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Thursday 31st March, 2011 • Issue 255 • Twitter: @Concrete_UEA
Union election controversy • Union officers called into question over conduct during elections • Complaints made over unequal treatment of candidates James Schofield News Reporter This year's Union Elections have been held amidst controversial circumstances which seem to suggest that some candidates have had an unfair advantage over others. The allegations most prominently surround the use of Facebook by some Union officers involved with the elections. At the centre of the controversy are the current Finance Officer Rob Bloomer, and Tom Dolton, the current Communications Officer and Deputy Returning Officer for this election. The first breach of the election rules occurred when it was discovered that the Facebook page for the annual Derby Day competition 'liked' the page for Rob Bloomer's re-election campaign. The 'like', which has since been removed, contravenes the rule that prohibits officers of the Union using any tools given to them through their position in the Union . As current Finance Officer and an administrator of the Facebook group in question, Bloomer has access to a group currently 'liked' by over a thousand people, giving
him the means to campaign more effectively than other candidates. However, Communications Officer Tom Dolton found him to have committed no wrongdoing, saying: "Current Union Officers cannot use Union channels to campaign. When I first found out about this, Rob was with me at the time. As an admin for that group, he logged on to Facebook for me and I tried to remove the link. Rob states that he did not add the like. "There's no way a Facebook page can like another Facebook page - it's done by people in it. Under the admin section, there's no section for you to add likes or anything like that. I believe it's a Facebook function to recommend likes to students that are in common with others in the group. "I imagine what the case actually is is that a large proportion of students in that group also like that and the Essex SU page. Apart from that, I looked into trying to get it removed. I believed Rob when he said he didn't like it personally. I've spoken to the Returning Officer and he is satisfied that it wasn't a breach of Union election rules."
Continued on page 6 For a full list of the 2011 Union Election results, see pages 6-7
Lecturer discontent revealed Danny Collins Editor Over 100 UEA lecturers have backed a petition sent to Vice-Chancellor Edward Acton condemning the University's record on gender equality. Signed by 112 academic staff, many of whom are highly respected professors, the petition questions the lack of female representation within the upper echelons of the UEA executive hierarchy. Currently, within the Executive Team, all eight positions are taken up by men, with the letter also questioning the lack of ethnic diversity within this body. of female The omission representation within the UEA executive comes in stark contrast to that of other UK higher education institutions, with Cambridge having six females at executivelevel, and Oxford three. Statistics provided by the letter showed that Exeter, Birmingham, Warwick and York had at least one female representative. In response to the claims, a University spokesperson said: "The University is keen to tackle openly and constructively any barriers to the promotion of equality and diversity in the workplace. "Pro-Vice-Chancellors have historically been appointed by the Vice-Chancellor proposing names to Senate/Council in line with corporate needs.
Continued on page 8
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Lecturers go on strike â&#x20AC;˘ Staff go on strike in protest at changes to pension schemes â&#x20AC;˘ First national strikes in universities since 2005 Alex Mansell News Reporter The 22nd and 24th March saw official 'University and College Union' picket lines drawn along the main entrances to the University, leading to the disruption of normal university life for students and staff alike. Whilst official figures of striking staff cannot be released, the two picket lines enjoyed abundant support over the two days with many students also joining the lecturers. One picketer stated: "I've just been down to my faculty and it's absolutely dead. There's nobody in." The strikes at UEA were co-ordinated nationally alongside 62 other universities as part of an on-going dispute over the pensions of teaching staff and librarians. At the centre of this dispute are proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). The UCU claims that the changes proposed will drastically reduce the future benefits arrived from the scheme, which could leave new staff with a much-reduced pension. It has also been claimed that such changes could worsen the pensions of those who have already paid into the scheme. Whilst the UCU have made their position clear about the proposed changes to the USS, having also offered alternative ideas in the process, university employers have refused to go to arbitration which is why the strike action was deemed necessary. The national strikes have been the first held in
universities since 2005, emphasising the gravity of feeling towards the threat of these perceived negative changes. The picket lines remained goodhumoured throughout the two days and received support from passing bus drivers, students and visitors to the University. One picketer positioned opposite the INTO building, wished to remain anonymous but said: "lt's a cause that is bigger than all of us and I think I was surprised just how sympathetic our students were, we are very reluctant to mess students about but we've felt very good to see the Student Union is behind us." Many of the pickets encouraged students not to engage in learning on the strike days, using banners emblazoned with slogans such as 'Support Staff: Skive'. Whilst the Union of UEA Students supported this stance, their position was at odds with official university guidelines which declined to support students who chose not to cross the picket lines. The picketing staff alleviated student fears by proclaiming, "We are the ones who do the marking. Not the people in the registry!" Paul Grassby, UCU spokesman at UEA, expressed his pleasure at the reaction to the strikes: "In my opinion it has been successful. lt has given us a great opportunity via the picket lines to give out information to everyone who is affected. Our demands are to recommence negotiations and I am sure that will happen. If it doesn't we remain at stalemate."
ISSll l: 2SS
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concrete .n ews@ uea.ac.uk
500,000 attend TUC march • UEA students join nearly half a n1illion people n1arching in London against Governn1ent cuts • Splinter group of protesters throw lightbulbs filled with amn1onia at police and attack the Ritz hotel James Di xon News Re porte r A co ll ec ti o n of a round 130 UE A s tud e nt s v e ntLm~ d dow n to Lo nd o n to join th e TlJ Cs Mu r ch j iHLh e !1 /Lern u Live ·o n Sa turd ay 26 th Ma rch. Th e re have bee n no offic ia l fi g ures as to th e final turnout , howeve r, es tim a tes o n th e day ra nge d rrom a mod es t 250,000 to a s tagge rin g hzilf a million peo pl e. Eith e r way, th e march was a heav ily a tte nd ed de mo ns tra ti on of w id es pt·ea d a nge r <lt th e Gove rnm e nt's pro pose d bud ge t cuts lo ma ny face ts of soc ie ty. Thi s re porter can a tt es t to th e s hee r s ize o f th e process io n w hi ch stre tched into th e di s t<ln ce as fa r as th e eye co uld see. The de mon s tra ti o n d rew a di ve rse crowd w it h pa rti cipa nts ra ngi ng from fac to ry wo rke rs to doc to rs. A bmad ran ge of <lges was also vis ibl e wit h ma ny pa re nts choos in g to bring eh ild 1·e n to th e pro tes t. Publi c sector unio ns we t·e we ll re prese nted w ith ma ny uni ons s po rtin g a v<1r ie ty of ba nn ers. The protes t was ' 1 co lo ur ful mi x o r gro ups bas kin g in a ca rn iva l a tm os ph e re. Thi s a ura was bols te red by a numb e r of s ma ll g ro ups w ho pmv ided li ve m us ic to score the ma rch. Th e mu s ic a lso re prese nted th e di ve rs ity o f the m<Jrch as cl ass ica l ma rchin g hand s strode pas t activ ists pu lli ng trai lers lad e n with boom boxes o n th e back of bi cycles.
' No ifs , no buts, no publi c sector cuts' Th e re were th e cus to ma ry pro tes t cha nts alon gs id e th e ma ny wa fts of mu s ic dr ifting throu gh th e a ir. Th e c rowd frequ e ntl y vo iced th ei r di s pl eas ure with th e coa lit io n Gove rnm e nt a nd its lea de rs; w hil st th e po pul ar "No ifs, no buts, no· publi c sec to r cut s" reso na ted a ro und Lo ndo n. Co ncr eLe s poke w ith so me of t he a tte nd ees to try an d asce rta in .w hy th ey had co me to th e de mo nstrat io n a nd how th e imp e ndin g cuts a re go in g to a ffec t th e m. Chl oe, a yo un g mo th e r, was prese nt with her hus ba nd , a
te a c h e t~ and he t· two-ye<lr·o ld son , La uri e. She had fea rs ove r th e con se qu e nces of th e cuts, S<ly in g: "I wo rry fo r my so n's future as he w ill have to lace th e a fte rm a th of th ese cuts. Th ey w ill affec t eac h a rea of sc hoo lin g in turn"_ Al so prese nt in th e s hufflin g crowd was a reti red me nta l hezilth s ocia l wo rke r fr o m Wa nd sworth , Lo nd o n. li e desc rib ed t he effec ts th e cuts wo uld have on hi s bo ro ugh's NII S se rvices. li e sta ted t hat th e "me nl<li hea lth se rvices in Wa nd wsor th w ill rece ive a n [8 00 milli o n bud ge t cut"' w hi ch w ill s ure ly dec im a te th e se rvices provi ded for th e me nta lly ill . li e thou ght th e re was goi ng to he ",1 s ub seq ue nt rise in s ui ci de a nd LTime . Pau l Totty, of Merseys id e Fire 13riga de, voiced s imi!Jr co nce rn s fo r his res pec ti ve a rea of profess io n. He ex pl a in ed th a t hi s de pa rtm e nt had bee n hit by a 12'Yu b udget cut over th e nex t two yea rs a nd th a t thi s wo uld have "ve ry rea l co nseq uences" when it co mes to fi ghtin g fir es.
High str eet s to r es co m e u n d e r attack As ma ny of th e nat io na l pa pe rs have se ized upo n, th e re was a s ma ll amount of viol e nce puqJorted by a s ma ll co ntin ge ncy of indi vidual s who mo stly co ngregated around th e a nti -ca pita li s t a nd a na rchi s t move me nts. Some ana t·chists ado pted th e ' bla ck bl oc' tac ti c of di sgui s in g th e mselves in bl ac k cl ot hing fr o m head to toe. 1\ group of ac ti vis ts s po radi ca ll y a tta cked buildings of sy mb oli c va lu e s uch as Th e Hitz a nd a numb e r of ha nks w he re th ey pa int bo mb ed faca des, s mas hed wind ows a nd cla ub ed in gr<lffiti . So me me mbe rs of t he gro up Ul< Un cut also s tage d a s it -i n in s id e th e upm arke t Pi cca dill y dep<lrtme nt sto re For tnum & Mason. More t ha n ZOO peo ple we re in po lice custo dy after activists clas hed w ith poli ce in Trafa lga r Squ a re <l ft e r th e ma rch. A to ta l of 149 protes te rs have s in ce bee n c ha rged w it h va ri ous offences. 84 injuri es were re po rted, in clud ing a t leas t 3 1 pol ice officers, w ith 11 of th ose req u iring hos pi ta l trea tm e nt.
James Dixon
5
UEAyetto . announce fees • As increasing numbers of universities set their level of tuition fees, speculation mounts over what UEA fees will be David Murphy News Reporter As more universities across the UK announce the ir plans to charge the maximum possible for tuition fees in 2012, UEA is maintaining its silence over what future students can expect to pay. As of Tuesday 29th March, 20 universities have announced what they intend to charge students starting an undergraduate course in 2012, with 15 of them planning to charge the maximum possible £9,000 a year. lt is no surprise that the country's highest rated universities plan to charge the maximum possible but they will implement measures to encourage applications from a wider pool of students. For students from households earning less than £16,000 a year, Oxford University will charge £3,500 for their first year and £6,000 for every year after that. Cambridge University has stated that students whose families earn less than £25,000 could receive £3,500 a year to be used as a bursary or as a waiver, effectively reducing their tuition fees to £6,500. Some have been surprised the plans of some lower ranked universities. The University of Essex and the University of Reading, ranked 43rd and 45th respectively in the Guardian University Guide 2011, have both announced plans to charge the
maximum possible fees . As it stands these figures are only proposals and once all institutions have proposed their fees by 19th April, the Office for Fair Access will determine which universities and colleges are doing enough for lower-income students to warrant charging higher fees. While Tom Dolton, Communications Officer at the Union of UEA Students, has confirmed that the Union "has been contacted by the University with its proposed plans for tuition fees", the following consultations must be kept confidential. This is because until UEA makes a public announcement the discussions of fee settings are bound by competition law. Mr Dol ton told Concrete that the Union "has reiterated its policy of free education several times". In addition to this, an online Q&A session with Professor Tom Ward has revealed that the university have written to OFFA, meaning fees will definitely top £6,000. These announcements will cause headaches for the government. They estimated the average tuition fees for 2012 would be £7,500 but so far this figure is closer to £8,500. As the government pays students' fees initially and then waits for repayments once students are in full time work, this could mean the country and the taxpayer will have to pay an extra £1 billion pounds a year than expected.
