Concrete issue 176 20 04 2005

ENDING POVERTY IN OUR TIME

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CONCRETE REFI RENCE ARCHIVE Not to be ta~<en outs1de the Concrete office. Return after use.

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UEA'S AWARD-NOMINATED STUDENT

CHARLIE

HIGSONWRITES JAMESBOND

RAVING

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Simon Sheridan It's official- the vote held on March 17th to decide whether The Hive should remain a smoking area has resulted In a ban on smokIng. with the exception of times when alcohol Is being served.

This means that smoking a cigarette In The Hive will only be permitted during gigs or LCR nights, not durIng the day. The ban comes Into effect on 18th April 2005 meaning it is already In action as you are reading this.

Clearly there are a number of differing views on this topic, from the obvious health issues to that of public freedom and the election process itself. The fact that the date of the smoking vote, March 17th was also the penultimate day of the Spring term meant many students would have been busy finishing work or otherwise Indisposed .

The Hive was also one of the last remaining haven for smokers on campus - UEA is now almost completely nonsmoking and come the winter there may be a backlash against the ban as smokers

no enjoy their habit outside In the sun.

However. many feel that the ban is justified. as those who choose not to smoke should not have to suffer

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considering public awareness of the health risks associated with passive smoking. Up to 50 people can be working in Union House at any one time

Surf society administrator and they should not be forced to endure the second hand smoke emanating from The Hive. As one member of the security staff P<>,ints out.

new air-vents in The Hive do not work as they should. meaning smoke is allowed to hang In the air rather than being sucked away.

The LCR on the other

hand possesses a better system which deals with the smoke satisfactorily. a state of affairs that has made some call for The Hive to be completely non-smoking.

Others feel that the ban in The Hive is completely unjustified as apart from the Red Bar, it was the last remaining place for people to smoke on campus during the day. Many students use The Hive as a daily retreat from university work. with a cigarette being a key part of this process. How are they to get through the long hours of coursework and revision without a 15-rr.inute fag break?

The answer. it seems Is they are not. While this may compel many smokers to feel outraged in that they are not technically ailowed to enact a basic civil liberty: it has been considered that passive smoking is a health risk. and therefore it should not be too much to expect smokers to forego their luxury 'indoor' cigarettes in favour of smokIng outside.

Whlle Norwich's weather is not the mo3t conducive to this practice. the democratic nature of the vote (and the fact that the majority ofpeople are not smokers) means the ban is now in place and here to .;;tay.

HIV INFILTRATES FISHING TOWNS PM WAKES UP TO TRADE JUSTICE Clare Bull A recent study at UEA commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has shown that fishing communities are between five and ten times more vulnerable to HIV I Aids than other cornmunities. The report comes

as part of a new multi-disciplinary Aids development group within UEA, spread between the schools of Development. Medicine and Allied health professions.

The findings include shocking statistics. Up to 200Al of fishing boat crews In Thailand tested HIV positive compared with 1.5% In the population as a whole. while in the port of Sthanoukville In Cambodia nearly a fifth of

fisherrrien are HIV positive, making the second worst affected gronp after Brothel workers.

The report says that this is due to a number of different factors; the availability of cash Income. time amount of time spent away from home. a low standard of education and the availability of commercial sex in fishing ports.

More statistics See Page Nine

Michael Roberts Tony Blair was given a rude awakening at 4am on Saturday morning by a crowd of 6000 people, including staff and students from UEA. shouting "Wake up Tony ... Tony wake up!" outside 10 Downing Street.

The trade justice vigil began

with those In attendance fill ing Westminster Abbey at 1Opm last Friday for the opening of a series of events that occurred throughout the night across central London as the culrrttpation of the global week of action on trade. While more attendees thronged outside.

Westminster Abbey was treated to a host of celebrities. music and International speakers. Many influential

WOMEN'S ROWERS CRACK LONDON

advocates were there to add voices to the throng, from key religious leaders like the Dean of Westminster. to celebrities like Ronan Keating.

The campaign for trade justice is part of the wider call to Make Poverty History.

Speakers explained how unfair trade rules keep billions locked in poverty.

Vigils through the night See Page Seven

SEE SPORTS PAGES

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QUESTION TIME Politics is open to questions a t the university and in the city in the run up to th e genera l election . Events have been organised by. Debating Soc. th e Union and church group. Church es Together.

The first event. organised by the UEA Debating Society. tak es place in Ne lso n Court Common Room A on th e 26"' April at 6 pm in whic h s tud ent represe nta tives from the political societies Will answer qu estions . comments a nd heckles abo ut the forth coming elec ti on .

Following a motion p<~ ssecl by council to promote greater stud ent partic ipa tion . th e Union h as arra nged for ca ndid ates from the major political parti cs to a ddress s tud e nts directly in a question time debate that will be h eld in Lec ture Theatre 1 on the 29"' Api;l between 5 a nd 7 pm.

In the c ity . NorWic h South ca ndid ates will be quizzed by U1e general public on th e 28"' April at Holy Trinity Church.

Essex Street. a t 7 .30pm. in a n eve nt c h a ired by David lngha m . The candid a tes for No rwi ch North Will b e ch a ired by Revel John Marsh at th e Norwich Ce ntra l Baptist Church on th e 29'" April a t the sam e time.

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Concrete

Wednesda v. April 20'''. 2005

WEEK 12 PROGRAMME FOR .LIBERATING FACTS Fiona Roxburgh and Frances Stapleton Mos t s tudent s. when they h ear about the role of 'Liberations Officer·. can be more than a little perplexed as to what this title actual m eans . After a ll. what do students need to be libera ted from ?

The tutors?

Co ursewo rk? The burden some h ours durin g which we are held in cap tivity by the .;Big Bad Union Pub? Probably not.

In fact.

Liberations Campaigns are the NUS ca mp a igning grou ps for those students who belong to a min ority whi c h s till fa ces di scrimin ation or prej udi ce.

The Liber a ti ons Officer a t· UEA is a ppointed to run th ese ca mpa igns in order to raise awa reness a bout th e s urrou nding issues. to h elp rep rese nt those s tudents' rights and need s. a nd to work towards ac hi eving equa lity . resp ect and th e dissolution of preju di ced a!htucles a nd trea tm ents . < So who are th ese s tud ent groups? The NUS has four major campa igning groups: Students \vith Disa bilities. s tud ents.

LGBT Blac k (Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual a l)cl Transgencl er) s tudents and Fe m a le stud ent.s . At UEA our libera tions officer oversees th e campa igns for Black a nd LGBT stud e n ts a nd

Students with Disabilities.

We have a separate Women's officer. Campaigning work is ongoing a ll through the academic year. but com e Wee k 12 this term. we'll see the of th e 2005 a rriva l Liberations Week.

This is a ll well and good. you might be thinking. but if you don 't fa ll into a libera ti ons g roup. how does it affect you? After all. we are co ns is tently presented with good causes that we'd like to be m ore involved with. if only we ha d the time. But th e rea lity is. yo u are involved ! The trouble with the term minority group is that it s uggests a very small percentage of people who are rarely noticed by the rest of the co mmunity. But in fact. a t UEA we have a very diverse student body . The LGBT. Africa n Students Society and Afro-Caribbean Society a re a strong and ;:~c tive part of th e Union's p ee r support groups and societies . More than 50% of th e student body is m ade up of women. UEA welco mes di sable d s tud ents but at pre sent the University's Disability Officer has to work fla t out to make th e improvements necessary to the uni versity. to ensure that it meets a nd maintains stan dards set out by th e Disability Discrimin a tion Act. As well as this. students with m enta l health difficul ties are included Within the SWD (Students With

Disabilities) campaign and it is estimated th at one in four to one in ten s tudents a re a ffected personally by men tal health difficulties. This mea ns th a t the likelihood is that either you or one of your close fri ends is directly impacted by mental health issues .

Even if you don't belong to on e of th e se minority groups tha t is likely to be subject to prejudice. the fact remains tha t these groups are a very big and very real pa rt of the community and dynamic tha t surrounds us and involves u s every clay.

Arid any attitudes a nd iss u es whi ch a ffect such a

proportion of any community must necessarily have a n impact on that community's dynamic as a whol e - whi ch m eans they involve you too.

We'd a ll like to believe that we live in much more open minded world these days. but racism and homophobia are still very much rife. as we can see when we open a n ewspa per. or look a t what's included in (or what's left out of) news coverage. Even the legal system has a lot to answer for: the NUS LGBT recently campaigned against a loophole which allows outlets to refuse service on the grounds of sexuality. Our University still has no m en -

tal health policy. meaning that th ere is nothing to protect vulnerable s tudents against ignorant and damaging responses to their state of h ealth . Thankfully. this looks set to change.

The only way we can start to think about really redressing th e balance and making s ure tha t the university environment we're living and working in on a da ily basis is ge nuinely one of equ a lity a nd inclu s ion is first to get ourselves clued up on the facts. And Libera tions Week s tarting on Monday 25'" April ha s been planned to shed light on the reality of these issu es .

a nd 40 "'super casinos under its much -vaunted Gambling Bill to jus t l .

Other bills lost sadly included benefi cial m eas ures s uch as the painstakingly created a nd d espe ra tely n eeded Charity Law reform. Roa d Safety m easures. tightening up of the Consumer Credit la ws and the Equa lity Bill.

The Government was a lso forced to con cede its proposa ls for laws on Inciteme nt to Racial Hatred for th e second time. in o1·d er to en s ure the safety of its S erious Organ ised Crime Bill.

Ministers s u ch as Charles Clarke and Patricia Hewitt have stated that bills s uch

as ID Cards and Equality \vill be attempted again if La bour a re voted in for a third consecutive term in power.

Having said this . s ome Bills have bee n saved. The Disability Discrimin ation Bill was successf~,~ lly passed. albeit \vithout the inclusion of d epress ion as a regis tercel disability . However. the defi nition of disability \vill n ow include th ose s uffering from HN. Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer. lt will be unla wful to di sc rimin a te aga ins t a di s a bled perso n re lating to e mployment. provision of good . faciliti es and services a nd the di s posa l and man-

agement of services. The Finance Bill. the formal te rm given to the Budget. was a lso successfu lly passed . some Howeve r.

Conservatives h ave com pla ined about th e limited parlia m entary time available to debate it.

Criticisms h ave a lso extend ed to th e a mount of legisla tion seemingly left to the las t minute. In response to Charles Clarke's attack on th e Conservatives las t minute objections to the Bill (meaning tha t it could n ot be passed ). Sha d ow Hom e Secretary David Davi es said "This is of La bour's own doing. They misused parlia-

ment. trying to rush through a bill th a t wasn't properly debated . an d pa id the price.

They knew May 5 was on its way a nd yet they only gave the Lords 26 sitting days to d eba te th e bill and make a m endmen ts .·· Cons ide ring th e elate of the ge n e ral e lec tion was rum o ure d to h ave b ee n known by some MPs for up to a year beforehand. criti cism has been levelled at politicians for s pending th e las t month s before th e a nn oun cem ent of th e election electio n ee rin g ra th er than co nce ntra ting on their main fun ction of passing la ws.

SEATED RESPONSE LOST-LEGISlATION LEADS ·To lABOUR CAMPAIGN FIASCO Plans for restructuring at tlw Chel"Sea college of Art & Design have prompted m a ny stud e n ts to protes t ~h e reforms.

A s it-in protest by s tu dents is exp ected to ta ke place on the 23"'' Apri l in a respon se to a restru cturing proposal tha t is s imilar to th a t which h as taken place a t UEA over th e last year.

S tudents a re protesting abo ut the college's intenti on to place ad missions and college governance under th e co ntrol of man agers that will be cho s~ n. not elected . They feel that this will co mpro mise the quality of their co urse d elivery a nd m ay marginalise applicants.

Juliet Harris Legal Editor Labour h as s uffered mu ch e mbarrassm ent · by losing key pieces of proposed legis lation when Parliament was prorogued a head of the gen eral election on the 5"' May. In th e rush to get bills a pproved by both MPs and Peers a nd a lso given Royal Assent before tlw fa ll o f Parliamen t. Labour was forced· to sac rifi ce some of its flagship bills. includi ng the highly publicised Ide ntity Cards Bill. Furthermore . it was for ced to dra s tically re,du ce pla ns for between 20

TOP-UP FEES THREATEN PART-TIME STUDY Jessica Fielder Educa tion Editor As election ma nifes toes a re publis h ed . voters will be comparin g differe nt pa rti es· plans for th e future of high e r edu ca ti on. Whilst both theConserva tive a nd Liberal De mocrat pa rties would abo lis h tuition fees entirely. und er Labour. top -up fees would simply be capped a t £3000 a year.

Full-time st udents will be eligible for a loan in order to pay for fees and will not

start repaymen ts until they are employed. Until recently. however. th ere h as been little discussion regarding just how this will a ffect th e num e rous pa rt-time stu dents throu ghout the co un try.

Part- time s tudents n ormally pay a fee proportion ate to th e amount of th e full time course they are taking.

This is currently a bout £600 for those studying half of a co urse each year. Top -up fees. however. could increase the cost to as mu ch as £ 1500. Unlike their full -time

co lleag u es . part -tim e stu d ents a re ex"j)ectecl to pay up front.

The grou p Campa igning for Ma ins trea m Unive rs ities (CM U) h as prepa red an open letter hi ghli ghting th e problems this Will cau se. More tha n twenty vice-ch a ncellors have s ign ed the letter insupport . They cla im U1at 40% of und ergraduates study parttime. This increased fee is likely to put off pros pective students whilst Gove rnment still keenly touts its goal to get 50% of sc hool leavers into Higher Education .

PREMIER

NIGHTCLUB

DRESS RESniiCI10NS APPIX PLEASE CALL 01603 627666 FOR MORE INFORMATION. STIIICY1Y OVER~ THE MNWHMENI' RE5EIM 1HE RIGHT 10 REFUSE ADMISSION. PHOTOGRAPHIC ID REQUIRED. MS5PORl DRMRS uaNCI OR PORTMAN CARD ACamD.

MERCY NIGHTauB, PRINCE OF WALES ROAD, NORWICH, NORFOLK.

4 concrete.news@ uea .ac. uk

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Concrete

1\hlne.\tlor. April 20 . 2005

DOUBLE SCOOP FOR NEXUS ATAWARDS

un1on OF

UEA'S TELEVISION SOCIETY SCORES TWICE AT THIS YEAR'S NASTA

UEA STUDENTS

Programme for Liberations Week (Week 12) Monday 2 5 t h April Physical Disabilitie s Camp aign ll a ve yo u ever had d ifficu lt ies with th e accessibility of our camp u s? UEJ\'s uni ve rs it y and u n ion buildings a rc lega lly req uired to m ee t th e s pe cifi ca tion s of t h e Disa b ility Disc rimin a tio n Act. We h ave n u m erou s lifts a ll ove r ca mpus b ut h ow m a ny ac tually wo rk in a fire for s tudents una b le to u se th e s ta irs? Why. in a ll these mi les of s teps . do we not h ave one con tin uo u s wh eelc h a ir ramp?

O ur Uni vers it y a nd Uni on d o ca ter we ll fo r s tude nts wit h p hys ical di sa bilities. but th ere a re cert a in ly a reas th a t n eed d evelo pment. Mon day of week 12 will la ke a loo k a t th is iss u e with a vis u a l ca m pa ign lo h ighlight pro b lem areas.

Then· will a ls o be a s ta ll in th e !live whe re you ca n sign up to fur ther d isa bility ca mpa ig ns a nd read m o re about the Disabili ty Di sc rim ina ti on Act. Any qu es ti o n s or for furth er deta ils please co nta l'l f.st a plcton ll> u ea.ac .u k Tuesday 26th April Mental Health Awareness Campaigns The Me n tal Hea lth Awaren ess Campaign g roup was s ta rted thi s aca d emi c yea r. S o fa r. th e group h as lobbi r cl th e uni ver s ity to produce a m enta l h ealth policy a nd wo rked t o rai s e awa ren ess a nd redu ce s tigm a of m ent a l h ealth problem s a nd d iffi culti es .

On Tu esd ay . we have profession a l gu est spea kers coming in a ll d ay to offer one-o n -one ses s ion s and give ta lks to a n yone wh o wi s he s to att e nd .

If a ll goes to p la n. th ere will be drop -in s ession s fro m 12 -2 in Roo m I .33 of Un ion !lou se . Her e. s tud e nts can see k inform a ti on or a dv ice pri va tely. The co n cern s you \vis h to di sc u ss ca n ra nge fro m a ny1hing to worry ove r a fii en d o r dea ling \vi th s tress a t thi s lime in th e unive rs ity year. Th ere will t h e n be t hrPe sepa ra te ta lks. Pach las ting a n h our a nd takin g u s th ro u gh to 5 pm. The s peed ws will be pt·im a ri ly a bo ut copin g with s t ress a n d ma inta ining h ea lth a nd well b ei ng. a nd wh at to clo when yo u are worried abo u t peers and fami ly.

1\ny quest ions or for fu rt h er de ta ils please contact f. roxb urg h il u ea .ac .u k Wednesday 27th April 'The Laramie Proj ect' "l'lw La ra mie Proj ect' wi ll be s h own in th e LCR fro m 6p m .

T h e play . direct ed by Eri c Fe hn e . looks a t h ow a terribl e h a le crime pe rpetrated on a 2 1yr old Uni vers ity s tud ent in this s m a ll Wyoming town ch an ged i...c'l.fami e a nd in fl uen ced th e a ttitud es of it s people forever. This pl ay focu ses u pon h om ophobia and t h ere will be a pan el di scu ssion th a t follows with m embers of t h e LGBT com mi ttee a n d th ose invo lved wit h t he play. The Lar a m ie Proj ec t' was rece ntly awarded its own fun d ing . whi ch is a testament in itself to h ow powerful thi s play is . To buy tickets n ow. or fo r a n y qu es t ion s or fo r furt h er d eta ils please con tact fehne@cl ick inso n. edu o r s u .liber a t io n s @u ea.ac . uk Thursday 28th April Gu est Speaker for Black Students Campaig n s This Uni on 's li bc ra lions ca mpaig n s a re s upport ed by t.h e Nat ion a l Uni on of Students. for whi ch . Pav Akhtar is th e Blaok Stude nt s Office r. We th ou gh t it might be a good id ea for Pav to co m e a nd s peak to stude nts a b out blac k s tude n t's ca mpa ign s th a t h ave b ee n s u ccessfu l a nd co uld b e implem ent ed at UEA. Th ere will firs t be a p1·esent a tio n befo re a wo rks ho p sessio n o n th e b es t way to run campa ig n s a nd h ow to get s tu den ts in volved. Th is wi ll be ta k ing place in Roo m 1.28 of Uni on !lou se during th e after noo n . Al l s tu de nts a rc we lcome.

Any qu es ti on s o r fo r furth er deta ils p lease co n tact f.stap le to n @u ea. ac. uk Friday 29th April Women's Campaigns Friday \vill be the clay of wom en 's ca mpa ig n s. wh ere the n ew a nd old wom e n's offi ce rs will be wo rkin g a longside each ot h er to ca mpa ign for a nd a ddress iss u es s peci fica lly rele va nt to fpma lc s t ud Pn ts.

Any qu esti ons or for furth er deta ils please co nt act s u .women s@ u ea.ac . u k

Helen Pike News Ed itor

Nexu s. UEA's televis ion s ociety fo r budding broadcas t journa lis ts scooped a double vict ory in th e rece n t a nnual NaSTA award s. fi e ld thi s yea r fr o m Ma rch 3 1s t to Apri l 2nd by Lo u g hborou g h Un ive rs ity. th e Na ti o n a l S tud ent s Te levis io n Assoc ia ti on Conferen ce and AGM is th e mos t im po rt a nt event of th e Studen t Televi s ion calendar as it gives th e o ppo rtunity for st uden t j ournalis ts to be r ecogni sed by t h e pro fes s ion a ls . leading to a mu c h desired ca reer in broad cas t j ou rna lis m. ll eld ove r three clays. Nex u s. a lo n g with

other s tud en t te levision s ta tion s. we re c h a lle n ge d to cr ea te a 'G olden Bodge· . a 3 m in u te film from s cra tc h . with no ed iti ng a ll owed .

Nexus's film. "a S amu rai film in th e s ty le of a ca r revi ew progra mme a bout a 200lb wom a n' s qu es t to lose weigh t". was said to h a ve rece ive d th e m os t ch ee rs fr o m fell ow s tud e nts a nd judges.

Nexus were vict oriou s in two h ighly rated award ca te go ries: Best Dra m a a nd Best Comedy. Nexus received th e Highly Commend ed a wa rd fo r Best Dra m a. for th eir s h ow Nomad: The Lost Hour.

