Concrete issue 235 17 11 2009

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ISSUE 235

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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 17th 2009.

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UEA'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

NUS LOBBY 10路 BAN CARNAGE

FREE

UEA TARGETS WESTMINSTER

Controversial pub crawl trouble-free, despite local concerns and more than 1,000 students anending.

National Union of Students lobby government, universities and local authorities to ban 'Carnage'.

Joey Mlllar

nightclub on Prince of Wales Road.

"DRUNKEST I'VE EVER BEENn Over a thousand UEA students descended upon Norwich city centre on the evening of 9th November, taking part in the controversial nationwide pub crawl Carnage.

The National Union of Students (NUS) describe there being "an acute and real danger to students who get caught up with these nights", and have called for local authorities to ban the event. So far only Blackpool and Preston universities have took heed of the NUS' advice and banned the organisation.

The event offers free entry into Norwich nightspots after purchasing a 拢10 Carnage t-shirt before the event. Clubs included Orgasmic, Chicago's Rock Cafe, Mojo's and Essence before finishing at Mercy

The organisation 路 has come under considerable criticism in the media recently. In 2008 a University of Bath student, described as "always smiling" by friends, was found hanging from a tree within yards of a nightclub the morning after the event.

Carnage received more criticism last month after a Sheffield University student was made to appear in court for urinating on a memorial wreath whilst on the pub crawl. Philip Laing, 19, told the court that he was "the drunkest I have ever been" and now faces a potential jail sentence .

Some also see Carnage as an organisation which promotes binge drinking. The

evening in Norwich officially began at 7pm and did not end until 2am. Some even chose to drink beforehand, on campus or in their student flats, resulting in potentially eight or nine hours of alcohol consumption.

These factors have naturally led to a backlash against the organisation . Half of the universities whose students are involved are actively trying to prevent the event, while others - such as UEA, which has refused to advertise the event officially on campus - discourage the event strongly.

STUDENT SUPPORT event's Despite the controversial history, Carnage Norwich passed without major incident, mirroring last year's trouble-free evening.

A policeman told an

Evening News reporter that it had been "a very quiet night," and that "99.9% of students are just here to have a good time." Like last year's event there were no arrests.

Adelaide Hallidily, a 1st year History student, told Concrete that "it was a great night, no trouble or anything, just people enjoying themselves."

Concrete also spoke to a local Norwich resident, Duane Darby, two days after the event who asserted that he had noticed "no damage or mess" the next morning. In fact the only notable incident occurred when two Evening News journalists were refused entry to Mercy nightclub.

Many UEA students have since shown their support for the organisation by joining the "Don't Ban Carnage" Facebook group, reflecting the popularity of the event.

LECTURER FACES PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES Chrls King Julian Myerscough, a respected Criminal Law tutor and UEA lecturer is set to appear in路 court later this month to face charges re!ated to child pornography.

Following an investigation by the Suffolk Constabulary lasting nearly five months, he was charged on November

3rd, having been arrested on June 17th.

Mr. Myerscough is accused of sixteen counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing indecent images. Anne-Marie Breach of Suffolk Constabulary said "We can confirm that Julian Myerscough was charged in relation to indecent images of

children after an investigation

by Suffolk police."

UEA sources did not confirm whether Mr. Myerscough was still working at the university, but spokesperson Annie Ogden said : "As with any criminal investigation, we are giving the police our full co-operation . it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this

time."

Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Mr. Myerscough stated "I will defend myself rigorously with a creditable [sic] non-technical defence."

As well as lecturing in Criminal Law, Myerscough specialises in privacy and human rights legislation.

nny Keillor of students Hundreds from around the country assembled in Westminster on Wednesday 11th November to voice their concerns over the ongoing tuition fees saga .

The latest demonstration was prompted by Lord Mandelson's announcement of the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance on Monday 9th November.

Joining the 300-plus

an eight-strong contingent from Norwich, along with UEA Academic Officer David Sheppard and the Norwich University College of the Arts' Union President with six students."

In co-ordination with the NUS, the demonstrators began leafleting aiming to raise the issue with the public.

Underneath the statue of Winston Churchill the sheer numbers of students could be felt.

CHARLES CLARKE MP TALKS TO CONCRETE ABOUT STUDENT ISSUES ON PAGE 4

2 NEWS CONCERNS OVER DEPOSIT SECURITY continu ing growth in dispute s referred to the scheme.

Gordon Malloy

" This has led to a complete

contents

The

Residenti al

Landlords

Assoc iation- whose members own over 100,000 private rented propertie s throughout the UK - is calling for an independent enquiry into the

review of the business model of The Dispute Service so as to contain the costs of the se disputes. As a re sult, and for the foreseeable future , all adjudications will be done in hou se."

However, Alan Ward ,

NEWS

handling of tenancy deposits.

Demand for the enquiry follows an announcement by

Chairman of the RLA, sa ys

TURF

The Dispute Service (TDS) one of three tenancy deposit

he

FEATURES INTERNATIONAL

with

this

that 80% of its

to take this action , when disputes going to arbitration

Many students gathered to demonstrate with placard s and

become more cost-effective", according to the RLA.

repre se nt less than two per cent of deposits held.

"A second concern is that

chanting. The crowd posed for publicity shots and the voracious mood died , leaving it

we gather from another of the schemes that a large majority

to the Socialist Worker Party to re-ignite the chanting.

against any increase.

SOCIALLY REGRESSIVE

the gathering, either in support

After a 30-minute protest, the whole demonstration headed

of the NUS or in defence of

The move is a re sponse to increasing demand and

LETTERS/EDITORIAL

"puzzled"

external arb itrators will be made redundant " in order to

schemes -

OPINIONS

is

reason . " We are puzzled that The Dispute Service has had

will see all legal di sputes being dealt with in -house rather than through a t ea m of ex t ernal adjudicators. A statement

from

TDS

said

"this action is caused by the

of disputes are settled in favour of tenants - whereas the

schemes

were

widely

promoted by the government as delivering equally even-

TRAVEL WHAT ALCOHOL PROBLEM?

FOOD LIFESTYLE SPORT SABBATICAL OFFICE BREAK-IN Nick Church

NUS campaign was to sign

Lobby of Westminster was unusually filled with hoodies

MPs up to a pledge to oppose any increase in fees, which a

and Converses, with students

number of MPs did .

Higher Education Minister David Lammy, who was

The change has been prompted by an increasing

with

spoke in defence of the review

students, leaving many outside

and in certain MPs' decisions

misuse policy would see any alcohol consumed by employees during " normal working hours" as misconduct,

tendency for businesses and workp laces to estab li sh clearer rul es on drinking, as we ll as banning drinking during work

desperately trying to hear the heated debate.

NUS Presid ent Wes Streeting opened the meeting

to wait for the revi ew to report back before making firm commitments. Howeve r, the

with the possibility disciplinary action.

of

hours.

The draft makes frequ ent

The policy, released to staff in October for cons ultation,

references to this with the aim "to protect the hea lth and sa fety of its employees, studen t s and other visitors".

The draft proposal - which

with a passionate rebut on the timing of th e Brown e Review. Mr Streeting claimed it wa s "a bsolutely outrageous that the people who want us to elect them do not give us a clear view of what affects

on ly certain employees are currently in possession of

us," to much support from the crowd.

Group which represents 20 leading universities, said:

- wa s handed anonymously,

Mr Streeting's 20-minute delivery touched upon all the

"There is a growing consensus that without increased

covers and bans consumption during lunch breaks, field trips, induction eve nts, and celebrations within sc hools,

a burglar caught on Union Hou se security cameras forcing entry into a sa bbatical office on Thursday 12th November.

The Finance and Communication officers' office, situated above the

the lift and then proceeded to force entry by barging and kicking the office door.

Fail ed attempt s were

events, which see staff and stud ents socialising with a

some level of di sgruntlement amongst employees at th e

gene rous amount of wine, beer and soft drinks provided by the

made to steal the larger desktop computers in the office before stealing th e laptop.

University.

proposed plans and wording of the policy.

Proposed despite having

Hive, was entered between 9.05pm and 9.10pm Thursday 12th November, though only

Police crime sce ne investigators searc hed the office for potenti al

one laptop was stol en.

Speaking to Concrete, UUEAS' General Manager, Andy Pott, said the Union cameras show an image of someone brea king into the office, but it is "comp lete ly

fingerprints the following day but were unable to find any.

They are now in the

impossib le to identify" due to

the review. One aspect of the

into Westminster. The Central

Draft proposa ls for a new University alcohol and drugs

within normal working hours.

If passed, it would end the midday fresher induction

process of looking at the university's CCTV in the hope of finding a clearer image of the culprit before entering Union Hou se.

Following Mr Streeting's add ress, various MPs spo ke to

full consideration before any decisions are reached."

the perso n's hooded top .

The burglar was seen on security cameras coming up

Police are on the search for

would be the "start of a hard hitting aggressive campaign"

opting either to lobby their MPs or make their way to the NUS rally.

Parliament's Conference

Nick Church

FOCSOC

MPs were sent a warning from Mr Streeting on behalf of the NUS that Wednesday

Speaking to Summers, Brian

Concrete, Registrar

and Secretary said, "This is a draft proposal which is being considered in consultation with campus Trade Unions and the University's Health and Safety Executive. This is an important issue where many employers have already established clear rule s to avoid any doubts about their policy.

"A ll comments made during the consu ltation will be given

"no

to

Concrete suggesting

precise figures on

the

number of workplace accidents where substance misuse is a factor," the draft offers little explanation for the change.

With underlined paragraphs and notes on the draft handed to Concrete, concern seems to be focused on the precise reason for a change in po licy and ambiguous and potentially arbitrary disciplinary procedures arising from the change .

Room

11

was

filled

major issues relating to tuition fees, particularly his disgust at "the socially regressive" potential of a further increase in fee s.

received notably

with a polite but passive welcome,

first MP to sign the pl edge, Lib Dem Evan Harris, desc ribed the timin g of th e review as a "stitch -up which prevents choice."

Supporting MP Lammy's argument, Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell

investment, there is a real danger that the success of ou r world-leading universities will not be sustained."

The NUS pledge obtained the signatures of various big political names, such as Charles Kennedy, Diane Abbott, Simon Hughes and Jon Cruddas.

The event on Wednesday highlighted th e student voice, and the NUS urge all eligible students to register for the coming General El ection.

In Mr Streeting's words "a ny MP who doesn't sign up to the NUS pledge shouldn't expect to receive any student votes."

NEWS 3

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

''Should the government ban the Carnage pub crawl?'' asks Gareth Coventry

"I do not think that the government should ban Carnage. Last year's Norwich Carnage event was covered in the local newspaper as a success and passed off without major incident.

"Carnage should be properly monitored by the police rather than banned; last year the police took away our drinks in the street but they did not seem to mind our cheeky banter and were good-natured toward us. Personally, I do not think Carnage itself is a waste of money."

"Not really, but obviously there needs to be some small measures to deal with drunkenness but it is still a laugh really. There is not much difference from an ordinary night out. I think it is worth the £10; on a Saturday it will cost you that much to get in some places so why not? '/\!though it might temporarily damage community relations, Carnage is not a regular event and people need to realise that this is a student area and that things like this are gonna happen."

"I don't think so no. I think the student lifestyle is based mainly around the idea of socialising and drinking is a part of that.

"Some more regulation might not go amiss on this because I am aware it causes some trouble for the locals.

"But really at the end of the day on Prince of Wales Road there are many bars anyway and there is always going to be trouble around there. I can't really see the harm and at the end of the day alcohol is a taxed drug."

"I think Carnage is a good way for freshers to meet and mingle; it's great for connecting you with people for future life. it might "Although damage relationships with the outside community and the University, I think it builds a stronger community within the University as people get to know each other. Although I think it is worth the price, the company behind Carnage do rip you off with the high pricing of the t-shirts and the drinks prices kept high."

UEA CLIMATE

CH~NGE

Nick Church Plans for UEA staff and students to hold a 'teach-in' on Tuesday 1st December, addressing all things relating to climate change.

Organised UEA by students, the event would be an educational forum in which lecturers, Union staff and students would teach and raise awareness on issues to do with climate change, from the science to the politics.

Speaking to Concrete, UUEAS' Environmental Officer, Leejiah Dorward, outlined a range of events for the day.

Climate change is to be linked to lectures from all schools, with lecturers linking the theme to whatever topic they teach on.

UUEAS' will provide support through awarenessraiSing programs, whilst hopefully holding debates and film screenings concerning global politics and climate change.

The teach-in plans come at a time when issues

TEACH-IN

surrounding climate change will be under intense media scrutiny with the UN Climate Copenhagen Conference beginning December 7th.

UEA has a strong reputation concerning climate change science with the hugely influential Climatic Research Unit, wh1ch provides numerous data sets to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a number of scientists leaders of their field.

One of these, Mike Hulme, author of the acclaimed book Why we disagree about climate change, suggests there is still much to discuss concerning environmental policy. He seeks to downplay the "extremely high expectations" of the Copenhagen conference.

"What we've done with climate change", he said to Reuters press, "is to attach so many pressing environmental concerns to the climate change agenda that trying to secure a negotiated multilateral agreement between 190 nations is actually beyond the reach of what we can achieve."

CLIMATE CHANGE CAMPAIGN TALK RESPECTED SPEAKERS URGE FOR MORE RADICAL ACTION BEFORE COPENHAGEN TALKS. CLIMATE SCIE NTISTS SPEAK OF GREAT "THREAT" TO NORFOLK.

Tasha Percy On Wednesday 11th November a public meeting was held at Norwich's United Reform Church to warn against the dangers Norfolk and the world face if climate change continues at the same rate.

This meeting was held in anticipation of the United Nations Climate talks in Copenhagen this December.

Campaigners present included Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Christian Aid and Transition Norwich.

The three speakers were Professor Kevin Anderson, Ann Pettifor and Phil Thornhill, with each speaker focusing on a different aspect of climate change. Prof. Anderson, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, focused on numbers to express the dangers of our current and future climate, Ms. Pettifor explained how we can change to a low-carbon economy, and Mr. Thornhill conveyed

the emergency of the situation we are facing.

UEA is the main partner with the Tyndall Centre and one of its six core partners, which includes the Universities· of Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Sussex, Southampton and Sussex. Kevin Anderson is an internationally renowned climate scientist and director of the Tyndall Centre.

TOO OPTIM ISTIC Professor Anderson focused on global temperature, which he said should be at 2•c, and to achieve such in the northern hemisphere there would need to be vast reductions in carbon dioxide emissions (C0 2 ) by 2050.

For the UK this would need to be around 80%, but Professor Anderson warned this is misleading because C0 2 stays in the atmosphere for 100 years, therefore "cumulative emissions are the only thing that matters".

He continued, saying we need to be more radical and focus more on short term than long term, and do

this by shifting to a "low carbon diet and agricultural production", two major influences on C0 2 emissions.

Ms. Pettifor is co-author of The Green New Deal and was formerly head of Jubilee 2000 'Drop the Debt' campaign. Ms. Pettifor argued people should "be asking for more radical action... the people lead and the leaders follow" and demanding a 90% decrease of C0 2 emissions by 2030, and greater regulation of power stations.

