Concrete issue 175 09 03 2005

PEOPLE &PlANET: YOUR GUIDE TO LIFE ON EARTH THROUGHOUT THE ISSUE ISSUE NUMBER: / J5 ISSUE DATE:

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CONCRETE REFERENCE ARCHIVE

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UNION PLANS TO MAKE POVERTY HISTORY

THE FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT AT UEA IN

2005 Sarah Smith

Clare Bull

Most people know a bit about Fairtrade products and what U1e aim of the various fairtrade organisations is. However to raise further awareness about just what fairtrade products and organisations are out there every year there is Fairtrade fortnight.

Various events have been organised this year by SEED and have bee n very popular.

Events kicked off on March I st with the debate society holding a discussion on fainracle and whether people were in favour of it.

In a h and ups vote more people were in favour of fairtrade by the end of the session than were at the beginning. Many questions from the f1oor were directed at and challenging the opposition. A Fairtracle LCR on Thursday also proved a successful evening. Fairlrade Fair Trade Events See page 10

2005 is the year of the 'Make poverty history campaign·.

Endorsed by many celebrities . charities and faith groups. and with the university promoting a campaign from the 14th of March.

UEA is set to contribute substantially in the coming weeks. with Publicity Officer Rowe na Boclclington and Welfare Officer Jo Wright heading the campaign.

The campaign's mani festo highlights the fact that blame for world poverty can be attributed to three fac tors: 'injustice in global trade: the huge burden of debt: insufficient and ineffective aiel'. The campaign ers feel that joining all these issues together will aiel people's understanding of the depth of the problem. and this raised level of awa re ness shou ld 'kick' people UEA's plans for MPH See page 2

GOVERNANCE BECOMES POLnECHNICAL FOR UEA 'SENATE' Philip Benjamin Wednesday 2'"1 March saw the final round in the move to a managerial University as the senate voted against an amendment to Ule proposed changes. The ame ndment would have given all schools

a proportionate. and elected. presence on senate and were designed to change an approach to gove rnance that ha s in the past been labe lled "undemocratic". "medieval" and "insane".

Dr. Ruperl Read. Senior Lecturer in PHI and AUT rep who proposed the amendments has said of the decisions 'This is a sad moment

in the history of UEA. and of British Universities in general. Senate has discarded the legacy of hundreds of years of democratic academic gove i·nance procedures in Universities in thi s country. in favour of an untested topdown ersatz replacement. As I and many others have warned from the start: We have now adopted gover-

nanc e procedures • that resemble closely those of polytechnics. That is a shameful abdication of the proud traditions of the University."

Academic Officer. Chris Ostrowski. was concerened over the move. but remained positive. "I was pleased to see how many academics were prepared to speak up

against the proposals to streamline senate. I think the university executive defi nitely saw how some mem bers of staff felt a lienated by what had been going on during the restructuring process ." · A second amendment was not voted on as it was agreed that the process of nomination would be re-

draft ed. This was partly because senate felt Ulat 12 academics were too few. A vote to increase the number of academics from 12 to 16 was carried by majority.

"It 's good that senators demanded an increase from 12 academics to 24. lt 's a shame they won 't be proper representatives .·· Mr. Ostrowski concluded.

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SPEAKING OUT Cra ig Murray will be co ming to the UEA on th e l6'" March to ta lk a bout his time as the Ambassador to Uzbekistan. huma n right s in the country a nd the Briti s h Governmenrs treatment of him.

Craig co mpl a ined about the Government of Uzbekistan's reco rd on human rights a nd democra cy. As the form er ambassador to Uzbekistan . he will b e offering a unique insight of a co untry tha t is is a key 'ally' in the war on te1-ror.

As a critic of British and American Policy on terroris m and of the hypocrisy of fi ghting terrorism . Craig will th e be res po ndin g to Government's consisten t a tt empts to s ilence him.

The talk will take place in Arts 2.03 from 12pm 2pm in the S . U. building.

MARCHING ON Norwich Stop th e War Coalition are gearing up for the nex1: big march on the capita l on the 19"' March to demonstrate aga inst th e ongoing confli ct in Iraq.

Meet ings at coalition centres ac ross the cow1try a re reporting a high a tten dance. with Bristol having to turn 150 peo ple away. The march in London is expected to a ttract a record number. Police h ave now acqui esced to let tl1e prcession m a rc h round Grosvenor Square. via the US embassy a nd Downing Street.

Families of Britich troops in Ira q ar e proposing to es tab lis h a week-long Peace Camp on Parliament Square in the week before the demonstra tion on march 19. Muslims are also expect ed to take part in the march. with the intention to demons tra te being a nnounced at Friday Prayer.

As a precursor to th e event. local mus icia n James Frost has reco rded th e song Not In Our Name as a testimony to the biggest m a rch es fo r peace in British history.

He will be performing llie song a t The Mus ic House.

Wen s um Lodge. Friday 11th Ma rch. B.30pm For more information . a bout both events . conta ct the local office at www.norwichs topwa r.or g. uk or email th em at info@norwi chstopwar.org. uk

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Concrete

Wed11esdav. M arch 9'' . 2005

SYSTEM'S A LOAD OF BALLOTS IGNORANCE OVER UNION VOTING SYSTEM MAY HAVE LED TO UNDESIRABLE SUCCESS Kevin Rowe With the Student Union elections now compl ete and th e winn ers a nnoun ced some issu es about th e voting system h ave been ra ised and ca u sed conte ntion a mongst som e of the ca ndidates.

The Uni on u ses a Single Transferable Vote (SlV) system . whi ch a llows the voter to choose their pre ferred candida te for th e position but a lso a llows th e m t o choose a second . third an d fourth choice . This system is s upposed to crea te a fairer result as th e winn er is effectively decided by not just h ow many people want that person to win . but a lso how many people do not want that person to win. The STV system ta kes into acco unt n ot the just the a mount of l 's the ca ndida tes have. the number of 2's. 3's and 4's they have ar e a lso taken into acco unt.

The STV system is used in Government electi ons in

Au s tra lia and is viewed by most to be the fa irest system ava ila ble. This view is s h a red by ou tgo ing Academic officer Chris Ostrowski. h e told Con crete: "There is no fairer sys tem . st ud ent s want ce rta in ca ndid a tes to be r•lected but th ey a lso d o not want ce rt a in ca ndid a tes to b e e lec ted. th e Single Transfe rabl e Vote syste m a llows th cm to express this."

Conce rn s abou t th e nature of th e voting system h ad been ra ised due to a cun trove rs ia l res ult in the running for Finance Officer.

Ben Williams cam e away as win n er but Coli Fa raghe r ha d the m ost votes as number one choice. The th eo.y Mr. Fa rragh c r· s be hind defea t is th a t more s tud ent ·; did not wa nt him to get into th e pos it ion th a n Ben Williams. The result has left some st uden ts fuming. Mr. Willia ms has only been at UEA for a year a nd the resentment cau sed by his election h as eve n ca u sed some to begin mounting a s lur campa ign aga ins t him.

Ce ntra l to th ese co n -

ce rns is the qu es t ion of whellier th e stud ents fully understand the system a nd cast a sen s ible vote for 2nd.

3 rd a nd 4th choi ces.

Har na h Wa lker. a second year s tude nt. co nfirms th e suspi• ·ions of some. "I just vote fe r who I wa nt to win . th e others I just choose a t ra nd om ." If this is th e case \vitl1 other voting students then the c::mdidates elected we re not tile choice of the people.

Andy Hi gso n . h owever. wou ld h ave su:::ceeded in his candidacy fo r Co mmunica ti on3 Officer. rega rdless of the >'oting system . While exp li c i ~ ly "su s pi cious" of <<Concrete>> . Mr. Higson offered the following comment regarding th e STV system. "It is the best system to use. a nd every Univers ity uses it for that reason." Mr Higso n . a n ac tive Liberal Democrat who is running as th e ca ndidate for th e Cou n ty Counc il seat in May 2005 has a lso ha d some criticism directed a t him. s uggesting he would n ot fulfil! his duties as Communications officer

by working a 4 day week and would d edicate too mu ch time to his politi ca l party of choice. Mr. H i g s 0 n respond ed to this speculation. sayi n g "I will co mpl ete my -. 36 and a qu a rte r hours a week and I a m fully committed to my pos ition ... Bur h e did not state wh ellier or not h e would be condu cting a 5 day wee k which is required and is stated in the contract for Communications officer.

Some students have voiced doubt s a bout Mr Higson 's ab ility to juggle th ese responsibilities.

Both ca ndid ates a r e eager to put a ny conte nti on s behind th e m when they take on their respective rol es next year. but llie qu esti on of a fullyinformed st ud e nt voting populace rem a ins.

As

Communications Officer. Mr. Higson will be responsible for ens uring th e students are fully a ware of the voting system. Starting the year with an overtly negative attitude towards the UEA's mos t popula r m edia will not h elp .

FROM ONE BILL TO ANOTHER PREVENTION OF TERRORISM BILL CAUSES HEAD.ACHES FOR ClARKE'S TERROR FIGHT Juliet Hanis Legal Editor Unive rsal opposition to the Prevention of Terrorism Bill has ca u sed Home Secretary Charles Clarke to drastically re think the Gove rnm ent's pla ns to d etain suspected terrorists und e r Hous e Arrest.

The Prevention of Terroi;sm Bill. c urre ntly on a tortuou s path through the House of Commons a nd til e House of Lords respectively. lays down a seri es of provi sions known as "control orders". These a re d esign ed to prevent future atrocities from la kin g place rath e r tha n punis hing offenders for c rimes th a t th ey h ave

a lready committed .

Derogating Co ntrol Orders amount to what Article 5 of the European Convention of Huma n Rights d escribes as a "d e privation of liberty".

However. where such a measure impa irs an individ u a l's right to Freedom of Expression. Freedom of Assembly or Right to a Fa mily a nd Private Life und er the Convention. the m easure must be prescribed

by Jaw. proportiona te and in pursuit of a legitima te a im. It is these requirem ents tha t h ave seemingly caused Mr Cla rke the mos t problems. not least beca u se the granting of co ntrol orders as d escribed in the Bill are by th e Home Secretary on grounds of his "reasonable belief '. Both the House of

Lords a nd the All Party Joint Co mmittee on Human Rights. led by Labour MP J ea n Co rs te n . h ave expressed strong con ce rns at the apparent Jack of judi cial involve ment in this process. Even has ty amend m ents to llie Bill a llowing judges to decide at the outset have failed to satisfY the Joint Co mmittee th a t Convention r equirements h ave been co mplied wit·h.

Despite this. ministers s ta ted that th ey we re satis fied that the new proposals com ply with huma n rights legislation and s trike the right balance betwee n protecting th e security of the na tion and observing civil liberties.

Mr Denh a m . a form er Home Office minis t er. said the hum a n right s co mmitt ee

was wrong. "There a re other jurisdictions a nd oth er legal system s that operate \vithin th e European convention on human rights th at restra in people's freecloms fa r more llian this government is proposing to do without disclos ing all the evidence to th e suspect.

A furth er h ead ach e was ca u sed when th e Governmenrs tnajority was s lash ed to just 14 during the seco nd reading of the Bill in the House of Co mmon s. In a desperate attempt to ward off a humilia ting d efeat in th e a lready-unh a ppy House of Lords, th e Governm ent is preparing a series of co ncessions to the bill. This might include giving Judges m ore powers in the process and even in trod uc ing a previous-

ly-re_iected "sunset clause" into the Bill. which would m ea n that th e legis lation would expire when the present Parlia m ent finish es in May. This wo uld a llow th e n ext Gover n ment to effective ly start from s tra tch.

Clarke's parliamentary private ser:reta ry . Stephen McCabe. sa id he was ·opti mis ti c' a co mpromise could be reach ed by Wednesday. giving time for the bill to return to th e Com m ons before next weeke nd . ·1 think th ere is a ge nuine mood for co mpromi se.· he sa id. ·If that's th e case . th e gove rn m ent may be willing to go a little furth er.· With th e Bill clue to expire on March 14'". th e Gove rnm e nt faces a n increasingly-fr a 11tic race against time to fco mpromise.

Make Poverty History Continued from page 1 into action .

2005 was chosen as -the yea r for this ca mpa ign as it coincides with pla n s for Britain to hold the GB s um mit in Scotla nd . and BI;t<l.in taking over presidency of th e EU. The co-ordin ators feel that 2005 is the year th at Britain is in a s tron g posi ti on to influe nce globa l poli c ies towa rd s poverty . On choosing 2005 Bob Gelclof said 'This is a bout firin g th e starting pistol to th e year of 2005 when Britain is th e cha ir of the GB and the president of th e EU. The reality is that only politics crea ted this dilemma and only poli-

ti cs can resolve it."

UEA \vill be organising events throughout week ten \villi the intention of bringing togeth er socit? lies within the university to 'ki ck start' a year- long campa ign . The aim is to ra ise th e profile of th e ca mpa ig n wit hin the university. 'White bands' wi ll be on sa le. a nd there is to be a stall in The Hive promoting the ca mp aign a ll week.

Organisers are keen. however. to encourage people to look at the wcbsite a nd take part in petitions. rather than use th e whit e band s imply as a fashion statement.

Wednesd ay the 16th of March is the key d ay for the campaign . There a re plans

to ado rn the front of Uni on House in a large. white ·ma ke pove rty h istory· ban ner and organisers are a lso kee n to co llaborate with effort s bei n g ma d e in Norwic h o u ts id f? th e University. This is a hu ge ca mp a ig n. a nd th e· more peo ple invol ved. th e more effective it becomes. Other s trands of th e campaign are se t to include the $2 a day challenge. where s tud ents will be cha llenged to live off the equi valent of £ 1.30 a d ay. $2 a day is recognised as the global poverty line a nd people who live below tllis are dee med to live in poverty. The Upion are we lco ming any su pport given .

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Wednesd(/\'. March 9'''. 2005

UEA BIOLOGISTS TO MAKE GREAT LEAP UEA SCIENTISTS MAKE PARACHUTE JUMP FOR "BIG C" APPEAL Rosie Ch ance

Feed the world· Charitable activities abound at UEA over the next two weeks before the Easter holidays. Norwich has now been conferred with FairTrade status and the FairTrade Fortnight proves to be as popular as ever. The Union's decision to back the national campaign to Make Poverty History culminates next week with Make Poverty History Week and students will be helping to keep pressure on the Government as it represents our citizenry as president of the GB and the EU .

All this comes from an ever-expanding notion of the term 'community' resulting from increased access to information about the world in which we live. Communities are no longer simple constructs that emanate out from the local post office or pub, they now have global reach.

The 21 st Century has great potential to be remembered as the century in which these global communities finally started to co-exist and co-operate for the benefit of humanity worldwide. Yet the greatest challenge that faces us is to move beyond considering the needs of our fellow humans and to start being mindful of the state of the planet in general. If we don't start extending our notion of community to encompass all the inhabitants of the globe on which we live, including plants and animals, then we could be left without a world in which to enjoy the many relationships we have worked so hard to establish and maintain .

Pledge Allegiance As the general election looms, the political parties take to the streets to start kissing babies and addressing real issues with the kind of hyperbole usually associated with the shopping channel. We become witness to a daily assault of pledges and party pol iticals that attempt to gloss over what they actually intend to do were they to get in power.

Voting is an incredibly important part of our society and expressing political opinion is one of the greatest rights we have; it should never be taken for granted. But to assume that voting is all that is necessary to ensure a val id and productive democracy is to be greatly deceived. In order to avoid descending into a society that resides purely on gesture politics, we all have a responsibility to ensure that our political opinions are consistently expressed to those elected to govern us. Without such mindful attention to the activities of our government, we could soon find ourselves losing the rights that are so intrinsic to our lives.

Science Editor Biologists from UEA h ave been fa lling over themse lves to fa ll out of a pla n e. all in aid of a local cancer ch arity.

30 scientists from UEA. including th e Head of Biology Professor John Turner. will take part in a m ass pa rac hute jump in July. They hope to raise m oney for The Big C Appeal.

Norfo lk and North S uffolk's premier cancer ch a rity.

The Big C Appeal has don a ted more tha n £900.000 towards the cancer resear ch d epartment in the School of Biology. So. when the charity s u ggested resea rc h ers take to the skies. it was payback time.

Or Caroline Pennington took on the task of recruiting volunteers. and was s urprised to find h erself inunda te d with enthusiastic requests in h er words , "it will be r a ining scientists!"

The skydives will b e m a d e in tandem. and Or Pennington thinks th e

prospect of being "strapped to a burly ch a p" has bee n quite an incentive for s ome of h er volunteers .

Professof Dylan Edwards. Head of Ca ncer Research at UEA. will also be taking the plunge. He hopes th e money ra ised will a llow th e Big C Appeal to continue supporting UEA sc ie ntists m a king grea t lea ps of another kind: in research on preve nting tumour growth a nd the li nks

between gen es and cancer.

Like most of the poten tia l pa rachut ists .

Professor Edwa rds is n e rvo us but. kee n . he says. "it is something I a lways wanted to have done. but I wi ll be glad when it is over."

The Big C Appeal was s ta rted 25 years ago to ben ellt local people a ffected by cancer throu gh fundin g treatment. equipment. care a nd research . ·so far over £7 million has been ra ised. a ll

of which has been spent in Norfolk and North Suffolk .

Th e c h a rity is actively involved with resea rch at UEA. making monthly visits to the Edwards' group laboratories. and is s upporting the con stru ction of a new Biomedical Research Centre on ca mpus.

To support the S choo l's fund rais ing efforts contact Or Caroline Pennington on 0 1603 593245 or by em a.il at c. pennington @uea.ac . uk

KELLY RETAINS GCSE'·SAND 'K LEVELS Jessica Fielder Education Editor The politica l spotlight has been on Education over the past few weeks as Ru th Kelly delivered her long-awa ited verdict on the Tomlinson report.

In his report. Sir Mike Tomlinson proposed a fairly extensive overhaul of the 14 - 19 education system . In ord er to overcome the huge between res pect gu lf ascribed to tra di tional aca-

d e mi c qu a lifications and n ewer vocationa l ones. h e suggested re place m e nt o f GCSEs and A-Levels with a s ingle diploma. The diploma would be composed of a number of modu les [mos tly built from exis ting GCSE a nd A-Level units ). Pupils would be ab le to choose som e modu les wh ils t other ele m ents of th e course. including m ore vocationa l aspects such as work experien ce a nd vo luntary work. wou ld be compulsory.

Mu c h o f Tomlinso n 's report. however. has been

s hunned by t11 e government at GCSE. Some believe Kelly's deciin its responding White Paper. Ruth Kelly confirmed s ions to stem fro·m fear at proposing anything too radith at GCSEs and A-Levels will re main as they are. with cal so close to the upcoming th e int roduction of more General Election. At a qu estion and a nswer session with vocational diplom as as a n Seco nd a ry Head s Maths and th e a lternative.

English resu lts will be pub - Association on the 4t h li s h ed inde pend e n t ly in Ma rch . Kelly faced uproar Leagu e Tables in a n a ttemp t · from disappointed Head to co unteract growing co n - teachers who expressed their ce rns that the basic numer - concern at this lost opportu acy and lite racy s kills of nity to overha ul 14 - 19 edu school-Jeave rs prove insu ffi - cation . The changes will do cient in the work place. A little to redu ce the emp has is new diploma wi ll be awa rded on academic qu a lification s to those who achi eve 5 A*-Cs over vocational ones.

UEA STREETJAZZ DANCING IN THE WEST END STREET DANCING SOCIETY PREPARES FOR WEST END DEBUT Louise Horn er

Two years a fter the la unch of the UEA StreetJ azz Dan ce Society. th e m e mbe rs a re facing their biggest perform a nce yet. at Sadler's Wells U1eatre in London.

On Good Friday. the 25th of March. forty of the society m embers will take part in the Mardi Gras s how in the West End . an event put on every yea r to raise money for ch ildren 's cha ri ties.

Over th e past 2 years. led by th eir preside nt a nd teacher Tina Gleadall .

Stree tJ azz h as pe rformed

several t im es at Union events. including LCRs and the 3000-strong Party in the Square. The dance troupe h ave a lso performed for U1 e Speechless campa ign . a nd recently taught at the Inter Vars ity Folk Festiva l. This new occasion. however. is a little more daunting. putting th em in front of oth er d ance schools. a nd possibly dance sco uts.

Previous dances have included LCR classics such as Britney Spears. Christina Agu ile ra. t h e Black Eyed Peas and Girls Aloud . but with th e increased sco pe of a West End stage. more thea trical songs have been ch osen for this upcoming performance - firs tly with Janet

J ackson's "Rhythm Nation" and th en with a ch a llenging. routine to fast- paced Prodigy's "Firestarter".

With 9 out of 11 existing co mmittee members leaving th e University n ext year. a nd th e n ew committee n ow elected, U1e las t few events of th e year are a great occasion for new members to build up their confid ence before the takeover.

Fortunate ly for those nervous about performing in t11e West End (many m em bers h ad never learnt to dance befo re joining th e society). a dress re hearsal will take place a t the CASAs. the annual Clubs a nd Societies Awards on the 17th of Ma rch . where. last

year. the society received an a ward for "O utsta nding Achievem ent for a Society".

If you won't be in a tten dance at the CASAs. look out for StreetJazz performing at a nd LCR next term . a nd hopefully aga in at Party in th e Squ a r e. wh e re th e founding committee will bid a fond fa rewell to th eir society. · If you are in te rested in join ing the Street Jazz socie ty then feel free to pop a lon g to the da nce session s being held a fter the Easter h oli days. These are on Mondays 5 :3 0pm-7pm and Thurs d ays 6pm-7:30pm. Otherwise d o go along to th e Socmarts held next year and look out for U1 e Streetjazz stall .

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TOPPING UP THE COFFERS AS THE ELECTION LOOMS Laura Palmer and lsabel Dyson Wh e n th e first univcr ities were se t up in Britain. unde rgra duates had to pay their own way entire ly but towards the end of th e sbcteenth cen tury some colleges a t Oxford -University found benefactors to provide sc hol a~·ships in an effort to appeal to poorer potential students.

Bu tl er's education ac t. which was passed in 1944. so ught to make the educati on sy tcm fa irer and more accessible to students fr om a ll backgrounds but it wasn't until 1964 th a t student grants were introduced.

Grants were ava ilab le to nearly a ll full -time stude nts a11d covered the living cost a nd tuition fees. S t ucl cnts over 25 could rece ive hi gher ~r a nt s as th ey were co ns id ered ind epende nt from th eir parents and st ud ent s under 25 who had been in employment or li ve d away from home for a substa nti a l a mou nt of time were a lso thought to be independent and entitled to highe r grants.

From 1984. Margare l Thatcher·s Conservative government modified th e grant system and removed s tud ent e ntitl e m e nts to Inc ome Support. Housing Benefit.

Concrete

THE APPROACH OF TOP UP FEES RECALLS THE DIVISIVE NATURE OF THE BILL AND ITS EFFECTS ON THOSE IN AND APPROACHING HIGHER EDUCATION

ported by tl1eir local a uthor- a nd thus a ttract only th e ities . The fees will be pa id ri c h est students.

