ts are n ot showing interest in be ing re presented and a pa thy is affecting stud ent represen tative posts: a second-yea r LIT stud ent claimed that "it doesn't r eally seem to m a ke m uch d iffe i·en ce: I d on't think I r eally no ti ce what the Boards do unless it's sometl1ing d rastic."

At postgraduate level and in demanding subj ects such as Phar m acy and Law. it a ppears that t h e poor stu dent response in filling the posts of representation may be a res ul t of heavy workloads.

One serond-yea r Economics student claim ed that she wou ld not be interested in running for any Student Repres e ntative positions because "the workload is too mu ch as it is; unless you're pre pared to be really committed it I don't think its worthwhile." This year tl1e school of Law h a d p articu la r d ifficu lty fil ling both undergraduate and postgraduate sports posi tions , despite the amended system.

Staff and Student Lia ison Committees are set to continue b etween Board meetings. However. as previously reported. last year's Academic Offi cer. Sarah Gurney. suggests that this is purely a "replacement of student involvement to purely consultative committees." Choices on funding. research and recruitment will be made by executives

made up of five delegated members and excl u de stud en t re prese n tatives: staff and students wi ll be not be given rights in vetoing these d ecis ion s .

Fears are also growi n g fo r t h e 1·esh aping of the S en ate in w hich e ight of twen ty-three m em bers are to be d irec tly a ppointed and fo ur m ore wo uld s imp ly be nom inated by the ViceCh a n cello r: only three m em bers are to be stu dents wi th two u nio n offi cers and o n e g r aduate st ud ent. Of t he rem a ining Sen a te posit ion s . members of academic facu lt ies wou ld elect eight. and the remaining two would be on e Academ ic Registrar and t h e Dea n of Students.

Reservations are that the Senrtte wi ll become a m e re r u bber -s tamping body for th e Vice-Chancellor as a result of the vast lack of elected m embers and student/ staff representation.

The concerns of severe under -representation and the potentia l weakening in power of speech for students at UEA does not seem to have gained as much expos ure amon gst t h e student body.

Many students exp ress indifference rather than attention to th e matter: wh eth er it is harsh workloads. lack of information or simply apathy. plans cou ld feasibly go ahead that have the possibility to completely change the representation of the student body at UEA.

6 concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

www.concrete-online.com

Cotcnte

Wednesday, November Jfd, 2004

UNION OFFERS SELF DEFENCE UNION SELF DEFENCE ClASSES WELL RECEIVED Helen Pike News Editor Self defence classes organised by the Union have been such a success iliat another one will take place next semester. On the afternoon of 20th October around thirty-five people attended two classes led by an independent teacher to learn what to do if they come face to face in a potentially dangerous situation.

Organised by women路s officer, Kat Bowker. the classes

were free to attend and open to both men and women.

"I'm very pleased at the overall turnout and the attitude of the enthusiastic students" said Kat. "I'm happy that UEA students have an opportunity to learn such skills and help prepare themselves in self-defence".

The classes were well received by everyone who turned up. Katie DEV3 found the instructions "really easy to pick up on."

'The easy-going nature of the class made it fun at the same time." Students

are reminded that the key thing 路in a potentially threatening situation is confidence: That involves havtng the confidence to run away, if a situation is considered too dangerous.

Dates for further classes next semester haven't been finalised but are definitely going ahead. If you missed your chance to learn how to keep safe then look out for posters publicising the classes. or for more information contact Kat Bowker at su. womens@uea.ac. uk.

WATCH THE SPARK IN YOUR SOCKET STUDENTS URGED TO CHECK ELECTRICS TO AVOID DISASTER Katharine Clemow Deputy Editor

Don't blow your chances of safety

I

As students up and down the country settle in to life back at university, electrical safety body. the NICEre. advises a quick check of the electrics to avoid a disaster. The NICEIC, which promotes electrical ,safety, is warning students who are renting properties to make their own checks on their electrical systems to ensure they are protected from dan gerous electrics which can kill.

Jim Speirs, director gen eral of NlCEIC says "Most landlords are responsible and will make sure that their properties are safe and fit to live in, but we are advising students living In r ented accommodation to follow some simple guidelines to

check their electrics." Your landlord is responsible for maintaining the electrical installation in your. house and for having it inspected and tested at least every 10 years or on change of occupancy.

Before you move into a property or sign a tenancy agreement the NICEIC suggests you should look at the sockets and plugs yourself and look out for the following signs of danger. These include old, badly worn or broken switches and sockets, a burning smell from overheating wiring, frayed. cut or damaged leads, and cracked or damaged cases on plugs or appliances.

Fuses in plugs that blow repeatedly also indicate a problem and you s hould n ever replace the fuse with one of a higher rating than recommended as this may

lead to overheating and a possible fire. You should also keep a look out for bum marks on plugs. leads or appliances and loose cord grips in plugs or appliances.

If you do notice any of these there is likely to be a problem and you should insist that your landlord fiXes it or arranges to get a professional to have a look.

To protect tenants from faulty workmanship new building regulations, which will apply from January 2005, mean that landlords must only use Govemment authorised contractors to carry out electrical work in residential properties. If electrical work has been carried out at the property ask your landlord to show you the electrical survey report.

Basle safety precautions and common sense around the house are easy ways of preventing fires and electric shocks. lt is important for everyone in the house to know how to tum off the electricity supply and where

the fuse box is located. You should also make sure you don't obstruct ventilation grills on appliances or cover an electric heater and never run appliance leads or extension leads under carpets or rugs or through doorways. and always fully unwind an extension lead before using it. No matter how cold it gets don't place or use an electric heater close to furniture or fittings.

The NICEIC Is an independent. non-profit making body. with a register of electrical contractors that meet its rules, and Governmental controls on technical standards.

For information on electrical safety visit www.niceic.org.uk.

Always insist that the electrics are regularly maintained and safe. The NlCEIC already has a roll of Approved Electrical Contractors, you can find one in your area by visiting www.niceic.org.uk or call the NICEIC on 0870 013 0381

Cotcrete Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 7

UEA PART OF LONDON OLYMPIC BID SPORTSPARK TO BE PART OF ATHLETIC TRAINING SHOULD BID BE SECURED

Becky Wiltshire Two times Olympic silver medallJst Steve Backley visited the UEA Sportspark on October 20th to promote the London bid for the 2012 Olympics. He was joined by

Commonwealth gold medallist, swimmer Karen Plckering and Paralymplc star lsabel Newstead.

If London wins the bid, to be decided next year, the UEA could play an Important role In both the Olympics and Paralympics in providing accommodation and sporting facilities for

athletes from around the world.

Although nothing has been decided at this time, University Communications Officer, Anne Ogden, told Concrete "I am sure the University would consider any approach from the Olympic Committee very seriously.

UEA's excellent sports fac!IJ-

INITIATION FEVER HITS UEA SPORTS SOCS' lATE-NIGHT GAMES Robin Budd The initiation ceremonies of various societies are providing the customers at the Union Bar with some late night entertainment.

Chilly Norfolk evenings are not usually privy to scenes of twenty drunk men trying to race with a long oar between their legs, but when the Rowing Club are welcoming their new recruits, this is exactly the spf!ctacle that Is witnessed.

Other activities by the team included a tag team race of about a hundred metres to an oar lying on the ground - the twist being that students then have to pick up the oar, spin around it ten times and run back to their team mates. Needless to say, it usually takes participants a while to run in the right direction again.

Just to make it interesting,

they also have to down a One station this year had pint before - and a shot after made the recruits bob for apples in their bucket, -running.

A few weeks earlier which was, incidentally, full about fifty women - some in of cat food.

The evening cheerleader kit, some not ends with the recruits being descended on the square. awarded a nickname then Though the general rules egged and flowered. were harder to ascertain, The initiations all work every few minutes, teams of under guideUnes for safety from the union in order to cheerleaders raced in and out of the bar. The descripprevent any injury coming to tion of the event stops there, unsuspecting Freshers. The rugby team, for example, but - allegedly - things got a lot more interesting as the are forbidden to put any spirits in the buckets at the evening went on. and are Perhaps the most ¡ checkpoints, famous initiations are those restricted to lower percentfor the rugby team. 'Woody', age alcoholic drinks like a member of the rugby com- lager and wine. mittee, explained that the Ceremonies like these ceremonies make the new take place every year and recruits feel more Uke a part there have been no major of the team, and also give Incidents in recent years. All the older members a chance involved say that they are to avenge the memories of certainly beneficial for team their initiations. The new building, and as long as they recruits have to go to 'sta- can carry on safely, with tions' containing buckets everyone involved having a with some kind of alcoholic good time and â&#x20AC;˘ hing the liquid in. They then have to night in one piece, j:.hen they down a pint of the liquid. certainly se_e nr ben11ficlal.

ties - including one of only two 50-metre pools In the region - would make us an ideal venue for pre-games training."

The aim of the visit was primarily to sell the Olympic bid to the East of England.

A series of presentations were held in which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the English Institute of Sport were represented.

Steve Backley told guests that hosting the Olympics would mean a huge amount to all the British athletes.

Concrete spoke to David Cosford. the Assistant Director of Physical Education and Sport at the Sportspark who assessed the Impact that this might have on UEA as a whole. He explained that UEA is "most definitely a sport-for-all uni-

verslty" and that having world class athletes living and training on campus would be a massive inspiration to all sports enthusiasts at the university.

He explained that whilst the Sportspark facilities are excellent they would need to acquire gymnastic and Indoor tennis facilities.

Anne Ogden added that "the Sportspark has hosted major sporting events such as the Transplant Games this year and the Corporate Games in the past. Both entailed providing accommodation and catering for large groups of athletes and other visitors, as well as sports facilities."

UEA will offer other facilities for the athletes.

Accommodation and catering facilities will be at full stretch in providing for the

athletes' needs in the build up to this biggest of sporting events. Anne Ogden was cOnfident that the UEA would be more than capable of providing for the athletes saying "our newly refurbished catering outlets and new residences could make UEA a very attractive proposition for the organisers and, of course the Olympics take place in the summer vacation, so most of our rooms would be available."

The London 2012 bid is currently second favourite behind Paris. David Cosford explains that this might not be a bad thing since it takes the pressure off the London bid, something that has been beneficial to other bidders in the past. If you want to register your support for the bid then log on to www.sportspark.com.

8 concrcte.ncws@uea.ac.uk

Concrete

www.concrete-online.com

Wednesday. Nm ·ember yd 200-1

BRINCi BRINCi TELEPHONES OXFAM CALLS FOR STUDENTS TO RECYCLE MOBILES Katha1ine Clemow Deputy Editor Oxfam is calling for students to donate their old mobile phones so they can be recycled to raise money fo r th e chruity and promote increased awru·eness about safety in the environment.

The organisation is concerned th a t whilst 80% of young people use text messages to organise their social lives and regularly upgrade their m obiles accordi ng to the latest technologies. too few are aware of the importance of recycling o ld mobiles.

Recycling old phones through th e Oxfam Bring B1ing scheme not only protects the envi ronm ent. but also raises vital funds which can be u sed to buy objects th at he lp educate peo p le abroad and save lives.

Oxfam receives an average of £5 for each working phone d onated and a Nokia 5 11 0 or Siemens C25 cou Id buy up to four specially designed eme rgency wate1· buckets. a Nokia 33 10 co uld provide a blackboard for a teacher ln the Philippines. and an Eri csson T29 would e nable Oxfam to pwvide

e nough chairs for a class of 30 c hildre n in the Philippines. The estimated 12 million disused mobiles in the UK cou ld pay for 36 and a half thousand classmoms to be built in Af1ica .

Stnce 200 1, Oxfam has raised n early £ 100.000 from don a ted mobile phones .

"This is only a fraction of the initiative's potential.' said Trigger Happy TV star Dom Joly who has donated his famous giant mobile to the scheme . "As 75% of all UK adu lts own m obil es. we cou ld be raising millions every year to h elp overcome s uffe1ing across the world ...

1\vo in th ree 14 to 16 year olds a lso have access to a mobile phone and the average ha ndset is designed to last 7 to 10 years with people replactng them rough ly every 18 months so there are tru ck loads of unused phones cluttering up people's homes which could be donated and make a profound difference to the qual ity of life of people Oxfam support a ll over the world.

Liz Whiteley of Oxfam says "Th e Bring Bring scheme is a great way for students to act upon their concerns about helptng people work their way out of poverty. whilst protecting

the en vi ronme nt at the same time. We hope th a t every student union will get tnvolved by having regu lar m obile phone collec ti on s. and we can aJTange for the phones to be picked up for free."

The threat of d iscarded phones is due to U1 e cadmi -

um ln the batteries of which th e re is e n ough in every phone to pollute half an Olympic sized swimming pool. This can become released into the water system when phones are clumped with other rubbish into land fills. All mobile phones that are donated to

Oxfam are sold to Corporate Mobile Recycling and. where possible. are refurbished. repaired and re-so ld with obsolete phones bro ke n down to their co mpo ne nt parts which are 1·ecycled.

Your old phone cou ld be saving a child in Africa fmm catching malaria by provid -

...................................._______________________________________________________ ____ _

ing its parents with a mosquito net. or kitting out a classroom with equipmen t to help educate the next generation in the Philippines. So don 't throw it away and have it pollute the earth and water in this country. drop it into Oxfam and have it do good in another.

Colaett Wednesday, November yd, 2004

CAMBRIDGE STUDENT DIALS 999 ••• FOR PAINKILLERS

RECOVERED UEA STUDENT RECOVERS FROM RACIAL ASSUALT TO RUN THRMNG LOCAL BUSINESS Sam Webber After suffering a horrific racial assault In Nmwich, former UEA postgraduate student, Cenglz Ceker, has managed to regain his feet and now runs the local food delivery service, DellaCasa.

The attack, which was reported In <<Concrete>> at the time, occurred while Mr. Ceker was walking to catch a bus from Norwich railway station to UEA In November 2002. "I saw an arguing co.u ple walking towards me. As I walked past, the man grabbed my jacket demanding to know which country I came from" When Mr. Ceker informed the man he was a Turkish national, he received a punch so hard that it broke his jaw and left him lying on the ground.

As a result of the brutality of the attack, Mr. Ceker had to take a year off his MSc in order to have the necessary operation on his jaw to insert a metal plate.

He also needed 9 fillings In his teeth. to repair the damage caused by the attack.

Duling this troubled peliod,

he received a great deal of advice and help at this time from many people at UEA, particularly International Student Adviser, Carla Stanton, and his academic adviser Dr. Linda Peters.

Shortly after Mr. Ceker returned to his studies In September 2003 However, fianancial difficulites meant that he was unable to pay the hefty tuition fees Incurred by postgraduate study, which come close to £9,000 per year. He left UEA and his unfinished degree in December 2003, hoping to return to Turkey and secure a position as a branch manager for a travel agency.

This all changed, however, when he decided to start a business here In Norwich .

"When I was a student here, I discovered the lack of good fast food outlets in the area that were able to deliver onto campus quickly". He went on to say that "most fast food comes from the city centre and takes at least 45 minutes. I didn't think that was good enough" Mr. Ceker put !Us UEA learning to good use when he secured a substantial loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland upon the presenta-

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 9

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PARAMEDICS NOT IMPRESSED Helen Pike

tion a business plan. This allowed him to rent a former fish & chip shop close to campus. The menu was created In time for opening In early September, and it mainly contains valious pizzas, burgers and flied chicken meals.

"We started with 2 staff and now have 6. That's pretty Impressive after only a few months in business". Most of his new found customers are UEA students. which is probably because he does not operate a mtmmum order policy for them. He estimates that about 25 deliveries are made each weeknight to the university residences and up to 45 per night at the weekend. This is probably due to ensuling the

Dellacasa menu way into almost every communal kitchen on campus by the start of term. In essence business is boomIng.

Carla Stanton, who offered Cenglz so much support following his attack is quick to praise his latest achievements. "We are very pleased to hear Cenglz's posItive news, healing In mind the very unfortunate expelience he suffered a couple of years ago. We wish him all the best with his new enterplise".

The future is looking very promising "Everything is very good now. I've got the business. a good life. and I got marrted earlier this year.

I am nearly there".

Paramedics were called to the home of a Cambrtdge student- who had run out of paracetamol.

Ambulance staff were angered to discover that on suffeling from bad peliod pains, the 19-year-old student had dialled 999 for some much need pain relief.

When paramedics arrtved at the scene they found the woman complaining of menstrual pain, and after explaining that she had run out of tablets, asked the crew to fetch some more.

Crew members explained that the need for paracetamol was not an appropliate reason to call an ambulance and that such calls could cost lives by wasting paramedics time . ambulance An spokesman was shocked by the fact that someone with the intelligence to study at

Camblidge had such little common sense.

"If it had been more than the usual type of pain and it had requtred hospital treatment, then fair enough. But that obviously wasn't the case, she just needed some painkillers. "It should be obvious to anyone that tf you want some paracetamol, an emergency ambulance Is not the place to get it from. It's not much different to calling an ambulance for a sticking plaster," he said.

Wes Streeting, President of Cambiidge University's Student Union . explained that the University encouraged students to use the emergency services responsibly and that there was always a nurse on hand in every college to provide round-the-clock medical care .

"What the student should have done is contact the porter's lodge In the first instance. They are on hand to assist students 24 hours a day" .

10 concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

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Concrete 1\ f-dnndar . Nm e111!Jer 3rd 2UU.J

WEEKEND CRIMESPREE

ESCAPING SAD DAYS CAUSES, EFFECTS AND HOW TO COPE WITH SAD C lare Ai tc hison Hea lth Ed ito r The Menta l Hea lth Foundation is bsuing inf01· mation on SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) to raise awareness of the cond it ion nnd clarity the extent of th e health t·isks. Daylight saving times may give us an c:>..1ra hour in bed. but they also make the days seem even shorter than they were. With the sun setting around 4.30 pm from now on. it's going lo be h ard to cc a ny daylight at a ll.

