TUESDAY OCTOBER 20th 2009
e
UEA'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
e
ISSUE 233
NEW I
-~
~ourtesy
of Apple Education Store
THE FIVEWAYS: IT'S A RIOT NEWS Community tip-off to police prompts a forty officer drugs raid at The Fiveways pub. Two arrests made at the pub on conspiracy to supply Class A drugs after a three month investigation.
STUDENTS SWINDLED BY GUMTREE THIEVES. ISOLATED ACCOMODATION : SWINE FLU FLATS ON CAMPUS. UEA STUDENT 3RD IN SHELL STEP AWARDS.
Joey Millar Two arrests have been made after Norfolk Police conducted a major drugs raid at The Fiveways pub on Friday 9th October at around 6.30pm. Over 40 officers were involved in the raid on the pub off Earlham Road, within a five minute walk of campus, many of whom were equipped with riot gear, taser stun guns and search dogs. Customers and staff were held inside and checked by a drug-detection dog wh ile a specialist forensic team searched the pub for a number of hours after the raid with hi-tech drugswabbing equipment. Officers from the local Licensing Authority accompanied the police, searching for any licensing breaches. The raid came at a time when the pub was becoming busy with patrons celebrating the end of the working week. Streets around Gipsy Lane and Earlham Road were at a standstill as The Fiveways was completely cordoned off during the operation. Traffic disruption also ensued in parts of the city centre after a number of roads were blocked by motorcycle officers to allow a ten-vehicle police convoy quick access to the pub. Safer neighbourhood teams spent the weekend visiting homes explaining the reason for the raid .
UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION The raid followed a three month undercover police investigation, which was conducted after local residents and pub regulars made allegations that cocaine had been dealt within the pub.
I NTE~NATIONAL IÂť
CHANGE: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' TAKE ON THE REALITIES OF BRITISH CULTURE AT UEA.
OPINIONS SHOULD OBAMA HAVE RECEIVEq THE NOBEL PRIZE? CLUBS & SOCIETIES: THE CORNERSTONE OF UNIVERSITY LIFE .
TRAVEL Nick Dean, head of Norwich Police, said : "We have been receiving complaints from members of the public for some time and we suspect substantial quantities of cocaine may have been sold inside the pub." He went on to declare that "this should send out a message to the public that we take any reports of suspicious activity seriously". Norwich Evening News reported that a Bronze Commander Mick Brown warned officers before the raid to expect dangerous dogs and missiles, including pool balls or glasses. In the end, however, the event passed without any violence. A 30-year old woman and a 46year old man were arrested, although they have since been released on bail while an investigation takes place. Ayse Tary, a first year drama student who visited the pub during
Freshers' Week, was surprised by the news: "I would never have guessed anything like that was going on around here", she told Concrete, "this place is so quaint, I'm appalled it happened this close to us". A local resident, who gave her name as Sinead but preferred to remain otherwise anonymous, also expressed her shock at the events. "There have been rumours [of drug dealings] but I never expected this to happen", she commented, gesturing towards the then-closed pub. The Fiveways reopened Saturday 17th October after a week closure. The closure was due to the ongoi~g investigation, as well as the fact that during the raid a number of licence breaches were discovered in the pub. Alleged offences include a failure to maintain emergency exits and a lack of noise reducers. The owner
contacted the police pledging his full co-operation after the raid .
DRUGS PROBLEM This raid highlights England's superlative drug problem. Roughly 750,000 people use cocaine each year, more than in any other European country. The percentage of the population with a drug problem (0.85%) is at least twice as much as in France {0.4%), Germany {0.3%) and Holland {0.3%) . Even Norfolk, with its below-average crime rates and small-town nature, is home to substantial drug use. A study, carried out in part by UEA, revealed that in 2004 there were over 8,000 people in the county using drugs and over 270 arrested for possession of Class A drugs. 29 people died in drug-related incidents in Norfolk that year.
JAPAN LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION. RURAL DELIGHTS IN SOUTHWOLD.
Focsoc
~~
UEA HEADLIGHTS HIT THE COMEDY TRAIL. RAG: RAISING MONEY IN MOVEMBqR FELL CLUB SCALES THE HEIGHTS
Fooo CONCRETE FOOD COOKS A CRACKING KIPPER CURRY CHOCOLATE POTS: STUDENTS DESERVE ll-lEIR JUST DESERTS. TUCK INTO THE BEST ROAST DINNER ON CAMPUS.
2 NEWS
CONTENTS NEWS
Drugs ra id at Fivewoys pub
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
STUDENTS' LONG WAIT FOR LOANS about the problem of paying
PoppyJones
the tuition fees on time, but the
delay in loans from the SLC
Presiden t of the
awaiting loans from the Student Loans Company (SLC) a month after th e start of the semester.
The delay ha s meant that many students are having to
in applications for financial aid, the Dean of Students could
clearly sceptical: " I have no confidence that any internal
begin usi ng their overdrafts earlier, and are therefore
not say that this ha s had "a particular impact". Although
management of the SLC will lead to a full and frank
borrowing more money than they expected to.
they recognise th e importance of the issue for tho se individuals
assessment of what has gone so spectacu larly wrong.
UEA provides hardship funds for those in economic
in desperate need of money, overa ll, "U EA studen t s seem
" Mini sters must now step in to ensure that the management
difficu lty through
very well prepared." the
of the SLC a~ held to account for a fiasco that has left
problems, the SLC are to hold
hundred s of thousands affected
an internal inquiry into the administration of student loans.
by late payments."
Fire a larm woes
nationwide. The delay mainly concerns
Swine fiu quarantine
those awaiting means-tested grants, although some students are still awaiting the basic
the
Dean
of Students' office, who say that they have noticed an increase in applications this
tuition fees and maintenance
year. They told Concrete th at
England: fi c tion and reality
loans.
OPINIONS
Katy Staines, a th ird year UEA student, is one of them. According to Katy, the University
this was expected "in the light of the rece ssion", with parents
FEATURES
has been very understanding
EDITORIAL
Business School came in third place in 路 the national Shell STEP competition to find the " UK's Most Enterprising Student" that took place in London on Wednesday 14th
Escape to Suffolk Rough Guides travel competition
FOCSOC
How con your moustache help? Bring some laughte r to your life
FOOD
that they may have been able
aims to give students
Nick Church
An drew Chamberlain, studying Business Management, progressed to the fin als after winning the region al Shell competition for his work at Emily Lingerie, a maternity and nursing lingerie company. During his time at the St. Albans company, Aridrew helped develop a sister 路company targeting different markets in order to create
transition from university." Speaking after the regional competition Andrew said, ''I'm very happy to come third,
response
to
On a national level, NUS Pres ident Wes Streeting blames the SLC for th e financial problems many stud ents now face.
review led by th e shambo lic
The NUS claim that so me students could be waiting until January. Radio 1 recently visited UEA to question students on personal problems w ith the SLC.
TESCO SET FOR PRINCE OF WALES Alex May
completely, causing it to close through lack of business.
Supermarket giant Tesco are
This is a move that Anthony Little, Conservative Norwich City Councillor for Bowthorpe, suggests is the
to open a new Express store on Prince of Wales Road, reviving fears of 'Tescoisation' from sma ll traders and independent shops in the local area. Following the successful
only test for the desirability of the new store. Speaking to Norwich
fantastic
application for a licen ce to
Evening News he sa id, "If
experience on the programme and I enjoyed every moment. I now hope to use this
se rve alcohol between 6am and llpm from Monday to Sunday, the new Te sco store will occupy the empty office units at Britannia House,
people don't want a Tesco in Prince of Wales Road they just need to shop in all the other stores around them
its a great ac hi eveme nt and one I will not forget. had
a
experience as a great starting point for me to enter th e world of marketing." Emily Barnes, managing director of Emily Lingerie recommended th e programme; "Andrew really ha s been a great asset to us this summer so this is no surprise to us ...this is the first time Emily Lingerie have
45-53 Prince of Wales Road, covering nearly 3,000 sq ft. and creating up to 25 new
and the lack of business will force them to close. it creates employment and it lowers prices."
jobs. Although this may appear, at first glance, to be good
However, there are arguab ly thou sands of people every day who prefer to shop
news
for
loca l
residents
in the city's hypermarkets and huge supermarkets.
been involved with the Shell
and students alike, local businesses are concerned that the apparent 'Tescoisation' of
a more struc ture .
How to cook perfect rice
Wes Streeting, President of the NUS and David Lammy,
STEP programme, and we'd certainly recommend it. We
Norwich could potentially be extremely damaging to their
the new Tesco, commenting that "more choice for the
Minister for Innovati on, Universities and Skills, atte nd ed the award ceremony along with the 12 finalists.
wish Andrew th e best of lu ck in the competition." The Shell STEP programme
trade.
cons um er is a good thing. lt will also create jobs at a time
Jam es Smith, chairman of Shell UK, when speaking of
gives students and graduat es the opportunity to apply theoretical skills in a business
Wales Road, exp lained that he was "devast ated" by the news. Adrian Ramsay, Green city
Shell STEP, said that "moving into work is a challenging time
600 students are context. paired with small - to medium-
cou ncillor for Norwich, has
for students, particularly in today' s climate. Shell STEP
sized companies every year.
explained how he fears that Tesco will " take its profits out
Th e programme has be en running since 1986. This year's winner was Charlotte Fayle, a biology student at Leeds University. To register interest in next yea r's Shell STEP programme
of the local community, and may threat en the viability of independent businesses". lt seems that the only way in which local residents are going to be ab le to make a stand against th e supermarket
email: shellstep@uea.ac.uk
giant is by boycotting the store
LIFESTYLE
Where hove all th e jobs gone?
TURF
The Age of Stupid
SPORT
Con England win the world cup? 'Concrete ' and 'Event' Logos courtesy of Mr George Bennett
retail
In
NUS, was
Concrete reviews Cinemocity
Cocktail of the fortnight
profitable
like
Andrew real work experience which will support them in this
"I
October.
TRAVEL
unable to give their children the financial support while studying
SHELL STEP RUNNER-UP A student at UEA's Norwich
Jobs fair?
House
could have affected the increase
revea led that th e prob lem has affected up to 175,000 students
Cheryl Cole- A modern fa iryta le
the
lack of a maintenance loan is
Students victi m of Gumtree seam
SLC require Serious Learning Curve
in
of Commons, Wes Streeting,
still a real cause of anxiety.
BBC Freedom of A Information request last week
Conservative conference analysis
When asked whether the
Many stude nts at UEA are still
Students still without loons
INTERNATIONAL
Speak.ing
to a few years ago.
Jinx Hundul, who runs the Budgens store on Prince of
Antoine Steen, a third year Politics stude nt, approved of
we need them most, as well as stimulating a more vigorous local market." Work
on
the
new
controversial Tesco Express on Unthank Road is set to begin . shortly. Concrete, reporting on the plan last year, noted heavy public resistance with Tesco challenging Norwich City Council's Planning Committee for five years before a planning in spector ruled in favour of the st ore, against the City Council's decision .
NEWS 3
cdncrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
What do you think of the Student Loans Company?
"I've had a . really bad experience with the Student Loans Company; every single year I've applied for my loan early but received it really late. I've had to apply for money from UEA every year. I've also tried phoning them, I've spent two hours on the phone before which costs a lot of money on a mobile. "I think that the potential privatisation of the Student Loans Company is a bad thing, it will just make the situation worse. I believe that the loans system should be run by the government."
"I've always made sure I get my application for my loan in on time, I got my forms in on time this year too, but like so many others it's really late this year and I still haven't got my loan through. it's so ~mnoying, they are so disorganised. "it j ust seems strange that some people get theirs on time and some people don't, there seems to be no reason for it. "! don't know how they work it, how they work the system of who gets it and who doesn't on time."
"! think that they're not very effective considering that's their only purpose. "Fortunately I've got my loan through okay this year, but I've had a bad time trying to communicate with the Student Loans Company before. it was easier in my second year; it was my first year that I had difficulty. "Last year, they actually lost some of my documents wh ich was stressful when I was just about to start uni. I've heard that lots of people have had problems with them this year"
"I've only just got my loan today, when I realised I came straight in the pub! I also know someone who isn't getti'ng her loan till November, and she's already used her hardship fund from the Dean of Students. "Until I received mine today I had to borrow money from my parents although other families may not be in a position to do that. So I'm quite fortunate, a lot of people are j ust left without any money. The disorganisation seems to occur every year. Not impressed."
COUNTERFEIT PROPERTIES CON STUDENTS David Churchill "Stunning first floor furnished apartment forming part of a Georgian townhouse, two double bedrooms, stunning living room with· period fireplace, high ceilings and newly fitted kitchen. Total £500", rent/month: only boasted the advertisement on Gumtree.com. it sounded too good to be true: it was. UEA students, and students nationwide, have been falling VICtim to online seams, whereby purported landlords swindle potential tenants into paying cash upfront for properties which don't exist. The seam involves bogus landlords posting adverts for properties on free advertising websites such as Gumtree, complete with photos and a conveniently selected address. Potential tenants then contact the "landlord" ex-pressing their interest, but are told that the property can only be viewed if they supply proof they can afford the deposit and first month's rent by paying them
upfront, or giving their bank details online. The interested tenant accepts these demands and pays the required sum through a third party account - which in most cases has been Western Union - only to discover that they are unable to trace the "landlord" to arrange the viewing once the
www.gumtree.com
funds have been transferred. A number of trends make such spurious adverts easier to discern. In most cases, the original advert is posted in perfectly logical English, but subsequent correspondences often contain many grammatical incongruities. For example, when a student enquired about the above adve rt t he
'landlord's' response was: "About the viewing, I am really looking forward to meet you ... but before that I will need to be sure that you are commit to rent the flat and you can afford the rent...! have been disappointed two times until now by people who convinced me to arrange a viewing ... ! will take care so wont happen again." In this case the 'landlord' went on to demand £1100 upfront before agreeing to arrange a viewing. The Welfare Officer of the UEA Union, Tom Sutton, confirmed that "a number of UEA students have been asked for deposits before viewing a property, and have been conned into paying money into an account via Western Union". International students form the biggest number of casualties to the seam. But advice to all students from the Metropolitan Police, NUS and UEA Union is clear and concise: do not supply bank details or pay any money for properties until they have been viewed,
and the landlord or agent has been met. The seam raises concerns over the wider use of free advertising websites that have been used to channel most fraudulent advertising. According to a local web designer, this is because the link between web site and advertiser is much ·more "tenuous", making it easier for scammers to exploit them. They act merely as a "billboard" and do not check advertisers' credentials. With paid for advertising the trail is much easier to identify; the advertiser is required to make a monetary transaction to the website, which can often be t raced in the event of a crime being committed. The revenue of such websites is also often much higher enabling them to provide more services, with many operating guarantee schemes to protect consumers The advice to students is to exercise particular caution whe n using free advertising websites.