Libe ra l aft e r gradu a ti on. which the De moc rats say that the gove rnment says wi ll pro- m oney univers ities need to vide some re lief for cash - survive should come from strapped stud e nts a nd pa r- taxa tion ra th e r th a n from ents. students. as a n edu ca ted Propone nts of top -up workforce be nefit s the whole fees argue th a t paying for society. Oppone nts to top-up education is to be looked at fees argue I ha t edu ca tion as an investm e nt for .S. -·· s hou ld be th e future as a free. a nd that it degree is a va lu is a right a11d ab le asse t. / not a privi access to Vaca tion Ha rdship declared th a t it pla nned to 1 e g c . fund a nd a Specia l charge Home undergraduate Average Equipment grant for certa in students up 1 st ud e nt s toM cou rses. £ 10.000 a year. do not receive co uld face In 1990 th e Stud e nt d eb ts of The th e Loa ns Bi ll became law and says that it s upport th · £ 10.000 or John Majo r dism a ntl ed the loses £2700 ~ " r;:, need. they gra nt system by reducing the per und e r - ""-""- 7 ..r may choose ave rage gra~1t by I 0% eac h graduate per '- '7 { to beco m e year from 1994 unti l 1997. year aJ1d can not' v inclepencl By th is lime the grant offered survwe. performmg .- . e n t to s tudents was less tha11 to the same sta11darcl. -~ half of what it ha d been in on th e mon ey 1t re CJvcs 1979. In the s a me year stu- from tl1e government. d en ts were collectively in The government's pro more tha11 £1 billion d ebt. posal on top -up fees has Du ring the run -up to the resu lte d in wid es prea d 1997 election. Conservative furore . Politicians. students cou ld a nd Labour parties join ed to and the gene ral public arc c h arge set up The Nationa l sharply cl iviclecl on the topic. ~aJ1yth i ng.

Co mmittee of Inquiry into with fi erce arguments co m T 11 o s ~e~\.-,;;.~i~r~~ Hi gh e r Education . ch a ired ing from both s ides. aga inst

by Sir Ron Dearing. Th e One poll carri ed out by t 0 p report was released in July th e high er edu ca tion u p of that yea r a nd reco mmend - uni on AUT in 2003 found eel universal tuition fees for th a t 78% o f peo pl e are s t uclents.

Tony Bla ir's opposed to the introd u ction Labour gove rnment wel- · of top-up fees a nd ye t the co m ed th e report a nd in gove rnment pla ns to impleSeptember of 1998 th e yea~· ­ men t th e policy next yea r. ly tuition fees of£ 1.000 max- So what exac tly are top -up imum we re introd uced. fees a nd h ow clo th ey a ffect July 2000 the students?

In "Greenaway Report" was The gove rnm e nt m a in published.

Compi led by tains that lop-up fees mean Professor David Grcenaway that incliviclual universities and Or Michelle llaynes of decide wh a t s tud ents must No ttingham Un iversi ty. it pay in t uiti on fees. but that s ca lled for differential fees. this amount can not ri se a llowing uni ve rs ities to se t above £3.000 per year. at th eir own und e rgrad u a te leas t in th e foreseea ble fees. future. Students from low __.....,..""""'"c" In October 2002 Imp eria l income background s wi ll be College in London hit the eligible for a £ 1500 grant na tional h eadlin es when it a11cl >vill continue to be s up -

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\Vedne.llim ·. March Y . 2005

been attempting to sell topup fees to s tud en ts by s pin ning a line that bei n g in debt is acceptable. This comes from minist ers and politicians who enjoyed full grants and ben efit s and are rea ping the rewards by owning their own house a nd providing for their own children a nd family. Such a life will be out of 'the question for the next gen era tion of gradua tes. who will face the burden of years of d eb t repayments reac hing tens of thousands of pounds ...

Loans of up to nearly a quart er of a billion pounds were approved in th e last

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T h e .

Students ) \ /\ward Agen cy for granted 9 1.000 un ive rsity students more than £223 millio n to a iel their studies.

F'ion a I lyslop. th e Scotti s h Nationa l Party Shadow Minister for Education. h as now cal led for the stud ent loan system to be sc rapped and for the governmen t to reintroduce the grant system. S h e reported in The Scotsman that: "Money that i~ being us ed to pay back student loa ns is disposable income which would otherwise be driving th e eco nomy lonvard.

Student loans are econo mi c illiteracy."

Since the scrapping of s tud en t grants. by 2003 over £ I billion had been loa ned to st ud e nt s. a lmost doub ling th e ave rage student debt in s t fou r years.

The mi xed debate sunounding tuiti on fees and the introduction of top -up fees in 2 006 ha s caused Libera l De moc ra t leade r.

Colcrett Wednesday, March 9'', 2005

Charles Kennedy to suggest that students could control the fate of some MPs in the coming general election .

Based on the assumption that students vote In their university towns - and vote Lib Dem - the Liberal Democrats claim that student votes could win them 27 new seats. defeating the current Labour and Conservative holders. Towns named by Charles Kennedy included Cambridge and Oxford East, though lt appears students at UEA would not have an impact on Kennedy's revolution, as Norwich was sadly not named.

If voted into power the Liberal Democrats profess to replace student fees with the restoration of maintenance grants of up to £2,000. The Conservative party also plan to get rid of tuition fees and offer Increased student loans with commercial rates of interest.

Meanwhile Labour has allowed universities the option to charge up to £3,000 fees for undergraduate students, with the possibility of less well off students being entitled to non-repayable support.

Universities UK, the group representing university Vice-Chancellors , claim that the new system of deferred fees, due to begin in 2006, that offers bursaries and grants for poorer students will encourage more of them into further education.

Though the National Union of Students argues that the situation is "likely to get much worse , with poorer students being restricted in choice and having to make decisions based on their financial situation rather than aspirations. " The common suspicion of the top-up fee system is that more people will be discouraged from going to uni-

versity, however the Higher Education Funding Council for England Chief Executive, Sir I;Ioward Newby. suggests that more people went to university in 2000 than 1994 and the percentage of poorer students had hardly changed with tuition fees and student loans making no major difference.

A study for Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society has estimated that with the introduction of top-up fees, graduates in 2023 will have student debts of up to £43.825, a massive 83% of their first salary and an amount four times that of the debt accumulated by today's graduates. This would mean that if 10% of 18-21 years olds continued with further education. graduate debt would extend to nearly £90million.

It is not only students who suffer the side effects of higher education as thisismoney.co.uk have revealed in a recent research that 45% of parents will have less money to live on and smaller pensions as a result of helping their children through education.

Most parents are prepared to sacrifice retirement incomes to aid the cost of their child's education. thisismoney.co.uk reveal that 81% of parents support their children on basic university living costs, such as food. books and transport. 49% contribute to housing payments and only 11% of parents surveyed had any type of savings or plans to save to fund their children's higher education.

Based on the current tuition fees of £1.250. at an average student debt of £10,000 after graduation and an initial salary of £14.000. it would take 27 years and 10 months to repay loans at the minimum

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monthly repayment of £30.

On a salary of £22.000 and monthly minimum repayments of £90, student loans would leave you in debt for over nine years. not including added debts of mortgages and bank loans.

Prospective Student: lhe thought of borrowing over £5.000 a year just to go to uni is not appealing but then the chances of getting a decent job after is much higher and you only have to pay off debts if you're earning enough - plus the stories I've heard about uni make you not want to miss out! I think it would be worth it. especially if your parents help you out."

Undergraduate Student: "I am currently studying at UEA in my final year andthroughout my degree have had trouble keeping up my cash-flow. Last week it got so bad I had to apply for an emergency loan because I've run out of money and as I pay my tuition fees monthly last month I had to put it on my credit card . I've had real difficulty this year so if I had to pay three times the amount of fees I just wouldn 't be able to cope and might not have been able to study for a degree which I've always wanted to do."

Graduate Student: "I graduated in 2001 from Leicester University with roughly £7,500 debt. I just missed out on paying any fees at all and didn't really make the effort to work at university. I'm paying about £127 a month off my student debt and have about £5.000 left to pay though I don't particularly notice the money coming out of my bank as it has been ever since I've been working - but obviously it would be nice to have that little bit extra! If I had had to pay the £3000 a

year fees I would be paying off debts well into my 30s and it's definitely an off putting thought. especially due to the fact that my parents paid for my rent and I still ended up with a lot of debt.

In spite of that. the time I

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

had at uni doesn't compare to anything since so I don't particularly mind paying a bit extra a month for it now."

Parent: "I went to York University and graduated in the '70s.

Back then we had grants

7

and· no fees and I graduated without any debts at all but now with three children I would have to to~y re-evaluate my way of living if I had to help pay these topped up fees and would definitely find it a struggle."

8 concrete.news@uea.ac. uk

PHOTOTASTIC App lications a re invited for th e Vi s ions of Science Photographic Awards. s ponsored by Novartis and Tile Da ily Telegra ph.

There a re five categories for entry: Action. Close-up.

Peo ple. Con cepts and Art: and a furth er four s pecia l prizes for Art s meet Science .

Medicine and Life. Einstein Yea r an d Young Photographer. A firs t a nd seco nd prize will be award ed for each category: with only one winn er for each of the four s pecia l prizes .

Submissions are as ked to ch a lle nge th e way th e world is perceived . either by s h ow ing so m ething n eve r seen before or by pulling a new twist on a well-known obj ec t.

Appli ca tion is by pos t or online. further informa tion is ava ila ble at www.visionsof - sc i e n ce.co. uk .

InformatiOn a bout th e Telegraph 's scie nce writer awa rd s a re a va ilab le on th e co ncrete website.

VERDI CiOOD UEA Symphony Orch estra a nd Ch oir \vill be performing Ve rdi's Four Sacred Pieces a nd Schubert's Uniji1ished Sumphonu a t St. Andrews Ha ll on March 12"' in its firs t co nce rt of 2005.

The co ncerty starts at 7.30pm . Tickets a re a va ilable from UEA Box Office on 01603 508050 or on the door.

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THE (UN)FAIRER SEX* NEW SURVEY SAYS MEN STILL ON TOP IN SCIENCE Rosie Chance

breeds success ...

Women were less likely than m en to feel valued by th eir d epartment s. a nd 44 per cent felt disadvantaged in terms of promotion .

Mea nwhile hi gh e r proportions of m en th a n women ex peri enced high profile rol es a nd res pons ibilities.

These tren ds are evident in th e Science Facu lty a t UEA. where s hockingly only 1 7 per cent of lecture rs a nd a miniscule 9% of Professo rs are female.

advanceme nt of women scien!tis ts . Jus t such a n initiative a lready underway at UEA is Res Net. a network for fem a le researchers working at UEA. th e John lnnes Centre and the Institute of Food Researc h .

Or Gill Malin . Advanced Resea rch Fellow and Res Net committee member says the findin gs of th e survey \vi ll co m e as "no surprise to ResNet members" and s uggests UEA co uld a ppoint so meone to look at th e issu e.

Women scien tis ts are more a mbitiou s than their male co unt e rp a rts. b!lt feel und erva lued and lacking in th e support need ed to rise to the top jobs. says n ew resea rch from UEA. The onlin e s urvey of 6.500 UK scient is ts was co n ducted by UEA's Survey Office in collabora tion with the Athena proj ec t. .--::-~~~---:r a n initia tive set up ung women sciin 1999 with the aim to be co nfi of the a dvan ce ment a bout putting of women in science. i'-'-""""'.:...o..,_::'l forwa rd en ginee ring a nd to "try to push techno logy. Initial an opportunity findin gs were precases when there pear to be none ... sent ed a t th e a nnual meeting of the The long te rm Am e r i ca n ta rge t of the Athena Association for the proj ect is for the Advance m e nt o proportion of Science on February at each level to 18.

Despite wom e n th an m e n having a mb itions to ~~;i;:;;:i~;:;;;~;;::;-;;:;:-~ . going a ll th e move up a run g on L-- - - - - -- -- - - - -- - -- - - - ' '""" back to und er th e scientifi c career la dde r. gra du a te s tud ents. At UEA less than ha lf th e fe ma le It is hoped th a t the s ur- a nd elsewh ere th ere is clearrespondents felt they were vey will help a ddress this ly a long way to go. but these en co urage d to do so. imba la n ce. by e na bling uni - cha llen ges s hould not disHoweve r. as Jan Anderson . versilies to ma ke cha nges co urage th e fe ma le scientis ts that improve th e rec ruit - of th e future. leader of th e research . says. "we know e n co urage m e nt m e nt. re te ntion a nd *MEN

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Concrete

Wed11~sda.'路路 March 9". 2005

NEW PRIZE FOR CREATIVE WRITERS Clare Bull On the 1st of March a new a nd innovative competition was launch ed for partici pa nts of th e pres tigious UEA creative writing MA . The pnze. sponsored by Curtis Brown literary agents. is a ge ner ous 拢7500. Curtis Brown previou s ly sponsored a bursary for MA students.

but in an a ttempt to renew th e re la tion s hip between Curtis Brown and the uni vers ity. th e new competition has been d eveloped.

Cutis Brown is a n extremely innuenlial agen cy d eali n g with so me of th e most renown ed ac tors . writ ers and presenters. The relations hip between th e univer s ity a nd Curtis Brown was form ed by on e .of th e founders of th e crea tive writing MA. Ma lcolm Bradbury .

who was also a client of Curtis Brown. Many fa mous alurnni of the UEA creative writin g co urses have gone on to b ecome clients of Curtis Brown. among them .

Tracy Chevalier a nd la n McEwan.

The prize is s pecifically in honour of Giles Cordon (1940-2003). who worked as direc tor of Curtis Brown . He has been d esc ribed by his colleges as "an age nt at the h eight of his powe rs ... with a n insatiable a ppetite for the di scovery of new. tal ented writers.

The strong relationship between Curtis Brown a nd the university. a longs ide its d edication to a man so committed to th e cause of you ng writers. makes the prize a wonde rful de monstrati on of the strength of the crea tive writin g co urse a t UEA. rt nd is a fantasti c ince ntive for stud ents.

-D O DIFFERENT DO BETTER DO A LANGUAGE

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN OR CONTINUE WITH A LANGUAGE? Units prefixed LLTU- in the UEA Course Catalogue are open to all und.ergraduate students as part of their degree OR as an extra non-credit unit (on a fee paying basis) to all UEA students and staff.

Visit The Lan_guage Stall Union House Tuesday 8th and Thursday 1Oth March 2005 10 am to 3 pm OR CONTACT:

James Platt Centre for Language Learning Arts Building I, Room A0.32, Tape Library e-mail: jpc@uea.ac.uk

Cotcnte Wednesday,Marclr 9'', 2005

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concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

PROMISES, PROMISES, PROMISES

9

MEET 'N' GREET The Union Housing Event takes place tomorrow (1 0 '" March) at 6 til 7.30 pm in Lecture Theatre 1. Valuable housing advice will be offered and the Housing list will be released .

There is also a social to meet potential housemates on the 8 '" and 14'" March in the Advice centre at 5. 15pm.

FIRED UP

Sam Webber Political Editor It is hardly surprising with a general election expected in May, but the new policies of the three main political parties have dominated much of the news for the past few weeks. Sadly, for the majority of voters, this means that Blair, Howard and Kennedy will continue to be on television screens and in newspapers across the country until polling day.

Tony Blair recently launched Labour's snappy new pledge card which contains six pledges on which they want to be judged at the election. The card outlines Labour promises to make families better off, make children achieve more and give them the best possible start They also want to ensure that people are treated better

and faster (presumably by the NHS) and to make the community safer by effectively protecting the country's borders.

Labour has faced criticism that these are particularly vague promises, but they nevertheless form the basis of the full manifesto which will be published once the Prime Minister calls the election. 路 The promises do give the impression that there is still a lot for Labour to accomplish In a third term. The prospect of a Win for the Conservatives', however unlikely that might seem. would simply stop the progress of the last eight years and take the country back to the days of boom and bust. That is what Tony Blair wants us all to think.

Consequently the Labour posters all contain the quote, "Britain is working. Don't let the Tories wreck it again".

Michael Howard set out

the stall for the Conservatives at last year's party conference when he said that there were ten words which easily explained what they stood for. These pledges continue to be the basis for their manifesto and adorn the Conservative Party website to this day, they are: Lower taxes. School discipline. Cleaner hospitals, More police and Controlled Immigration.

Much has been written about the controversial immigration policy. which includes setting a quota each year for the number of skilled immigrants we admit into this country .

Consequently only those people who have the relevant skills are allowed into Britain in order to take up their employment. Michael Howard has made much of the fact that Australia has a system similar to this which works very well. However

whether the success of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who recently won his fourth election. will rub off on Michael Howard at the next election remains to be seen.

Finally Charles Kennedy is hoping that this will be a momentous election for the Liberal Democrats folloWing their recent by-election successes. He has set out '10 reasons to vote Liberal Democrat'. The Lib Dems hope to win by putting patients first. with free personal care as soon as it's needed, to scrap Tuition fees, and they will not introduce top-up fees . addlionally. they are promising more investment in children's early years. National security is also on the agenda. with 10,000 more police on the streets and the grey army will be rallied with 拢25 more on the pension every week for the over 75s and free off

peak travel for pensioners and the disabled. They also plane to axe the council Tax and replace it with a Local Income Tax and to 'take the Environment seriously路.

The Liberal Democrats also put emphasis on their belief that Britain should not have gone to war with Iraq.

Now all the political parties have set out their policies for the forthcoming election. it is well worth studying the manifestos once they are published and then making sure you exercise your democratic right. Whether people are content or dissatisfied with the way the country is being run. they cannot make their voice truly heard if they stay at home on polling day.

Students make up around 13% of the electorate. The NUS website has set up the ability to register to vote. go to www.nusonline.co .uk to register your vote for this years election .

The LCR was the victim of a serial fire alarmist last Thursday.

The regular club night was ruined by the activities of one student who was so inebriated that he felt it necessary to use ftre doors to leave the building. rather than the alotted exits. activating fire alarms as he went.

The student was eventually cornered by Security Guards. who ejected him from the venue. His路 penchant for trouble-making did not end there. however. as he was later admitted to the N&N with a cut and bruises to his head. The origin of the injuries are unknown .

Falsely activating a fire alarm can be illegal under certain circumstances. The student has been temporarily banned from Union House as a result of the incident and his case comes before committee this week. to decide if the exclusion should be permanent.

I 0 concrete.news@ uea .ac. uk Fair Trade Fortnight Continued from page 1 Fairies m a nn ed a ta ll in the Hi ve dui·in g th e nigh! h a nd ing out leallels a nd sa mples of fa irlra d e food s as we ll as fieldin g a lot of qu esHo ns from intere s ted st ud ent s.

And th ere is s till mo re to come. There will be film s s h ow n o n Thursday l Oth March and Tuesday 15th in Uni on !l o u se an cl Lecture T h ea tre 1 respectively a t ?pm with fr ee en try.

On Monday 14th there will be 13anana S pli tz where there will be co m edy a nd banana s plit z (fa ii1 ra cle of co urse) from 12 ti ll 2 in l he s qu a re o r Hive (cl cpe ncl ent o n th e weather). There will a lso be a sessio n of d isc u ssion and presentat io n s o n swea ted labo ur o rga n ised by th e g ro up Labour Behind th e Label.

Thi s will be h eld between 2 a nd 4 in room 1 .40 in th e Sc h oo l of Educatio n a nd Life lo n g lea rning. There wi ll a lso be a pu b quiz a t 8p m o n S und ay 13 th in th e union pub.

Another m aj o r eve nt is a fas hion s h ow be in g h eld on Sunday 13 th from 2 ti ll 4 in Co n g r ega ti on ll a ll.

All c lothes mod elled a re from e ig ht or n ine co mpa ni es t h a t provide fa ir co nditions for a ll workers in vo lved in th eir m a kin g fro m m a ter ia ls to m a nufacture. As we ll as a ca twa lk s how th ere will also be trade s ta lls. And n o we· re n ot s imply ta lking ka fta ns.

These ra n ges a lso include j ea n s a nd hood ics. Ti ckets a re £2 from th e union box offi ce.

The a im of fairtrade fort ni g ht and the events o rgani sed is to raise a wa ren ess a bout exac tly what fairtrad e is a nd jus t how nwny fa irtra clc produ cts a re out the re. Irs no longer just co ffee a nd c ho cola te but now exte nds to clothes. foolba lls a nd hundred s of food a nd drink it ems. ll is hoped th at th ese va r io u s eve nt s will provo ke people to think a bo ut th eir consu m er ch oices.

Concre te would like to apologise for th e co nfu s ion crea ted in th e Fair Tra d e Fo rt nig ht a rti cle las t iss u e which said th a t th e eve nts s ta rt ed o n 26 th Feb ru a ry. when th ey s ta rted on 1st Ma rch. Concrete a po logises f01· a ny inconve ni e n ce ca u sed .

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Concrete

Wedne.wlor. March 9 . 2005

A POST-COLONIAL YEAR ABROAD TRAVELLING ABROAD: UEA REPRESENTATIVE MIKEROBERTS VISITS WESTMINSTER COLLEGE, MISSOURI Jacqu i Bu rgoyne Missouri Corres po nden t Mike I obe rt s.

UEA's Int ern a ti ona l Officer. vi si ted Westminste r College on th e 2"'' March as part of a four week trip promoting UEA ab road. le h a d bee n trave lin g thro u gh the Southern a nd Mid -Wes tern s lat es of th e U.S .. ··Am er ica·s h ea rt la n e! ." r ec ru iti n g t ra n s fe r s tud ent s a nd a lso s tud en ts fo r th e Am e r ica n S t ucl ies exc h a nge agreeme nt . Aft e r he trave ls to t oclay Was hin gto n Co ll ege. MO. a nd th en on to Austra li a.

UEA's yea r a broad sys· tem is very s u ccessful a t prese nt. a nd future improve m ents loo k likely despit e th e fac t th a t. as Robe rt s sa id . th e fees sit u a lion in England is a po te nti a l threa t b eca u se of th e jump in costs of obt a ining a d egree. Robei-ts m ention ed th e possib ili ty of a ·· pos t -colon ia l year abroad. w ith one se m es te r in

America a nd on e in Au s tra lia.. a n exci tin g development. a llh ough at present only a con ception.

The exchange agree m e nt w ith West minste r Co llege h a d been dormant fo r a r o und I 0 years. However this yea r two s tud en ts Richard Dowcleswcll a nd myself - decided to a tt e nd . an d th ere h as s in ce been a surge in int e r es t a mon g Wes tmin s te r s t ucl c nt s o f s tudy ing in Nonv ic h .

