Concrete issue 178 18 05 2005

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CONCRETE REFERENCE ARCHIVE Not to be taken outside the Concrete office. Return after use.

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WEDNESDAY 11TH PROVES UNLUCKY FOR SOME AS THE ELEMENTS CONSPIRE AGAINST UEA Helen Pike News Editor

Friday 13th came early to UEA as a series of unlucky events sprung up on campus. A fire broke out on Wednesday evening in a Common Room in Nelson Court. leaving substantial damage to the room and surrounding area. The room will now be totally out of action for a matter of weeks and an investigation has been carried out into the cause of the fire . Firefighters were called

to the scene at 7:53pm and the last of three fire engines in use that night left the university at I Opm the same evening. All of Nelson Court was evacuated from the moment the alarm was raised. yet according to sources a limited amount of security staff on duty at the time meant that students weren't stopped when they went back into the building complaining of the cold weather. The cause of the blaze is thought to be an arson attack due to the rapidity in which the fire spread . A resident of Nelson Court said , "I was first alerted by the

alarm and the sheer stench of the fumes rising". The investigation into the fire is now complete yet, according to Norwich fire station, the full results are still unknown as Concrete goes to press . A burst water pipe in the early hours of Thursday flooded the Hive bar. taking hours to ftx. According to one of the workers at the Hive. this incident is just part of an ongoing problem with the pipe system. If you witnessed any suspicious activity close to Nelson Court on the night of the blaze. alert secwity staff in the Porter's Lodge.

Firefighters had to break windows in Nelson Court to tackle the blaze last Wednesday night.

STUDENT REFUSED RIGHT TO VOTE IN GENERAL ELECTION IRISH NATIONAL STUDENT TURNED AWAY FROM UNIVERSITY POLLING STATION ON MAY 5TH Olly Haywood Deputy News Editor A UEA student was refused permission to ~ote on the 5th May after controversy over Irish nationals' right to have their say in UK parliamentary elections. Having received polling cards for both local and national elections, Aid an Burns of MTH expected to

cast his vote on the Thursday without problems, yet officials at the university polling station informed hlm that as an Irish national he was entitled to vote only in the local elections - even though he was born in the UK and has lived there all his life. Since permission to vote could not be granted by Norwich election officials, Mr Burns was forced to contact

the returning officer for the Norwich constituency who. it turned out, was not available. After several other phone calls. he eventually managed to talk to a helpline, who informed him that if he presented his British passport and birth certificate at the polling station he wou ld be able to vote. After presenting all the required documents at the polling station, Aidan was

allowed lo vote, but he felt that he "shou ld n't have had to go to all that trouble". "My mother was born in the Republic of Ireland and my late father had Irish nationality and they always voted at elections in England" he added. According to Mr Burns, another Irish national was present at the polling station, who had been unable to contact anyone to gain per-

mission to vote, even though they were fully entitled to without further action. The government's website states that to vote in parliamentary elections in the UK you must be a British citizen, a citizen of another Commonwealth country or of the Irish Repub lic, as well as being resident in the UK. aged 18 or over, included in the register of electors for the constituency and not

subject to any legal incapacity to vote. Mr Burns believes that officers at the university polling station were given the wrong information regarding the eligibility of Irish nationals to vote and h as since attempted to contact the government's helpdesk to inform them of the communication error. No-one has so far been available to comment.

• 2 concrete. news@ uea. ac.uk

ELECTION RESULTS Labour won the election again and Norwich was no exception, the vote breakdown in this region was largely reflective of the country. Charles Clarke saw his majority fall fro m th e 2001 elections as vote s carried over t o t h e Greens and Lib De m s. More -surprising, pe rhap s , were the amount of Conservative votes still left in the region . Results:

Norwich South

~~Alffft:~' i1(904 5,000 down fro m 2001 And.rew Aalders

12,25 1 3,000 up from 2001 Antony Little (Con) 9,567 1,000 down from 2001

D ~f{Gff!I:DJ 3, 101 Vote doubled from 2001 Vandra Ahlstrom (UKIP) 597

rn&.J'li (LegJaise IS~anc ~l

219 Roger ~lack,we,U (Wo*ers ,RevolWJo,nary Party) 85

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STUDIES PUBLICISE THE CiROWINCi CONCERN OF PlAGIARISM Jan e Douglas a nd Helen Pike News Editor A new repo rt publis h ed last month has u rged universities to take further steps in order to crack clown on plagiarisnl. Guideline~ is~ucd by the Joint Information Systems Comri1ittee (,JISC). warn that plac;iarism is on the increase dut> to the increased <HTcssibility of information in rTlTnf ~ t•ars. i\ncl as most unin' rsity courst>s today are hem·ilv cours('\\·ork based. tht> opporiunity for studenlb to cast ofT o ther pt>oplc's idt>as as t lwir own has got better than ever. J ISC"s r eport st'a tes on e of the main ca u ses of plagia- · ris m is the Internet. a fac t backed up by UEA lecturer T im Da nl. Dr. Dant. who teaches Sociology. s peaks as a university lecture r w ho s pend s mu ch of hi s time m a rkin g co ursework a nd d issertations wh en h e says that "I fee l angry. d isa p p oin ted a n d fru s trated by s tud e nts w h o plagia ri se". believing th at it "breach es

7,616

.an Holmes (Green} 1,252 J ohn Youles (UKIP} 1 ,122 Bill Holden (Independent) 308

th e tru st put in yo u by t h e pe rson wh o h as ta u gh t and is p r epa red t o m a r k the wo rk". report t itled. Th e De te rrin g. DC' lecli ng and Dea lin g w ith St ude n t Plagia rism q u otes research

from 2002 which analysed 1770piccc~ or work from five Australian universities. over a range of sclroob. and found that 8.8' contained more than 25% of un at trib uted material from the interne!. '1\vo pieces wen· found to contain more than 75' (, of lifted material. Further research carried out bv the L'ni\ crsit_v of Glamorgan suggests that more and more·. st udt>nts have reso1·ted to purchasing essays . PownPoint presentations and d issertations fro m com merc ia l sa les sites s u c h as eBay. al ready a favourite fo r buy in g and auctioning goods in order to fund s tudent life. The r esea rch by Mike Reddy suggests that n ot only do s ome buyers re peatedly purchase essays from th e site. but th a t amongst th e several top ics availa ble to buy is on e o ffering a d vice on "h ow t o get the d issertation

past th e tutor". Howeve r easy it is t o access m a teria l a nd pass it off as yo ur own. ch ances a re t hat the m ateria l will be of poor q u a li ty. r es u lt ing in poo r gra des t h a t ca n affect your whole degree. Further research from Loughborough University claim~ that several cs~ays analysed coni aincd f,H'l ual l'rrors. rPndcring efforts to lure! essays uselcs~. · l~e<Jsons \\'hy students ( hoose to plagiarise an· broad rane;ing but many lll:lrkt-rs and st U(knt s .1re left frustrated at the prosp••d of ofkndcrs collud int, or l'\Tn getting away with it. Dr Dant feels upset when he suspects any of h is ~tu dents. ··If I" m wrong it lT\-ca ls a lack or trust on my part. if !"m r·ight it revea ls a bet raya l of tr ust on th ei rs:· Willia m . a thi rd year LLT st ud ent ta lks of hi s own fe elings towards plagiarism. ·· 1 get r ea lly angry at the -prospect of stu dents who are g ive n the sa m e project as me to do. yet aren't honest a bo u t the source of th eir work and instead of putting effort in. th ey' re down th e pu b. I feel especia lly wo u nd u p con s id-

ering th e a m ount of h a rd work I oft en pu t into a n ass ign ment.·· Besid es being meth od to get down p ub quicke r. p lagiarism m ost li kely occ urs th rough th e onc;oinl( stress of eve ry d<Jy life- part time jobs. cxtr;l coursework to\\'arcls the end of term. particularly at thr;, time of .~"<''lr and t lw demands or extra-curricular act ivilies make t h<' pnl!- pt'<'t of an easy route to a com plc!<' ess,1y mon' irl\'it in c.: The uJCn'asm~ amount ol pla"iarhcrs l!as no\\' rt's111t eel in demands for unin·rsr tie~