CAMPUS BAN FOR DAILY MAIL? Nick Church UEA students are calling for a campus ban on the Daily Mail after record complaints to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) over an article on the death of singer Stephen Gately. Helen Murdoch, Equality and Diversity Manager at UEA said: "The person who
a possible campaign to ban the newspaper on campus. As it was a one-off, the most effective action is to submit a complaint to the PPC" 1,000 More than complaints have been made to the PPC with objections to the article written by Jan Moir, "approaching a record" level. The article titled "Why there was nothing natural
about Stephen Gately's death", which was subseque·ntly changed on the Daily Mail website, made numerous suggestions concerning the nature of the singer's death. After disputing t he validity of all official reports suggesting a natural death, the article then suggests "circumstances surrounding his death are more than a little sleazy." Furthermore, Moir's article says the death "strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships." Will Donovan, an English postgraduate student at UEA, who submitted a formal complaint, said he is against banning the paper on campus. "Freedom of speech should not extend to wild uninformed speculation in the face of medical opinion or bigotry, justified by no more than linking two isolated incidents. There should be better regulation, not gagging." Any campus-wide ban on selling the Daily Mail would have to be proposed and passed by Union Council.
"BALANCE OF PROBABILITIES" Mark Shead Students are to propose a motion at the next Union Council meeting rejecting potential changes in UEA's disciplinary policy. The bone of contention is the phrase "balance of probabilities", as opposed to "beyond the conventional reasonable doubt" when deciding guilt in disciplinary matters. The proposals including this new phrasing were approved last year by UEA's Learning and Teaching Committee (LTC). This was made in response to occasions where students have avoided disciplinary action on the grounds of insufficient some evidence. However disciplinary measures can be as severe as fines up to £400 or expulsion from the University. A change to "balance of probabilities" potentially means that disciplinary measures would be carried out on an almost 50/50 basis when deciding guilt. This is potentially in contrast with the belief in innocence until proven guilty.
One of the arguments used against the proposa ls is that "beyond reasonable doubt" is the principle used in national courts of law when making convictions. Prof Geoff Moore, Director of Taught Programmes at UEA said: "There has been considerable debate of this point during the review procedure we are undertaking and the 'balance of probabilities' was accepted by all involved (including student representatives) as the test in cases of suspected plagiarism and collusion. "The 'balance of probabilities' is a widely used test of reasonable behaviour in civil law. it is entirely appropriate [when] considering misconduct by a student." As signs of active oppos1tion to the proposal, Union representatives have been asked to universally oppose the changes and have been instructed not to attend meetings of the discipline council. They aim for the issue to be resolved by week ten of this semester.
4 NEWS
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
WARNING ALL CYCLISTS The police are advising cyclists to rid e only on th e roa d or designated cycle paths . A pedestrian was rece nt ly injured in a collision that occurred on a foo t pa t h near campus. Poli ce have been issuing tickets to offending cyclist s and w ill conti nue to do so. The £3.0 fixed penalty for riding in t he da rk w ith no lights w ill
CUNNINGHAM ROAD The police are warning students and local residents
OXJAM TAKES OVER NORWICH Chris King Local
artists
long are
set
to
perform in Norwich as part of th e month -long Oxjam festival, which is tak ing place in hund reds of venues across UK cities. The Oxj am Takeover, on Sunday 25th October, will be t he hig hl ight of the mont h and is scheduled to take place at a number of venues around the city, including: the Birdcage, Norwich Arts Centre, Puppet Theatre, Marquee and Dragon
on Cunningham Road, near the Village, that they may
Ha ll , and will feature over 40 bands. Oxjam is designed to raise money and awareness for
act upon ve hic les parked incon sid erately and on ve rges. The road could require a permit if complaints
Oxfam's 'Stop Cl imate Change ' campaign, which encourages people to demand action until ' Blue in the Face'.
from loca l residents persist. Although students were not bl amed, the majority of cars found were registered to owners outside Norfolk.
Since 2006, Oxjam has seen more than 36,000 musicians playing at over 3,000 events, and raised over £1 million to he lp fight poverty around the world. Oxjam East
ACS TALENT SHOW
has already featured a day-
The UEA ACS in conjunction with the Union of UEA st udents will be hosting a ta lent show entitled 'A Tribute to M ichael Jackson' on Monday 26th October from 7.00pm at the Blue Bar to celebrate Black History Month . Everyone is welcome to join and if anyone has a talent they want to showcase email ueaacs@hotma il.co.uk or get in touch with Tom Sutton, Welfare Officer, su. we lfare@uea .ac. uk.
at
JAPAN LANGUAGE EXCHANGE JET offers graduates the chance to travel to Japan in order to work and teach English as a second language. Looking for stud ents with a keen interest in Japan, applications have now opened and will close on 27th November. Visit www.jetprogramme. org for more information.
acoustic
'Buskat hon'
and
urging
based on most money raised, with runner-up prizes being awarded for best styled
in donations.
focus , it also aims to bring "positive experiences to people at local and community level ". Boy le added "Oxjam is providing an amazing
is
sponsorship will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Charity. Prizes will be awarded
who will be performing at t he Takeover on October 25th. Both events raised hundreds
students get involved ". While Oxjam has an international
(Rais ing
event Movember. All money raised through
there was a preliminary gig at the Playhouse designed to showcase some of the artists
student and Campaigns and Brand Co-ordinator for the event, said " it's really important that locals and
RAG
Society
their 'tache' throughout November for th e fund rais ing
included face-painting, poetry and live art. Furthermore,
entry to all the venues involved. Andrea Boyl e, a UEA
UUEAS' Giving)
st udents to defer from shav ing
held outside the Forum on the October lOth, that also
The Takeover is schedu led to run from 2pm until 2am, finishing at Mu stard Lounge, with wri stb and s allowing
MOVEMBER
moustaches .
opportunity for showcasing the varied and hugely talented local music scene ". There is already significant student involvement with the festival , ranging from bands performing at the Takeover to volunteers helping out on the day, as well as individual events organised by student societies at U EA. The timing and focu s of the Oxjam festival seems to be very much geared towards the crucial UN Climate Change Conference,
which
will
be
held in Copenhagen from 7th18th December. The event aim s to make a visual statement to the UK government, and force it to take actidn on climate change before it's too late. The
To get involved email UEA RAG for a sponsorship form at uearag@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
Conference hopes to result in a global agreement including all the countries of the world
Volunteers are sought to help run the popular youth club - 'At My Place' - in the
in an attempt to reduce the effects of climate change and prevent globa l warming. Tickets or wristbands for the event can be purchased at the UEA Box Office and cost £9.
University and Eaton area. The successful youth club, which offers a safe environment for youngsters to drop in, have fun, air t heir concerns and receive advice, is now over-subscr ibed and is in need of extra eyes to
STUDENTS' EARLY WAKE-UP CALL PoppyJones
Resident Tutor that the fire
The first few weeks of the new
alarms were quite sensitive, but we never imagined that they would go off to thi s
semester have seen stud ents living in residences becoming increasingly frustrated by the large number of fire alarms.
extent. I feel like I haven't had a decent night's sleep since I've been here."
oversee the running of the club. Wit hout more volunteers
disturbances, mainly occurring on Tuesday 13th October. Emily Jarmin, a first year Psychology student living in Britten House said: " it's ridiculous. The fire alarm
stated in an email that the alarms had been activated " through malicious actions or through peop le smoking in residences ." They declared: "lt has regrettably already
be turned away with nowhere to go.
went off around 16 times that night. I couldn't get to
been necessary to take action against some residents th is semester... in some cases has
offer youngsters in the local area a place for them to meet up that's off the streets and
led to eviction notices being issued."
out of t he co ld.
to help run the Friday night club, youngsters wi ll have to
PCSO Hannah Alexander said: "lt is great to be able to
These began just a couple of days after moving in and,
Residents have identified the nights when fire alarms
although the exact numbers vary from residence to residence, there seems to
are likely to sound as after
sleep until about five in the morning ."
the Tuesday and Saturday LCRs and 'student night'
The following day, residents were informed by
be a general consensus that the number of alarms has increased since the term began. These seem to be
in Norwich on a Thursday. Typically, the alarms go off
the University that action had been taken in order to
the Accommodation Office, just days later students we re
not be possible, however we are now at t he point
any time between two and four in the morning.
minimise future disturbances in ha ll s due to fi re alarms. The Accommodation Office
again forced to leave their be ds and stan d out si de in th e
where we desperately need mo re vo lunteers t o spare a
co ld after the alarm sounded. Britten House was evacuated twice on Thursday night and
couple of hours to help with supe rvisio n, holding activiti es and trips."
again on Friday. The question
The yout h club runs f rom 7-lOpm every Friday at St
occurring mainly in the newest residences such as Britten, Paston and Colman. At first, residents accepted the necessity of the occasional fire drill. Now, with the alarm sounding many times per week and , on one occasion , more than ten times in one night, student s are finding their patience tried. Daisy Edmund s, a first year History student in Britten House, said: " On the first night, we were warned by our
Last week saw particu lar
FIRE
-
BREAK GLASS ~ PRESS HERE
-£"~~ ..:~.-
•
Despite the steps taken by
now
is
"Without the help of the loca l
community
it
wou ld
whethe r t he number of fi re drills will improve resident s'
Anne 's Church, Co lman Road .
abi lities to evacuate t he building quickly and safely, or whether the frequency of the alarms will encourage
All potential vo lu nteers would need to go through a CRB check wh ich is paid for by the police . If you are interested in vo lunteer ing
students to become complacent over what is, in reality, a serious threat to their safety.
a couple of hours a week please contact PCSO Hannah Alexander on 0845 456 4567 by Monday 9 November.
2 FOR 1 COCKTAD..
PRE-PARTY FROM 7PM Optic" Nightclub
www.optic-club.co.uk
Optic Nightclub, 50 Prince Of Wales Road, Norwtch. NR 1 1 LL 1' 01603 617977 E Ben@optlc-club.co .uk
Optic Nightclub & Office Bar (Norwich)
SUictly Over 18's Right or Adnusston Refused. Our Standard terms & condltlons apply, available on request
OpticNigbtclub
~
6 NEWS
concrete.news@uea.ac .uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
DEGREES RELY UNION ELECTIO NS- ETHNIC MINORITIES AND SSF CONVENOR ON PRIVATE Elections for the Thomas Jackson " I am running for the school uni on reps you've Esther Ayensu about? What about SCHOOLS Economically degree co urses
our
important re ly on
independent schools for many of their students, a by
report comm issioned the Headmasters' and
Headmistresses' Conference. Based on figures from 2006-07 the study found a quarter of places went to pupils from independent schools, in subjects including Economics, Medicine, Engineering and Modern Languages. In one exam pl e, th e study shows 42% of undergraduate students for Economics are drawn from indepe ndent schools. Aro und 9% of stud ents are from independent schools, comprising 14% of univers ity applicants. Andrew Grant, the HMC's chairman said: "[without independent school pupils] the study of subjects recognised to be vital to the future of the nation would be in serious jeopardy in many of our leading universities."
SCOTTISH TUITION FEES "MISTAKE" A leading Scottish academic has called the scrapping of top up fees a mistake and ca ll s for the Scottish government to reverse its policy of no tuition fees for Scottish stu dents. Writing in the Scotsman, James Mi tchell, Professo r of Politics at Strathclyde University, said the scrapping of tuition fees was leaving universities lacking a source of income withou t a rep lacement. Writing in the Scotsman, Prof Mitchell said : "Opponents w ill argue t hat the re is a conse nsus agai nst tuition fees wh en, in fact, there is at best only acqu iescence in a policy because of a lack of leadership." Nati onal Union of Students Scot land president Liam Burns said: "There ce rtainly is a co nsensus agai nst tuition fees in Scotland, as hun dreds of th ousa nd s of stud ents, paren ts, lecturers and po liticians wi ll t esti fy." Tu ition fees were abolished in Scotland in 2000, after a review of university fun ding.
EM
status
position
would
campaigning and even organising events to showcase our divers ity is all part of what could be
and all the other social sciences students to our faculty, our union and
"SO, who's going to vote
do speak louder than words alone, and if given
for me' 'Who are you" I hear you ask, well bare with me and let me take
the opportunity I would love to actively represent our EM community here
the next few moments to exp lain I
at UEA. Look out for the campaigns taking place on this week! TOGETHER WE'RE STRO NGERI SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT VOTE I
first year medica l student, run ni ng to become your et hnic minorities' campaign conve nor! As ethnic minority (EM) students what do we fee l most strongly
Co nveno r
for the facul ty of Social Sciences because I wa nt t o he lp rep resent you
our university. I will represent your problems to your faculty and work with the
done! I believe that actions
I'm Esther Ayensu, a
of
we like oth ers to know, support or eradicate? Getting ideas together,
Mercedes Brown
alrea dy elect ed. I know how to put an argu ment across to a group of peo pl e. So vote Tom on 27th October in the Hive. Contact me with any questions or suggestions at SSFconvenor@ hotmail.co.uk Tom!"
idea of hell.
the
'"The mind is its own
I propose a straightforward approach to the task at hand:
what other students moan about, for most of these are the very
place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven'. I am not Joh n M il ton
making life easier for students within the Social Sciences Facu lty. I do not desire to
thi ngs th at I also moan about. I genuinely want to im prove w hatever setbacks there are within
Voting takes place in the HIVE on Tuesday 27th
and my emphasis is not on the mind but I am certain in any given circumstance I can make
paint myself as a saint to earn votes, however I seek to work with what I have got.
the faculty and maintain the positive aspects of it. it's not rocket science ... it's merely social."
October (9am-7pm)."
Heaven out of a student's
As a student within
and
No picture submilled
SWINE FLU INFECTS UEA
faculty,
Vote
I • know
Ethnic Minorities Campaign Convenor and SSF Convenor will be held on 27th October in the Hive throughout the day. General elections for the executive fall before the Easter holidays in March. Individual schools elect school rep resentatives to sit on Staff-Student Lioson Committees throughout the year, os well os a seat on Union Council which assembles every three weeks .
during isolation. Alternatively, the UEA Catering Services will deliver daily meal packs. An invoice will be sent after isolation amounting to the
will not realise they have had swine flu. He continues, saying, "about 98% of people who get infected will recover fully without any hospital
price of each individual item. Agency
treatment ... the public should be reassured."
figures for England suggest reports to GPs concerning flu-
If you think you have swine flu you are advised to complete an on line assessment, or phone the UK Swine Flu Information
Gordon Malloy
The procedures created by UEA's Dean of Studt;nts' Office
sore throat, aching muscles and
UEA's
and
Service outline measures to prevent the spread of the infection across campus
The Dean of Students are advising students to return home and, where this is not possible, they can arrange
accommodation and the w ider community. With the period of infection,
for students living in UEA residences to be moved into en-suite accommodation.
like symp toms has exceeded the seasonal ave rage, but are still well below an ep idemic leve l of
Li ne
lasting around a week, students are advised to prepare for at least five days of isolation if t hey believe they have symptoms.