Da n ielle Beclm ell . a n int er ested 3 rcl -yea r s tud e nt m ajoring in Sociology. sa id . .... It'll be a great expelien ce to live in a co untry 1 h ave o nly, biief1y visited before.·· Althou gh the number of vis itors to th e tab le was a lit · ti e low (du e to c lasses · be in g ca n cell ed on this clay). a lm ost 50% of th ose stu dents tha t e ntered the build in g a pproach ed. Most qu es · lion s involved whether creel · its ga ined in UEJ\ would co unt towa rd s th e ir Ame r ica n d egrees . a nd a lso what co urses we re a va ila b le

a t UEA. To nya Ve ltrop.

Westminster Coll ege·s Director of Int e rn ation a l a nd Off-Campus Programs was ab le to answer both of th <'se in the affir m ative.

Mike Robe11s sa id that on hi s trip o n e of the m a in concerns Ame ri ca n stude nt s had was ove r .. the cost of livin g. clue to th e cur ren t exc h ange ra te ... This is. h e said . on e a rea where UEA h as the advantage ove r London universities. another a rea being tha t ··as a ca n ipus uni ve rs ity. Am eri ca n s tud e nt s a re really pa rt of s tud en t life.·· No n.vi ch is a lso popular because it .. is a n easy-going. cu ltural. m ecli · un1 -s izecl c it y. " which is close to Lo nd on. Cambridge. a nd a lso Euro pe .

In term s of th e return journ ey. Misso uri does n ot seem to be th e most ap pealin g destination to most Briti s h s tud e nts. h oweve r thi s college h as a Jot lo offer.

Roberts sa id that it was includ ed in th e exc h a n ge sc h em e b eca use UEA wants

to offe r .. a ra nge of geogra ph ic. aca d emic and ca mpu s life d iversity... Mi ssou ri is ra rely touched in intern a ti o n a l news. or port rayed in film s. so th is expelience is a m ore different on e th an m a ny of the Year Abroad s tud ents a re c urre ntly enjoyin g.

Furthermore. th e Libe r a l Arts College s tyle. with s m a ll classes a nd s m a ll ca mpuses . is. as Robe rt s sa id ··more intima te. fri e nd ly a nd per -

co mpl e te ly foc u sed o n th e und erg ra du a tes.··

so n a l. with, ...~;==~~~! fac u lt y ..o

HELP FOR HARMERS CURRENT EUROPEAN AFFAIRS WITH A GlASS OF WINE Tom_Hutc hin gs The 1s t March saw a n impo rt a nt clay for a n is u e th a t· a ffec ts a ro und I in 10 in th e UI<. tee n age rs Na tion a l S elf-Injury Awa ren ess Day is ca lli n g fo r yo ung peop le lo co m e for ward with s t o ri es o f self harm a nd how it h as affec teel both th eir li ves a nd th a t of their fa milies.

Concrete re port ed on th e ri s ing problem 2 issu es ago a nd ra'les of self-h ar m h a ve increased so mu c h that th e UK is n ow th e hig h est affec t· eel a rea in Europe with m o re th a n 24. 000 teenagers a dmit led to h osp it a ! eac h yea r a ft er d eli b era tely h a rm ing th e mselves.

In res po n se to growing co nce rn abo u t t h e in creasin g ra tes. th e Menta l Health

FoundatiOn a nd th e Ca m elot Found a tion a re running th e firs t Inqui ry int o s If-h a rm amo ngst young people.

C h a ir of the Inqu iry.

Cath eline McLo ughlin CBE. says '"Too ma ny yo ung people are h a rming th em selves in s il ence. Th e Inqu iry wa n ts to h ear from young peo p le. th eir friend s and fami lies.

This resea rch wi ll h elp u s to und ersta nd why m o re yo u ng people seem to be h a rm in g th e m se lves. a n cl w h a t we can do to help.·· The Inquiry a ims to ecl u · cate a nd ra ise awareness of self- h ar m . s hift a ttitud es to crea te a n on -a li ena ting cul ture fo r peo pl e w h o se lf h a rm and provide tra ining a nd g uidance for peo ple wh o work with you ng se lf-h a rm ers.

If yo u a re a flec tecl by thi s iss u e t h e Samarita n s can h elp. Please ca ll 0 8 457 90 90 90 .

EUROPEAN CiUEST LECTURES TO BE HELD AT UEA Nadja Benni c h Int e rn a tion a l Ed itor

Ha ve yo u ever fan cied h avin g a se m in a r with. so m e ni ce r eel o r white w in e. snac k s a nd co mfo rt a bl e ch a irs? Wou ld you like to lea rn m o re a bout Europe and what is actu a lly h a ppening in the era of the European Uni o n ? Do yo u want to engage a d eba te with aC'acle mi cs fro m outside UEA or practitioners working for E uro p ean in s titution s fo r ins ta n ce?

If yes. how a bout po pp in g in to t h e Europea n Foru m w hi ch tak es p lace a lm ost eve ry second week on Frid ays?

Th e E u r o p ean forum se ri es of g u est lectures is a venu e o pe n to eve ryone wh e th e r yo u a re a member of fac ulty. und e rg rad u a te. pos tgrad uate or eve n m em ber of th e public.

The se min a rs cover a w ide ra nge of topi cs rela ted to E uropea n integratio n. intern a tion a l r elat ion s o f th e EU. the deve lopment of th e EU a nd mu ch more.

The Eu ropean Forum is a n init ia tive by C REST (The Ce ntre for Resea r c h in E ur o pea n Studies) which was la un ch ed by Vassi liki J<outra ko u. They a re pa rti a lly fin ance d by th e J ea n Monnet projec t a nd by CREST. G u est lec ture rs. s u ch as academ ics from clifTe r e nl

Univers ities in th e Ul\ a nd in Europe. experts in European a ffa irs o r prac titi o n ers who wo rk . for ins ta n ce. fo r European or internationa l ins titution co m e to ho ld a ta lk and d e ba te with t h e a t t endants a bout c u r re nt E u rop ea n a ffa irs. Previous E uropean Forum g u es t lecturers h ave inc luded Or Mi c hae l Emerson.

Lord Davicl Owen. Or J ona th a n a nd Or Dav icl Hop kin Phinnemmore. They co m e fro m a wide ra n ge of ins titu tions a nd th e to pics a re both co mpl ex a nd widely perti nent with the last two disc u ssing ·corrupti on. Party Politics a n cl th e Economic l{o!e of the S la te' an d T h e Ch a nging Dyn a mi cs of EU En la rge m e nt'.

Dr. Nieves PerezSo l6 rza n o. lec lt ii·er in Politics a t th e School of PSI. expla in s th a t th e se minars a im to infor m the public abo ut c urren t European a ffai rs a nd to e nh a n ce d eba te with exp erts ... You can learn m o re a bo ut how

th e EU act u a lly rela tes to your daily life a nd h ow it a ffects d o m es ti c po li cy as s u ch ...

Mo reover. the se m in a rs tak e p lace in a friend ly a nd we lco min g a tm osp h e re . wh e1·e you ca n d iscuss a nd exc h a n ge opin ions a b o ut current European affairs n ot only with ex pe rt s but a lso with fell ow s tud ents.

The seminars ar e held every oth er Friday at 5.00 pm in the Arts Building rooms 3.26-3.27 a nd ad mi s s ion lo a ll of th e European Forum Sem inar se ri es is free.

For further details. please co ntac t Dr. Vassiliki Kou trako u a t v.koulrak ou @u ea.ac. uk or Dr. Nieves Perez-So16 rza no a t n .pe rezsolo rza no @u ea .ac. uk .

Alte rn a tiv e ly yo u ca n ch ec k the CREST websile for furth e r info rmati o n abo ut different activities a nd th e programme of the Eu ropean Forum Seminar Series. http:/ /www.uea .ac.uk/psi /Crest/index .htm

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 11

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Conc:rtte Wednesday, March 9 , 2005

UNION BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES NUS CONFERENCE DELGATES ROWENA BODDINGTON

HELEN DAVIS

JAMES BURLEY

TIM RIDGWAY

These NUS elections are important. NUS Conference is the place where national campaigns are decided that will impact our union. either positively or negatively. Use your vote to tell the NUS what Issues matter to students. I'm Informed about NUS but more importantly what matters to students at UEA.

Hi. I'm Helen Davis. your Union Sports Officer and a 2nd year ENV student. I have the confidence and experience needed to effectively represent YOU at NUS Conference. the sovereign body of NUS. I will take the views of OUR Union and make them National. Vote Helen: Conference Delegate.

Hi. I'm James Burley. Vice President and eo-founder of the UEA Baseball Team (Black Sox).

I have a genuine enthusiasm for sport, and I hope to. if elected. build a good relationship with all the sports teams, helping to support and encourage their hopes and aspirations for the whole year.

An effective sports officer should be about promoting all that is good about sport.

I hope that you will give me the opportunity to do this.

I want everyone who enjoys sport to know that there are no boundaries to participation and enjoyment.

Remember: "It is the participation that counts."

DAN CONNOR

During my time at UEA I have been quite active within the Student Union. If elected. I will work hard to make sure UEA is properly represented. especially since this next conference is where the NUS card may be changed forever. VOTE DAN F'OR NUS CONFERENCE! Thanks

SPORTS OFFICER WOMEN

RUTH STONE

STEVIE ALTMAN

I'm a Second year PHI stu dent and I will offer representation to overcome discrimination in student life. and provide confidential advl e and Information .

An1ongst other things I want to promotewomen's health and safety issues and encourage more women to participate in sport at UEA.

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UNION PUBLICITY OFFICER ONE UNION. 1500 VOICES. LET YOURS BE HEARD! Do you want a friendly. approachable publicity officer? Want someone who will create a forum about students for students? Want someone who will help you publicise campaigns and clubs' and societies' events?

Want your voice heard?

Vote Ruth Stone

SALLY HAMMERTON

Awareness of everything that is going on in campus is a key issue. and as Publicity Officer I will endeavour to make sure that you are aware of all the activities and campaigns there are to get Involved with. I will have regular office hours to help you get the best from your university experience.

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e •

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OPINION being forced on to a larger group of people who this said individual has come to lead as a result of democracy, violence, or, in some cases, accident, and in that sense it resembles communism also.

SI MON SH ERIDAN

THE POPE IS HE A F***ER? at is it about the Catholic Church?

They seem to be onstantly mbroiled in controversies of one kind or another and yet, instead of trying to placate their critics, the Pope has written a book in which he compares abortion to the Holocaust! In itself strange because, at the time, Catholics didn't seem to think the Holocaust was a bad thing.

The new volume, Memories and Identity, is the fifth book written by John Paul 11. In it he makes this claim as part of his general belief that God's laws (and, therefore, the Laws of Nature) are being broken by ... wait for it ... democratic values!

The Pope cites Hitler as an example of a twentieth century politician who was democratically elected by his people. Although true, the fact that he was a fascist never seems to enter the argument. The Nazi system

itler was one such individ~al; Stalin was another. Both can in some way be held directly responsible for murdering approximately 20 million people, and both are vilified by history as a result of their actions. When he passes away (which could be a while from now) the Pope should be added to this list.

Maybe not for murder, but certainly for some degree of manslaughter.

What else is it when you preach to the poor of the world that contraception is a sin? Instead of using a scientifically proven method to reduce the Aids crisis in Africa and elsewhere, the Pope feels these people would be better off without it. If this isn't a death sentence then I don't know what is. We have not even begun to understand the nature of this crisis because, Aids being Aids, it doesn't kill instantly. However, the fact that people are now living with the disease as a result of better medicine means they are free to pass it on to even more people. Many children now being born in sub-Saharan

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began democratically, but as soon as he had taken power Hitler was anything but democraiic. However, the Holocaust happened, and it is a tragedy no-one acted to stop it. This should not mean that the West panders to Israel's every wish as it does at the moment, but our collective conscience should be aware that nothing of that sort can ever be allowed to happen again.

So fascism ... Interesting subject fascism. The basic tenets involve aspiring to a universal race, which somehow is deemed superior to other humans. To do this, one must abide by a set of rules that are the same for everyone and non-negotiable.lt involves an individual's will

Africa already have the disease. A small, cheap, readily available rubber device would make so much difference, but instead the Pope would rather we followed the advice of a two-thousand year old book.

The Pope believes abortion represents the murdering of an innocent human life. Well if that's your opinion then fine, but why force it on to everyone else? It should not need the usual 'what if the girl has been raped?' contention to persuade someone. This comes up all the time, but it just ridicules the argument and, by the way, the official position of the Pope in these circumstances, is that rape is the woman's fault. No-one should have the right to control what a human does with their own body, especially someone who has the same degree of democratic legitimacy as Saddam Hussein had. Abortion should be a personal choice, not one that is already decided. It should DEFINITELY not be compared to the greatest scar on the conscience of humanity in the twentieth century.

I would have thought anyone of Jewish persuasion would be rather offended by that comment, and they would have good reason to be.

Although Jews are guided by an even older book than Catholics, the fact that a homosexual couple is we!-

come at Synagogue should prove the ludicrousness with which other religions treat the subject. The Pope, like President Bush believes that homosexuality is a sin worthy of an eternity in hell. Let's forget for a second about the fact that hell might not exist, and question what exactly John and George are so annoyed about.

Apparently freedom is only applicable to those who have used their freedom to be mindless. "You're free, as long as you do as I say." Lovely little paradox that isn't it? We are free to do absolutely nothing.

The world's largest autocrat is nothing more than a religious zealot.

He is sexist, racist and ageist, and yet he is held in perpetual esteem by his followers. He has Parkinson's disease, which surprisingly has not led anyone to question his authority, despite the fact that his physical state now means that he cannot walk or talk. He symbolises all that is wrong with religion and nothing that is right about it. Everyone should be free to worship as they choose; just as a woman should be allowed to have an abortion if she wants one; or a man to have sex with another man if he wants to. Nothing and no-one should be able to take those rights away from us, but it doesn't stop people from trying. Amen.

12 co ncrete.features@ uea.ac .uk

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SMACK MY BLO 11

UP

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Not all drugs are good ... some are great. So said the American comedian Bill Hicks. For thousands of years humans have altered their consciousness with all kinds of substances, some good, some great, most now illegal.

We look at where two big drugs come from and what they are doing to the people and the planet Talking Smack "Take the best orgasm you 've ever had , mu ltiply it by a thousand. and you're still nowhere near it." ( Trainspotting) eroin is the most addictive and expensive of all the known 'street drugs'. lt is a natural opiate that is considered one of the strongest painkillers ava1lable- morphine is a synthetic version of heroin and is used 1n hospitals the world over. However, unlike cannabis, which can be grown in your own home, or ecstasy tablets, which can be made in a garden shed, heroin needs to be refined from a flower that is grown in Afghanistan , a place so isolated from the rest of the world that there is no suitable explanation as to how it is also the world 's largest heroin producer. Every year the trade is worth from $25 to $1 00 billion. How can a war ravaged country, which is currently experiencing an occupation of sorts by the U.S. army supply many of the world's smack heads wi th the1r daily shoot?

1t must be quite nice to be a poppy. You get to sit around all day. blowing slightly in the breeze.

The weather is obviously warm - you would not be growing if it wasn't, and if someone picks you your magical powers somehow create a thunder· storm worthy of Hurricane lvan. However, this does not matter to the people of Helmand or Nangarhar Province - unfortunately for you, they are Afghanistan 's main poppy growing areas, and they need you in order to get paid. The process starts when your petals beg1n to fall off ...

Your petals are gone. and to add insult to InJury. you are about to be decapitated by a Pa shtun tribesman. He will do this to thousands of your brethren too, and once all your brothers and sisters are lying headless all about you, the fun rea lly starts.

A hole is made to allow the opium gum to ooze ou t of your head . This shoul dn't be too

Blow it out your arse ocaine, like most drugs, has plenty of catchy nicknames. Coke. the white stuff. blow and Charlie are popular ones, but whatever you call it. cocaine is a drug that has destroyed countless lives in the countries that harvest it and in those that import it.

We all know the image: Cocaine is a wh1te powder that is divided into thin lines on a flat surface (a mirror if yo u're cool) and then snorted up the noise with a ro lled up bank note or a straw. lt can also be smoked or turned into a liquid and injected. Either way the effect is devastating and costly.

A gram of the stuff costs £40-£60 and will produce about a dozen lines.

One hit will make the user fee l alert, sharp and on top of the world. They wi ll feel more energetic, their temperature will rise and their heart will beat faste r. it's a euphoric feeling , but 11 only lasts for about 20-30 minutes. Because it is so strong, the feeling when it wears off is dramatiC. To avoid this downer a user will just keep taking more coke.

Cocaine has been in the news quite a bit recently. Last year th e former Chelsea and Romania striker Adrian Mutu was banned from football for seven months affer testing positive for the drug. A similar fate met the former Man Utd and Australia keeper Mark Bosnich . Former 'Have I Got News For You' host Angu s De aton was fired for a scandal involving cocaine. As these three high profile cases show. wherever cocaine goes. scandal and sorrow are not far behind.

But it is still an immensely popular drug. The

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painful a process, it is opium affer all. Once empty you are discarded , but your opium's journey has only just begun. The first leg of it comes a few days affer, when the gum is completely dry.

You are sold to a trader or nomad who transports the gum to the nearest refinery. If you thought the puncturing and beheading was painful . just wait until the refinery has had its way with you. Here you are boiled for hours to allow the gum to dissolve. This offen takes place in 55 gallon barrels. an indicator of the sheer magnitude of the process. Once the gum is liquid, you will be strained, filtered. stirred and stra ined again until you are pure dry opium. Now there is only one more thing to do before your epic journey continues ...

Opium is not heroin - although it performs some rather entertaining functions of its own it is considered even more dangerous. lt is also rather unfashionable nowadays, being the drug of choice in the Victorian era but not so much afterwards. Therefore , it is necessary for you to go through some chemical changes in order to make you sell in the Western marke tplace. Sti ll at the refinery. you will be mixed with acetic anhyd ri de, along with sodium carbonate. activated charcoal,

Office for National Statistics estimates that 475.000 people in Britain use it, making it the second most popular illegal drug in this country. Only cannabis is more popular. it's increased populari ty can be attributed to the fact that unlike cannabis, huge quantities of it will not produce a distinct odour, m it easier to smu . And

retailers can bulk it up with just about anything, making it a very profitable drug to deal in . lt has positive social affects such as chattiness and increased zeal and sexual arousal. it's a lot more risque than weed. but does not have the harsh junkie image of heroin.

chloroform, ethyl alcohol, ether, and acetone to produce the finished article. The two most commonly produced heroin varieties are No. 3 heroin , or smoking heroin , and No. 4 he roin , or injectable heroin. Heroin and opium refinement has become in perfected Afghanistan so that most of the he roin is at least 90% pure. You won 't stay that way for very much longer though .

Now for your first visit to a foreign cou ntry. but don't worry abou t booking the return ticket - this is a one-way trip . You also don't know where you are going yet, as there are three main routes for you out of the country.

The northern route is probably the most likely path you will take . Many of the Afghan people have close relationships with those in Kazakhstan , Tajikistan or Uzbekistan , and therefore smuggling you over the border represents no significant problem for the traders. lt will be an uncomfortable trip, some on donkey, and some in the boot of a car or lorry. The political upheavals in the reg ion at the moment make it re lative ly easy for dea lers to trade he roi n - a pri me reason why in the year 2000 1.8 metric tonnes was exported via this route but in 2001

In February the newly appointed Metropolitan police commissioner. Sir Ian Blair, said he wanted to tackle the casual attitude people have when they lake cocaine. He said he was not concerned about the physical harm it was doing to dinner party guests, but about the trail of blood from London estates to Columbia.

Unlike cannabis, cocaine, like heroin, cannot be made just anywhere. 11 req uires a special plant, the Erythroxylon coca. This plant is only found in the tropical mountainous regions of South Am erica. Three countries - Peru. Boli vi a and Col umbi a are responsible for the vast majority of all coca ine.

In any discussion of coca ine, Col umbia is indispensable. lt produces 650 tonnes of the white stuff a year. The two have been intimately linked for hundreds of years, but in the 20th century the economic power of cocaine began tearing the country apart. lt remains in a state of vio lent unrest today.

In Colombia civil unrest of one kind or another - fuelled in every case by the cocaine trade - has killed hundreds of thousands of people in the past decade and has forced millions of Columbians from their homes.

For every gram of cocaine snorted in the UK, someone in Columbia will die.

People who buy Fair Trade coffee, who don't eat meat and profess to do other socially responsible things might not think twic e about snorting cocaine. But there is blood on the hands of everyone who snorts it. If you can't stop snorting it for your own health, then think of the 25,000 Columbian who were murdered last year as a d1rect result of the drugs trade. And if that still doesn't make you quit, then you should talk to Frank (www.talktofrank.com)

this had risen to 4.2 metric tonnes. Eventually you wi ll arrive at one of the more Westernised cities, such as Moscow or St. Petersburg where you will be sold off in smaller quantities to various dealers for consumption on the European markets, particularly th e United Kingdom and Italy.

Alternatively, you may get to visit the Balkans on yo ur trip to th e syringe. Yo u wi ll get to see Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia on your travels, not to mention Iran. As usual the travelling will be gruelling , but at least it's not cold _like it would be if yo u we re going the northern route. Once again , you will be sold on to the European market and eventually just one hit of yo u will be worth at least £50.

Or, you could get lucky. You might be some of the auspicious heroin that will get to spend its days in the Playboy Mansion or some other such pa rty in America. On your tri p to the U.S. you can take in Nigeria and Pakistan before reaching New York, or you may be especially fortunate and get sent in a courier package on a DHL jet.

So fi nally, yo u get off the plane, survive customs and get ove r the jet- Jag . There is only one pu rpose left for you now, and that is to make someone feel rea lly good about themselves. 90% of the heroi n in the U.K co mes from Afghanistan, so we ca n assume that is whe re you ended up.

You have also been mixed with some rather disconcerting substances, such as brick dust, chalk or even nutmeg in order to make you more profitable. As a result of this process. when you are sold you will only be 40% pure.

There is no nice way to take you. but the chances are you will be dissolved and then injected , or simply smoked. Once inside the human body, you will instantly act on th e nervous system, subduing it and ultimately making your host immune to the effects of pain. You will release them some hours later. at which point your epic journey finally comes to an end. lt has been an experience for you but all good things have to come to and en d.

Simon Sheridan

A note on this page ... ome of yo u might have been hoping for a drugs page filled with funny drug stories a la Howard Marks, or some new ideas on how to get high , or perhaps a page that was just a bit more co lourful and lively.

But that's all been done before. You probably know everything th ere is to know about marijuana an d magic mush rooms, and so we said noth ing about them . Mushrooms and weed don't do much to this planet. You can grow both in your house and/or backyard. The effects can be heavy, but not devastating, and a lifetime of use wi ll probably not mean a life cut short by illhealth or a prison sentence.

That is not true of heroin or cocaine. These are the two most dangerous drugs in the world because of the international trade that spreads them . lt is a trade that kil ls junkies in European cit ies and villagers 111 Columbia. These drugs fuel warlords in Afghanistan and cartels in South America . There is evidence that Nor th Korea keeps its ragged economy afloat by dealing in cocaine.

There's no point having a serious discussion about marijuana or mushrooms because both are socially acceptable, weed particularly.