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crackdown on offender,., who arc essen tially "abusing t h(' academ ic system". As far as UEA is con cernecl. plagiarism is taken very se ri ously. Dependent u po n th e ex tent of th e offen ce . s tud ents ca n face an alt e r ed mark to th e extent that Oo/o is g iven. However this type of punis h ment isn't con sis tent nation wide. a criticism made by Jisc a nd a proble m th ey wa nt to co mbat. One issue with plagiari s m whi ch m any stu de n ts h a ve t h ought of is the idea of

highliglr t eel "students enter proe:rammes where t h<' ·arks of tlw game· are uncl('ar: they might continue to US(' tri<'cl and testt'(l approadws 1ncl thereb\·. rnacl\crtt • llfl~· . plagians• ·· One fir-,( vear st uclent. who \\·hli• d to r ·rn:trn anony n,ou;,. hds. smcc cominl( to l E:\. fo1uHl th(' footnofJn" system conlusinl( and 1,., ,,ften · lt'lt \\ornecl about um\·it tin~ly ( ommilling an act of pla.l(iarism. ··1 end up re-reading my es~ays several times in the fear of being accused of somethi ng I didn't even mean to do ". So t h a t st u de nts do n 't fall int o thi s t ra p . Tim Da nt advises that "a ll quotations and a ll sources for ideas. even when paraphrased in t he c urrent a uthor's own words. shou ld be properly refer en ced so that the reader can ch eck those sources fo r the context of the ideas and th e cu rrent a u t h or's acc u r a te interp retation".

HOW DID THE UNION OFFICERS FARE THIS YEAR? THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ARE ASSESSED ON THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNION Helen Pike

James Tumbridge (Con) 15,638 Down 123

Wedn e;·dav. Mav 18 . 2005

PRACTISEPlAGIARISM?

Norwich North Ian Gibson (Lab) 21,097 Slightly reduced majority (5,459 from 5 ,863)

Concrete

News Ed ito r

Ifs been three weeks since th e n ew part time Officers took th eir positions and only a couple of months unti l the n ew full time officers are in place. Concrete spok e to t h e officers to ask w h at t h ey ach ieved th is year and w h eth er t h ey ke pt to the promises of th eir m an ifestos . Th e Union of UEA S t uden ts h as bee n extrem ely active thi s year in rais ing th e profil e of campaign s with special a tten t ion m a de to the e nviro nme nt a nd libe r a tions. It h as also lent a hand

to t h e Tsuna mi appeal and 20os·s Make Poverty History campaign. AJI of the Offi ce rs h ave enjoyed an input into t h e changes lha t have occurred in t h e past academic year. Academi c officer Ch ri s Ostr owski attributes a lot of his success to th e hardworking Academic Office rs b efor e hi m. sayi ng "if it was n ot for the work of my predecessors we wo uld not have achieved wh a t we h ave.·· Ac hi eve m ents include t h e univers ity agr eeing to h arm onise co ursewo rk p en a lti es across sch ools of s tudy. The combined t urme il of school co mm ittees b e ing r estru ctured and the library in its final s tages of refur-

bishme nt ha s m a d e it a tricky acad emic year. Chris h as a lso re ported a we ll attended Union Cou n c il. increasing in numbers year on year. ··we a lso ra n a s u ccessfu l policy ballot and had more people vo ting in th e Union e lec t ions th a n last year". Ifs been equally busy for officer James Finan ce Drakefor d. Jan1es has made some procedures for clubs and societies easier. b ut ·a dmi ts there is still q uite a way to go. His wo rk h as p aved the way for future Finan ce offi cers to con t inue the improvem ents tho u gh . J a m es also organ ised the CASA's "with m or e people a ttending and enj oyin g the event". as well as organis ing Derby day a t UEA, totalling 29 m a tches. As Welfa r e Officer. Jo Wright has contributed subs ta ntia lly to each of the the m ed week s that have taken place throu gh out the year. Jo also h elped to organise the Inte rna tio n a l party. as well as being on hand to support s tudents in n o n -acad emic r e la t ed issu es. Cat Lumb h a d quite a tough act to follow when s h e s tepped into Ned Glasier's p lace as Communica tions Officer last Augu s t . Union publication Rabbit h as continued with Cat editing it in pape r and we b format , info rming UEA s tuden ts of

upcomin g events and listings . Cat has a lso m a in tained the running of th e Un ion webs ite. a nd h as tra in ed societies to create th eir own mini -sites. Thei r role being unpaid . the Union·s part tim e Officers h ave to juggle their job with the d e m a nd s of t h e ir d egree. Last year's Women's Offi cer Kat Bowker admitted that wh en she took the job on. "I h a d no idea wh at th e job really entailed". She soo n d iscovered that she could make the position anything s h e wanted it to be. so se t a b o ut c rea ting a wom en 's group to let UEA stud ents h ave a voice. and initia ted several Union campaign s including a cr ac k d own on drink s piking . Kat also organised self defen ce cla s ses throughou t the year a nd eve nts for world women 's d ay . Rowe n a Boddingto n maintain ed h er role as Publicity offi cer to a high by con t inuo u s ly extent Region a l a nd a tte nding Na tional Student Union con feren ces. At campus level. "a lot of my job was n ot a b out 'doing t hings· myse lf. bu t h e lping the other offi cers and also clu bs and societies to achieve wha t th ey wanted to.· Her r ole included making pos ters and mini -s ites. assis ting various campaign s s u ch as environment week . safe -s ex week and liber ation s week . n ot to m enti on

getting the mom entu m going fo r the Make Poverty History campaign . Jo e Moon felt th a t as International Officer he was we ll reward ed in h e lpin g students whose first la n g uage is n 't En glis h to com municate with the r est of UEA. He also contributed a commendable amou n t to the Interna tion a l party. Shah Rahman as societies Office r h elped to main tain the running of UEAs societies . as well as h elping to train committees in the upkeep of the web s ites. He also won a CASA for services to the Union of UEA s tu den ts. A.ndy Higson will r em ain on the Unio n executive co m mi t tee fo r t h e n ext year. m ovi n g fr om EnVIi onment Officer to Communication s Office r. A.ndy organised Environmen tal week in Au tumn sem ester. and there has b een a regular stall in the Hive dedicated to giving awa y fr ee e n er gy saVi n g lightbulbs . · Helen Davis a s Sports Officer h as continued the fight to k eep Wednesd ay afternoon s free for s ports. Spor tsnig ht socia ls h ave r em ain ed a permanent feature on the wee kly Union calender. Fra n Sta ple to n. Liber a ti on s Officer. or gan ised a very s u ccessful Libera tion s week as well as Mental Heal th week .

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DIISS IES11II010NS APPa PLEASE CALL 01603 627666 FOit MOR£ INFORMA110N. STIIC'ftY OWR WS. THE MMIMJIMENT IISEJlYI THE RIGHT 10 REFUSE ADMISSION. PHOTOGRAPHIC ID RfQUIRED. MSSPOR't DIIIVlRS UCENCE 01t PORTMAN CARD ACQPTED.

MERCY NIGH1UUB, PRINCE OF WALES ROAD, NORWICH, NORFOLK.

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Police are appealing for information following the theft of a bike from The Forum in Norwich at around 2.45pm on Sunday 8th May. The cycle was a silver Marin mountain bike with red forks, worth around £800. Police a rP also as king for informatio n a bout a burgla ry in York S trePt. Norwich. whi ch h a pp Pn cd b e t wee n 9.30pm o n Friday 6th a n d 8 .30a m o n Sa turd ay 7t h May. S tolen item s includ ed a Sony DVD p laye r and a Ford Fi es t a r egistra ti o n AU03 YRN.

ASSAULT Two teenage boys were victims of an assault at Mercy nightclub on Saturday 30th April. The incident occurred at approximately 10 . 15pm when the boys were punched repeatedly in the face by two unknown men. Anyone with a ny info r m a ti o n on the a b ove events s hould contac t Norwich police on (0 ! 9 53 ) 4 2424 2 or C t·imcstoppc rs a n o nym o us ly on 0800 5551 I I.