Puppet man still pulling strings UEA students breathed a collective sigh of relief this week as it was announced that internet rumours concerning the wellbeing of the Norwich Puppet Man were in fact a hoax. The popular street entertainer, who has performed puppet dance routines for over 20 years in Norwich Market, was the subject of a flurry of Twitter and Facebook rumours on Monday evening, as it was suggested he had suffered a fatal heart attack. Concrete can confirm that the rumours have been traced back to a single Facebook user, from whom the rumours spread rapidly throughout the day. The Puppet Man, whose real name is David Perry, was quick to dispel such rumours, and his official website confirmed that Mr. Perry was in fact in rude health. After beginning his puppet repertoire in the mid-80s, he was forced to temporarily retire after his act proved so popular that his incomings negated his right to incapacity benefit. Known to perform at parties, he also performed for 2,000 students at a Mercy nightclub student night in 2008.
Danny Collins
6
Election results announced atnidst controversy Davina Kesby
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•. The results of the 2011 Union were a nnoun ced at Elections 5.30pm on Thursday 31st March in th e Red Bar. The a nn o un ce me nt was schedu led to take place in the Blue Bar, but was moved owing to the Cricket World Cup semi -fin al. Rob Bloomer was th e only fulltime incumbent officer to stand for re-election a nd was victorious, winning in the first round of voting with 834 first preference votes. Will La cey, th e in cumbe nt Environment Officet~ was a lso re-e lected, des pite facing stiff co mpetition fr o m jonathan Davison and jack Whaley. Spea kin g after th e e lection s, Tom Dolton, the Communications Officer a nd Deputy Returning Offi cer for the elections, sa id: ''I'm ecstatic about the fact that UEA st udents e ngage d with democracy and shaped their Union for the future". The outgoing Commun icatio ns Officer went o n to say: "I have hi gh hopes for the leadersh ip the new stu d e nt officers will give for the membership to develop the Union into being one of the best in the cou ntry." Th e results were announced a mid st co ntro vers ia l circumstances, in some of the most hotly-contested e le ctio ns in rece nt years. The election for the position of Acad e mic Officer wa s exceedingly close, with both Kirsty Ca ll aghan and Megan Eva.ns rece ivin g 410 votes. AI Powell, the Returning Officer for th e e lections, confirmed th a t he had not seen a draw in an e lectio n before, desp ite the fact that he oversees the e lectio ns for most s tud e nt union s in the Eastern a nd Midlands region. It was decid ed by the Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officer that the approp ri ate ac ti on would be to e lect Kirsty Callaghan to the position, ow ing to the fact that she received more first-preference votes than Megan Evans. For the full story on the election controversy, turn to the front page.
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Screen shots from the dubious activity on Facebook which caused complaints about the con uct of these elections. L: Tom Dolton, Deputy Returning Officer for elections seems to have added people to the campaign group of one candidate. R: The Derby Day fan page 'liked' a page set up by Rob Bloomer for his re-election.
Continued from page 1 This Concrete reporter has since created a test Facebook page a nd has discovered that the liking of o ne page by a nother can be done with ease . Deputy Returning Officer involved in scandal Tom Dolto n him se lf was involved in ano th er controversy wh e n it w as s ugges te d that he had added students to a nother ca mpa ig n g ro up: The Facebook group "Vote Cathy for Comms" co ntain ed a post co nfirming that Dolton had added two stude nts to the g roup . As Deputy Returning Officer, Dolton is requi"red to be invited to eac h ca mp aign in g gro up, as a n admin. to oversee th e e lection more transparently. However, Officers of the Union are not allowed to ca mpa ig n on b e half o f a ca ndid ate "while at work". Dolton was left co nfu sed by th e s itu at io n. Online actions said to be "a glitch" "It came as a shock to me
when so mebody reported it to me because I hadn't done that. The most bizarre thing is that I went on the Facebook page in qu es tion a nd !looked a nd it said that I had added two people to the g roup, both of whom I don't know; [we're] not friends on Fa cebook, I don't know them personally, so I don't know how that happ e ne d . "As far as I'm aware, and as far as th e Returning Officer is awa re, I wasn't campaigning for Cathy a nd it was just a glitch - I hon estly don 't know what h appened . I categor ica lly did not ad d people to that group and I did not invite people to jo in -that gro up e ith er." Co ncrete ca n confirm that Tom Dolton is not friends o n Facebook with e ith e r of th e peo pl e who appeared to have been added to the ca mpa ign g roup by him. Ensuring that fairness is upheld Th e Union Elections a re he ld each year under guidel in es and s up e rvisi o n th at maintains th e fairness and integrity throughout th e e lec tora l process . Th e ro le of the Deputy Returning Offi ce r is to e ns ur e th a t thi s fairness is uph e ld until the e lect ion is co mpl ete, with
any breaking of th e rul es to be reported to him "whose decision on the matter is final". A further breac h of Union Election rules was confirmed wh e n it w as discovered that some candidates had been using copyrighted image ry in so m e of their posters. The rules ex plicitly s ta te that "candidates mu st take care not to use text or images which are copyrighted", a nd that "th e Union will n ot reproduce any ma teria ls which infrin ge copyr ig ht". The posters in question were taken down in campa ign week, yet no actio n will be taken as "it was a fault o n the candidate's part and o n th e part of th e Union". Extension of voting and de lay to results The re s ults of the elections th e mse lves w ere d e layed by 24 hours due to a large number of s tud e nts not rece ivin g a n e mail with the link to the voting website. The glitch large ly affec te d interca lat in g and part-time st ud ents, amongst o th ers. Th e d ec is io n was taken by the Deputy Returning Officer to extend the voting period. Tom Dol ton sa id: "It is my role to
make sure that the Union Electil a r e run as fairly as possible ; would be unfair if those 970 peal· h ad a day less than eve ryb( e lse to vote because they receij their [vot in g] toke n a day la t e r.l deci s ion was taken to make s! eve ryon e ha s th e sa m e opportur to vote." Reactions after the announcement
Speaking afte r the e lect results were a nn ou nce d, Dol said: "I feel my hand lin g of ' s itu at ion was appropriate to ~ best of my abi lity.. Not only that, Returning Officer, an ind e p e nd member of NUS, who is dedica to e ns uring that o ur e lec ti 1 are run in a free and fair man1 agrees ... that it was run to the b of my ability and that it did [have] a d e trim en ta l impact on elections. "If it ha d , AI, as Re tu rn1 Officer, wo uld have interjected , taken act io ns aga in st it. Howe he feels that it did not effect electio ns."
James Schofi
• UNION ELECTION RESULTS • UNION ELECTION RESULTS • UNION ELECTIO
www.concrete-online.co.uk
NEWS
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Photo by Geraldine Morizet ..-~~:-------~:----,
Other results Environment Officer William Lacey, 531 votes out of 1077, with 438 first preferences Ethical Issues Officer Allanah Bayliss, 491 votes out of 953, with 491 first preferences LGBT Officer Hayley Kearns, 584 votes out of 715, with 584 first preferences International Student Officer Samuel Kessington-Okwuada, 402 votes out of 503, with 402 first preferences Students with Disabilities Officer Luke Jenning-Hatt, 479 out of 572, with 479 first preferences Non-portfolio Officers Hannah Dunlop, Liam McCafferty and Duncan Smith
Full-time officers for 2011-12 Communications Matthew Myles
Academic Kirsty Callaghan
Community & Student Rights Tash Ross
Won with: 602 votes out of 1470 First preference votes: 369
Won with: 834 votes out of 1336 First preference votes: 834
Won with: 410 votes out of 1094 First preference votes: 222
Won with: 533 votes out of 1078 First preference votes: 515
Key manifesto points:
Key manifesto points:
Key manifesto points:
Key manifesto points:
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,
Finance Rob Bloomer
Ensuring the University are transparent with regards to cuts Improving student media New bus service Working closely with the International Student Society Specific opportunities to be heard Having a cashpoint in the Village
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Championing volunteering and employability Love student activities - "focus societies" Go for Gold- being one of the best Student Unions in the country Drive the strategic plan Continue to build UUEAS' reputation
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Improved IT services- more reliable printing and wireless Improved library facilities Better use of Blackboard Early, clear helpful information More visible, active representation in schools of study
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Protecting the student experience Lobbying Univers ty to keep widening participation Focusing on community- fostering links between clubs and socs and the wider community Improving Home Run Building a halls' community
RE.SULTS • UNION ELECTION RESULTS • UNION ELECTION RESULTS • UNION
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Study aims to decrease type 2 A jo int s tudy lead by the Norfo lk a nd Norw ich ll os pita l a nd UEA. co uld dra mati ca lly re du ce ins ta nces of type 2 di a be tes in No rfolk, a nd co uld lea d to a na ti o nw id e prog ra m sa ving th e NH S vast a mo un ts of mo ney by s toppin g ty pe 2 be fo re it begin s. Curre ntly, a round 2,500 peopl e a re newly di agnosed in No rfolk eve ry yea t ~ with over 300,000 curre ntly rece iving trea tm e nt fo r th e co nditi o n. Ofte n co nfused w ith ty pe 1 di a be tes (whi ch is e ithe r ge ne ti c o r brought o n by a vira l a ttack) , typ e 2 occ urs as a res ult o f poo r di e t a nd we ight ga in a nd us ua lly occ urs la te r in life. This w ill he th e fo cus of th e £2 .2 billi o n s tudy, whi ch w ill sc ree n 10,000 peop le a t ri s k of deve loping th e co nditi o n. Th ose de te rmin ed to be a t ris k a nd willing to ta ke pa rt w ill be ra nd o mly s plit into a co ntrol group and a n inte rve nti o n g ro up. The la tter will be prescribe d di et, exe rcise a nd lifes tyle a dvice from s pecia lis t s po rts phys io the ra pists a nd nutritio nis ts. Me nto rs th a t a lready have ty pe 2 wil l a lso be used to guid e so me of th e pa rti cipa nts. Th e g roup s w ill th e n he monito red to d e te rmin e w he th e r th ese lifes tyle cha nges w ill preve nt o nse t o f th e co nditi o n.
