ISSUE NUMBER: ISSUE DATE: CONCRETE
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REFERE~E ARCHIVE
Not t o be t al<en outside the Concrete offi ce. Return aft el use .
Jane Douglas Student voting figures over the country remain liable to fluctuation with only one day to go until voting day, opinion polls suggest. Politicians have recognized the importance of the student vote this year, with issues such as 'top-up' fees, the Iraq war, and ID cards stirring up anger and resentment among many students. Students constitute 13% of the electorate, and could therefore make a considerable difference to the coming General Election . This comes as a significant difference to the voting patterns of the 2001 election, when only 39% of people aged 18-24 voted. The Liberal democrats are proVing the most popular party for students with a 39% majority. although this has dropped from 46% over the last six months . Labour has increased their support from 22% to 28% in the same period . and the Conservatives are falling behind with 23% of the vote. The Liberal De.mocrats have become the real alternative for student voters this election with their proposals to scrap tuition fe es entirely. and implement a higher rate of taxation on those earning over 拢100.000 to pay for it. They also opposed the Iraq war. an issue that cut deep for m a ny students. with thousands marching in protest. The Lib Dems are also against ID cards. One first year UEA student listed th e abolition of top-up fees as her main reason for backing Ke nnedy's party. "because rn be affected in my fmal year. as will my younger brothers if they choose to go to university".
In a bid to encourage student voting, Charles Kennedy recently highlighted the fact that 27 Labour and Conservative seats could go to the Liberal Democrats if students get out and vote on May the 5th. The university's local seat. Norwich South is one of the main seats targeted. and candidates turned out to fight for the seat last Friday at UEA's question time. Home Secretary Charles Clarke, the man who pushed through proposals for tuition fees whilst education secretary. is currently the MP for Norwich South . He also drove through ID cards and the anti-terrorism measures which permitted house arrest without trial. As has been reflected in various UEA campaigns. voters feel that they can no longer trust the Labour party after having been repeatedly misled. In their 2001 General Election manifesto. the Labour party promised that they would "not introduce 路top-up ' fees and [had[ legislated to prevent them". Howeve r they were introduced. and co uld result in entry to university being determined by ability to pay. and the penalisation of the middle class. There is a lso debate as to the legality of the Iraq war. and whether the Prime Minister lied to the n a tion over an issue of such magnitude. The Conservatives say that they would also abolish tuition fees . but would pay for it by putting a higher rate of interest on student loans. TI1is would tax only those who needed to take out loans in U1e first places. not the rich whose parents can afford to pay for them.
Student voters see page 2
2 concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Come in n u mber 1 0 continued from p age 1 As the election campaign has been heating up. the NUS has called for students to not waste their vole and make their voices heard through question limes and their student unions. The concern over student voters has since digressed from apathy to bewildem1ent as to who to vote for. with much attention raised to the increasingly bitter fight between Howard and Blair. So with one day until polls open. it remains to be seen how voting patterns will emerge.
GIGGING FOR IT A band from UEA has been chosen to represent the University at U1e UNITALENT competition. which will be held in Nottingham on June 2"". J2 are a funk band that are competing against seven other universities from across the country for the chance to win £2500. The event is for charity MoU1ers Against Guns. The charity work in the community and encourage people to set up campaign groups to tackle the rising gun culture in Britain. A high-profile event is expected. with several celebrities in attendance. Students from UEA can go to the concert in Nottingham for around £13. The concert itself is £10 and hopefully travel will be provided for an additional £3 to get there and back. The band are keen lhal people come and show their support for them and the University. For more information see www.unitalent .co .uk or www.myspace.com/ J 2.
STUDENTS TAXED
TOO MUCH Students who take up holiday work are often taxed loo much because they don't fill in the correct forms. according to lax experts. Students are over taxed because they don't realise they need to flll out form P38(S). Roy Maugham at UHY llacker Young said "money can be refunded but the process is often lengthly and therefore a hassle which can easily be avoided through being careful".
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LONG YEARS OF SERVICE BROUGHT TO AN UNTIMELY END LONG-SERVING UNION SECURilY STEWARD PASSES AWAY AFTER A LENGTHY BATTLE WITH CANCER Alyssa Morrisey Two weeks ago, the UEA Union House lost one of its most adored and dedicated staff to the fight against cancer. John Pengelly, cheery. a steward in the Union of UEA students. will be greatly missed by the students and colleagues of the union who knew him during his five years working at the university.
John settled into work at the Union House after retir-
ing from the career in the RAF. where he served as a senior aircraft technician. As a security steward, John came in contact with nearly every kind of student. He was always in the Union Handbook that was sent out to the first year students prior to their arival. Many would have found his friendly face in the Union House during the day where he administered to students' various needs through assigning film tickets. sports kits. room keys. and at night where he offered qualified first aid.
'I have known John for five years.' says Val Baker. receptionist at the Union House. 'He was very hard working. and he loved his job. lie was really all about the students.· John did not return to the union after the winter holiday. By mid-December he had begun to undergo a series of medical treatments. before he passed away peacefully on 15 April at Norfolk and Nonvich University Hospital. 'Even when he was ill. he said that he really wanted to come back to work.· adds
Julia Orpin, premises manager at the Union House. 'He didn't want to be away, he missed [the dents).' Last week, the university paid tribute to Pengelly and sent its condolences to the family by flying the University flag atop the Registry at half-mast. His funeral. which took place on April 27 at St. Faith's Crematorium was well attended by students and staff members alike. Cancer Research UK. the charity
nominated by his fan1ily also received consistent money donations, generated by caring students. 'He was a very cheerful soul.' Orpin concludes. ·we will all miss him.' Donations can be sent courtesy of Robert Minns Funeral Directors at 232a Fakenham Road, Taverham. Norwich NR8 6QW.
SERIES OFATTACKS MADE ON GOLDEN T RIANGLE HOUSES • WITNESSES SOUGHT BY POLICE AFTER A CRIME WAVE IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE Isabel Dyson Police are warning residents in the Golden Triangle area and students who live in the close vicinity of UEA to be vigilant after a series of attacks to properties in the area. Police are appealing for witnesses following one burglary at a flat in Northfields, one attempted burglary on Mill Hill road and an interrupted burglary on Gladstone Street. which
were all carrted out during the weekend of April 23rd and 24th. The break-in at Northfields is thought to have taken place some time between the evening of April 23rd to mid-day of 24th. The inhabitants have reported over £600 of goods rrussing including a DVD player. MP3 player and computer games. On Mill Hill road an attempted break-in left a leaden stain glass door panel smashed causing £500 worth of damage when the householder left the property for 15 minutes at 7.40pm.
A burglar was disturbed at a properly in Gladstone Street in the Golden Triangle between 11.45pm and 11.55pm on Sunday. April 24. Three residents of the properly heard noises downstairs when they were in bed and discovered an intruder, who when challenged. escaped empty-handed. The intruder is described as a white male. about 25 years old. of slim build and about 6ft tall. He had a clear complexion and stubble on his face. He was wearing a white cap with three stripes on U1e peak. a black sports-
style jacket and tracksuit trousers. As well as capturing the offender. police wish to remind students to always secure their houses. as well as their items by either always locking their rooms. or marking their valuables with UV pen. listing their surname and residential postal code. Anyone who may have information or witnessed anything in connection with these incidents are asked to contact Det Con Alice Watts at Norwich CID on (0 1953) 424242 or contact
Secure your items at all times Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
DIVERSITY BREEDS SOME SUCCESS IN EVOLUTIONARY CHANCiE Rosie Chance Science Editor Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote. Hawaii. .. They read like a summer holiday wish list but in fact they are the locations of groundbreaking new research by evolutionary biologists at UEA. Dr Brent Emerson and
Dr Niklas Kolm. from the Centre for Ecology. Evolution and Conservation. revealed a new link between biodiversity and evolution in the the journal Nature on 21 'April. By studying the flowering plants and invertebrates of the volcanic islands of Hawaii and The Canaries. the researchers found that the richer the variety of life
on an island. the more likely it was that other unique species would have appeared there. "Imagine you have an island colonised by l 00 species. and a similar island colonised by 10 species". suggests Dr Emerson. "If you leave that for a period of evolutionary time. the percentage of entirely new forms will be higher on the island with 100 species on it."
This is thought to be because where there are more inhabitants. there are more interactions such as competition and predation between them. The pressure to adapt and survive is greater. and this encourages the birth of new species. Understanding why some areas. for example the tropics. have much higher biodiversity than others is a fundamental question in ecology. At least part of the
answer seems to be simply "because there are so many species in the tropics." Dr Emerson's work emphasises how important biodiversity is to a healthy planet, and the dire consequences of declining species numbers. The long term implication is that as more and more lifeforms are lost to extinction. the capacity of ecosystems to withstand change is reduced and life on Earth is put in jeopardy.
The coast line of Hawaii, where a rich variety of life on the island menas more unique species
PREMIER
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Use Your Vote With polling day tomorrow, the election campaign is slowly coming to a close after weeks of fierce campaigning, some of which has been the most hostile Britain has seen in decades. National media has paid close attention to the Norwich South seat due to the seemingly tenuous hold Labour has on the position and the 13,000-strong student population that could swing the direction of votes. Student apathy has become the starting block for most of the coverage. All too often student apathy is assumed , a marked difference from the perception of our parent's generation. Over the years, the overwhelming student presence at demonstrations or protests has dwindled, causing us to be largely perceived as self-interested wasters. Despite this, UEA has retained a strong political ethic, seen through our continuous campaigns and demonstrations held during the academic semesters. Yet disillusionment with the electoral process remains high. Choosing between a smug Tony Blair, a demon-like Michael Howard an d a nervous looking Charles Kennedy is not easy, and it's true that the differences between the main parties seem to be diminish ing , but it's necessary to use your vote instead of discarding it completely. The 2001 general election took place in early June at a time when most students had gone home just after exams. By using our vote, we have the ability to collectively alter the patterns of Norwich South and will make it interesting to see how the electoral figures break down . More importantly, an oft-peddled reputation for laziness and apathy is a dangerous thing and not something we should want to preserve.
Construct Chaos Staff and students at UEA are finally able to use and appreciate the new extension of the library, after nearly a year since construction first began . The disruption is unfortunately set to continue until the new year when work on the building is officially completed, with final year students unable to enjoy the final outcome of the building work. Whilst the extension is a welcome improvement to the library, it follows in a line of continuous construction work that has occurred at UEA in the past few years, leaving most people tired of their campus resembling a construction site rather than a university. Once all the work is done, it will be of great benefit; but it's a shame that existing students will have to suffer.
Concrete
Wedn esda,路. Ma v .J"'. 2005
STUDENTS "DIE" IN UEA SQUARE CAMPAIGNERS FOR MPH USE SHOCK TACTICS TO DELIVER MESSAGE lsabel Dyson Over thirty students died at UEA last week. watched by over 150 spectators. The campus square provided a setting for students to feign death as they sank to the ground every three seconds at the toll of a bell. The stunt was carried out to highlight the death of one child every three seconds as a result of poverty. Organisers of the square 'deaths' were hoping that the visual emphasis would help observers to comprehend the seriousness and magnitude of the problem. The Make Poverty History campaign has struck the cou ntry with massive sales of white awareness wristbands and celebrity adverts. The aim of the national campaign is to persuade GB leaders to increase aiel. drop the debt of third world countries and promote fair trade across the develop ing world. The UEA performance was carried out to encourage students to support the campaign. One spectator explained that the stunt did make him think: "Watching the speed of the students 'dropping路 in the square really makes you think of the horror that wh ile you sleep. eat. drink and just live. ch ildren are dying so freque ntly. " One participan t of the campaign. Michael Roberts. a Development Studies stu dent re ported: "We want
world leaders to listen to our demands. One child dying every three seconds of preventable poverty is unacceptable. And rich governments are effectively keeping billions of people locked in poverty through unfair trade rules. which is unacceptab le." According to UNICEF every day 30.000 childre n die of ex-treme poverty and over 10 million ch ildren die a year of hunger and preventab le diseases: one ch ild
every three seconds. At the GB Summit in July and the
sixth World Trade Organisation in December. world leade rs will discuss the problems of th e world 's developing countries. The Make Poverty History coalition hope that they will con side r the prospect of dropping third world debt. dou bling aiel budgets a nd amending trade regulations. World Poverty Day on April 24"' saw party leaders of a ll fiv e main UK political
parties pledge their support to the future of development. focusing on the relief of world poverty. It is hoped the stunt will influence supporters to trav路 el to Edinburgh on July 2 '"' and attend the Make Poverty History rally and influence GB lead ers. Supporters are a lso encouraged to visit the Make Poverty History web s ite www.makepovertyhistory.org and contact th e Prime Minister in order to express concern.
ANGLIA UNIVERSITY THE SECOND ANGLIAN UNIVERSITY PROPOSES NAME CHANGE TO RIVAL UEA Jen Marchant Anglia Polytechnic Un iversity (APU} has put forward a proposal to change its name to Anglia University. and is currently awa iting the final decision from Privy Council. APU. wh ich gained University status in 1991. was al lowed to a d opt the curre n t na me despite strong objections from UEA. and offers a lmost the san1e range of cou rses as UEA. and has two campuses - o ne in Chelms ford. the oth e r in Cambridge . According to the APU website. the nam e Anglia University is a lready in use in and arou nd campus. and they hope it will also establish an identity. easily dis tinguish ab le fr om the University of Essex. and u s. There are two other options: th e second being Anglia Ruskin University. s ince llie Cambridge campus was
established by the fan1ous Victorian scientist and philosopher: John Ruskin. and the third. less popular option. is Anglia Metropo litan University. to reflect the fact that the eastern region is one of the largest and most diverse in Britain. These three names were picked from a list of around 200 that were put forward by students and staff. and most are backing the first option. UEA and the University of Essex. however. are proposing to resist the change to Anglia University. for several reasons. Firstly. UEA and APU a re a lready fre quently confused. both by British and overseas prospective s tud en ts. Secondly. the geograp hi cal claim is not s trictly speaking accu rate: the two ca mpu ses are located on the outskirts of Anglia. whereas UEA is pretty much central . Thirdly . and possibly most in1portantly. th e name gives the impression of dom -
inance. with East Anglia being a subordinate. or even a subsidiary Un iversity. And lastly. the proposal to build a new University in Suffolk makes the claim even less feasib le. The local autho riti es dealing with the Suffolk University project have also been contacted and asked to resist the name. It is harder to resist the change to e ither of the longer versions: however. Already th ere is the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art: a department of Oxford University. which co uld be confused with Angli a Ruskin Univers ity. Eq ua lly. th ere are seve ra l Univers ities Me tropolitan a round England : London Met ropolita n . Ma n c h este r Metropolita n and Leeds Metropolitan and eac h is situated in a far more urban e nvironme nt th a n Ch elms ford or Cambridge. Th e claim that these sites are m etropolitan is mis lead ing. and t11e name cou ld be opposed on such grounds.
All of the UEA students spoken to about the issue are concerned about the possible consequences if the name change to Anglia University were permitted. T h eU n i o n ' s Communications Officer. Cat Lumb. who is working to oppose the change. said that the name "cou ld have an adverse effect on UEAs reputation as Anglia's number one University. and would be very confusing for prospective students". Russe ll Dacly. LIT2 st ud ent ag reed with this. pointing out "there is often confusion about prestige if one University isn't as good as the other" : th is is a problem fa ced in Oxford. wh ere Oxfo rd Brookes Unive rsity mu st face the wo rld renowned Oxford Un iversity as competition. The name problem faced by APU is clearly not going to be resolved quickly or easily. a nd the stud ents of UEA s hou ld be prepared give the Union their full s upport in opposing this change .
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Concrete
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Wedne.wlar. April .f . 2005
LEADERS REVEAL MORE BEHIND THE SCENES UEA STUDENT INTERVIEWS BlAIR, HOWARD AND KENNEDY FOR CHANNEL 5 In th e run up to th e forth co ming Ge n e ra l Elec ti o n ch annel 5 d ed ica ted ind ivid u a l days to grilling th e 3 pa r ty leaders . a nd a UEA s tud ent h as b ee n p lay in g h er pa rt. Je nni Ca rt er. HIS 1. was selec ted with t h ree o th e r fi rs t tim e vote rs to m eet. To ny Bla ir. C h a rles Kcnn edy a nd Mic h ae l Howa rd a nd put h e r q u es ti on s lo th em as pa rt of th eir "Meet the p o lit ic ia ns" se ries. The four youn g vote rs vis ited Mr Bla ir a t Downing S t ree t an d b efore m ee tin g t h e Prim e Mini s te r we r e given a lou r of Nu m ber Te n. J enni told Concrete "it was a n a m azin g opportunity . Bla ir h a dn 't bee n told ou r qu es ti ons in a d va nce so I was particula rly impressed wit h t h e d e t a il in h is a nswers. I was h o ping I wo uldn't li ke h im mu ch bu t fo un d th a t h e was rea lly fri end ly a n d m o re ope n th a n I'd expected". The pa n el were parti cu la rly impressed th a t th e Pii me Minister s tayed lo ta lk with th em a ft e r filmi ng. a nd s h owed them m ore of Down in g S tree t . J e nn i said
''I'm n orma lly very cyn ical b ut Blair convi n ced m e th a t h e really is a ge nuin e per s on. I asked him wh ethe r h e th o u ght it h a d a ll b ee n wort h it. and wh a t h e regretted mos t. a nd h e a n swered very h o n estly a nd o penly ... Wh e n as ked on a ir a bo ut Labour's policy o n getting 50% of people to n ivers ity . d espite the sa m e p roporti on of s tud ents b eing un a ble to a tt a in gra d e C a t E nglis h and Ma tch GCSE. Mr Bla ir argu ed th a t degrees wouldn't be d eva lu ed . but fa iled to offe r a solution fo r lhe gr owing number of gr a du a tes who are find in g th ere s imp ly are n 't en ou gh j ob s d emand in g a d egree to go round . Th e pane l of vo ters we re a lso imp ressed w ith Ch a rles Kenn edy. He m a de a ve ry s tro n g ca se aga in s t th e int rodu c ti o n o f ID ca rd s . hig h lig h ting exactly wh a t il wou ld enta il fo r every c it ize n . a nd pointing o ut th a t th ere is n othing to s uggest th a t ID cards prevent terro rist a tt ac ks. Q uizzed on th e Li bera l De m ocra t position on E urope h e reiterated the Lib Dc m promise of a refe ren d u m o n Europe. a lth o u gh
not all panell is ts were co n vin ced by hi s pro-Eu r opean s tan ce. They d id we lcome h is pledge to a bo lish tu ition a nd lop-up fees a nd like Bla ir found him to be mu ch more ge nu ine than cou ld be e>.:pected from a h igh ranking politic ia n . bul a fte rwa rd o n e pa n elli s t co mme nted th a t h e lacked t h e perso n a li ty and ch ari s m a of the Prime Mi n is ter. whi ch was c ru cia l in m a inta ining h is a ppeal. However. lhe panel were less t h an h a ppy following th e ir a ft e rn oon \vilh Mr 1-l owa rd. Whil st h e was pleasant during fil min g and was ob viou s ly a nxiou s lo banis h the "s ometh ing of lh e nig ht" a nd "nas ty pa rty" labels a ttrib uted to h im a nd hi s party in th e past. lhe four voters r em a ined unco n vinced tha t Howa rd wo u ld m ake a good Piime Mini s ter. a nd th r ee of th e p a n e l be lieved him to b e pa troni s ing in h is m a nne r towa rd s t h e m . Th ey c riti cised h is exp loita tion of th e case of Mrs Dixo n a nd th e way in which h e h as cr iti cised key wo rkers in n early every sector. as we ll as hi s pla n to pull Brita in ou l of U1e Unit ed
Na ti o n s Co n ve n t io n on refu gees with n o g uara ntees to re place it . Most wo rrying was wh a t h a ppe n ed o n ce fil m ing was over. J enni told Concrete th a t a fte rwa rd s Mi ch ae l ll owa rd sta rted a n a rg u me nt wi th o ne of the pan elli s ts wh o h a d sa id o n a ir th at s h e clicl n 路t fe el h e h a d a n s wer ed h er q u es ti o n . "Sh e was ta lking very calm ly a nd ra ti on a lly. expla inin g wh a t her view-
point was. and h e tota lly lost his temper. It was li ke h e'd s udd en ly s n a pped into offcl u ty mode a nd we got lo see the real Mich aell-lowa rcl . He s houted h er clown . and th e rest of u s wh o tried to h e lp he r, j a bbed hi s finge r in o ur faces a nd wa lked o u t! Even th e Tory vo ter of o ur group wa s horrifi ed . I've n ever see n a nything so u nprofession a l! " Possibly Mr Howa rd thought th a t n ow a ll t h e pa rty lead -
ers h a d bee n intervi ewed. J enni and th e three other vo ters wo uld d isa ppear qui etly. T h a nkfully . c h a nn e l 5 gave th e m a ch a n ce to go bac k on TV a n d te ll t h e nat io n wh at th ey've see n over lhe co urse of th e las t mon th as th ey m et with the t hree p oli t ic ia n s. so Mr I-l owa rcl's b ad te mper m ay we ll co m e bac k lo h a unt him .