We see people smoking spliffs all the time and feel nothing. Most of us are more disgu sted by the pungent odour of tobacco than by the sweet smell of weed.

So there are no gimmicks and gags on this page, no old jokes and no obligatory cannabis leaves. We were going for the dramatic angle.

Coke and smack are murder.

So if you need a new frame of mind , st1ck to the fun stuff, not the death.

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concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 13

Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat Imagine being huddled over a sewing machine for thirteen hours a day, seven days a week in a hot factory with no fan. For thousands of people in the developing world this is the only way to earn a living. No Sweat member Pat Yarker helps explain what can be done to stop the global injustice of the sweatshop. another job. When the competition for factory jobs T he factory is owned by becomes great as the result of layoffs the bossGelmart Industries, lnc, an American company based in New es, knowing the desperations of those seeking York City that manufactures and . work, are able to lower the standards even furdistributes intimate apparel. They ther. generate annual revenues of So a boycott, far from helping the workers, can often be their downfall. around US$150 million by selling its products to discount retail shops like Wai-Mart. Their sweatshop factory is just one example The Power of the Union of the brutal world of sweatshop labour. o Sweat believes the key to ending sweatHere's one from the develshop labour lies in the power of unions. oped world: Angelica Textile They work primarily to allow workers to form unions and to maintain them. People often Services is a US company that owns laundries that linen from wonder why people in developing countries work hospitals and care facilities such under the awful conditions of sweatshops. The answer is that the alternative is much worse. The as nursing homes. lt is an important job, but one that is needlessmillions of people in China who migrate from the rural hinterland to the cities reason that they ly dangerous for its employees. would be better off taking their chances in a city By not having in place health and factory than stay in the poverty of the countrysafety training, exposure controls and emergency plans, employees side. But just because the workers are stuck in have contracted diseases from terrible jobs does not mean they submissively accept their exploitation. handling linen that has been The corporations know the power of organinfected from blood, excrement and other bodily fluids. Infections ised workers and the damage they could do if they were able to form a union and go on strike. the laundry workers have This is why companies intimidate or sack anyone acquired while working for Angelica include smallpox, salwho tries to form a union. This happens in factories in countries like Mexico and the Philippines monellosis, hepatitis A, scabies, and in McDonalds restaurants all over the world.

Q fever, hepatitis B, and HIV. The Golden Arches are notorious for quashing Not only does the company's lack of responattempts by workers to form unions, and were sibility endanger the life of their employees, but found guilty of this in the famous Mclibel trial. they make it as hard as possible for the workers to form a union and fight these violations. They Helping workers form strong unions is the have sta·t- - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - key to ending ed pubexploitation because licly that the strike is the only language fat-cat they are bosses will listen to. neither " p r o Not only does a strike union, nor immediately hit proa n t i duction and profit, but union". They have been known to spy on union it shows that the workers have power in the system. Bosses fear all of these things and will do activists, to deny information on representatiQn and bargaining and they have threatened retaliaeverything they can to prevent them. tion against union activity.

And because of the climate of fear created many companies, strikes are hard to organise.

Workers trying to organise strikes face sacking, Boycott or not ? assaul~. imprisonment or even being raped or murdered. There are numerous examples of such here is genuine concern from many in the dangers. west about the plight of sweatshop workers. .

On the 22nd of February Cambodian police Ethical shopping has become a key tool in fired assault rifles and used electric batons to the fight against exploitation. The Fair Trade logo break up a protest by 1300 workers demanding redundancy payments from a garment factory has become a famaiar sight on many supermarket items, organic food .that "doesn't harm the that was shut down.

Earth• is becoming increasingly popular, and On the 4th of January 55-year-old Hadi sweatshop-free clothing is more widespread than Sal eh, an Iraqi trade unionist, was murdered. The ever. . killers, widely believed to be former security-serBut one of the seemingly logical ways to fight vicemen, broke into Saleh's home and tortured exploitation is to do nothing - to boycott. him before ending his life. His union files and Concrete ran a centre-spread earlier this year membership records were ransacked. The Iraqi calling for a boycott of Wai-Mart , Coca-Cola, Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) said that his McDonalds, Starbucks, Nestle. A boycott of a death was part of a growing trend of intimidation company like Nestle makes sense because they and violence against trade unionists. make chocolate. The manufacture of their product Since it was founded five years ago No relies more on machine than man and so an Sweat has raised thousands of pounds to help workers form unions. The money helps fund effective boycott would not mean large lay-offs. strikes, sustains strikers' families and provide That, unfortunately, is what happens when a company like Nike is boycotted. The centreresources for independent trade unions. They participate in email-campaigns in solidarity with spread on companies to boycott was done with good intentions. The companies named do make unions to put pressure on companies. They also bring union leaders and organisers to events in and go the UK. They believe that UK workers can learn a and lot from the struggles of workers in the developing world and the tenacity they show in the fight for justice.

For more information on sweatshops and to join the fight against them visit: boycott was trying to help. . This is because when large companies have www.nosweat.org.uk a dip in their profits it is the workers at the very bottom of the chain that feel the affects first. They will be sacked or laid-off. When this happens they www.behindthelabel.org receive no redundancy payments and have no social-security to sustain them until they find

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t's an issue that is literally woven into the very fabric of our society. Sweatshops. The term burst onto the political and social scene in the 90s as Nike, Gap and other gargantuan global garment makers made billions from the tired and worn hands of sweatshop workers. This global injustice has been zealously protested by millions in the west for over a decade, but sadly it is still a global reality. . · .

Before you read on, and without breaking public decency laws, take a moment to examine every item of cloth-

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i n g you ' re wearing.

Infections the workers have acquired include smallpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis 8 , scabies and H IV.

Chances are that at least one of those items was made by someone working under conditions that, if they existed in this country, would be deemed illegal and immoral for any number of reasons.

The things that employees in Britain and other industrial nations are used to are dreams for the people who suffer to make our trainers and underwear. Things like maternity leave, holiday-pay, a minimum wage, a clean, well-......alat· ed workplace and sufficient breaks are non-existent in the worst factories of the developing world.

Workers there work long, gruelling hours for low wages, and female workers in particular must also deal with physical and sexual harassment from their bosses.

But the most stifling injustice occurs when exploited workers try to challenge this explollao lion. Attempts by employees to solidify and fotm unions are undermined, sometimes violently, by factory and corporate bosses. A unified workforce is the last thing they want.

No Sweat is trying to change this. No Sweat is, in their own words, "an activist, campaigning organisation, fighting sweatshop bosses, in solidarity with workers, worldwide." They want a living wage, safe working cond itions and independent trade unions for all workers in every country in the world.

What is a sweatshop? hile everyone has doubtless heard the term 'sweatshop', few of us have been to one and the image one has of a sweatshop varies from person to person.

The term was coined in the 19th century to

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describe a sub-contracting employment system in which profits were "sweated" from the employees who worked long hours for low pay.

We use the term nowadays as a label; obvi- · ously a factory boss would never say he is in charge of a sweatshop. 11 describes jobs that are low paid and unsafe, filled by people who work long hours and who do not have the chance to form a union.

The image that springs to mind when we hear the term 'sweatshop' is of a dark, dank fac. tory in a developing coun-

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workers huddled o v e r sewing machines putting trainers together. While this is a common setting, a sweatshop does not necessarily mean a factory, nor is the practice limited to the developing world. The US retailer giant Wal Mart (which owns Asda) has been repeatedly accused of exploiting its workers, as well as selling merchandise made by sweatshop labour.

But while the exploitation of wort<ers is a ooncern no matter what the cln:um8lances, it Is the abolition of sweatshop labour In dtMIIoPing wortd

factories that Is the most challenging problem~ Here's an example of what No SWeat is fightIng: In 2003 33-year-old Pearly Gonzales (a pseudonym used to protect her from retaliation) was working In a garment factory in the Philippines. lt was a typically hot day in the tropic.~ country and the industrial fan was broken.

Pearly was suffering through a 13-hour shift when she collapsed from heat exhaustion. She had been working frantically through sweat and exhaustion to try to finish assembling as many bundles of bras as she could. She had to - her wage was Pearly was able She had enough changes, still has to work 13-hour sometimes hour shifts. So low is her piece rate that even after 13-hours of long, hot work she earns less than the Filipino minimum wage. There is no overtime pay, no night pay, and the heat is still unbearable, especially in the summer when the temperature outside the factory regularly exceeds 3Ckfegrees Celsius.

No Sweat is fighting sweatshop bosses, in solidarity with workers, worldwide.

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Now ere to Run to; Now ere to HI e Sarah Swa/heim and Natalie Northam explore the plight of the world's refugees. They flee war, persecution, genocide, torture and abuse and come to the developed world seeking refuge. But with humanitarian crises causing misery around the world, millions of refugees are fighting political opportunism as well as fear. 'Asylum seekers' has become a familiar term in the run-up to the election as some politicans drum up the myths about refugees.

Examined here are the myths and truths of refugees, their origins, their fears and what can be done to help them.

Who's who? - Definitions A refugee - Under international law, a refugee is a person who is outside his/her country of nationality; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; is not protected by that country, or is unable to return there, for fear of persecution.

An asylum seeker - .Those who seek refugee status are known as asylum seekers, and the practice of accepting such refugees is that of offering political asylum. The most common asylum claims are based upon political and religious grounds.

A displaced person/internally displaced person A displaced person is the general term for someone who has been forced to leave his or her native place. If the displaced person has crossed an inter-

The Top Ten Hosting Countries 1. Iran: currently 1,300,000 refugees Iran takes first place for hosting the largest number of refugees. Last year it took one hundred times more refugees than Britain. Around one million of the refugees are from Afghanistan, and the majority oi the rest are from Iraq.

2. Pakistan: currently 1,200,000 refugees Pakistan also takes a considerable number of refugees, and most have fled from Afghanistan.

There are around 200 refugee camps across Pakistan housing the refugees. Since March 2002, around 1.8 million refugees returned home, partly due to the widespread hostility shown towards them in Pakistan.

3. Germany: currently 980,000 refugees Most refugees that flee to Germany are from former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.

Germany has the largest refugee population in Western Europe, although the restrictions that were imposed in 1993 led to the number of asylum seekers decreasing by half.

4. Tanzania: currently 690,000 refugees Most refugees that flee to Tanzania are forced to live in camps and are not permitted to work. Like most countries with a high number of refugees, Tanzania's location is a prime factor. lt shares a border with Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Kenya.

5. Un'ited States: currently 485,000 refugees The United States tightened its asylum laws after 9/11 , yet it still accounts for half of the resettlement of refugees worldwide. The immigration policy is similar to that of Britain, given that an application for asylum must be made within one year of arrival in the country. The asylum seeker is not allowed to work until the application has been and accepted. processed

national border and falls under one of the relevant international legal instruments. they are considered a refugee. An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who has been forced to leava their home for reasons such as religious persecution or war, but has not crossed an international border.

Illegal immigrant - An illegal immigrart is a person who either enters a country illegally, or who enters legally but subsequently violates the terms of their visa, permanent resident permit or refugee permit.

There are a number of terms that refer to illegal immigrants. The terms undocumented immigrant, and illegals are roughly synonymous, while illegal alien includes those who do not intend to settle in the country, and undocumented worker includes legal residents and even citizens with defective papers who may or may not intend to stay in the country.

Recently, in March 2003, the US policy on asylum seekers changed, and any asylum seeker coming from Iraq, or the 33 other countries where AI- Oaeda are believed to be operating, will be held in custody throughout the processing period.

6. Serbia and Montenegro: currently 350,000 refugees Most refuges fled to these countries irom Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Balkan Wars and most are ethnic Serbs.

7. Sudan: currently 330,000 refugees Refugees flee to Sudan from Eritrea, Uganda, and Ethiopia. However, due to twenty years of war in the country, humanitarian conditions in Sujan have for a Ion;~ time been considered among the worst in the world. The plight of refugees was <: major issue last year as the situaton in Darfur became a scar .on the world's conscience.

Congo: currently

~30,000

Democratic 8.

Republic of refugees

The DRC is a country you would expect to find people fleeing from rather than fleeing :o. However, despite civil war, ethnic violence, the presence of foreign troops and an economic crisis, 1he DRC has hosted around 400,000 refugees and zsylum seekers. They mainly flee from Angola, Sudan, Burundi and Uganda. The sheer size of the :ountry is a prime reason in the presence of so many refugees.· 9. China: currently 300,000 refugees The majority of refug3es that flee to China are from Vietnam and North Korea. Chira has no domestic laws on refugee protection. 1t will only grant !he refugees temporary residence and they are not permitted to work.

10. Armenia: currently 250,000 refugees Virtually all of the refugees in Armenia are ethnic Armenians who fled Azerbaijan during the 1988-93 war over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Ka12bakh.

Democratic Republic of the

Afghanistan In 2003, more than two million refugees, the largest number in th~ world, came from Afghanistan. The country has been devastated by civil war for over twenty years. In 1979, it was invaded by the Soviet Union and became a battlefield of the Cold War. Soviet troops withdrew in 1989, but fighting continued between the communists and the opposition forces, th~ Mujahedin.

Conflicts between factions of the Mujahedin also broke out, and the escalating situation sent many refugees fleeing into neighbouring countries.

The civil war enabled the radical Islamic movement, the Taliban, to gain power. They introduced strict policies denying women education, employment and health care. In 2001 , the terrorist attacks of September 11th turned the world's attention to Afghanistan, as Islamic radical Osama Bin Laden was blamed for the attack. Consequently, the US invaded Afghanistan in.October, and brought down the Taliban regime, believing it to be linked to Bin Laden.

Transitional governments have since been set up to govern until elections can be held. They are supposed to be taking place this May, but it now seems unlikely. Under Afghanistan's .new constitution, any poll must be announced 90 days before it is scheduled to take place, and due to security concerns, this has not been done. Therefore, the country remains politically unstable, and the human rights situation continues to worsen.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa had 453,400 refugees in 2003.

The DRC has always experienced either conflict o r' dictatorship since independence from Belgium in 1960, but the recent troubles originated in 1994.

Genocide was taking place in neighbouring Rwanda, and around 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. Some of the lnterahamwe militias ·responsible for the killings fled to the DRC, and launched attacks from there.

Rwanda wanted to stop the Congolese from allowing this, and twice sent its own troops into the coun· try.

Then in 1997, Rwandan-backed rebels brought the Congolese leader Mobutu Sese Seko, and Rebel leader Laurent Kabila proclaimed himself president. The following year, troops from Rwanda and Uganda invaded in hopes of removing him from power. They were halted by Angolan, Namibian and Zimbabwean troops allied with Kabila.

Since then fighting has continued, despite several peace agreements. In July 2003, a new powersharing government was set up, but despite this, and despite the presence of · several hundred UN peacekeepers in the area, the conflict continues.

In January of this year, fighting broke out again in the east of the DRC, and an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people, mostly women and children in poor health, made their wa'y across Lake Albert by boat to Uganda.

Sudan In 2003, the second largest number of refugees came from Sudan, a number reaching 606,200. This is mainly due to the conflict in Darfur. Since February 2003, agricultural ethnic groups such as the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa have been killed or wounded by armed nomadic groups, later joining together to form the Janjawid militia. Over 50,000 people are believed to have lost their lives since then.

The Sudan government, led by President Omar Hassan Ahmad ai-Bashir, has failed to giv.e any protection to their people, allowing the Janjawid to continue to kill, torture, rape and loot certain groups in the region. Former United Nations coordinator for Sudan, M.ukesh Kapila, believes this targeting of certain groups is evidence of "ethnic cleansing", as the Janjawid attackers are mostly Arab and those attacked mostly black Africans.

Since the start of the c'onflict, over 1.5 million civilians have been internally displaced, and 200,000 have sought refuse in neighbouring Chad.

The Sudanese government seems unwilling to address the humanitarian crisis and appears to be encouraging the actions of the Janjawid. 1t has even placed restrictions on access for humanitarian relief agencies, making it difficult for the international community to send in aid. The harsh climate has also hindered aid efforts.

Burundi Burundi, in Central Africa, produced a total of 531,600 refugees in_2003. The country is 85 % Hutu, 14% Tutsi and 1% Twa, and has been subject to great ethnic conflict since 1965. The current troubles began in October 1993, with the assassination of the first elected (Hutu) President, Melchior Ndadaye, in an attempted coup. · Since then, some 200,000 Burundians have been killed in widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries.

In November 2001, a new transitional government was introduced under President Buyoya.

This appeared to be the first step towards holding national elections. However, the inability to enact a cease fire that includes all factions is delaying the proceedings.

How Can You Help?

Congo

st ar f~ lt. • ft uf a t

STAR stands for Student Action for Refugees. lt is a national campaign group, and made up of thirty-five groJps across the UK. If you would like to help to raise awareness about refugees then get involved right here at UEA! Membership is only £3 and you give as much time as you feel you can spare. Getting involved also means that you will meet a variety of open-minded people, and gain skills and experience that will help you in the future. If you would like to get involved email norwichstar@yahoo.com or if you would just like to fino out more information about the national STAR check out www.star-network.org.uk/

Palestine

.-::...

In 2003, there were 427,900 Palestinian refugees. The troubles began in 1947, when Palestine, a British colony, was partitioned into two separate states, one Arab and one Jewish. The Jews, who were less than one-third of the population and owned only 8% of the land, were allotted 56% of the territory. The Palestinians saw this as immensly unjust, as most Jews in Palestine were recent arrivals. Consequently, fighting broke out between Jewish forces and Palestinian militias.

In May 1948, Britain· withdrew from Palestine, and the Jewish state of Israel declared independence. War was waged on the new state by Palestine and several other Arab countries, and when it ended in 1949, Israel had captured 78% of Palestine. Over 500 Palestinian villages were destroyed and nearly 800,000 Palestinians were made refugees.

Since then, fighting has continued between the two states. Palestinians have been waging their second national uprising (lntifada) in an attempt to end Israel's 38-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. In response, Israeli forces have shelled Palestinian neighborhoods with US-supplied attack helicopters and destroyed romes, hospitals and infrastructure for water and sanitation.

Thousands of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, and poverty rates have soared.

In 2003 Iraq hosted more than 130,000 refugees, but produced many more as a result of the US-led invasion in March. There are currently more than 600,000 Iraqis refugees around the world.

Under Saddam around 100,000 Palestinians had received subsidised housing and special privileges, but after his overthrow Iraqi landlords reversed these policies and the Palestians became refugees within Iraq.

In the first few months after the invasion there was widespread looting and lawlessness throughout the country. This compounded the problems for those Iraqis trying to return to the country they had fleed during Saddam's regime.

In 2004 some 40,000 Iraqis applied for asylum in other countries, with 25,000 of these applying to live in I=Ourope. Britain received the largest number of applicants of European nations with 5,300.

HOWARD YOU LIKE IT There has been a lot of criticism recently over Michael Howard's proposals on immigration. They include the following: • Setting an annual limit to immigration, including a quota for genuine refugees * Putting in place 24-hour security at ports to prevent illegal immigration • Introducing an Australian-style points system for work permits- giving priority to people with skills Britain needs Cri1icism arose over Howard's idea of a quota, as this could mean the refusal of genuine asylum seekers, puting many lives at risk. This proposal also gives out the wrong message to poorer countries that host the majority of refugees, for although the UK has been taking more than most other industrialised countries, it is Iran that hosts the largest number in the world (hosting 1,300,000). The UK does not even appear in the top ten hosting countries. This challenges the myth that the UK is being over-run by refugees and taking mo·e than its fair share. There are other myths surrounding immigration that have led to negativity towards refugees. lt is important that these myths are cleared up and that we do not start refusing genuine asylumseekers in dire need of protection.

Myths and Truths Myth: Britain is over-run by refugees Truth: Britain takes a number of refugees, but does not even appear in the top ten hosting countries. Also, according to the annual figures published by UNHCR, the number of asylum seekers coming to the industriaised world fell22 percent last year to its lowest level since 1988. In fact, the majority of immigrants that come to Britain are not asyfum seekers or refugees, but those entering on work permits. 11 is reported that, in 2003, "20,980 asylum seekers were granted permission to stay, in comparison to 119,000 people on work permits" (TIME magazine). These professionals are needed and welcomed by the UK, helping sustain many institutions such as the NHS. MYlh: Refugees exploit our benefit system.

Tn.th: Refugees are not allowed to claim mainstream welfare benefits and are barred from working. An adult refugee only receives £38.96 a week, 30% below the poverty line. In contrast a single pensioner gets a guaranteed minimum income of £98.15 a week. The accommodation allocated to refugees is not paid for by the local council. lt is nearly always 'hard to let' properties, which other people do not want to live in. Many refugees are desperately poor. 85% ·of organizations working with them said that their clients experienced hurger, while 95% said their clients could not afford clothes or shoes.

Myth: Asylum seekers bring diseases into the country Tnth: TB testing has started on arriving asylum seekers, and more than 5,500 people have been tested, with no positive results. Generally, asylum seekers who arrive in Britain are healthier than those they leave be~ind. In 2003, Dr LeFeuvre said: "I've seen more refugees who are doctors than refugees who have HIV".

TIME magazine recently reported that the British public believes 24% of those living in the UK are foreign-born- the actual figure is 8.3%.

16 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

www.concrete-online.com

Cotaete Wednesday, March 9", 2005

Because We Are Too Many Charity is all well and good, but do we ignore the real problems by continuing to focus on the plight of humanity? Philip Sainty looks at the problem of overpopulation and how the issues surrounding it are often confused by the media.

005 may well be remembered as the year in which the people of Britain began to eliminate global poverty.

Current British interest in the plight of the developing nations has arguably come about as a result of two defining moments in global history, both of which occurred in the last twenty_years. The first was the epoch-makmg BBC report on the 1984 famine in Ethiopia that gave rise to Live Aid and sparked a global charitable phenomenon. The donations and interest managed to turn around a death rate that was threatening to take 300,000 lives a month. The .second was ten years later, in Rwanda, when the global community turned a blind eye to four months of genocide between warring factions that were originally ereated by colonial interference. Subsequently, the Governments of the (western) world have been condemned for the deaths of nearly a million peapie.

Both events would probably have gone unnoticed by the West were it not for media intervention. Both were th e epitome of the 'human interest' story, guaranteed to grab headlines and provide moving pictures that we can all relate to because we, too, are human. All coverage of the events, at the time and since, have always sought to focus on the 'human angle' and so they should, as both resulted in such an inconceivable number of deaths.

From a charitable aspect, Ethiopia, like the Tsunami appeal, benefits from being ostensibly caused by environmental factors. Rwanda, unfortunately has no such luxury, having been caused by the tribal tension between Hutus and Tutsis.