Fo rm e r co mmuni ca ti o n s office r Way n e Ba rn es has rece ntly b ee n a ppoint ed as o n e of only s Lx full time referees for th e Rugby Footba ll Uni o n . Wayn c 13arn es kn own to m a ny as 'Wursel' was com muni ca tio n s oflke r a t UEA four years ago and was a ls o t he initia to r of 'Ra bbit' the St u d e nt Union n ews letter.

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BEA INCi OFF COM CMP STUDENTS TAKE HOME £3000 IN UNIVERSITY'S BUSINESS PlAN CONTEST ls a bel Dyson

Three UEA s tud ents h ave won a l eaclin~ prize in the Un iversity of East Anglia's Annu a l Bu s iness Pla n co m pe titi o n . Th e b u s iness g roup. Tcchlim . is m ade up of co mpu ter science st u den ts. Luke Je fferso n . la in Toft a nd Mike Powell wh o won £3000 in th e co mpeti tion. Tcchlim triumphed in th e co m pe titio n after deve lo ping a n a lt erna tive- m a rket place for b uyers a nd selle rs to interact a nd exch a n ge co m mod ities in a n origina l a nd in nova tivE' fram ework . Ve te ra n of th e co mpeti tion . s tud ent Luke J efferson. h a d p r ev io u s ly wo n fi rst pri zE' in 2 003 with hi s Farb PnTech idea th a t co r r eel s colours fo r colo ur b li nd computer u se rs. In order to w in th e UEA competiti o n . Techlim h a d to b ea t off tough co mpetition from seve ra l uniqu e b u s iness idea s . including a corn-

pa ny providing rPsear ch and pva lu a ti on services in th e socia l care arena an d a web s ite for buyi n g a n d selling s pecia lis t books. Winn er la in Totf said: ··we arc de lig h ted to wi n the business p la n competition . We intend t o purs u e our vent ure furiJ1 er a nd h ope to m a in ta in lh P wo rking re lationsh ips forged as a res ult of th P competiti on : · Th e UnivPri sty of East Anglia's Rpsear c h a nd Bu s iness Services divis ion runs th e compe tition a nd a ims to accPlc rale b u si n Pss ideas a n d encou rage en t rep r eneu rs h ip a m o n g sl u den ts and staff at UEA and th e Norwi ch Resea rch Pa rk. E n trants su bmi tted b us iness p lans fo r en tra n ce into th e co mpetition in J a nu a ry th at d etailed th e t ar get m a r ket for their proposed prod u ct o r se rvi ce . resea rch into d em a nd . an d fin ancia l proj ec tions for th eir compa ni es . Five fi nalis ts wer e picked fr om co mp e tit o rs a nd pitch ed the ir ideas to a panel of seven judges. including from r e prese nt a tiv es

EX-UEA OFFICER BECOMES REF Claire Bull

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THEFTS

Ba rnes decided to pack in a ca reer in crimin a l la w in order to b ecome the RFU's youngest ever full time refe r ee. Whil e s tudying at UEA Ba rn es played ru gby for th e uni ve rsity tea m on Wedn esdays a nd refpreed on S a turdays . his progression thro u g h th e ra nk s was ra pid . Ju s t fou r years alt er grad u a ting from UEA h e h as put a sid e as pira ti o n s of beco ming a ba rri s ter to ta ke thi s fan tastic op portunity.

Way n c's pe rformanc e ha s b een well received by Colin High m an age r of th e RFU 's elite refer ees "Wayn e's a ppointment will be a grea t boos t to the elite gam e. lt"s e n co ura gin g to see so m eb ody s o young progress in th e profession ". Wayn e Barn es is a n ins pira tion to s t u dent s a t UEA his dy n a mic person a li ty a n d pass ion fo r Rugby h a ve la nd ed him in a position m an y r ugby fa n s can o nly dream of.

Mo n eyfacts. EDP. No rfolk a nd Norwic h Unive rs ity Hos pita l. Mills a nd Reeve . llSBC a nd Lovewe ll Blake. T h e judges were pa rti cula rly impressed with th e qua lity of th e fin a lis ts an d ackn owl edged th e import a n ce o f the

co mpe titi o n to s timul a te inno va ti o n a nd e ntrep r e n e urs hip within th e univer s ity and No rwi ch l{esearch Park. Rob Ma rs h a l!. director of Res ea r c h a nd Busin ess Servi ces a t UEA a nd compe-

tition orga nise r said: "The co mpe titi o n promotes n ew idea s within the university a nd provides a grea t in ce n tive for peo ple who have idea s and wi s h to take th e n ext s tep to s tart ing a n ew co mpa ny.

FUTURE'S CiREEN FOR NORWICH Olly Haywood De pu ty News Edito r T h e G reen Pa rty m a d e hi s tory thi s month as No rfolk ca ndid a te Andrew Boswe ll won a s ea t o n th e County Council. loose ning th e grip o f three-p a rty politics in Norfolk. With a vote of 2 13 5 - up fro m jus t 355 in the last elec ti on - t h e party exceed ed a ll ex pecta ti o n s with a m aj ori ty of 900 . New Co un ty Co u nc illor

Andrew Bos well sa id "th e Green s now have re presen ta tion not jus t a t City level. but a t County level. This m ea n s tha t Gree n sympathize rs all over No rfolk n ow h ave s omeone to s peak for them : and it m ea n s th at our voice will b e heard not just in Norwich. b ut across th e wh ole Co un ty ... Mr Boswell a dded : "I a m proud to se rve a t County lla ll. a nd to vo ice our highlydistinctive Green co n cern s s u ch as ethi cal investm ent..:

s usta ina ble pla nnin g and tran s po rt policies . a nd oppos itio n to a ll pri va tisa ti o n including a ll 'PFI' sch em es the re a nd b eyond ." T h e Gree n s n a rrowly missed winning a s econd seat in Wen s um ward . and a lso s ecured severa l third places in sea ts ac ross Norw ich a n d Norfolk . On a ver age. th e Gree n vo te across Norfolk d oubled from the e lec ti o n s fo ur yea rs ago to over 8 % - J 7.63 5 individ u al vo tes.

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CHcrttt Wednesday. Mav 18". 2005

Cotcrtte Wednesdav. Mav 18". 2005

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UEA Islam Society Branches Out WHAT IS YOUR WORLDVIEW? F

The UEA Islamic Society is trying to create a new perception of Islam in Britain. The society is recognised nationally for the work it does in promoting Islam and helping new students settle at UEA. They want to forge a culture of tolerance and understanding in a world that is quick to judge. Clare Bull reports. • • • • •his month the Islamic society is organising a series of events towards the end of May as part of an Islam awareness week. This society at UEA has been described as one of the leading multinational groups in Norfolk. The popular scholar Shabir Ally will be giving a series of three talks on a variety of subjects. The talks are free and open to everybody. Mansour Almazroui, the pre~ident of the society, says that he hopes the events will be multi-faith gatherings which will help further establish a positive, Informed view of Islam within the UEA. The Islamic society was set up in the 70's and has been expanding ever since. The events planned should help to make all students aware of the society and its many functions, which range far further than simply the campus Mosque. T.he Islamic society of UEA is a body that represents the Muslim community which is a central element of the religious diversity within the campus. As such, it welcomes new students when they come to UEA and helps them establish themselves as part of the growing Muslim community. The society aims to dispel ideas that Islam is an 'aggressive' religion and instead aims to demonstrate the peaceful nature of the religion. The society wishes to take on any issues that Muslim students at UEA may have, and to refer these issues to the appropriate welfare bodies within the university. Mansour Almazroui says 'we members of the UEA Muslim community are grateful for the help that we have received through the university over the years'. The society is overseen by a 'Shoura' council, which represents Muslim students of UEA as well as

the wider Muslim community within Norvtich. lt also maintains an excellent relationship with the Dean of Students. The council consists of members from the society and the Norfolk and Norwich Muslim association, which is. a registered charity. The Council is keen to reiterate that it is a 'non-political and nonpartisan' body, and the aims of the council are to take care of the day-to-day running of the Mosque, as well, of course, as advancing the peaceful and law abiding cause of Islam. The society wants to build a strong and healthy relationship between Muslims and Christians. Recently Members of the society visited St Thomas'