STUDENTS ON CAMPUS TELL ABOUT THEIR VOTING INTENTIONS, OR NOT, AND TELL US WHY This time, I'm going Green
Alyssa M orri ssey
St ud<:' nt s m ake u p 13 pe r cent of the voti ng popu la ti on . If every s t ud ent in th e UK voted t his o n 5 May. it wo uld dras tica lly effect wh at h ap pens in pa rli a m ent. Find o u t wh a t UEA s tud ent s are do ing o n th e big clay.
'I th ink a lot of peo ple a r e vo ting fo r t h e Gree n Par1 y .. th ey've go t th e bes t poli cies for s tu dents. I s t udy sci<:'nce. so I th ink it's im portant to protect th e environ m ent.路 - A firs t yea r 1310 s t uclcnt. An ove rwhelming majority
surveyed said they were voting Lib Dem because . . . 'Th ey'r e ju s t more in
to u ch with th e peo ple wh o vote fo r the m . They' re t h e o nly o n e~ wh o lis ten ed to th e people a b o ut the NHS and edu ca ti on .' - A s ta ff me mbe r. don' t r ea lly think there's ano t her optio n . I just fi nd it d iffi cult to te ll th e differe n ce betwee n [La b our[ a nd [t h e Co n servatives[.' - A firs t year 8 10 s tudent. 'I
'If I d o vote it wi ll be fo r
Lib Dem . They were th e on es w h o we re aga inst to p u p fees. an cl I h e war.' - A fi rst year AMS student. It's i mportant that w e s t ick wit h Labour thi s time be cause .. . 'If we don' t . we're go ing to h ave a Tory govern m ent .' - A t hi rei yea r LIT s tud ent .
The Tories a re o ut in my o pinion . a nd t h a t ba ica lly
o nly leaves o ne optio n .' -A second year LAW s tu de n t. This time, it's Tory Tim e . . 'I just d on't like Labo u r. 1 don't trus t Tony Blair a t a ll .' - A firs t year ME D s tud ent. ' I d o n 't think we ca n t ru s t To ny Bla ir. Tigh te r immigra tion wou ld be go od too.'-A.Il M.A. C HE s tud ent. You won't find me at the
polls tomorrow. . . 路1 do n 't t ru st any of t h e b lokes in office.' -A t hi rd year PS I s t uclen t. 'I' m basica lly experien c ing voter a pa thy. I don 't like a ny of th e canclicla tcs. I think stu dents clo n 路t really h ave a very good ch oice th is lime.' - An M.A. ECO s tu de nt.
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''I'D LIKE TO READ OUT A POEM IF THAT'S OK WITH YOU'' UEA PlAYS HOST TO NORWICH SOUTH CANDIDATES FOR QUESTION TIME
Clare Bull and
Helen Pike News Editor In a political debate that nearly turned into a poetry recital, UEA's Student Union hosted a question time for candidates of Norwich South . Seven candidates were on the panel, ranging from current Nmwich South MP and Home Secretary Charles Clarke to Roger Blackwell. candidate for the Worker's Revolutionary Party. Running for two hours. the debate was evenly distributed across a broad range of subjects, yet unsurprisingly top-up fees and the war on Iraq dominated. In terms of education, the subject of tuition fees was predictably raised early on. Direct criticism was thrown at Charles Clarke over breaking a manifesto promise. Mr Clarke argued that the legislation was put in place in order to regulate the amount that universities were charging. Clarke said the introduction of maintenance grants along with other attempts to marginalise the policies such as a 0% rate of interest on loans and increasing loans meant the policy was wholly justified . Tory candidate Little argued that a "whacking great debt was a whacking great debt" no matter how the system was structured. A view shared by all other candidates. The issue of environment was a popular debate, helped by UEA's strong association with climate and
environmental research , A general cliticism was made by the floor, headed by Concrete's Features Editor Ross Grainger, that environmental issues have not attracted as much attention as necessary, both Clarke and Little said that thetr parties felt it had featured but that In the eyes of the majority voters it was still not paramount. Little said he hoped environmental issues would be placed higher in the agenda In the next election. A clear and succinct plea from Adrian Ramsay highlighted the importance of environmental issues . Ramsay established himself as a valid and credible candidate with a balanced argument highlighting the Green's stress on environmental issues as well as drawing other Green pol!ces to the attention of the floor. The parties took thetr expected stances on the issue of Iraq. one of the last debates of the evening. The atmosphere remained moderate until the end when this political hot potato was raised and volumes soared as Charles Clarke defended the government's decision to go to war. Clarke was challenged by Antony Little from the Conservatives who highlighted that Mr Clarke had not read the evidence of the Attorney General. an issue that was raised in a previous discussion held earlier in the week. The idea that the Liberal Democrats changed thetr position on Iraq was rebutted by AaldersDunthorne who argued that while the Liberals had decid-
ed to back Blitish troops whilst In Iraq they were strongly opposed to the war and had always been so. The debate at times was surplisingly humorous. and when questioned about the Liberals' idea about granting prisoners votes. Little said that he would be more than happy to receive the vote of an "ex-murderer" however not a ·current' one. Vandra Ahlston for UKIP when questioned about voter apathy within young women gave an extraordinary long answer about "men waffling too much" . Ahlston also responded to discussion over Iraq by requesting to read a poem she had wlitten over the subject, a request that was unfortunately denied. On the Issue of Iraq, Little used his knowledge as a History teacher to point out that histolically. Britain hasn't simply invaded countries. Clarke's response was to express his relief that Little didn't teach his children History. Despite heavy publicity, the lecture theatre was only half full. most likely due to the sunny weather Norwich has enjoyed in recent days. Those who did turn up found most of the debate useful. appreciating the opportunity to directly ask questions to political candidates . Mark, a PSI postgraduate who raised the issue of the United Nations, told Concrete how "it was fantastic to be able to bring up such an important subject in person to those who we want answers from". Jenni Clarke HISl, who interviewed Britain's top political leaders for Channel
5 , felt satisfied that she had also been given the chance to challenge Clarke on cur-
rent political issues, calling the moment "surreal but exhileratlng". Sam, EC02.
expressed his concern in the small turnout, calling it "disappointing for UEA".
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...and grateful thanks to all you lovely people who only wanted to give Tony a bloody nose!
A pop at Tony could give us !!!! a bloody nose. With Labour • There are two million more jobs '• We are leading the fight to tackle international poverty and cut third world debt
Labour is committed to • Keeping consistently low interest rates • Keeping public services free • Promoting and developing renewable energy sources locally and nationally • Providing cheap and affordable housing
If you don 't want to wake up with Michael Howard on May 6 - Vote Labour on May 5
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Cotcrtte Wednesday, May 4 , 2005
EXAMS ADVICE AVAilABLE ON CAMPUS The examination period has just got under way and it's evident through the numbers using the library each day and the amount of ciggarettes smoked in the square. It is almost easy and expected of students to feel the pressure as the exams loom before us. However, there are plenty of ways to unwind and seek advice. as given by the university and the Student Union. The Union Advice Centre has endless amounts of leaflets with advice on how to stay calm whilst revising In the run up to exams. and in the examination hall. The Dean of Students (DOS) Is also offering its services. Students can receive counselling to deal with stress on all issues. and offer tips on how to revise effectively. The Union Advice Centre can be found upstairs in Union House, above the Hive. and the Dean of Students building can be found opposite Waterstones. next to the Hive.
CiRAD BALL TICKETS CiO ON SALE Tickets for the annual graduation ball went on sale last week, and are expected to sell out fast. As a tradition the graduation ball takes place in the LCR. acting as a send off to its graduates. for who it's a final time to party in the LCR as an under-graduate. and this year it's happening on Friday 15'" July. There are 2 types of ticket available- gold and platinum. Both tickets allow access to the LCR and Hive. but platinum ticket holders gain access to the Blue Bar, which for that night will be turned into a VIP section. holding a champagne reception with canapes for the first hour of the night. Other attractions that platinum ticket holders will enjoy include a fortune teller, games and an opportunity to have your photo taken professionally. Prices for the ball start from ÂŁ35 and have endured criticism from potential buyers. One fmal year student who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her concern that she might not be able to save up for a ticket from spare cash in case they sell out in the next week. She tells Concrete. "I'd like to think of the graduation ball as a way to say farewell to my university friends. yet I'm questioning the need to splash out at least ÂŁ35 on what is just a ticket to another LCR". Tickets are now avallable from the Union Box Office or onllne at www.ueaticketbooklngs.co. uk.
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9
ELECTION CANDIDATES TAKE SCIENCE TEST DISCUSSION HEATS UP OVER LOCAL JOB LOSSES AND NUCLEAR POWER ALTERNATIVES Rosie Chance Science Editor Local parliamentary candidates' views on science and technology were put under the microscope on 21" April. at a question time event held at UEA. Under scrutiny were Labour MP for Norwich North !an Gibson, Liberal Democrat candidate for Norwich South Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne, and last minute stand-ins Rupert Read and Kay Mason, who replaced Norwich South candidates Adrian Ramsay (Green) and Antony Little (Conservative) respectively. The variety of scientific expertise on the panel was considerable: while Dr Gibson was Dean of Biology at UEA. Ms Mason readily admitted that science was not her strong point. The recent announcement of heavy job cuts at the John Innes Centre was at the forefront of the evening's discussion. David Low, from JlC, asked the panel for their attitudes to the financial crisis that precipitated the job losses. Responses erred on the bland and vague, but Dr Gibson stood out for his pointed advice to the ailing institute, suggesting they needed to "sharpen up their act" through collaboration with industry and positive use of the media. A disillusioned teacher enquired how the national curriculum for science could be made more inspiring. Mr AaldersDunthorne advocated smaller class sizes. Dr Read suggested emphasising the wider role of cience in so i-
ety, Ms Mason missed the point and discussed higher education. Dr Gibson repeated Labour's pledge for every school to have new science laboratories fitted in the next ten years and deplored the "abominable" reduction in school trip . Party line were towed on the subject of Europe and the usual bickering broke out between politicians
when the debate wandered onto the subject of taxation. The panel were unanimous in their opposition to top up fees: Dr Read summed up the feeling of the panelists and the floor alike by saying "it's a shame Charles Clarke is not here, we could all attack him on it". As rumours fly that Labour may resort to atomic energy to meet the obliga-
tions of the Kyoto protocol. the final questioner asked the panel if they U1ought dangerow,, climate change could be avoided \vithout using nuclear power. The Lib Dems and the Greens were adamant that nuclear was not an option. while the Labour and Conservative representatives were clearly reluctant to support such an unpopular
choice but did not rule it out. There was a great deal of hopeful talk about energy efficiency and as yet unknown technologies, but none of llie panel there that night were able to name the panacea lliat will meet our energy demands while also avoiding global climate change.
WAR LIKELY TO TAKE ITS TOLL ON ELECTION BlAIR PUBLISHES LECiAL ADVICE UNDER LORD GOLDSMITH'S RECOMMENDATIONS Sam Webber Political Editor In the closing days of this general election campaign, llie tension is certainly increasing and llie gloves have come off in the row about llie legality of llie war in Iraq. Tony Blair finally decided last Thursday to publish llie full legal advice that he received from the Attorney General Lord Goldsmilli. In an extra twist. Labour candidate in Norwich Soulli, llie Home Secretary Charles Clarke was forced to admit last week that as a Cabinet minister in llie run up to war, he had in fact not seen this full legal advice. Opposition parties were quick to pounce on lliis fact. and it has been alleged lliat
if lliis full legal advice from Lord Goldsmilli had been given to members of Blair's Cabinet. there may have been oilier high proftle resignations. aside from that of Robin Cook. Whellier or not Tony Blair lied and misinterpreted intelligence is still unclear and is an incredibly serious attack for llie Conservatives to be making. However what we can now see is that the Attorney General stated lliat only "a reasonable argument" could be made for going to war. International law expert Maurice Mendelson QC has stated. "The opinion of llie 7lli March looks much like that of a lawyer already straining to the utmost to support a course of action about which he entertains grave doubts, but on which his client is set". These are strong allegations and it is difficult to see how many
Labour voters will either stay at home on polling day or support one of the opposition parties instead. Predicting the result of a general election before llie votes have been counted and before many of them have even been cast is difficult. So far, the polls are consistently showing a Labour victory with the Conservatives between 2% - 9% behind. The Liberal Democrats are set to pick up a good number of marginal seats and their showing in the polls varies from 19% - 24%. Opinion polls are by their very nature somewhat inaccurate as they only survey a very small number of voters, yet it is probably accurate to say that Michael Howard's chances of forming the next government are looking less and less likely. Hopefully every one of Concrete's readers will be
turning out to vote on Thursday. Even if you feel that politicians are "all the san1e" and are only going say what you want to hear. there are certainly some fundamental differences between the three main parties on the key policy areas of Health. Education. Crime and Tax. Perhaps you may have to vote for what you perceive as the 'least bad' of the parties or indeed for a minor single-issue party, but it is always better to vote and register an opinion than stay at home and squander your democratic right. If llie manifestoes leave you feeling dazed and confused then there is another option, given by campaigner Bob Hewett. Bob, in his door -to-door campaign, points out that a massive 41. 1% of the electorate didn't vote in the 2001 elections. and is calling for peo-
pie to vote "not-represented" in tomorrow's election. Many readers will be voting in the Norwich Soutl1 constituency, which UEA falls within. It is certainly an interesting race with Labour's Charles Clarke fighting hard to hold on. despite getting an 8,000+ vote majority here last time. The Liberal Democrats are also campaigning hard and together with strong candidates from the Conservatives and the Green Party. it looks set to be an interesting seat to watch. There are also four other candidates from minor parties contesting this seat, willi little hope of achieving more than a few hundred votes each. The clear message to voters in Norwich South is to turn out and vote and to vote tactically because it is set to be a close result.
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THE ART OF REDUCING STRESS The Art of Living Society will be runn ing a free three day course over th e exam period to h elp people d eal With exam s tress. The course wi ll be open to both s taff and s tudents at UEA an d will cons is t of a dyn a mi c b rea th ing tec h niqu e, whi ch gives an ins tant burst of energy to th e system and s hould he lp with la te night s tudying ses s ion s; a few different kinds of med itatio ns (i n c lu d ing la u gh ing m ed it ation) and s ome knowledge a bout how to keep energy levels h igh in order to kee p mood up in everyd ay life. Ma lin di Blight. from the s ociety. says "lt is a s h ort course but it is very powe rfu l. It gives you a more profow1d experien ce of meditation. it is very good fo r exam stress. wi ll h elp you to focus and re lax better and th e tech n ique is b rea th ing specifically designed for giving you more energy. After the course. you will be able to do the breathing technique at home and Will have a greater knowledge of how we can affect our mood through breath and other things .. ." A guest teacher from London will be visiting on the last day of the course, who is a very experienced yoga and breathwork teacher. The society assures us that his style is young and dynamic and he teaches Art of Living full time and is in charge of The Art of Living Foundation in London. The course is called Breath Water Sound and will be happening on the 6"' 7"' and 8'" of May. It runs at 5.30pm - 6.30pm on Friday and from 5-6pm on Saturday and Sunday in Nelson Court Common Room B. All 3 sessions of the course must be attended. The course is open to all staff and students, there is no fee but a donation is requested. For more information please email m.blight@uea.ac.uk. otherWise you can just turn up on the Friday. www .artojliuing.org www.iahu.org
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Concrete
Wednesday, May 4", 2005
TRADE RULES TAKEN TO TASK HILARY BENN COMES TO UEA TO SPEAK ABOUT MAKE POVERTY HISTORY Claire Aitchis on On Tuesday 19"' April. International Development secretary and son of Tony Benn. Hilary Berm came to UEA with Labour MP for Norwich North Jan Gibson. in an event hosted by Christian Aid. In the context of Great Britain hosting the GB in 2005, he was here to answer questions about making poverty history. He is known to be a very charismatic man. and has clearly inherited his father's passion for politics. Full of phrases such as 'politics does have the capacity to change things·. he began the session With the promise of doubling the aid budget. and increasing investment in the fight against AIDS by seven times. Although he obviously believes that Fair Trade and Trade Justice are the best way to fight poverty. along with debt relief. he d id express his belief that developing countries can only benefit from encouraging trade from the developed world, using India as an example. When questioned over Coca Cola's behaviour in Kerala. India. he said that it was the Indian government's
prerogative to decide what they want to do with their own countries and that it was not for the developed world to patronise. When as ked what should be done then, if the government of a country seemed more concerned about international investment than in the provision of clean drinking water for their own population, he stuck to his guns. He did however make the point that consumer pressure was far quicker and more effective than any law. and welcomed people's right to boycott products such as Coca Cola. using the example of international pressure forcing pharmaceutical companies to make AIDS medication affordable for Africa. He agreed that debt relief should have no trade or policy conditions attached to it. However. he did make the point that not all condjtions attached to aid are wrong. as it is important to ensure that the money is spent on the right things. At the end of the 20 minute session he and Mr Gibson accepted a petition to Make Poverty History. signed by visitors to Norwich Cathedral and presented by Christian Aid representative. and UEA alumni. Jenny Wagg.
IT'S OH, SO, QUIET. SHHHH! NEW SECTION OF THE LIBRARY IS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY UNION ACADEMIC OFFICER
seems like of enduring noise ption. the new to UEA's library been opened by Officer Chris •c:rrmJll<: ll n. It is the first time of the Union has
Taking a year from the nning of construction til the opening ceremony 18 '" April, the new addiis the first extension the library has experi s ince its opening in 1960s . Costing a wh op£6 m illion in total. th e stretches to the
normal he ight of the five floor building. and reaches across most of the length. The new section of the building has already been in use by students whilst the rest of the library undergoes a well-needed refurbish ment. Most recently. the second floor. housing mainly history and politics books. has re-opened and from next week until August. the th ird floor. which houses English and lingu istics books, Will close for its own refurbishment. All sections of the library will be officially open for use from January 2006 onwards. Of th e n ew extension. Union Acade mic Offi ce r Chris Ostrowski to ld Concrete "It was an honour
to open the new library extension on behalf of a ll UEA students. When the new library is completed next year it Will be a great improvement for all students." Most students who spoke to Concrete were happy about the extra room that the new building provides. Anna LIT3. "the new section is so lighter and therefore to work in". The extension
menced in recent years. being Medicine. Main cis ms a ppear to en severe d isru ption h ave faced th is year. which is soon to come to an end.
