Concrete issue 173 09 02 2005

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CONCRETE REFE<fiE NCE ARCHIVE

HE 2005 CONCRETE SEX SURVEY RESULTS INSI

Not t o be tal\ en oublde !tie Concret e off ice. Retul n attt I li St'.

CHASING STAGECOACHES Page 5

STUDENTS MISS LESSONS TO SUPPORT CAMPAIGN FOR CiLOBAL TRADE·JUSTICE MAKE POVERTY HISTORY CAMPAIGN ASKS BRITS TO DO RIGHT BY THE WORLD'S POOR Katie Musgrave Some seminars at UEA were cancelled due to demands by students to Visit London and hear the speech made by a liVing legend or 'president of the world'. as Bob Geldof titled him, when he came to speak at Trafalgar square.

On Thursday 3rd of February, an estimated 20.000 people gathered to hear Nelson Mandela speak as part of the 2005 'Make Poverty History', campaign.

Mandela. approaching his

87th year and recently retired from public life. gave an inspiring speech to the crowd that had assembled to make their feelings about the unfair global trade laws.

He started his address by saying that, "as long as poverty. injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest". Mandela was humble and genuine as he spoke with passion about ending the imprisonment of millions of people in the world's poorest countries who in this century remain enslaved and in chains. "He is truly a

modern day hero" said Maria Burke, DEV 3.

In his speech he addressed the importance of the 'Make Poverty History' campaign and the real need for poverty to be addressed. In this age. he comments, with the advances in science. technology. industry and wealth, it is a tragedy that they coexist with such massive poverty and inequality. He says that it is time to set them free. Poverty is not natural it has been man made and can be overcome, "overcoming Poverty is not a Continued on page two

£3000 FOR A PCiCE COURSE BICi DRESS TAKES A DAY OUT Helen Pike News Editor

Students studying for the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) will face that same financial system a s undergraduates in tultion fees, set to start in 2006.

The Higher Education Act, in which undergraduates are to be charged up to £3000 per year for their course under new plans, incorporates the one year teacher course.

PGCE students will be

charged the same for their one year course, though according to Kim Howells, Higher Education Minister. the first £1200 will be nonmeans tested. It does however mean that £1800 has to be funded by student teachers alone.

The Conservatives lashed out at the Labour government's plans by saying that charging them up to £3000 will deter people from becoming teachers, when campaigns to increase the numbers of teachers have been ongoing.

Currently, the £1150 fee for those on the one-year PGCE course, the most popular route to becoming a teacher. are waived for students. When questioned about the proposals , Or Howells promised MPs that "we will be seeking a good take-up of PGCE places and that we will ensure a good supply of teachers into the system" .

It was suggested that there will be an inconsistency with those changing careers through the Continued on page two

Katharine Clemow Deputy Editor Thousands of people from the SPEAK• network concerned about world trade rules have joined together to make the biggest dress in the world . The dress, which will be over two storeys high and wide enough to contain over 200 campaigners. Is a creative petition - a Visual challenge to the Government to make rules that protect the poor in developing countries from exploitation by big

companies based in the UK. With the Big Dress as Its symbol. SPEAK is using the garment Industry as a vehicle to highlight unfair trade rules.

SPEAK's Big Dress is made up of thousands of squares of material upon which people from all over the UK have written , sewn and drawn messages of concern about the lack of regu lation of big companies and the exploitation of workers who make the things we buy.

Participants have included groups from stu-

dent unions, music fans at Glastonbury festival, school groups and Women's Institutes.

UEA SPEAK President Emlly Parker. "This year presents us with a great opportunity to speak out against global injustice. The Big Dress Is a brilliant way to bring Injus tice, particularly in the garment industry. to the a ttention of our government. " SPEAK is calling on the Government to put legislation In place that will hold Continued on page two

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF BEING A PIRATE SEE SPORTS

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L UNION COUNCIL CONDEMNS COMPANY ETHICS

Oily Haywood Depu ty News Editor A recen t proposal from a UEA student has led to Union Council condemning th e uneth ical practices of Ber nard Matthews Foods .

History student Steven Altman . lon g-standing member of UEA"s Animal Rights Society and life-long vegetarian. persu aded the Union Council to pass h is condemnation proposal wi th a large majority. wi th the help of his seconder Nightli ne representative Emma Kelly.

The seemingly unethical p ractices of Ber nard Matthews Food s Ltd. have in the past been exposed . most notably in GM1V and campaign gro u p VlVAs (Vege tarians Internationa l Voice for Animals) television d ocu mentary in 20 03. The progra m me uncovered evi-

den ce of poor living conditions and neglect, with ani m a ls see n to be living in t h ei r own excr e m ent and often being too near to d eath to be able to feed s u fficiently. Furthermore. complaints m ade by Bem ard Matthews proclaiming they were treated unfairly by the 1V docum entary were eventually rejected after an eighteen mont h investigation by Ofcom.

Un ion Welfare Officer Jo Wright su p ports the condem n ation and expres sed her con cern about the poor treatmen t of t rkeys within th e industry. said to be a consequence of cost cutting and m ax:imization of profits.

However. other students have expressed rather more passive attitudes towards th e situation. fee ling th at the Union should be con cerned with more pressing studen t m atters.

Condemnation of th e

food maker's treatment of livestock forms just an oth er part of the Uni on's end uring campaign against unethi cal pr actices in the b u s iness world. The proposer hopes that "making students more aware of their [Ber nard Matthews'l unethical p ractices" will eventually initiate a total boycott of the company. thus banning the sale of its produce on cam p us.

However, the University's firmly establish ed links with Bernard Matthews is a hin d rance the Studen t Union could face if a total turkey ban is indeed on the cards.

The University Sportspark's Olympic sized swimming pool was built with fu nds from the Sportspark's £50.000 sponsorship dea l with Bernard Matthews, which could be affected if it decides to take action .

Bernard Matthews were unavailable to commen t on the situation.

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Crtte Wednesdav. Fehruarv 9'' , 2005

Continued from page one Graduate teache r p ro gramme training on the job and not beingcharged fees.

One of th e m ain worries fac ing prospective PGCE stud ents is the extra deb t.

Afte r accumula ting up to £10 000 in their u n dergrad uate degree. studen ts will be more reluctant to take on an extra burden of debt wh en previously it was financially easy to become a teacher.

Those arguing against the proposal deemed it "rid iculous". consid ering that the course is there to train people in a vocation that is vital

to society. Teachers a re lacking s pecifically in Maths and Scien ce subj ects. wh ich are compu lsory in the National Curriculum until age 16.

Anna. LIT3 is disgusted with the Labour gove rn me n t's pla n s. " I wo ul d rethink my plans on com pleting the course. or at least delaying embarking upon post-graduate study in order to save up". She echoes the confusion of charging students to become teachers when there is such a s hortage. Katherine AMS3 fee ls that "teaching is one of

the most important profess ion s around . and th at the gover n m ent sho uldn 't be making it as hard as possible to get into" .

When asked a bout the proposal. Kat Fletcher. the NUS Na tional President. said "budding teac h er tra inees will clearly face a tou gh decision when finis hin g th eir un d ergraduate degree; should they take a job to start paying back their h uge debts or pay yet more mon ey to train to be a teach er with a relatively low pay packet wa iting for them at the end ?".

Continued from page one gesture of ch arity, it is a fu n damental Human righ t."

The campaign h as b een gathering momentum s ince Chris tmas and is particularly focused on Britain; as 2 005 sees our government occupy several pos itions of key influence upon in ter n ation a l polit ics. Univers ity Unions acros s th e country h ave been joining th e movem ent, and the UEA"s Speak s ociety. a mon gst others have also been organis ing campaigns. Mandela a ddressed the three main a ims of th e ca use: to e nsure tra de justice. to end th e d ebt cri s is a nd to d eliver m ore Aid. Mand ela s poke with a h uge sense of vision . ch allen ging u s. the n ew gen era tion of Britain. to be the gen era tion to h elp era dicate poverty. "some times it falls upon a gen eration to be grea t".

To th e thousands ga thered .

Mandela b rou gh t a new hope th at 2005 can be th e year wh er e wo rl d lead ers begin to a ddress so me of the huge problem s of poverty a nd inequ a li ty. Ma nd e la challen ged u s. the Britis h public, a long with wo rld lead e rs to Ma ke Pove rty His tory in 2 00 5 a nd by doing so make a s tatem ent th a t wi ll e ndure thro ugh time.

The Make Pove rty His tory campaign h as a ttracted a wide ra n ge of celebrit ies. clergy and politicians. Th e ai ms surro u nd th eir belief tha t poverty h as been m a d e worse through "ina ppropri a te" economic policies s u ch as globally ins ufficient and ineffective tra de . More th an 200 ch a rit ies. support groups and faith groups are s upporting th e ca use. ranging from Oxfa m to th e Church of Eng land . All h ave co ntribute d fin a n cia lly to

the cau se and a large number h ave taken d irect public acti on , n otab ly Dawn Fren ch who led dozen s of women clergy to Downing Street to s ing hymns in the ir own pers ona l anti-poverty m essage.

The GB. or rich countries club. m eet in J uly th is year in Scotland and have prom ised that poverty reduction will be high on th eir agend a. es p ecia lly in Afri ca . The campaign . a t this time . is becoming very importa nt.

People are asked to s how su pport by buying wh ite s ilic on or fa bric ar m b a nds. which cost £ 1 from s h ops s u ch as Oxfa m .

Fair Tra d e Norwich Fortnigh t starts on the 25th February an d UEA"s own Fair Trade Fortnight is to be h eld la ter this sem ester in order to ra ise fund s and to the fair tra d e

Continued from page one

Big Dress and at about 3 there will be a visual catwalk s h ow h ighligh t ing th e exploitati on of gar m e n t workers and a presenta tion of the cam paign by SPEAK director Ben Gilchris t. Later in the day s inger I s ongwriter He len Hicks and ex-su per m od el Sarah Th om as will ha ve a photo call in front of th e Big Dress and Helen Hick's band 'HoneyRid er s ' will play an acou s ti c s et.

The Make Poverty His tory campa ign brings toge th er more than lOO aid o rganisati on s . ca mp a ign s . tra de unions , faith groups and celebrities united by a common be lie f that 2005 offers an unpreced ented opportunity for global change. The Make Poverty History coalition sees 2005 as a unique opportunity for

the UK to influence industrialis ed countries and will use key events through out the year to challen ge th e UK govemment to rise to the challenge.

SPEAK is a n etwork c onnec ting s tud ents a n d you ng adu lts to cam paign and pray on is s u es of global injus tice and it equips over 3 0 different g roups aro und th e UK to rai se awaren ess and lobby th eir MPs. The has bee n ca mpaign endorsed by several leading public figures including a th lete a nd 1V presente r Jon athan Edwards, Body Shop found er Ani ta Roddick and th e Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams are amongst those who have contributed sewn squares to SPEAK's Big Dress.

UK-based mult inatio n a l com panies accou ntable for their actions in d eveloping countries.

The Dress will be unveiled on February 2 1s t a t a pp roxi m ately 1 1 by t h e Hou s es of Parlia m ent where m embers of the Chris tian campaign and prayer ne twork will lobby their MPs as part of the Make Pover ty History events of 2005. The day looks to be a packed on e with a number of different activities taking place. At midd ay th e Bishop of Barking will lead campaign ers in a repentance action. which will include a symbolic balancing of the scales of world justice. From one to four campaigners will lobby their MPs inside SPEAK's

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Concrete Wednesday, February 9'', 2005

0 TO ID CARDS

CHANGE IN GENDER JOB RATIO IN MOST UK AREAS COUNCIL VOTES AGAINST 'BIG BROTHER' POLICY lsabel Dyson Male employees are outnumbered by female employees in 99 out of 203 areas in Britain.

In a recent analysis of Annual Business Enquiry 2003, research ers found that in some parts of the co untry the outnumbered e mployees not reach 40%. The figur es app ly to 1o c a 1

authority areas in Britain where ten years ago women outnumbered men in handful of areas.

Th e female workforce in Great Britain totals 49.7% and is over 50% in Scotland and Wales. The highest percentage of regional female employees is in Wales where they make up 52% of workers and the East. including Norwich , totals 50.3% - the fourth highest region out of eleven in Britain . The high est sole area where the proportion of women shadows men is West Dunbartons hire . r

where women total 61.5%.

GMB , BRlTAJN's General Union carried out the analysis and the National Organiser Dawn Butler stated that although women outnumber men. "women are paid up to 25% less than men . The gender pay gap being

stagnation."

A recent urvey carried out by lhe Equal Opportunities Commission h as also revealed that women are being pus hed out of e mp loyment if they b ecome pregnant or when th ey request maternity leave.

Around 30 ,000 women a year are sacked. made redundant or ...,_._._oo~,. leave th eir jobs due to pregnancy discrimin at ion.

Researche rs are r eported to h ave found t

tolerated is now having a negative economic impact in almost half the country.

Women have less money to spend and this is holding back the development of the service sector in many parts of Britain - closing the gender gap is not just a matter of fairness it is also an economic imperative to enable areas to escape dec!4le and

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women are also less likely to be given employ ment if prospective e mployers are aware that th ey are pregnant. The EOC Juli e said the findings were "shocking - altho u gh some employers knowingly flout the Jaw, many businesses do face genuine challen ges in managing pregnancy and simply don't know what th eir responsibilities are or what help is available to them." While much n eeds to be done to en a ble women to play an equal role in employment throughout the coun try things are looking up.

Helen Pike News Editor Norwich City Coun il has recently voted to oppose the introd uction of ID cards. The Council. which is mainly co mpiled of Liberal De mocrats and Greens voted to support the motion , thus opposing Labour's amendment.

Labour ended up abstaining from the final motion , h ind ering the ID cau se considerably and dealing a big b low to orwich South MP and Home Secretary Charles Clarke. On U1e other hand, Norwich North MP !an Gibson, who we featured in last issues Concrete voted against the ID Cards Bill in Parliament.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South Co uncillor Andr ew Aalders-Dunthorne said of the motion , "the Liberal Democrats strongly oppose to ID cards. They will do nothing to combat terroris m or crim e and will cost the tax payer billions which would be better spent on 10 000 more police and improvements to our secu ri ty services".

The introduction of ID cards has provoked a large scale campaign against its implementation , with the www.no2id.net website acting as an umbrell a for the organisations acting against the bill. In a state ment, Norwich City Co unc il believes that "the disadvantages of such a sch eme will outweigh any benefits to the

people of Norwich". The Council also took into account the arguments put forward by the campaign against the bill. lt is thought that the introduction of the cards will do little to prevent tourism , crime or fraud.

Goven1ment estimates at the cost of the scheme are at the £5.5 billion mark. yet independent predictors estimate a figure fives the official estimate. Finger printing and photogra phing members of the public will, argue the opposition, put a limit on people's freedom .

Moved by Labour Councillor Steve Morphew, the Council req uests that the Chief Executive Officer to present a full report for debate by the Council within the next 6 months.

Mr Clarke is watchi ng you, but Norwich city council is going to ma ke it as hard as possible .

SPEED DATING Helen Pike News Editor Just in time for Valentines Day, UEA is launching its first ever Speed Dati n g Evening.

Speed Dating is the London c raze which is quickly sweeping the country. What attracts so many people to this method of findin g a partner ls that it's fast paced- if you don't like the person sitting in front of you t h ere is only 3 minutes until you move onto th e n ext person, fitting perfectly with the typically busy lifestyle that those in their twenties so often experien ce. For the first time ever, single students at UEA have the opportunity to catch onto the trend on Sunday 13th February in the Hive.

Proceeds of the event will go towards fundraising for Sexpression. the group that is running the event with MedSin. Sexpression is an organisation dedicated to promoting safe sex and encouraging O)!selfesteem in teenagers. With the money raised by UEA's

sel)al daters Sexpression wil} be ab le to go into se ools a nd discuss sexual matter with the pupils in a fun, creative and non judge ntal way.

The organisation is currently in talks with Thorpe St Andrew's school to work out a teaching plan for the ir year 9 and 10 pupils, a huge step forward for schools in ge nera l which have always had diffi c ul ties in sending out the message of safe sex to pupils. and a r e notorious for being an embarrassing experien ce for both teachers and children.

The speed dating event begins at 7pm and prospective daters are asked to "dress to impress". Anonymity will be guaranteed with partici pants given film star code names. Tickets are avail able from the Union Box Office and the event costs £4 to participate and £1 on the door to watch and support.

If you 're interested in finding out more about Sexpression's innovative work . contact sexpres sion. uea@gmail. com.l

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6 concrete.news@ uea.ac.uk

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Concrete

Wednesday, February 9''. 2005

CIVIC AWARDS MAYOR HONOURS MOST CARING Ka lharine Clemow Deputy Editor The Lo rd Mayo r of No rwi ch is c urre ntly en co uraging nomina ti ons for th e annu a l Civic Award for Vo lunta ry Se rvi e to give recogniti on to th e Ci ty's ·army· of un s ung h eroes. This i in celebration of 2005 being n a med 'The Year of th e Volunteer· .

"In my lime as Lord Mayor. I have been humb led on man y occa io ns in mee ting hundreds of people who give th eir lime free ly to help other .. says Co un c illor Joyce Di vers.

"Th e time given by o m any volunteers is a vi tal co ntribution to U1e lives of people in Norwich and many do this without any recognition. In lliis. llie year of th e volunteer. I want llie Civic Award to high light the work of so many and give recognition lliat is so clearly d eserved" .

The re a re three cate go ri c fo r nomination a dults. groups and yo ung people. The Lo rd Mayot· is particu larly I< en to receive nominations this year for yo un g vo lunteers . aged between 11 a nd 25. which will partic ul a rly a pply to tud ents studying at UEA. Anyone can s ubmit a nomination a nd it can cover a wide range o f vo luntary work. from fun draising to hosting community sports to community action.

There a re some r lrictions on nominees a U1ey must eilhe.r have lived in Norwich for five years or worked voluntarily for at least five years however for young people this is only one year. A nomination requires the s upport of two people, who. for obvious reason s . mus t not be rela ted to the

nominee.

The ivic Award judging pa n e l meet to d ecide in Apri l and includes Edit or of the Evening News. David Bourn a nd n ew Director of th e orwich & Norfolk Voluntary Servi ces, Brian llorn er. Mr Horner s aid. ''The a wards seek to raise th e profile of vo lun teering and to inspire llie volunteers of the future.

This year is U1 e UK Year of U1e Volunteer and the Civi c Award i a grea t kick-s tart to h ighlight a nd promote th e world o f opportunities th a t exist in volunteering".

Mr Bourn a lso feels strongly a bout llie importan ce of h onoring the many groups and individuals who play a s ilent part in h elpi ng those who need it most.

"The army of volunteers out lliere are really llie unsung her oes of our com munities.

It's llieir selflessness. hardwork and community spizit lliat is bolli humb ling and inspirationa l a nd with out which Nonvich wou ld be a mu ch poo rer place ...

If you'd like to nomin a te som eon e for this tim ely and s pecial award you can pick up a Civic Awards nominali on Ieallet from th e m a in reception a t City Hall or call lhe Lord Mayor's offi ce direct on 212078 a nd th ey can send you one. You can also download a copy from the website at www.norwich.gov. u k The closing date for nominations is 31 st March 2005 and when the judging panel has met in April. the successful nominees will be invited to a ceremony al City I-lall in May. For furth er information contact S a ra Ma rtin ez, Communica tions and Media Assis tant on 0 160 3 21299 1 or ema il saramartinezarnorwich.go\'.uk

No smoking wether you like it or not

Photo: Sarah Watson

NO MORE SMOKING IN SP ONS AS PUB OS LEADS CHANGE IN lAWS Kevin Rowe Ahea d of the Government's plan to ban smoki n g in pubs serving food by 2008. pub giant Wetherspoo n·s h as announced U1at each of its 650 venu es across Britain will be non smoking by May 2006.

Ch a irman Tim Martin h as d eclared th a t 60 Wetherspoon pubs wi ll enforce th e ba n on Wednesday May 4 th of this year : including lliose located in Aberdeen . Birmingham.

Bri s tol. Glasgow. London.

Newcastle and Nottingham.

Mr. Martin re leased a s ta te me nt on th e J.D .

Wethe rs poon webs ite saying , "An increasing percentage of thf' population is giving u p smoking and a significant

number of people are Laying away from pubs and re ta u rants because they a re too s moky ...