Mirroring much of the NHS'
activity and are decreasing. Reporting to the BBC, flu expert Professor Peter Openshaw, of Imperial College
Students who get confirmation that they are likely to have swine flu should then contact
swine
flu
quarantine
procedures have been enacted after several students have caught the viral infection. Annie Grant, the Dean of Students, confirmed that UEA accommodation currently haS a "sma ll numbe r of students in isolation on campus, but not as many as we first anticipated. "Most students have been able to return to their studies afte r a few days."
the
University
Medical
Like other strains of influenza, symptoms include a high fever,
loss of appetite.
"Catch it, bin it, kill it" leaflets, students have been told to ask a "flu friend" - a flatmate or friend - to deliver food and provisions outside flat doors
Hea lth
Protecti on
London, said t hat a thi rd of people who become infected
on
0800
1 513
513.
the Dean of Students' Office as soo n as diagnosed and check the Portal frequently.
TUITION FEES A UNION PRIORITY STUDENT VANDALISM Nick Church Union Council met for the first time this academ ic year on Thu rsday 15t h Octo ber. First on the agenda was the vote for a new chair and deputy chair to lead Council t hroughout the year. After short speec hes from candidates Richard Reynolds, a postgraduat e Law stud en t, won w ith a narrow ma rgi n and w as chose n as Chair. Dan You mans, a second yea r Politi cs st udent, was t hen vo ted in as Deputy Chair. Stu de nt represe ntati ves
were consequently chosen for va rious University comm ittees. Union executives outlined the missions, aims and va lu es fo r the Union. Tuitio n fees
remain
a dominant
theme.
James Carter
W ith a nea r comp let e majority, Council voted for the Union to prioritise the fight against a tuiti on fee rise this year.
Scars from campus life are beginning to form across University bui ld ings as st ude nts leave t heir mark. Bot h' th e Wate rsto ne's bu ilding and the late night access doo r to the library have been damaged sin ce th e st art of term. Trevor Smith, Cam pu s Services M anage r, sa id th e st uden ts invo lved have been reprimand ed. Staff at Waterstone's sa id how t hei r wind ow had bee n damaged after an individ ual was eject ed from an LC R eve nt.
FREE ENTRY All NIGHT
8 INTERNATIONAL
concrete.international@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Casual Teaching
North and South
Julia Sherman
Qi Wang
Engli sh literatur e classes are pretty straightforward: you read literature, discuss it, and write about it. it shou ld be basica lly t he same no matter where you study, or so I thought. Coming from a large university in t he United States, I'm used to having large classes. Classes where the professor is clearly at the fro nt of the class, mo re so lecturing rather than guiding a discussion, and if there is a discussion, it is one where only a few st udents take part. You can imagine my shock come the morning of September 21st when I had my first class here at U EA. My professor came to class wearing jeans and Converse. He sat down at the
You' ll be sure ly impressed by t he cold, dark northern town as we ll as t he wa rm , brig ht and beautiful sou th ern town dramatized in the BBC's North and South. So it was quite interesting for me to see the rea l-life differe nces between the north and south when I moved from Newcastle, a typical northern industria l city, to t his traditional southern city of Norwich. Newcastle developed great ly during the Industrial Revolution due to its central role in the production and export of coal. Now it is a bright, lively, vibrant young city, wh ich is famous for its traditional pubs, clubs, nightlife, sports, entertainment, and large shopping centres. In ad dition, it also has a prosperous bustling Chinatown. There is an extreme ly conve ni ent domestic and international publ ic transport network compared to Norwich. Newcastle in habitan ts have a unique character and accent which is very influential in the UK.
circle of tables, appearing to be more of a student himself who simply knows the course material forwards and backwards than a tenured professor. He the n proceeded to begin the class discussion, a discussion in which everyone was asked to participate,
"My tutor app ea rs to be m ore of a student who simply knows the c ou rse material forwards and backwards than a tenured professor" and in which everyone did. And this is what is so different in terms of classes here in England: they are much more informal. Professors are called by their first names, and rather than being the dictators of a course, they are the facilitators w ho gu ide the stude nts in their coursework, expecting the students to do much of the work individually and outs ide of the classroom. In England it seems to be that education is truly what you make of it, rather than w hat those w ho are paid make it for you.
This week our lovely international contributo rs decided to fo cus on the topic of {{CHANGE': which seems fittin g given that for most students, university is undoubtedly a life changing experience!
England: a land of crystal snowflakes? Nishavitha Murthi Gazing at my offer letter I pondered. England, a country far ahead in time compared to mine. A place where crystal drops of snow were real, something I had only ever read about or seen on TV. Was this the place where men were gentlemen who took off their hats before a lady? Day 1 in England: "it's COLD!" Nevertheless I awed at every poss ible
thing that came across my eye and peop le were extremely pleasant and helpful. My first month: "Will I see sunsh ine today?" Found out that despite it costing me a titanic amount of money, education was excellent. Interestingly, social life very much revolves around clubs, bars, being drunk and, most importantly, talking about it t he next day over lectures. One year: "Is it meteorologically possible to have the four seasons of the year in one day?". Still, the
snowfall and Christmas were every bit the fun I had imagined and finally, I realised that men, gentlemen or not, wi ll always be men.
"Norwich retains the most complete medieval
Which pair of shoes will you wake up in? "I'm not as great as Einstein, but I chose the second option, and I am enjoying life. lt's all about perfect imperfection, it's all about being the real you and welcoming both sorrow and happiness." HuiZhou As an overseas student, I must admit that when you first move to England life couldn't be harder. My great English grades on paper didn't he lp a lot in reality when I totally threw myself into a place that I had no idea about. I walked the streets w ith people passing by and I couldn't tell the differenc路e between them because my brain went blank. I stayed in my room most of the time and I kind of refused to adapt to my new environment. Although I knew it wasn't the real me at all, I remained that way for almost a year. Have any of you ever suffered from a conflict deep inside you' Have you ever hated yourself or still do? I used to, but only because I knew that I really wasn't happy. I made myself live more - not
being afraid to live on the edge - by becoming more sociable, chatting to people desp ite my awkward English, and then laughing through all the stupid mistakes. Later I realised that I had just been too caught up in reaching "perfection" that it stopped me from doing anything. I believe we are always affected by the traditional values of the country where we've grown up. This means we may never be able to free ou rse lves and we might remain stuck in the shoes that don't really suit us. But you can step out of those shoes, get out of the box and stop being insecure about living a life that is a bit different. Since then I started to discover my own world whilst experiencing the world around me. Thanks go to all those friends who helped me, who accompanied me when I went through difficult times. They all taught me to accept myself, whoever I might be.
.
I
I
I believe there are only two ways to live life: either you live as though nothing is a miracle, or you believe everything is a miracle. I may not be as great as Einstein, but I chose the second option, and I am enjoying life. it's all about perfect imperfection, it's about being the real you and we lcoming both sorrow and happiness. I am not 'afraid of a lot of things any more, and if you open your eyes to the world, you'll find that beauty is everywhere. So tomorrow, which pair of shoes will you wake up in?
a rc hitec tura l style" For example, due to the influence of their cu lt ure, people living in Newcast le say "cheers" instead of "thank you". In contrast, due to lack of resou rces, Norw ich never grew up nor expanded during the industrial period. However, because of t his, No rwich retains t he most co mpl ete medieva l architectural style. We can still see the old churches everywhere and classica l red-br ick so phisti ca ted buildings. I quite enjoy the natural scenery and wildlife here. There are the endless vast, broad views of rural areas and the river stretching for miles. After several years living in a live ly modern city li ke Newcast le, I love the change and am enjoying t he peaceful and beautiful countryside in Norwich.
SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER
THE LEGEND LIVES ON TH.EKI G OF POPCE BRA.TES
~
MERCYS
BIRIIIIJ
10 COMMENT AND OPINION
concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Conservative Party conference analysis After our Labour Party conference analysis, Robert Kel lner carries on the political anaylsis with his run down of the Conservative Party conference and what this could mean for the imminent general election. Many have argued that last week's Conservative party conference in Man chester wa s the most important of the last twe lve years. The many, in my opinion, were wrong. As the period when an election may be called draws ever closer, a definite trend has see mingly emerged; the battle is being lost by Labour, not won by the Tories . The Conservative confe rence was seeming ly designed to lull voters to sleep, not to wake them up to the reali ty of life on Planet Came ron. No doubt the two key moments of the Conservative party conference were the speec hes from th e leader of th e opposition; David Cameron, and the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer; George Osborne. Speaking on the la st day of the conference, Cameron delivered a predictably safe speech, entitled
"Putting Britain back on her feet". The speech superficially covered the key areas of policy which continue to divide the three major political parties, once again sec uring control of the agenda. His aim wa s to further communicate the notibn th at
"Ultimately, safe was all that Cameron 's speech needed to be " the Conservative party, under his leadership, are a reformed party. Ultimately, safe was all that Cameron's speech needed to be. Recent research has sugges ted the Conservatives' ri se to popularity has been much more of a passive process than perhaps the party would like to
believe; with many swing and loya l voters becoming disenchanted with the Labour part y and seeking an alternative, rather than being ripped from Labour's grasp from a se ries of unstoppable Conservative persuasive arguments. With a tidy speech Cameron continued to promote the Conse rvative party's position as that alternative. A natural counter argument to the notion of the aforementioned Conservative passivity is that they have active ly rest ructured t he political agenda towards their favoured policies. George Osborne's speech and the support it received perfectly exhibited thi s change in voter attitudes; one of the oldest Conservative fi sca l movements, cutting public sector spending, is now popular. This is despite the number of economists arguing that cuts will
only serve to starve any eco nom ic recovery an d t hat th e sup posed national debt crisis we find ou rselves in is a far smaller issue than the Conservatives would have us believe. Others have said that Cameron's speec h served as a high poin t in an otherwise gloomy con fere nce, with this pessimistic tone set by Osborne's speec h at t he begi nning of the week, which hig hlighted a need to cut spending. In addi ti on to this, Osborne pro posed a ri se in th e st ate pe nsion age, as w el l as pay freezes for ma ny public sector workers such as teachers, doctors and civil servants. Interestingly, a lot of the con ference concentrated on the su bject of community and coming togeth er to make changes. Suc h an emphasis on community is a much more socia list ideal than a conservative one, showing just how
t he Conservative part y are givi ng th e ap pea rance of moving away from t raditional conservatism. Loyal . and new Conservatives alike must be satisfied as conference season comes to an end. They have successful ly navigated t he potentia l pitfa lls fac ing any party approaching the summit of government. Their exact methods may be open to dispute on a political level, but when it comes to raw statistical pop ul arity Ca meron and hi s foll owers ca n only be optim isti c.
Debate: Should Barack Obama have received the Nobel Peace Prize? Fact box David Biggins Earlier th is mo nth, Ba rack Obama's Nobe l w in was greeted with outrage. Ma ny have argued that th e award has been given for his 'vision', and that he has yet to make any impact on civilisation. To be clear, Obama's 'vision' is that of a wo rl d without nuclea r weapon s, and just this April he gave a speech in Pragu e, devoted to nuclear nonproliferation. ''I'm not na路ive", he sa id. "This goa l will not be reached quickly - perhaps not in my lifetime. lt will take patien ce and pers1stc nce. But now we ... must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, 'Yes, we can'." Since then he has stunned th e world by scrapping plans to make miss ile bases in both Poland and the Czech Republic. Amazingly, he has also managed to persuade Russian President Dmitri Medvedev to accept that the current Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nu clear Wea pons is in su ffi cient and needs strength en ing. Obama is not just a man with vision; he is a man who is able to convince
those who are around him of his vision -this is a key difference. Obama's goodwill is infectious and his liberal reforms are seemi ngly neve rending. Not on ly is he fighti ng a pitched battle against the Conservative right for attempting to reform healthcare in America, last week he announced that he was ending the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy which forbid s homosexuals from serving in th e military if they reveal their sexuality. Some have been quick to shout: "Hypocrisy! How can a Nobel Prize winner also presid e over the Afghan war?". lt has to be understood that with an existing UN mandate, an American withdrawal from the reg1on is utterly impractical. lt is perhaps worth rem embering that Obama was an outspoken critic of the Iraq War and began layi ng out a withdrawal strategy within days of having assumed office. Can we not see that Obama is a man who deals with domestic and internationa l issues with honesty, human ity and a li be ralism that is ge nuin ely intended to make the world a more peaceful place? Can we not reward him for both his actions and his vision? Well, yes, I think we can.
Against James Craske
According to the Nobel Prize website, Obama received the prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diploma cy and cooperation between peoples" . Previous recipients inc lude Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and Kofi Annan.
Despite the fact that I have the utmost admiration for Barack Obama and support for his idea ls; w inning the Nobe l Peace Prize seemed like an empty attempt, even a despera te attempt, at trying to produce a se lffulfilling prophecy. So far it has been awarded on mere dialogue and rhetoric, but not substance. Discourse is fu ndamen tal, but success will inevi tably be judged on concrete action and outcomes; how many lives are saved for instance. Surely at a national level, he will be measured on how well he produces a stable econo my and how quickly he reduces un em ploym ent, why not such an ethos of judgemen t on the international field too 7 Perhaps thi s is a symptom of world politics nowadays; maybe Obama wi ll get re elected on rhetoric. lt seems like an attempt to try and work outside the box for the peace prize committee, awarding it for something that may hap pen. However if they had been rea lly audacious and awarded it to people
"I've cleaned it! I've cl ea ned my boudoir!". Anonymou s, PSI 3
on a t heo reti cal bas is, t hey may have cons ide red ot her people li ke Ghaz i bin Muhammad, who is actively t rying to structure a theological debate against terrorism. The west will inevitably have to look at itse lf and fi nd common ground with t he Islamic co m munity, but much of the problem, for me, still needs to be addressed internally. The worry is that this award will, in fact, hinder Obama . The fact that he is now sending 13,000 t roops to help stabi li se t he situation in Afghan istan cou ld be used as propaganda for the Taliban or right wing critics, as it can be considered to be a paradox. Obama made it on to the nominations list only a month after hi s inauguration. His speec h manifested embarrassment, or " humblen ess", about the whole thing, having been left in an awkward position. He could not reject the award, but he knew that taking it would be controve rsial. To conclude, it seems we are being reduced to putting hope in a man, who, in my opinion , is being constrained to mere dia logue within what is a restrictive po litical framework.