But the situations are resistant to such simplification because both countries share a common environmental problem: overpopulation. Ethiopia is one of the most overpopulated countries on earth, having cleared more than 90 per cent of its once-extensive woodland. Rwanda, prior to the massacres, was the most overpopulated country in Africa with a density of 275 people per square kilometre. The Belgian colonists, who originally created the notion of 'Hutu' and 'Tutsi', were also responsible for the systematic pillage of the country's resources. lt might seem common sense to report on all the factors that led to the resulting tension, but both were explained in largely sociological terms and while the ecological facts may have been stated from time to time, they were never related directly as a cause for the probrems. For the media to bring these ideas in to play · would be to talk about something contrary to the echelon of the 'human interest' story because, by ·condemning these cultures for the exploitation of their surroundings, it would put the 'rights' of the planet above the 'rights' of humanity.

Being reluctant to condemn humanity on these grounds is indicative of a long-standing cuitural arrogance towards our natural environs and the planet we inhabit. lt is inherently contradictory as it ignores the most basic fact: that our existence (currently, at least)

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depends on the planet. Conversely, the planet could only benefit from an atrocity such as Rwanda, were it to occur on a global scale. Yet our attitude towards each other is only equalled in its flippancy by our attitude to the planet. Our recognition of each other as human beings seems to be engrained on our behaviour, but the

logical knowledge would be much higher. A typical estimate of land area needed to represent and protect most elements of biodiversity is about 50%.

Conserving Biodiversity requires two basic requirements: protection and preservation.

During the last week in our developed nation, two

it often, are often only referring to human development. A recent example of this contention is on the BBC next week. 'China week' is a celebration of the world's largest growing economy. This is relevant to the African issue because China used to manufacture a lot of Western goods. Sadly, along with most of Asia, they are now becoming more educated and not content to work for pittance in a ~eat• shop. Afnca, however, 1s JUSt starting to move into the Economic stage of development (known as an Econ~mic Processing Zone) necessary for sweatshops and the like. At this point that many western powers realised that the strong African youth that would be needed for this workforce are dying from AIDS and Malaria and they'd better do something about it. And this is where the Commission for Africa comes in.

The only problem with all this is that, once again, the emphasis is very much on the 'sustainable development' of humanity. When we endeavour to Make Poverty History we should ensure that the money and processes that are going towards achieving that aim are ensuring an end to the poverty abundant in our conception of the world.

Our existence (currently' at least) depends on the planet.

• tConversely' the planet could . only benefit from an atrOCIy such as Rwanda, were lt to occur on a global scale perception of our environs never seems to extend beyond the instrumental. If we aren't chopping it down for firewood; we're swinging on it.

According to the UN, the global population is set to rise from 6.5 billion to 9.1 Billion by the year 2050. Virtually all this growth will be in the developing world. Development, the ever-touted right of ascendancy, usually walks hand-in-hand with environmental destruction and degradation. This is largely because an economy relies on natural resources to give it a kick-start; a country first sells what it has, then what it can manufacture. In this process, it is the environment that suffers most. Many developing cultures are envious of the affluent West. They want Coca Cola and Nike and TV sets, who wouldn't? But the developing countries are also those With the largest abundance of our greatest asset, the range of living organisms that exist on the planet, our Biodiversity.

8

iodiversity is not just about keeping creatures alive for our entertainment. A diverse ecosystem is required to ensure the health of the seas, rivers and forests and, therefore, to combat climate change. Stress placed on the world's Biodiversity by an ever-increasing and developing human population is rapidly accelerating .

Economic demands are appropriat ing an increasing amount from the planet, depleting fishing stocks right through to acres of forest. A figure from Vitousek in 1986 cites 40% of gtobal primary productivity (the annual growth of plant life) is used or eo-opted by humans, mainly through land use. Additionally, in 2001 , Rojstaczer et al. calculated that 32 % of terrestrial primary productivity (animal matter harvested from the land and water) is approprfated by humans. This is quite an achievement for a species that is but one amongst 5 to 30 million types of animal on the face of the earth.

If we were to apply this to the UN's population forecast, then by 2050, 60% of this planet's base natural resources will be completely absorbed by humanity. The convention on Biological Diversity recently put a target of 10% of the world's ecological regions effectively conserved by 2010. However, 25 conservation leaders said that this goal was largely political and that targets based on eco-

things happened in direct correlation with these criteria, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (or John Prescott, Ltd. as it is more affectionately known) granted National Park status to the New Forest and DEFRA introduced the Entry-Level scheme that moves farmers and landowners away from agricultural subsidy and towards a future of environmental stewardship. The latter step, particularly, has the potential to ensure the required 50% conservation. But even in our highly developed country, we are only just implementing ideas that, in order to ensure Biodiversity, conserve as much land as they can. What chance, then, does the Developing world have?

Sustainable Development apparently, the solution and is certainly the byword of Stair's Commission for Africa: the promised Shangri-La for African poverty. Yet the majority of people who are famil-

Coacnte Wedn esday. March 9th , 2005

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.features@uea.ac. uk 17

Is it hot in here, or is it just • • • the globe? A member of the Bush administration would say no. Global warming is not high on their agenda. The Kyoto treaty which came into force this year was missing the signature of the world's biggest polluter. So will it make a difference? Alyssa Morrisey turns up the heat on global warming sceptics. increase in average temperature is expected within the next century, the same increase the Earth has undergone since the previous ice age.

A small increase in temperature severely changes rainfall patterns and increases the intensity of storms around the globe. Similarly, when ocean temperatures undergo an increase of one degree, coral reefs die triggering a chain reaction that then wipes out other ocean life.

fter years of heated debate, the Kyoto Treaty went into effect on February 16, minus signatures from the United States and Australia. While a collective international effort to combat global warming is hailed by environmentalists as one of the century's greatest victories, it is uncertain what sort of gains the treaty will make by its 2008 through 2012 deadline. 'it would be a dangerous mistake to believe that Kyoto provides a solution to the scale of the problem our world now faces ,' says the Independent on the day of its Initiation. 'The reality is that the cuts required by the Protocol are inadequate in the rapidly worsening situation. In addition , the focus on Kyoto over recent years, and whether or not it will come into force, has become an excuse for inaction.'

The treaty aims to monitor green house gas emissions in 141 countries and, in the next decade, to have decreased them by around 5% of the levels recorded in 1990. In order for recognizable effects to take place, the agreement must be signed by industrialized countries responsible for at least 55% of the world's carbon emissions in 1990.

Developing countries were exempted, allowing them a chance to catch up with the economic development of industrialized nations.

But without cooperation from the United States, responsible for 36 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions and consumer of 25% of the world's oil, the goal seems almost unattainable.

The Kyoto Protocol began negotiations nearly eight years ago, when several countries met in the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto to discuss global warming and its overall effects on the planet over the next century.

The possibility that global warming is responsible for the Earth's climate change is now widely accepted. Last year, Tony Blair said that global warming was the single most important

issue faced by the world. Many people have said that it is a bigger threat to international stability than terrorism . At the World Economic Forum in 1998, chief executive officers of the world's

already reduced the depth of the polar ice cap by 40 percent since the 1970s, and glaciers are rapidly retreating.

Computer models predict that a five Celsius (nine degrees Fahrenheit)

opposes any treaty or policy that would cause the loss of a single American job, let alone the nearly 5 million jobs Kyoto would have cost ,' says James Connaughton , cha irman of the White House

ver-pnce , oversized, over here: The truth about Yank Tanks.

nsecure bloke it the shops, or, if you're a just feels good to drive around in something so vast.

This culture of "compensating", as Shrek would say. was compounded with the arrival of the

Hummer. The vehicle that began life in the US army became commerical in the 90s and has been guzzling gas ever since.

Sports Utility Vehicles quickly became popular in

A

y the end of 2005, the UK could be flocking with them . Yet, with the devas. .-...._ talion that they have caused in the US over the past ten years, one wonders why anyone would consider this a good idea.

Here are some facts that everyone should whether or not you plan on purchasing a

1._...,.

The main argument against SUVs today is they waste energy by guzzling an astonishing of petrol. Many get thirteen to fifteen per gallon (about 6.79 kilometres per litre) .

Someone struck by a large sports utility icle is more than twice as likely to die as lo::nm••nn<> hit by a saloon car travelling at the speed, says the New Scientist. Though plan on striking pedestrians with their vehicles, it has been known to happen .

They create a false idea of safety, though statistics have continuously proven that SUVs are just as they say, Sports Utility Vehicles.

They were meant for driving in rugged , off-road lrnnn•t•nr'" • not for highway or city driving.

And they seem hugely ostentatious when consider what most people in Britain use for; dropping the kids off at school, going to

1,000 corporations declared that global climate change was the most critical problem facing hum,anity. tudies show that clim a t e change has

S

degree

Council on Environmental Quality.

White House officials hold that the measures in pollution reduction proposed by the treaty would have cost nearly $400 billion and almost 5 million jobs, while other countries like Russia can decrease pollution substantially with a positive rather than negative impact on its job market.

Bush also rejects the treaty based on its bias toward developing countries like China and India,

While not an immediate answer to global warming , Kyoto may be the first to set new international standards that reward pollution reduction The effects of climate change are already visible. In 2003, Europe suffered from the hottest summer on record, with temperatures in the west as high as 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Monsoon rains in Asia that are important .to agriculture have been irregular, and Florida witnessed hurricanes - ....

Charlie, Frances and lvan within the summer of 2004.

Though reluctant to sign , most nations recognised that global warming will have a significant long term effect on the agricultural and business economies. The historic treaty which was signed by Vice President AI Gore, was later dismissed by the Bush administration for economic reasons. ' President

*

Bush strongly

who are not required to reduce emissions, yet account for nearly 14 percent of the world's green house gas emissions.

Instead, the Bush administration encourages private means of climate control, and efforts toward developing cleaner, more effect energy sources, rather than working under strict international regulation .

While the United States has been aware of the harmful effects of green house gases on climate change for the nearly 20 years, a study done by the International Energy Agency shows the US has increased carbon emissions by 15 percent since 1990, mainly from burning fossil foils in power plants, factories and cars.

Though signs of global warming are clear, and accepted by a majority of scientists in every nation around the world, the US has seen a wealth of scepticism . A report in FoxNews.com regards the Kyoto protocol as more of a "global economic suicide pact" than as an "international treaty," dismissing fears of climate change as 'scientific and economic infamy.'

Doubts cast a negative shadow over the victory of the Kyoto treaty, yet environmentalists call it a tiny first step to slow global warming. While not an immediate answer to global warm ing, the treaty may be the first to set new international standards that reward pollution reduction and inspire nations and corporations to pursue cleaner forms of growth.

the US, where six lane freeways and abound . Though , when exposed to European roads, where street parking freq Imposes on driving space, the flaw is far too to miss. One recalls countless times they seen these vehicles brush the sides of pa cars as they drive.

Of the worst problems, SUVs also breed menacing culture of selfishness and gluttony on the road . The main concern of a potential buyer of a 4x4, is that they will be the party during an accident, obviously cerned for the safety and wellbeing of the other party involved.

Recently the Ford company introduced the Escape Hybrid SUV, making the first company to make hybrid 4X4s available the mainstream market. The Hybrid will achieve up to 35 to 45 mile per gallon in stop and go city conditions, more than a 50 percent achievement over its other lines SUVs. Several companies subsequent! took the hint, and produced Hyb · 4x4 vehicles of the ir own, though does nothing to address the issue the cumbersome presence the ve cles have on Britain's streets.

Though Ford will produce Escape Hybrids vehicles by the end of the year, it produces over six million vehicles annually. The Escape SUV will make up less than half of one percent of the 2005 model year production.

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www.conc rctc-onli ne.com

Concrete \\, dnndcl\. Mar< h <J • ::oo5

CUT SHORT

WITHOUT CONCRETE

it has emerged that the fir m e mployed to collect the e mpty bottles from th e univers ity and union outlets will no longer be able to do so. The company had been making a loss from it s UEA contract due to the high costs of recycling. lt is claimed that the Univers ity offered to make u p the cost d ifference , but the deal was rejected. it is not clear what w ill happen to all of UEA's empty bottles and the is sue remains vague.

SHELL OUT F OR BETTER --

U

EA at n1ght is like a shtny

concrete .beacon,_ the lights of Waveney Terrace cast1ng a mystenous and allunng glow over the w1ntry land scape. But behmd this p1ctu resque scene li es a monste r, known only as.. The Guzzler I'm not talking about th e mystenous twat of a fiatmate who steals your margarine .

Oh no, 1t's far worse than that. I' m talktng about th e '6os monstros1ty th at IS our ent1re campus, eating ene rgy like a fat kid eats a lorry- loa d of Ben a nd jerry's. This means that we' re responsible for pumpmg a huge amount of unnecessary pollution tn to our a tm osphere. So sm1te that evd Guzzler, wherever you may find h1m .

A campaign has begun to halt the selling of battery farme d eggs on campus, but there are warnings that it may be a long process

Lights it 's a co mmonly held myth th at if you are go1ng m and ou t of a room frequently. 1t saves energy to leave the lights on.

Th1 s 1s comp lete bull: 1f you're leavmg a room for more than a few seconds, save energy by turning them offl The same goes for lecture theatres and labs: 1f you are the last to leave- turn the l1 ghts off.

Compu te r Betng a great fan of the late n1ght work b1nge, I often find myself in a deserted computer lab . Turn1ng a computer mon1tor off once you've finished with 11 can save around 50% of the energy used. so turn a few more off on your way out. If you have your own computer: don't leave 1t on standby all day, as th1s stdl uses loads of energy.

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COMPOSTING AT UEA

kitchen and now and agam empty 1t mto an outside compost1ng b1n. After abou t a year this waste wdl decompose to a rich sod ast Tue sday a meet1ng was held Any student can buy biodegradable in the LCR about compostmg at bags (from Ratnbow foods 1n Norwich UEA. Paulo Mellet (a 3rd year City Centre, or t he Green Grocers on DEV undergraduate) gave a ta lk Earl ham Road) and start co ll ecting Heating about how and why to camkitchen waste. Th1s can be brought to the If your lecture room or bedroom IS post. so% of waste that current ly goes to UEA permaculture soc1ety's allotmen t (a hot, dcn't open the w1ndows stra 1ght landfill could be cam posted and used 15 m1nute walk off campus, contact k.wdaway, first look to see 1f you can turn the lnstead of harmful art1fic1al fertilisers to lett@uea.ac.uk for details). Students livrad1ator down. Turntng your thermostat feed gardens. Compostmg also helps mg off campus can also get an outdoor at home down by 1•c can save 10% of reduce global warmmg. compos tmg btn fr om the C1ty Council by you r heat1ng bdl.

Kale Wi llett (UEA G 1een Party pres1call1ng 01603 212302. dent and organ1ser of the meet 1ng) to ld Kale talked to Tu if after the meeting Cooking Turf after the meetmg "a ny food gomg to about what she and her compost actiVIsts Cooktng meals w1th fn ends saves on want to achieve. She sa1d: "Our a1m IS to landfill can't rot down properly because gasfelectnclty and is way more fun than 1t's m1xed w1th non-b1olog1cal waste. it 1ncrease awareness about how easy 11 IS be1ng a loser and eatmg on yo_ur own. results tn a toxiCy sludge, which release to compost and why we should be doing Always put lids on pans, you can turn the methane, a potent greenhouse gas".

11, and also to work towards gett1ng the stove down a nd save a hu ge amo unt of Paulo d eswbed how easy 1t is to Uni ve rsity to take compost ing more sen· ene rgy. When boi lin g water, on ly u se as compost. All you need to do IS collect ous ly as an envi ronmentally friend ly and much as you need to save electnc1ty and food scraps and crumpled paper/ card sustainable was te opt1on". water. (non-recyclable) m a contamer m your The group a1ms to mcrease voluntary r-----------------L_.:___.:..__ ___:.________.:______ ...=__.:..__, compos tl ng in halls

Mucky behaviour in the LCR

L

Day

Or • h N I9 t Dine Drink

Chill Lounge Laugh

Open Mon - Sat 10am - 11pm The O ld Fire S tation S tables , Labour i n Vain Yard , G uildhall Hill Norwich Te Fax: 01603 765562

and are loo kmg 1nto the feas1bd1ty of ereat ing a compost scheme fo biodegradab le waste for the Blend and the Hive . If you want to Involved w1th th1s mpa1gn , pleas ntact Kale at k.willett@uea.ac.uk.

If you would like to know a l1ttle more about compos t1ng , VI SI I: www.ecodyfi . org.ukfwaste or wwwcommun1 tycompost.org

Report by Lucy

h ere has been a grow1ng resentment among students who do not feel that it IS appropnate for batte ry farmed eggs to be sold on campus. The Catering Serv1ces say they have researched the opt1on of sw1tchmg to a free range supply, but that th e swi tch would be too expens1ve.

Issues like th1~ are always convoluted, because whde the sale of battery chicken eggs may be unacceptable to most, the un1vers1ty may equally face comp lamts from st udents who want the cheapest deal no matter what. Th e re IS the posstbility of a dual system, whe reby tnd1v1dual students could choose wh1ch they wanted. But a system like th1s would be very dtfficult to 1mplement, and JUSt as costly 1n the end.

A pressure group headed by jack Guest , a secon d yea r poli t1 cs studen t, IS call1ng for the si t uation to be readdressed. He 1s not happy wtth the excuses gtven for selling battery ch tcken eggs tn Mango and The Diner.

The Catering Department seems ready to cooperate, and say they are Willing to work with any st udents who wish to

T

resolve the 1ssue. H owever, untd there IS enough pressure fr om outstde it is unlikely that any change will happen . jack Guest IS calling upon all mterested students to make the1r votces heard, e1ther by maktng a complamt 1n person or by emailing johan Boll1ng of catenng at j.Bollmg@uea.ac.uk. it IS not gomg to happen over n1gh t. but 1f there 1s e no ugh act1 ve demand then battery eggs will have to be banned from s1te.

Battery ch1ckens are kept tn horrendous cond 1t10ns, as 1t IS legal for farmers to keep up to five ch1ckens m a cage smal ler than an A4 p1ece o f paper. W h at with the demand for cheap eggs tn b1g quanlit1es. farmers are encouraged to keep tens of thousands of ch1ckens tn one shed Untd peop le show that they a willIng to pay a l1ttle b1t more for an egg to prevent th1s treatment, the c~rcumstances are unlikely to change.

Norfolk is renowned for 1ts quality farmtng , and free range organiC farms are p lent1ful all over the county. A free range egg supply wou ld be not be hard to obtam, so long as there 1s a call for 1t on campus. If you want to see th1s change happen make su re yo ur vo1ce IS heard.

MARKET MATTERS Sales remain steady as refurbishment continues he mult1-mill 1on pound market regeneration proJect IS finally underway after a sl1ghtly JUmpy s tart. Demol1t1on of part of the market started a few weeks late allowing market traders to remam tn their stalls for a b1t longer.

S1nce t he proJect has commenced only a few of the old stalls rematn .

The market IS still fully fun ct1 on1ng w1th temporary market stalls on Gentleman's walk attract1ng bus1ness much as usual. Th ere IS a current wave of media 1nst1gated by Norwich C1ty Council raising awareness th a t the ma rket is s tdl fully functional. Th1s is well needed adver-

T

lisement as 1t IS d eputed by traders that thc1r trade will slow down s li ghtly as people are put off by the development 1n progress .

Although not happy w1 th the market bemg refurbished, the market traders are taktng 1t all 1n the1r stnde. The wooden "te mporary stalls are fa,rly accommodattng for our needs" the tr ader of a clothes stall granted.

But lookmg ahead to when the market w1ll be completed the new stalls will have 20% less fioor space than the old market stalls; 1t IS aspects such as th1s wh1ch are the traders matn cause for con· cern as they have a limited infiuence over the new ma rk et des1gn.

The overall outlook for the market 1s stdl a prom1s in g one ma1nta1n in g Norwich's historical stand1ng as a market town .

Report by Hannah Newto n

COacrete

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www.concrete-online.com

March rJir, 2005

New figures show that over the past five years police have had to fork out more than [1om protecting firms from animal rights protesters. Lots of it has gone towards policing controversial pharmaceutical company Huntingdon Life Sciences, the country's biggest research centre. Suffolk police have been badly drained, but Cambridgeshire have spent fs-4m and nearly 400,000 man hours protecting the notorious testing centre and staff from animal rights exfremists.

The heavy snow of the last fortnight saw a series of accidents and forced dozens of school closures today in Norfolk.

Drivers were left stuck or struggling in the stormy blizzard white outs but highway officials insist the gritting programme has coped. Police have reported several serious accidents all over the region and warned drivers to take extra care and avoid unnecessary journeys describing the roads as a "complete nightmare".

The Green party are to urge the City to push for major changes in the East of England Plan. lt has been noted that the development plans far outpace any natural growth and will put unnecessary strain on local services, the environment and infrastructure. Even more shocking is that the EERA accepts "climate change will be inevitable over the period of this strategy" and is merely 'adapting' the region to it with out any emission cutting strategy being included.

The New Forest in Hampshire has at last become a National Park, and it is the first in England since the 1980s. The decision was made by the ODPM back in June 2004 following a seven month public inquiry. The last few months have witnessed further hearings as the exact boundary of the park was defined. Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael welcomed the official designation on march 1st, describing the park as being "acknowledged as a national treasure for nearly a thousand ye!lrs"

FAIR-TRADE FORTNIGHT After another year of increasing FairTrade sales is the UK, Turfjoins the Debate Society to discuss its benefits

he concept is simple.

Farmers m Impoverished parts of the world have to work sixteen hours a day producing coffee and selling it to the affluent West. But where as we may pay a few pounds for a bag of coffee in the UK, the farmer only sees a few pence of that.

So, charge the people of Britain a few pence more and make sure it gets straight to the growers. While the increase to consumers here may be negligible, the difference to the farmers may be the one between feeding their family or not. lt is a concept that has found great appeal in the UK, and especially at the University of East Anglia where even the first year students will have noticed the recent growth in the range of FairTrade products on campus. As the events of FairTrade fortnight peak the recent trend will have seemed even more prominent.

And yet, the FairTrade developments have their share of cntics, around the world and at the University. There are some who feel that the whole process is undermined by corruption in the developing countries associated with FairTrade cntics, and that efforts should be spent on looking at the deeper problems of world poverty.

Turf went along to a Debate Society special, where the issue was discussed by a panel of four and an open aud1ence. The opening motion saw the idea of FairTrade stretched to its limits: "Europe and North America should trade fairly with the developing world, even if this would result in a reduction m the standard of living enjoyed by us in the West." Of course in

reality Fa1rTrade does not damage the Western lifestyle, it merely raises the price of a of couple of items. But even with th1s extreme interpretation, the vast majority of the audience was in favor, with 20 for, 1 against and 1o abstentions.

Argu•ng for were Tim Grover & Dave Vincent, who focused on the huge wealth difference between developing and developed nat1ons, claiming that the West is responsible for the state of the Third World. Arguing agamst were Chnstian Ancliff & Owen Bryant, trying to persuade the audience that Fair Trading does very little, and that extra profits are just lost to the corruption of local governments .

Predictably this stance got a lot of people's backs up and audience members starting reciting examples where Fa1rTrade co-operative had worked perfectly.

ure enough there are schemes place that stand as d1rect proof of the benefits of FairTrade. And this doesn't always mean that it is only the odd farmer that gains. There are active projects where the increased profits of local farms are put back into the community. The extra income has been used to build schools, hospitals and housing improvements.