Continuing, she says the current flaw is we have "divorced one bit of the problem from another;" global crisis from the financial economic crisis. "Economists do not understand how the financial system works, it is terrifying ... scientists seem to have a grasp of their field ... I am on a mission to explain money."

Mr. Thornhill is a national convenor of Campaign Against Climate Change.

He instantly made it clear that he thought the two previous talkers were "a bit optimistic" and that we need to realise "climate change is something

. .....----:;;:: '

we are in a deadly race against." He believes we do not realise how dire the circumstances are because of the delay between scientists' reports being printed by IPCC and politicians taking note.

He has initiated 'Climate Emergency Campaign': "we need concrete measures that look and smell like emergency measures so people get it." These measures demand, among others, to ban domestic flights, SSmph speed limit, and declaration of a Climate Emergency, and one million Green Jobs by 2010.

This campaign has the support of 41 MPs. Mr. Thornhill concluded with nthe threat gets bigger from now on in, it's not just Copenhagen, it's a mountain to climb and we need to start climbing it now!"

Norwich is holding a Climate March on Saturday 21st November at 12 noon from Chapelfield Gardens, and there will be events held at UEA on Tuesday 1st December.

Coaches will also be leaving UEA on Saturday 5th December, helping UEA students join the NUS organised climate change demonstration - the "Wave"- in London.

4 NEWS

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

VC HEARS STUDENTS Q&A WITH CHARLES CLARKE MP people who we re doing work and so t hey were more likely to annoy people tha n to get Over 80 students protested people onside. And also, apart across campus on Thursday from making a lot of noise 12th November against outside the Registry, I wa sn't enti rely sure what it was mea nt pote ntial increases in tuition fees. to achieve."

Beginn ing in t he Hive, th e The 'fl ash mob' was prompted after the group - armed with drum s, tins, spatulas and coco nut govern ment in iti ated an shells - travelled by the library, independent review to look t he ARTS build ing, the Square at t he way th e country's universiti es should be funded . and finally the Registry where UEA Vice-Chancellor Edward With significant concern over Acton's office is located . the composition of th e review Natasha Barnes, UUEAS' panel, and perceived bias Com munication Office r said, towards big business, ma ny "There is a real danger th at student leaders are calling t he recently annou nced tuiti on for vice-chancellors to "come clean on fees" and state their fees review will pave the way positi on on pote ntia l increa ses fo r higher fees. This must not in tuition fees. be allowed to happen and Since becoming Vicestudents will not be si lenced Chancellor, Edward on this issue. The action Acton has remained ambiguous on , on Thursday was all about his exact position conce rn ing demonstrating how strong tuition fees. st udent feeling is."

Speaking to Concrete M artin Jopp, UUEAS' Finance Officer, expressed his after the demonstration, he satisfaction at t he number of sa id: "My coll eagues and I are students involved and noted it committed to ensuring a high was th e biggest demo nstrati on quality st udent experience, 2004, before t he improving the staff-stud ent since co ntroversial rise in tuiti on fees ratio and maintai ning excellent was implemented. teaching and faciliti es. Viewing But not all were as the matter internationally, this impressed with the protest. is the moment for Britain to Charlotte Kennet, a third year drive up qua lity even further.

History student, questioned To do th is, we have to secu re the protest's tactics . " I t hought adequate f unding. it was distracti ng fo r t hose "We loo k fo rward to the independent review, which an opportunity prese nts to analyse the challenges th e sector faces and t he fo r st udent im plications an d financing, support ·widening participation."

Nick Church

In 2004 Charles Clarke, Labour MP for Norwich South and former cabinet Home and Education Secretary, oversaw legislation introducing top-up fees.

Concrete talks to the MP about the current policy, the review timing, student debt, and the Conservatives.

What effect have tuition fees had si nce the policy's introduction?

The introduction of tuition fees, comb ined with increa sed governme nt funding support, has increased un iversity resource s and quality, including at UEA. In many universities, including UEA, it has increased the University's responsiveness t o desires, student need s and t hough that hasn't happened everywhere . Removing the upfront fee payment, which we did in 2004, and re-introd ucing maintenance grants for some, combined w ith university bursaries, has increased the number of t hose f rom the poorest backgrounds going to un ivers ity.

Obviou sly, it would be wonde rful if th e good th ings in life, like university education, could drop free from the worl d sky. But in t he real everything has to be paid for.

The iss ue is w ho pays and who benefits .

Is the review a 'cosy stitch-up' for parties to avoid the issue before th e general election? it's not a 'cosy sti tch-up', but it is an agreement bet ween th e pol itical parties to put off the issue until after the election, as happened in 1997.

The review wa s agreed in the legislation I took through

Parl ia ment, sin ce most people agreed that there would need to be a good look at al l aspects of the way in which the system operates- not only at the level of the fee. I think that will happen .

Are·student int erests being compromised in favour of business and university priorities?

The NUS should have been invited to have a representative on the review panel. All interests need to be involved . In fact I' m su re that they will be as all will put fo rward t heir po ints of view.

None is backward in coming forward.

Is potential debt, as well as interest rates on loans, a valid case for opposing the removal of the cap on fees?

Debt, or potential debt, is certa inly an importa nt issue. I think that the current arrangements, whereby repayments don't start unless you ea rn at least £15,000 a year, is fair.

I th ink t hat students would be more ju stified in comp laining about the level of mai ntena nce grant/loa n since I th ink that there's some evidence that it's very tight indeed, particularly given rent levels. That ,mean s th at students are under pressure

to borrow commercial ly, wh ich is whe re the really expensive debt comes in.

I'd also be maki ng the case for reducing, or even en ding, the parenta l co ntrib uti on.

Students should ideally . be treated as f ully ind epe nd ent from the age of 18.

The leve l of gra duate debt (particularly for repaying fee s) will certainl y be a factor in considering the level of the cap for fee s.

Do you feel that potential cap-less tuition fees will deter those that you w ish to encourage the most?

No. I don't think that fe e leve ls is t he biggest iss ue.

Family, community and school as pirations and expectation s, school quality, and university conservatism and convention are far bigger factors. I think that the current system dea ls with potential econom ic disin centives very w ell.

The NUS has released a blueprint advocating a varying graduate t ax to fund tuition fees. Is a system of higher education as free on the point of delivery unrealistic?

Many aspects of education are free at t he point of de livery.

However it is not free for un der-Ss, for some aspects of extended school education, for

some skills qua lifications post16 and fo r most p os~ra du ate and adult education.

For unde rgraduat es it is free at the time you experience it, but you have to pay back unless you don't earn well later. Mu ch of it is pa id by the general taxpayer whether or not t hey've had post-school education, or have children .

Nothing is free. Everything has to be paid for by a combination of the taxpayer and the specific beneficia ry.

I th ink that the balance is in t he right ball pa rk now, th ough I'm sure th at it will continue changi ng.

What, if anything, distinguishes labour's fees policy f rom the Conservative's policy?

I don' t know what Conservati ve policy is. In t he past it's mostly been made up of oppo sing wh atever La bour does.

Labour is co mmitted to continuing to ex pand university education, to changing and modernising it, to improving th e relationship between education and work and to giving priority to measures to encou rage st udents from poorer economic backgrounds to go to un iversity, I th ink th e Conservatives oppose most of t hat .

NUS CONDEMNS REVIEW AS A CROSS-PARTY ''STITCH-UP'' Mark Shead Sin ce Monday 9th November, the government has been reviewing how higher education will be funded, including a review of wh ether co sts wil l be high er or lower for students.

The report is due back after th e upcoming General El ection, which is th e cru x of con tenti on for many stud ent leaders and trade unions, with allegations of a cross-party "stitch -up" against students.

An NUS

campa ign - "Come Clean on Fees" - addresses exactly this conce rn, cal ling for all MPs to make their stance known and urging them to support the NUS by pledging to vote against an increa se in fees.

A number of bu sin esses and universi ty vi ce-ch ancellors are ho pi ng for a rise in t uition fees; in some ca ses aiming for th em to be as high as £7,000 .

This would more th an double t he current limit of £3,225 a year.

This is in spite of an NUS

survey, whe re 88% of those any questioned opposed con sideration of a ri se in fees.

And it is not just students who are opposed. According to a YouGov pol l of 2,152 people, half of th ose questi oned felt that the governm ent shou ld co nsider abolishi ng tuiti on fees altogeth er.

Sally Hunt, ge nera l secretary of th e University and Coll ege Union, has sa id to th e BBC: "The NUS find ings back up our recent poll that showed just how unpopular raising

university fee s would be with the general pub lic ." " Th ere is littl e doubt in my view that a high er fees policy would cost a party valuabl e vote s at th e ba llot box."

Despite thi s importance to th e electorate, tuiti on fees still only dra w awkward mumbl es from th e two ma in parti es.

Aft er consultin g th e Labour Party website, you will discover th at university attendance is high and that new universities are to be bui lt, but discussion of tuition fee s is not so easy to

find .

The same applies for t he Conservative Party. In one of David Cameron's 'Came ron Direct ' party broadcasts from earli er thi s yea r, Mr Ca meron was as ked about a rise in tuiti on fe es, to which he replied "th e tuiti on fees and top-up fees will stay, we won't be getting ri d of th em".

Even th e Lib Dems' leader Nick Clegg sa id during their election conference last month t he party needs to be "rea listic over their most popular

policy. While promising the " most progressive package for students of any mainstream party," he sa id, " End ing tuition fees would cost billions of pound s every yea r. We need to be certain we ca n afford it before we make any promises."

Howeve r, th ere may be hope yet beyond t he 'Big Three'. The Green Party, in one of its wid ely distributed leafl ets aroun d th e University, states th at " Th e Green Party proposes abolishing fees and bringing back student grants".

Prof. Edward Acton V1c -C hancellor' s Office U n1v rsity of Ea st Ar"lglia N rwrch NR4 7T)

Jn pho ~

F

X

o

01603 2')0144

www.ueastud nt.c.om

Dear Vice-Chancellor,

As you may know, the government has launched its review of tuition fees . This revjew was promised when the current system was passed by Parliament in 2004 to en sure that the extra money generated by top-up fees was makigg students' lives better.

The current fee system was supposed to improve the student experience and widen access to university to those from low-income backgrounds. In the opinion of our members- the students of UEA- this system has failed to adequately deliver these improvements. We therefore welcome this review.

However, as we all know, this review could lead to a substantial increase in tuition fees . The effects of the last fee increase are uncertain. Firstly, there are concerns about how the current system has helped to further the widening.participation agenda . There are also worries about the impact that a rise in the number of students with part-time jobs has had on learning. In the current financial climate, we believe it would be irresponsible to increase the financial burden on students.

As our Vice-Chancellor, you will be the voice of the University of East Anglia when the review panel asks us what we think You speak on behalf of the entire University, of which we are all members. UEA students deserve an input into what you will say, but more fundamentally, we deserve to know what you will say if asked .

We look forward to hearing your position at the earliest possible opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

David Sheppard Academic Officer

Natasha Barnes Communications Officer

Martin Jopp Finance Officer

Thomas Sutton Welfare Officer

1

6 NEWS LECTURER C HARGED

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

RIVER YALE C LEAN-UP VIVA AVIVA AND UEA READ BOOK Matthew Butt

informed Concrete, rece ntly caught

In addition to this he is a writer and record composer for Edwardian music hall and dance ban ds, and has previously contributed to BBC Rad io 4.

The hearing has been sc heduled to take place on November 17th at East Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Ipswich.

ECONOMICS RANKING Economics at UEA has been ranked among the bes t in Europe in a survey by th e Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE).

Outstanding achievement in citatio ns and publication s

UEA students recently joined with Norwich Council and th e

and

devoured.

nationwide cam paig n Keep Britain Tidy in an effort to improve the river Yare.

Th e actua l job of maintaining

Running through Earlham Park, the river is a popul ar spot for students and

the river itsel f was only one of th e aim s of th e day, howeve r.

Paul Holly, a council

town sfolk alike.

At the valiantly

representative, admitted that " re ce ntly heavy rainfall has

early

hour of lOam on Wednesday 11th November several UEA vo lu nteers, many whom were members

of of

the Conservation Society, met with members of the council and various other envi ronmental gro ups to wo!J< through the day clearing litter and improving the general state of the river.

RECRUITMENT DRIVE

helped wash most blockages away, and litter is less of a problem in the winter than the su mm er".

Rather, the primary ai m for the day was a sort of rec ruitm ent drive to set up a 'F ri ends Group' who wou ld work together to pre se rve the riv er in future.

As much as being a practical task, the day was a

ea rn ed UEA a place in the Excel lence Group for

di splay of community spirit.

Bert Bremner, loca l

economics.

Prof Danie l Zizzo, head of the School of Economics at UEA, said: "We are de lighted to have achieved Excellence Group status in the CHE Exce llence Ranking 2009. We are among the top six UK

councillor, saw nothing new in the cooperation between students and non -student locals: "If you ask me whether

economics departments in the survey in term s of th e number of top pla cements in the survey indi ca tors.

Specifically, we had top placements for publications, citati ons, internationa l staff

Th e aim wa s to both preserve the natural beauty of the area and to reduce harm to local w ildlife, including kingfishers, heron s, and otters: otters which, as Carl Phillips of the U EA

Conservation

actu aries will be involved in teaching students and advising

A highly rega rded statisti cian has joined the UEA School of

on the cou rse structure.

The UEA Volunte ers Society is to hold a raffi e in aid of the

Professor Kulin skaya said: " I am excited with my move

READ Book Project Norwich, which hopes to raise ÂŁ7,5 00

to UEA and the opportun ity to pl ay a strategic role in th e developm ent of research

to help trans port 25,000 tex tb ooks to Tanzan ian secondary schoo ls, as well as

the Statistical Advisory service at Imperial Co llege London, will take up the post in M arch

strengths in statistics across the University " Th e role is especia lly

ienovating a library.

The raffie

2010.

Professor Kulinskaya has held posts at universities

attractive to me due to its opportunites for involvement w ith Aviva"

across the UK, Australia and Russia . The newly-created

Actuarial

position has been formed to ex plore the sta ti stica l nature of risk, which is crucia l in helping

accreditation from the Insti tut e of Actuaries earl ier this month. This accreditation

Project Communi cations Intern for the READ Book

the in surance business opera te effectively.

Statistical analysis of risk is used by insurance companies

gives student s the opport unity to gain exemptions from seven of the eight core technical subjects in th eir professional

Project, said: "The idea is that th e winner of the raffi e should be ab le t o live free for a week on t heir prizes, all of which

to ca lculate each individual customer's insurance premium by determining factors which

examinations .

have been donated by loca l bu sinesses, and are worth

the

head of a large ca rp, mu ch to the chagrin of local anglers.

th ere wa s hostility between students and non-students in Norwi ch I'd say abso lutely not" The clean -up was an example of thi s, and no doubt th e River Yare is thankful.

Society

Computing Sciences as the Aviva Chair in Stati stics.

Profe ssor Elena Kul inskaya who is th e founding director of

The

innovative Sciences

BSc

in

received

The creation of this new role will see greater links forged between Aviva, previou sly known as Norwich Union, and the University.

students to work harder.