Concrete
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk 11
www.concrete-online.com
Wednesdav. Mav 4'', 2005
LEADING THE WAY FOR GAY RIGHTS IN EUROPE SPAIN PASSES BILL ENABLING GAY COUPLES TO WED AND ADOPT CHILDREN
Nadia Bennich lntemational Editor Last week, Spain became the first country in the EU to pass a bill alloWing same sex couples to marry and to adopt children . This bill Is very likely to become law in the near future so that Spain Is now the first European country both alloWing marriage and adoption. So far. same sex couples could only
benefit from full civil marriage rights in Belgium and in the Netherlands. Although Denmark was actually the first country introducing legislation to recognise registered same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples. church weddings remain prohibited. However, the Vatican and Roman Catholic Church in Spain criticised this measure sharply by referring to the bill as being "iniqui-
tous". The new Pope Benedict XVl, with his conservative convictions, condemns the Spanish bill and opposes the reform to allow same sex marriage and the possibility to adopt children. Even Spanish mayors pronounced themselves against the bill and are not prepared to wed same sex couples in their community. Spanish bishops and other religious representatives launched a campaign of anti-bill
protests asking Catholics to go into the streets and protest. Yet the government warns that the bill has to be applied and respected regardless of the convictions of mayors or other officials. Predominantly Catholic Spain is divided about the bill provoking a clash between govemment and the Roman Catholic Church. The daily newspaper El Pais refers to the bill "as being no more controversial than was the divorce bUl of 1981 in its time". Daily ABC, however, is not in favour of the bill as it denounces the fact that "the government has acted in haste on a very serious social reform which will have irreversible effects". In other countries in the EU , such as France or Germany. same-sex couples can benefit from certain partnership arrangements which do not entirely recognise the same rights than those of heterosexual partners. Germany introduced in 2001 "life partnerships" giving the same rights in issues such as inheritance , for instance, than to heterosexual married couples. The French "Pacs" , a civil contract. offers some rights to cohabiting couples but still
excludes them from full rights of marriage such as tax questions, inheritance or adoption. Countries like Austria, Greece. Italy or Luxembourg do not have any legal recognition for unmarried couples. Ireland's Prime Minister recognised that same-sex couples should be given more rights but does not intend to allow marriage in the near future. Britain. with its civil partnership bill, offers rights and responslbil1Ues altke to those of heterosexual married couples tn the sectors of property, social security. pensions, etc. The rights of same-sex couples differ from one EU country to the other but most European countries offered increasingly more recognition and rights to same-sex couples over the last decade so that it might be a question of time whether same-sex marriages will be allowed or not in the future in more countries. With Spain's new bill and with the liberal laws In Belgium and Netherlands, other European countries may want to reform their laws alloWing at least the possibility to wed.
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VOTE PEACE Norwich Stop the War Coalition were out tn the Haymarket urging people to vote in the comtng General Election under the banner of "Vote for your anti-war candidate on May 5'h" on Saturday. "How local MPs voted was crucial on whether or not this country committed itself to what UN SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan has called an 'illegal war' in Iraq," said Coalition spokesman, Peter Offord. Pointing out Charles Clarke's support for the war. as Minister for Education, Mr Offord went on to raise the cost of the war: "The people that voted for the war should be held accountable for their actions," he said, "thousands have now lost their lives and been injured, most of these Iraqi civilians. The latest figures show that nearly 100 British military personnel have been killed, over 2,500 have been medically evacuated and around 500 UK armed forces personnel are absent without leave because they do not agree to being deployed in Iraq. To add insult to injury," he continued, "many of those soldiers servtng have not received papers to enable them to vote. because, it is argued , they would vote against the govemment. And all of this at a cost of £200m-£250m per month to the taxpayer."
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Wednesday. May .Jth . 2005
Opinion ROSS GRAINGER
THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS fte r yea rs of living in the shadows of the Labour and Conservative parties, the Liberal Democrats are nicely poised for a big gain in his month's General Election. And when yo u consider eve rything that has happened in the last four years it's not hard to see why. Voters in this country are starting to feel a bit like Goldilocks and the Lib Dems are starting to look like that perfect third bowl of porridge. Labour are too hot; they were out of power for so long that the past eight years in which they were in power (with a huge majority) have been filled with a number of unpopular, almost Orwellian measu res: the War in Iraq, ID cards, the hunting-with-foxes ban (which
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THE UEA CONSERVATIVES
THE CONSERVATIVES onse rvatives know that governments don't have all the answers -far from it. But if they govern with the right values, they can make a real difference. After eight years in power, and just before an election , Mr Blair claims he can solve the problems Britain faces. People have heard it all before. it's all talk. Th e so-called "British public" are on ly free once every four years. Taking act ion on the thin gs th at matter. A better deal for stu dents We will resto re real choice in higher education by scrapping tuition fees, top-up fees and abolishing Labour's admissions regulator. University funding will depend on attracting new studen ts and so excellence wi ll be encouraged. UEA stu dents have been badly let down by this Government, wh ich has twice
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. PRIYA SHAH
LABOUR o, here we are yet again, frontad wit h promises and cla ims that oth er parties can take the reign and make Great Britai n a better place. Yes, yes we have heard it all before and yet the British public continuously select Labour to represent our country. As an advocate for Labour it is only appropriate fo r me to ask 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Let's face the factsthe alternative parties are hardly worth even glancing at, and are certainly not a true threat in this election campaign. This ex ample is indicative of the degree to which the Labour government elected in 1997 has been good for Britain domestically - undoubtedly better than a Tory government would have been - from an economic and a civil libertarian standpoint. Beyond its
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seemed unsatisfactory to both sides) , top-up fees and a nauseating fondness for George W. Bush . The Conservatives are the cold bowl of porridge ; they've been left out of power for eight years and now are as appealing as, wel l, a bowl of porridge that's been left out for eight years. There's nothin g I dislike more from a cam paigning party than usi ng fear as a means of garnering support. Here is a quick rundown of the state of Britain according to the Tories: crime is out of control; if you go into a hospital you wi ll either die from the MR SA super-bug or you'll be kept waiting for two million years; immigrants are everywhere, but Howard isn't racist because he went to see a Whoppi Goldberg film in 1993; gipsies are human beings too, and as such should be subjected to the same crappy laws we are , only with more speed and severity; the European Union is a totalitarian Super-State th reatening our national sovereignty with mildly phallic bananas; and taxes, taxes, taxes! Someone needs to be taxed more, some less, but the point is that
under Labour it's all messed up. Labour says Britain is working , the Tories say it isn't. Blai r is an arrogant Bush lover, Howard is a decaying Thatcherite, and fo r the past two months th ey have been at each others' throats with all manner of political insults. And that's a big turn off .
money saved from scrapping ID cards to put 10,000 more police on the streets. Not that th ey're saying crime is "out of control" - they just th ink 10,000 more police would protect us better than a piece of plastic . The oth er th ing that would help protect us against terro rism is not doing what Bush says. Charles nter Charles Kennedy and the Kennedy is not fan of the Bush ad minLib Dems. Rather than picking istration , and with him in power we fights with his rivals, he has quimay finally have a leader brave etly and effectively built up a huge enough to tell the US "Presidenr, support base. Rather than spending 'global warming is real, God is as real half his time disputing the policies of as Gandalf and you really should get the other parties he has co ncise ly set off the oil'. out his own policies. The Lib Dems Speaking of th e,environment , the Issue has featu red more in the Lib aren't as menacing as the oth er two main parties, nor are they as weak as Dems' campaign than any oth er party, the smaller ones. They are th at third even the Greens. The Greens are so bowl of porridge, and after research- ' concerned about looking like a real ing exactly what they want to do when - and we ll-rounded pQiitical party that in power, I can te ll you that their poli- _ ~ th ey have kept the environment out of cies taste good (though off the record many of their speeg,es and focussed I don't really like porridge or fairy tales on things like taxes, schools and hasthat imply that bears would maul a girl pitals. -·• to death just because she ate thei rs). For those of you who care deeply They are opposed to th e War in abou t the environment, th e Greens Iraq, university tuition fees and nationmight seem like th e logical choice. I'm al ID cards. Th ey would use the not voting for th em because of one
key issue : their stance on the European Union . They're not as Eurosceptic as the Tories, but they will campaign for a 'No' vote in the referendum on whether to adopt the EU constitution . The Lib Dems are in favour of it, as am I. I also think th at the Lib Dems will take serious environmental problems seriously. And because they have a much better chance at winning than the Greens, I th ink a vote for the Lib Dems is a vote for the environment. For example, to help tackle ca rbon emissions (wh ich ca use global warm ing) , they will cut the level of tax on cars that poll ute less. and will fund this by tax ing polluting cars more. That means huge, petro l-guzzling Yank Tanks will be taxed a lot to make up for the tax being lost on nice, Earth friendly cars. Charles Kennedy could run on a platform of simply "I am not Blair or Howard," but he has moulded a party with smart, fair policies, and he ·is running a campaign free of fear-mongering and anger. He and his party are the perfect bowl of porridge.
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broken promises on fees for higher education . In the first instance, Labour said they wouldn 't introduce fees and had "legislated to prevent them " - but then they did - and in the second instance, the Prime Minister himself said Labour wou ld not introduce 'top-up' fees - but then they did. Charles Hendry, Minister for Young People, visited UEA two weeks ago, and outlined very clearly his objections to a prospect of students accumulating tens of thousands pounds of debt. UEA Conservatives and the Conservative Party WI LL scrap tuition fees and top-up fees . Act ion on Health Public health is important. That is why a Conservative Government wi ll take action to tackle sexua lly transmitted infections (STi s). Today in Brita in we face an STI epidemic; today's sexuall y transmitted infections are tomorrow's NH S bills. it's tim e for a clear, bold and very public health ca mpaign - young people need to know th e risks involved and th e precautions they can take. We need to support the dedicated work of our local medical staff by giving specific staff th e power to close down di rty wards, to isol ate infection areas and help tackle the spread of infections, notably MRSA.
We will deliver further reductions in waiting lists for everyone so, when you need medical assistance it's readily available. UEA Conservatives and the Conservative Party WILL make improving our health service amongst our top priorities. Action on the Environment Regarded as one of the very best research and teaching institutions in the world for interdisciplinary environmental sciences, UEA is leading the way towards safeguarding our envi ronment and this commitment lies deep in Conservative thinking . We instinctively understand the importance of conservation , natu ral beauty and our duty of stewardship of the earth. We believe that student households and un iversity property should recycle an increasing amount of th eir waste. UEA Conservatives and the Conservative Party WILL ensure that everyone plays their part in co mbating climate change; we will ph ase out the use of harmful HFCs and deliver gre ater ince ntives to make residences more energy efficient. Acti on on Transport We will review all current transport initiatives an d improve upon them in order to benefit all students. Empowering individuals also means
giving them the opportunity to get around Norwich quickly and safely. We remain concerned about the possible construction of a multi-storey car park on campus with its effects on the natural environment that we all enjoy and appreciate on campus. The Conservatives are com mitted to red ucing the number of journeys made by unsustai nable modes of transport, particularly by car. In our towns and cities buses often provide the most economical and environmentally friendly form of public transport. UEA Conservatives and the Conservative Party WILL work hard to ensure transport meets the need of the environment and the individual. Acti on on Crime Crime blights lives and ruins communities: it should not be excuse d. We need to draw a clear distincti on between right and wrong and restoring respect, disci pline and decent va lues. Vandalism, graffiti, th reatening behaviour and theft are growing concerns to students. 11 is also ou r concern that the actions of this minority are damaging the reputation of the overwhelming majority of young people who are honest, law-abiding citizens. We wa nt to see more police on our streets and walking the beat to
act as a deterrent to would-be criminals and provide a speedy and more effective response when problems do occur. UEA Conservatives and the Conservative Party WI LL bring real benefits to people's safety at UEA and in Norwich . Wa r in Iraq If a Conservative Government ever has to take the country to war, we will tell the British people why. Mr Blair misrepresented intelligence to make the case for war in Iraq , and failed to plan for the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's downfall. Britain must remain committed to rebuilding Iraq and allowing democracy to take hold. UEA Conservatives and the Conse rvative Party WILL ensure that the general public are consu lted over any future military action and endeavour to make you r voice heard. An Issue of Trust People are tired of politicians who talk and ta lk, but fa il to deliver. They're ti red of politicians saying one th ing before an election and doing something else afterwards. The next Conservative Govern ment will not only make a difference: it will be different. Accountability will be our watchword. www.conservatives-uea.com
positi ve econom ic record outli ned above, it has created a minimum wage, has enshrined gay rights into law, relaxed drug laws, and generally made Britain a more prosperous and tolerant nation. Knowing ly aware that the Tory party cannot match or beat the way the economy is expanding, they have decided to stir up a xenophobic antiim migrant hysteria amongst the British public. This kind of tactic onl y highlights the Tory party as a spi neless and mildly mediocre alternative for a segment of voters. For some voters, one issue alone has ultimately determined what th ey will do on May 5th. The invasion of Iraq is so important to them that they cannot trust Tony Blair again . The Prime Minister hoped the issue would go away. And , for most voters it has. Recent polls show that only three per cent will decide on the basis of Iraq. As the furore surrounding the Atto rn ey General's legal advice on Iraq revea ls, Tony Blair's decision to go to war rema ins the defining moment of his premiership. The revelations th is week of the Attorney General's advice has not been as damaging as perhaps the opposition imagined. The legal advice became public just as the Conservatives' vilification of Blair as a
liar reac hed a climax . Unfortunately for the Tories, th e desired impact was not accomplished, and obviously the public believe that Blair is less of a liar more than they do of Howard. Lord Goldsm ith's advice was no more or less than any reasonably well-informed person cou ld have anticipated at the time. Th e Prime Minister took a decision on Iraq, a decision not everyone agrees with and he should have been more open to th e British public and indeed his own Cabin et about th e information. This is the ONLY problem for Blair, as if he had been more open the understandable reasons and resentment over th e war would not have run so deep. You will not hear Blair apologising for the wa r as he passionately believes what he did was right -just as fervently as his detractors believe it was wrong. The bottom line is it's been done . We ca nnot change the past and we can only look towards the future. If any1hing the Iraq war has made the world a safer place in the long ru n. We are looking at a situation where eve ryone was duped into decisions. Labour had false intelligence; the British public opposed the war and th e Iraqi people are suffering as a co nsequence. Even though th e war could be construed as illegal, it doesn't change th e fact th at
positive th ings have co me out of it fo r an outcome in better global security. Syrian troops have wit hdrawn from Lebanon , Israel has now withdrawn from the Gaza strip, Libya has disarmed , Iran is in negations, but MOST importantly a brutal and oppressive dictator has been removed from power - should Blair really have to apologise for making the wo rl d a safer place fo r us to live in ?
the political , social and economic direction of Great Britain . Today, there are tens of thousands more nurses, doctors and teachers than there were in 1997; money has been poured into schools and teaching. There have been gradual developments in our society since 1997 - but stable ones. Disability laws have come into place, the Human Rights Act has been implemented- and yet consistently the focus keeps on reverting back to Iraq like a kettl e th at won 't stop boiling. Credit must be given to the Liberal Democrats for fi ghting a decent campaign , they have been honest on taxation issues and environmen tal issues which is a welcomed sight. You won 't hear the Tories mention Iraq. They backed Mr. Blair. But the Liberal Democrats are not going to win this election. Whether you genuinely support their policies or just want to give the Labour government a bloody nose, a vote for the Lib Dems is like a vote for Michael Howard. Labour has become a progressive moment in the 21st centu ry on a global scale. We are fighting poverty, dictators, AIDS, racial discrimination and more humanitarian causes than ever before. Th ere is only one choice in this electi on ca mpaign - Labour.
nd on his so-called "cosyi ng up" to Georg e W. Bush (I say cosying up because most people tend to use terms not suitable here) , it has been overblown . The USA an d UK do have a special relationship and the War in Iraq reflected that. But there is no apple-polishing. Blair did not stand by Bush on Iraq for any other reason than it was in our national interest. 11 was in our national interest not only to remove Saddam Hussein, but to show that in the war on terror there is unity. Peopl e also say th at not only did we support the war, but we got nothing from it. Not true. No two countries share more intelligence than Britain and America . 11 helps our security. Neverth eless, Blair's troubles over Iraq are only, in fact , part of a broader problem: this el ection should be about
A
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Concrete Wednesday, May 41h. 2005
13
Rise of the Right. Erosion of Rights. Since he became US President in 2001, George Bush, with a Republican majority, has been the bane of gay and women's rights groups. Jacqui Burgoyne looks at some of the measures Bush and his friends have taken to undermine their' causes and he sees them as such a menace.