However, Christian Ancliff & Owen Bryant had some very good points to make, and there are often two sides to success stories. Putting a logo on a chocolate bar that tells the consumer that the farmer is gettmg a better deal can be m1sleading. For one, there will never be a solution that merely involves Westerners dumpmg some money and running .

Successful schemes take careful plan-

SUMMED

UP

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Amount of money allocated by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for councils to improve their recycling facilities= The sales offair-trade goods in the UK In 2004 =

S

1n

Fifteen days worth of the UK's military expenditure in Iraq =

[140 million ning, and once they are implemented they need careful maintaining. Some of these farmers are living in countries that are crippled by corruption and more money to the area does not equate to more money to the producers. Charities of all sorts need to be wary of this , and only grass route schemes can guarantee that help reaches the people that deserve 1t.

That's not to say it can't be done on a mass market scale, but it w1ll also require a massive body of volunteers to direct the flow of mcome appropriately.

There is another more radical criticism against Fa1rTrade . Some people believe that the problem of poverty is so Immense, and so much part of the global economic structure that a much more drastic plan is needed . There is an opinion that FairTrade does too little while distracting consumers from the wider issue.

In short, rather than adapting to a corrupt system there should be a move to restructure the way the entire world does trade . lt may very well be that poverty will always exist in the current political envi ronment, but when it comes down to 1t this is a very poor argument against FairTrade. Although it would be nice to create a new world order from scratch , this will not happen over night. But FairTrade can make a real difference right now in visible ways .

The debate came to a close with op1nions much as they were at the start, with pro FairTraders takmg four of the abstentions and three go1ng the other way. One point remains clear. FairTrade is a powerful tool and its benefits are Important, but ten pence more on a bar of chocolate are not go1ng to end poverty.

The percentage of the nation 's 30,ooo,ooo chickens kept in battery farms= The percentage of the world's population that live in developing countries = Percentage of drink driv1ng offenders who are male =

Bs%

Number of products affected by the Sudan 1 food scare = The average number of traffic acc1dents that take place everyday in south korea (with a daily average of 21 fatalities) = The number of different b1rd spec1es in Hong Kong =

474

TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT All trees posses a beauty that is unique to the rest of the life on this planet. But there are beautiful trees and there are bee-yootiful trees! And then, of course, there 1s the Pinus sylvestris.

Some people call it a Scots Pine, but either way this tree just had to be this issue's Tree of the Fortnight. This is tree you can trust.

This is a tree that cares. This is a tree that teaches you how to love. If you are so overwhelmed that you don 't even know where to start when first admiring this tree, here is a tip. Begin by admiring the way 1t harbours a myriad of multicolours 1n such a subtle way. it's brown braches grow into a red ish-orange orange uppertrunk, accentuating the turquo1se needles with such a humble delicacy you may be fooled into believing that until that moment you had only ever seen in black and white. And when, such as of late , this is set against a back drop of bright white snow then- oh!. ... l'm sorry, I have become quite lost for words ...

Height: 30-80 ft Spread: 20 - so ft Shape: Pyramidal while growing and flat topped when mature Foliage: 1 to 3 inch greenfblue pines Flower: Small dull bud Fruit: 1.5 to 3 inch cones in groups of up to three

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INSIDE: FOUR PACiE SPECIAL ON.WORLD'S LARGEST CiOLF BALL our 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.

BEFORE

AFTER

Student falls over; usual chaos ensues

.>

Not for t he first time, UEA was on t he verge of declaring itself an independent c ommunist s tate last night , as a s tudent fe ll and hurt herself in the arctic conditions.

Th o u gh s h e s tood up im m edi a te ly a nd was n ot h os pit a lis ed . wit n esses re port ed a grazed e lbow. Fai n t emba r ra ss m ent is a lso th o u g ht to h a ve occ urred. \Vi! h th e n ex t Ice Age now all but a ce rta inty (in so m e a reas th e s n ow is re ported to b e chi ftin g u p to th ree in c h es d ee p). m a ny had p redi c ted a n incident of this ntagni t ud e was possib le . ow it h a s a ctually ha ppened. h oweve r. few a re sure h ow to proceed.

Di s playi ng th eir u s u a l. ad o ra b le reac ti ona ry se ns ibil ity . th e Union qui ck ly dmfted

a po li cy b a nn in g wint e r fr o m ca mp u s.

Unfor tu n a te ly . th eir pro posed m eth od to ca r ry o ut s uc h a s c he m e - ca tchin g win ter in a big n et - was ju s t as quickly di s m issed a s ·cos tly'.

Unti l a m ore wo rk a ble policy is d ev ised. s t u d e nt s a re ad\'i sed to c raw l a rou n d on t h eir ha nd s a nd l<nees so · th a t . s ho uld th ey s li p . t he cl is t<Ui ce to th e ground is lesse ned .

In t he a b se n ce of a solutio n to t he s n ow menace. polit ica l g roups a re busying th em se lves in a ll ocati ng b la m e . Far right co n s e rva tive s a re us ing th e fa ll as vi nd ica ti o n fo r t heir co mm it m en t to indu s t1·y . 1\ s pokes pe rs on said: "Wit h ra m pant glob a l wa r m in g. n o n e of t hi s wo u ld have ha p pe n ed . G ive the m d a m n

Gree n s wh a t th ey want a nd no o ne wi ll be C} ble to s tay on t h eir fee t. .. The Gree n Party h ave a lready iss u ed a co unt er -s ta te m ent pointing o ut th at. und er th eir p la n s. "every th ing wou ld be g ree n a nd n o t w h it e ...

But by fa r t h e most d a mning verdict ca m e fr om scien ce fi ct ion en thu s ias ts wh o a re cla m o uri n g fo r UEA to be arres ted for "end a nge ri ng th e future oft he hum a n race".

"Wh a t if." a re pres e nta tive d em a n ded to kn ow. "th e s tud ent h ad bee n pregna n t? We ca n 't be ce rta in th a t t h a t chi ld wo uldn 't h a ve bee n d es ti n ed to lead th e s u rvivo rs of n ucl ear holoca u s t in a fin a l d espera te fi ght aga in s t a n evil super -co m pu te r. ..

If thi s wa s t h e ca s e. UEA has indica ted . it is ve1y so rry.

Ve1y soo n . m e a nd my n ew fri end s fro m Uni vers ity will b e leaving th e comfort of th e UEA's Ha lls of Residen ce a nd m ovin g a ho u se of o ur very own . In expec ta ti o n of thi s se m inal momen t in ou r lives. we h ave d is pensed wit h th e mi crowave. k e ttle. a nd toaster a nd ta ke n to coo king o ur own mea ls.

Thi s di d n ot p rove to be a s easy a s we th o u ght. h owever. a s tin o pene rs are deceivingly comp li ca ted th ings to u se . Even on ce th ese imp lem ents h a d bee n m as te red . we di scovered th a t n o on e of u s has a mastery over tllC' wid t" va ri t" ty of culi na 1y im plem en ts.

Further a rgum ent s e n s u ed when it was di s covered t h at on e of t h t" guys clown rh e co rrido r was ca pa b le of boiling an eM. T h is p rom pt ed d e m a n d s fo r in s t r u ct io n t h a t res u lted in a t hree -day s iege .

Havin g re m r~ in e cl fi r m ly depend ent on o ur prove rbia l m oth er' s tce t fo r so lo ng n ow. I a m begin n ing to t hi nk th a t we will n ever be ca pa b le of adop tin g thi s mos t ba s ic of socia l n ice ti es .

Yo u rs Sta rved Dear S ta rved Yo u predi ca ment is n ot unu s u a l fo r o ne inc li ned towa rds h igh e r s tudy. I mys elf was 52 years of age before I reali sed I h a d b ee n clonntng my uncl en:vea r u pside clown. What yo u a nd your h o u se m atc s need to d o is foc u s o n ind ividua l ta s ks in th e kitch en . By s pec ia lis in g in ce rta in fu nc ti ons. yo u will ho ne pa rti cu a la r s ki ll s a n d m as ter th e kit ch en .

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, TODAY For years the top scientists have been bickering over the precise date o f the total destruction of mankind . Finally the world 's leading climatologists h ave collab orated on the most ex tensive study to date , and though the findings have been unanimously agreed upon, the results are shocking. Ye s , it has been proven that de vastating global warming will take place in a matter of minutes . Starting n ow.

In fac t. th e d etails s how t h at th e n ext tim e so me body ch-ives a ca r. leaves a li ght bu lb o n in a n e mpty room o r rema in s in th e s howe r for thirty seco n ds lo nge r t h an th ey s h o u ld do th e entire p la n et will be p lunged into a poca lyp se . As we a t The Enquirer fea r th a t thi s m ay a lrea dy h a ve h ap pen ed by th e lime th e

papers hit the s h elves. we wou ld like yo u a ll to kn ow th a t it has bee n a p leas ure re po r ting to yo u a ll th es e years .

The belie f in clima te ch a nge has a lways s uffe red a t th e h an ds of sce ptics du e to th e u n c e rt r~ in t y of th e t ime s ca le of even ts. In a n a tte m pt to p rove th e ir point o nce an d fo r a ll. th e Inte rn a ti o n a l C lima te Res ea rc h In s ti tut e. led by Professo r Wee R. Ph uc ked . o rga ni sed a p roj ect to combine a ll t h e d a ta ava il a ble a nd ca lc ul at e lit E' pl-ccis e lim e of th e e nd o f th e world . "/\t first we ju s t ca m e up with th e sa me old boring ,-es ult ... ex pla ined the Professor. "th e s lats s h owed th at th e severe e ffec ts wou ldn 't occu r for a n oth er fifty yem·s. I jus t le ft t h e fil es by my desk a nd t hought n othi n g more o f it. .. La ter t h a t week th e Pro fesso r's wi fe

h a ppen ed to see them w hil e s h e was clea n ing. a nd as s lw was gla nc in g thro ug h th e co mputa tion s s h e saw th a t h e h a d n eglected to ca ny th e I o n o n e of hi s s ums. "We recalcul a ted th e da ta a fter correctin g th e eJTor a n d low and beh old. we h ad bee n ou t by 4 9 yea rs. 364 clays. 23 ho urs a nd 15 mi n ut es" .

Wh e n qu es ti o n ed. Pro fesso r Phu c kcd d eni ed th a t th e re port h as bee n a dju s ted in a n e ffort to ·sex up· th e globa l wa r ming iss u e.'Loo k .· mutt ered th e professor. just beca u se n o on e thoug ht o u r evid e nce wa s s tro ng e n ou g h it d oes n't m ea n we'd ju s t go a n d m a ke up a fo rty five mi n ute cla im! T h e proof i .. 1ight h e re! ... s om ew h eJ-e ... ho lcl on . I know I h a d it in thi s office .. ."

Alth o ugh t h e Ins ti tute d en ies that t his re port is a publicity s t unt. th ey a cknowledge

th a t a s a s ide e ffec t of th e press ,-e lea sc th eir book sa les may in crease.

Th e Enquire r s u ggest s th a t yo u d o n 't pa ni c. a nd t ry to implem e nt as ma ny globa l wa r min g p reve n ti on _tec hn iq u es a s poss ib le. s uc h a s h oldi ng yo u1· breath .

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CoiG'Ite Wednesday. March 9"'. 2005

AN ALTERNATIVE WAY OF DOING IT

P

apy have not been s ubjected to ractitioners of Chinese medicine believe that a clinical trials, 1 out of 3 ca ncer patients are now using alternahuman is an organic tive therapy in addition to the whole. Removed from the values of Western radiotherapy and chemotherapy med1cine, they view the body as they may receive. There are some devout believers that are a system whose elements must connect and co-ordinate in opting out of conventional order for it to function affectivemedicinal treatment altogether ly. If disease and emotional disand accepting solutions wh ich tress d isturb the frag ile balance, are completely complementary. the entire system will be disrupted. Alternative therapy Alternative therapy is often met 路 with opposition by some treats the sufferer of the disease, rather than just the disgroups, most/redomi nantly ease. those involve in scientifi c professions. However many people unwittingly enjoy the benefits of Although many argue that the potential placebo effects of ther- complementary medici ne with-

out realising. Those who a pply tea tree oil to spots, bath e in lavender scented water o r treat colds with herbal balms , are all reaping the joys of altern ative t herapy.

As the range of health products on the market seems to be ever-growing, Laura Cobb examines the range of alternative medicines now available to help us in our medicinal predicaments

Herbal Medicine: What is it?

The focused and persona l approach to health wh ich alternative therapy offers us has con vin ced many to aba ndon conventional Western attitudes to medicine a nd go alterna tive. But in the stud~nt worl d at UEA, does alternative medicine have anyth ing to offer us?

Herbal remedies involve removing the goodness from an entire plant, and not just taking an extract, as done in traditional medicine. The extract can be combined with cream and applied in this way, or it can be ground to powder and diluted in water. Vitamin and mineral supplements can also be used in this manner.

What can it treat?

Experts believe it is possible to cure almost any minor ailment with a herbal remedy, from common skin afflictions and migraines to depression and insomnia.

Cupping: What is it?

Observing much the same rules as acupuncture, cupping is actually not an interesting sexual practise, but the ancient Chinese art of releasing toxins from the body. A glass jar is applied to certain areas of the back and through means of pressure and heat, poisons are said to be extracted from the system.

Does it work?

Jen, LAW 2, says it does: "I went to a Norwich Chinese Clinic when the local pharmacist couldn't treat my earache. I was extremely cynical at first, but was keen to try something that didn't involve filling my body with chemicals. The lady was lovely and from looking at my tongue she told me I had a variety of other complaints, such as poor circulation and constant thirst路 she was right about all of them! After taking the prescribed herbal powder only once, my earache went instantly. I don't care if people say they're con artists, my earache has never bothered me again."

Does it work?

Unfortunately no UEA cupping fans were available at the time of going to press. Although weirdy celeb types such as Gwyneth Paltrow swear by the healing powers of this technique, she even attended an elusive bash with large circular bruises on the back- the marks of one who has been cupped.

Not the sexiest thing in the world (see photo!).

What can it treat? lt is thought to promote the circulation of blood through the body, diminish swelling and pain, and also diminish everyone's favourite party tricktrapped wind.

The painfol art ofacupuncture 路 but does it really work?

cupuncture: What is it?

Tiny, almost thread-thin needles are inserted into specific points across the body. The piercing of skin releases trapped energy and life force, called qi. The flow of qi can slow and even stop when the body is unwell or in a state of unhappiness.

Once this flow is realigned the body can return to a harmonious state. If resting in a relaxed and peaceful state, the patient should not be able to feel the needles. Practitioners liken acupuncture to taking a deep breath and releasing old and stagnant ai r from the body.

What can it treat?

Acupuncture most commonly treats addiction, but sufferers of many other illnesses such arthritis and asthma claim that acupuncture has helped them as do those with blood pressure and digestive system disorders.

Does it work?

Opinion is divided over whether acupuncture works or not. Whilst some patients argue that its effects are far better than any conventional medicine, UEA student Alisha BIO 1 is more cynical. "I sought acupuncture after experiencing menstrual cramps and headaches quite severely every month. I wanted to see if I could overcome them, without anything more serious . Once the needles were inserted she left me, and directed a heat lamp, at my (uhum) womb area. She left the room and told me to relax, but this was pretty impossible with almost twenty needles sticking out of me. This was made even more horrible by the fact that every time I moved my hand or leg I could feel the needles through my skin. When she came back I asked her to remove the needle in my neck as it was hurting me. Eugh! She then gave me a rather weird and painful massage afterwards."

Initially my symptoms got worse, and on the bus home my head was throbbing. lt did go eventually, but I think to get the best out of it you'd need a course of a few, and at [2s a time, I just couldn't affo rd it."

What is it?

Sometimes described as listening to the silence between thoughts, meditation is said to stimulate creativity and empty the mind of everything, enjoying a sound and stable peacefulness. To meditate you should sit cross-legged on a flat surface with a straight back and closed eyes. A chosen mantra is then repeated until the mind is entirely blank.

What can it treat?

Meditation is said to bring serenity and calm to the stress of modern living. lt is possible that it could therefore treat your mental well being and find a cure for things like depression, anxiety attacks and addiction.

Many people insist on the calming benefits of meditation, one student Sarah, HIS3 says: "I once tried meditation as part of my yoga class. it's quite hard at first to make your body relax, especially in a room of strangers. But the hardest part was emptying my brain of all thoughts. I had to really concentrate on this part. But afterwards I did feel more relaxed and less stressed. I think I would definitely try meditation during revision."

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www.concr·ete-online.com

co ncrete. fashionlifestyle@ uea.ac.uk

NOBODY'S STRAIGHT ANYMORE LAURA COBB traight hair is so Riverside Saturday night Let your GHD's cool, make like the A list and get kinky.

S

Hair that is straight to the point is undeniably beautifui.Using straightners gives hair gleam, gloss, tames frizz and can look well cared for long after it's due a cut. But since Argas started selling ceramics, eve ry chav and her dog own a pair, and streamlined locks are no longer cool, but a bit common. Not to mention the damage the heated plates can do. Some of us · can't leave the house without dragging irons over our ends and an appliance addiction is bad news for our tresses. S pi it ends , and brittle, broken lengths are the typical traits of a ceramic-ad dict No matter how much serum, conditioner and heat protector you lavish on your locks, once it's splityou just can 't fix it.

This season those with the best dressed locks will be weened off the ir ceramic straightners and start embracing the natural flow and curl of their locks. Hair sho uld look devoid of attention and messed-up-stress free styles will see us through spring and well into s ummer.

Chic chicks are all springing

-~

into sixties hippie style, and slick locks just don't equate with the laid back layered look.

hair to the top of the head and tighten with a hair band, Boots do good quality ones , [2.00 for 12.

3- Take the pony and tuck it under itself, in a loo se bun, secure it with another band .

4- Ti ghten the two section s and allow random layers to fall down.

5- Si enna likes to add glam and sparkle to simple dos like this by tying golde n pieces of thread around the head.

Ribbon looks just as good .

Remember to fix it at the nape of the neck with some gnps .

6. it's also possible to snatch a clump of hair from beneath the bun , then braid it across the face , Maid-Marionesque.

1

Here are three ways to breathe life into locks that are dated and done in. Who better to lead our locks into spring than Sienna? So , make like Ms Miller and go natural.

1.

Back in the summer of 2004, when we were all still hailing Victoria Beckham as our style icon, Sienna already had sixties chic sussed . Attending Glastonbury with Mr Law, she wore her hair lon g and loose.

Her festival garb was so well publised and admired, it apparantly sent fellow fashionista l<ate Moss into a rage of jealousy!

Here's how to create the same levels of admiration, and achieve Sienna's laid back locks (drooping cigarette is optiona l) : 1. Wash hair with a shampoo that gives extra shine, Charles unce is essentia r t is Worthington Moisture -Seal look . Baby blondes like Sienna Glossing Shampoo (£4-49). love John Frieda Sheer sho uld do the trick. Apply con- Blonde's range, in Honey f ditioner to the ends alone. Too Caramel Conditioner for [4.29 much wi ll 2. Allow hair to dry naturall y. much leave r - - - - - - - when it is go% dry, take ranhair flat and dom sections and tw ist round I if e I e ss· your fin ger tips. This should Volum e and create soft flicks.

3- Secure the twisted strands with a spritz of a good quality fixing product. Mark Hill Finishing Spray, [7-49, promises to maintain styles without compro mising on shine and softness .

4- Take tiny sections of the len gths and braid into thin plaits , secure at the ends with a clear e la stic, Claire's Accessories does a great range. Appl y more spray to th e plaits to avoid stray p1 eces.

2

2.

Little known fact: Sienna Miller nicked her enviable "individuality" from sixties beauty and serial Stone's shagger Anita Pallenberg (ask your Dad), This half up- do is one of hers (and Anita 's) favourites. it's an ideal night time style, that's simple and pretty enough to also wear in the ' day. To get Sienna 's evening elegance: 1. Before bed, wash hair with a cleansing shampoo Trevor So rbie does a basic one , at a bargainous [1.59 , ca ll ed To

With thanks to Hanny, always the addict

3 T

Go C eansi ng S ampoo. T is should rid hair of the residues that constant product abuse can create.

2.When it is completely dry, part the hair down the middle and braid each section into French plaits. If this seems a challenge two simple plaits will do. Don 't worry if hair escapes from the plaits in the night. This will add to the justgot-out-of-bed look .

3- In the morn ing undo plaits , and add a libera l squirt of fi xing spray. DO NOT BRUSH .

The brush is the enemy of the common curl, as it will obliterate waves and leave a layer of nasty looking frizz.

4- Part hair in the centre and, with your fingers , gat her the top layer of hair, and secure with a clasp or several l<irby grips, pushing from the bottom to create a low bouffant, as adored by Sienna.

3·

Sienna is also partial to an updo or two. As Matthew Williamson's muse she ha s to ensure that her party look is as picture-perfect as her day do's. Bringing hair away from the face also has an anti-ageing affect (just in case you need it). Attem pt as follows: 1. This look works best on unwashed hair. Which is great if you're running late for lectures. Create a centre parting with a fine comb.

2. Thrust the whole head of

Cotcrttt Wednesday, March 'l', 2005

concrete. fashionlifesty le@uea 23

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Heaven on Middle-Earth

ew Zealand, with its staggering countryside, wholesome people and vibrant cities is exactly how I imagine Utopia .

Now, this may sound a touch gushing but if you've been you'll understand . I went this summer which was their winter but out of the five weeks there it only rained once and the sun was glowing everyday. Hard to imagine as we sit in Norfolk's perpetual drizzle. I flew into Auckland, rightly called 'the city of sails' as the streets are teaming with beautiful sailors and the harbour's teaming with beautiful boats. Having just come from a month in the blistering heat of Vietnam I now found myself in minus temperatures so I went into the city centre to deck myself out in fleeces and Cortex.

After a few days acclimatizing and sight seeing in New Zealand's largest city I was ready to move on. Next stop Rotorua. This was the only town that I have ever been to that I could see and smell before I'd arrived . I could see steam belching forth out of the ground, creating an image of Dante's hell and I could smell something that only the Devil could produce. Like evil rotten egg farts. Bleugh. After a quick scoot around the national park taking a moment to admire the impressive but vile smelling geezers and bubbling mud I was again ready to move on. I arrived in Waitomo at night and presumed that the town must be in darkness and not just minutely small. I awoke refreshed and ready to explore, pus·hing back my curtai ns to take a peek at the town . Town?

What bloody town?! There was the hostel I was staying in, a bar, a house, a post bo>( a nd a sign reading 'Welcome to Wa itomo. Po p. 13'. I consu lted my map .

Waitomo was on the map, in capitals and underlined, suggesting to me this would be a big town. However, not one to be disheartened I set off to find what I came seeking, the glow worm caves.