NUS vice-president, Aaron Porter, said Barry Sheerman is "out of touch" with students.

November.

Speaking Harriet

to

Corbett,

Concrete, PR and

which is also taught in Engli sh."

READ co ll ection boxes

As well as sponsoring Professor Kulinskaya, Aviva is supporting UEA's new BSc

have al so been placed around ca mpu s for stud ents or UEA

in

st aff

Acturial

Sciences.

Aviva

GUY FAWKES HAUNTS SPARKS IN THE PARK

to

donate

unwanted

textbook s.

Some of th e businesses that have helped in the fundraising are Staples, Waterstones Kit Aid and DHL. Raffie llckets will be sold in the Hive throughout Week 10.

THOMAS PAINE Two take

free events place on

are to camp us

commemorating 200 years since Th omas Paine's dea th .

Friday 20th November, 7.30pm -9.00pm, will see a

MP Barry Sheerman, the veteran chair of the Commons

moment work hard enough", and called for ministers to force

th e winner being announced in the LCR o n the night of 28th

ship the most re levant, up-to date ones, to Tanzania where t hey fo llow a sim il ar syll abus

ARE STUDENTS LAZY?

The Labour backbencher, spea king in the Commons, sa id many stud ents "don't at thi s

offers

participants with the chance to "Live Free for a Week" with

several hundred pounds."

"We collect second hand textbooks from secondary schools throughout East Anglia, sort through them and

may affect them, for example the likelihood of their hou se being at ri sk of nooding.

and international doctorates."

More than 140 HE institutions were considered for the 2009 ranking.

The results can be found at www.zeit.de/exce ll ence ranking.

Education Select Committee, said too many studen ts gain degrees despite being unable to speak and write English properly.

PROJECT

Lucy Moore

R Thi s year's Sparks in the Park event in Earl ham Park proved to be a great success with 20,000 peop le attending th e event on Saturday 8th November.

The event also saw UEA's Anarchist Society put on their own di splay. Three hooded

figures wearing 'ASoc' jumpers

two day care centres in th e

were witnessed setting alight a model Parli ament outside the park's entrance.

Speaking to Concrete, th e Anarchj st Society said this was in protest over th e government cuts of ÂŁ15 million from the Adult Social Services budget, which has resulted in the potential closure of

Norwich area. Burning a model Parliament allowed th e group to express discontent towards the governmental system .

El sewhere, the atmosphere was lively and upbeat, with a live music stage and fairground.

The firework s th emse lves were impressive and set to music.

Huntingdon -based Kimbolton

Fireworks constructed the show's two displays, which together fea tured 2, 000 individu al fireworks.

Roundtabl e on Thom as Pain e held with numerous speakers from UEA and The Thoma s Pain e Society.

Friday 27th November from 7.00pm will see th e

Third year Math ~ stude nt Hannah Doran gave he r view

Pain e Society Thomas Lecture with speake r Tariq

on the display: " I thought th e fireworks were brilli ant this yea r, and th e way they timed them to the music was really good."

Ali discussing Politic s and Religion in Pain e's works.

Ticket s are free but booking is advisable. To book ca ll 01603 592130 .

FREE ENTRY All NIGHT

8 TURF TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

The right to a peaceful protest?

Tim Marsh reports on the Radcliffe-on-Soar climate protest and questions police crowd-control tactics.

17th October 2009 saw a thousan d activists swoo p onto Radcliffe-on -Soar's coal -fired power station in protest aga in st runaway climate change.

Activists demanded that E.ON, the ene rgy giant, stop burning coal and invest in renewable energy. The Radcliffe stati on is the third largest direct emitter of C0 7 emissions in the UK, w ith 9.9 mil lion ton s emitted every yea r.

Climate Camp is a loose organisation that, in previous years, has initi ated direct action such as a demonstration at Heathrow in 2007. Radcliffe-

on-Soar's coa l-fired power station was chosen as th e target for direct action through an online poll, due to its ce ntral location and E.ON's bad environm enta l record.

As a resuit of numero us fences aroun d the station being breached, and the issue of cl imate cha nge ri sing aga in on the media's agen da, the 24-hour prote st was hai led as a "massive success" by th e organisers. The protest started off with a carnival-like feel with everyone in high spirits chanting and waving banners.

Whil e th ese high spirits we re

not completely dim inis hed by the end on Sunda~ th ey had certa inly been dampened due to the action taken by th e police .

There were 53 arrests over th e co urse of th e weekend and, likeG 20, it isan othercasewhe re the police have used agg re ssive tactics during the event. Dogs were used to intimidate and attack protesters. Whi le one policeman was airlifted to hospital with hea d injuries there were many more activists with dog-bite wounds and other injuries; one man wa s hospitalised after col laps ing as

a re sult of clas hes with police.

Leejah Doorward, UUEAS' Environme ntal Officer was one of tho se bitten by dogs.

He exp lained thi s incident to Concrete: " [I was] told to move by one of th e dog handl ers, number 36, and that if I didn't move the dog would bite me ...

He continued to threaten me th at if I did not move I would get bitten . As I co ntinu ed to argue [that police] threatening vio lence was physica l unacceptable the dog jumped up and bit my upper arm, above the elbow." He went on to explain he was bitten

another time speaking to a legal advi so r, and witnessed two other protestors being bitten.

Linda McCarthy, Chief Inspector of Nottingh amshire police, said th e dog bites were " regrettable" but necessary to control the reckless behaviour.

This was not th e case. Police used the dogs to intimidate protesters, many of whom were not brea kin g the law.

Civil disobedience is often an effective form of protest and it is und erstood th ese people risk arrest but there needs to be a higher respect for peaceful demonstrators.

Police tactics at protests need reviewing and an independent body shou ld be called to oversee this. Time and time aga in the question is brought up: who polices the police?

Climate flash mob in city centre Large-scale farming crucial Previously in Concrete, Miha Klement considered the 'Organic myth'. Philip Richardson responds by reporting on the importance of commercial farming when considering growth in the global population.

An underwater themed cl im ate flash mob was held at Gentleman's Walk on the 24th October in conjunction with the 350.org campaign's International Day of Clim ate Action. 350.org is a global grassroots ca mpaign whi ch ai ms to build a movemen t to unite th e world around solutions to stop the climate crisis. Its message to our world lea ders is clear: " the so lutions to climate change must be equitable, they mu st be gro und ed in science, and they must meet th e sca le of th e crisis."

Gentleman's Walk saw UEA student s and people from various Norwichbased green groups takin g part. The participants wore a variety of underwaterthemed paraphernalia such as swimm ing costumes, snorkel s, flippers and gogg les. For approximate ly three minutes, th ey stood together goodnaturedly with a large "350" banner and handmade signs

indicating sea-level rise by the year 2100.

At the sa me time, thousands of people in 181 countries took part in 5200 events, making 24th October 2009 the most widespread day of environmenta l action in history, as reported on CNN. So far, more than 19,000 photos have been submitted to 350.org.

Some of the participants later posed for photograph s to aid th e UEA-born Soggy Norwich campaign, which intends to compi le the se photographs and send them to local and national government and media in an attempt to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change.

About 20 miles from the English coastlin e, Norwich reali stically be may not underwater 路 by 2100 as shown on the nash-mobbers' cardboard signs. However, th e rea lity is that the Greenland ice sheet is melting fa ster than predicted. If Greenland

vanishes completely, the sea leve l will rise global ly by approximately 5 or 6 metres, wh ich would be catastrophic, as one metre alon e would swa ll ow small insular nations as well as current coast lin es.

Two islands th at make up the Kiribati (a Pacific island nation) have already gone under th e waves . Eve ntua lly, cities like London, Bangkok and New York will end up below sea leve l, displacing millions of peop le and devastating econom ies.

On Saturd ay 5th December 2009, the Stop Clim ate Chaos Coalition is orga ni sing the UK's biggest ever cl imate cha nge march: The Wave; which will take place in London with more than 100 organisa tion s and 11 million sup porters. One of the things you definitely have to take part in during your student life is a protest. If th ere was eve r a time to take part in a march , here it is.

Mag Tan

The articl e by Miha Klement gave a general ly balanced view on organic food, but ended with a 'dig' at co nventional and large-sca le farming. There is a wid espread view that farming is somehow different from other indust ri es and should not be profit-driven, and that small-sca le organic farming (without th e chemicals used by commercial farmers) wi ll somehow feed the world . Thi s is a dangerous myth perpetuated by those with full bellies and adequate resources.

Looking forward over the next 30 years, world population is set to in crease from six to nin e billion . Climate change and an increasing demand for better diets from people in developing economies will put enormous strain on our capacity to feed ourselves .

Anot her 'g reen revolution' is needed, but this time constrained by our greater knowledge of th e environmental damage that can re sult.

Organic agriculture works

Turf Diary Countdown to Copenhagen

on th e principle of allowing nature time to replace the soi l nutrients removed by crops and animals through crop rotation and return of animal manures.

Th is system lim its the amo unt of food that can be removed for con sumption to th e ra te at which th e nutrients removed can be replaced . When th e total amo unt of land is limited and when demand rises beyond th e natural capability of that lan d, the alternative to starvation is to add replacement nutrients from elsewhere. That is what conventional agricultural systems do.

Many of th ose efficiencies cu rrently rel y on pest and disease con trol to increase yields. We seem content to use man ufactured chem ica ls for cosmetics, medicina l purposes, hou sehold cleanliness and clothing, but somehow rega rd as siniste r chemicals used to help our food crops grow. The safeguards to ensure human ;;afety of thes e products are no less than for the myriad of

other chemicals that our bodies regularly come across.

The danger of the 'organic myth' is that it slows progress to the goal of feeding the world as sustainably as possible. Although some GM techn ology offering pest or disease resistance to crops would seem the answer to an organic farmer 's prayer, the dogma persists that this technology is beyond th e pale.

Other technologies to enhance yield, but which do not quite fit the pre-conceived ideas of th e organic movement, are condemned as unsa fe or against nature. There is much in organic technique of good soil management which should already be in the armoury of conventional farmers. Good farming of any kind implies good steward ship of the land and a long-term perspective.

Wider ap prec iatio n of this fa ct might take out some of the unnecessary dogmati sm that bedevi ls the activists on either side of the organic debate.

21st November- Norwich Climate March.

Assemble at Chapelfield Gardens 12noon t o march through Norwich to the Forum.

5th December - ' The Wave ~ Join ten s of thousands of demon strators to march through London to send a visual message to our governme nt. UEA is sending a coach down and tickets will be路 available from th e box office soo n.

6th - 18th December - Climate Summit in Copenhagen.

Whether or not you ca n afford to travel to Copenhagen, be sure to follow its outcomes.

10 COMMENT AND OPINION

concrete.oplnlon uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

Police prejudice against protestors Protests have appeared in the news recently, but what goes on behind the scenes? David Churchill looks at the criminalisation of protestors and the rise of the term "domestic extremists".

A cultural crisi s has emerged over peaceful protesting . lt has ari sen from a palpable political vice which currently exists surrounding the issue of climate change protests draconian policing. lt is on the rise and it undermines democracy.

Earlier this month, the Guardian revealed details of a police scheme which pilfers the public purse annually by 拢9m. Th e scheme co nstruct s a compen dium on thousands of activist s who attend protest s and political meetings, which is held on a national data base . Al t hough t he police admit that most of the people on the data base are innocent , they have branded these individuals so-ca ll ed potential "domestic extremists", and use this to justify retaining their data.

When the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, wa s asked about

the legitimacy of such a term (a s it has no legal basis), his reply was nothing short of the megalomaniac myopia that is so quintessential of this decaying Labour gove rn ment : " If th e pol ice want to use that as a term, I certa in ly wou ldn't fal l t o the floor clutching my box of Kleenex ".

Well Mr. Johnson, I pe rsona lly have major issues with this arbitrary nomenclatu re.

The prejudicial connotations associated wi th t he word "extrem ism" can ' t be ignored, and doesn' t do j ustice to ma ny of the nob le causes which activists are campaigning about. Effectively, the Home Office and police are endorsing the criminali sation of political dissenters.

This can only undermine democracy. lt underpins much of the proof which shows th e police now have the power to make judicial decisions.

Arbitrarily branding these protesters as criminals far exceeds the role of the po lice wi th in a functional democracy. lt contradicts one of the checks wh ich are fu ndamental to our

"The police hove been handing out judicial punishments like the gove rnment hands out cosh to banks ." justice system: the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

I had the same issue with ASBOs when they were introduced under the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. The police did not have to prove anti social behaviour beyond reasonable

doubt in orde r to issue them. This is a complete usurpation of our court syste m. Most "offenders" never even reached court. What ever happened to the right to a fair t rial by yo ur pee rs, a right that has been enshrined in our constitution since the thirteenth century? The police have been handi ng out judicia l pu nis hments like the government hands out ca sh to banks. lt is the same sad saga with climate change activists . Many climate change activists have been arrested and detained before turning up to protests . Chris Kitchen, a 31-year-old office worker, has been prevented from travelling to Cope nhage n to take part in proceedings around th e UN climate talks in December, on grounds that Orwell would have thought amo unted to not hing more t han "thought crime". Many other non -

violent prot esters have been ban ned from going near power stations or t rave lling to certai n loca ti ons w ithou t even being charged for any offence.

UEA students will be interested to know that the se issues affect us close to home. Yes, we have "domestic extremists" here at the UEA! I interviewed a few of them.

They attended the demonstration at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, amongst many others, and have been " kettled," forced to have their photo taken ; one of them was even bitten by a police dog. But there was noth ing extreme about t hese peop le or their views.

Then it dawned on me. Their ideas are repressed because they pose a threat to the grand sch eme of things. By brand ing t hese people "extremi st s", their views are sidelined and the th reat is eliminated . Th reats to t he establishment are always repressed.

Should the government have sacked their chief drugs adviser?

Fact box Gar th Cov ntry Professor Nutt was sacked as the Chair of the Adv isory Committee on the Mi su se of Drugs, ACM D, for criti cising the government's dec ision to reclass ify cannabis from a Class C to a Class B drug. The government's code of practice for ACMD, which was last updated in 2007 , clearly state s that the task of formulating policy is essential ly one for government. Profe ssor Nutt knowingly cro ssed a line when he criticised the decision and helped, intentionally or not, to unde rmine the government's attempt at a clear and consistent message on drugs.

This is not the first time Profe ss or Nutt has ca used controversy for the government; in Janu ary this year he w rote an art ic le abou t risks in society in which he compared t he risk of using ecstasy to that of horse riding. Jacqu i Smith , the then Home Secret ary, went on to crit icise the se remarks . lt is this hi story of contro versy has probab ly been a de ciding factor in choosing to give Professor Nutt the sack, rat her than

Professor David to give hi m a pub lic rebuke .

An advi sor is th ere to give adv ice wh ich wi ll only form a part of the jigsa w of policy making. A politician wi ll need to balance other con siderations aga inst those of science, for example, implementing a costly unpopular measure in the current economic climate with no guarantee of success . Politicians will also be aware that th ere is always 路 the potential that the sci enti st's advice may be wrong . At the end of the day, if the advice given is wrong, it will be the Minister in charge of that policy who will receive the public flak, and not the adviser.