Th e seaso n a l eh ange is ti r in g fo r a ll. but eve n wo rse if you s tillcr from SAD. Also ca ll ed win ter dep ress ion. t h is prob lPm affects between six and twenty percent of the popu lat ion. It is nol known for sure wh at causes SAD. but it seems to be a result of your body not ge t ting enough light. Like p lants. we need light to synthesise certai n vitam ins. essential to ou r heal ! h . Light is m cas ured in u nits called 'Lux·: th e m ot-e Lu x th e bright er th e lig h t. S unlig h t is a bo ut I 00.000 Lu x. whil s t a n o r m a l light bu lb is o n ly a ro und 40 0 Lu x. A lot of s tud ent s m ay like lo lie in . a nd o nly ge l up n few m inutes before se min a rs. spe n d ing most of

the dny indoors. If you do t hi s in win te r. wh en you fina lly get out. il is dark out side . You cou ld go months wi t hout seeing any natural light depriving your body of essential vitamins.

Everybody gets a bit down in \vinter. but the symptoms of SAD are more severe than lhal. They include feeling comp lctl'ly exhausted all t h P time. insomnia. depre ssion. overeating and losing your sex -drive. Hm'ing SAD can also cause your immune system to get wPakened. so you may gel more cough s or co lds t han o th er peop le seem lo do. Fo r so m e. SAD cn n bP tota lly d isab li ng. Six mont h s is a long time to feel this had. b ut luckily there is somet h ing you can do about it.

The first piece of ad\'icc is fair ly obvious: ge t o u tside as much as you can. If you can s it nea r a \\indow. do. and don't keep the cut1ains s h ut -the whole lime. The best treat m en t for SAD is natura l ligh t. If yo u a re really suffering. th en yo u can buy a light box. whi ch costs fro m £ 100. T h ese give oil a b righ t li ght of b e twee n 2.500- l 0. 0 00 Lu x sa fe ly. a nd a ll yo u h ave to d o is s it in fro nt of the m for a whi le. letting the light reach you r

eyes. Resu lt s from the lig ht box arc good. g iving yo u loads more energy w ithin minutes. but they arc no t available on the NIIS and they aren't cheap.

Some people find that anti -depressants are eiTcclive. and these can be prescribed hy your GP. However. remember that no drug is completely withou t side-effects. so you shou ld discuss this fully with you doctor before considering them as an option.

Finally . th e advice is to take it easy. If your body is telling yo u to rest. the n do. and t ry to hold back o n t he a lcohol a b it. Some people h ave hypot h esised tha t we are des ign ed to h iber n a te in the \vintcr. but modern life does n ot a llow that possibility. Sometimes you might just need to say no to your recent commitments and go home fo r a weekend to a roa ring fire. home cooked food a n d big squashy duvet.

It's t h e closest thing to hi bern a tion U1crc is ! \V\VW . me nt a lVis it h ealth .org or cnll 020 7802 0300 for a fac t s h eet on SAD whi ch desc ribes th e sy mp toms and exp la in s a n d how it ca n b e tt·ea tecl . lt a lso gives s elf-h elp tips and lists organisa tio n s to contact fo r further help .

CRIME OUTBREAK AS STUDENTS LEAVE WINDOWS OPEN FOR THIEVES TO COME AS THEY PLEASE I-le le n Pike News Editor Further thefts have occurred on campus in unsecured accommodatio n .

Waveney Te rrace h as been s ingled out by cl'imina ls as a prime ta rget for easy pick ings.

The la test s pa te of th efts was ca ni ecl o u t o n th e wee ken d of 23 rd to 2 5th Octobe r. each one ta k ing p lace a t night. It is believed t h at t h e

thieves gained access through open windows. The warning to keep laptops and ot h er valuables safe whilst yo u are out of the room has been re iterated aga in by po lice .

In a ll ins tances a lap top co m pute r was s tolen. a n d a Plays ta ti on 2 w it h games a nd a digita l cam era we re a lso ta ken as pa t·t of th e h a u l. The va lu e of a ll good s ta ken ove r thi s pa t·ti c u la r wee kend tota l n early £300 0 . a pri cey su m that h ard u p students can not afford to

lose.

Police arc keen to hear from anyone who has information regarding these thefts. or may have been alTered th ese item~ for a le.

Please co t1tact either DC !van Burrows or DC Ch t·is Brovm on (0 1953) 424242 or Crimes toppers a n onym o u s ly on 0800 555 111 .

To h elp kee p yo u and yo ur p ossessions safe a t Un ive rs ity PC Ric ha rd Bell is on campus every Wedne day in t h e Hive fro m 12 -2pm to answer any questions.

SUFFOLK GRIPPED BY ART 5 foo

reat

c

RESIDENCE STUNNED BY MYSTERY EXHIBITION

eas as

Mich ael Robe rts

The Ziggura ts m ay not h ave see n s u ch cu lture s ince th e last lime t h e S ains bury Ce ntre was open .

Fo r the la s t two week s. n ew m odern art ins ta lla ti o n s m a de u s ing builders · pa llets h ave bee n appea rin g ;,.;,;,,.._ _., b etwee n C and D b loc k .

Suffolk Terrace. Am idst mou nting rumours of a new Tu t·ner Prize no min ee.

Concrete 1·eporters ga ined an exclus ive interv iew wit h unde rcover a t-tist 'Forkscy'.

Fork sey. cleverly preservi ng hi s impen etra ble a n o nymity by h olding the interv iew in hi s busy l<itc hen . told u s his m ai n in flu en ce a nd inspira ti o n was "Dan is h arti s t Carls b erg."

T h e idea came fro m seeing appare ntly d iscarded bu ilde rs· pa llets near t h e scene of th e crime. After gathet·ing togethe r a group of like-minded ind ivi d uals (Th e Badge r C rew).

Fo rk sey d onned hi s crime s h oes and d ecided to m ove a t midnight on Thurs day 2 1s t Octobe r.

In sce n es re miniscent of th e d evelopment of th e Azt ec Emp ire. Tea m Ba dge r ca rt·icd a pa llet eac h on U1e ir ba cks u nti l exhaustion over wh elmed the m . In th e m o rn -

ing. the s un rose on a I 0foo t high pile of pallets. surrounded by ropes and labelled 'Pron e Hcngc·.

"We ll. in t h e S ibe r ian \vi nds tha t sweep across th e Broad it was pron e to fa lling ove r". ex pla ined Fo rksey. In fac t . less n atura l causes proved its downfa ll w he n the bui ld e rs a rri ve d to ca rry th e ir equipment away o n a tme tor. Un pertu d Jed. Team Badger co n structed a new work the fo llO\vi ng n ight. a tee-pee li ke structure that proved lo be much longet· la ling.

If nothi ng e lse. the installation s h ave provoked u n precede nted di sc u ·s ion on th e n a ture of art throu g h ou t S uffolk Te rrace. Passing ar t criti c Bri an S we ll com m e n ted "It's n o t a rt. it's j u s t ltying lo cock -a-s nook a t lhe ya -boo ta b loid s". Other resid ents were u tterly co nfu sed .

'T m ju s t confu s ed ... u tter ly". sa id Pa tri c k Ca hill fr o m

Block C. Fo rk sey was uncon cerned about any negative reactio n s. saying he hoped to s h ow t hat a nyo n e can ma ke a rt a nd mere ly wanted it to be noticed. "I jus t like making s h a pes ... a nd ba dge rs ".

The la tes t sc u lpt11 re mys te ri o u s ly di sa ppea red s h o rtly b efo re going to press.

Specu la tion h as been tife as to what h ap pe n ed. with s tories passing from co rr idor to corridor of grey-clad figures carrying it away into the mist. The Enquirer reporter even heard t hat t h e entire stru cture had been eaten by a tea m of m uta n t bunn ies.

Those actu a lly th ere at th e time said th e [slig htly mo re disgrunt led ) builde rs it aro un d r e m oved lu n ch t ime la st Wedn esd ay.

Can th e bo und a ries of cu-t b e extend ed in t hi s pos tm od ern age? It rem ain s to be see n.

Cotattt Wednesday, November yd, 2004

DEMOCRATS VISIT UEA US ELECTION CAMPAIGN COMES TO CAMPUS Cella Dearing News Editor Democrats Abroad UK, the team campaigning for the election of John Kerry, paid UEA a visit last Thursday in a talk held by the Polistic, the UEA politics society.

In anticipation of the long awaited Arrierican elections that begun yesterday, Dr. John Siena, a former law lecturer from the University of VIrginia and Chicago-Kent Law School came to UEA to represent John Kerry. outlining the policies he would implement If he were to come Into power and answering questions from UEA students.

Dr Siena outlined the main focus of Kerry's campaign as being to regenerate the economy. following the downturn in industry since

9 I 11. He announced that their chief priority is to remedy unemployment, stabilise economic deficits and to "roll back the tax cuts immediately." He also wished to emphasise that these tax cuts "would extend to the middle classes."

In terms of an eagerly anticipated discussion on the War on Terror. Dr Siena seemed reluctant to go Into much detail on the grounds that "there Is only so much Kerry can do at this time. If he were to go Into power it would be .unrealistic just to pull the troops out straight away. He Will, however. "be monitoring the s ituation very closely to ensure that nothing gets out of hand."

Dr. Siena did indicate that Kerry views the Bush administration as running away from issues such as Iraq, Instead of confronting them head on. He made it clear that Kerry would take a

ANTHONY LITTLE VOICES HIS DESPAIR OF lABOUR POLITICS The Conservative candidate for Norwich South, Antony Little. recently visited UEA to address a meeting of Polistic. the political society.

He lives in Bowthorpe. teaches at a comprehensive school in the city and is a graduate of this university. He was quick to point out. "I live In Norwich and I've done so for years".

At 25 years old many think he stands a good chance in this seat at the next election. whilst some of his critics surely feel he is unlikely to give a sitting Labour minister much of a run for his money.

Nevertheless Little launched a fierce attack on the Labour government and Edu~ation Secretary Charles Clarke .

He described With amazement. how incredible it was that this seat has gone from being "one of Labour's safest seats. to one of the most hotly contested marginals In Britain".

Little explained that so many people had wanted to believe In New Labour when it swept Into power In 1997.

"We wanted to give this reasonable mix of public sector reform and sensible economic policy a chance but".

Mr. Little continued. "7 years later I don't think we've got anywhere With the 3rd way".

Little was particularly critical of how the Blair gov-

ernment has failed to reform the NHS. He articulated that 25% more money has been put into the Health service since Labour came to power. With only 2% more operations taking place.

'The NHS is not reformed. I would argue that it is not saved".

Education policy is obviously an area of serious interest for any teacher. but this teacher is particularly despondent about Labour simply throwing cash schools in the hope of raising standards. "Yes, they have flung billions more at us teachers. flying from Whitehall to the classroom and from Westminster to the classroom" This clearly has not solved the education problems which Labour say they inherited In 1997. Little clearly feels it's about time somebody sorted out the problem of truancy with "100,000 kids playing truant everyday and when 1 million children still cannot read and write properly" .These are big issues. but are sufficient voters coming back to the Conservatives now Michael Howard Is at the helm?

Little Insists that before even contemplating governing Britain once more, the Tories should tell some home truths. "We need to admit we did things wrong when we were in office. in fact we made some pretty big mistakes". He is obviously content with his party's leadership and the fact that they are starting to

BEER FESTIVAL

more proactive approach, "you can rest assured that whichever areas Kerry chooses to address, he will do so exceptionally thoroughly." Another of Kerry's highest priorities was outlined as "to work with Europe, to make people realIze that it is in the American people's own Interests to create and hold strong alliances with continental Europe, as well as Britain".

Dr. Sienna appeared tight-lipped In answering questions regarding Kerry's plans for the controversial situation In Guantanamo Bay and the Israel/Palestine conflict, You Will now know If Kerry has the opportunity to put these policies Into practice and, as it has been such a closely fought out race to the White House, it will be interesting to see tf this talk made any difference.

CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE SPEAKS Sam Webber

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look credible once more according to many sections of the media. "Michael Howard has set out 14 points which he believes in. don't ask me to quote them!" Whatever these actually amount to, they are apparently "small. finite. achievable things the conservatives can do". Little Insisted that this message would bring back voters who have deserted the Tories in recent elections.

His final attack on the incumbent MP was that he is the "walking personification of absolutely everything that is wrong with new Labour". Certainly many students who vote at the next general election Will be keen not to indorse a government which Introduced top up fees. Surely Little is hoping that as a result they Will put their weight behind the Conservative cause.

When questioned about the strength of the Liberal Democrats in this constituency and the fact that the Conservatives don't hold a single council seat in Norwich South, he was Incredibly frank and honest.

"I am worried about the threat the Lib Dems pose, but as long as we run the campaign that we have to. we can counter that".

Whatever the result is here at the next general election, Antony Little and his team will be working like mad up until the polls close in the hope of Wiping that indistinguishable smile off Charles Clarke's face .

NORWICH LOCALS ENJOY LOCAL ALES Olly Hayward

The Norwich Beer Festival was back in town this week. offering visitors the chance to sample over 200 different varieties of Real Ale. The annual event. now In its 27th year. is organised by the Norfolk and Norwich division of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and also Incorporates the East Anglian Cider and Perry Exhibition.

Drinks at the festival were exchanged for tokens bought at the door. and sold at average pub prices. Ales on offer ranged from the old favourites. such as the balanced flavour of Adnam's Southwold Bitter. to the tempting 'Young's Chocolate Stout' , to the unusually titled 'Holy Cow' and 'Ram Rod'. Provision of soft drinks and bottled beers in addition to the local elders and ales

helped to ensure that most tastes were catered for. although Real Ale veterans were all too willing to educate the 'lager drinking student' In the ways of 'proper' beer.

At Friday's lunchtime session, the rather lively (but very friendly) banter from the large crowds was accompanied by soothing sounds from a string quartet. As expected of that time of day the festival lacked a great proportion of students. but was animated enough and the atmosphere was inviting. One festival -goer commented "I've been comIng here for about ten years now. and every time the whole feel of the event is just great. Everyone has a good old chat...and most importantly the beers taste really good!"

Drinking was not the only activity on offer however. as a quick venture Into Blackfriar's hall presented the patron with beer-themed

• performanc bonus

• loyalty bonus

• health insurance

• penSIOil

Want to find out more?

games. such as a tombola and the popular 'throw the bottle cap into the barrel'.

Prizes on offer included Beer Festival bar towels. t-shirts. baseball caps. with the top prize being a rather fancy beer mirror.

The festival was staffed entirely by volunteers such as Alan, who has been helping out with the festival since it's debut. 27 years ago. "One of my favourite things about the festival Is the way the staff all get on so well year after year - it's almost like being part of a famJly ... " He said the festival hoped to attract around 15.000 people during Its week-long stay.

CAMRA is a national consumer organisation and has over 70,000 members throughout the UK who work to promote the continued use of cask contained ales in public houses. The organisation relies entirely upon its voluntary members to make events a success.

Call Hannah TantoP on: 01603 750764 or send your tv to, Hannah Tanton Central Trust PLC TlieAtrlul'r1 St Geo ges Stree • Norwich NR3 IGT.

hannah.anton@cenu-altrust.co.Uk

12 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

PAUL MAGRS orking class hero is omething to be, and Mr. aul Magrs (silent 'g') knows all about it, ccording to an interview he gave to The Independent's website recently. By way of background information: not too long ago, 'Maggers' defected from teaching creative wntmg at UEA for Manchester, where he hopes the students will not be 'so middle class' or their writing so 'pretentious' (a stock critical remark often used defensively by the demi-literate) . He has since, honest-as-the-day-is-long chap that he is, found time to snipe at past colleagues and students.

Leaving aside the fact that this is highly unprofessional, and not a little bit bitter to boot; leaving aside also the fact that many of the students he

A

Soz Blud, I'll read dat again agwan blud, wot u sayin? It's heavy 2 b cha ttin wit u-1 just raise d sum fa gs from Budgens, but allow it man, innit. U up 4 a blaze 2nite, bro? It's gonna be bare jokes.

Translation: 'Hello there friend, how are you? It's nice to be talking to you- ! just stole some cigarettes from Budge ns , but don 't worry about it, pal, ok? Would you like to get high tonight, chum? It's going to be lots of fun.'

If you had difficulty with the first part, welcome to my world. This is where I watch with amused astonishment a new 'language' emerging alongside Her Majesty's English. It's a language that's . been thieved from

W

· Simon Sheridan ~~

,

I HATE MANCHESTER UNITED I watched Ruud van Nistelrooy score his goal against Arsenal, a strange eeling came over me. It was as if my blood had been flashboiled; a searing pain jolted my sinews as I stared with uncompromising hatred at the television screen.

Once again, Manchester United had got away with it - winning a game they did not deserve, this time with a dubious penalty.

Surely I am not the only one who feels this way about our country's biggest club. The late John Peel once said that Liverpool b e ating Man Utd "has given me more joy than anything since the birth of my child." No other ieam polarises supporters in the same way - fans eithe :r love the m or hate them. It o ccurre d to me tha t this has not happened before. The

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taught were selected (when he could be bothere d) by his own hard-graftcallused hand and the fact that the notion that the further north Magrs wanders , the more likely it is he 'll find g ood salt-o-the-earth working class types is laughably prejudicial; leaving all this aside - what exactly does he mean and who the hell does he think he is?

In his interview, Magrs counts among his achievements at UEA the s .rategy of sending his creative write c-s 'into town' to listen in on and watch the comings and goings of everyday folk [gasp at his revolutionary pedagogical technique] . The idea is to strip the air of 'pretension' from his student's work - their heads too full of Rushdie and Kundera (and other nonces like that) to see the 'real world' all around them. One might imagine Maggers tittering triumphantly away in his soot-blackened UEA office as he sent off another soft-as-shite mummy or daddy's student type into the Norwich drizzle to ·observe the real world. Trouble is, not many students really neede d that much convincing.