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ISSU E 255
www.concrete-onHne.co,uk
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Air bases in Norfolk and Suffolk used to launch Libyan attack I
Philip Thomas Ne w s Re porte r
Aircra ft base d at RAF Ma rh a m in Norfo lk ha ve be en flyin g coa li tion o pe ra ti o ns ove r Libya. UN re so luti o n 1973, w hi ch w as a ppro ve d by th e ecurity Co un cil on Thurs d ay Ma rch ~ 7 th se t a no fl y zo ne a ro und t he t rottb le dn a ti o n. Ul< inte t· vc nti o n, cod e na m e d Op e ra ti o n Ell a my com.ne nced o n Sa turd ay Ma rch 19 th a nd Ma rh a m je ts w e re in ac ti o n w it hin ho urs, fl y ing a 3 000 -mil e so rti e into Libya n a irs pace. UN reso luti o n 1973 is th e inte rn a ti o na l respo nse to sa feg ua rd th e c ivilian po pu la ti o n o f Libya. Th e Libya n re vo luti o n fo llows wid es prea d pro tes ts in Fe bru a ry a nd s imil a r upri s in gs in co untri es ac ross No rth Afri ca a nd th e g reate r Middl e Eas t Lea d ing t he Libya n o ppos iti o n is th e Na ti o na l Tra ns iti o na l Co un cil, w hi c h is d e m a ndin g th e d e pos iti o n of e rra ti c di ctato r Co lo ne l Mu a mm a r Ga dd a fi, a nd t he esta bli s hm e nt of
free d e m oc ra ti c e lec ti o ns; Ga dd a fi' s lo ng regim e is wid e ly acc used o f co tTuption and th e viol a tion o f inte rn a ti o na l hum a n ri ghts laws. Th e UN reso lu t ion a im s to d e fe nd c ivili a ns aga in s t th e fi e rce re prisa ls by Gadd a fi fo rces w hi ch prompte d inter nat io na l inte r ve nt io n; Ga d da fi is ex te ns ive ly acc use d of w a r crim es fo ll owin g seve ra l va lida ted re po rts o f a troc iti es committed by hi s t roo ps aga in s t th e Libya n peo pl e. Prim e Mini s te r Dav id Ca m e ro n has co mm e nd ed th e "good prog ress" of UK fo rces, sayi ng : "Ou r se rv ice me n a nd wo me n a re pe rformin g w ith th e ir us ua l pro fess io na li s m a nd co urage". li e a lso pra ised th e a le rtn ess o f th e Ma rh a m-b ase d To rn a d os, say in g th a t th ey ha d avo id e d a "bl oody di sas te r". T he a irc re w s a re co mmi tte d to a pa rti cul a rl y d iffic ult task, d o in g eve rythin g poss ibl e to avo id civ ili a n cas ua lti es by ga th e rin g hi g h-leve ls o f inte lli ge nce, a nd de pl oyi ng low-co llate ra l wea po ns. Chi ef of th e De fe nce Sta ff, Ge ne ra l Sir Dav id Ri cha rd s, has e mph as ised
t he impo rta nce o f avo idi ng c iv ili a n cas ua lties: "We a re ve ry. ve ry a le rt to o ur res po ns ibiliti es to th e civ ilia n po pul a ti o n. We d o n't wa nt to ta ll into th e pro paga nd a t ra p th at Mr Ga dd a fi is o bv io us ly try in g to se t us." So u rces indi ca te th a t UK fo rces will re m a in prese nt in Libya until the civ ili a n po pul a ti o n is sa fe. ll ow eve i; d e ba te continu es within t he inte rn a ti o na l co mmunity as to th e ultim a te res po ns ibiliti es o f th e NATO-Icd coa liti o n, a nd th e o utco m e of th e co nfli ct. Mea nw hil e UK a ircraft co ntinu e
to fl y 'a rm ed reco nn a issa nce missw ns again st ta nks a nd a rm o ure d ve hicl es . On the m o rnin g o f Mo nd ay Ma rch 28 th, Torna d os fro m RA F Ma rh a m fl e w d ee p into th e Libya n d ese tt, d e ploying Sto rm Sha d ow miss il es aga in s t a mmuniti o n dump s threa te nin g o ppos iti o n citi es. Rece nt coa liti o n e fforts ha ve und e ni a bl y fa cilita te d th e re be l a d va nce o n th e Libya n ca pita l of Trip o li, undoubtedly turnin g th e tid e o f th e revo luti o n; a lth o ugh to w ha t e nd, it is ye t to be know n.
Rebecca Hazlewood
Continued from front page "Th e curre nt VC has ins titu ted inte rn a l a dve rti se me nt fo r Head of Sc hool a ppointm e nts a nd is pro pos ing th at this process s ho uld be a dopte d fo r th e a ppointme nt of PVCs in future_ "The Unive rs ity a ppo ints on me rit, rega rdl ess of ge nd e r." lloweve r, s pea kin g to Concrete, a n a no ny m ous lecture r said : "Wha t is s imply s hockin g is that Edward Acto n see ms to be d oing nothing more tha n paying lip se rvi ce to th e idea th a t w o me n s ho uld be trea ted equally at UEA. Whil e he says he is co nce rn ed a bo ut th e iss ue, he has jus t created an oth e r PVC rol e whi ch loo ks un like ly to be adve rti sed. "I wond e r why it is th a t aca d e mi c wo me n a t UEA a rc ove rtly excl ud ecJ? Th e VC may think th a t this is o kay, but th e re a re pl e nty of s ta ff w ho d o n't." Th e cla ims co me d es pite exec utive positi o ns a t UEi\ hav ing bee n he ld previo us ly by wo men. Shirl ey Pea rce, th e curre nt Vi ceCha ncello r of Lo ughbo rou gh Uni ve rs ity, he ld the pos ition o f Pro Vi ce-C ha ncellor in 2000, a nd Da me Eli za be th Es teve-Coll se rved as Vi ce Chan cellor be twee n 1995 a nd 1997, be fo re th e di agnos is o f mu ltipl e scl e rosis fo rced he r to s te p d ow n.
Caroline Lucas to address students I Sam Lewis
Ne w s Re po rte r
Lea de r of the Gree n Pa rty a nd th e UJ< 's fi rs t Gree n MP will vis it UEA to day as pa rt o f he r regio na l tout~ ah ead of t he loca l e lec ti o ns in May. Ca rolin e Lucas, MP fo r Brighto n Pavili o n, will be ava ila ble to m ee t with s tud e nts a nd a ddress q ues ti o ns be twee n 2.00 to 3.00 pm in th e s qu are. No rwi ch City Coun c illo r a nd Gree n Pa rty De puty Lead e r Adrian Ra msay will a lso be in a tte nd a nce a lo ng w ith a numb e r o f o th e r Gree n co un cill o rs. Dr. LLt cas w ill a lso s pea k a t a public m ee ting in th e city be twee n 5.3 0 a nd 6.3 0 pm a t Cha ntry Ha ll (jus t off Th eat re Stree t, nex t to t he Asse mbly Room s). This w ill be o n th e to p ic of po liti ca l refo rm, wh e re s he will call fo r th e mod e rn isa t io n of Pa rli a me nt a nd ex press he r s upport fo t- a 'Yes' vo te in th e re fe re ndum o n e lec to ra l re fo rm . 1-;J n Gibson, fo rm e r Norwi ch No rth MP a nd UEA lec ture r, w ill a lso be ta lkin g a bout his own pa rli a m e nta ry ex pe ri e nces.
Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, pictured with Norwich City Councillor and Deputy Leader Adrian Ramsay Adt·ia n Ra msay sa id: "We have th e la rges t gro up of Gree n Pa rty Co un cillors in th e country he re in No rw ich. I'm d e li gh te d th a t Ca ro lin e
is vi s iting No rwi ch to s upp o rt o u1· e lec ti o n ca mpa ign as we a im to in crease our influe nce a t City Ha iL" l ie a dd ed : "Thu rsd ay will be a
grea t o pportunity fo r s tud e nts to mee t Ca ro lin e a t UEA a nd jo in in a n inte res ting public mee tin g o n po li t ica l re fo rm."
ISSUE 255
9
Thursday 31st March
Popular PhD student dies
Union Awards 2011 - the winners • Union Awards recognise achievements of clubs and societies at LCR ceremony • Nightline amongst big winners, taking away the 'Most Improved Society' award Susanna Wood News Reporter
Last week the postgraduate community suffered a great loss as Franklin Yaw Frimpong, a final year PhD student from the School of Chemistry, passed away suddenly. According to the Graduate Students' Association, Franklin was "the kind of friend that was always there when you needed a cup of coffee or a hug. He was a great listener and would always be walking tall and proud with a charming cheeky smile on his face. Frank! in was a great friend to all of us and will be missed greatly". The Graduate Students' Association will be holding a fundraising event to raise money to help Franklin's family with the transport and funerary costs involved. The event will take place in the Grad Bar on Thursday evening, and the GSA will accept any baked donations to sell on the night. There will also be collection pots in the Grad Bar and the School of Chemistry's reception throughout the week. Davina Kesby
National Student Survey ongoing Final year undergraduates are being encouraged to fill out the National Student Survey. Professor Tom Ward, Pro-Vice Chancellor~ said: "The survey gives us a picture of how students view UEA and its staff, and helps us to pinpoint and spread best practice. lt also has a powerful impact on the reputation of the University." The online survey is conducted by lpsos MORI, and is available at www.thestudentsurvey.com. Davina Kesby
The Union's brightest stars got suited and booted and donned their glad rags on Tuesday for the most glamorous event in the Union's calendar: the Union Awards. A celebration of the hard work achieved by the Union over the year, awards were handed out to clubs and societies as well as to those who represent the Union and participate in volunteering. Big winners on the night were the UEA Bright Futures society, which won Best New Society, and Music Soc, which walked away with Society of the Year. Nightline UEA, which was recently voted the Most Improved Nightline of the Year nationally, won the award for the best progress as a society, much to the delight of its members. Men's Football won Sports Club
of the Year, while the Powerboat club, UEA Boat Club and Table Tennis also won awards. The campaign of the year was, unsurprisingly, Fees and Cuts, with Charity Week and the Union's response to the 'Techpocalypse' receiving accolades. Awards were also given to various members of the Union's representative team, including the New Academic Model Council winning SSLC of the year, Liz Biscoe winning Union Rep of the Year and Christopher Stokes winning University Committee member of the year. The night was well attended and featured performances from various societies. The celebrations continued at the Masqueradethemed LCR which took place later in the evening. A full list of this year's winners can be found online at www. ueastuden t.com.
)osh Resoun speaks on behalf of the successful "Charity Week" committee
Norwich Research Park gets £26m funding injection • Extra funding announced in the Budget for two East Anglian research centres. • 5,000 new jobs set to be created in the next decade as a result of the boost in funding. Davina Kesby News Editor lt was announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the budget this week that Norwich Research Park will receive a £26m boost in funding. A further £44m will be given to the Babraham Research Campus near Cambridge. Both of these centres specialise in biotechnology and biological research, with the funding being used to create jobs as well as support the research that is being undertaken. Norwich Research Park, located behind Colney Fields, will spend some of the £26m on making the park more attractive to prospective investors as well as expanding office and laboratory facilities for new small and medium-sized businesses at the park. Simon Wright, MP for Norwich
South, said: "This is great news for Norwich and Norfolk. Locally, we have one of Europe's largest single sites for collaborative work in the fields of environmental, health and food sciences, and this investment will help grow the potential of the research park." Norwich Research Park is Europe's leading centre for research in food, health and environmental sciences. Around 3,000 scientists are based on the site, which is a collaboration between a number of institutions including UEA and the Institute of Food Research. The funding for this investment has -come from the bank levy that was announced in the budget. The levy is a tax on the debts of UK banks and will see an increase from January 2012, with its revenue set to increase by £800 million to £2.5 billion.
