Greg James
Win Sum 41 Tickets~
Radio l DJ and UEA alumnus, Greg james, chats to Concrete ahead of his Freshers' Bash performance.
Turn to Competitions for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Sum 4 l at the LCR .
Tuesday 1 2th O cto ber 20 10 • Issue 245 • UEA's Independent Student N ewspaper
INTEREST GROWS IN STUDENT FEES Pressure mounts on the coalition government to reach an acceptable compromise on higher education funding.
·The coalition government is moving to finalise a deal that will restructure the way graduates repay their student loans. A new 'variable interest rate' could be introduced whereby those who secure higher-paid postgraduate employment will be required to pay back loans at a higher interest rate. In practice, this could see loan repayments mirroring the national interest rate (currently at 0.5%), rather than following the base rate as they do presently. The base rate currently stands at 1.5%. In 2008, the national interest rate reached as high as 5%. Discussions are also focussing on the question of whether or not to remove the cap on tuition fees, a move which could see payments rise to more than double the current figure, capped at £3,290 per annum. The Browne Report into the financing of higher education, due to be published on Tuesday, is expected to advocate an increase in tuition fees up to around £7,000 per year. The report will also recommend a rise in the threshold for starting repayments, which is currently set at an annual salary of £15,000. The search for a new method
of recouping loans has frustrated now be forced out of studying for a Conservative and Liberal Democrat degree. politicians for months, with the Rachel Handforth, Academic two sides seemingly diametrically Officer for the Union of UEA opposed over the issue of Students, said: 'The Union believes restructuring student fees. The Lib that variable interest rates are a Dems campaigned against any rise poor attempt to disguise the rise in fees, with Deputy Prime Minister, in fees that will almost certainly Nick Clegg, saying during the be recommended by the Browne general election campaign that any Review. In the end, it will make very increase in student debt would be "a little difference to the final amount disaster". It seems that such a move that students will have to pay is now inevitable. back. The most worrying thing fgr Former Lib Dem Universities students is the potential removal of spokesman, Stephen Williams, the cap on tuition fees". said his party was not necessarily Aaron Porter, president of NUS, abandoning their pledges from the told Concrete: "There is nothing spring, but that he was concerned by fair about hiking fees and doubling the idea of a market-rate repayment student debt, whilst also increasing structure. interest payments for those who He also expressed concerns at the have to borrow the most in order to possibility of different universities fund their way through university. It being able to charge different fees. would be an insult to the intelligence ''I'm really worried and I know a lot of those who voted for the Liberal of my colleagues are worried that Democrats to attempt to rebrand we may end up with a regime that the regressive and deeply unpopular makes people take choices they're . top-up fee system". not necessarily academically suited He went on to say: "Liberal for," he told the BBC. Democrat MPs have long opposed Although a raise in fees had tuition fees and at the general been widely expected in the higher election each of them signed a education community, the deal pledge to vote against higher fees in ·has stalled over finding a suitably Parliament. It would be a complete forward-thinking policy to placate betrayal of the electorate to abandon disgruntled Lib Dems. This apparent this flagship promise". compromise, however, will not be Turn to page 3 for Concrete's greeted with jubilation by students coverage of the NUS battle against from poorer backgrounds who may the Browne report.
NEWS: NUS vs . the
NEWS: Freshers left alarmed
Rob Schatten Davina Kesby News Correspondents
Browne Report As the Browne Report is released, the NUS have been leading the fight against higher fees. Page3
Freshers are being disrupted by older students setting off fire alarms in halls. Page4
.
'
NEWS: Sportspark brand
FEATURES: Do you ba ck the
SPORT: Meet UEA's Boat
Norwich streets
coalition?
Club.
The Sportspark have used innovative marketing techniques to spread their new logo around the city. Page6
Students give their views on the ' Concrete Sport catch up with one of coalition and what it has achieved UEA's most popular and successful so far. sports clubs, the UEA Boat Club. . Page 12-13
Page 23
ISSU E l!~ 5
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co ncrete.n ews@ uea.ac. uk
UEA's Independent Student Newspaper
UNION NOMINATED FOR TWO AWARDS
I
Robert Keeler News Re porter
Concrete Newspaper Union House UEA Norwich NR4 7Tj co ncrete.ed itor@uea.ac. u k Editorial: 01603 593 466 Advertising: 01603 592 507
Editor:
Danny Collins .
Deputy Editor:
Steph McKenna
Chief Copy Editor
Mia Wecker
News Editor:
Davina Kesby
Comment and Opinion Editor:
Emma Parrott
International Editor:
Nishavitha Murthi
Features Editors:
Adam Fenwick Samantha Lewis
Turf Editor:
Anna Tomson
Lifestyle Editor:
james Dixon
Travel Editor:
Tom Hunt
Food Editor:
Kyle Spencer
Sports Editors:
Chris Kin g Rob Schatten
Chief Photographer:
Greg Mann
Deputy Chief Photographer:
Laura Smith
Advertising Manager:
jean Wills
Distributor
Ross Grant
The Uni on of UEA Stud e nts has bee n nomin a ted for two pres ti gious na ti o na l awa rds fo r its ove ra ll excell e nt perform a nce as both a venu e and in offe ring a diverse ra nge of club s and societi es, as we ll as supp ort, to UEA stud e nts. Th e first nomin ation is for th e up coming 2010 Club /\ward s, J n eve nt ho sted a nnu a lly by th e popular Club Mirror magaz ine which cove rs Ul< nightlife as well as s po rts a nd soc ieti es. UEA has bee n no minated in th e ca tego ry of 'B es t Stud e nt Union' with th e winner be in g announced on I Ot h November 20 10 at the Manch es te r Pal ace 11 otel. Th e awa rd represe nts
the Union's overall s trength as a n o rgani sation. With ove r 200 club s a nd soc ieti es ava il a bl e to me mb ers during Fresh ers' Wee k thi s year, Union s ta ff a re co nfid e nt the Union will be abl e to cl a im thi s pres tigiou s award. The second nomination ca me from magazine Ll VEUI(, a publi cat io n cel ebrati ng th e bes t of li ve mu s ic across th e Ul< . Th e no mina t ion was for UEA's LCR as o ne of th e top ca mpu s live mu s ic venu es in the coun try, with the award s ce remon y be ing he ld on Thursday 7 th Octob e r. The LCR has prev ious ly wo n thi s awa rd , a nd w ith th e likes of Pl a n B a nd Pe ndulum havin g a lready played thi s term, with Exampl e a nd Ma ni c Street Preachers s till to come, th e Union's e nte rta inment
I
News Re porter
Octob er sa w UEA host one of its mo st success ful Open Days with ove r 6,000 stud ents and their famili es pre -rcgistering for the event. Th e numb er of atte nd ees
grew on th e clay, with many prospective students turnin g up without having registered. Thi s reco rd breaking event re fle cts a recent trend of increas ing interest in the univers ity whi ch has res ulted in a third Op e n Day be ing
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Cloudy with a fe • bright Rather doudy overcas spells. Chill. breeze and mist Chilly breeze.
Contributors:
Proofreaders : Ha s ina Alien, lmoge n Ste inb e rg, Claire Powe r, Ha rry Slate 1~ Ame lia Edward s, Suzanna Wood, jonat han Brady, Stacey Knapp, Beth Wyatt
on to comm ent furth e r that "Th e Uni o n is rea lly proud of th e di ve rse ra nge of eve nts our e ntertainments team put toge th e r, ca terin g to both a cha ngin g s tud e nt body a nd a vibrant arts culture in Norwi ch". Thi s is not th e fir st lim e UEI\'s Stud e nt Uni o n has bee n nomin ated for awa rd s with it hav in g won th e Wh atuni Stud e nt Uni on of the Yea r award in 2009, and it is hoped that over th e coming yea rs the Union will continu e to grow fro m stre ngth to s tre ngth.
RECORD ATTENDANCE AT UEA OPEN DAY Claire Price
Robert Keeler, Cla ire Price, Susa nn a Wood, Sta cey l<napp, Tim Bates, Oli ve r Steward, james Schofi e ld, jess Coll e tt, Barb a ra Orth, ja ck Brinded, Henry Croft, Nath a n Willcock, Al ex Ross, Dun can Smith, Tom Cann o n, Cathy White, Mary li se Shmid, Tim Mars h, Will La cey, Emma Willi a mson, Luke Me ndoza, Li sa Ste ve ns, Georg ie 1\d o lpho -Co ulin g, Charli e Wallace, Lalll·e n Carter, Gabri ella Cola s urdo, Chri s tin e O'Sullivan, Anna Eastick, Megan Pennell, Chr is Tea le, Matt Phil cox, Domini c Smi th, Fiona ll oward, Matt Scrafton, Simon O'M e ara, Ed Powe ll
s ta ff were confid e nt of on ce aga in liftin g thi s awa rd . th e LCR Unfortunately, fini s hed as runn er up o n th e ni ght, losi ng out na rrowly to th e Uni ve rs ity of Ce nt ra l Lanca s hire's bra nd new venu e 53 Degrees. With rega rd to th e nomin ati ons, Tom Dolto n, Communi ca ti o ns Offi ce r fo r th e Uni on, said : "Th e Union of UE/\ Stud ents is de lighted th a t our Union is even being conside red for these awards and we feel th at th e fact we have be en really refl ects po s itive ly up on us". li e we nt
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Overcast. mis - risk of Overcast mist _ - risk of drizzle Chill. winds drizzle. Chilly breeze
SAT 16TH OCT- SUN 17TH OC
added in Jun e thi s yea r. Su zy Go o k, Head of Marketing a nd Se rvices, /\d m in istra ti on reported tha t registrati o ns thi s year we re up by SO % and app li cation s had increased by 30 % - a figu re that rates above th e na ti o nal average. In ord e r to ma nage a n occas io n of this s ize, ove r 100 s taff a nd mo re th a n 200 stud e nt a mbassa do rs a nd he lp ers were e mploye d to help cli1·ec t vi s itors <Jnd a nswer qu es ti ons. Extra ca rpa rking was a lso nee ded with so me vi si tors a rri vin g fro m a nea rby park a nd rid e se rvice. In additi on to thi s, fac ulti es 1·e po1·ted th at s ubject talks were so we ll a ttend ed th a t in so me cases, pa re nts of vi s it ing stud e nts we re as ked to s tep asi de in ord e r for all the stud ents to ga in access to th e lecture th ea tres. Open Days rank a mong th e mos t importa nt eve nts in th e univers ity 's ca lend a r as th ey offe r a uniqu e opportunity for pros pecti ve stud ents to ex plore fa ciliti es, mee t current stud e nts and staff a nd learn about the cou rses on offer.
Acco mmod ati o n a nd ca mpu s tours avail abl e on th e cl ay a lso a llowed visitors to vi s it th e univers ity de pa rtments and investi ga te teac hing fa cilities, as we ll as view the accommodation . Thi s Op en Day al so gave th e Unive rs ity a n opp ortunity to showcase new de velopm ents such as t he Th omas Pa in e Centre and th e refurbi s hed and re-o rgani sed library. thi s Op en Additionally, Day co in cid ed w ith th e uni ve rsity's Live !.ea rn ca mpa ign whi ch promotes bo t h aca de mi c a nd socia l as pects of unive rs ity life. Th e Market Rese arch Tea m spoke to a number of visitors on the day a nd found th at ma ny were impresse d w ith o ne pa re nt desc ribing the ma rketin g as 'fres h, a grea t ca mpa ign.' It is ex pected that th e turn out for this event will tra ns late into ap pli ca tion s mak in g thi s Op e n Day a hi ghly imp orta nt pa rt of th e rec ruitm e nt process. Th e nex t Ope n Day is fo r postgraduates a nd will be held on th e I 0 Nove mber from 2-?pm .
ISSUE 245
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Tuesday 12th October
EARLHAM ROAD FATALITY A man died on Wednesday as a result of a road accident that occurred last Monday (27th September). The collision took place at approximately 3:50pm on Monday on Earlham Road. A blue Peugeot 306 was travelling along Earlham Road out of the city when it collided with a green bicycle, near the junction with Alexandra Road. The rider of the bicycle was John Rudledge, who was 76 and from the Norwich area. He died in hospital on Wednesday 29th September from the injuries he received as a result of the collision. Any witnesses of the collision should contact PC Richard Peck on 0845 456 4567.
GOLDEN TRIANGLE HIT BY LAPTOP BURGLARIES Students are being urged to keep on their guard after a spate of burglaries in the Unthank Road area. The first offence took place on Thursday 30th September on Cambridge Street between 8pm and 9.20pm. A black HP Pavilion laptop and black leather Radley purse containing about £40 in cash and cards was stolen after an intruder gained access to the house through an open ground floor window. A second theft took place on Thursday 7th October between ?pm and 9pm on Gloucester Street. A laptop, its charger and a phone charger were stolen after access was seemingly gained through an upstairs bathroom window. The victim of this crime was 3rd year student, Kristina Stephens, who said: "It seems to have been really quick and opportunistic, the rest of my room is in the same state, my iPod's still in my drawer". She expressed further concerns about the circumstances in which the theft took place: "It all happened whilst one of my housemates was in her room downstairs. I was quite shaken up by the burglary as I've always felt really safe living in Norwich. It was something I've never been aware of any of my friends at UEA experiencing". Anyone with information should contact DC Sharon Wright at Norwich CID on 0845 456 4567 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
NUS BEGIN BAnLE AGAINST BROWNE REPORT Susanna Wood News Reporter
The National Union of Students has reacted with "horror" to an independent review published next week which is likely to lead to dramatic changes in the way universities in England are funded. The Sutton Trust is warning that the review, which has been led by former chief executive of BP, Lord Browne, will suggest a rise in the cap on fees from the current £3,290 to up to £10,000 per year. A statement from the NUS has said that their evidence shows that nearly three quarters of students would have to reconsider their plans if universities were allowed to saddle students with even higher levels of debt, and have labelled the proposed fees as "regressive". The Union of UEA Students has also reacted with dismay at the "unrepresentative" nature of the review. Rachel Handforth, the Union's Academic Officer, offered these comments: "[The review] should have contained the voice of students through the NUS rather than purely those with vested interests. The Union of UEA Students believes that higher
education should be free". This comes in the wake of a new university year that has left thousands of schoolleavers without a university place. Those who make it to graduation are becoming apprehensive about finding employment in an increasingly bleak job market. NUS President Aaron Porter has demonstrated his "absolute horror" at the proposals. "Lord Browne's dream to embark on the road to a market in fees would be a nightmare," he said, citing fears that allowances will not be made for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Speaking on the Politics Show, Porter explained, "I think if students are going to be asked to pay more, they might ask how universities are going to improve what they offer". He pointed out that the lack of improvement in university services since 2006, when the cap was trebled from £1,000 to over £3,000. The Liberal Democrats in particular have come under fire due to their perceived policy turnaround regarding this issue. While the Liberal Democrat website reads that they are the "only party which believes university education should be free"- their stance against
tuition fees being a big feature in the general election - NUS believes that not enough Liberal Democrat MPs are protesting against the rise in fees. Porter also expressed concern that decisions regarding the pricing of fees in different universities would be based on the university's "history and perceived prestige" rather than the quality of life for the students. There are fears that a 'university free market' could lead to a two-tier system similar to that which existed between universities and polytechnics prior to 1992. There have also been suggestions that a rise in fees may see in a system similar to that in the USA,
where top Ivy League universities such as Harvard expect fees of £34,976 for one year of tuition. NUS has often suggested a graduate tax as an alternative to a rise in tuition fees, which would be paid after graduation alongside income tax. The Union, while not formally endorsing the graduate tax, has stated that "it seems difficult to imagine a worse system than one of exorbitant tuition fees". However, graduate tax will be dismissed by Browne in favour of a structured tuition fee system. NUS have organised a national demonstration which will take place in Central London on Wednesday lOth November.
students are mature enough to recognise the impact of their behaviour on others, and that it reflects badly, not only on them, but on the University as a whole". Dr Grant also encouraged students to be cautious, telling them to "ensure that they do not set off the alarms through carelessness, either by leaving shower doors open or spraying
aerosols near the sensors". She also expressed thanks to the Student Union for reinforcing this message. The Dean went on to stress that there are strict disciplinary procedures in place for those who are found deliberately or recklessly setting off alarms, ranging from a £500 fine to potential eviction from residences or even a referral to appear before the UEA Senate.