Church in Norwich and members of the Church have also visited the Mosque on campus. The Society has regular contact with Christians and this interaction is beneficial to both communities as understanding is essential if we are to maintain a friendly multi-cultural atmosphere at UEA. The society is especially supportive for students during Ramadan, when Muslim students are fasting and therefore may feel isolated (as well as hungry!). The society organises an 'lftar' where students can celebrate the breaking of their fasts together in the mosque. In addition, every year the society undertakes to ensure that the two Eids of Ramadan and Hajj can be celebrated in a communal and joyful manner. A member -of the society enthuses how 'it's an active society that gives me the opportunity to practice my beliefs freely, and without restrictions'. They feel that 'the provisions of the services that the society offers are an important part of the non-discriminatory policy that UEA boasts'. uslim students hope that the 'Islamic Week' talks will help clarity the role and rights of women in Islam, a topic which has been the focus of much media attention and criticism over the last few years. Within the Islamic society, apart from being able to attend the mosque and also being active in other ways, the 'sisters' also hold separate gatherings once a week. These gatherings have a strong social element and are open to all female students and staff, as well as visitors to UEA. In order to draw attention to these issues, and dismiss many 'unfair' assumptions, there will be a talk on The role of women in Islam' as part of the awareness week. The 'sisters gatherings' are said to provide an excellent opportunity to "get to know each other [as women) and build bridges among themselves".

However as time goes on the society is successfully striving to improve the welfare of all Muslim students. Recently the society has helped organise the serving of Halal food in 'Zest' on campus one night of the week and talks are continuing at the moment to expand this service 1urther. Membership of the society has grown rapidly over the past few years, due partly to an increase in British and international Muslims studying in the schools of medicine and pharmacy on campus. When it first began, prayers were said in what is now the small prayer room on Suffolk Terrace, which has recently been refurbished. This quickly became too small, especially for Friday prayers, and these had to be held in common rooms. lt was not until 2001 that the current temporary mosque building was opened. Mansour Almazroui says that even now during busy periods members are often forced to pray outside as the Mosque is too small to accommodate all those who need to pray. lt is hoped that before long a new permanent mosque will be built for the growing UEA Muslim community. The society has forged many friendships, and is doing excellent work to spread a positive and peaceful perception of Islam within and beyond the university. long may it continue to provide an inclusive and informative service for all students, where we may celebrate not only our similarities, but also the diversity of the students and staff populations at UEA Some facts about Islam - Islam is not named after a person. Christianity is taken from Christ, Buddhism from Gotama Buddha. Islam is an Arabic word that means the submission of one's will to the only God worthy of worship, Allah. lt also implies peace. -The Holy Islamic scripture is the Qur'an and the building for communal worship is called a mosque. -The religion is over 1300 years old. lt began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. -There are an estimated 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, making it the second largest religion after Christianity. This is also true in Britain, where there between 1.5 and 3 million Muslims. - There are two main groups of Muslims in the world. Sunni Muslims comprise 90% of the population. The other main group are the Shi'ite Muslims. - There are five pillars of Islam . They are: 1) Shahadah: A declaration of faith. 2) Salat: Ritual prayer five times a day. 3) Zakat: Giving a fixed proportion of income to charity. 4) Sawm: Fasting (most notably during Ramadan). 5) Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca, the Islamic Holy City in Saudi Arabia. Every Muslim who is able is expected to make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.

ollowing hours upon hours of surveys and interviews, the Worldview Survey sponsored by the Christian Union has stumbled upon a not so remarkable finding: The majority of UEA students cannot identify themselves with any life philosophy. According to the computed analysis, while 72% of respondents professed at least foundational or significant existentialist views, only a small minority realised they held such. Based on extensive follow-up interviewing of survey participants, strong levels of existentialism were generally the 'default' worldview and often represented a lack of critical thought concerning personal beliefs. The survey claims that existentialists rarely recognized the implications of creating their own meaning and reality, namely the possibility of moral anarchy and a dismantling of rudimentary logic. However, those respondents who scored higher in naturalist and nihilist philosophies tended to have reflected more on their worldview and its ramifications. While those with nihilist philosophies only garnered 6% of the participants, students with nihilist leanings were considerably more introspective. Believers of nihilistic philosophies often held an evolved variant of existentialism that, while less positive, claimed to acknowledge the logical sociological and spiritual endpoints of an atheistic universe. Those who adhered to the more dominant philosophy of naturalism or its leanings emerged heavily from an educational background in the sciences. This group of 23% had also significantly · reflected on their worldview. This was most likely in light of an academic discipline which, on a biological level, typically rejects any theistic possibilities. In addition. while only 8% of students professed dominant new age/pantheist philosophies, the large percentage of students who dabbled in them were of two cross-sections. One was made of students from East-Asian cultures which were exposed to such beliefs by their family and culture. The other section was symbolic of a group wanting more of a meaningful existence than that of the atheistic philosophies, but unsure of the means by which to achieve it. These students rarely had any formal exposure to pantheism, but in light of most western philosophies being found unconvincing, created their own beliefs out of individual emotional, intellectual or psychological needs. The primary explanations included the desire for an afterlife after death and wanting to avoid the 'self-deification' or hedonistic worldview that they believe came with existentialism. In addition to the nihilists the students who most often reflected the highest level of critical thought in determining beliefs were theists and deists. Though they represented only 15% and 5% of the survey participants respectively, these students consistently spent the most time in philosop_hical introspection, and did so through both private reflection and communal participation (i.e. Churches, Mosques). Theists scored by far the highest in intellectual consistency, which can be attributed to both the practice of their spirituality and through the philosophically unifying effects of organized theology. However, intellectual consistency was not a mark of critical thought in all categories outside of theism. Those who followed along some line of nihilism, naturalism, deism or pantheism were often much more intellectually engaged than their" purely existentialist counterparts. Their inconsistencies were not the result of poor logic, but.often rather a worldview that was in flux and in continual evolution. There also existed a strong correlation between philosophical awareness and religious backgrounds. Students who were .exposed to any religion through one or more parents or grandparents usually possessed a broader understanding of all philosophies, while students with no religious background typically knew little about competing belief systems. Based on the interviews, no student without significant religious education or background was aware of the basic doctrines of any of the three major monotheistic religions. General perceptions of organized religions tended to lump them without distinction, wrongly assuming that organized religions professed doctrines that were in general harmony with one another. · Yet, in spite of these results, the overwhelming majority of students surveyed said they believed that a UEA education gave good exposure to other mainstream religions, but not to the extent where one could fairly except or reject any one religion.

THEISM - Defined here as Christian Theism, which dominated Western thinking for centuries. Belief in God, that he created our world, that he seeks to be involved with us, that he bestowed dignity on us at creation. God, being good, defines the standards of goodness and morality. LOVE: We can love because we were created in the1mage of a loving God. MURDER: Is wrong because it violates. God's moral command, written in his word and on our conscience.