The problem with t his de bate has been that the issues raised in th is debate have bee n hijacked by pro and anti drugs lobbies who have see n justificat ion for the ir variou s stances on drugs and have turned it in t o a cr ude eith er/or debate about drugs, when it should be about th e ro le of advise rs in pol icy mak ing. If, as a re sult of thi s ep is ode, the role of advisers is made clearer, then that cannot be a bad thing .

Against G orae Hamllton..Jon s

NuH was sacked after claiming that ecstasy and LSD are less dangerous than alcohol.

He also criticised th decision to reclassi cannabis from Class C to Class B. Three more drugs advisers have resigned as a result of the sacking by the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson

In dismissing Professor Nutt, the government has completely confused the basis for making illegal drugs policy. The government is responsible for managing public perceptions of law making. If law maki ng fa lls into disrepute, the law itself will not be far behind.

Governments are forged out of compromise - they encompass different people that will disagree on some issues. lt follows t hat govern ments will sometimesdisagreewiththeiradvisors, too. Our government has made t he mistake of resorting to the nuclear option over a disagreement. Nutt's claims are, for many, controversial.

Science aside, they contradict social norms, but there was nothing to stop th e government from just disagreeing with Nutt on cultural grounds.

Rather than simply disagreeing, or at least giving Nutt a chance to jump before he was pushed, the Home Secretary has thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Illegal drug classification has now become highly confusing. In addition to quirks such

as placing LSD and peyote in the same category as cocaine, the government has introduced the perception that t he system is reactionary to dissenting views and selective with its science anathema to reaso ned policy.

The government should not necessarily fo llow all scientific advice to the letter. I wish to live in a scientifically literate cou ntry, not a technocracy.

Equally I am not call ing for Nutt to be reinstated - he has demonst rated an inability to work well with the Home Offi ce and I have heard or read little to suggest that he is irreplaceable.

Alan Johnson is facing criti cism in the Commons for good reason . The Home Secretary, the member of government tasked with law and order issues, is undermining illegal drugs policy. Work by the ACMD, the body which Nutt headed, on emerging drugs has been halted, making the law in danger of becoming irrelevant and leaving the emerging market in 'legal highs' un-scrutinised. Tobacco and alcohol included, drugs are a key issue, with legal and illegal choices both destroying lives. We need a higher qua lity debate and science has to be part of it.

"I would do naughty thi ngs to Tim M inch in... him with his bare feet and his piano" Amy Staniforth, LIT 3

-

I COMMENT AND OPINION 11

concrete.oplnlonOuta.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

Right kids, your new volunteett Pootball coach. The.-e atte two things you should know up Pt-ont:

I don't like Pootball and I~* ! king hate childtten .

•

by HeCTOR t..OWe

WWW .OIRTPOIJY .COM

Spelling hell David Biatns 0

I

The Sun isn't going to be subtle in its attempts to derail the Prime Minister.

We know that this is their agenda because they announcea it, tactically, before the Labour conference. From now until the election, the paper is not going to consider a policy for its merits, or a man for his motives. lt is not going to present the news in an unbiased form for its discerning reader to decide upon, as it has decided for them. 'Brown's a write off' and 'Labour's lost it'.

"From now until the election, the paper is not going to consider a policy for its merits, or 9 man for his motives" ~ast week, the paper published a story which attacked Gordon Brown wherein the mother of the fallen solider Jamie Janes accused the Prime Minister of making 25 spelling mistakes in a letter that only contained 119 words. Jacqui Janes claimed that 'comfort' had been spelt 'cumfurt' because there was a slight gap where the 'o' didn't complete its circle. More seriously, she has accused Brown of misspelling her ·own name and her son's name,

as there is a small tick after 'Janes' making her believe that it lazily read 'James'. So far, I have been unable to discern how she believed that 'Jamie' was spelt incorrectly, as although the 'e' is scruffy, I cannot see what other letter it could possibly be.

Other accusations include spelling "security" with two "i"s. Do people honestly think that our Prime Minister would write the word "securiity"?

Is it even required of me to point out that Gordon Brown is blind in one eye, and has fading eyesight in the other? Many of us know this, and The Sun knew this. lt was recently revealed by a senior official that he has to send his emails to the Prime M inister in point 36 font, otherwise they wouldn't be read. Close your eyes and try writing a letter, then take a look afterwards to see · how perfect your own 'e's are.

Guardsman Jamie Janes bled to death horrifically in Afghanistan after an expiosion that occurred while he was on foot patrol. Gordon Brown personally wrote a letter to the bereaved in the hope that, having lost a child himself, he might be able to offer. some words of comfort. Sadly, his letter had the opposite effect. The Sun claims that t his whole incident is 'bloody shameful'; I claim that this is an upsetting misunderstanding that has been inflamed by a tabloid newspaper trading off a mother's grief for its own political gain.

When is a joke not a joke?

Henry Croft In recent years, the climate of political correctness has allowed the offensive joke to become fashionable.

Programmes such as Mock the Week have become increasingly popula_r, owing, in particular, to Frankie Boyle, who, due to his outrageous and offensive comments and an increasing!y reactionary tabloid press, courts bedlam like a smackhead kangaroo in a minefield. Lately he has been scolded by the press for referring to

Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington as "somebody who's looking at themselves in the back of a spoon."

Indeed, the media, in the wake of 'Sachsgate', seem to be becoming increasingly critical of jokes that cause offence. Yet the main problem here is not the comedian. Part of the problem ·is the format of TV shows such as Mock the Week, where, to succeed, you need to be sharp and abrupt. lt is this competitive thirst to make an impact that tarnishes the integrity of contemporary comedy, especially in what has pretensions to satire. lt insults the intelligence of the viewer as everything becomes superficial, cheap and easy. Real satire, if it's any good, unpicks the core of the issue, whereas on Mock the Week, more often than not, it often boils down to a playground arena with people competing for the best 'your mum' joke. Ultir:nately, as Dave German recently pointed out, being rude about someone in the news is not making a point about the news.

Now the joke about Adlington may be cruel, but out of the three million viewers that' Mock the Week

regularly attracts, only 75 people complained. Out of three million. my calculator makes that 0.0025%.

What's more, Adlington only found out about it because her manager decided to kick up a furore, and having it slapped across the tabloids, ironically, only served to draw yet more attention to the imperfections of her face.

Ultimately though, this issue boils down to the right to free speech. The whole notion breaks down if people are not allowed to be offended, for, in d~fending his Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie wrote; "What is freedom of expres'sion? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist." it's a fact in this era that if you gain media attention, someone out there is going to make a joke about you. Like it or loathe it, winning two Olympic medals does not exempt you. I would be the first to admit th'at Rebecca Adlington is an undeserving target, but it is an un{ortunate and sad fact that much of today's comedy is gratuitous; it devalues the currency of the genre and st rips it of the profound impact it can often have on us.

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

FEATURES 13

Acceptable in the Nought_ ies Last fortnight, Concrete examined the two social phenomenons that dominated the past decade; the rise of the internet and celebrity culture. Next in our Noughties series, Joke Miller analyses British culture in the 2000s. .....

..

A.time for ·r eflection The leader of the British National Party's comments on the BBC's Question Time have been debated to death. But now the furore as passed over, Laura Moore explores whether it has actually made anyone want to vote for them . .. ....... ..

Analysing and ·commenting on the culture of the 20005 is a difficult, perhaps near impossible, task. As perhaps the most celebrated play of the ~cy,de, Alan Benn.ett's. The History's ,eQY~ puts it, "There is- no period sq remote as the recent past."

No one who lived througn the decade would deny that it was one of great upheaval and change, where artists and entertainers were given a whole new set of themes to reflect on such as terrorism, the banking crisis and global warming. lt is also too soon to say which works of art will survive and be seen to exemplify the age, and which will be looked upon as embarrassments and a demonstration of a colossal lapse in collective taste and judgement.

The noughties were among the best and the worst of times for culture. lt was the age of the Sopranos, it was the age of Big Brother; it was the age of lan McEwan, it was the age of Dan Brown; it was the age of the Arctic Monkeys, it was the age of the Pussycat Dolls. In short, it was an age where the respective mediums of art, music, TV and film demonstrated what they were capable of and also how low they were prepared to go for fame and prestige.

Television exemplifies this more than most. The big theme of the decade was, of course, the search for 'reality'. lt was not enough to have actors in dramas or documentaries.

Now TV had to be about real people acting in real situations looked upon by millions at home. No television programme demonst rates this more than Big Brother, a programme whose rise and continuation has arguably become one of the symbols of the decade. When it first started, Big Brother was seen to be a genuinely innovative programme and the public was briefly fooled into thinking of it as a kind of social experiment, instead of simply an excuse to gawp at freaks.

By the end of the decade, however, it became a symbol of all that was wrong with TV; a hotbed of vulgarity,

loose morals and occasional racism. Of course, the popularity of Big Brother was bound to spawn other, different, spin off shows, each varying in degrees of quality. The real innovation of the decade, however, came from one of the unsung heroes of the 2000s; the

"Perhaps because the upheavals of the decade were so dramatic, people were afraid to combat the present and inst~ad sought solace in an idealised past " nameless TV executive who realised that people didn't particularly want to see people they didn' t know arguing and being forced to eat bugs. They wanted to see people they'd seen on Eastenders or in Closer magazine arguing and being forced to eat bugs.

And thus the genre of the 'celebrity' show was born, giving viewers the chance to see what indignities former glamour models and people who last had a hit. single back in the 1980s were prepared to undergo in a last ditch bid to return to stardom.

The popularity of these shows has declined in recent years, perhaps because people realised that they simply presented more of the same.

Reality TV, however, has proved to be a surprisingly resilient genre and has moved onto more performancebased shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, the X-Factor or Britain's Got Talent. Now Saturday night schedules

seemingly consist enti rely of people singing power ballads, t hen being insulted by Simon Cowell. This is not to say that the 2000s were entirely a televisual wasteland. There were many fine 1=rogrammes, some carried on from the nineties, others new. lt may be seen, looking back, to have been a golden age of American TV drama; for example, programmes such as Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Mad Men and Desperate Housewives - entertaining programmes of depth, intelligence and complexity (well, maybe not Desperate Housewives).

The influence of Simon Cowell can be felt in mJsic as we.ll as TV; both in the pop charts heaving with acts such as Leona lewis and Alexandra Burke who rose to stardom thanks to his patronage of them on the X Factor, and in the manufactured girl groups such as Girls Aloud or the Pussycat Dolls, who he played a role in managing.

All . in · all, though, the 2000s was probably a better decade for music than the 1990s. Admittedly, there

was no Britpop but then again there were no Spice Girls either. Music also became more democratic, with bands able to bypass record companies and television and take their music directly to the people, though the Internet, MySpace or music downloading sites.

Perhaps the most celebrated band to achieve fame in this way was the Arctic Monkeys. Some people will argue that the eventual splitting up of Oasis was the saddest musical event of the decade.

When hi;torians come back to

that the show should not have been recorded in London. After t he show, Griffin said, "That audience was taken from a city that is no longer British.

That .. was not my., cot:tt'l~ anymore."

Whilst this is a particularly odious way to put it, there may have been those watching who agreed that Griffin

__

"Aian Ben nett's The H;story ..s Boys.. puts it 'There is no period so remote as the recent past"'

N ~a rly one month on and the dust is 'beginning to settle. After miles of I column inches and anger from both leA and right, what impact, if any, has tht~ BNP's appearance on Question ..,.

Tirne made on the political landscape?

The BNP party line is that the night wc:1s, overall, a positive one for them.

Party officials maintain that they have sir1ce seen a huge surge in requests fo1· membership. Simon Bennett, the BI\IP's webmaster, claimed that nearly 9,000 people had registered their int :erest in the BNP immediately after thre programme.

A YouGov poll conducted in the days after the show was broadcast se ems to back this up. lt suggests t h at 24% of those interviewed would consider voting for the BNP in a local, ELJropean or general election.

Last week also saw Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, admitting that Lc:1bour's handling of immigration held been "maladroit." A rather trite U!;e of expression perhaps, but the government had to acknowledge that irnmigration is a major issue for a large percentage of the public. The BNP's appearance on Question Time and in t~e European parliament is a sig['l that i(lmigration is the elephant in the nom.

Another victory for the BNP 2guably stemmed from the BBC's t<Jitorial policy. Rather than being a ,ormal Question Time about topical i.sues, the majority of the night was c;0minated by questions related to the ENP and their policies. This has led rJick Griffin to describe the show as "a 1mch mob" and has arguably allowed 1 him to portray himself as a martyr. The eBC has since defended its position e•xplaining that, like all Question Time e·pisodes, the audi~nce chose and i='osed the questions and neither the r'anellists nor David Dimbleby were c;IWare of them beforehand. Naturally ~ vith such a contentious guest most ~ >eople were interested in questioning <:lriffin rather than his fellow panellists.

1rhe BNP have also spoken out against :he "liberal bias" and have argued

study the culture of the 2000s, they will arenas with their brand of exper~ly probably note that it seemed a culture choreographed nostalgia. that was primarily driven by nostalgia.

All in all, the 2000s were much li e Perhaps because the upheavals of any other decade; it produced· so e the decade were so dramatic, people great art, some bad art and a lot t at were afraid to combat the present and was just all right. But the best is et instead sought solace in an idealised to come; these things come in stag s. past. lt says something that all the No one has yet produced the great 1 nominees on this year's Man Booker Afghanistan or Iraq war book or filrn.

Prize were, to some extent, historical lt took several years after Vietnam tor novels.

Coppola to produce Apocalypse Now Television drama was again and it was not until the 1920s that generally of the historical kind. There books such as Hemingway's Fare well were adaptations of classic works to Arms or All Quiet on the Western

by Dickens and Austen and original Front began to be produced abovt dramas such as Life On Mars set in a the horrors of the First World War. so ·kind of imagined 1970s. Strictly Come watch this space for the blockbusters Dancing is itself a revival of an old of the tenties- Jade Goody the Movie, programme. the Tony Blair autobiography Would In music, to9, it was the age of I Lie to You? and the return of the the comeback, with bands such as Jackson 5 complete with Search Blur, Spandau Ballet and . Take That the Next Jackson reality show. reforming and going on to sell out vast

fi1r

~

"That audience was taken from ·a city that is no longer British.

That was not my country anymore" was "ganged up on." The fear is that these people may vote accordingly, out of sympathy for Griffin.

Whilst the BNP may have won supporters on the night, t heir apparent rise in popularity has been countered with widespread condemnation.

An outpouring of anger· in every

newspaper saw Griffin criticised for his · shambolic appearance on the show. Sweating and smirking under the studio lights, the SNP leader seemed hugely ill-prepared for what was thrown at him and was extremely reluctant to engage with his critics, denying almost every quote attributed to him. The lndepend:mt's Tom Sutcliffe countered Peter Hain's claims that the programme had been an early Christmas present for the BNP by saying, "If it was, it was one of those presents that requires you to adopt a fixed and unconvincing grin, and which falls apart in your hands even as the wrapping is coming off!