ince Bush's first inauguration in 2000, he and his administration - backed by the dominant Christian Right - have been steadily eroding the rights of minorities in the USA. In Britain we are aware of the 'big' issues such as the attack on gay marriage, and the Homeland Security Act, however our awareness of smaller measures, particularly on a state-level, is much less complete. Unfortunately the same can be said of the majority of American citizens, with the result that many damaging measures are being 'sneaked' in without raising the criticism they should. There are organizations that are working to make the population, and particularly those affected, aware of these issues. However, with the majority of the population on the side of the Republican government, it is very difficult to resist these laws, although some triumphs have occurred. Additional Federal measures that also bear mentioning are the Global Gag Rule and the Abstinence Only legislation. Both these laws have damaging consequences for those affected by them. According to www.poplationconnection.org, the Global Gag Rule "restricts foreign non-governmental organizations that received money from USAIDS's family planning program from using their own non-U.S. funds to provide safe abortion services; impart accurate medical counseling about, or referrals for, abortion; petition their own governments to liberalize restrictive abortion laws or engage in public information initiatives and education measures to ensure that abortions are safe and accessible". Again, it seems that the American government is trying to impose its will on the rest of the world - in this instance with particularly negative consequences in terms of population control and women's rights. The Abstinence Only legislation, censoring and distorting any information about disease and pregnancy prevention other than abstinence, puts youth at needless risk. Two main areas where the state governments - particularly in Midwest states such as Missouri (the Bible Belt) - are gradually eroding at rightsbased legislation are the areas of women's rights and homosexual rights. Women's reproductive rights are particularly under threat, with the landmark Supreme Court decision in the 1973 case Roe v Wade (legalizing abortion) being systematically attacked and steadily undermined. When asked whether she thought that there has been a recent downward trend in women's rights, Women in Black's Cathy Callaway said, "Oh yes ... lt floors me.• She found particularly worrying "The lack of equal pay, equal rights, reproductive freedom - and that is just in America!" Organizations like NOW (National Organization for Women), WiB (Women in Black), OUTfront (a branch of Amnesty International), Human Rights Watch, and the Human Rights Campaign are working against this tide; raising awareness, holding protests, and sponsoring women- and gay-friendly bills In Missouri, the main line of attack has been on women's reproductive rights. The Missouri legislature has openly admitted its policy, saying "it is the intention of the general assembly of the state of Missouri to grant the right to life to all humans, born and unborn, and to regulate abortion to the full extent permitted by the Constitution of the
United States, decisions of the United States Supreme Court, and federal statutes." Missouri has already enacted several laws that have been deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, for example in 1999 it banned abortions ftrom 12 weeks, with no exception for a situation where the mother's life is in danger. As Danie Becknell, President of Westminster College's NOW Chapter, said, "This is ridiculous. This government seems to value the life of an unborn child more than that of an already living woman." The Missouri legislature is pushing the United States Supreme Court as far as it can. The laws that have been declared constitutional dramatically reduce the possibilities of a woman obtaining an abortion. Because the Supreme Court is unwilling to actually overturn Roe v Wade, the state governments in Missouri and elsewhere have instead taken the route of making legal abortion as difficult as possible. Several pieces of recent legislation enforce this: The Counseling Ban/Gag Rule prevents public funds being used to provide abortion counseling unless necessary to preserve the woman's life. Insurance Prohibitions for Abortion states that no funds for insurance and services for uninsured children may be used to counsel or refer for abortion unless an abortion is necessary to preserve the woman's life or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest and that Health insurance policies must exclude coverage for abortions for any reason except to preserve the woman's life. Additionally, the Biased Counseling and Mandatory Delay is an unconstitutional and unenforceable law in Missouri that subjects women seeking abortions to biased counseling requirements and mandatory delays. iven that, at present, 97% of counties in Missouri have no abortion services, these additional laws make the situation almost farcical and, as Becknell stated, "The prohibitions on abortion except in cases where the mother's life is in danger make you wonder how literally should this be taken? With today's technology a mother could be considerably maimed by giving birth, but still survive." Not only have existing rights been eroded, there is a massive resistance to any new rights being granted. Take, for example, the Equal Rights Amendment. After having been thought dead for years. the Equal Rights Amendment for Women is closer to ratification - and thus a place in the Constitution - due to a new legal precedent. All that is now needed is three more states to ratify this Amendment for it to become law. This is proving very difficult. As Becknell said, "Sexism is so ingrained in society that many people are unaware of it. They are also resistant to admitting that this problem still exists because they want to believe that America is this wonderful place, but it isn't always." Inequality between the genders is definitely still a problem. Janice-MathewsGordon -Westminster College's First Graduating Student - speaking at the Women's Leadership Conference on campus, drew from her own experience, saying "Now you've heard that women sometimes hit a glass ceiling? I'm here to tell you, it seems more like concrete to me. it's clearly visible and it's virtually impermeable." Gordon continued, "When I left Westminster, women were paid 59 cents for every dollar a man earned ...we are talking comparable jobs here. Now it's 76 cents to
the dollar. Why the discrepancy?" Furthermore, in the U.S. Congress of 2005 women hold less than 15% of House and Senate seats. Becknell asked "With a clear need for the Amendment, why is it not happening? Even if there was no need, there should be no problem with enacting the Amendment because it would only legalize the status quo." Homosexual rights campaigners face similar difficulties to those campaigning for women's rights. The key threat to homosexual rights is the Constitutional Amendment proposed by President Bush two years ago, which would ban gay marriage by defining marriage as an act between a man and a woman. On a state level the threat is not so much the eroding of rights in existence (there are not that many), but rather a resistance to giving any more. Currently in Missouri there is one act that gay and lesbian groups are particularly concerned about: Missouri H.B. 328. The HAC website states that "This bill would prohibit any public institution or entity that receives state funds from adopting a discriminating policy that exceeds current federal protections against discrimination; currently sexual orientation and gender identity or expression are not included in federal antidiscrimination laws" [my emphasis]. As Jessica Wickam, President of Westminster College's Amnesty International Chapter said, "This basically means that the Missouri government will not go any further than it has to; it has committed itself against progress in terms of gay and lesbian rights.· The Human Rights Campaign and other organisations have sponsored many bills aimed at combating discrimination according to sexual preference. These include the Permanent
Partners Immigration Act, which aims to allow gay and lesbian couples to immigrate into America with their partners in the same way that married couples do. Another is the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA), which attempts to broaden the federal hate crime law, which at present only allows for investigation into hate crimes based on religion, race, or national origin. Senator Gordon Smith, who sponsored this bill, said "A government's first duty is to protect and defend its citizens. Our laws should do that by reflecting our highest values, not by sheltering our lowest fears ... Over the past several years, Americans have been listening with their hearts, not just their ears, and they are ready for a hate crimes bill." These two acts, however, have not yet been introduced into the current Congressional session. Regression, then, seems to outweigh progress at present. Mark Haim, Director of Mid-Missouri Peaceworks emphasized the need among liberals for, "Solidarity at a time when so many are despairing at the prospect of four more years of war and retrograde policies." With Bush and the Republicans having such a death grip on the House and Senate, the situation seems bleak. Some hope can, however, be seen from the fact that, as Cheryl A. Jacques Winnie Stachelberg, President Political Director of the HAC said, "During two tough fights in the U.S. House and Senate, we worked with our...partners to successfully defeat the Federal Marriage Amendment. [This) historic victory demonstrate[s) that while we are outspent and outnumbered by our opponents in the religious right, fair-minded voices can prevail." http://hrc.org prochoiceamerica.org
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This year Concrete is going all out to make the
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(; rccn Party At only 23 yea,. old, UEA graduate Adrlan RamNV has already been elected as a City Councillor for the Green Party In Norwich. He Is also the Green Party's Parliamentary candidate Norwich South in the forthcoming General Election, and If elected, he will be the youngest MP In Westminster. Interview by Sarah Swalheim. Did UEA help you begin your political career? transferable skills I gained from my degree In
of public speaking and analysis have helped, as the knowledge I ga~ned from the degree. being involved in the campaigning groups for peace and development and envitrnr•m<>nt:.tissues has helped, in that ItS ShOWn StU· that I'm one of them. I'm ono of the people concerned about these issues. Why did you decide to join and stand for the Green Party?
lt was purely ideological. The Green Party represents what I believe in and I think it's vital to get Greens elected to every level of government - local European parliament and certainly tW••<rirnin•<>t<>r In order to follow those policies. I'm to do it myself and I'm keen to got other elected as well.
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Christine Constable is running in Norwich South for the English Democrats. The English De m ocra ts ENGLISH DEMOC- are a nationalRATS ist party, like those in Wales Scotland. Unlike the BNP they are not racist or They're a party that want what's best for England. They want separate Parliaments for England, Scotland and Wales. They want St. George's Day to be a Bank Holiday for all English They aren't necessariliy in favour of the UK
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character and we need EuropM\ Union IWikdk~n&l wl*tiwort(~lnd"--lndl . . . . the CCII'IIIIdon ofllrlthlt. breaking up, but they want all the counties separated politically a little bit more. Ore of favou rite questions is why can Scottish WPs the UK Parliament on matters affecting England, English MPs cannot vote on similar issues affecting Scotland? On the thorny issue of top-up fees Constable said she believes the courses should be reviewed so that people are not paying the same ~mount courses that do not cost the same amount to ister. She also believes that as a Norwich local she has a great feel for what this city needs to do to improve. The party is fielding candidates in t.Nenty-five constituencies, including Norwich South. In a nutshell their main objective is "putting England first."
Meet your Norwich South candidates. Use your vote.
for going into the Iraq war there were no weapons of mass lion. We would also say that the UK troops in Iraq should have replaced by UN troops- that could stopped some of the hostility that's in place.
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concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 15
www.concrete-online.com
2005 ELECTION SPECIAL.
. . . dlrncxiiiCJ Mould
... ,
c..a.t. Wednesdav. May 4"'. 2005
What ere the key policies of the Green Party and why do you think they are Important?
the three campaigning Issues for the general are climate change, peace and public servWith climate change, it Is absolutely essential we take urgent action. We would do many such as scrap VAT on renewable energy to that takes off on a much wider level. We take action to localise the economy, so that that can be produced locally are, and we're importing goods thousands of miles, when they be produced in Norfolk, for example, apples New Zealand! of public services the Green Party has a trti<>tinl"ti\Jo stance in that we would end privatization services, and Indeed reverse lt, In that want to re-nationalise the railways, and the privatisation within the NHS. In terms ot peace, we took a clear, consistent stance U1e Iraq War. The pre-emptivc strike wasn't justl· and it's now that the reasons Blair
How would legaltslng Cannabts benefit Norwich?
Legahsation would benefit not JUSt Norw1ch: you have to look at it on a uniVersal stage. The tax taken from Cannabis could be ploughed 1nto the economy. The tabour government ttself had a report done tn 1996 'What would be the resul! ol tegahstng cannabis?' And tt camo back that 1! Cannabts was legalised on the man.:.et, and taxed at the same rate as e~garettes, allowing £13 million for poss1b!e increase 11 health problems, it would return £1 8 billion to the exchequer r-vary yoar. as opposed lo soendtng £8 btllion cl yoat try1ng to step people ustng tl. There'& tmmedtato saving on police ttma on court time. on prison 11me and all rne problems that have coma out of prohibition. Your party"s flter states. Wo Vtctun, No Cnme". Examples 01 VJcllmtess cnmes mcluda corporate crime and taxar!on fawd. llov. Jo }OtJ fcol about this? If you commit corporate cnme then you do hMm somebod' - you e•tncr take their monoy or you
cause tnem stress. However t.hen you uso n
Many people see the Green Party merely an environmental group, and feel that issues such as the War in Top-Up Fees are not concerns of Green Party. Obviously this is not the case.
Th1s 1S clear from our three COl'S policies, Change, Peace and Public Services. Yes we have plenty to say on the enwonment. and that distinctive, but we also have plenty to say on JUStice 1ssues as well. both at home and abroad. In terms of Top-Up fees. my personal campaigning the issue while I was a student, in Which I about it at UEA, put out a motion to the city on it. This has made it clear that we have taken stance on that, whereby we think that education is public service and should bee paid for income tax. We're certainly not in favour of fees or tuition fees. You are only 23. Do you think your age Is a vantage in politics?
No, I think that it could be an advantage. I remarks from people that it Is good to see people involved, what with the average age of clllors in the UK being 57. More important than age is what I stand for, and the tact that we're ling on an incredible challenge in Norwich, so I think 11 should hurt. In terms of the student hopefully it will help, in that people will see campaigning for th.ngs that I believed in and that I was involved in while I was at UEA. Do you feel that you are at a disadvantage against the Home Secretary Charles Clarke?
lt's a disadvantage in that he's got a massive profile, but it's an advantage in that on the that he's doing in the Home Office and the did when he was Education Secretary. We're the compulsory ID cards scheme and think that money spent on that could far better be spent community policing. We're against his house plans and detainment without trial, which Clarl<e continued to reside over following Blunkett. But on asylum seekers we're in favour of a fair but more tolerant and open approach towards them, terms of the need for people to escape dreadful ua!lons that they find themselves in in other tries. And importantly we need to look at why seekers are risking their lives travelling to the because the reasons for that are usually to do either climate change causing flooding, poverty. Those are certainly three things Western countries could do something about, are the fault of Western Cannabis plant, or you grow a tew Cannabis plants in your own premises for your own use - how does ntckmg somebody, pu" 1ng one or two parents In prison help chtldren? And tell me. who do I harm by smok1ng a JOint, unless 1t is m an enclosed space and they ObJect? I can get two years for running do.vn tne street to my dealer but rf I grow « I can get 14 years and an unlimited hne. At the same tlme the maxtmum a Judge could giVe a paedophile would be 12 years. So really rm looking for JUStiCe. Did you support t/'>e go~ternment"s lltgher education bill {Which tntroduced top up fees)?
No. Education should be free troll' birth unhl death
need to set up a system of petrol tax where those who drive less are paying less for the petrol they use. We also need to Improve public transportation. The bus system in Norwich is a disgrace. I'm very proud of the park and ride system we have in the city, it's one of the biggest In the country. I also think we should expand Norwich airport, but also I think we need to look into the issue of aviation tax. Basically I think we
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS After standing for the Lib Dems in Norwich South in 1997 and 2001, Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne is hoping it will be third time lucky in 2005. The latest polls seem to suggest it will be, with the Lib Dems proud· ly proclaiming that they are "Winning Here.• Dunthorne studied at Norwich City College and at UEA :md has lived in Norwich for 33 years. He is 35 years old. Here are some of the responses he gave during the hustings that took place at UEA on the 29th of April. Top-t,p fees: Charles Clarke said he and his party did r,ot break their ~001 manifesto pledge, and instead introduced a new system. Dunthorne said:
lt's unjust for Clarke to say that they honoured their manilesto pledge. They didn't. The Liberal Democrats will abolish all tuition fees and will fund this .,.ith our 50% tax on incomes over £100,000. We've already abolished tuition fees in Scotland and want to do the same here. The question was asked as to whether it is important to be from Norwich when representing Norwich South in parliament. Dunthome seemed to have no problem proving his local credentials, having graduated 'rom Norwich City College and earned a post gradt.ate degree from UEA, as well as having lived in Norwich for 33 of the 35 years he has been alive. However, following this claim the Conservative candidate, Antony Little, claimed Dunthome had not lived;, Norwich for 33 years and had spent some of that tme in Suffolk. The attack drew criticism from a number of people in the audience.
need it. A question about Iraq was inevitable, and it was the last of the hustings. There were two questions. Do you think the UN is important? And what is you position on the war? Dunthome had this to say:
The Lib Dams were united and consistent and voted against the war in every instance. Like all Lib Dems I believe the war was wrong, and I also believe that British troops should be withdrawn. They should be replaced with UN peacekeepers, because it is presence of foreign troops, occupying forces, that is fuelling much of the insurgency. I believe the UN is fundamentally Important and I think it has been badly damaged by the war. Each candidate was allowed to end the hustings b giving a quick sentence on why people should vote for them. Dunthome said;
We are against top-up fees. We are against the war in Iraq. We want free education and dignity for pen· sioners. Most of all though, we are the only serious challenger to Labour in this area. The Conservatives can't win here, the Greens can't win here. We are the real a«ernative.
The environment is threaded into every part of the Liberal Democrat manifesto. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have both said that ours is the most environmentally friendly manifesto. I think one of the biggest problems is energy efficiency. We waste far too much energy. I also believe, and my party believes, that the polluter should pay. Companies that pollute a lot should pay. We also
In the broader context the Liberal Democrats, like Dunthorne, have high hopes for this election. lt is fair to say that this is their best chance for many years, probably since they last won the election nearly a century ago. The Tories have their 5 Pledges, Labour insists things will continue to irmprove, and the Lib Dems have their 10 reasons to vote Lib Dem. They include top-up fees, the War in Iraq, more and more targets and, perhaps controversially, a unique tax system. To fund their various programs, the Lib Dams will raise the tax rates on high earners meaning that people will be taxed SOp for every pound they make over £100,000. While this will naturally put off some of those who earn such a salary, the Lib Dams have won some fans because they have come out and said that not everyone will benefit from their tax system: they simply think it is the fairest system there is.
The 2001 General Election
The 2001 General Election
National Results
Norwich South Results
The rext question was on the environment. Why has it not been a big e feature of the election and what are your party's policies? Dunthorne said:
Labour
Charles Clarke (Labour)
Votes: 10, 724, 895 (40.7%)
Votes: 19, 367 (45.5%)
Seats: 413 Conservatives
Andrew French (Conservative)
Votes: 8, 357, 622 (31.7%)
Votes: 10, 551 (24.8%)
Seats: 166
In order to meet the government's targets on natura energy prod~.;ctJon, woula you support en Increase m wind fJrm conslrucrloo?
Well basically 1 support any type of energy that Is derived from non-dangerous fuels but I believe that wlnd·larming cannot replace other means of genorattng electricity. In parliclllar I propose Cannabis and pyrolysss. Net only are you talking abOut tho generahon of electricily. tl mus1 be appreciated lhat the C<1nnab1s plant IS also a source of luel lo drive our cars on. Bas1cally what wo have is a lack of accoumobili1y by anybody to the environment and once .\e start tool<sng at ihe enwonment generally - wslllf everyono go: s:oned it would be a wondorlul v.orld'
Result: Labour majority of 167 after 659 seats declared . Turnout: 26,366,992 out of
Result: Labour majority of 8, 816
44,401 ,238 (59.38%)
Turnout: 64.7%
16 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
www.concrete-online.com
Concrete Wednesday. May 4 1h. 2005
Can't Vote, Won't Vote The day of reckoning is almost upon us, but whilst many voters are busy studying manifesto after manifesto, other voters are basing their choice on other, "less publicised" factors. Matt Shoesmith has a look at some of the more shallow reasons people have for choosing a party. t's a situation we're all familiar with: you meet your mates in the pub, the conversation turns to politics, and then someone embarrasses themselves (and indeed the entire voting process) with a breathtakingly inane reason on which they intend to base their vote. At the time we laugh, but there is an unsettlingly vast number of people who seriously believe that the actual policies of the parties are secondary to the appearance, names, and birthplaces of their respective leaders. For their own sakes, the names of the people who hold the following beliefs have been locked in the Concrete safe, along with the photos from the Christmas party and the real identity of Prof. Roderiok Mulhapton Filklngton-Phipps (see The Enquirer). However, the names of these voters is as irrelevant as the voting criteria they use. The first and most cringe-making example is that of the appearance of the candidates. One is left disillusioned as to how Margaret Thatcher ever got elected in the first place, as there are very few people who actually admit to having voted for her. However, her erection to Prime Minister becomes even more shocking in the light of the number of people who refuse to vote for Charles Kennedy based on the fact that, "he's a ginger.• Fair enough, we all picked them last in P.E. but surely by the time we're old enough to vote we have the common sense to see through the colour of someone's hair and place ou. 'X' next to the party who best represent our individual beliefs. And anyway, he's Strawberry blond.
Indeed, where the colour of Kennedy's locks let him down, Tony Blair suffers similarly at the hands of his tailor. No, not because his trousers aren't as tight as Michael Howard's, b'Ut because some people refuse to vote for him after he attended an edition of the BBC's Question Time programme, "wearing a pink tie like a big woman.• This sounds too stupid to be true, but it is in fact one of the more common of the ridiculous reasons heard over the last few weeks, as the more macho voters amongst us were spilling their twenty-ninth pint of Ale, like, as the shocking images were beamed into the magic box in their living room, and printed in The Sun. Can we seriously choose the leader of our country based on his tendency to wear pastel coloured ties? Apparently yes. "Men wear dark ties, that's the difference," remarked one source. And here we were thinking it had something to do with biology... Despite the tie-clouded ambiguities of gender identity, one young chap revealed his girlfriend's astonishingly shallow reasons for voting. "I won't vote for Tony Blair," she announced, "because it sounds like, 'BLEEEUUUURGH,' the noise it makes when you're sick.'' OK. this is a pretty unique example, hopefully. lt does lead one to question how many equally incredible reasons people invent as a means of swaying their allegiance. Furthermore, the loss of objectivity that might infect the political process if former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Mark Venus ever ran for Prime Minister is frightening. However, the fact that this young lady intends to
vote for the Liberal Democrats based on the fact that Charles Kennedy has the same name as the doctor off Neighbours is perhaps more distur'oing, although it probably evens out the votes Kennedy will lose through the "anti-ginger" protest vote. And now, the all time classic you've all been waiting for: "my Dad told me to vote for him.• This one is both vintage and, it seems, global, as an American student described her torment during the U.S. election. Her parents voted for the Republicans, but her friends voted for the Democrats. Certainly the political standpoints of those whom we spend most of our time around do influence our own. However, there is a distinct difference between being influenced and being dominated, as, since we have the liberty of anonymity when we vote, there is no need to disclose which party one favours. The fact that this reason for voting is so common in our society is a defi· nite problem which needs to be addressed, since as long as you have enough friends or relatives who are completely devoid of their own political values, you can effectively vote as many times as you like.
alarmingly common one, as around half of the people consulted for this article knew of someone who intended voting on a whim. But why is it that some voters choose to ignore the real power of their vote and instead risk voting for a Party who embody everything they stand against? Arguably, lack of information, or more accurately, lack of accessible, easily digested information. Many people cannot be bothered to trawl through the hundreds of various pieces of paper handed out by the equally numerous groups of campaigners. And who can blame them. However, it is easy, and furthermore well worthwhile, to at least gain an understanding of the main stances and, "promises; of the three major Parties, or even just to investigate the handful of issues which concern one the most. But what can one do when faced with someone who won't vote for Michael Howard because he's part Turkish and they hate kebabs? Or refuse to vote forTony Blair because he has hair like their stepfather? Well, not very much really, except try to shame them into applying a few fragments of common sense to their voting criteria. You could, perhaps in a moment of weakerhaps just as bad are those vot· ness, even pretend that you agree with their ers who claim, "I'll see what I feel · unusual reasons. "Yes, a Prime Minster with a like when I'm there." This basically Turkish background will help our Northern Cyprus amounts to a guessed vote, based brothers. Sweet." on absolutely no evidence of poliFailing that, dye their hair orange, fasten a cies or rhetoric whatsoever, instead relying on pink tie to their collar, make fun of their name which party has their tick-box in the place that (imaginatively), bombard them with leaflets, and first catches the eye. And again, this group is an keep them locked up on the 5th of May!