COMMENT AND OPINION. 11
concrete.oplnion@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
8arack Obama, we hereby award you the t.Jobel Pri~e fJor being t~e brackest U.S Preside~t i~ history.
a ii'l colowr i~~a that white-ass ki~~le, yaakmean? 8ringi~j
WWN.OIRTPOIJY.COM
SERious LEARNING CuRvE James Dixon As students, we are all acclimatised to the treacherous mountain range that is student loans. The perilous .slopes of 'free' money and the high peaks of self sufficiency are but some of the hazards that surround student loans. Last year the government changed the way it handles student loans by delegating control of the system -away from the public body previously in ch.arge to a private company. Thus, the intake for this academic year has been unwilling participants in what has become a spectacularly awry experiment. As every student will know, the Student Loans Company has had a large number of problems resulting in many students being left penniless for a conside.rable portion of time. Student loans haven't always been so dogged with problems however. Prior to this new era in money lending, student loans were implemented through local councils. This previous system was slightly less easy to use but proved reliable in the delivery of loans to students.
• Student Loans Company
Whilst Student Finance England is comparatively more streamlined than its predecessor, it has stumbled blindly into the academic year leaving a wake of confusion and chaos. Applications for loans have increased by 17% in comparison with last year. This, however, is no excuse for the turmoil experienced in British universities. Surely such a large business would have forecasted a rise in applications and prepared for this. Derek Ross, deputy chief executive of. the Student Loans Company, said that "everyone who applied on time should be paid on time". This lacks any commitment and is a rather hollow statement, as the whole sentence hinges on a large 'should', rather than a 'will'. Perhaps a return to older ways is due and the Student Loans Company should relinquish their control over the matter. This seems to be
"Applications for loans have increased by 17%" a mere fantasy as the government have spent large amounts of time and money introducing the new system. Hopefully the Student Loans Company will come away from this year's failure with something far more precious than money; knowledge. They will be able to identify their shortcomings and provide a service where no student is alone.
Club and Soc it to 'em! Henry Croft After joining Concrete this year I was invited to their first social. lt seemed like a good idea, although, not knowing anyone in the society, I thought that having a few drinks beforehand might be a good idea. A bottle of vodka later, I was perhaps ill-prepared for the social situation
"Clubs and societies provide a cornerstone for any student's time at university" I was flung into and what followed - dubious chat-up lines about curry flavoured condoms, several dropped pint glasses and, the piece de resistance, being removed from Optic - was not something I had intended. On first glance, my ghastly performance could fuel the view that university societies embody the worst in university drinking culture. Indeed, some sport clubs have come under fire in the past for
enforcing depraved initiations and wanton alcohol consumption upon their members. However, my own decision to commit social suicide on this particular occasion is hardly representative of society socials and the night was apparently enjoyable for most others. By and large, I would argue that clubs and societies provide a cornerstone for any student's time at university. Yes, you may get on well with your house mates or course mates, but by joining clubs and societies you are able to meet likeminded students who share your enthusiasms and passions, be it for wake-boarding or the films of Will Ferrell. it's also hard to argue against societies when they are so inexpensive to join . For a couple of quid, even if you only attend a few times, you've hardly lost out, and, although the sports clubs are somewhat more expensive to join, they do provide expert coaching, facilities and equipment at a fraction of the price that they would cost elsewhere. In addition, they tend to come in handy when you're applying for jobs. A well-placed club or society
can enrich your CV, whether it be in the fulfilling voluntary work of societies such as RAG, or t he likes of Concrete and Livewir.e, which can be extremely helpful if you wish to pursue a vocation in ¡the field of journalism. Furthermore, positions on the committee of any club or society can appeal substantially to
"lt Is the opportunity for achievement and accomplishment that can p rovide the fondest and most satisfying of university memories" future employers. Although the bfnefits for future employment are evident, ultimately, it is the opportunity for achievement and accomplishment, combined with the friendships you will make, that can provide the fondest and most satisfying of university memories. That is, providing you don't mention anything about curry flavoured condoms.
IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR OPINION THAT YOU WANT TO GET OFF . YOUR CHEST ON ANY ISSUE, THEN THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. PLEASE CONTACT CONCRETE.OPINIONS@UEA.AC.UK AND WE'LL GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!
I 12 FEATURES
Che y
I -A
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
•
e n a1ry
I
FEATURES 13
Eyeing up the English political landscape
•
We all know how the media builds celebrity personalities up just to knock them down, but it also
So now that the political partv.conferences for 2009 are over, what have
works in reverse. Emma Parro1t discusses those who've been built up by the media and analyses
we learned? Joke Miller fills us in and asks whether conferences are
just what makes them so appealing to the nation.
politically significant ~t all. She was recently described in The · Observer as 'The Nation's New Sweetheart'. Tabloids refer to her daily as a 'National Treasure'. Indeed, every Saturday night, it seems like everyone is eagerly awaiting the latest instalment of the X Factor; perhaps not so much for the mediocre performances of the contestants, but for a glimpse of judge Cheryl Cole, as she hugs those being sent home and softly wipes a tear away from the corner of her eye. it is, undoubtedly, a modern fairytale; the story of a. 19-year-old from Newcastle who enters a television talent contest and goes on to huge success and number ones with a girl pop group, marries a footballer and heads up the nation's favourite television programme on a Saturday night. No wonder she cries so much; it's enough to bring a tear to the most cynical of eyes. lt has not, however, always been this way for Cheryl 'National Treasure' Cole. Remember the days of Cheryl 'racist thug' Tweedy? So, what is the truth are we all falling in love with a reformed woman or is it yet another example of the media knocking someone down just to build them up? We all know the dangers of the media and yet we continue to allow ourselves. to believe whatever we are told. From the influence of advertisements ("What do you mean Sharpies are just like any other pen?! Beckham uses them!") to the bombardment of gossip magazines. The same applies to celebrity culture. Few of us would brag about checking Perez Hilton every ten minutes, and yet, most people have a weakness when it comes to celebrities. Reckon you're immune to it? Even people who would never dream of buying Heat magazine are being drawn in. You might know nothing of the Jordan vs. Peter divorce but if you follow politics, for example, .you are also part of the disease. Gordon Brown was asked last week about his personal use of painkillers; as far as this reporter is aware, this has nothing to do wit h his running of the country, making
it mere political gossip. Traditionally, this obsession has been reasoned in a couple of ways. Firstly, there is the "Well if you don't want the attention you shouldn't become famous" argument, which has its merits but does not totally explain why we care that Brangelina have had another fall out. The other argument, and perhaps the one we are least willing to admit to, is the feeling of catharsis we take from drama in others' lives - in other words, watching others suffer, particularly when they are rich and famous, makes us feel better. If we look back at the Cheryl Cole argument, she was lambasted in the press for her 'incident' in the club with the toilet attendant (Cheryl Tweedy stood accused of hitting a toilet attendant and using racist language towards her). She was then publically ridiculed fo·r her lavish, not to mention tacky, wedding to footba ller Ashley Cole. Yet, Girls Aloud were breaking all expectations in the charts, with each song more popular than the next and the wedding costing a reported £500,000 with Ok! Magazine paying £1 million for the rights to the photos. The girl from the council estate in Newcastle surely had everything she had ever dreamt of - is this why the media and the public was so happy to trash talk anything she did? Then, in 2008, a story ran in a national newspaper suggesting that Ashley had slept With two other women. On)y then, with her dreams shattered and photos emerging of her without her wedding ring on, was the public willing to accept her. Heartbroken and depressed? That's more like what we want to see! Another celebrity who we are only willing to accept now that his marriage has fallen apart is, of course, Peter Andre. Previously seen as talentless and only with Jordan for the publicity, his profile has rocketed since their divorce. Not only is he suddenly the perfect father but now the 90s pop star has re-launched his career with
relative success - one friend even said to me, "He's gotten so much better looking since he left her." Of course, the ultimate passenger on the celebrity popularity roll ercoaster was Jade Goody. Another product of a reality T'l show, she was the subject of the tabloid Vote Out The Pig campaign (a low moment by anyone's standards), then loved by the nation for being a good mother before the next popularity dip after her alleged racist outburst in the celebrity Big Brother house. Finally, surely the irony can't have been wasted on her that she was at her most popular (and therefore at her most profitable) when she was dying of cancer right before our very eyes. The parallels to Princess Diana and the nation's outburst of emotion towards her after her death are obvious. The truth is, we hate a fairytale. Chantelle Houghton? Remember Probably not, but she was the noncelebritywho won Celebrity Big Brother in 2006. She was another whirlwind fairytale princess, falling in love with a rock star, getting married, having her own TV show and being famous (and rich) jus1 for being...Chantelle. Where is she now? Well, Concrete saw an episode ::>f Snag, Marry, Avoid with her on once. The Cheeky Girls were on the same programme - and their biggest public appearance in recent times was at QD in Norwich. Get my drift? Maybe we hate these· celebrities because while the majority of Britain slogs away in 9-5 jobs, the likes of Jordan and Cheryl swan around from photo shootto nt erviewandthen back to their countryside mansion and footballer/ model/multi-millionaire husbands. Or maybe we think that because they are voluntarily in !he public eye we deserve to know everything about their lives. Whatever the case, just think where you stand on the Cheryl Cole debate beautiful, reformed and caring or racist, money and attention grabbing? As the X Factor says - 'You decide'.
The party conference seems to have speculation of last year and confirms become one of the rituals of the British that Gordon Brown will almost certainly Summer; an annual trek by members of lead Labour into the general election. party and press to some seaside town The Tory conference was somewhat or northern city, to listen to speeches, downbeat, with George Osborne and attend fringe meetings and discuss David Cameron spelling out a vision of the state and future of the party. Britain under the Tories. Their message However, do t hese gatherings matter? to voters was a surprisingly pessimistic Do they serve any real purpose? This one of cuts in public spending and job year's party conferences were more losses. Cameron also attempted to important than usual, being the last distance the 'new Conservatives' from ones before the general election. A the 'nasty party' of the past, attacking final chance for the leaders to use the Labour's record of helping the poor platform offered to them to rouse the and positioning his party as the party party faithful and to set out their vision with a social con.science, launching a to the electorate. But if a week is a Reaganite attack on the perils of big long time.in politics, then nine months, government. All this bluster and energy, t'lough, the time until the most likely date of the election, is surely an age. Who did not really change anything. Brown, knows what is likely to happen in th·e despite the best efforts of both him intervening period; could any of the and his wife (who did a somewhat nauseating warm-up act to his big speakers at last year's conferences, for example, have predicted how speech), did not turn things around radically the political landscape would and convince the electorate he is in fact be changed by the financial crisis? And the right man to lead the country. Nor isn't setting out your vision of Britain to did Cameron damage his high standings the voters what the election campaign in the polls and/or Clegg convince the is for? electorate the Lib Dems were a realistic All three major parties had to force in British politics. overcome their various hurdles. The speeches were all well received Clegg had to convince voters that his by the party faithful, admittedly, but party was a realistic alternative to that is precisely the problem; aside Labour and the Tories, Brown had to · from members of the press, to be in reassert his authority, bot h among with even a slim chance of attending his own party and with the public, a party conference you have to be an and Cameron had to attempt to 'seal MP, councillor or a long-term party the deal' with the electorate without activist. In short, the sort of person appearing overtly smug. Clegg gave a who will sit through even the dullest of speech that was well received by the speeches, not cause a fuss and clap· and party faithful, but was ignored by the cheer enthusiastically no matter how general public, possibly due to the bad the leader's speech is. lt should fact that a large proportion of them also be noted that speeches by the have no idea who he is. He also said leader and other senior members of that he wanted to be Prime Minister, the party are only a very small part of so.mething he perhaps should have the conference; there are also fringe thought about before he joined the Lib meetings, discussion groups and stalls Dems. Labour's party conference was by various businesses and trade unions of course overshadowed by The Sun's all of which are given ·slim, if any, withdrawal of support just hours after c~verage by the media and have little Gordon Brown's ·conference speech. importance in the way that the party is The Labour conference was, however, actually run. The demise in importance of party free from the rampant leadership
I
conferences says something interesting about the way in which the political parties and their dealings with the media have changec. At one time, conferences were the only time that members of the party were able to meet and exchange ideas. Furious debates of ·policy and the parties' ·futures took place in fringe meetings behind closed doors and, in many cases, the grassroots were able t o persuade the leadership to conform to their views. Now, however, party members have many ways to communicate with each other: email, mobile phones, Facebook etc. The unsuccessful back bench plot to unseat Gordon Brown back in June was reputedly done entirely though a Hotmail account, whereas before it would have entailed all the members meeting face-to-face in· secret, something that a party conference would provide perfect cover for. The decline of grass roots and Trade Union influence on leadership and the broadcasting of speeches on t elevision have led to the spin doctors t aking charge; every line, every quip and supposed ad lib must be rehearsed and stage-managed to perfection. Every speaker and party member must stay 'on message' in every press reiease, at every edition of 'rime Minister's Question Time, and every time the leader opens their mouth. lt is then little wonder that the 'nost memorable moments from party conferences are the embarrassments, the things that didn't go quite right. Neil Kinnock falling into the sea in Brighton, for example, or Ian Duncan Smith's excruciating remark about how he was th~ quiet man and he was turning up th:! volume, surely one of the many reas::>ns for his being deposed as party leader. In short, despite these changes and defects, the political party conference still remains a vital part of the political landscape and will prcbably remain so. However, whether it is a vital part of political discourse or simply a seaside jolly is debatable.