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DEISM - After the scientific revolution, scientists saw that many things could be explained by natural causes. Consequently, God's role in dealing with people and the universe seemed to be less significant. However, the deists did not eliminate God altogether. He was there but he was, for the most part,

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irrelevant. Deism is therefore ._:---:---:--::------:--.--:-.:-----:-:--:---.---.-:---.-:--.---:----:-:----.-:---:-----:---:----~ the philosophical bridge from theism to naturalism. . people tire of the spiritual emptiness of the atheistic fore little attention is given to moral questions such LOVE: As theism. world views but refuse to return to their theistic roots. as love and murder since this would be promoting MURDER: Is wrong because it violates the "natural Among other .things, this worldview elevates nature the "illusion" of such distinctions. However, love order". and denies theistic claims of a personal God who might well be redefined in terms of "cosmic harmocreated us, asserting instead that we are all 'divine'. ny" and murder as the taking of any life, human or Proponents of this view even claim that its concepts otherwise. NATURALISM - By the 19thC, naturalism won the day among intellectuals who, in their excitement over defy explanation and simply need to be "experithe reliability of science, decided that ALL things enced" rather than understood. All distinctions & catColin Kerr could be explained by natural causes; God was egories, including moral ones, will ultimately disaptherefore deemed not only irrelevant but non-exispear as we realise our oneness with all things; theretent. The initial euphoria over the grand promise of science to explain all has since worn off as people have realised the limits of science in answering some age-old questions about humanity (e.g. love, evil, morality, etc.). LOVE: Is really just a fancy description of the human instinct to propagate its species. MURDER: Is deemed "wrong" by societies because people recognise that it is in their own evolutionary survival interests to do so. NIHILISM -The "logical conclusion" of and a powerful critique of naturalism. If there is no God, and all things are merely the products of natural forces, then a human is really no better than a snail or even a boulder. The only difference being that our molecules are arranged differently (as a result of a random, directionless evolutionary process.) In that case, life has no purpose; concepts. like love and morality and justice are meaningless. LOVE: Is meaningless as a term that describes anything more than having sex to propagate the species. MURDER: Also a meaningless moral term; if society deems it "wrong" to kill in one instance, what if it decides in another that it is permissible (Nazi Germany)? EXISTENTIALISM - The attempt to rise above the gloom of nihilism and restore meaning and purpose to life. The existentialist does not oppose naturalism but rather seeks to go beyond it by saying that humans are unique in that they can and should create meaning for themselves. Note the subtle but important contrast with theism: Both identify meaning, morality, value, etc., but while the theist looks to God for an absolute standard, the existentialist looks to himself alone. Some would say the philosophical problem of this world view is that if we all decide for ourselves what is right, wrong, valuable ...then what happens if we disagree? LOVE: A concept created by each individual in his/ her attempt to add some meaning to an otherwise meaningless existence. MURDER: Is "wrong" if the individual decides it is wrong. (Most individuals just happen to decide it is wrong because they don't want to be murdered). · PANTHEISM I NEW AGE - The New Age Movement is primarily an eastern world view (pantheistic monism) adapted to western thinking. New Age thinking seems to be gaining greater acceptance as

8 concrete.features@uea.ac.uk

Colattt Wednesday, May 1Ef' , 2005

www.concrete-online.com

Opinion ROSS GRAINGER

SI, QUI, JA: SAY YES TO THE EU

ow that the general election is done and dusted we can get ready for another vote, the outcome of which Is a lot less predictable. it's the referendum on whether to adopt the European Constitution. The European Constitution was drafted in November 2004, but it must be approved by all 25 member states by October 2006, through either national referendum or parliamentary vote, before it becomes law. Spain, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Hungary and Lithuania have already done this. France is voting on the 29th of May. The argument I put forth in this article as to why we should vote 'yes' will be for naught if France votes no. The constitution was drafted under a deal that is tenuous at best: if just one member state votes against it then the whole thing stalls. But France is no

ZOA MATELLA

A RANT ON THE STUDENT UNION UEA student union, 'run by the students, for the students' the slogan proudly proclaims. Yes, we all know they do great things: the redevelopment of the Hive, the improvement of the lighting on Colney Lane playing fields, and more recently the part-time ban on smoking upstairs in Union House. So it's all lovely. Unless of course you're a smoker (you can go and stand in the rain), or an employ.ee. Then it gets interesting. First and foremost their recruit· ment process is intriguing. Not only can you get a job if you know 'the right people', but if you're "pretty and

IAN McSHANE

A RANT

ell better Jate than never. FQr the past three years l!ve been watching this strange world spin by from the

ordinary member (no offence, Luxembourg). France was one of the six founding members of the EU in 1953, when it was the European Steel and Coal Community. Come to think of it, so was Luxembourg, but as the latter half of the 20th century pro· gressed, France became one of the leading members of the European Union and its most vociferous sup· porter. France is synonymous with the EU. Them leaving would be like Manchester United dropping out of the Premiership. If France votes no, bad stuff will happen. No one is exactly sure how bad that stuff will be, but several doomsday scenarios are likely. The constitution will certainly be dealt a deadly blow. Indeed the entire concept of a European Union will be endangered. Groups such as UKIP will party so hard that the rest of us will be in danger of getting caught up in the moment and thinking that it's a good thing that the EU is collapsing. The first and perhaps most redundant reason for maintaining the EU is peace. When the EU was formed from various coal and steel companies in 1953, Europe was very different. The Eastern half was under the thumb of the Soviet Union. Portugal and Spain

were dictatorships and no one would have ruled out something even worse than the World War that ended just eight years earlier. Today, war is unthinkable. This argument actually seems like a wasle of column space, so pervasive is peace within the EU. The most favourable and useful of the EU's benefits, particularly for students, is the ease with which one can now travel around the EU. I passed through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with just a brief passport check and a smile (from me, at the ease with which it was all happening). Before the EU expansion last May getting to countries like these was a nightmare. And if, on your EU travels, you come across a place you love, you can work there without too much hassle. That's one of the fundamental purposes of the EU: to make it easy for people to work, study and travel in member states. But we're not voting on whether we like the EU, at least we're not supposed to be. We're voting on whether to adopt the EU Constitution. The two, though, are one and the same for most of us. This vote will be a vote for or against the EU, such is the deal we, the electorate, have been given: vote yes or we're out of the EU.

Perhaps the constitution deal the members made in November was crafty rather than tenuous. So since we're officially voting on the Constitution it's necessary to point out why it's a good thing. it's not going to make the EU a superstate. Our laws are not all going to be made in Brussels. As Gordon Brown said recently in an interview with Channel Four: all of the things that Britain did not want in the Constitution are not in there. We still have vetoes on taxation, foreign policy and defence. Broadly speaking the Constitution will make the EU simpler. For exam· pie, the current policy of rotating the President every six months between nations will be replaced with a single President elected by the European Council (which is composed of the leaders of members states), and the President will then serve for two and a half years. lt gives more continuity to the system and gives the EU's leadership a stable face. But it won't be a President like the US and France have. This President will be subject to the Council and will not have broad executive powers. The Constitution also strengthens the power of the EU parliament. The EU Commission proposes legislation,

and the EU Parliament debates it and decides whether to pass it. And since we get to elect the members, expanding its power is good for us. Eurosoeptics say that the Constitution will mean that the EU gets to impose more of its laws on member states regardless of what member states want. EU law is absolute in those areas where it has the right to be absolute. Those areas are the same today as they were when Britain joined the EU in 1973. "we have vetoes on matters that we deemed important, and since the pro· cedure for creating and then imposing EU law hasn't changed, there is a really a lot of fuss over nothing. That's what people forget: we've been in the EU since 1973. Our country has improved and Europe has improved. Look at all the countries in Europe. With the exception of Switzerland and Norway, all the countries in the EU are enourmously better off than those not in it. We must vote in favour of the constitution. But since that vote is not until next year, you should hang onto this piece. Until then, ring any French friends you have and tell them to vote yes on the 29th of May.

have nice boobs" you can start imme· diately. I'm sure the people on the waiting list who get ignored won't mind, all two hundred of them. I don't have to tell you that this is not the process we would expect from a union who claims to be democratic and fair. Have you ever noticed that the girl-to-guy ratio is so high behind the bars and in the shops? No? Take a look. Who's actually running the Student Union? Who's governing the governors? I can assure you it isn't us students, none that I know anyway, and it sure as hell isn't beneficial or fair either, even if you are only staff. No written contract. Countless early morning finishes • or someone else will have your job • not to mention a notable absence of health and safety training. Let's be honest, work· ing for the Union doesn't score high on the security scale, or ostensibly the legal one come to mention it. But it's the Student Union, and it's 'run by us, for us' so they must know what's

best. Did the Union Council decide this when they were renovating the Hive? Or trying to make poverty histo· ry? it's unlikely. So it's just a business after all, and a poorly run one at that. Take this example: The Student Union insists that the workforce reapply for their jobs, and then refuses to continue their employment. But why? 'Policy Reasons' apparently. Is it possible that the employers are trying to cut costs? Yes, except the replacements are already rolling in, so it's hardly a saving in cash (I wonder if they were on the waiting list). Maybe a company that's getting rid of sub· standard workers. Sub-standard? What standard?! Does a business that fails to supply written contracts provide work standards? Well apparently the Union does, though they are not displayed in any of the staff areas, and are not shown to anyone during their training. which, whilst I'm here, more or less consists of 'here's a t· shirt and off you go'.