FRESHERS LEFT ALARMED Stacey Knapp News Reporter Freshers' Week saw a spate of deliberate fire alarm activations across campus as 16 incidents were reported. Each occurred between 22:00 and 05:30, often after LCR nights and mostly in the newest residences across the UEA campus. lt was initially believed to have been an initiation type prank for second and third year students. However, according to Nick ]ope, the security team leader, this year's Freshers' Week has been especially bad. With one third year student apprehended and facing, as of yet unknown disciplinary action, the negative reaction to such antisocial behaviour is widespread and increasing throughout the University. Dan Youmans, the Community and Student Rights Officer for the Union of UEA Students, condemned the pranksters for, "wasting the fire services time and distracting them from real emergencies". He
also criticised the offenders for "massively disrupting students' lives, for example, having to evacuate in the middle of the night when students have lectures early in the morning. The most pressing danger is cultivating complacency amongst residents". This view is seconded by the security team who are concerned that in the event of a real fire or emergency, students will fail to evacuate their residences, risking more serious and potentially lifethreatening circumstances that could easily have been avoided. The campus security staff wish to therefore encourage students, especially first years, to take basic safety precautions. Freshers are urged not to invite older students who may have previously stayed in their halls into flats, to maintain awareness of suspicious strangers, and close easily accessed windows and doors, particularly in ground floor rooms. The Dean of Students, Dr Annie Grant, has told Concrete: "We would have hoped that our
ISSUE 245
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co ncrete. news@ uca.ac.uk
CHARLES CLARKE CALLS COALITION INCOMPETENT Tim Bates News Re porter Former La bour Hom e Secretary Charles Clarke ha s acc used the coa li tion gove rnment of bla nket incom petence. SpcakinglastTuesdayata Fringe meeting at the Conservative Party Co nfere nce, Mr Cla rke accused the governm e nt of mis ha ndling al most every major politi cal iss ue s in ce co ming to power in May. lie sa id: "I think there a rc early s ign s that th e coalition has n't go t ho ld of so me of the key prob lems about how you govern and how you run the co untry". Th e attacks mark one of th e first se ri ous cha ll enges by La bour politicia ns to the incumbent gove rnm ent s ince th e reso lut ion of the Labour Lea dership El ecti o ns. Clarkc cha ll enged th e Conservatives on po licies as wid e as the elections of po lice eh icfs, to the dec is io n to give GPs con tro l ove r hea lth co mmiss ioning, say ing th ese decis ion s wou ld ca use "se ri ous problems". li e also accused Ni ck Clegg, th e Deputy Prim e Ministe r a nd Leade r of th e Liberal Democrats, of "messing up" on his a mbition s of co nstituti onal reform. Cha rl es Clarke is the former MP for Norw ich South.
SPORTSPARK BRAND NORWICH STREETS Olive r Stewa rd News Re porte r Th e UEA Spo rtspa rk has com mi ss ioned its new logos to be pl aced in 28 pl aces around Norwich as part of it J Oth a nniversa ry t·eb ra nd ing. This unu s ual form of adverti s ing uses a Clean Graffiti plastic stenc il a nd a pressurized hose to clean away dirt. The res ult is an image which looks painted on but is nothing more than a clea n pavement in th e shape of a logo or message. By building on th e new logo th e UEA Sportspark employed th e adve rt is ing age ncy Euro RSCG Ril cy with a tota l cost of £ 1500 . The adverts were pl aced in popular lo ·ations a round Norwich city ce ntre, including Gentleman's Wa lk, Prin ce of Wales Roa d, outs id e Th e Forum a nd by Norw ich tra in station. Co ntrary to outside belief th e UE/\ Sportspark is a se lf-fin a nci ng opera ti on which is depe nde nt on the wider commun ity us ing il. Through market resea rch th e UEA Sport pa rk identifi ed a popul a r h Id myth that it is only op n to UEA students an d perce ived a need to ove rco me such a perce pti on. l<eith Ni cho ll s of the UEA Spo rtspa rk argues th e re is a "need in imm ediate lo ca lity, so meth ing that's inn ovative and attractive."
Th e s hort te rm goa l of such a proj ect was to make a n impact, a nd th e UE/\ Sportspark is co nfid e nt that has alrea dy bee n achieved by its featu re on the front page of Norw ich J::vening News. H oweve 1~ when rema rkin g on th e use of th e wo rd 'g raffiti ' l<eith Ni choll s argues this form of adverti sin g "is not disfiguring anything. /\11 you have done is taken away dirt." The reception of such adverts has been positive overa ll. A spo kes perso n for Norwi ch City
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Council, said: "We haven't heard a ny com pl aints at this poi nt abo ut these, an d it doesn't appear to be ha rmin g th e city at the moment, but it is so mething we will keep a n eye on. Whil e we don' t wa nt to s tifl e crea tivity a nd susta inab le practices, th ere is a balance to be struck between th ese, and having a city overloaded with advertising." juli an Fos ter, cha irman of the cen tral orwich Citizen's Forum, said: "it's a wonderful idea. When people sta rted ge lli ng excited a bout graffiti we sa id th ere is good
graffiti and there is bad gra ffiti , but thi s i good art and it's eve n better th at it wa hcs off after a while- I'm a ll for it". Ma ri a h Rowc, ass istant directo r of th e Sportspa rk, sa id: "The nice thing about it is the clean graffit i aspect. You're actually cleaning something away and it just fades away". She add ed that the campa ign wou ld "bring the logo into peoples' minds. 1\fter 10 years we felt th logo till looked good but co uld look better. Quite a few people have see n it a nd sa id it was interestin g".
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ISS UE 245
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CAFE DIRECT TRIALS LATER OPENING HOURS Cafe Direc t w ill be tri a lling la ter opening hou rs to give stud e nts a n a lternative meeting po int in the evenings. Until th e e nd of Octo be r, Ca fe Direct will he op e n until 9 pm eve ry evcnin g. lfth e f<Jc ility is use d e nou gh, thi s later clos in g time could he ex tended ind efin ite ly. Head of fo od <:~ nd ho s pit <:~ lity se rvices, Ste ph e n Wright, sa id: "We wa nt to otTe r stud ents a ni ce se tting to mee t fr ie nd s a nd have a s nac k with out havin g to s pe nd the evening in th e b<J r. We hop e lots of s tud e nts w ill ta ke ad va ntage of thi s as we wo uld li ke to make thi s a pe rm ane nt fea ture".
UEA SCIENCE SUCCESS Professo r Phil )o nes, d irector of resea rch at lJE/\' s Clim <J ti c Resea rch Unit has bee n n <:~ m e d on e of th e mos t im po rta nt figures in Briti sh sc ie nce. Eureb, Th e Tim es' scie nce suppl ement, publi shed a li st of th e top I 00 mo st influe ntial peo ple in co nte mpora ry sc ie nce. Accordin g to Th e Tim es cdito1; ja mcs ll a rdin g, the li st fea tures those wh o a re "pu s hin g bac k th e bound a ri es of sc ientific understand ing, tra ns formin g our lives throu gh innovati on a nd changing our a ttitud es to sc ie nce, ea ch oth e r a nd th e world ". Profess or Jon es a pp ea red a t numb e r 43 in th e list a nd is describ ed as a "controve rs ia l clim atol og ist". Acco rdin g to th e li st, he a pp ea rs beca use he is "re nown ed in th e sc ience co mmunity fo r hi s work on he mis ph e ri c a nd globa l s urface temp eratures". li e is a lso d escr ib ed as "o ne of the mos t cited resea rchers in gcosc ie nces". Eureka ack nowledges th e imp ac t of th e "C iim ategat e" sca nd a l o n Professo r )ones, who has spo ken of h is tho ughts of s ui ci de durin g the inq uiry. Aft e r be ing exo nerate d fro m a ny w rongdo ing, Eureka says he w ill be "we lco med back to th e fold". Numb er one in th e li st was Sir Pa ul Nu rse, who ga in ed his PhD from th e Sc hoo l of Bio log ica l Sc ie nces at UEA. He is a ge neti cist and ce ll bio logist who was awa rded the Nob el Pri ze in Phys iology or Medi cin e wi th Le land 11 . ll a rtwell a nd R. Ti moth y llunt fo r th e ir di scove ri es rega rdin g ce ll cyc le regu la tion.
UEA'S OPENING WEEK AS FRESH AS EVER James Schofield News Re porte r Th e new uni vers ity year ki cked off in ec lecti c fas hi o n w ith UEA's Fres he rs' Wee k. A hos t of acts g1路accd th e ha ll owed stage of t he LCR to ge t the a utumn se mes ter off to a grea t sta rt for both Fres he rs and returnin g s tud e nts a lik e. A few ea rl y hi cc ups in th e onlin e li cketing se rvi ce left m<lny stud e nts pani ckin g ove r th e ava ila bility of th e so ught a ft er ti cke ts. Th e release of ti cke ts o nlin e was a more co nve nie nt opti on for th ose not ye t back at univers ity, but the se rvi ce was not w ith out its p ro bl e ms. Du e to ph e nome na l de mand, th e UEA Box Offi ce we bs itc was br iefly take n d ow n th e day on w hi ch ti ckets we re re leased, leav in g ma ny stud e nts str ugg lin g to buy ti cke ts fo r the eve nts th at th ey wished to at tend. This dema nd meant that most of t he ni ghts had so ld out before Fres he rs' Wee k had beg un ; ha rdl y
s urpri sin g with a lin e-up in cludin g Pendu lum a nd Za ne Lowc. Th e wee k we nt by wi th out mu ch in cid ent. The a tm os ph ere at eac h ni ght was fri e ndly a nd goo d natured, with new a nd returning students reli sh in g th e o pportunity to e nte r or s imply ge t bac k into th e uni ve rsity routi ne. Rum ours of d ru g use during the Pen dulum DJ se t, un co nfirm ed by UEA Secur ity, have bee n th e only blip o n <:~n oth erwi se unta rni s hed reco rd fo r Fres hers' Wee k. The <JC t 路 th e mse lves were met w ith goo d rece ptio n. Zane Lowe 's DJ He ro 11 to ur saw a packed -o ut LCR trea ted to th e s urpri se s upp ort ac t o f Shy PX. Lowe him se lf playe d an e lectri c se t th at was hera ld ed by Dav id, a 3rt! year PS I s tu de nt, <Js "the third bes t LCR" he'd ever bee n to. Th e a tm os ph e re in s id e th e L C I~ was com mented o n by th e New Zealand DJ him self, who posted o n his Twi tte r the d<:~y after that "UEA last night was in credib le". Radi o On e DJ a nd fo rm e r
UEA s tud e nt Greg james a lso had pra ise for th e LCR a tm os ph e re, ca lling him se lf a "ve ry lu cky boy" o n Tw itter afte r hea dl ini ng th e Fres he rs' Bas h to <J ra pt urous res pon se. Th e wee k gave a grea t tas ter of wh a t the Univers ity of E<:~s t An gli a has to offe r on a socia l level. Loui sc, a I st yea r Ill S stude nt, sa id : "des pite <J lot of peo pl e hav in g
troub le gettin g t ickets du e to th e s pee d of th e o nlin e ti cket sal es , it was a ve ry e njoya bl e week' - a se ntim ent th at has bee n ec hoed by ma ny oth e rs at th e uni ve rs ity. On ce everyone has recove red fJ"Om th e in evita bl e Pres hers ' Flu th a t few have bee n <:~ bl e to avo id , th e wee k w ill be loo ked bac k o n w ith a fo ndn ess th at is hard to match.
Ex- UEA student and Radio One DJ Greg james entertains the crowd
10:10 CAMPAIGN STEPPED UP FOR 10/10/10 Mia Wecker News Re porter A globa l wa rm ing ca mpa ign to cut ca rb on e mi ssi ons by 10% in 20 I 0 has ste pp ed up its ca mp a ign. 10: 10, the UI< globa l wa r mi ng mit igation campai gn, s uccess fu lly coordin ated 10:10:10, th e bigges tever day of positive action o n climate chan ge, o n Sund ay lOth October 2010. The proje ct in clud ed events in co untri es a round th e wo rld , r<ll1 ging fro m Slllll o wrest!i ng in ja pa n to 10,000 sc hoo ls plantin g trees in Cro ati a a nd Ru ss ia to ~~ Glrbon -c uttin g tclcthon on na tion a l TV in th e Neth e rl a nd s. Th e a im of th e wo rldwid e s pectac le was to furth e r e nco urage indi vid ua ls, as we ll as orga ni sa ti ons a nd gove rnm e nts, to ma ke efforts to cut th e ir ca rb o n foo tp r int. Th e day also ce leb rate d the res ults ob ta in ed so fa r, a nd th ose have bee n ma ni fo ld. To da te, 10 :10 campa igns have s ta rted in a tota l of 40 co untr ies in cludin g th e UI<, Nepa l, Fra nce, Ge rm a ny, Gh ana a nd New Zea la nd . Gl obally, a ro und 30,000 bu s in esses a nd 80,000 indi vidu a ls have s igned up, w ith numbers stil l ri s ing ste<J dily. In th e UI<, th e gove rnm ent <:~ nd 45% of a ll coun cil s have a lrea dy pl edged th e ir co mmitm e nt to th e 10:10 mi ss ion . Euge ni c 1-l a rvey, director of th e 10:10 ca mp a ign,
es tim a tes th a t ove r half a milli on pound ha ve a lrea dy bee n saved by t he meas ures ta ke n. At UEA, the Stu dent Union is a lso s u ppo rtin g th e m issio n of 10:10. Tom Dol oton , th e Uni o n's Co mmu nicat ion 's Ollice r, sa id that "we a re a lways lookin g into ways to redu ce both pap e r was te a nd ge ne ra l was te. We have wo rked close ly w ith th e uni vers ity to recycle stud e nt was te; a grea t examp le of thi s was th e UEA clea nup w hi ch cl ea red th e Univers ity's a cco mm od a li o n." Gree n Win g, th e Uni o n's gree n a rm, is coo rdin ating eve nt s in th e co nt ex t of 10:10:10, in cludin g a two- hour bik e ri d e th roug h No rwic h a nd a Freega n Ba ll in the llive.
Th e ca mp a ign orga ni se rs we lco me th e enthu s ias m fo r 10: 10 :10, es pec ia lly a ft e r being heavily cri ti cise d for pu bli s hing a co ntrovers ia l c<:~ m pa i g n vid eo two wee ks ago. Th e s ho rt film Nu Pressure by l~i c hard Curti s s hows school chi ldren, co rpo rate empl oyees, fo rm e r French socce r ace Dav id Gin ola, a nd X Files sta r Gilli a n And erso n be ing bl own up afte r havin g refus ed to s ign up for 10:10. It w <:~s withdraw n less th a n 24 hours <:~fte r its pu bl ica ti on, yet cause d a co ns id erab le a mou nt o f da m age to 10:10, w hich los t t he s upp on of so me imp o rta nt me mh e1路s in cludin g So ny Europe a nd 35 0. o rg, a n inter nat iona l enviro nm enta l o rga ni za tion wh ich had bee n sig nifica ntly in vo lved in
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th e o rga ni sa ti on of I 0:10:10. Yet, Euge ni c ll a rvey sa id if th e Gl mp <:~ i g n is s uccessfu l, 10: 10 w ill d efin ite ly go on fa r beyo ncl 20 10. To el ate, 3,0 00 bu s in esses a nd 8 0,000 indi vidu a ls have s ign ed th e pledge. Among t hose compa nies making th e commitm e nt to cut their ca rb on e miss ions a re severa l Lo nd on Und e rground s ta ti o ns, in cludin g Li ve rp oo l Stree t a nd Bank. Th e tub e sta tion s wil l be a tte mptin g to reduce energy co ns ump tio n th ro ugh use of li ght ing a nd esca lato rs more efficie ntl y. Th e meas ures will s<:~ve a ro und 拢70,00 0 a nd ove r 500 to nn es of C0 2 per yea r, with th e tub e netwo rk bein g respo ns ibl e fo r a round 640,000 to nn es of C02 a nnu a lly.