-
-
•
-
•
14 FEATURES
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Job Fair: How do yo.u fare? the demand for part-time jobs grQwing ever higher during the recession, are students resorting to 'survival of the fi.ttest' techniques to.survive financially? Liz Jackson investigates a worrying trend in student behaviour. Y~ith
In the current economic climate, it's pretty apparent that as students we have everything working against us - student loans, rising tuition fees, higher retirement ages to pay off the country's debts, and now we have to deal with job shortages even after we graduate. But perhaps the most important question to ask yourself over everything else is: do you trust your friends? lt might seem like an odd q~estion ~t first - if these people are your friends, of course you trust them. You trust them with secrets, with your clothes, food, possessions and ev~rything else. But would you trust them to tell you about a job vacancy? Well, obviously, because not · telling you would be ridiculously petty and it would never even happen, right? Wrong. Maybe this has been present for several years, but there appears to be a rising trend at UEA for keeping available jobs from your friends. Surely it makes sense, if part-time jobs are so few and far between, to kill off some of the competition, particularly if you know your friend would be more qualified than you and would most likely get the job. And if your friend never finds out that you have kept this knowledge to yourself, no-one has to get hurt either. it's just a little white lie and in some cases, fs deserved, if said friend hasn't put in as much effort as you into searching job databases. Yet it says a lot. about our generation if we are keeping jobs to ourselves. lt has got to the stage where, as one student explained: 'I'll talk to my closest friend
"as many as 18.8% of 16-24 year-olds are unemployed '~ about a job and then one of my other friends comes in the room and the conversation goes dead. If anyone starts to mention a job that's going, someone else will cut in and whisper "no- we're not supposed to tell her about it!"'. Clearly, friendships no longer matter in such an epic battle for employment. lt is a state of silent war, where students have to pick their allies very carefully to maximise their chances in this hostile environment. And it's not all that surprising, given the recent statistics. In September, it wa·s repo'rted that as many as 18.8% of 16-24 yearolds were unemployed, making it,comparable to competition for university places. And if
we have managed to get this far, there is no way we are giving up in the struggle for j obs making some people more and more. ruthless over whether they share job vacancies. This shortage is putting strain on universities, too, as more students seek hardship funding because they cannot find a job to supplement their income, despite their best efforts in sendi ng off applications. The University of Edinburgh, for example, has listed a 20% drop in the number of student jobs advertised, and at the same time has reported a near-twofold increase in applications for hardship funding during just 6 months in comparison to a whole year. This is reflected closer to home where this year's UEA Jobs and Employment Fair changed its focus prim.arily to voluntary work and only featured a small handful of paid work opportunities. The goyernment have now realised that their pledge to place most ·16-24 year olds in employment was optimistic in the . extreme and they now categorise voluntary work as employment. Add to this the massive delay in the awarding of student loans by the Student Loans Company, and you have an increasingly dire financial situation for students, making the failure to share student job vacancies among friends seem tame in comparison with worrying employment prospects after university. Now, it seems to be experience that is the crux of whether an individual is successful in their application - but as it is so hard to get this experience in your chosen career whilst studying full -time, as often general till-work or catering jobs are all that is available to the student - it looks as though we are stuck in a downward spiral to unemployment. lt could be said this renders our university education practically useless without extra training in the real world. Perhaps the shortage is not simply a direct result of the recession but of a decreased mortality rate as people live to be older. Many adults are choosing to work into old age with the realisation that their pension will have to last them for a much longer period of time. Additionally the increase in the number and range of universities has provided more opportunities for everyone to get a universitylevel qualification, making the demand for graduate or skilled. jobs much higher than the supply. However, there is one thing that is certain; there is little we can change about the current state of student employment and we can only hope that things pick up so we can return to normal civilised friendships as opposed to savage 'survival'of the fittest' techniques.
UNEMPlOYMENT + 0
LETTERS AND EDITORIAL 15
concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
EDITORIAL
LEnERS Campus card chaos?
concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Hannah Livingston
Michelle Cadby, David Biggins, Danni Ward
concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Alice Violett
concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Alice Violett
Vicky Cann, Dan Taylor, Laura Ewen
R concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Denise Bartlett
concrete.food09@gmail.com Edward leftwich
Rachel Handforth, Lucy Basing, Sarah Cox, Frances Taylor
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Nicolas Church
Helena Dean, Lydia McEvoy, David Biggins, Duncan Vicat-Brown, Hannah Livingston
concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Samantha lewis
Joey Millar, Poppy Jones, Alex May, David Churchill, Mark Shead, Chris King, Hannah Livingston, Gordon Malloy, James Carter, Rachel Handforth
ORS concrete.international@uea.ac.uk Qingning Wang & Filipa Mendes Julia Sherman, Nishavitha Murthi, Hui Zhon, Qi Wang
concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk Davina Kesby Robert Kellner, David Biggins, James Craske, James Dixon, Henry Croft
Adam Fenwick, Jo Davey, Vicki Wheatland
concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Rebecca Wiles Stephen Bishop, Fran Rogers
I was surprised and disappointed to read your prejudicial and unbalanced report headlined 'Campus Card Chaos' in the Tuesday 6th October issue of Concrete, which fell seriously short of the standard of journalism which your readers are entitled to expect. I do not doubt that students affected by campus card problems at the start of this semester were seriously inconvenienced, but it was professionally unacceptable for Concrete to report this. without seeking a response from a representative of the library staff to the allegations which were made. In particular, your report included the anonymous and sweeping allegation that the library staff are completely useless. Did your reporter, Tasha Percy, not feel an obligation to put this stinging criticism to the library management for comment? Why was the criticism not attributed to the person who made it? Were you, as editor, content that the complainant was given anonymity, and that the library was denied the right to reply? If the staff of Concrete were to be anonymously castigated in such inflammatory terms in a newspaper, you would surely expect to be given a contemporaneous opportunity to respond. The first rule of journalism, especially in a newspaper which claims to be independent as Concrete does, must be fairness. My own impression of the UEA library staff is that they carry out their duties with courtesy, efficiency and patience, sometimes in the face of considerable provocation. Your failure to give them a voice in your report has blemished their reputation at their busiest time of the year, and reflects no credit whatsoever on Concrete. Christopher Stokes (HISl}
Response Dear Christopher,
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Danny Collins Ben Frith, Rob Sargent, Mik~ Rogers, Robert Schatten, Harry Low, Henry Croft, Georgina Wade, Josh Entwistle
NON-EDITORIAL
I am writing a few words of explanation with reference to the letter we received from you. Concrete is a Union media society which, like Liv2wire or Livewire TV, gives its members the opportunity to contribute and get involved with an established media outlet. Arly student can join Concrete and, as a result the style and quality of writing often varies and, while the editorial team and I try to retain a high standard of journalism in the newspaper, we do sometimes miss mistakes. Also, I uphold any person's right to anonymity as a tenet of good journalistic practice; be that person a writer or a source. Yours Sincerely,
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Melissa York
HOlOGRAPH ER Greg Mann
Hannah Livingston (Editor}
ON
Emma Parrott, Jake Miller, Liz Jackson Martin lippiatt concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk RacheiConquer
IG George Bennett
SOMETHING VO~U WANT TO WRITE~ ~ ABOUT? ~
Tf1ere are many wayc\ to get in ea n u1 et·
VIP cards available to all UEA Students. ..! Visit the store to receive yours today.
•Qon•t forget that late night bite• Open until 3am Friday & Sat nights Subway Norwich, 101a Prince of Wales Rd. Norwich, Norfolk. NR1 1DW Telephone: 01603 666116
- Came to tfie Concrete office upc'ltairc\ in ~Inion 'lfOll<'W. - 'Enzail a c\ectian NOli 're intereoted in writingfor. - 'Enzail 'lfannafi at concrete. editar@uea. ac.u/;:..
CONCRETE PO BOX 410, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR4 7TJ 01603 593466
Concrete is published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2009 Concrete. ISSN 1351-2773 Letters should be addre::.sed for the attention of the Editor, Hannah Livingston. Letters must include contact details, but we will consider anonymous publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity as necessary. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. Use of the name The Event is by arrangement with the copyright holders, Planet Zog Ltd. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the Editor, Hannah Livingston. Printed by Archant.
..
16 TRAVEL
Escape to Suffolk Michelle Cadby
If you fe el like a little day trip or even a w ee ken d away from Norwich, then th e quinte sse nti al ly Engl1sh seaside town of Southwold in Suffolk is definitely wor th explo ring. Just a bus ride away (via Beccles) or a 50 m inute drive by car, Southwold is w1thin easy reach of some seaside fun and frolics. Away from the hustle and bustle of c1ty and univers1ty life, idyll1c Southwold is in a little world of 1ts own. At the end of the high street 1s Gun Hill where six cannons are Sited and pointing out to sea. Just below is the sa ndy beach lined with picture perfect multi coloured beach huts where an ice cream can be enjoyed whilst taking in the sea ai r. If the sun is shining you cou ld have a day on th e beach, before clambering up the steps for some famous fres h fi sh and chips or a typically Engli sh pub supper at The Red Lion or The Nel so n. But wrap up w arm with a sca rf and co at and Southwold is just as enjoyabl e in the winter months. With so me lovely cloth es and jewellery shops, antique shops, tea rooms (those with a sweet tooth will be spoilt for choice with the amount of homemade c<Jkes on offer) and even an old lighthouse and new pier to ex plore, an afternoon can easi ly be spe nt here whatever tim e of year. If however, after your pot of te a with sco ne s, jam and crea m, you fancy ano t h-er adve nture, take a stroll or the seaso nal foot fe rry to th e quaint village of Walbe rswick, where a garden lunch or a pint in The Belli nn comes highly recommended. You cou ld describe Walb ersw ick as the definition of an Engli sh vi llage, teeming with pretty thatched cottages with bea utifully kept gardens, a 15th century Church, littl e Po st Office, tea room s, an art ga ll ery by th e Villag e Gree n and two bri lliant pubs. So it may be full of farm ers, but Suffo lk doe s have a beautiful slice of charming Eng lish countryside life to offer you.
concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
The delights of Japan David Bigg ins recounts a trip to Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, and explains how it has left a lasting impression and was different to any other hol iday that he has ever been on. When I'm normally asked to talk about my holidays it IS normally a fairly bog standard conversation. 'lt wa s wonderful, the food was delicious, the weather wa s amazing and I visited al l of the museums .. .' When asked to talk about Tokyo, however, I often get a bit flummoxed. I know it's cliched but I hon es tly don't know where to beg in. I normally gaze back and giddily reply: 'You ca n buy underwear from street ven ding machines.' You'll have no doubt seen the jokes in The Simpsons about the Japanese, who are so techno-mad that even their toilets are equipped with the latest gizmos. Perhaps you brushed off the depiction as a crude stereotype of the culture, but it's scarily accurate' Once sat upon, my hotel room's toilet seat would begin heating to provide maximum comfort. Sadly I wa s too much of a cowa rd to press all of the buttons, but I was able to figure out that there was a wash and dry option as well as a built in radio. If technology is your thing you
simply must visit this City. In the Ginza d1strict of Tokyo you will find the Sony Building, a huge, free to enter showroom that showcases Japanese technology at its most inventive and exciting. Aside from the latest HO TV's, mobile phones and sound systems (which are all at least four years ahead of British technology) you will be delighted by robotic dogs that follow you aroun d an d bark at you, speake rs that will transform like Autobots and start dancing to th e music that they them selves are playing, musical sta ircases that, as you climb, will play a different note on each step, and cameras that will patiently wait for you to smi le before th ey take a picture. The nightlife is also quite an experience, and nightlife in Tokyo means Karaoke. Personally, I grea tly prefer the Japa nese style of Karaoke, where instead of standing up and making a glorious fo ol out of yourself in front of total strangers, you sit down and make a glorious fool out of yourself in front of your own friends. The catalogues of songs that are
provided are generally twice the size of phone books so you can sing literally anything you desire - and don't worry, shy sobriety won't be a problem as you can generally purchase an all you can drink option for just nine pounds a person! Sing Sings should take note ... Urban life aside, my favourite thing about Tokyo is the trees. Yes, th at's right, th e trees . The tree s th at I sa w in the M eiji Jingu fore st see med to be impossibly tall, impossibly lush and impossibly green. If you 're looking to get in touch with your spiritu al side, the forest is also hom e to a Shi nto shrine (also free to visit) an excellent place to appreciate traditional Japanese arch itecture and culture . The atmosphere is very peaceful and welcoming, and you are allowed wtually full access to its outdoor sanctuary, main yard, art galleries and museums. it's a very involving experien ce as you are invited to clean se and wash your
beautiful outdoors I wouldn ' t adv1se travelling during the summer months as it can be a hot and sti cky country that often reaches a very humid 38 degrees. Packed in tighter than a sa rdine on the Shinkansen (bullet train) in such conditions must be ghastly, but the real reaso n I'm not advising it is more to do with th e creepy crawlies. You're more likely to see them in the hot weather and some of the Japanese vari ety are frankly terrifying (se riously, you probably don't know how loud you can screa m until you 've see n a spider that is bigger th an your hand roaming fre e). I had a stupendou s time in Tokyo, despite my aw ful Japanese. (My proud attempt at orderi ng a beer: 'Anata wa Biru desu o kudasai', roughly transla ted into 'you are a beer please'). If you visit, you will experience a visual and aural onslaught of technology and culture th at will leave you bewitched and sm itten. I left feeling
hands with fresh water as well as write prayers to be left on display. A slight warning, despite Japan's
like a child who had just been to the ci rcu s, happily clap ping his hands together crying "Again! Again! "
ROUGH GUIDES COMPETITION Have you ever sa t in th e library staring at the concrete buildin gs and the co ld, grey drizzl e, and wished that you were looking at an entirely different jungle? Perhap s partying in Rio 's week long carnival wat chin g all the colourful procession s, and dancing to the infectiou s sa mb a beats? Or how about exploring th e Mayan Tika l Pyramids deep in the Guatemalan ra inforest' You can, and get pa id to do so. Does this
so und too good to be tru e? Well, believe it. Rough Guides and STA Travel are offering two very lucky student s th e chance of a lifetime to fly across th e world to update their 'South America on a Budget and Central America on a Budget' books. If you can prove your passio n for travel you could be off on a life-changing trip to experience thi s vibrant part of the world. You could be sampling exotic foods and
tempe ratures, and seeing some of th e world 's most awe-inspiring wonders. If you're a talented writer, or if you ju st have a pa ss ion for travel, all you have to do is chec k out www. ro ug hg u ides . co m/on ab u dgetw rite r and tell us in 500 word s about a place anywhere in the world, that you know well, with an 'On a Budget ' them e. it 's that simpl e. This competition closes on 31st
January 2010, and is only open to UK residents.
FOCSOC 17
concrete.editorial@uea.ac路.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Climb Every Mountain Bringing laughter to your life Want to try something new but feeling apprehensive? Dan Taylor Vicky Cann happily discovers that Fell Club embraces
novices.
The first thing people will ask you if you join the Fell Club is "so ... what do you do?", or "so ... you chop down trees .. ?" Do not be discouraged by this. Just smile charitably and nod "mountains" in a confident, conclusive way as if this clears up the matter. Whether people understand or not, they will nod comprehendingly, Google the word 'fell' the same day, and next time they see you say "so ... you climb fells" and smi\e knowingly. In a nutshell then, Fell Club is the technical, slightly old fashioned name for a mountaineering society. it is perhaps one of the less prominent UEA clubs but this should not be the case, as I discovered on my first Fell trip to Snowdonia. The trip was a guaranteed success from the moment we piled onto the minibus. I barely knew anyone and was feeling rather out of my comfort zone as a rather inexperienced walker whose ambles usually involve zero gradients. However, five hours journey later, after a fittingly epic sing-along session involving everything from Queen to Lady Gaga, the ice was fully broken. We arrived late at night in the wilds of Snowdonia and after fumbling through the dark to a cosy hut nestled in the hillside there was nothing left to do but declare your bunk and go to sleep. And if the first night itself hadn't reassured me that this trip was going 路 to be amazing, the following morning dispelled any lurking doubts. Imagine: you open the curtains and survey the
spectacular Snowdonian landscape swirling with mist and bathed in early morning sunlight. Without meaning to use a cliche, it was breath-taking. Overall, the trip was one of the best I've ever been on. The walks were graded in order of difficulty, so everyone was able to choose a route suitable for them. Both walks were incredible, with rugged slopes and exhilarating heights on the first day and beautiful undulating valleys on the second . Not to mention the food! it shouldn't influence you, I know, but the mouth-watering meals and sheer quantities of chocolate make it all worthwhile . Moreover, Fell is certainly one of the most sociable clubs I have joined, with fortnightly pub socials and well publicised trips every other weekend . If you are interested in joining, just email su.fell@uea.ac.uk and prepare to enjoy what can only be described as a year's protracted pub crawl, interspersed with various I mountain hikes! 'Intriguing' hear you say? Certainly is. You 're guaranteed to meet great new people, be fed amazing food and end every route in a pub. And do not underestimate the comedy value of watching folk smile knowingly when you drop the word 'fell', whilst being fully aware that for all they know you've joined a lumberjack society. Never grows old.