Prozac. a com edy s ketc h s h ow fea turin g everything fro m s truc t urcd multi -p a rt s torylines to s h ort s utTea l s kit s was victo rio u s in th e

Bes t Co m edy sec to r a nd rece ived pra ise from judge Nev Founta in. a writ er o n hit comedy Dead Ri nge rs. who s aid of th e clip . "a q uirky ti tle sequ en ce .. .good enough to b e o n Dro p th e Dead Donkey ... E>.:p ect to see this on TV soon " This was th e best result for Nex u s in ten years and m embers were ecsta ti c \vith th e n ews. Karc n Mil a m .

President of Nexu s . ta lked of he r a pp recia ti on to th e dedi cated Nexu s tea m . "We n eve r e:>.")Jectccl to do this we ll. tak ing h o m e two award s is a real rPward for a ll th e a m az ing tea m work a n d co mmit me n t show throu g h o ut t h is year fro m a ll the m e mbers ".

S h e co ntinu es by s ay ing th a t ··m aybe n ow Nex u s will ge t the recognitio n a nd s uppo rt

it dese rves".

Adam "Da r kema nn " Otta way. eo-writer a nd produ cer of Prozac was a lso e lat ed . 'Thi s is my th ird Na STA and my fa vou rite to da le. Not o nly th a t . il was our m ost successfu l. l only h o pe Nexu s w ill be s upport eel m ore n ext year so th at th ey can bu ild on the ir s u c cess".

For m ore deta ils abo u t Nex u s con tac t n exu sutv@gma il. com to join. o r watch out for the ir s tal l a t next year's Socmart.

Th ere is a n o pportu n ity to view th e \vi n n ing C' n liies for thi;, year;, NaSTJ\ awards .

T h e n ext Nex u s will b e broadcas t on 25 th . 27th a n d 29 th Apiil in th e b lu e ba r betwee n th ree a nd fo ur pm .

RINGING IN FINANCES FOR STUDENTS STUDENTS TRY RINGTONES FOR FREE AND EARN CASH FOR THEIR STUDENT PAPERS THANKS TO THE STUDENT MEDIA NETWORK A n ew compan y will b e h elping s tudent med ia s uppl em en t th eir incom es by s plitting th e profit s fro m Iingto n e sa les t o s tu d en ts. T h e S tud e nt Medi a Network is giving ha lf of th e mon ey it m a kes from selling Iingt o nes via th e MyFon e a pplica ti on to th e univer s it y publi ca ti o n s t hat a re h e lping to s pread th e wo rd.

My f on e is th e ea sy way to get rington e"s. ll is a j ava a pplica ti o n w hi c h s its o n you r phon e a n d ca n b e u sed fo r free to brow e ancl previ ew a vas t co nten t library of com pa ti b le r ingto n es. wa ll pa pers a n d j ava ga m es.

MyFo n e is se n t to yo ur

phon e fo r free wh en you le:-.1 th e wo rd STUD ENT to 8 78 78 . or can be sent fr ee fr o m th e we b at my fo n e.co m / s tud en t.

"We're really excited to be a ble to brin g MyFone to th e m a rk e t." says s tu den t Simon Hogg. 2 6. a di rec to r of Studen t Media Netwo rk and a fo rm er s tud ent j o urn a lis t.

"MyFo n e puts th e s tude nt in control - yo u n eed n eve r aga in b uy a ringtone th a t s ound s u seless o r is n ot compatib le \vi th you r pho ne h a nd se t. Eve n b ett er. eve ry lime yo u b uy a piece of co n lent for yo ur ph o n e. m oney wi ll go bac k to stud ents ...

"We're goin g 50 :50 wit h

th e s tud ent n ewspa pers th a t agree to prom ote the a ppli cati o n . It' s som ething I've wa nt eel to do for a lo n g time ... says Hogg. wh o prev io u s ly wo rked o n Bri s tol's stud e nt pa per. Epigra m . "! k now th a t th e diffe re n ce b e twee n a good s tud ent pa p er a nd a fa nt as ti c. awa rd -winning s tud e nt pape r is u s u a lly th e m o n ey to a ffo rd bette r p rin t ing a nd equipment. Ove r the coming year we a re p la nning to offer st u de n t m edia a ch a n ce of m a ki ng m o n ey fr o m I 18 numbers . other mobil e a pps. th e Intern et and a d sales ...

"MyFone is g r ea t. it' s ve ry s t ra ight fo rwa r d a nd

does exac tly wh a t yo u tell it to do . It's a good way for yo u to ch ec k out r inglo ncs a nd oth er co nt ent for free. You a re in control. you o nly ever buy so m e thin ~ a ft e r yo u h ave as ked for il a n d yo u know w ha t it costs. We are r ea lly pleased with our progress so far - we h a ve a lrea d y h a d n ego ti a ti o n s with m a ny of th e la rgest uni ve rsit y pu b lica ti o ns in th e co unt ry a nd stude nt newspa pe r a d ve ti s \vill be a ppear ing la ter this m o nth ...

For fu rt h e r de ta ils abo ut th e My Fo n e a pplica ti on s and a ll th e ir fea tures. see th e a d ve rt on page I I .

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6 concrete. news@uea .ac.uk

STOPPING WAR 150.000 people attended the Stop the War Protest which took place on t h e 19th March. l OO people from Norwich travelled to the event in a coach. organised

by Norwich Stop The War Coalition. The fi gure comes from SKY TV. but was disputed by the police. who claimed only a 50.000 attendance.

NeverthC'iess. turnout surprised supporters. police and the media. and the protest kept Trafalgar Square full between 3pm and 6pm as the march proceeded around the capi ial. taking in US embassy in Grosvenor Square.

The atmosphere was the usual carniva l of different ages . races and nationalities. Music (ranging from samba band to a choir) was prominent and a huge range of placards and many different campaigns were evident on the march .

Protestors hoped that the response would help to affirm that Iraq is stiJI an election issue and needs to be kept in the headlines.

Over Easter the SlW conference agreed that they would send a questionnaire to aJI candidates asking their views on the war. occupa tion. future wars and the attack on civil liberties. lt was sent out shortly after Easter they are asking that local candidates are quizzed on their view. Groups arc also being encouraged to organise hustings where the different candidates can be asked about their views.

The next big planned mobilisation is to the GB summit in Scotland over the first weekend in July. World leaders. including Bush. will be there and the intention is to ensure that the anti war message is too. Details are to be pos ted up soon. but the group intend to mobilise before that if there are any rumb lings of an attack on Iran . Syria or anywhere.

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Wednesdm·, April 20. 2005

PRESCRIBING A RUN ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY NEW STUDY REVEALS THAT FLEXING MUSCLES IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TABLETS Clare Aitchison Health Editor

The Mental Health Foundation is urging doctors to begin to think about treating depression with exercise rather than drugs.

Evidence is mounting that. in some patients. supervised exercise programmes can be as effective at treating depression as antidepressants. and a caJI is being put out for more doctors to actually prescribe exercise as an alternative.

At the moment . more than half of GPs use antidepressants as the first line of treatment in mild or severe depression. eve n though around a third of them fe el that this is not the most !"ffeclive form of treatment. and that the patient would benefit as much from a placebo as the real medica · lion. In fact. government guidelines say that a ntidepressants should not be the first line treatment for mild depression. and that antidepressants like Prozac should never be prescribed for the under 18s.

Prozac is a s<>lectivc seratonin reuptake inhibitor. or SSRI. Scratonin is a hormone which mak<"s you feel happy. and SSRis work by preventing seratonin from being dcgraclecl in your brain. This leaves the hormone hanging around for longer. so you feci happier for longer. Since in many forms of dcpr<"ssion there is an imbalance of these hormones in the brain. in numerous cases of depres sion. particularly the more severe ones. SSRis arc extremely effective medica -

lions. and can even be lifesaving. This quick. easy and effective way of treating depression has become increasingly popular over the last decade and in the last 12 years the cost to the NHS of antidepressant medications has risen by over 2000%. That means that we are spending 2000 times as much on antidepressants as we were in 1993.

The problem is . the more we use them . the more side effects become apparent. \vith one particularly unfortunate one being that it seems to make some people suicidal. Certainly not the desired effect when treating the depressive. Coming off these drugs can also produce unpleasant withdrawal effects in some people.

Therefore. as government guidelines suggest. it is not always appropriate to go in with all guns blazing. to treat a first event of mild depression in a young person with these drugs.

More and more research shows that <>xerl'ise can reduce the sympl oLJS of depression. althougL at the moment it is not l'IJtirely clear how it works. I! is believed that it increases the release of some of the clwmicals which affect mood, thereby acting as a natural antidepressant.

Certainly one of the chemicals suspected to play a part phenylethlamine - which is at low levels in depressed patients. rises more than 70°1<> after exercise. This chemical is very similar in structu re to amphetamines so basically it is like getting your body to supply you with speed. Of course exercise a lso has physical benefits such as reducing your risk

or heart disease. and it does not have the same range of side-effects as the antidepressants or other drugs. So why don't more doctors prescribe it?

Part of the problem is. whilst 78% of GPs who presci·ibed an antidepressant last year thought that an alternative treatment may have been more appropriate. in many parts of the country they simply aren't available or they have very long waiting lists. Only 42% of GPs currently have access to an exercise referra l scheme.

But that isn't the whole story. because the other part of the problem is attitudes.

Many GPs do not believe that exercise is an effective treatment. and of the 42% of GPs who did have access to an exercise referral scheme. only 15% actually made use of it. llowever. attitudes do seem to be changing. and doctors who qualitled v.ithin the last 10 years are more likely to use alternative treatments to antidepres sants as a first line treat ment. so hopefully the 'doctors of the future· that UEA is promising will think of it as a first line treatment in mild depression before reverting to drugs.

But even if the doctors are en! husiastic about exercise on prescription. that is only half the prob lem. I! takes two to tango. and for a patient. an exercise pre scription is a lot harder to take that a couple of tablets a clay. Particularly as one of the symptoms of depression is lethargy and tiredness. lt is hard for anyone with the best intent ions in the world to stick to a regular exercise programme (including the doctors who should know

so is that going to be if it is all you can manage to get yourself out of bed in the morning? That is why it is not enough to simply tell the depressed patient to get out more and do more exercise.

The programme needs to be tailored and supervised . To be structu reel and to promote regular attendance.

And this costs money.

So once again it boils down to the fact that you have to spend money in the first place to save money in the long run. and as history has shown over and over

again. is very persuade any government with a four-year vision to invest in anything long term.

However. if exercise can begin to be taken seriously as a treatment by the patients. the doctors and the people who hold the purse strings. it is possible that people will be saved from excessive drug use in the treatment of depression. whilst get ling countless other health and social benefits from their exercise prescription. Now how many drugs can you say that for?

Coaaete Wednesday, April 2(J . 2005

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 7

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uncharactelistic of events of this type. meant that many people were unable to secure a place for the night. leaving many feeling despondent.

At 4am there was a mass candlelit vigil as the crowd gave Tony Blair the wake up calL Other forms of musical entertainment were provided. such a "Oh Tony! Ooh. ahl I wanna kno -o-ow if you'll make trade fair" and many even shook off their tiredness to join a conga.

The event culminated at 5an1 with fairtrade breakfast and the 'few thousand who made it through the night saw the sun rise over the Thames on the final gathering. The event was co-ordinated with similar actions involving 10 million people across 84 countlies. To find out more about the campaign visit www.tjm.org.uk or makepovertyhistory.org.

diverse. with young children marching alongside old men and particularly large throngs of college students.

Amidst much shouting. whistle blowing and chanting. candles were lit to sigmfy the start of the night-long vigil on Whitehall. At midnight the noise suddenly died for a one-minute's silence in honour of the 30,000 poor that die every day as a result of extreme poverty.

Prom midnight onwards.

Trade Justices had a wide choice of activities. cafes and clubs were open especially for the mght. Every event seemed to have more people queuing outside than those actually in. There was an hour or so of confusion with people walking to different venues in the hope of getting a warm shelter. A lack of organisation . which is

Unequal Trade Laws

From Page one Producers in the developing world cannot compete on the world market where crucial areas, such as agliculture. have heavy subsidies in the lich world. Make Poverty History and others aim to highlight the glartng international contradiction , whereby poor countlies are prevented from protecting their markets while the lich world is allowed to do as it pleases. Trade Justice challenges this dogma by calling for the elimination of unfair trade policies in the lich world and recognising the light of poor countlies to choose whatever policies best suit their interests.

By llpm . a 25.000 strong crowd joined the procession from Westminster Abbey to Downing Street.

The crowd was hugely

STUDENT VOTE LABELLED 'ESSENTIAr BY NUS UNION .URGES STUDENTS TO EXERCISE THEIR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT IN MAY lsabel Dyson Student votes are thought to have the potential to sway up to 27 key seats in the coming 2005 general election. At the National Union of Students annual conference. President Kat Fletcher told over 1000 attendees that the NUS aim to encourage students to cast "an informed and empowered vote."

Recent Liberal Democrat studies have revealed that the current 5.2million Blitish students, who make up 13% of the electorate. have the ability to sway Parliamentary seats. The party have declared that in 14 constituencies student votes could give them the swing to take currently held Labour seats and 13 constituencies where Conservative seats could be taken. The research is based upon students voting in their un1versity towns.

Although Norwich was

not included in the Liberal Democrat findings, students in nearby Camblidge and Cities of London and Westminster could influence the election results.

The coming general election brings worlies that people will not turn out to vote at all. due to lack of preferable choices or general apathy. Tony Blair's chief of staff. Jonathan Powell was quoted as saying: "If only 50% turn out. we'll lose."

However, following the strong reactions provoked by Issues such as the Iraq war and university top-up fees. the exercising of democratic voting lights are more likely to be utilised than the 2001 general election.

TI1e NUS campaign to get the student vote out is accompanied by the current craze of wlistbands, the NUS choice of maroon Is intended to encourage voters.

P.resldent Kat Fletcher also announced the fmancial trouble that the un1on has faced in the past year after failing in its campaign to

stop top-up fees.

A deficit of £500.000 was announced with an added £200 ,000 as a result of delays in moving to new Manchester headquarters.

Fletcher took the opportunity of emphasising that the NUS is not simply a "feefighting" union: "We're concerned with a wide range of issues. based upon policy as diverse and dynamic as the students we represent."

Campaigns against rogue landlords, better benefits for students up to 19 years old and campaigns for women, gay and bisexual groups were also announced as important issues that the NUS plan to tackle.

A poll carlied out by The Daily Telegraph revealed that first tin1e voters today are increasingly less inclined to vote at all, claiming an inability to distinguish or connect to party leaders.

Politicians are falling to attract or connect with the mentality of first time voters who claim to be "bored and switched off by the rhetoric

VOCATION, VOCATION, VOCATION SURVEY SHOWS BUSINESS DEGREES ARE THE "MOST POPUlAR''

of party politics."

Research of over 700 1824 year olds revealed that 56% did not know what a constituency was (a designated geographical section where people vote for the same Member of Parliament to represent their area) and celeblities were placed above politicians in the "hero" stakes. although 57%

claimed Oxfam Save the Children was ~~~~~. .~1.; held in high regard .

Most eligible voters are automatically listed to vote if apply for postal or proxy votes are 26th Aplil for the they are registered to a British address . Students election on May 5th. The are normally registered to deadline for registeling to vote at their parents' vote has passed. address and can often forfeit their vote if they study away

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Olly Haywood Deputy News Editor Recent reports show that that over 10% of students in the UK are opting to study business. placing it first in a list of most popular degrees recently compiled by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Over 350 undergraduate students are currently enrolled on the Business Management degree course at UEA, with around 250 more enrolled on accounting and finance related courses.

A number of students also

choose to do one of the University's joint degrees. such as French with Management Studies, which offers those enrplled the chance to develop skills that may be needed in the world of work.

The figures showed that in 2003 China had around 4 7, 700 students in the UKa figure which had grown by an aston1shing 35.8% in just one year - making it the country with the most overseas students in the UK India and the US send an additional 28,005.

At the other end of the scale. vetelinary science had

the smallest number of students. approximately 0.3% of the student population . followed by agliculture with 0.6% and mathematics with 1.9%.

A report by the Guardian in 2002 showed that students' reasons for choosing business degrees usually relate to the huge employability factor after graduation.

The interdisciplinary nature of the courses - placing them somewhere between science and humanities also means that students achieve a broad intellectual training.

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Access to education should be on an ability to learn , not an ability to pay.

Andrew and the Liberal Democrats will abolish tuition fees ensuring people don 't leave university with huge debt We have achieved this m Scotland white providing the poorest students with extra support

X Charles Clarke as Education Secretary was in charge of the bill which means students will owe up to £3000 in top-up fees each year from 2006. There is mounting evidence that fear of debt is deterring potential students from low income backgrounds from entering higher education .

The Liberal Democrats strongly opposed the war with Iraq. Having gone to war, we owe an obligation to the people of Iraq to rebuild and establish democratic self rule. The open ended presence of coalition forces fuels the insurgency.

X Charles Clarke backed the illegal invasion of Iraq. Tony Blair claimed Iraq possessed WMD 's, this was based on flawed intelligence and no WMD's have been found There was no serious or current threat. Many thousands of sold1ers and civilians· have been killed and the financial cost to the UK is over £3.5 billion .

Andrew opposes the mtroduction of ID cards. A Liberal Democrat government would use the money saved on 10,000 extra police above l abour's plans. Police not plastic will really make our communities safer.

The Liberal Democrats mtegrate environmental concerns into all of our policy making . Tough targets will be set for reducing pollution and economic incentives for achievmg these will be created . Andrew has a great record of working with local education and environmental bodies to get real environmental Improvements ca rried out.

Andrew doesn't believe in limits on those fleeing torture and persecution .

Andrew recognises how 1mportant carefully managed immigration is to our economy.

X Home Secretary Charles Clarke will introduce ID cards if Labour is re-elected ID cards will cost the taxpayer billions and each individual over £75 . There 's no ev1dence that ID cards will cut crime or stop terrorism, they.didn 't stop the Spanish train bombs and even the US has ruled them out for being ineffective .

X Labour has paid lip serv1ce to protecting our environment, their own figures show environmental damage and inaction cost the UK £67 billion in 2004 . The Government have this year raised the ceiling on greenhouse gas em1ssions.

X The Home Office has a record ·of delays and bad decisions on asylum . Under current Government proposals people who may have lost their families, and are fleeing torture or ethnic cleansing w1ll not be able to rebuild their lives but be left in limbo for 5 years.

Central to Andrew are his principles in protecting civil liberties and democracy.

Andrew understands that to restore trust, the Prime Minister must be accountable to Parliament, our votmg system be enhanced to give each vote equal weight, and the House of Lords be accountable through the introduction of elected members. /

Andrew understands that the priority for patients is how quickly and effectively they are treated and cured . The Liberal Democrats would provide : free personal care, eye and dental checks; reduced prescription charges; over 20,000 more doctors and nurses and the freedom for them to use their professional judgement to best meet local needs.

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X The Labour Government has imprisoned people without trail and has attempted to remove the right to trial by JUry. Labour to prevent fraud in postal voting , has bodged the electoral system , failing and reform of the "House of Lords has fallen by the wayside .

X The number of operat1ons being cancelled is rising and thousands are stuck on waitmg lists Labour cannot resist micro-managing from Westm inster, meaning money is wasted and local needs are unmet. Labour's NHS charges undermine preven tative work leading to h1gher long term cost and more suffenng .

R'""'" Ro...J. ""''"' ich. 'RI I RE. Puhlish"d and pmmntetl h~ A. B l>nmfidd on hdmlf ofAndr.:" Aald.:r-.-Dunthom.: tl.ih lkm).

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Co.crttt Wednesday.March 9"', 2005

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

ANTI-TESCO CAMPAIG STILL DEFIANT FURTHER PROPOSALS FOR THE UNTHANK ROAD SITE ARE REJECTED BY CITY COUNCIL

Sarah Smith

A couple of months ago Concrete informed you about the plans for a Tesco Express store on Unthank Road on the site of the old Arlington Service Station. At

were ing at their plans following large-scale opposition from many residents, including many of the large number of students who live on or around Unthank Road.

On March 31st Tesco put their case to the City Council Planning Committee at Norwich City Hall. Over a hundred supporters of the

Tesco campaign attended the meeting.

The council had already received 220 objections to the proposals with only eight people in favour. After nearly two hours of discussion the proposal was unanimously rejected.

From the beginning issues had been raised against the campaign with

as well as several local businesses.

Tesco now have two options if they wish to try again for planning permission for the site. They have six months in which to apply to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister who may appoint an independent inspector to look into the case. lf appointed, the inspector would look at the original reasons for refusal, the applicant's case and the position of other interested parties. A report will then either grant or refuse permission.

This can be appealed at the High Court but this is rare. However, with so many appeals being lodged it would probably take at least ten months before an inspector could even get started. The alternative for Tesco is to submit a new request for planning permission but they could not do this for another two ment. local businesses and years. This means that there health and safety.

There will be no Tesco on Unthank were problems with the pro- Road in the immediate posed design of the store; future. lack of car parking, risk of 路 For further information accidents in an already diffi- on the plans visit www.stopcult area and the problems unthanktesco.com. caused by extra cars as well Do you want Tesco as two or three lorries a day. Express to open on Unthank There are also already two Road? Email us your views Budgens stores on the road to concrete.news@uea.ac. uk.