Most creative writing students are here to learn how to write better; they

are eager, genuine and willing to liste n . The re may be a little 'pre te nsion' around here and the re that nee ds 'stripping away ', which is tole rable if it come s from a teache r who knows what they're talking ab out and is pre pared to meet their stude nt half-way, but most people I've talke d to he re have plenty of real-life experienc e that they regularly draw on in their writing. A fact that - if he had got to know his students - Magrs would have been aware of. What's more, it's often only really those outside of the working-class environment (if there is such a thing) that wish so ostentatiously (pretentiously?!) , and patronisingly, to preach about it, or against the middle-classes ; to somehow prove how 'in touch' they are, when all along it is inspired by the burning insecurity that perhaps the very opposite is true; that perhaps one is out of touch with, or drifting away from, one's roots, should one have any; that, perhaps, daddy may think one a bit if a 'poof'.

black American rappers and adopted by ordinary youths on the leafy streets of England; a language that began as the odd word, but has matured into almost an entire lingo, to the extent that it can form whole conversations . Conversations that , I must a dd, would appear to the uninformed onlooker as . perhaps the strange tongue of a rather eccentric cult.

I am re ferring to what I call, 'Safe Talk'. Safe T&lk takes words we all thought we understood and confuses people by placing them in sente nces in which they seem totally errone ous, and the result is a terribly confusing state of affairs. For example, if you are told that you're being 'long' , you may be somewhat-alarmed, and peer anxiously in the nearest mirror to check you have n 't suddenly grown an extra three feet; in fact, what was actually meant was that you're taking an annoyingly long time to do something. And if you're told that your shoes are ' he avy' , this might well instigate a heated discussion in which you fervently insist that your shoes are actually quite light, and you don't appreciate being unfoundedly accused of sporting burdensome

footwear; but what was meant was that your shoes are ve ry nice.

This language is probably just a 'phase', and, like Calpol, it can be grown out of. Phases of language come and go all the time; cockney rhyming slang, for example, in which folks drank Vera Lynn while having a Dicky Bird on the Dog and Bone to the Trouble and Strife, then tripped over their Daisy Roots when Ball and Chalking up the Apple and Pears.

And in the glorious a ge of the thirtie s and forties it was quite usual to exclaim 'What a perfectly wizard spread!' at the sight of a particularly tasty looking meal, and rave about what a 'jolly topping fellow' that nice lad John is .

great Liverpool side of the 1970's and 80s were never hated. Obviously teams and fans alike wanted to beat them more than any other side, but this is simply a matter of respect for a better team. Arsenal are the best team in the country at present, but, with the possible exception of Tottenham fans they are not hated, only respected. Although Wenger 'spins' the truth just as much as Ferguson, there is no suggestion of simple righteous hate. Why then, is Manchester United the object of abhorrence for so many people?

It would be interesting here to parallel anti-manunitedism with antiAmericanism. Although many people in Britain and across the world dislike the United States, it is because of their government, not their people.

This is the situation with Manchester United. It is not the masses of fans that I have a problem with; it is the team's abuse of our beautiful game.

Manchester Unite d play football differently to other teams; they feel they have a right to act in a ce rtain way exclusive to themselves. Take the Rio Fe rdinand drug s candal (the ban should have b een a t le ast a year, but was brought down due to the power·

of United's legal team); shady transfer dealings in which Wayne Rooney's agent alone has received roughly £6 million in 'fees' ; Roy Keane admitted to injuring a fellow professional on purpose and yet is still captain of the club ; a fair proportion of their players and former players were essentially stolen from other clubs in what can only be described as a dubious transfer practice (these players include Diego Forlan, Luis Saha and Wayne Rooney). And to top this off they have a manager who has managed to hit our England captain in the face with a football boot and who consistently neglects to release players for international duty.

Magrs singles out) would be 'aspirational'. Both are significantly better writers than Ma ggers will eve r b e and, should he want to - or be aware of the fact that it might be a good idea if he did-improve his writing, he may want to sit down with one · or two of their books with more humility than he currently appears capable of.

Also, predictably, Martin Amis was selected for a b it of a pot shot. You could balance the literary talent displayed in one of Magrs books with just a few (admittedly carefully chosen) paragraphs from Amis.

So, where does Maggers think he earns the right to be so scathing; so sure that he is one of the hardest fighters within the bastion of authenticity that is 'grittily real' working class life? Well, Magrs' credentials are impressive: he was born on Tyneside and his parents divorced. He declared he wanted to be a writer at the age of nine, but his dad never let him read books of fiction. He studied at Lancaster university, completed a PhD on Angela Carter and taught creative writing at UEA for seven years before leaving for Manchester, hang on .. . there's a whiff of port and cigar smoke about all this. There's nothing

particularly working class in all that.

Why isn't Magrs teaching writing in prisons , or for free down working men's clubs if he feels that strongly?

Well, because he doesn't know what he 's talking about. And what's so bad about being middle-class any way?

Assuming such distinc ti ons really mean a thing these days .

What we really have with Magrs who will tell you, gleefully, like a naughty schoolboy, at cocktail parties and in interviews with broadsheets, that he once told Rose Tremain that she writes "crappy middle-brow books for Sunday Times readers " and that he put wanking in kids books -is a try-hard wannabe grafter. But Maggers ' characters, he will tell you with enthusiasm - given half the chance -'eat at Harry Ramsdens and drink Lemsip ; they own Britney Spears c a le nders and Paul Klee prints ; they know about Poundstretcher. And Cilia Black!'

They're all so delightfully real, darling - they have jobs and everything.

Yes, Paul, but they also live in a London that gets invaded by aliens ·resembling literary figures from the 19th c entury and give birth to leopards. You're dreaming, buddy.

Backstreet Boys song (maybe not) .

But the naughties has come up with an altogether more impressive and extensive tongue that deems attractive people 'fit' , unattractive p e ople 'mingin', claims that it is going to 'chip off' when it wants to leave and b ids you 'laters' by way of departure , enjoys 'chillin wit my crew', regards the latest 'choon' as ' tight' ('song ' and ' good', if you 're confused), deems really good things 'sick', and labels disple asing situations as 'dark' and e njoyable situations as 'safe' . Even the word 'beef' has been molested; what we naively thought was a main component of a traditional Sunday dinner is in fact a way of expressing disdain· for someone: 'I've got beef with you' i.e. 'I'm not too happy with you, young man.' Will lamb be next?

Will people be approaching each other and saying irately, 'Don't lamb about with me', or 'I ain't taking no pork cutlets from you'?

I have my own example of the sort of scrapes one can find oneself in whe n faced with such linguistic ambiguity when, one Friday night in the pub, I was approached by a lad who said to me, 'My mate finks you're buff.'

I hadn't a clue what he was talking about , and had to say by way of a polite reply, 'I'm so sorry, I don't understand what you 're saying' ; and I've never seen anyone look as taken aback as this poor youth. He slunk back to his m ate and presumably told him to stay away from the freak with the gin and tonic. Had I not had a friend at hand to e~lain to me that buff means 'attractive', I would have been forced to consult the Dictionary and been thus somewhat disgruntled to find that his mate considered me to resemble a thick leather made from the skins of buffalo, oxen and elk.

There appears to be no limit to this lingo, so we can really only watch and wait with interested befuddlemen! to see what will happen next.

Maybe, in years to come, we shall be receiving cards from our dentists telling us that 'We ave beef wit u coz u is bein long and not avin ur teeth sorted in like a year, blud. It is time u is chippin down to create a new appointment, innit.' I, personally, will stick to Her Majesty's English.

Laters.

p e nalties in eight games at Old Trafford?

This theory will come into conflict with those United supporters (and yes , I know you'll be shouting this from the rooftops) who assert that the FA actually treats the Red Devils harsher than other teams. To these people I say this:Your team has broken rule after rule. Cantona was lucky not to be put in prison for his kung fu exploits; Ferdinand should have been banned for longer; and Roy K;eane should never have b een allowed back on the pitch afte r admitting trying to break the leg of a fellow professional. It is typical of the supporters to cry about 'injustices' done to their team - and United supporters are worse than most. This e have to ask ourselves petulance goes to such an extreme why they are allowed to get that the prideofmanchester.com away with it. Is it because, website has commented as the FA's biggest club, it woUld not "Manchester United fans do not supbe in the interests of those in power - port England! " to see Manchester Unite d fall down So is there a point to this rage? the league? Think of the global marFootball, like politics, provides us keting ability of the te am. If performwith no right answers. Fans of diffe rances start to go awry, the flow of ent clubs will argue about the relamoney into the coffe rs of the FA will tive strengths of their teams. dry up . Is this the re ason Mike Riley However, Manchester United have has give n Mancheste r Unite d seven started a new trend, a football club so

big they can bend the rules to suit themselves. Just like the New York Yankees baseball team, who are generally despised by everyone outside New York, Manchester United are a symbol on which every other football fan can focus their hatred. They have become a post-modern football team, active not only in playing the sport, but in shaping its very future, one that will surely benefit the:r;n at the expense of smaller clubs in Leagues I and 2. Just as America, the globe 's only superpower bears the brunt of the world's anger for its excessive violence in the field of foreign affairs, Manchester United, as England's biggest club will have to accept being hated by the majority of people in this country. They are symbolic of the erosion of English football - by accumulating so much money in one team, others will surely suffer.

I hope this serves as an educating experience to those United fans who cannot understand why they are hated so much. For everyone else just keep supporting the other team, ok?

more tactful, indeed correct, erm for work seeking to emuate that of Kundera and Rushdie (these are the ones that

Aj

n the sixties and seventies it was the norm for crazy dudes in floral waistcoats to lollop around drawling, 'Groovy man, I'm fee ling psychedelic today in my hip gear ', and rave about the 'happening s cene' in the forest where the Animal Rights Proteste rs had chained themselves to the trees; and the good old nineties nattered about the 'wicked' episode of Eastenders, and the 'cool' new

I

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Ctlcrttt Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004

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13

READING WEEK? Hardly. Some like to take a week off. Others, though not many, like to do what the name suggests. Victoria Leggett and Jacqueline Black find out what students like do to during reading ·week, and discover a world of sleeping, eating and sneaky vacations. · · any students are now in the middle of or anticipating the beginning of reading week. Its title suggests a week of read· ing ... but who actually reads?

Surely it's just half term, but since we're now at University and are far too mature for such a thing, they've had· to change its name.

When asked their thoughts on reading week, these were some typical responses from students: 'Reading, what reading?'

'Free time ... to wander round and learn to love our new home town of Norwich ....to get the hell out of here and do something fun'

"I usually catch up on sleep, get drunk, and go visit people. I might also paint my room ... white. Magnolia white." all the new information being thrown at them?

According to the Union, who gets one and who doesn't get one is down to the individual schools' decision on whether it's worth it or not. But surely if the true purpose of reading week is to 'consolidate, catch up and read around' your discipline then it's worthwhile for everyone, whether you're studying history or quantum physics?

For those students who do get a reading week, what are they likely to be doing during their seven-day sojourn? The most common appear to be: visiting family/ friends, sleeping and going to the pub. Not much reading being done there then.

Of course there is in fact a huge variety of things being done, from holidays to Latvia, Christmas

"I don't get one, but I'm going to take one anyway and go to India."

'Is anyone else just going to get drunk every day? What time does the pub open?'

So, In short, it's a chance to have a break from studying and 'do something fun'.

Apparently not. We asked two student bodies about the purpose of reading week. One response was, 'the purpose is so that students have an opportunity to catch up with reading

Doctors....or maybe..." And what began as work has faded into a night on the couch.

Not everyone gets a reading week, but those that do usually deserve it. English students, for example, need a reading week. The essence of any literature-based course is the mulling over o.t page after page of what is, at 2am at least, utter drivel. But what factors determine whether a course gets a reading week or not? Some courses have 'half' reading weeks. Some science courses, for example, have no lectures, but students still have to go to their lab sessions. How inconvenient! One student said 'I think I'm the only person who would prefer not to have one. I have 3 lab sessions all week and a lot of people are going home so I think I'm going to be very bored. 1was the only person left in our flat in the reading week last year and had nothing to do at all.'

There isn't even continuity within schools; in LLT, German lectures are put on hold for 'a week of reading' and yet Linguistics lectures continue.

A strange one indeed. One theory behind the apparent imbalance is that 'it may just be humanities based subjects that get it'. In which case, Linguistics is considered a science, and likewise Maths students and Environmental science stu· dents don't get one either. That makes sense. But

"Reading? What reading?" course materials and essay writing.' Similarly our other source said, 'reading weeks are made to let people consolidate, catch up, read around on their work and let the lecturers do the same.'

But if that's the case why on Earth is one person 'so in love.with the idea of reading week'? Did we meet that rare university student who is actually looking forward to re-reading notes and checking out all those secondary texts the lecturers recommend? Of course not. lt's because for many reading week is used for 'getting time off to do something that I'd be doing anyway', 'going home' to get 'clean clothes and eat good food again!'

"A chance to let people consolidate, catch up, read around etc. on their work and let the lecturers do the same."

Surely any actual reading will be confined to final year students. And even then, what begins a stern personal effort at studying soon becomes, "I'll do some after Neighbours or maybe

how do you explain the Law students? They are a special breed. Most students have had years of experience in their chosen subject, but not Law students. Their work just builds up. Surely they're just as in need of a reading week to consolidate

.

have the opportunity to)ill their spare time by jumping on the train back home. They're left with empty residences and no lectures to fill up the week. Guess that's one group of people who will be reading then. owever, joviality about the lack of reading . done during reading week will not be shared amongst the entire student population.

Whilst 1st year English students, having handed in their essays the day before their reading week began, reflect on seven days of drinking and socialising, fourth year linguistic students try to juggle continuing lectures, thousands of words worth of dissertation and whatever work their other 40 credits of teaching sets them.

This may sound like a mass of criticism of reading week, but it isn't. For the vast majority reading week is a blessing. Those people in their final year will really relish the opportunity to catch up with their studies and maybe their mates too.

First years get the chance to head home to realise the homesickness was a result of thinking about mum and dad with a rose tint and consequently remembering why they were so eager to leave in the first place, or, to finally discover which way leads them off campus. For the sec· ond years? Well, it all depends on how dedicated you are really. The only query is, surely the name should be changed? Wouldn't 'contemplating reading week' be more suitable? Or maybe 'Reading the TV magazine week'.

H

What will we be doing during reading week?

25% - Sleeping.

2% - Learning how to flick bottle caps really fast.

8% - Trying to answer at least one question on University Challenge.

shopping (yes, we know it is only October), running a half marathon (surely reading is an easier option?!), and topping up those bank accounts.

Or.e of the more unusual responses received was, '1 don't get one, but am going to take one anyway and go to India. There's only going to be 4 people left here out of 11 on our corridor.' Of course, these activities aren't mutually exclusive.

Many people will find themselves beginning to read, only to send themselves to sleep contemplating Noam Chomsky's theory of language acquisition. Others will go home under the guis~ of visiting family and will return with a much

"I might read. I might just go to Latvia." healthier bank balance courtesy of the Bank of Mum and Dad. For those people not lucky enough to be granted a reading week the prospect is pretty dull - continuing lectures and a half empty campus, watching your newly found friends skip back to the homeland to visit their old friends and remember why they loved them so much. Or, for fear of missing out on all the fun, students with continuing lectures go out with those without until the early hours of the morning and re-enact the scenes of Fresher's Week when they attempt to attend their lectures only to realise 45 minutes in that it's physics, not Law. And what about the international students? Is reading week really that attractive? They don't

3% - Writing a script for Eastenders in which our least favourite character is killed off.

15% - Cementing friendship with residency cleaner.

1% - Estimating average daily inflation of Richard Whiteley's neck.

5% - Trying to make a neighbourhood cat follow you home.

4%- Finally finding out what . night the recycling goes out.

10% - Defragging our hardrive and then bragging about it.

3% - Planning half-hearted CO'-:JP in little-known dictatorship.

4%- Lamenting/Celebrating results of US Presidential election.

14 concrete.features @uea.ac.uk

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Ctecrttt Wec/nesdqy Nqvernber ~rd

2004

Cotcrete Wednesd.a¥ Noevember 3rd. 2004

US-China Spy Plane Incident This was a l:luge international incident in the myopic America of pre-9/11 . On the 1st of April, 2001 , a US EP-3 surveillance (read spy) plane on an Orwellian "routine surveillance" mission over the South China Sea collided with a Chinese fighter jet.

The Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, was never found. The spy plane then made an emergency landing on the Chinese Island of Hainan without Chinese permission.

Reacting swiftly President George Bush said he was ''troubled" by the Chinese government's inaction and demanded access to the crew and the plane's return "without any further tampering".

Then the pettiness really begins.

Although blame would appear to lie with the side that was spying - America - the two sides blame each other for the incident. China demands a full apology and an end to US surveillance of the Chinese coast. America refuses to meet either demand.

US Secretary of State Collin Powell says the US "has nothing to apologise for" and that the spy-plane crew are being "detained". The next day he expresses "regret" over the loss of the Chinese pilot. China welcomes this, but still demands a blanket apology from America for the whole incident.

For the next few days various American government officials express •regret" and •concern• for one thing or another. On the 9th of April there is a major breakthrough in pan-Pacific penitential politics when Powell appears on TV and says, "We have expressed regrets and we have expressed our sorrow, and we are sorry that the life was lost". 'Sorrow' is nice, but the Chinese continue to hold out for that five-letter clincher. lt arrives on the 11th of April. The US ambassai:!or to China, Joseph Prueher, sends a very important letter to the Chinese foreign minister. W~hin the 236 words there is plenty of political rhetoric, but also this vital sentence: "We are very sorry the entering of China's airspace and the landing did not have verbal clearance". That's all China wanted. The next day a chartered plane arrives on Hainan Island and the 24-member crew is flown back to America.