The Chairman previo u sly co nde mn ed s uch a move. · s ugge ling it wou ld be "comm er c ia l su ic ide" to ban s moking at WeU1 erspoon's .

However, his early m ove is sure to encou rage tl1 e govern m ent to rethink its plans for 2008. whi c h are thought to con ta in several loopholes.

Analysts believe that non-smoking ven u es will suffer a grea t loss immedi ately after the ban is implemen ted .

Consequen tly, many are calling fo r the Government to impo e a smoking ban on all pubs in 2008 . whether they s e rve food or not . Tim Martin is joining in this ba ttle as he wants a ll pubs to b e on even ground to compete \vi th each other

Concrete asked llie stu d ents of UEA what th ey U1ought of llie ch ain's proposals and th ere was mixed opinion amo ngst lliem . Rose Doyle. a first year smoker said. "It's a n excellen t idea because if I ca n 't smoke wh ile I a m out with my fri ends tl1 en I will smoke les ."

This view is exac tly what the Government hopes U1 e ban \vill encourage but t11ere we re m an y other s tud en ts who were less optimisti c.

Sara.h McLough lin . a second year smoker said, "I only go to Wet herspoon's because it' cheap. and if I were to give up smoking in ord er to go to Wellie rspoon·s, I'd h ave enough money to go s om ewhere nice ins tead!. ..

The n on -sm oker s on ca mpus wer e de lighted .

Concrete spoke to Mark Morgans who said . "I cannot

wail to enj oy a night out wiU1out returning smelling like an as htray!" Steven Roge rs. anoth er non s mok ing s tud ent (second year) d eclared "It is about time somebody h as take n a standi I am s ick of putting my life a t ri s k by socialising with my fri ends at lliese pubs and resta urants !" This view was popular a mong students and Mark Ha tings of llie British Beer and Pubs Associa tion [BPA) believe .

"We are al l moving towards non -s moking. I t is just a question of how and when we get fuere ...

Wetl1erspoon·s bold move h as put the spotlight on oU1 er pubs a round Lhe U.K. a nd on the British Government. We now wait to see if other chains will follow su it . or if th e Government \\;11 realise that its proposals for 2008 are inad equ a te.

Coacnte Wednesday, February IJ', 2005

ClARKE

lar problem spots.

Youths in these and other deprived areas seem to be able to intimidate residents and vandalise property with Impunity.

The citizens' concerns are shared by the student community; in the past many students have also fallen victim to attacks and muggings outside the university, particularly those who live in the Village and who walk home from campus late at night.

Mr Clarke responded by promlsing a greater provision of Community Wardens to police the streets. "I s hall be looking into tackling antisocial behaviour throughout NoJWich. lt remains the single largest law and order concern for many communities and we need to drive it out."

TACKLES YOBS

NEW HOME SECRETARY VOWS TO END REIGN OF FEAR Dean Bowman Last Weekend Charles Clarke pledged to crack down on anti-social behavIour after hearing the pleas of NoJWich residents.

Many residents from the underprivileged estates in the west of the city met in the Cadge Road community centre to voice their concerns to the NoJWich South MP, who has recently become Home Secretary.

Distressed and angry families from North Earlham said that they were often too afraid to set foot outside after dark and that their lives have been made a mlsery by gangs of 'yobs'.

Two roads not far from the university, Earlham Grove Road and Motum Road, were cited as partlcu-

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 7

www.concrete-online.com City Council deputy leader Hereward Cooke Is in agreement with Mr Clarke in spirit but insists that the problem lies with government spending at a national level. "Community wardens are effective but the problem Is the government stopped funding them. We have increased our budget from 405,000 this year to 500,000 next year for wardens across the city but the problem is the cost falls on tax payers. If Mr Clarke has new ideas about tackling this behaviour that is great, but we also need funding to carry it out."

Mr Clarke Is now in an ideal political position to do something about the problems his constituents have presented him with, he has even promlsed to seriously confront the issue. The bedraggled citizen's of NoJWich are merely hoping he doesn't forget about them when he Is back behind his desk at Westminster.

TAPPING INTO TALE Frances Stapleton Liberatlons Officer For many of us, the last year of our University experience Is coming to an end. It's a scary thought. Even scarier when we consider that we may not get the careers we want because of our sex. age, race, sexual orientation, socio-cultural background and beliefs. In this day and age, we shouldn't have to worry about such things. but The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) does believe there are problems.

They have produced a report showing employers how diversity can help companies achieve their desired business objectives and compete in the war for talent.

In short, organisations are neglecting to give the diversity of the population the attention it deserves.

Companies who apply negative discrimination to their potential employees are not only breaching the Equal Opportunities legislation in place, but also mlssing out on fmding the best candidates to fill vacancies. More than 85o/o of employers have reported difficulties in filling positions and suffering from skills shortages.

The CIPD believes the training pre-empted by this report is the key to unlock-

ing the talent. Thetr regular research explores all aspects of equality in employment, tackling age concerns. equal pay, dated attitudes towards socially challenged groups and. especially important one at this point in time. disability in the workplace.

There have been recent amendments to the disability law which now need to be implemented into work institutions. Amendments have been made which protect people with mental health problems more closely. In 1995. a department of Health report found that mental- health problems accounted for the loss of more than 91 million working days each year.

Often then, employers aware of this statistic will discrim1nate against candidates for work with mental health problems. This is not the appropriate way to treat the issue, of course. The problem needs to be dealt with firstly by looking at why this statistic is so high.

The answer. possibly. is that many organisations are not well enough equipped to accommodate people with mental health problems .

People are under t11e utmost pressure at work. It is not surprising therefore that this statistic Is so high.

Thankfully. under the Disability Discrimination Act. such discrimlnation is

entirely illegal behaviour, tf proved .

And this is just one example of a people neglected. The report also high lights the need for older workers in workforces and the benefits of employing exoffenders. Employment has been shown to actually reduce re-offending by 50o/o.

Dinah Worman , the CIPD Diversity Advisor believes that 'CIPD research shows the benefits a diverse mix of people can bring to an organisation.

It is important to provide training for Line Managers in order to demonstrate the business case behind diversity because they can make the change. Changing mindsets and developing good practises will help organisations retain knowledge and experience. widen the recruitment base and could lead to more customers and greater profits.· The report was launched at a Driving Diversity event In Ireland at the end of January. Currently only 29o/o of organisations advertise beyond traditional means to target under -represented groups. Clearly this is disgraceful. but with the new training aimed to get these organisations cluedup. the battle for employment shouldn't be so long and hard in the future.

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8 concrete. news@ uea.ac .uk

www.concrete-online.com

WHAT'S AJOB WORTH? SURVEY SHOWS STUDENTS HAVE TO WORK HARD Robin Smith The myth of the lazy student was s omewha t exploded this week \vith th e publication of a Mori s urvey into aspects of s tud ent life . One of th e main areas exa mined in th e s urvey was students taking on pa id work to help fu nd th eir d egree co urse .

The s urvey found th a t aro und forty percent of s tudents took on pa id work in a ddition to their acade mic studi es. Th ese s tud e nts worked on a verage for four tee n and a ha lf hours per week. earning a round eighty six poun ds . The su rvey a lso d iscove red th a t s tud e nts we re getting better a t loo king a ft er their money \vi th only two perce nt a dmittin g to s uffering maj or fin an cia l cri ses.

This week a ls o saw th e publicati on of a s urvey con ducted by a Scottis h u niver s ity. wh ich s uggested U1 a t wo rki ng for ove r fift een hours per wee k was d etri m enta l to s tu de n ts· acad e m ic perfo rma n ce. Thi s h as long bee n th e argument a t mru1y unive rs ities across th e c ountry \vith ins titutio n s u Ca mbrtd ~ su ch

Univers ity expressly forbid ding s tudents from underta king paid work during aca d emic terms .

Howeve r. \vith s tud ent debt on the increase. there is often very little alterna tive th a n to take on a pa rt-tim e job. Th e a verage student expected to gradu a te \vi th a d ebt of £ 974 4 and \vith til e introduction of top -up fees. this a mount is set to increase.

Cassie. AMS3 works for siA1.een hours per week in ad diti on to h er acade mi c co urse. "For me and m ost studen ts I know. wo rk is a necessity. Withou t it I s imply wouldn 't be able to cover all my costs. It is th e srune for m os t peo ple I kn ow. on e fri end at UEA even has two j ob s . wo rkin g twe n ty -two hours per week. We're in a Catch -22 s itua tion ; we need to have a job in order to fund our s tudies but th a t job pre vents u s from doing our acad emic work j u s ti ce ...

For som e. the only alterna tive to findin g a job is to be reliant on pa ren ts or relatives providing fin a n cia l ass is ta nce. As one aJl onymou s s tudent s ta ted . "! ha te h aving to take money from my d a d but \vith out it l

wou ldn't be a ble to afford books for my course ...

The price of aca demic textbooks was a m ajor con ce rn a mongs t s tud ents.

Some reading lis ts cos t over one hundred pounds to pu rchase which puts a hefty dent in the pockets of those wh o \vis h to own a ll of th e s uggested reading ma terial .

Many s tudents a ttempt to circumnavigate tilis expen se by \vithdra \ving texts from the li b rary b ut often demand fa r outs trips s upply.

Everyo n e h as h a d a t leas t on e ex peri e n ce in whi ch a text has a lready b een re m oved fro m t he library. leaving th e option of wa iting until it h a s been r eturn ed o r purc hasing a copy of on es own.

The cost of a lcohol was also m ention ed as a reason for taking on paid wo rk . It seem s th a t st ud e nts s till enj oy d rinking and U1 at th e only way to a fford a night ou t is to eith er cu t back on oth er expen ses or to go and earn some m oney .

If yo u wan t m ore infor m a ti on on th e s itu a ti on faced by lots of s tu dents tod ay the res ults of th e Mori poll ca n b e see n at www.mori .com .

Concrete Wedn esday.

February 9'', 2005

SILENCE IS GOLDEN Helen Pik e News Ed itor On Friday 11th Februa ry t hree UEA stude nts a r e keeping their lips tight in a 24 ho u r s ponsored s ilen ce.

Michelle Ca ter. who is on th e Streetj azz society committee a long \vith h e r fri e nd s Lerume Shelley and Rach el Mroz. who is president of the Cheerlea d ers society \vill be in th e Hive for mos t of Friday collecting spare change from s tud ents in ord er to raise mon ey for th e s pina l research ch a rity . a nd th e

reh a bilita tion of Mich e lle's cous in. The nin etee n year old was du e to go to univers ity this yea r but wa s

invo lved in a n accident over Chri s tmas th at le ft him paralysed from th e s h oul d ers d own. Michelle h opes tila t th e m on ey ra ised tilis

Friday will h elp towa rd s fundin g for 24 hour care when he comes ou t of h ospi tal and s tarts univers ity.

The girls participa ting in tile sponsored s ilen ce are well kn own for being the loudest runongst tileir fri ends and societi es . so Friday loo ks likely to be a chal lenge. The silen ce \vill last a ll d ay and th e money ra ised will be a dd ed to the £ 400 they have al ready m a d e through s pons ors hip . Be s ure to pop into th e Hive on Frid ay to s u pport th e girls a nd perha ps tes t how long tiley can s tay silent for.

NO MORETEARS

NEED FOR GREATER AWARENESS OF SELF HARM Clare Aitchison Health Editor The Nationa l Inqui ry into s elf-h a rm recently inte rviewed young peo ple aged 11 -25 a rou n d th e co untry to produ ce a re port wh ich reveals th a t both ed u cation profession a ls an d yo ung people feel tilat not enough info rmation and advice is p rovided abo ut self-ha rming in UK sch ools.

Self-h a rm incl u des a \vide range of th ings tilat people d o to th emselves in a deliberate and usually hidden way. which are d a m aging. This can incl u de cutting. poiso ning. burni n g. banging and h air p ulling. It is still a taboo subject. and people who s elf h arm tend to keep it h idd e n a nd d on't seek help . It is estim ated

tha t 1 in 10 teenagers selfharm . one of th e highest ra tes in Eu rope . And every year m ore th a n 24. 000 teenagers are a dmi tted to h ospi tal becau se of injuries th ey h ave d eliberately inflicted on th emselves. It is \vid eIy th ough t th at people selfharm as a way of expressi ng deep emotional pain and to re lease feelings of selfhatred.

At the moment. h ea lth ed u cation programmes in schools do not incl ude talk ing about self- harm. but you ng peo ple do want to ta lk about it. to help dispel th e fears and m is und erstand ings t h at surround th e beh avior. Teachers also want train ing to talk about it. to ens u re that self- h arm is und ers tood and get rid of any existing fears or m isund ers tandings.

Althou gh tile young people wh o were inte rvi ewed said tha t they didn't actually wa nt th eir t eac h e rs to beco m e co unsellors . th ey wou ld like to see extern a l and independent orgllilizatio ns providing informa ti on and a dvice.

For an infor mation pack a bou t self-harm or furthe r abo u t the info r mation Inq ui ry. vis it www.selfharmUK.org Whe re to get help: Visit your GP who can refer an ind ivid u a l \vith experie n ce of s elf-harm to a specialist who can help Talk to a teac h er. a friend . a fami ly member. a you th worker NHS Direct - 0845 4647 or www.nhsdirect. nhs. uk Samari tans - 08457 90 90 9 0

o â&#x20AC;˘

Cotcrttt Wednesday, February 9". 2005

www.concrete-online.com

I

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 9

FORCED UNDER LOCK AND KEY NEW GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO HOLD TERROR SUSPECTS UNDER HOUSE ARREST ILLEGAL Juliet Harris Legal Editor

Suspects held under the recently discredited antiterrorism laws would rather remain In Belmarsh than be subjected to the Home Secretary's proposals to detain them under house arrest.

Last week, the Home Secretary, Norwich South MP Charles Clarke, announced plans for a system of "control orders" to replace the laws. These "orders" would include curfews, electronic tagging and a requirement for suspects "to remain at their premises", otherwise known as house arrest.

For the purposes of the European Convention on Human Rights, what counts Is whethe r the individ u al has been deprived of the right to liberty. Most lawyers say h ouse arrest deprives a person of liberty.

These plans have yet to be legislated upon, meaning that the detained foreign n ationals will rem ain in Belmarsh and Woodhill prisons, a state of affairs no different than before the House of Lords declared the laws unlawful. Having said this,

Ben Emmerson QC, repre- to British nationals. senting two of the detainees However. commentators at a Special Immigration have been more outraged at Appeals Commission (SIAC) the fact that any such prohearing in London, stated posals could be considered that the pair would rather to be an acceptable response stay In prison if "the alterna- to the embarrassing ruling tive is the isolation and in December. John Spencer, claustrophobia of house a Professor In Law at arrest".

Cambridge University, comIndeed, according to Mr mented, "I am astonished Emmerson, there would be that the Home Secretary "no difference" between a thinks he can solve the Belmarsh cell and a council human rights objections to flat in South London. One of _ locking up foreign terrorist the detainees, Mahmoud suspects in Belmarsh by Abu Rideh, was granted bail deciding he will acquire in principle, largely due to power to lock up everybody the deterioration in his men- in their homes." tal state at having been unlawfully detained for the equivalent of a five-year sentence.

The House of Lords' declaration that imprisoning subjects indefinitely without charge or trial Is "the stuff of nightmares" does not appear to have deterred the Home Secretary from attempting to find other ways in which to d etain the "suspects".

Meanwhile, he is Insisting that Britain is still in a "state of public emergency" almost Gillian Slovo, an author three and a half years after and anti-aparth)eid camthe September llth attacks paigner, commented that the that originally prompted the Government is In fact "prolegislation. Shadow Home posing a set of orders that Secretary David Davis has will bring to Britain the expressed concern that the beginnings of the kind of proposals could be applied legal travesty that the

Labour Party once so energetically campaigned against". Lord Alton, an independent peer. stated.

"Having observed house arrest In Burma and South Africa, I would be gravely unhappy about introducing any legislation like that over here".

Such opposition appears to have derailed Mr Clarke's plans to rush such legislation through. The government's original timetable was to speed the bill through the Commons in a week and get it debated In the Lords by the end of the month.

However, Mr Clarke's silence since the announcement of the proposals may In itself prove to speak volu mes.

Supporters of civil liberties will certainly hope that this is the case.

10 concrete.new s@ uea. ac .uk

www.concrete-online.com

NEW PARTY, OLD KILROY

Concrete Wednesdm·. Februan: 9'''. 2005

SUFFOLK UNI POSTPONED

EX-UKIP BOSS TO PUT 'TRUTH' BACK INTO POLITICS REDEVELOPMENT PlANS STILL TO BE APPROVED

Plans for the devclopmen t of Suffolk College in Ipswich into the University Campus S u ffo lk [UCS) se t fo r approval this month by the High er Education Funding Council for England havr been postponed until the board's February 24th meet in g .

Tlw ambitious 50 million pound development is backed by a number of institutes dedicated to promoting lligher Education in the region including UEA. which already accredits degrees through Suffolk College. The new buildings will be part of a larger mullimillion-pound redevelopment of the histori cal Docksiclc area. which is

th e New Tec hn o logy Institute and studen t h alls. a rc hoped to be completed in ti m e fo r th e acade mic year 2007/08 and \vi ll be b ased in the new Ip swich Education Qua1ier.

Co llege Pri n cipal.

Professor Dave Mi:ll ler. said.

"New buil dings and fac ili ties for Suffolk College are needeel to meet increas ing demand for vocational education and training and the continuing growth in stu dents wishing to study further education." Ironically Ipswich Borough Council turned clown the opportunity to host UEA before it was established in Norwich and have been regretting the decision ever since.

The new development \vill tie in with lps\vich's much thwarted ambitions of

und erway and a lready includes a number of luxury a pa rtment bloc ks and a new Headqu art er s fo r Da n ce East. Th e Ne w aca de mi c buildings. whi ch wi ll include

becoming a city. a proposal for City s tatu s h a ving p revi ously bee n d eclined during th e m illennium . However a consortium m a de up of bus in esses. Ips wi c h Bo rou g h

Dean Bowman

Sam Webber Robert Kilroy-Silk last week launched his new political party a ft er fa iling to become leader of t he UK Independence party. Veritas· (whi ch is the Latin word for tru t h) ho pes to win support a t th e n ext electi on from th e co untl ess di se nfra n ch ised voters wh o h ave b ee n put off by so-called di s h onest politi cians and th eir eq ual ly s h a llow pro mises.

Mr Kilroy-Silk .

62. d ecla r ed a t th e Ve ritas la un ch "Unlike th e old parlies we s h a ll be hon est. open and s tra igh t". Howeve r h e is a lso pa nd e ring to th e n a ti o n a lis t ri ght wing in Brit a in . by foc u s ing on th e problem s wit hin th e immi gra ti on a n d Asylu m system s toge the r with a rguing th at people arc being made to feel ash amed of being Britis h .

Vcritas website Th e (www . veritasparty .eo. uk) co ntai n s an introduc tion to the party's manifesto wh ich paint s a far more deprt"ss ing picture of Britain than is ac tu a lly rea listic. "Feel up of being made to feel ashamed of being British? So are we".

Messages like this get Kilroy-Silk the support of a

small core of votrrs who frcl he is addressing what other politicians have not dared to. However. he is a household namt" following the suecess of his BBC daytime ta lk show Kilroy and people will listen strongly to what IJe has to say during the forthcoming general election cam paign.

Foll owing Michael ll owa rd"s recent s peeches about t h e major problem with rega rd s immig r a ti on and asy lum in th e country.

Mr Kil roy-Silk is ce rta inly p u ll ing forwa rd an eve n m ore rad ical and tou gh m essage d ecla ring. "80% of Britis h people and 52% of E thni c min o riti es wa n t immigratio n bro ught u nder co nt ro l"' a nd go in g o n to state "Britain is a soft tou ch for Asylum seekers". He m ay we ll takes vo tes from the Con servativt"s as some of t h eir trad itio n a l s uppo rtt" rs still fee l t h at they are being too vagu e by ta lking a b out immigration whilst still wanting t o remain w it hin th e European Union.