Nor.vich Research Park is to receive a boost in funding that could help to create around 5,000 new jobs in Norwich
Issue 255 T hurs cl<~ y
:3 1st Ma rc h
Our pick 'n' mix attitude towards charity. •• ln light of this year's Comic Reliefr ecord -breakin g mon ey- rai sing JenniferWoods looks a t th e nature o f British don ations
Jennifer Woods Co mic l?elief graced tel ev is io n s creens across the country last week with a n e pi c seve n-hou r s how in an e ffort to l"<l isc money for those who s uffer from pove1·ty a nd soc ial i nju s ticc <lcross th e wo rl d. An impress ive re pe rtoire of co medy go ld s ketc hes was crammed into a programm e that includ e d some of the bigges t fa ces of Briti s h co me dy, <lS well as musica l pe rfo rm ances from th e likes of Ta ke That a nd Adcl e. Naturally, the lon e necessa ril y s hifted for th e sc ree nin gs of th e 1·c lief docu mentaries. The fo otage was, as ex pected, very so bc 1in g. Necessa rily raw a nd revealing, the film s doc um ented th e di s tress in g s ituations of women a nd children bot h in th e Ul< a nd African natio ns. Most st rik ing pe r ha ps, was a fi lm abo ut t he imposs ib le choice on e hos pita l doc to r ha d to make w hen confronted with th ree infants who
urgently needed oxygen, and o nl y two oxygen pu mps avai lab le fo r use. it was a lso poss ibly th e mos t e ffective becau se it was not prese nted by a ce leb ri ty a m bassad o r fo r t he cha r ity. Fru s tratingly, th e film s often foc used o n t he ex pe ri e nce of t he celeb rity, rat he r than sole ly fo cus in g on th e iss ues they w e re d oc um e ntin g. David Te n nant fini s hed hi s film with the words "damn it, I sa id I wasn't go in g to cry" as he str ugg le d to contain himself. While all this rcvc;1l s lhci 1· hon es t co mpass ion fo r th e ca use, o ne ca nno t he lp worrying th a t viewe rs may foc us mo re o n th e ce le brity th at t hey a re f~1mi l i a r with, ra ther th a n th e frightening issues whic h ap pear mu ch m ore re mo te. And remote is d e (inilel y th e a pprop1·iatc word. Although th e films did an exce ll e nt job o f rai s in g awa reness of major pmbl e ms s uch as ma l<lri a, pove rty, famine a nd AID S, they also re in fo rced th e co m mon publi c perce ption of Afri Gl as a 'country' full of s tarving people who rely sole ly o n a id fro m us sa viou rs in the Wes t. This is not to suggest t ha t th e iss ues f~K i n g thousa nds in reg ion s
of Afri ca arc not ex tre mely grave. But Comic Relief's doc um e ntar ies paint a p icture wh ich igno res th e work and s uccesses of thou sand s of in te rn at iona l char ities w ho ti reless ly s trive to improve th e li ves of peo pl e s uffe ring every clay. Meanw h ile, t he Bri t ish pub lic <lrc thanke d eve1·y fi ve minutes across the seve n hours, for s udd e nly tran s for m in g the lives of thou sa nd s by ca lling in a nd d o natin g, o ne day of t he year. Th e total of £74.3m is as tou ndin g a nd mu s t not he undermined. Sure ly, however. it s hould nu l te~kc a seve n -hour mar<llhon of <1 televis ion programme to make us respond. There arc limes w he n we are s hoc ked into donations for vita lly imporl<lnt e<1 uses. On Boxing Day in 200 4 a tsunami hit So u t h Asia, ob lite rati ng 230,000 lives. After two days of excess a nd luxury, it is littl e wonder th a t s uch a n immediate a nd unprecedented pub Iic res pon se was seen . Similarl y, th e H<liti ea 1·thqu a ke ca used untold immediate damage to <111 extre me ly impoverished country, and aga in th e res pon se was impress ive. One of th e wo rst fl oods in
Pakistan's hi s tory last year a ffected mo re peo pl e than llaili a nd th e tsu na m i p ut togethe 1 ~ yet the res po nse fmm the public was s low and poor. Pe rhap s it was the me dia fuelled pe rce ptio n of Pakista n as a co untry breeding terrorists; pN ha ps it was t ha t t he floo d in g had a gradual impact, rath e r th a n an imm edi a te one like a n ea rthquake; pe 1·haps it was that new s cove rage was during s umm e r h o lid ays w hen many people were abroad. For w h<Jtevc r reaso n, we Brits undoubtedly p ick a nd choose who, where a nd wh e n we give. On e day eve ry two yea rs su pportin g Comic Relief" is better th a n nothing, a nd unqu es tionabl y makes a cliffe 1·e ncc . llul we must not forget that co untri es in Southern Asia are s till recovering from th e ts unami s ix yea rs ago. Pakistan will he ree lin g from las t yea r's floods for many m ore years to co me. And hundre d s of thousands of peo pl e around th e world wou ld co ns ide r each clay in their li ves a s la te of e me rge ncy. lit leas t Comic l?elief thrusts t hese iss ues that see m too remote to d ea l with, in o u r faces. l ~vc n if it is just for o ne d ay.
How British public donation around the world . compare: Boxing Day Tsunami December 2004 £50 million Ha iti January 2010 £46 million Pakistan August 2010 £29 million Comic Relief 2011 £7 4.3 million
Gym etiquette: the dos and don'ts Ever get th e fe eling that your fellow gym-goe rs are thinking more about th e ir refl ection than th eir runnin g m ac h in es? Bell Thomas settles this on ce and for all with som e simpl e rules ...
Bell Thomas Th e gy m h<lS a lways be e n a pl ace wh e re there is no judge me nt. it is t he genera l be lief for all gym-goers t hat anyo ne ca n rea ch thci r targe t goa l with unwave ring focus a nd co nsta n t ha rd work. l lowcver, th ese days you'll find it's very d ifficu lt not to he di st racte d by th e p eo p le a nd th e s ur ro u nd ings w he n you' re trying to ha ve a n e pi c workout. To put my troubled mi nd at rest, I ca me up with some core prin cipl es eve ry gy m-goe r mu s t u nd e rs tand be fore they se t foo l in the h;1llowcd pa lace of sw ea t patch es a nd a thl ete's fool. Th e 1·c <li"C fo ur p 1·in cip lcs that gove rn a ll gym-goers wh ethe r th ey
know it or no t a nd at th e moment th ese princ ipl es a 1·e be in g made a mo cke ry of. The me nta lity : Most se riou s gym-goers <llw<tys psyc he th e mse lves up befo re a wo rkout session. it is esse nti a l that you're in the right frame of mind . it's ve ry easy to spot so meo ne wh o ha s a warped gy m m e nta li ty; le t's f~1cc it , taking pi ctures of yo urse lf w hi le doi ng st retches to post on Fa ce book is probab ly not t he most inspiri ng way to s tart a workout. T he o utfi t : So wha t is appropria te gym wca r·1 An o ld vest, bea ch s horts and rive finge r runnin g s ho es? Well it's dcri ni tcly no t yo u1· o ld p<l ir of legg ings with about SO ho les in th e m and a very tran s pa 1·e nt crotch area. Al so, unless you arc Ma r issa Mill e r on a hot su nny clay at the gym in Miami, cove r up your body. We are in England; th e weather d oes not
((So what is
appropriate gym wear? It's definitely not your old pair of leggings with about 50 holes in them and a very transparent crotch area"
permit us to he that os te ntati o us . it's not just the g ir ls who fail with their oullits, g uys are equa lly g u il ty. If yo u have n't bee n cas t to s ta r as 8runo in Hruno 11, leave the s hort s horts a t hom e. There is no univc rs<ll 'model gym wear' although it's pmh<lhly bes t to wear so me t hi ng watcrpmof, functional <1nd preferably bl ack as we a ll know b lack is more fo rg ivin g of bodily flui d s . Eve ryone swc<lts at th e gy m hut yo u don 't wa nt to be s ingle d out as a giant sweaty w ild e be es t' The wo rkout: Fin a lly, th e main re<lso n we go lo t he gy m. Workouts arc me;mt to he pe rso na l and anti-attention grabbing. Ironi ca lly, this is th e pe rfect pl <lCC for peopl e lo s ho wcase th ei r many talents and s k il ls. Serious ly, two s plits is probably th e recommended amo unt o ne s ho u ld do to st retc h. · More lh <lll three s plits, th e n your talents
arc bei ng wasted on th e wrong audie nce. Per ha ps a nea rby circus wou ld be more appreciat ive of yo ur abnorlll<ll fl ex ibility sk ills. Le t us also not forge t th e eq uipm e nt hoggc rs. it's not a problem whe n yo u hog a p.uti cular ma chin e to ge nuin e ly boos t yo ur workoul; howeve r, d e lib e ra te ho gg in g of a machi ne only beca use it puts yo u in th e line of s ight of your la test gy m crush is a workout dea l-brea ke r. T he fri e nd: Going to the gy m with fri e nd s seems ve 1·y no rm a l a nd friends a rc always good for moral and phys ica l support. li ow eve r, th e no t io n of friend s at th e gym is a double-edged swo rd ; th ey ca n e ither fac ilitate yo u r wo r ko ul or hi nd e r yo ur progress. Final ly, th e re 's no harm in ta lking to yo ur friend w h ile work ing out, exce pt if t h is fri e nd is on th e other e nd ofyou 1· phone.
I
I
ISSUE 255
11
Thursday 31st March
The Debate: Alternative Vote With the referendum date looming ever closer, Concrete takes this opportunity to look at the alternative vote: what is this voting system all about and which way should you vote on May 5th?
THE EXPLANATION Philip Thomas On May 5th this year the polls open for the much-debated Alternative Vote (or'AV') referendum, which could ultimately change the way we vote in future elections, and is potentially a radical upheaval in the balance of UK politics. But why is there a voting referendum? What would the alternative vote be
replacing. and how does it work? The present parliamentary electoral system is known as 'first-past-the-post', which, simply described, entitles members of the electorate to a single vote which is assigned to the constituency candidate of their choice; the candidate with the most votes wins the seat, after which the Government is usually formed by the party with a majority of seats. However, critics of the current system cite that it is
FOR Fiona
Ho ward The principle behind AV is simple: the person who actually has the majority vote wins. When you think about it, that's what democracy is meant to be; it is this very principle we've fought wars over. If it works for both Labour and the Lib Dems to select their party leaders and the Commons speaker than why shouldn't the whole nation be using it? Even the Oscar for Best Picture is voted on by using AV. If it's good enough for the Academy, it's good enough for me! We currently have a pervasive culture of tactical voting in this country, and first-past-the-post is to blame. Why should you give up voting for the party you actually support to stop the party you least support from winning? Instead of being forced to vote with your heart or head with AV you can do both, and not have to make sacrifices. Our officials are meant to be representatives of their constituents and yet currently we constantly have to make compromises to appease the system. The lack of accountability in our so-called democracy is laughable; our current system is failing us, with barely 1 in 3 MPs
actually winning by majority vote. Not only that, many of those MPs are in safe seats so there's little chance of getting rid of them! The complacency in our current voting system is despicable, but then again it's no wonder that so many are apathetic about voting when your vote doesn't really count. Why should our voting system be so manipulatable when we should be voting for who we actually want to win? By being held fully responsible MPs, are then forced to work harder to keep our support, making sure they truly are our MPs. With extremist parties like UKIP and the BNP becoming more vocal in recent years the worse may be yet to come. The BNP won two seats in the European election and although they may not have won any seats in last year's general election, they did see an increase in votes. The current system means that extremist parties like these have a better chance of winning. AV stops these parties from sliding in the back door. The argument that FPTP is a British institution is also preposterous. Our political system shouldn't be a relic or museum. Change is necessary. We should be making strives into the 21st century and towards true democracy. When it really is as easy as 1, 2, 3 it's amazing we've not switched to AV before.
not fully representative of national opinion, because many votes in constituencies won by narrow and insufficient margins (where no single party holds more than 50% of the vote) are simply wasted, resulting in a disinterested and disengaged electorate. Supporters of the alternative vote argue that it offers the voter more choice, and makes constituency elections more competitive. Voting reform was included in the Liberal
I hn\1 to r gi~h r to
ot( in th r f£>n ndum m d local le (lion" • The referendum on AV and the local elections are both being held on Thursday 5th May • To register to vote Norwich City Council must receive your application by 14th April2011 • Application forms can be picked up at Reception in the Hive • Students can vote from their home address and their term-time address • For details about individual councils, check their websites. For Norwich City Council go to www. norwich.gov.uk
Democrat coalition negotiations last year, and the current referendum was approved by Parliament after a long period of political wrangling. So how would the proposed system change the way we vote? Essentially, voters would no longer chouse a single candidate, but instead rank their constituency candidates in order of preference. A candidate with an overall majority from the initial round of voting (first preference) is immediately elected
to the seat. Should no candidate have more than 50% of the votes, then successive rounds (second and third preferences etc) are counted, and the party with the lowest votes each round is eliminated, until any candidate has a majority. The referendum would not affect the formation of a government, and does not concern proportional representation. Political opinion is notably divided, especially within the coalition.