What this place lacked above ground it made up for below. The caves themselves were stunning, like massive cathe-

N

rals, totally breathtaking. Our tour ·de took us by rowing boat onto an rground lake and into a small nook away where we stopped. ing up it was like a beautiful clear sky, totally aglow with stars . lt was Now, I've googled glow worms they are one ugly looking bug but m a distance, when all lit up , they' re ng. As Waitomo little else to offer I on the next day.

I was keen to get to the south Island so I did a whistle stop tour of the north island through all sorts of peculiar little 'towns ', including my favourite bizarre place of all time, Bull. I stopped here to refuel and smile at the locals' desperate attempts at word play; the antique shop being called 'Sue's Collectabulls', the bakery ' Eat-a Bull ', toy shop ' Lovabull '. All of which was amusing but pretty terribull. Sorry, couldn't help it. I arrived in Wellington, the capital, a few days before I was due to take the ferry to the south island.

Wellington is called 'the windy city' by locals and guidebooks alike and oh my god is it windy. Walking down the high street is like being on a tread mill , my feet were moving but I wasn't getting anywhere against the eye watering wind, it's exhausting! I rea lly enjoyed Well ington, there's absolutely loads to do. I ate out every night, drank cocktails every night, and subsequently got trashed every night. Ahh , a true Brit abroad . Although, the best piece of advice a hostel worker has given me was

do not drink before the Wellington Picton crossing, so I impart it to you .

Abstain before you sail. So I arrived in the south island feeling smug and excited. I headed straight to Nelson which is a small town with a real aged hippy population . The next morning I went quad biking in the hills behind the town . Quad

the glacier where they dropped me off. A tour guide helped us put on our crampons and jackets and we set off down the glacier. lt was a really sunny day and the glare of sunshine off the ice was blinding but the whole experience was brilliant but fairly hair raising as we slithered around on knife edges. lt was all made especially scary as me and my travelling friends had decided that the night before was a great time to drink a bottle of tequila and watch 'Touching the Void' . With the memory of 'Simon! ' still in my mind and a quart bottle of Jose in my stomach I was feeling pretty rough but I still had the best time . Still shaking and definitely aching, I set off for Queenstown the next day.

Queenstown is the extreme sports capi tal of New Zealand or something, I didn't pay attention as it doesn't apply to me being the first class wimp that I am .

I was sharing a dorm with a brilliant bunch of people who'd get up in the wee hours of the morning to go sky diving, bungee jumping, whatever. Me and my equally pathetic friend decided to go play mini golf instead. it's far cheaper and just as extreme [?!] . After my dramatic stay in Quee nstown I went to Dunedin where I prompt ly fel l in love. Dunedin is a university town with loads of clubs, theatres, cafes and penguins . My whole life through I have been sceptical about the existence of penguins, totally believing them to be fictional characters so

'Franz Josefboasts both a very impressive glacier and New Zealand's highest STI rate.' biking is a brilliant way of being vaguely adventurous and getting to see amazing views without being at all energetic.

Perfection . As I sat, straddling my bike with the farm 's Border Collie dog on the back, gazing at the view I have never felt so contented. The view was the kind that staggering, makes-you-want-to-write-apoem kind . That's when I knew the south island was going to be everything I'd hoped for.

F

rom Nelson I drove down the West coast, stopping in a few towns over night until I arrived in Franz )osef. Franz )osef boasts both a very impressive glacier and New Zealand's highest ST I rate. Fortunately, I intended to mount the glacier not the natives . I was pretty extravagant and decided to do the helihike which entails jumping into a helicopter from a field at the bottom of the glacier and been flown into the middle of

when I saw my first real penguin totter o ut of the sea I was delighted . They are the most hilarious and endearing animals in the world and it made my day to see them . After living it up in Dunedin I went on to Kaikora which is a really fun but expensive town . I went whale watching where the boat leaves from the Whaleway Station [ha!] and took us , at great speed, out to sea . In one trip I got to see three beautiful sperm whale, dozens of albatrosses, severa l dolphins and an awfu l lot of vomit. The sea was ext reme ly rough and it was freezing cold but seeing the whales rise up and slip back into the sea, tails disappearing last, was surprisingly moving . Eventually I got the bus back to Christchurch where I had two days before my flights onto Fij i.

When I arrived it was snowing and all the gorgeous parks in the capital were covered in snow. I visited lots of impressive museums and art galleries and went on a fantastic wine tasting trip . Leaving New Zealand was one of the hardest things I've had to do, my only consolation was that I knew I'd be back, and back to stay. I've done all the research, filled out all the forms all I need to do is raise the money and I'm off to live out my life happily in the little utopia of New Zeala nd.

For more information or advice abo ut where to go in New Zealand contact sally.white@uea.ac.uk

24 co ncrete .edi tori a l@ uea.ac. uk

Connete

www.concrete-online.com

HOROSCOPES

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CONCRETE

Ma r 2 1 - Ap r 19 Yo u c a n 't. k ee p e a ti n g re ady - m ea ls for din n e r h on ey. Sort yo u r c u lli n a ry d e fi c ie n cy out w ith a few d ays s p e nt s la ving ove r a Inv it e h o t s tove. eve ryo n e yo u kn o w to p a rtak e and y ou 'll soo n fo rget t h a t yo u 've e ve n go t a m ir cow a ve.

Cancer Jun 2 2 - J ul 22 1-::::iiii~;;;iii::-1 Sto p b e in g so selfc on sc iou s c h e rub!

Yo u n eed a h ea lt h y cl ose of Dutc h co urage a nd fo r so m e n ea r es t a nd ' - - - - - - - - - ' cl ea res t t o p o in t y o u in th e directi o n o f t h e n ear est k a r ioke b a r. S in g a ll your fru s t ra tion away !

Libra S e pt 23 - O c t 23 + Late ni g ht televis io n m ay b e a ll urin g and ....~. / "infor m a ti ve. but it 's l i \ .. l n o s ubsti tute fo r s it ting dow n with a bit of r eq u ir e d r ea ding a n d gett in g s tu c k in .

T h e r e 'll b e p le nty o f lim e fo r Co untdown a nd TV- movi es in the s u mm e r.

D ec 22 - Jan 19 It's time to get y our dungarees o n and do so m e d eco r a ting h o n ey.

Yo u m ig h t n o t b e a b le to w a ll pape r . but you ca n ce rta in ly b rig hte n u p t h e p lace. F o rce fi; e nd s to m a k e you h o m e - m a d e o r n a m e n t s to save ti m e a nd c a s h .

Luc k y Words : fi n e r dine r

Lucky Words : Ka ri -o k ay!

Lucky Words : re m o t e ly bi za rre

L ucky Words : lick o f p a int

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Th e re 's o n ly so lo n g yo u can b e c onte nt t o s it a ll eve n in g wi t h o n ly textboo k s and a fo r c o m pany.

Be fo r e yo u go com ' - - - - - - - ' p le te ly clo- la lly. fi n d a fe w h o urs o f ·m e · tim e t o go and pl a y in t h e s n o w . Th e s tars w il l r e w a rd yo u with go o d fort une .

Leo Jul 23 - Au g 22 like t h e ty p ical Le o t h a t yo u a r e . yo u 've b ee n hidin g yo urs e lf awa y in yo ur r oo m d a y in . d a y o u t. Ma k e th e t im e to s h oot th e pit with y our b e loved h o u s e ma t es w h o yo u 've b ee n n eglec t in g in r ece n t w ee k s.

Scorpio O c t 24 - Nov 2 1 T h e good -d e e d fre n zy see m s to h ave i~ c a u g h t yo u a t yo ur ~ ~ least ge n e ro u s thi s fo rtni g h t s w eeti e . To ;a: ' ge t yo urse lf in t h e g iv in g m ood. w a lk around w ith a h u ge bag o f two - p e n ce p ieces and p op o n e in e ve ry c h a ri ty buc k e t you s ee.

Aquarius J a n 20 - F'e b 18 The s tars wi ll b e puttin g y ou th r ou gh yo ur p aces th is fortnig ht. so b e pre p ared for eve ry eve n t uali ty!

Loo k t hri ce b e fo r e c r o s s ing t h e str ee t a nd boo t any b la c k c ats you mig h t b e un lu c k-y e no u g h to s ee. Ke e p t hi s u p a n d y ou mig ht j u st m a k e it.

Lucky Words : fro s ty r e la ti o n s

Lucky Words : t h e li ttle p e op le

Lucky Words : c h arity e n d s a t h om e

Lucky Words : paran o ia is yo ur p a l

G e mini May 2 1 - Jun 2 1 Yo u m ay h ave scrimpe d a nd save d a ll y ea r. b u t t h a t d o e s n 't m ea n yo u n eed to bl ow it a ll n ow. Save p o pp et. s a ve a nd yo u 'll fee l a ll t hrifty CO!lle th e s umme r sales!

V irgo A u g 23 - S e pt 22 P la y in g h ard to get is a d a n ge r o u s ga m e s w e e t p ea. Make s ure yo u do n ' t put o ff y o ur p o te nti a l n e w s qu eeze b y ·accide n t a ll y' po s tin g th e m n a k e d pie s o f yours e lf.

Sagittarius Nov 22 - D ec 2 1 You 've a lw ays b een p a r t ia l to le t ti n g yo ur inn e r -chil d run w ild . b u t y ou 'r e a groW11- up now! Do n 't w ea r a n y prim a ry co lours . a nd s t op wa t c hi n g C ITY .

Pisces F'e b 19 - Mar 20 You 'r e in hig h spiri ts a n d n o thing is go ing to get y o u dOWll t his fo rtn ig ht. G ood fo r yo u luvvie! Yo ur s mi ley d e m eano u r w il l p rovid e good lu c k fo r t h e res t o f the fo r t nig ht.

Lu c kyWords: poc k e t s a nd ho les

LuckyWords: c and id ca m e r a

Lucky Words: age . n ot s h o e s ize

Lucky Words : grin when your winning

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WHAT A LOAD OF GOBBLERS

PUT IT OUT

Dea r Sir o r IVIadam

Dear Sir.

Ove r lh irly years of ex pe ri ence wo rki ng in I his co mpany lli" laugh! me lo be lo leranl bui I have 10 say 1 found Ihe arli c le referrin g lo our compan y ill informed and insensili ve.

Our con1pany was founded o n an inveslmenl of £2.50 in 1950 and 1oday empl oys over 7000 people and has a lll rnover of approaching .£)00 mill io n. Most of ihal lurn ove r resls he re in Easl Ang lia . We source as many of our raw male ri als loca ll y and are. for ex ample.

I he largcsl sing le bu ye r of East A nglian wheat. We wo uld be ihe largest cuslo me r of East Ang li an tra nspo rt compa ni es. Pac kag ing co mpani es. (' le.

Nearl y all o ur wo rkrorce li ve in rural areas. In facl we wo uld be ihe largesl ru ral e mployer. Were il not for o ur tlce1 of personne l transpo rl 1he vasl maj ori ty of o ur people wou ld not have any poss ibil ities of li vin g in iso la lcd areas and havin g full lime wo lr earning one of I he hi ghest rales of pay in the agribusiness area .

Average earnings in 2004 we re£ 17.405p.a.

Wi1hou1 our earni ngs. where wo uld o ur peopl e work 'l Who wo uld use ihe Easl Anglian wheat'! Pac kag ing'! e tc. e tc.

As yo ur siudenl s are siudying al The Uni vcrsil y of Easl Ang li a, doesn' iihi s mall er?

Turning now 10 the we lfare of o ur turkeys. no ne arc caged . All are loo ked aft er for by coum ry people who care abo ul livesloc k. All o ur fa rms are open 10 inspeclio n al any lime. witho ul appo in lm ent. by the RSPCA. The Farm Ani ma l Welfa re Coun cil. T he Fa rm We lfare Officers. DEFRA. etc.

When complai nls were made againsl us boih ihe RS PCA and The Farm Animal Welfare O ffi ce rs fo und no bas is fo r co mplaint whal soevc r.

When we co mplained lo ihe Broadcas ling Siandards Commi ss ion (now OFC OM ) il was because lurk ey ho use doors were smas hed o pen. ihc Iu rkcys pani cked and we re damaged t Veleri nary Surgeo n o pin ion).

Fin all y. when we were asked 10 help you bui ld yo ur swi mming poo l. we gave £50000 .

(L tsl year. as Ihe year be fo re we gave o ve r £400.000 10 Easl Ang li an chariti es). O ur gin . lo I he Universily. received local publi city but we had no complainls in the paper then?

I merely wished lo provide a balanced vi ew Yo urs Sincerel y for BERNARD MATIH EWS LT D..

I am wriling in supporl of ihc proposed ban on smoking in The Hive. and r~s l of ihe fi rsl floor of Uni on House, during day lime hours. I am a regul ar of The Hive - givenlbe oppor1uni1y I will happil y spe nd many hours I here. eating lunch. ha ving a coffe e wilh a fri end_ or working on a pi ece of course work.

Many siudenl s however. including myse lf. fin d ii a greal nu isance 1ha1 smoking is all owed in almost half 1he area of The Hi ve. I fee l1his undermines ihe incl usive atmosphere that the Union 1ries 10 creale. Asides from I he healih risks. the smoke thai regularl y drifl s ac ross ri ght into ihe non-s moking area is ve ry ofT-pullin g when you're 1rying 10 si l I here and enjoy a fe w minutes of relaxation wi lh your fri ends. or gel on wilh an essay. h also pu is many people off using I he seals in ihc smoking area. despile I here of1en being spaces !here in ihe morn ings and aflernoo ns. Ba nni ng smoki ng here would all ow many more people 10 enjoy I hi s vibranl hu b of sludcnt li fe.

During mosl of I he academi c year, when I he wealher in Norw ich is not conducive to spendi ng more 1han a few necessary mi nules oul sidc betwee n lectures and the library. The Hi ve is I he cenlre of siudcn l life on campus. Hundreds of us use ii every day, nol jusl as a place 10 meel friends bu l also on our way 10 bu y li ckcts at 1hc Box Ofli cc. 10 go Io a CD sale in 1he LCR. or on o ur way 10 1hc Union Oni ccs ups1airs. Making lh is a non-smoki ng area woul d make it much more accessib le lo 1he majorily of studenls al UEA who don· l smoke and fi nd Ibi s aunosphcre uninvitin g.

1akin g Ihe firs! fl oor of Union House a no smoking area won'l exclude smokers. they" ll jus1 have to go e lse where if 1hcy wan1 10 smo ke. li's im por1 an11 o remember Ihat a ban on smoking in The Hive isn·l ami -smokers. ii's ant i-smoking. So. if like me you've had enough of pulli ng up wi1h ihe unpleasani. smoky almosphere of The Hive . ihe policy ballol on 17 March is your chance 10 hel p ban smoking here. and move ibi s Uni on in1o a more hca \ihy. inclusive and we lcoming fu lure.

Yours sincerely.

John Peacoc k

D.J .JO L. Managing Director ·

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WNW.CONCRnE·ONUNE.COM Project Manager: Philip Sainty concrete.advertising@uea.ac.uk Advertising Sales: Ben Millar Team:

concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Editor: Philip Sainty concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor: Katharine Clemow Contributing Editor: Jamie Swannell

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Editor: Helen Pike Deputy Editor: Oily Haywood Education Editor: Jessica Fielder Health Editor: Clare Aitchison International Editor: Hadia Bennich Legal Editor: Juliet Harris Political Editor: Sam Webber Science Editor: Rosie Chance Clare Isa bel

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Editor: Ross Grainger Deputy Editor: Simon Sheridan

Please se nd lette rs a tte ntion of th e Editor, Philip Sain ty . to : Concr ete , Un ion Hou se , UEA, Norwich , NR4 7TB , or em ail: coner ete.editoria l@u ea .ac.uk

Letters ...

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Deputy: Donna Boam

concrete.sports@uea.ac.uk Editor: Ma11 Dudley

Colcnte Wednesday, March 9"', 2005

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concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 25

Tackling The Threat of AIDS Sponsored by the FA and PFA, UK charity TackleAfrica has developed a unique way of bonding with people in Africa to confront them about the danger of HIV/AIDS. Philip Sainty Reports the children of Africa and all the countries in ~~~., the world learn the causes and effects of HIV and ¡ AIDS." it's easy to get blase about AIDS and Africa. lt's on the news every other night but someUmes you need to remind yourself of the scale of this problem: there are 29 million people infected with 'HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are 22 mi IIio n A I D S ........ orphans 1 ;A~~~ living in s u b - V..,.,.~,, A saharan ~ "-~ Af r ic a .

There is no cure for AIDS and preventing more young people becoming infected is a huge challenge facing the continent.

The charity's first tour saw them lead a group of 20 intrepid young footballers from around the UK on a trip across West and East Africa. The team was not only trying to win the matches on

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t's that time of year again when students right across the country start thinking about what to do over the long summer break. If you are getting tired of the boring summer jobs and ever thought that you could have do more with your time off, TackleAfrica, a UK registered charity, that uses football to tackle HIV/AIDS in Africa just might have the answer.

The Charity will run two 6-week

to do all that and play football in Africa, while actually changing young peoples lives, is certainly a unique experience.

TackleAfrica takes the universal language of football one step further, building on the already popular sport and the meaning it has for the African poor. They take volunteers on football tours through Africa as a means of raising aware-

-

...

working alongside the local charities that TackleAfrica partners with in every country. The volunteers took part in all sorts of events to raise awareness of the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS from half-time entertainment to workshops in schools. During the course of the tour more 50,000 people than turned up to these events.

Young men, in any country, are notoriously difficult to reach with information about sexual health and contracaption. But they are crucial to the fight against AIDS in Africa. These are the guys you have to persuade to wear a condom - or 'suck the sweet with the wrapper on' as many of them prefer to describe it. Teenagers the world over are pretty similar: none of them believes they are mortal and they are pretty embarrassed to be asked to talk about their sex lives. Changing behaviour is a tough challenge but TackleAfrica believes that getting young people talking to young people about these issues is a good place to start and football is a great conversation opener.

TackleAfrica is a fast-growing charity with big ideas. Encouraged by the success of the first tour, and confident that they have

men ' 1"n any COUntry' are notor"IOUSiy d"lff"ICUit tofound a way of talking to young men in a way that stands a chance reach With information about sexual health and contracep-ofplanned getting thro~gh , they have three s1x-week tours 2005. Th~ fi~st two are ~ 0 Uganda tion. But they are crucial to the fight against AIDS in Africa. and Eth1op1a respectively and

tours this summer to UgandaV.oung 11 and Ethiopia respectively, both . giving people from the UK the chance to do something amazing with their summer break.

More and more students are realising the benefits of doing something completely different with their summer holidays.

Not only in the eyes of future employers, whatever field they may be in, but also in their own lives.

The .change in a person's outlook may be surprising when they have actually made a difference to literally thousands of others who are infinitely less fortunate than themselves.

Gap years and adventure breaks are now more popular than ever, and the choices get broader every year, but TackleAfrica certainly seems to have hit on something that combines both adventure and the opportunity to do something remarkable. There are plenty of opportunities to go away, travel a bit, and have a laugh. But

1n

ness, encouraging behaviour, chance and promating acceptance among the young people they meet.

Managing Director Phil Tydeman explains, "the power of football is amazing in its ability to reach young people with vital messages about HIV/AIDS." The FA and the PFA couldn 't agree more and that's why both organisations are fully backing the charity, as are some of the major stars of the game.

Cameroon and Arsenal defender Lauren says "I am proud to support TackleAfrica's HIV and AIDS awareness work. it is fundamental that

the pitch, but were also aiming to use the popularity of football to increase the understanding and awareness of HIV/AIDS off it.

D

uring their tour of 11 different countries, the TackleAfrica team took part. in 16 football based HIV/AIDS awareness events, playing more than 40 matches along the way. The matches were competitive, played on rock hard pitches in soaring temperatures. The opposition ranged from full time professionals, and even internationals in Burkina Faso, to school children and farm workers. But once off the pitch the team was busy

leave in mid July. The charity is currently recruiting volunteers for these tours. They are looking for adventurous people who love playing football but are looking for something a bit more chailenging than a Sunday morning kick-around.

If you are looking for a memorable summer, to meet lots of other like-minded people, not to mention having something truly remarkable to put on your CV and actually make a difference then one of these tours may just be for you.

For more information contact TackleAfrica: www.tackleafrlca.org E-mail: lnfo@tackleafrica.org Applications are Invited for this summer, deadline is the 31 " March 2005

â&#x20AC;˘

26

-

www.concrete-on lin e.co m

co ncrcte.s)ort @uea.ac. uk

IS THE PREMIERSHIP DREAM FINALLY OVER?

Concrete

BlACK SOX OF TO WINNING START Newly formed UEA baseball team impress in first ever match Jam cs Bu r lcy

Six points from safety may prove too much for Canaries in their bid to survive Marc Dudley S p orts Ed itor With all City's relegation rivals picking up points over t he weekend , Worthington's men are in serious trouble in t heir bid to save the teams Premiership status.

They m ay h ave b een lh e firs t tea m to score aga inst Chel sea for seven teen h o urs. but t h ere was s till a b ig gulf betwee n th e two s ides as lh e m igh ty b lu es ran out 3- l w inners. Wi l h th e wQI"st goa l di ffe re n ce a nd s ix p o ints up to Crystal Palace. C ily mu s t get a leas t seven p oin ts from the rema ining n ine matc h es <~ne! hope Pa lace d o n 't ga in ~ utv points be fo re th e e n d of th e season. With t ough awav-tr!p s to Bolton a nd Arse nal and Ma n c h ester United visiting Canow Road. it is hard to see w he re p oints arc !.!,oing to come from.

Thnc is a lso th e s ix -poin te r in t\pril to come. w h e n P<llacc ami City go h ead -tohc;tcl at Sclhurst Park. T h a t ..;a m e m av make or break th e C Olllarl cs· SC';t :--.011.

Prom a n e ut ra ls point of ,·icw C il v arc a lready d own . ancl c' \'e n th e d ie- hard

Wo rlhin ~lo n

·-

be able to

No rwic h fan s mu st be fee lin g th a t their chances o f s u r viva l a re ve ry s lim .

Th e Ca naries can 't seem to so lve I h e o n e p rob le m tJ1a t ha s cost the m so man y vit a l p oin ts in th e second h a lf o f th e seaso n . As ex-C ity s ta r Ne il Acl a m s said o n B BC Rad io Norfolk last wee k . .. it w ouldn 't b e a proble m if I h e

VIEW FROM THESTREET We ask students what th ey think about th e burning issues .

I ca n't see h ow we a re goin g to s utTi ve to b e hon es t. I don't see many points b e in g p ic k ed up in th e n ext couple o f months . a nd I h e con fid e n ce h as lo n g go n e.

T h e Pa lace m a tc h is th e big o n e. but I ca n't . ee u s ge tti ng; a n y1h ing fro m th a t . so how will we s la y up if we ca td eve n bea t th e m ?