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Concrete
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk 17
www.concrete-online.com
Wednesday, May 4'', 2005
You were an Ireland and I passed you by Northern Ireland has not been a big feature of this election campaign, but their vote will be cast with ours on the 5th of May. They will be voting for different parties for reasons that are complex even to us here in England. Here, we look at the history of this troubled country and the parties that will shape its future. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
2001 ELECTION RESULTS IN N. IRELAND
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Under the leadership of the controversial and seemingly immortal lan Paisley (right), the DUP has become one of the most powerful parties in Northern Ireland. They see this election as the ultimate showdown between themselves and Sinn Fein, with whom they refuse to share power. Some of the policies in their manifesto include banning smoking in public places, opposing plans to introduce water charges, and, most importantly, they want the government to continue with plans to set up a devolved government in Northern Ireland, as has been done in Scotland and Wales.
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Sinn Fein, which is Irish Gaelic for 'We Ourselves', is the oldest political movement in Ireland. Its goal when it was founded in 1905 is the same today: to end British rule in Ireland, and to create a unified, free and sovereign nation lt has long been associated with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), with some, including the Irish Prime Minister, accusing the party leader Gerry Adams (right) of being a leading member. The December bank robbery and murder of Robert McCartney could have disastrous results for Sinn Fein in this election.
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orthern Ireland has again been hitting the headlines, with the IRA accused of a Northern Bank robbery and the relations of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney being given an audience with George W. Bush . Living in England it is sometimes difficult to understand why the problems in Northern Ireland seem to be so unsolvable. Why does it matter if it's part of the United Kingdom or not? If the Irish want it back so much why don't we just give it to them? Why has so much fuss been made over a bank robbery? These are the questions that many of you may be asking. But without understanding the history of Northern Ireland, we cannot even begin to answer these. In 1520 Protestants from England and Scotland were encouraged to settle in Ireland with the reward of land. The Irish Catholics were evicted from their fertile land, and were forced to either live in the West where the land was poor, or stay and pay rent for their own land. They were left with little for their families to survive on. In 1649 the English Civil War ended, and Cromwell (now Lord Protector) stormed Drogheda, north of Dublin with 12,000 men, massacring nearly everyone in the town, which Cromwell justified as the "righteous judgment of God upon these barbarous wretches". This horrified the Irish; there were even stories of soldiers killing babies by bashing their heads against doors. The Catholics had managed to get back their land during the war, but all the land the Catholics had repossessed was given back to the Protestants. Several years later, after the monarchy had been restored, Catholic James 11 was overthrown by his Protestant son-in-law William of Orange, and fled to Ireland. The badly treated Catholics were only happy to help. In 1686 James' army had trapped 35,000 Protestants in a siege in Londonderry. The determined Protestants ate dogs, mice, and even leather to survive. England finally came to their rescue and freed the town. William of Orange retaliated and in 1690 went on to win the 'Battle of the Boyne' and 'Aughrim '. By 1691 the Catholics had admitted defeat. The Orange men (William et al) celebrated their victory annually, which they still do today. These marches have added to tension between the two groups. The Orange men march through Catholic areas and refuse to change their routes, so the Catholics refuse to let them pass. In 1998 the two groups put up barricades 50m from each other, some parts of which are still up. In 1800 the British government decided to take away the Irish parliament. This abolished any status that Ireland had of being a separate
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country. lt was called the 'Act of Union' and caused more tension between the two groups, as it is still in practice today. The uproar caused by this act forced the British government in 1829 to make a compromise. They reversed some of the 'Penal laws', that had caused a lot of the discrimination in the first place. The Penal laws were set up in 1697, and had discriminated against Catholics, stopping them inheriting land and so forth. In 1873 the 'Home Rule League' was founded to work towards some kind of independence for Ireland. The Protestants were outraged by the idea of Home Rule. They did not like the idea of Ireland becoming more independent from the UK. In 1886 the British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, introduced the first 'Home Rule Bill' to Westminster. The Unionists were shocked and felt betrayed. Randolph Churchill led the opposition to the home rule bill, and it was defeated. The Unionists set up the 'Ulster Defence Association' and they used slogans like 'Home Rule, is Rome Rule'. In 1893 Gladstone again tried to introduce the Home Rule bill but again was disappointed. The idea was forgotten until 1912 when the Liberals again came to power, leading to the Unionists setting up the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) . The bill was all set to become law; but unfortunately for the Republicans World War One broke out in 1914 and the Home Rule Bill was dropped. The 'Government of Ireland Act', passed in 1920, separated 6 of the 9 counties of Ulster from the rest of Ireland. lt set up two parliaments, one in Dublin, and one in Belfast. At elections the Catholics refused to be border managers so the Protestants were able to 'gerrymander' the borders to suit the Protestant vote. This affected the aims of the IRA and Sein Fein. Before, they had been satisfied with Home Rule, but now they wanted a complete Republic. There were many clashes between the IRA and the UVF in Londonderry, and the bitter fighting resulted in the British army being called in. This was a dramatic turn in Ireland's history. Once the British army was called in it was very difficult to get them out again, and it is only in the last few years that they have been withdrawn. With the British army in Ireland the shootings and killings continued. The fighting moved to Belfast during the summer. This caused the Government to form a special constabulary called the 'Specials' to fight them. They were a police force mainly made up of UVF. The IRA threatened to kill any Catholic that entered the Specials. The Specials later developed into the RUC. The government has recently made changes to the RUC to make it more Catholic
•••••• ••• ••• •·• ••• ••• •·• •·• •••••• Jml~lml
Mark Durkan (right) had big shoes to fill when he took over from the SDLP's previous leader, John Hume in 2001 . He leads a party that is committed to a unified Ireland and to the Good Friday Agreement, but one which is in political decline. Durkan was driven to politics after witnessing horrific violence during the Troubles. He abhores violence and claims his is the true republican party. He has ruled out voluntarily forming a coalition with the DUP, which excludes Sinn Fein. The SDLP want Britain to adpot the Euro. They also want Irish to become an officially recognised language.
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) The UUP, led by David Trimble (right), want a radical change to the current power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland -the Good Friday Agreement. Their plan would see them form a voluntary coalition government with the SDLP. Trimble has ruled out going into government with Sinn Fein, which means a coalition with the SDLP is unlikely - they want republicans in government. Trimble won the Noble Peace Prize in 1998, along with then SDLP leader John Hume, for his efforts in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement.
friendly, changing the name to the Northern Ireland Police Force and trying to recruit 50-50 Protestants and Catholics. A truce was agreed on 11th July 1921 . The IRA had lost support and was prepared to listen. Talks in Londonderry were set up between Lloyd George and Eamon de Valera. The Catholics continued to be discriminated against in Education, Jobs, Politics, and Housing. This helped lead to the start of 'The Troubles'. 'The Troubles' were a period of Irish history from 1968 till1994. The Catholics, fed up with discrimination marched in protest. The RUC attacked them. After the Civil Rights march, the Orange march, and 'The Battle of the Bogside' in 1969, the British Government sent more troops in to try and keep the peace, but this led to increased violence. The IRA got on badly with the British soldiers, and the tension that built up between them helped lead to 'Bloody Sunday', on 30th January 1972. British Soldiers shot 13 men, six of whom were only seventeen. They claimed that they were all members of the IRA terrorists, but civilians said they were not, and were all running away or helping someone else when killed. The Widgery Commission was set up to investigate what happened on that day. 11 ruled that it was not the soldiers' fault, as they had been fired on first. Families of the dead were outraged, and the report has since been reopened and a new investigation had been set up which is currently underway. Bloody Sunday led to an increase in IRA violence. To control them the British Government set up 'Internment', where suspected terrorists were locked up without trial. The conditions of these prisons were appalling, and 'political' prisoners were subjected to treatment they claimed was torture. This led to Hunger Strikes in 1981, as protest against Internment. Bobby Sands ran for MP while in jail, and was elected. Because of the huge support that had been raised for him, there was public outrage when Margaret Thatcher let him starve himself to death. He had gone on a Hunger Strike in protest, because she refused to meet his demands. The IRA continued their bombing campaigns. In 1985 the Anglo-lrish agreement was drawn up. This meant that the British and Irish would meet on a regular basis to discuss political, security and legal matters. The Unionists were outraged. 15 Unionists MP's resigned in protest, and this forced a mini-referendum. As a result of Unionist demonstrations and strikes, the British sent more troops in. The Anglo-lrish agreement was dropped, and the Republicans were outraged.
Despite this, the peace process had begun to get underway. Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, altered and began to build alliances with other groups and get things done more peacefully. America, which had taken in many Irish immigrants, started to get involved and try to further the peace process. 1988 and 1991 saw terrible violence and the death count continued to rise. In 1992, for the first time in 'The Troubles', the UVF claimed as many lives as the IRA did. In March 1993 the British Government began secret talks with the IRA, and Hume and Adams met. Despite this, the crescendo of killings continued. However, on the 31st August 1994 there was a breakthrough, when the IRA and Unionist groups announced a cease-fire. lt was the end of 'The Troubles', but the problems continued. Sinn Fein suddenly got alienated from talks and the surprised IRA hit back with the Canary Wharf bomb, which killed two and ended the cease-fire. On the 20th July 1997 the IRA announced another cease-fire. The Labour landslide brought in a new government, who didn't need the support of the Unionists in order to win parliamentary votes, and in 1998 the 'Good Friday Agreement' was drawn up, which involved Republicans and Loyalists, and involved the releasing of prisoners in return for decommissioning of weapons. The Republicans hit back with the Omagh bombing, and even though some prisoners have been released, to this day neither group has given up any weapons. The terrorists will not give them up until they get what they want, and they will not get what they want until they give them up. Sinn Fe in has recently called for the IRA to give up its weapons and become a peaceful organisation. The IRA are currently considering Sein Fein's proposals. The good news is that Ireland today is very different from Ireland a decade ago. Most people want peace and are striving to achieve it. British troops have been withdrawn and we have a government who can be more neutral, not having to rely on the Ulster Unionist vote. The bad news is that the problems still continue. The feelings are so deep inside people that they will not forget them. To try and solve the problems of Northern Ireland you have to understand what caused them in the first place. To do this you have to understand its history. The only way forward is to look back and understand why the feelings of hatred are so deep inside people, and then to help them to move on from the past, and to deal with the problems today. Kate Wilkinson
FOR LIFE W"ITHOUT CO.NCR.ETE
wind fa rm has been pla n ned that pro m ises to be more than twice th e size of the farm in Scroby. Located around 10 miles off Sheringham, the sight, would feature between 6o and go turbines and co uld prod uce up to 315mw of electricity, enough power to supply over zoo,ooo homes . Of course plans are at an early stage and the usual hurdles will follow.
CAR PARK DEVELOPMENTS ake you r voice heard! We live in a democracy and, in theory, everyone has a voice . But how often do you use yours? Every four or five years? lt is vitally Important th at you exercise your right to vote on the sth, but why should lt stop there? At the moment these po litiCians are beha ving like your best friends and are eager to please, but as the election fever dies away, make sure you're still heard.
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The most effective way of doing th1s the old-fash 1oned art of letter writing. Who ever yo u vote for and who ever gets those seats your loca l MP is representing you. Let them know what your concerns are no matter what time in the political season is. Join the groups you should. The chances a re that you have many different po litical beliefs. Equall y th e chances are that the majority of these beliefs are represented by some of the amazing array of groups out there. Do you think nuclear weapons are a good idea? If not then let CND have your name . As the size of the member lists grow, so do their effectiveness . If you don't have the time to fight all the causes you like , then let someone else do it 1n your name. They are also a great source of information , and 1f you don't have time to follow these causes you can be filled in through regular news updates. Avoid the groups you should. Just as effective as aligning yourself to the causes that matter is reJecting the organisati ons that you disagree w1th . Boycotts work. N1ke was forced to change the conditions it kept its work force in after a student initiative in US saw enough campuses empty of Nike goods to seriously effect their sales. Nestl e doesn't need to change its actions in Africa if people to co ntinue to buy Kit-Kats regardless . The problem is th at most consumers fail to see the connection . The fact 1s, if you buy from the se companies you are condoning their habits. lt is as simple as that.
the web-based su rvey, [250 worth of prizes mean that it is likely to be a success, and yield results that will have a pivotal effect on the choice of future transport solutions at U EA. The fact that the unscheduled survey was released is one of two notable signs that the University is willing to engage with staff and stud ents to add ress transport problems at U EA. The other is the formation of a new 'Transpo rt Group', a subs id1ary of the current ' En vironmental Working Group' which is a Univers1ty decision-making com m ittee. The Transport Group, expected to meet for the first time after the national elections on May 5'' , will be chaired by Director of Estates , Roger Bond, and will include University Tr anspor t Co-ordinator Dawn Dewer, member of the Government's Sustainable Development Commission Professor Tim O'R iordan, representatives from the staff and student unions and Colin Goldblatt from STAG. Along side this new Un iversity group, STAG's own transport 'working group', compnsed of city and county councillors ,
Could attitudes towards a multi-storey car park at UEA be changing? comprehensive travel survey and the immi路 nent formation of a new 'transport group' at UEA, has given those opposed to the 2007 building of a multi-storey car park new hope that attitud es towards sus ta inable transport so luti ons may be changing for the better. Th e su rvey, which closed o n Friday 29th April , is the first of its kind since the University adopted its 'Tra vel Plan' in 2002. The survey assessed how staff and students curren tly travel to UEA, as well as th eir attitudes to potential transport solutions, such as new cycle lanes, a campus bicycle workshop, lower bus prices and in creased park and ride facilities. Despite some reports of technical difficulties preventing users from accessing
local bus companies, residents groups and various transport entrepreneurs, is also expected to meet for the first time after the elections. The group will look at the wider transport issues surrounding UEA and work towards sustainable transport solut10ns. With work on a new multi-storey car park at UEA scheduled to begin in sum mer 2007 , these recent moves by the Un1 vers1ty ha ve been welcomed by pres-
sure group STAG: "The travel survey and planned Transport Group are two great ste ps by the University administration towards giving staff and students a real say in solving our transport problems here at UEA. Let's hope the survey shows up more potential cyclists , walkers and public transport users ." Report by Jack Guest
LOCAL LINKS TO LOCAL FOOD Our Environment Officer speaks out on local food procurement restaurants locally. The campaign was organised by East Anglia Food Link, an organisation working towards 'a more sustainable and localised food system, across the Ea st of England' (For more information visit www.eafl.org.ukfdefault.asp) . Buying loca l produce: reduces food miles and therefore carbon emissions; provides a market for loca l farmers; creates jobs 1n th e loca l a rea; a nd means you get tastier, fresher food . So local produce is beneficial for the env ironment, the local economy and for your health! Unfortunatel y every restaurant on cam pu s is owned privately and the Student Union cannot decide where they purchase their food. We as students can , however, put pressure on th em to source thei r We foo d locally. will inform them of Dine the petitio ns and Drink the strong feeling from students that they should buy foo d locally. As fo r the Laugh Student Uni on outlets , I was very pleased to find that o ur retail manager is very clued up on the issue of buying locally but sa id that ' it is an ongoi ng Labour in Vain Yard , process' and that the Union is sourcx: 01603 765562
he Commun1ty Carbon Reduct ion Programme (CRed) gave away exactly 200 low energy light bulb s in return for 200 carbon reducti on pledges at the Energy Day held o n campus on the 22 "' April. hope those of you out there who received your free ene rgy saving light bulbs , in ret urn for your pledges, will enjoy the massive savings on your electricity bill as a result! I am writing in respon se to the peti路 lions signed by many of you, asking that the Student Union source the food for its
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ing more and more food locally. She is, as we speak, reviewing the items sold and will be looking into any other produce that can be sourced locally. In order to get more local food in the outlets we have to create the demand for the food. I'm hoping we will have all the locally supplied, organic, non -GM , fa1r trade and recycled products in Union outlets CLEAR LY labelled by September, to make it easier to choose to buy ethically. For now, here is a list of some of the products in the UFO and where they come from : All fresh fruit and veg from Me Carthys; All Bakery products from Breadwinner Bakery, Unthank Rd; All individual fresh cooked vegetarianfvegan meals from Butlers, Vauxhall St; All health-foods, fair-trade and some organic products from Rainbow, Exchange St; Bernard Mathews a re th e local sandwich supplier (a lth ough I would seriously discourage buying from Bernard Mathews due to their highly unethical beh aviour with regards to animal we lfare); Ke rry Food s is anothe r loca l supplier of sandwiches , cooked meats, pasties & pi es; Local eggs from Ke ith Hewitt (Free-
range); Milk from Coop; and th e amb1ent range is mostly supplied by Palmer & Harvey Brandon Suffolk. I hope the petitions signed wil l be the starting point of a movement towards more local food at UEA and working more closely with East Angl ia Food Link.
Turf Editor: Regular readers will already be familiar with the campaign to remove battery chicken eggs from the university. In a meeting organised by Turf to address this issue, head of catering Johan Boiling suggested the formation of a working group that would help develop food procurement policies on campus. The group will include a cross section of student representatives and catering staff and will begin meeting next academic year. All talks so Jar suggest that successful outcomes can be reached but that there is a lot of work necessary. Details are a long way from finalised but anyone interested in joining this group should con tact Turf or Environment Officer Jenny Gelatly.
Conaete
www.concrete-online.com
2005
The ozone layer over the Arctic has reached its thinnest since records began, disappointing the scientists who believed it ad started to heal. The observation, made by Cambridge University, reveals the o ·Jse to be a side effect of climate change. With some areas of the atmosphere showing a so% loss of the protective layer, holiday makers are being warned to take extra steps to protect themselves this year.
2005 was designated Year of the Volunteer, and each month of the year is to have a theme. The theme for May is the environment. The Wildlife trust is calling it the perfect opportunity to find out about volunteering opportunities with an environmental organisation near you " , As the UK's largest voluntary conservation body with over 25,000 active volunteers regularly working for their loal Wildlife Trust, they describe volunteers as "the foundation upon which The Wildlife Trust movement has been bu ilt. •
Mill ions of pounds of investment is being promised to deprived ports in Norfol k. With decay firmly set into many coasta l urban areas, the groups involved hope that the funds will bring new building projects within three years. Although it will take much longer than that for real change to take effect, it has been a well received step. The plans include a new gateway in the harbor of Great Yarmouth and the revival of many coastal town cen tres.
A three tonne sculpture of human were unveiled on April 30th to show how much electronic waste the ave rage person throws away in a lifetime. The figure was comprised of five fridges , 35 mobile phones, five sandwich toaste rs and four lawnmowers . If you would like to see how much electronic waste you will likely be responsible for it will be d isplayed outside City Ha ll in London for most of May, before moving to the Ede n Project in Cornwal l. The UK throws away at least 1m tonnes of electrical equ ipment a yea r.
PUTTING THE ENVIRONMENT BACK INTO THE ELECTION Iraq, immigration and the NHS have knocked the environment off of the campaign agender, so ... turf takes a closer look at those environmental manifestos. Labour are proud of their eenvironmental record to date, and claim to be leading th e world into climate change solutions. They propose 'usi ng our leading role in the G8, the Commonwealth and UN to promote global act1on on climate change.' lt was, after all, this government who set the current targets on emission reductions. However, some poilc1es put Labour's concern for the CONS ERVATIVE The conservatives are also proud of the1r environmental achievements, taking us way back in history to remind us that 'Conservatives led the way on public health and clean water acts in the 19th century" They remimsce that the Clean Air Acts were Conservative achievements and go on to list a vanety of policies that they have bought m. Looking to the future they prom1se that 'conservatives are com-
mitted to more recycling and waste reduction; to the conservation of our green fields and our marine environment; to safety first and consumer rights on GM crops.' Of course there IS room for plenty of Tony Bashing as well. They claim that UK carbon emissions are now higher than when Labour took office 1n 1997 and h1ghlight that last year Labour abandoned 1ts 2010 carbon target as unach1evable. They also come down heavily on Labour's waste and recycling record .