AGAINST Dominic Smith For the sake of democracy, vote no to AV on May 5th. Over the next few weeks you'll most certainly hear Nick Clegg and other Liberal Democrats talk about how they get an unfair representation in Parliament and how AV will provide a fairer government, with fewer wasted votes. Yet all it will really do is hand more power to a party which campaigned against radical cuts, protection of the NHS and against rises in tuition fees, yet appear to be going back on their word on all three issues. This, some will argue, is because they are in a coalition and they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Yet an AV voting system will cause even more coalitions in the future, with even more parties going back on their policies. The result: no one will know what they're voting for. The system isn't even democratic in that it still does not give the people what they want. All it will do is allow parties which initially came second or third to win a seat because most people put them as their second choice. Most Labour and Conservative voters would choose the Liberal Democrats as their second choice,
so third-way marginal seats would go to them, leaving voters with what they don't hate rather than what they want. It's not just a question of democracy though. The ConDems are currently making radical cuts, left, right and centre, yet Clegg wants us to spend £250 million, yes, a quarter of a billion, to change our electoral system to one which will give his sorry excuse of a political party even more power. Again, you'll hear people say "Oh, well this is just the first step towards true democracy, towards proportional representation". The Tories, however, are against AV, and so if AV does pass, Cameron will just claim that they've done their bit and then no way will we see any further advances anytime soon. AV also poses the threat of making Britain a much more apathetic place. Voter turnout is already low and, as sad as it sounds, some people are still confused by the first-past-the-post system. Changing it will only confuse people further; turning them away from politics. With a lower voter turnout, parties will have even less of a popular mandate. Those on the 'Yes' side of the campaign will complain that only 36% or so voted Tory in May last year, but even with AV, it would still only be 36% that would put them as first choice, so it isn't fairer at all. just how exactly is this democratic?
ISSUE 255
12
co ncrcte.o pini o n@uca. ac. uk
Do you still go to the LCR? With fa llin g ti cket sal es and debate rag in g ab o ut another End of Term Bash fea turi ng S Club 3, Co ncrete looks at wh at , if an ything, has gon e wrong with th e LCR and how we ca n im p rove it
The LCR: less popular than the library1
Why we would all belost~thoutthe
LCR Jo s hua Res oun T he LCI{, a p lace for clclnc ing, dr ink in g, and having a good time. I re me mb er my fir st yea r at lJ EA, every Tues d c1y and eve ry S,1tu rday, w ithout fail, it would he pre drin ks a t someo ne's flat before movi ng down to t h e I.CR. Of co u1·se Monday woul d he a night out lo o, a nd Thurs d ay, a nd no r ma lly We dn esd <Jy, so ove rall a bu sy wee k. In my seco nd y ea r I've go ne out le s s , a nd d es pite t h e d e clinin g a tte ndan ce of t h e I.CR ove r t h e la s t two ye ars , it s till prov id es a goo d a nd re la ti ve ly ch ea p ni g ht o ut. Le t' s cons id e r t h e cm re nt alte rn a ti ves to th e LCR; you no w have Lola Lo's, o ffe ring a pre tty good d ea l o n We dn e sdays a nd Thu rs d<J ys. Proj ec t g ives us a n a ltern a ti ve nig h t o n Frid ays. So m e h ow Me rcy s t ill d 1·aws a cro wd on Thurs d <Jys. Yet d es pite th e d r inks d ea ls, th e g u es t-li s ts, a nd th e <11te rn a t ive mu s ic ge nres,
th e I. CR is a f<J r s<J fe r h e t t ha n to wn for a ni g h t o u t. Yo u m ay no t have <1 fa ntas ti c tim e a t th e LCR a t eve ry club ni g ht, hut you wo n't have a rea lly bad o n e e ithe r. Th e LCR is safer th a n tow n, an d th e I l ive gives yo u a ll th e c1 lternative music you need. T h e comments w h ich have been made rece ntl y, poin tin g ou t th e 'death of the LCR' dl'e prema t ure. Yes, numbers are on the decline, h u t t hi s is p a rt o f a w id e r tre nd . You'll have one ye<Jr w h ere the LC R pi cks u p, an d th e n dec lines aga in, a nd t h e s am e ru le a p pli es to a ny nightclub . Th e Mu s ta rd Lo un ge used to b e hu ge, no w, n o t so mu c h; a n d Po n a na's h a d its o n a nd off days. So th e LCR m ay be c riti c ise d , yes, th e clu b ni g hts a ll se em to ro ll into o ne a ft e r a whi le, a n d t he d r inks (a nd e n t ry, I mi g h t add), a re no t a s c h eap a s so m e ni g h ts in to wn but t he LCR is s t il l go o d. For s tarte rs , you ' re guara ntee d to see peop le yo u k now. Say w hat yo u may a b o ut th e LCR, but I ca n say, w ith 10 0 p e r ce n t ce r ta in ty, if it we nt, we wo uld a ll mi ss it.
Car! Silve rsto ne Wh en t he lib rary is a m ore sociab le pl ace t h a n the LCR, ther L• 's a problem. Numbers of <1ttendees at the LCR have dropped m ass ively. If t h e I.T. h e lp desk starts serving Vl<s we can c lose t h e LCR a ltogether. Bla m e 1t on t he fres h e r s'! Most people do. For some reason th ey' re n o t go in g o ut as mu c h as o th e r yea 1·s did. Fres h e rs s ho u ld fill t h e LC R e ve r y s in g le week . Th ey' re yo un g, exc ita b le a nd fir s t yea r do es n't count. Re memb e r th e qu e u es b ac k in th e d ay a t th e b ox o ffi ce? On e w as fo ur ho urs long in Fres he rs ' 09 . Yea h, fin e, th e re a re so m e n ew c lub s in to wn , Projec t h as o p e ne d , Kits ch is coo l - h u t th e LCR is t h e s ta pl e in g re d ie nt in th e s tud e nt di e t. Seco nd and third yea rs a re b e in g lure d e lsew h e re whi ls t th e fr es h ers sti ll a ren't go in g out a t a ll. Wit h out a clu b face- lift, t h e
LCR wi ll b eco m e a Jo ke. Wh o likes 8 0 s m us ic? Mos t s tud e n ts we re n 't eve n b o r n in th e e ighti es, le t a lo n e wa nt to h ea r its mu s ic in th e m a in roo m . No w 90s, Clu b Retro, T he Oth er On e; d rop these d u ll, c h eesy themes. Play co mm e rc ia l mu s ic, w h <J t th e majority o[ peop le wa n t to hea 1 ~ <1nd leave th e novelty stull to Tuesdays.
"If th e I.T. help d esk starts serving VKs we can close the LCR altoge th e r" /l. s for T u es d ay ni g ht LCRs, h <Jv in g prac ti ca ll y id e nti ca l th e m es yea r on yea r - rea ll y? Co m e on g uy s, a no t he r Fas hi o n Dis a s te r n ig h t? You can c om e up with so m e th ing inve nti ve, s u re ly? Th e LCR , y ou kn ow wh a t yo u're go in g to ge l. it's a sc h oo l di sco - s ti cky flo o rs, vo mmin g s tud e n ts a n d <1n e nco unte r w ith t he we ird o fr o m yo u r se min a r.
What can be done to save our fancy dress nights1 Adam Wed lake
In rece nt weeks t he LCR' s a tte nd a nce has s lump e d . M<1y he peo p le have had e n oug h o f t he sa m e b lurry m e mo ri es th ey wake up with th e fo ll ow in g d ay; th e a fter tas te of Vl< s a nd e ne rgy drink, th e class ic fee ling t ha t m ay be it was n't s uc h a good id ea no w th a t
a full d ay o f lec tures is k n oc k ing o n yo ur doors te p. This poor a tt en d a n ce is p ar ti c ul a rl y ap pa re nt in Tu es d ay fa n cy dress LCRs. I be li eve t h e solution to th e problem is sim pl e: p u t t he fa ncy d ress I.CR on a We dn esd ay ni g ht 1 Eve ryo ne kn ows We dn esd ay is th e d ay o f s p o r t fo r U EA; tea m s, a ft e r e ith e 1· a res ound ing vi ctory or a trag ic d efeat, love to go o u t a nd exe rc ise th e ir em o ti o n s thro ug h drink ing a nd party in g. Th e LCI{
Il l believe the solution to the problem is simple: put the fancy dress LCR on a Wednesday . htl" n1g .
wou ld almos t cer tain ly p rov id e the p e r fec t ve nu e a nd wo ul d g u a r<Jntee a hea rty at te nda nce wee k in , week out. /l. nd befo re yo u say it, no, Lola Lo's d r in ks p ri ces a re no t brilli a nt on a Wednesday any m ore - jaege r Bo mb s have gone up fro m £1 to £ 1.50 a nd t h e e n e rgy drink has bee n rep laced w ith so d a water. Any s tud e nt ca n ag ree t h a t thi s is compl e te ly un acce pta b le ! Th e LCR n eve r fa il s to sa ti s fy s tud e nts w ith t he ir drinks pri ces.
Wed n esd ay nig h t would <1 lso won d er fu ll y comp leme n t the cur re nt Spo r ts B<l r th a t ta kes place in th e blue bar from 9pm. /l. ny spo rt s p layer knows t h e extreme effo r t t hat has to he p u t in, w h e n in <111 intoxicated state, to a t tem p t to ar range .1 tax i from the ba r to tow n. I S<1Y ditch t h is effor t, put t he fancy d ress LCR on a Wednesday ni g ht a nd s udd e nl y fa n cy dress LCRs wil l o n ce aga in b e th e ma r ve l a n d hi g h lig h t of th e s t u d e nt wee k.