VIKINGS WERE HOME MAKERS NOT HELL-RAISERS UEA STUDY REVEAlS THE

DOMESTIC BLISS WITH NORTH ATLANTIC VIKINGS

Rosie Chance Science Editor The Vikings that colonised Scotland may have preferred a trip to IKEA to looting and p~aging, according to new research by a UEA scientist.

Research published this month by Dr Sara Goodacre from BIO suggests that Scand1navian settlement in Shetland, Orkney and North West Scotland family based, equal numbers and females. 路or Goodacre and colleagues in Oxford and Reykjavik scrutinised hundreds of DNA samples collected from modern day inhabitants of North Atlantic countries. The team looked for evidence of Viking ancestry in mitochondrial DNA. which is inherited through the maternal line, and also on Y chromosome DNA, which is only passed from father to son.

In regions close to the Norse homeland, such as Shetland, the contributions of maternal and paternal Viking DNA to the gene pool were nearly identical, suggesting that there were as many female settlers as male. This may indicate that Viking families came to-

n

Meanwhile, the wild fronof the Viking empire that was the Isle of Skye, genetic evidence suggests colonisers were mostly male, and that they' had children with local women. In Iceland, an even more remote island with no native population, it appears

peaceful society, and it is possible that they were taking local men as partners rather than forming Viking family units as Dr Goodacre says "I don't know who fancied who!"

Viking exploits in the British Isles are thought to have begun with the sacking of the monastery at Lindisfarne, Northumbria, in AD 793. Vikings soon ruled the sea-routes and coastlines from Noiway to Ireland, establishing a political and cultural influence that lasted until 1472.

Dr

Goodacre's work backs up the archaeological. linguistic and place name evidence for complete Norse dominance in Shetland and Orkney during the Viking period.

Dr Goodacre's work has attracted a lot of media attention. as she says "we all want to know who we are and where we come from".

The work w~s done while Dr Goodacre was at Oxford University. She is now at UEA using similar techniques to ask questions about the evolution of spiders, snails and beetles.

Fishing communities From Page One

The study also suggests that within fishing communities there tends to be an atmosphere of 'hyper masculinity'. the exaggerated belief in the importance of typical male values the result of which is increased sexual activity.

Females within fishing communities are also faced with a superfluous risk level. This can be attributed to a lack of women's rights within the communities. which are stereotypically traditional in the values they uphold. So it seems that within fishing communities the traditional values held by both sexes about sexual activity leaves them at a disadvantage as far as HIV I Aids is concerned.

The high level of mobility within fishing communities also contributes to the spread of Aids. People move around according to the season, the location of markets and processing factories constantly causing them to come into contact with a wide number of people.

Dr Edward Allison said of the project "the plight of fishing communities has been neglected for far too long and the consequences have been devastating". The findings of the report should mean that more treatment can be directed towards fishing communities across the world.

GUIDE GROUP CELEBRATES

ANNMRSARY In March, UEA's branch of the Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO) collected books for charity as part of a challenge issued by the County Commissioner.

The event took place to celebrate 95 years of Girlguiding UK. The local group managed to collect a commendable 115 books and donated them to the Big 路c路 Appeal Charity Shop in Norwich City Centre.

The student organisation exists to support Scouts. Guides and others who are students In the UK and are Interested in the workings of the Scout and Guide Associations.

E However, Dr Goodacre points out that it is not possible to know about the actual behaviour of the Vikings from DNA alone. The presence of Viking women does not necessarily mean a more

9

THU IASTIC, LIVEL AND E ERGETIC PEOPLE ARE REQUI E OUR EVENI G SHIFTS CALL 01603 614725 FOR DETAILS

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concrete.news@uea.ac .uk 11

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Wednesdav. A pril 2(J . 2005

INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE NO SURPRISE TO SCIENTISTS WE ROCK

Concrete enjoyed success at

SMRITY OF EARTHQUAKE WAS PREDICTED BUT SCIENTISTS FAILED TO KNOW WHEN

The Easter Monday earthquake didn't create a devastating wave but nevertheless caused further damage to the area.

Rosie Chance Science Editor The devastating Earthquake in Indonesia was expected by scientists. though sadly they were unable to save lives by predicting when it would occur.

Just eleven days before the massive tremor on 28th March. a team of geologists warned that a major seismic event in the Indian Ocean was likely and urged for the

rapid implementation of a tsunami warning system.

Research published in the prestigious journal Nature described how the earthquake that caused the Boxing Day tsunami increased geological stresses in the region. making a subsequent disaster almost inevitable . Author of the research , John McCloskey, said that there could be a second Earthquake of up to 8 .5 on the Richter scale: last months quake notched up a

gigantic 8.7.

Both earthquakes originated in the Sunda trench, a submarine meeting of tectonic plates that runs from Aceh. Indonesia. to the Andaman Islands. Here. in what is called a subduction zone, the Indian and Australian tecton ic plates are forced beneath the Sunda plate. which carries Indonesia. Th a iland and Malaysia.

Unfortunately. although scientists were able to accu -

rately pinpoint the location of the earthquake. they were u nable to say whether it would happen in months or year . As McCloskey says. "we got the location and the size bang on. but not the timing." Despite sophisticated models of fault zones. it remains almost impossible to predict exactly when the rocks will finally break under the strain .

The March earthquake came as a savage blow to communities struggling to

recover from the Boxing Day tsunami. but the effects could have been far worse had it caused another giant wave. Scientists are still puzzling as over why this did not happen.

Despite being ten to twenty times smaller than the gigantic Boxing Day shock (the Richter scale is logarithmic) . the second quake was still fearsomely large and easily enough to trigger a tsuna mi.

However, for a wave to be generated. the sea floor must rupture in a way tl1at pu he water upwards. It is possible that this time the p lates slipped past each other horizontally. with minimal disturbance to the ocean above.

Great earthquakes have been known to occur in pairs. however some geologi ts are concerned there may be more to come in the Indian Ocean .

Phi! Cummins. a seismologist at Geoscience Australia. said "the next segment further to the southeast could rupture sooner than we expected. but we can't predict the time. It could be 100 years or three months. While the people of South East Asia try to put thei r lives back together, the grim possibility of further disasters must be faced.

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the recent Clubs and Societies Awards (CASAs) . held by the Student Union on Thursday 17th March.

The society won the Society of the Year category. picked up by Concrete Editor Philip Sainty who delivered a memorable speech. followed by a double peace sign for the 700 strong crowd.

VOTE DOPE The l,egalise Cannabis Alliance candidate for Norwich South is urging voters to choose lhe right to use cannabis at the coming May 5th election.

Don Banard believes that the vote will "send a strong message to the next Norwich South MP that many are fed up with minis ters and MPs continuing to censor discussion and debate on issues that affect us and our children ...

The Alliance believes that cannabis is a victimless crime . increasing the use of natural medicine and has enjoyed opportunities to gain support throughout conferences like the recent one held i!l the Elizabetl1 Fry building at UEA. Mr Banard hopes that people will recognise the positive benefits of legalising the drug. notably its health benefits.

12 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

THE "G REAT" POPE JOHN PAUL 11 he media has been swamped for weeks, as I'm sure you'll have noticed, with articles about the late Pope John Paul 11. He lias been proclaimed as the "people's Pope", the great-hearted man leading the Church forward into the 21 si Century. it's been impossible to turn round without getting a face full of just how great the Pope was, and how much everyone loved him. Is it just me, or has every news reporter suddenly turned into a fanatical Catholic?

Everyone's ranting about how he travelled the world (indeed more than every other Pope put together, but to be fair in the 5th Century getting to Asia was a bit of a trek) , passionately fought poverty (lair enough . he did) , was against the US war on Iraq (erm .. .who wasn't?) and aimed to rec-

T

CHINESE: NOT JUST A GREAT TAKEAWAY n a globalised world , the emphasis placed upon foreign languages in schools has become more pronounced. For most secondary school pupils there is little or no choice. French is steadily disappearing as an international language, yet it dominates the timetables at most secondary schools in the country, followed by German and Spanish . While we should not ignore the langt,~ages of our fellow European Union counterparts, in order to ensure peace and stability in the 21st century it may be advisable to offer more choice in the languages taught in British schools.

Foremost among these should be the language of China, the country that Chancellor Gordon Brown claims is emerging as the new leading world

I

OUR HOUSE, IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME STREET here has always been a cliche surrounding student houses, which is perhaps why the subject has been lingering around campus since January. Many try to convince us that the famous rat-infested , multiple box-room houses do not exist but there is always the worry that they actually do.

A few days into the new term the wise words of the UEA advice centre staff convinced first year students to calm down and stop worrying about housing for next year. Some students simply ignored the advice and carried on looking , myself included. Others waited .. .and waited, until our beloved welfare staff decided to publish the housing list - a week and a day

T

Concrete Wedn e.1dar. Felmwrr CJ''. 2005

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oncile the Jewish people and the Catholic Church. And when he was shot in an attempted assassination, he visited and forgave the would-be assassin (how nice).

But he also refused to use the Royal "we", and never wore the Papal Tiara, to show that he was God's humble servant (or maybe he was just worried about looking camp). So although he did good things in his lifetime, everyone is failing to mention his other activities and opinions. Nobody is bringing up his stance on homosexuality, sexual equality, AIDS, contraception , abortion , euthanasia, divorce, celibacy or priestly paedophilia. So let's just recap on those subject areas shall we?

Things were looking up for the homosexual community in the 1970s, when it appeared the Vatican were becoming more liberal minded; even suggesting that homosexuals deserved compassion and understanding. John Paul 11 wiped those hopes out when he declared in 1986 that homosexuality was "an objective disorder'' and that special attention should be paid to homosexuals, but only to ensure that they were not "led to believe that the living out of this orientation in homosexuality is a morally acceptable option. lt is not." Then , in

1992, when gay rights initiatives started to appear on US ballot papers he re-affirmed his position by stating that the "practice of homosexuality may seriously threaten the lives of a large number of people". As if his position were not already clear enough, he announced in 2003 that gay marriage was an "ideology of evil", threatening the very fabric of society.

How about women? Well since becoming Pope in 1978, John Paulll declared repeatedly that men are made in Christ's image, while women are just there for breeding , and he was firmly against the ordination of women throughout his Papacy; that's a check in the sexist box as well.

Although the Vatican helps AIDS vict ims worldwide, the only advice that they will offer to avoid getting HIV is to abstain from sexual activity altogether.

John Paul 11 refused to condone the use of condoms to stop the spread of this awful disease. Not only this, he announced publicly that condoms don't stop the transmission of HIV, claiming that there are tiny holes in condoms, which allow the virus to pass through. Not only was this declaration scientifically inaccurate , it no doubt led to hundreds more innocent people being infected. Thank you, Mr Pope.

otm Paul 11 maintained the Church's outdated views on abortion , stating that it is morally unacceptable even in cases of rape, incest, and even to save the mother's life. You would have thought that a man so against abortion would be positive about contraception, but according to John Paul 11 , contraception too is evil and should not be used . Even sterilization is out, and is unavailable in some areas where the hospitals are run or strongly influenced by the Vatican.

Euthanasia of course, is unacceptable; apparently nobody has the right to choose to have a pain-free death . Divorce is forbidden, and John Paul 11 refused to lift the insistence on celibacy for priests. Oh, and stem cell research, which offers breakthroughs in treatments for numerous diseases, including Parkinson's, which the Pope himself suffered from , is also evil and dangerous.

Perhaps the most shocking of • John Paul ll's statements was concerning priestly paedophilia. He claimed that "salvation and forgiveness" should be used to treat the criminals involved , insisting that they be examined in special , secret Catholic courts. Referring to these criminals, he stated , "a great work of

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art may be blemished, but its beauty remains." Right.

So why, I ask myself, has the world fallen in love with this man?

Everybody is lining up to say how fantastic and caring he was. and how much he did for the Church, and the world in general ; the media has gone wild, ranting on and on about him , without much sign of objectivity at all!

If George W. Bush suddenly died, would the media proclaim him to be a linguistic genius and political mastermind? I seriously doubt it. If JeanMarie Le Pen , leader of the xenophobic Front National in France, died , would he be remembered as warmhearted and open? I think not. So why is the Pope an exception? Fine, write about the good deeds he did. Talk about his travelling, his devoutness. his humility. All I ask is that his more controversial actions are mentioned as well; to give the full, honest picture.

As the media is constantly insisting that it tells the truth, it should do just that; tell. the truth , and the whole truth, even about someone as powerful and world famous as the Pope. Don't the public deserve to know the full story, so they can decide for themselves whether or not they like him? Me, I still prefer Ghandi .

economy. The country has recently become the EU's largest trading partner, and this is set to continue. By 2007 Shanghai will possess the world 's tallest building , one that will not look out of place in an already clu stered skyline. The arms embargo that currently exists to prevent China stockpiling weaponry, as a result of the Tiananmen Square massacre , is being re-negotiated by the European Commission in order to further our trade ties with China, despite U.S. pressure to uphold the sanctions.

However, will children be learning Cantonese or Mandarin by 2010 - the time the Chancellor anticipates our exports to China to quadruple?

With only 4000 GCSE students entered for Cantonese or Mandarin in the last year (and most of these are people of Chinese descent, learning . the tongue of their ancestral country) the alleged fa iling popularity of the French language still boasts 320,000 entries, many of which are taking the subject merely because it is compulsory. The stereotypes that exist within our society about the French are hardly conducive to making a subject interesting for pupils, many of whom

will resent the fact they have to learn it. There is not enough emphasis placed on learning foreign languages in our schools, so students believe they do not have to make the effort. If there was a choice about which language to learn , a choice that isn't 'French' or 'German', then kids will not only want to learn the subject more as a result of greater interest they will also ctevelop a better sense of other parts of the world ; of countries that take longer than a 90 minute train ride to get to.

Language can be viewed as the 'gateway into culture'. lt is so much easier to comprehend another culture if one can speak the language. We also need to understand the culture in order for better communication and trading links, and to avert any future political turmoil between China and the West, particularly the European Union. 11 is healthy to increase the language variation in schools for motivating student participation levels.

While learning a European language no longer seems exotic, learning Chinese opens up a doorway to another side of the world. Its language and culture are unknown and

therefore may prove to be exciting territory.

China is the largest growing economy in the world today. Although there is much progress to be made , that achieved so far is designed to allow China to resume its role as the regional power in Asia and to make up for the humiliations and mistakes of the past. Such a view of China does not stop the United States from regarding it , in President Bush's words, as a "strategic competitor''. lt appears inevitable that the expanding Chinese market is one Britain and the EU will want to exploit, and language is essential in this process. Whilst Chinese is the world's most spoken first language - purely because of China's huge population of 1.3 billion - English is the global language. The reasons for this are simple: the British· Empire once stretched across the globe. and it was therefore important for all members of the Empire. or at least their rulers to speak the same language.

In a globalised world Empires no longer exist, but surely it is still prudent to be able to communicate with our trading partners. Economic ties

also lead to more civil and political agreements which could prove invaluable in tackl ing China's abysmal human rights record. The Taiwan issue, one that would seem to pit the United States against the Chinese in a conflict over Taiwan 's independence, will al so need to be addressed in the future. The ability to communicate with th e Chinese will make crisi s prevention an e'asier task in the future world politics .

The government recently declared that it would be spending another £115million on providing foreign language teaching in British schools. Britain has constantly been viewed as 'laggards' in Europe, as most just speak the mother tongue and nothing else. Learning Chinese will prove imperative for any nation that wants to take full advantage of the wider global economy. lt will expand our cultural horizons, invaluable in the current nationalist climate . lt will not only allow one to interact with over a billion people, but will also ensure that the Friday night takeaway ordering is never an exercise in controlled restraint as it is now.

students rushing the stage, grabbing the list and stealing away into the night. Such desperation is understandable, but not justified. it might seem like a stunt like this is the only way to guarantee a house, but what everyone needs to remember is that there are plenty of houses in Norwich - more than enough for· all those who cram into the lecture theatre once a year.

Looking through the list, my flatmates and I noticed several houses that we had already seen - and rejected .

"An immaculately presented semidetached house ..."

There has to be a law against landlords blatantly lying. This house was not immaculately presented , unless the landlord is referring to himself. In fact this house was nothing short of scary. Upon entering we were all equal.ly overwhelmed by the Hyacinth Bucket-style pink flowery wallpaper with matching carpet and a not-so-matching sofa; not even "Ah , a house of boys!" was va lid as an excuse. Upstairs was even worse; one boy had moved out, mysteriously leaving his moderately sized room as a study. Then, as we were informed, his

mattress had been moved into the box room. This box rqom of theirs was probably not used for storing boxes, or even a poor student who had picked the shortest straw, because (once you had managed to push the door open enough to poke your head around the corner) all that could be seen was a carpet-less room with two bare mattresses placed side by side. We didn't ask ...

Something else we didn't ask, but had explained to us by a grinning member of the current household, was why the conifer trees at the bottom of the garden appeared to be verging on charcoal. Unfortunately, during their first week at the house some local school kids had decided to throw petrol bombs into the garden .

Nice.

could probably be explained by the pungent smell of weed throughout the house .

Fortunately, after seeing a series of properties not quite as bad as that one, we found a house we felt we could call home. And , after rushing around sorting out contracts, deposits and letters from guarantors ("No, it's not that I won't pay the rent , it's just in case I disappear or something") in time for Easter, there is something inside me that still wonders whether this is really the end of the great housing kafuffle.

After you get over the fact that you 've got a room in a house, you start thinking about the other people living with you. We had been warned by the Advice Centre, and every now and again I do wonder about the dearly loved housemates that I have chosen to be my own . One keeps mentioning something about adopting stray cats, and the other two have talked about renting a spare room out to squatters and/or tramps on a weekby-week basis to make some extra cash. They must be joking. it must be illegal. Oh please God , please may it be illegal.

before the end of the Spring Semester.

The majority of first years will have attended the housing meeting, and sat for nearly an hour and a half through one particularly 'unique' fire safety video - obviously created back in the day, when videos were the modcon - purely to get their hands on the precious list.

When the list was eventually handed out those not involved in the preceding riotous event will have witnessed something only expected when free beer or food is offered to students. Herds of house-less students bombarded the stage of lecture theatre one - a few even turning and jubilantly waving the precious list in the air, presumably in the direction of their prospective housemates, kindly waiting at the back of the room . (I'm not sure what the scenes were like in Lecture Theatre two- perhaps we could ask the Eurovision-presentertype bloke who had kept us up-to-date beforehand?)

We were quite proud of the fact that we had managed to hold on for 90 minutes and get and our hands on the list. There are stories of terrified

ot only did we not want to rent the house, but we did not even want to be in it for a second longer. The four of us looked around with wide-eyes and made a dive for the front door, whilst the bemused tour-guide continued to describe how the lit conifers had looked like "pretty candles" in the garden. This comment

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A day of mourning in the Vatican The death of Pope John Paul 11 saw millions of people descend on the minute country of Vatican City to glimpse his body for the last time. Laura Cobb was among them. In an emotional few days she took in the sights and sounds of the millions who went to mourn, and those who just went for the show. '

djacent to the Church of St Peter stands the ·Vatican Apartments.

In comparison to the pomp and splendor of San Pietro, the building is modest, bare and even basic in its appearance. it is lined with thirty or so windows, each equipped with its own unique Italian style shutter. it was directly below these windows that the thousands had flocked, and it was here that we · stood for hours under the fading spring sun, on the first weekend after Easter, awaiting the death of Pope John Paul 11.

We walked to the Vatican through the back way, .attempting to avoid the crowds which stopped and started, pressing their way into the square in orderly, British queues. The media had already marked its presence on what was surely the saddest days in the Catholic calendar in a long time. We broke through crowds ofT.V. crews, some standing atop crumbling walls, making reports and taping the commotion with fervour.

Some let their cables pass over the shoulders and wind through the legs of The Virgin Mary, who stood in stone. There were rows of rancid portaloos and clumps of squashed little cameramen trying to peer up my skirt.

The streets heaved with pilgrims and natives alike. The traffic was disrupted by people trying desperately to tame the throngs of beeping cars and shouting pedestrians. On the smooth, paved path leading to the Vatican, stalls were selling memorabilia. One had a stack of china plates displaying fading prints of the Pope with a full head of hair. Another had strings of rosary beads, swaying in the wind.

The Pope had fallen into rapid decline since February 1st, and images of him in fading health and flagging ability were frequently pictured in the worldwide press and television. For Catholics the death pf the Pope is like that of a family friend, and watching him become increasingly infirm must have been incredibly painful. The Pope had communicated to his aids that he wished to confront death in the same manner as Jesus, who struggled until his last breath and did not surrender.

I have been to the Vatican City before and the tourists usually gather like small colonies of ants, collecting in the corners of the square or under the shade of a pillar. it is always busy, but discreetly so, and offers itself in a way that makes the visitor feel entirely alone, a tiny tinny voice reverberating off the thundering walls. On the weekend of the Pope's death it seemed every Roman had left their homes and brought their families to offer a last farewell to the Papa.