It goes a lmost without saying that Ve ri tas want to withdraw completely from the European Un ion. Their preliminary manifesto states "Our EU membership costs £40 Billion a year. That money should be spent

here". Mr Blair does not agree with this at all. nor will he be particularly worried about any threat posed to h im from th is for m er Labour MP. Vcritas wi ll rea lly only be taking votes th at wou ld o therwise have gon e to the Conservatives or to UI\IP. Ma rga ret Beck e tt . th e Secr et a ry of S ta te for th e Envi r o nm en t. did n ot appear to be too both ered by. thi s n ew fi g ure on th e Briti s h po litical s tage. When qu esti on ed recently a bout t h e Ve ri tas leader 's ch a n ces a t th e n ext e lec tion s h e ! respo nd ed . "Individuals can m ake a big n oise but don't m a ke very mu ch impac t on p olitical d ecis ions".

Ma ny p eopl e will b e in te rested to see the impact tha t thi s on ce ra dica lly le ft wi ng Lab o ur MP m akes a t t he next ge n eral elec ti o n lead ing a ri ght wing pa rty w hi ch cla ims th at it wi ll "ch an ge th e face of Britis h politics" . Robert Kilroy-S ilk will be th e Veritas candid a te for the Erewash con stituen cy in De rbyshire. The s itti ng MP there. Liz Blac kman. has a majority of 6.932 over the Conservati ves . Bearing in mind the flamboyant career RK-S. one would probably not want to bet against him bagging this seal.

Co uncil and o th er organ isations fo rmed in 2000. en visage a brigh t future fo r t h e beleagu ered town as p art of "Ca mbricl ge- to- lpswic h Hi tech Corrid or. .. The project. suggestive ly n a m ed IP -C ity. considers Ipswich a future "world centre for advanced techno logy" . and its webs ite boasts that "over 300 or!:(anisa ti ous h ave joined th e network. playing their part in making the area a focus for hi-tech enterprise and commercial compel it ivencss ...

Ipswich's dreams of becoming a city and a cent re of techno logical excellence depend entirely upon the creation of the University Campus Suffolk. which \\'ill act as a talent pool on which to draw. Bryony Rudkin. a representative of EEDA [Eas t of England Development Agency). one of the sche m e's b acke rs. says that "It's a rea li ty that people leave the cou n ty to go to un ivers ity. I do n 't like the phrase brain- dra in . b u t the fact is th a t we are n o t ge tting t h e b ra ins back. ..

Howeve r. m uc h wo rk n eed s to be don e if these a m bi ti on s are to b e reali sed .

One UEA s tudent wh o took hi s A-Levels a t Suffo lk Coll ege commented th a t "whils t I was th er e I got th e impres s ion that it wa s m er ely a h a ird ressing sch ool th at offered A-Levels on the s ide.

It's s upposed to b e the key Higher Educati on centre for th e whole of Suffolk. but the drop out ra te was s o high tha t by the fina l year s ome of the courses were redu ced to two or three students. "

FUTURE'S IN THEIR HANDS EIGHT-MILLION TURN OUT FOR IRAQ'S ELECTION Na dia Bennich Interna ti on a l Edito r Sunday 30th January was a historica l day for the Iraq is. a day they have long wailed for: Iraq's multi-party elec tions deciding about the future of tliei r L"Ount ry.

Approximately eight million brave civilians went to their polling station despite the extremely dangerous and violent circumstances where car or suicide bombers tried to dissipate the voters tmd suppress the elections by all means. Nevertheless. th e civilians were clctermincd to take the Jut ure of their country in their hands and queued at their polling sta tion to make the ir voices heard.

World Icaclcrs praised t he Iraqi people for their courage and determination for a n ew Iraq w ith President Geo r ge W. Bu s h 's sayin g th a t "Th e world is h earing th e voice of freedo m fro m the

cen tre of t h e Middle East".

Th e turnout h as been estimated at about 80% so far. m u ch high er th an Cll.lJected.

A majority of Shias· and Kurcls" paii icipatcd in the elections but the turnout of Sunnis' votes seems much lower which might put their future representation at stake. On Sunday evening. the counting of the votes already started by candle light but first results of the elections arc on ly clue in approximately ten days .

Then follows the appoinl m Pnt of a Prime Minis tPr tmcl the creation of a govern ment in March. who will draft a con s titution over sum mer.

Thcrr is still a very lont?, way to go and the question arises if the elections and the new government can rea lly put an end to the insurgency that shortly. All voters hope for a peacefu l and s table Iraq. but the real impac t of the election s on the futu r e of t h e cou n try

can n ot b e fo resee n yet.

The nu m ber of victims since las t year r em a ins unclear but it is estimated that more tha n 25 000. mostly civilians. have died and even at the elections· clay 30 people were said to be killed.

The futurr Iraqi govern ment will have to tackle the challenging task to guaran tee equal represent at ion of the multicultural popula tion. The creation of a con stitution has already been sul(_gestecl to be one crucial step to guarantee democracy and freedom for everyone but until the prospecli\'e governmrnt is completely functioning \vill take time.

Nonetheless. violence will still belong to the daily life of millions of Iraqi civilians in the near future who desperate ly hope that the democratic e lec tions will bring peace a n d welfare to the co untry progressive ly .

COic:rett Wednesday, February 9', 2005

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

11

THE LONG WAITS WILL SOON BE A THING OF THE PAST NATIONWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF FINES FOR BUSES THAT FAIL TO PICK UP CUSTOMERS ON TIME Is abel Dyson Proposals have been put forward to fine buses that run over five minutes later than designated timetable slots.

The suggested fines, whic h cou ld reach £550, would be policed by traffic commissioners, appoi n ted by local authorities. The lon g-awaited action to e n sure buses are prompt was pu t forward by the Government and has sparked mixed reactions.

Adrian Gunson, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for transport agreed that the constant problems with local buses had to be resolved, though he warned that fming the bus operators could lead to revised timetables and less frequent services In order to ensure that buses were punctual. "If the fmes were at a level that might real ly hurt the companies they alter their

ti metables and run fewer services."

The 25 bus route that runs from UEA is most commonly u sed by students as a direct way Into the city. golden triangle and train station, though Concrete has repeatedly reported on the frustration of stu dents who frequent the service. A third year LIT studen t claimed: "During the day they are normally reliab le, but I've waited so many times for over 40 min u tes and then you can guarantee two will always come at once - or one will drive past without stopping - it's got to be the most irritating part of Unit" Last month Gu n son met the First regional operations director, David Kay, a n d stressed that the company had to improve. The First bus company, who run the Norwich city centre routes, have received excessive criticism In recent months for their undependable services.

Norfolk County Council has spent £9million over two years on tmproving roads for bu ses and Mr Gunson said: "The council has done its part, now it's First's turn."

The Co n fede ration of Passenger Transport has expressed its su pport for the fines provided that they remain fair. Firms cannot be fmed if buses are delayed by road works or congestion.

A First spokesman said: "We are committed to improving services for our passengers for the futu re." A second year LAW stu dent said: "If they bring the fmes I thi nk it wou ld be an incen tive to run on time but you can't rely on the roads a lot of the time. especially with all the work they are doing In the city centre. Something does need to be done though." As Gunson suggested: "Sometimes early buses can be more frustrating for passengers than late ones."

NOT THE IRAQI ELECTIONS DEMONSTRATORS GATHER FOR LOCAL PROTEST Helen Pike News Editor As Iraq was preparing for its first election in fifty years. protestors gathered in the centre of Norwich to speak out against it. arguing the election to be manipulated by the US. The protestors said that calling the elections democratic was unjust when they are marred by the presence of the occupying forces. the Iraqi Security Services and the terror of

suicide bombers.

The election which took place on 30th January had an estimated turnout of 80%. Those who boycotted the chance to vote included supporters of former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein . most of who are Sunni Muslims.

Mr Offord, spokesman for the Norwich Stop the War Coalition. voiced his concerns on behalf of the campaign regarding the current state of Iraq. According to Mr Offord. areas with a high

concentration of Sunni Muslims. like Fallujah. were devastated prior to the elections. He also reported that many Sunnis did not receive election papers in the first place. effectively making the process a biased one. "In fact, many Sunni and Shia are calling the ele tions 'illegitimate' and have boycotted them".

Since the war ended last May, many areas in Iraq have been left without proper food. medicine. electricity. fue l and in some cases

2(

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The Red Line

water. Iraqis are often left queuing for hours for basic needs. as well as for fuel. gas or kerosene.

A recent report from UNICEF shows that the level of malnutrition in Iraq is twice what it was under Saddam I lussein . Carol Bellamy. Executive Director of UNICEF' declared the effects as "an uncon scionable slaughter of the innocents ... the killing of children is a crime and a moral outrage".

Mr Offord suggested that U1ere was a large amount of ambiguity urrounding the elections. With 111 political parties and nearly 8000 candidates. Mr Offord argued that it has not been made clear what many of them are standing for.

The protest distributed around 300 leaflets to passers by and many people signed petitions calling for British troops to be \villidrawn from Iraq. The next

international demonstration against the current Occupation is to be held in London and worldwide on 19th March .

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12 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Cotaett Wedn esday, February 9''. 2005.

www.concrete-online.com

Opinion NATHAN HAMILTON

WHY ART THOU SO BORING? WE'RE NOT, ACTUALLY, WE'RE JUST MISUNDERSTOOD he results of a survey, which found that art students were the 'mpst annoying ' of all those at univers ity, was published recently and briefly mentioned in the last issue of Concrete. Reasons for their general condemnation included: an ostentatious dress sense, and the 'facts' that 'they never do any work' and insist that they are 'the next creative genius to be infringed upon society' , whatever that means. Media and drama students were also deemed among the most 'annoying'. This is famil iar territory for any arts student.

'Pretentious' is often the word bandied around to dismiss a large

T

SIMON SHERIDAN

7 FOOT TEDDY BEAR, ANYONE? have a problem with most makebelieve "days", but this one takes the biscuit. By celebrating Valentine's Day, we are not giving thanks for being here, or thanking Christ for sacrificing himself, or just enjoying a period of time with our fam ilies wh ich we don't get to do the rest of the year because we are all so caught up in the deprived consumerist society in which we live. No, on Valentine's Day we celebrate love.

Now this is an ambiguous word at the best of times, and certa inly shouldn 't need its own day in order to bring anention to itself. If you love someone, why on earth do you need a saint who is hundreds of years old to tell you to buy a ridiculously expensive yet patently tacky present in order to sate your partner?

I

ROSS GRAINGER

IT'S ALL RELEVANT he day after I had finished writing the feature on why to boycon McDonalds that was in the last issue of Concrete, I found something quite distressing in an obscure and often overlooked drawer in our kitchen: a brochure wrinen by McDonalds, featuring dozens of coupons and waffling praise for the food at McDonalds.

Despite being well aware of my hatred of McDonalds and the antiMcDonalds feature that I was writing for Concrete, my housemates kept a brochure fuil of McDonalds coupons.

And they weren't a random thing you have lying around your house like Russ ian rubles or a menu for a Chinese takeout in Glasgow, they used the coupons - a few days later they came home with two bags of McDonalds for tea.

A number people have told me that despite the damning - and true -

T

portion of the university population : those doing BA qualifications. Without wanting to indulge in a playground squabble over 'who is bener than whom', I think it behoves someone to stick up for this often unpopular portion of the campus community. So, with the intention of bucking up our beleaguered young artists, let's point a few things out to all their pernickety detractors: The fact that many arts (particularly drama and media) students have a higher degree of 'visibility' because of the nature of what they're involved in - makes them easy targets. This should not be a reason to dismiss them out of hand. Exactly what would there be to do on campus if all the dynamic young boys and girls who enjoy organising film society screenings, puning together the campus paper, running the radio station, coordinating the studentTV station, producing student theatre, puning on poetry readings and participating in music events were to disappear? True, it's only 'stoodent' theatre, TV, radio and the like, but they've got to learn somewhere.

Rather than anracting ill-natured grumbles from jealous would-be

accountants, lawyers, dentists, doctors and nurses, art and arts students should instead be celebrated for all their larger-than-life exuberance. They make university a more interesting place. Some among us may wish all students to be marching around in suits, never smiling and speaking only of what their course contains, but I, for one, like the variety created by more 'artistically inspired' wardrobe choices or topics of conversation . t is a popular, but completely false , notion that arts students don't have to work as hard as others. Hard workers and work shirkers exist equally in every section of the educational environment, including teachers; and if you don't put the work in, it is unlikely, in any subject, that you will do well. lt is often other people 's lack of understanding of just how intellectually demanding arts subjects can be that is the problem . 'Outsiders' believe that English Lit is all just reading books (like Harry Potter') , Film is all just watching films (like Titanic) and that Fine Art is all just potato prints and messy beds.

'Yeah, but it's all rubbish . What's the use? What does it actually

I

The reason is simple - it is the same whether you are asking 'why do we eat McDonalds?' or 'why do we buy clothes from the Gap?' it is because we are duped. For some reason unbeknownst to anyone, we allow these corporations, these immoral money-grabbing cowards to dictate our spending patterns : what we eat, drink; say; or do. Valentine's Day is the very crux of th is process. I mean , what in God's name is a girl supposed to do with a seven-foot teddy bear with a heart on its chest? I don't know, but they are in the shops anyway and you can bet your bonom dollar that at least a few have been bought by some pituitary retards who are trying to impress their women.

Frankly, if you feel the need to buy such a monstrosity in order to get in your lady's good books, you are just plain sad. it's people like you who make life so bad for the rest of us why don't you do everyone, including yourselves a favour and just take her out for dinner instead? Maybe a greeting card if you really are in a soppy mood, but let's stop lening shops take the piss with our money,

OK? Doubtless some of you reading th is will be thinking , 'this guy is just bitter because he's some lonely, loveless cretin without anything else to do other than slag things off '. There's certainly an element of truth in that.

However, I have had my fair share of Valentines debacles before, including two break-ups on this very day, so I can speak with authority on the subject.

Instead of being a celebration of a particular couple's relation ship, Valentine's Day often brings anention to the relationship's deficiencies. lt is crazy that this is caused by businesses that care nothing of the couples involved as long as the money keeps rolling in. I have also had lonely February 14ths spent puning up with other couples enjoying themselves. Of course, couples don't only enjoy themselves on Va lentine's Day. After all , what would be the point? On Valentine's Day though, all the singles out there are forced to endure the merriment of others; forced to analyse their own shortcomings; forever doomed in a vicious circle of deceit

evidence against corporations like McDonalds and Wai-Mart, they just can't boycon them . The excuses I've heard are understandable: the price, the quality, the convenience and the sheer presence. But in the past fortnight I have come to empathise with what I think is the underlying reason for the mass apathy of such boycons: relevance.

Let's begin with a very extreme example: the USA and terrorism.

Before the 11th of September anacks, terrorism held a place on the average American's spectrum of importance somewhere between Chad (the country) and Boxing Day (which they don't have) , this despite the bombings of the USS Cole in 2000 which killed 13 Americans and the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, which killed路260 Africans.

Three and a half years since the anacks, terrorism still invokes the same patriotism and protectionism in Americans as it did on the 12th of September. The day before the 2004 Presidential Election, a video of Osama bin Laden was released. He repeated his vaguely ominous words against the American administration and the next day George W. Bush won by 3 million votes.

This is extreme because it's a maner of life and death. So too, they tell us, is global warming. When it comes to fighting terrorism the government started bending , and in some cases eliminating the rules on the 12th of September, but they prefer to play it by the book when it comes to the slightly less menacing threat of global warming.

And let's be honest, we aren't pushing them . The issue is in the papers a lot, there's the odd conference here and there, and Bush's refusal to acknowledge it provides fodder during those anti-Bush conversations I have about twice a day, but we just aren 't bothered by it. And why should we be? The people who market the terror of global warming to us need to take fear-mongering lessons from Bush's administration . They need to make it relevant. 'it means there will be more wild weather in the future .'

Oh; no. That would really ru in the idyllic British climate that we currently enjoy. 'There's a hole in the ozone layer three times the size of the USA.' You've been saying that since the 80s, it's fine.

And stop trying to scare us with these paltry statistics. 1 degree Fahrenheit: the amount the planet's

achieve? it's not going to save anyone's life , is it? Bloody art students .. . arse students more like ... ' I hear the lager-swilling economics or medicine student declaring with bile. Well, they're wrong. In short, art and the arts make life worth living in the first place.

'Yeah, but they only have, like, six hours of lectures or seminars or workshops a week at the most. That's nothing ... ' the beery objector may retort. Well yes, but, in order to gain any real understanding of one's subject, a lot of personal time has to be spent reading and writing and whatnot. Not to mention - of all things thinking. Yes, thinking. That invisible activity that cannot be measured in the number of lectures you have to anend . Not remembering what you 've been spoon-fed in terms of equations, formulae and case notes, but thinking individually.

An arts degree provides a different sort of education : discovering how to think creatively for oneself. Without those who can think outside the box, nothing changes. Many may think they don't need 'the arts', or art, in order to achieve this, but the more successful careers in law, medicine - and the

rest - will be forged by those who have an active interest outside their fields; by those who learn to think beyond the bounds of received wisdom . The arts help facilitate this in a way nothing else can. Don't knock it 'til you 've tried it.

And if you've tried it and just don't "get it", then really, who are you to criticise? Don't you sometimes wish you could recite a Shakespeare sonnet and understand the iambic pentametre? Don't you wonder what it would be like to have read Paradise Lost or The Canterbury Tales? No? Well how about the fact that at least once in your life, you're going to hear a reference to Virginia Woolf's love of the androgynous? it's inevitable .

And, for those who insist on th inking purely in terms of the balance sheet: arts students generally still pay the same amount for their six hours a week tuition, which subsidises all the extra lecture and lab time enjoyed by the rest. So stop grumbling and embrace the wonderful art student.

Avoid negative reference groups and love your fellow students. We all need each other. Good will to all. Amen.

Well , perhaps we could get rid of a few lawyers.

and despair that lasts the entire day.

And why? Because they cannot ignore it. Everywhere you turn there is something pink, or fluffy, or happy. All the couples you are oblivious to the rest of the year take on a kind of gravitational pull which forces you to observe them with disgust and annoyance. o other day can turn normally rational individuals into hatefilled neanderthals, most of whom end up locked in their bedrooms feeling sorry for themse lves and taking the necessary action to relieve th is state of affairs! A day that celebrates love should not bring so much misery to people. Even if you pluck up the courage to send a card to someone you fancy, I would dearly love to meet anyone out there who can cla im to have succeeded in this venture. I mean what is the point of signing 'anonymous' or 'your secret admirer'? If you like someone, keeping your identity hidden , which you do for the rest of the year anyway is hardly going to change this situation.

Hopefully this hasn't depressed

anyone too much . Those of you who have nothing to celebrate on February 14th may feel the same way, or you may not care. However, anyone that gets annoyed by this excessive consumerism can take heart in the fact that there are plenty of other single people about, as the UEA sex survey proves. If you like someone, don't even think of sending any tawdry love leners or cards unless they bear your full name and teleph one number. Those of you who are in a relationship and think this article stinks of jealousy should just be contented with the fact you have a boy/girlfriend and get on with enjoying each other. Just don't spend ludicrous amounts of your student loan on a cuddly toy or jewellery. They mean nothing as far as present go because you are compelled to buy them - if society did not tell you to purchase heinous gifts, you wouldn't do it. Just accept that Valentine's Day should be about love, and nothing else. No one should need to prove their love by spending money, but unfortunately this is what the modern incarnation of Valentine's Day has become .

temperature has increased in the past century. A whole degree? Wow. That's just slightly more worrying than 6 feet , which is the amount, we're told, that the oceans will rise if the ice caps that have long been threatening to melt finally melt.

Yes, if all the bad global warming stuff that they say is going to happen actually happens one of these days, then we might care. But until then, although global warming is a huge problem that needs our best people on it, average citizens like us just aren't going to be thinking about it on a daily basis the way we thought of, say, BSE. BSE (Mad Cow disease) was relevant. it was something that affected our everyday life, our diet, thousands of farmers and our economy. The threat of catching BSE made us change what we buy. That's why we did a centre-spread on things to boycon in the last issue, because we thought that by pointing out a panern of corporate malpractice we could affect what people buy, wh ich is the only way to make corporations change their ways. We can't, though, because unfortunately we can't invent relevant reasons to boycon Starbucks and Nestle. We can only point out the bad

stuff that they really do and hope that it affects people enough.

The government tries this with smoking. Smoking kills more than terrorism and global warming, but we still do it with the same vigour and languidness that we always have.

'Smoking Kills.' they tell us with a th ird of the packet. Of course it does. But the only way people will stop smoking on a mass scale is if a wave of virgin smokers suddenly asphyxiate from that first puff. 'Smoking Kills', can't compete with millions of people who smoke a few cigarenes a day and lead normal lives.