The views in Comment a nd Opinion represent those of the individual w rite rs and do not necessarily reflect thos e of Con crete
ISSUE 255
13
Thursday 31st March
A right royal party? With the impending Royal Wedding seemingly battling with Libya and Japan for media coverage, Keiren Cordery questions who even really cares about Will and Kate's big day?
Keiren Cordery ln recent years the controversial actions of the Royal Family have sparked fierce republican-led debates. just the other week Prince An drew was again forced to answer uncomfortable questions, this time concerning his relations with a known sex offender.
"It would appear that whilst we cannot afford to keep open our schools and libraries we can each spare a few pounds for a lavish wedding ceremony" The recent debate which revolves around the marriage of what will surely prove to be England's next king is not, however, being led by the fierce outcries of left-wing republicans, but is instead more of a collective groan from a nation that just does not care. In a ComRes survey taken back in November, the majority of a sample made up of 1,006
participants cited that they just were 'not excited', with 31% stating that they 'could not care less' about the royal wedding. And why would we care? We are currently living in a time that our Government has all but labelled the 'age of austerity', characterised by vast spending cuts and the emergent opinion amongst our politicians that too many of us are living 'beyond our means'. This is perhaps a line that many of us may reconsider after witnessing this state-funded act of matrimony, which is set up to be the most expensive declaration of love many of us are likely to ever see, raising the question as to whether we really are 'all in this together' as Mr. Cameron has proclaimed on many an occasion. lt would appear that whilst we cannot afford to keep open our schools and libraries or even hang on to our forests, we can each spare a few pounds for a lavish wedding ceremony. lt is, however, the media circus surrounding this whole event which is the real atrocity. Highly prioritised slots on all of the major news stations have headlines such as 'William and Kate are having lunch' spoken alongside updates on the rebellions in Libya. Thousands of column inches will also inevitably lead to
commemorative supplements and pull outs being found in 'respected' broadsheets that are worth no more in substance than that of the garbage that you can read in OK
magazine. Nevertheless, whether our ill-feelings towards this royal spectacle are rooted in apathy or genuine resentment towards the crown, it is not likely that many of us
will be complaining about an early start to a four day bank holiday weekend, one l would imagine few of us will waste watching two strangers getting married .
Illustration by Ellie Day
Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday? Will you be voting Rebecca Black for the Top 50 LCR? Charlie Wallace looks at the 13-year-old everybody is talking about and the song everyone has been caught humming this week
Charlie Wall ace When I told people l had landed the job of reviewing 'Friday' by teen singer Rebecca Black, they rubbed their hands in anticipation at the kind of vitriolic tirade I could put down. But I'm not going to do that, and neither should anyone . Firstly, Rebecca Black is not a scouted talent. She doesn't even have a Wikipedia page - yet. Her parents paid a Hollywood company called Ark Music Factory to record
and release one pre-written song, like a kind of high-end experience gift package. Secondly, nobody is denying that this is a spectacularly awful song. lt's so bad it's almost funny. Watching it I half expected her to pull off a latex mask to reveal Weird AI Yankovik. The lyrics follow her typical routine in minute detail, as she rolls her eyes at having to get up and eat cereal (like, whatever), agonises over which car seat to choose, etc. She sings 'yesterday was Thursday, tomorrow is Saturday, and the day after will be
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1 half expected her to pull off a latex mask to reveal Weird AI Yankovik"
Sundaaay'. Strange thing is, I can't stop watching it. it's so absurdly appalling it's somehow transfixing. I'm not the only one. it's currently rocketing up the charts and its YouTube video is nearing 65 million views . Simon Cowell has said he wants to meet her: "Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet". it's quickly becoming universally regarded as the worst song of all time. People are queuing up to slate it, as if it wasn't already obvious that it's
vomit-inducingly awful. Some comments are particularly nasty. Apparently she was brought to tears by comments such as "I hope you go cut yourself and die". Well guess what? She's only thirteen. You just wished death on a child . Well done. The people I am most angry with are her parents, not this deluded child. They are the ones who let her do this, exposing a 13-year-old to the bile and scorn of the entire planet. God only knows the effect this is having on her psychologically.
Could you edit Concrete? Applications arc invited for the position of Concrete Editor for the period September 2011 to May 2012. The position is only open to current students at the University of East Anglia, is a full -time paid position, <llld taken as a year out during a degree or directly after graduation.
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The successful applicant need not have previously been involved in the production ol Concrete, but must be able to demonstrate the following: • Excellent grammar and editing skills. • Team leadership and management qualities. • Good organisation and time-keeping. • An understa nding of the needs and structure of the Concrete society. • Knowledge of Adobe In Design CS4 and Photoshop CS4. • A keen eye for design and mistakes. Students interested in applying tor the role of Concrete Editor should submit a CV with covering letter. a proposal that outlines any changes they would make to the newspaper lno longer than 1000 words), c:md a co1~1plcted application form (available from the Concrete Office). Applicants are also expected to produce one computer-designed page of Concrete that incorporates any future creative ideas for the newspaper (applicants will be given full access to the Concrete Office's design software) . All applications should be sent to the current Editor, Danny Coil ins. by emailing concrete. editor@uea.ac.uk. The closing date for applications is 5pm on Thursday 31st March. If you wou ld like to know more about the ro le of Editor, or have any questions concerning your application, there wil l be a Q&A session in the Concrete Office on Monday 21st March at 1pm. If you are unable to attend this session, applicants should email concrcte.editor@uea.ac.uk, or visit the Concrete Office during working hours.
eatures
Issue 255 Thursday 31st March
iControversy Apple recently removed the 'gay-conversion' app from its iTunes store. But its availability in the fir~t place raises some important issues, argues Natasha Broad
Scripture." In promoting a lifestyle
omputer giant Apple
would ever have approved an anti-
have caused controversy
Semitic app, and yet the so-called
that involves denying and hiding
recently for allowing a 'gay conversion' app to be sold in their iTunes store. The app, created by 'exgay' group Exodus International, offers users advice and support on how to 'leave' homosexuality, and presents the idea that sex outside of a heterosexual marriage is a sin. Apple claim to have strict guidelines about the applications that they offer, stating that "any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way will be rejected': and so it is interesting that this app was app~oved and given a four-star rating by Apple, meaning that it is considered to conta in no offensive material. 路 Although the app has now been removed, the decision to allow it in the first place is controversial, especially since other, far less offensive apps have been rejected for being distasteful: a countdown to the end of George . W. Bush's presidency, for example, as well one that played clips and sound bites from the popular TV show South Park. The decision raises questions about the discrimination that the LGBT community is still subjected to, despite gay rights campaigns being more prominent than ever. It is unlikely that Apple
gay conversion app was approved, despite being equally offensive i:o a large group of people. 路 According to their website, Exodus is the largest worldwide ministry that aims to help those who are 'suffering' from same sex attraction but who want to live a life reflecting the Christian faith. Formed in 1976, it is made up of a network of 'cured' homosexuals who aim to help others to reach the same freedom from homosexual{ty. They use a psychoanalytical, clinical process that operates under the premise that people with same sex urges are attempting to restore broken familial relationships. Although Exodus claims that a 2007 study found that attempts to change sexual orientation can be successful and are not psychologically damaging. reparative ther<~;PY is not supported by the American Psychological Association, who argue that 'exgays' are merely forcing themselves to live a life of self-denial. Indeed, Exodus state on their website that: "Exodus acknowledges that pursuing a relationship with God over these attractions won't always make the feelings go away.... The point is to pursue a life beyond attractions, feelings and societal labels that is guided and defined by Jesus Chr:ist and the truth of
from one's sexuality, Exodus are insinuating that homosexuality is wrong: although they claim not to advocate hate or discrimination, it is difficult to see how their attitude does not amount to the same thing. The release of the app has caused furthe r controversy given the recent spate of suicides of young gay people in America. Given that there has been a large public campaign to encourage young people to accept their sexuality and be comfortable with themselves, gay rights groups such as Change argue that Exodus are targeting vulnerAble youths by classifying tlieir sexuality as a curable illness. The reparative therapy techniques that organizations such as Exodus offer are generally considered to be harmful to a person's mental health and self-esteem and, given that homosexuality was considered a mental illness for many years, it seems regressive to suggest once again that it is something that can be cured. The discrimination that is faced by the LGBT community is severe enough within society without major companies such as Apple inadvertently promoting the idea that homosexuality is a curable illness, rather than a natural sexual preference. A petition was started last week by Truth Wins Out,- a non-
C
profit organization that fights anti-gay religious extremism and promotes equality for the LGBT community. The petition received over 150,000 signatures and, more than a month after the app' was first made available, Apple pulled it from iTunes store, although they are yet to make an announcement explaining their decision. lt can be assumed that the strength of the opposition to the app is the reasoning behind its removal and, although its removal is undoubtedly a good thing for gay
rights, the fact that it was approved in the first place raises many questions about the way in which homosexuality is perceived within society. How is it that, although racism, sexism and anti-Semitism are considered completely unacceptable, homophobia is still considered to be a less offensive form of discrimination? If this is the case, when will the LGBT community receive the same level of respect within society as other minority groups?
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t is a contentious issue; Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is set to takeover the remaining 60.9% of shares it doesn't already" own of Britsh subscription television service BSkyB. In a modern world of cross-media ownership with a small minority of corporate moguls owning and controlling the majority of the world media, why should this be a major issue? Perhaps because Murdoch's influence regularly reaches three-quarters of the worlds population. Jeremy Hunt, although he approved . the acquisition, was right to be cautious. Murdoch's history is somewhat controversial to say the least. Since his career beginnings taking over his fathers' local newspaper in Australia when he was 22, he acquired more local newspapers before expanding into the UK, USA and various other countries around the world. Decades
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later; Murdoch's interests have diversified; television networks, internet sites and publishing houses are just a handful of his diversified interests. But with great power comes great influence. Murdoch'.s newspapers have always outwardly supported certain political parties. The Sun's now infamous headline 'It's The Sun Wot Won It' is a prime example of this. The red-top tabloid backed the Conservative party back in 1992 that led to them being, somewhat unexpectedly, elected · into Parliament. Since then it has supported the Labour party under Tony Blair's leadership and, in the recent.elections, shifted its political allegiance back to David Cameron's Conservatives. The political allegiances of the press is nothing new; media laws in the UK state that newspapers are altowed to be politically partisan, that is to outwardly support a
((Why is the BSkyB takeover such an issue? Perhaps because Murdoch's influence regularly reaches threequarters of the worlds population."
politician or their party. Television, however, is different; networks must remain neutral in their coverage of politics and not support a particular party. However, in the USA, television networks do not adopt the same approach. Murdoch's Fox News Channel has previously been supportive of George W. Bush and Republican party candidates and highly critical of current President Barack Obama and the Democratic party. The controversial news network recently condoned former President George W. Bush's decision to use waterboarding on suspected terrorists stating that it was a necessary move to prevent a huge loss of American life. Murdoch's editorial stances across his News Corporation empire, it can be argued, are directly linked to the moguls' relationships with rising prominent figures in the political world. He regularly meets world leaders and politicians that,
some believe, lay the foundations for his often biased output, supporting political figures that allow him to expand his global multi-media empire. Furthermore, it was reported that, after his resignation from"the role of Prime Minister, Tony Blair was offered a job by Murdoch at News Corporation. . So what are the implications for BSkyB? Given Murdoch's previous track record, the concern is that he will use the Sky News subsidiary to further hi~ own political agendas. Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt recognised this problem and stipulated that, in order for the buyout to go ahead, Sky News must be spun out into a separate independent company free from interference from News Corporation. There are sceptics, though; in a joint ietter by the Daily
((The buyout would 'make Sky News almost entirely dependent on News Corporation."'