The crowds spread like the sea, .and on tiptoes all I could see was a wash of dark heads.

The only space was a thin ring which spread directly below the apartments; this was avoided by the crowds as it was the only place where it was impossible to view the Pope's window.

People stood tightly in compact clusters, all with heads tilted up, watching for the slightest ·flutter of a drape, or passing of a distant shadow.

The mood in the square, although unlike anything I've ever experienced before, was not as the .media described. The pictures that would flash on rotation across tlie news that night would show crowds in tears, or silent awe. Of course some were stood in silent prayer, a few were quietly weeping, but many were laughing, chatting, texting and smoking, stopping at the Vatican laden with bags after spending the day shopping.

The crowds were split with those silenced and in admiration of the occasion, and those a bit indifferent. A woman stood' weeping beside me and lifted her son above the crowds to face the Pope's window, asking him to bid "Ciao" to ·"Papa". Close by nuns stood in constellation, draped in grey and giggling with a group of monks; seemingly the most nonchalant about the whole affair.

Unlil<e in Britain wh ere middle-aged women howled in the streets in memory of Diana, the Italian tone of mourning was discreet. Although many sat in groups and did not pray, no one felt

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obliged to pay their respects through tears or loud expression. Most of us watched and waited and the atmosphere became almost festival-like, groups of every sort of person, sitting in appreciation of the same occurrence. A group of

American students were even seated with sleeping bags and flasks. From living in a country swamped in a superficial obsession with celebrity, it was remarkable to be part of a worship and adoration of someone so removed from vanity.

• • • • •he Vatican was awash with those eager to pay their last respects to "Papa", and hordes of people spilled over and into each other, squashing toes and elbowing ribs in the process. However, a soft and peaceful hush seemed to cling to the spring air, until around four o'clock, when the stillness was punctuated by the waves of chants. I'll never forget the way the crowd shivered with the words, "Oh Karol", the Pope's real name, followed by a thunderous ripple of applause over and over again. Later we would hear that the Pope had communicated to his assistants that he had heard the chants and was thankfuJ for the enormous attendance. No one was told this at the time.

Cameras were prohibited from the square, yet reporters crept in, eager to find a unique angle or voice with which to capture the moment.

Those from the Vatican press listened anxiously for an articulate·ltalian tongue. English journalists haggled for quotes with their fellow speakers.

Italy is a catholic country and their religion is shared by young and old. Pictures of Pope John Paul 11 hang in restaurants and shops between photos of footballers and Coca Cola icemakers.

In the hours we spent in the St Peter's Square, it was incredible to see men in their tight jeans and waxed leathers, eyebrows plucked and hair coiffured, praying for their Papa.

Word had spread that when the Pope passed, a tolling of bells would sound through the Vatican and then reverberate through the city by means of the many churches. Frequently the bells sound to indicate the time, and all eyes would leap theatrically from gazing at the Pope's apartment window to momentarily staring at the clock. The ambience was threatening and tense, as though a dark-cloud was looming over Rome, and there was a sense that we were all naiv.ely waiting for something that had already happened.

Vatican City is the world's smalles.t country, with its own government, police force and media.

That weekend the Vatican press office was kept in constant demand with journalists requests for information. The crowds too were desperate for insight into the Pope's condition, and there were constant whispers both in the press and through the square that he had passed and the masses had not been told. it was difficult to know when to leave. it was as though we feared moving from the tiled stone we were set in, in case the moment we squeezed our way through the crowds and into an endless toilet queue, would be the moment the bells rung sincerely.

The tube trains for San Pietro were swamped with those citizens eager to bid a final goodbye to their Papa. In our hotel room, CNN covered every detail of what would become the Pope's final hours and the particulars of his ailments.

That evening, after hours of waiting and watching, Pope John Paul 11 died at 9.37pm. The bell was rung and the city raised its head to the sound, then offered it down in praise.

Roman legend has it that the night before Julius Caesar was assassinated, the city quaked with a thunderstorm. As a consequence, Italians view extreme and unexpected weather with suspicion, associating it gravely with death. On command, the night before the Pope passed away, Rome had shook and shuddered with thunder and rain.

The next day we watched cable television and the professions of grief were remarkable.

MTV offered a text service allowing viewers to express their feelings of grief. Teenagers as young as fourteen declared their sorrow for a Father who had changed their lives, touching upon the well-being of every young person.

The following day we flew home. Tired and depleted I switched on local radio, anticipating a similar, sympathetic, agreement in sadness. The DJ tells me to expect a "slowed down show", as "we're grieving". Apparently the attorney who saved OJ Simpson from jail had died.

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The Conceptio--ns of Poverty The .Economics of Poverty One of the most acclaimed BBC correspondents, Fergal Keane has witnessed war in Sudan and genocide in Rwanda, while his recent autobiography addresses his personal conflict with alcohol. On a recent visit to the literary festival, he talked to Philip Sainty about his concerns for the future of journalism and ·at Africa.

Ph~to: Philp Banks

aving started his career in journalism on the Limerick Leader and Chronicle in 1979 Fergal Keane went on to ~ork for • the BBC in Northern Ireland, Africa and the WIII Balkans. He has earned many awards for dedication to his trade, including a BAFTA and the Index on Censorship Award for Outstanding Commitment to Journalistic Integrity. The latter alone would qualify him to comment on the direction of the modern media; when it is combined with a career that spans more than twenty-five years and has involved all aspects of·journalism, from print to broadcast, he is an undisputed authority. His latest book, 'all of these people' signals a departure from his previous works, focusing on the relationships that have been forged throughout his life. The lucid style that enabled him to provide salient comment on atrocities like · Rwanda has facilitated an approach to personal issues that many writers would probably avoid.

While the focus is on the alcoholism from which both

he and his father suffered, there is no glamour or condemnation, just a fluid account tt-at moves

journalists, the lack of engagement with the news as a source of information is potentially damaged, not •

people with great expertise, but we now live in an age with if!slant decisions .and instant deadlines, and all in a 24 hour period, so that the space for the portal of the informed is diminished. You can't sub· contract all the expertise, there's go to be space for the informed opinion."

When he went to Rwanda in 1984, it was a pivotal moment in his career. The atrocities were overshadowed by the culmination of apartheid and, while at the time he was working for BBC radio, he found himself reporting on Rwanda for Panorama. "I knew 'Gorillas in the Mist' - you know Sigourney Weaver - I'd been listening to Focus on Africa, for the Beeb, but it was background noise. When the genocide started, I remember going to the news office that was next door to us and seeing bodies going down the river. I thought 'God, that looks bad', bu1 we didn't really pick up on the significance of what was going on." His presence in Rwanda was purely circumstantial: "I was a radio reporter and I told them that I was a radio reporter. So, at the time, when Panorama approached me I just thought it was a chance to prove myself on TV. I aldn't think 'there is a genocide and I'm going to go and cover it', which was very naive of me."

Since Rwanda, he has persevered with raising issues relating to Africa and development. With the current interest surrounding campaigns like Make Poverty History and the charitable actions that awoke from the Asian Tsunami, he has clear ideas on how to ensure that knowledge of these issues gets better and we don't start to suffer from 'corn· passion fatigue'. "You get into this business of making people feel awful by presenting them with a particular image on television, but no understanding of what the problem actually is. Darfur, for example, seems to be perceived as one of these things that just happens in Africa and there's no attention paid to the political and economic ideas that make these things happen and they have got to be addressed."

He is clear abou1· the relationship the media has when it comes to raising awareness of issues and people's apparent lack of engagement with them: "I don't think people are unwilling to understand these problems, I think we [the media] have failed to make them understand. I talked to a lot of people in Nairobi at a conference_ about African Identity and they all peO- think that Make Poverty History and The Campaign for Trade Just1ce are great things, but we've got to understar:'d why Africa's in the state it is in and what we've done to contribute to that. We've also got to understand that Africans are remarkably talented and ingenious and if we keep going with these images of the fly-speckl'ed baby and the white angel of mercy always having to descend into the middle of it, then we're never going to allow Africans their proper dignity and proper dignity is at the root of allowing Africans to rebuil~ their continent."

Patronising, pre-Apartheid notions of the childlike African occur throughou1 his various works, a notion that people were reluctant to let go of and a perception that has to'_be addressed. He feels that his role in this process is to start portraying the Africa with which peopl~ in the west can relate to equitably. Economic development must adjoin conceptual development amongst the rich world. lt is not just the new generation of journalists that are intrinsic to this process, bu1 all of us: "lt is critical that this generation, that grows up in the shadow of global terrorism - which is out there and is very terrifying, but not as terrifying as people are led to believe realises that there's got to be space for a new idealism. Don't ~thy away from that word. People go on about 'realpolitik', I believe in 'real idealism': pick up small things that you can achieve something on and build on them. To set out to change the world means you will be defeated at the first hurdle; but to win· littie battles is certainly achievable.•

"You find if you go into a remote African conflict, every .warlord • · have a satellite phone; they have the numbers and the I • SI•de 0 f th e story across ·f.lrSt ., p e to ea II ' so t hey can get t helr between the pleasurable experiences in life and those that are potentially destructive.

Despite an ostensibly dark subject matter, he continually asserts that he is an optimist and this is in no way contradicted by his approach to questions about his experience. His responses are always future-orientated and never d~ell on prollems, only solutions. In an account of his first job, as a junior on the Limerick Leader and Chronicle, Keane tells how his first Editor threatened to throw him out of the window for misattributing a quote. Such cttention to the craft is, Keane feels, being lost amongst the revolutions of the new media, "A lot of people now aspiring to the industry- and I don't wart to sound like an old phogey seem to be motivated by the drive to ba famous.

They've lost tt'e intellectual curiosity a1d there's an absence of an engagement with the world of words, which I really think has to be addressed."

Possibly, this is derived from the way(s) in which the media is perceived by many people.

In career terms, it can seem a glamorous solution to the often perplexing question "What do I want to do with my life?"

Without the inlial stimuIus of clarified enquiry for

least because of the ingenuity of the modern world "The emerging crisis, as I can see it, is in informalion. There is a phenomenal amount of information comi.ng in and the problem is twofold. We're more susceptible to propaganda, not just what people on the left or liberals might see as Big Government propaganda; small guerrilla groups are now incredibly sophisticated; lobby groups are now remarkably attuned to the 24 hour news cycle, if you consider the recent events involving the hostages taken in Iraq and the easy way they managed to get their images aired. You find if you go into a remote African conflict, every warlord will have a satellite phone; they have the numbers and the people to call, so they can get their side of the story across first.•

H

is first Front Page story at the Limerick was about a group of African men who had been refused entry to a local nightclub because of their colour. The story was portentous of a career that was to be entwined with the African continent. Keane's first encounter with Africa was the 'Ladybird book of Africa', which he read as a child. it was the first time he had encountered segregation and it instilled in him an interest of the country.

He first visited the continent in 1983, when he went to Sudan and "glimpsed one of the longest running conflicts in the history of that country". He was also there for the dissolution of Apartheid. He found that the problems of revealing the crisis in Sudan were akin to his later experience with Rwanda: "Similar to Rwanda, there was a massive knowledge deficit. I think that's my main critique now of foreign n'ews; I'm not saying it has always been done by'

Fergal Keane's book all of these people, published by Harper Collins, is available to buy now.

Putting an end to poverty is within the grasp of this generation, argues Special Advisor to the UN and esteemed development economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs in his new book The End of Poverty. He spoke to Philip Sainty about what it will take for the rich world to meet their commitments to the poor. onceptualising the suffering of the 30,000 people who die in the world every day as a direct result of extreme poverty is not an easy task. Surprising then, that a book entitled The £nd of Poverty: How we can make it happen in our lifetime, which suggests a brevity of information, is so approachable, concise and genuinely uplifting.

Taking a moment to relax from an arduous publicity tour that incorporates an address to the LSE (which sold out of 450 tickets in four hours), Professor Jeffrey Sachs tells us how he hopes the book will • ...clarity what I think is a pretty confusing situation for a lot of people."

Potentially confusing, yes, but Sachs' succinct style conveys the technical details of global economics with remarkable clarity. Beginning by charting the various economic careers of the world's countries, Professor Sachs' book provides an engaging account of why some countries have fared better than others and highlights the limitations of . development economics, both in the way it is taught and the way it is employed. By drawing parallels with his wife's medical training, he recommends a clinical approach, where problems are assessed individually in order to 'prescribe' a cure.

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations is employed throughout the book as a touchstone for this process. Widely accepted as the 'Father of economics during the enlightenment, Smith is largely remembered as the pioneer of free trade and open markets - the idea that trade should occur without intervention from governments or the hindrance of legislature - and, as such, was heralded during the economic boom of the 80's. Free Trade is now regarded as the current bugbear of the developing world and, in such a light, citing Smith in a work about ending poverty - a goal that necessitates global financial intervention - may seem an anachronism or, at worse, irrelevant.

Sachs' motivation for citing Smith could be regarded as an attempt to appease his academic that they are the miracle solution. I am a believer in signifier of a larger problem: "What concerns me sometimes rather casually accepting the conditions audience, bu1 as the book progresses, Sachs highmore t1an Mr. Wolfowitz is the position of the US of the poorest countries, is because the countries lights just how much of Smith has been 1orgotten open trade and I think that it can do a lot of good bu1 it doesn't reach places where the poorest of the poor Government, which I regard as no part of the global are judged mainly by macroeconomic sustainability. and, just as Smith was seized on during the SO's for live with any regularity. 1t certainly doesn't reach consersus right now on how to help the poorest If prices in a country are stable, then they [the IMF] advocating free trade, Sachs uses the work to provide lessons from the enlightenment that are just as them fast enough and powerfully enough to reach countries and is not doing the job that needs to be say that the country is doing well, even if the counthem out of the poverty trap:• Not only does he done especially around development assistance. try is suffering from hunger and disease. To me pertinent to the issue of development. Remarking how fitting it is that this year's GB summit should be explain the importance of geography and how it has They are not making concrete efforts towards reachthat's not enough. Let's not judge the IMF by price shaped the successes and failures of countries to ing 0.7% of GNP, which is just what they promised stability, let's judge the IMF and the World Bank and held in Scotland, the birthplace of the Scottish EnligNenment he answers the questi6n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ the other ~slli~~ns by ach~ve-

us

?1d~~e~:;~: s:~hm~~;~i s:~~~~~::~~ "What concerns me is the position of the govern~: ~~~.f~~~~~~: :~~:r~~=~e~~~; ~~n~~ ment, which I regard as no part of the global consensus

right now on hOW to help the poorest COUntries" •

believe. Yes he did. believe in ~ree:markets; but he was w1ser than th1s s1mple belief that free markets could solve all the world's problems. He tells us right at the beginning of the Wealth of Nations, how some regions are really disadvantaged compared to others. That's a very basic point, because we like to pretend that everyone's running the same race, but some people are facing challenges that we don't have to face, and we should acknowledge that and help them to do it."

Challenges that are faced by the developing world are clearly encapsulated in the notion of the 'ladder of development'. Sachs takes us through the various stages on the ladder that the different regions in the world are on and explains the factors that have put them there. The most impoverished regions of the world are hampered by their location, endemic to which are diseases, such as AIDS and malaria, and geographical situations that support only meagre agriculture with the result that they do not even make it on to the first rung. Without getting this first foot on the ladder, there is no hope for ascension, which means that there is no hope of developing the kind of industry they would need to cure their problems; they are truly ensconced in the poverty trap.

Geography is one of the key elements of poverty and a notion to which Sachs continually returns.

Far from an opponent of free trade, he emphasises how other factors must be taken into consideration: "Free Trade is not enough; markets are not enough.

Even if you are a believer in free trade, don't believe

get on the ladder of development, his experience has made it of central concern to his clinical approach to economic assessment. During his twen~ ty-five year career, he has tackled Bolivia's hyperinflation, Poland's graduation from a socialist to a market economy and the dissolution of the USSR. He advised the Bush Snr Government to aid post-Cold War Russia in its rise out of economic stagnation, but the advice was rebuffed due, in part, to a defence administration led by Paul Wolfowitz, that continued to see Russia as a threat, despite the end of the Cold War. w

olfowiz was recently a controversial appointment as head of the World Bank. Considering the history, was Professor Sachs concerned about the appointment? "I haven't spoken to Mr. Wolfowitz since he got the nomination and appointment. I have sent him a copy of the book and I hope that he's reading it. We don't know how well he'll do with the World Bank, as this has never been his area, which concerns me a lot because I don't think this is the kind of job where one should appoint people without experience and he doesn't have the right kind of experience. But he's there; so I'm hoping that he will come to some accurate ideas.· For Sachs, though, the app,ointment of Paul Wolfowitz is not the most concerning thing, rather it is a small

to do a'ld they're not living up to it. This is a very serious problem for the US and for the world because the US thinks it can solve all the problems through militar)' approaches and this is going to make the world more dangerous for everybody."

COl'lmitting 0.7% of a country's turnover (GNP) to light poverty is something which each of the 191 UN mEmber countries have pledged to do. The aim is to halve extreme poverty by 2015 and eliminate it by 2025. At the moment, the US, Britain and others are no! on target for fulfilling this quota. In one of the most r3sonant chapters, Sachs describes h0w the Bush tax cuts (which have been of the greatest benefit to households earning in excess of $200,000) would ~ave fulfilled the US' commitment to the MDG on thei' own. Likewise, the Iraq war cost as much in the first year as the 0.7% commitment required. For Sachs, commitment to the MDG is the binding promise belween the member states, the obligations of which must be fulfilled if extreme poverty is to be eliminated. c ·urrently, however, the criteria for economic assessment and changes in policy need to be addressed: ''The International Monetary Fund (IMF) tells these countries to hold down their spending on health and education because that's all they have, withow realising that what it should be doing is telling :he rich ~ountries to help those countries.do a lot more and the reason the IMF takes that view,

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accountability; we have a set of goals that all191 member countries of the United Nations have adopted, that the IMF aild World Bank - at least rhetorically - have adopted, that the UN agencies and the donor agencies in principal - have adopted. If we took those goals seriously as bencnmarks, so that th~ IMF stopped thinking only about price stability in Ethiopia but thinks about all the children that are dying; that the World Bank stops thinking about specific projects, bu1 asks whether extreme poverty, hunger and disease are being bought under control, then behaviour would change and the recognition that we need more financial help from the rich world directed at the practical investments that could help to solve very practical problems. The more we have a consensus on this, the more we are going to have a coherent approach."

These practical solutions form the core of Sachs' recommendations, which, in honour of the Scottish Enlightenment thinkers he admires, he has termed "Global Enlightenment". By doing so, he has synthesised Smith's approach with the new era of global development, an era which needs to rise up to many new forms of ~ooperation and understanding.

The End Of Poverty: How we can make it happen in our lifetime is published by Penguin and is available now.

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16 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

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Concrete Wednesday. April 2(]", 2005

www.concrete-online.com

Vote or ·Die.• .from MRSA When we _found out that the election was on the 5th of May, we had to wait a couple of weeks· before Tony Blair offi.cially announced it. Now that campaigning is in full swing, Simon Sheridan tries to deflate the balloon of apathy with the needle of importa.nce in an in-depth look atall the election tid-bits.

Labour * The economy speaks for itself. Labour will be strongest in this area, as there is much evidence of improvements in public services.

• Therefore, the campaign focuses on more compassionate' issues, namely Africa, arms control and HIV treatment.

The International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn, has been vocal in his desire to make poverty a cen-.

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tral issue of the next Labour government, and Blair's Commission for Africa is also a response to public concern over poverty.

• Labour is also keen to cite its reputation for education, with its 'parents as partners' initiative aimed at persuading sections of the middle class to vote for them.

• Labour and the major parties are keeping quiet about the EU during the campaign. Quite simply the EU does not strike a chord with voters.

eeing as the General Election is only just around the corner, it would be useful to highlight what we should be voting for, and what we should be wary of when casting our ballot.

The next general election is looming ever closer, and it is therefore imperative for everyone to assess what it is they want from their representatives. The political field has been awash with controversy and debate for a number of years now, yet it is somewhat disheartening for some to find Tony Blair is still Prime Minister, despite being proven to have lied about Saddam Hussein's WMD, or more pertinently, the lack of them. While this is a subject the PM continues to distance himself from, any victory for Labour will allow him to finally brush the whole sorry situation under the carpet, as George W. Bush has done in America.

The fact that he will win as a result of a disgracefully inefficient Conservative Party 9r a 'nice, but not fit for governing~ Liberal Democrat Party will. not make a jot of difference to Blair himself. The jumping on the bandwagon of Michael Howard's latest gaffe is evidence enough of this happening .. . · .

Howard Flight, now ex-Vice Cha(rman of the Conservative Party, was not at his most astute when he told a private investors group about Tory plans to cut money from mainline public services.