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8
INTERNATIONAL
www.concrete-online.co.uk
ISSUE 245
eo 11crete.i11 te rn a ti o 11 a I @uea.a c.u k
Education, Life and Money What does it mean to pay international fees? lsabelle Carty International Writer With rega rds to inte rnati o na l fees, u ni vers iti es in t he UK fo ll ow s t r ict guid e lines for fee assess m e nt se t out by th e UK co unci l for Inte rna tiona l s tud e nt a ffa irs. In a ny given yea r, a t a ny UK unive rs ity, inte rn a ti o na l fees for on e s tud e nt ca n ra nge fro m £4,000 to £20,000 de pe nd ing on the in st itut ion, th e typ e of course a nd th e leve l o f th e course. Fees for inte rn a ti o na l s tud e nts a re decid edly diffe re nt fro m fees pa id by Ho me or EU s t ud e nts . To q ua lify for Ilom e o r EU status (a nd subsequ e ntly pay low e r fees), s tud e nts mu s t be Briti s h o r EU na ti o na ls w ith a pass port to a ttes t to th a t o r b e a res id e nt of th e UI< fo r three years pri o r to th e sta rt of t he ir cou rse, as long as th ey were in the country for a reaso n oth e r th a n th e purpose of receiv ing full-tim e edu ca ti o n. Som e inte rn a ti o na l stud e nts a re acco rd ed fin a ncia l aid in t he form o; gra nts, loan s or sch o lars h ips by t he ir co untri es. In re tu r n for a n ove rseas edu ca tion , som e a re ex p ected to return a nd w ork fo r th e ir res pective gove rnm e nts fo r a s pec ifie d a m o unt of tim e. Some, o n t he othe r ha nd, have no fi na ncia l a id ava ila ble to th e m a nd mu st ma ke e nds m ee t on ce th ey a re he re by a tte mptin g to find jo bs, whi ch ca n be diffi cult, if no t imp oss ibl e.
Notes on Africa Ebikabowei Bozimo Inte rn a ti o na l Write r Th e Afri ca n culture is ri ch and vibra nt. Th e cul ture boas ts a pp rox ima te ly 200,000 yea rs of traditi on fro m wh e n ho mo sa pi ens e mi grated fro m Ethi opia a nd inh a bited most o f th e world g ra du a lly. So m e, of co urse, re ma in ed behind, makin g th e Afri ca n cultu re on e of th e old est cult ures in the world . Ind eed, the re is a n Africa n in each a nd every one of us l The culture holds on to its centra l ele me nt in th at it is still very mu ch fam ily ori e nte d. Wi th t he gene rat io na l e ldest sori being the head of a ve ry exte nd ed fa mily, prob le ms within th ese exte nd ed fa mili es a re s ha red a nd th e burd e n is ca rri ed by th e w id er fa mily if it proves diffi cult to cop e with for th e im mediate nucl ea r fa m ily. The re is a grea t dea l of dive rs ity in th e peop le a nd th e culture, for insta nce in Nige ri a alon e t he re is a n excess o f up to 510 la nguages,
Meet, Greet and Eat
In add it io n to t ui t ion fees, t here is a n a pprox im a te minimum cos t of living of £7,000 pe r yea r for o ne s tud e nt. Ma ny s tud e nts s uppl e me nt th e ir in co m e by w o rkin g pa rt-tim e or durin g holid ays, whi ch m ea ns more t ime aw ay from h o me lea d ing to th e a dd ed s tress a nd p ress ure .
1/UEA 1s pleased to welcome students from over 100 different countries" Eve n t hough th e fin a ncia l burd e n ha ngs like a cl o ud ove r th e inte rn a ti o na l s tud e nts, it do es not preve nt th e m from a pply ing, a tte nding a nd e nj oying both th e ir s tay a nd th e ir e du ca ti o n. UEA is pl eased to we lco m e s tud e nts fro m ove r 100 diffe re nt countri es a nd th e re is eve n a n in te rn a ti o nal s tud e nt s upport syste m in p lace to prov id e a n access ibl e ne two rk o f advi ce a nd inform a ti o n. Th o ugh inte rn a ti o na l s tud e nts may be fa r away from ho m e a nd a lready in d e bt be fo re th ey eve n begin , th e e du cati o n th ey ac hi eve u nd o ubtedly ma kes th e m ri ch in both ex pe ri e n·ce a nd kn owl e dge.
not to m e nti o n a w id e a rray of ri ch a nd exo ti c food of th e co ntine n t. In dee d, touri sts a re known to co m e from fa r a nd wid e to destina ti o ns like Morocco fo r a tas te of so me o f its na ti ve cuis in e. Th e Afri ca n peo pl e a rc a lso kn own to be wa rm a nd welco ming; t hi s is dee ply roote d in the cultu re. Th e clim ate be ing tro pi ca l/s ubtrop ica l, it provid es th e id ea l li ving e nv iro nme nt fo r so me of th e most mys te ri ous wi ldlife o n ea rth. Fro m th e cora l reefs of So uth Africa to th e Sa fa ris of Ke nya, Afr ica prid es its e lf on a dive rse wi ld li fe a nd is a lso o ne of th e ri ches t in terms o f th e natura l min e ra ls it houses. Popul a r re li gion m ostly co ns ists of a m ixtu re betwee n trad iti on a l be li e fs with exte rnal influ e nces. The co ntine nt's culture is a lso one of th e m os t ex pressive in te rms of da nce a nd a rt. Ind eed, th e a rt is as dive rse as its peop les, ra nging from th e bro nze hea ds of Ife to the ve lours of Kasa i, a ll ow ing for tour ists to be mes me r ised by th e a ncient pyra mids of Egypt or th e co ns tella ti on of te rra ins of Nige ria.
Krishnaveni Padaa Inte rn a ti o n a l Write r The re has been so much happe nin g a round ca mpu s this mont h, in cluding the tra diti ona l ice-brea kin g, meet- a nd -gre et socia l events held by societi es fo r a fun introdu cti o n. Th is w eek, two soc ieties orga ni sed such e ncounters; name ly th e So uth East As ia n Soc iety a nd th e Hind u Society. Th e Hindu Society is a gro up of stud ents wh o be lieve in, o r a re inte rested in, th e Hindu religio n. Th e Hi ndu Socie ty's meet- a nd-gree t eve nt was he ld in a n India n res ta ura nt, Spice Loun ge, loca ted in th e city ce ntre. Over 75 peo pl e turn ed up to this eve nt w he re they w e re gree ted a nd p laced rand o mly o n tables. He re th ey had a cha nce to mingle w ith peo ple w ho they had not prev iously met an d what's more, be qui zzed o n how much th ey knew th e ir neighbo urin g mem ber as th e ni ght sta rted. So me reca ll ed a maz ing a m ounts of informati on I The sa mosas ca me as s ta rters a nd two mouth-wa tering curri es we re later se rved w it h na n brea d a nd ri ce. Afte r the food, acco mpa nied w it h a set of no isy di scuss io ns a round tabl es, th e society prese nted a n enterta ining qui z aro und th e Hin d u cul tu re a nd relig ion. Th e ni ght e nd ed wi th th a nking m e mbe rs a nd
"Th e sa mosas ca me as starters a nd two mo uth-wa terin g curri es w ere la te r se rved w ith na n brea d a nd r ice" ac kn owl edg ing th e co mmittee fo r orga nis ing th is vibra nt eve nt! The South Eas t Asia n Society's meeta nd -greet eve nt was ve ry d iffe re nt. Thi s society co ns ists of me mbe rs fro m a ll so rts of
bac kgro un ds a nd cultures fro m th e Fa r Eas t such as Th ai la nd, Ma lays ia, Vi etn a m, Chin a a nd Korea, Ho ng Kong, Ind o nes ia to na m e but a few 1Thi s eve nt w as he ld in Co nstab le Te rrace w here ove r 100 m em bers were g ree ted by a ba nd that pe rform ed orienta l a nd Englis h so ngs . La te 1~ food s pecially m ad e by the co mmittee me m be rs o f the society was presented a nd
night continued with games that included a quiz on the South East Asian countries and several other fun and spirited games involving balloons and sticky was d evo ured a t a n impress ive s peed . The ni ght co ntinu ed w ith ga mes th at in cl ud ed a qu iz on th e So uth East Asia n co un tri es a nd seve ra l other fun a nd s pirited ga mes in volving ball oo ns a nd sti cky post-it notes. The ni ght was ove r before yo u knew it a nd a ll that was left to do was coll ectin g a ll th e used pa rty po ppe rs. Th e re have bee n many eve nts in th e past two weeks w hi ch co nstituted a new expe ri e nce fo r m os t peo ple, co m ing fro m abroad . Those w ho haven't ye t had th e opp ortu nity of s uch e nj oyment wil l be pl eased to know it's no t too la te to join soc ieti es that interest yo u! Th ere w il l p roba bly be ma ny mo re fLfn a nd exc iting eve nts througho ut t he yea r fo r yo u to ta ke pa rt in, so s tud e nts, befo re yo u get busy wi t h ass ignme nts, ma ke s ure yo u ma ke th e most of t he fr es he rs' m o nth!
ISSUE 245
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Tuesday 12th October
WTF - ~hat's, like, the
matter ~ith slang?
I
}ess Collett Opinions Writer
Actress Emma Thompson has criticised the use of sloppy English, citing that it drives her "insane" and makes young people sound stupid. How infuriating it must be to live in a world where everyone jabbers on incomprehensibly, a never-ending stream of drivel gushing forth from their mouths. Excuse me if my sarcasm seems a little thick here. It is, of course, unintelligent of Thompson to make such comments; slang and vernacular expressions are used by everyone in the world, no matter their age, social background or creed. Modern slang used by teens may seem unfathomable to those 'outside the know', and it is an easy to thing to criticise- until it is remembered that
slang is not a concept thought up by students and Facebook to bamboozle sensible adults. Slang has been part of the English language since before the English language existed.
"Language, as a concept, is in a constant state of change, constantly evolving and adapting" Language, as a concept, is in a constant state of change, constantly evolving and adapting. There never has been, nor will be, a definite fixed language; constant adaption makes our language rich. Words change meanings within the space of a decade. What once was common jargon may now be a serious academic term. Slang is needed, innit?
COMMENT AND OPINION 9
A happy, multicultural Europe?
I
Barbara Orth
Opinions Writer
Wearing a veil covering the face and body will be subject to a fine of â&#x201A;Ź150 and a citizenship course as punishment. Anyone forcing a woman to wear a niqab or burqa might face imprisonment for up to one year or a â&#x201A;Ź15,000 fine. Does this sound like a Western European democracy that guarantees freedom of religion in its constitution? Yet, as of the 14th September 2010, these will incorporated into French law. Given the fact that this law applies to only 1900 women, a mere 0.03% of France's population in total, and just 0.04% of its Muslim population, one might ask, why does the French government need a specific law to deal with this issue?
The answer is simple: it doesn't. However, it is becoming increa~ingly popular to criticize immigrants for practicing their customs and traditions. This debate has been raging for years across Europe, and politicians never fail to kindle people's fear of" Islamic terrorists" by imposing such nonsense laws. We need to realize that we cannot reverse immigration. We cannot stop globalization, and we certainly cannot condemn people, living far away from home, for clinging to their traditions. Anyone who has ever lived abroad will know how important it is to keep a little bit of your own cultural identity with you in a foreign environment. So instead of wasting time with an issue that does not affect 99.07% of their electorate, politicians should perhaps
instead be busy working on new integration schemes. How can we make our immigrants feel at home in Europe? How can we help them to deal with cultural differences? And maybe even more importantly: all of us need to accept the status quo of modern western society. This is our diverse and colourful society that speaks in many different languages and in many different types of attire. Sometimes, we might have to accept this may even take the for~ of a fully-covered woman .
ONLY 50 AVAILABLE OF EACH 'DESIGN
ISSUE 245
10
co ncrete.opi n ion @ uea.ac.u k
The 'Compassionate' Conservatives? As the Conservatives hold their first annual party conference in power in 14 years, Concrete looks at their policy announcements and speculates as to the effects of such widespread public spending cuts. Jack Bri nd ed Opinion s Write r Before May 's e lection the Tories claimed th ey were th e only pa rty with th e bravery to ma ke d ee p cuts. Five m o nths o n and it is cl ea r th ey w e re mi s ta kenly us in g th e wo rd s 'b rave ry' a nd 'stupidity' interc ha ngea bly, as their government lurches toward s a li enating m asses of th e e lecto rate. Popularity ratings were in steady d eclin e before th e officia l op pos iti o n eve n had a l ea d e 1~ a nd with th e a rriva l of Eel Mi liband , a rg ua bly th e best of a bad bun ch, but by no mea ns th e sa viour of th e ex pl oite d working class, th e Tori es a re behind in th e poll s to La bour for the first time in three years. See min gly un aw a re of thi s newfound unp o pul a rity, the Tories use d th e ir w ee k-long co nfe re nce to fin a ncia lly c rippl e every member of socie ty- outside of their fri e nd s in the City - with savage cuts. 'Radical' welfare refo rm s were a nn o un ced, as the gove rnm e nt proclaim ed th a t thanks to s las hin g th e last-resor t-in come of the needy, people wou ld he ncefo rth be be tte r
off in work . This is nothin g s ho rt of a n Orwellian li e: peop le in work will see n o improve m e nt to th e ir s itu at ion. Davi d Cameron has no inte nti o n of in c reasi ng th e minimum wage- th ey 'll s imply be eve n worse off o n th e dole.
"The Tories used their weeklong conference to financially cripple every member of society, outside of their friends in the city, with savage cuts" Late r at th e conference, Boris jo hn son appeare d in a ll hi s im becilic finery to despair at th e irrespo nsibl e uni o ns d ari ng to represent the interests o f th e ir membe rs a nd cla imin g we s ho uld fu rther restrict t he uni ons' ri ght to strike. This was, o f co urse, worrying t he CBI, responsibly representing
th e needs o f th e m se lves. Wo uld thi s be part of the gove rnm e nt's promise to ta ck le th e iss ue of civil liberties? By Iib e rating the few who have everythin g from th e needs of the many who have nothin g路' Cameron's "Co mpass io n ate Conservatives" a lso an nounced pl a ns to lib e ra te moth e rs from their ch ild be n e fit paym e nts accordi ng to how wealthy their hus ba nd s a re, co mpl e te ly ig norin g t he poss ibil ity that a s tay-at- hom e mum do es not ne cessa rily see anyt hin g of he r hu sba nd 's pay-cheq ue. But this luna cy is not go in g Th e peo pl e are un o pposed. beco min g kee n to show Dave a nd chums that not everyo ne is in ag ree me nt abo ut th e coa liti o n gove rnm e nt's slash a nd burn po li cy regardi ng se rvi ces that o rdin ary peop le act ua lly rely up o n. On Octo ber 4th, thousands of d e mo nstrato rs from ac ross Br itain d esce nd ed o n Birmingham, braving the ele ments a nd the po li ce to m a rch o n the Co nservative pa rty co nferen ce. Thi s is not somethin g yo u wi ll have noti ced from t he BBC's chi e f political correspondent, Laura
Ku e nssberg, whose mi s lead ing coverage of the co nfe re nce would lea d you to believe th at o ne ma n a nd hi s dog were stood o uts id e the co nfere nce, barking mad ly, whi ls t the 'sensible' majo rity waited in s il e nce for the axe to fal l o n th e ir head s. But d esp ite th e best efforts of the Beeb, tryin g its ha rd est to a ppease th e To ri es by co nd e mnin g o th e rs to cuts before itself, th e Co nse rva tive gove rnment (sorry Libe ra ls, but your rosettes a rc just a nother s had e of b lu e now) is flound e rin g in the eyes of the public.
Desperately, Dave tried the "we're in thi s togeth er" ploy o ne las t tim e, speak ing of nat io na l interest and the 'b ig soc ie ty '. But whose na ti o n is it, if its so le inte rest is to rob th e p oo r? Not o urs, this wr ite r wou ld a rg ue. Th e hyp ocri sy of the Tories wi ll ultim a te ly o nly s ucceed in crea tin g two big socie ti es. Firstly, a soc ie ty whi c h unites aga in s t the old Eto ni a ns, a nd then, when the dust se ttles, one which li ves by th e principle of'frorn each accord ing to their a bility, to each acco rdin g to their nee d'.