The Top-Up Fees campaign speaks volumes of the relevance of relevance . Last year the No Top-Up Fees rally in the square anracted less than 200 people, and we're students!

Well , we are now, but when top-up fees become law we'll be long gone .. .

When I found a stash of McDonalds coupons in my own house, I realised that McDonalds, Wai-Mart, etc. aren't as evil in the eyes of most people as they are to me. it's only when Big Macs cause people to instantly sprout love handles and Coca-Cola rots teeth on contact that we'll change what we buy and who we buy it from .

N

Cotcntt Wednesday, February 9,., 2005

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

13

UNION ELECTIONS 2005 ACADEMIC

COMMUNICATIONS

FINANCE

WELFARE

DAN PEARS ON

ANDY HIGSON

BEN WILLIAMS

ADAM COCHRANE

VOTE DAN FOR ACADEMIC OFFICER

Comms Officer must students k.now is h a p peni ng in their Union and make sure the University and others what the students

KEEP THE POWER,

GET INVOLVED VOTE WILLIAMS for

guys I ·will keep this as I'm only allowed words, a more detailed of my aims can be In the union's pan1phlct for the elections. My main goal is to increase the accessibility of the union officers and make sure the needs of 'real' students are met.

am the realistic and effective candidate.

Whether it is a resources rant or loopy library access. my door will be open to your concerns. Vote Dan if you want the best out of your university life and a strong. motivated and confident Academic officer.

I Will aim for more high profile infom1at1on in Union House about our campaigns. services and structures. Also. ensure Ra bbit and the website are useful and relevant.

JOHN PEACOCK

DONNABOAM

COLL FARAGHER

EMMAKELLY

your Conununicatlons Officer, I will ensure that UEA s tudent knows to get the most out of their Union, and that Pvf•rvt\nP is fully informed what Is going on at UEA. will campaign for the issues lhat affect you. and that everyone a t UEA has the opportunity to have lots of fun, whatever floats their boat!

Coli Faragher for Finance I'm a third year in ternational development studies student. 1 was a founding member of the s urf club. hatching the plan whilst coaching in Jersey. and have worked as club Treasurer for two years. Check out my man ifesto before the elections and vote Faragher for finance.

a friendly, caring perand have been in S tudent t hroughout my as Secretary for the UEA student servtce.

As Officer, I Will endeavour to ensure all studen ts a re represented and will make myself avaUable to help you with any concerns you may have.

WUISE HORNER

DEAN WALKER

SATORU SAMEYA

I

passionate about our Union. and have the difference it can to you. If elected. I'll school rep. for ENV in order to ensure I get the best deal possible for student representation under the new faculty structure.

KATHRYN PATERSON Kat Pat - Nothing submitted

ENVIRONMENT JENNY GELLATLY The only future is a sustainable future. If elected I will: campaign for alternatives to the multi-million pound car park; support the Nestle boycott; extend and improve the universities recycling facilities: support plans for two university owned wind turbines and encourage energy conservation at UEA. I will bring energy and enthusiasm to this vital role as you r Environment Officer!

RUTH COLE Nothing submitted, Ru th is abroad this year.

to more feedrunning clear camImproVing the vtslof s tudent media and an experienced, accesan.d practical comcandidate mu nications who is here to listen to what you want from your Union. and make it happen. Open your eyes: it's your Union.

OWENMORGAN

FINANCE

As a final year management studen t. I have the skills the job requires.

Moreover. being a sociable person 1 am involved in many clubs and societies. and so have an idea of what the students want!

Find out more! Take a look at my manifesto

Vote Dean Walker [11

S USANNAH HOLLAND

MATIHEW SPARKES

and Philosophy President of Gospel Choir. of PixelFace this university good to great suits personality: dynamic, driven and dedicated, with a passion for increasing student influence Within the university and beyond. Please quiz me on Ideas for restructuring. student media, and campaign coordination.

I don't wa nt it!

o I

t . ..'

I

Nothin g Submitted

.

RHIANNON CLARKE Hi, I'm Rhiannon, you may have seen me at Livewtre or working behind the bar.

As your conununlcatlons officer, I pledge: Regular office hours making time for you More support for societies To speak out on issues you care about Conununicating for you. making your voice heard - Vote Rhi!

I'm open and friendly, and will fight for the Issues you believe are Important.

Being on Union Council has given me an understanding of how the Union works. and what issues stu·dents feel strongly about. E-mail me with any questions: s.holland@uea.ac.uk.

RICHARD BAKER and stu-

tinues to prosper and forward, both in terms of value for money and environmental and ethical standards."

INTERNATIONAL

SOCIETIES

STEVIE ALTMAN

ZARA SIDDIQI

E DDIE SHIELDS

'I am an enthusiastic and dedicated person , having gained the valuable experience necessary to both lead campaigns and be a listening ear for all your envlronmental and ethical concerns. I Will always make myself available to deal With any concerns you may have. Feel free to email me at s.altman@uea.ac.uk'

international officer, I would be ou tgoing, committed and reliable in representing students of over 100 nationalities. My aims to advocate, support, m' '""rau~ and celebrate our al students. I want to help you make the most of your time at UEA and in Norwich whether you're international or British.

Hi, I'm Eddie, running for societies officer. I will ensure that small societies have all the same opportunities as larger societies and help them to cooperate In order to better achieve their goals . I Will also encourage Wider participation in societies by making them more welcomJng and accessible to all students.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL CANDIDATES

LIBERATION$ STEVE WILLIAMS Hi, I'm Steve Willlams and I'm running for Liberatlons I a m currently Officer for the LGBT and I'm the Council rep for CCl,ncret·e Soc. I want to lesbian, gay, u l::;·o:x.Lii'.U, trans, Black and student's with disabilities on the Union Exec and support their respective NUS Campaigns.

DON'T LIKE 'EM? VOTE FOR RON

www.concrete-online.com

14 concrete.features@ uea.ac. uk

SiNsiiN · s 'Lo ve s tore/ 2 Charing Cross, Norwich

lt's that time of year again. The Concrete Sex Survey asked the probing questions and you gave the answers. And how! Safe in your annonimity you happily revealed your vital statistics, your darkest secrets, your wildest fantasies and a lot of stuff that has left us scarred for life. Here now are the results from this year's survey. For a selection of Valentine's Day messages turn to page 17. Enjoy!

40

Group Sex: 5% Fisting: 3% Bukkake: 3%

Have you ever not used birth control?

Yes: 48% No: 52%

-

Virgin: 3% 12:3% 13:5%

14:8% 15: 12% 16: 15% 17: 27% 18: 15% 19:7% 20: 4%

many partners have you had in total?

1-5:58% 6-10:22% 10-20:9% 20+: 11%

Ever

you

' "'"'""'""

~orgasm (it last~

Yes: 36

No: 64%

~

~campus have (i,;.?rde;~f popularity)

long_,..aoe~x , lnc.rm:allv last? ~

b~

Library LCR Earlham Park (including the take) Lecture Hall Union House Sportspark Union Bar

How

J • _/

J

Other public places where you've done it: Ashdown Forest; Beach; Church; Cinema; Felbrigg National Trust Property; Luton; Park; Plane; Train

If so, who?

Chris Moyles; Bruce Forsytll~ Tickle from Big Brother; Pluto - Disneyland; SensJs Fail guitarist

What sexual health resources would you like to see available on ca,.pus?

More free condoms in more places (i.e. ol1side the LCR).

More information on abortions.

More leaflets, more awareness.

More resources and information for homosexuals.

More publicity and events on STD's.

Make it easier to be tested for STD's.

e Bloom Jude Law Robbie Williams Hugh Grant; Brad Kart Kennedy

How would you rate your sexual prowess 3% on • SC!P'of 1-10 (1 5 minutes: 13% ~ad and 10 30 mi~tes: 34% being good) 45 minlJtes: 26% / UEA Female Average: 1 hour: 18% ..-/' 6.9 out of 10 More:6% How often do you masturbate?

What is your favourite Daily or more: 11 o/o sexual position?

Missionary: 29% A few times a week: Doggy Style: 22% 30% On Top: 33% Weekly:20% Spoons: 12% Monthly: 11% Anything: 4% A few times a year: 15% Never: 13% What sexual position Where mostly? do you use the most?

Bedroom: 88% Missionary: 47% Doggy Style: 15% Shower: 10% OnTop:28% Lounge: 1% Housemate's bed: 1% 69:2%

Women are getting far more sex than Men, with 42% getting it mQ(_e than once a week, compa~cfto the boys 33%. A higher proportion are also getting it daily: 16o/tJ_o 13%.

"Shaved my legs, straightened l1lY hair, put on ( make-up, got drunk." ......_ • "A mate's ex."

"15"" "Joined a belly-dancing club."

"Climbed a mountain."

"Playing Counter-Strike with my boyfriend's mates in a net cafe (on our first date) for four hours."

"Got naked on my boyfriend's bed and started masturbating.• "Internet chat rooms." the bus in my underwear, fishnets, stilettos and coat in the freezing cold."

"I went to some friends house wearing only a big and took it off." on a flight and moved countries." to the LCR."

)

of men feel threate'*d by

e1n

empted?

How many one-night stands have you had?

None: 41% A few:44% 5-10:5% 10+: 10% Have you done any of the following?

Filming: 12% Bondage: 13% Internet Sex: 12% Role play: 17% reesome: 10% Sex:24%

Oral Sex. Do enjoy...

Giving: 45% Receiving: 53% Neither: 2%

get one!" ~""'' in Norfolk Terra_e - ,.,.~ic

Have you ever had sex with a member of the same sex (or, if you are gay, the opposite sex)? ~% No:73%

How many sexual partners have you had at UEA? Haveyou eveTtlad anal sex?

Most girls are either staying with the same man ~e~5% No: 65% having been burnt or disappointed, keeping well of UEAmen as 32% have:s:y had one sexuIf fo, did you enjoy it? ,,.,- ~~ .. ~·~·from UEA. Ye~: 61% No: 39%l-. large proportio (29%) of wo n have only 1 J with UEA men Have you ever"1rad sex with a celebrlty'l Yes: 5% No: 95% 2:23% 3:10% 4:7% 5:7% 6:2% 7:1% 8:0%

How often do you have sex?

Daily or more: 16% A few times a week: 42%

of women own a vibrator

sexually aroused in the cinema while Treasure - lefs just say I liked jewels." a man with a ring in his penis.....,•• rvr•n•>~

Spoons: 5% Standing Up: 2%

Have you ever contracted a sexually tral'lsmitted disease (STD)?

Yes: 12% No: 88%

If yes, what was it?

Warts, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Thrush, Herpes, Cystitis, Childbirth

a four poster bed on a beach in Thailand." with the ex - RAWKUS!" the UEA librarY:' lne><Pe(~ted sex on a hot summer night on my Australia." of jack, lots of rubbers and a few days 1nn'"t"''"' to go." after a really amazing gig, totally drenched peoples sweat, followed by fish and chips

of men and women at UEA are single - so get to the LCR and start getting some

Which method of birth control do you favour?

Condom:38% Contraceptive pill: 57% Other:5%

Virginity - When are the ladies losing it?

Seventeen is the most popular age for the young !aQies of UEA to lose it, with 27% of respondents mSki(1g_ t~reak at that age. Sixteen to eighteen years'¥ is the win~ in which most girls are creasi~Jg the bedsheets. . ~ ~ 3% of'OEA females are '\i'rrgins, which Is e s~ of ladies wfWiaim to have lost ~(r virr,n•tv at twelve. ~. lt\e girls are contem with their decision, as only 16% regretted go~ngt6r it at the age they did.

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 15

·www.concrete-online.com

Cotcntt Wednesdav. Febntary 9f• 2005

SEX SURVEY 2005

F

History

Cotcnte Wednesday. February 9". 2005

a Mars bar:' my virginity to a self-absorbed, ass-hole." getting laid on a one-night stand because scared of me and I had the runs." anal sex." my boyfriend a bj after he had eaten Pn•l"'""nr"" and prawn sandwiches - you you eat!" of avw Polo." my virginity to a Turkish barman in his iron shack."

I "H"v"'n to call the fire brigade after being in my sex swing." first time - it hurt, I was crying and he Submarine' playing in the background." l"~,nm .nnh Grandparents knocking on .. moments before orgasm."

I was 16, he was a colleague in his said."

The Sex Survey 20051 k you to all those who took part. Credit out there 16 all the fellas who were honest - some of you ~iously weren't but you gave us plenty of lau~ last week.

Most of the results were fairly predictable. 74% of those surveyed claim to be heterosexuals wi1tJ 58% of you being in a relationship at the present lime. The rest of the guys are single apart from the individual who claims to be suicidal - he also noted Unreal Tournament as being a sex aid! Most u are getting laid about once eve~ight. ut kudos goes out to the 8 dudes who are gettin · more than once a day. We were surprised to team that practically everyone out there enjoys oral sex with more guys preferring to receive head than give it- but not by many. At least half of those surveyed claimed to be as willing to give as to receive 90 there should be no complaints in t~t departmentjThe average erect penis at~is 1 (6 inches long, though there is a 2 incher ~ a 12 incher out there. Not a single male claim ea 1;lot to masturbate and in only 2 cases was it done 'a few times a year'. To impnpve masturbat.ion the g~ . use a vast array of sex tqys. Two of you own a k of Ancient Greek erotic playing cards, so if yo ever have a poker_)ligQ.Lcount me in. The majo have at least a little por~ some of you cla1ming to possess "everything un~.Aite sun" - does this include gimp suits? \ A small number of men and women have learnt harsh lessons from having unprotected sex. A vast array of STD's await anyone willing to take a chance with tm'known genitalia. For a discussion of STD's turn to th~'FMhlon and Lifestyle section.

Men have had more sexual partners overall, but both sexes are putting it about at the same rate. When it comes to one-night-stands, most have had 'a few'

2 Charing Cross, Norwich

MALE When are men losing their virginity?

16 is tte most common age for men, with 15-17 the bracket! in which most men have sex for the first SJrprisingly, more men than women felt that lo3t their virginity at the wrong age. The reagven by both sexes were similar: wrong age, partner, wrong time and place.

a fat slag in the LCR because I was homy" for it" bribing and chocolate" for an hour" nk, very drunk" half-way round the country" n an airport toilet cubicle after the condom had broon foreign soil" '"M""""'' my ex drive 100 miles just to have sex with

partners have you had at

ANAL SEX

Of the 42% of men who have had anal (left), only 3 people not enjoy it.

As for the great outdoors, men and women tend to in similar public beaches, parks, cars, etc. There were two men, however, who claimed to have had sex in a graveyard.

Kinky.

5 miles"

,.., ~·"""'n out my pierced penis or preying on recently ped girls"

"By myself with my computer" "Girlfriend wearing £80 of Anne Summers lingerie" the girl came she moaned "you're so big" and over again" "The first time me and my girlfriend came together" "Shagging a mate's sister" "The first time I made my girlfriend cum· , tube and 3 of the hottest girls in the world" w~h some skat porn· rough sex with a male model whilst having lni~•h~>t'i'"' attack" r."r·ihh.~;~n hotel room during a tropical storm" 1-H,,.v.rtn sex with someone I love and who loves me

peed on mid-shag" to stop because I couldn't cum" the girl fell asleep" was a lot of blood involved" shat on my head while I was shagging Tea-tree oil to tube up my girlfriend and tit-wank - it stung and inflamed my cock" so drunk I puked and came at the same time. found by my mother in the toilet trying to the condom that was still on" caught by the police in some back-alley" .-:sr1anr,1nc a minger after getting really drunk"

How many partners have you had altogether?

1-5:44% 10:23% 23%

!oYes o No

I

The majority of men and women s they would not shag their best mate's partner, but men, unlike women, are more inclined to shag to Which of the following have you participated In? Sexual games amongst men and women are quite similar. Phone and Internet sex are the most popular with men and women. An equal number of men w:Mnen (6) have tried the ancient art of

FAI'nltitnts· 1%

pill: 39% method: 2% · Ifs against God's law: 1% Gay:2%

How often do you have sex?

Oral Sex. Do you enjoy...

Giving: 43% Receiving: 48% Neither: 10%

pa ever not used birth control?

Spit, Swallow, Puke?

Spit: 21 % Swallow: 60% Puke: 19%

No: 39%

you ever contrKtecl a . .xuelly transmitted sea se? : 14%

Practice Daily or more: 13% A few times a week: 33% Weekly:5% Monthly: 17% A few times a year: 25% Never: 6%

lr.r>ntr:~~~r.~•nti>JA

61%

further their career.

How often do you suffer from impotence?

Never: 48% Occasionally: 45% Frequently: 7%

No: 86%

yes, 'Nhat was it?

Genital warts, Gonorrhea, Crabs, Thrush

The girls like to be in contra , with 33o/o preferFin~ to be on top. Tha men, predicta want it like gs.

sex again soon• Palace surrounded by all his Harems• l"ll"'ont,;,..,t twins and a video-camera" l•c::,,m<•thi•"' to do with Natalie Portman and

I"PJassionatA but rough sex with a Spanish guy by l carnofirA in the Andes"

with lots of pretty people in a house made Delight" sex with 4 women from the same family they span 3 generations" group sex on a football pitch with 60000 Sexual Prowess (UEA Mate Average) 7.05 out of 10

sign (right): the average length of a UEAman's erect penis.

6inchesis also the preferred penis size for just under half of UEA women.

(Graphs courtesy of Graham Marsh)

62

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10'

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16 concrete.features @uea.ac.uk

www.concrete-online.com

Coacnte Wed11esday, February 9", 2005

WHAT'S UP WITH WASABI? Considering a romantic meal for Valentine's Day? How about sushi? lt's the latest craze to sweep the culinary culture of Britain, 路and, best of all, it's healthy. Ju/ia Richardson explains. re you eating your "5-A-Day" of fruit and veg? Counting your calories? Watching your cholesterol? If you are, you probably dutifully try to enjoy that gardenmulch salad, or chick-pea gloop, while really wishing you could just sink your teeth into something more appealing.

The problem, it always seems, is that if it is something you crave, it probably isn't good for you.

That problem is a little less daunting if you are a sushi fanatic. Here comes the onslaught of 'eugh .. .raw fish!' from those unlucky enough not to have delighted in 'the latest food trend. Or the inevitable reference to the episode of The Simpsons in which the family goes to a Japanese restaurant and Homer ends up eating a poison blowfish that leaves him with 24 hours to live. But, sushi is rolling in to our local supermarkets and coffee shops, such as Sainsburys and Pret a Manger, and is picking up speed as the nation's thirst for fresh new healthy flavours develops. A sushi pro is of course going to enjoy indulging in Squid Nigiri or Salmon Sashimi, the flavours are exqusite... but Japanese cuisine is more than just raw fish. it is a common misconception that sushi must include raw fish - there are plenty of other types of sushi: sweet egg omlette, fresh cycumber or sweet pickle just to name a few. Additionally, the range of delicious hot Japanese meals is extensive, teriyaki and tempura dishes are renowned, and of course vegetarians are always catered for.

Noticeably, society is starting to become more aware of healthy food options and the dangers associated with obesity and bad diets in general.

The multitude of recent programmes, such as 'You Are What You Eat', have certainly kick-started a desire to break away from the fast-food compulsion. The Food Standards Agency is under pressure to tackle manufacturers over the levels of artificial fats, linked to heart disease, that are

of consumers are eating these dangerous fats every day, unaware that they are present in food. High levels of these fats were discovered in a range of popular food products and in meals on sale in fast food chains: KFC, McDonald's, and Burger King being just some of the major culprits. lt is almost impossible to avoid a helping of trans fats if you buy convenience food and it is commonly found in biscuits, cakes, pastry, margarine and other processed foods. The remodelling McDonald's has attempted to achiev路e, with its array of new salads and reduced-salt chicken nuggets, is certainly a worthwhile effort, but seriously, who really enters the Golden Arches to indulge in a plastic bowl full of lettuce and creamy dressing (which isn't that healthy after all)?

If you enjoy sushi, you can feel good about the nutrition that it provides and the low cholesterol it contains. The fish is low in fat and full of digestible protein, and includes hearthealthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Studies continue to demonstrate the enormous role Omega-3's play in maintaining a healthy metabolism; they have even been understood to improve conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis and depression. On average, a four-ounce serving of sushi contains 225 calories, five grams of protein and less than one gram of fat. Even wasabi, the spicy green accompaniment to sushi, is rich in vitamin C! The artful manner in which sushi is presented provides yet another healthy benefit to dieters. Portions are relatively small and consist of several bite-sized pieces, encouraging the diner to practice slowly

6 Tombland Norwich

01603619262 www.shiki.co.uk

Shiki Japanese restaurant Valentines at Shiki 11th Feb - 14th Feb Shiki is an elegant Japanese restaurant situated in Tombland, the culinary bean of Norwich.