Verdict: John Lennon never met a force like America's Bible Belt. Normal people understood the genuine point he was trying to make, bLt religious fanatics didn't. His "apology" was utterly insincere but necessary if he wanted to stay alive and, crucially, he used the word 'sorry'.

The Sun and the Hillsborough Disaster On the 15th of April, 1989 Liverpool and Nottingham Forrest played out their FA Cup semifinal at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium.

Tens of thousands of fans and poor poliCe control resulted in one of the worst sports disasters of all time. Ninety six people died. The next day The Sun printed the following headline: "The Truth! Some fans picked pockets of victims'; 'Some fans urinated on the brave cops'; 'Some fan~ beat up PC giving kiss of life'".

The Sun, Britain's biggest selling daily paper, has always been known for sensationalism and bending the truth, but these outright lies caused a huge scandal, and worse, . brought undeserved shame to Liverpudlians. The city has not forgiven the

One of the most famous quotes of all time is actually a misquote. On the 4th of March, 1966 John Lennon gave an interview to the London Evening Standard in which he said, "Christianity will go - it will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and will be proved right. We are more popular than Jesus now."

There was mixed and rather muted reaction in Britain, but four months later the interview was reprinted in the American · teen magazine 'Datebook'. To the dismay of Lennon and tl}e group all hell broke loose, so to speak. Across the country and particularly in the Bible belt there were mass burnings of Beatles records and merchandise. Many American radio stations refused to play their songs and the band even received death threats.

Amidst the religious furore the woman who gave

The most famous blonde in British politics and the Tory culture spokesman, Boris Johnson caused a stir in scouserland recently when he wrote an article in the political ma~azine The Spectator, wh1ch he edits.'

The article was written just after Ken Bigley, a Liverpudlian, had been murdered in Iraq after being held hostage for several weeks. The theme of the article was that Liverpudlians "wallow" in their "victim status". He said that Ken Bigley accepted a certain amount of risk by going to Iraq and that Ken's brother Paul was wrong tq say that the Prime Minister "had blood on his hands".

Liverpool did not take too kindly to this, especially the part where Johnson said the city was wrong to blame to police for the Hillsborough disaster when there were hundreds of drunken fans trying to pour into the stadium.

Fearing the article would weaken his already diminished party, Conservative leader · Michael Howard sent Boris off to Liverpool to apologise for

Famous Non-&x>logies Tony Blair and the War in Iraq Millions of us still long for the day when Tony Blair ap~ars on television saying how sorry he is for the war 1n Iraq. Such an apology could never happen though. it would be political suicide.

The War in Iraq, as we know now, was launched on a lie. The lie being that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and, in possession of such weapons, was an imminent threat to the UK, but not Ireland, the US, but Canada, Spain, but not France, and Australia, but not New Zealand. The apf~~ and is now in chaos. on

sorry you, only for country.

The speech was re-written at the last though, and the word 'sorry' was removed. be in the papers, giving the appearance of ogy, but not in the actual speech, a ma.sterstrokll.:411 political spin doctoring.

In his speech to the conference and in interview and press conference before Blair never says 'sorry' for leading the country on false premises. Here is an excerpt from party conference speech, the closest we get apology we deserve: "The evidence Saddam ... has turned out to be wrong. I edge that and accept it. I simply point out; dance was agreed by the whole international munity, not least because Saddam had used weapons against his own people and countries. And the problem is, I can ap<>lo~Jise information that turned out to be wrong, sincerely at least, apologise fonemoving Verdict: 'A classic non-apology and a uation for Blair. Apologise and your career Express vague feelings of remorse and the still feels cheated. His attempts at apologising weak and, most importantly of all, he did not use word sorry.

Verdict: Though truly sorry for the loss of life, any attempts to appear sorry 'for spying are phoney to say the least. You can't be sorry for something you have done everyday, without fail, for the past 40 years.

Bigger than Jesus

Boris Johnson and Liverpool

The ordeal was resurrected this summer when Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney sold his life-story to The Sun for £250,000.

Fans in his native Liverpool were dismayed that the striker had sold out to a paper that was so reviled in the city. When pressure began to build en Rooney and The Sun, the paper, as it did after the initial scandal in 1989, issued a full front-pag:J apology over the Hillsborough incident: "Our careless.ness and thoughtlessness following that blackest of days made the grief of their families and friends even harder to bear. We long ago apologised publicly to the victims' families, friends and to the city of Liverpool for our awful error. We gladly say sorry _again today: fully, openly, honestly and without reservation•.

Verdict: Now that's an apology! Look at all those grovelling adverbs. And this apology ne:Jds to be grovelling. What The Sun did all those '(ears ago was the kind of disgrace that makes you wonder how such a ridiculous paper can be the bi;mest selling in Britain. As for Rooney, once someone told him what he had done he should have donated the money to charity, and apologised.

his remarks. Johnson described the order as "a kick in the pants".

In a letter to the Liverpool Daily Press Johnson said, "I am sorry, too, for the hurt and dismay we have so evidently caused in our description of Liverpool ... Anyone, journalist or politician, should say sorry to the people of Liverpool - as I do - for misrepresenting what happened at Hillsborough. I repeat that the leader [The Spectator's leading article] made a serious point about risk and sentimentality, and the culture of blame, and I stick by it. In so far as it imposed an outdated stereotype on the whole of Liverpool, and thereby caused offence, I sincerely apologise."

The highlight of his reconciliation-themed trip to Liverpool was an appearance on the Roger Phillips Radio Merseyside phone-in. Paul Bigley rang up and told Boris he was a "self-centred, pompous twit", one of many bitter callers the MP for Henley had to face.

When it was all over, Johnsoh said he felt like "a squeezed lemon".

Verdict: Squeezed lemon sounds about right Johnson's article may have contained some valid points, but he should have known how damaging it would be, to him and his party. When it came time to apologise he did all he could; wrote a letter, went to Liverpool and faced the people who hated him most.

As usual, though, one can't help but think that if Michael Howard hadn't made him apologise, Johnson would have been happy to do nothing.

-

me across some classy apol~gies, and some that were just sorry. Or as BJair

Seems? Nay, tis! From wars to affairs, those at the top are always reluctant to u would say, some that were just sorry. the interview, Maureen Cleave, tried to quell the unrest, saying, "John was certainly not comparing the Beatles with Christ. He was simply observing that so weak was the state of Christianity that the Beatles were, to many people, better known. He was deploring, rather than approving, this." lt didn't help. On the 11th of August with an American tour fast approaching, Lenncn gave a press conference in Chicago in which the much sought-after, though rather cryptic apology arrived: "I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying.

I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing. I apologise if that will make you happy. I still don't know quite what fve done. I've tried to tell you what I did do but if you want me to apologise, if that will make you happy, then OK, I'm sorry." •

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 15

HE HAR.DEST WORD

SORRY SEEMS TO BE Famous Apologies

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everywhere and some very memorable television appearances.

On the 26th of January, 1998 Cllnton appeared on television and said, "I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again, I did not have sexual relations with that woman - Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time... never. These allegations are false."

Oh Clinton, you dog. Here's the President in August of the same year speaking in a nationally televised address: "Indeed,. I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. lt constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible ... I know that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that."

Clinton was later impeached, but, after a process that took several months, he was acquitted by the Senate on the against him grand pe~ury and - on the 12th of February,

,.4o'lo..,_..,

Watergate

''Tricky Dicky" Nixon decided to resign rather than face the music over his Watergate scandal. Had he not almost certainly have become the lose an impeachment case. As it the only President to resign. paranoid alcoholic. Along with. his ·enem1es list" he had voice-activated tape all over the White House. lt was led to the Watergate scandal.

Watergate refers to the Hotel and in Washington, D.C. lt was in this the 17th of June 1972 that five men, were arrested after trying to devices in the office of the Democratic Committee. After many investigations and Nixon's web of espionage begins to unravincreasingly clear that he has some-. when he refuses to hand over 64 White ""'''nn••~'~

Clinton-Lewinsky

on the 8th of August, 1974. In his hint of an apology. "I regret deeply may have been done in the course led to this decision. I would say of my judgments were wrong, and wrong, they were made in what I at the time to be the best interest of the

don't need a Stanford degree tG was a crook. 2) He resigned he would be impeached and would pardon him. 3) He denying involvement in very well admit he had lied, been dead for 10 years.

Rwanda was created by colonial power Belgium. The borders it drew up meant Hutus and Tutsis were living together. In April1994 a plane carrying Rwandan Hutu President, Habyarimana, was shot down. For four months the worst genocide since the Holocaust

Slavery Slavery did not begin with America's Deep South. it was around thousands of years before that in the ancient civilizations of Greece and Egypt. But the slave trade that built America's cotton and tobacco industry in the 17th and 18th centuries was of a scale that had never been seen before. In 1776 there were 500,000 African slaves in America. When the American Civil War began in 1860 there were 4 million.

The numbers are pretty grim, but the reality of slavery is even grimmer. it was a despicable horror.

For years there have been attempts to make the US government pay reparations to the descendants of slaves, but none have been forthcoming . A more reasonable demand was that the government simply apologise.

President Bush had the perlect chance to do this when he began a four-day tour of Africa in July 2003.

His first stop was Goree Island, off the coast of Senegal. lt was on this island, hundreds of years ago, that slaves were sent before being shipped to America. Bush didn't apologise, though, and spent only twenty minutes on the island. The speech he gave was, the for- ·the most part, just an emotional history of slavery. The closest he came to saying sorry was, "At this place, liberty and life were stolen and sold. Human beings were delivered and sorted, and weighed, and branded with the marks of commercial enterprises, and loaded as cargo on a voyage without return. One of the largest migrations of history was alsG one of the greatest crimes of history." it's not really fair to make America be the sole western voice when it comes to apologising for slavery. After all, America was founded by Britons, who imported slaves from Africa and enslaved Native American Indians long before the United States was created. Spain and Portugal also imported slaves to their colonies in South and Central America. In fact, Brazil has the highest number of black people outside Africa.

But America held onto slavery long after other western nations had abolished it. it's an integral, inescapable part of American history and culture.

America would not exist were it not for the forced labour of millions of African slaves.

Verdict: A total cop-out. Whether Bush's ancestors owned slaves or not is irrelevant. As President of the United States he could have said something like, 'as leader and on behalf of the country that looted this continent's human riches for hundreds of years I say sorry to you all for the great crime of slavery.'

Perhaps the word 'continent' was too big for him.

The Genocide in Rwanda This year the world marked the 1Oth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.

increased foreign aid, which Rwanda desperately needs.

September 11th, 2001 A strange thing happened after the terrorist attacks of this infamous day: George W. Bush's popularity actually increased. In the days and weeks after the attack Bush's approval ratings soared.

Every speech he gave drew standing ovations.

Everywhere he went, from baseball games to steel factories, people greeted him like a hero. When asked why support for Bush had suddenly become compulsory, most Americans would say, "He got us through 9/11".

I suppose it was hard to think straight in the days

was carried out. When it ended an estimated 800,00:1 Tutsis and a moderate number of Hutus had been massacred.

Speaking at a conference to mark the anniversary, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said, 'We should always bear in mind that genocide, wherever it happens, represents the international community's failure, which I would in fact characterise as deliberate, as convenient failure. How could a million lives of the Rwandan people be regarded as so insignificant by anyone in terms of strategic or national interest? Do the powerlul nations have a hidden agenda?

I would hate to believe that this agenda is dictated by racist considerations or the colour of the skin, I hope it is not true.• Belgium and South Africa have apologised for their inaction during the genocide. Many other Westem nations, particularly France, the UK and the US have been heavily criticised for not doing enough to halt the killings. President Kagame has even accused France of being involved in the genocide.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said he could have done more to help Rwanda. "The international community is guilty of sins of omission," he said. When the genocide began there was a small UN peacekeeping force in the country, which Annan failed to reinforce. "The international community failed Rwanda and that must leave us always with a sense of bitter regret. I believed at that time that I was doing my best," he said. "But I realised after the genocide that there was more that I could and should have done to sound the alarm and rally support."

The genocide was not a spontaneous burst of tribal violence, as the West believed, but a wellplanned, calculated slaughter organised by a small group of Hutu leaders and carried out by a systematic and compliant mass of brainwashed Hutus. it's important to remember that the slaughter of 800,000 people took place in just 100 days, a rate much faster than the murder of Jews during the Holocaust.

But while it was calculated, it was not high-tech; many of the killings were done with machetes.

Hundreds of the UN troops in the country before the genocide were withdrawn once it began, others were left outnumbered and without adequate supplies. There was even hesitation by many officials to use the term genocide because pressure would then increase for international intervention.

Verdict: A disgrace. The west still has the blood of this massacre on its hands. The genocide may have ended, but the suffering continues. Saying 'sorry' is the very least the west can do, and unlike slavery. thousands of people are living with the memory of that horror still fresh in their minds. The scars of this appalling chapter in human history could be healed with some simple diplomacy. A western leader could combine an apology with an offer of

"lt's typically American

that no-one is at fault." after the attack. If any prominent American had clarity or conviction (or, as Bush would say, "oojones"), they would have pointed out the awkward, necessary truth: 9/11 happened on Bush's watch, or non-watch, as it turn'e d out. Bush and his prosperous posse of an administration were asleep at the wheel while the attack was being pi; tted, and when it what was taking place.

Of all the moments of Presidential impotence we've seen from Bush these past four years, none compares with the moment he was told. the second plane had hit the other World Trade Centre tower. He was in a Florida primary school classroom, showing off his reading ability to children, when an aide whispered the news in his ear. He then sat for seven minutes - seven minutes - before fleeing to a bunker in Nebraska. it was Bush's fault, plain and simple. As Anonymous- a US intelligence officer and author of 'Imperial Hubris' - said about the report, "You can't have a disaster the size of 9/11 without someone having been asleep at the switch," he said. "I don't see how we can come away from [the attacks] without a single person having been disciplined. it's typ. ically American in that no-one is at fault."

The really amazing thing is that after the attacks Bush managed to make himself the epitome of "tough on terrorism". His strongest card in the US Presidential election was the one that said, "The terrorists are out there, and only I can save you from them". He can't, especially when he invades a sovereign nation withof.ll any links to al-qaeda.

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Verdict: Bush should apologise, but he never will.

To apologise would destroy his tough on terrorism image, which is the only decent thing he has going for him. As he loved saying after the attacks, the most important job of the President is to protect the American people. He didn't do that. He was on vacation 47% of his first six months in office. it's his fault all those people died, and he should admit that and say sorry.

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16 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Ct.cntt Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004

www.concrete-online.com

SHEER AUDACITY

Audacious is attempting to move away from traditional images of church

Catherine Lansdown went to meet UEA Student and Audacious organiser, Phil Temple. H~ 's trying to revolutionise attitudes towards the Church , but is he too late? 'know we got stoned at Woodstock ..." is not a phrase you necessarily expect to hear from an ordained minister.

Though it's an expression rather than a fact, it makes a point. The church over which the enthusiastic Aussie Pastor Tom Rawls presides is not one purporting to be full of perfect saints. just real people - a good amount of them UEA students.

Young people today want revolution, not convention, they want to rip apart the dull church and be honest rather than 'traditional' in their search for spirituality.

UEA student Phil Temple helped set up Audacious in June 2004. lt's a controversial church service, the attendance of which tripled in three months. The practices of the church system deemed to be irrelevant or outdated are thrown out, hymns done away with and replaced with rock music praise, Pastor Tom talks for only 20mins (leather jacket as opposed to dog-collar) and his messages are to do with acceptance. He has spoken about getting in trouble because he allowed transvestites into his church.

Phil suggests the modern music "helps people to be sincere in their worship. Traditional hymns and outdated language don't really allow us to express ourselves the way we want to and don't allow us to get excited." Indeed, in general, the church hardly has ·a reputation for being enjoyable or exciting. However the dated. lacklustre image isn't the only factor keeping people from church. In his book Who Owns Britain?

Kevin Cahill suggests that over the years the Church of England has become an institution of

RICE

"...corruption, land and power."

Conspiracy and temporal concerns plague the reputation of the church. For example, in a Summary of Landholdings surveyed in 1872, land owned by the Church of England amounted to 2,130,0.00 acres, making it the 2nd largest landholder in the UK. In 1976 an act of Parliament tried effectively to group the land under bishops' dioceses rather than individual clergy. A large source of 'private' money would have to be given up to the general church and, suspiciously, there are now only 250,000 acres of the Church of England's land that can be accounted for. Cahill accuses the Church of

ut is it too late for the church to throw off its shackles of corruption and illrepute? Is anybody really Interested in Christianity anymore? 2000 people leave the Orthodox Church every week, 1000 of whom are teenagers. However, somewhat surprisingly, statistics show that in the Church of England alone the Norwich diocese has an average weekly church-going population of 25,000. Also 44% of the UK's population, about 30 million people (though not necessarily churchgoers), believe in a Christian God. If this is the case then certainly there is a need to accommodate religious interest in an accessible church.

8

Young people today...want to rip apart the dull church and be honest rather than 'traditional' in their search for spirituality.

England of using "presentational deceit to conceal its landholdings". Evidence clearly that the church, and its representation as an institution, has little to do with spirituality.

Surely there has to be a complete departure from institution for the church to become a credible, relevant, social and spiritual service. for the people again. Audacious don't own property and run their services from rented space. lt is currently moving from Drayton Hall to the Ramada Hotel in Norwich. lt has no wealth in land, no home, and it hardly has a denomination. lt rents space because the Audacious community want to meet. lt collects tithes not for some vague hierarchy, but for practical expansion of the church.

express their faith in a contemporary way."

In view of this, it's young people and UEA students who contribute to the leading and teaching during the Audacious service.

Audacious actively pursues a welcoming atmosphere to prevent cold· informality from driving people away from the church. Eating has a particularly big role, with numerous food-based social events organised monthly. But you can't bribe people (even students) into religion with food . "At any social gathering you eat together" Pastor Tom explains, aware of this. "You're encouraging getting to know each other, that's all.