Pornography for IVF couples:' adultery of the mind'? Henry Croft Opinion s Write r La s t m o nth , th e NH S was c ritici se d by a r ece nt think-tank for providing p ornography to ass ist s p e rm don a ti o n in fe rtility clinics. Th e mate rial , us ed to a id IV F tr ea tm e nt, has been co nd e mned as un acceptab le b eca use its wastage of taxpayers' mon ey, a nd its prom otion o f unh ea lth y attitudes toward s women. In li ght of thi s, juli a Manning, t h e ex-Conse rv a tiv e MP in c ha rge of the think-tank, 2020hea lth .org, h as ca ll e d fo 1~ a n imm e di a te b a n
on th e provi s ion of s u c h m a ter ia l, s uggest in g t h at men sho uld m as turb a t e us ing w ill powe r a lo n e . Fi rs tly, I w o uld like to point o ut that in n o way do I e nd o rse pornograp hy. I ag ree that it o bj ectifies women a nd is a s lim y by- pro du ct of our soc iety. Howeve r, in the case of assisting co upl es through str essful IVF trea tm e nt a nd h e lpin g th e m to ac hi eve s ig ni ficant goa ls in life, s uc h as t h e ab ility to h ave c hildre n, I believe thi s think-tank is se ve re ly mi s pl ace d. IVF exacts a troublesome m e nta l s tra in on co up les, a nd
b e in g aske d to produ ce se m e n on demand in a co ld and unpleasant at mo s ph e re is n ot as s impl e as ju st pulling a pint of beer.
"An inhospitable white room simply is not the same" An inhospitable white roo m s imp ly is not the sa me. Th e bu s tl e of ho sp ita l ro utin e, with nurses lo ud ly di sc uss ing last ni ght's
ep isode o f Easte nders, pa ti e nts milling abo u t noisily a nd , to top it a ll off, a pl as tic c up, ha rdly have the sa m e co mbin e d effect as a wa rm bed, so m e cand les a nd Marv in Gaye pl ay in g in th e background. Th e re for e, r esea rc h th a t pornography eases this tra um at ic pro cedur e s hould , in s pite o f th e n at ure of th e material itse lf, be a ddressed se nsib ly a nd with a se n se o f proportion. Th e re m ay b e othe r w ays to produce sa mpl es, but this wou ld r e quire th e NH S to over-s p e nd o n the n ecessa ry e quipm e nt for e lectr oejac ul a tion, a proc e dure
w hi c h I ca nn ot ima gi n e to be comforta bl e. T h e cost of p o rno g ra ph y is co mp a rative ly minus cule . We 're not ta lking a bout the NHS blowing fund s on a Mich e lin- sta rr e d , gourmet m e nu se lec ti o n h e r e- it' s just a fe w m agaz in es th a t ha ve cost the NHS 拢21.32 per tru s t per year. Ultim ate ly the r eacti o n aga in st men us ing pornography in the hop e of becoming a father see m s to b e c ru e l and mi s jud ge d . A few quid a year o n so m e seedy m agaz in es is not excess ive, a nd if it h e lps co upl es rea lis e their dream s, than I a m a ll for it.
ISSUE 245
Tuesday 12th October
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The Debate: Ed Miliband On 25th September, Ed Miliband became the leader of the Labour Party, having narrowly beaten his brother, David. Given the nature of the defeat, with Ed's votes coming primarily from. trade unions, Concrete debates whether Ed Miliband will make a good Leader of the Opposition. THE FACT BOX ~GAINST
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Nathan Willcock Opinions Wr iter The Labour leadership contest has just finished, and my God, hasn't it been exciting. I'm interested in politics, but have no strong political allegiances. So the reasons as to why I am happy that Ed Miliband has beaten his brother David lack any political or ideologica.l analysis. In this way, I suppose I am much like the majority of the electorate. Ed seemed like the less dull of the two. Ed has a slight speech impediment He is certainly less attractive than his brother David, who is built and moulded in the image of Blair, Cameron and even Clegg: model politician 2.0.
I
It's good to have someone like Ed with his slightly unsymmetrical face to break the mould. In fact, I secretly wanted Dianne Abbott to
"It's good
to have someone like Ed with his slightly unsymmetrical face to break the mould." win, to really disrupt the status quo. I can imagine Ed getting drunk one night and urinating up against the post office. David, on the other hand, would most likely be incapable of urinating because he was 'created in the style of, and subsequently with the anatomy of, an action man.
Ed and David did the same course at Oxford University: Philosophy, Politics and Economics In meetings, Ed used to introduce himself as "the other Miliband" In the final round of the leadership election, Ed received 50.65% of the vote and David received 49.35% Ed is not in favour of tuition fees but has shown support for the idea of graduate taxes Ed is the lOth elected Labour Of these, just 5 have been Prime Minister
lea~er.
Alex Ross Opinions Writer Sadly, Miliband ]r represents nothing new for Labour or for Britain. His rise to Leader of the Opposition is a product of the party's archaic electoral voting system. Without constant pandering to the unions, the erroneously dubbed 'Red Ed' would more than likely still be on the backbenches. In truth, many feel betrayed by the 13 years endured under Blair and Brown; a choice between two brothers fighting over the same centre ground is hardly the inspirational illumination of liberal political debate that our country's supposed leftist party needed.
Nor is it the clean slate that was so essential to it regaining public faith. Dianne Abbott's fall at the first hurdle of the leadership election and Harriet Harman's continually narcotic presence seems the perfect reflection of a party unwilling to present a substantial alternative to the coalition. lnstead,Labour seems to aim to sit in the centre until the Cameron/Clegg (civil) partnership hits the rocks.
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ISS.UE 245
ISSUE 245
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Tuesday 12th October
13
Caught in a bad bromance
Do you ConDem the coalition?
Sam Lewis reflects on how the government has performed and what the changes cou ld mean for
Duncan
·Society, reca ll thei r experiences of election night and give opposing views on the o utcome.
students. The honeymoon period is most definitely over. We have already had nearly half a year of the coalition government, and hasn't time flown? Let us briefly cast our minds back to May 6th, the day of the highly anticipated General Election. As polling booths opened their doors across the country and Britain began voting, things were still looking very uncertain. The day did not pass without its problems, as many eligible voters were turned away when stations closed at lOpm. The public were spoilt for choice with election night coverage - this writer opted for the BBC which had pulled out all the stops, and as ever David Dimbleby put in a sterling performance. Unfortunately, with a politics exam
Smith, UEA Labour committee member, and Tom Cannon, Vice President of UEA Conservative
the next day t his writer wasn't able to wait tensely as the rest of the results came rolling in and was forced to call it a night. lt was revealed that the deal wasn't going to be sealed when I woke and spent most of that day refreshing the Guardian homepage for the last few seats to be announced. As a hung parliament was looking inevitable it was clear there would be interesting times ahead. Initially, a progressive alliance between the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats was thought to be a distinct possibility, but in the 'days that followed we waved goodbye to Gordon Brown - if only we had seen a bit of that emotional honesty as Prime Minister. The country was moving into uncharted territory.
lt had certainly been an interesting and unpredicta:>le election campaign. With the historic television debates, the odd blunder and some blindingly brilliant headlines- "Scrambled Clegg on toast... but Cam's full of beans", being one of the best, courtesy of The Sun.
So, as David Cameron, the youngest Prime Minister for 200 years, stepped over the th reshold of number 10 with Nick Clegg not far behind - the rivals became colleagues. lt was certainl( a historic moment, as Britain had not seen anything like this in the post-war period. Cameron claimed it would signal the birth of "new politics", but many feared for the stability and effectiveness of the newly formed government.
On reflection this writer must ·admit that the duo aren't doing too badly, but then again most of their time in office has been during the summer months, usually a relatively dull time in politics. Broadly speaking, the coalition appears to be united and there seems to be a good mood between the parties. As expected, the chancellor's budget made some bold decisions, and freezing child benefit for the next two years was sure to set the cat amongst the pigeons. However, the Libe.ral Democrats seem to be appeased for now at least, with Cameron sticking to his word and setting a date for the alternative vote referendum. lt is something of a surprise that there haven't been more resignations,
and, although the party line, that all remains harmonious behind the scenes, remains, it is a highly unlikely scenario. Many of us would like to imagine Dave and Nick hanging out eating breakfast in t heir boxers, comparing their favourite X Factor contestants and spending the day BBMing each other, but it just doesn' t seem plausible. Who knows what the future will bring? If the legislation is passed constraining prime ministerial terms to five years, then perhaps the coalition will see out its full term. Maybe this new era of politics really does signal the death of the single party government in Britain, or maybe Ed Milliband is the man to tell us that "things can only get better".
n May 6th, I made myself a deal - r could stay up late to follow the results so long as I made a page of notes every twenty minutes. This was the climax of four weeks of juggl~ng campaigning with revision, and the 9am exam the next day was n't going to put me off. So I settled down with a Red Bull, a pen and David Dimbleby for the long night ahead. There were no surprises in the first few results, all traditional Labour strongholds. Then somehow, in a blur of swing-ameters, soft voiced BBC presenters and Liza Minnelli on a Thames barge, it was five in the morning and I had spent the night glued to the screen of my laptop. Whoops. In the morning we found that a
combination of the least slippery landslide ever in politics and a collapse in the Lib Dem vote had robbed us of the conclusion we were expecting. The media were loving it • rumours and speculation were flying everywhere. Twitter almost went into meltdown, and the conversations in my house were about nothing else until eventually Cordon and Sarah left Number 10 to be replaced by Nick and Oave. This was the day that the Lib Dems lost the respect I had for them. The arguments that a coalition had to be formed for the stability of the country have never convinced me - an agreement of supply and confidence would have provided the same, and still have given the
Lib Dems the opportunity to further their aims, but without having to alienate their members. More importantly, it wouldn't have left the MPs needing to choose between their new partners and their principles. The HE funding vote is going to be interesting to watch - we haven't forgotten Vote for Students, Nick! And now, here we are, nearly six months later. We've had ~candals, cuts, resignations and some really foolish decisions. Everything seems to be back to normal. Yes, the coalition has held together for this long, but is that really an achievement? There has been no real issue to divide the parties - we have j}.lst been ignoring things like HE funding, proportional representation, inheritance tax,
alf a year in and still going strong. The coalition government has defied the critics and produced not only the most radical and exciting political drama for half a century, but also a government that has a thirst for change, and the dynamism to make a better and stronger Britain. On May 6th, election night was in full flow. I, like many others, chose to enjoy the momentous event in t he Blue Bar with friends and a couple of pints. Having only ever voted in the local elections the year before, the general election had all the more significance. The evening started optimistically, but as the results began to flow, combined with a hung parliament exit poll, all my hopes of a Conservative majority government were being shattered. Hope was replaced by fear, a fear that Labour would cling on to power - perhaps even with a Labour/ Liberal Democrat coalition. But my fears would not be realised. Over the following days it became clear that the Liberal Democrats, although surrounded by
claims to be ideologically closer to Labour, were not going to agree with the discredited, overly centralised, and top down government they had on offer. Instead, the negotiations between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats proved successful, and on May 11th David Cameron became Pri me Minister. But was this a victory? lt was hard to tell at first - my guy was in number 10, but he didn't have his full team. lt soon turned out that it was a victory, not at the expense of the Liberal Democrats or even the Conservatives. The coalition had somehow produced an agenda in the national interest that satisfied myself as a Conservative and ap pears from the outside to have pleased the Liberal Democrats. Already the coalition is tackling head on the shameful budget deficit left by 'Labour. lt has accepted, unlike most of the Labour diehards, that our country must not spend more on interest payments t han it does on education and defence combined. Of course the re-adjustment to rational economics will be painful. But the
coalition has already taken action to help to protect the most vLinerable in society. The new £10,JOO tax threshold will help many people _by lifting them out of tax, and the benefit reforms will help ~eople out of benefit dependency by making work always the better option. However, it would be wrong to assume t hat the coalition only represents c·uts; it has also shown itself to be a champion of freedom, with the govern~ent plans for a freedom bill: a much-needed piece of legislation that will restore lost freedoms and civil liberties, create greater accountability of the state to citizens, and among other things reduce the bt.rden of Government intrusion into their lives. David Cameron has shown that he has the skills and conviction required to carry ~ut these difficult tasks ahead, and together with Nick Clegg, I truly believe that the agenca of the coalition is without a doubt the best result for the country considering the outcome of the election.
0
Trident and a hundred other issues. That can't carry on for the four and a half years we have left. I wonder ff Nick's still sure it was the right decision? I'm sure he's enjoying getting round the table in Number 10 - something he probably never thought he'd do- but his party's collapsing poll figures must make him stop and ask himself whether, come the next election, he's going to find his party still sat in ~my of the seats they just managed to cling to this time. His party finds itself trapped -to break the coalition now would likely just lead to another election and a more decisive Tory victory at their expense. So has the coalition been a success? Yes, for the Tories, it got
them back into Downing Street. Yes, for Labour - our party membership has gone through the roof. But for the Lib Dems, l can't say that this looks like the s ta rt of a new political era for Britain. Tom Gannon
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What will changing our electoral system ~ean? One of the key provisos of the coalition was that electoral reform would be placed high on the political agenda. Currently elections to Westminster are conducted under first-past-the-post, whereby voters place a single cross against their preferred candidate. The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for change, as they believe this syst'em affirms the dominance of the Labour and Conservative parties. It has been agreed that on May 6th, 2011 a referendum will be put to the electorate, which will allow us to support or decline plans to adopt AV (Alternative Vote) for elections to Westminster. AV requires voters to rank candidates in order of preference and a winner is elected once they receive over 50% of the overall vote. If no candidate secures a majority according to first preferences then the least popular candidate is eliminated and the votes are redistributed until there is an outright winner. This system is more proportional and less wasteful of votes but in theory could do very little to level the playing field.
What does the coalition have in store for university tuition fees? Economic guru, Vince Cable, has put forward radical plans to scrap the current tuition fees, made payable directly to universities, in favour of a graduate tax. The idea behind this is that once graduates begin working, they would contribute a level of taxation in line with their earnings. The Liberal Democrats claim this would be a fairer, more progressive repayment scheme. However, it could end up penalising successful graduates demanding they pay back more than the value of their degree. The parties toe very different lines on the cost of university tuition and this could be the issue that tests the coalitions durability. The Conservatives were unsurprisingly quiet on this issue in their election manifesto, and have long supported tuition fees. The graduate tax idea is looking increasingly unlikely and by the time this edition goes to print we will know whether Lord Browne's report has suggested that the cap should be lifted off tuition fees; it is thought he could propose fees as s teep as of £7000 per year.
Ho~
will the emergency budget affect students and universities?
As expected the Chancellor's budget announced huge cuts in order to deal with the government's budget deficit. Higher education is likely to feel the strain in the coming years, as many institutions could be forced to lay off members of staff. With more young people fighting for university places, this could lead to larger class sizes and an incentive for the government to raise tuition fees. As of January 4th 2011 the main rate ofVAT will also rise from 17.5% to 20%, putting more pressure on student budgets. Despite the poor state of Britain's finances, students will be pleased to hear that George Osborne decided not to declare any new duties on alcohol, dropping Labour's plan to increase the duty on cider by 10%. He also increased the amount you can earn before paying income tax to £7475, which could benefit students once they enter the workplace.
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Duncan Smith
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FEATURES
ISSUE 245
www.concrete-online.co.uk
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Q&A with Norwich Famous Faces First memory of UEA as a Fresher: "Stevie Starr throwing up goldfish on stage," says Greg James. l ivewire Sta tion Manager, Cathy White, catches up with the Radio 1 DJ before his perfo rmance at the Freshers' Bash.
lt's Saturday, 2nd October and Greg
lames has walked into the Livewire Studio for the first time in three years, after signing off as Station Manager in 2007. Greg is walking around slowly looking at his old haunt with a glazed expression, pointing out all of the changes, and some things that have never changed. "Isn't that my clock?" he says, pointing at a digital clock hanging above the studio, and it certainly is. The infamous Greg lames clock still hangs, bought for
1 Will Go ulding?
you
s hare
Ellie
2 J In a n other life I' d b e:
a bout
Livewire, and it has to be, because it's where it all started, and I loved the days where you had nothing to do, having everyone living nea·r you, and living with your best friends. I lived on Cambridge Street off Unthank, and everyone was so close. The wors t university was:
If you could pass a n e w law tomorrow what would it b e?
6)
I'd be Stevie Starr, just to see how he does it. I'd hide loads of engagement rings in my stomach, and then I would have a massive dump and make a fortune. thing
5)
That DJ Gav gets his own hour show on Radio One.