Whether you wish to treat someone you love or enjoy an evening out with your closest'friends. Valentines at Sbiki is the perfect event for everyone

he stereotypcial image of an undergraduate student tucking into yet another can of baked beans or a pot noodle really isn't a fair depiction anymore.

Today, students are far more interested . and enthusiastic to try new and exciting food.

Fast-food chains are becoming more than unhealthy, they are decidedly boring in a world where an eclectic blend of global cuisine is avaible quickly and affordably. Budgeting will always be an issue, and obviously popping down for a three-course meal at a top-notch restaurant is not a regular occurrence for a student.

However, we do like to go out to eat sometimes!

There are numerous occasions for which dining at a restaurant becomes a natural 'appetizer' for a night out, and students do like to try places other than 'Pizza Express' and 'Frankie and

T

Nevertheless, even restaurants that serve Thai or Nepalese food have started to become relatively ordinary, and thus the sushi craze is taking shape. Japanese Cuisine used to be regarded as a delicacy only suitable for bulging wallets, but this really is not the case anymore. Attention to unusual food that encourages dining out to become more sociable and interactive is tantalising student tastebuds far more thah it used to because it really is so much cheaper and thus so much more appealing. Sushi has become extremely fashionable as an exciting and nutritious option that is causing the conventional chain-restaurant world to shudder in its path ... people want food that they can admire and show off about. Even more appealing to UEA cultured students is that Shiki, a truly authentic and very student-friendly Japanese restaurant has just opened in Tombland and offers a delicious range of sushi and Japanese cuisine.

Coaaett Wedn esday, February 9th, 2005

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

17

VALENTINE'S MESSAGES If you're single and lonely, you might want to skip this page, for it is the page of love. We received all kinds of Valentine's Day messages, from the soppy and romantic to the bitter and irrelevant. Here are the best ones.

Valentines. Schmalentines The dreaded day is almost upon us again.

Well, when I say dreaded, I of course only mean dreaded by the male half of the population, who cower and whine at the very mention of Valentine's Day, whilst the girls cross off the preceding days in joyful anticipation of the celebration of all things ... well, girly. Or so a large number of people would have you believe.

However, the idea that all men have a built-in aversion to Valentine's Day is untrue. Certainly, the pressure to invest in frivolous and often unwanted gifts, coupled with the over-commercialisation and sickly sweet shop window displays, leaves everyone, not just men, feeling as if they are being ripped off like a well intended chocolate G-String (if such a thing exists). But this does not necessarily translate to mean that the sentiments of Valentine's Day are lost on the male species altogether. For those chaps lucky enough to have a partner, Valentine's Day provides an often much needed opportunity to express ones feelings and to revisit the early stage of the relationship, before the romance had been kicked out of it. Indeed, in a world where the age of chivalry and romance can often appear to be as distant a memory as that noise Edd the Duck used to make, we are all, guys and girls alike, fortunate to have a day, (albeit just twenty-four little hours), devoted to the expression of the most natural emotion of all; love. Oh yeah, I used the 't.: word, and indeed that reveals another unfounded myth; why is it that whilst women are apparently finding love every five minutes, men are supposed to be somehow allergic,

no sense whatsoever; of course blokes fall in love, and Valentine's Day provides just the opportunity to prove it, not through teddy bears and fluffy handcuffs, but through a few heart felt words and/or a romantic gesture.

Even those Gentlemen without a partner to spoil on the 14th can enjoy the celebration of the patron saint of all things heart-shaped (ok, not his official title). Valentine's Day creates the ideal moment for men to declare their previously unspoken feelings for that special someone, and more often than not, to embark upon the relationship they've been dreaming of since they met. And even if not looking to commit to anything so binding, lads have the perfect excuse to flirt innocently with the lovely they've been eyeing in lectures all year, through anonymous cards and other teasing trinkets to warm the soul with some mid-February fun . Furthermore, the more lusty chaps have all to play for at the increasingly popular Valentine's functions , where the unavoidable sentiments of Valentine's Day, often combined with drink, provide the perfect opportunity to partake in romantic revelry, and often bring together the seemingly most unlikely of couples.

Put simply, the idea that blokes hate Valentine's Day is not true. The 14th of February (yes, I remembered the date), provides blokes with a perfect opportunity to either show their partner just how much they mean to them , or to enjoy the more light-hearted elements of romantic relations.

We might moan at having to buy a fluffy bunny clutching a heart shaped box of chocolates, but to be honest, we love it!

Dear Kev, Just wanted to tell you how much I love you. I couldn't have got through this year in America without your support. Not long until I'm home- keep smiling . Leza.

I love my sexy Ant. To Darryl Geoffrey Eastell. We only got it on once, but it will never be forgotten. Always special.

Chris D - I know things seem really bad now, but there's someone who'd be glad to help you forget her -just look around!!

Nigel Harrington: I've still got your little trolley.

Nige, I love you. A lot. Please return my Black & Decker doll. I do though love you. Marvin Gaye.

To my lovely monkey man. My love grows more for you everyday. Your Princess.

Donna, you are amazing every time, but do I really have to wear that thing again?

Miss Susie Kelly. You're brilliant, you are (Yorkshire accent). Ally xxx"

B B Brightside, oh how you light up my life with your ug lovin' . Yak Yak Yak. Love, Red Fury xxx Ree is red, violets are blue, she is so special, and beautiful too.

Simon Evans, a sweeter more romantic man cannot be found with a larger penis. All our love, M &L Dan, you will turn any guy gayl Dear Muffy: it's been great, ·but I shagged your mate, sorry, Ellen.

Red Panda, you like Bukkake, and so do I. Love, 'special girl.'

This history of Valentine's Day goes back a long way. February 14th in Ancient Roman times was the Feast of Lubercus (the God who watched over shepherds), and also a day of celebration of the Goddess Juno. Tradition was to write the names of all the young girls on pieces of paper, which the boys chose at random. The couples would spend the evening together, and often continued to meet throughout the year, many couples falling in love and getting married.

However, this day was not coined Valentine's Day until the Christian Church, attempting to abolish the worship of pagan deities, re-named the day after a Christian Saint. Stories about St. Valentine vary, but the main details remain the same. Emperor Claudius 11 (a.k.a. Claudius the Cruel) was having difficu~ies in recruiting soldiers for his wars, since married men were reluctant to leave their women, so Claudius banned marriage and made all engagements void. One priest, Valentine, continued to wed couples in secret, and when he was found out he was thrown into prison, where he died on 14th February 270 AD. Some say he fell in love with the jailer's daughter, and signed letters to her "from your Valentine"; and so Valentine's Day was born.

The traditions of Valentine's Day vary; in Europe people present their lovers with flowers, or chocolate, and secret crushes are announced in anonymous love letters. Valentine's Day has also spread further East, and in China the celebrations of 14th February have somewhat superseded the Chinese Valentine's Day, on 15th

Dear Jess, I don't have the words to say how happy I am to be with you, or to share our second Valentines Day, other than to say I love you, John xxxx

Laura, sorry I've been an arse to you for so long. I'll be nice from now on. I love you muchly.

Richard

To Nat, If we're both creative maybe its time we get vibrative. Love Ollie Dear Mark, I'm sorry ... its not even as if /like crisps that much, I just got carried away ... ~ won't happen again x d

Dear Mark. Happy Monday! Love you lots, L. Junglist, you are the one that I want, beautiful G, my love forever and always. Squidgy.

My Precious Unreal Tournament, I have not been the same since I met you. Those lie-ins have been unforgettable. I dedicate Valentines Day to you and you alone. Daniel George

Crinkley Bearman, I love you you big cuddly bear. Let's get together. From your love bunny XXX

Emily Wishard, I thank God every day for you .

You are Heaven-sent. Your fellow Patriot, Colin Love you Pea

Squirrel loves her Nutz, always & forever.

moon in the darkness of my life.

Em yeu chi ladies. Love Anna.

Sarah -Top Totty!!!

Lucy Coburn, the love of my life - one day we

To the boys at 39 Norvic: I've wanked in all your rooms. Love Ross.

To Rob Whitby. Sorry for everything in the past.

Still missing you.

Mr Jazz, you're my best one, I love you . Mrs

Jazz.

This is a message for anyone working on an instant intercontinental human transporter: Hurry up ... the men in Norwich suck.

To the tall dark first-aider by the name of Henry.

You can give me one on one first aid anytime.

To my pooh bear. I really like you. Don't join the army.

August, which is in memory of two ancient lovers, separated by a Goddess, and only allowed to meet on that day every year. Many Chinese people are angry that their cu~ure is being dominated by Western traditions, a sentiment that is echoed in other places. Protests and attacks on shops selling Valentine's merchandise are frequent in India and Pakistan, where the Western festival is seen as an insult to Hinduism and Islam. The Japanese, on the other hand, have taken Valentine's Day and made it their own. On 14th February Japanese women present men with chocolates. They are obliged to give "Giri Choco" (Duty Chocolates) to their bosses, while "Honmei choco" are reserved for the man the girl really cares for. On 14th March, White Day is celebrated, and the men return the favour by presenting the women with gifts. Japanese Valentine's Day, however, can be seen as yet another form of oppression of Japanese women, many of whom dislike being forced to give gifts to bosses who are frequently unpleasant to their female employees.

In the last decade or so Valentine's Day has become yet another commercial holiday, with shops making people feel obligated to buy something lavish for their partners. The true spirit of the day has been somewhat lost in the drive to sell sweets and bouquets. But before you attack Valentine's Day, writing it off as a commercial gimmick engineered to make us spend more money, remember the original story of Valentine's. ~·s not about money and sales. ~·s about love.

Jen Merchan

..·

Jambo, there ain't no woman or man or tranny or thing that's gonna love you like they should.

But please let me try.

Stu, I love you with all my heart. You mean the world to me and I am at my most happiest when I'm with you.

Lotsa love, Hannah.

Tom Rogers you rock my world.

Valentine's Day: commercial gimmick or ancient tradition?

Still my beautiful Beth and always will be xxx To Syd, Happy Valentines Day, Love, Your Badger

Ruth from Wolfson rocks more than geology

Lo_r_e_v_en~im~m_u_n_e_to~tt_?_~-~~an~id_e_a_t_h_at_j_u_st_m~a-ke_s~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-a_n_s_h_~~s-~~ff~h ~ my beaut~ul girllriend who is the shining Simon and Saffron, you are the sexiest girls in uni. How about a threesome?

will be husband and wife. I need you here, even though I'm queer, Love Car/ton

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www.concrete-online.com

Coacrete

Wedn esda v, Jwwarv 26'', 2005

CUT SHORT

FOR LIFE WITHOUT CON'CRETE

A magician Charlie has been touring local schools entertaining children and educating them on recycling. His show focu ses on the three Rs: reducing, reusing and recycling and teachers are said to be fully supportive of the performer and his Let's Talk Rubbish show which encourages ch ildren to take better care of the ir homes , schools , communities and cities.

¡cAR PARK ALTERNATIVES Six months on, the recycling scheme is working well, but there is much room for improvement his week we wa nt to exto l th e virtue s o f food shopping at Norwich market, as an a lternative to going to the superm arket. 'Fres h' food in s upermarkets is usually transported from around the globe, no t only invo lving th e release of a vas t amount o f air pollution, but also requiring th at th e food is either picked be fo re it is ripe or pumped full of chemicals, so it can s u rvive the journey without turning into mush . Local food is tastie r and healthier, and, if you buy wise ly, genera lly cheaper.

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The ma rket has a grea t va ri ety of fruit and vegetables , mostly from around East Anglia, a nd the sta ll owners can tell you where it comes from and how to cook it, wisdom I can' t omagine a parttime supermarket employee being able to pass on to you I If you are into your organic food , check out Eostre Organics (row A}, which is a co-operative of mostly local organic farme rs.

Its not only fruit and veg that attracts people to the market. There is a great s tand called Butcher and Wi rgman, which sells a vast selection of herbs, spices, dried fruit and so on, for far cheaper than you wou ld find elsewhere.

Splash out with some unusual cheese and get some local fish or traditionally prepared meat. Take a break with a nice cup of fair trade coffee from Burgil Coffee. Revel in the atmosphere of a market that's been around since 1075 and forget the air-condit ioned sterility of supermarkets for a while.

The market is open Monday to Saturday 8a m to spm (although we recommend getting there between gam and 4pm to make sure all the sta nd s are open).

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But lazy students shou ldn 't have to go wi th out thier local food. Fortunatley the Green Grocers on Earham road are launching a delevery service. Th ey will bring you organic fruit and veg, beer and wine and even local free range sausages, even if you li ve on campus. You can check them out at www.thegreengrocers.co.uk.

fter a huge effort by students, a campus -wide recycling scheme was finally introduced to UEA in August 2004.

Before this, nothing could be recycled on campus except glass. Now, in residence halls, every ki tch en has a recycling bin and a genera l waste bin, which are emptied by cleaning staff. All students have to do is put waste in the right bin, making ours one of the most low-effort schemes in the country. As we reach the sox month anniversary o f its laun ch, Tu of takes a look at how successful residence hall recycling is proving.

A survey of 10g students in Suffolk Terrace last semester s howed that over go% think it is important for the UK to recycle m ore, and around 65% claim to

recycle all o r most of their re cyclab le s (go% recycle half or more) .

Sorting through kitchen bins reve a led that ove r two thirds of all recy clables found were in th e ri gh t bin . This mean s th at we a re dumping far less waste in landfill sites than this time last yea r : good news for the University, as the price for each tonne o f was te going to landfill is going up by [3 a tonne every year; and good news for the envi ronment, as recycling uses much less energy and resources than making a brand new item. Recycling fact of the day: you can recycle 20 alumini um cans for the same amount of energy needed to make one from raw materials.

However, every silver recycling bin has a dirty lining, and this is no exception.

NEWS (the company contracted to handle UEA's waste) only accepts recycling waste if at least 8o% of the waste is actually recyclable. The survey showed that very few students think they know everything that can and can't be recycled, so it is perhaps unsurprising that a worryingly high 18% of the was te found in the recycling bins wasn't recyclable. The maon cu lprit s included glass, juice cartons, and pizza boxes. This is clearly a maJor problem that needs ad dress ing if recycling rates are going to increase.

uckily, the ma in causes of contamin ati o n see m fairly clear.

The informa t ion po sted in kitchens is a n unobvious A4 poste r, whi ch is usually hal f cove red up by ot her posters , a nd doesn't mention that food tins or card can be recycl ed. In ad dition , th e two kitchen bins, although in different places, are identical except fo r a small 'recyclables only' sign, which was peeling off many of th e bin s o bse rve d . There is no information on the bins abou t what can and can't be recycled in them. lt is perhaps understa ndable that one student surveyed 'didn't know we had a recycling bin' , while another th ought that paper couldn't be recycled but food could be .

Puttin g up large obvious posters containing accura te information, and marking each bin clearly with what should and shouldn't be put in it, would remind students what they should and shouldn't be recyclong, and could be a cheap and effective way of he Iping this impressive scheme live up to its huge potential.

If you have any ideas about how the recycling scheme can be improved, or would you like to help improve it for next years incoming freshers, please

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email l.h ellier @ uea .ac. uk.

Finall y it should be noted how the s taff are getting on . In departments and s taff offices th ey they are given one bin in their office, just for recycl ing , and they have to ta ke th ei r non-recyclable waste to bins in communal areas like ki tchens and com mon roo ms. A survey investigating this staff recycling cheme found th at over go% of recyclables were actually being recycled (ie: put in the right bin), and con tamination rates were o nly 3%. So if the staff can do it, what's sto p ping us students) Report by Lucy Hellinger

THE CARBON CONUNDRUM CONTINUES Burning it, burying it and trading it.

Reducing C02

arbon dioxode and its fellow greenho us e gasses have been in th e news a lot in the last few weeks. And so they s hould be, what with globa l warming being the most dramatic thing ever to affect th e human race. The problem is that the burning of fossil fuels, with , - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , its resulting produc-

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tion of greenhouse gasses, is currently the lifeblood of the human race. it is clearly a subject that cannot be debated enough .

Something has to be done immediately to prevent irreversib le global damage, but at the m oment the only effect solution wou ld require a major change in our lifes tyles.

Rece nt talks have focused a round th e possibility of burying our carbo n emissions und er th e sea , and trad ing carbon llowances with in

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The idea of burying carbon dioxide under th e ocean is not a new one. As climate change scenarios continue to look worse and other so lu tions continue to fail, it has now begun to find serious support. The decision is complicated, but goes roughly like this: Carbon emissions need to be reduced and there are holes under the sea where it could be pumped, and a lth ough the process would be extremely cost ly, it could be implemented within a few years. The critics claim that the whole proces s is too risky and that we can't be sure if the carbon will stay where it is put or whether it will leak out. Some environmentalists are also concerned that it will veer as away from efforts to simply decrease C02 production.

The concept of carbon trading has been around for as long as the idea of restriction s on emissions. The scheme is simp le in theory. Legislation has already come to force th at will limit the amount of g reenhouse gasses that a business can emit. Compa nie s will find themselves with set quotas on the number of tones they a re all owed to pump into th e at m osphere, with fines being charged to any surplu s. Some bu si ne ss will easi ly be a ble to meet th ese quota s cost effectible.

Some bu s inesses may find that the cost would cripple their bankbooks. But if the

quotas could be traded, then businesses that find the reductions more cost effective could make such reductions as to be left with quotas that they are not using.

This means that their allowances could be sold the businesses that find reductoon harder. So effecti ve ly the businesses that can easily reduce emissions easily, redu ce more than they would normally, and save the businesses that wou ld be more crippled from doing so. This would basically weed out the places we re carbons cuts we re easiest without causing unneces sary economic harm.

The critics to this theory believe that the restrictions have been set too hastily.

Firstly the quotas are based on earlier emission levels, requiring all businesses to cut emissions by the same amount.

This means that businesses that have long been using g reener technology and making efforts to be greener will need to make the same cuts as those who have made no previous attempt at cuts. This means that greener businesses would be punished. The re are also scientists who feel that the limits are not tough enough a nyway, and that th e cuts nee d to be heavie r alj- round to prevent climate change.

The outcome will effect everyone and everyone has to have a say. But time is running o ut. So expect debate s to continue, but hope for decisions soon.

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Two interesting websites have come to Tuif's notice which will help you make informed choices about the products you buy and the companies you support. www.ethicalconsumer.org has a compre· hensive list of their recommendations for ongoing boycotts and includes an online magazine with buyer's guides to environmentally friendly organisations and current news. www.corporatecritic.org is similar as 'a database designed to help people take environmental and social issues into account in the marketplace.'

There are three candidates for the new Environmental Office, all excellent personalities with a good shot at winning the position and the potentail to make big changes that will benefit the community at UEA. Stevie Altman is a dedicated environmentalist who promises to provide a listening ear to all environmental concerns Jenny Gellatly is interested in campaigning for alternatives to the car park.

Ruth Cole was the Officer last year and is very eager to return to the position.

New research suggests thatthe 'bin, bury and burn' attitude to rubbish that has long prevailed in Britain may be changing in favour of a more environmental approach. Success rates for council recy· cling measures vary widely accross the country but Norfolk is in the Top 10 most efficient places at recycling and compostin g. The new Government target for recycling is z;r%, still well below many countries in Euprope. But the rise in awareness is encouraging and bodes well for a greener future for Britain.

lan Couzens, leader of the Ub Dem administration, says he is prepared to oppose the [140m planned northern bypass. The Green party has been against the scheme from the start but has struggled against a growing tide of council members from all three other parties to support the plans. The project faces funding problems and councillors are aware of the sacrifices that will be made to the environment but say the road is necessary to alleviate the weight oftraffic on residents in the north of the city.

SUIIIIED

ENVIRONMENTALISTS: WHY T-H EY FIGHT ALONE Tuf turrn its attatim to tiE ele:ti.cn fran tiE rel.E:d:im of can:lid:tt£5 to tiE lEE Jlt it Ee1f • • • • • he movement towards truly environmentally sustainable living is suffering an image crisis of sorts.