C ity mu s t ta ke a good look a t t h e m se lves a nd s ort out th e i1· probl e m s be fore it is too la te. Yes. th ey m ay b e bot.tom now . but it only ta k es a bit of lu ck an d th ey a re t·ight b ac k in with a s h out. If th ey m a n age to win a t Pa lace. th e n wh o knows? Its n eve r ove r until I h e fa t la dy s in gs.

Pro ud City Fa n

Rya n 810 2

City up?

,l(oa Is we con ced e d we re c re ate d by s he er c lass. t h e problem is that m ost o r tlwm a re clown to bad errors by th e C it v cl c fencl c rs. a nd until thi ~ stops happen ing City wo n 't sta nd a c h a n ce o r s ur viv ing.·· Wh a t 1\cl a m s says m ay n o t be roc k e t scie n ce. and it h as b ee n sa id by m a n y a fa n . bu t u n ti l they sort out I hei r fragile d e fen ce. C it y w ill n o t pi c k u p any m ore poitt ts t h is seas on.

What is a lso app arent n ow. is tha t th ose m a tches a t U1e start of the scaso tl t h at C ity shouJd have won. incl uding th e 0 -0 dra w with Villa and t h e 2-2 draw with Port s mouth have CC>IIIl' bad; lo h a unt th e Ca n a ries. I r ~'OU loo k back m·t· r I he seaso n.

City cou ld count the nu m b e to f tim es tl! cv sltoulct lw vc won. but cou lcltt't score. o n Oil<' l! a ttd. Now. the problem

seems to b e the opposite.

T h e Ca n a ri es j ust ca n 't clc fc ncl anv more. At least at lit e s ta rt o f th e season City we re picki n g up points. but n ow th ey ca n 't pick u p anyt hin l(. w h ic h has res u lted in Non>.ri c h fa ll ing to t h e boUom o f th e table.

1\ lot h a s to b e clone in a wTv s i tort space oft ime, and Nonvic h h ave so m e very toug h games remain ing.

Th ey will h a ve to play better th a n they eve r have this seaso n , a nd it m ay seem C it:V have j ust abou t counted th e ir last egg. T h ey n eed a lot of luck and deterroi n ;r li o n from t h e w h ole team to s tand even a slight chance or survival. an d even then tl1 ev have to hope a ll the te;l nh a ro u n d Lhe m don't p ick up points. Maybe Woth in l(to n should look to the future and start thinking about t rv ing Lo bounce back from th e Championship next sc<lson.

Fans t h at h a ve called l·or ltb . h ea d. are not tnw footba ll fa ns. Wit h the resource,., he has. it is amazing he man aged to even get promoted to t h e Premiers hi p. let alone survive. Sellin l( Macl;av 111<1\' have been a mistake. but Worth in l(ln tl b the ri!.!,hl man to gui de u,., back next sea son . i r \Vt' do ,[ (0 cl ow n .

H owe\·ec it looks like. for n ow a tt y\\·ay. thill \Vor thing t on·s Pre miers h ip lwnPymoo n is final lv ove r.

tti ·ci"' "'"' · ·''",.." '.1 . :coo5

\\'f' nf Oil. !(ivin2, th e Muslattf.!;s \'('1)' litt le opportu nilv to build on th eir initial L(a in s. 1\ s tlt e leant piled on th e o fTensiw pressure. th e

On a c old and grey S atur day morning , t he UEA Black S o x baseb a ll t e am se t off on a four-hour minibus journey to S outhampton Unive rsity to play their fir s t friendly again s t the Southampton Mu s tangs.

The Musl<tn,e;s. a L::uropean -lcal(ue ea liber s id e co mpri se d of s tucl c 111 s a ll(! fon11cr ,., lud e11ls. prescnlc:cl a so mew h at claunl ill[( p ros pP cl to tlt c Bla \'1; Sox. a nd m a 11y o r th e tea m wen' pa lpa bly IHT\'OI IS as tlt cy look IO Ill<' fi e ld for th e ga m e. This n en·ous tl cs,., tra n s lat ed it se lf i11t o a numlJcr o r early cl cte n sivc n1iscuc:--, a:--, th e Mu:--.tant!~ beat out five runs in a rnt s t ra tin l( nrst illllill l(.

Con fid e n ce grew. h oweve r. a,., lite Black Sox <lii SWC' tTcl w i Ill senT a ! ru11s of l h ci r ow11 . Tile infi e ld ti .l (hte n ed ctlltsic\erab ly as the game

lead ancl th e Black Sox capi talhcd ill St\' \C': <l ITSO UIIdill l( 18 - l O victo ry was just reward I(H· lt<trd work anc\ [(real tea m spirit.

Sox startn Oa11 M<tl(cc h ad a stellar o ulill.f.!;. a llowin g 0 11\v two car11cd run s m·cr s ix innine;s or work. Ce ntre l'ieldcr llofTma11 \VoliT a nd rigltt J'i e lcl cr /\la11 Ho llicl ay we r e th f' o flf' ll sivc stars.

Woi\T !.!,oi11g 5 -for-6 with mul tip le RBis. wh il e Ho llid ay confounded l h e Mustan,l(s pitchers w ith a11 increc\ ibl e s ix s lole11 bases. Srconcl baseman ?\1arlin Sawyer pulled o fT t ll c pl<ty o r tlw game. making a brilliant IJCilillc\ -tiH•-b;tck s11arc or a hard !(rounder lo ri.ght l'iclc\.

On·rall. an exce llent s tarl lO the Blac k Sox season'

If anyon e is inter es ted in j o ining som e m embe rs o f th e Un io n fo r th e Race For Life a t th e s h owgroun cl on th e 8th May th ey s h o uld please con tact Tin a Wil s e a in th e

Post O ffi ce e ith e r by e .mai l a t pos to fTi ce @u e a .ac. uk o r ext en s ion 267 0. l11ey n eed a bo u t 15 people lo m ake a te a m a nd it w ill be a g reat expc rie n cf' for a ll involved .

Must;uu!,:--.

f.!ti \ 'C

;n\·~1~'

their

Remaining F ixtures 19 Ma r 2 Ap r 9 Apr 16 Apr 19 Apr 2 3 Apr 3 0 Apr 7 May 14 May

Bolton (a) /\rse n a l (a) MAN UTD (H) Crys ta l Palace (a ) NEWCASTLE (H) CHARLTO N (H) S o lon (a ) BIRM INGHAM (H) Fulh a m (a )

REYNOLDS KEEPS COOL TO SEAL QUALIFICATION Close 8-7 victory for seconds in final match sees both UEA teams qualify for BUSA 8-pool championships in Spondon 1\cv in Mi cl cllc ton UEA's finest pool players travelled up to Spondon , just outs ide Derby, on Saturday 26th February in an attempt to q ualify fo r t he British Universities 8ball pool c hampionships to b e held at the s ame venue later t his month.

T h o two team s were extc n sively reb uilt fro111 lite prcv i ou ~ .vear w it h on ly two n'IJtainiii~

'

pl ; t_vc r s

: t lllOII ~st

the twe lve. w ll ic lt lc rt the m short o r IJil( 111<1 Ieh CXpC'ri Cll lT . bu t fu ll of conJ'i c\ cnce.

The A lea nt soo n had r r~ t ­ son lo cck b ra te.

Wit h No llitll(hatn Tre nt pullinl( ou t l11 e ni l( ht bc t(J re. liti s m ea nt onlv 'otiC or t h e A fl'a tt ts p res e n t wou ld be

luwcked o u l. !Ju t w lt\' n Co lle 2,e Universitv No rt h ;n nplon fa il ed to s h ow. a ll A \ CH ill ~ present qu a lii'i ed without so m uch as s lril\i ttl( a ball. Tltis ioo k the pressu re ofT and a ltast ilv <liTa n l(rd to urn a ment bctwef' tl t he rcm a inin l( t ca rn ~ \Va~ sec..-- n as ; t good way to s imply e njoy th e artcrnoon. The 1::3 team had no such lttelc Wi t h n e ith e r o r th e Nort h a mp to n tea m s turn it tl( up . thi s le ft them w ith just three tea m s in th e ir !.(roup and a top two i'i11i s h would ,.,ec th e m through . l lowever. t h e~· go t oil to the \\·orsi poss ible sta rt a!.!,a in st a m u ch more expc ri ctH'<'cl \Varwiclc w ho ltad also h a d muc h more prac t ice b C' rorc llancl . and UCA \o,., t R frat ll(' ,., to 3.

Wl1i ls l lite 1\ !CHill were o il stat·t. ral'i ttl( into a 3 -0 lead e nj ov ing their .. n o pressure .. before No ttin l(h a m b ega n to tll alt' ltc,.,. tltt' ll team \\Til l p ce; it back to :3- 2 .

10 practise. kno\\~ng that ll oweve r. with th e twxt tl tcy nccclecl results to go 1 four rram cs go in l( LJEA's th e ir way if they were way. ih e sco re b eca me to be j o inin g t h e 1\ 7 -2. a m i with only team in th e ac tu a l onP frame need e el c hampi o tl s hip s . vicl o rv il Warwick. withsee med o n!~' a o ut clot tbl th e &:l:...-=• 2!11. mat fer of I illle before victory

r e m a in n g

i

!4a n1 c

al(a in s t No t I ingham leaving th e No t tin gh a m , .., UEA l(a m c ellcctivel~· as a knO< ·k -o ul game. with th e winner quali 1\'ing.

UEJ\ got oiT 10 ihc perfect

No t linl(h a m h a c! ot h er ideas and s torm ed back to lie th e mat c h at 7 -7. With the A team having co m plet e d th e ir ga m es. nni s hing 3 rcl out o f

lhT. I h ev were b ac k to cheer on the H I f';llll in I h e cl ec id in e; frame . Th e whole hall see m ed to !Je tra inin ,l( the ir eyes to this ta bl e. It was le rt to C llris Hey no\cl s. a la te ca ll up to th e team. to pl ay the clccid in l( fra m e k n owin ,l( I h a I UEAs participation in th e tournam e nt was at stake. l.osc an d UEA were o ut.

From 1he brea k h f' was in l'lt are;e o r the mat c h a nd kept his coo l superb ly a nd o n n' hi s o pp o nent roul ccl a nd gave h im hvo sho ts on tltt' black. l h e game wa s his a nd h e was mobbed by ecsta ti c leant mate s.

Th e ga m e was \\·on 8 -7 and th e LIEt\ B tea m h adjoin ed th e 1\ tea m in qu a li(yi n g fo r the c h <t ntpi o n s hips .

11 was a lough clay ror both UE:i\ s id es. a m i a lthough th e

A tem1 1 didn 't play a ny co m p e liih·c .~<~nlcs. it \vas a valu ab le scouting miss ion . I h ey kn ow w hat I h ey h ave to clo to w in . 8oth sides \\~11 b e back . "I ro n ,!.!,er. m ore focu se d a nd m o re expe ri e n ced for t lw ad u a l c h a tn pio n ships which begin on 19th March.

UEATeams A team: Kevin Middl e ton (Capt.) . Kevin Throwe r.

Ma tt Bo lto n . Acla m Pfciffe r.

Dan Hanis.

B team: la in Ringer (Capt.) . Andrew Mea d , Ne m C hiclya u s iku. J a m es Guy. C hri s Reynolcls. Sam Bedel e r.

• Both teams qualify for BU SA 8 -pool cha mpi on s hip s on 19th March in Sponclo n. De rby.

Coacrett Wedm•>day. March 9 . 2005

www.concrete-online.com

BAD WEATHER WRECKS UEA'S BUSA HOPES Teams forced to pull out after snowy conditions cause havoc in BUSA knockout fixtures Marc Dudley Sports-Editor

It has been a frustrating

fortnight for some of UEA's sport clubs, as the winter weather has caused many games to be postponed.

The fencing team had their good chances ruined after their match was moved due to bad road conditions. They had little time to prepare for their trip to Hull when it was moved to a Sunday. and the team was left disappointed with their early exit.

Both rugby teams were forced to pull out. after both their games were moved to the weekend and due to

the North of England. This was also the case for the tennis team. after their game against Warwick was moved to a Saturday.

The netballers were forced to pull out because they could not afford to travel by train to Plymouth. After an impressive 42-27 victory over UCL. they must have fancied their chances of going all the way. but clue to road conditions being bad. they would have had to travel by train. but lack of funds meant they could not afford the over £100 per person train tickets.

The men's badminton team was one of the few that managed to get their matches underway with few problems and beat Bristol UWE

ter-finals.

Northumbria proved to strong. with UEA ending up on the wrong end of an 8-0 scoreline.

The women's hockey tean1 also fell at the quarter -final stage. losing 2-l to Southampton. They had managed an impressive 5-3 victory in Brighton the week before.

The men's basketball team felt hard done by after losing 70-61 to Leeds. and UEA were close to putting in a protest after they felt they had been treated unfairly.

So. after all the problems UEA now only have three teams left in the BUSA knockout. The men's football seconds had a dramatic \vin in the BUSA Vase match last

going to print the women are scheduled to play their Last 16 match against Northumbria on Monday 7th March whatever the conditions. and will have to travel to Stirling on the Wednesday if they progress to the quarter-finals. The golfers are also ready to get their BUSA Shield campaign unclerway. but due to the weather. they will have to wait.

We will never know how our sports clubs would have done if the games had gone ahead when they were supposed too. but it i fair to say that the weather and the poor organisation by BUSA to get all the fixtures played before Easter. might have ruined UEA's chances of getting any silverware this year.

DRAMATIC VICTORY FOR BLUES UEA's 2nd XI progress into final 32 of the BUSA Vase after Yeomans last touch saves the day Ross Grainger The Men's football second team moved into the next round of the BUSA Vase on Saturday with an epic win over the Leicester thirds. lt was a match that had been postponed twice already because of the weather. and it looked like the weather. as well as a total lack of mimbuses at UEA. would derail the match again.

After having won the Midlands 50 league with ease. the second' were eager to show the league title was no fluke as they moved into the big time of the BUSA Va e. There was also an added incentive for the clutch of third-year players in the side. BUSA glory has eluded them all since they joined UEA. and they were determined to make the mo~t of this final crack of the whip.

Captain Chris Westwood. winger Chris Rag_ey and centre back Louis Bardwell was out with a bout of flu. The marauding Spaniard Jose Gomez came in on the left \vith Norwegian Tom Donnelly - who was forced to wear tracksuit bottoms because of a lack of shorts - alongside Chris Sharp in midfield.

The conditions

I"!!!!'!!"!!'!!"!!'!!!!!'!!"!!'!!!!!'!!"!!'!!"!!'!!"!!'!!"!!'!!!~

times fierce first half.

UEA can1e flying out of the blocks and Leicester in midfield as the snow poured down. The breakthrough came after twenty minutes when a dangerous corner from winger Rob Evans was met by the head of centre-back Grant o·oonnell. The match ebbed and flowed. \vilh both sides moving the ball abo11t well on the increasingly muddy surface. The sheer will to \vin from both sides was vis ible throu~hout. lt was simply a question of whose \vill was greater. After UEA took the lead they looked briefly like they were in the driving seat. but a slick move down the left wing ~plit the UEA defence and Leicester equalised. 11 wa 1-1 at the break.

Although the snow held off in the second half. the muddiness of the pitch made for some heavy legs as the tie wore on. The second half

was as evenly balanced as the first. and the passion abated. were to rue

as got the breakthrough. A dubious penalty was awarded \vith twenty minutes remaining and Leicester converted. There looked to be no way back for the seconds. The last crack of the whip. it seemed. was going to fizzle away on a cold midlands afternoon.

Then up popped Dave Yeomans . who is usually starting striker for the UEA fourths. Yeomans was drafted into the squad at the last minute to fill the striking void left by the ill and the missing. With the words "five seconds left" being uttered from the referee Evans floated in a corner. The ball was pinged around in the box by keeper Nick Gaskell amongst others. and then fell out to Yeomans on the edge of the box. With the last touch of regular time. his shot flew into the box. hit a

defender. and cro sed the line to scenes of unrestrained. almost manic celebration from the seconds.

And so the match went to extra time. UEA had the momentum and the feeling that fortune was on their side. Leicester. for all their loud-mouthed motivating rhetoric - and a biased linesman running every flank bore all the marks of a team defeated.

Their mental anguish was compounded two minutes in as they conceded a penalty. Chris Sharp stepped up and coolly converted to give UEA a priceless early lead.

It was 3 -2 as the first half ended. In the second half. with cramp and fatigue set ling in amongst the seconds.

Leicester pressed forward but could not break down the stubborn back line. Full backs Chris McDonalcl and Marcus Jones showed remarkable fitness to press forward and frustrate Leicester as time ticked away. When the final whistle blew there was barely enough energy amongst the players to celebrate a truly mag1cal victory. The round of the last 32 awaits UEA now. and hopefully this is the start of omething special for the undefeated seconds.

concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk

27

Dodders Speak Sports-Editor, Marc Dudley talks about the burning issues in the world of sport. was with great anticipation that l stayed up until 3an1 in morning last Sunday to watch what I hoped would be a exciting season of Fl. In the past I had been left bitterdisappointed (and p•ssed off1) with the red Ferrari '""'""'"·' Schumacher crossing U1e line in four of U1e five last However, due to the weather and U1e new "bizarre" in Fl, the arrogant German found himself in 19th IP<>siltio:n on the grid. TI1ere were two Italians on the front row frrst tin1e since 1984 (or to say it in another way the time in my whole life!) Jaques Villeneuve was on the row and the new team of Red Bull Racing had both on the third. The best cars were at the back and I. like F 1 fans. had no idea what was going to happen. the slow cr•p teams at the front get run over by the and furious cars from the back and cause the biggest case in U1e history of mankind or would manage to win for only the second time career race! got off to a nice start: with half of me left a little ldi:sai>patint:ed (as big crashes in Fl are half of the reason those "killer" machines drive around for two h though it felt like a lot happened in the race. nol Alonso drove up from 13th to 3rd, which· was and the Renault team looks like they the annoying Ferrari tean1 of the top of Fl. making a mistake too. which saw him and •n•nult"u crash out was also a highlight. although when b*stard wanted to be pushed back onto the one of the stewards should chuck a lighter tank and maybe then he would get out of the loved every minute of his race. with him now eight points ahead of his Ferrari team-mate after finishin an impressive second place. Red Bull Racing had race too. with good old David Coulthard finishing on the teams maiden race. He would also the fact that his former team McLaren could not to their pre-season expectations. as Raikonnen and •u~-·•~...~ never really got going. The Finn stalled and had from the back of the grid. but did manage to snatch place. whilst Montoya could only finish In 6th. as he outpaced by both the Williams and Red Bull . Wllliams did have problems keeping up with runners. which means they might struggle to chalthe top tean1s this season. BAR were also disappointButton dropping many places and Sato never realmuch (other than drive of the track. Kamikazee. a times!) Yes. the weather had much to do with results, but it does not hide the fact that the new ru cause this season to be more exciting. TI1e choice is one of the major factors in determining who and who ends up in the ditch. McLaren struggled choice of wheels and they were struggling to keep the track towards the end of the race. whilst Renaul a perfect day. with their wheels looking brand spanki when they llnished the race.

Either way you look at it, this season is going to be a more interesting. as Ferrari and Schumacher will not get ride. There are many drivers in Fl \vith a lot of poten and the new mles will show us who the best drivers are.

Renault looks like they have a good car. and a lot of talen in both Flsichella (who is 32!) and Alonso, and they could the surprise package of 2005. Ferrari will be there. as always are and McLaren \vill have sorted themselves before the next race. Williams will have to find a way to get some pace under the bonnet or they won't mount a challenge to the best, which is also the case for BAR. Reel seems to have a good car and with U1e experience Coulthard could be a dark horse in future races. There another 18 races to go. and they will all hopefully be as and undecided as it was in Australia. Fl needs a lift last seasons "dull" Schumacher show. and it Is too say whether the new rules are good or bad for the sport.

Fl crumot afford ru1ymore setbacks. and if last Sunday to go by. then we could be in for a new era in F

Is this the flrst of many victories for Giancarla Fisichella?

•

UEA welcome Essex to the annual Derby day, as universities go head to head to find out who is the pride of Anglia is

UEA

NO WICH

University of Essex Marc Dudley Sports-Editor The pride of East Anglia is once again u p for grabs as Essex University travel up from Colchester to t ake on UEA's sports clubs.

A record number of teams will compete. as UEA wi ll try to d efe nd the title they have won for the past few years.

The Pirates vs Blades amencan football match is one of the highlights of the day. with Essex hoping lo finally get one over UEA. The crickets will also fmally get their season off to a start. "We are going to kick their asses" says Wayne from AMS. who is hoping for an exciting d ay.

Hopefully, the weather will not n1in the day. as it has being ca u s ing problems

allover the country in recent weeks. It may have to be moved to Es ex or re-sc heduled for after Easter if th e weather does not improve. "ll will be a shame if Derby Day doesn't go ahead, as it ias a lways a fu n clay out. " says Patsy. a BIO student.

The day is finished off wi th the ever wonderful Ch av LCR. with sports club members gelling free en try and stud ents getting their "chav" gear on for a night to remember.

"Derby day may be about sport. but it is also about strengthening the good relationship between the two universities," says one UEA lecturer.

Hopefully. UEA can once again show Essex who rules the east when Derby Day gets und er way this Wednesday.

ACROSS

DOWN

I. Funny deliverance is for good cause (5.6) 8. Start awesomely but end with dread (3) 9. Short career for nanny (5) I 1. Glide on snow for strange endless kiss (3) 12. Ice or gold . it's old (3) 13. Riot ends at Brazilian town or river (3) 14. Small amount of child (3] I 5. Lock rig round lent (7] 16. Symbols on about (sic) (5) 18. Chilly island or s upermarket (7) 20. Acted in riddle (3) 21. V. upset reef appears when ill (5) 22. Odd end gives shelter (3] 26. Chef uses ire, jam and olive wrongly (5.6) 30. _ way (4] 3 1. Rag coin is free of chemi cals (7) 32. Given access to door, say

I. Imagi ne a drink of male h en a nd Its rear maybe (8) 2. Long lasting race (8) 3. lleafer. usually spiritual (5) 4 . Seep vixen back, not cheap (9) 5. Dine and lu st wrongly h as offend ed (8) 6 . HonesUy. sell! It's for the best in both world s (9) 7 . Done in lame for dri nk (8) I 0. Broken egg to illustrate (Abbr.)

(5]

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Avenue Bookshop

(2) 17. Meals are better as vapour (5) 19. Cut dill and cover (3 )

23. Play pool and flnd horse or mint (4) 24. Depressed in colour (4) 25. BatUe or play with red toy is a city Brad knows (4) 26. Nudge as he runs slowly (3) 27. Either_ (2) 28. Hostel holds less U1an nine squ abbles (3) 29. Vatican pays its tax frrst (3)

2 1 Ave n ue Roa d , Norwich 0 1603 7687 20 Open 9-5 Mon d ay to Sa turday

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l The re's a ÂŁ10 book vouche r, co urtesy of th e Avenue Bookshop, up for grabs for l the win ner of this crossword, enter your e-mail address below and bring it up to : l the office by th e 16'" March. Have fun .

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