Have you found yourself making people ar9und you laugh unintentionally? Feeling the adrenaline surging through your body when you make people Thinking up funny ideas laugh? which you never get round to writing down? Constantly making reactionary quick-witted comments out loud or in your head? Being told by others that you should be on stage or become a comedian? Then UEA Headlights wants you! Unlike many other forms of entertainment, comedy has perhaps always been the most subjective and hardest to pull off and be successful at, but its appeal and ability to unify and/or divide is undeniable. Just .like music, it is an organic beast which constantly changes with every new generation, trying to better itself by being more original and progressive than before . Almost everyone will be familiar with the following great comedic writers and performers of the last half a century: the Monty Python team, Mitchell & Webb, Armstrong & Miller, Fry and Laurie, Clive Anderson, Jan Ravens (Dead Ringers) and
What do Baron Sacha Cohen . all these great comedic minds have in common? They, among many others you may have heard of, all started their comedic careers at a university comedy group called Cambridge FootLights and it is in this tradition UEA Headlights
in the fullness of time we hope that writing and performing partnerships will be forged and good comedy created . Eventually we hope that the society will be able to showcase its best material and even take our shows to the world famous Edinburgh F.ringe Festival. Obviously all of this will take time and effort, but we're prepared and willing to be able to offer training to our membership by getting guest in lecturers and speakers teach these skills. to help At some point we do intend hold comedy-based socials to as well which will likely take the form of going and watching some live comedy of some description . Sofarwe have had one meeting which hopes to follow. When I first came to UEA back. we' re pleased to announce showed enormous promise for the future of in 2003 I immediately thought that I would like to join the University's the society. We meet every week on Friday at 7pm in the INTO building comedy society; unfortunately no such Lecture Theatre. If anyone is society existed and after many years interested in getting involved and of deliberation and promising to set coming along to check us out please one up we have finally done so. So what do we want to achieve with this feel free to join our Facebook group (http:/ /www.facebook.com/group. society? We want to create a forum for students to come and try out ph p ?gid=l341648237 40& ref=mf) or sehd the committee an comedy and meet with other people email (ueaheadlights@yahoo. to perform and write with; this com) to find out more! We look involves " improv" comedy exercises forward to hearing from you! (Whose Line Is lt Anyway? style) and
"We hope that writing and performing partnerships will be forged and good comedy created"
Moustaches can make money. UEA RAG Society gives everyone a great excuse not to shave for a month. Laura Ewen U EA RAG Society is one of the fastestgrowing societies on campus, and with good reason . In which other society can you have a great time, enjoy some of the best banter on campus and still feel good about yourself because it's all for charity? With an enthusiastic new committee, a record amount of new members and a fantastic first social already under our belts, it looks like RAG is set to have a great year! November sees the arrival of the first Movember at UEA. Movember is an event which lasts for the entire month and requires participants to
grow their very own moustache! The only rule for Movember is that you are under no circumstances allowed to shave your 'tache, with the exception of minor grooming. All monies raised through the sponsorship of said 'tache growing are donated to The Prostate Cancer Charity, a charity which promotes awareness of the dangers of cancer to mens' health. First prize goes to
the person who raises the most money through sponsorship, with lesser prizes for the best styled moustaches! To get involved please contact UEA RAG for a sponsorship form by emailing uearag@gmail.com or join UEA RAG on Facebook. And don't worry girls; there is something in the pipeline to get you all involved soon too!
Want to write for -FocSoc? FocSoc needs you! Unfortunately, there are still unresolved problems accessing the FocSoc inbox so if you ' ve emailed that address, you're not being ignored! Until further notice, please email concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk. You don't necessarily have to write a society or club profile - we could interview you if you prefer. Any other suggestions for society- and club- related articles you'd like to see on this page are also very much welcome; after all FocSoc is a page dedicated to what you - yes, you! - get up t o when you're not studying.
~-~ I
.
18 FOOD
concrete.food09@g mail.com TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Cinema City and The Dining Rooms decided to have Parma ham with parmesan, basil and sundried tomatoes whilst my friend went for the soup of the day which was smoked garlic, rocket and potato.
Helena Dea n As you wa lk into the Dining Rooms at Cine ma City, you could be wa lking straight into a fi lm set w ith its pictu resque medieva l and Georgian bu ildings and courtyard covered in fairy lights. This sense of the place being somethi ng Hollywood could have created continues in the restaurant where the decor is chic, warm and modern with atmospheric low lighting helped the tea lights on the tables. When we entered the restaurant, we noticed that we seemed to be the younge st diners there, but this was not a prob lem at all and there was no sense of us being out of place. On the contrary, the staff were extremely friendly and polite regard less of our age and the atmosphere in general was one that was particularly relaxed helped by the films being played in the bar and the music in the background. We were given the choice of two menus and decided to go for th e pre I post theatre menu which we thought was great value with the main course co sting 拢10.95, up to 拢16.95 for three courses. Before the starters came, we were brought one of the hig hlig hts of the evening. This consisted of bread in a pot that looked like a toadstool and was really tasty if a little difficult to remove from its dish. For starters, this reviewer
"This restaurant is affordable for students if you just consider that per person, it's probably the some price os a night out at the LCR, except you wil l definitely still remember the evening next morning " Both our start ers were light and perfect to start off with, mine wa s a clas sic combination of flavours and very easy to eat. The soup was warming and full of flavour. The main courses on the menu seemed to be inspired by winter and were hearty dishes which were reflected in t he po rtion sizes. For my second course thios
Cocktail of the Fortnight
reviewer chose mixed seafood pie and my companion had braised chicken leg cha sseur with mash, which was accompanied by a vegetable cassolet consisting of tomatoes, baby onion s and mushroom s. Our two main courses were rich , filling and packed with flavour. The seafood pie was especia lly delicious as all the fish in side it was beautifully cooked and tender with creamy mashed potato on top. Aher two appetizing courses, concrete finally got to th e part of the evening that we were most looking forward to, the desert. We chose Baked Ala ska and chocolate and cointreau tart with an orange and mint salsa. Although mine was visually stunning, it was slightly disappointed that there wa s not much of the peach element to it, which is a traditional ingredient of this desert. However the choco late tart was fantastic, all the flavours went together perfectly and the combination of the rich chocolate and the sharp fruit was a success, in fact so successful that we were both scraping to get every la st bit of the desert off the plate . We both enjoyed our evening and liked how well th e whole menu went together. The thought that we took away with us wa s that thi s re staurant is affordable for students if you just consider that per person, it 's probably the same price as a night out at the LCR, except you will definitely sti ll remember the even ing next morning!
lydia McEvoy and Ed leftwich
Slippery Nipple This is one of the best shooters you can make, tasting great but having a wicked bite. Many people are put off by the idea of sambuca, but don't discount it ju st because your not an aniseed fan . The baileys in this cocktail takes away that aniseed flavour and gives it what some describe as a chocolate taste . The trick is to prepare it properly. Pour the shot of Sambuca into a double shot gla ss first. Follow up by pouring the Baileys very slow ly on top of the Sambuca. If you pour the baileys carefu lly enough then there wi ll be two seperate layers, which looks very cool and gives the shot even more of a kick. 25ml White Sambuca 25ml Baileys Iri sh Cream
Kipper Korma
Concrete Food How To:
.Kippers are cheaper than chicken, and they're a much more absorbent meat so they really soak up all of the flavours. I lucked
Cook perfect rice, every time.
upon this offer running out chicken and I haven't looked back since! Ingre dients: - 2 Sma ll Kippers - 1 1arge Oni on -Re d/G ree n Chi lli - Lump of Ginge r -Chopped coria nder - Vegetable Oi l - Korma Paste ' - Can of Cocon ut M il k
t hey w il l be rid iculous ly ten der, but you can if yo u prefer. - 4 Teaspoons of Desicca ted Coco nut - Sa lt/Pepper - Lemon -Lime - Gree n Peppe r - Garlic - Tub of Natural Yog urt
Now we aren ' t trying to patro nise 路 anyone here, but it's amazing how many peo ple have never lea rnt to cook rice proper ly. Common pract ise is to stick it in a pan w ith some bo il ing wate r, cross yo ur fi ngers and hope. W hilst
4. Th ey won't take long to cook at all, so you ca n add yo ur gree n pepper and chillies in stantly afterwards. 5. After about three min utes of con stant stirring, po p in t he coco nut mi lk and desiccated coco nut, followed by your korma sauce. c-
<.~
M ethod : 1. Prepa ratio n for t his is easy; just ha lf and slice your onio n and green pepper into small strips; peel your garlic and ginge r and t hen dice your eoriander. Deseed the chi ll ies if you don't like yo ur curries to be too hot.
6. Chop a slice of both lemon and lime, and th row th em in the mix. Give them a good ha rd squ eeze, alo ng with the remaining portions of fr uit, so al l th e juice po urs over your now coo king masterpiece . 7. At th is point, stick on your rice and by the time that's cooked you are good to go!
2. Grate the garlic and ginger into a very hot pan of oil, quickly fo llowed by the onions and keep cooking until the onion s start to brown. Stir con stantly so th at nothing burns!
8. Once ready, sprinkle with some chopped eoriander and add a good dollop of yogurt on for good measure.
3. Then add the kippers. You don't have to cut up rhe kippers beforehand as after they've cooked
Reci pe By David Biggins
~ .....~
t hi s m ay somet imes suffice, your desperate, bad ly cooked rice can make the tastiest of meal inedible. So however much of a kitchen novice you are, there are a couple of simple t ips t hat w ill help you get great resu lts every t ime.
Firstly, rinse your rice before you put it in :路 t he pan. This washes away all the starch that can make t he rice all gloopy. Seco ndly, don't put too m uch wa ter in the pan. The rice on ly just needs covering with water. If there is too much water, then the r ice will overcook and loose its texture. Fina ll y, once youve boiled the rice and drained it, rinse it again with boiling water. Then , keeping it in the sieve, rest in the top of the pan and cover with a teatowel. Lea ve it for five minutes, and the rice should be light and fluffy and deliciou s. Th e perfect accompaniment to any curry.
FOOD 19
concrete.food09@gmail.com TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Tuck INTO some of the best food on campus Duncan Vicat-Brown Hey Freshers! Still alive? Working Hard? Glad to hear it. it's safe to assume that at some point in the last month you've had to think about food. Perhaps you've even COOKED something. But cooking can seem like a bit of a chore when two angry sea urchins are having a fight in your head, so Concrete is w ill ing to bet that at some point you've found yourself in one of the university food dispensers: lest, Blend, The Hive, Cafe Direct. Lovely aren' t they? But did you know there's another one? Well, there is. And the best news is that it's even better. Ever wondered what that big, space age style building over by the Med Centre is? For those of you who don't know it's called
the INTO centre, and it's a combination of accommodation and foundation courses for international students . Their aim is to prepare students for university while further developing their English skills, and has had a great deal of success since it opened last September. But enough about that, this is Concrete Food after all, so what you'll really be interested in is the spectacular canteen. it's UEA's best kept secret, but many students are completely unaware of its existence simply because the vast majority of you w ill never need to walk through INTO's doors as part of your weekly routine . This is something to ~orrect ; the canteen is not just for international students and the food is fantastic value, varied and delicious. For just ÂŁ3 .50 you can get a main course comprised of three items; for example, Concrete enjoyed a beef and root vegetable casserole with oriental -style noodles and veg, and a halal Thai red chicken curry, again with noodles and veg. Both were fantastic, particularly the noodles and the casserole sauce . They also sell a wide selection of drinks, from standards like Coke to more unusual fare, from green tea to blood orange juice with manuka honey. The food isn 't the only attraction. Those who have had the pleasure of stepp ing through
INTO's doors will have been struck by the distinctive architecture and this quirky style extends to the canteen, leaving you with an aesthetically pleasing environment in which to enjoy your meal. There's even an upright piano if you fancy yourself as a bit of a piano prodigy! If this article has convinced you to give the INTO canteen a go then now is the perfect time to start. In November they will be starting a brand spanking new promotion ; an Evening Meal Deal Loyalty Card! Just purchase ten
main evening meals and get two absolutely free . The evening menu is available from 5pm until 7pm, Monday to Friday. They also do some great theme nights; coming up this term are a James Bond themed four course meal and a Christmas dinner! So the next time you fancy a bit of delicious food without having to do any of that tiresome cooking, Concrete recommends you head over to INTO, for the best cooked meals to be found on campus!
Editor's Secret Recipe Hannah livingston No-one can deny the allure of a good chocolatey treat every now and again; however most student budgets can't stretch to the heavenly heights of a regular Gu ganache. But what if you were able to make something better than Gu? And this something cost less and tasted better? Concrete's editor reveals her secret to the perfect chocolate ganache desert.
Y, pint cream
add the egg yolks and stir. Then, when this is fully blended, add a little butter and stir gently. 4 .. As soon as the mixture looks silky pour it into (roughly) six ramekins then pop these in the fridge for 6-12 hours. 5. Garn ish with fresh raspberries, a little whipped cream and eat.
250g Milk Chocolate 2 egg yolks 20 grams butter
Alternative use
Ingredients
Dark Chocol ate versi on Replace the milk chocolate with dark chocolate 60mls of flavoursome brandy
Method 1. Your pan only needs to be hot enough to melt the chocolate, so set the hob to a medium/low heat. 2. Melt the chocolate in a warm pan; when molten add the cream an d mix. Do not boil. 3. Once the cream and chocolate are mixed,
1. If you're looking for a severe chocolate attack, this recipe can be used to make a hot chocolate drink: instead of pouring the finished mixture into ramekins, dilute it in the pan with a little milk then pour into a mug delicious but very rich . 2. If you feel up to a taste bud adventure (or just like booze) make the desert with dark chocolate instead and add a splash of brandy or whiskey when you include the butter.