Telegtaph, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail
and . Guardian newspapers, they state that the buyout would "make
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concrete.features@uea.ac_.uk 17
Sky News almost entirely dependent on News Corporation" ~md that "it would be fanciful to expect that Sky News will enjoy any meaningful independence". The letter also addressed concerns about how. the buyout would affect the output ofMurdoch's "other media companies; "it would be 'clearly .u nrealistic' to expect that · Sky News would 'rigorously investigate' if, for example, another News of the World phone hacking scandal emerged." Despite this, the buyout is ready to go ahead. The effects may not be so obviously felt by the consumers of News Corporation's products but, then again, the effects of the media on audiences and readers has. always been a controversial topic. One thing is for sure, though: there is a continuing trend of more of the media being controlled by a small number of moguls like Murdoch.
Mudoch's media portfolio. CNS
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~~~~~------------------~----~~------~=========:~~~~==~------~----~------------------ ISSUE255
t what point does a light entertainment show stop being so 'light'? In an upcoming episode of · the American musical show Glee, titled 'Sexy', Gwyneth Paltrow duets with the rest of the cast to another glamrock song from the 1970s, 'Do You Wanna Touch Me'. But some fans of the series are not singing along to this catchy number · and with just cause- because the original singer is banned from entering nineteen countries around the world, is on the Sex Offenders' Register and, as it turns out, is a convicted paedophile. · For those of you who cannot quite place the song to the artist, (and I confess, neither could I) it is of course, the man himself, Gary Glitter. At the pinnacle of his career he was considered a pop sensation with more memorable hits like 'I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am)' storming the charts. But over the last decade he has become a persona non grata, with radio slowly giving him less airtime as he adds more convictions to his . already 'criminal' criminal record. But if any primetime TV show were going to play devil's advocate and once again challenge our social prejudices, it would.be Glee. Possibly creating a new
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Thursday 31st March
'musical dramedy' genre, and the spawn of such classics as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Glee
has soared in ratings both in the US and around the world with its wide appeal crossing most age groups, even on a post-watershed slot. Much of its success is down to the celebrity ca~eos the· show manages to cast, including Britney Spears, Olivia Newton-john and in this controversial episode Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow, who is looking to break into the music industry with a rumoured one million dollar record deal, was the voice behind the new cover of the Glee-Glitter song. The song is currently charting in the top 30 of the US iTunes charts. For Glitter, this means royalties, but for Gl ee, any association with Gary Glitter is bound to attract controversy. Such criticism came in the form of childrens' charity Kidscape who quite rightly made the association between Glitter's reputations as a convicted paedophile and Paltrow's Glee cover set in the context of a sex education lesson. While there is no denying the link, it raises an important problem that perhaps TV is not quite addressing: At what point can the art be disassociated from the artist? It is definitely not the first, nor the last time such a problem will be
contested. Flaubert's nineteenth century novel Madame Bovary .is a case in point with its rampant sex scenes deemed too explicit for middle-class Victorian society that consequently led to Flaubert's trial and eventual release. The beloved German composer Richard Wagner is said to have influenced Hitler's anti-Semitic political beliefs and led to the eventual rise of the Nazi party. And much more recently we saw Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic comments damage his Hollywood reputation as he was dropped from most of his talent-pool agencies. It seems then much harder for a reader, listener or viewer not to make the associations between the artist and their art that we do, especially when by their very nature, the novel, song or film is also, paradoxically, very popular. The Daily Mail published an online news article on the GleeGlitter song in question. The article quotes from Claude Knight of children's charity Kidscape who says, "It is regrettable the producers did not consider the implication of using such a track", as well as, "The fact it is linked to Gary Glitter, and the words themselves, make it wholly inappropriate". But the Daily Mail deemed it appropriate to follow this article
ulf any primetime TV show w ere going to play devil's advocate and once again challenge our social prejudices, it would be Glee."
with a n actual embedded YouTube clip of the full performance of the Glee-Glitter song in question, completely undermining everything that Kidscape and Knight had just said. Clearly the newspaper consider themselves editorially justified because, like Glitter, they themselves are a brand for most things controversial. That a national broadsheet like the Daily Mail is so indifferent to the Glee uproar probably isn't saying much. In fact, being labelled inappropriate is probably not such a bad thing, when any publicity is good publicity, and being able to verge close to the edge of taboo, without overtly discriminating or offending is what shows like Glee like to test. Not to mention that most of the viewing demographic, which are between 18-25, won't have been aware of the paedophilic allusions that the show was (un) intentionally trying to foreground. What Glee fans will probably be more concerned about is whether a third series has been commissioned, which has now been confirmed. So rest assured, we can probably expect even more risque episodes, with more GleeGlitter covers, or perhaps even a cover of the acclaimed 'Worse song in the world' 'It's Fr iday', by YouTube sensation Rebecca Black.
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concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk
FOCSOC 19
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Nightline: Here to listen, not lecture Fiona Howard Nightline Nightline has been there for the students of UEA as far back as most people can remember. Stocked full of biscuits, condoms and support, they've been there for students through the long, sometimes lonely, nights of university. Founded in the early 80s Nightline began as a room in Norfolk Terrace offering a place for people to drop in. It then moved to its current location of Suffolk Terrace in 2005. As of 2011, UEA Nightline offers the most service of any other National Nightline. You can call, text, email or online chat with its volunteers, or actually dropin if there is anything you needed to talk about face-to-face. Nightline is there to listen to any worries you might have and is completely confidential; from providing taxi numbers and takeaway details, to offering out condoms post-LCR or giving you a place to blow off steam during a late night library session. This past year has seen Nightline go from
strength to strength culminating in winning National Nightline's award for 'Most Improved Nightline' at the National AGM in mid-March. Nightline was also nominated for three Union Awards: 'Progress as a Society', 'Service to the Union', and this year's external coordinator for 'Volunteer of the Year'. An ecstatic committee was very proud to accept the award for 'Progress as a Society' at the awards. An emphatic thank you has to be given to the 187 volunteers who make the work Nightline do possible. This year has been a big one for publicity and fundraising. The annual PokerSoc and Nightline Poker event raised the grand sum of £122. Sunday March 27th saw 36 teams register for the Nightline pub quiz raising a grand total of £200, making sure that Nightline continues to provide its great service. Not only that, you're sure to have seen the Nightline Bear making appearances around campus; even turning up for a fundraising !light out at Lola Lo's. With all that, maybe next year you'll be looking at National Nightlines' new 'Best Nightline of the Year'!
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erryTasker, Chris McCrave, Greg Lewry, Georgie Maltby, Louisa Saldanha, Steph Learmonth
Marathon·success for }afar Chase the Dream
On Sunday 13th March 2011, Palestinian PhD student )afar Ojra completed the Larking Gowen Norwich 13-mile half marathon in just 1 hour and 37 minutes. )afar, a former INTO UEA student who is now in his first year of Accounting, managed to raise a fantastic £375 for the INTO-Giving charity. After crossing the finish line, he said: "I can't feel my legs, but this is a small sacrifice to make in helping to raise money
towards building the Orphans and Vulnerable Children's Centre in Zambia. I want to help those children have a future." "I would like to thank all people who have encouraged and sponsored me, as well as the volunteers who have helped to organise this event. They were very, very friendly with us." In the wake of his success, )afar is now hoping to run the London Marathon next year.
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ISSUE 255
21
Thursday 31st March
Letters
Concrete wants to hear from you. Whether you have read something you agree or disagree with in Concrete, or just have something you want to say to the students of UEA, we want to hear what you have to say. Just email concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk
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from the AMCD after making the statistically valid claim that horse riding is more dangerous than taking ecstasy. My major gripes with the article are firstly "NOS is still drug abuse". One could actually argue that without long term side effects (which the article does not include) that this is drug use, not abuse. Secondly and most importantly the statement that NOS could "join cannabis as a gateway drug". Given that the existence of gateway drugs is still a highly debated and controversial topic, it would seem naive in the extreme to make such a tenuous link. The immediate and longer term impacts of alcohol abuse consistently rate higher than many illegal drugs, and yet this readily available and accepted form of legal drug use is not mentioned at all.
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Iss ue 255 Th ursday 3 1st March
Do the Union Elections matter to the student body? Concrete explores th e reason s why some students may feel apathetic or disinterested towards the recent Union Election s.
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Hasina Alien Lifestyle writer
Did yo u vo te in the rece nt Un ion Elections? According to the res ults of th e "ll ave yo u vo ted ye t poll 'l" on ueastudent. com (the lJ n io n's website) o n th e day before the e lection s closed, 29%, of participants in th e pol l answered "Na h, don't think I w ill e ith e r' " 1\ ve ry unsci e nti fic survey conducted by this re porter s howed a si mila r res ult. ju st unde1· half of th e twenty or so people tha t were asked if they inte nd ed to vote in th e elections said no, w ith a g roup of five incomprehensibly claiming no t to have eve n known th e e lecti o ns we re occurrin g, des pite bei ng su rround ed by ca mpaig n poste rs an d ca ndidates offering to a nswe r qu es ti o ns. it see ms th a t desp ite th e recent s tud e nt activis m s urroundin g th e coa liti ons s pendin g cuts on e du ca tion and othe r public se rvices, many of us have remain ed apathe ti c to the ca mpus politics th a t affect o ur univers ity ex pe ri e nce di rectly. Fo r mos t UEl\ st ud e nts the first rea l e ncounter with the Union is through th e Union Handbook. In the ha ndbook thi s re porte r received, a lo ng with a n Original Sou rce s hower ge l sam pl e and a n ene rgy
drink, in her Fres he rs' welco me pack in th e 2009, th e Union desc rib ed itse lf as: "a n orga ni sa tion wh ich ... p lays a really im portant rol e on campus ... it provid es a vo ice fo r UE/\ stud e nts. Through the co ll ective vo ice of th e Union we ca n ta ke issues that a ffect students to the Uni ve rsity comm ittees a nd beyo nd to make s ure we're hea rd loud and clear." This year th e Union a re pulling out a ll th e sto ps to make th e e lec ti o n ca mpa ig ns as prom ine nt as poss ibl e, a nd pe rs uade th e 29% w ho say th ey wo n't vote for whateve r reasons to change their mind. Along with th e ca mpaign pos ters and bed s heets curre ntly brighte nin g the sq uare, ma nifesto booklets have been left a round th e Hive as we ll as a ll th e info rm ation on th e Uni o n's website.
"It's also not clear enough what previous candidates accomplished"·
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So why d o so me of us s till not care7 On e third yea r s tud e nt, who re qu es te d to re ma in anonymous, informed me that he had no motivation to vote for so me thin g that "I a m pas t ca rin g abo ut a nd ult imate ly is n't th a t impo rta nt to me." li e readily confessed to neve r havin g
9Jeat• (/lr'oe,
Weat' (]/ioe,
I want to get my male housemate with a rea lly good April fools prank, any suggestions?
lt's mine and my girlfriend's anniversary next week and I want to take her out for a romantic evening meal, any restaurants in Norwich you would suggest, Clive?
2nd year Politics Student
3rd Year Science student
Clive says: Clive says:
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I hope your housemate has a se nse of humour because th e good o ld clingfilm ove r the toilet comes to mind . It sounds a bit crude but a nyway, whatever you dec ide to do, I hope you have fun and nobody is hurt or injured with any pranks that may be made. Take care .