Even supporters of the BNP were criti.cal of Griffin, with m3ny seeing his performance as too mo:ferate. Lee Barnes, the BNP's legal officer, argued t hat in trying to make the party more respectable in the eyes of the public, Griffin had "failed to press the attack."

He called for stronger action to get the BNP's message across sud as "white riots la the Brixton riots."

In far-right chat rooms and on the BNP's website, this sentiment was

a

echoed. One supporter commented: " I'm starting to think this 'appealing to the mainstream' approach is the wrong direction. I would rather have seen George Lincoln Rockwell {the founder of the American Nazi Party) on the panel, there would have been a riot."

Others simply saw Griffin's appearance as a missed opportunity.

One comment read, "M aybe some coaching could have been done.so that Mr Griffin could have answered some questions articulately." The majority of the negative comments were hastily removed from the BNP's website.

The criticism has led many to question Griffin's role in the party.

Since replacing former leader ·John Tyndall, Griffin has changed the constitution to make his leadership effectively unassailable, making him an unpopular leader amongst the party's elite. Gri ffin's shoddy handling of the questions thrown at him. have lead many to believe that the party is considering whether he has the authority to lead. Although on the outside the party is presenting a united

front, these kinds of comments from staunch supporters and. prominent p~r.ty n:Jembers can only be damaging to the credibility of t he BNP as a party. . lt is also important ~hat the figures beibi."l)resented by·•the., BNP are looked at more th;,:~~gt'iy. Of tlie 24% that said they wcill'Td' ~Opport the party at the next election, only 4% said they were 'definitely' going to.

3% said t hey 'probably would' and the majority, 15%, said that they were only "possible" BNP voters. The poll found that overall there was only a 1% rise in support for the BNP. lt also found that 2/3 of the public "would not vote for the BNP under any circumstances."

Hardly the meteoric rise in support the party is presenting. And what of these 9,000 new supporters? This figure has also been widely contested, partly because these people are technically not members. A court ruling currently restricts the BNP from accepting any new members. This will only be lifted once it changes its policy to allow non-white people to join the party. Therefore, in real terms, they have not garnered any new support.

This figure of 9,000 is only people expressing interest and until the BNP changes its policies, it is going to be unable to convert these people into actual supporters. There is nothing to say that these people may not change their minds during this time. There is also nothing to say that the BNP are not making these figures up entirely.

So what does all this mean for politics in general? Only time will tell.

What we ki)OW now is that the BNP c;an no longer be brushed aside as kooks.

Even though their rise in popularity has been small, their appearance on a mainstream TV . programme has positioned them·as a credible political party. All the political parties need to look at their own policies and think what they can do to win back the disenfranchised who have turned to the BNP or may even be using the BNP as a protest vote.

•

•

•

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14 FEATURES

concrtte.featureduta.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

L1

The Rise of Ketamine

Melissa York profiles ketamine, the drug which once exclusively ~elonged to the rave and dance scene, and asks why it is becoming the fastest growing drug among Britain's 16-24 year olds.

As criminal activities go, drug use is an ambiguous one. We all know that they are illegal and we. all know that having, taking and/or selling drugs can carry a hefty fine or prison sentence. But it's not an exaggeration to say that most know people who take drugs or have taken them themselves.

According to newly released figures from the BCS, 42.9% of 16-24 year olds have taken illegal drugs at some point and they estimate that this amounts to 2.6 million young people.

A worrying new trend has emerged on university campuses for one drug in particular over the past three years. Ketamine, also known as K, Special K, Vita.min K and 'horse tranquiliser', has acquired more new users than since it was officially banned and classified as a Class C substance in 2006. In comparison, according to Home Office statistics released over the summer, cannabis has experienced a 'gradual decline.' Amphetamines and magic mushrooms have charted an increase, too, but ketamine has absolutely soared ahead with approximately 60,000 new users. Despite its newfound prevalence, many people know little about ketamine; some people have heard of it as a new drug, taken at house parties and clubs and some know that it's used as a powerful anaesthetic in

veterinary medicine, but that may be as far as their knowledge goes.

Ketamine actually comes in practically every form there is. Powder K can be snorted (sometimes known as bump) or added to drinks.

This makes it a lethal drug to spike a drink ~ith as the victim may not assume at first that they're experiencing the effects of ketamine and, mixed with alcohol, the drug can be fatal.

Although ketamine is taken at parties and clubs, it is actually a 'downer' as opposed to an 'upper'.

Alcohol is a depressant, so the combination of the two can cause bronchodilation which slows the breathing down to a dangerous level.

Ketamine can be smoked if mixed in a joint with cannabis and/or tobacco but obviously carries the added risks associated with those drugs. lt can be bought in pill form and the powder can be mixed with water and injected into a muscle, never a vein).

The drug was developed in 1962 by Parke-Davis to be used in both human and veterinary medicine t o produce a 'state of dissociative anaesthesia.' The type that is used recreationally is normally illicitly diverted from legitimate supplies or stolen from veterinary clinics. The effects in humans can include

floating sensations, numbness, hallucinations, vomiting, severe disorient ation and out-ofbody experiences. An episode can last from 4590 minutes if snorted and up to three hours if injected or swallowed. For those who have a bad response, three hours is a tortuous experience.

One anonymous student remarked that he spent this time 'sitting on my bed, watching Hell, which I thought was about five feet away. I'd never do it again.' lt can be addictive, fatal to people with high blood pressure, heart or liver problems and long term use can lead to mental illness. These hyper-realities are often referred to as K-Holes in popular culture - someone experiencing one may find it hard or impossible to move, talk, swallow or breathe.

One reason Ketamine has proved·so popular within the past three years could be attributed to the revival in alternative electronica; it is now more popular on the rave scene than cocaine.

This is probably because it is about half the price to buy but also because it is generally believed to be 'safer' and 'cleaner' than most drugs when it is, in reality, scientifically proven to be more dangerous than Class B ecstasy. Whatever your attitude towards drugs, make a decision based on knowledge, not myths and hyperbole.

.·········· ·•··· •···•···•••••••••••·•·· ·· ··········· ··· ··· ···· ···· ·· ······· ·•············•• •·•· ••· ·••· •·•·•• ••·• ··· ··· ······························· ······· ······· •·• •··· •·· ········ ········ ···•. : student serv.l:eR :

~ Do

Resident Tutors

if~M•ut......

.... ...

st"udent

c;ervtc~s :

~·. ·

you want to make a positive difference to the experiences of students living in University residences?

: We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic full-tim.e students with suitable experience to appoint as Resident Tutors for the academic year 2010-11. Applications from postgraduate: :students are particularly encouraged. Students spending next year abroad should also apply now for appointment in September 2011. :

.

.

: Resident Tutors welcome students when they first move into residences, provide information and support to help them : manage the transition to university life and, throughout the year, are available to deal with issues that prevent students :from having a positive experience of living in residences. By using their mediation and problem-solving skills, Resident ~Tutors help maintain a balance between the interests of individuals and the community in residences. : If you have excellent all-round people skills, are non-judgmental, able ·to empathise with the academic problems :commonly experi enced by students, have good written and spo.ken English, good time management skills, the ability to :follow clearly defined procedures, flexibility and a willingness to work unsocial hours, we would like to hear from you. ~ Experience of working with vulnerable people will be an advantage .

..

~This appointment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau.

: Application packs are available from the Dean of Students' Office Reception or from intranet.uea.ac.uk/services/ : students/Accomm/RT/news

..

..~There are 2 closing dates for applications: .~ Friday 11 December 2009 (applicants will be invited for interview or informed that their application is unsuccessful .by 5 February 2010) ...~ ; Friday 29 January 2010 (applicants will be invited for interview or informed that their application is unsuccessful by 19 March 2010) .

•. .••.•.. .•. ... .. .... .... ..• •. •..•... •.................. ••••.. .. .....•••.. ...•.•... ... ..• •••. •.•.••. ••.• ••••••••.•• •..••....•• ••.••.•.• .••..•....••..•••...•.......••.......... ......•••• ••.. •• •

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LETTERS AND EDITORIAL 15 TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

LEnERS

EDITORIAL

Regarding the "Balance of Probabilities,. concrete.travel@uea .ac.uk RacheiConquer

concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Hannah Livingston

Michelle Cadby, David Biggins concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk AIice Violett

concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Den ise Bartlett

R

concrete.food09@gm ail.com Edward Leftwich

Duncan Vicat-Brown, Hazy Hale

Mia Wecker, Alice Brunt, Nick Church concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk Alice Violett

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Nicolas Church

Joey Millar, Danny Keillor, Chris King, Gordon Malloy, Gareth Coventry, Tasha Percy, M ark Shead, M atth ew Butt, Lucy Moore, Rachel Handforth

M ark Brown, Karl Phil lips, Fiona Howard

concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sama ntha Lew is

Kristina Stephens, Olivia Webb concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Rebecca W iles

Tim Marsh, Phillip Richardson, Mag Tan

concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk Davina Kesby

David Churchill, Gareth Coventry, George Hamilton-Jones, David Biggins, Henry Croft

concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Danny Collins

Laura Colebrook

v'

RAPHE Simon Partridge, Ali ce Timmins, Caspar Palmano

1ST Hect or Lowe

ION

concrete.internation al@uea.ac. uk

Chen Zao, Julia Sherman

Maybe if the UEA provided better parking for students then there wou ldn't be these problems! Mrs Gyte should not be complaining to the student body {it is not our fault there is no parking!) but to the UEA. And also because it is a council run car-park then it should be treated as one regardless of its location- on a first come first serve basis ... for instances, if a shopper wants to park in the city, but goes into a car-park and there are no spaces {because it is being used by workers and football supporters for example- you wouldn' t write a letter to them saying they were 'selfish' you would write a letter to the council!) you have to go somewhere else- although it is an inconvenience-you didn't get there earlier enough for a space. Finally, it may say on the car-park 'strictly for park users only' but it does not say 'no uea students' like on the Sportspark or main car park on campus!!

Martin Lippiatt

~ -'j

There are many r" lUaJ)c\· ta g.et in c"'ntact:

Greg Mann

Qingning Wang & Filipa Mendes

In response to a leHer from issue 234 concerning student parking on campus

SOMETHING YOU WANT TO NON-EDITORIAL WRITE ABOUT?;

CHIEF

INTERNATIONAL

Professor Tom Ward, Pro-Vice Chancellor Aca demic Professor Geoff Moo re, Direct or of Taught Programmes Professor Nigel Norris, Chair Senate Discipli ne Committee Rob Evans, Academic Regist rar

Lucy Bowers, Jessica O'Sull ivan, Georgina Wade, Henry Croft, Chris King, lan Hobbs, Ben Frit h

concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Melissa York

Laura Moore, Jake Miller

We would like to offer some comments and corrections on the recent Concrete article "Balance of Probabilities" {October 20th) which should allay some misplaced concerns . Firstly, the current policy already uses the test of balance of probability, but this is not clearly articulated in procedures.

The proposal is to make that clear, and thus we are not advocating a change. Secondly, the revised disciplinary procedures will of course have checks and balances, so there can be confidence that the implied worst fears would not come to pass {a conviction resting on a 50.1% probability, for example). Thirdly, the Union's Academic Officer and Head of the Union Advice Centre ~re part of the review group, and are quite properly vocal in their advocacy of student rights. Thus, to ask student representatives not to attend relevant discip linary processes as panel members is inappropriate.

The University would need to continue to uphold its disciplinary processes and continue with hearings in their absence if nece?sary. That is not the approach that the University wants to adopt as it has been and remains committed to working closely with the student community in this as in a wide range of areas .

- Come to tfie (Concrete qflz'ce llfh~iair,\· in 'Union 'I. follc\e.

- 'Dnail a ,\·ection you 're intere<~ted in wn'tinlJfor.

- 'Enzail 'lr fannaf1 at concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

CONCRETE PO BOX 410, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR4 7TJ 01603 593466

Concrete is published by UUEAs· Concrete Society ©2009 Concrete. ISSN 1351-2773 Letters sh ould be addressed 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 t his newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the Editor, Hannah Livingston . Printed by Archant.

<

16 INTERNATIONAL

c

Chinese Schooling

Tea with Strangers J lia t rman

ingning W;1ng Chinese education may face a reform, and this may be directly related to the death of Qian Xuesen, the 'father of Chinese space technology'. Mr. Qian died in Beijing on October 31, 2009. Before passing away, Chinese President Hu Jingtao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited him, and t he sc ientist expressed his worries regarding Chinese education.

Mr. Qian felt that the system fails to bring up intellects that have 'determining power' and who can generate significant contributions to the nation.

The main problems lay with two aspects: firstly, students lack creativity as they tend to only follow text books; and secondly, t he stiff Art/Science division in higher education

disables communication and cooperation in both academic study and researc h.

For most Chinese students, the sole purpose of studying is to achieve high marks in exams. Other academic skills like group cooperation are not valued, and this stems direct ly from t he competitive nature of univers it y entrance examinations.

This habit continues at university. In contrast, a British university standard essay requires to not only repeat students other people's opinions but also use these to support their own ideas, which can be a big challenge.

This lack of critical and creative thought Chinese disadvantages students, and the fault lies within the system. The choice

between Arts and Science is made too early in their education, and many end up choosing Science, not because they are interested in it, but because they will be offered more options at university and in their future

career.

The first reforming steps started with the resignation of Chinese Education Minister, Ji Zhou. One can only hope this indicates a real change rather than another political show.

Road charges take their toll in China h n Zhr:lr There are many variations in

to ll station.

high

discourage

is increasingly used to cut

culture and habits to be found when comparing the UK to other countries. Most people notice major differences, like the fact that drivers sit on the right side of a vehicle, whilst in most other countries in the world they sit on the left side.

However, more trivial issues may only get the attention of a small number of individuals; the lack of road tolls would be a good example.

In this country, most peop le who travel long distance by car probably find it easy to move smoothly, at a considerably high speed, without having to worry about the sudden unexpected emergence of a

For most Chinese people, however, this is an integral part of their day-to-day lives.

Wherever the destination, toll stations await.

unnecessary road travel in the area.

Toll roads are also common across Europe, particularly on the eastern side of the continent with countries such as Croatia and Hungary charging for almost all road use. In Italy most of the highways are tolled, with the fees used by private companies to maintain the roads. France also has a high proportion of toll-roads, putting pressure on local road networks.

Like London, Stockholm has introduced congestion charges to limit traffic in the city centre; this is an examp le of how paying to use roads

traffic, rather than to promote the privatisation of transport

In Britain, t he only to llroad is the M6 tol l, a 27-m ile stretch of six-lane motorway, costing car drivers ÂŁ4.70 per journey on weekdays. The M6 Toll was built in 2002 in an attempt to ease congestion on this busy stretch of Mid lands motorway, and, t hro ugh its

prices,

to

infrastructure.

In the UK, highway maintenance is largely paid for through fuel duty whereas in China, petrol prices do not include road tax. This may very well explain the discrepancy between petrol prices when comparing the two nations. In China petrol costs an average of ÂŁ0.64 per litre, whilst in the UK it tends to be El per litre.