The Conservatives have a long list of pledges of themselves. They have produced a 7 page document titled Actions on the Environment. Although this does Include some impressive promises to tackle unsustainable fishing, a subject too often ignored , there are again more reference to Labour's failures than possible Tory improvements. Conservative governments have Introduced improvements, but their advice is largely opportunistic.
LI BERAL DEMOCRATS
afraid of introducing potentially unpopular methods of tackling environmental issues, and publicly admit that their methods will mean sacnficing certain lux· uries, such as cheap air Aights. They promise they will introduce aviation fuel taxes to help reduce th1s growing burden . The policy that has bore the most new coverage, perhaps because of the economic links, is the scrapping of VAT in order to bring in an environmental commercial tax. This would replace the traditional set levels of tax on goods w1th a
Again, we find recycling and cl1mate control at the centre of the Liberal Democrats environmental pledge. They would like to "place Britain at the forefront of climate change negotiations, pressing other nat1ons to ratify and Implement the 1997 Kyoto Protocol" . They mention combmed heat and power schemes and tougher building regulation as Important steps in reducing energy demand. The Liberal Democrats are less THE GREEN PARTY Unsurpmmgly th1s party is the toughest when it comes to environmental pledges. They have called their manifesto the Manifesto for a Sustainable Society. They proceed to break this down into the various areas of governance, making 1t completely clear that the Environment 1sn't someth1ng to be tacked onto a campaign, but something that should be the focus of all development.
environment into real question . As of yet, they have avoided the iss ue of aviation fuel tax, even though this is one of the major sources of emiss1ons. All we have heard is threat of nationwide airport expansion. While labour promised to be "tough on motorists" and raised petrol duty in the face of opposition, it has still bowed to the road lobby often enough to provide us with plenty more road construction . There is the wider issue of whether
They undermine all the other party prom1ses on climate change, revealing the hypocrisy, even in the Liberal Democrat campaign . Last week they famously produced an ice sculpture of Tony Blair to emphasise the fact that "Biair's credibility has melted on cl1mate change" . They also point out that whatever the Democrats say about aviation , Kennedy's party still supports maJor airport expansion. Published m a paper titled "too yellow to be green" The Green
party reveals that L1b Dems are creating policies that sound significant enough on the surface, but are still falling short where it matters across the board. Th1s party, often by its own admission, acts more as a pressure groups than a senous contender for governmental control. lt is clear from the1r manifesto that with seats in Parliament they will act as a watchdog over all areas of susta inable development.
TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT Trees are nature's greatest achievement. Cars are mankind's most horrific mistake. lt must be assumed that drivers of the automobile think nothing of the trees that they pass and would as soon have them chopped down to make way for more road . lt is with this in mind that the great Platanus Acenfoha was chosen as th1s editions Tree of the Fortnight. Commonly known as the London Plane 1t was ingenious strateg1c planning that resulted in this specimen bemg planted along University Dnve. For what morbid dnver could dare gaze out of their wmdow at this tree with out forever lamenting the1r automotive ways? A mere glance at one of the Plane's zigzag twigs will be enough to drag the most car dependant demon away from the steering wheel and into her welcoming creamy yellow branches. He1ght: 70 - 90 ft Spread: Go - 8o ft Shape: Pyram1dal when young but roundmg with age Foliage: 8 1nch, da rk gree n ma ple s ha pe leaves Flower: Sma ll pla in monoecious Aowers Fru1t: 1 inch ball of ball of multiple achenes
Tony Blair can persuade Bush and his government to co m mit to climate change solutions. Tony Blair is one of the more prominent figures in environmenta l negations but it is fea red that he is all words and no action . Indeed his manifesto reveals few insightful methods of tackling the important issues, and as ever with this party, it comes down to whether we trust them. Labour have built up good relations abroad, but this is yet to show up in UK policies.
SUMMED
UP The number of species facing extinction, revealed by the 2004 IUC N Red List= The number of Boxing Day Tsunami fatalities est1mated the d ay after event= Todays estimations of the num ber of humpback whales remaining=
The vote share enjoyed by Charles Clark in Norwich South in the 2001 general election= The Europe wide voter turnout of the 2004 European elect1ons = The amount of weapons that the US exported all over the planet in the year immediately following September nth, as a percentage of the total arms sold =
rate that IS determined by the environmental impacts of the product. This idea will also be introduced into the transport sector. This party would like to see a new road tax system whereby the greenest cars are excluded from tax altogether and those fuel heavy 4 by 4s payIng the d1fference. The Liberal Democrats offer more on the controversial 1ssues, but some of their polic1es may be harder to Implement than they suggest.
45·5%
Proportion of UK voters who are students = Proportion of Internet users who are Sen1or Citizens = The proportion of people who listed newspapers as the most common source of news in an Ofcom survey (where 72% listed TV as their most relied upon source) =
~ -~-- -- ----- ----------.-
INSI
WOULD.,__ VOTE F THIS?
our Problems Solved Mulhapton Filkington-Phipps, Rodders to his friends, senior economic adviser to the World Bank and the IMF gives informed counsel to your personal problems.
Popular Notwich MP accused of unfair campaigning In the latest round of what has been
described as the bitterest general election since 2001, a Norwich candidate has been accused of bribing voters on a massive scale. Billy Barrel. despotic. photogenic ruler of Norwich West is running for his 9th consec路 utive victory under the slogan. "Give me a vote and I'll give you a boat. " However. Mr Barrel insists he is only giving the public what they want_ "The Problem." said Mr Barrel yesterday through the door of the lavatory in the smaller of his Lear Jets, "is that most polls
KNOW YOUR
CANDIDATE With the election less than a week away, The UEA Enquirer presents its guide to who you should vote for if, by some miracle, you don't forget all about it or decide to go somewhere nice like the coast instead.
don't ask the right questions_ In the section asking 'what do you want from your MP?'. next to the usual choices of a) honesty. b) hard work, c) leadership, I added d) a yacht. More than 60% of my constituents went for the yacht." Understandably, candidates for the other parties are livid, "How are we supposed to compete with this?" said Margaret Tree. an independent campaigning on the single issue of introducing a better quality of crock路 ery for school meals. More constructively. others have questioned where the money for up to one and a half
BILLY BARREL Party: Larboured . Age: 94 Favourite colour: green L-~..__ _ __ ...J Family: currently estranged from fourth wife Penelope, 13 confrrmed children (7 illegitimate) Top up fees? Mr Barrel has long been an a dvocate for abando ning student su pport in favor of using the money to launch a UK bid for the winter olmypics. Campaign focus: in a ddition to giving out boats (see main story). Mr Barrel is pressing for re-election on issues of relaxing current laws on public nudity and introducing a 40% tax on the left-handed. Amusing anecdote: last year documents were released s uggestin g Mr Barrel m ay accidenta lly h ave a ssassi n ated JFK.
million yachts will come from. 'This is going to cost billions." shrieked rival Frank Daschund. "how can he commit to this kind of spending and still support schools and transport?" "''m going to stop supporting schools and transport. " replied Mr Barrel. "Who needs learning and roads once Norwich has become the greatest maritime superpower since the days of Queen Victoria?" This isn't the first time Mr Barrel has found himself facing difficult questions in this campaign. Just two weeks ago he was found naked with six 300lb. 12 year old [cont. P4l
FRANK DASCHUND Party: Conservatory Age: 14 Favourite colour: red L-L-L-.....::l::r...-_..::;.u Family: lives with parents, older sister and go ldfish (called John) Top up fees? Perhaps having misunderstood the question. Mr Daschund said h e felt mobile phone calls were already expensive enough Campaign focus: h as so far run on largely n egative issu es under the s logan, "All my opponents are morally bankrupt, so who else are yo u going to vote for?" In the last opinion poll, Mr Daschund was 13 points ahead. Amusing anecdote: despite his name, Mr Daschund h as n ever been mistaken fo r a dog.
Dear Rodders. The end of my University life is fast approaching and soon I will be free of the shackles of endless dealines that must be put off so I can go and spend money I don't have getting drunk. To be fair. I am relishing the opportunity to enter the job market and start earning my own money. even though I will probably have to live with my parents for the next eight years until they die and I inherit their house. But one thing concerns me about leaving; since arriving here I have had a long term girlfriend. Maria, who will soon be going home back to Africa. I cannot afford to go with her straight away. so we will have to spend many months apart before I see her again. Part of me worries that the distance will drive us apart. that she will find someone else out there and sacrifice our love. Is there any advice you can offer us. Yours Distant Romantic Dear Distant Romantic. Your predicament is not without solution. The international trade theory of comparative advantage tells is that we must spe路 c ialise in our goods to remain buoyant on the international market. So get some study and practice in , so that you become so specialised that the thought of testing another country's goods is out of the question.
MARY de la SOUL Party: Libeled Democrats Age: 46 -._--J Favourite colour: black Family: one husband, two children (three if you cou nt the one in the basement) . Top up fees? Mrs de la Soul has said that s h e is happy to s upport students as long as they don't come too near h er house. Campaign focus: wants to bring Britain back to traditional values, including drown路 ing witches , dying at a young age of mysterious d eseases and th e Poll Tax. Amusing anecdote: Once bought a pack of 10 pairs of socks for h er h u sband. h aving forgotten that h e had already bought some. resulting in him having more socks than h e n eed ed.
Colcret! Wednesday.
May
www.copcrete-oplipe.com
4" 2005
concrete. fashionlifesty le@uea.ac.uk 21
FASHION
Doing different As the new seasons clothes are on the rails and our loan cheques have just come through, it's only inevitable that many of us will be dashing round the shops in a mad frenzy, eager to snap up the new trends asap. But what about clothes shopping when it's not on the high street? Donna Boam looks at the other ways in which we can get the latest trends, often for a fraction of the price of what's on the high street. admit it. I'm a slave for fashion . The moment the new season is here, I'm flicking through Vogue and browsing the shops in an effort to be on the ball of what's hip and hot. Like most girls, I simply love looking round Topshop, River Island and Oasis on a Saturday afternoon, dreaming of the day that I can simply wander in , hand over my credit
I
of online stores, purchases from frank· isfrank.co.uk do come with a small postage and packing fee. However, this IS a small price to pay for the convenience of being able to shop at home. Another great online store is www.asos .com. This website basically offers you the chance to purchase copycats of what the celebrities have been seen wearing. lt provides a fantastic
The Internet has also opened up the market in which we can purchase our clothes. Whereas a decade ago, we were very much limited to our surrounding areas as to where we could buy our clothes, the Internet has opened up our local 'world'. By simply browsing through a few websites for a little while, you may find that perfect outfit that you want, even if it's 'over the other side of
"r-----1'1"......-.,.""1!11~---•---.,. for the pond.' I myself was desperate a Bloomingdale's handbag
card and leave with hundreds of pounds worth of beautiful clothes. However, JUSt recently the retail world has undergone a bit of a makeover, and it's clear to see why. Rather than scrambling over pushchairS and screaming toddlers whilst trying to find that 'perfect' top, it's now possible to make clothes shopping much less stressful, and often much more cheaper. The Internet is now part of our everyday lives , and with it it has brought the wonderful opportunities of shopping on line. For the first time last month, Internet shopping overtook mail order shopping and this rise looks certain to continue. From groceries to clothes, sex toys to cosmetics, the Internet has it all. Many of the high street stores have got their own websites , some better than others. Both the Topshop and River Island websites are fantastic and constantly updated , with easy pointers to the new season trends and offers. But beware, it's very easy to get distracted mid-essay and to have suddenly spent well over [100 on those three essential T-shirts and jeans that you so desperately ' need'! Other websites, such as Kookai and Oasis, are good for checking out what' s in , but unfortunately they don't have the facility for you to buy online. But it' s not just the high street stores that have got fantastic onli ne stores. Frank, situated down Lower Goat Lane in Norwich, also has a brilliant on line store, thus expanding their business nationwide. Stocking labels such as Bench, David & Goliath and Paul Frank, you are guaranteed to find the top you want, without having to battle through the crowds. However, beware of extra hidden costs; like the vast majority
after seeing one on an episode of Sex and the City, and so after pop· ping onto the Bloomingdale's website, behold the glories of the Internet, I had my beloved handbag a few weeks later.
E
chance to pick up some great bargains, at a fraction of the price of what the stars would have paid for them . Sienna Miller, Sarah Jessica Parker and Victoria Beckham are the style icons that it appears to be paying particular attention to at the moment, and they are currently stocking a wealth of fashion delights, taking influences primarily from boho and bright summer prints. A particular favourite of mine is a beautiful khaki frayed edge skirt, a bargain at [25 . Perfect for lazy summer days or nights out clubbing.
bay.co.uk has also recently begun something of a transformation in the world of online buying and selling. No longer is Ebay a place for you to pick up other people' s junk that they are simply trying to get rid of. You can pick up some great fashion bargains, and with many Ebay sellers appearing to be direct owners of shops, you get the items at a much cheaper price than you would expect to pay on the high street. Beware of designer rip-offs though : if someone is promising to send you the latest pair of Fendi sunglasses for a tenner then chances are they aren't the real thing. For fashion tips and advice, there are a wealth of websites available, telling you what's hot and what's not for this season. The Arcadia website, zoom.co.uk, contains lots offriendly information and advice on what to wear, and if you are lucky, there are often some special offers flying around too! But if you really want to be ahead of the crowds, check out the Vogue website. lt includes lots of top tips on what is going to be 'in' come winter-time, thus allowing you lots oftime to save up and buy that 'perfect' Do lee and Gabbana winter coat!! You can easily access photos to the Catwalk shows for Autumn/Winter 2005, and from early inclinations, it seems that smart chic is going to be the number one trend , with a variety of tweed, deep autumnal colour and high necklines combining to make a dazzling outfit. Also good is www.glamour.com. Taking a very similar format to its magazine counterpart, it prides itself on its constantly updated fashion, beauty and gossip news . They also have an extremely handy 'Trends: Dos and Don'ts', so that you are guaranteed to never leave the house looking like a mess ever again. Many are concerned about the perceived threats that the Internet can have in terms of buying stuff on the web, and to be fair, caution must be taken . Always ensure that you are buying through a secure site; a small icon in the bottom right hand corner of your webpage will tell you whether you are or not. This way, your bank details are encrypted so that others will not be able to tap into your account. If you are buying something from an Internet site, then it is highly likely that you will have to set up
an account with your name, account details, etc. Beware - they will try and clutter your in box with junk so that you are tempted to shop with them again . As all of us know, endless amounts of junk email are highly irritating. So when you set up an account with them, tick the box that states you would prefer not to receive ' regular updates .' Apart from Internet shopping, there is now another rather un-conventional way of getting your regular fashion fix: Supermarket shopping. Yes, amongst your apples and pears, many of the top supermarkets are now branching off into 'non-food' sales, and, amongst other things, this includes a variety of fashion goodies. Many of
these clothes are fantastic rip-offs of the current trends that are gracing the catwalks. Last year, after Kylie wore 'that' green Matthew Williamson dress (you know, the one with the gold belt...), the fashion masters at Tesco decided to recreate one of their own. Retailing at [45, a snip of the price that Kylie would have paid, the dress flew off the rails instantly. They were last seen floating around Ebay for around [go, and are destined to become a fashion collectors item in years to come. Asda is the supermarket most famed for its popular clothes collection, with their George collection now so successful that it has overtaken Marks and
Maxmara shi)Wc;asJin2
the ethnic summer Spencers in the market. And watch out kids, George will soon be coming to a high street near you!! Their current lines once again embody a wonderful ethnic influence, with long, white floaty skirts and deep reds combining to produce a great style at really cheap prices.
Concrete's style guide: The top trends for this Summer
* 'Prom' style- bows, nbbons, cute aii-American
* Ethnicfboho style (a la Sienna) -
drapmg sk1rts, vest tops, gold shimmer * Trop1cal safari pnnts - beads, sp1cy amber colours *Neck scarves- to add instant glamour to any outfit! * Brown - it's the new black! * Cropped baggy trousers
SHUWMEIH WAY TO IMBUK U Vanessa Bowen wonders ldoes Timbuktu really
exist?' and finds some answers. imbuktu and back aga1n, well actually I've done exa.ctly that. The fabled c1ty of Timbuktu , or Tombouctou as it IS known by locals, is not a myth, it does indeed exist. The vast, arid, dry terntory lies in the heart of deepest darkest Afnca, in northern Mali, hidden in a sea of white sand, the elusive Sahara desert. Tombouctou is a paradism of the land beyond: mysterious, exotic and sub lim e. Often quoted as the archetype of a place far away, its remoteness is a long way from the ordinary world . Tombouctou is a poor remote rural region consisting of small isolated communities. A region where desert climate prevails, temperatures soar to so"c, roads consist of sand filled allies, water IS scarce and telecommunications are, in comparison, non existent. As I emba rk on the trip with my team of tru sty travellers to see for ourselves if this legendary city really does exist, it suddenly dawns upon us, ' H ow do we actually get to Tombouctou?' Searching through guide books with anticipation, we finally land on 'Tombouctou; Legendary. Few have been synonymous with the ends of the earth ,
upon the decrepit, rusty, ramshackle
ready to start th e voyage into the
ly do start to wonder 1f this place truly
especially as it is by far not much to
vehicle which appears in front of us .
unknown.
does exist. We soon dis cover that
look at' . Brilliant, bloody fantastic. Eager to follow in the footsteps of legendary explorer Sir Michael Palin, re-enacting his epic voyage across the Sahara , we are determined not to give up hope at the sight of the first hurdle. After searching out fellow backpackers and travellers across Ouagadougou, (yes indeed thi s is a place, though I do admit it does sound rather like a name you would find in the BFG). the capital of Burkina Faso, located at the edge of the Sahel; we strike luck.
What starts off as a somewhat gentle
T
ersuading a gaggle of locals that yes we really do wa nt to go to To mbouctou, they agree that they will take us for a sma ll price by bush taxi. We suddenly realise that we will quickly have to abandon our haughty English standa rds when we lay our eyes
P
As we en ter the gates of the Sahara,
Tombouctou pretty much li ves up to 1ts
I
'our eyes are finally met by a large archway, reading 'Tombouctou'. We suddenly understand Bob Geldolf's 'Is that it' lacklustre response on his arrival.' and peaceful jou rney through the arid landscape , turns unexpected ly into a jerky, uncomfortable ride through the unknown. As we are transported into the desert, we arrive in th e midst of a sand storm. The sheer force and magnitude of the Sahara soon becomes apparent. Stopping overnight, our means of conveyance is exchanged. Tossing and turning in our sleep, the heat becoming stifl ing as we draw near to our destination, we awake somewhat enervated
the vastness, remoteness and empt iness stretches out before us . The heat becomes swe ltering as it seeps through the windows, the dust a menace as we try desperately to shield our faces. Our entire bod1es begin to feel the effects of the immense heat, our mouths become dry, our faces turn a blazing s hade of red, and our clothes start to st ick to us. We are trapped in thi s elusive location . Driving and driving through what appears to be desert wasteland , we real-
reputation as 'the end of the world' . After driving through the desert for over 36 hours our eyes are finally met by a large archway, reading 'Tombo uctou' . We suddenly understand Bob Geldolf's 'Is that it' lacklustre response on his arrival. Tombouctou seems little more than a few buildings swal lowed up in the vast ness of the Sahara. The Sunset which greets us however, pushes aside our reservations of the place. The Sahara and the sky for a moment
appear perfectly balanced. Colours change slowly and majestically, with the light colour of the sand merg1ng into th e pink grey tinge of the sky. As we enter the mysteriou s city, stretched out in front of us is a pal e, dusty metrop o li s with the colour bleached out of it. Narrow streets prevail with flat roofed mud brick dwellings filled with wind blown sand, giving the sense of a derelict city. Lean, o liveskinned men swathed in black and indigo headdresses, the Touregs as they are otherwise known, the tnbe of the desert , nomads on the fringe of urban life, saunter towards us . In the distance a camel led tran s-Saharan ca ra van emerges over th e dunes. Tombouctou is unlike any o ther place, its elusive and mysterious character creates a ghostly presence. Is our imagination playing tricks) Is Tombouctou really a place? Or 1s it indeed a desert mirage?