Their election campaign is based on a tax cut, but this will be mainly funded through reducing the civil service and not by taking money from health and edl!cation. The British public will not stand for that. lt is for this reason that Michael Howard's reaction in sacking Flight was so desperate, but it is also ·the reason for Labour's hypocritical yet politically judicious move to criticise the Tories for all they are worth. A succession of Labour MPs, from backbenchers to Cabinet ministers appeared on television in ·a state of amused vigour, condemning Conservative lies and proudly expounding their view it was all part of the Tory plan - essentially to lie to the electorate in order to regain power.

However, there are some notable flaws in this line of argument. Firstly it is somewhat dubious to claim that the Tories, despite their history of annoying the public, would ever tell such a baldfaced lie. The difference between Howard Flight's tax cut and the actual Conservative manifesto is

S

Conservative * Crime and immigration are the

Tory Party's major electoral issues. Rising crime rates in inner cities and 'yob' culture across the country will be sure to persuade some voters that Michael Howard can make their neighbourhoods safer. * This leads into immigration policy, with the Conservatives proposing a points-based system allowing only worthwhile im,(lligrants into the country.

some £30billion, and this is based on policy over several years, not one massive cut as soon as they take office. lt hardly seems likely the Party would raise the cut by some 500% upon seizing power, although some changing of the figures is inevitable. However, the whole issue throws up a number of questions about elections in general, namely the habit of politicians to deceive the public. Labour has wasted no time in criticising the Tories, but they can hardly claim to be any more honest than the Conservative Party.

For example, in the 2001 Labour election manifesto a small but highly important sentence illustrates this point rather nicely. lt says, " .. .we -remain committed against the introduction of university top-up fees .. .". This one has already been broken, and the Iraq War of 2003 represents

Once again this will bode well with many voters across the country as the tabloid press grossly exaggerates the 'problem' of immigration.

• As far as education is concerned, the Tories are trying to strike a chord with the current school discipline crisis. They will also introduce a voucher scheme which will allow some families to reclaim their state education tax in order to go private. A similar scheme may be introduced for healthcare as well.

Liberal Democrats • The Lib Dems once again are using tax as a key issue. They will scrap council tax, instead introducing a local income tax, making the system fairer. They may also raise the level of national income tax to facilitate investment in health and education.

• This money will be used to fund over 20,000 new ·teachers and

New Labour has certainly made our lives betterwhen we vote we must decide whether these improvements were worth the cost. it's a tough question. A democratic government should not have to appear to the public's sense of perspective, as Peter Hain, Labour MP and Leader of the House did in a recent article in The Guardian. He feels it proper to not vote for the Liberal Democrats as doing so will mean a Conservative victory. Let us forget for a second about this gross breach of the democratic standard and reflect for a minute on why we vote in the first place. We vote for a party who we deem will meet our needs and wants in the 5 years to come. We should not have to 'weigh up' the options as we are .constantly compelled to do.

Why should we be forced to choose between one

classroom assistants, in order to cut class sizes. The Lib Dems will also repeal tuition fees for university education.

• In the foreign policy arena, the Liberal Democrats will be distinctly European in their approach. Their Foreign Affairs spokesman, Sir Menzies Campbell was essentially the only MP to mount a full and consistent criticism of the Iraq War in PMQs and it can be expected they will be highly sensitive to public opinion when dealing with any such issues again.

partic.ularly those involving guns. Although the. criminals themselves are clearly the most responsible, it must be remembered that they operate in an environment that allows them to do so, whether it is lack of decent policing or the fact they have no other way to make money or entertain themselves. The current 'Yob' culture in many British towns and cities is a result of New Labour policies. Ignoring issues such as crime will cost the party dearly, and is perhaps the only area where the Conservative Party can claim to be ahead of their rivals.

Once again the Tory party's pandering to those of a nationalist persuasion is evidence that many within Britain are not comfortable with foreign people living and working here. it can and has been argued that the recent 'chav' phenome-

Labour has done much to improve inner city areas, but the question is how much difference have they made? Crime is perhaps the only area where the Conservatives can claim to be ahead of their ·rivals. another issue in which Blair and his Cabinet lied in order to force through an unpopular policy. This is the most interesting parallel to the current Tory predicament. Those Labour MPs who tried to highlight the lie, or opposed the war on other grounds, were summarily forced away from the public view. Robin Cook resigned as Leader of the House; Clare Short tried her best to persuade MPs but failed. These are all people who were vilified for 'telling the truth' by their party, something Howard Flight will be very familiar with. These are the officials we should be trusting.

Of course, the Iraq War was a massive issue in the politics of this country, but only insofar as it was highly visible, as war generally is. The criticism over the war has taken much away from the success of New Labour in other social areas, particularly in the economy. The days of Thatcherite 'boom and bust' seem over thanks to Gordon Brown's skilful yet compassionate handling of the economy; the NHS is now finally beginning to improve, having been static or in decline for many years since the Conservatives were in power; school grades continue to increase; and Britain as a whole is improving on its position as a world leader in scientific and technological research.

thing or another? Hain's article suggests we should vote for Labour because in general they have done a good job. Try telling that to the 100,000 Iraqis who have been killed since the war started. The £10 bHiion or so we have spent so far on the war would have been much better spent on, well take your pick: better school meals for children; more NHS beds; better homeland security; more policeman on the street; tackling general poverty in inner-city areas and university top-up fees.

The point is that with a few exceptions, each party will simply maintain the country, with either a few improvements or blemishes, depending on their luck in office. Our concern should be choosing a party who will not negfect social institutions (democracy is not about what you as an individual want; it is also about those who are less fortunate than yourself receiving the political support they need}. This would rule out the Conservative party almost completely - their harmonising about being the 'party of the poor' is a rather na'ive attempt at chasing votes. As mentioned, Labour has done much to improve the inner city areas, but the question is how much difference have they made? In 8 years crime rates are up,

non is a response by many young British working class people to the rise in the visibility of other cultural manifestations, most notably hip-hop.

While this is not simple racism, it should be remembered that the current nationalistic tone of the country is one that, for various reasons, has flourished under' Labour. Far from being egalitarian in their approach, Blair's government has been socially divisive, whether this is between various classes, races or religions. The War in Iraq has alienated many Muslim voters who would ordinarily vote Labour. Constituency seats such as Bethnal Green are under threat because of this.

The MP George Galloway, expelled from the Labour Party for protesting the war, is running for this seat as a Respect candidate, and the Muslim population in this area may well put him in office as· a result of one botched Labour policy. This phenomenon will be apparent in other 'swing' constituencies, such as Cardiff Central, which has the highest percentage of student voters in the country.

Young people will be a key factor in the election, and it would do us all good to make our voices heard.

Colaett Wednesday, April 20th, 2005

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 17

www.concrete-online.com

Teeing off in Tashkent Concrete's Sam Webber recently met one of the most iconic British ambassadors for many years. As the UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray tried to reverse decades of inequality and human rights abuses in the resource-rich, but desperately poor central Asian country. But some were adamant he not succeed ... fed". There is no pay at all to those under age, so child labour is basically insisted upon by the state.

Murray insists that much of the conon in our clothes would be Uzbek cotton, but adds that it is not wrinen on a clothes label where the conon is from, consequently the consumer cannot boycott a particular brand if·there is no way of telling the origin of the conon. Apparently all conon pur·

of his dead body, which Murray had analysed.

The wife was later given a sentence of 7 years hard labour for talking out. He later negotiated with the authorities and had her sentence reduced to a fine that the British Embassy paid.

Murray's willingness to speak out about the horrific conditions in Uzbekistan did not fmpress his bosses in Whitehall . He immediately telegrammed the Foreign Office once he discov·

"All staff and students are forced to pick cotton for three months. 80 kilos a day or you simply don't get fed." chases must go through the Liverpool conon exchange, so the former Ambassador hints that pressure could be exerted through this channel in the future .

Gold mining is briefly mentioned as the other main industry within Uzbekistan , although Murray stresses that President Karimov, "takes about 10% of gold sales revenue for himself, as his main source of personal income". Karimov's daughter, who works in government assisting the privatisation of state owned industries, has also managed to acquire a decent living from simply stealing large chunks of these companies. She now owns the Coca Cola bottling plant in Tashkent , as well as a half of a mobile telephone company. it appears from our far off perspective that corruption is rife within Uzbekistan. Indeed, in their annual Corruption Perception Index, Transparency International ranked Uzbekistan as the 114th most corrupt country in the world along with the likes of Honduras and Zimbabwe.

• • • • • h e former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, visited UEA at the end of last term .

Having risen quickly through the ranks within the Diplomatic Service, it was a shock when he was suspended from the post in November 2004, before finally being laid off in February of this year. He is now standing as an Independent candidate in the seat of Blackburn at the general election to try and get rid of the sit· ting MP there • Foreign Secretary Jack Straw · but more of that later.

Murray spoke at a packed meeting on cam· pus, before going to Livewire to be interviewed, and then talking to Concrete's Political Editor. He gave an incredible insight into the litlle known country of Uzbekistan, and highlighted the human rights violations taking place within it.

He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1984, after graduating with an MA in Modern History from Dundee University. Journalists have described his career within the Foreign Office as a "model of upward progress", and one brief glance at his CV would show how successful his career had been up until his recent dismissal.

Having briefly worked on the South Africa desk at the Foreign Office in Whitehall , he then went to Lagos in Nigeria, and later to Ghana and Poland.

His appointment as an Ambassador, whilst still only in his early 40s, clearly marked the start of even bigger opportunities.

Upon arrival in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, he quickly discovered that very linle was expect· ed of him in this new and exciting post.

He states, quite seriously that, "If I'd done absolutely bugger all except play golf, the Foreign Office would have had no difficulties with me at all". The powers that be clearly picked the wrong man to while away his years on the golf course, because Craig Murray immediately wanted to get to know Uzbekistan and the apparent problems there.

He quickly discovered that the then govern· ment comprised of exactly the same people as the government of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan, pre 1989. President Islam Karimov came to power in 1989, and he remains head of state today. Murray learnt that the major industry

in Uzbekistan is conon production , with almost all of the citizens helping out for three months of the year when the conon is harvested. They are paid roughly $2 per month and have to work 12 hours a day. The numerous conon farms have never been privatised, so therefore are state owned, with the product being sold for only about 3% of what it actually should be. In neighbouring Kazakhstan where the conon industry is largely privatised, this is not a problem at all .

Murray spoke movingly about how schools and universities are shut during the conon har· vest; "All staff and students are forced to pick cot· ton for three months. it's worse than Dickensian".

He went on to explain that a police stamp or exit visa is required to leave the conon farm , so con· sequently many children born on the farms are unlikely to leave them. He added, "Kids as young as seven are out there picking conon . 80 kilos a day of raw conon each or you simply don't get

ue to Uzbekistan's proximity to Afghanistan , the United States set up an air base there in 2001 , as the war on terror commenced shortly after 9/11 . Prior to the establishment of the air base, the US donated about $30 million each year to Uzbekistan in foreign aid . The annual donation now exceeds $500 million per year.

Murray highlighted that this amount of aid is more than the US gives to the entire region of West Africa. Whether that amount is justified or exces· sive is a maner of opinion.

As word spread throughout the country of Craig Murray's genuine concern for the plight of the Uzbeks, he learnt about several horrific cases, many of which he is puning into a book to be published later this year. One such case involved a 69-year·old man who had been boiled alive and had his finger nails removed as a pun· ishment. His wife had taken several photographs

D

ered that the CIA and MI5 were using intelligence which had been obtained under torture, which proved connections Uzbeks might have had with Osama Bin-Laden. Murray insisted that this was obtained under threats of death, but was told by his bosses that the intelligence was not illegal and indeed, that it was very valuable to the war on terror.

Murray's Scottish determination never deserted him, and he continued to remind the Foreign Office about this intelligence, until they started to brief against him to the British press.

Clearly by the summer of 2004 everybody in the Foreign Office from the Foreign Secretary down wanted Craig Murray out. When a telegram from Murray was 'mysteriously' leaked to the Financial Times in October 2004, Jack Straw had the per· feet reason to suspend him from his duties.

Murray does not appear bitter about his predicament, as he sips his coffee in the Blend, immaculately titled out in a three-piece suit. He is however hoping, perhaps forlornly, to oust Jack Straw from his parliamentary seat of Blackburn .

Murray explains his candidacy further, "it is really just to highlight that Jack Straw took the decision that we should use intelligence material which is obtained through torture. He took that decision." When asked whom this mes· sage is being pitched at, Murray clarifies· "I'm pitching my message at Labour voters who are sick of this government's foreign policy. These people may have been Labour all their fives, but they don't like following George Bush" Murray is highly unlikely to become the next Member of Parliament for Blackburn , but he is keen to raise awareness about the plight of the Uzbek people he tried to help whilst he was Ambassador. "Central Asia is a blank one for British people and there are fewer than 100 Uzbeks living in Britain." Explaining the horrific situation within this far off country is certainly going to be a challenging task.

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CUT SHORT Norf~lk County Council could receive [20 million from central gov· ernment to encourage improvements in both primary and secondary education; reducing crime; cutting domestic waste; improving road safety, pub lic tra nsport and much more .

The grant will come as a reward if key goals, which the county is already on target fo r, are achieved by 2006.

SAVE OUR SPECIES he end is draw1ng near. Soon m ost of us will have to unde rta ke the ordeal o f str ip p1n g our wa ll s naked , t1p pex1 n g ove r blu e tac m arks, cunning ly pos iti o nin g fur n it u re ove r a co upl e o f particularl y nas ty Bai leys a n d Ri be n a stains (o r m ay be th a t's ju st m e ) a nd lugging our precio us be lo ngin gs to a new address or back ho m e fo r summ e r. At this time I as k yo u a ll to con s ider th e timel ess beauty th a t is Fe ng Shui . Yes, dispel from your life th e trapping o f ra mpa nt co ns um e n sm l G1ve yo ur life- fo rce room to roam II Rid yo urse lf of unn eces sa ry be lo ng ings and bes tow upo n th e m a new a nd ful fi ll ing l1fe servi ng so m e person needi er th an yourse lf!!! He re are some 1deas ..

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Charity shops are always looking fo r dece nt qu ality items, from fu rn iture and ap pl iances (whi ch they mi ght eve n offe r to pick up fo r yo u 1f you ask n1 ce ly) , to boo ks, bric·a-b ri c, clo th es a nd s hoes.

There a re loa d s o f c han ty sho ps sca tte red a ro und No rwich, so pi ck yo ur favo urite !

UEA bookstore will g lad ly ta ke yo ur books o ff yo u fo r a co upl e o f quid . But yo u m ig ht get a bette r d ea l fo r yo ur o ld be loved textbooks by ad ve rt is ing th e m in your de pa rt m ent's common roo m . O r you cou ld just give them to a frien d in th e yea r be low.

Ebay IS an excel lent way to get some money from all the random junk yo u have lying around wh il e trading magazines (available m all newsagents) are better for anything larger l1 ke bikes, stereos and microwaves _

Old mobile phones can be taken to a ny Oxfam shop where th ey wdl be recycled a nd th e profi ts (£5 o n ave rage I) used to hel p fu nd t he ir cam paigns.

Altern at ive ly you ca n se nd them fr eepost to: Oxfa m Brin g Brin g Sche m e, Freepos t LON 16281, Lo ndo n. WC1 N 3BR .

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There's a very self-centred reason for caring about life around us he Mill en niu m Ecosystem As sess m e nt (MA) , ca ll ed for by UN Secretary Ge neral Ko fi Annan , publi s hed a mamm o t h re po rt on Marc h 30t h wh1 ch maintain s we have been usi ng ecosys tem serv1ces unsusta inab ly, and if we continu e to a bu se th ese se rvices, th e be nefit s we ga 1n fr om th e m wil l diminish.

Unli ke o ther co ns erva tion reports, th e MA looks o nl y at how hu ma ns can get th e eco no m ic m ax imum fro m ecosyste m s, 1gno rin g biodi ve rsi ty's inhe rent va lu e. Des pite how we d istance ourselves fro m th e natural world we a re heav il y re li a nt upo n it and the se rvices it pro· vid es. The wood that mad e thi s pa pe r ca m e fro m a fore st, the cl oth es we wea r co me from cotton plant s, th e wa te r we drink is bi o log ically reg ula ted a nd th e co mpos iti o n o f the a ir we brea th is m a inta in ed by bi ogeoc hemi ca l cycles.

Th e re po rt , written by ove r 1,300 scie nt ists fro m 9 5 countri es, contains few new fi nd 1ngs · eve ryone a lready knows we ' re abusi ng the pl anet 's resources, but it IS the sca le of the report, as the first comp rehensive 'ea rth hea lth-check', that makes 1ts 1mpact far grea ter than the sum of 1ts const ituen t pa rt s. Th e gloomy findings confirm th at if we continue w1th busmess as us ual, th e futu re is not some· where we will wan t to live.

The MA hig hl ight s the d iscrepancy between the im porta nce of ecosystems to o u r economy and the lack of protection for them. lt is as if t he imagination requ ired to co nn ect th e economy with the natural wo rld is just not the re . Bu t as th e eco no mi st He rm a n Daley sa1d 'the natu· ral wo rld is the en vel o pe tha t co nt ain s , s ustains an d p rov isio ns fo r t he economy, no t th e oth e r way ro und ' Scient ists estim ate th e to ta l va lue of ea rth 's ecosyste m service s at $33 tri ll 1on,

but few gove rnm e nt s have bee n ab le to m ake mo re concrete va lu es fo r i nd ividua l resou rces.

Fo r examp le the cos t of food does no t represent the cos t of water pollu tio n by the ca used nu t rie nt s needed to he lp grow it.

The va lue of a clean water sys· tem , bo th above and below ground is u n known an d ofte n 1gnored.

Co nseq uen tl y ecosystems con ti n ue to be deg rad ed . Th e MA s howed how 6o% o f all ecosystems inves t igated a re be in g d a m aged a nd th eir a bility to provid e us with th eir se rvices e ro d'ed . As th e re po rt sta rkly con clud es "Hum a n activity is puttin g s uc h a st ra in o n th e natural fun ct ions o f Ea rth tha t th e a bility o f th e pla net's ecosyste m s to s ustain fut ure genera ti o ns can no longer be taken for granted ". Fishe ri es a re a pa rti cula rl y stro ng exam pl e. Cod stocks m the north At lantic crashed a ft e r hav1ng been fis hed unsustamably. The worrying facto r is that since they crashed 1n the late 1980s the fishing has stop ped b ut the fish popu la· lions have not recovered , suggesting the ecosystem has been changed permanent· ly. The number of examples of other nonlinear changes IS increasing.

There is also a mismatch between short-term e lectoral politics a nd th e longer t1me- frames over which ecosys tems o perate . Th e u ltimate impact o f a particul a r po li cy may occur yea rs a ft er th e pa rty th a t c reated it has left powe r. Th e effect o f clim a te c ha n ge is a cas e in poi nt .

If mo re is not done to mi ti gate aga ins t t he lo ng term impacts of cli m ate ch a nge any short term ecosystem remed ia ti on will be wo rt hless.

TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT Th e re a re some who may be li eve that a ramy d ay pro hibit s us tree love rs from en joying our favo ri te pastime. However, a nyone who has a gen uine interest in the arbo real worl d knows pe rfect ly well th a t the rainy mon th of Apnl mere ly se rves to en ha nce the beau ty o f m any a sp le ndid tree. Neve r m 1nd yo ur u mbrell a. Wa lk down to th e broad, sta re across the la ke a nd see how th e Sa li x Baby lon1ca basks m the d el1cate drizzle.

Wh at m atte r th e rain runnin g d ow n yo u r face) Fo r how will you di stin g ui s h th e ra 1n fro m th e tea rs o f d e li ght as yo u weep with co mpa ss io n for th e Wee pin g Will ow ) Th e re is so mething so m ela ncho li c a bout th e broa d 1n Apri l, a nd th e Will ow ju st loves it . Mirro r it. Swoo p yo ur a rm s in th e mi sty water, sway a nd stro ke th e s il ve ry surface- be th e Weepi ng Will ow l Height: 30 · 50 ft Spread : 20 · 40 ft Sha pe: Short trun k, b road c rown with weepm g b ranches Fo li age : 3·6 inch, na rrow ye ll owy- gree n leave s Fl owe r: Fu zzy u pri ght ca tkm s Fruit: 1 in ch clu ste r of ca ps ules, cont ainin g cott o ny seed s

Scientists estimate the total value of earth's ecosystem services at $33 trillion MA has a positive conclusion: 1f we change what we are doing now we can undo much of the damage that has been done. By recogn 1smg th e importa nce o f ecosyste m se rvices, a nd acti ng to main· ta in them we can successfully avo id the d oomsday sce narios, a nd a ll ow ma n ki nd to coexis t producti ve ly with th e na tura l wo rld . Th e challenges to po licy m ake rs

are significant however, demanding them to think across larger areas and timescales than they have prev1ously. The report asks them to slowly start putting in place sustainab le mechanisms that ani bene fic ia l to ecosystems and so to econo mi es a nd so to peo pl e.