A VIVA
â&#x20AC;˘
20 LIFESTYLE Confessions of
Totally addicted to ... Face book
a VCE}l Face book has been giving students a bad name for some time; it has been suggested academic performance
student
has slipped whilst time is dedicated to the refresh button . Jo Davey asks are we really the worst culprits?
Disillusioned with the
They say step one to curing any
hadn' t spoken to for years. I never
humdrum of Norwich
addiction is admitting to ourselves we have a prob lem; accepting help is the first stage to getting it. That 's
liked the girl who pushed me off the slide at nurse ry so why oh why was I
nightlife, Adam
Fenwick cries what else is on offer? Coming from a relatively sma ll northern town, I had high hopes for the st udent nightlife that Norwi ch
all we ll and good when it comes to drugs, smoki ng, alco hol - we've always known t hey're bad for us.
lt really doesn't take the presence of a camera at 2am in Mercy for me to know I' m not loo king my be st. I
adding her to a li st of my nearest an d dearest? And for that matter, why did I care if she'd " had a crap lecture but
don't get hangovers, but I'd honestly
made up for it with an entire ca ke?"
flicking through th e photos of last
rather endure the headache than t he torture of painfu ll y and flinching ly
Parents everywhere fought long and hard so th at we'd associate anything li ke that with instantaneous death. Basically, at thi s age, if we do them , we know exactly what we're getting into.
the problem: I love it; I'm completely addicted to it. I love how easy it is to chat with friend s and family, especia lly tho se I've lost touch with si nce going to UEA. I adore the amazing amount of photos, from the poser ones I ridicule to th e ones I'd rather forget. And of course, I worship the one and o nly craze we call Facebook stalking . Only on Facebook can you track down and stare at the go rg eous being in your semina r without ever having to
My parents never warned me abou t Facebook. lt all started so innocently with
attend it.
had to offer. A year later and it sti ll 'seemed that the Prince of Wales st rip of various clubs and bars has not lived up to my expectations.
that first tentative bite of the cyber apple. Everyone else was doing it
harmless. Psychiatrists say Facebook desensiti ses users to social interacti on
For a town that boasts a different pub for eve ry day of t he year, why was I visiting t he same clubs every
so why shouldn't I? So I sig ned up, logged on and added my friend s.
and the re are obvious hea lt h hazards to being hunch ed over a computer screen all day. As it turns out though, we're not the ones to worry about. Facebook surveys show their fa stest growing demographic is age 35 and over, and the sma llest growth actua lly
week? The convenience of t he bus service from campus took me and my flatmate s right to the he-art of the city centre every Monday (and Thursday... it was a surprise we even passed the first yearl).
But
after a semester of Monday nights at Ponana's and Thursdays at Mercy, it became apparent that a change of scene would be ideal. Once we found the confidence to d rift off from the pack of ot he r f res hers on Pri nce o f Wa les, we d iscovered a var iety of di ffe rent bars t hat were a welcome change to the crammed nightclubs. Ven t uring out also allowed us to meet new people, spec ifically second and third years that had already discovered what else Norwich ha s
me
I sa id hello on their wall, maybe gave them a poke if I wa s feeling particularly risque, and logged back out. All in al l, a simple and successful introduction. A few days later, I and 300 million others worldwide logged back in.
There are probably abo ut 30 people
Somethin g had appea red in the bottom right hand corner... a tiny, red, inconsequential box. A little red
I'd ca re to kee p in regular contact with and most of those live just doors away. So why is Facebook insisting
box I wou ld soon find out equated to someone li kes you/think s you're funny/has fina ll y va lidated the five ho urs you spent on he re at 3am . Sudden ly I was adding people I
that I have 391 friend s? Then there are the photos; Facebook is the number one site for up load ing pictures, with over two bi llion photos added each month.
Norwich's
in its wake booze, flu and post-fresher blu es, it's back to re ality for UEA students as studies begin .
st ude nt clu bs had ch ucked us out (p lus, who doe sn't like a bar with beds in side?). Furthe r afie ld is The
But w ith t he arrival of a ten page bank statement fi ll ed with reminders of inebriated withdrawa ls for 'j ust
unemployment rates. Aside from begging your parents for so me cash or locking yourself in your room with no food or friends,
Belgian Monk, close to Tesco Metro
one more VK' and fran.tic bulk buying of freshers' tickets, more and more
st ude nt nights!
morning, my mother ha s commented on al l of them as well. Grand. lt may sou nd like I' m not Facebook's biggest fan , but that's
just to reacqu ai nt with th e real world - but maybe take five minutes to warn your parents about the danger of Facebook infatuation, before Facebook's olde r users become the rea l Facebook abusers.
Vicki Wheatland investigates ways for struggling students to seek employment in these tough times. With th e blur of freshers' week leaving
drinking experience. Neverthe less, we sti ll can't resist those ÂŁ1.50
posing to pulling. And just in case that w asn't quite enough for one murky
appears in the stu dent age range . So yes, we should remember to take a break from the 'book occasionally,
Where have all the jobs gone?
to offe r. Havana, a small bar with lots of character, is just around the - co rner from Ponana s. This quickly became our new end of night hang out, per fect for t he when the
in the city centre, which spec ialises in fruity beers. Tasty. Although sli ghtl y more ex pensive, we found th at walking off the beaten track that is Princ e of Wales Road opens up a who le new
night someone ha s so kindly tagged me in. Yes, there I am in all my soused glory - from dancing to downing,
However, even an addict like knows it isn' t completely
above
national
average
Write a decent CV, ditch the grubby Converse in favour of so me smarter footwear and hand your CVs out to any emp loyer going, particularly targeting the manager. Perhaps try exploring
Get yourself out there, it's all about connecti ons. If you hear about a friend of a friend whose uncle's sister's best friend's da ughte r is hiring, give them a ring and tel l them you're available.
what real ly is the so lution for students when jobs seem so sparse? Fear not! Concrete has a few
the Norwich lanes for small vintage shops or a quiet pub, as it is often the larger, more commercial stores in the
Although th e Student Ambassador interviews are over, it could be worth emai ling your Head of School to see
so lutions to help try and earn you so me dosh: Th e Employability shop on ca mpus is in connection with loca l agencies
centre of town th at generate lots of
students are looking for a way to repair th ei r dam aged accounts wit h a part-time job. Unfortunately, in the current clim ate w it h th e government banging on abou t economic downt urns and cred it crunches, jobs are hard t o fi nd (to say t he least) . This has left
and emp loye rs in the are a, so kee p your eyes peeled for job adverts and
can ' t be choosers'. Ok, granted working in a kebab shop may not be
if they are looking for any furthe r representatives. Aside from permanent work, take ad vantage of any ex periments on campus- yes they pay an d it only takes up an hour or two of you r time. Often
openings. Also Employabi lity has thei r own webs ite (www.employability.uea. ac.uk) t hat is J.J pdat ed regu larly with
the most glamorous job in the world but money is money and being openminded is a good qua li ty to ho ld when
these adverts are circulat ed in emai ls so be su re to read them before putting t hem in the tras h.
UEA students bearing the bru nt of
an nouncements.
j ob hunting.
applicants. Temp agencies are always worth a try too. Remember th e old saying 'begga rs
.. •
TURF 21
concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
A call for change in "Soggy Norwich" The threat of rising sea levels has been publicised widely. Stephen Bishop reports on the "Soggy Norwich" campaign, which is raising awareness of how Norwich will be affected . Climate change is pretty scary science, though perhaps it is not as scary as wading knee deep in the River Yare during a storm, in underwear, ornamented with rotting sulphurous weed, whilst brandishing a four ft picket sign . The world's climate change campaigners are up in arms, pickets, smelly weeds and three metre long fluorescent polar bear costumes. The world is in crisis. From the seventh December 2009 in Copenhagen, a small assembly of individuals will gather at United Nations Climate Change Conference in an attempt to mitigate the biggest threat the human race has ever faced. At home in Norfolk, a small group of students are working hard to inform the government of 'Norwichian' awareness, of the local and global impacts of climate change. They believe that the actions of the wo rld
leaders attending the Copenhagen Climate talks will be historically unparalleled. The group has taken an unconventional stand; they plan to send a photographic message to world leaders. They are currently collecting photographs of 'Norfolkians' in snorkelling gear, with their handmade picket sign, indicating sea level by 2100. The photographs will be compiled to be visible to the public on the group's webpage www.soggynorwich .co.uk and sent in paper form to both local and national government and media. The campaign is currently gathering strength, with an official launch at Soctober Fest, a large multi society free ethical fair held in the Hive on the 21st of October. Although Soggy, Norwich's quantitative prediction of sea level rise is somewhat of a quirky joke, sea
level rise and global climate change are a very severe and concerning reality. In Bangladesh alone one metre sea level rise translates into the loss of 160,000,000 human homes/lives. Many activists argue that sea level rise is in many respects a relatively rather fluffy environmental symptom of our over consumption and pollution, while many conservatives argue that climate campaigners are simply ignorant. What is clear on this issue is the overwhelming scientific consensus, and the increasingly concerning warnings coming from scientists, many of whom are from our very own UEA. According to peer review science, we are currently emitting greenhouse gases at a rate which is significantly more severe than predicted, thus indicating that our current climate trajectory is more harmful than
has ever been considered . We are currently causing a mass extinction of the world's species which is greater than the mass extinction event which wiped out the dinosaurs. Precise details of future climate change are inherently uncertain; what is certain is that the earth is not an economist and it does not understand ten year plans. The planet does not have the consciousness to forgive our ignorance if 'we try really hard and
we're really nice'. lt is hoped that the good people at Copenhagen will pave the way for real change, or else it is feared that in many respects we may become ashamed of our humanity. Are we really worth saving if we' re~ not able to pull ourselves together, especially when our crisis is so imminent and so undeniable? For more information see www. soggynorwich.co.uk
The Age of Stupid Released in March this year, The Age of Stupid portrays the world in 2055 reviewing the
Wednesday 21st October 5pm - 11 pm in The Hive
failures of our generation. Fran Rogers and Bex Wiles report on this provocative film . The year is 2055 . Most of London is under water, Sydney is in flames and there have been eight global food shortages. The Archivist reviews genuine news reel clips from our time, and reflects upon the choices we made that raised the earth's temperature two degrees and pushed it beyond crisis point. Ending with an apocalyptic countdown, The Age of Stupid film raises huge questions and challenges the viewer to immediate action .
"We wouldn't be the first life form to make itself extinct. But what would be unique about us is that we did it knowingly. What does that say about us?" The powerful narrat1ve highlights the naivety of country leaders and citizens in ignoring the urgent issues that are facing us. Some critics have argued that this film is potentially sensationalist and subjective, though it serves to impress the immediacy of the devastating effect of our lifestyles on the climate. Indeed, its main
argument is that there is no time left for debate; action needs to be taken to cut our emissions now. The film has been timed to preempt the UN Climate summit in Copenhagen in December 2009. The point made is that we need to unite to show our country leaders that we are serious about demanding change. To quote Piers Guy "you only have to look at the terrible things in our history, which everyone regrets now: massacres, the Holocaust etc, and a lot of that was just going along with what was the predominant thinking at the time." On Saturday December 5th peop le from al l over the UK will be marching in London to demonstrate their support for stringent carbon reductions - let's hope that this has an impact on our leaders. For more information see www.stopclimatechaos.org/the-wave. The Age of Stupid will be shown at UEA soon, keep your eyes open for the time and place. lt is both exciting and challenging and Concrete highly recommends giving it a go.
13 UEA societies are hosting a large, free event aimed at bringing together all social, ethical and environmentally concerned groups at UEA and in Norwich. Expect performances from the Jamnesty Junk Band, the Circus Sac and the Live Music Society, alongside tea bars, photo exhibitions
and meditation sessions. Come along to room 1.28 at Spm to take part in a climate workshop on sustainable energy based on a game. No prior knowledge is required and it promises to be a lot of fun and a great way to learn about our government's energy policy.
Sunday 25th October 2pm - 2am Venues around Norwich
® Oxfam The Oxjam Norwich Takeover: 1 day, 50 acts, numerous venues . A wristband gains you entry to all the gigs. lt costs £9 and is available now from the UEA ticket office or on line . This year the money raised from the festival will be helping those in poverty cope with the devastating effects of climate change . As well
as raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for Oxfam 's work, gig goers will be painting their faces blue as part of a massive visual statement to the UK government to take action on climate change before it's too late . Around 50,000 festival -goers have already signed up to this campaign in 2009 -.
.. •
â&#x20AC;˘
22 SPORT
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Five minutes with: Paul Sandall Rob Sargent catches up with the UEA Men's Tennis captain How d id yo u get into pl aying tenn is? not
Wh en I was young I st art ed w atching Wimbl edon. My parents always
successful Briti sh female t enn is players has had an effect on the game at grass roots level then?
Canary fan s are on e step close r t o
fo rgotten. Wes Hool aha n pai d homage t o the young pair by liftin g his shin pad aloft dur ing hi s goa l
pl ayed and I start ed playing with fri end s, th en with coaching gradually go t a bit bett er.
People want someon e t o emul at e when they're youn g and there haven' t bee n any success fu l Briti sh
Wem bley fo ll owing a narrow 1-0
ce leb ration, a spo rtin g version of th e
victory again st Gillingham in th e John stone Paint trophy, co urtesy of a
sandal scene in Life of Brian.
How did UEA t ennis do in BUCS
so. Hopefully in a cou pl e of years peo pl e wil l loo k up to th e likes of
- Ben Frith
club's Colney base . Th eir contribu ti on
was
competitio ns last year? We came third in a league o f ni ne teams, losi ng in th e qua rt er fi nals
second ha lf goal fro m fans' favourite Cody McDonald . Norwich pl ayed th e enti re ga me
of t he cup in a t ense ga me w ith Warwi ck, the leagu e w inn ers . The
on a kn ife edge after a di sa ppea rin g act from sho t-s t opp er Michae l Th eoklito s. Any injury to on -loa n
.
female t enni s pl aye rs around to do
La ura Rob son. If you had t o se ll UEA t ennis, ho w wou ld you do it ? Grea t group of peo pl e, opportuniti es, new off
Fraser Forster would have created a farcical sit uation wit h no substitut e
ga me w ent down t o th e fin al set and end ed in t ears. Thi s yea r we've had som e good fre sher 's com e in and th ere's no reason why we ca n't
keeper to ca ll upo n. The rea son behi nd Th eoklitos'
laun ch a promotion pu sh and do bett er, alth ough we 've got a tough
Easton Coll ege and coac hin g opportuniti es on ca mpu s. We also have a to ur t o Spain in
no show has not bee n revea led,
draw aga in st Cambrid ge.