Jesus did this on so many occasions, went into people's places and ate with them. lt encourages that sense of family. Eating togethe r, having tun together, it's a natural part of being a family and I think that's what God wants to see in the church too."

Maybe there's still a place in modern culture for the church. Should Audacious sustain its popularity its modern style of worship may prove to be the face of church in the future. Certainly for the young generations radical change has to take place, not just in Norwich but nationally for the church to survive as a valid part of people's lives.

I

In response to the reverence question, Audacious member Owen Morgan suggests that church should be enjoyable. 'Why would you go to church when you can have more fun at the cinema on a Sunday night? You've got to have a church where you feel 'I want to go there. Not because I feel I should go there but because I want to go there.'"

Pastor Tom views Audacious as "an opportu· nity for people to say, 'what do I want my church to look like?'" Because many young people leave the church every year his vision is for one that will "minister to them, meet there needs and reach out to their generation, by giving a platform to young people who know about Jesus and want to

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In Brief: An interview with Phil Temple Why d id Audacious start?

Well, people often think the core truths of Christianity are boring and irrelevant and we wanted to change that. We wanted a church that spoke straight into the lives of our generation and challenged them to consider their relationship with Jesus in a new way. And also empower them somehow to be involved and shape the church and its culture themselves.

How have you been involved in Audacious?

I was one of the guys that worked on the vision from the start and kind of instigated it. lt's been a I mean, I'm a medical student but I basically fill the role of an assistant pastor. I great lr.ra-or·Nrn,::a" the service, speak on alternate Sundays and generally try to bring everything together.

How has it changed since it started? most noticeable change is in numbers. 90 people may not sound like a lot but there's a huge nse of momentum and growth about it. The service itself has developed too; people involved have matured a lot very quickly. We're learning and getting better equipped all the time to push the boundari~s of what church should be. w ill it go fro m here? so much lined up for the future, I believe it will have an unavoidable impact on Norwich. the only limit on how far its impact spreads is our imagination. We have a great ~ebsite magazine on the way, there's also talk of an Audacious book and music CD. We just don't know exactly because it's very much in the hands of God and the people that come along, but it's so ing to watch some revolution in the church at last.

advertorial .

Whether you pull . pints In your local bar, stack shelves at night or sell your body for medical research, there is an increasing .demand for students to gain work experience and pay off escalating debts. This has been taken to the extreme in some cases.

In February this year, a Bristol student offered to sell her virginity on the Internet and sold her story to the press for £15,000. This would pay off the average student loan, tuition fees for a couple of years and maybe a bit extra.

"Bristol student offered to sell her virginity on the Internet" In a recent study The Guardian found that having a normal job when studying, with a regular weekly timetable, can negatively affect your

degree prospects. So before you run to the first supermarket, shop or nightclub looking for part time slave labour g1ve ample thought to your future.

A growing tendency is to work during term time, not as a greasy fast food attendant, but as a student brand manager or company marketer. These types of jobs offer enjoyable and beneficial work experience, financial incentives, and a chance to make an impact on your C. V. "A growing tendency is to work during term time" Students are starting to realise how important it is to have a competitive edge when entering the job market. The days when students spent their spare time demonstrating or arguing about philosophical issues over cold coffee are

Natalie Andrews Degree Business and

long gone. If you know where to look you might just be able to score yourself a prized position, which can actually enhance your degree development whilst studying at university.

Some companies with this foresight include Virgin , The Guardian and Red Bull. They use students' potential effectively to enhance brand awareness on campus, create possible future employees and gain effective feedback for the students' efforts.

Emily Kortlang a 3rd year student who works for the 'Red Bull' student marketing program comments: "You can make the most out of student life with a fun and challenging job, as well as gaining exceptional marketing experience along the w a y w e communicate the benefits and effects of

Emily Kortlang 1 Degree Marketing and

Property (UWE

Job Pay

Bristol) New Development Sales Consultant Knight Frank £9 per hour /24-32 hours per week

Application

Knight Frank DJ and covering letter

· Skills 1 Customer service ski 11 s 1 1 Development communication I negotiation Cons "Working interferes with my study and weekend work limits my social Pros

Red Bull directly to our consumers, whether that's through an event, PR or energizing. lt is the greatest opportunity to exploit my interests and creativity as one day is never the same as the next!"

This type of program has been running for many years in the United States, ranging from 'Playboy' campus reps to 'Saturn' car reps. Only in recent years have UK brands begun to employ students 'Red Bull' being the pioneer of the Youth Marketing Programme.

Job Pay

management (Loughborough Uni) Red Bull Student Marketeer £8 per hour /12 hpw in term time I 35 hpw in summer

Application creative Application I DJ Skills I Building relationships, Sampling, PR Development experience, Event and Project COns

life and makes it difficult to visit my family" Pros "Knight Frank have got a great graduate scheme which I should have a higher chance of getting onto" 1

Management, CIM Career Development Award "It is not a 9-5 job and you have to be a motivated self starter" "It's the best student job, the hours are flexible, it's a real life experience and it means I can work full time in the summer"

"Ranging from 'Playboy' campus reps to 'Saturn' car reps" You are not expected to come out of university with copious part-time qualifications, but to have gained experience through a part time rewarding job as a brand ambassador can prove invaluable w h e n stepping out in the

'real world'.

The motivation towards working part time lies in several different areas; quick easy cash, work experience or a little pocket money to help buy that extra pint of lager.

I spoke to a number of students who explained why their choice of work suited their university career .....

Shofiqul Uddin Degree Graphic Design cardiff university 1 Job Medical Research Pay £3,800 Application

Skills I Development

!Cons

Pros

Simbec, ttlere are many different tests you can do but those ttlat pay more are ' for longer periods of time and harder to come by.

Mixing /living wittl strangers "You have to live a squeaky clean life for l 3 months before testing! You are very closely monitored, live on site and you · can't drink or do any exercise during ttle testing period".

"I would definitely recommend it to other students as you get accommodation, food, access to pool table, loads of time to read etc. It's the best substitute for part time work I have ever done".

For more information, go to: www.redbull.co.uk • www.virginstudent.biz- education.guardian.co.uk/sbm • www.volunteer-research.co.uk

W"ITHOUT CONCRETE

ENVIRONMENTAL WEEK Week 9 is declared Environmental Week for th e University

NOVEMBER

fa ir in the LCR , with th e hope of bringi ng pa s t a nd enthuse those who have bee n." uifha s a we ll defined roll ; to repo rt he Student Unio n has together as m any green groups a s possilt is o bviously very en co uragi n g to o n all activities t hat may have a n declared week 9 TUI WID TIIU fill IAT U environme nta l impa ct on UEA and Environmental Week in b le to promote th eir a ctivitie s. see the Un 1o n trying to raise awa reness the local a rea , to investigate t he deve lopan effort to raise the There wi ll a lso be some films shown li ke th 1s, but t he week's success will h inge ments of enviro nm enta l breakt hroug hs profile o f Unive rsity's in th e lectu re theatres and possibly so m e on th e response th ey rec ieve from th e rest around t he world a nd o f course to h ighenvironmen tal issues . documentaries in the Unio n House . For of th e s tudents at U EA. anyone fee ling more active there are By th e time Concrete next goes to light th e beauty in a number of ve ry fi ne An exact sc hedule is plans to run a co n servation project in th e press Enviro nm e ntal Week will be well s t ill bein g developed, t rees arou nd ca mpu s . Howeve r, w h ile it local a rea . Agai n , th e exact si te has not un derway, a nd everyo ne o n board is hop is impo rt ant for readers of Concrete to be wit h m o re activiti es being suggested all yet been co nfi rm e d b ut detai ls wil l be well info rmed in t hese matters, Tu if has t he ti me. Many eve nts have a lready bee n in g it will be m e t with a wa rm rece ption fro m a ll s tu de nts . re leased close r to th e tim e . rea lised th a t it may be e nco urag in g a co nfirmed .

Anyone wi t h a ny ideas or qu e ries ve ry pa ss ive rea ders h ip. This is whe re On the Monday they will be wo rk ing As the week ' s agenda conti nu es to should se nd a lin e to And y at su .e nvi rong row any s uggesti ons wi ll be welcomed 'Your Move' comes in. Each fo rtn ig ht wi th CRed (Ca rbo n Emi ssions Red uction me nt@uea .ac.uk . this segment wil l s uggest anot her quick, Proj e ct) to get soo people th at day to loo k by th e comm itt ee . And y H igson , c hea p and easy s tep toward s a greener at how they ca n red uce th ei r impact o n Enviro nm e nta l Offi ce r told Tuif "I hope the week wi ll reach people perhaps not li fe. the En vironment and s ign up to the CRed invo lved with e nvi ro nm enta l iss ues in the So m e m ay find th at th ey have pl edge . On Tuesday there will be a g reen al ready undertaken a few of th e s teps ~_:__:__ _ _ __:__ _ _ _ _ _:__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __,-----------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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men ti o ned . Some m ay see an idea here t hat they had p la nn ed to imp lement but didn 't know how to go abou t it. And some ma y have though t that sim p ly readin g about the envi ro nm en t made them a greener person . Thi s seg m e nt wi ll h o pefuly stand as a remi nd e r for all that no m a tte r w ha t ha pp ens at th is uni veristy or, even around the worl d , it is people 's everyday lifestyle tha t mos t e ffe cts the plannet.

A GREEN PLACE FOR GREENS

With both flooding and drough ts East Anglia will be worst hit wh en global war ming makes it s mar k.

SWITCHING TO A GRE ENER

There a re now qu ite a few co mpani es o ut the re o ffe rin g gree n e ne rgy, b ut Tuif reco mends Ecotri cty fo r price a nd sim pl icty.'

COST: f o- A free p ho ne ca ll is all1t ta kes a nd ecotricty p ro m1 ses to m a tch the ra te of yo ur curre nt el ectricty s u p pl ie r.

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WHAT TO DO: P1c k up your phone and dad o8ooo 326 100 (free).

T h e n ew Pulse r estaurant abov e Rainbow Wholefoods a ncy a change fr om s upe rm a rke t shopping? All ergic to whea t, ~ lut e n , milk or nut s) Vege t a rian ?

Enviro nm e ntally awa re) lt seems th a t th e re are little en vironm e nta lly-frie nd ly s ho ps popping up eve ryw he re in th is fai r ci ty o f Norwich . A new o ne has now o pe ned on Earlham Road a nd m ost e thi ca lly minded , activist-oriented peo p le will be awa re that th e G reenh o u se on Beth el Street is th e place to be if th ey wa nt to m ee t lik e -mind e d soul s . Th ey se rve o rgani c, vegetarian food and eve n ha ve co p1 es of th e Con s er ve r and Et h1 ca l Co n su m e r fo r you to rea d at the same t1m e.

O ne s uch en vironm e nt a ll y-aware s hop tha t ha s been ope n fo r m a ny yea rs in the c ity ce ntre : Rainbow Who lefood s. lt used to s 1t in a littl e a ll eyway dow n from Tes co Me tro in the c ity, dann g people to

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wa lk pas t th e m ass1ve su pe rma rket c hai n a nd e nte r a wo rl d of foo d d elig hts . lt has now m oved from th e s had ow o f th is gia nt to an eve n be tte r locat10n; a funky court ya rd o p posi te Ca ley's Cafe on Gu ild hall Hil l. The sho p has a gla ss fro nt , new wooden s he lve s and a host of inte re st ing foods o n offe r. it 's a n a ll ergy-suffe re rs d re a m because 1t has a host of foods whic h a re m ilk, g lute n , w h eat, da 1ry o r nu t-free. lt also has some un u s ual organiC and veget a ri an c ho 1ces of food and d rink.

Add it iona ll y it now sports a self- res pec tmg vegeta rian res taurant ! Pulse IS a wellm ean m g ca fe- b ar w1t h a n 1m press 1ve menu of lunch -time a nd early-evening vegeta ria n mea ls for you to enjoy in quite sma rt mode rn d eco r. I t h ink 1t's we ll wort h checki ng out, even 1f you're not veggie o r alle rg1c to gluten!

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ew re sea rch has sugges ted that w he n th e country d oes begin to fe e l th e affects of cl 1mate c hange, Eas t An g li a wi ll be th e wo rs t hit . Th e re port by the UK Clim ate Impa ct Progra mm e has predict ed a ve ry blea k future th a t wo uld see o ur uni vers ity unde r wate r during wi nt e rs and s uffe rin g from s um m e r dro ughts . it s ho uld be we ll known to al l re ade rs by now th a t th e UEA is ho m e to some of the le aders in cl 1ma te re search . Th e re is th e int e rn a t iona ll y re n ow n e d Tynd a ll C~ntre, wh1ch ha s lead in-d e pth stud1es into glo ba l warm m g, a nd the CRed program, w h1ch is ded ica te d to cutt1 n g t he coun try's g reenho u se gas em1ssio n s. So the fact th a t we, th e resi d e nt s of No rfo lk and the su rroundi n g co unties , will bear th e b run t of the world' s m1 stakes co m es w 1th a b1tte r 1rony.

Th e sea is p red1cted to n se by up to 82 c m over t he next hundre d yea rs.

Combined wit h a more intense wi nt e r ra m fa ll , this wou ld a lm ost gua rantee sea sonal Ooodmg. Th1s comes as a second blow after t he Govern me nt 's c h ief scie ntist S1r Dav 1d Kin g warn ed u s th at globa l wa rming would res ul t in cit ies such as Norw1ch be1ng s u bme rged by melted 1ce.

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This iss ue Tu if suggests :

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EAST UNDERWATER

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The future for UEA? As if t h1s wasn't enoug h , we a re dest med to suffer drough ts as well. East An g li a wil l a lmos t be reduced to desert dunng th e s u mmer months, requ1nng heavy irrigat1o n to keep th e la nd manageab le.

So anyo ne who plans to cont1nue the1r stud1es here for another hundred yea rs may wish to leave room 1n the 1r stude nt ex penses for some wellies, cagoules and wa ter p roof pens , as well as some heavey duty desert gear.

TREE OF THE F ORTNIGHT Th1s fo rn 1ght Tuif is prou d to prese nt t he Co rylu s Ave llan a Co nto rta, bett er kn own o f co urs e as th e Co rksc rew Hazz le nut . Th1 s tr ee has been c hos en partly for its own spl endou rr and pa rtl y to draw attention to t he wo nde rful area of trees by the Un1on Squa re tha t so often gets ignored. Also kn ow n as Harry Lauder's Walki ngst1ck , 11 I S tech ni cally a membe r of the shrub fa mil1y, a nd IS about to sta rt producmg so m e love ly catkms. But 1t IS th e del1gh tfully contorted branches that m a kes th1s such a fa ntas t1c specimen of na ture's wo rk. Next t1me you' re o n yo ur way to the bar for a few, go and g1ve the charm mg Corylus Avellana a v1s it Height: 5-10 ft Sp read: 8- 12 ft Sh a p~ Upnght and round ed Foli age: Large and cnnkled dark green leaves Flowe r: Hangmg catkms 1n wm ter Fruit: Hazel

The corylus Avellana Contorta

concrete.turfi uea.ac.uk 19

www.concrete-online.com

THE HYDROGEN CAR Overdrafts aside, if you are thinking of buying a new car, why not go green and get yourself a hydrogen hybrid ... t is now being proven that hydrogen technology IS the way forward for transport in combating C02 em1sS1ons.

Transport accounts for 32.5% of all the energy used in the UK, 98.5% of this comes from oil, and transport world wide currently consumes 6o% of oil products.

These figures highlight that by targeting the transport sector we could vastly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

UK transport alone resulted in the emission of over 35 million tonnes of C02 in the year 2000.

The idea of using hydrogen as a fuel was debated for decades. BMW undertook pioneering research in the 1970's, producing a fully functional hydrogenpowered car. But despite this early research into hydrogen, real progress on the concept started m the early 1990's.

Over the past decade three primary factors have stimulated the development of hydrogen as a fuel.

Firstly, pressure on the government to pursue policies advocating less carbon Intensive energy sources. Secondly, the issue that if our supply of 01l is cut off, for example, due to diminishing resources or further conflict in the Middle East, it would almost certainly bring the UK to a standstill. With many forms of transport and industry unable to operate the economic and social effects would be catastrophic.

Thirdly, membership of the EU has tightened the UK's emission and air qual-

ity regulations . In conJunction With jomlng the Kyoto agreement th1s has encouraged the development of LEV's (Low Emiss1on Veh1cles) to comply with the t1ghtened regulations , thereby stimulating manufacturers to produce LEV's as the demand for 'envi ronmentally friendly' vehicles is increasing.

Our government and society need to accept and adapt to the impacts of climate change and implement strategies to reduce emissions from the transport sector. But how do the hydrogen fuel cells work?

Most of us already know that water is composed of two parts hydrogen, and one part oxygen. The hydrogen atoms are separated from the oxygen atoms through a process called 'electrolysis' and then compressed 1nto fuel tanks. When the hydrogen atoms are subsequently burned as fuel, they recombine with oxygen atoms and turn back into water.

Electricity can make hydrogen, and hydrogen can also make electricity. Hydrogen fuel cells are actually hydrogen batteries that generate electricity.

Sounds simple enough, right?

Unfortunately, the industry IS still a few years away from making this technology commercially viable. What the industry IS currently offering is Hybrid-engmed cars.

These cars, such as the Honda Insight and the Da1hatsu Charade, combine the developing hydrogen fuel cell with traditional engines and are an extremely positive step in this continual process.

he Honda lns1ght can travel 700m1les on one tank of fuel, Honda boast that " .... it's a 21st century hybnd coupe that makes a real contnbut1on to protectmg the environment". And they are not unjust by any means; the Honda Insight achieves the world's lowest fuel consumption for any mass-produced petrol engined car; exempting it from London's congestion charge. The fuel consumption is so low that you could drive from the Highlands to the south ~oast and still have enough petrol in the tank to drive along the seafront once you've amved. lt produces, on average, 1 tonne less C02 than the average road vehicle in a year.