Many UK road ¡users believe the high petrol prices to be rather unreasonable but the question is: do they make up for the eternally inconve nient road to lls?

Since arriving in England, I have come across several British students who have asked me if I have found any of the British stereotypes to be true. Reluctant to talk about British stereotypes with British students, I usually offer the obsolete observation that the British do indeed drink a lot of tea.

However, after getting to know the person a little better, I end up offering the main stereotype that I've found to be true: the 'British reserve.' While I know that this

getting to the point where one has a conversation beyond "You alrigh t?" that is the difficult part.

So if you see me around campus and I try to have a casual conversation with you, don't be alarmed, I just want to get to know you and get past that 'British reserve.'

The key to a truly diverse and functional campus is to break down the misconception that students you don't know are something to be feared.

Do something crazy; if you see someone who looks like they

is a large generalization, the British seem to be much less likely than Americans to begin a conversation with someone they barely know. Don't get me wrong, I love talking to and meeting British students and everyone here has been extremely nice and polite once I get to know them. it's just

might want a chat, introduce yourself' What have you got to lose? You could make a new best friend, meet the love of your life or just have a really nice conversation. Of course, that person may always be a vacuous moron, but in that case just remember this phrase; 'I'm just nipping to the loo'...

TRAVEL 17

concrete. travel@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

SfflatfordUpon-Avon

Volunteer in Africa

D vld lggln

Michelle Cad by

recounts her volunteering experience in Africa and explains why others should be inspired to visit this wonderful continent.

I have three things to say to you: travel, volunteer and visit Africa. I shall elaborate on this, otherwise this would be a very short but sweet article. Each continent has its wonders and beauty, but personally, Africa is the place my heart has fallen for. Unfortunately, many still seem to fear this huge continent, but whether you enjoy travelling off the beaten track or in style, volunteering or just exploring, there's something for everyone. Let me assure you that as long as you're sen£ible, there is nothing to be feared about this enchanting continent, only enjoyed!

So far my African travels have taken me to South Africa, Senegal, Benin, Togo, the Gambia and Ghana, each country as stunning, friendly, alluring, captivating and inspiring as the last. Let me elaborate on the roots of this African love affair.

I took m~ first steps on African soil in Ghana where I spent three months volunteering. I arrived at lam, and yet was still immediately hit by the humidity. I see now that my taxi ride to my new home in the outskirts of the capital, Accra, was the perfect introduction to African public transport: the door handle broke off in my hand, the engine wouldn't start and halfway home we came to a slow halt and the driver got out to top up the petrol from a container he kept in the boot.

During my time in Ghana I taught French and English at a local school

and helped out at a local orphanage.

On my first day I was given a class of about 50 very daunting 14-year-olds to teach French. Somewhat terrified by the prospect of how I was going to maintain their attention, I started by nervously introducing myself. As soon as I said I loved music, they all clapped and cheered. Soon the tables and chairs became drums; the girls sung the local songs, then the boys

"This happiness was incredibly infectious; never have I seen so many smiles than when I've been in Africa " started rapping. Instantly, the ice was broken and I had somehow managed to earn their respect. This love of music is shared by all generations. lt goes without saying that Ghanaians have enviable rhythm and ability to sing and dance, leaving you in awe.

I adored every child at the orphanage, each day looking forward to going to play with the children.

Wherever I went in Ghana, there were always children smiling, waving and looking cheerful. This happiness was incredibly infectious; never have I seen so many smiles than when I've been in Africa. Equally, never have I experienced such generosity than when I'm in Africa. Not only are the Ghanaians full of smiles, they are also incredibly friendly and hospitable, and this can be said for the great majority of Africans I've

met. I lost count of the number of times older ladies insisted on paying for my Tro Tro ride (the local buses which would have failed their MOT years ago here) and made sure I knew where I was going. Whenever you ask for directions, most often, people will take you and show you the way, instead of just blurting out directions.

Once you've bartered all you can in the many exuberant and lively markets in Accra, you'll find that the rest of Ghana is equally full to the brim with things to see and do: standing under a pounding waterfall, the canopy walk through the tree tops at Kakum National Park, a chilled weekend at Kokrobite white sandy beach, a visit to Elmina Castle learning about its history or seeing how the famous Kente cloth is made in Ho. Kumasi is Ghana's second city, where you'll find West Africa's largest market. A long bus journey north takes you to Mole National Park, where elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, vultures, crocodiles and antelopes can be spotted. A night not to be missed, if ever the opportunity arises, is sleeping on a rooftop, under the stars; a truly unforgettable experience, listening to the sounds of the village and the music and chanting from the mosque (one of the oldest in Africa) as you fall asleep.

I struggle to conclude on this subject of Africa, and Ghana itself; however I do so, I feel justice will not be made to this continent. For want of a better way of saying it, quite simply I shall say that this is an incredi~le continent, with incredible scenery, filled with incredible people, just waiting to treat you with incredible experiences. Next on the list: Madagascar.

have a day to kill before a show it's worth heading along to Shakespeare's birthplace or the Shakespeare Centre for a fully informative and mildly entertaining glimpse into the world which Shakespeare belonged to.

Personally, I'm more in favour of finding a good place to eat and drink.

I often see recommended The Dirty Duck, a local restaurant that lies just down the road from the Courtyard Theatre. Unfortunately, it is almost always full and the food, although perfectly satisfactory, doesn't quite justify waiting around for a table.

Sl ightly further away, on the main high street, is the less busy Garrick Inn (which boasts that it is the oldest pub in Stratford and certainly has a welcoming 'olde worlde' feel once you step indoors). This has a better selection of ales and a ridiculously scrumptious menu for you to enjoy before you pop along to what will surely be one of the most entertaining nights of your life. To quote Shakespeare: "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it."

Ah, Stratford-Upon-Avon! I've skipped many a seminar to travel across the country and watch a world class production at the Courtyard Theatre.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is famous for producing the best new acting talent and already established stars perform there more regularly than you'd think. I have seen David Tennant dramatically kill Patrick Stewart, and lan McKellen dangle his crown jewels about the stage as he pranced around as a mad and out of control King Lear (yes, that's right, I have seen Gandalf naked). ooze Performances simply with daring and gusto, and, more importantly, they're so much fun that you're guaranteed an experience that will etch its way into your memory like no book or film ever can.

Astonishingly, the prices of shows range from the very reasonable £5, to the not massively unaffordable £52, depending on where you choose to be seated.

The town itself is, unsurprisingly, devoted to Shakespeare, so if you

Hometowns: Woking hI When thinking of places that people may choose to visit in England I would never have considered my hometown of Waking to be among them, and to this day I still don't really understand why there is a Holiday Inn. All I could think of that marks the town out from any other in the south-east is, firstly, that it is where the first mosque in England was built, and second, it is where H.G Wells' book War of the Worlds was set - a sculpture of a Martian is placed in the town to remind us local folk of that. But when a friend visited over the summer, I experienced Waking as a tourist and realised that there is more to the area than I thought.

The first place we visited was The Lightbox, a new art gallery and museum which showcases both local and international artworks. lt also houses the town's history, which made me realise how much the area had changed in the space of my lifetime, h;~t alone 50 or more years.

-

\

u

Disgruntled at the fact that we couldn't just use our Norwich bus passes, we walked home along Basingstoke Canal. One thing about living in the leafy suburbs of Surrey is that you can find many places to escape to. Another added bonus is the close proximity to London. With regular trains to and from the capital, you can be there in under half an hour.

Guildford, the city of Surrey and a ten -minute drive from the town, tends to remind me a little bit of my second home, Norwich. Not only does it have a cathedral and castle and lots of independent shops, it even has its own Puppet Man in the form of the Bearded Lady of Guildford.

All of this made me realise that each one of us could have the cheapest holiday ever: experience your hometown as a tourist. Even though I have always lived in Waking, there are still many things that I haven't done and should do.

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18 FOOD

concrete.food09@g mail.com TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

Hair, Leather and Chicken Drumsticks Ed leftwich and Duncan Vicat-Brown

Concrete was wande rin g through town having just enjoyed an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet when we were pleasantl y su rprised to come across two bea rd ed northerners in questi onab le Chri st mas jumpers.

Normally this wou ld have us running for the hills, but today, as luck would have it, the BBC's very own Hairy Bikers were in Norwich. Never ones to turn down an opportunity, we managed to persuade the se jolly fella s to let us interview them.

So in a changing room, somewh ere in th e depth s of th e Forum, whil st shedding their so mewh at twee attire for som ethin g more bikey, th ese two culina ry ce lebrities imparted t heir words of wisdom fo r you r delectation, in one of t he most surrea l interviews Concrete ha s eve r co nducte d.

So what are you doing in Norwich?

The Hairy Bikers ' 12 Days of Christmas Christmas

special. Also Alan Partridge comes from Norwich, and we found the man who is actua lly t he real Alan Partridge, the one who inspi red the character. it's Wally Webb, th e guy who does th e breakfast show for BBC Radio Norfolk. We met hi m earlier.

Have you got any tips for students on a budget

with a shopping list. We know who is real ly good and we know w ho is bad, so we co ul d tel l you wh ere to fi nd a great chicken or w hat eve r, but I

cooking Christmas dinner?

th ink local ly we know where to go.

Whilst we know where 's good, we also

Yeah, chicken (laughs} . Yea h, no I' ll te ll you w hat, chicke n's rea lly good beca use th e th ing is th at if yo u buy a rea lly good one th eres th ree meals in it . I mean like, ch icken for Christmas dinner,

rea lised that there's no hard an d fast rule to that.

If it loo ks great , it probabl y is, yo u kn ow w hat I mea n.

Oh, and don't be afraid to buy veggies with

leftovers for a curry, then you boil up the carcass and get you r stock, and all you gotta do is add so me onion s and lenti ls th en yo u've got proper t asty soup or risotto. Get a good four-po und er, a proper free range one with flavour in the bones and stu ff; you will get thre e mea ls fo r two or th ree peo ple. it is honestl y worth buyin' like, it rea lly is wort h bu yin'.

muck on them, or to shop in the market in stead, beca use its cheape r and the produ ce is better t oo. Have a go at coo kin g from sc ratch; get in th e ingredients and get t he reci pe, I mean I know I should probably flog a recipe book, but go on th e internet, just type in the ingredients. Say you've got leek and pot atoes; th ere wil l be a rec ipe for lee k and pota to so up. it does tast e muc h be tter

Over turkey?

fresh. Plus if you make a lot, you know, club together, then freeze it or have lots of people

Oh we ll, if a lot of you can club together to get

ch ipping in, and then it's cheaper too.

a turkey then that's great, but they are very expens ive, and hard to cook, and how ma ny

There's a few simp le ways to tweak you r head state to mak ing sure you're getting great

students have got a pan big enough to boil up a turkey carcass?

Personally I'd rather have a nice, lovely, really good large f ree range chicken t han a bit of a crap tu rkey, yo u know what I mean.

tasting food that's nutritious and will save you a ton of money so you can spend more money on beer and drugs (lots of laughing).

Honest ly, when you start cooking from scratch yo u w ill be amazed at the quantity you get, you get leftovers and good healthy food that

the world as the Hairy Bikers, been to lots of pl aces th at we re hot and exoti c and love ly but th en we did t he Hairy Ba kers, and odd ly mo re people wa tched the Hairy Bakers than the Hairy

by Delia Smith, to do a charity night at Norwich City Footb all Club, so t hat's gonn a be a hoot (laugh ter, lot s of laughte r).

Bi kers so it kind of became clear to us that we

We might have to qualify the way you said

should do a se ri es in Britai n. We got offe red 30 prog rammes, whi ch is a hell of a lot of TV and

'hoot' there.

Nah it' ll be a laugh, a good laugh, we'd invite

we just we nt fo r it rea lly. The great t hing was it was li ke, you know, having been round the wo rl d and stu ff, it was great to discover what

yo use, but you'l l pro bably on ly manage to get one ticket between six of you.

Anyway probably not for students: it's a

reg iona l cu isin e tha t 's ju st here, because it is very reg ional. Th ere is regional identity, it's ju st we aren't very good at t elling each othe r about it. Whereas France and Italy particularly, they're

cha rity nig ht, it won t be a cheap nig ht ou t, it's

very regional. Their regional identities are absolutely fundamenta l t o the different foods.

g~ nn a

be a good laugh th ough.

In Norwich recently there has been alot of publicity

about

supermarkets taking over.

What's your opinion on this?

We ll on thi s issue of su permarkets movi ng into

Do you have a particularly favourite region in

towns, I think there is a balance. And it's not one

the UK then?

There was a county called Monmouthshire

that ever seems to be gotten right. From what I can see, Norwich is based , the whole kind of

w here we encou ntered probab ly the finest producers of pig (thats pig farmers to me and you) . These three Welsh farmers reckoned they

economic infrastructu re, is based on sma ll shops and small businesses beca use the city lends itself

had the best pork in the world, so they went off to Italy, Germany and learned how to make sausages, sala mis, dried meat and such li ke, and t he product was incredible!

Also counties like Lincolnshire, that you never really hear much about and I didn't know about,

to that.

I think that it's a shame [when supermarkets take over] because then what happens is it puts more pressure on loca l re tail ers who have been here for many years and are part of the community and then what happens is the

some of the food and the market gardening was

business heads out of town.

I mean the thing is ... come on, how much

incredib le, theres a brilli ant food cul tu re.

And I'll tell you what aswel l, our geography is now mega! I mean Norfolk, I never really knew Norfolk, but the coastline just blew us away, just

money do you need to make? They are great organisations; they've brought food and different tastes to the palate of the I,JK but come on, stop, you're taking over our nation now. I mean I'm not

fab ulous.

knocking supermarkets at all, because we al l use them bu t, yo u know, we ca n't go on li ke that. We

What was the inspiration beh ind your tour of the UK then?

So what are you doing after this series then ?

We are doing a States tour actually, The Hairy Bikers' Big Night Out. We are also coming back

Money ! (laughs) We've been all the way round

to Norwich on February 5th, we got approached

can't just simply say "Oh well, there's another supermarket opening up, that's OK." Especially a single chain, because it's like a monopoly, if the community doesn't want it, then don't open it.

Ok, well how do you source your ingredients then ?

tastes great.

I've got to explain for the tape here, the

W hat we t end to do, as we are t rave lling arou nd a lot, we ten d to source everyt hing loca lly because its on ly kind of fair. If we have money to spend then we spend it within th e loca l community and local economic environment, because that 's w hat we want to suppo rt . So tha t 's how we tend

reaso n it soun ds like it does is 'cause t he lads he re are interviewing us in our dressing room.

And we're takin' our clothes off and putting fresh ones on which is much more uncomfortable for the lads than it is for us. (Very uncomfortab le laughter)

to approach our shopping on the road.

Well when we did the food tour of Britain, we went to 30 counties and visited well over a hundred food producers so we are pretty good

FOOD 19

concrete.foodOCJ@gmail.com TUESDAY 17th NOVEM BER 2009

A g·u ide to perfect pasties Cocktail of the fortnight Ed Leftwich Ingredients: Shortcrust Pastry

225g plain white flour Pinch salt llOg cold butter 2-3 tbsp very cold water Beaten egg/milk Filling

225g lean beef steak 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium potatoes, diced small 2 tbsp stock Seasoning, salt and pepper, mixed herbs Method:

1. Sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, cut up into small cubes. Rub together between your fingers until you have something that looks a bit like breadcrumbs.