Easter which is rea lly good fun , w e
th ere th e court s were rea lly icy and after playing one shot I fell over on
How abo ut the girl s' t ea m ?
play a bit off t enni s and go out; it 's good for everyon e to bond an d get
my wri st, causing a mini fracture and
No t so w ell , they w ere relega ted las t seaso n, so now pl aying in a divis ion
t o know each o th er. The re's so mu ch more on the soc ial sid e th an ju st
w e all had t o go hom e. I get a lot of banter for th at .
below. Unfo rtunately w e stru gg le t o get female t enni s players and wo uld
playin g t enni s. We in clud e everyo ne and there's no press ure to drink horrific amounts; ju st a chan ce for everyo ne to enj oy th emse lves.
Finally can Andy Murray Wimbledon next year?
but t he common con sen sus is that he felt disheartened to have bee n overlooked from th e startin g line- up, having not fea t ured fo r the first team since conced ing seven goals on hi s club deb ut. The qu arte r fi na l draw sees th e Ca nari es travelling t o Swind on Town on November lOth. Four days later Norw ich we re o n th e ro ad again for a leag ue match at
on t he trot, 1-0.
Car lisle Unite d. Once again th e coach was lighter th an plann ed.
Norwich will have taken on League One Leed s by th e tim e of
An hour before th e mat ch t wo .- aca demy players we re co nfron ted w ith a race again st ti me in th e shape of a return trip t o a city ce ntre spo rt s shop t o repl ace th e shin pa ds th at had bee n left 280 mil es away at th e
Hoolahan's
fifth
goal
of
th e
season wa s al l t hat separated th e two tea ms, gifting Norwich th eir sixth win
publication . To contin ue th e run of good form and take a win at Ella nd Road will fire a strong signal of intent for the re st of the seaso n, and firm ly es tabli sh Norw ich amon gst th e fron t runners for promotion .
do anythin g to get more. So if you are a girl th at want s to pl ay tenni s and have Wedn esdays pl ease co me along.
off
pristine
indoor
lo t s o f campu s
t enni s court s at
hockey and tenni s waiting in th e minibu s for m e. Wh en we final ly got
win
of UEA tenni s?
I don't think so. I think he need s t o wait for Roger Federer t o hang up hi s racket before he ca n win anything as Federer is th e be st pl ayer t o h ave
One Tue sday night before a ga me I
ever exist ed.
th en
Do you th ink that th e lack of
had gon e out and needed security to knock on my door in t he morning as I'd overslept. I had the whole of
Do you have any p ersonal hi ghl ights
Featured sport: Wakeboarding and Waterskiing Mike Rogers Th e Wa keboa rdin g and Waterskii ng Club is a relative ly new clu b at UEA, but already it has become one of th e key wa ter-sport clubs, thanks to its fun and relaxed atm os ph ere both on and off th e wa ter. Just to ex pl ai n quickly w hat it is;
-
Wake boa rdi ng and wat erskii ng are the eq uiva lents to snowboa rdin g and sk iing on wat er, instead of snow. Yo u're pu lled around th e wa t er by eithe r a speedboa t or a 'ca bl e'- a kind of drag ski lift suspend ed above a lake. The club goes to a ce ntre in Bed ford ca ll ed Boxen d, one of th e top
next to you at th e st art, and we have
Everyb ody is after th e adrenal in e
ca ble parks in th e co untry, sportin g two pu rpose-built spri ng-fed lakes.
up t o 8 peo pl e on th e water at once (mea ning everyon e get s pl en ty of tim e
ru sh of being pulled round a lake at 25 mph, and it's so mething th at
Th e wa t er is very clean, and a pe rfect environme nt fo r learni ng. lt is also good for mo re ex peri enced wakebo ard ers, as th ere are variou s obstac les to try out once th e basics have bee n mast ered . Th e club uses cable, as it's ideal for beginn ers; the instructors stand right
on th e water). Al t hough we have so me more ex peri ence d riders w ho w ill soo n
anyo ne, w ith any leve l of ex perience, ca n enj oy. stud ents interes ted Any club at: email th e shou ld wat erski andwakeboa rd@ueastu dent. cam or find it on Face book : www. tinyurl.com/ueawake
be abl e to comp et e on behalf of th e university, most of our members are fair ly new to the sport - havin g eith er never ridden before, or only a few times on holiday.
.
SPORT 23
concrete.sporl@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
UEA Panthers edged out by Oxford Brookes Robert Schatten The UEA Panthers narrowly missed out on a victory in their first game in BUCS Basketball Division lA last Wednesday, losing a nail-biting game 59-57 to Oxford Brookes at the Sportspark. Despite a much-changed lineup from last year, the Panthers were confident of making an impact in Division 1 having stormed to promotion last season. Now, under new coach George Fraser-Barker, the Panthers had had little time to prepare for this game but ran Brookes to the final seconds. Having seen seven of their firstteam players graduate or return home over the summer, UEA enter this season with only four members of the squad who won promotion . Only one starter from 2008/9, Abi Shogbeni, is still in the squad, although centre Tega Orogun is expected to return from a groin injury at some point during the season . The slim margin of victory reflected just how close the game
was . The Panthers and the ir visitors proved to be exceptionally well matched - particularly in the second half- and the game was played at a very high standard indeed. The first few minutes were sluggish for both teams and the scoreboard ticked over at a much slower rate than UEA basketball fans were used to, but the home side maintained parity until the middle of the first quarter. Then, beh ind a surge of scoring from Brutner, Brookes edged out to a 24-10 lead midway through the second period. The Panthers rallied to within six at half-time with the help of numerous trips to the free throw line, then continued to close the gap in the third quarter. Entering the final period, Brookes held the slimmest of advantages, at 44-43 . The scores were twice even, at 47-47 and 54-54. Brookes then went on a five-point run to gain the gamewinning lead, but Shogbeni made a driving lay-up and a free throw to narrow the gap back to two . After Pai missed two free throws with 3.4 seconds left on the clock, however, the Panthers were unable to make
the final possession count before time ran out. UEA leant heavily on the scoring of forward Shogbeni, who finished with 20 points . Guards Ed EwartSanchez (16) and Dan Khomba (12) were also effective at the offensive end, Ewart-Sanchez terrorising
the Brookes defence with his ball control and Khomba hitting three three -pointers during the game. The Panthers will take plenty of positives from this game. Coach Fraser-Barker's favoured 'figureof-eight' offensive strategy proved very effective at times, and the team
showed plenty of heart in battling back from a big early deficit. With a long BUCS season still ahead of them, there is every chance t hat this squad can prove to be very successful indeed. Only time will tell .
Can England finally banish their World Cup demons? Harry Low England have cause for optimism following their recent qualification for the World Cup next year. Many suggested that our recent emphatic win over 'Croatia was evidence that we would go all the way in South Africa . Fans would do well to remember, though, that England beat Moldova 4-0 in our penultimate qua lifying group game before the World Cup in 1998, thrashed Germany S-1 with two games to go in 2002 and , in 2005, brushed aside Northern Ireland in qualifying on our way to Germany the following year, yet on each occasion we failed to progress any further than the quarter-final despite these convincing victories. So what reasons do we have to believe that 2010 will be our year? Firstly, we have a manager who has a no-nonsense approach. There are those who will say that England had an easy group, but the fact remains that you can only play the games put in front of you and, in this respect, we have passed with flying colours .
At long last we have all of our best players performing as well in the national shirt as they do for their clubs . Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard appear able to work well alongside one another in the same midfield, while striker Way ne Rooney has nine goals in qualifying; all have managed to transfer their excellent domestic form to the national team .
"There is still time for players such as Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and, dare I soy, Michoel Owen to force their way in" There is genuine competition for places and the fact that nobody can name Fabio Capello's favoured starting XI is healthy for the squad as a whole . Unlike in years gone by, in form players will be selected rather than the status quo maintained .
There is still time for players such as Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and possibly even M ichael Owen to force their way in. Strength in depth can often be key when it comes to the tournament itself and with the likes of Davi.d Beckham and Jermaine Defoe waiting in the wings, rather than a Nicky Butt or Paul Merson in years gone by, England have a genuine chance. And what of our rivals? European champions Spain are no weaker than when they lifted the trophy in Vienna last summer. They have won all of their games in qualifying, conceding just two goals in the process and Vicente del Bosque will no doubt have his charges fired up and hoping to emulate France by being world, as well as European, champions . Brazil are another main rivals and have shown time and again that they are world beaters. Having scored r;nore goals and conceded fewer than any other team in the South American qualifiers, expect the team ranked number one in the world to arrive in s.outh Africa in good form . it's also worth noting that, at the time of going to print, there are four other sides in front of England
in the FIFA world rankings : Holland, Germany, Russia and Italy. Germany have consistently proven their ab ility to perform on the world stage, while Guus Hiddink has his side well drilled having lost only once in their quest to reach South Africa . Admittedly, Italy pose less of a threat having struggled for form of late but they can boast four World Cup w ins and boss Marcelo Lippi has a wealth of experience to call upon. This writer thinks that we stand
as good a chance of going all the way as we have done in the past decade. However, for all of the hype about this current crop of players, he still remembers that just 22 months ago we failed to make the cut for Euro 2008 . lt is impossible to look past the brilliant Brazil ians, who rarely miss out on the world trophy for more than on e tournament therefore lead ing to another four years of heartache for Fabio's boys .
• •
•
.
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk
ENGLAND Concrete assesses whether Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard et al ~an finally end 44 years of hurt.
BASKETBALL
W AKEBOARDING
Robert Schatten repo rts back on UEA Panthers' narrow loss to the Oxford Brookes team .
Mike Rogers introduces UEA's newest and most exciting sport: Wakeboarding .
(1.,
TENNIS
Concrete catches up with the captain of UEA's Men 's Tennis club, Paul Sandal!.
UEA Rugby breeze past hapless Derby
Athletics open season. in style
Henry Croft
Josh Entwistle
UEA 1st XV - 49
lt wa s a good turnout for U EA on Wednesday for the first East Anglian Cross Country League (EACCL) held at RAF Barnham. With a mixture of familiar faces and freshers, th e UEA team put in an impressive di splay in the men's race
Derby 1st XV - 10
Coming off the back of a stro ng victo ry against Northampton last week, the UEA 1st XV took on Derby 1st XV on Wednesday with due confidence. ._ Indeed, this spirit was evid ent from the outset as UEA kicked off with high energy and conviction. Within minutes they had turned ove r a scrum which led to a penalty kick scored by fly-half Andrew Heathcoate. Thi s was immediately followed by a run of good passing and strong play by the UEA backs as winger Harrison Peacock, displaying his pace and keen eye, shot over the Derby line for an impressive first try. After a so lid start, UEA seemed to stumble for a while and soon conceded a penalty. However, the kick fe ll wide and the impetuous decision "'f the Derby fly-half to take it without waiting for the cone seemed to sum up the clumsy, hesitant and rash nature with which Derby approached the game in the first half. Perhaps a testament to th e imposing play of UEA, Derby seemed nervous as they stumbled and fail ed to convert plays on several occasions. Yet UEA seemed unable to capitalise on this, giving away several penalties to keep Derby in the game and, after a kick and charge, Derby managed to eventua lly cross the lin e -.,_,r an unconverted try. Th is phase proved to be short-lived, however,
with Al ec Be aney, Rich Henderson, Josh Entwist le, Tom Love and Nick Pullen placing 3rd, 4th , 5th, and 27th respectively.
as UEA began to find their feet and dominate the play towards the end of the first half, and, after some strong running by the UEA backs, Heathcote ran a fine angle through the Derby back-line t o cross for a well -deserved try. The beginning of the second half started with an aggressive driving maul by t he UEA forwards which smashed into th e Derby defence like a battering-ram, showcasing the leadersh ip and effe ctive maul set-up of captain Angus Holborn . This type of play, combined with the quick hands
of the UEA scrum-half Simon Portwain led to a penalty kick and, minutes later, after an interception by number 8 Will Pullen, another UEA try. Despite conceding another questionable try to Derby - the line judge had failed to see a Derby player fall into touch as he was tying his shoelaces - UEA began to exhibit a supreme display of confidence and pace, notably in winger Jack Archiba ld, who, after receiving an outstanding pass from the ever-impressive Heathcote, put on a showcase of speed and agi lity to cross the lin e for
UEA's third try. From this point on Derby seemed to become mere bystanders as UEA effo rtle ssly slid into a higher gea r. Two further tries by Scott Golding enforced a Derby burial in the last 15 minutes, sealing what wa s, despite a hesitant patch in the first half, an impressive victory of 49-10. An optimistic team left the pitch and the mood wa s summed-up by Captain Holborn, who praised "a ll the boys for playing well", saying it was a "good start to the seaso n. We hope it carries on."
Ziggurat Volleyball: Combined Economics & NBS schools overcome Law Georgina Wade Often when we hear th e word 'volleyba ll', images of sandy beaches and scantily clad girls come to mind. However, sandy beaches and sunsh ine are hard to come by in the deepest depth s of the Norfolk wi ld ern ess so the UEA Sportspark played host to th e second round of the Ziggurat inter' ~c hool competition.
â&#x20AC;˘
r1:'1
Each school put forward a team consisti ng of three girls and three boys to compete for the chance to earn points and stay in the running for th e 09/10 championship. The Law team got off to an impressive sta rt winning their first match against Chemistry 19-6, and proceeded to win all three of their matches that ensued, finishing second overall. The medics put up a valiant fight,
comi ng fourth overall which leaves them th ird in th e standings after the first two events. However, it would prove to be the day of th e economists teamed w ith the Business School, who took victory, putting th em second in the com petition so far with 276 points; just three points behind Biology who, despite coming third in the vo lleyball overall, find themselves in first place with 279 points.
Rachael Tomes, Assistant Director of Student Sport commented: " lt is refreshing to see so many students come out to represent their school. This competiti on ep itomises good spirit and competitive ness, while getting to know new people and having fun; and all for free I" The Ziggurat competition continues this week with mixed tabl e-tenni s today and th e S-a-side football preliminaries tomorrow.
The ladies were out in full force also, with Sarah Burdett, Lydia Growns and Sarah Kimpton taking 2nd, 3rd and lOth respectively. They were closely follow ed by Heather Fishe r, Hannah Sierra and club president, Emily Neil an. Even with thi s dominating result, the cl ub was disappointed to di scover that the course that had been set was a lot shorter than what th e league standards usually demand - 6km for the women and 10km for the men. This race turned out to be less than 3km for the women and ju st under 6km for th e men. Nevertheless, the team still came away with a promi sing first result of the season. Following on from las t year, it appea rs that the clu b wi ll have another strong season in the EACCL for both the men and women. And, looking further ahead, it will hope to post another strong performance at the prestigious BUCS Cro ss-Co untry Championships in Stirling .