AN ORIENTA L BREAKFAST Forget the appeal of continental breakfasts - china is the place to go for all you students who want a quick, cheap breakfast to go. Stuart Byrne reports.
B
reakfast for everyone who wakes up early 1n the mornIng is always a la bonous and time consum1ng affair, especia lly if you have to go to those gam lectures or more scarily to wo rkl The conventiOnal breakfast for m ost of us students IS cereal at home or a drop mto the dmer for a fuii-Enghsh breakfast. In the city of Shen Zhen in Ch1na the day starts early and the way of life in the cities is fast paced . Breakfast m the mornmg IS a regular dish of Congee (Zhou fan, Mandarin) . Congee consist s of a gloopy nee soup with a m1xture of chopped vegetables such as pak-choi , parsley, spnng onions, and meat or fish with the bones. Th1s dish is often a salty affair in the south of china , yet 1t's mcredibly tasty and filling for a
small simple dish. For the people who have little time to prepare breakfast, there is an alternative with breakfast on the go, which you can buy off the streets . Street stalls are found on every block in china sell1ng many d1fferent kinds of steamed buns . A popular way of getting breakfast on the go is steamed bread . The steamed bread comes in a vanety of forms and flavours and different bases for the bread Itself. Steamed bread comes m 2 forms : firstly, there is stuffed steamed bread known in Chinese as Baozi. This comes with a variety of fillings like meat, fish, and vegetables, it 1s often fried before bemg placed into the inside of a bun. This is usually a savoury k1nd of breakfast. Some of the popular
meat buns come filled w1th pork m a barbecue style sauce (which is really tasty) . The vegetable vanety IS normally pan-fried with vegetables such as green on1ons , spring onion , pak-cho1 and lettuce . The other form of steamed bread 1s sweeter tasting and much more simple. This is known as Mantou . Mantou is a roll of extremely soft and puffy dough with flour and sugar and IS very simple and easy to make . The kind of flour used can vary in the Mantou bun, from straight corn-flour to wheat based flour. These amazing little steamed buns are extremely delicious and ever so filling, but more amazingly dirt-cheap . At most street vendo rs these buns cost a round o .s짜 RenMinBi and give you that all needed kick m the morning to get up.
c..cr.t. Wednesday, May 4", 2005
concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk 23
www.concrete-online.com
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TRAVEL
LOST IN TRANSLATION
A
a tone-deaf. painfully uncoordinated monogamist, I struggled to think of a situ aion in which I less wanted o be. The invitation to accompany my hosts to 'sing and dance' had seemed unappealing enough, but now presented with a line of six young women being prompted to "choose one", all I wanted was to get out of the cave inspired establishment where I found my~elf captive. Delivered in the dead of night, my travel-withered sole struggled to take in all that the two Chinese men were telling me. As I forced smiles and nods to maintain the deception that I understood what the energetic caretaker was explaining to me in frantic Mandarin, I translated what little I could of Jack's rapidly delivered Chinglish. Jack was the project coordinator, a kindly if abrupt man, who I later found proved a godsend whenever required. But that evening he equipped me with the bare minimum of essential information before retreating into the darkness from whence he came. Much of the knowledge passed on to me that faithful night
did indeed prove valuable. "Turn the light off before you have a wash" certainly seemed sound advice while examining the standard light bulb, suspended from the ceiling by typically Chinese wiring, in uncomfortably close proximity to the shower. Abandoned in the empty primary school with a fridge full of wieners and sweet-tasting bread to provide a fellow volunteer and myself with breakfasts, lunches and dinners, our welcome to the city was a little disconcerting. Having waited patiently for an orientation session which never came, I found myself standing in front of approximately forty seven-year-olds being told to "Teach". "Teach what?" I asked, in a mildly pathetic attempt to find a leg to stand on. At the reply of "Anything", I realized I would remain legless and started to ascend my steep learning curve unaided. After this first lesson I was ready to make a run for it, but I soon started to enjoy teaching and living in China. Woken up at 6 o'clock by the drumming sounds of the industrial kitchen beneath my room, I started each day with a
smile on my face and a spring in my step. On my way to and from lessons I walked across the playground, a little journey which everyday brought new sights. On a regular basis I would observe the whole school undergoing the flag raising ceremony. Hundreds of children dressed in an array of designer clothing marching around the playground before coming"to a rest and saluting the Chinese flag to the sound of their national anthem. At other times, it would be groups of tiny little children frustrating a serious looking, camouflage clad man who was attempting des-
Thinking of teaching abroad after finishing university? Chris Mould shares his experience of a semester spent in China.
hough I quickly developed trategies to cope with my lesons, and grew accustomed to the various events in the playground, other aspects of day to day life took a little longer to get used to. Perhaps the harde5t for me was the food. Although I later discovered places in town to purchase incredible dishes for next to nothing, a daily trip to the school canteen did not go down well with my weak stomach. In a room of teachers hurriedly shovelling food into their mouths with spoons, I sat quietly forcing cold congealed unidentifiable substances down
~
""Teach." "Teach what?" I asked, in a mildly pathetic attempt to find a leg to stand on. At the reply of "Anything", I realized I would remain legless ... " perately to teach them kung fu. Their arms and legs were going off in completely unexpected directions.
my throat. With a ninety percent chance of stomach cramps after each meal I quickly took to the Chinese version of
Pot Noodles. At no point during my stay was the fact that Yantai prides itself on its fine seafood a help with my struggles in the search of nourishment. At a variety of dinners I found myself being presented with creatures of which the mere sight threatened to buy the contents of my stor)1ach a retum ticket. Determined to show appreciation for the generous hospitality that I received, I endured anything placed before me. lt was after one s_uch dinner- my stomach a sea of red wine highly populated with all manner of aquatic creatures - that two fellow volunteers and myself were confronted with the 'karaoke brothel incident' mentioned previously. "No thank you, I'm fine", I courteously declined. Clearly confusing my refusal with a simple inability to make a decision, my hosts kindly selected a young lady with bleached blond hair and long, artistically decorated fingernails to be my company for the evening. Sat in the dimly lit room, on a large U-shaped sofa, the young lady dressed in a pearlescent white dress sat uncomfortably close blocking any attempt to converse· with my fellow male volunteer on my left, who himself had a young lady closely nestled at his side. My only hope was the female volunteer, sat to my right, who strangely hadn't even been given the option of a dancing companion. Sadly, following the dinner dur- · ing which she had felt a little excluded, she had turned to the_two activities that had impressed our hosts, namely smoking copious amounts of cigarettes, and keeping up with the macho exhibition of beer and wine consumption. A little worse for waer and unnerved by the surroundings, she found the facilities for singing and dancing an appealing survival strategy. My only option was to grin and bear, and indulge in a limited amount of spasm-like dancing and tearinducing vocal performance. Much of the above might sound like my two months in China were terrible, but it could not be further from the truth. While there was a culture shock waiting around every corner, the people I encountered were incredibly kind and fun to be around. I mean, in what other country would you get a group of teenagers and twenty-somethings with a group of elderly tobacco company executives singing karaoke and drunkenly attempting to breakdance? Alright, maybe Japan , but I bet you can't buy beer for less than ten pence a bottle there.
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~piOncc ~
Since all travellers love to brag about their adventures from the road, lonely Planet is giving them the chance to, with its first global online game, geared at swapping travel tales, tall and true, with the world. From April 26 to June 21, 2005. travellers can write their travel stories and read the experiences of others online at www.lonelyplanet.com/play. Play as a writer or a reviewer, or both. Whether a seasoned country·hopper or one who has never travelled, players can read and write as many
stories as they like, with increased chances of winning one of the fantastic prizes every time they play. Peers will judge stories, with fellow travellers weighing in on the merits of, and likelihood of each posting. And players can log-in and check their scorecards to keep track of their progress and standing during the course of the game. .. lonely Planet has teamed up with Gecko's Adventures to award the F;rst Prize Writer and the First Prize Reviewer in the 'Stranger than Fiction' competition a Gecko's 'Amazon & lncas' 14-day holiday to South America! As if that's not enough, lonely Planet has also put together everything a traveller needs for a trip, induding World Nomads travel insurance, Teva footwear, an Icebreaker jacket, a Macpac travel pack, an Ekit phone card, and of course, lonely Planet's range of Shoestring Guides, plus much more for the grand prize and runner-up winners. How does it work? Every time you play the game, you get one entry into the prize draw for the role you're playing (two separate prize databases, one for writers, one for reviewers). At the end of the game, Lonely Planet will draw winners from each database. Runners up will be chosen at random from each category. So, if something amazing happened to you while on the road or if you've got a imagination, then make sure you visit ww.lonelyplanet.com/ play from April 26 through June 21 and take the challenge! celebrate the launch of Lonely Planet's 'Stranger Than Fiction' online game we the two latest additions to Lonely Planet 'On A Shoestring' range of guides to •. To be in with a chance of W>nning copies of the new Shoestring guides to and 'Australia & New Zealand' simply answer the following question: What is lonely Planet's web address? to concrete.fashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk by wednesday
u • May
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24 concrete.editorial
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YOUR STARS FOR THE FORTNIGHT
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Ma_l' 4'''. 2005
WITH DEIDRE HYMEN
WWW.CONCRETE-ONLINE.COM
Aries: Mar 21 - Apr 19 Pluto is going into ascendecy right now. s ignalling a time for experimentation and play. Ignoring these urges cou ld prove L!,_~-=~:!.=..-1 fatal and cause a lifetim e of regret. Time to broaden your horizons this fortni ght: a fter a ll . yo u 're leaving soon. so who cares what people say.
Cancer: Jun 22 - Jul 22 A m eteo r s hower passes ac ross th e face of Neptune this week. mimicing an event that will occ ur in a public toilet. .......,'-"--'---== '-' probably on Thursday. Be s ure you 're prepa red. it m ay be good for the s kin , but it isn't half a bugger to s hift from clothing: biological powder's best.
Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 2 3 Good news com es your way this fortni ght. most like ly deliverd by a leper on a u ni cycle . Ignore this fetish. as yo u will soon be wined and dined . but l doubt yo u 'll be a ble to contain all th at pent up desire long enough for dessert to be se rved. Take it home.
Lucky Word s: Toys a nd Rubber.
Lucky Words: Moist Wipes
Lucky Words : Cream-Lust
Taurus: Apr 20 - May 20 .....--....,..---. While it's all well and good to have a break from intimacy. you 're starting to forge t how good it can be. Start lightening up. forget 1!:..:..~~-=--..:.._--' abo u t the co nse quences. you've got plenty of ti m e to have your heart broken . Right now. you n eed to break something else.
Leo: Jul 23 - Aug 22 You ftlthy thing! I've done some stuff in my time. but that would make even Beelzebub and his h ellish minions b lush a t t h e mere bow-legged m ention . Better lock youself in the house for a month. or you'll get a reputa tion .
Scorpio: Oct 24 - Nov 21 1"':'1="!!1"~1':'1"".,... At the moment. the moon is ge ntly cradling you in his secure arms. but is this enough? Mer cury is o n the ....,...._~...._..,....., horizon and he works out every day. toning those hard. hard muscles! Time to drop the schmooze and get some moves.
Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Venus is co ming dangerous ly close to giving Saturn a vigorous hand job. As Saturn drools at the heady prospect. you m ay find yourself getting soaked . Avoid waters ports at all costs.
Lucky Words: Wanton Abandon
Lucky Words: Denial: Pile Cream
Lucky Words : Atlas: Adonis
Lucky Words: Buoyancy
Gemini: May 21 - Jun 21 ..-----...., It's no coinc ide n ce that you were born und er the s ign of the twins. This fornight. keep your eye out for blonde a nd a 1!...:==-===:.:...~ brunette who like to s hare things and you' ll find yourself under twins once again .
Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22 There's no excu se for letting a good thing go. Unless a better thing co m es alo ng. But be s ure that you don 't mistake your ravenou s compulsions for the big 'L'. A random encounter will occu r in a bakery.
Sagittarius: Nov 22- Dec 21 You've com e a long way since that time your mother walked in on you . let it go! Ifs time to set forth out of you r room . ""'""'"""'.......__, leave the internet behind and discover yourself with out fearing maternal interferen ce.
Lucky Word: Tripod
Lucky Words: Friendly Trysts
Lucky Words: Private company
Projert Manager: Philip Sainty
Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 ,.,..........,_ _ ___, You Cap ri corns! Always runnin g a rou n d like yo un g bucks. locking horns with would -be sexual a dversaries. Don't try and com pete with others over the s ize of you r horns . you m ay find yourself feeling embarassed and ina deq uate.
Lucky Words: Brewers droop
Letters ...
CONCRETE
concrete.ad楼ertising@uea.ac.uk Advertising Sales: Ben Millar Team:
concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Editor: Philip Sainty con~rete.editorial@uea.ac.uk
Deputy Editor: Katharine Clemow
ifiiiiiil
Pisces: Feb 19 - Mar 20 You'll be a lone. ~ Pmbably fo"""
Lucky Words: Solitude: despondency.
(Chief) Helen Rachel Jassim Philip concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Editor: Helen Pike Deputy Editor: Oily Haywood Education Editor: Jessica Fielder Health Editor: Clare Aitchison lntemational Editor: Nadia Bennich legal Editor: Juliet Harris Political Editor: Sam Webber Science Editor: Rosie Chance
concrete.leat.res@uea.ac.uk Editor: Ross Grainger Deputy Editor: Simon Slleridan
Please sen d letters attention of the Editor, Philip Sainty, to: Con crete, Union House, UEA. Norwich, NR4 7TB, or email: concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
A MOUND OF TROUBLE
To the Editor, concrete: Dear Norwich City Planners, and the UEA
A lot of attention is going only to 'the bi g 3' Parties in this election. Our policy platform for these elections is _very_ different from all the other Parties' (and we Greens are stronger in this part of the country than we are nationally). On the County level alone, take for instance our advocacy of organic food for school meals; our opposition to the NOR and to the huge Council Tax rises it would necessitate; our implacable oppos ition to the disaster which has been Norfolk's flirtation with privati sed (PFI) funding for school s and hospitals; and our solid support for eth ical investment for Norfolk. UEA, Norwich and Norfolk had better start getting used to not three- but FOUR-Party-po litics. The Green Party is standing in several Parliamentary seats in the EDP's 'catchment area' , and is expecti ng a very large vote here in Norwich South in particular; we are also standing in over half the County Council wards in Norfolk this year, and expecting a historic breakthrough on May 5, a breakthrough which wi ll yie ld us our first ever County Council seats. If you support our vision for a better -- for a _s ustainable_-- future, reader, then make sure YOU have a say ... in helping to make this happen. Cll r. Rupert Read
RE: Gigantic mound of earth - UEA - Bluebell Road A resident of Bluebell Road contacted me to complain about the giganti c mound of earth that is grow ing hi gher and hi gher right beside the Bluebell Road in the UEA grounds. (Mr Couzens, 102 Bluebell Road, 502993) Wh y is th e UEA being allowed to pile the soi l there? Why is the pile being allowed to be so high? Why isn' t the UEA tak ing their excavated soil away? Wh y are they allowed to cause even more problems and hurt to the residents of Bluebell Road? Has the pile got planning permission路) Is anyone allowed to build an enormous mound to block off their neighbour 's view? Why is thi s being allowed to happen? Are the City powerl ess? Have the City given permission for thi s great mound to be there? Will the mound be gone? When wi ll th e mound be gone? Why was it put in the most obvious place to Bluebell Rd when it could have been down the hill , out of site? Yours sincerely
Norfolk Green Pa.1y Press Officer Bert Bremner
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concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Editor: lames Conway Deputy: Hannah Newton Peter {lutton-Bro<tld concrete.lashionlifestyle@uea.ac.uk Editor: Anna Steward Deputy: Donna Boam
concrete.sports@uea.ac.uk Editor: Marc Dudley
CoiCI'ttl Wednesday, May 4", 2005
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk 25
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May sees football fans suffer from too much excitement as the 2004/05 season draws to a dose in England and the rest of Europe Marc Dudley Sports-Editor The next few weeks s ee revision and girlfrie nds thrown out the window, as fans get ready for a rollerc oaster month of promotion and relegation battles. Everything is put on hold, as some of the most exciting games are played out all over Europe and we. the fans. are spoilt With every minute live on the box. The Premiership may be heading to Stamford Bridge. but who will be travelling to Kenilworth Road next season is painfully close. After Southampton's amazing 4-3 victory over City. four teams are almost inseparable at the bottom of the Premiership with only one team surviving. To the neutral fan. it is great entertainment. to a fan folloWing one of the clubs. it is too close to death! One unlucky Southampton fan fell five feet out of his Window after he was overcome with joy after Henri Camara's scored the Winner! It is going down to the wire and it may be too much for some supporters hearts! In the Championship, it is also going to the wire at both the top and the bottom. With Sunderland already champions, Wigan and
IpsWich battle it out for the final promotion spot. The two sides are level on points and Wigan only have to Win to secure promotion. but a tough home tie against Reading. who are chasing a playoff place. will not be an easy three points. Ipswich travel to Brighton. who themselves are fighting for relegation survival . If IpsWich Win. Wigan have to lose or draw. but if Town lose, they will have to settle for the dreaded playoffs. A draw would mean Wigan would have to lose for IpsWich to gain automatic promotion. As mentioned above, both Reading and Brigthon have their own battles to fight. Reading are battling it out With West Ham and Derby for two playoff spots. Derby only have to draw to secure a playoff place at home to Preston. whilst West Ham trave~ to Watford. The Hammers and Reading are level on both points and goals. and one lousy goal could determine who gets the fmal playoff spot. At the bottom Forest and Rotherham are already down. and three teams are battling it out to avoid the last relegation spot. Crewe have to win and hope Gillingham and Brighton don't to survive. whilst Brigthon can survive with a draw. Gillingham will be safe
If Crewe fail to Win at home
to Coventry. The Gills face a already doomed Forest at the City Ground. In League One. Luton are champions. but will reach one hundred points If they Win at Doncaster. whilst Hull have secured the second automatic spot to the Championship. However. six teams are battling it out for three playoff spots. The major game is the battle between Hartlepool and Bournemouth on the south coast, With the Winners securing a playoff spot and the losers in danger of losing out. Brentford have a game mid-week against Wrexham and the result in this Will determine both teams' faith ahead of the weekend. If Brentford Win. they will only need a draw at home to Hull on Sunday to secure a playoff spot, whilst Wrexham would be relegated. Victory for the Welshmen would leave them With an outside chance of survival and mean Brentford would have to Win at the weekend to get into the playoffs. Wednesday will be in the playoffs If they draw at home against another playoff chasing side. Bristol City. City will be hoping for a victory and for Brentford to drop points. Huddersfield can also make it if they Win and Brentford. Bristol City and either Bournemouth or Hartlepool lose. They face a trip to Wrexham. who as mentioned before may still be in a battle for relegation survival. Anything could happen at the top of the table. and three teams will miss out. whilst three teams will be over the moon come Sunday evening. At the bottom. Wrexham have to Win their remaining games at home to playoff hopefuls Brentford and Huddersfield Town and hope Oldham or MK Dons lose their home games against Bradford and Tranmere
respectively. A point for Oldham would be enough to condemn Wrexham to League Two football, but not enough to secure their own survival. as a MK Dons victory would see Danny Wilson's side leap frog them. An Oldham victory would mean Wrexham and MK Dons would be down whatever they do. League Three has the most exciting promotion battle in the country with four teams fighting out for three playoff spots. Yeovil are the only team with a home fixture as they entertain Lincoln City. who need a point to secure a playoff spot. Scunthorpe travel to Shrewsbury. whilst Southend and Swansea travel to Grimsby and Bury respectively. The Essex and Welsh sides are level on points and are only separated by one single goal in favour of Southend. If all four teams Win. Yeovil and Scunthorpe will be promoted. With either Southend and Swansea depending on who has the better goal difference. If either team drops
points, then it is likely they will have to settle for a play-
off spot, although a point will be enough for both Yeovil and Scunthorpe. The losing team will join three more teams in the playoffs. With Lincoln. Macclesfield, Northampton and Darlington all With a chance of the playoffs. As mentioned above. a draw is enough for Lincoln at Yeovil, whilst Macclesfield face third from bottom Rushden & Diamonds at home and only need a draw for a place in the playoffs. The last spot will then be fought out between Northampton and Darlington. who are level on points. Both have home ties With Town facing already relegated Kidderminster and the Northerners taking on Cheltenham. Northampton have a two goal advantage over Darlington and should have no problem securing the last spot. but you never know. football is a funny old game! Once this Sunday is out of the way, there Is no time for a rest. as the playoffs get underway. These always
Premiership
Championship
Le~
Champions: Chelsea (88 pts)
Champions Sunderland (91)
Champions Luton Town (97)
Champions League Spot (2nd to 4th) Arsenal (77) and Manchester United (73) Last spot between Everton (game In hand, 58. GD +5), Uverpool (55. +12) and Bolton (54, +4)
Promotion (2nd) Wigan (84. +42) or Ipswich (84 +29)
Promotion (2nd) Hull City (86)
Playoffs (3rd to 6th) Wigan or Ips wich and Preston (75) confirmed Last two spots between Derby (73 +9). West Ham (70 +9) and Reading (70 +9)
Playoffs (3rd to 6th) Tranmere (79) confirmed Three teams from SheffWed (72 +19), Hartlepool (70 +10), Bournemouth (69 +13), Brentford (l:!ame in hand. 69 -5), Bristol City (67 +1"{>) and Huddersfield (67 +8)
Relegation (Bottom Three) Rotherham and Forest confirmed Last spot between Brighton (50 -25). Gillingham (49 -21) and Crewe (47 -21)
Relegation {Bottom Four) Stockport and Peterborough confirmed Two more teams from Olclliam (49. -14). MK Dons (48 -15), Wrexham (game In hand, 43 - 16)
UEFA Cup (5th to 7th) Everton or Liverpool Two s pots between Bolton (54. +4) Tottenham (51 +7), Middlesbrough (51 +6), Man City (48 +7) and Aston Villa (47. -5) Relegated (Bottom Three) Three of Southampton (31 -20). Palace (31 21). West Brom (30, -25). Norwich (30, -30)
One
bring out cliffhangers and more agony for the folloWing supporters. Of course, the folloWing weekend, the Premiership. With the relegation battle and the fight for European places, comes to a close. Six teams can still make the three UEFA cup spot, so there is still a lot to play for at the top of the English league. Then we have the FA cup fmal between Manchester United and Arsenal. which will be one hell of a encounter, especially With Rob Styles as the referee. The season will then conclude with the Champions League and UEFA cup finals. which will cap off a nail-biting. but amazing month of football. So. turn your phone off, drop everything in your hands and make your way to the pub or to the comfort of your sofa and prepare for a month of dramatic and exciting football. However, I would strongly advise you, If you have a weak heart, then make sure you book a room at the ER. as you may end up there by the end of the month!