Sexually? No.
:..., ) The b est university was:
the Livewire Studio when Greg graduated and · left for a career at Radio One. While studying drama here at UEA, Greg became heavily involved in Livewire 1350 a nd rose through t he ra nks each year to fi rst become the Head ·of Daytime, and in 2006, Station Manager. During this time he also won an award at the Student Radio Awards for Best Male, where his prize was a one hour recorded show, broadcast nationally on Radio
thing a bout
Washing your clothes. I took washing back home to my mum all the time, I hated it. And Pam's House, that's like hell.
To a fancy dress p arty I would go a s: I would go as a massive chicken and eat a massive pizza in front of everyone. Or, I'd go as a Rod Hull Emu. I should have come as an emu to the Bash and upstaged Stevie Starr!
7)
One. After working at various radio stations, Greg James was contacted and offered the early morning breakfast show, which he still counts as the high light of the last 3 years. "I'll never forget the moment I got the phone call, saying, 'would you like to do it?' And that was the best moment, actually getting the first early morning breakfast show." lt's not ' every day that you graduate and suddenly you're doing crossovers on air with Chris Moyles, and following that, 3 years down the line, you've been booted through the schedule to lunch time. "it was bizarre, because they were all the people that I'd listened to at school and throughout university. I was now working with them and I was their colleague, so I was handi ng over to Chris Moyles everyday, and that was the weirdest thing because I'd always listen to him and he's someone I look up to a lot, and still do. But I got over that, probably about a'year and a half in ... l've now become good friends with them and
the phone book and phoning people up saying they've been arrested.
A}
My most over u sed wor d or phrase is: Lovely.
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'J J My g uilty p le a sure is: Katy Per ry's new album. Katy Perry's breasts and Midsummer Murders, one of my favourite things in the world. It's been with me forever.
Three people dead or a live you would like to invite t o dinne r :
l 0)
DJ
DJ Gav... (joking). All of the Loose Women, that's a horrendous programme.
Gav, I'd have Steve Penk from Capital FM in the 90s because he'd do pranks on everyone and be wacky, and Richie Benaud, so I can talk cricket. Picture the scene, I'm sat down in a chicken suit eating a whole pizza with my hands, DJ Gav is p laying retro hits, Richie Benaud is tossing a cricket ball and knocking a bat in the corner, and Steve Penk is just going through
Ove r ra te d public figure :
To a UEA Stude nt l would say: join Livewire, and just try everything! And explore Norwich, because I had the best years of my life there.
it's kind of like just going to work, but not at the same time- you're not looking over at Sue from accounts, but instead it's Fearne Cotton!" Since UEA was where it all began
for Greg, we wanted to find out what his first memories of Freshers' Week
were. "He was on in 2004 when was a Fresher, eating Go ldfis h and throwing t hem up. I looked to see who I was on with, and Stevie Starr is on again" At the mention of Stevie Starr and Freshers' Week, Greg's face has lit up. "This place is so special to me, the LCR, Livewire and Union House, because it's where I saw some of my favourite gigs of all time, it's where I fell in love with certain bands." lt's clear to see when talking to Greg just how much he loves UEA and his experience here, and . this was also clear when watching him DJ at the Freshers' Bash. Greg has remained down to earth, even after his rise to fame a·nd gaining a celebrity girlfriend in the form of singer, Ellie Goulding. "I never wanted to be .famous, I only ever · wanted to be fa mous for so met hing I was good at a nd it wasn't .a wanted thing." Tune in to the Cathy White Show on Thursday 14th 1-2:30 to liste n to the fu ll interview.
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15
Tuesday 12th October
Green Capitalism: Does It Work? n this age of economic downturn, where the phrase 'climate change' has become a media buzz word, green capitalism is being hailed as the solution to all of our problems. Loosely defined, the concept of green capitalism is the belief that the market will eventually prevent global warming without the need for large-scale structural change of the economy. In other words, the market will self-regulate itself as pressure for sustainability increases: as resources like fossil fuel grow scarcer, their price increases and then there is an economic incentive for businesses to make the transition to renewable energy and greener technologies. Sounds almost too good to be true? Tim Marsh and Marylise Schmid debate the reality behind the concept .
I
Yes, the market is the solution Despite its flaws, the capitalist system is wholly able to make the shift towards a greener economy, and not only that - the transition has already started . There are countless indications that the market has begun to shift; a few years ago organic and fair trade produce was nowhere to be found, now they are springing up like mushrooms. The same is true for wind farms and solar panels, which are multiplying around the world . However, it is not a magical solution; a change in people's behaviour is also important if the process is to work. The challenge is not simply to increase awareness, but
would need to fall by 95 per cent . In addition to this, increasing a country's wealth without improving technological efficiency leads to more environmental damage - yet improving efficiency triggers more growth, which leads to the same result. it is not enough to rely on the market to have a 'green shift'; to believe that the world can keep producing, consuming and growing at the rate it is currently is madness. As economist, Kenneth Boulding, once said : 'Only mad men and econom ists believe in infinite growth in a finite world'.
to instigate a motivation to act upon that awareness. This is really the crux of the problem - people, business, governments right now simply don't care enough .
"working within the system is a more way of realistic achieving transition to a sustainable economy" The shift-to-green includes every spectrum of society; businesses need to start investing in green technologies and sustainable modes of production; governments have to provide legislation that will set direct incentives and penalties for noncompliance; and finally the public/ consumers have a great role to play as they can send the correct market signals to businesses (literally voting with their own money and creating a demand for more sustainable and ethical goods). Although there is a definite need for opposed views on the system to point out its inadequacies, working within the system to promote change is a more efficient, a more pragmatic, and a more realistic way of achieving the transition to a more sustainable system, rather than orchestrating huge economic structural change and trying to find a viable alternative to the capitalist system .
Marylise Shmid
"If climate change is truly to be tackled the entire global economic structure needs to change."
No, a bigger change is needed Moving beyond a system of growth is the only way to solve the climate crisis in the long term . The causes of climate change are systemic in that capitalism is based on resource unlimited consumption, so rather than just dealing with the symptoms of climate change, the root cause needs to be challenged . In the modern world, prosperity is measured by how fast and to what extent a country is growing - growth equals progress . Unfortunately,
growth also equals ever-increasing consumption of resources, most of which are finite, resulting in resource depletion and continued destruction of the natural environment. Even a modest rate of economic growth for example 3% every year - doubles the economy every 23 years . In reality that means that resource wastage is also doubled . A recent report by the New Economics Foundation found that, to stabilize carbon emissions at 350 parts per million by 2050, the carbon intensity (C02 per unit of production) of the global economy
If cl imate change is truly to be tackled, the entire global economic structure needs to change : less focus on the production and consumption of so many carbon intensive goods, and t1e acceptance that neverending growth is impossible. Grassroots movements like transition towns, which promote the idee of 'local living ', e.g. growing your own food and buying local produce, are beginning to provide alternative solutions to the energy intens~1 e
global economy. This needs o replicated on a worldwide scale i change if is going to happen. Tim Marsh
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UEA Clean Up Is A W inr1er Will Lacey Environment Officer These last two weeks have been a storm of activ ity for this reporter, as Lydia Headden and Jo Spiro of the Advice Centre have sought to shift thousands of kitchenware items in sales to students. Where did this incredible stash of quality kitchenware come from? The UEA clean-up initiative is responsible. Two days after the official end of term, a team of UEA students and staff began collecting green bags provided to students in campus accommodation . The LCR was filled to the brim with items in need of sorting, the vast majority of which
was re -useable. Approximately four fifths of our collection were made up of items such as clothes, books and shoes. This hoard was all donated to local charities such as The Big C, who were overwhelmed by the huge contributions. The other fifth was made up of kitchenware, all of which was cleaned, sorted and stored . Some being kept in Union House and the rest being stored in a shipping con tainer generously provided by Andy Watts and UEA Estates. More importantly, all collected items would have otherwise been thrown away. Through the sales of kitchenware (at very low prices) over ÂŁ1,300 has been raised. However, the hoardes of cutlery
are not saved every year from the \andfill sites . Hundreds of fine pots and pans being dumped and wasted every year is a grim prospect, but unfortunately a very real one! This year was a success thanks to the vital assistance of the Union Advice Centre, the student workers, the assistance of the UEA cleaning staff and bags provided by estates . it was a massive team effort on all levels, and a high standard has been set for subsequent years to follow. Everyone did themselves proud and a massive thanks goes out to all those involved. it is hoped that the Union in conjunction with the University, can do the same every year in the future.
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Family values: a part of life that's priceless Concrete covers student's relationships with their families during a time of great change Emma Willi amson Lifes ty le w ri te r
Uni ve rs ity i-; o ne of th e biggest lifestyle cha nges th at ma ny peo pl e have to face, a nd for so me s tud ents th e con ce pt of being away fro m home fo r t he first tim e can he da unt ing. Ye t, fo r othe rs, th e free dom of univers ity life pro mi ses is tan ta lis in g. Fro m the ne rvo us, to those w ho arc r~1rin g a t th e bit, th e imp orta nce of fa m ily ca n cha nge fo1· anyo ne a t uni ve rs ity. ll o me comforts s uch as m um's Sun day roas t, fu ss- fr ee la undry a nd, let's not fo rge t, a free roof ove r you r hea d, :1 re ofte n un a pprec ia ted at home. At univers ity it dawns on stud e nts tha t s uch e ntitl e ments <1 re in fa ct pr ivi leges. Eve n s ib!ing riva lri es a nd ove rbea rin g pa re nts begin to be m issed by s om e firs t yea r stude nts, w ho might find daily
life wit ho ut th eir fa mily hard to Zt dju stto. Ot her stu de nts may miss th e support offe red by frie nd s in tim es of need, fin d in g it diffi cult to decid e be twee n <.1 night in on Face hoo k o r a night out in th e LCR. ll omes ick ness <ll u ni ve rs ity is oft e n ove rs hadowed by t he chaos of stud ent life; h oweve 1~ althoug h it is ke pt qui et, miss in g ho me ce rtainly is n't un co mm o n. Staying bu sy a nd meeting new peo pl e a re th e hest cures for fres hers' blu es . In co nt ras t, ma ny stud e nts feel libe ra ted by th e freed o m mo vin g away fr om home offe rs th e m. Chores, nagg in g a nd a nnoy ing littl e s is te rs all see m like a th ing of the pas t, whils t Domin o's, 'rin g of fire' a nd s tud e nt loa ns beco me the imm ediate prese nt. To ma ny, uni ve rs ity is a bo ut mu ch mo re tha n ae<1d e mi c purs uits, 1·a the r it is a bo ut livin g indepe nd e ntly a nd ma nagi ng
Luke M endoza
yo urse lf a nd yo ur time s inglcha ncled ly. Those who perh<1 ps have bee n o n ga p yea rs o r ta ke n tim e off from the acade mi c wo rld lll<lY find uni ve rs ity life eas ie r to ada pt to, seeing it as th e nex t logica l ste p in es ta bli s hing th e mselves outs ide the rea lm of th eir pa re nts. One o r th e mos t impo rtan t th ings a ny s tud e nt can do in t heir
first te rm is to es ta blis h a s urroga te fami ly in t he form or frien ds, course mates, clubs, societies a nd, mos t im po rtan tly, flat mates. This s up po rt netwo rk wi ll prove inv<liua hl e in times of illn ess, s tress, o r whe neve r you may s imp ly nee d a s hould e r to cry on. Al though fami ly may see m fa r away right now, by Christ mas, UEA w ill be a home away from home.
s tud e nts, but w hat is d iffi cult fo r 11 indu s is th e a bse nce of a Te mpl e fo r Wo rs hip a t UEA. Al though the Hinduis m society is pe rha ps not as la rge as oth e r reiigio us sects he re at UF:A, it is importa nt th a t eve ry stud en t s ho uld be a bl e to practice th eir fa ith in a n ope n pu bli c place of wo rship . UEA a ttrac ts a socia lly di verse sco pe of s tud e nts each yea r a nd e nco urages acce pta nce a nd
inte ractio n a mo ngst its popul ati o n. Th e re is a curre ntly a ca mpa ign fo r th e additi on of an ind epe nd e nt Te mple of Wo rs hip o n ca mp us or wit hin th e loca l vicini ty led by th e lli ndui s m Soc iety. If a s uccess, th e Templ e w ill ma ke it eas ie r fo r prac ti cing llindu s to co ngregate a nd form a greate r se nse of id e ntit y amongs t the stude nt co mmu nity a tU E/\ .
Lifestyle explores a side of university life that is often overlooked but is, nevertheless, prominent.
Lifes tyle wri te r llindui s m is o ne of the s maller faith commu ni ties a t UEA, but yo u'd be mi sta ke n if yo u t hought thi s made fo r a restri cted un ivers ity expe ri ence. Ra ja n M is lry, Pres id e nt of the Poo l Club, co mm e nts th at he invo lves him se lf in the day to day act iviti es of a ny stud e nt, but find s th e ex pecta tions a nd be li efs of his fa ith provi de a fa mili a rity tha t in stils a comforting se nse of· self wh ils t living ind epe nd e ntly. Ra kh ee Gh ela ni, a third yea r stud e nt, makes th e point tha t the re rea lly is no s te reotypi ca l stud e nt as "eve ryo ne has the ir own views o n life a ndt·e li gion", and we all continu e on in that ca pac ity. Rakhec has fo und th a t being a 11 in d u has helped he r "keep inner peace when Limes are to ugh", a nd reminds her of "roo ts a t ho me" provid ing a s ta bility a mo ngs t th e chao ti c te mpo rali ty of uni ve rs ity life.
Like a ny fai th , bein g a pr~lc l i s in g Hindu 1·cquires a degree of ded ica tion Lha t ca n be difficult, fo r no n beli eve rs Lo com pre he nd hut Ra khee expla ins: "I s till do all the thin gs th at I wa nt to, e njoy all t he th ings th a t I wa nt to, a nd at th e sa me lim e keep my fa ith". it is a co mm on mi sco nce pti o n tha t fa ith defi nes Zl pe rso n, oft e n we fo rget tha t we're a ll indi vid ua ls wa nting to be acce pted as we a rc; Raja n puts it as a des ire to "ble nd in". Foll owi ng a religio n is just a
"Foll owin g a r eligion IS
ju st
a
lifes tyle
choi ce" lifestyle choice based o n a belief in fac t ma ny llindu s a rc pracli cing vege taria ns or vega ns. Tryin g to mainta in a leve l of norm ality w ith one's s tu dies, socia l a nd religious life is a da ily rea lity for ma ny UEA
Enrolling in the school of hedonism? Lifes ty le write r
Student's lifestyle labels: being Hindu
Lisa Stevens
2~S
co ncre te. lifestyle@ uea.ac.uk
Th e re is a n o pi n ion w id e ly held thro ugho ut Bri tis h socie ty th at s tud e nts are e m bro il ed in a wo rld of a lco ho l, pa rti es a nd sex. Wh e th e t· t hi s is, in fac t, th e case is o bvio us ly deba tea bl e, an d at UEA t he re is no do ub t t ha t mu ch of th e e n te rta in me nt on o ffe r includ es a lco hol fuell ed par tyi ng; howeve r, w het her sex is a major fac tor in a st ude nt's e nte rl <linm c nt, is un clear. Of co u rse if yo u co ns id e r a ll th e s tud e nts a t a ny uni ve rs ity t he re w ill be s in gle g uys <ln d gi rl s go in g out to 'get lai d' t h ro ugho ut th e ir fi rst semesters. Wh e th er Lhis is s pec ifi cZt lly hec;1use th ey arc a t un ive rs ity is lik ely, as it ce rta inly p rovides t he r ight env iro nm e nt for sex to he rife <lmongst mode r n d ay youngsters. Interestingly, the l<lt est thestudentroom.com po ll s uggests th at op inion of fres hers as to whe t her they would have sex du ri ng fr es hers' wee k is s pli t a lmost perfect ly, be t wee n th ose th <Jt w<1 n ted to a nd had had sex ( 49 .5lVo), a nd th ose t hat we re not in te rested o r wou ld ac ti ve ly refra in (50.5%) . If no thin g else th is s hows th a t sex re ma in s a hot to pi c a mo ngs t s t ude nt s, but t he v iew th a t m ost go o ut to ge t drunk a nd have sex cou ld have wea k fo und Zt ti o ns. Befo re any opi ni o n o f sex <J m o ngs t s tud e nts ca n rea lly be formed, one must co ns id e r w het her peo pl e of t he sa m e age o ut s id e of te rti ary edu ca t io n a re as likely to hZtve "cas ual sex". If so th en our e nt ire age gro up could he co nsi d e red a t leas t in pa rt hed o n is tic, a nd o ne wo uld imag in e th a t th is wo uld only be e nco u raged by th e ne w fo und free do m of man y ne w s tudents at uni ve rsi ty. Howeve r, t he eve r prese nt idea o f safe sex in m ode rn day soc ie ty s ho uld a t leas t ease a ny wo tTi es over th e imp act o f suc h a co mm o n ac ti vity ;1t unive rs ity; for se ns ib le sex is a na tu ra l a nd wo nd er ful thin g.