The focus of Daihatsu is to manufacture "l1ghtwe1ght cars with advanced safety features and powerful, yet small and highly efficient petrol engines to minimise 1ts impact on the global environment". lt is a unique feature of Daihatsu when compared with all other mainstream manufacturers that all of its cars have strong environmental or 'green' credentials. Each model 1s e1ther the best or one of the best cars m its class m terms of its C02 output and fuel economy. For example, with C02 emissions of just 114 gfkm, the new 1.0 litre Charade is Britain's cleanest four-seat petrol engined car. Extra points for Daihatsu as in terms of manufacturing, Daihatsu Motor Company Japan is continually striving to ensure that its processes are as environmentally friendly as possible. In

T

fact, it recently achieved 1ts goal of zero landfill from its factories.

If the overdraft doesn't stretch to either the Honda or the Daihatsu then there is defiantly no chance of it stretching to BMW's latest hybrid! (based on the ]series [79,745) With 9 land-speed records under their belt, BMW are reasonably proud of the new hybrid of their ]Series. The main modifications to the BMW 76oi engine involve the fuel injection system adapted

by BMW to the requirements of hydrogen.

BMW, following the lead of car manufacturers like Honda and Daihatsu, will be launching a hybrid version of the current 7 Series. Perhaps not in the same league as the H2R Record Car. Achieving their success at the highspeed Miramas Proving Grounds in France, the BMW Group has proven its conviction that hydrogen is able to replace conventional fuel without affecting the drive, or requ1ring a compromise in terms of dynamic, up-to-date performance.

If the exploitation and development of hydrogen as a fuel was increased throughout the transport mdustry the reduction in emissions would be vast. lt would have an extremely positive effect on the environment and economy of the UK; the emission reductions would set a benchmark for developed countries.

Written and researched by Hannah Netwon and Tom Tapper

SIJMMED UP Proportion of people who are injured by fireworks that are aged under 11 = The margin that the Democrats would have won the American 2000 Presidential election by if it had been based solely on the female vote = Proportion of U K waste that is recycled =

11% The weight of the largest pumpkin ever grown (grown in the us ... where else?)= The size of the explosive pqyload of the C-601/Nisa 28 - The largest cruise missile believed to be part of Iraq's capabilities= Average amount of carbon dioxide emissions that would be saved just 20 weeks after switching your electricty supply to a renewable source=

513 kg Number of students studying Environmental Sciences at UEA= Number of murders committed in LA in 2002 (making it the USA murder capital) =

Diahatsu Charade

Max speed: 0-60 mph: Fuel economy: litre/100km Mpg: Price from C02 emission:

Honda 99mph 12.2 sec 4.0 69.0 £6,295 114glkm

Insi~ht

Max speed: 0-60 mph: Fuel economy Mpg Price from C02 emission

Number of casualties due to land mines in Afgan istan in just half a year {2002 )an - )un) =

BMW H2R Record Car 112 mph 12.5 sec 3.0 litre/100km 83.1 £16,000 80glkm

Max speed 0-62 mph Price

185.52 mph 6.0 sec £79,745 +

-

+ (T)reble (v)orAR.a

Tf-t6 PLACE TO PAR.JY....

(R)edbuU

INSIDE:

AMOTHERS PAIN· "MONOPOLY DROVE MY SON TO PROPERTY FRAUD" Bush Yeste rday

BUSH'S CAPACITY ''FOR EVIL'' SALUTED George Bush's glorio u s/ ignom inious victory/defeat in the recent American Elections have mad e him eligible /ineligib le for a seat on the lntergalactic Council of High Evil. extra-tetTestrial sources have informed us. A minimum period of seven years' 'evil-doing on a grand scale' is required for nomination to the elite club of malevolence. so the second term of office h as/wo uld have fulfilled the criteria. we have been advised.

The un -named visitor to ld Th e Enquirer that "George Bush. well -known earthdwelli n g evil-doe r. has had a successful caree r to date perpetrating acts of evi l across the third planet of nin in a solar syste m towards the outer point of o ne of our galaA')''s s pira l arms. He h as a n impre s ive record of ge n et·al n efa riou s wrong doing. psychopa thi c self-righteousness a nd blinkered . g reed -dri ven thinking· a nd it is thi ded ica tion to a ca u se that h as m a d e him/would h ave m a d e him a favotn;te fo r U1 e seat. fre hly va cated a fter Dr. Evil retired to 's pend more t ime with his fa mily'. Dr. Evi l has gon e on r ecord as sayi ng: 'George is a grea t m an. He will be/would h ave been a n in va luable asset in furth ering the ign oble ca use of evil. " The lnterga lacti c Co uncil is a quango founded by the Cosmi c Alliance of Ying a nd Ya ng. and its duties consist mainly of ensuring that levels of evil in our region of the uni verse are kept to the quota set annua lly by

the CAYY. If agreed the CAYY. George Bush was/is set to take up a position as Counci l Member Responsible the Misp lacement Hosiery Duri Washing Cycles. important position requires sadistic dedi cation to an evil cause. and on e to which Mr. Bush is/would ha been highly suited.

Previous CM RMHDWC' h ave gone on to thin gs: Ga lac Destroyer of Worlds. example. once held the position.

Othe r n ominations h ad included Saddam Hussein . Osama Bin Laden a nd Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Notting h am in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Th is was until Mr. Bus h beat Hu ssein in a sa ndy punch-up in the Gu lf [skilfully a nnihilating a pproximate ly l 00 .000 inn ocen ts in th e process in a text book dis play of evi l-pastoff-as-th e-ri ght-thing-to -do) and Rickman was revealed to be a 'bit of a luvvie. real ly'.

Bin Laden has been uncontactabl e for a number of years and. as a result. forfeits eligib ili ty. lt has been revealed that 'h e s h owed

Your Problems Solved Prof.

Roderick Mulhapton Filldngton-Phipps, Roclders to his friends, senior economic adviser to the World Bank and the IMF gives informed counsel to your personal problem.

Dear Rodd rs.

I have just g raduated from UEA and have been unab le to secure myself in a job due to a market that is flooded with g raduates. This wou ld not be so bad. were it not for the horrendous amount of debt I'm in . l have two maxed out credit cards. two overdrafts that h ave reached their limit. and my student loan looms on the financial horizon . Oh those heady student days ... the booze . the sex. the stupid amounts of eels that now stare at m e from the corner of the room : a lways reminding me of their large depreciat ion in value. How I mourn my reckless atti tude towards my finances. I feel th at my only solution is to leave this mortal coil and h ope t h at in t h e neJo.'t life I am blessed. by accident of birth. to be heir to a large Saudi oil fund: ot· a relative of George Bush. Wh at do l do?

Yours S ui cida l Dea r Suicidal pro mi se' but cou ldn't m a inta in a 'hi gh en o u gh level of professio n a lism in th e co n du c t of bad things·. accordi ng to a man we asked.

Other coun cil m embers have bee n/had been demonstrating th eir sup port. Kru ck. t h e Kicker of Kitten s a nd Poker of Ant Hills. recently a ttend ed a fund -ra ise r a t th e White House wh ere h e c h a rm ed offi c ia ls a nd was said to ·get on well with ' the Firs t Lady.

Thrax, Devo urer of Child ren. He a lso recently visited the Bush family home in Texas. but had to leave suddenly after an undisclosed incident.

CONKER ATTACK ON

There was still shock and disbelief amongst staff and students at UEA last nit:ht, after a cruel, malicious, wicked, spiteful and sadistic use of an Assault Conker left a first year student in a critical condition in hospital.

The student was t·etu ming to Norfolk Terrace from a night out at the Union Bar \vith a friend . when s h e was s tru ck through the head by a con ker in close proximity to the library. Tragica lly. the incident occu rred just two wee ks after a Norfo lk head m aster quite sensibly ordered pupils to wear safety goggles when h a ndling co nke rs .

The motive fo r the a ttack has not yet bee n establis h ed. a lth ough police have issu ed a wa rning to beware of increasingly aggressive conkers within t h e Nonvi ch a rea.

Tflose m ost like ly to offend. a urvey s h ows. h ave popped out of their s h ells at an early age and s pend the m ajority of their teen age years on the roadsid e with little pt·ospect of

ever becoming a chestnut tree. Being dispossessed from urban neighbourhoods by insensitive community wardens. attacks on the UEA student population a re like ly to increase.

The injured student underwent neurosurgery at th e Health Centre after h avi n g been a dministered a flu jab. Howeve r. doctors did not wish to bind themselves to a defmitive diagnosis last night. for it can not be foreseen whether the conke r wi ll decide to s prout. A!U1oug h . inferring from its es tablis h ed m alevo lent disposition. it probably wi ll. Subsequ ent enquiries with UEA did not produce furth er insights. but it was platnly conveyed upon the Enquirer th at suc h inc iden ces we re potentially h armful to UEA's status as a n exceedingly, outstandingly and trem endously fri endly environment to live and s tudy in , and therefore do not happen . A baffling statem ent. considering a student is presently in hospital. potentially growing a

Actually . my fri end . you are quite wrong to b e con ce rned about you r debt. You are s imply s moolliing you1· consumption across time in acco rd a n ce with the life cycle mod el. The presen ce of debt presents an effi cient movem e nt a lo ng your inte rtem pora l budget con s tra int away from yo ur endowment point. towards your current inte rtempora l consump tio n bundle . There's nothing to worry about beca use you are optimally a llowing your margina l rate of time preference [which we can derive from you r utili ty fun ction u ing the implicit fun ction theorem d C2 /d C ! = -(dU/dCl)/(d U/ d C2] to be equal to o n e plus the market interest rate. (1+ r] .

As ou r more astute r ead ers will have discover ed. you h ave nothing at a ll to worry about.

PUS

tree out of her em·s.

However. the Norfol Constabulary is taki the issue seriously . envisages the d istribution of leaflets around campus asking to be vigilan t. Any stu d e nt who h as appre h ended the infliction .:..dWIIIIilllllllllllf'"'..ill immedia te personal le nce from what r ese mbl e a n a co nke r - and h as lived tell th e tal e - must th e Enqu irer know . ~~~~~~~,~~~ because we a re earnest- t"< Iy committed to t h e wellbe ing of a ll of UEA's excellent students.

L.,;::.;;..!!~lt:t~~rll~i!!~ A gang of assault conkers. (Identities protected for legal reasons.)

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c..cr.t. Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004

(

e first thing I think peo· pie pick up on when they arrive in a foreign country is the smell. Not neces· sarily a bad smell, just dif· ferent. People fTom out· side London say it smells, I think anywhere north ofWatford smells, but hey, what do I know. Well Croatia smelt pretty damn good.

We got into Dubrovnik. lt starts.

Finding a bed for the night wasn't hard at all. The arrangement is simple. They let m~ into their house to sleep in the spare room, I pay them peanuts, they show me hospitality, I smash one of their glasses.

Good start. We left their house in the morning, in search of a cheaper nicer place. Having planned to stay for a few days we ended up staying the better part of a week.

The vibrant old town, criss-crossed with polished marble streets was where most of the action happened. During the day, the hoi polloi thickly lined the dazzling, sun emblazoned streets, parties of

tourists streaming in and out of the many churches in the square. At night the many squares fill with revellers, shops shut, and the bars and clubs open.

These are expensive but have some of the best views, so you can sit back, relax and watch the talent stroll by. Some of the better clubs are around the old town walls, such as "Fuego" playing music ranging from respectable hip-hop, to something you would expect to hear belting out of a pink Vauxhall nova as it passes you on the A13.

"I'm not sure what Odysseus did for seven years while he was in Croatia" The average Croatian is extremely pleasant, friendly and generally quite attractive. However when encountering any tourist office or timetable beware, we found that if they don't know the answer, they just make one up. As cute as it was, it didn't help when trying to catch a once weekly ferry. With the right directions we eventually caught the ferry with heavy hearts from Dubrovnik to Mljet, a small island.