There needs to be fundamental shifts in the majority of people's lifestyles if we are not going to gouge the earth, and seriously disrupt humanity's life support system in the coming decades. But those who promote the lifestyle changes actually required are viewed too often as gloomy doom-sayers, puritanical reactionaries from white middle class backgrounds , people with scuzzy dreadlocks and nothing to offer but criticism of our modern lifestyle.

Not to say that those environmental activists replete with dreadlocks amongst us don 't have a most sound and pertinent point, or are manic depressives . I love these people, and know a few of them .

The problem is that the perception which an unfortunately large percentage of the population has of them is rather poor.

Even on the relatively liberal U EA campus, my sense has been that too many people perceive the body of environmen· talists who actually hold the answers for a viable future as somewhat crazed; the answers we hold can never work, and living in a sustainable way requires too much self-sacrifice.

This perception is partly caused by representations of environmentalists in pop culture, when such representations do occur, as the raving fanatics I have just been describing; there is little we in the environmental movement can do about that at present. But we in the movement also sometimes unwittingly present ourselves in this manner. Those dealing with environmental issues deal with disturbing, desperate facts concerning what Earth's future will be like if Westerners continue down the path of over-consumption, and that desperation can seep into our attempts at persuading people to

live in a sustainable manner. Desperation can even seep into our visions of sustainable futures ; environmentalists begin to present sustainability as requiring an inordinate amount of sacrifice and the adoption of a pious, puritanical lifestyle.

Attempting to convert people to sustainable living with this attitude will not win as many people as needed . To get our

To get our generation largely involved 1n environmentally concerned movements requires these movements to be fun and hip. generation largely involved in environmentally concerned movements requires these movements to be fun and hip. We need to present sustainable lifestyles and communities as realistically enjoyable.

And environmentally sustainable lifestyles truly can offer a high quality of life. A key component of sustainable cam· munities will be localized economies, meaning businesses will be locally owned and operated, and provide jobs and serv· ices to those living in the near vicinity.

Such a setup significantly reduces the environmentally damaging consequences of a global economy, such as the huge amounts of carbon dioxide released shipping goods from one side of the Earth to the other.

Many people tend to be sceptical, worrying such localized economies would crumble if attempted in real life. But consider Northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, charactenzed by numerous small businesses, cooperative citizen-based

ownership and a noticeable lack of influence from the global economy. The area also has some of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe at 4 .7% and extremely high service sector wages, with a per captta income so% higher than the national average. Numerous sustainable and environmentally friendly communities have already proved to offer a gratifying way of life. The quality of life within the framework necessary for sustainable development has the potenttal to be just as htgh as that which the middle classes enjoy in the West, and can increase for our poorer peoples. We in the environmental movement need to present the switch to economies based upon local businesses for what it is: a process that is feasible , with results that will provide a highly enjoyable way of life. iving sustainably will chasing only those things which we really need, but this will mean less time slaving away at work, more time to enjoy life. lt may mean living in smaller, simpler homes designed to consume fewer resources like energy and building materials, and working within neighbourhood which you live. really, whose idea the perfect life is living in sprawling suburbs and commuting everyday? Living sustainably will mean working with those living around you to maximize your quality of life without an endless supply of resources, but what this really enatils is making friends and doing something life affirming.

The World

L

generally occurring in Western countries and an average of a million suicides per year; surely something is missing in modern life. The emphasis in a sustainable lifestyle of working with others not to achteve some strictly economic benefit, but a community which preserves our environment and creates a good life for people, adds a purpose to life.

Environmental activists have to focus on these positives when we're explaining the changes required in the mpve for sustainabtlity. We need to be not yet another depressing influence in a depressing system, but a sign of hope. When we protest, wnte letters, man booths, or merely discuss issues with friends, we need to focus not only how dysfunctional the modern lifestyle is, but also how agreeable a truly sustainable future can be.

Doing so can be difficult, and it requires zeal and courage to continue to focus on the positive in the face of so many horribly unfortunate events taking place on the Earth.

Ecosystems and human lives are being lost due to environmental destruction, and tragically much more biodiversity, and worse yet human life, will be destroyed by the consequences of our over-consumption. But the major disasters we know may occur in the future can be prevented if we convince more people that they are exactly the sort of folk who can live in an environmentally friendly, sustainable way. Anyone can fit into a sustainable future. lt is not just for the 'hard core environmentalists' of today.

So, finally, to the uninitiated: get involved. it's going to be a swell future by golly.

UP <

The number of roses bought on Valentine's Day every year= The surplus number of human beings that occupy the planet every year= The number of plant and animal species that occupy the planet=

8o million

The voter turnout for the January Iraqi elections = Go% The percentage of the 227 largest rivers in the world that are significantly fragmented by human interfernce= The amount by which we need to reduce our C02 emmisions if we are to stop the worst effects of global warming (according to Cred) By Go% to stop the worst effects. =

6o% The average amount of waste produced by the U K every year = The total grain harvest of China in 2003 = The weight of 8G million elephants =

430 million tonnes

Report by Brendan McEwan

TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT The selection of a specimen for Tree of the Fortnight is a complicated process and many factors are considered in order to maintain the high quality of tree that readers have come to expect. However, this week the choice was taken out of our hands when the hoards of Larch sycophants came knocking on the office door. Readers should be assured that the office security is more than proficient at dealing with frenzied mobs . Nay, it was not fear but agreement that has seen us adhere to the demand . lt would truly have been sacrilegious to ignore the Japanese Larch, standing prominently on the broad, for a moment longer. There cannot be a more remarkable tree . Stare at in awe while muttering in wonder "it's a conifer, but it's deciduous , how can that be?" As its golden beauty allows you to slip into a transcendental state and gain an enlightening new perspective on the universe, you will remember why the Japanese Larch is known as the king of the Larches .

Height: Up to 1oo ft Spread: 30 ft Shape: Open conical Foliage: 1.5 " deep green needles, turning gold before dropping.

Flower: Small egg-shaped; reds, pinks and yellows .

Fruit: Brown cones with reflexed scales

...they know Cartrld,. Wortd can REfiLL their empty Ink and la We retll and remanufatturt almost

any brw.d • we JUar tee they wlU perform as well as an ol1stnal Save money and h tp save the planet

Cartridge World Larix Kaempferi

Yes, we s 11 oriel compa blu tool W so cell prln

111d s WJd

f.x u~les While you wait refill SCI"'Ace

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119 Umbank AoM. Motwlda, Morfo&k ~~~ 2PI Loo ~ c-IWI<ktcortnd~ Olf

c.tl, 01601 u1m

Your Problems Solved Prof.

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

wel get rid o it then

F i nally , a solution to UEA 's well -publicized illness has been discovered : the Universi ty is lactose intoler ant.

For m o nt hs. vis it o rs to campus h ave remarked that UEA looks limp and ofT colour. Some have also cxpi路essecl concern about the buildings sllakin~ uncontrollably at ii-regular intl'rva ls.

Initially. this was t h o u g ht to be because till' dra~on h iberna t ing under till' Sports !'ark was waking up.

Now. maverick scil'nt ist 'Lucky' 1\ndrew St. C'laire has provl'n otherwise: it's s imply b ecause t h e Uni ver s it y h as developed a n a ll cr!(v to m ilk.

The drm(on still sleeps soundly.

If UEA's situation is to improve. d rastic ac ti o n w ill h ave to be take n . Obvio u s ly. a ll

food outlets on campus will stop selling milk immediately.

Similarly. students will be encouraged n ot to use m il k based products.

As an in ce ntive. th ose t hat don't w ill not be bl'aten about the face with a sock Cillccl with pound coins.

Uni\路crsity officials have drawn up an eme r ge n cy list of u n acceptab le produce. including m il k. cheese. yoghurt and. sur prisingly. shoes. The oflkials promise to review the list for inaccuracies at a later. less panic-stricken date. Anyone w h o suspects th ey own a n yt hin g con ta in in g mil k a re adv ised to set fi re to it im m ediate ly.

Another p roblem is cows. Once encouraged to cavort freely around campus. cows. w ith th e ir udd ers fi ll ed w ith exl ra -d cadly.

un -pasteurized milk. could now have a dis astrous effect on the University's well being.

Cattle g r ids have been install ed at every entrance and exit. and snipers have been positioned on most rooftops in an effort to repe l the bovine menace.

Quite what the long-term consequences uf institutiona l lactose into le rance wi ll be rl'mains unc lear. UEI\ 's dental surgery will quadruple in size to cope with the expected effects of mass calcium dcllciency. but other deve lopmen ts re m ai n d ifficu lt to pred ict.

Ye t th ere is a b righ t side. A University spokesperson said. "We're j u st glad it wasn't a nut allerey. Can you imagine UEA without peanuts? I certain ly can 't."

An unlikely coalition oflocal clergy, semiprofessional tennis coaches and the Red Arrows Aerial Display Team has formed to protest against UEA's latest craze - students wearing carrier bags on their heads.

In recent months it ha~ become impossible to wa lk across ca111pus without seeing doze n s o f faces swathed in polythene. B u t m a n y arc co n ce r ned th at. in the ir c fi (Jrls to look good. s t udents could be risking their hea lth. A man who said he knew a doctor remarked. "It 's a little known fact that put t in g a caiTi c r b ag o n yo u r h ead ca n m a ke it di fficu lt to breathe."

Hcvcrencl C<ll路olinl' Pickle~ said that il was the most worrying lrl'ncl he had heard about

s ince it was fash ionable in the late 1980s to wander around without a liver.

In the past. pulling bags on heads was o nly pop ul ar with ch il d ren. for w h om it is perfectly safe. But continuing the practice in <ldulthood is more peri lous bcc<luse larger heads fi ll more of th e bag. resulting in less space fo r air. So far. seven st ucle n ts a r c t ho u g ht to have perished as a direct result of an incompatible head -to -bag size rat io.

Experts say the surge in adult bag wearin~ may have been (J-igge red by the currl'nt reta ikr p re ference for lransparl' nl bags. a ll owing the vision. if not lhl' airways. to 1路cmai n unimpcclcd.

But despite t hl' prt>ssurl' to quit. most stu-

dents remain defiant. Said one. yesterday. through their bag. "It 's all about making a statement; older people don 't seem to unders tand th a t. Right n ow. I'm sayi n g . 'I s h op at Sainsbury's'" .

Protesting against the practice continues next Friday. when the Red Arrows \vill ny above UEA. wri ti n g t he words 'STOP IT' in green smoke. Brigadier Freddie Buckets of t h e Red Arrows was quick to dispe l sugges tions o f hypocrisy in his pilots ' stance: "Some peop le m ig h t say 1hat doing barrel -ro ll s in a jet is more cl <Uigcro u s t h an wearing a b ag on yo u r head. I'd say. 'yl's . Wl'll. it possib ly might not be."'

The cou ri case co n tinues.

,

Dear Rodders, For a while now, my friends and I have been scoring some fat bud from a guy in Norfolk Terrace. This stuff is the shit; absolutely banging.

But the geezer keeps taking the piss and is proving thoroughly unreliable. He keeps me waiting for hours and sometimes he doesn't even turn up when he says he will.

Just because he has dreadlocks and spends a lot of time listening to dub music, he seems to think he's superior to the rest of us and, despite being white himself, keeps referring to me as 'white boi'. Also, I have it on good authority that his parents are loaded and while he likes to be known as 'Jauin', his real name is Peter.

What can we do to make this guy see sense and bring us the gear when we ask for it? I need help quick or I" m going to have to sell my Cypress Hill albums.

Yours Sober Dear Sober, In financial and commodity markets contracts can deliver goods or assets either here and now (i.e. immediately) or at some time in the future . The price for immediate delivery is the 'spot price' and the price for delivery at some agreed future delivery date is known as the 'forward ' or 'future' price. Because people are impatient, the spot price is usually higher than the 'future' one.

The difference between spot and future prices is called backwardation. The bigger the backwardation gap between the two prices the greater the incentive to deliver a product now rather than in the future .

Therefore, all you need do is refuse to pay the price he asks when he delivers the 'gear' late. Lack of competition is making the boy complacent, so pretend that you have already acquired some of the goods from another person.

This way, you are providing an incentive for him to achieve the spot price. If he's late, then he gets a lower future price.

.--- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - --

Colcntt Wednesday, Febrnary 9"', 2005

~

www.concrete-onune.com

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.~

21

EVER HAD ASHAG TO DIE FOR .. ••

,

Health Editor, Clare Aitchison, explores the dangers of the dreaded world of STDs given something which makes the virus come back less often, and with less pain. lt is also very impor· tant that you get diagnosed as soon as possible, as your virus status affects how you may have children.

You catch herpes from having sex with someone who is carrying the herpes virus, and you are more like· ly to catch it if the person is in the blistering phase.

he Concrete sex survey this week revealed that 48% of girls and 61% of boys at U EA have had unprotected sex, and that the contracep· tive pill is the contra· ception of choice for 57 % of girls and the condom for 52 % of boys.

OK, so the pill stops you from getting pregnant, but sadly there is much more to sex than that.

Think about it. Every time you have unprotected sex with some· one, and by un protected I mean without a condom, you are not only sharing germs with that person, but with everyone they have ever had unprotected sex with . And of course, if they are happy to take that kind of risk with you, then chances are they will have done the same with most of their previous partners. And since the average number of sexual partners at UEA is 8, it looks unfortunately like that could be rather a lot of germs.

To be totally honest, you may as well go around licking the bowl of a public toilet. Sorry to be gross about it, but think about it even fur· ther. Not only are you sleeping with everyone that your current squeeze slept with before you, but you are sleeping with everyone they s lept with and then everyone they slept with, and so on and so on . So even if this is your first time, if your part· ner has had anyone before you, it doesn't take long before you are sharing bodily fluids with most of campus (and beyond) .

And what is in these bodily fluids that you seem so happy to splash around willy-nilly? Why don 't we take a look ...

T

Chlamyd ia: This is a type of bacteria which lives in sexual secretions. lt is spread through sex with an infected per· son, but can also be spread by activities like heavy petting if the bacteria is on your fingers . lt is the fastest spreading STD at the moment, the number of cases has tripled in the last eight years, and one in ten women of university age have it. One in ten is a hell of a lot, especially if you start doing the

Syphilis Once a disease of Dickens's time, syphilis is making a comeback, and that's because people are getting more lax about protecting them· selves. lt is caused by a wiggly bac· teria which you catch from having sex with someone who is carrying it. The first sign is an ulcer on the place where you have been infected - usually your genitals, and as it maths I was talking about above. who has genital warts. Some warts actually isn't very painful, this may You only need to have slept with you can see, and these are horrible not get noticed if it is right up two people, and if they have each and lumpy, although they don't inside you. Four weeks later, the slept with four other people before actually do too much damage, but bacteria have made it into your you, suddenly ten people are some you can't and these are the bloodstream. This leads to a fever, type that are linked to cervical can· sore throat, generally feeling tired involved . If one in these ten had . . . . . and having Chlamydia, now you do too. There is quite a All S T D s are ns m g e v ery s m g le y e a r. Th iS IS a aches and high chance that you . pains. Just like could be carrying it sca ry f act when you t hin k t h at W e a re supposed flu. Unlike flu right now and not even you then go on know about it, because to b e b etter educated , a n d condom s are more to get a rash 90% of the time it pro· all over your duces no symptoms. a vail a ble a nd le ss of a ta boo . body and ifit Sometimes it can make your wee is left untreated, your brain cer in women. If you do have geni· becomes infected and you go crazy sting, and some girls might get an tal warts, then go to the doctor who and eventually die. Not a particular· itchy white discharge. The problem is, although it may not cause any can give you a special paint which ly nice way to go. You may think symptoms, it can lead to pelvic makes them drop off. that this disease is from the olden inflammatory disease (PI D), which days and is nothing for you to worry can ruin your chances of ever hav· Go norrhoea: about, and a few years ago you'd ing children, and while I realise that In the last 8 years, the number of have been right. In 1996 there were despite spending much of the time cases of gonorrhoea have doubled.

122 cases of syphilis diagnosed in trying NOT to get pregnant at the You catch it from having sex with the UK, last year there were over moment, eventually this might someone who has gonorrhoea and 1500. Still doing your maths .. .? change. oral sex will give you gonorrhoea in Chlamydia doesn't go away until it your mouth. Gonorrhoea in your AIDS: is treated, but it is quite easy to mouth gives you a sore throat; gon· This is the biggie, and the one that treat. If you have a smear test, the orrhoea in your penis makes pus everyone used to worry about in the nurse will probably ask if you want drip out of the top of it. In women 8o's. Remember those scary to be swabbed for chlamydia as it might cause a green discharge, adverts with the giant tombstone? but in 8o% of girls there will be no But this is the 21st century, and well. If this comes up positive, you can have a course of antibiotics symptoms. However, if left untreat· most people seem to have stopped which should clear it up pretty ed it will block up your tubes and worrying. But we are wrong. The quickly. If you would rather not go stop you from ever having children, number of cases of HIV has risen to your GP, then the sexual health and the treatment is a simple most steeply since 1999, and the clinic in the city centre can test you course of antibiotics, so the best major component of this rapid anonymously. lt really is worth thing you can do is get tested for it increase has been heterosexually if you think you might be at risk. everyone getting checked . lt is so acquired infections. AIDS is no common, and if you find you are longer a disease of 'them', but of ·us'.

Herpes: infected then you can do something about it. If you get a clean bill of Herpes causes little red spots Most of you probably know health, then you needn't worry around the penis or vagina. These already that the HIV virus attacks about it anymore as long as you turn into little clear blisters which the cells of your immune system then pop and leave little ulcers, keep using a condom, or if you are that usually protect you from dis· in a steady relationship, have your ease, your T-cells. They get inside kind of like cold sores. The first partner tested as well. time you get it, it is usually accom· the cells, hijacking the DNA repli· panied by an illness which feels a eating machinery so they can repro· duce, and when there are enough of bit like flu; this is the virus getting Genital Warts: into your system. After that, recur· them they burst out of the cell, Genital warts are the same as any rent attacks usually come with just destroying it in the process . Not other kind of warts, just like finger the blisters, but not the flu symp· only does this bitter irony mean warts and verrucas. They are caused toms. The problem with herpes is that your body is unable to fight off by a virus called the Human that it never really goes away. The the HIV virus but also that your Papiloma Virus. There are about 40 blisters can heal, but the virus hides body cannot fight off other infecdifferent types of papiloma virus, tions. Therefore diseases which away in between your nerves . Then and each one infects a different part the blisters will come back, at vary· would normally be pretty harmless, of the body. This virus lives inside ing intervals and with varying like flu, can make you seriously ill the warts it creates, and you can degrees of discomfort. However, if or even kill you . lt also means that catch it by having sex with someone you go to the doctor you can be you are more likely to get certain

cancers as the immune cells which would normally trawl around your body catching and killing cancers cells have been destroyed them· selves.

The HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) gradually attacks your immune system, so that you have no way to defend yourself from diseases and infec· tions.

When people first get infected with HIV they feel like they have flu for a while, but then they feel better. This period of remission can last for a few years, but all this time ths HIV virus is eating away at the T-cells.

Eventually the number ofT-cells drops below a certain level, and they develop full blown AIDS with fever, infections and cancers.

H IV is transmitted in blood and sexual secretions, so you can catch it by having unprotected sex with someone who is infected with the virus. But a condom will protect you if you use it properly. People used to say don't sleep with some· one who has a dodgy history- i.e. they have used drugs, slept with prostitutes or are a man who has had sex with a man. But the prob· lem is, anyone could potentially have contracted the H IV virus and not know about it. Your partner may have only ever had one sexual part· ner before you, but if that person had HIV then you could catch it.

The best thing you can do is always use a condom, or better still, don't sleep with someone who has not been tested, but remember that it takes 3·4 months after infection for an HIV test to be positive.

A

ll STDs are rising every single year. This is a scary fact when you think that we are supposed to be better educated , and condoms are more available and less of a taboo. But the fact is that the pill has made us lazy. I am con· stantly hearing from people, boys and girls alike, that they don't want to use a condom because it spoils the mood, or it makes it less sensi· tive. Girls think that because they are on the pill they are protected, so they are happy to have unprotected sex, and university being what it is, this can be with a lot of different partners. Especially when people are drunk, insisting that someone wears a condom is the first thing they forget about. But think about it: if someone you are sleeping with does not want to wear a condom with you, what are the chances that they refused to with the last person they slept with? And if that person didn't insist that they use one, what are the chances that they had already had unprotected sex? I am not being judgemental, and I am not trying to scare you . OK, maybe I am trying to scare you a bit, but only because I think it is important for you to understand that just one night of unprotected sex could lead to a lifetime of serious illness. Tell me the truth, have you ever had a shag worth dying for?