Or was the whole thing just a well-disguised witch-hunt? That's the million-dollar question. How does a business get rid of staff that can't work late nights because of early seminars. who have a recurring illness, or simply have an essay dead· line looming? None are sackable offences, this is a Union of Students after all, but they're not ideal for an employer. Maybe I've already told you the answer: Maybe they mark everyone against a set standards without telling them, then inform them that they have to re-apply for their job • and don't offer them the position. Did this idea come from the Union Council? Was this decided 'by students for students'? Clearly not. But whoever it was, so much for our wel· fare. The victimised now have to find a way to pay for fees and accommodation next year. Congratulations, the coup de gras has been successful, against who irs obvious, but by who remains a mystery. Unfair dismissal

indeed. Is the fact that an employee "doesn't smile all the time whilst working", as in more than one case, enough to force them out? And as for "unwillingness to work unsociable hours", what have they been doing until two in the morning multiple times a week whilst every.b ody else is partying in the LCR? Beats me. But anyway, surely these are things that should be said quietly, noted areas for improvement, not victimised oustings. Being run by the students, the promoters of equal rights and justice, you would think that our Student' Union would treat it's staff better. Yes the UEA union of Students is a valuable asset. They fund our societies, look after our environment, welfare and women etc. They provide our on-campus food, papers, stamps and drinks, but do the students really know how it works? Is it really run by us? Not the parts that I've seen. Is it 'for' us students? Definitely not this one.

squashed shelter of my residency win· dew. I suppose I should begin with UEA. I love it. Food, fun, gigs, discos, clubs, secs, we've got it all. The lake, the square, the LCR, the Sportspark. Who's complaining? I want to meet them and tell them to get their head out their arse and realise something: it doesn't get any better than this. And top-up fees? Ha! Oh, please don't make me pay £3,000 a year, then I won't have any money to get pissed,

and my mates and I will have to cancel our trip to Amsterdam. Tutition fees • do you have any idea how much money you spend on an average night out? Of course you don't • You're pissed! The student loan is sufficient, and if you spend it all on drugs and booze that's your fault. And if you don't like it, where you gonna go? The USA? Ha! Over there they pay £20,000 a year. You know why I hate elections? They bring up things like top-up fees and go on and on about how the counis going to hell. Please. You to complain the NHS? But you betnot be one of e boozers who the NHS £1.7

this. The Pope? A scoundrel. And does anyone find the idea of an emaciated 82 year-old virgin pontiff giving contraceptive advice a tad ... rldiculous. And the new Pope? Couldn't care less. Come on, religious people. I used to be religious too, but let's face facts. The Bible is a collectioh of books filled with a load of crap that has cost more human lives than car crashes and guns combined. Religion is going the way of the late John Paul. Read 'Brave New World'. Israel? Now I'm not expert, but it seems to me that the Palestinians are somewhat indigenous to that area whereas as white Israeli jews are not. What basis does Israel have for setting up shop in the heart of the Middle East? Oh yes, the Bible. Why not Siberia? If you ask Russia nicely I'm sure they'll give you Siberia. The world? Well, it runs on contradictions, sly deals and a total lack of morals. We champion human rights and then buy oil from Saudi Arabia. where they behead homosexuals. We say we want to make poverty history, but we, like most western nations, can't even find .7% of our budget for foreign aid. We say have a special relationship with the US, but we haven't done anything special. And speaking of the USA, I have to say this. I lived in the USA from 1996 to 2004. I am graduating with a degree in American Literature with creative writ·

ing. having spent these past three years studying everything American. From that, my time there, and all the things I read about it I have come to a conclusion that has been bubbling inside me, waiting to be released . America is f•**ed up. Well and truly. Americans are nice people for the most part. But they are trapped in a country and a culture that is pure poison, run by a government that is just an amal· gamation of various huge corporations. Where does one begin? 60 million Americans voted for George W. Bush. There's the War in Iraq, the 30% adult obesity rate (not overweight, obese), the shamelessly biased Fox News Channel, the addiction to oil, the 40 million people without health insurance. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. America is sinking in a pit of consumerism, greed and endless adverts. I had fun there, and I have some great friends who are Yanks. lt can be a wonderful country. But on the whole I do not hesitate to call it f***ed up. 1t is. Anyone can see that, even Americans (usually the ones who voted for Kerry). And while America is the most powerful country in the world we must be relentless in our criticism of it, the way people criticise the biggest football clubs, like my favourite - Hull City. So thank you for allowing me to spew forth the feelings I have been col· lecting for these past three years. I love you, UEA. lt doesn't get much better than this.

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Colcntt Wednesday, May llf', 2005

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FOR LIFE W"ITHOUT CONCRETE

PROTESTORS PUNISHED

SUMMED UP

Lancaster University are attempting to suppress criticism of controversial activities on their campus

Amount of money pledged by the UK towards the international immunization adults and children = The annual cost to the NHS of the elderly falling over= The annual sales of organic food in UK (now the world's largest organic producer)=

[1 billion Rise in share of the votes for the Green Party's Adrian Ramsey this general election= Rise in the number Brits visiting abroad this year=

munity are facing jail for taking part in a peaceful demonstration against multinational corporations meeting at the university in September 2004. There are now wide fears that this could set a precedent in other universities and discourage other students from raising their voices.

share of protests, the largest of which involved hundreds of students joining together to show their anger towards the new top up fees . Now, with many of our faculty and students alike growing increasingly concerned about the lack of democracy here at UEA, this news will strike a worrying chord. Protestors at Lancaster University went into a lecture theatre to hand out leaflets and talk to people at the

"Corporate Venturing" Conference - a networking meeting for multinational corporations. The conference played host to speakers from controversial arms manufacturer BAE Systems, Shell and other companies with reputations of human rights abuses and environmental destruction. The protesters were also bringing attention to the commercialisation of university research . Some of delegates to the conference were drawn into with the protestors while security removed others from the lecture theatre. The demonstration then continued outside. The police were called even though the demonstrators were still doing nothing illegal. Five months later all six received a court summons for Aggravated Trespass. The 1994 Criminal Justice Act defines this crime as a trespass 'with intent to intimi-

date, obstruct or disrupt' . lt carries a maximum sentence of three months imprisonment. As trespass is a civil offence and the university's approval was needed to press charges, this means that the university is punishing its own students in favor of the multinational groups they were opposing. Said one of the students involved "it is wrong, and in the long term counter: productive, for an academic institution to ignore such concerns, let alone to prosecute those who raise them.' Students from around the country are now being called upon to lend their support. This can be done primarily by writing Lancaster University's Vice Chancellor Paul Wellings and letting him hear your discontent. For further details visit: http:ffwww.free webspace.bizfGeorgeFoxfindex.html

The unemployment rate in of Britain =

TURF RAPS ITSELF UP

Drop in the acid rain chemical Sulphur Dioxide since 1990 (though still nearly at the million tonne mark) = Proportion of the population of Kazakhstan who have running water= Percentage of Americans who support stem cell research =

s concrete raps up for another year, so does its environmental section. This year we've reported on the changes taking place from the city and its markets to the university and its ever controversial car park plans. We've seen the Kyoto Protocol finally ratified , and the election of a new Environment officer. But what does the future hold? Next year we will host a number of debates with the focus, it seems, on the University's food sources . We have already examined the issue of free range eggs, and our Environment Officer is calling for a closer look at the locality of the food that is sold on campus. Turf will act as both a forum and notice board for a range of groups as we work to tighten up UEA's environmental policies. We would like to encourage as many students as possible to take Âˇa lead in some of these campaigns. Plans to devel-

op focus groups to tackle many of these issues are being formed for an early start next year. If you would like to be part of the decision making process and have your say on transport, food or energy policy please contact the Turf page to find out when and where these groups are setting out their agenda for 2005.2006 . Once again we must remember the reputation that our University has in the field of Environmental Studies and the prestigious bodies, such as the Tyndall Climate Research centre, that the UEA boasts. lt is down to the student body to insure that this isn't tarnished by damaging policies that may come by or may need changing. Finally, keep Turf in mind as you enjoy your long summer break. We would love "to report on the green causes that have been fought in our absence when we return . There are plenty of ways to make you summer greener. Keep it sustainable, and see you all next year.