At the dock, the rampage of militant housewives did not arrive, instead a fat man convinced us to get in his jeep, !most killed us, then took us to a camp site. Camp Mungos. The night sky in Mljet was like nothihg I had ever seen before. The intensity and clarity of the stars, like pin pricks piercing the dark, letthe brightness shine in. The night

~~~--~i;·~Thewasweather astonishing. thus far had been brilliant

t's gam and I'm regret· ting having turned off the air<onditioning half way through the night. The humidity is something you're never able to get away from in Malaysia, but just as omnipresent are the AC units that adorn seemingly every wall of every room.

Obviously they're a pre-requisite for such a .climate, but they're almost too good. I woke up half way through the night freezing, and now my bedroom feels like the IT lab in the library.

I step through into the lounge and dining area of my host's apartment. He's a stocky little chap called Hafiz, an international student studying at Norwich .

On the table are two banana leaves, with a small heap of rice and what looks like a big liquorice allsort on top. 'I've just got us breakfast!'

Hafiz proclaims.

Malaysians take food very seriousin its and a lot of

sunshine, hot and dry, it was late August, but sunshine is good! Rain however, is bad, and a torrential downpour when camping is just unfortunate. Luckily the campsite had a bar, which we drained as the rain flooded our tent.

The next day, we rented scooters with a couple of girls we had been drinking with.

Navigating steep winding mountain roads with a hangover, a passenger, and no experience driving a sc;ooter, was one of the most exhilarating things I think I've ever done.

short time I've been here have been amazing and I make shortwork of this one. The rice has been cooked in some kind of red curry paste, and while ordinarily one might consider curry a little excessive for this hour of the day, you soon get used to the idea that most of your meals here will be spicy.

I grab a glass of water to get a bit of feeling back in my mouth and throat, at which point Hafiz tells me that tap water here isn't safe to drink. Strange that it took him 3 days to tell me. He continues to get even more off his chest by revealing that he bought our breakfast from a woman on the street for 1 ringlet - about 15 pence. You can eat out at a top restaurant in Malaysia very inexpensively, but 15 pence is just ridiculous in any currency conversion.

We take a drive fr~m the

The views across the whole island at the top of each peak, and swimming in the crystal watered bays at its base. I'm not sure what Odysseus did for seven years while he was in Croatia, but it was certainly good for a few days.

Our next port of call was Korcula, a slightly larger island conveniently placed between us and our desired destination.

We were hustled off the ferry into the waiting arms of a woman who resembling a cross between Liberachi and the hunchback of Notre-Dame.

Despite her appearance the old strumpet was very warm and ... .friendly.

Korcula's old town was smaller and less grand than· that of Dubrovnik, having a plastic feel to it. We found there was little to keep us occupied in Korcula, so decided to leave ... but to get really drunk the night before leaving. One of the driest clubs I've ever been to was suddenly a

Lumpur. Putrajay<! is the relatively new administrative capital of Malaysia, and you can certainly measure how new it is by the fact that it's very much a city solely built for that purpose. it's a spectacular sight. Of note is the Palace of Justice- the name alone is just fantastic. Having said that, it's an eerie place. Only civil servants reside there, and a lack of activities means it can be skipped if you're rushed for time . The 45 minute drive does give you the opportunities to take in the diverse surroundings however, which are just as likely to be mountainous , jungle landscapes as they are construction sites. The massive highways are also laden with billboards advertising Liverpool F.C., a constant reminder that even for a country verging on developed status, globalisation is still present.

You know you 've hit KL when you hit traffic. Rush hour, in the loosest sense of the term, lasts from about 7am to ]pm . Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that the locals choose to drive so dangerously, and you should expect to see a few accidents while you're here. Hafiz, in one of the few cars I've seen during my stay that isn't a locally built Proton, is no exception, with a rule of 'aim for the bumper of the car in front' strictly adhered to at all times. Holding a conversation with him becomes harder and harder over the string of obscenities offered to his fellow · drivers and his hand's residence on the horn. Still, it's kind of fun really, and after our experience in a taxi cab the other day (where the cab driver fell asleep at the wheel several times), you'd be hard pushed to find an easier way of getting around KL. While Putrajaya may be the

cracking venue, playing ~ew and inspiring music. Man I was wasted.

The next morning we parted ways with Korcula, setting off for Hvar, the party island. Travelling by ferry the whole time you come to realise that it is not only the air that is clear but the sea too. The Adriatic Sea is the glistening jewel of Croatia.

At Hvar we stayed at the first youth hostel of our journey, the green lizard. Run by two sisters, it was very clean, inexpensive and sociable. Hvar town was awesome. The main site of interest in Hvar is 'Carpe Diem'. This bar houses some of the best cocktails, most beautiful people, and craziest parties ever.

During the day it's a nice bar to have a cuppa, absorb some rays and laugh about how someday you will have a boat like the beauties parked up in front of you .

Then cringe with the realisation it aint ever gonna happen. I can dream cant I? One of the days in Hvar we rented a boat, and visited some pleasant deserted beaches on the minor surrounding islands. There is also a castle overlooking the city if you fancy a little sprinkling of culture. Hvar is a beautiful island; full of beautiful people, so full in fact they asked us to leave.

So as the sun set on Hvar, streaming across the deck of our departing ship, we knew our trip was coming to a close, but we still had one more stop, Split.

Everyone we had spoken to had warned us against going to Split, but even as we stepped off the boat, both of us liked the look of it. lt was what someone who had never been to Cuba would imagine Cuba to look like.

capital, it is Kuala Lumpur, home to a population of over 1.5 million people, which is the centre of Malaysia . Kuala Lumpur translates as 'Muddy Valley', which is curious considering it's not muddy, and the colossal KL tower and Petronas twin towers, which was until recently the tallest building in the world at 1453ft tall, contradict any notion of it being a valley.

Malaysia is home to a wealth of cultures, and natin.alities, predominantly Malays, Indians and the Japanese, that come together in KL like nowhere else. The old colonial buildings still stand from a time not long ago when the British ruled here, while the KL campus of the University of Nottingham is certainly a surreal feature. At times you could believe you were elsewhere in the world .

Take the beach resort of Penang,

We stayed in a small almost certainly dodgy hostel in the centre of the old town, run by a chap who seemed as though his last acid trip hadn't quite finished. One evening we went to the huge complex of clubs and bars on the "beach". There's a bar for everyone in Split, it's a more modernized city than . most of Croatia, but still retains a good part of its cultural allure. The complex was extremely complex, and we found ourselves on the roof. Looking out over Split, the moonlight dipping its head underwater, only to reappear, revived, and brighter on the waves.

A seminal moment? No, but it was a damn good holiday! I can safely say that Croatia is a holiday destination I hope to return to sooner rather than later.

located some 4 hours north of KL. Its citizens are largely Chinese, while the island is also home to the Buddhist Kek Lok Si temple, reputedly the largest and most beautiful temple complex in Southeast Asia. Penang is also the place to go to if you want to buy cheap DVDs of the latest cinema releases. A recent crackdown on piracy has failed to halt the supply that still exists down the market streets, and for the equivalent of so pence a go it's not hard to see why.

Hafiz and I hook up with · some of his old school friends for lunch at the shopping mall under the twin towers. In spite of its name, .' roti tissue', it's another great meal and the sheer price of food and just about every consumable more than makes up for the tax they put on the alcohol.

Being a Muslim country this is

understandable, but students planning on coming out here on an LCR-esque bender should be aware of this. Trying to join in on Hafiz and his pals conversation proves difficult as they talk in their mother tongue of Ma lay, although this appears to be a hybrid crossed with English as I'm sure I can pick up the odd word. Getting by here is no problem though as I've failed to find a Malaysian who doesn't speak English fluently.

More importantly, I've also failed to find an unfriendly Malaysian.

Sure, they could brush up on their driving, and breakfast that comes wrapped in a leaf at 15p can't be good for you, but in a world of political turmoil and global security uncertain, maybe this small nation of so many cultures living peacefully is a bigger example for us all to follow.

r

22 concrete. fashion] ifest y le@ uea.ac. uk

Concrete Wednesday. November yd_ 2004

www.concrete-online.com

.

LMNG THE LIFE Anna Steward tudents nationwide are renowned for being lazy. Our hobbies usually consist of drinking and sleeping, with a diet of Pot Noodles, Smash and microwaveable meals. However, being active is such a vital part of having a balanced and healthy lifestyle and actually makes us more efficient. If the Gym is not your thing then I have a solution.

UEA may look like a concrete factory, but a five minute walk will take you to the lake or for those of you who live in the Village, Earlham Nature Reserve is literally on your doorstep. So now you know where to go there are no excuses.

LIFESTYLE

feet place for an autumn stroll or a summer picnic. This time of year the broads tend to get flooded and look particularly spectacular.

There is a host of wildlife at the nature reserve. About thirty horses roam around, and on the other side of the stream sheep and lambs graze. Be armed with carrots for the Shetland ponies by the lake and the horse in the reserve. Also, a bit of bread wouldn't go amiss for the ducks and swans you'll find at the lake. As an added incentive if you pop down to the lake in the morning not only will you see morning joggers and dog walkers but you may even bump in to Trisha. She'll be very willing to dole out advise on any problems you might be having, so not only will you get free advice but if you take some food along for the ducks you'll also be supporting Norfolk wild life, karma or what.

student budget. In the summer there is an endless supply of blackberries to be picked. Also, there is fresh mint, and elderflowers, all organic! Of course these foods act as great ingredients but some work will have to be done on your part.

When was the last time you cooked something where you didn't just have to 'add water' or put it in the microwave for five minutes? Well to give you a helping hand there are a few recipes below, altenartively get in the kitchen and get creative.

Ramblers Top Three places to Roam at

UEA 1

Earlham Nature Reserve 2

The Lake

3

The Law Gardens Blackberry & Mint

umbel Is of Black or Blue Elder when the flowers are fully open but none have gone brown. The umbells should be light, fluffy and vibrant.

Their aroma will be full and light with delicate complexities, powdery floral notes and spicy tones. Do not use dried elder flowers in this recipe.

Ingredients Y, lb Sugar 12 Elderflower heads 1 Glass white wine Y, Pint Water 2 Lemons 2 Egg Whites

Elderflower Sorbet Probably the most elegant and outstandingly delicious wild food I know how to make. lt takes a lot of work, and is worth it! Pick the flowering

Take the Elderflower buds. Mix the juice of two lemons, 1 quart of water and 1 and 1/2 cups sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Add the squeezed lemon rinds and wine and bring to a boil. Be sure not to scorch the sides.

Immediately turn down to a simmer.

Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain fluid into jar of elder flowers. Cover jar and let stand until room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Line a

Vinaigrette Y, cups Mint 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 Tablespoon olive oil Y, cup Blackberries Finely chop mint, crush blackberries and whisk together with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to serve.

Nettle Soup e contents of jar into muslin. Now gather up the edges of the muslin and twist the top so the flowers mush is on the bottom. Squeeze out as much of the elder flower syrup as possible.

Place the strained syrup in a container and freeze according. Serve softly frozen. This sorbet is too good to dilute with most other flavors however the addition of a little bit of tequila when served is wonderful.

3/4 lb. Nettle leaves 7 cups water 8 3/4 cup cashews, preferably soaked in water overnight 1 tsp. butter Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 tbls. dry beer Squirt of lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste One medium onion Chop the onion and saute in butter until its translucent and golden

brown. Puree Nettle leaves in six cups of water and add to pot. Puree cashews with a cup of water and add to pot along with beer, nutmeg, lemon juice, and salt & pepper.

Simmer for 20 minutes, adjust seasoning, and serve Nettle Soup hot.

Variations: add cooked potatoes, use roasted cashews instead of raw cashews, replace cashews with a cup of sour cream

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concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea 23

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24 concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk

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Colaett Wedn esday, Ocotber 20th. 2004

HOROSCOPES

CONCRETE

Aries Mar 2 1- Apr 19 You will master you r destiny this fortn ight my swee t.

Noth ing can stop you. so ignore th e nay-sayers and take no prison. ers! Surroun d your self with beautiful people and bask in their glory. Bathe in the foun tains of hormonal bliss you find at you r disposal.

Cancer Jun 22 - Jut 22 ==-.., After waking up fo llowing drunke n nights out on various grassy pla in s. you begin to feel a t one with n a ture.

Buy ~.,;:;,__ _....:;-J yourself some organic yogh urt and s leep with the creatures for a fortnight. chirping a nd squeaking in response to a ll who mock you .

Libra Sept 23 - Oct 23 As the nights d raw in • a nd darkness wraps i.ts cloak firmly over our streets yo u begin to see the merits of s nug slippers and cups of chai. Figh t this! Fight or you shall be cons umed! You must vow to drin k copious amounts at garish establish ments wit h dance-floors.

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 .-------...., The u mbilical cord threatens to catapult you back to the lair of mere a nd pere this fortnight.

Be a good cub. and <====-----' heed th is call .

Fluffy sofas a nd well stocked fridges ma ke this a worthwhile a nd rewarding experience. Eat. drink and scrounge m oney!

Lucky Words: Victoria sponge on th e lawn for all!

Lucky Words: Peanut b u tter covered Pine-cones

Lucky Words: Mine's a Pimi Colada with extra umbrellas

Lucky Words: If you love me, you' ll _pay me

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 ...------, Do n 't let outdated Those irksome presru les of common ences that surrou nd decency spoil the you day in -day out (friends , as some debauched t ime you 're h avin g.

Let may call them). have begun to bicker your inne r d e mons ...__ _ _ ___, roam free and lead amongst themselves. you where th ey wi ll. The sun will Whilst it is frowned upon to simply soon set on your new found liberasever all con tact ties. perhaps a li ttle tion. so make the most of it while space w·o uld be nefit a ll parties. you still can.

Mostly you . thou gh .

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 21 Wh ilst you h ave .. always been weak to the te mptation of ~ . • ,t..~ sins of the flesh , you 6 have recently found yourself drawn to the ..__ _ _ ____. naughty pictures on your telly box. They have the power to take over your life . beware of them and their poo r picture quality! S hie ld you r hi therto innocen t eyes!

Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 You dance elegantly from theatre to poetry read ing to string quartet con cert this fortnight. absorbing cu lture ,__-==:;.;:...;:;.., through every ori : fice . You will con tinu e to be flawlessly fas hionable and effortlessly glib for many moons, dancing pixie of the arts!

•

-~1\\ /1\.J

•J..•

-" Ij .....

Lucky Words: This way fat party tricks with ping-pong balls!

Lucky Words: Extra cheese please!

Lucky Words: Italian stallions do not wear Karate aftersh ave

Lucky Words: Chums with the d irector. luvvie

Gemini May 21 - Jun 21

Virgo Aug 23 - S ept 22 Bottomless pit of hunger that you are!

You've swept through kitchens a nd burge r bars alike. devou ring a ll that passes your grease-coated chops.

Small child ren wi ll fear the mon strou s gurgle of your grumbling innards . and bystanders s h a ll applaud and worship you as a God!

Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 The tho ugh t of Christmas shopping makes you vomit with rage this fortnight. Be still and this will pass. Your anger springs from a n inner-desire to pinch th ose s hiny pennies you cherish all too much.

Buy your neighbour a pint to even your temper.

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 Every time you pu t your talkie phone into your pocket. it rings with more adorin g aqu a in tances seek ing your company.

Your d iary is peppered with the even ts at wh ich you see and are seen . Forget yourself and drink deep from the goblet of popularity!

Lucky Words: Kebab doner

Lucky Words: Chocolate pudding wrestling

Lucky Words: Hoi-polloi. rabble. masses .. .. them

You've begun to lead a gu ilt -cursed exis tence .

Break free from th e shackles th at bind you dear child!

Essays and semin ars are fick le mistresses and not be pandered to.

Allow your winning charm to help you coax through reading week without the need fo r councilling.

Lucky Words: Madan1 Beebee's love potion

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Letters ...

•

The only fair approach to top-up fees ...

Fair Target?

Dear Sir,

Dear Editor

I fee l compelled to respond to Mr Kemp's letter regarding the Conservative studen t loan proposals. I agree that the current system of student loans is inadequate, as it is not sufficient to support a student through a degree course. I do not fee l that having a loan wi th commercial rates of interest is an equitable solution however.

It was fascinating to see that the only two letters in the last issue of Concrete were both attacki ng one man. Even though I' m not a member of a politi cal party I did find it rather unfair to see a Green activist and a Tory party member ganging up to slag him off. Perhaps they' re both waking up to the fact that only the Lib Dems can beat Charl es Clarke at the next election? I can cope with a disgruntled Green moaning that his party's been sidelined but the Tory-boy 's letter was just too full of nonsense to ignore fo r anyone with a remote interest in this country 's democratic syste m. Contrary to his claims the Li b Dems have scrapped tui tion fees in Scotland. Rich grad uates are required to pay £2,000 into a pot on completion of their course. This is not tution fees by another name ·as none of the money goes to the university or to the Govern ment. It all goes straight back out to pay for grants for the poorest students, widening access to universi ty. The Lib Dems cou ld have just scrapped tu ition fees and not rei ntroduced grants and therefore not had the £2,000 payment, but that would still have mean t th at I ,OOOs of bright students fro m non- tradi ti onal backgrou nds couldn' t have a university education. Personally, I think they made the right decision.

Replacing the curren t tu ition fees (or soon to be top-up fees) and student loan system with the Conservatives' new Student Loan Corporation wi ll create a great im balance in Higher Education. By sole ly hav ing a loan at commercial rates of interest. the Conservatives will be taking from the poor and giving to the rich.

Poorer students, who will require a larger loan, wi ll end up paying back more interest, whilst more afnuen t studen ts will requi re smaller loans and therefore pay less interest. This means it wi ll be the poorest students· who provide the most funding for Higher Education. Flawed as the current system is, it does at least attempt to give everyone an equal chance in Hi gher Education. T he Conservati ve proposals can only pretend to do this.

I fee l the on ly fa ir way to fund uni versity ed ucation is th rough income tax . The serv ice provided to society by graduates is fe lt by all - it is not just those paying tuition or top-up fees who go to the doctor, use computers or watch the weather forecast. If a graduate earns more than someone wi thout a degree, then income tax will ensure they pay for that benefit. Drawing funding from income tax wi ll mean that rather than paying now for the possibility of future benefits from Higher Education. graduates wou ld pay if and when they benefit. This seems to me to be fairer than the current system , and even more so than that proposed by the Conservatives.

Willi am then wen t on to clai m that: " I. They want to privatise the NHS. 2. They want to put £ 10,000 on the price of a new house through tax.

3. Comp ulsory cod li ver oil for everyone."