22

Concrete

www.concrete-online.com

concrete . fashion ! i festy le@ uea.ac.uk

\\'ed11esdav. Fefm 111rv CJ • 2005

WHICH COUPLE ARE YOU? ~What does

our ideal ni

A: Enjoying ille I ~ k for ourselves from tl1ek lamp lit roo ga _substances to h . then headingm, e~tng lots oftofug:~der tin my lavaA· 011 we prefer to coo\1ave growing in our ~ac cords and b. ~F own to PoNaNa ' d sa ad, and o~ganlc vegedt~~~~sb~~eve in businesses making tg oaty scarves. s ressed in garden . We B: An hour's p .I money. d a bit of everytl1ing and the city and 'at~s t?gether, befo h . .

We like to or er . tails. popptng tnto HaHa 's ~e eadtng tnto B· Cl1inese.

'- ·ng everytl11ng. 'or a few cock. 't at sl1are I · We love S!,an C· E . . d sill We only ever e . n)oytng some J· ))\\ My goo nes ...

11 restaurant. popping dow o tves and caviar h C: Take~ut~~·~t wonderful little Frenc with all our lo~:l' R~eg·~ in Tomb/an~ t~e before out at t e , got a special deal n~where near as ~e ~ nty' friend s. ltc'2~-o__a_n_:g_o_u_:tL.----.L.---l 0: Pizza. Plus, w~ ve lace. Tl1ey give us er s bar in Lon d g bo as my broth- 't'- tl1e local delivery p , e their most on, ut it'll d . · Wl n f 9 as we r y

'deal holiday destmatton any pizza for 4·9 Get in\1\ . Gotng to Weth 2) our ' Lv~a~l~ue~d~c~u:st~o~m:e~r~s:.:::=~~---~~~~ burger and a bee e~spoo_ns to grab a d it's such a beautiful D·

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Bu

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11, f~ro~:~;~:i~:;~t drunken sta~urs ater in a crazy

~;'t~~~~e~v=~~ne is soooooo chilled out, man.

-_____________j B· Cyprus. Tne,_ weather is hot ' you d e.

. et an amazing golden tan, an can g 11 . ht the bars are open a mg ·

---------~--~·

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C South of France dahling. d /~: We We 6 rneet. . eth- We take Mummy's yacht an ocaf eh ~e oth h I .

What do you enjoy domg most tog - do a couple of d~ys expl?rB· 0 anty shop. e Ptng Out at th ) .4...) ing around the Rlvera. lt s . ur e er.

I d. . around eyes rnet . d. I lternative utter y lvme. o fi Topsh as We A: Chilling out to some In le a 'd Sleep all day Ut its. op lookingW~ndered music. o· Benl orm. ' ' C or the I .t lashed all night. lsn tll : We!/ t'tl atest ge a rah . Both s rather ft d that what holi ays are B: Going to the gym. > Oxbrid or Our Unny Yo b_ou_t_. _ _ _ _ _ _ _7they h ge and w Parents w u know, rah parents' estate in [a.:_ ad last e met at ent to C: Going home t? my d ·d· g the horsD· Year. a reuni the Home Counttes an .n m . Ins on seem ome era es. ed to fa/! izy drunken . . ed Can't wait til 24-hour nto each state w 0: G~ttmg p1ss .. 1111 other. e drinkmg comes m ....

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Mosty A's: You are a wonderfully bohofhippie cou le.

Your days are spent enjoying each other's company whilst helping others, and trawling though the charity shops trying to fina the best bargains. Y< u are the couple that everyone loves; you are so warm and loving towards not only each other but towards everyone else too. But it's important to be selfish, and spend lots of quality time together.

Mostly B's: You are a trendy couple.

You do everything together. You go

shopping together, you attend LCR's together and your outfits always match.

In act, you are t e Pos

an Bee so UEA. There aren't many days that pass by when you don't see each other. He probably plays for the football team; the girl is probably a cheerleader. But be careful, even the most 'perfect' of couples have their troubles.

Mostly C's: You are an aristocratic couple.

You both come from a fabu ously wellbred background, and grew up surrounded by money and endless family holidays to your second home in France. For this very reason, you are extremely compatible. You both enjoy the finer things in life and totally and

utter y un erstan eac · other. However, be aware of the real things in life. Money may buy you flowers and expensive dinners, but it does not buy you love.

Mostly D's: You are a jblingt couple.

You enjoy having iots of fun , and this usually involves having an excessive amount of alcohol. You wear matching tracksuits and gold jewellery, go for sunbed sessions together, and both of you always have a pair of sunglasses attached to your head. But remember, a little tradi tiona romance can go a long way.

c..a..t. Wednesday, February CJ". 2005

www.concrete-online.com

UADOR the day of love. A whole

y for those of us with romance in our hearts to be able to hurl ourselves unin· hibited into sending that card, giving those flowers or arranging that dinner. I hear the cynics: 'commercial nonsense' they say, and 'how sad· dening that we should need an assigned day to show our affections'. You could suggest that it's a fairly helpful idea, only because it means you know you're not the only one risking reputation by leaving that Pablo Neruda poetry book with kisses and a question mark on the inside cover in the pigeon-hole of that beauty from your nine o'clock group. Actually, that's not a bad idea. Indeed, the sheepish among us can become lions for a • day, the struggling couples can step back and remember why they became intertwined in the first place -on that cold October night by the LCR burger van.

No, I say it's a beautiful thing and if we need to have 'love' marked in the calendar just in case we forget, what's the harm? However, (risking the exposition of my real identity as a cheesy sentimentalist) I would suggest that perhaps we're forgetting the bigger idea of 'love' when we think of Valentine's Day. Whatever happened to the love that is •-~

by Rob Castell

area, some of whom have to be hauled in off the street before class midway through a pickpocketing shift. All of these children have very little. I found myself here on the morning of February 14th two years ago, ini· tially only relieved that the intensely draining routine of teaching e1ght-year olds 'colours and animals' in English was to be interrupted. On stepping out into the courtyard, I realised I was in for a performance. A tiny stereo player with a microphone attached in the far corner and a line of costumed young actors lined up beside it The Valentine's Day festival was to begin. One young boy was dressed in full suit, with batloons hanging all over him.

What the significance of this was I'm unsure, but he delivered such a charismatic performance that it didn't matter.

Other girls were decorated with paper plates and cups, some rn makeshift ball gowns and one course with paper hearts. They proceeded to perform sketches, speeches, songs and all to rap-

infinitely more important -· ~-;i-=;!· rous applause from thetr In Ecuador, St. Valentine's C mates. Not one child was is enjoyed with a much tng, talking, kicking another or greater sense of communk to sneak away. This was a celety and warmth and it is ·on and they were proud. The nces were to follow. With matching friendship that is the word of the day. iiltlve dresses, a group of young girls areated us to an impressively synchroImagine you and I are sta,ding in a primary school in Quito, nized dance piece, with all the finesse the country's capital. Broken windows, you would expect from a London show.

The caretaker and her daughter wowed holes In the floorboards, a yard with rubble in the corner and crumbling bricks in the young crowd further with an exciting the walls. This school looks after around African dance that I was invited to JOin tn one hundred children from the local at which the cheers tumed to

thinking about that in a part of the world where such luxuries are impossible the sentiments of the occasion are far more fully realised. lt seems something of a paradox that on a day that we all celebrate love, we limit our affections to one other person. And forgive this semi-political tangent that I'm venturing off on, but perhaps it says somethrng about the contrasting ideologies between our fine nation and somewhere like Ecuador.

There, the solidarity of a people held back by international capitalism means a

two figurines with a little wall behind. OQ the wall was a quote, which when translated is sadly reminiscent of the kind of th.ing we laugh cynically at that gets put ds. But the intention is into what is important, ~ and that slightly tacky p1ece with its words about the 'miracle of friendship' still sits on my bookcase and always makes me happy. So if, like me,

lt seems something of a paradox that on a day that we all celebrate love, we limit our affections to one other person. far more rewarding enjoyment of community on a day like Valentine's Day. Here, 1t is our immediate partner that's the immediate concern, while the larger group of ·us' 1s largely forgotten about.

At the end of the performances, a speech was given by the headmistress and the fore1gn teachers invited up, myself included. I was then presented with a of a small ceramic of laughter. Nevertheless, the had such energy and warmth, poor dancing display couldn't smile. I wonder how much in England on one other Derwrfwihen Valentine's Day comes around.

Restaurants are full, teddy-makers will be overloaded and Hallmark Cards must go through a forest full of paper. I'm not suggesting that it's something we should feel

you are unlikely to be heading off to the florist after booking that table next week, don't mope around complaining about your loneliness. Embrace the fact that there are other people around you who are good and fun and interesting. Call your old school mates. mum. G1ve the person right a hug, whoever It'll feel

amo Japanese: Kimi aishiteru Russian: Ya vas liubliu Spanish: Te quiero Swedish: jaga?lskar dig Thai: Khao Raak Thoe Vietnamese: Em yeu anh/chi Welsh: 'Rwy'n dy garu di Yugoslavian: Ya te volim Did you know ..... ?

Approx. 1 billion Valentines Day cards are sent each year.

Over so million roses are g~ven for Valentines Day each year.

There are over 900 d11ferent vanetles of roses Before St Valentine, February 14fh was traditionally known for when

In Wales, wooden love spoons are carved and g~ven as a valentine &1ft The Welsh -re always a bit alternative Valentine's Day 1n China Is not ebrated until the 7th day of the "1lb month of the Ch1nese lunar caJen. dar, whenever that may be?l?

mde in courtship. The )'OU"I men and women come to this market once a

month IIICI court each other by tinJII'IJ. ffthay., 1ft harmony, then they ....... coup&.. 'l'her . . of love, how tii6ICh Qft provide or how meny ..... the

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24 concrete.editorial @uea.ac.uk

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Concrete Wednesday. Febmary CJ'. 2005

www.concrete-online.com

CONCRETE

Aries Mar 2 1 - Apr 19 To make the most of the romantic potential U1e stars have in store for you this month. remove the word 'no' from your L--....:::!L..---l vocab ul ary.

This s h ou ld make you seem a dventurous and willing and everyone will want to be your friend ... perhaps more.

Cancer Jun 22 - Jul 22 You must co nqu e r you r raging h or mones! Bide yo ur time a nd don't put a ll your eggs in the first basket that L......::...__ _-=......J walks by wearing a tight t -shirt. Put U1ose beer goggles away and h ave some scruples you dirty stop-ou t.

Libra Sept 23 - Oct 23 Romance wears a yellow scarf this fortnight. so keep a look out petal . Of course. on the other hand . a quicky in the LCR toilets wears a pair of very tight jeans and not enough deodorant. Be careful which you ch oose.

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 Ra U1er than d evoting all your time to othe rs this fortnight. m a k e your b iggest Valentine gift a big treat for yours truly.

Pick you rse lf up from work, wine and dine yourself and then have you r wicked way with yourself.

Lucky Words: Positive thinking

Lucky Words: Begga rs and ch oosers

Lucky Wor ds: Pot luck

Lucky Words: it's all me me me!

Ta urus Apr 20 - May 20 ..------..., Don 't let a ll the h a ppy coup les get yo u down. sweeti e.

Book yourself a table for two in a posh resta urant a nd con '------~ vi.nce yourself that if you wait there long en ou gh so meone stunning will join you and take you home.

Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 Those long crippling walks to lectures are finally paying off. and just in time to s how off iliose buns of steel a t every ba r in town and pick up som e top Valentines Day totty.

Don't waste time reading this. get flirting!

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 21 Your Va le ntines s tars are unclear at ~ ~ d the moment. but will becom e clearer when ..~ . , ., you stop bumming .-: ' a bout the house and actually go out on the pull! Gorgeou s eye candy doesn't just com e knocking on the door you know.

Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 Forget Va len tin es Day snookums! It's al l about the pa n cakes. so stack 路em high a nd get your syrup out b eca u se theres far m ore fun to be ha d with a frying pan and a load of batter than any amount of wine, chocolates and nookie.

Lucky Words: Candlelit minger

Lucky Words: Get crackin g!

Lucky Words: ring my bell

Lucky Words: s mothered in butter

Gemini May 21 - Jun 2 1 .------..., Romance shmomance seems to be your outlook on th e Valentines celebrations this year. Pat yourse lf on the back for making the best o f ilie h a nd your d eal wiili poppet!

Virgo Aug 23 - Sept 22 Prove you really love your mam squeeze this Valentines d ay and get their name tattooed on your posterior. even if you 've on ly been seeing th em for a week .

Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 As mu c h as yo u might want to. you can't escape the diffi c ul ty of buyi n g yo ur beau something for Valentines Day. Play it safe and just get booze. it's better that way.

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 It' s time to take down a ll those posters you've coveted for so long a nd fmd a real outlet for you r emotiona l needs. You'll find it rewa rding poppet. I promise.

LuckyWor ds: Notjusta river in Egypt

Lucky Words: stupid cupid

Luc k y Words: Frivolous I functional

Lucky Words: looks good on paper

,e-

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WWW.CONCRETE路ONLINE.COM Project Manager: Philip Sainty concrete.advertising@uea.ac.uk Advertising Sales: Ben Minar Team:

concrete.editor@uu.ac.uk Editor: Philip Sainty concrete.editorial@uea.llc.ak Deputy Editor: Katharine Clemow

coacrete.news@uea.ac.uk Editor: Helen Pike Deputy Editor: Oily Haywood Healtl. Editor: Clare Aitchison International Editor: Nadia Bennich legal Editor: Juliet Hanis Political Editor: Sam Webber

Please send letters attention of the Editor, Philip Sainty, to: Con cr ete, Union House, UEA. Norwich, NR4 ITB, or email: coner ete.editorial@uea.ac. uk

Towing the party line

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HOROSCOPES

Letters ...

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Dear editor Katharine Klemmow 's panegyric to Or lan Gibson MP (Labour Norwich North) is all very well. But she fails to mention that Or Gibson has also stood up against many o the r unjust policies of this Labo ur Governme nt, like the divi s ive two-tier Foundation hospital sche me, and the Iraq war.

Compare this to Norwich South MP, Charles Clarke. Chief architect of tuition fees, he also bears respo nsibility for two tier hospital s and the Iraq war as a member of Tony Blair 's Cabinet. Now, as Home Secretary, he is proposi ng trul y Kafk aesque laws for interning people - including UK citizens- in their own homes without trial and without knowing the ev ide nce against the m. .

It is clear the Labo ur Party is utterly divided, but in Norwic h the breach is surely the widest in the land . They seem to agree on almost nothing, but it clear whe re the power lies. 1 respect Or Gibson 's courage, but he has almost nothing to show for it. And he will be signed up to Blairite M anifes to come the election .

By contra. t, the 54 Liberal Democrat MPs have been united in o pposing the in vasio n of Iraq, the Foundation hospital sche me, internme nt w itho ut tria l, and of course, tuiti o n fees . They are fast becoming a serious force, where it matters most, in Parlia ment. It i Libe ral De mocrats, not Labour rebels , who now offer the best hope for a more progressive Government.

We should all vo te to replace both Norwich MPs with Libe ral Democrats.

TeJTY Gilbert

I don ' t mean to be annoying but ...

Sadl y, as demonstrated by the story ' Pain in the Arts' in the last issue of Concrete , Art students appear to always be an easy scapegoat when it comes to the question of annoyance. But we are not annoying, merely misunderstood. Cruelly discriminated against because we dare to resist the bovine herd ; making difference a badge of honour. Such a shame that it is the people who bring colour to the often monotone environment of our rapidly homogenising society who are reviled by the general con ensus, the same consensus that the artist is destined to battle against on a daily basis. it is time to defend the student dandy against the forces of mediocrity.

1 wonder if the people who resented art students for their "wacky" dress sense have any understanding of notions such as self-expression, imagination or individuality. As for the claim that we are not studying real degrees, it might be interesting to note the relative age of artistic degrees agai nst up-start degrees such as business and IT, which seem to be des igned with nothing more in mind than to turn people into cretins. Degrees like Literature were invented back in the imperial age with the misguided notion that they could be used to 'civili se' the colonies, ironically it now seems like the universities must be civilised.

Frankly there is no surpri se that business students are considered the least annoying of the university populace, not for any positi ve attribute of course but simp ly because these people are absolute non-enti ties. Certainly if you ask a bunch of number crunching mathematicians and statisti c loving accountants their opinion on li fe it will invariably be negation of aesthetics, fo r that opinion is a projection of their stagnant, overly rational mental processes. Ask a cow what two plus two is and it will invariably say 1110000000000.

An Anonymous Art Student

concrete.turf@uea.llc.uk Editor: James Conwlly

concrete.lashionlilestyle@uea.llc.uk Editor: Aau Stewud Deputy: Donnll Boam

.,

c..a.t. Wednesday, Febnwry 9", 2005

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concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 25

but will it be as boring?

With the dominance of Michael Schmacher and Ferrari in 2004, F1 has once again lost a lot of its appeal. Ahead of the 2005 season, with drivers swapping teams and rules being changed, many hope that 2005 will be a season to remember. Hannah Falkingham takes a closer look at the drivers that will be lining up on the grid when the new season gets under way and if anyone can stop Ferrari.

004 was a disappointing season; even the most die hard of F1 fans have to admit that. The German and Italian national anthems were played so many times together that they almost sounded like one and the same song. Schumacher's unbeaten run until Monaco will take years to beat, and he looked almost unassailable at every race of the season.

With new rules and new teams, fans are hoping for a better show in 2005. New engine regulations mean that the same horses will have to last for two races, or face penalisation by grid slots - ten places for a change before final qualifying, and relegation to the very back if the change is made between qualifying and the race.

However, an engine failure during a race will not be punishable in this manner. The banning of tyre changes (except for punctures) could also lead to some interesting racing. Rather than having

2

twelve sets of boots, each car will have merely three to complete two qualifying sessions and the race itself. Qualifying has also been 'tweaked' with a session on low fuel on Saturday followed by a session on race fuel on Sunday morning. Unlike 2003 and 2004, the times of both laps will be aggregated to give overall qualifying time. The FIA, the governing body of F1 , hope that this will reduce the importance of race strategy to the final qualifying session. Ferrari completely ran the show in 2004, and arguably are favorites to do the same in 2005. Keeping the same drivers allows stability, although Brazilian driver Rubens

Barrichello must be under some pressure to perform or risk losing his seat for 2006. Pre-season testing is going well, and they have even graced the other teams with their presence at some of the testing sessions. Schumacher is on a roll of five consecutive Championships, so he will be fighting hard for his eighth title and a sixth with the scarlet team. The question is, if he wins it again, will he retire?

AR (British American Racing) have had personnel changes in the team, and are still trying to forget about the infamous Button saga. The removal of Dave Richards may punish the team for 2005, as his influence pushed the team much up the grid in 2004. But the take over by Honda can only be a good thing. Button's desire to move to Williams has unsettled the team, and even though all parties will deny this, it isn't something that can be simply brushed under the carpet. His possible move at the end of 2005 could be on the minds of him and his mechanics, leading to a potential slide backwards in form .

Japaneese driver Takumo Sate, on the other hand, has much room for improvement. After his year settling in, he can really start to fight for regular podiums, and possibly a win on a day where other teams fail.

Renault returnee Giancarlo Fisichella will have his work cut out if he is to impress alongside Spanish superstar Fernando Alonso.

Fisichella sees this move as a chance to impress Ferrari's team bosses and go for Barrichello's seat, if the Brazilians contract is not renewed. Alonso was super fast off the line in 2004, and will be hoping to continue his fine form and take a sec路 ond win in 2005.

BMW Williams enter 2005 knowing that their reserve driver is good enough to be a race driver, so the pressure will be on both new recruits - Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber - to perform or face the sack. After two months of intensive testing, Heidfeld pleased the team (and possibly BMW) more than test driver Antonio Pizzonia, and land路 ed one of the most coveted seats in the sport.

And with the promise of no more mistakes, as well as a second wind tunnel, the future looks bright for Williams, who could finally challenge Ferrari all the way.