TREE OF THE FORTNIGHT We are proud to bring you one last Tree of the Fortnight. lt was with lingering sentimental memories of all those past trees we have visited that we chose the Castanea smiva as the final tree to hold this prestigious title. For the many of us leaving the university the Sweet Chestnut will likely be the last of UEA's great plants that we see. Scattered along the road that links the union house with the wide world outside, the chestnuts will be waving the long leaves goodbye. it's just such a pity that we won't be here for the last few days of summer, as the Castanea's leaves turn gold. Some may demand reasons for this tree not honored sooner, but they will fall silent in respect for our foresight and a realisation that this is a perfect tree to end our journey upon. Height: 50 - 100 ft Spread: 25 - 50 ft Shape: Mounded Foliage: up to 8 inch with heavy veins and sharp teeth Flower: Small plain monoecious flowers Fruit: Perfectly edible chestnuts And what of the Tree of the Year? Turn to The Enquirer p. 15.

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10 concrete.fashionlifes tyle@ uea.ac.uk

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LATE FOR THE SKY was struck by a Jackson Browne song tha t I was listening to on the train the other day. lt was the second song on 'Late for the Sky' , an album that will send you willingly into a deep melancholia, a real whimsica l taste of life from one of the great voices of a wholesome America that sad ly feels long gone when you listen to it now. The first verse is an anecdote of looking through photographs and finding a picture of 'you ', we ass ume a lo ved o ne. lt re me mbers th e mo ment of ca pturin g the im age of this pe rso n and the line th at rea lly ca ught me was the fi na l o ne: 'And at th e m om e nt that my ca me ra hap pened to find yo u, th ere was ju st a_ trace of sorrow in yo ur eyes .' Of course, the more cynical of you will scoff at this, an old cliche, 'who let this naive pop- lyric lover into the world-hardy realm of student journalism)' You' ll have to trust me , if you don 't know his stuff, Jackson Browne's voice would breathe richness , depth and life into an M People song. But whether you ever hear it or not (Browne, not M People) , allow the concept of the line to warm its way into your steel hearts for the next thousand or so word s and the significance of this little moment of mine will becom e cl ear. Sri Lanka has pe rhaps , since late December of last year, become synonymous with 'Tsunami' . As one of the worst affected areas of the devastating catastrophe, Sri Lanka is a country we all suddenly heard a great deal mo re about t han usual. Now, after the Hollywood hype has died down I doubt we give a great deal of thought to the little is land south of India . Interestingly enough, it was my intention to write a piece about Sri Lanka befo re di saster s tru ck, I have been an unofficia l advertise r of the place sin ce my gap year trip there three years ago . Yet it still so mehow seem s in sensitive to write abo ut the country with o ut res pect ing the gravity o f what it end ured, cou rtesy o f Mother Nature's random and chaotic twists and turns . My own experience of Sri Lanka was long before

Some people come and go out of our lives, and some reople stay with us Rob Caste// tells us o a Sri Lankan family which has stayed with him .

the tsunami, a nd yet the defining image of my t rip has even more importance for me now. Having been truly spoilt on our week in Colombo, the country's capital , my friend Craig (a Sri Lankan himself) and I were heading for the North East of the country. We had, up to this point, dined in Western hotels , re laxed in tourist beach spots and been treated to fine hospitality from Craig's wealthy relatives. I was wondering when this hardcore gap year danger stuff was going to ha ppen , not th at I was loo king very hard . But I hadn 't even had d iarrhoea yet, it wa s all rather easy. Anyway, we were pe rsuad ed by a friend of Craig's cousin that a trip to Trincomalee wo uld really stimu late our young adventurou s minds. This friend was nicknamed Mr T. and he was to guide us on this intrep id chapter of our travels. He was so ca ll ed because of an uncanny physical resemblance to the lovable brute, but a lso because he lived the testosterone-fuelled , no-nonsense life of the A-team hard man . He entertained us all with stories of hunting, close encounters with wild elephants and near run-ins with the infamous Tamil Tigers. The terrorist group was under ceasefire when we were there , but nevertheless, we were heading for war zone territory in Trincomalee, complete with regular army checkpoin ts and barbed wire strung up between trees beside empty dusty daunting roads.

rincomalee had essentially become something of a ghost town, or pe rhaps not the town itself, but certain ly the surrounding a rea an d anywhere north of it. Twe nty years of fi erce fi ghtin g had mea nt a hu ge a rea of the co un try had become an un in ha bitabl e waste la nd. Land mines were densely planted and only when the army gathered en o ugh cows to herd through a nd explosivel y clear the way (a cruel a nd bizarre spectacl e I imagine) were areas safe en o ugh to wa nder across. A stra nge irony presented itself th ough , t he wa r had let nature grow as it wanted,

-witho ut man 's constant in terfe rence chok ing it of its wild am bition with machinery and ind ustry. The landscape was beautifu l, dry and savage, but full of life, bold strokes of unh indered natural characte r. Th e wa r had sto pped life a nd all owed life. We spe nt some of th e day by t he beach, a few fishermen had returned since the ceasefi re in the hope of a prize catch from the untouched waters . lt was

incredibly hot, and even more so whe n you we nt in la nd fro m the breezy shore. We wa lked across the plains, through old towns , crumbling buildings decorated with bullet holes, s hocking sce nes and very ha rd to imagine that within my .own si ster's lifetim e the re ma y have been a co mmunity in one of these e m pty spaces of rub ble. Eventually, we came to a crossing, where an old ramshackle fe rry was taking people a few at a time over the water

the world. I was watching, embarrassed , aware that I stood ou t, when one of the men from the group approached me . He was smi ling, ushering me over with him to another few people. Po inting exc itedly at my camera, he gathered what I understood to be his fa m ily toget he r, ready to pose. He stood so proudly, his wife beside him with one child in her arms and two other children obediently standing next to her. I didn't really think about framing

make us all react in guilt. But rat her a record of how dignity was maintained even in such circumstances , a hopeful picture of how family and humanity was ever-present, defying the very nature of destru ctive movements in th e world th at would break th ose th ing s" a part. Jackson Browne got me thinking about that photo. The photo in his song is of his wife, who died tragically when stil l very young. The song was written

'Sri Lanka has perhaps, since late December of last year, become synonymous with Tsunami.' that had crept in from the sea. A huge crowd of refu gees came fro m the road we had been down an d stopped , wai t ing fo r thei r lift by th e water's ed ge . I wo uld guess cl ose to a hundred were a ll gath ered toget her, carryi ng th ei r chi ldre n a nd th ei r hom es o n th ei r backs. Mr. T to ld us th at thi s was ofte n th e case, m a ny were simply forced into a no m adi c existen ce beca use of the wa r. lt wa s a pecu liar sight , famil ies lookin g weary, weak, with nothi ng it seemed, a"n d yet wit h th ei r child ren in trainers and a !-shirt- refreshing to know that Oxfam collections really do find their way around

the image in ;,ny particula r way, the mo ment was surreal , almost uncomfortable. I snap ped once an d the fat her allowed hi s m odels to relax. He lookea at me with t ha nks and ca rried on hi s way. No address to send anything to, no rea l inte rest in the came ra, a co nve rsati on, my reaso n for be in g th ere o r te llin g me his story. I ju st saw a dete rm inati o n in hi s eyes th at he an d his fa mily wo uld be recorded by someo ne from a very different world and that his image would endure and be looked upon and leave an impression . Not for sympathy either, not an image that would

after her deat h and knowing this gives it more of an effect. I wonder if that 'trace of sorrow' in her eyes was the re in th e photo befo re s he d ied? Th at o ne s usta in ing image ca rries a sadn ess beca use it re prese nt s what was lost. I wo nder wheth er th at fami ly in Trinco m alee we re lost. Whether the great wave to re th at family apart as it di d so ma ny others on the eastern an d southern sho res of Sri Lanka, as in Indonesia and Thailand. I will never know, but I can't he Ip seeing a trace of sadness in the eyes of the father when I look at that photo now.