Som e gove rn ments h ave already sta rted . Eu ro pean Uni on count ries have re ce ntl y s ig n ed u p to an Emissions Trading Sc heme that turns the nght to emit carbon dioxide mto a commodity that can be bought and so ld . A similar scheme to limit nutrient use 1n agricul· tu re is underway m the US . However these are only the start of what IS needed to turn the S1tuat10n around .

There is no reqUirement however for pol1licians to act as a result o f the MA report. But if the report shows anythmg , 1! shows that fol lowmg 1ts recommenda· ti ons is the clever th1ng for policy makers to do if they care about the health of their econom1es and the health ofthe1r people.

Above all , the report is a call to act10n. The In fo rma tion and too ls we need to act are at ou r d is posa l. If we fai l to do so it is a consc io us dec1sion , bu t 11 will be a d ecisi o n for wh ich our gra nd c hil · dre n may neve r forg ive us.

Re po rt by Sweet Sweet Pete

FREE RANGE EGGS ~~~~~~

Guest met w1t h head of cate n ng, Johan Boi ling, to d 1scuss t he issue.

,Tu rf reported th at stude n ts were becom ing in creas· ing ly co ncerned ove r the sale o f ba tt e ry eg gs on ca mpus.

Ja ck Gue s t , a s econd yea r po litic s s tu d e nt leading th e fr ee- ra n ge egg ca mp a ig n, had a p p roac hed th e U EA ca te ring d epa rtm e nt o n th e matter.

On Apr il 5t h

Bo il ing, respo nsible fo r bn nging fai r· tra d e coffee mto Zest and the blen d , was keen to accommodate the studen ts co ncerns, but ex pl ai ned that there we re a n u mber of hurd les preventmg an 1mme· diate change. "I wo uld love to be able to pu t a s 1gn on th e d oor say mg ' Free- range eggs o nly', b ut I wo uld h ave to be s ure th a t we we re d o 1ng it prope rl y." And that ,

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The authors note that neglect for ecosystems has been a major road block to the Mill enn ium Development Goa ls on poverty. "Any progress ach1eved in addressing th e goals of poverty and hunge r e radication, improved hea lth, and env iron m en tal pro tectio n is unli ke ly to be s usta in ed if mos t o f th e ecosys tem 'se rvices' o n whi c h humani ty re lies co nti n ue to be degraded " the report says.

But despite the gloomy prognos1s the

unfortu anl ty, takes t1me.

Boiling exp lained that if he does anyth ing, he wa nts it to be do ne p roperly and tha t m eans finding the ri ght sup pl 1er, someone who can secure over 1oo,ooo

free ra nge eggs a year.

A co mpromise was reached when a pro m ise was made to sta rt wit h a ll the egg sa ndwiches on camp us. Th is ste p w1ll help the dep a rtm en t tes t th e wa ter, wi th th e ult im a te goal o f so urc1ng a ll their eggs from free-ran ge fa rm s.

Jac k Gu es t sa id he was please d with thi s outco m e and appeased by th e fact that th e UEA ca te rin g se rv1ces we re so willin g to co-o pera te. "I'm glad th a t we've ach1eved a n immed1 a te result," Jack to ld Turf, "a nd I'm ho peful th at thi s refl ects co ntinu ed prog ress in the fu ture" .

Developments wdl contmue and ta ls ta ke pl ace thro u ghou t the next yea r.

., www.concrete-online.com

Coacnte Wednesdav. April 2dlz, 2005 A new survey is underway to find out how people travel to the university. The infor· mation collected will help in the develop· ment of the Univeristies transport plans.

So whether you cycle, drive, walk or crawl let the University know how they can adapt to your needs. Find the survey at http:ffwww.portal.uea.ac.ukfSurveyf. lt will take around 15 minutes to complete and to encourage participation there will be a draw after the closing date of April 29th April, with a top prize of [100 shop· ping vouchers and three [50 vouchers.

The energy provider Powergen is inviting local community groups, schools and non-profit organisations to apply for sup· port of up to [25,000 from the Powergen Green Plan Fund. The funding will be allocated to community projects that sup· port renewable energy generation.

Michelle Meldrum, Powergen's Community Project Manager, said : "We're always amazed by the range of projects that request support· from solar panels for community centres to wind turbines for schools.•

Adopt a whooping crane. Why not?

Today this beautiful bird is extremely endangered, with fewer than 400 surviv· ing in the world. But you can help by adopting one through the National Wildlife Federation and for $35 you will get a personalized adoption certificate, a Whooper Travel Mug and an online whooping crane Course. Your gift will help NWF protect critical habitat for the last wild flock of migrating whooping cranes on the planet.

concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk 19 As 5/5/5 gets ever nearer, election fever is now well established. Students are par· ticularly feverish over the chance to unseat Mr Charles "I like top-up fees and locking up Muslims without public knowledge" Clark. In 2001 he had a majority of 8ooo, but he faces strong opposition, including ex UEA student Adrian Ramsey for the Greens. If you are registered to vote here in Norwich make sure you make your voice heard in May. To find out if you are, or for any details email elections@norwich.gov.uk.

SUMMED

SUMMER ON THE BROAD

UP

You can't afford to soar abroad before you've toured the Norfolk Broad!

As summer arrives, Howard Constantine reveals one of Europe's greatest attractions and it's right on our doorstep! marked, well maintained, and well trodo you chose to come to the UEA. I know, for all den, and all shown on the OS maps. The Broads even have their own OS map, those reasons you gave 04o in the Explorer senes. A multitude at the interview: great of events are organised by parish coun· course, respected leccils, wildlife organisations and the Broads turers and a very pleasant campus (if you look Authority and throughout the year there away from the nuclear are guided walks, "try sailing" days, dawn bunker style architecture). But guess chorus walks, evening bat watching, canoe trails, historical walks, and the what, you're also on the edge of the opportunity to sail on an original restored newest national park in Britain.

I know you've heard of them, but Wherry boat. These are just a few examples and many more are listed in the apart from the obligatory walk round the Broads Authorities free visitor guide, the Unt broad to get to know your class· "broadcaster", which you can get by telemates, have you seen the real broads? If phoning the Broads Authority on 01603 you haven't, and your already planning or emailing them at your Mediterranean summer cruise, I 610734 broads@ brbads-authority.gov.uk. They suggest you take a look closer to home also have a website at www.broadsfirst. authority.gov.uk with lots of useful inforThe Broads began life as peat diggings, for fuel, which was a growth indusmation.

A highlight for me in the yearly events try between the gth and 13th centuries, is the "walk on the wild side" which and they where always close to the river allows you access to the Woodbastwick network for transportation to the villages and towns of Norfolk and beyond. Sea marshes, one of English Natures best levels rose (sound familiar?). The peat sites in the area, and one normally closed tndustry literally sank, was abandoned, to public access. For 3 hours English and nature took over. Lakes, reed-beds Natures top man in the region guides you and eventually marsh woodland, soon around the site explaintng how and why replaced the bare peat scrapings and a the site is managed and identifying the unique interlinking system of some 6 plants and wildlife they are safeguarding. rivers and over 6o lakes was created.

Best of all it's free. You just need to call A new industry sprang up harvesting the Broads Information Centre on 01502 the reed for the chocolate box thatched 713196 to guarantee a place. cottages that gtve such a sense of timeThis year the dates are nth June and lessness to the area. To ensure the har2nd July and it's well worth the trip, not vest continued the reed beds were manleast because when its over at about 1pm aged and the broads maintained to slow you are only a short walk from the Fur and the encroachment and natural succession Feather Inn, the home ofWoodfordes real of woodland, and thus a wonderfully ales and so long as your not the one driv· diverse landscape emerged. ing you could try a pint of all the ales · all Progress and wars changed the seven of them! importance of the Broads. Much of what To see the best of the broads you realhad been a vital source of marsh grazing, ly need to be on the water and the easiest for the many horse drawn Hansom cabs way to do this is to hire yourself a day in London, and reed and sedge, for boat, and they even come in environmenthatching, became abandoned marsh and tally friendly electric. An example is woodland. The railways replaced the river Broads Tours, who hire day boats out of network for local transport and many of Wroxham and the costs range from the traditional Wherry boats were simply around [25 for a couple of hours , up to scuttled by their owners. around [70 for the full day. With a maxiHowever a few enterprising souls mum of 8 people on board its not as saw the unique landscape and the slow expensive as you might have thought. tranquil pace of life on the rivers as an They also do a larger boat that takes up to experience to be shared and began the 11 people, which works out even cheaper if you fill it. boating holidays.

To get to Wroxham from Norwich The Broads cover an area from Norwich to Yarmouth, and from Stalham takes just over half an hour on the 54 bus to Beccles, and are lined by footpaths for , from the centre of Norwich. With a car, most of that distance. They are also an get a map, but it's the A1151 through extremely important habitat for many Sprowston and keep on going. species of flora and fauna, some of which Once on the river the idea ts to cruise are untque to this area. One of our natualong appreciating your tranquil surral treasures is the Swallowtail butterfly, roundings whilst honing in on the next which lives only on ·milk parsley as a riverside hostelry, of which there are caterpillar, something only the unique many. Coltishall, Horning, and Ranworth habitat of the Broads can provide. Both offer the kind of country pub fare that the caterpillar and the butterfly are specmakes it all worthwhile. tacular sights throughout the summer If you head east from Wroxham, you but you need to get out there to see them . are in one of the largest areas of wetland ow, then, do I get to this natural woodland in Europe, and either side of wonder? Well there are hundreds the river will more than likely be either of miles of footpaths, all well national reserve or SS SI status. Walks and

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The minimal size of the erect penis before penile augmentation surgery should be allowed, according to guidelines set by the University of California San Francisco= The wingspan of the Assassin Fly, also known as the Bee Killer, which is capable of eating spiders=

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The Broad in all its glory - photo by Mike Page information centres can be found at a number of these reserve sites such as Hoveton Great Broad, Cockshoot Broad and Ranworth Broad, all with free mooring available.

If you want to just get out on the water without taking the whole day then there are many tours and short trips available. At Barton Broad the Ra is a solar powered boat and it takes just over an hour to tour the broad and give excellent views of the reed beds. Barton Broad is a good example of the work being done to improve water quality, wildlife habitats and public access.

Improvements to water quality have lead to the return of otters to the area and a new boardwalk through the Carr woodland means for the first time you can walk through the swamp wtthout getting your feet wet.

Closer to home and just on the edge of Norwich at Trowse, bus 58 from town, is Whitlingham Country Park. While not one of the original Broads it is easy

to get to and has a number of activities such as canoe hire, sail boat htre, and a very pleasant walk around the newest of the Broads. it's a great example of restoration landscaping- just a couple of years ago tt was an aggregate quarry and ts now a open access recreatton area and nature reserve. A new information and visttor centre will be opening shortly.

So that's a taste of the Broads, but the best way to experience it is to go and see it for yourself.

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INSIDE 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.

•

Dear Rocld ers We h ave j u s t m oved in to a new h ouse and we a re a lready arguing a b out wh o gets w hich roo m . Ca n yo u s ugges t a ny hting to h elp?

BILLY Barr el, Norwich's controversial, opinionated MP landed himself in fresh trouble yesterday after expressing a n uncharacteristically c ontroversial opinion regarding the city's s tudent population. Appearing at a press conference t o launch his campaign for re -election, Mr Barrel was asked how he intended to pander to the s tudent v ote.

Taking a d eep b rea th . Mr Ba rre l re plied .

"Stu dents? Stude nts ? I' ll tell yo u s omething about stude n ts . Bunch of n o good . leeching. fo ul -smelling. selfi s h bas ta rd s. tha t' s wh a t t h ey a re .

"Swan ning aro u nd in th eir long coats wi th the ir filthy scarves. paying fo r eve ryth ing with p iles an d piles of 2p coins . Al l th ey ever do is s odding compl a in: 'o h. why a re things so expe nsive? Why s h ou ld I h ave to pay

tuition fees? Why won 't a nyo n e give m e a j ob . eve n th ou gh I've got n o tale nt or skills a nd I've s pent th e las t 3 yea rs fillin g my fat arse with b eer and cri s ps?"'

He conti n u ed . " ! m ean se riou s ly. who do th ese mound s o f scu m think th ey a re? Do th ey rea lly th ink we. th e decent. h a rd -wo rk in g people of Brita in owe t h em a nyth ing? It 's n ot enou gh th a t we have to s pen d b illions paying for lec tures th e little s hits are too lazy to a ttend . th ey then h ave the gall to b low a ll th e ir loan on I-pods a nd tra iners a nd th en d em a nd m ore m on ey from a nyon e in t h eir immedi a te fi eld of vis ion. Th ere are s ingle moth ers who work 18 h ou rs a d ay down min es in orde r to ca re for t h eir h o rd es of MRSA-in fected . ADO -rid dled offs pring . a nd th ese s tud ents s t rug,_((lc to ge t u p a t n oon .

Every m inute they con tinu e to s pra wl in

their baked-bean s ta ined s h ee ts is an oth er s lap in the face of everything thi s fin e co un try stands for. " Building to a cres cendo he bellowed . "In fac t. the n ext time 1 h ave th e gross mi s fo r tun e to m eet a s tud ent in the st reet. I'm go ing to s pit o n th eir da mn tra iners a n d s m ash th eir b loody 1-pod into their smu g. und er -n ourished face . An d I invite every like- minded perso n to d o th e sa m e. Maybe a ft e r several years of p erso n a l assa ult s t h ey' ll get it into th eir ri d ic ulo u s h eads t h a t th ey' r e not wanted 'ro und h ere a n d bugge1· off som ewh er e else. Like th e sea. " A s pokespers on for t h e NUS said . "Thi s isn' t wh a t we we re h oping to h ear." Mr Barrel's party has released a statemen t s u ggesting the MP's rem arks were ta ken ou t of con text.

Dear Roomy.

The a lloca tio n of room s in a n ew h o u se s h a res a lot of features with th e a ll oca ti on of Each a ny reso urce with in a n econo my. r eso urce is scarce - a roo m can o nly h a ve o n e u ser. a nd t h er e a re competi n g u ser s th a t often have di fferent valu a li on s for u s in g th e reso urce - h ou se m a les will value the room s differ ently. An a lloca tion will ideally give each room to th e h ousem ate who valu es it mos t. so that the fi n a l 'effi cien t' a ll oca tion of room s m aximises tota l hou se satis factio n .

The cap italist a p proach wou ld b e to s imply a u ctio n off th e rooms so th a t th e h o u sem ale th a t valued a room th e m ost wou ld win the room by wi ll ing to pay the m os t fo r it.

Thi s is likely to bring an efficie nt a ll oca tio n. but so m e would likely say t hi s wo uld n o t be fa ir.

S econdly . th e p lanned econ omy or com mu n is t a pproach wou ld try and achieve a fa irer a llocat ion by giving a ce ntr a l body th e ch a n ce to try a nd d ecide th e bes t a llocati o n .

Fina lly. a mixed a pproac h. a nd one th a t l wo uld pe rh a ps favour wou ld be b ased on d ra\vin g lo ts . Dra wing lots from r ooms is very ineffi cient. but a better m et h od wou ld be to draw lots for th e right to choose a room . a t least h o u se m a tes wi n th e rig h t to ch oose th e room th a t th ey like m ost .

ous Easter. The rise h as been a ttrib u ted to he r brot h er's n ew girl friend trying to ingra tia te h erself with his fam ily.

reco rd profi ts . Mrs . S arah Ba tte n b urg. the di rec tor of th e compa ny. said th e rece nt s u ccess was th anks to a lot of animals d yi n g.

A Norwich man is s ui ng the BBC after a news re port on the ra d io an n ouncin g tro u bles with Rover led to him h aving his clog put clown . Rover. a on ce- healt hy fou r-yea r -old Ia bra dor. is n ow buried at Earlh a rn pe t sem eta ry. Please se nd d on atio n s. n ot nowers.

A tean1 of UEA geog ra phers h ave co nfirmed t h a t Brita in is a n is la nd . One said . ··we've been a ll th e way round th e edge an d eve ry time we tried to go furth er we got wet. "

EWS IN BRI F Stuff you missed over Easter Ther e was panic followed by swift act ion during th e h oliday. wh en the Un ivers ity of East An glia co mple tely bu rn ed clown - and was then completely re bu ilt. A spokespe1·son for UEA s a id. "we're q uite gla d it happe ned really. we h a d a ll th ese sacks of m oney ly ing a rou n d a nd we di d n 't know wh a t to do with th em··.

It h as been revealed th a t a counting error in th e Stud ent Un io n elec tion s h as rend ered t he r esults void. To rec tify the error. t h e firs t four s tud ents w ho ha nd their n a m e and phone numbe r on a piece of pa per to Union

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Hou se rece ptio n will be awarded the full time sa b a ti cal positio n s.

Students with classes in th e Arts buildin g a re a s ked not to attend se min a rs on h orse back un t il s loping fl oors can be introd u ced.

It is th ou gh t th a t clea ni ng s ta ff wa nt to b e a ble to wash t h e a nima ls' m a nure into drai n s a t th e s ide of th e rooms. in s tea d of it "collect ing in th e middl e li ke a little s hitty pond".

Former workers a t Norfolk's seco nd la rgest ca r manufact u rer. Tiddles Motors. are s uing a No rwich m a n after h e a nno unced in hi s loca l paper. th e UEA Enqu irer. tha t Tidclles was dead. causing t h em to liquida te th e company. T iddles. a once- h ealthy 11 -yea r old ta bby ca t. is now b u ried a t Ea rlh am pe t s emetary. Please send !lowers. not donati ons .

Amy Fitzpa tri c k . SOC2. go t s ix easte,- eggs thi s year. a total one h igh er tha n th e previ-

STOCKMARKET UPDAT E: S h areh old e rs in Earlham Pet S em e tary PLC. are celeb ra ting

CoiMrttt Wednesday, April 20'' . 2005

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk 21

www.concrete-online.com

.

TRAVEL

A GRAND DAY OUT

ave you ever felt the need to abandon all common sense, commit your safety to the unknown powers at a theme park and put your body through all manner of stress and strain for a couple of minutes of thrills? If so you'll already have a good idea what this feature is going to be about, if you haven't don't fear, A\ton Towers isn't just for reckless dare devils, it's actually a good day out for everyone. Now, you're getting this from someone who has thrown up on car journeys of 10 odd miles and who never approaches an aeroplane without that wretched sinking feeling. Machines full of people leaving the safety of the

being bandied around is testament to the huge success story of the park which started as a stately family home that transformed into what we see today when times got tough.

The house, more of an incredibly impressive gothic castle, is still standing and its missing windows and cobwebbed interior add to the sense of atmosphere it has. · There's also a ride which takes place inside the house and whilst not the scariest or best known, it guarantees lasting memories for everyone who goes 'where nothing is what it seems'! lt begins as a tour of the property that claims to explain the legend of the curse, or Hex (the ride's name) put on an Earl of Shrewsbury that, to cut a long story short, resulted in him hiding the branch of a tree in the

This isn't ju.st for reckless dare devils, it's a good day out for everyone. ground you say? No bloody way.

But it was in the call of duty that Concrete's brave Editor Phi! and I, his girl 's blouse of a Deputy, set off to sample the delights 'of the Staffordshire land of dreams.

Standing in the queue for a seat in the park's oldest ride, the Corkscrew, that I swore I'd never set foot on but then did (peer pressure I tell you, shouldn't be allowed) we heard someone saying the park, which is currently owned by the Tussaud's corporation, had just been sold for £8oo oooooo.

Whether that's the correct figure or not, the fact that such sums are

ho~se which you end up sitting opposite. The story isn 't ever con· eluded and it doesn't matter, the ride consists of a couple of rows of benches that face each other across the glowing branch and swing backwards and forwards, which sort of becomes up and down, in a darkened room until it seems as though you've moved full circle and are looking at the floor which is now an enormous lit up tree face. No one quite knows how it works but it's a feat of design wizardry that everyone can enjoy. Very weird and very very brilliant.

You ' ll never be able to do every-

thing there is at the park in a day.

This has prompted the range of overnight options that are now on offer including a waterpark resort, a spa, a hotel that has suites such as the Cadbury sponsored Chocolate Suite (oh yes!) and various packages to suit couples, families and corporate events. But most people still just go for the day and try to cram it all in and, depending on the ages and tastes of your party, there is plenty to do without it being overwhelming. e started off gently with a trip in the cable car that gets you to where most of the rides are and gives you a really good sense of the scale and nature of the park. The gardens are absolutely fantastic, beautifully kept and huge and a lovely peaceful space to go to escape from the madness of the shops and queues.

Having said that, there were none of the screaming kids or over-wrought parents that theme parks bring to mind. The visions of murder on the Runaway Mine Train disappeared as we came across nice groups of people representing all sections of society including several mult i-generational families enjoying The Haunted House (which involves big white ghost buster style guns that you shoot at the various spooks that Phi I loved) or Squirrel Nutkins Nutty Acorn Ride (or something) that was one of my favourites .