ISSUE 245
17
www.concrete-online.co.ul<
Tuesday 12 th October
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High-Rise Hong Kong
A Pint in the Pennines
Georgie Adolpho-Couling explo res th e bu stl e of Ho ng Ko ng and al l it has to offer, from neon
I
lights to Chinese cuisine , discovering that th e city truly co mes oli ve w hen the Sun goes down .. .
If you crave those neon lights on a city skyline, or feel inspired by a row of five hundred foot buildings towering towards the sky, then look no further than Hong Kong Island. This glittery island is one of two regions of the People's Republic of China - well-known for its beautiful natural harbour and its breathtaking buildings. Hong Kong is a city that comes alive at night, and there are plenty of ways to make the most of it What can you get in England for twenty five pence? A small chocolate bar? A reduced loaf of bread, if you're lucky? On Hong Kong Island that same twenty five pence will book you a seat on the double-decker Star Ferry, an imitation of the ferries that crossed Victoria harbour in the 1920s, that will take you across to Kowloon. At night, enjoy the dazzling city lights spread out across the skyline, reflecting shimmers of reds and blues along the water. lt takes about ten minutes to cross the harbour to the Chinese mainland and every minute you will be cursing yourself ~or not bringing a better camera. An absolute must-see on this side of the island is a bar called Aqua,
located in Kowloon's fashion capital, One Peking Road. Take the lift to the very top floor and prepare to be dazzled by its black and red interior; its panoramic views of Hong Kong harbour; and its inventive and stylish range of cocktails. Aqua is also a great
"At night, enjoy the dazzling city lights spread out across the skyline, reflecting shimmers of reds and blues across the water." place to see the 'symphony of light' show, which takes place every night at eight. A laser show, accompanied by theme music, it is one of the main attractions in the city. With its breathtaking views and overpriced cocktails, the sky bars in this area definitely give New York a run for its money.
Mong Kok, home of the wellknown night market, is only a short ride away either by taxi or tube. Taxis are very cheap - never usually coming to more than three pounds for a lift around the city. Alternatively, if you are familiar with London's less than charming underground, then you will be pleasantly surprised by Hong Kong's MTR. lt is spotless and modern, not to mention there are flat screen televisions inside the trains, and an electronic subway map that lights up when you reach each station. In other words, it is extremely straight-forward to get from A to B. Stepping outside on to the streets of Mong Kok is like stepping on to Oxford Street at Christmas when the whole world is doing last minute shopping. The main attraction here is the night market, or Ladies' Market, which is a haven for handbags, shoes and jewellery. Prices usually start quite high, but haggling is simple - whatever they say, halve it, and then halve it again and ninety-nine percent of the time you will win the battle. The atmosphere at the night market is fantastic - and once you have had enough of shopping. you can take your pick of the traditional Chinese cu isine that is available in countless restaurants up and down every street. Don't be afraid of a restaurant's exterior. Head inside and find out what all the locals are eating and you'll be surprised at how tasty it is. If you want a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, Stanley is a perfect getaway. On the northern side of the island, it is home to the well-known Stanley Market, which is famous for its inexpensive Chinese souvenirs and textiles. However; it will provide you with more than just shopping. If you catch the number sixty-three bus, you will have a memorable ride away from the city around all of Hong Kong's bays and beaches. As you drive up and away from the city, you will be in the best place to see mesmerizing views over the sea and the skyscrapers admiring them in quiet, undisturbed surroundings. Hong Kong is full of surprises - no one day will be the same. lt is impossible to fit everything into a single visit, but one thing is certain - you will be dreaming of that magnificent skylinE: for weeks after you leave.
Charlie Wallace
Travel writer
Approaching across miles of open moorland, the remote speck on a rise ahead expands as the Pennine Way winds up to the Tan Hill Inn. At an altitude offive hundred and thirty metres, this is Britain's highest pub. lt features in double glazing adverts and television programmes, and even made headlines earlier this year when thirty people were snowed in for three days in the mother of all lock-ins. lt has hosted weddings, functions, frequent live music events and, on one occasion, saw an impromptu gig by The Arctic Monkeys. While the Inn offers a variety of accommodation, financial restraints forced this writer to pitch a tent outside, which the Inn allows you to do for free. lt is an island of warmth and activity, tired walkers practically falling through the door laden down with backpacks and equ ipment, dazed but relieved at this warm and cosy contrast to the harsh conditions of their journey. Bare stone walls and a constantly burni ng coal fire, hot meals served in large portions and a fine range of ales make the
traveller feel they have arrived . It's certainly a strange place to find yourself in after miles of nothing. Richie, the barman and local DJ, usually has something northern and witty to quip, while the landlady is friendly but has a路 foul mouth which she takes pleasure in using (punters come from miles around to experience a tongue lashing). On a windowsill sits a glass jar of pickled mobile phones, a hint as to the barman's chief bugbear. Inside, kittens gambol about the place, while outside sheep and geese strut around uncontained. A sense of jovial chaos pervades the place which any pub lover can sit back and savour, a pint in hand, satisfied that the Tan Hill Inn is a worthy shrine to end their pilgrimage.
The Best Bits of Berlin
I
Lauren Carter
Travel writer
Berlin is indescribable. Run-down and disjointed; beautiful and evolving. The history and culture of the city bombards you as soon as you step out of your hostel. The Friedrichstadt neighbourhood is a good place to start. Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous crossing point between East and West Germany during the Cold War; is today immortalised by a replica of the Americans' wooden hut, the original signs and a uniformed guard. It's great for some touristy photos, but stands as a reminder that th is city was recently two. A short walk away is the Holocaust Memorial, consisting of over two and a half thousand smooth stone slabs, none of which bear markings or inscriptions. Although it has been publicly criticised for its anonymity, it is definitely worth a visit, as you can stroll unimpeded through the maze of monuments, losing yourself in the blank blocks. Also throughout Berlin there are remaining strips of the dilapidated, wall which are unbelievable to see.
However, if you want a break from historical sites then visit the district of Kreuzberg. With a nonconformist background, it is innately cool and the perfect place to relax in cafes and people-watch. The area is also home to two murals by the Italian street artist 8/u. Incredible in both their size and detail, they are definitely something to hunt down. The night life is also good. Cassiopeia, a renovated train-repair site, is now an exciting two-storey club, complete with climbing wall attached. Covered in graffiti, it like the rest of Berlin, is a beautiful mix of the modern and the decrepit.
18
Spaghetti and Meatballs
The Decline of the Dinner Table Christine O'Sullivan
Gabriella Cola surdo
Food W ri te r
Food Write r Serves two hungry peopl e, or four adults w ith s ma ll a ppe tites, s o why not club toge th e r w ith a fri e nd or two a nd e njoy this Ita lia n class ic · toge th e r:
INGREDIENTS: • Oil (s pl as h a bit in) • 1 onion • Ga rli c (o pti o na l) • Bas il (o pti o na l) • Dri ed o n;ga no • Mea tba lls - All ow a nywh e re he t:\-veen 3 an d 6 pe r pe rson • 1 ca rt o n o fPassa ta • Salt and pe ppe r (to tas te) • Suga r/HP sa ucejke tchupjWo rceste r sa uce • Spagh e tti (as mu ch as you wa nt)
1) Heat th e o il in a large sa uce pa n ove r a - medium hea t a nd a dd a b o ut a te a s p oo n o f th e o rega no . Th e p o int is t o c r ea te a n oregano-infu se d oil to cook th e onion in (thi s is t o ac hi e ve th a t fa ke -ltali a n Subway tas te that we a ll love ) . 2) Pee l a nd chop the o ni on as s mall a s p oss ibl e (u se s wimmin g gogg les t o s top s tinging eyes), a nd add to th e oil. Don't ma ke it too h o t or yo ur oni o ns will beco m e like tho se from th e po s t-LCR burge r va n. If yo u wa nt a bit of ga rli c then pee l and c ho p som e in to a b o ut 4 or 5 s li ces. 3) Sa ute th e o nion in th e oil until it beco m es clear, a n d then add th e pa ssa ta. ..... Passa ta is fin e ly s ie vecl to ma toes, whi c h s impl y m a kes your sa u ce a bit richer~ but by a ll m ea ns us e pl a in old ch o pp e d t o matoes.
and p e pp e r a nd a pin ch o f s u ga r t o m a ke it a bit s w ee te r, o r a ny o th e r sa uces . Al so a dd t h e bas il a t thi s p o int . Yo u do n't n ee d to pay a tte nti o n to th e sa uce hav in g bro ug ht it to th e bo il. Turn it dow n to a very low heat, a n d let it s imm er w ith a lid 0 11 until rea dy to u se it aga in . 5) Mea nwhil e, se t yo ur m ea tb a ll s out e ve nl y o n th e gr ill - lin e d w ith t in fo il fo r minimum clea n up a ft e r - a nd co o k o n a hi g h t e mp e ra ture un t il th ey b eg in to brow n. it' s imp o rta nt to w atc h th e m close ly a nd e ns ur e th ey don't b eg in to coo k th e wh o le w ay thr o ugh . 6 ) No w pl ace a ll th e m ea tb a ll s in th e to m a t o s auc e. On ce aga in brin g th e sa uce to th e boil a nd co ok for a bo ut te n minutes - o r until th e m eat is cooke d the whol e w ay throu g h. Make s ur e y o u c hec k by c uttin g o ne in ha lf. it wou ld now be a good time to ge t s om e s pag h e tti o n th e b o il. Spag h e tti ta kes a bout 5-10 minutes, d e p e ndin g on how y o u like it. R e m e mb e r~ lo ts o f sa lty wa t e r, a n d kee p it moving. Howe ve r, if you ca n b ea r to w a it, continu e to s imm e r yo ur sa uce with th e m ea tb a ll s in it, and a llow th e m to cook s lo wly, c he cking to see wh e n th ey a re coo ked. Thi s will g ive th e sa u ce a r ea ll y love ly me a t in ess , a nd your m e atball s with be ve ry te nd e r. On ce both th e sa u ce a nd p as ta a r e rea dy, s erve it up, a nd id ea ll y s prinkl e so m e pa rm esa n on top.
In to day' s wor ld , it's ve ry easy as a fa m ily, w ith a ll th e d iffere nt sc hed ul es a n d d e man d s of wo rk a nd sc hoo l, t o qui ckly ni p to th e driv e- thro ug h o n th e w ay h o m e in s tea d o f a ll s ittin g r o und th e t a bl e t ogeth e r t o e nj oy a m e al. But s ur e ly our in c r eas ing c ultur e of mi c ro w ave dinn e rs ea te n in b e dr oo ms a nd meal s on th e run are not helping our fam ily bo ndin g tim e.
Let's pic tu re a 1 94 0 's kit c he n : Mum in an a pmn coo kin g a whol es ome dinn e r~ Da d in a swea t er a nd ti c a fte r a d ay a t w o r k, th e c hildre n a r e s milin g a nd e ve n t h e d og is li s te nin g int e ntl y. Seve n ty yea r s l ate r~ thi s co n ce pt is pro b a bly a littl e o ut-of-el a t e
to b ase fa mil y m ea ls a rou nd . ll oweve r, th e co n ce pt is s till a dy in g t ra diti o n a nd it 's the essence of a ll ea tin g t oge th e r th a t m a ny peo pl e a rg u e s h o uld be ca p t ure d on ce aga in. T h is is w he r e yo u co m e in . Univ e rs ity is th e p e rfect op portun ity to have a s it d ow n mea l. Le t 's pi ctur e yo ur fl a t now : eve ry o n e in th e kitc he n, a ll ta kin g a pa rt in coo kin g, s ha rin g ute ns il s , p e rh a ps so m e li ghth ea rt ed b a nte r a nd fini s hin g with s ittin g ro und th e ta bl e e nj oy in g th e fruit s of yo ur co lle ctive c ulinary la bour. it' s th e p e rfect tim e to ta lk abo ut eac h o th e r' s d ay, di sc u ss th e dr ess -up th e m e fo r th e n ex t LCR a nd b o nd as a fl a t. Stud ies ar c us ua ll y bas ed around your ty pi ca l 2.4 fa mil y, s h o win g th a t th e c hildre n a rc h ea lthi e r <:~ncl ha ppi e r, a nd th a t th e fa mil y dinn e r b eco m es be t te r th e m o re ofte n it occurs. Alth o ug h, if so m e on e w e re to base thi s stud y o n s tud e nts , th e res ult s w o uld proba bly no t be fa r diffe r e nt, with m o re co mmuni ca ti o n b e twee n fl a tm a t es p ro du cin g cl ose r a nd s tr o nge r fri e nd s hips, a nd with co ll ec tiv e in s pira tion, s om ethin g d el icio us ca n o ft e n be c rea te d. So le t's try not to m a ke th e co n ce pt o f th e fa mil y dinn e r fa d e o ut fr·om o ur soc ie ty, a nd in s tea d se t th e exa mpl e to famili es w h o b e lie ve th e ir sc h e dul es m a ke eve n ings toge th e r a c ha ll e nge .
Chorizo and Three Bean SteYI Anna Eastick Food Write r
• • • • •
2 tin s o f ch o pp ed to m a toes (BOO g) 2 med ium o ni o ns, c ho pp ed 1 clove o f ga rli c, ch op p e d 1 r eel p e pp e t~ ch o pp e d Sa lt a nd p e pp e r to tas te
1. Cho p t he c ho ri zo rin g into 1c m thi c k s li ces, a nd th e n qu a rt e r.
2. fry th e chopp e d o ni o n, gm·Ii c a nd re d pe pp er in th e o live o il until so fte ne d .
4) Whil s t brin g in g thi s to th e b oi l, a dd sa lt
3. /\ del t he c ho ri zo a nd coo k fo r a furth e r 2 minutes.
Make Me a Sandwich! Kyle Spencer Food Editor Does a nybody remember the d ays when your mum us ed to pac k you o ff to sc hool, complete with lun chbo x in hand, y es "? Th e n s ure ly you re m e mbe r th e fe e lin g of opening it at lunchtim e on ly to dis cove r th a t you have th e sa me o ld sa ndwi ch th a t yo ur mum had mad e for you eve ry day th a t w eek, a nd eve ry d ay th e w ee k befo re as w e ll fo r that m a tte r. f as t forwa rd to now and w e can im ag in e it' s no t mu ch diffe re nt, a lb e it th a t mum is now several mil es a w ay. Wh e n it com es to lun chtim e a nd sa ndwi ches in pa rti c ul a r, we just don't have that mu ch im ag ina tion.
So he re a t Co ncre te Food we inte nd to rem edy th e s itu a tion by brin gin g yo u a n interestin g idea eve ry fo rtni ght, a nd wh e n w e say inte restin g w e d o n't m ea n g ross, jus t s om e thin g a littl e out of th e o rdin a ry. So wh y not give th e m a go, may be eve n ex pe rim e nt with your own id eas . jus t re m e mb e r if you find a g reat co mbin a ti o n, s ha re it with us '
4. Po ur in th e ch o pp e d t o m a to es, butle r, kidn ey a nd c hi c kp eas a nd brin g to th e bo il. An easy t w is t o n a fes ti va l wa rm e r, pac ke d with fl av our a nd c h ea p to ma ke. Thi s s impl e o ne po t di s h is pe r fec t for th e co lcl e r m o nth s , a nd unlike ty pi ca l s t e w s, do es n ot nee d coo kin g fo r lo ng pe r io d s o f tim e . Chori z o is a lso a g r ea t m ea t so ur ce fo r s tud e nts; it's rea dil y a vai la bl e in m ost s up e rm a rk e ts, full o f fl a vo ur a nd c hea p e r th a n yo ur o rdin a ry purc has es . Se rv es 4
Chicken tikka and mango chutney:
INGREDIENTS:
Pretty mu ch wh a t it says; ta ke yo ur chose n bread , a dd a ge ne ro us laye r of chi cke n tikk a a li be ra l serving of ma ngo chutn ey, mo re brea d on to p a nd vo il a . Yo ur sa ndwi ch is r ea dy for you to e nj oy.