Mclaren have the advantage of being able to use the Friday practice sessions with a third driver due to their lowly fifth place in the 2004 Championship. New Driver Juan Pablo Montoya and the super talented Kimi Raikkonen will make a fiery partnership, especially after Montoya beat Raikkonen in the final race of last season. The Finn will be out to make amends, and keep him路

8

Schumacher and Jano Trulli will be another interesting make-or-break partnership, and not only for the drivers. The car manufacturer is under pressure to improve their racing form , and the 6Mar Melbourne (Australia) 20 Mar Sepang (Malaysia) drivers are virtually in exile from their previous Bahrain (Bahrain) 3Apr teams. Ralf needs to learn to be consistent and 24Apr Imola (San Marino) Trulli has to extend his qualifying pace to the race.

8May Barcelona (Spain) The Red Bull Racing team have bought the 22May Monte Carlo (Monaco) abandoned Jaguar team, and have signed up vet12Jun Montreal (Canada) 19Jun Indianapolis (USA) eran David Coulthard to try and guide them to 3Jul Magny-Cours (France) success. Their second seat looks to be occupied 10 Jul Sllverstone (Great Britain) on a shared basis between Christian Klein and 24Ju1 Hockenheim (Germany) Vitantonio Luizzi, although the practicalities of this 31Jul Budapest (Hungary) may prove impossible to work. The new team will 21 Aug Istanbul O'urkey) {New for 2005) 4Sep Monza (Italy) be hoping to improve on the fortunes of the former 11 Sep Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) Jaguar team and work their way up the grid.

25Sep Interlagos (Brazil) 2005 will be Jordan's first using Toyota Suzuka (Japan) 9 Oct engines; and their last as Jordan Grand Prix as 16 Oct Shaghai (China) they have been bought out by wealthy a Russian self in Ron Dennis' good books after recent reve(no, not Roman Abramovich), Alex Shnaider and lations about his private life. his Midland group. They have announced two auber have recently started to break rookies as their drivers for 2005; India's first F1 ranks with Ferrari, who supply their racer Narain Karthikeyan and Portugal's Tiego engines, over proposed changes by Monterio. This inexperienced line-up reinforces the FIA, a brave move by team boss the gap between the top teams and the strugglers Peter Sauber. Their 2005 driver line-up - the line-up is two 'pay drivers' who bring much should be interesting; with former World needed sponsorship to the team .

Champion Jacques Villeneuve returning to the Minardi are suffering because of the FIA's late paddock with an unusual team choice. His partannouncement of the new regulations. They have nership with Felipe Massa will be one of the most yet to test their 2005 car, partly due to seasonal fascinating battles on the grid in 2005. It is makeweather at their favored track. They have a single or-break for Villeneuve, and Massa is desperate seat spare, with Chrijian Albers having signed up for that second Ferrari seat. for the first, and a 41-year-old Israeli claiming the Toyota's all new driver line-up of Ralf test driver role. As with Jordan, these two drivers r------~~~~~~~~-~~----------, bring much needed Fl 2005 Driver Line-up money to the team, which will be needed Ferrari McLuen if Minardi are to chalMichael Schmacher (Germany) Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) lenge further up the Rubens Barrtchello (Brazil) K1mi Raikkonen (Ftnalnd) grid.

So, the signs are WWiams Renault all there for 2005 Mark Webber (Australia) Fernando Alonso (Spain) Nick Heldfeld (Germany) Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) being better than 2004. And, in fairBAR Sauber ness, it couldn't be Jenson Button (Great Britain) Jaques Villeneuve (Canada) any less exciting. If Takuma Sato (Japan) Felipe Massa (Brazil) the FIA regulations Red Bull Racin.l[ Toyota fail, who knows what David Coultharcf (Great Britain) Ralf Schmacher (Germany) the future will bring for Chirstian Klien (Austria) or Jarno Trulli (Italy) F1? Hopefully for the Vitantonlo L!uzzi (Italy) fans of the sport 2005 will be the year F1 Jordan Minardi .

Narain Karthikeyan (India) Chrtsfijan Albers (Germany) gets its appeal back!

Fl 2005 Schedule

S

Tiago Montelro (Portugal)

No Second Driver confirmed yet.

'

26 c_oncrete.sport@uea.ac .uk

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Concrete Wednesdav, Februarv 9''. 2005

SURFING FOR THE TSUNAMI APPEAL Cromer Beach is the setting as surfers from across the country raise money for the Tsunami victims in South-Asia Coli Faragher On Saturday 22•• January members of the UEA Surf Club joined forces with other surfers at Cromer beach to contend in a surfing competition to raise funds for the tsunami appeal.

Over lOO co mpetitors turned up to the event and the seafront had a hap pyfestival vibe about it wi th the beach packed wi th spectators wh o were th ere to give the ir s upport and cheer th e s urfers on . Th e com petition was organised in to bodyboa rd . lo n g-board a nd s hort-board categories with th e latter being the most popular and prestigious.

The condi tions were exce llent for the surfers with the waves solid betwee n 3 and 4 feet, and breaking close to the pier. and wi th the rising tide , the waves got even be tter; p rovding a good arena for the co mpetition an d allowing s urfers to get speed

and s how off their m oves.

UEA' s Tom as S c hn e tler managed to get to the semifinal s of th e s hort-board category. while fellow s tud en t Coli Faragher progres sed to th e finals of both the s hortboard a nd long- board fin a ls.

Many Ts unami affec ted areas . especially Indones ia. have some of the best s urfing areas in the world and many s urfers from all over t h e wo rld have bee n o ut th ere to live th e dream of riding the perfect waves in th e wa rm wate rs of th e Indian Ocean. The s urfing connections throughout the Indian Ocean region are well established and the bond that s urfers fee l with these c oastal co mmunities h as prompted many to dig deep in to their board -s h orts to raise money for the victims of the South Asian a rea.

Around £ 1000 was raised at the Cromer event and th e s urfers would like to thank al l those who ca me a long to show their s upport for the fu nd raising.

DEPLEATED TEAM IMPRESS AT NOWTON PARK UEA's Athletics Team still at the top end of the East Anglian Cross Country League after trip to Bury St. Edmunds Davi.d McKinlay The Athletics team traveled down to Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday 2•• February for the seventh race of the East Anglian Cross Country League.

After being well represented at the previou s s ix events.

UEA too k a depleted team as many of ou r a thl etes wou ld be at t h e BUSA Cross Country Ch ampion s hi ps at Leeds. or at an Indoor Track Event at th e Birmi ngham National Indoor Arena th at weeke n d. Despite a low tu r nout. UEA acqu itted themselves excellently in wet and m u ddy co n ditions.

set backs. S imon Tutto n and Borgel Greenaway were als o exemplary, fin ishing in 39"' and 45"' respectively. Th e Legendary James Green s h owe d t h at fat discus throwers can run too and h e rounded up a good overall m en 's team performance fin is hing in 59"' place. Sian Loveless. a specialist triathlete and the only UEA la dy wh o co m peted a t Nowton Park s h owed that s he was one of th e lads by fini s hing in a well -earned 19 ''' position . Although th e la di es team has dropped points from this even t. both th e men's A and B teams are h old ing their own at th e top end of the leagu e!

SOCIAL WORK BEST AT NETBALL

UEA GOLFERS CiET THE CiLORY

Students of PSS/SWKwin Mixed Netball competition in Ziggurat competition

Students secure league championship and a place in the BUSA Shield

Marc Du dley Sports-Editor It h as been an e xciting

t wo we eks in the Ziggura t games with PSSISWK a n d EDU each wi nning a n event.

In the mixed netball DEV decided to play their second joker. as they fe lt they were capable of going a ll the way Howeve r. they were beaten in th e fin a l by PSS/SWK wh o we re s urprise win n ers of th e event. LAW m anaged to clinch third s pot a fter b eating AHP /CMP in the third place playoff. Lead er s BlO only mana ged to finis h in 13'". whilst th eir nearest rivals MED and E NV fin is hed in I 0"' a nd 18"' respective ly .

The fo llowing week . eleven of the s chools took part in

...

David Mc Kinlay kep t h is performances consistent go ing by once agai n finishin g in the top three in third place. James Sawyer perfo rmed superbly well in his re introduction to c ross country running. He gained a n excelle n t 25'" place despite th e fact that he ha d been ou t of athletics for the previou s fo u r years. No t far behi nd was Paul Sm ari in 29"' place wh o h as ha d a n excellen t season so far and was using th e race as a warm up for the BUSA race on Saturday.

Tom Hu nt gained the last A team place with a tremend ous persona l best performan ce of 35th despite recent inju ries and

the Ziggu rat Obstacle race with EDU completing the course in the qu ickest time.

MED fo llowed in second, whi lst cur rent Ziggurat champions CAP managed to beat ENV in to th ird by a second.

MED I AHP will be the happiest of the front runners as they climbed into second after they gain ed 26 points on leaders BIO. With ENV a n d MED/ AH P yet to u se th eir second jokers. the I 00 poin ts th a t sta nds between the top three could easily be m a y be redu ced . BIO favourite s to win fo r the s econd time in three years, but th e race for the title is far from over. with a t least four sch ools still in with a ch ance.

This week th e women get

to try out their netball skills witho u t th e men. as the Women's Netball eve n t sees UEA's students fight fo r the sc h ools pride in what is looking Like the closest race in the competitions history.

Ziggurat Standings (after 15 of 23 events) 1 BIO 2 MED I AHP 3 ENV 4 DEV 5 AHP I CMP 6 CAP 7 EDU 8 LAW 9 MTH/NAM 10 PSS/SWK 11 LLT 12 HIS 13 ECO/PHIIPSI 14 MGT 15 WAM/MUSIC 16 AMS/FTV /LIT

1181 (JJ) 1086 (J) 1076 (J) 1042 (JJ) 996 (JJ) 943 (J) 865 (JJ) 850 827 (J) 635 582 578 402 310 242 223

(JJ} = Two Jokers played (J} = One Joker Played

Andy Campbell and Matt Tilbrook The UEA golf team were crowned league champions last Wednesday after demolishing De Montfort (Leicest er) 6-0.

This was set up fo llowing the previous wee ks 3-3 home draw against arch rivals Staffordshire (Stoke).

Stoke were th e pre-season league favo uri tes. but n eed ed a victory to regai n the initi a tive. They s tarted s trongly in icy conditions. but were pegged back by s terling performan ces from Capta in Ma tt T ilbrook.

Alex Ghesqui er e a nd Andy Camp bell.

The 3-3 tie meant UEA n eed ed victory in their fin a l gam e to s ecure th e title. Th e

6-0 triu mph was som ething of an anti climax as Leicester were easily b ru s h ed aside.

The golfers d eliver ed an empha tic and s kilful peragainst th e forma n ce leagues m ost consis tent team. It was also pleasing to see everyon e contributing to the scoreline. making the s u ccess that m u ch more enj oyable. th e gam e.

Followin g Atch im Grone m eyer(the team 's number 5) quipped .

"We really b eat th e cr • p outta th os e guys!"

On a reflection of the seaso n. a n e mo t ion a l Chri s White said . "It's been a hard season, but I believe our re laxed attitude and light hearted b anter gave u s the edge."

Captain Tilbrook a dd ed .

"There's a lot to be said for

team s piiit. and our commitm ent was second to none.

This is one of the happ iest d ays of my life".

Th e golf team will now face a promotion playoff for a pla ce in the Midlands First Divis ion and also look set to compete in the illustrious BUSA shield. It has been a great achievement considering only 2 players had previou s BUSA experience. There will b e a lot of hard work put in b e fore t h e rema ining match es. bu t curren tly the golfers j ust want to enjoy th eir success .

GOLF MIDLANDS DIVISION TWO (B) UEA S'shire (Stoke) Nottingham 2 Lincoln 2 DMU (Lei)

P 8

W 6

D 1

L GO PTS 1 20 19

6 6

3 3

2 0

1 3

6

2

9

7 7

2 0

2 1

3 6

-1 -27

8 1

11

• UEA Champions and qualify for BUSA Shield and promotion playoff

CoDCntt Wednesday, February 9'', 2005

concrete.sport@uea.ac.:uk. 27

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View From The Street What do the students of UEA think about the Burning Issues in Sport?

Mistake by opponents may see UEA footballers drop down into BUSA Midlands Division Two Ross Grainger The men's first team had another disappointing fortnight as they were all but relegated from the Midlands lA Division.

The team had to win away at Bedford and at home to Warwick to avoid the drop, but they were denied even the chance to play Bedford and lost at home to Warwick 3-0.

As this paper went to press it was unclear how the points would be distributed from UEA's botched match against Bedford. What Is undeniable is that UEA was not to blame. They travelled to Demontford Bedford University on Wednesday the 26th of January eager to play the team below them at the bottom of the league.

They arrived at the universi-

side featuring many debut first teamers battled with great character throughout the match. but were unable to break Warwick down.

UEA fell behind early when an in-swinging corner was headed in from close range. From then on UEA was always chasing the game. Warwick had the better of the play in the first half, with UEA creating only several half-chances. but while they were only 1-0 down there was a great belief that a win could be snatched.

That looked inevitable as UEA came flying out of the blocks for the second half.

Warwick were under pressure for the opening fifteen minutes and came within inches of conceding. After a great through-ball from Adam English they were saved by the crossbar.

ty. got changed and warmed up on the pitch. Everything was proceeding smoothly until they were told lliat the team on the other side of the pitch was not the Bedford first team. They were at another pitch on the other side of town. By the time the coach arrived back and took UEA to the right pitch. it was too late. In incidents such as this it Is up to BUSA to determine who gets the points. but any docking of points on behalf of UEA would be a trave ty; they were told to show up to one part of the campus and they did.

Unfortunately. UEA could have no such excuse the following Wednesday as they faced Warwick. It was a must win game, but captain Lee Pendrey was missing several of his first-choice players. A weakened UEA

Following that miss Warwick solidified and began frustrattng UEA. As they piled forward looking for an equaliser they were hit on the break twice in quick succession and Warwick left with a 3-0 win and all three points.

That loss means UEA need a minor mathematical miracle to avoid the drop. A win in their last game against Birmingham is a must If they want to stay up. but it all depends on whether or not BUSA deducts UEA 3 points or not.

Should the seemingly inevitable happen it will not be through a lack of trying.

Against Warwick as in all the BUSA matches this season UEA have just lacked the killer-tnstinct and luck that are the difference in close matches. But they never lacked effort.

HOCKEY lADIES CHASE PROMOTION

This week we ask

iffound guilty should Chelsea be deducted pointsjor

~tapping"

Ashley Cole?

Of course not! I don't see the problem anyway. as I can't see what all the fuss is about. Yes, they may have talked to him. but why can't they? You should be allowed to speak to anyone without getting into trouble. Anyway. why shouldn't Ashley Cole be punished? He has gone behind his club's back. How do you punish one player though? Probably a match suspension.

Lee. BIO 3

I think it is about time point deductions were used in many cases. not just "tapptng" of players. as teams like Chelsea can afford any fine they have to pay. Give it to them where it hurts. which Is not the bank, but the league. It is time to punish teams. so they know they can't do things without having to face the consequences. The whole Chelsea management Is starting to get a bit arrogant, and the FA hould throw the book at them If they are fOund guilty to show them who is in charge.

Chris, MGT 1 Like Wenger said, deducting points would mean if any team did catch them up. they would not feel like worthy winners.

For once, the Frenchman is speaking some sense. Also. if you remember back to the secret meetings with Sven.

Chelsea and Kenyon denied that any such meeting had ever happened. They eventually admitted 1t after the evidence was stacked up against them, so I have a feeling the meeting did take place. And if it did, potnts seems to be the only answer. as I don't feel fines really punish teams. especially Chelsea.

Jan. HIS 2

In-form students dose in on leading pack in women's local league Marc Dudley Sports-Editor UEA cruised to a 3-0 victory over Colchester on Saturday, and now find themselves only six points out of a promotion place.

The ladies impressive form after Christmas has seen them win four matches in a

their sea on as they face _ _E_A_S_T_W_O_M_E_N_'_S_LEA __..

G_U_E_ _ promotion rivals Sudbury DIVISION TWO CENTRAL and Southend at home. Wins P w o L GO PTS ln these matches would see ~e~ ~~ ~ ! ~g ~ UEA a step closer to securtng Brentwood 17 10 3 4 21 33 17 9 2 6 9 29 promoton to the First UEA Colchester 17 6 3 6 0 27 Division. and whether or not Brn1ntree 24 17 6 6 5 7 3 17 7 2 8 -17 23 they do achelve this. UEA Ipswich Haverhill 17 4 5 8 ·16 17 must be happy with the Harleston 3 16 4 4 8 ·8 16 ·22 13 team's performance this sea- Dereham 2 17 3 4 10 9 ·18 12 ~~~~p~~2 ~ 11 ·'28 12 son.

row and the team are now in with an outside chance of getting promoted into the First Division. In the previous month UEA have re orded wins away to Brentwood (3-1) and Dereham 11 (3-1) and a home win over Bury St. Edmunds 11 (2-0).

Two of their next three matches will make or break

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•

WAYO PIRATES PlAYOFF HOPES

' ...,;

The UEA American footballers must win in Kent to keep playoff dreams alive

Marc Dudl ey Sports-Editor The UEA Pirates travel to Kent this Sunday to take on the KCU Falcons in what is arguably the t eams mos t important game of their season.

After a 0-67 trashing by Hertfordshire Hurricanes las t weekend. UEA no longer had the chance of winning their Sou thern Conference Eastern Table. Instead. they m ust hope they can progress as one of the best runnersu ps in their conference. and the Falcon s must be beaten if they are to s u cceed.

Defeat in Kent wou ld leave the Pira tes with a 4-4 record and no ch ance of a playoff place . Victory wou ld give the team five wi n s and three de feats. which wou ld hopefully be good enough for a place in the BCAFL Playoffs.

"We h ave a very good c h a n ce in ge tti ng to th e playoffs." says Pirates QB

J acob Banik . who a lso believes UEA have a cha nce of ca u s ing an upset in the playo ffs. 'We would also be the first Pirates team to get to back to back playoffs. whi ch is a great achievemen t."

The Pirates do have what it takes to beat The Falcons and have not h ad the best of seasons with a record of 1-6 and UEA should have no problems beating the side.

If th e Pira tes d o p rogress then a long t ri p awa its UEA la eit her the Southampton S lags or th e Bath Killer Bees in th e playoffs. Both teams h ave got impressive record s and wo uld be a lough challe nge fo r th e UEA foo tballers.

However. on the day anything can ha ppen . and it is up to the players to keep the ir head s focused on getti ng the win on the d ay.

For m ore d eta il s on the Pira tes vis it their homepage a l www. u eapirates.org.

GOT A SPORTS STORY FROM YOUR CLUB? E-MAIL US AT CONCRETE.SPORT@UEA.AC.UK ACROSS I and 8down . I see trade. sew

up . s hove ou t for d om esti c s itcom (9.10) 8. Shots are not h alf mild (3) I 0. Cut in or out to get coal (5) I I . Adobe crash es partly a n d causes fuss (3) 13. Beads belittled on Anne (6) 14. Awake and stir our sea(6) 15. Endless leave and go up to pla n t (6) 16. Tears into stri ps (6) 17. _ au vin (3) 18. Negative. U1e body is not fo u nd with it (2) 22 . UK is pa r t of il (Abbr.) ( I . I) 23. I think U1erefore I _ (2) 25. I'm upset wiU1 sanla b u t I will go on (7) 26. Retain to peek out (4) 29. Th e Mad onna is an establis hed symbol (Abbr.) (2) 30. /1 seed grew with facility (5) 31. Remembering a dream. say (7)

33. An ode free fro m edges to you in text fo r two (3) 34. Even Iatin muddles cannot forget the loving day saint (9)

....

DOWN I . Lend aside to ach ieve d ue dales (9 )

2. Deprive of food (6) 3. T he re's no limit to ilie positive product of infected tissu e (3) 4. Green centred eye gives you a boost (6) 5. Be relieved to tide \vithoul excess (3) 6. Cool accustoming of ox-ygen (Abb r.) (2) 7. T he q u aker about a mixed sha ke (10) 8. see I across 9. /1 sure rate garantees gold (8) 12. I take a partner and act (2) 16. find it goes (2 19. Take central route to get away (3)

20. Upse t male sheep for a limb (3) 2 1. Italian poet in anted il uvian chaos (4) 24. Man. dog. say. form genus (6) 27. Listen \villi it. start wiiliout first gear (3) 28. Open cart partly to fi nd nul (5) 31. Communists are angry (3) 32. Existing status is so (3)

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