As the day progressed the inhibitions decreased and having survived the infamous Corkscrew, we proceeded to Air, the Towers' penultimate new ride. lt's a monstrous device that can only have been desi,gned to scare the living daylights out of those stupid enough to submit themselves to its devious loops and swoops. Pa of the horror is being strapped into seats that tilt forward so you're

Katharine Clemow and Philip Sainty

embrace their inner children and go thrill seeking at Alton Towers ...

head first with your torso facing the ground and feet dangling out the back (see picture below) . The fast speed , g- forces and mega twists and turns mean some people had to take their shoes off so they didn't fly off and hit innocent

do it again "" After 16 years the Black Hole ride has sadly closed but for fans there is a memorial shrine where you can lay wreaths and remember what Phil calls 'the most evil thing of its time'. Des the hesitations

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Sheer insanity that required seriouslyclosed eyes but it's one of those things that once you've done it and come away in one piece makes you feel an overwhelming joy at being alive, and that's nice. If you ' re not too old, overweight, short or tall (seat size restrictions), don 't have heart, back, neck or anxiety problems and aren't pregnant, it's a terrifying but nevertheless exhilarating way to spend a couple of minutes and some thrill seekers may want to

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and initial fears of th is lily livered chicken we had a great day. The rides are designed with the whole family in mind and it really has something to suit everyone, even if you're any of the things that make Air inadvisable. And as far as Rita: Queen of Speed , which goes from o-100 kph in 2.5 seconds and reaches G forces of 4 ·7 ·that's all you need to know. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Uh oh

...

www.concrete-online.com

e season to ncholy with exam stress! But at the end of it all Cinderella I go to all the summer balls however, without a fairy god mother we'll need a little help from else where. Here are a few t ips on how to get the dress you want without bruising your pockets. For those of you shopping on a budget (all of us) the time to get dresses and suits is now to get em cheap. O ur best kept secret is T.K.Maxx off Sa int Bened ict's street, and of cou rse the many

rity s ps across should also be your first po of call. If all else fails buy S'ome fabric from the market and get sewing, add beading or sequins to a cheap dress to funk it up. If you're not that adventurous then treat yourse lf to some flashy accessories, our favourites are the feather hair pieces from Debenhams or a pair of elbow length gloves .

Lady In Red Red dress with beading /20 T.K.Maxx Red hair accesory [25Debenhams Miss Peacock Pink dress /15 T.K.Maxx eather head p1ece [25 Debenhams Photographs by Beverley Fry.

ith the summer and graduation ball just round the corner, looking ood has never been more important. As it's you're last chance to 'mpress the girl you've been trying to pull all year! how you r student ID, and you can get a 2 piece dinner suit, shi rt, bow tie and cumberbund for only £30*! ~ormally costing £46*.

Formal hire is available in selected stores, so call 0845 121 4514 to 'nd your nearest formal hire store now.

Now, with 'your outfit sorted, you can practice your smooth talking nd concentrate on more important matters at hand - who will you e taking home from the ball? hi le you're dreaming about being part of the Her Majesty's Secret ervice and sipping martinis with a mystery woman, we have a ompetition to giveaway £25 worth of Burton vouchers. For a hance to win, simply answer the following question.

How does James Bond like his Martinis?

(A: Shaken not stirred) nswers to: concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk by 27"' April.

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Model Anna Steward

Coac:retl Wednesday, April 2(]' , 2005

www.concrete-online.com

concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea 23

LIFESTYLE Health Editor, Clare Aitchison, looks at ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a potentially destructive illness that has only recently gained official recognition.

A CRIPPLING CONDITION

tu art* had just completed his degree in Accounting and Finance. He had done well, got a 2:1, and had been offered a job to start in September as an investment banker. Over the summer he worked in a bank to earn a bit of cash, and while he was there, he decided that investment banking was not going to be the career of his dreams after all. He had always been a sporty guy. Last year he had run the London Marathon, and he was into sailing and skiing. So he decided to go out to Canada to work as a ski instructor for the season, and then travel round the world for a couple of years before deciding how to spend the rest of his life.

That winter, whilst out on the slopes, he began to feel unwell. He was tired all the time, and finding it harder and harder to get out of bed - not like him at all. At first he put it down to the fact he was getting a lot of physical exercise, and took a few days off work to rest. When this didn't help matters he went to a doctor in Canada, who told him that it might be altitude sickness; because he was so high up in the mountains, his body wasn't getting as much oxygen as it was used to and this was making him feel tired and unwell. The doctor said that as his body adapted to the conditions, he would start to feel better and would get more energy.

Except that he didn't. He eventually came back to England early, before the end of the ski season, as he couldn't cope with the unrelenting exhaustion any more. When he got home, he expected things would improve since he was r{earer to sea level. However, three months went by and he was still constantly exhausted. He went to see his GP who, after consultations and referrals to special ists, diagnosed him with M. E..

Stuart was treated with antidepressants for over a year. Antidepressants had been shown to work for some M.E. patients, but not for Stuart. They didn't help his exhaustion at all, and he carried on getting worse and worse. Eventually it became so bad that he could not summon up the energy to even leave the house. Remember this was a boy who had run the London Marathon only a couple of years earlier. His parents became desperate, and since they weren't getting anywhere with the NHS doctors, they took him to a private hospital at their own expense. Here he was

tested for a huge range of things, from allergies to nutrie 1t deficiencies to see if there was any cause for this excessive exhaustion. He was given loads of vitamins, minerals and herbal medicines , but this d1d not stop h1m from getting worse, and eventually, two years after he first began to feel unwell in Canada, he

regulating body temperature, and an intolerance of light, sound or smell.

Ironically, although they are stuck in bed and exhausted most of the time, the majority of M.E. patients also suffer from insomn ia, so they do not even get the oblivion of sleep to pass the time or to relieve their exhaustion.

dence for any particular treatment having a success rate any better than just 'wait and see'. One of the problems with M.E. is that the longer you stay in your bed, the more your muscles waste away, until there is virtually nothing left. Then, even if you feel ready to move on the muscles simply aren 't there to allow th is,

The symptoms vary wildly from patient to patient. For some peoJ:>Ie it merely means a few months of being too tired, for others it means years confined to their bed became confined to h1s bed, twenty-four seven.

M. E., also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, affects about one in every 200 people in the United Kingdom .

There is no such thing as a typical M. E. sufferer, but about twice as many women seem to be affected as men, and although the age of onset ea n range from 7 to 70, most people develop it in their early 20's. What is so incredibly cruel is that it seems to hit active and energetic young people at the prime of their lives.

No one knows what causes M.E., but often it follows an infection such as glandular fever or flu, and some people say they have developed it after certain holiday vaccinations . Whilst most people would normally feel run-down with an infection for a few days , this small minority go on to develop a total exhaustion, which can last months or even years. One theory is that the immune system overreacts to the original infection or vaccination and goes on to attack the body - this is called an autoimmune disease. Many people who suffer from M.E. have a relative who has also suffered from the disease, so there may be a genetic element.

The symptoms vary wildly from patient to patient. For some people it merely means a few months of being too tired, for others it means years confined to their bed, unable to read or listen to music because it tires them out. Some people are so disabled by the illness that they cannot even amuse themselves by thinking, as even this is too much .

However long these patients stay in bed, their tiredness doesn't improve, and any kind of strain, physical or mental can leave them exhausted for weeks. As well as this chronic fatigue, patients complain of muscle and joint pain, headaches, strange sensations, poor memory, difficulty speaking, problems

who wouldn't be depressed in this situation? Confined to your bed whilst your friends carry on living their lives without you .

Stuart's life has been ruined by M. E..

He hasn't been able to go on to further education, and he has no JOb. He has not been able to travel as he planned to do, he doesn't have a girlfriend, and most of his friends have drifted away.

He has now become so weak that he cannot even feed himself, wash himself or go to the toilet by himself He lies in bed, awake, twenty-four hours a day, in the dark and in silence. His mother has given up her job to become his full time carer. However, smce Stuart 1s not recognised as disabled , the family have to pay for all his treatment, and his mother gets no carer's allowance. Because the hospital is so far from their house, and Stuart cannot cope with the travelling, they have had to rent a flat for him and his mother near to the hospital, all on just his father's teacher's salary. His mum and dad never have any time for each other, or for their younger son, and what was a strong, happy family is falling apart. Stuart is desperate to improve, not just for himself, but because the people who love him have so much riding on his health. He just wants to make his fam ily happy, but the stress of knowing he is disappointing them only makes him more exhausted.

Since M. E. tends to follow a course of improvement and relapse, it is completely unpredictable for patients and their families, and there is nothing more depressing than to see someone getting better, to have all the hope which that brings, just to watch them collapse again -often to a worse state than they were in before. Most of the time M.E. patients seem to get better, but they don 't generally get back to being as active as they were before the illness. And si nee no one knows what does make them better there is nothing that can yet be done to speed this up.

So for now Stuart is stuck in his bed, with his mum feeding him , washing him, dressing him , shaving him and taking him to the toilet. He is confined in his body, but his mind won't let him rest.

No one knows what his future looks like, but it won't be anything like what he planned when he graduated from university, less than 3 years ago.

and trying just makes you more nfortunately there are no exhausted. Physiotherapy programmes blood tests , scans or anyattempt to rectify this through graduated thing else that can be done increases in exercise. The problem is to diagnose M.E. - people that if you are not ready, trying the exerjust get diagnosed when cises can induce a disastrous relapse . there is no other explanation for their M.E. patients need to become hypersymptoms. Partly because of th is, sufferaware of what their bodies are capable of ers have faced terrible prejudice for if they are not to descend into a spiral of many years ; being told they are lazy, or rehabilitation and relapse and this hyperhave 'yuppie flu' , that their condition is awareness in itself can be counter-proall in the mind . Because some of the ductive at times . symptoms are Similar to those of There has been some research into depression, and because people stuck in the benefits of cognitive behavioural bed during what are supposed to be the therapy and counselling, and in some best years of their life understandably patients these have been encouraging. tend to get depressed, there is a school However, there is understandably a lot of of thought who say that M.E. is merely trepidation in accepting these results in depression with people 'somatising', or the M.E. community, as they are converting mental and emotional probfocus sed on M. E. as a psychological dislems into physical symptoms. Being told order. Certainly there is an amount of that they are making their condition up depression in many M.E. patients, but *All names have been changed. is extremely depressing and Wif\1! WIN! WIN: WIN! Wif\j! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! Wit'-!! WIN! WIN! WIN! frustrating, and only adds to the stress and anxiety of the sufferer and their families, which in turn Sea PearJsTM are natural, reusable Atlantic sea sponge tampons. They are a safe, efficient, dioxinmakes the condi and rayon-free alternative to the ordinary single-use tampons. The average woman uses over 17,000 tion worse. tampons during her menstruating years. This has an enormous affect on landfill, so And just as why be an average woman? no-one underYou can buy Sea Pearls TM Natural Sea Sponge Tampons at your local chemist, stands how to diagnose M.E., nor most natural food stores and beauty salons. You can also contact the company do they know how direct, to order in quantities of 50 or 100, by phoning 01787 371527 or ordering on line from www.seapearls.co.uk. If your local store doesn't carry them, please to treat or prevent request that they do so! it. Anti-depresTo win a free trial pack of Sea Pearls"', just answer the following sants work for question: some people, and not for others, and How many Tampons does the average woman use during her although a myriad menstruating years? of herbal remedies Answers to concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk by the and alternative 27th April therapies have their proponents, there is no evi-

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24 concrete.editorial @ uea.ac.uk

Concnte

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HOROSCOPES Aries: Mar 21 - Apr 19 Yum yum! Take a few leaves out of Gillian McKeith 's book , and a few seeds , beans and sprouts too. Your radiant healthy-eating style glow will help you sail through the coming weeks which may be a bit harrowing, sweetie .

Lucky Words: eats, poops and leaves

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Taurus: Apr 20 - May 20 . - - - - - - - , Being such a typical Taurus, everyone has you pegged as cool, calm and completely in control.

Romantic entangleL - - - - - - . . . J ments that leave you hot under the collar will threaten to thaw your chilled exterior this fortnight , but don 't you let them poppet! You'll regret not keeping your composure.

Lucky Words: friendly fire

Lucky Words: XXX txt msg

Cancer: Jun 22 - Jut 22 r-:::iiiill!l"'l!llll~l Well this certainly will be a challenging couple of weeks for you my little roll mop.

What with all that time '---------' spent living the high life , you completely forgot to do any revision. You'll be burning the midnight oil now!

Libra: Sept 2 3 - Oct 2 3 ....------.., Tempers are fraying this fortnight s wee t pea , and you ' re no exception. Learn to keep a lid on that rage of '---==-----'yours and you 'll avoid many a sticky situation.

Just keep thinking of all the frol icking you 'll be able to do once exams are over.

Lucky Words: stress fest

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 ....------.., An innocent picnic this fortnight could lead to something entirely more exotic, my lucky little rabbit .

Just remember to pack plenty of vino and sumptuous hors d' oeuvres and who knows where things may lead? My bet is back to your place!

Project Manager: Philip Sainty

Scorpio: Oct 24 - Nov 21 .--------, All those essays are • ~ taking their toll on \.:::-- .~ your creative juices, cherub. Get · , '• yourse lf kitted out 11 .. & • with a nice big easel, a smock and some canvasses then paint your heart away. You'll feel rejuvenated and rather cultured to boot!

Lucky Word: cucumber

Lucky Words: preventative medicine

Lucky Words: picture of tranquility

Gemini: May 21 - Jun 21 When the spit hits the fan like it will do in this coming fortnight, you'll learn just how therapeutic shopping can be . Just beware of the strain on the plastic, honey bunch.

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22 This fortnight you 'll find yourself in the no -man ' sland of two mutual friends' bust-up .

Play it safe by deciding which of them you like better straight away, then taking their side.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21

1•.·

.,.Jf

~r7::~~:g thr;::~~l: phone messages you'll come across some unsavory details you didn't want to know. Let this be a lesson for the future, nosey!

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Oh petal, you don't s eem to be able to ge t cracking with t h e old revision. If your exams were on Easties or H ollyoaks you ' d pass with flyin g colours!

Take some a c tion Lucky Words: TV literate Pisces : Feb 19 -Mar 20 You n eed some l ove, cherry-pie.

Nothing c a n beat the unconditional love of a good pet.

S t eal nextdoor's cat fo r companionship , a t least until you have time to go out a n d buy a b udgie.

Lucky Words: furry friends

Please send letters atten tion of th e Ed itor. Philip S a in ty. to: Co n c re te, Union Ho u se , UEA, Non vich , NR4 ?TB, or em a il : con erete. ed itoria l@u ea.ac .uk

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

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Editor: Ross Grainger Deputy Editor: Simon Sheridan

A GOOD IDEA

Dear Concrete.

Well. once aga in .'>ilnon S h ~ ridan d ro pp~d the ba ll on crea ting i n t e ll i g~ n l di sco urs~ and fact-c hec king in hi s last co lumn . Apparentl y wanting ro fee l mac ho. he decided to berate a frail Pop~ who i' in and out of hi s deathbed . If thi s was not sad enough. he had 10 mak ~ up hi s facts to do it.

Fir, !. Sheridan propo'c' that bcGtu'c of John Paul 11'' pos it ion of condo m' in combatin g AIDs. he should be categorized wi th the likes of Hitkr and Sta lin . Thi s in and of itself is a blatantly ignorant and hatefu l statement. Ye t. in add it ion. ,ig ni fi cant ele men ts of the Catholic Churc h (such Spa ni sh Bishop J uan Ant onio Martinez Cami no) have act ua ll y endor, c<.l the u'e of condoms in pre\ Cilling the ' prcad of AID,. especiall y in conjunction with the ex treme ly succe"ful ABC (A bstinence. Be fai th ful. Condoms ) programs that ha,·e bee n used in natio n' ' uch as ga nda. E' e n for those who ' till are convinced th at condom promoli on en co urag~ ~ m o r~ ~ex (anLI HIV tran ~ mission s). they arc ~ti ll wod,ing on a gras~­

roots and persona l lc1·e i with tho,c who ha ve or are at ri sk of acquiring l-Il Y. Second. She ridan advoca tes that th ose who bel ieve abort ion to be murde r should not promote th eir views. T his is a logical fa ll acy that equates to kill ing one's ve ry consc ience.

Let\ ,w itch for the momen t the wo rd "abort ion" for "ethn ic cl eansing ... Dues Sheridan think th at those who believe ethni c clea n,i ng to be ge nocide should not promote their view,? Slobodan rvt iloscvic is in the ma rke t for a new law yer. Perhaps he should hire She1ida n.

Third. Sherid an claim' that bot h Georgc W. Bush and the Pope believe "t hat homosex ualit y is a sin worth y of hell ... Once agai n. fact-c hec king wo ul d be ni ce. Bush. apa rt from holding no such be li ef. ha' ac tuall y re, isted tkmands 10 di sc riminate aga in ' ! homosex ual s and has sa id si nce the ea rl iest days of hi s :WOO ca mpaign that he refuses "to kick gay,:· Similarly. t h~ Catholi c Ch urch teachc' that homo,ex ua ls "be accepted with re,pcc l. cornpassion. and se nsiti vity ... (2:\ 58) On top of th at. homosex uals can "reso lutely approach Chri,tia n perfection" as anyone el se (2:\59).

Fourth. Sherida n makes up the complete lie th at the Pope has sa id "rape is the womarfs fa ul t. " The Cath oli c Catec hism ac tuall y says th at rape is "an in trin sicall y evi l ad .. (no.

2356). and tota ll y justifie., a woman seek ing contracept ive measures such as the morning aft er pill.

Re spec tfull y.

Co lin K ~ rT

\../1-<>.~ happe~

lo ~ 014 \?

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

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Lucky Words: charge it!

Leo: Jut 23 - Aug 22 Getting the sniffles is nature's way of telling you to take a rest , chicken. A few days in bed , being pampered and watching Doctors is exactly what the stars prescribe for you! TV cures all ailments.

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Lucky Words: book binding .~

Wednesday. April 2(). 2005

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Dear oncrete.

Gl oba l wa rming is in the news all the time now. wi th desperate prediction' from some ex trcmi, t G rc~ n s of armageddo n just around the corne r. VIe mu st ignon: the- more Judicro u ~ m.:ssagcs from these wild men. but sad ly their ex tremi st rant s are pulling off people and obsc uring the rcalmcs!\agc: of w hat we:

G ill

do. There arc !\i mpk . scn~ ibk idea:-. that .m.: ;Hai labk tu

U!-

al l.

One I found was on a BBC web site and what reall y ama1.ed me was that it '"IS from a 'nrwich man . and I knew him !

On the BBC Video ati on webs itc icholas Waters showed ho" global "·arming wa' afkcting his garden and then came up with a simpk wa) \\e could all make a change. I k tell' us of the rule in Sweden that if you are slllck in traffic for more than one minute }OU lllm your engi ne off.

My in,tanl reaction wa' to think of thm,e jams in the City cen tre. with the cars and bu'e' g rid l ock~d. Oh how wonde rful it woul d be if they all ,wi tch~d off their engine,. It \\oulu suddenly go quiet, and those dread fu l black fu mes would stop pou ring fro m the buses. And ju' t a lillk less carbon diox ide wou ld be put int o the atmu,phere. Every time.

Coul d it happen here? Should it happe n here·> I' m going to give it a go. but I wonder how many other Norw ich and Norfolk people think it 's a good idea. Maybe be ing a "one minul~ wonder" could have a differe nt. and bc ucr. mea ning than it ha> now' Yours truly, Ben Brcmner

concrete.turl@uea.ac.uk Editor: lames Conway Deputy: Hannah Newton

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

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

Concrete Wednesday, April 2a , 2005

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concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 25

UEFA must open their eyes before it's too late This year sees the twenty year anniversary of the Heysel disaster and after the disgraceful scenes in Milan last week it is clear to see that the problem of hooliganism is still a serious problem in the world of football. With UEFA and FIFA still not taking the problem seriously, Marc Dudley feels it is time they stood up and took some action before we witness another Heysel. least we are trying to deal with them . One little slip up and we face the toughest ban in history, whilst Italian fans can do whatever they feel like. Where is the fairness in that?

They have once again been too lenient on an incident that could so easily have been a lot worse. Would the punishment have been different if somebody had been killed by the many flares that were thrown onto the pitch? Probably yes, but

"It is just an isolated case and not something that is goi!tg to be repeated"

FIFA Vice-president David Will on the events irt Milan.

hat a disgrace. That was the first thing that popped into my head after hearing about the punishment Italian club Inter will face for the shocking scenes the world witnessed last Tuesday. Four games behind closed doors and a "massive" fine of £132,000.