• • • • •
2 tbs p o li ve oi l 1 t in of butt e r bea ns (4 0 0g) 1 tin o f red kidn ey b ea ns (400 g) 1 tin o f chi ckp eas ( 4 00g) Chorizo rin g (225 g)
5. Finally seaso n with sa lt a nd p e pp e r, cove r, a nd s imm e r for 3 0 mi n ut es. Se r ve w ith ri ce.
ISSUE 245
19
Tuesday 12th October
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Editorial So as the dust settles on what was a predictably unpredictable Freshers' Week, attention turns to the rest of the autumn semester. Of seismic consequence to the higher education community, tomorrow's Browne Report, which is expected advocate a significant rise in tuition fees, has the potential to change the face of the British university system as we know it. Pick up the next issue of Concrete for fu ll coverage of the report's findings. The NUS's response is already in motion, with a planned rally in Trafalgar Square planned for the lOth November. Led by NUS president, Aaron Porter, the demo is aiming to bring upward of 30,000 students together in protest at the potential rises. Again, Concrete will be there reporting on proceedings. Have a great fortnight,
PO BOX 410, NO RWICH, NORFOLK, NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 Co ncre te is publis hed by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2 0 1 0 Co ncrete. ISSN 1351-2 77 3 Letters s hou ld be addressed for the atte ntio n of the Editor, Danny Collins. Lette rs must incl ude contact deta ils, bu t w e will co ns ider anony mous pu blication . We reserve t he right to ed it for length and clarity as necessary. Op inions expressed are not necessarily those of the Pu blisher or Editor. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the Editor, Danny Collins. Printed by Archant.
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Keeping your things safe:. At Endsleigh we know how important your valuables are to you, so here are some handy hints to help keep them safe. l.Never leave personal belongings unattended or clearly on display- mobiles. wallets. MP3 players, laptops etc, are all prime targets for "smash and grabH theft. Th~ indud s leav og items in cars, whether the is locked or not. 2. Even if you are leaving your room for a few moments remember to use your window and door locks- why give opportunist thieves easy access to your stuff? Most thefts occur from unlocked rooms. 3. Mark your valuables in a distinctive way so they can be easily identified, such as using a UV pen to detail your house number and postcode. Be aware of who is around when you're on the phone or sending a text - if your phone is stolen, call your network straight away to immobilise the handset and prevent your phpne being used. Bicycle theft has become big business for thieves, particularly on a university campus. Making sure you always use a heavy duty lock and secure the frame of the bicycle, not just the front wheel. 6. Try not to carry large sums of cash or flash wallets around openly as this will invite attention from potential thieves, and try to use cashpoints during the day rather than at night. Similarly try not to keep of cash in your room when you are not there . . Keep bags closed, zipped and buckled at all times and if someone grabs it, let it go, your valuables can be replaced. Don't leave notes on your door saying you have gone away and how long you will be as this draws attention to an empty room full of valuables. If you are using your MP3 player, change the white headphones for darker more discreet set to avoid unnecessary attention.
10. Avoid putting yourself at the risk of fraud or ID theft by keeping your personal documents stored safely; otherwise if you no longer need them make sure you d1spose of them safely using a shredder. Don' t to check your privacy settings on social networking sites.
Website: www.endsleigh.eo.uk/university
Telephone Number: 0800 783 5499
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH Afro-Caribbean Society President Jade Tucker explores why celebrating Black History this October 1s such an important event for Britain .
it see ms like, sin ce the beginning of time, ·'history' ha s been his-story. And thi s sto ry has always bee n to ld fro m th e pers pecti ve of th e wh ite winners - those who s upposedly won all the ballles and had enough intellectual knowledge to docum en t it in different forms of literature a nd a rt. Whil e thi s was being done, 'bla ck history' was always co nfined to the story of chattel s lavery and the various s truggles which fo llowed s uch <IS lync hing, the civil rights movement etc. Marlin Luther l<ing jr has always bee n the face w hi ch re prese nts blacks ;trou nd th e world. The only prob lem with this is that he only represents one ideo logy, which ofte n gets allachcd to th e majo t·ity of black people; Black lli story Month was created in ~ order to give black people a voice in te ll ing th eir own hi s tory, from their own perspecti ve, to give a voice to Black Nationalist vo ices- in othe r words, to ce lebrate their <1chieve ments
with the rest of the world. 1-loweve1~ whi ls t this all seems amazing, Black lli story Month has still no t gone fa r enoug h. Whil e their slo t·y is bein g told, it is still not the whole story. The narrative still seems to he the same. To truly find th e glory in black hi s tory, we have to travel further back a nd ex plore the life led and the empires and ri ches they held before they were ever visited by foreign lands. To be honest, havi ng a Black 1-1 i ·tory Mon th sometimes see ms offens ive. Th e title suggests that they are still removed from others living wi thin Bri tain . Why can't black his tory he in cluded in th e gener<tl hi story of Britain, instead of having a particu lar month focused on their achievements"? Why not interwe;we it throughout the entire year? it is often common ly assu med th at bl ac k people came to Britain in the 1950s on boats suc h as Windrush; howevc1~ there have been Africans in Britai n si nce the Romans. There have been
Moors in Spain for hundreds of yea rs. There has been an African pope, black characters in Shakespeare (Othello), and even a Roman General. Africans have played a huge and integral par t in European hi story for cen turi es. Even since the 1950s, black cu lt ure has had a huge influence on every aspect of British ndtur<ll identity, from music (Ska and the Skinheads, Bob Marley, llip llop), clothing, hairstyles (the curly perm of the 80s), food and sport (J.inford Christie, Chris Akahusi, lJsain Bolt etc). To he a n American Studies student, or indeed a student at any University, is to he granted an opportunity to read and discuss m<tllers pertaining to black hi story in great deta il. As a black British female, in particu lar this education is indispensable in creating a futut·e - not only as an academic hut as a n individual within a wider co mmunity. Dut·in g a 'S lavery in th e USA' se minar this week, it was concluded that if every Secondary Schoo l teenager were able to receive a fraction of the kn ow ledge obtain ed about black his tory at UEA, there wou ld be a much greater und erstanding of what it means to be black in th e Ul< a nd th e res t of the world. Th at's why th is yea r, th e Afri ca n Caribbean Socie ty is trying to give everyone at UEA a taste of their culture during this Black llistory Month . llopefully, everyo ne w ill have so much fun th at th ey wa nt to cont inu e learning and coming to events throughout the entire yearl Some of the society's events have already passed s uch as the Meet, Eat a nd Greet (which offered a se lectio n of African Caribbean foods and icebreakers), and its first successful party of the year, 'Rep Ur Country'. lleld in HarX, the venu e was awas h wi th fl ags and Soca, R&B, llip ll op, Bashment and Mrobeats blared out of the sound system all night long. There <1re still lots or upcoming events to get involved
with this month ; co min g up we ha ve :
-ll eld in Th e !live, this charity bake sa le is in aid of the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, which aims to raise money and awa reness of the lack blood a nd bone matTow donations wi thin the African an d Cari bbean co mmuni ty.
Taking place in LT4, the debate a ims to di scuss mallers which affect the black co mmunity today.
Named 'Satisfy My Soul', we aim to s howcase the hest of everythi ng Caribbea n, including rum punches, s nacks, reggae, socz1<Jnd calypso I
Organised by the NNRF.C (Norfolk Norwich 1\acia l Equality Counci l), this event wi ll sec th e UEA ACS compete ag<1insl other teams within Norwich.
So make sure you check your diaries and keep yo u schedul es clea r 1 We want to enco urage debate, free thinking <tnd Lhe proliferation of knowledge. Black llistory Month is not the only time to show the world our strengths, hut we w ill most defi nitely he Laking thi s amazing oppo rtunity han ded to us to show that our culture is open for absolutely anyone to enjoy 1 You can buy your membership to ACS for £5 at any time, a nd don't forget to ad d us on 1;1cebook: jus t type in ACS UEA. Or check out some entries on our hlog: www. ueaacs. word p ress.com
EVEREST CLIMB FOR BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION U\~A LINKS me mb er Chri s Clare is pre paring to take on Mou nt Everest next March to raise money for the British ll eal"l Found <llion. On 17th M~1rch 2 01 1 Ch ri s will be fly in g out to Nepal to spend nearly three weeks trekking up to eight hours a day to reach Base Camp l ~ve r es l. !;lying in to Luki<1 he will s pend te n days ascending from the 'foothills' of the 11 im alayas to the summit of l<ala Pattar (5623m above sea leve l) before going on to Ba se Camp th e fol lowing day. Whi le Chri s is looking forward to this jou rn ey of a lifetime, he knows it is also going to be a n inuedi hl y Lou gh cha llen ge . li e is cmre ntl y tra inin g fi ve times :1 week - a combination of cycling, training in th e gym, Capoeira with th e University group and attending traini ng weekends with fe ll ow expedit ion membe rs. "ll ;w in g bee n ra ise d
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in Germany I spent a lot of my childhood trekking through the Alps," Chris explains. "So thi s isn' t th e firs t li me I've been walking at high <illitud cs- a lth oug h this is far bigger than anything I have tackled before!" "The 131lF is a charity that I have su pported over th e yea rs - fn 1m parta kin g in the London to Brighton Bike Ride to tt·aining as a lleartslarl trainer. 13eing given th e oppo rtunity to do something that I have drea mt of s in ce my teenage years, whilst a lso raising money for charity, was <1n irresistible challenge." Chris a im s to raise over £3,500 for the Bi ll: through <1 mixture of person;il donations, company sponsors hi p, collections a nd fund-rais in g events. li e says: "Every pen ny of spo nso rs hip r<tised for thi s venture goes s traight to th e B11 F so they ea n
continue with their 1·esearc h into the lJJ<'s biggest killer - heart disease. Ranging from funding research projects to nurses to th e ll eartst.1rl LJI( scheme, the money raised will help benefit the lives of m:my. So please, dondle what you canto this cause, no matter how littl e it is - and I pt·omise to bt·ing ha ck pictures!" lleart Foundation The British (Registered Charity o. 225971) seeks to play a leading role in the fight aga in s t disease of the heart and circulation, so that it is no longer a major cause of disability a nd premature death. To sponsor Chris, please go to his justGiving site: http:/ joriginal.justgiving. co m jc hri s t o ph e rc
ISSUE 245
Tuesday 12th October
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Delhi Builds on Shaky Foundations Sports Correspondent Megan Pennell documents the infrastructural difficulties surrounding the 20 l 0 Commonwealth Games It was meant to be the moment for India to step proudly onto the world stage, an opportunity to say goodbye to the 'old' India of poverty and chaos and to showcase the 'new', powerful and influential India. Instead, the 19th Commonwealth Games have been plagued by one disaster after another. Earlier this year the attitude towards the games had been almost universally positive. However; as the event drew nearer the headlines gradually turned sour with reports of corruption, poor hygiene, shoddy construction and mismanagement as well as security fears. just 12 days before the games were due to begin, a footbridge collapsed, causing 23 injuries. This was followed by athletes' rooms being labelled as 'unsafe and unfit for human habitation' and reports describing toilet facilities as 'filthy'. On top of this, poor ticket sales and the withdrawal of big sporting names added to the pressure. Hope was briefly restored by a
'glittering' opening ceremony that was widely praised. However; as the Games began, new problems continued to emerge. At the half way stage spectators were still witnessing significant glitches, such as dozens of cases of sickness suspected to be induced by contaminated swimming pool water and a 'major communication blunder' on the athletics track.
"Delhi 2010 still has the potential to be a b rilliant games" Undoubtedly, the situation has been exacerbated by natural elements such as the prolonged monsoon, but it cannot be denied that the majority of the blame lies with the organisers. The state of the Games has understandably brought into question India's ability to host an event of such magnitude. Obvious comparisons have been drawn
between the resounding success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the contrasting situation in Delhi. This has ignited fears that India's image as a rising economic power will be tarnished. Yet, the games have also brought to light a darker sirlP "hi-Jis economic giant. Perhaps the only silver lining is that the state of the Games has succeeded in bringing international attention to the problems that continue to exist in the capital and throughout the country. Media coverage has highlighted the reality of thi\d labour, poor wages and substandard working conditions. It is estimated that nearly 100 construction workers have died on site from accidents or contagious illnesses. On many of these sites children were recruited in a desperate attempt to finish building the stadiums, sidewalks and athletes' accommodation on time. In order to create an impression of Delhi as an economically preeminent city, thousands of slum-
dwellers have disappeared after being quite literally 'removed' from the streets. Homes and schools located on land needed for the Games, or simply branded as eyesores, have been demolished. The financial cost of the Games will far exceed estimates, but it is the human cost that will be most significant.
Monty's Europe Ryde to Victory at Celtic Manor
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Chris Teale
Sports Correspondent
Europe, under team captain Colin Montgomerie, seized back the Ryder Cup in the most dramatic fashion at Celtic Manor in Wales, clinching the trophy by virtue of Graeme McDowell's long putt at the 17th hole in the final singles pairing. Friday was dominated by the poor weather; which curtailed the day's play, and meant that the Fourballs and Foursomes were played out simultaneously on Saturday morning. The first ses~ion of play ended 2.51.5, in favour of the Americans, and the second session continued in a similar vein, with the USA leading 6-4 after the second session of play. A European revival, begun by a rallying cry from Montgomerie to his team, saw the home side fight back into the contest in the third session on Sunday. winning it 5.50.5 a lead overall of9.5-6.5. More rain meant a historic Monday finish for the first time in the Ryder Cup's
history, with the twelve players from each side playing the singles matches. The USA started poorly, but rebuilt their challenge through the day. and it was left to the final singles tie between 2010 US Open champion, McDowell, and American, Hunter Mahan. In a tense match, McDowell held his nerve and secured the win for Europe by a final margin of 14.5-13.5, one of the closest margins of victory ever.
This Ryder Cup will be remembered for many reasons: the players' passion, the originality of the crowd chants, the rain, and one of the tensest and closest finishes ever: However; Mahan's tearful appearance at the news conference showed how much professional golfers still care about the Ryder Cup, which retains its magic and prestige despite the riches on both the European and PGA Tours.
Despite all this, Delhi 2010 still has the potential to be a brilliant Games. The South African World Cup earlier this year attracted the routine negative press in its build-up and yet proceeded to become an incredible success story. It remains to be seen as to whether India will be able to bring aijout a similar turn-around.
Seventh Heaven
for WRC's Loeb Matt Philcox Sports Correspondent Sebastien Loeb secured his seventh successive WRC title with -a victory in the Ra lly of France, his sixth win of the season, with two rallies in Spain and Great Britain still to take place. The 36 year old needed only to finish the race on the third and final day having brought forward a 43 second lead from the previous two days. The closest competition for the WRC crown came from compatriot Sebastien Ogier; who had fallen behind on day two due to a suspension problem. Loeb finished 35.7 seconds ahead of his fellow Citroen driver Dani Sordo in the race, in doing so recording his 60th career win, an all time record.
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Since joining Citroen in 1999, the Frenchman has enjoyed an illustrious career and has often been referred to as the Michael Schumacher of rally driving. achieving in his legendary status ometown Strasbourg.
"He has often been referred to as the Mich ael Scumacher of ra lly driving" Loeb currently stands 60 points clear of Ogie1~ an insurmountable lead with only two stages left. Ogier, whilst being unable to catch the Frenchman, has enjoyed his most successful season to date, clinching his debut WRC victory in the Rally de Portugal.