• CoiCI'Itt Wednesday, May 18', 2005

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YOUR STARS FOR THE FORTNIGHT

WITH DEIDRE HYMEN

after the past few months of brain strain. Particuar areas of interest might be ·the lake, Chapelfie ld Gardens. and golf courses.

Cancer: Jun 22 - Jul 22 You've been brave and plucky, like a good little toaster. Now have a sit down and reward yourself with a b.it of bread .__"------''--' and jam. You could toast it. Then put the jam on. Don't underestimate the importance of good complex carbs in this Atkins crazy world.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 23 knows Someone something about you that you don't want to get out so stoop to any means of bribery and persuasion necL---=:=.---1 essary. Remember: should the truth be revealed the culprit will fall prey to a just punishment. Stay out of kitchens and away from tlttle tattle.

Lucky Words: Immac: sweat bands.

Lucky Words: Home cooking.

Lucky Words: Reserve: retreat.

Taurus: Apr 20- May 20 F"""""'=,.....--=t With Venus racing through the stratosphere you're seconds away from death. So say sorry, kiss and make up. 'c::==::----' promise you'll never be prey to such violent urges again. Life as you know it is nearly over. say whatever will get you a goodbye hug.

Leo: Jul 23 - Aug 22 11::='1=,..,.,.., With your element being fire don't forget to cover up as the sun pcaks with increasing force through the clouds to escape a crisping/ frying/complete incineration. You should also be wary of men wearing bandanas and women walking dogs.

Scorpio: Oct 24- Nov 21 ,-----...., Have things really changed or are pat terns still repeating themselves? Make sure you act with caution. but also .__ _ _ _ _...A with feeling. and don't take less than the best from anyone. Remember Auntie Jone used to say: "cleaning clarifies".

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Have a party . A big one with balloons and cake and everyone you know and love. You're due a strings free alliance..__.---.=""' and where better to conduct a clandestine liaison than your own back garden?!

Lucky Words: Regret: time travel.

Lucky Words: Hot dogs.

Lucky Words: Mopping: organic.

Lucky Words: Towels: sticky.

Gemini: May 21 - Jun 21

dear. But you can rescue some semblence of spring by hitching up your knickers and taking """"=::...:::'-==-' a mate to the seaside for a paddle. Salt water and Ice cream heal all ills.

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22 Sagittarius: Nov 22- Dec 21 Today a loved one Sometimes it just will surprise you with seems like things a gift of kindness and couldn't be any bet~~~1 ter. Well it seemsbeauty that mirrors the transcendent they can! Keep an ascent of Jupiter into eye out for a lucky ....L;;._ __, charm left in a bus the realm of Scorpio. Take time to meditate and put the stop and don't look for meaning diet off until it becomes imperative. . where there isn't any.

predict a freak encounter that will lead to untold riches and lasting love . Seek divine insptratlon when making an important decision. ' the universe will provide.

Lucky Word: Bu cket and spade.

Lucky Words: Cream teas.

Lucky Words: Score: crystal balls

Aries: Mar 21 - Apr 19 As the end of term draws near and summer looms it's time to air those pins and invest some time in outdoor persuits that L-_...;:~_ ___. excercise the body

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 ....-----..., An unexpected visit is due this week. keep the kettle full from Wednesday just in case. Saturn is c urrently passing through Osiris so now is a great time to make holiday plans and do something a bit different. ..

Lucky Words: Caravans.

r=====9 Oh dear, dear, dear,

.ttl.

'!f

Lucky Words: Naturists: umbrellas.

Pisces: Feb 19 - Mar 20

~o~·d ~~~v:,e~~~ i~ 1..---=---....1

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UEA Sailing and Windsurftng Two-Day Dip!

JemmaThak~

UEA athletics celebrated the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of May after making the long trek up to Glasgow for the BUSA track and field outdoor championships. Despite difficult weather conditions and injury problems the team performed well and broke five club

records. Performance of the weekend had to go to Jess Trowbridge who finished 5th in the 2000m steeplechase. In her first race of the track season Jess knocked a huge 21 seconds off her own club record. Meanwhile in the 800m. president Dave M('Kinlay completed his last ever race for UEA in style by breaking the club record and qualifying for the semi final in a time of 1.57.30. Also

representing UEA in the 800m was Stephen Downey who ·finished third in his heat in a time of l. 59. 79. Stephen also contested the 1500m. where he finished 7th in his heat. In the 5000m event Ali McGeoch-Williams finished 14th in his heat in a time of 17.41.50 while team mate Calum Nicol ran an excellent race. clocking 16.25.10: smashing the club record by over half a minute.

In the lO.OOOm event UEA was represented by John Dowding and Richard Hammond who ran 40.09.23 and 40.52.31 respectively, although confusion amongst the officials \('cl to John having to run an extra lap. In th(' men's 200m Nick Horton finished 2nd in his heat to qualify comfortably for the semi finals. Unfortunately. Nick was forc('d to withdraw from the semi final due to injury problems.

The women's 400m and 200m events saw Jemma Thake set new club records. Jemma fmished fourth in th e h eat of 400m with a time of 59.48s and sixth in the heat of 200m. Jemma en ter ed the 200m a t the last minute to r e place mu lti eve nter Cath erin e Holdsworth wh o h a d to with draw from th e ch a mpi ons hip s du e to InJu ry . Catherine was the star of the UEA team at t h e indoor BUSA ch ampionsh ip s back in February in S h effield wh ere she became double silver medallist in the 60m hurdles and long jump. James Green became a double finalist in the discus (22.llm) and the shot putt (6.66m). James was joined in the shot putt by Neil Jennings who threw 8.24m to finish 17th. Neil enjoyed a busy week: end of athletics competing in a total of five ev('nts. As well as shot putt Neil represented UEA in th(' lOOm. 400m and long jump. Despite stmggling with a hamstrinl:( injury Neil went on to break the javelin club record by a

Ever felt like trying your hand at sailing or windsurfing? On Tuesday the 3 1st May and Wednesd ay the l st June t h e UEA sailing and windsurfmg clubs are joining together to present you with the opportuni ty to try both . Sailing and wind s urfing are two of the univer s ity's biggest s ports clubs. and this is an opportunity to come and fmd ou t exactly wh a t we do. wh at eq uipment we have and how we function. Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete beginner. you are welcome to come along on one of these days and have a go. The event will be entirely free. and will nm from about 9am to 6pm on both days. You wil\ be invited to come on either the Tuesday or the Wednesday. and all participants are invited to a barbecue social by the lake on Wednesday evening. If you are interested please contact either the windsurfinl:( club at su. windsurf££ uea.ac.uk. or the sailing dub at uea sailine;clubl1i'hotmail.co.u k. stating your nam('. contact details. and day and sport of preferenc('.

CiOT A SPORTS STORY FROM YOUR CLUB? E-MAIL US AT CONCRETE.SPORT@UEA.AC.UK ~£~~i~"flrize Crossword #68 ACROSS

Set by Abi

DOWN

I . Closer Brit actor (4.3) 2 . Replace machinery (5) 3. Pi rst version o f writing (5) 4. Guide (5) 5. Small or h u ge measur e (Abb r.) (3) 7. Absorbent su rgical pad (4) 9. _ · Lane, su perm an's girl (4) 10. Comi c made into n ew ftlm ·(3.4) 13. Ketchu p or BBQ (5) 15. M ove d ownward (5) 17. See 27down 18. Som ewha t · sm all an1ount (3) 19. Street with trees (Abbr.) (3) (4 ,4) 19. Befor e Chri st h ad cool ven - 22. Spice and lat er Beckham (4) '23. Rope knot (5) tilation! (Abbr.) (I . I) 24. Piou s (4) 2 0 . T h a t i s (1.1.) 2 1. Warm upper underwear (4) 26 . Am eri ca (Abbr.) (I . 1) 27 a n d 17. XXX act or (3,6) 22. B rit singer h aving b aby 28. H otel (3) wilh I across (5.5) 25. Song contest with points

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(10)

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