Hazy Hale 2. Add two thirds of the water and mix with a fork. Add the remaining water a little bit at a time until the pastry is smooth and soft. lt shouldn't be overly sticky or too dry. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

3. Preheat your oven to 200°C/gas 6. Cut the beef into small strips; mix with the onion, potatoes, stock and the seasoning to make your filling.

4. Cut the pastry into four. Roll one bit out in a square on a lightly floured surface. Get a plate and cut round to get a good sized circle.

5. Put the filling in the circles; don't put in too much! Dab water round the edges of the circle and then fold. Pinch the edges together and brush with the beaten egg or milk.

5. Cook for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 190°C/gas 5 and cook for a further 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Now that winter's really setting in, it is the ideal time to make hot cocktails. Not only do they warm you but, like any hot drink, the alcohol will get to your bloodstream quicker as well! Irish coffee is deceiving in that it seems to be all about the whiskey, but actually, as the drink is hot, it is very easy to.dwarf that taste with sugar (good news for whiskey haters!)

1 shot whiskey (equivalent to about 25ml) 1 cup strong black coffee 2/3 tbsp whipped double cream Sugar to taste

mug/glass. Using a glass looks prettier, but unless you have a glass made for hot drinks, you will need to warm the gljlss before using it, so that it does not crack. Do this over the steam from the kettle, or from your hot tap.

4. Add the coffee to the mug/glass and stir to mix the sugar. Taste, and add more sugar if necessary (depending on how much you like the taste of whiskey.)

5. The final part is the hardest. You need to slowly pour or spoon the cream onto the top of the coffee, making sure it floats and does not mix. Ideally, the end product will look a little like a Guinness- black underneath and white on top.

And voila! Irish Coff~e!

Method:

Tips:

1. Whip the cream! This can be done with a fork if no whisk is available, but it can be hard work.

Stop when the whipped cream is just able to form peaks.

2. Next, make the coffee. For any kind of alcoholic coffee, it is best to mix your grounds/granules with hot, but not boiling, water, as the alcohol will evaporate if the water is too hot. If it is hot enough to burn you, do not add it to the alcohol yet.

3. Put the shot of whiskey and sugar in a separate

* Sprinkling sugar on top of the coffee/whiskey mix can help the cream to float * Some people find it easier to pour the cteam over a spoon, to sl4)w it and prevent it mixing.

However, your cream must still be quite runny forth is.

Ingredients:

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20 FOCSOC

concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

{E

A royal flush Mark Brown

CAWS into the wild

P(KE~

Did you walk through the LCR at Socmart, see the UEA Poker Society banner and t~ink: I'm not good enough to play there?

Maybe you missed Socmart and thought you'd missed your chance to sig n up ?

The UEA Poker society is back for anothe r year, and better th an ever! We have members of al l skil l levels, including many beginners who had not prev iou sly pl ayed any poker for money. Our society provides a safe, re laxed and friendly environ ment to deve lop your skil ls in, with comm ittee and members always happy to give tips and discuss strategy, allowing you to improve without risking a semester's worth of student loan!

We run weekly tourn aments

every Friday from 6pm in Nelson Court Common Room B, with a good range of buyins and structures. Before Christmas we have double chances, bounty tournaments and an Omaha night planned!

We also put on cash ga mes and si t-n-go's at the sa me time so whatever styl e of poker you prefer you will be catered for.

Addttionally, we suppo rt other societies on campus.

Last year hosting the inaugural Nightline charity poker night, whi ch was well supported, raising mon ey and ending in a monumental ten-handed cash game th at lasted until ea rly the next morn ing ' This year we are also exc lu sive some offering opportunities for members, including a chance to win a

trip for two to Cancun plus a year's tuition fees in cas h!

October saw our first exclusive online tournament which was, as expected, full of banter, with member Peter Lawrence winning the most money; $109!

We also host popul ar socia ls, and have spec ial eve nts planned for after Christmas.

If you would like to find out more information, pl ease email us at members@ueapoker. co.uk check out www. ueapoker.co. uk or come along any Friday!

Karl Ph ill ips describes the beautiful sights Conservati on and Wild life society members get to witness.

Th e UK offe rs few greater wildlife spectacles than that of wa lking alo ng the breeding beach of a colony of grey sea ls.

Rarely does one get the chance to see suc h enthralling animals so easily, so close up, and in such numbers. Mothers suckle their newborn pups right in front of your eyes, whilst the enormous bu lls preside over the whole affa ir.

If there are any finer experiences to be had in Britain, perhaps one of them is the sight and so und of ten thousand pink-footed geese flying overhead, filling the sky with their zigzag formations and enthu siastic honks as they move from their roost si te out on th e wash to the stubbl e fi elds. The Conservation & Wildlife Society (CAWS) can

show you both of these.

But watching wildlife is only part of what CAWS is about; we are also an enthu siastic co llection of conservation vo lunteers. At severa l sites in and around Norwich, some right here on campus, ou r members assist other organi sations (including the Briti sh Trust for Conservation Vo lunteers and the RSPB) in active management of important habitats for rare and endangered species. Thi s typically involves removing invasive vegetation, from thistles to sma ll trees. The work can be hard, but is always rewarding - it gets you ou t in the open, helps you meet new peop le, and makes a usefu l addition to the C.V. if you're considering a career in

conserva tion. Talks from th ose working in various wildlife fields and leisurely outi ngs to the city's many fin e pubs also important to the society.

A good summary of CAWS is that we're dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the Norfolk coun tryside and its wildlife. So, if anythin g you've just read tickles your interest, or you just want more information, contact us at ueaco nservation@hotm ai/. co. uk.

Nightline: there for you Flon How rd

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With coursework piling up it's a good thing 16th-20th November is Wellbeing Week, offering activities on how to de-stress. However, not only is it Wellbeing Week; it is also Nightline Awareness Week.

Nightline Awareness Week offers a smorgasbord of events and fun activities. For those not in the know, Nightline is an impartial listening service run for students by students th at you can call , email , text, chat to on line, or drop into between 8pm and 8am during termtime. Nightline can be found at ground level in Suffolk Terrace block A with w heelchair access and is a great place to get out from the co ld during that dreaded switchover time at the library for a cup of tea .

Nightline doesn't just offer support; they also provide free contraception - useful if you

meet the boy or girl of your dreams at th e LCR! Nightline Awareness Week is happening up and down the count ry so get invo lved!

You may have already see n Nightline in the Hive on Monday 16th November and picked up more information on what they do, how to get involved, or maybe grabbed a condom pack. Nightline, in conjun ction with th e Dean of Students, is running a wellbeing workshop for free on Thursday 19th November at 2:30pm in the library conference room.

On Sunday 22nd November, head down to the pub for a quiz

with a twist. Take part in the 'pay to play round for a pound' an d you co uld win prizes with a value of ten pounds or more!

Don't forget to also look out for th e Nightline Bea r in th e Square sending out the love by giving out the best kind of hugs - bear hugs!

If you ever want to get in contact with Nightline, phone us on 01603 503 504, text on 07794924366, email nightline@uea .ac.uk or use the on line chat on the website, whic h you can find on the portal. Alternatively come to see us in Suffolk Terrace.

nightline We 'll listen, not lect ure.

ofl

Fancy writing for FocSoc? Email Ali ce Violett on concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk. You could write a society profile, advertise an event, conduct an interview or tal k abo ut your experiences of a society or club ... the sky's the limit!

LIFESTYLE 21

concrete.llfestyle@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

Confessions o a V~;4_

cfeaner

Students stop stressing The time has come to start relying on those cans of Red Bull, packet of Pro-Plus and cups ·of coffee as we begin to be swa mped with essays, presentations and projects. Kristina Stephens has a few ideas to calm us all down.

Students are a strange breed.

They're charming, cleve~, caring and bright, yet I've never come across such a filthy, smelly and downright disturbing bunch of people. As a cleaner, my job revolves around the time of day when a student is at its most vulnerable: the morning. At ten in the morning, even the wittiest of the lot will be reduced to a groggy, mumbling mess. In 30 awkward seconds they'll reveal more about themselves than in an hour with a top psychiatrist.

Whether it's the masses of forks and takeaway cartons, the conveniently placed buckets on the floor or the suspicious looking stains dotted around their bedsheets, a student will always leave clues as to what shady activities their bedroom oversaw last night.

The most common are the zombies. A great zombie is neither seen nor heard and would be assumed non-existent if it wasn't for the suspicious, human-shaped bu lge in the bed. They like to live by the motto that if t hey can't see me, I can't see them. A zom bie is especially keen on fine foods and enjoys a carpet design of Wagon Wheel wrappers, assorted dips and receipts from the nearby Tesco garage.

A rarer, but equally interesting variant is the social student. They have so many friends! Every time I visit they've made a new buddy and -unlike the zombies- the two seem very much awake. They're ever so nice: you never know what is behind their door but they at least always try and say hello in that strained, breathless voice.

However, whether you are a bacteria breeder or a carpet feeder you always give us something to talk about on our cigarette break.

With deadlines fast approaching and the semester now well underway, stress is something few are strangers to at the moment. Although being a university student is a once in a lifetime opportunity, providing a chance to try new things and gain comple:te independence, this doesn't mean it can't all get a little too much from time to time.

A Student Living Report carried out by the UNITE group has found that 53% of students have become more stressed since starting university.

The new people, challenges and experiences faced can be great

and are a wonderful eye opener but sometimes the conflicting pressures of work, play and looking after yourself can pecome a complete nightmare.

For freshers and old-hands alike, the reality of university life may have started to dawn and after the first few weeks the added pressures of deadlines, exams and money (or rather the lack of it) might be causing you trouble. Here are some suggestions to help you de-stress; Manage time wisely. Planning ahead will not only help improve the quality of your work but will avoid you getting into a manic state and facing those dreaded all-nighters.

Take a moment to get organised.

Leaving piles of unintelligible notes will only make revision that much coursework begin to dawn.

Find a good study environment.

Whilst your bedroom may be perfectly adequate, for many the close proximity to a bed to nap in and friendly flatmates to gossip with can cause even the best intentions ' to go out the window. Give the library a try; although this doesn't work for

everyone, the silent atmosphere and tidy workstations can help you avoid dist action.

Get a decent night's sleep. Try not to burn the candle at both ends; research shows that those who are sleep-deprived have more trouble learning and remembering. Avoid napping excessively though, as too much sleep can be equally destructive.

Stay healthy. An occasional takeaway is nice but if you keep away from your five-a-day for too long you'll begin to feel groggy and lethargic.

Unhealthy diets, heavy drinking and lack of exercise, which some university students are all too familiar with, can also result in weight gain, especially in your first year. Eating healthily is often the cheaper option too.

Play some sport. If you're looking for a break and a way to relieve your stress and frustration, it's never too late to get involved in a society or a take a class at the Sportspark. Bring a friend along for extra motivation and get fit and healthy together.

Have regular breaks. A change of scene is always refreshing, even if it is just visiting a friend for a cup of tea and a catch up. You must allow yourself

time to go out and enjoy yourself. Plus if you constantly stay in whilst your friends party, it is inevitable that out will come the DVD and tub of Ben and Jerry's to compensate.

UEA can help. If the idea of sport for you is not exactly a calming one, why not try out the UEA Art of Living Society. This meets once a week on campus and practices yoga, meditation and powerful breathing techniques to release stress. And if things really do get too much, remember there is always someone you can talk to at UEA's Nightline counselling service, by calling 01603 503 504.

Where to grab your groceries If you're feeling uninspired with the contents of your fridge and realise it's about time to stock up your cupboard with those student essentials, Olivia Webb has the low down on where is hot to do your weekly shop.

We' ve all been there. Dragging our sorry selves out of bed, clutching our heads and knowing that the only thing that can make us feel better involves bacon and a lot of carbs.

You valiantly battle your way to the fridge, only to have your worst fears confirmed - the only edible things you have are half a manky lemon, some suspicious-looking German swe~ts that you brought because they were on special offer and a tomato that's growing interesting yet disgusting forms of mould. it's time you went food shopping, but which are the best supermarkets for students?

At first, the obvious choice (for

those of us who live on campus anyway) seems to be the UFO. lt offers all the basic necessities, has really cheap vodka (only to be consumed when mixed with plenty of orange juice) and is close enough to walk to in your pyjamas. However, it's also stupidly overpriced (£3 for a small pot of pasta sauce!) and there's usually a massive queue (especially between 12 and 2). So it's only really advisable to go there if you're desperate for a loaf of bread .

Next up is the Tesco Express, situated further away from campus than the UFO but with slightly more variety and a less foul own brand vodka. Unfortunately, though, the

food in there consists primarily of microwave meals and Haribo. There's also a significant lack of anything with which to stave off scurvy (this reporter's last trip in there to hunt for grapes and peppers yielded only one slightly wrinkly apple).

Then there is Morrisons. lt has a large range of everything you could possibly need for a small price and they actually sell a decent selection of fruit and veg. However, Morrisons is far far away for those of us on campus, so you will either have to get a taxi or trek back from the bus stop with all your shopping (unless you're lucky enough to get the legend that is Clive as your bus

driver, in which case he'll probably drop you off outside your halls if you ask nicely).

If you are extra lazy (which, let's face i1J, most of us are) you can always get Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury's to deliver. The good thing about this is that it doesn't involve moving from your cosy bed . However, they will inevitably choose to deliver your food at a time when there is only one person in your flat. Said person will then pick up all the food for your flat but subsequently spend the rest of the week moaning about it (not that this writer is talking about a particular flat mate of hers or anything ... ).

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22 SPORT

concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

Canary Corner

Five minutes with: Michael Whitmore Ion Hobbs speaks to the UEA Men's Hockey 4th XI captain.

Ben Frith

..

Forget David v. Go li ath in th e box ing, it was Paul ton Rove rs v. Norwi ch City t hat gri pped the nation as th e FA Cup worked its mag ic o nce aga in .

Un like for David Haye, th ere was no fa iryta le ending for Pa ulton.

The difference in class was all too appa rent - Norw ich dea ling seve n blows with no re ply aga in st th eir non- league oppo nents . Chri s M artin netted four, Grant Halt sco red a brace and Wes Hoo lahan scored t he pick of the bu nch for hi s sixth of t he seaso n; al rea dy t hree ti mes th e number he netted last season.

The second rou nd wi ll see Norwich travel to ei t her Morecambe or Carlisle, who replay their tie tonight.

If you don't fancy t he crosscount ry trip to see the matc h you wi ll be relieved to hear that th e FA have anno unced t hey w ill be st ream ing t he game live on the ir website. Thi s moves comes as no broa dcast er has

reg iona l se mi -fi nal w here t hey have bee n drawn away to Sou t hampto n.

Relegati o n has mea nt t hat Norw ich have had to focus on deve lopin g youth academy p',ve (s thi s season and, so far, many ho megrown youngsters have proven their wor t h.