One and three were random ramblings from two MPs that, as William knows, are not Lib Dem policy and have no chance of becomi ng so, and two is qui te simply nonsense. If you ' re going to attack the Lib Dems on policy issues there are plenty of perfectly legitimate areas for discussion. It's rather te lling that Mr Kemp had to resort to three poin ts that he himself knows to be un true.

Yours si ncere ly.

Yours Faithfull y John Peacock ENV 3 (Not affi li ated wi th any po litical party)

Kevin J Rowe CMP,2 South Wales

concrete.lashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk Editor: Allna Steward Deputy: Donna Boam

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26 concrete.sport @uea.ac.uk

DUDDERS' CORNER Marc Du dley speaks his mind on the s porting issues in the past fo rtnight.

Ok. I know its a n c ien t h istory n ow. bu t I just h ave to h ave m y say in wha t h appen ed at Old Trafford just over a week ago. Firs tly . Ruud Va n Nistelrooy s h ould b e shot, as U1e Dutch d estroyer (mo re like Du tch ••••) left Ashley Cole wit h a s a w ankle llia t could h ave b een so much worse. Dogs h ave b een pu t to s leep fo r do ing less than llia t. and llie Dutchma n is lucky h e is only go ing to get a lliree- m a tch ban. S econd ly. Wayn e Roon ey is a class player, but ilie way h e fool ed Mark Riley by diving (yes . all mane fan s, it wa s a dive!) was som ething U)a t wi ll give the Engla nd p layer a bad r eputa tion. if it is possible to d a m age it a n y furlli er (cou gh ... 50 year old ... cough ... pros titute) When h e plays for Engla nd h e plays like a God . but when h e ever s lips into llie Man Utd s hirt, I can't h elp but lliink, wha t a big. arrogant . fa t . Shrek look-alike. an d now diving ch eat of a player!

If you d on 't agr ee willi m e on llia t . you h ave to a t least a dmit lliat h e look s a lot like Shrek! And a s for t h e Neville brothers. we ll I do n 't lliink I can say anything a b out ilie m lliat has not a lready b een .___ _ ___.::::...__ __ _ _ __. said . The n umber of times lliey kicked Spanish golden boy, Jose Reyes was incredible. I h ave never seen a p1ayer been treated as unfairly a s h e was in iliat match. "Its a bloody disgrace! " as good old Cloughy would have said, and to be fair it was, as one of ilie greatest runs in English football came to an end b ecau se a team decided to cneat and play dirty to cla im victory. And if food was ilirown, ilien well done to who ever did it. I am s ure it was prawn sandwich es t hough and not soup. because to b e fair he eats s oup after a match? Arsenal will no doubt be punished , but I am sure once ilie figh t s tarted . the United players joined in, as nobody says no to a food fight! Now. Ferguson wants Henry to b e banned fo r a challen ge ilia t h e didn't m ention. until a certain Dutchman was given a sus pension . I fuink Sir AI "sour gra p es " s hould s ort his own players out b efore h e ' tries to tell fue Arsenal off for foul

CAP use joker to increase lead in a night where some schools caused too many problems.

Ma rc Dudley "1p

H :~ i~d i tor

It's "hotting" up in the race for the best school in the third year of the Ziggurat University games, with CAP taking a 58 point lead.

It was the turn of Mixed Table Te n n is an d Short Te nn is two weeks ago, wh i h was th e first (and proba b ly las t tim e ') two even ts were h eld on the same night. This id ea ca m e about at a Ziggu rat reps m eeting last year, as th ey we re tryin g to work ou t the b est way to solve t h e problem of too m a ny eve nts , a nd n o t en ou gh weeks to get th em played.

And th e sight two wee ks ago was one you would usu ally expect to see at Wa ll

Stree t and th e New York Stock Exchan ge, with players m oanin g like cows , not knowin g wh a t the hell was go in g on .

The proble ms started when teams from some schools d ecided not to turn up , a nd pulled out in th e last minutes before the tourn a m ent was du e to begin, whi ch is a problem th at happ e ns every wee k . It was m a de eve n worse wh en some sc hools h a d n ot read th e rul es of th e tournam ent , and th o u ght th ey co uld enter the same team in both eve nts.

Sin ce th e two events were bein g played at the same time , it was pretty obvio u s this would n ot be possible.

There we re even a co upl e of schools that turned up with just 8 mal es o t· 8 fema les, and thought they co uld take pa rt in a "mixed" tourna -

Tuesday 19th October Mixed Table Tennis (3rd Event) '--"''""'"'". as I to remember ilie player to fail a L -_ _ _ _ _...:;::_ _ _ _ _ _ _..J test was Aussie boy Marc Bosnich , a nd h e was ilien wearing ilie blue of Ch elsea. Wha t h e did was s tupid , but why did Chelsea sack him? They s pend 16 million on him, and llien s a ck him for taking a quick s niff! I suppos e lliey can afford to do ilia t. but a team s hould h elp ilie boy, as h e clearly h as problems, not sack him and lea ve him in llie gutter! Now, Mr.Wenger h as said h e is interested in s igning ilie Romanian. which could b e a good move . Yes. h e h a s take n drugs and m a de a big mis ta k e , but wiili llie right h e lp. h e can get b ack into footba ll and becom e an even b etter player llian h e was! We will jus t have to wa it and see wha t h a p pen s . but don 't write off his chances just yet. h e will b e b ack!

Final ly , I wo uld like to congratula te ilie Boston Red Sox willi U1eir firs t Wo rld S eries for 8 6 years. I h a ve n ever been a fan of b aseb a ll. and I mus t a dmit after watching ilie final gam e of ilie series during ilie early hours of Thurs d ay m ornin g . I'm s till not a great fan. However, I s till enjoyed watching llie finale of ilie An1eri can b a s eball s eason as I don 't get to watch the s port too often (which to b e fa ir is a good j ob, as I could n ot watch too many of iliose m a tch es b efo re I d ecided to change llie channel!) I am sure if I h a d seen ilie Ya nkees- Red Sox m a tch es ins tead . I would h ave b een a m azed from start to fini s h . The World S eries will n ot go down in his tory as one of the best , but Red S ox fan s wo n 't care. It's been a lo ng wai t . a very long wait and llie curse of Babe Ru th has fin ally bee n broken . And to b e fair iliey s topped the Yan kees from wi nning it, so iliey wi n my vote!

I . MGT +NAM ••

2 . CAP (Jok er) 3 . ENV 4 . BIO 5 . WAM 6 . LAW 7 . EDU 8 . AHP/CMP 9 . DEV 10. ECO/PHI +H IS** 11. LLT 12. MTH 13. MED 14. PSS/SWK

EP ZP AS 70 30 65x2 26 62 25 24 60 7 23 58 22 (107)*57 7 22 (1 06)*56 8 17 55 15 52 12 51 11 50 49 8 9 48 5 47 8 3

SP 4 5 4

I

4

TZP 70 134" 67 71 58 64 64 56 52 51 50 57 52 55

Tuesday 19th October Mixed Short Tennis (4th Event) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

AHP/CMP BlO ENV LLT DEV CAP LAW 8. PSS/SWK 9 . MGT +NAM •• 10 . ECO/PHI +HIS** 11. MED 12. MTH 13. E DU

EP 30 24 24 24 20 20 16 15 15 14 9 8 6

ZP

(75)* (63)* (60)* (66)* (6 4)* (54)* (50)*

70 65 62 60 58 57 56 55 52 51 50 49 48

AS SP

9

1 4 5 4

9

8 8 8 8

4

TZP 71 78 69 60 58 61 65 63 52 51 62 57 52

(EP= Event Points . ZP= Ziggu ra t Points. AS= Acad emic Support. SP= Specta tor Points ) " CAP receive double Ziggura t points fo r p laying a "Joker" • Wh er e event poin ts a re equ a l. ra lly points d ecide.

•• Points divided equ a lly between sch ools tha t combine tea ms.

Rules for Academic Support I 0 pts to Dean who plays. 8 pts if lliey t u rn up to watc h .

9 pts to De puty Dean who plays. 7 pts if they watch.

Rules for Spectator Points T he five schools willi m ost spectators rece ive poin ts.

Sch ool \villi m ost spectato rs receive 5 pts . 2 n d get 4pts.

3 rd get 3pts, 4 t h get 2pts and 5th top school gets I pt.

~t'

,., LEADERBOARD ?.;!'·""' .,..~..-'-T'.?.l

ZIGGURAT

-~

RSITY G

Pos School 1. Chemical Sciences & Pharmacy (CAP) • 2. Biological Sciences (BIO) 3. Environmental Sciences (ENV) 4. Allied Health Professions/ Computer Sciences (AHP/CMP) 5 . Norwich Law (LAW) 6 . Medicine, Health Policy & Practice(MED) 7. S ocial Work & Psychosocial Scien ces (SWK) 8 . Develop ment Studies (DEV) 9 . Math ematics (MTH) 10 . Language. Linguistics & Translation (LLT) 11 . Education & Lifelong Learning (EDU) 12. Economics/Philosophy /Political S ocial & Internatinal Studies (ECO/PHI/PSI) 13. History (HIS) 14. Nurs ing & Midwifery (NAM) 15. World Art Studies & Music (WAM) 16. Ma nagem ent (MGT) 17. American Stuides/ Film & Television Studies/ Literature & Creative Writing (AMS/FTV /LIT)

340 282 273 267 257 249 248 2 36 22 9 202 164 145 139 138

110

46

• Played one of there jokers m e nt. S c hools e nded up co mbining with other schoo ls to accommodate this proble m .

To say th ere was ch aos, was an unders tatement , and it h as to be said th a t und er a ll th e pt·essure , Ziggurat Organiser , Rac h e l To m es, co ped very well with all th e problems caused by the surrounding "mob" a round h er.

And it wa s due to the quick thinkin g a nd excellent work from Rachel , who h a d to solve th e pt·oblem s in a very s tressfu l s ituation , that th e to urn a ment ma n aged to ge t underway only half a n hou r la te.

So, wh en th e two events did ge t underway, t h e players co u ld stop m oanin g and let th e ir racq u ets d o th e talking. In the Tab le Tennis eve nt , las t yea rs winners CAP decided to u se th e fir st of two "j oke rs ". A "j oker" is used by a school when th ey want to double the number of ziggu rat points they ge t in the event. Each sc h ool can use up to two j o kers in th e entire Ziggurat games, and mu s t d ec id e be fore eac h event s tarts whether or not to u se on e of them .

Since CAP h a d h igh h o p s fo r the Table Tennis event, they decided to use the first of th eir j okers a nd it paid off, as they fini s h ed second behind the co mbin ed team of MGT /N AM . ENV too k third spot in th e event tha t h ad a to ta l o f 14 schools. In th e Short Tennis AHP/ CMP took th ere second

event victory, beating 810 into second . Anoth e r third position was ac hi eved by ENV j u st ahead of LLT in fou r th . ENV ended a good night by collec tin g fiv e points for the biggest num ber of spec t a to rs at th e eve nt, and since there was two event s in o ne night th ey collected five point for eac h eve nt .

At th e n ext Ziggurat re ps meeting this Friday, some harsh words will b e said, afte r th e problem s continu ed in the football qualifiers in the following week . Sch ools again failed to turn up , with some turnin g up h a lf a n hour late and demandin g to play. Rac h el Tom es had to o n ce aga in re - shufOe th e groups , ca usin g more s tress for the people involved.

A p lan to bring in pen a lty point s to sc hools th at turn up la te, pull out after the deadlin e o r ca use other problems will be suggested at the meeting. Punis hin g the schools (I won 't m en tion names , but you know wh o you are!) th a t cause the problems can only be fa ir, as they end up causing problem s for other school s wh o fo llow the ru les. Hopefully, punis h in g schools will end the unn ecessary st ress for Ra che l Tom es, wh o s a id after th e ni ght h a d co me to an end, that the 2 even ts in on e night would n eve r h a ppen again, as she did no t want to go thro u gh th a t ni gh tm a re ever again'

CoiG'ttl Wednesday, November yd, 2004

concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 27

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•

Still unbeaten in BUSA league, as Oxford Brooks are no match for the mighty women footballers BUSA Women 's Football Midlands Conference 2B: UEA (9) Oxford Brooks (0) Vickey Roberts After a slow start to the season where UEA lost their first two Sunday League games, the Women's Football Club have picked up the pace, and have got off to a flyer in the BUSA league with promotion now a real possibility.

Last Wednesday's BUSA home tie against Oxford Brookes extended their u n beaten nm to 6 games in both competitions, with the team lyin g fourth in the Sunday League, and in first position in their BUSA division . Wednesday's match started off with an early goal from Na omi Cu tting after some great link u p play

between the UEA midfield and forwards . Kate Urwin scored the second with a long range effort from outside the box and scored again with a similar shot towards the en d of the half after another sterling display in her central midfield position .

After that, the goals con tinu ed t o flow, with UEA's s olid defence giving goalkeep er Helen Davis an easy afternoon.

Kristell Hirn scored a spectacular goal from the ed ge of the centre circle, looping the ball over the stranded Oxford Brookes keep er.

Naomi Cutting scored a further 4 goals, including a header from an inch perfect cross from Alex Coe, wh o worked h ard all match on the right wing,

traclting back to help the defence and supplying the ball to the forwards.

Captain Sally Harnmerton, during a brief appearance up front, after spending most of the match filling in at cen tral defen ce, scored once again by chipping the keeper to put the icing on the cake and a dded to her lmpressive 14 goals in 8 games this season. And despite playing the final l 0 minutes with 10 player s due to inj uries, U.E.A. managed to stroll in to a 9 -0 victory.

The defence once again worked well together to keep the Oxford Brookes attackers at bay, with Linda Ch ilton and Lisa Earl con tinuing their impressive performances this season . The wh ole team s h ould be con -

gratulated for their efforts so far this season and they are hoping · to continue their winning run with tough games against the leading sides in the Sunday League coming up and the continuation of the BUSA competition in which they are so far unbeaten.

BUSA FOOTBALL WOMENS MIDLANDS CONFERENCE2B P W D LGDFts UEA 3 2 1 0 15 7 Derby 3 2 0 l -2 Leicester 3 1 1 l 2 Warwick 2 1 1 0 l

6

Oxford B 3 0 l 2 - 12 1 Notts 2 2 0 0 2 -4 0

PIRATES IN CONFIDENT MOOD Sharla Ansett

vigour and tenacity, forcing the score to remain 0-0 into the dying stages of the game and compelling the Parrots to up their intensity. With experience and a bit of luck on tqeir side the 'old boys' managed to slip through the 'Pirates' defences, and ~ecure a 6 -0 win over the "younger" Pirates. and their 8th Zlmmer Bowl in succession.

The Pirates coach Chris Hailstone said of the Pirates performance 'It was the best Pirate performance ever against the 'old boys,' I have high hopes for the rest of the season. We really could have a good year.'

And the positive per-

favourably for their opening fixture, last Sunday when The UEA American they took on APU Phantoms Footballers are back and at home. After a hard-hitting on impressive form after game, where one player got their first friendly match his leg broken and another of the season. picked up a ruptured knee, On October 24th, in the UEA ran away 51-6 winners, annual Zimmer Bowl XIII, getting their season off to the Pirates took on the UEA the best possible start. 'old boys," nicknamed the · They now face a two 'Parrots.' Having never beatweek layoff, before they take en the 'Parrots' in any of on the Hertfordshire their previous encounters, Hurricanes at Colney Lane the Pirates were up for the on November 14th, which challenge in hope of securwill be a tough and brutal ing their first Zirnmer Bowl battle. but with the way they win. This resulted in arJ have started this season, it evenly balanced and thrtllir1g looks like UEA fear no one in match, where both teams their march towards the performed to a notably high playoffs and possible College standard.

Bowl. Visit www.ueapiThe 'Pirates' fought wi:.:th :.:___::fo::r,m::.::an:::::c:::e:....:s::::e:::t_:th:.:::e_:Pir :_:·::.:a:::t:::e:s...:u::!p:...__:r:::a::te::s;::.o::;r~g:::.u:;k::.,:fo:::,r_:m:::,:or:.,:e:_inf :::_ · ::o:._

NOBODY WILL PLAY WITH TENNIS GIRLS Marc Dudley Sports-Editor The UEA Women's Tennis team were raring to go this season, with eight girls determined to get a place in the first BUSA match of the season.

It's been a differen t story in previous years wh en the tennis club have struggled to get even four girls to make up a team. However, now that they have the players, BUSA h ave messed up big

time, and UEA have been given a "bye" to the promotion playoffs.

The reason? The teams UEA were supposed to play, De Montfort (Leicester) and Lincoln, pulled out and left the girls with nobody to play.

So BUSA were forced to put UEA throu gh to the playoffs, as they were the only team left in the group.

So. with the "good" fortune UEA have achieved without even serving a single ball, the girls now face possi-

ble promotion to the Midlands Conference One. However, Club President, Jenny Milne feels BUSA have done a horrendous job in organising the leagues saying, 'They suggested we play some friendly matches before the playoffs, but there is nobody to play!"

Hopefully the girls will find somebody who will play them, as they no doubt have some talent to show off, and need all the practice they can get before the playoffs.

OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK 20 Snooker tables 3 pool tables 2 American pool tables Satellite TV Video Games £250 jackpot machines Hot and cold food available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Licensed bar at low prices 10am·11pm, 12·10.30pm Sun ISTUDENT MEMBERSHIP £31 St Mary's Plain, Norwich Tel: 627478 Only 5 minutes from Norwich market

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100% WINNING START FOR GOLFERS Andy Campbell The UEA golfers have got off to a good start in tWs year's BUSA league with two impressive victories over Lincoln and Nottingham.

After looking like they were heading for a 5- J defeat a t the half way stage in their openi ng fixture against Lincoln , UEA with four debutants fought back in great spi rit with a combination o( s kill and deter mina tion to win 4 -2.

And the golfers built on their impressive win willi a 5- l home win over Nottingham. The resu lt never looked in doubt with UEA going ahead in most of the m atches early on. The UEA golf team built on their impressive opening day win again st Lincoln with a comfortable 5 - l victory at home to Nottingham. The result never rea11y looked in doubt with UEA going ahead in most of the matches early on. To Nottingham's credit though they kept fighting. but the gusty winds and damp course were key factors in the result as Nottingham struggled with the cond itions all afternoon and were unable to cope a s well as UEA did.

Certai n qu arters of the golf team have put the good s tart down to Captain Mat t Tilbrook. It is believed his 100% winning start and ins pira tional pre-ma tch tea m talks have inspired certain m em bers of th e side into playi ng better golf.

There is a o elief in th e s ide tha t the win ning run can a nd hopefu lly will con tinue.

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First BUSA win of season, but Nottingham proves to be a tough nut for UEA BUSA Women's Hockey Midlands Conference lA: UEA (8) Staffordshire (Stoke) (0) Natalie Hull UEA's fi rst team took on S taffo rdshi re Un ivers ity at hom e in th eir second BUSA gam e of the s ea s on . With d efeat in their first m atch in No ttin gh am . UEA h a d a point to prove going into this fix tu re. Th e ga m e ope ned with UEA wo rki ng well and not long in to the firs t ha lf Wendy Brown struck h ome

to give th e home s ide a 1-0 lead . UEA then h ad a num ber of s hort-co rn ers award ed as they pus hed for more goals, bu t it wa s n 't u ntil Alix Reid found the back board from a d eflected s hot that UEA we n t furt h er a h ea d .

Hannah Maxey fini s hed of the s coring in th e firs t ha lf, giving UEA a 3 -0 lead a t half-t ime.

The vis itors from Stoke looked s trong after th e brea k and the team wa s s tarting to work we ll toge th er up front, an d were starting to get back in to the game . Howeve r, UEA's d e fe n ce re ma ined solid and they we re s oon rewarded with two a wes ome goals from open play. First, Amy Ha mmick d eflected the ball in to th e back of the net. after th e ball was driven into th e back line. Then , Alix Reid got her second of the m a tch , with a goal ra ther s imil a r to Ha mmi c k' s. A

sixth goa l soon m ateria lised , a s Ha nn ah Maxey d rove the ball hom e for th e seco nd ti me in the match a fter some su perb stick s kills. Natalie Hull th en a dd ed two furU1e1· goals to the sco re.

The firs t was an open play. top left hand goal shot a nd s hortly aftetwa rds s he fo llowed up her firs t goal wi th a fi rst t im e strike from a well exec u ted s hort co rner.

UEA had outpl ayed S ta fford s hire towa rd s the end of the ma tch and fin is hed the game with an eight goal win . Althou gh UEA were full of co nfid en ce goin g into the ir next BUSA tie agains t Notting ha m T t·e nt. th ey could not fo llow up th eir win a nd were well-bea ten by 9 goals to 1. It leaves UEA hove rin g ove r th e re lega tion zone with two d efeats in three BUSA ma tches·, and p romotion is looking more a nd more difficult a s th ey

prep a r e for tills wee k 's ma tch against Warwick .

The 2 nd team also find th ems elves in a bit of both er. as Ul ey c urrently fmd Ul em selves second from bottom a fte r on e dra w a nd two d e feats in th e Midl a nds Conference 3 8 . A tough trip to bottom place Cambridge 3 this week . means UEA's 2nd XI will be looking for th eir fir s t BUSA win .

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l and 27 . Sa r ab M . C ellar T V sh ow (5.3.7. 6 ) 4. Warri or P•·incess (4) 8 . C rem e ca ra mel (4) 9. Fauna (6) 11 . Prop er (4) 13 . Cer em onial act (6) 15. Pronoun(2) 16. No! r ccol(nisccl (7) 17. A-xis (4) 20 . Pa r asi t ic eg_g (3) 21 . Tn k c <'xa m (3 ) 24. M or ning ( 1. l ) 27. See I acr oss 28. Spanish the (2) 29. Bo ttle s topper (4) 3 2. tem ponu :v res i cl en c~ (5) 3 4 . App reci a tes t h e ta s te (7 ) 3 6 . In Lh e mid d le (4) 3 7. Vi et n a mese New YcHr (3)

Fa mou s Pi ll (4 ) Amica l sitcom (7) Lu st (5) Paran or m al dossier s (6 ) 5 . Tree (3 ) 6. Sodi u m svmbol (2) 7. H eaven ly 'or B loodth irs ty ch a r acter (5) I 0 . S11 p r cmc fe lin e (4) 11 . Gamble (4) 12. Symbol fo r Ra diu m (2) 1.J . IA'1 11ra Pa1nwr·s id<'n t ica l hills (4.5) 15 . Sll ccess fu l b as h (3) J on es(5) 18. 1\c Jor. 19. T em er ariou s (5) 22. T o fr('c from p ressu r e (7) 2 3 . M ost di ffic ult (7) 25 . TV ch aracter in 36 (6) 26 . D isori ent ed Si m o n Pegg (6) 30 . A n cient (Ab b r.) (2 ) 3 1. C razy nibble (3) 32 . On oma topoeic Sup1i se (2) 33 . T itan iu m sym bol (2) 35. A n swer ( 1. 1)

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