Lea&ue Two Champions Yeovil (80. +22). Scunthorpe (79 +27), Southend (77 +19) or Swansea (77 + 18) Promotion (1st to 3rd) Three from Yeovil (80, +22), Scunthorpe (79 +27). Southend (77 +19) or Swansea (77 +18) Playoff (4th to 7th) One of the promotion contenders and three teams from Lincoln (72, +20), Macclesfield (72. +10), Northampton (69, +8) and Darlington (69. +6) Rele&ation (Bottom Two) Kidderminster and Cambridge confirmed
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Conuete
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Football's coming home but do we stand a chance 7 This summer sees the first official women's European Football Championships being contested and it is England that has the honour of hosting the highly awaited tournament. However, will the mighty Germans once again spoil the party and take home the silverware? Marc Dudfey looks at the nations taking part and which teams England must look out for in their quest for European glory. steers the midfield in attack and defence, whilst Dagny Mellgren is the lady with the responsibility to get the goals. Mellgren has dipped in form since her memorable winner over the US in the Olympic Games final in Sydney, and Norwegians will be hoping that she can finall y reach her potential in England this summer. Either way, the Norwegians are always a big threat and they should at least make it to the semi-finals, if not the final . enmark and Italy are seen as the dark horses alongside England, with the Italians finishing runners-up on two occasions in the European championships during the nineties when they were among the elite in Europe. They have struggled in recent years, but are still an outside threat and can always cause an upset on their day. Much depends on the expe rienced playe rs Pat rizia Panico and Tatiana Zorri and how they gel with the new emerg ing , talented youngsters that Italy have produced. If players like Alessia Tuttino, Pamela Conti and defender Giulia Perelli can perform on a big stage, then Italy could manage to battle their way back into the world elite , let alone the European . Denmark have a young squad and thei r group victory over Norway in Qualifying sent out a determined message to their opponents. The attack-minded outfit is built around a core of players from Brondby IF, including goalkeeper Tine Cederkvist, midfi elders An ne Dot Eggers and Catherine Paaske Sorensen , and striker Julie Rydahl Bukh. Denmark's top scorer, Mere te Pedersen , spearheads a formidable attacking lineup, and it was the 31-yea r-old's four-goal display in a 6-0 win over Belgiu m in September 2004 that sealed Denmark's passage to England. On thei r day, the Danes ca n beat anyone and England face a tough task if they are to beat the Danes to the semi-finals. Finland and France make up the numbers, but they will be hoping to do more .than that, as the young women footba ll nations hope to cause a few upsets. France have
D hen Gareth Southgate missed a penalty in EURO 96, a nation cried. The Germans had beaten us on penalties and they would eventually go on to win the tournament that we so rightly deserved. Hopefully, we can get revenge next year in Germany, but we might not have to wait to long. This summer sees the female footballers battle it out in north-west England and determine which nation is the best in Europe. England are a dark horse in these championships and Hope Powell and the England ladies wil l have to be on their best form if they are to get their hands on the silverware. Our bitter rivals are not going to be easy to beat either, as they are the current European and world cha mpions, and have won this competition the last three times it has been staged . They also have FIFA world footballer of the year in 2003 and 2004, Birgit Prinz , banging in the goals for them and look unstoppable on thei r quest for their sixth European title. Still, the Scandinavian nations will be hoping to upset the cha mpions, with Sweden and Norway the other favorites to life the trophy.
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Sweden almost "hate" the Germans as much as we do, as they have lost twice, in 1995 and 2001 , to the Germans in a European final and were also beaten by the same nation in the 2003 World Cup final. The experienced defensive pairing of Hanna Markland and Kristin Bengtsson and the strong midfield led by captain Malin Mostr6m will be hard to break down . If you also take into count the leth al striki ng partnership of Hanna Ljungberg and V1ctoria Svensson , probably one of the best in the world , the Swedes look like a good bet of finally getting one over their rivals and lifting the trophy. Norway, their Scandinavian rivals, wi ll also be hoping for silverware too, as they try to rekindle the form that saw th em win Ol ympic gold in Sydney in 2000. The Norwegians have been Eu ropean champions twice and have for most of the past two decades been one of the front runners 1n women's football. They had to go though the playoffs to qualify for the tourna ment though after a shock 1-2 defeat to Denmark saw Norway finishin g in 2nd place behind their rivals. Solveig Gulbrandsen is the influencial midfielde r who
one of the best strikers in Europe in Mannette Pichon , but she will need all the help she can get from her team mates if France are to succeed in England. The Finns are really just happy to be there , as they did not expect to qualify and will just enjoy th e experience and may cause a few shocks on the way. So what about England then? Regular goalkeeper Rachel Brown is one of several players with experience of United States college football, wh ile captain Faye White is a toweri ng stalwart in central defence alongside the versatile Rachel Unitt and Mary Phillip. Katie Chapman has stepped forward into midfield with success, allowing Rachel Yankey and Sue Smith freedom on the wings, whilst In attack, Kelly Smi th and Amanda Barr's prowess has been supplemented by the eme rgence of youngsters such as Eniola Aluko and Ellen Maggs. They do have a squad capable of beating anyone on the day and with the advan tage of the tournament being staged in England too, it could be a successful tournament for Hope Powell and eo. A place in th e semi-finals wi ll be an achievement in itself and they face a tough battle with Sweden and Denmark for a top two group finish. Germany or Norway would then be likely semi-final opponents and after that anything can happen . The tournament will hopefully benefit the women's game 1n the UK and with live coverage on the BBC, the pressure is on for England to perform. With the men's game dominating the news every day, a victory for England this summer would help promote the sport in the country. They will be backed by passionate support, and it wi ll hopefully inspire them to the same spirit which so nearly saw their predecessors crowned European champions two decades ago. Also, wouldn 't it be great to finally wipe the smile of those Germans faces after yea rs of pain. So, I ca ll on all of you to get behind our girls as they give it their all to become European champions for the first time and stop Germany from world dominance! Full EURO 2005 fixtures on Page 25
FINLAND
ENGLAND
SWEDEN
DENMARK
WORLD RANKING: 14TH
WORLD RANKING: 5TH
WORLD RANKING: 7TH
WORLD RANKING: 16TH
Home soil wi ll be Engl and's b iggest advan tage going into the tournam ent. as they h ope to emulate the eighties when England was a force in Europe. Captain Fayc Wh ile is a lowerin g slalwart in central defen ce and Katie Cbapman and wingers Rachel Yankey and Sue Smith make up a strong mid field. With the emergence of youngsters Eniola Aluko and Ellen Maggs as well, Hope Powell & her girls will be hoping that thi s year's tournament will be a success both on and off the field.
A major force in women 's football and one of th e big favou rites to wi n the tournam ent. Losing World Wup finalists in 2003 and the last Eu ropean Championships in 2001. b oth to Germany. Have probably the strongest domeslic league in Eu rope . which h as r esulted in their impr essive tal ent in the national squad. The proli fic striking partn ership of Hanna Ljungberg and Victoria Sven sson is on e of the maj or reasons for U1e nation's success an d U1ey will be hoping to final ly get one over on their rivals and go all the way.
Are the real dark h or ses or the Championships an d wi ll be the major threat to England's chances of progressing to the semi-finals. T he fo rmidable attacking lineup is spearheaded by 31 -year -old star striker Mer cl e Pede rsen . w hose goals have played a bi~ part in Denmark's fo r tu n es. After a few year s of disappointment for t h e Danes. t h e n ation now boasts a you ng an d ta lented tea m which h as recor ded victories over bo th USA and Norway in 2004 . and th ey wit! fancy their chances of success.
The minor foo tball nation will be hopi ng to r ock a few boa ts as they m ake th ei r llrst appearance in the European Ch am pion ships ever. The rooki e team or the champ ionships will h ave thei r work cut out though if they are to progress. Captaln Sanna Valkonen leads the team from the back with a real determined approach to the gan1e, whilst the skillful young attack ing force of Laura Kalmari will be noping to show off h er talent to boost her r eputation in th e worl d of football. Little ch ance of progressing. b ut their never-give -up atli tude m ay lead to Finland cau sing a few upsets.
Best Finish Runners-Up 1984
Be st F inish Winne rs 1984
Bes t Finish 3 r d Place 199 1 & 1993
Best Finish Never qualified b efore
GERMANY
NORWAY
FRANCE
ITALY
WORLD RANKING: 1ST
WORLD RANKING: 3RD
WORLD RANKING: 9TH
WORLD RANKING: l OTH
Being the only Europ ean nation to taste glory at Europ ean . world and Olympic levels, Norway are always among the favorites to win the tou rnament. Aft er Olympic gold in 2000. Norway h ave stru g_~led to fi nd form . but have n ow gradual ly started to get back to th eir former glory. Bente Nordby is prob ably the best goalkeeper in the world and Solveig Gulbrandsen is probably the m ost influential player in the team . A lot depends on h ow the you ng ta len t in U1c squad performs and if striker Dagny Mellgren can fu l fill h er potential . but Norway will be a stron g favou rite.
A young and upcomi ng sq u ad th at hopes to cause a few upsets in the tou r nament. Are the least fancied nation in the group and much of th eir success depends on striker M arinellc Pichon . on e of t he game's true stars. and experienced defender Corinne D iacrc. The m iclfie lcl co m bination of Sandrine Soubeyrand and Stephanie Mugner et -Beghe w ill also be vita l for France if th ey are to have any chance of progressing to the semi -fi n als. bu t with such tough opposilion in their group. the task m ay just be a bit too difficu l t for the Fren ch .
Have cons istently been one or the top European nations. until the last couple of year s wher e poor results have led to them failing in the wo rl d rankings. Their success will depend on th e form o!stri k er s Patrtzla Panico and llaria Pasqui. and the young talen ted allacking mid fielder Elisa Cam por ese . With m any young an d exciting players co ming th ough th e Italian ranks . anything ca n happen when t h e tournament gets u n derway . and th eir talented squad may j u st get t h em back into t h e top of internationa l foo tball i f t h ey fulfil their potential.
Best Finish Winners 198 7 & 1993
Best Finish Quarter-Finals 1984
Best Finish Runners-Up 1993 & 1997
Holders of the World Cup and a bronze medal in last years Olympic games, Germany are the team to beat and are big favourttes to lift their sixth titJe. The dominant force of European football only failed to make the final in 1993 when they lost to eventual winners Norway. The defence threesome of Steffi Jones. Sandra Minnert and Kerstin Stegemann boast 323 caps between them. whifst Birgit Prinz, FIFA World Player of the year in 2003 and 2004, is the most lethal striker in the world. Much has to be done to slop the Germ ans winning again .
Best Finish Winners 1989,1991,1995, 1997, 2001
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Cotcnte Wednesday, May 4.., 2005
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Rowers beat off international competitors to give boat club more success ahead of BUSA Jess Terrell Last week saw another unprecedented success from University of East Anglia Boat Club as the men's 1" VIII defeated fierce international competition to win the Spanish University Rowing Championships. The student crew. coached by Alan Wells, narrowly beat the University of Girona, which contained several Spanish junior lntematlonals. to win the Gold medal by just over two seconds. The
event, attended by university crews from Spain, Italy. France and the UK. was held on Saturday at the Banyoles Rowing Lake. the site of Redgrave and Pinsent's Gold medal victory in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Crew Captain and stroke man Ben Thompson said: "At the start of the year some of the guys had never been In a boat. To go from being a complete beginner to winning an event such as this is a remarkable achievement. UEA has never been known as a 'Rowing' university and certainly Isn't funded like one. We are very grateful to the Union of UEA Students
and the Norwich Sportspark for supporting us and hopefully this result will show them we are working hard. " Alan Wells. UEABC's Head Coach was watching from the bank: "The crew got a fantastic start and as soon as they hit their rhythm I knew the gold medals would be coming back to Norfolk. The boys had a lot to prove after the University's women's crew's historic victory In London last month. I imagine both squads will want nothing less than gold at the British University Championships at the end of the month. "
CRICKETERS HOPE FOR BUSA GLORY Continued from back page
In addition to the twiceweekly training sessions. the squad has helped hone their skills playing indoor matches and In January competed in the BUSA Men's Indoor Championship in Northampton. A team of 6 performed well in their first match against Middlesex with Hand and Steward both batting well for their 25 runs each. Middlesex were then skittled with Bridgland. Hand and Ollie Thome all bowling economically. After such a good start and with confidence in abundance. defeat to Brunei in their second match by 40 runs was very disappointing. A rea-
sonable bowling and fielding display saw Brunei rack up a par score of 126 off their 12 overs. However. the UEA batsmen failed to take the Initiative. falling further and further behind the required scoring rate as the innings progressed. In the end they folded for a poor 86 and. with all three teams in the group ending level on points with 1 win each, they entered a bowl-out to try to secure a place in the flnal. Unfortunately. not a single UEA bowler could hit the unguarded stumps - Indeed only 1 bowler from Middlesex managed to. earning them the place in the final to face UCE and sending UEA crashing out of a
toumament they should well have won. Another indoor match took place on derby day with UEA. surprisingly. being soundly beaten by Essex. Having won the toss. Essex batted well to make 125 in 11.2 overs. Four of the six Essex batsmen reached 20 but good fielding from UEA lead to three run outs. Sudden. Greiller and Hand each picked up a wicket for the UEA cause. The UEA innings then started disastrously with the run out of Steward off the third ball of the innings. This immediately put them on the back foot and. in a very similar way to the match against Brunei. the UEA batsmen
struggled to apply themselves to the run chase. With wickets tumbling. Hand scored 22 before being run out to leave them on the brink at an unfortunate 55/5 before Bridgland played well for 27. He was eventually last man out having taken the score to 79. seeing UEA slide to a 46-run defeat. It was a fair result with the better side winning and UEA not performing well . However. when the 'proper cricket starts outside (weather permitting of course!) a strong 1'' XI , with the disappointments of the indoor season lingering. will be frustrated not to secure promotion from their BUSA
division. It will also be of interest to see how the 2nd XI and. particularly. the females· team perform. Ltke the men's 1st XI. the ladles competed In the BUSA Indoor Championships. this time at Headingly in Leeds. Despite defeat in all their matches. there were some promising displays. Captain Ruth Barron will lead the team well with her all-round skills. However. with a small squad more players are needed and if there are any ladies who would like to play please come down to nets Colney Lane on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm unW 7pm With the Ashes series
between Australia and England set to grip the nation. some solid performances from the UEA teams would be an excellent start to a summer packed full of cricket.
UEA BUSA Fixtures
2005 Season UEA 1slXI 27/4 1/5 8/5 I II 5 15/5
DMU (Leicester) • DERBY • CAMBRIDGE NOTI'S TREJIIT Lincoln
UEA2ndXI 27/4 OMU {Leicester) 2 UEA 2 won by 74 runs 1/5 Notts Trent 2 8/5 WARWICK 4 11/5 Derby 2 15/5 APU (Chelm•ford) 2 15/5 APU (Cambridge) 2 • re$ults were oot In when going to print. Home matches are played at Colney
Lane.
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Cricketers hope to put disappointing 2004 season behind them with success in this years competition Oliver Steward
t Last Wednesday saw the start of the cricket season and after an unsatisfactory 2004 season UEA's teams have trained hard and are raring to go. "Last season was djsappoin ting." explains first team captain Martin Greiller. Indeed. the 1" XI. due to the awful weather. completed just two matches in their BUSA league; winning against Derby, but suffering a reversal against Leicester. "We played with a greatly under-strength team last season. but, If our best XI are all available all season. I'm confident of repeating the success of 2 years ago when we fmished the season with a IOOo/o record." Such is the problem for a summer season sport. with exams and revision depriving teams of their players.
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Promotion is certainly ac hievable fo r the l" XI having spent the winter practicin g twice a week in the sports halL Encouragingly. the squad is nicely balanced with experienced players Martin Greiller and James Hand being joined by an influx of promising freshers. Along with the senior pair. Greiller expects frrst year students James Bridgland. a genuinely quick bowler. opening batsman Oliver Steward and all-rounder Rory Budden to all contribute to 1" XI success. Greiller points to the good intake of freshers greatly strengthening the team and hopes that an exciting variety of bowling options will serve them well. A slight concern for him and the team is a shortage of another top-order batsman. which will put pressure on Greiller. Hand. Budden and Steward to score heavily. Continued on Page 27
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