Welsh sc hoo lboy Josh Dawk in pl ayed hi s fi rst full 90 minutes for t he club in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy vic to ry over Swindon and wil l be hopin g to add to the youth already estab li shed in the first team squad by the likes of Korey Smith, Tom Ade yemi and Declan Rudd.

When did you first fall in love with hockey?

At the sc hoo l I we nt to, t he main P. E. teac her had capta in ed the North of Engla nd Hockey Team for 20 years, and so we all had t o play. Being crap at footba ll helped me on my way as well!

How did hockey do in t he BUCS leagues in the 08/09 season?

Last year our BUCS team nearly got promoted but lost out to a very strong Leicester team. We got to the quarter finals of the BUCS Cup where we lost to Loughborough in a narrow 3-1 defeat. This year we're hoping to go one better, and we've won all our league games so far, so this could be a very successful season.

What is the social side of hockey like?

I'd say witho ut a doubt one of the best on campus. Every Tuesday and

yet made an app roach fo r th e FA Cup ri ghts libera ted by th e co llapse of Se tanta ove r th e summ er.

Fo ll ow ing vic t ory in th e FA Cup, t he Canari es we re hop ing not to get knocked out away to Swind o n Town in th e John stone's Paint Trophy.

After a dis mal scoreless 90 minutes it all ca me down t o penalti es, whi ch

Satu rday saw the Canaries record a convincing 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Tranmere Rovers. An impress ive 25,000 fans saw Wesley Hoo lahan convert a second -ha lf penalty and Gary Do herty secure the poi nts late in th e ga me.

Th e res ults leave Norw ic h fift h in t he leag ue, only thre e po ints be hi nd Charl to n in th e automati c promotion

Norwi ch wo n 5-3 to prog ress to th e

pos itio ns.

Saturday we have a social, along with Wednes day in the Blue Bar. We also have our own 'hockey corner' in the LCR which makes it easy to find people and we welcome all members no matter what their playing ability.

We also have seve ral main eve nts such as the Christmas Dinner, the Annual Dinner and t he Sum mer Pub Crawl which means the next big event is always on the horizon. Being a club with ma le and female members means there are no sausage tests, which is always good. it's easier on the eye as well.

moment during your time as UEA hockey player?

As a captain, what do you think are the most important attributes of a hockey player?

At UEA? The ability to chin a pint, attend every LCR and get a 2:1 on an essay written six hours before t he deadline. In wider terms : tea mwo rk, determination and good hand-eye coordination.

What would you say to something thinking of joining UEA Hockey? it's a great way to meet peopl e, get fit with regula r t ra in ing sessions on

Wh at

has

been

your

favorite

On the pitch? lt wou ld have to be scoring the w inner against Bury St Edmunds in a relegation six-pointer last year after bei ng left out of the team for several weeks. Off the pitch would probably be wi nning 'fresher of the year' at the Annual Dinner.

Monday and Friday, and un do the hard work with regular dri nking sessio ns throughout t he week. Also, the hockey tour to Strawbe rr ies, Holland eve ry Eas ter is wi thout dou bt the best weekend of the yea r. I cr ied w hen I missed it last year.

Smash and grab raid ends UEA's unbeaten start Chris King The UEA Men's Footbal l 1st XI came up against league leaders Bedfordsh ire 1st XI, with the match finishing 2-1 thanks to goals for Bedfordshire either side of half-time.

The result inflicted UEA's first defeat of the season whilst extending Bedfordshire's winning run to four games in the league and cup.

UEA began the game in combative fashion, tackling strongly and quickly closing down their opponents before they could fash ion any meaningful attacks.

As the half wore on, Bedfordshire increased their possession, launching a wave of crosses into the box which were effectively dealt with by the UEA defence.

However, in the 33rd minute the referee awarded a controversial penalty to Bedfordshire, apparently for pushing in the box, to the

consternation and confusion of the UEA players and spectators alike.

This was subseq uently co nverted, and just as it appeared UEA would go into half-time one goa l behind, in-form striker Chris Gunn fired a deflected shot into the bottom left-hand corner, levelling the scores at 38 minutes.

The pattern after the interva l was very much the same as throughout the first half, with Bedfordshire reclaim ing the lead in the 48th minute. A free kick was delivered from the left, and after the initial shot rebounded off the post, the ball was scrambled home as the UEA defence failed to clear its lines.

From this point onwards it became easier for Bedfordshire to exploit the space left by the UEA midfield as they pressed forward in search of an equaliser.

Gunn, a constant threat to the defence throughout the game, missed an opportunity to volley UEA level mid-way through the second half, but ~hances were few and far between.

Despite the nature of t he goals

co nceded, UEA should rema in posi ti ve as t hey defended we ll for th e majority of th e game, manag ing to res ist so me heavy Bedfords hire pressu re, as we ll as severa l da ngerous long balls ove r the top. Indeed, had th e pe nalty not been awarded, the result may have been very different.

SPORT 23

concrete.apor uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

UEA rugby outgunned by impressive Lincoln Henry Croft With UEA 1st XV and Lincoln 1st XV both holding mid-table positions and boasting identical stats, Wednesday's match between the two promised to be a competitive affair.

UEA, however, seemed rusty from the kick-off which was perhaps, in part, due to a two week break since their last fixture. Nevertheless Lincoln, from the outset, brought the game to UEA with aggression, strength and remarkable pace and UEA路 stuttered early, overwhelmed by the strong organization of the away team.

Indeed, Lincoln's line met little challenge from a limp UEA who were unable to put in the big tackles required to halt the onset of the Lincoln unit. Inevitably, this lightning pace soon pounced on some clumsy UEA passing and Lincoln smashed through to seize two early tries in quick succession.

UEA continued to make little impact on the game in the early stages as Lincoln continued to chase down every opportunity. The superior skillset of Lincoln soon began to asphyxiate

UEA, and despite some rallying tackles from Number 8 Will Pullen and some effective maul organisation by captain Angus Holborn, the team seemed isolated and lacking in co-ordination, and unsurprisingly, a Lincoln back soon muscled his way past four UEA players to set up their third try.

However, the match began to settle, and a surge in UEA effort was eventually rewarded as fly-half Dominic McWilliam converted a penalty kick. This gave UEA a vital injection of confidence, and after a penalty, a UEA maul led to their first try by prop Brian Fernandez.

UEA began to wear down Lincoln but neither team seemed able to capitalise, both teams being hounded _by a string of errors, and the whistle went on what was a scrappy end to the first half.

This patchy play continued into the second half, as a turnover soon led to a Lincoln penalty and later a try. UEA began to control possession more and more, and after spending a frustrating stretch wavering around the Lincoln line, a McWilliam drop goal eventually brought the score to 13-25. Yet errors continued to abound for both teams, as a late foray b',( UEA

was halted yards from the line by a forward pass.

Although UEA maintained possession for most of the second half, they were unable to convert this into points, and the energy of the game of the first half dissipated,

resulting in what by and large was a non-contest, as Lincoln's lack of vigour and UEA's inferiority combined for a stale finish.

Despite being pitted against a superior tt!am in Lincoln, ultimately the score of 13-28 would have been

closer if UEA had not hit the snooze button in the first 15 minutes, as this unbalanced period cost them the game. Elsewhere, UEA 2nd XV fared little better, losing to Staffordshire 2nd XV 51-5, with a try by Oliver Barker.

Haye seeks to rejuvenate tired heavyweight division Danny Colllns British world boxing champions were once something of a rarity. So, that we have been blessed with three pugilists of truly world-class pedigree in recent years is testament to the flourishing health of British boxing. With Ricky Hatton increasingly turning to promotion and Joe Calzaghe enjoying a well-earned retirement, we are left with the abrasive and newly-crowned WBA Heavyweight .World Champion, David Haye.

Haye's trash-ta lk before his bout with Nikolay Va luev went beyond that recently associated with prematch build-ups, questioning Valuev's personal hygiene amongst other insults. The grandfather of British boxing, Sir Henry Cooper, admonished Haye's arrogance and reminded everyone, like all good grandfathers should, that, it wasn't like that in his day.

Well, sorry Henry, but it was. Back in your day, Vietnam conscientious objector, Muhammed Ali, labelled Joe F.razier a 'gorilla' and an 'Uncle Tom' for representing the pro-war sections

of society. Boxing trash talk took a far more sinister line then; Haye's taunts are merely playground fun-poking.

Haye sees himself as the heir to the throne of the great heavyweights, bent on rejuvenating a division inhabited by lumbering Russians; and to label Valuev lumbering would be to praise the 7ft 2" Russian. Haye's superior movement and speed resembled a wasp terrorising a victim: he would circle the Russian, land shots, and retreat before his opponent had time to respond. This fight was a noncontest; tougher tests await him in the familiar shape of other gargantuan Russians, the Klitschko brothers.

The brothers, and specifically the eldest, Vitali, are no doubt extremely adept boxers. They do, however, lack the glamour that has become a prerequisite for greatness in the most glamorous of weight divisions.

Haye's charisma abounds the type of attitude, coupled with talent, which the heavyweight division has been crying out for since the retirement of Lennox Lewis.

Before he can take his chance to unite the division he must first, however, despatch mandatory challenger, and journeyman, John Ruiz.

A prime-time slot in London appears to be a distinct possibility, with Wembley, the Ne.w Den and Stamford Bridge being offered as potential venues.

If - and when - he overcomes Ruiz, Haye will finally have the chance to realise his life-long ambition and unite the heavyweight division against Klitschko. The history of relations

between the two is notorious, with Klitschko not reacting well to Haye's familiar wind-up routine before their cancelled fight in July.

Whether Have's superior skill set can once again overcome a giant Russian remains to be seen. What is a certainty, however, is that if he can overcome Klitschko, he will go a long

-

way to achieving his career goal and rejuvenating a flagging heavyweight division.

He has set himself a target of two years to unite the division before retiring at the peak of his powers, and if Haye keeps to his word, it promises to be a frantic two years for the heavyweight division.

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eonerete.sport@uea.ae.uk

TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2009

RUGBY

CANARIES

Henry Croft reports from Colney Field on the UEA Men's 1st XV loss to Lincoln University.

Concrete watches Norwich breeze past Zamaretto League minnows, Paulton Rovers.

OXING

<l<l

C oncrete a nalyses the permutations from David Haye's world-title win.

OOTBALL Chris Ki ng reports on UEA's first defeat of the season to the University of Bedfordshire.

Women's Rugby humble depleted Anglia Ruskin

Netball edge out De MonHort

Lucy Bowers

Jessica O'Sulllvan A superb team effort at the Sportspark on Wednesday lOth November allowed the UEA 2nds to hold out in a closely-fought final quarter against De Montfort University.

De Montfort's quarterly group chants had no intimidating effect on the UEA girls as the link-up play between th e defence and attack proved excellent.

Team captain Lucy Jenkinson won the toss for first centre and play

UEA Wo men's 1st XV - 52 Anglia Rusk in Women's 1st XV - 0

UEA Women 's Rugby 1st XV ran ten tries past Anglia Ruskin on Wedn esday in an entertaining win that ended with a convincing 52-0 victory.

The home game was almost abandoned as Ru skin arrived half an hour after the schedu led 12pm kick-off time with just 12 match-fit

_,.

players. Coach Michael Tidder stated: " Despite Anglia Ruskin turning up late and without a full-strength squad, it would have been a foolish decision not to play. We made good use of the opportunity and everyone got some game time."

UEA were automatically awarded the points as the game kicked off 45 minutes late and with only an hour in which to play.

The home sid e had a point to prove and led a strong attack, almost scoring twice with just five minutes on the clock. Scrum-half Toni Bladon put the first points on the board by touching down for the first of her three tries from a five-metre scrum.

The hosts were penalised for severa l knock-o ns in th e early stages of the game but their quick and aggressive defen sive line proved too effective for Ruskin to utilise their attacking opportunities.

UEA quickly regained their composure and continued to capitalise on Ruskin's defensive frailties with

frequent line breaks from centre Lucy Bowers and fly-half Nicola Kaciul;lskyj adding to the mounting score-line.

The pack also made a large impact in the game, dominating the scrums and supporting players in the breakdown throughout the afternoon.

Thanks to so me superb support play between scrum- half Bladon and hooker Helena Messiter-Tooze, th e hosts held a 27-0 lead by the break.

The impressive half-back combination of Bladon and Kaciubskj helped to keep the team focused after the restart where the sq uad's

pod system approach proved more effective against the tiring visitors.

"We kept to the game plan and the pod systems that we've been practising in training were really effective in the game," explained Kaciubskyj.

UEA dominated territory equally well in the second half, and converted this dominance into tries as Helena Bunce, Lorraine Evennett, Vimbai Mukwenha and Maria Lovesey each made it under t he posts.

An imposing and aggressive display from UEA proved costly to Ruskin's inexperienced side and the

visitors were sent home without a score.

UEA currently sit top of their leagu e after a hard -fought win away to Coventry last week and are yet to have points scored against th em .

Coach Tidder said: " I take each match as it comes. Pa st form and results are irrelevant; just because you won or lost the last time does not mean it will happen again."

The squad can now look forward to a well -earned two we ek break before they travel to Oxford Brooks on Wednesday 25th November.

Ziggurat badminton: NBS maintain healthy lead Georgina Wade Mixed Badminton wa s th e latest event on the Ziggurat calendar, taking place last Tuesday at the Sports park .

There were some very impressive playe rs taking the racquet to represent their school, and this fact was reflected in the quality of play

â&#x20AC;˘

throughout.

Particular mention must be made to both teams from the Medical sc hool, who gave a ste rling performance, winning all of th eir matches and proceeding to the finals this week.

After Law emerged victorious in the five -a-side football two weeks ago, both teams struggled, neither getting through to the finals, leaving them lagging in 9th place overall in

the standings.

However, NBS te amed with Economics are still on strong form as they have been throughout the seaso n so far - and went on to claim two of the 16 place s in the final s.

The results leave NBS with a total of 557 points and a healthy 27-point lead at the head of the table. They are followed by the HIS/LCS, BIO and ART/SWP/MUS schools which are

se parated by three points.

With the high standard of play so far, it's se t to be a tough fight to take top spot and cla im those precious 100 point s toward the Ziggurat Trophy.

The finals of the badminton competition takes place at the Sportpark on Wednesday 18th November at Spm.

started at a fast pace with both teams playing high quality netball, moving the ball down the court with precision .

The first goal came from Jenkinson, shortly followed by so me impressive link-up play between centre court players Goknur Karaca, Lucy Harris and Holly lrving. This play made it possible for Elle McGiynn and Lucy Jenkinson to make it 25-19 by the second quarter with some sharp shooting .

The final two quarters became closer, with De Montfort's shooters finishing off some outstanding shots and their centre court players beginning to mark UEA's attacking players closely.

However, the UEA defensive of Eve Steward and pairing Harriet Denvir made some superb interceptions in addition to marking the De Montfort's shooters tightly to ensure that UEA would emerge the triumphant team .

The last shot of th e ga me came from Elle McGiynn to wrap up a terrific 43-37 win. Player of the match was Harriet Denvir, who has won the acco lade for the fourth consecutive week.