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a goa l quickly followed by Bruce receiving hi s marching orders for a second bookable offence. Tommy Sm ith, only in the side due to Darren O'Dea picking up an injury in the warmup, then scored the winner s e v e n minutes from
Dominic Smith Sports Corres ponde nt Third-placed Norwich City put the fin al nails in co ffin of Leicester City managet· Paulo Sousa, wh o was dismissed by Chairman Milan Mand aric following a 4-3 defeat to Paul Lambert's men at (arrow Road. The Canaries sta rted poorly as they fell a goa l behind in th e opening minutes but quickly roared back to go 3- 1 up, before maki ng it 4-2. The
Foxes did manage to claw another goal back, but it still wasn't enough to rurfl e the Canaries' fea thers, and prevent them taking anoth er important three points. impt·ess ive form Norwich's contin ued at Ashton Gate as Wes lloolahan and Sim eo n Jackso n co mbin ed to put three past England international David James and his struggling Bristo l City side. Stua rt Pearce has praised Norw ich City and th eir supporters
for selling out (a rro w Road for England's European Uncler-21 Champ ionsh ip qualifi er against Romania. "Yo u ca n do no more than sell a stadium out and that's exactlv what th e people of region h us", Pearce done for said after England's 2-1 victory. Form er Tractor Boy Alex Bruce saw reel as Ipswich Town beat Leeds United 2- 1 at Portman Road. Town went ahead through a Jaso n Scotland strike ea r I y 0 n '
but it wasn't 77th minute until th e t h a t the game rea lly got go ing. Robert Snodgrass equali sed for the Yorkshire si de,
Ju s t four days
before, Ip sw i c h suffered their first away defeat of th e season, losing 1-0 / at Reading. llowevet; following this defeat Town were boosted by the prospect of t·eturns to f.irst:ream action for Shane O'Connot: Damien Delaney and Lucia no Cive lli, all of whom came through 90 minutes for the reserves. Youngster Co nnot- Wi ckham (pictured), won his second C<l p for England Uncler-19s as a substitute in a 4-0 victory ove r Cyprus.
ISSUE 245
con c t·ete.s po n @u ea . ~1 c.u k
A sporting chance for all Thi s yea r Co ncre te Spo rt is looki ng to make a lasting impact on the li ves of fanotical s ports fan s a littl e less fortun<1te than those of us here at UEA. We are looking to co llect old replica foo tb oll s hirts from UEA stud en ts in ord er to donote th em to di sa dva ntaged childre n in Africa. The collection will run until Sport Relief comes about in the Spring, so there's plenty of time to di g out your old s hirts. More details wi ll be released in the ne ar future, but in the meantime please bring your shirts to the Concrete Office in Un ion House, o r sen d us an c mail at co ncrcte.sport(f.il hotmai I. eo .uk to <Jrra nge for co ll ec ti o n.
Liverpool's gift of neV# Red Sox Fiona Howard Spo rts Correspondent llaving suffered their wo rst sto rt to a season in the top flight for 57 years, and cu tTe ntl y langu is hin g in th e relegation zo ne of the Premier League w ith just s ix points to their name, thin gs co uld hardly get worse for Liverpool Football Club . Th ese problems have been confounded by the co ntinuin g fin<1ncia l difficulties pl ag uing the Reds, despite them be in g th e sixth most valuable football club in the world . Despite the cu rrent ma laise, news of Live rpool's pote nti a l sa le to New England Spo rts Ventures (Nr::s v) cou ld bring a bout a dramatic change, at least to the club's financial situatio n, with the potential to sec their hu ge debts wiped out. Following th eir purchase ol.the club in 2007, thin gs quickly turned so ur for the clu b's ou tgo in g Am e ri ca n ow ners George
Gillett a nd Tom Hi cks, who have faced a co mpl ete la ck of s upport from fans and regular protests demanding th e pair to se ll the club. Last week NESV, the owners of Major League Baseball team Boston Red Sox, agreed to purchase the club after the outgo ing hoard voted to oust Hi cks and Gil lett. News of th e sale, a lthou gh greeted with a lm os t uni ve rs<1 l re li ef by Li ve rpoo l f<1ns, has thro wn up a pl et hora of problems. Two board memb e rs, Christian Purslow and !an Ay re, have already been sacked as Hi cks prepares to fight Executive Chai rm an, Martin Broughton, to reta in co ntrol of th e club.
"Things quickly turned sour for Gillett and Hi cks" Hicks' resi sta nce to the sa le has been motivated by hi s bel ief that th e offer from NE SV und erva lu es
th e club, an d will see him se lf a nd Gillett lose Mound £140 million. !licks has also vowed to fi ght th e sa le in the High Court, with Bro ughto n clai ming that the American pair do not have the authority to a lter the Exec utive Board's make-up. Cur rently the dea l sti ll stands, but th e pressure w ill continue to mount, not on ly on Broughton and Hi cks, but a lso the clu b, which has until Friday to pay off its debts. r:urther misery beckons fo r the Reds, who are like ly to face a points dedu cti on if the clu b's parent com pa ny, 1\op Holdi ngs, goes into ad mini s tra tion. If I li cks a nd Gillett succeed in the ir attem pts to block the sa le to NESV, Liverpool's debts of £280 milli on cou ld see its parent company go under. ll owever, the takeover has been given officia l sanction, with th e Premier League giv ing the go-ahead to NESV's £300 mi lli o n bid . Their expe ri ences with Hicks and Gillett mea n Liverpo ol
Initia l optimism tu s upp orte rs have every reason to be wary of NESV, despite its many s uccesses with the Red Sox. With talk of a new stadium, wiping of the club's debts and bringing back "the culture of wi nning to Liverpool FC", fans could be forgiven for salivating at th e prospect of a return to the upp er eche lon s of the Premier League.
Unlike the present incumbents, NESV has a long-standing record of s uccess with its s po rting endeavours, but thi s is by no means gua ra nteed, a nd is unlikely to stop Liverpool fans worrying that they've swapped one se t of American owners for ano th er, and wonder ing if the change will make any diffe re nce.
ISSUE 245
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Tuesday 12th October
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So You Think You Kno"' UEABC? Sports Correspondent Matt Scrafton presents th e inside angle on a UEA club which has continued to work hard over the summer... Spare a thought for those who are part of the UEA Boating Club. Whilst the semester is now firmly back up and running new students are overcoming their fun-filled first few weeks - and returning students are comfortably back in to their old routine, the UEA Boating Club has already been hard at work for several weeks. But you won't find them complaining. Many members returned to the city early in the summer holidays to embark upon crucial training sessions. With over 90 members across both male and female boats, UEABC is establishing its rising reputation as an organised club with a devoted following. The club had an extremely impressive summer with its competitors performing very well, winning several classes at the BUCS Regatta. Despite
their success, UEABC secretary, an important method of ensuring Sarah Ellero, talking to Concrete a strong team spirit at UEABC. Sport, commented that the The club holds several events club "are keen to improve on throughout the year, particularly our performance". With such a after races, where all of the refreshingly ambitious attitude, members unite together to reflect the Boating Club are bound to see on the day's activities. Generally, even more success in the future. these events occur on campus and Boating is widely known to be at the LCR, whilst a Christmas Ball one of the more gruelling sports is held each year. around; therefore it comes as no The club has certainly had surprise to hear that the members a busy holiday period. UEABC in the top boats partake in training devised a new rowing course six days a week. These training designed at training beginners, the 'learn to row sessions occur either at the river named or the gym at Whitlingham, a programme', which "will be a small village on the outskirts of comprehensive eight week course Norwich. For even further training that offers an introduction to and gym sessions, circuits are rowing, culminating in a mini held at the Sportspark on campus. regatta," according to Sarah. In Sarah points out that the club are . addition to this, the women's "very lucky to have partnerships squad announced a new coach, with so many gyms". Gerry Hughes, who Sarah says will Just like any other sports club bring "a great deal of experience. at the university, social events are His arrival allows the squads to
have more separate and more comprehensil(e coaching". If you are interested in boating and are looking in to the prospect of signing up to UEABC, then you
Hugo Pollock
Athletes Take Their Blocks Athletics President Simon O'Meara previews an even~ul forthcoming season for his popular club An influx of eager freshers, along with committed returners, has created a very energetic membership around the UEA Athletics Club at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, motivated by the splendid prospects that the club offers. The club has an established team of coaches on hand to provide quality training for an extensive mix
of abilities over almost all athletic disciplines. Some veteran athletes have returned to the sport after years of absence, taking on the challenge of regaining their former fitness levels with impressive zeal, and they will be quickly reaping the benefits. Competition-ready athletes, for the first time, are racing indoors in two competitions before Christmas
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- a great incentive to get up to speed in the first semester besides being an opportunity to familiarise with competition. Included in the track team is Ruth McKellar. who, in August, translated a determined summer's training into two speedy club records over lOOm and 200m, recording 13.0 seconds and 26.7 seconds respectively.
should contact the men's captain, James Hooten on mens.captain@ ueabc.co.uk or the women's captain, Kat Bruce on womens. ea p ta in @u ea bc.co. u k.
For the cross country and road runners, another year in the East Anglia League beckons with a very inviting challenge for both the men's and ladies' to relinquish the team title. Cross Country captain, Alec Beaney, will be hoping that the talents of Nick Earl, who ran a club record of 15 minutes 21seconds in the SOOOm over the summer, and Sarah Burdett, who won the individual league title last season, overcome injury woes. Joining them will be sprightly newcomers endeavouring to once again establish UEA dominance over the country. Training for, and completion of, the Norwich Half Marathon will give several runners a great endurance base; running for the ladies will be the distanceexperienced Heather Fisher, who ran the Peterborough Half Marathon in one hour fifty minutes last Sunday. For those who pondered signing up for Athletics at the start of the year, or are feeling they have missed an opportunity, the club continues to accept newcomers - experienced or otherwise - throughout the year. The club offers a series of socials throughout the year, as well as the opportunity to get fit(-ter), fast and compete in local and regional events. On your marks, get set...
VeHel Re-ignites Titlq Challenge Sebastian Vettel put himself firmly back in the World Championship race with a convincing victory in the Japanese Grand Prix. The German driver finished a second clear of Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber in Suzuka, after heavy rain had delayed qualifying until Sunday morning. Fernando Alonso followed~ closely behind Webber, and currently sits 14 points behind the Championship leader with three races remaining. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished in fourth and fifth places respectively, the latter falling behind his team-mate after losing third gear with just 10 laps remaining. Hamilton's recent run of poor results appeared almost certain to continue when he opted to start the race with a new gearbox and suffer a five place grid penalty as a result. Both McLaren drivers were equally frustrated after the race, with Hami lton admitting that his title chances are slipping away, and Button bemoaning a strategy which saw him stay out far longer than his rivals on har·d tyres. Vettel's victory sees him go level on points with Alonso, but the question remains as to whether the ambitious Red Bull driver can claw back the deficit with only three races to go.
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BOATING
RALLYING
LIVERPOOL
RYDER CUP M
Co ncrete previews UEA Boa ting Club in 'So Yo u Thinl< You Know?'
Ma tt Phil cox repo rts on Seba s tie n Loe b cl in chin g his seventh WRC title
Con cre te ta kes a look at the take ove r issu es surrounding Live rpo ol FC
Chris Tea le docum e nts Europe's return to w in ning ways in Wa les
UGBY ANNOUNCE LINK WITH TIGERS I
Ed Powell Sports Co rres po nde nt
The Uni vers ity has a nnoun ced that th e rugby uni on club Le ices te r Tigers w ill form a new part ners hip w ith th e UEA Rugby Club . Th e sche me w ill in vo lve the cur rent Aviva Pre mie rship cha mpi o ns se ndin g fir sl le<lm playe rs d ow n to t he Un ivers ity Lo coach an d tra in wit h the UEA Rugby squ ad. "The club a re th ri ll ed to _.,_ "!tnnou nce coll abo ra t ion thi s w ith Leices te r Ti ge rs," sa id UEA Ru gby Pres ide nt Char li c Dowe r. "It will give us so ma ny exc itin g t hrou ghout th e op portuni ti es seaso n and wi ll be grea t for eve ryo ne invo lved a t the club. lfav ing 1s t tea m f. e iccs lc r pl aye rs co me a long to our sess ions will be an hono ur and w ill rea lly he lp us as a tea m progress . Th e lJ EA me n's rugby club has see n so mu ch prog ress io n in th e las t few yea rs a nd the fut u re is look in g bright fo r ru gby a t UEA ." fa n We lch, th e Un io n s ports ~c l u b co-ordin ato r, ag reed th a t th e deal w ill be a great bo os t to the rc put<1 tio n o f lJ EA RFC. "The re arc ma ny be nefits - firstl y, o b v i ou~ l y, it gives us a bit mo re sta nd ing in th e co mmunity to have a n affi lia ti on w ith the Le icester Tige rs. Th e ir pl aye rs w ill co me dow n, make the mse lves avai labl e for award nights a nd di nne rs for Lhe Rugby club, a lso we can se ll ticke ts for the
a nn oun ced a communi ty partner hip with Gu in ness Premier League o utfit Leicester Tigers and may rece ive coac hing from Engla nd's Toby Flood (above)
The a nn ounceme nt of the part ne rship wit h Leiceste r will be a we lcome boost for UEA RFC goi ng into t he new season . Leices te r Ti ge rs ga mes a nd fro m th <ll we ge t a 拢5 reba te from eve ry ti cket we se ll. The oth e r benefi t we' ll ge t is coac hes - !Tige rs pe rson ne l] will come dow n a nd do coac hin g sess ions on nut r itio n, s pee d wor k, fitn ess work <1 nd
th ings like th a t." "Th e RFU has said tha t a ll its profess iona l te<l ms nee d to p ut so mu ch money a mi l ime back into the comm un ity. The playe rs who a rc injured a rc req ui red by th eir co ntrac ts to do a certai n nu mb er
of co mmunity coac hin g hours , so that's what Le icester get out of itdoin g t hei r bit fo r the co mmunity a nd obvious ly we benefit fro m a st ro ng li nk with the Tigers." The partnershi p, suggested by the T igers, comes as a m<1jo r
boost to the first XV <I S th ey begin th e ir new c<1 mp aign looki ng for pro motion fmm th e BUCS Mid la nd s 213 Con fe rence. Th e Ru gby Club is t he largest s ports clu b o n campus, trai n ing eve ry Monday from 7-9 p m at Co lncy Fi elds. The Ti ge rs arc currently 6th in the Av iva Pre mi ers hip, an d boas t inte rn atio nals s uch as Engla nd 's Geo rge Chutcr, Da n Hipk iss and Toby Fl oo d. Current ly on the inj ured li st <1 t Ova l Pa rk, Fl ood may he amo ng th e fi rs t professio na ls to offe r th ei r hin ts an d advice to lJEA's fin es t.
CONCRETE SPORT'S INTRODUCTION TO BUCS
I
Oanny Collins Co ncrete Edito r
When in May 20 12 stud e nt a thl etes s tep ou t o nto th e track of th e Oly mpic Sta dium , l.o nclo n before a crowd of 30,0 00 peo pl e, il w ill be tes ta ment to the es tee m in whi ch BU CS- 13ri ti s h Uni ve rs ities and Co ll eges Spo rt - is now he ld. Chose n as th e offi cial test event
for the 201 2 Oly mpi c Sta di um, the BUCS Outdoor At hl et ics Cha mpi o ns hip's p m mot ion to the hi gh ta ble of 13 ri t is h s port w ill wid ely be se en as the litmu s Les t for BUCS 's f<ls t-g row in g popul <1ri ty. As th e governing bo dy of un ive rs ity s po rt, cove rin g 4U spo rts and ove r J 00 hi gher cdu u 1ti on in stitu ti on s, BUCS' influ e nce is both fa r-reac h ing a nd influ ent ia l. With alumni as illu stri ous as
Se bas ti a n Coe, M<1tthew Pin sent and jessica Enn is, it has a gr<Jvtld s th at, while no t compari ng to Llw American Nat ion<1l Coll egiate Athl eti cs Assoc iati o n ( NC AA) eq uiva lent, is stil l a n essen tia l an d expa ndi ng foundatio n to the Bri t is h s po rtin g la nd scape. UEA fin is hed 60th in the BUCS s ta nd ings las t yea 1~ an d w ill und oubted ly e nd eavour to imp rove on thi s pl ac in g in the co mi ng year.
With wee kly Wedn esday fixtures held at the Sports park a nd at the Co lney Field pitc hes, th e re is ample op portu nity to support UEA's ma ny an d va 1路icd spo rtin g teams. Alternative ly, tur n to Concrete Sport every fortn ight to follow the prog ress of UEA's tea ms as th ey co mp ete wi tb th e very bes t th e Br it ish un iversi ty syste m has to offer.