"This is the largest fine in history and it is a hefty punishment" was what William Gallard of UEFA had to say about the incident and he seems very happy with the way the European football governing body have dealt with the situation. But who actually is getting punished here? Do the fans have to pay the fine? No. Do the fans care that the

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match will be played behind closed doors? No, as they will just watch it on TV instead of going to the ground . Once again the idiots responsible have got away with their scandalous actions, and the club and the true fans have to suffer for something that they cannot control. Besides, playing behind closed doors affects both teams on the pitch, so whoever has to play Inter in those matches will also be affected by the lack of atmosphere in the San Siro.

The real issue here though is the way UEFA time after time fail to see how serious the problem is. Take the comments made by FIFA Vice-president David Will who said the trouble in Milan was 'just an isolated case and not something that is going to be repeated". As we all know this is not the first time this has happened . In 2001 , Inter fans caused their European UEFA Cup clash against Alaves at San Siro to be abandoned, leading to their next two ties being played behind closed doors and a £33,000 fine. A few months later, the same fans touched a visiting Atalanta fans scooter and threw it from the second tier of San Siro onto the area where the away fans were sitting.

Only last month, in the World Cup qualifier match between Italy and Scotland, Inter and Atalanta supporters once again clashed. Nothing was done in either of these incidents. So, why do FIFA threaten to throw England out of every international competition for violence that occurs away from the football field and not do anything to Italy when there are fights breaking out between their own fans in the ground? Because of the "false' reputation English fans have had ever since the Heysel disaster. Don't get me wrong, we do have our fair share of hooligans too, but at

an innocent life should not have to be lost for UEFA to start seeing the seriousness in certain issues that face the game. Take the racist comments made by Spanish national coach Luis Aragones about Thierry Henry last year. His words undoubtedly led to the unforgivable abuse the English black players had to endure during the international friendly between Spain and England the following month . What did Sepp Blatter and FIFA do? They gave Spain a small fine of £44,750 and warn them over their future conduct. Jose Mourinho makes some comments about a meeting between now retired Swedish referee Anders Frisk and Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, and he gets a two match touchline ban from UEFA. What sort of message are the football governing bodies sending out here? Making false accusations about something that actually turned out to be true is worse than being a racist? The fact that Aragones is still allowed to be a football manager is proof enough that UEFA and FIFA are being too lenient. This is why the problem is growing and not going away, because fans know they can get away with it, so why worry about the consequences.

Racism and hooliganism are big problems and it has been for many years, and until something drastic is done, it won't go away and it will continue to destroy the game we love. As Mario Pescante, the Italian Sports minister, said "Some fans feel the closure of their ground as a victory, something that makes them feel more important.

What we need are quicker and tougher sanctions to cut down the incidents, especially since it is the boys in uniform who are hurt the most in these clashes." This is where the problem is. The crisis is not being dealt with in Italy, and the hardcore fans, the Ultras (as they are known) , are allowed to do whatever they want as UEFA, the Italian FA and the clubs involved are not being tough enough. lt has got so out of hand that even the police are refusing to get involved, as they can no longer ensure the safety of their officers. In most places in Italy, the Ultras don't even get searched when they enter the grounds, as the security officers are too afraid of getting attacked. This is why they can enter the ground with objects like the flares that rained down on the San Siro pitch last week, and get away with it. Two days before the Champions League Milan derby, the Italian government promised to crack down on the violence after 85 policemen were injured in skirmishes at

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five different Italian football matches the weekend before. The move backfired spectacularly.

Of course it's not only in Italy that there are problems. In Greece and Turkey, minor incidents are always reported, but two fans being killed in an Istanbul derby between Besiktas and Galatasaray can hardly been seen as a minor case. In Spain a few years ago one fan threw a pigs head towards Real Madrid star Luis Figo, after the player made the "unforgivable" move from Barcelona to rivals Real. Numerous phones, missles and even umbrellas have also been chucked onto the pitch. o, what can be done? After the Heysel disaster twenty years ago, English clubs were banned from Europe, and this led to the English FA finally taking the problem seriously. The English Premiership is also the only league in Europe that has all-seater stadiums as a requirement, which has helped in the battle against hooliganism .

Maybe UEFA should make this a requirement for

S

all the top European leagues? The first thing that has to be done is to sort out the security issues, so the Ultras can no longer bring whatever they want into the ground, and also the police must be given more protection to deal with the violence. lt is time for the authorities, including UEFA, FIFA, the Italian FA and Italian government, to take back the control of the game of football from the Ultras who have been given too much power in recent years. If the fans still resist the authorities, then a European ban can be the only option. Personally, I feel Inter should have been banned from taking part in Europe next year. lt may be harsh, but at least it sends the right message out to not only Inter, but all Italian clubs that hooliganism is not accepted. Maybe then t~e authorities would finally start to try and sort the problem out, as they would not want the same fate to happen to all the Italian clubs. lt is time to start getting tough on the people who are damaging the game, before it is too late. We don't want another Heysel disaster to rock the world of football , and if something is not done soon , it is only a matter of time before we once again see innocent football fans losing their lives.

As Milan's Gazzetta dello Sport put it in the aftermath of the Milan derby: "Words are no longer enough. •

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26 concrete.sport@ uea.ac.uk

View From The Street UEA Students give their views on the issues in the world of sport

Who will survive the drop to the Championship?

There is no doubt City have got a lot to do and to be honest. I feel they blew their chances on Saturday. All they can do is win their remaining matches and hope their rivals don't. I think West Brom are going to be the team to beat the drop. They are the team in form at the moment and I think that game in hand will just be what separates them. It is all down to them now and I think Bryan Robson will not throw a chance like this away.

Lee 8 10 2

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Southampton have blown it big time and the morale in the dressing room must be so low that I can't see them surviving from this. (Andy) Johnson seems to be the man who Palace are counting on, but their lack of ability in other areas will let them down. West Brom have tough matches against both Man Uld and Arsenal and also travel to Tottenham on Wedn esday. They have the quality and I feel they have a great chance. However. I feel it is City who may surprise everyone, as they don't have too many lough matches left. The trip to Southampton will be huge, but I think they may just win that one. I therefore put a surprise bel on Norwich to beat the drop.

Gary MGT l West Brom must be the team most people fancy. Only a couple of months ago after they lost at Carrow Road , everyone was saying they were down , but look at them now. City have got a class player in Dean Ashton. but their unreliab le defending will cost them a p lace in the Premiership. The same is to be said about Palace, as Johnson can get the goals. but they tend to let in too many goals to get them the points. Southampton have to travel to Bolton and Portsmouth. and after Saturday's performance. Redknapp and the players must be feeling terrib le. I fancy West Brom to do it. as they have an all round good team and after being relegated last time they were in the Premiership , il will be harsh for them to go down again.

Katy ENV2 As a Palace fan. I fancy AJ and co to keep us up.

Southampton and Norwich are too shaky at the back and their goal leaking ability will see them travel to Luton next season. Our main rivals are West Brom. but I feel we have easier games than they do. as they have still got to play Man Utd and Arsenal . We do have Liverpool to play and a tough trip to St.James Park, but Liverpool will be concentrating to much on their Champions League clash with Chelsea, whilst Newcastle are struggling with injuries at the moment. The Southampton clash will be the big one. but I just can't see Redknapp and his men manage anything after that morale draining defeat last weekend. AJ will score a penalty on the final day at Charlton to secure our Premiership spot. U1at's my prediction.

Andy CMP l

CITY'S PROUD RECORD STANDS FORMR Norwich City football club remained In the history books. without even kicking a ball. After Bayem Munich defeated Chelsea 3 -2 last week and with the German side moving to a new home next season. City Will remain tile only English team to ever beat Bayern at the Olympic Stadium.

Canary fans Will remember the amazing match in October 1993. when Norwich travelled to Germany as big underdogs in their second round UEFA Cup tie against Bayen Munich.

Few a t the time considered City would re turn With a decent result du e to it being the Canaries first venture into Europe compared to the German squads regular appearances.

The result sent s hock waves around th e footballing world as goals from Mark Bowen and J eremy Goss gave Norwich a 2 - 1 victory. With the home tie at Carrow Road flfli s hing l - 1. City progressed to the tl1.ird round 3-2 on aggegrate.

However. that is where their good fortune stoppe-cf as the eventual Winn ers of the competition. Inter of Italy. ran out 2-0 aggerate winners after two goals from Dennis Bergkamp. However, Canary fan s didn't care as they had recorded one of the all time results in European football, and their record will forever stay in the history books.

The relegation battle hots up in the Premiership as City hold onto slim hopes Marc Dudley Sports-Editor

THE BARCLAYS PREMIERSHIP CU RRENT LEAGUE TABLE

Portsmouth Fulham West Brom

P W 0 L GO PTS 33 9 8 16 -14 35 32 9 7 16 -14 34 32 5 13 14 -2 1 28

City fans are once again in disbelief after yet another three points are dropped after Palace come back from 1-3 down to draw 3-3.

The lack of discipline saw Norwich lose two vital point s in th eir battle for survival an d the draw may come back to haunt City at the end of the season when th e points are co unted. With four points up to West Brom. who have a game in hand. the Canari es can no longer afford to lose any more points if they are to achieve their unlikely goa l of premiership survival.

There were some posit Ives though. as the partnership between Ashton a nd McKenzie is starting to take shape at just about the right time. as both have been banging in goals w ith McKenzie scoring three in five and Ashton with an impressive three goals in his last two games. Even if the Canaries do go down. U1.e team must fancy their chances of bouncing right back with the quality of McKenzie and Ashlon up front. Keeping hold of Robert Green will be more of a problem though. as many clubs including /\rsenal and Manchester United are chasing the highly rated goal keeper and a transfer is likely in the summer even if C ity

do stay up.

With an injury struck Newcastle side at hom e tonight. Norwich must go out with a ll guns blazing to build up a lead like th ey did against Crystal Palace. only this time U1ey must try to keep th e lead. City do have a weak defence. but the miclfielcls lack of awareness agai nst Palace was equally. if not more. at fault for the Canaries surrendering a two goa l lead with quarter of an hour to go. Looking for another goa l when you are 3- 1 up is not the way to secure the points. especially with the defence so vulnerable. Still. Norwich do have an easier run in than their relegation rivals with the trip to St.Mary's on the 30th April being the must win match. Of course. all th e matches are must win matches. but defeat in this match would almost certainly leave Ci ty preparing for trips to Luton and Hull next season.

West Brom have sti ll got to play Man Utd and Arsenal. but they wi ll fancy their cha nces at home aga inst Blackburn and Portsmouth. They are the learn on form al th e

Norwich City

Crystal Palace

West Brom

Southampton

(Rem ain ing Fixtures)

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20 23 30 07 15

Apr Apr Apr May May

NEWCASTLE (H) CHARLTON (H) Southampton (a) BIRMINGHAM (H) F'ulham (a)

Southampton 33 C Palace 33

20 23 30 07 15

Apr Apr Apr May May

5 6

12 16 -18 9 t8 -21

27 27

Blackburn (a) LfVERPOOL (H) Newcastle (a) S OUTHAMPTON (H) Charlton (a)

moment. a nd they would love to become the first team in the Premiership to be bottom at Christmas. but man age to beat the drop.

Southampton suffered a huge morale loss after throwing away a 2 -0 lead to lose 3-2 at the weekend. and whether or not th ey can recover from this remains to be seen . Their ties against Palace and Norwich see m to be the only matches they can lake points in and many. in c luding me. fe e l So uthampton have run out of steam and the sinking sh ip has been dealt it's final blow.

What happens to Palace is all down to the form of Andy Johnson. as his goals.

20 23 26 02 07 15

Apr Apr Apr May May May

Tottenharn (a) Midd lesbrough (a) BLACKBURN (H) ARSENAL (H) Man Utd (a) PORTSMOUTH (H)

or lack of them. will determine t h e iz路 fate. Liverpool and Newcastle will be tough games and their encounter With Southampton is a real six pointer.

West Brom have it in their h ands now and are favorites to stay up now.

Also. with Southampton having to play both Norwich and Palace. Albion must fancy th eir chances. as th eir rivals wi ll d rop points in the se matches.

C ity m ust sort their defence and discipline out qui c kly. as Ashton and McK en zie's goals will not save th e m if they can't defend :1 lead. If they don 't. then the drop to the Champic,ns hip is inevitable.

20 23 30 07 15

Apr Apr Apr May May

Bolton (a) Portsmouth (a) NORWICH (HJ Crystal Palace (a) MAN UTD (B) "'-'

...AND IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP Darren Bent's 89th minute equaliser keeps Ipswich's automatic promotion dream alive after a dramatic 2-2 draw a gainst league leaders Sunderland.

However. th e Canaries路 East Anglian rivals have to hope their promotion rivals drop points if they are to avoid the dreaded promotion playoffs.

Sunderland are almost certain of a place in the Pre mi ership next season with home ties against Le icester and Stoke and a vis it to West Ham Un ited. whilst Wigan most also fancy th eir chances with two home

matches against QPR and Reading and a tough trip to fourth place Preston. Like Norwich. Ipswich cannot afford to drop any more points as they travel to Leeds a nd Brighton and take on Crewe in their last home game of the season.

It is like ly Ipswich will have to settle for the playoffs , if results go as expected. which is something th e THE COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP CURRENT LEAGUE TABLE

Sunderland Wigan

P W 0 L GO PTS 43 26 7 10 32 85 43 24 10 9 42 82

IPSWICH

43 23 11

9

25

80

club have grown to dread.

With many in-form learns fighting it out for a p layoff place. finishing third does not guarantee success in the playoffs.

Canary fans will be hoping Ipswich stay in the Championship if City do go clown. as the East Anglian Derby wi ll once again be on the calendar. and also because C ity don't want their suffolk rivals above them in the league pyramid.

Whatever happens. one of the most exciting promo tio n battl es in footba ll history wi ll go down to the wire.

· Coacrete Wednesday. April 2(J', 2005

EA FIG IN D

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concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 27

ERS DOMINATE COMPETI ION

Talented Tae Kwon Do squad take home six trophies from the annual Eastern Region Grand Prix Sam Fagence The UEA Tae Kwon Do club stormed the Eastern Region Grand Prix, picking up the Gold, Silver and Bronze trpphies in the Women's Intermediate Sparring and the Gold and Silver trophies in the Men's Intermediate Sparring.

The Eastern Grand Prix is a sparring tournament held at the Bob Carter Centre in Drayton which is open to martial artists of all kinds but mostly attended by competitors from Karate. Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing backgrounds. The rules are closely based on those used in Shotokan Karate with competitors scoring points by punching and kicking their opponents with protective equipment on both their hands and feet . This was a "Light Contact" competition meaning that the techniques used should aim to hit the opponent but not to hurt or injure them in any way. This was enforced well by the judges on the day and when a competitor used a dangerous technique or too much power it was rarely scored .

The competition opened with the Female Intermediate division in which UEA was represented

by Hollie Bainbridge. Helen Duncan. Nicola Thomas and Gemma Wilks. UEA"s women quickly showed the quality of their training and secured both places in both semi finals. guaranteeing that UEA would take all the prizes for that section.

Having already proved herself with a victory in the internal club competition .

Nicola was the definite favo urite and h er swift roundhouse kick was the decisive factor in the fmal.

Th o mas took frrst place. whilst Wilks took a close second. Bainbridge and Duncan s hared a joint third place.

Such success in the women's category immediately put pressure on the men. UEA had entered Paul Ch ase. Rob Cook. Alex Dunn and Mark Tobin in the intermediate category. and Sam Fagence and Stuart Hills in the black belt category.

Again . UEA"s entrants in the inter mediate category achieved the best performance with Alex Dunn and Mark Tobin all getting through their early heats to get to the semi-finals . Mark is known in the words of club president Rob Cook. wh o he had knocked out of the competition by a single point in the first round. as a "cagey fighter" and used backfist strikes and reverse punches to counter-attack

well , winning his place in the final.

Meanwhile. when Dunn used extended flurries of quick side and turn kicks. his opponent had difficulty staying inside the ring.

Now the two of them squared up for an all-UEA fmal. Dunn's technique was excellent and he took the victory. scoring enou gh points to win the fight before the time limit. However, Mark fought harder than the fmal score line would suggest and d id ac h ieve an impressive head kick, which is doubly impressive considering Dunn"s height.

UEA Tae Kwon Do is not a sports club that gets to show its competitive side very often. Unfortunately for it. and doubtless many other student Tae Kwon Do clubs across the country. the BUSA Competition is only open to clubs of a certain afflHation. However. this win has shown that the Club has the ability to go out and win regional open tournaments and is planning to attend more in the near future.

Club President Rob Cook said that. "I was incredibly pleased with the size of the squad we got together.

Everyone was on good form. and the haul of six trophies was excellent reward for some great sparring performances" .

lACROSSE CLUB IMPRESS The UEA men's team reach semi-finals in National event in Reading Simon Murphy Just before Easter UEA' s Lacrosse team travelled to Reading to compete in the National men's Tournament The tourn ament consisted of ten teams divided into two pools with the winner and runner up from each group qualifying for the semifmals. UEA. captained by goalie Andy Browning. and showing of their new kit started off with a strong performance against Northampton running out 6l winners. For their second match the new kit had to be forsaken in favour of a. possibly cursed and defiantly sweaty. Northampton strip. in order to face a star-studded Cambridge team who played in the same colours as UEA. The "cursed" s h irts . may defmitely have been a facto r in the 8-1 loss which followed. To be certain of progressing UEA had to win

the remaining two group games against Loughborough and Gloucester. and in a textbook demonstration of concentration and team spirit UEA defended exceptionally well. keeping two consecutive clean sheets. Chances are well-taken up front by the ever -suave attacking force of UEA and both games are won 2-0.

In the semi-final UEA were up against a Bath squad whose ability and squad depth enabled them to dominate the other group. Now on their third game witl1out a break the energy and determination shown by UEA was magnificent . although not enough to achieve victory. The play off game for third spot was a similar encounter. and some of the biggest checks of the tour nament were made: The play overall was hard but fair. and the genuine s portsmansh ip continued almost a ll t h e way to the final. wh ere Bath th rashed Cambridge.

The tournament was a great success; establishing UEA as a strong men's team despite their absence from a league tl1is season . More impressive still was the overall performance shown by the entire squad in t h e mixed league throughout the season.

UEA won almost every match they played. by some considerable margins. only loosing the league due to a last minute decision made by a deluded groundskeeper. which forced us to concede the game and the points. This season was good . but next year will hopefully be even better for the club.

Are you one of those people who stand in the shadows: would you like to step into the light? The lacrosse club is a dedicated. but funloving outfit who wo ul d always love new members of any standard. so come along n ext season and have a go.

Contact Nat (n.davis@uea.ac. uk) or Andy (a.browning@uea.ac. u k) for details.

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lSTU-D ENT MEMBERSHIP £31 St Mary's Plain, Norwich Tel: 627478 Only 5 minutes from Norwich market

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Hard work pays off as the wom~ns boat team become the first UEA crew to win annual race in London

...

Jess Terrell The women of the University of East Anglia Boat Club made history last month becoming the first crew from the UEA to win at the prestigious Women's Head of The River Race in London.

TI1c girls raced a gruC'Iing four and a quarter miles from Mortlake to Putney. beating off fierce competition to come I st out of 4 7 other Senior 4 status crews and finishing 78th of 256 overall.

Despite an unlucky crash before the st<ui . damaging the boat. the UEA Womcns' B crew were 16th quickest Novice status crew out of the 50 entered. finishing in 200th place overall.

Unlike many of their oppo sition who are supported through corporate sponsorship and large pots of uni versity money. the UEA Boat

Club relies on funding from the Students' Union and the UEA Sportspark. Women's Captain Francisca Neethling said· "We are extremely grateful to our Students' Union and the UEA Sportspark for supporting us.

Rowing is an expensive sport and Neethling says without their help they could not have afforded to keC'p the dub going. ··we have been training hard for this. practising on the Yare at 6.30am. battling through the snow and cycling back from Trowse at breakneck speed for our 9am lectures. . !.Jut it has defiinitely been worth it."

TI1e UEA captain would also like to thank coaches.

Alan Wells and Steve Whitfield. "Without them none of us would know one C'nd of an oar from the other.

They have both put in so many extra. unpaid hours into helping us. I hope we have made them proud."

GOT ASPORTS STORY FROM YOUR CLUB? E-MAIL us AI cONC:iETE.SPORT@UEA.Ac:uK'..:.

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hard . I hear (3) 18. Contact Reykjavik to g<'t lawful agreement (8) 19. Back in th!" shire tht•y tnht"r!t (5) 21 Sea sum is how he enter· tains (6) 23. Warped net. to one is verv probable (3) 26. Insert men in tent rap to catch somethin~ (10) 29. Sitting or era returns for signing in (I 2)

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Sponsored by the

10. Misehie,·ous child or sprite (3) 11. Pet ails wrongly for exercise (7) I~. Ot•seription of rxprnenl'e \\oth bank serviet> (7) 15. Carry a betting system (4) 20. Might be harmful whrn unwell? (3) 22. Charles and John, sav (~) 24. Tom I wrecked and cxcludt> (4) 25. Smg out to gesture (~) 27. Raise money for chartty programme \\1th old cloth (3) 28. Add up young child (3)

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