There are so many good restaurants in Norwich and the choice is endless so may I suggest a ro mantic candlelight meal w it h at Yemek. I am told that it is the only Turkish Resta urant in Norwich. I have acquired some information for you s hou ld you
voted in a Union Election during his time here. So d oes he think that nothing needs to cha nge about the way th e Union and University are run ? "No, but I'm here to fo cus on my st udi es a nd then ge t out." The more common attitude d is played by th s urvey was a lack of und e rs ta ndin g as to th e impact that th e Union Council ac tu a lly has o n o ur unive rs ity ex pe rien ce. People see med to feel th a t nothing wo uld chan ge w hethe r they voted or not, a nd these are doubts that secon d year American an d Englis h Lite rature s tud e nt Eli za beth jackso n ca n relate to. Elizabeth recog nises the importance of ge ttin g involved w ith Uni o n Elec ti o ns but a rgu es that last year th e re was: "not clear
w ish to visit the restauran t. It is situated on St Stephen s Road s hould you wish to book a table. I hope I have bee n some he lp and whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy your anniversary toget he r a nd may I just say thi s is not intended as an advertisement but purely a suggestion. Thank you and take care.
enough desc ripti o n o f the ro les a nd how the candidates' a ims match the role. it's also not clear enough what previous ca ndidates acco mplished. I' m not s u1·e how mu ch th ey ca n do as s tud e nts, so me tim es th ey see m like token ro les with limited power." ll oweve1~ w he n asked if s he would be voting in this yea r's electi o ns Elizabeth Jss ured me tha t "it's s till impo rta nt to vote and yo u ca n't avo id th e campaignin g." In a n a rti cle abo ut th e 2010 s tudent protests surro und ing the increase in fees, BBC News remi nds us that "S tud e nt politics is dominated by a few inte res ted peo pl e, in the sa me way th a t any univers ity society is." ll oweve1; whe n dea ling with an o rga ni sa ti o n that represents o ur co mmunity to th e Uni ve rs ity a nd
run s the s tores and e ntertain me nt on campus that the majori ty of us re ly o n this cannot be allowed to ha ppen. If th e "ll ave you voted ye t'?" poll is accura te ly reflecti ve of th e percentage of students vo tin g in th e Union Elec ti o ns this year then we have a hig he r turnout than th e General Electio n, but as such a s mall co mmunity a nd with so ma ny conven ient ways of voti ng not taki ng th e cha nce to make cha nges see ms sad. Whatever your position on the effective ness of the Union, voting is yo ur way of directin g cha nge, so if yo u we re in th e 29% who did no t vo te this ye<ll; unl ess yo u have no co mpl a ints at a ll, th e n Concrete hop e nex t yea r yo u wi ll make th e choice to ge t in vo lved.
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ISSUE 255
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Thursday 31st March
Clash of the campus coffee titans
The global flux of foreign foods
Concrete sends out a reporter to investigate Campus' coffee outlets
Globalisation sweeps the world and carries food in its wake
Aroma Beansworthy
The Hive
Lifestyle writer
The Union's cafe outpost is famed for its smoothies, but the coffees don't look too bad at first; there's no getting away from the fact that coffee is just better in a proper mug rather than a paper cup. The coffee itself is pretty good too, with a strong ratio of foam to coffee shot. Priced at £1.20 I am finding it somewhat hard to complain.
Some would say that there is more to life than a perfect cappuccino. They obviously haven't lived. As students trapped in an endless cycle of late nights and 9 o'clock seminars (ouch) coffee is the only way us caffeine addicts make it through the day. Yes, economy makes us sometimes opt for instant coffee in a flask, but when the going gets tough, an on-campus coffee is what the doctor ordered for those deadline blues. Yet where does one go to sip this precious nectar before cold, hard, seminar-based reality comes down on your hungover head? UEA offers coffee in several of its on campus eateries, and this reporter went on a mission to find out which one is the best choice.
the truly desperate.
The Bar Here's a little secret (particularly useful on Sundays, when everything else is shut) : coffee is available behind the Union bar for the glorious price of 70p! The cappuccino isn't great, but a normal black coffee does the trick if you fancy a quick caffeine injection. You can also ask fora mug.
The Blend The Blend is ideally located near the lecture theatres for those soporific moments where the lecturer's voice becomes just too soothing. The coffee, however, is one of those sorry sub-standard gritty lattes masquerading as a cappuccino. lt hardly tastes of coffee a tall! Granted, adding one's own chocolate dusting on top is a novelty, but it isn't enough; this is only acceptable for
Cafe Direct Really the king of coffee on campus (in regards to standards, and unfortunately also with price), Cafe Direct is the place to come when you want to treat yourself. The cappuccinos are very good, nicely foamy with an excellent caffeine hit. But at £1.40 for a regular size, this isn't one for every day.
Lauren Razavi Lifestyle writer Globalisation is a term often bounded around by the media, and its meaning is often a mystery, even to those using it. lt largely refers to a set of processes that spread to different cultures throughout the world, and to the technologies that allow us to be aware of what's happening across theworld within just a few minutes of an event. A cultural area that isn't often explored in its 'globalising' context is food, and yet it's an area of our everyday lives where we can see this happening. From the interesting fusions of food that appear on our television screens through hugely popular programmes like Masterchef to the myriad of ethnic takeaway foods available on every other
street throughout city centres, the UK's diet is a mammoth mix of impo~ting and exporting culture. Average ]oe might view a late-night curry after a night of drinking as a very British concept, but they'll likely be ingesting a cross-cultural meal of Indian or Asian origin. This culinary variation isn't a new concept either - European countries have been importing the tasty produce of far flung lands in the form of spices, teas and delicacies for several hundred years. So while defining globalisation and understanding its strenuous political and economic impacts might remain a weighty task, why not get involved in the greatest part of globalisation? Pick up an exotic cookbook, visit that mysterious foreign market and cook yourself up a fusion food feast!
Mustard's pungent aroma of ground coffee beans Doneck Sewell Lifestyle writer The bizarre mishmash layout of Norwich city centre pits the consumer giants of Chapelfield and Castle Mall against the less auspicious cobbled side streets. The Malls provide promises of endless well-being pushed from both sides of the clean linoleum floor. Your image is presented to you from an array of mirrors craftily pointed your way, leading to an unavoidable assessment of your own value in the world. The amalgamation of shops offer an escape from this, what Don Dellilo described as 'existential
credit'. Fortunately there is a world beyond this happy hollow display of meaningless transaction. If you are in Norwich and wish to escape the seduction of the green
"The service is enthusiastic and friendly" Starbucks Medusa, the tapestry adorned walls of Cafe Nero or the illuminated red lamp lit Costa Coffee then there is really only one alternative: The Mustard Coffee Bar situated in Bridewell Alley.
The Mustard Coffee Bar provides a unique pleasure for a number of reasons. The service is enthusiastic and friendly, you really get the sense that there is great care put into the making of the food and coffee. The Americana is oily, which may not sound appealing, but is what a good black coffee should be. You can tell the food has been locally sourced, purely by the flavour (try the oat biscuits). The seating consists of comfortable bar stools at the back of the shop. The walls are full of art and information about coffee which provide a welcome break from the coffee shop standard canvasses of Italian people laughing and sipping espresso.
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,. ISS II t·: 255 co ncrel e.ed 1tor(!•luc.t .•tr.u k
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Over De Flames' mammoth burger challenge Over De Plame s res taurant in No rwich city centre recently chall enged
us to comple te th e ir 'Cha ll enge Burger', a co los sal 4 .5kg of meat, bread and che ese. Never one to turn down a chall e nge, we sent our writer lan Hobbs down to put his app e tite to the ultimate test. !! ere's how he got on ... I yo u're look ing lor somcthtng dtll crent Lo do wi th yo ur spa n • tinw in th e tl t'.lt' lttturt•, why nol partake 111 the ·I kg burger r h,l llcngt• .1t lor.tl n·st.ntrant, Owr lk Fl.tnlt'S, tn lo\\'n. /\ccordi ng to the Englis h langu.1ge, the word rh.J II cngt' ts defin ed as '.1 tt•s l ol one's .Jb ilili cs or r·esO UI'l'es in <1 d\'11\.IIH IIng hut sti lnU I.! ttllg undcrtak111g'. I cert11nlv discovered tlus to he Lrut• .1s Cimcrl'l l! sent nl L' to investtg.Jtt• lurtlwr into th is epic pu rsu it The pre m1se oll hc ch.tllenge is you must ro111 pll'lt' .1 1 kg hu rgt•r l'linl.nn ing two l.rrgc hcl'l patti es weighing in at romhined 3kg, <!long with .1 Slll ot heri ng ol chet'St' .rs we ll .!S IL'lt ure a1HI onion. lfyou're Lhinktn g th.Jt soun ds likt• .1 \\'<t lk in the park, there ts also .1 hl'lty howl ol chtps <llid .1 ptnt ol m ilksh.rkv to ttt•gott.ltl'. 1\dded to th is, it's worth noting t•.trh htt rgt•r in .1 ll1g M.lt' 1\'l' lgh s •l'i .Sg, meaning tl's the l'lJIII I .llenlol .! \ll wppi11g :n 1!1g 11.1.1rs 1\'mt h ol hu rgt·r Tlw pnvllcgt• ol C<lrry ing ou t th 1s r h.lllt•ngv w ill st•t you h.H'k L.iO hut shot tld )'OI Il on!p l!'l t• tiH· IH'.!St ol dl'l il'.H'\' 'tllt will ht• ll'\\ m lul 11 dh 1 t.Jsh p Ill' ol L '00. ,\! ) IHI h, t to do s f'l "lp lett• the nH .d 1n lt•ss t 1.1n t\\11 tt> 11 s, 111 11 111 t l. tktng .1 I. \,llont l j'ilstop I h.H I .1 gPod 2 I hou s ,o prep. 1L' Jo ths !I,.! ILl gl',lllt h,lllt d td, lt!l'l [,,•1 I I '>tll"' pt o pl t s, l\ d to st.1n t' nt\ ~I' ll , stJnH s.nd to sn.tt k ,d d. t) IH'illl' 'o,l! 1 l) I'd Ill \l'r I.JL'l '>01\,llli'L' \\lt 1ltht lltle'>SdrVe 'Li'lll!llllgtlpolllt 'o lrom. /\ s I '> .11 tlmv11 to t'll)O \' llw hurgt'l till' sta ll inlormed lllt' I \ \,IS the 1Sth pvrson to und vrl.1ke thv c h .!l l \' ll ~t', .l tHI Lht I I lw to rv nw h;nl not .trh tt'l'l'd it Th h didn 't in s pire nw wt th co nlt tle nre, and when Lhc ro loss.t l orgy ol r;tl orit•s .ttTi\'l'd I w.t s .t ltttle ll'lliTtt'd lh.tt I should h.ll'l' writt en Ill\' l.1 st ll'i ll .t tHI ll'sl,lllll'llt Ill lore lc.tl tng the houst•th.!l d.1y. To Ill\ surpri se thv hu1·ge r itsl'll w<Js ol l.ttll.tslt r qu.tl rtv, .111!1 h1r th e first h<1lt hom 1t 1\'.ts quilL' th e rulin <ll)' deli ght, hut .t s the hou1 tn&k .tppro.!chetl I lwg.m to h·t·lt ht• hl'.l l. I had ,JIW<l\'S bevn .111 .JI'l' olthe term 'meal Sll'l'.Ji s', hut noth ing prt• p.t rcd me lor 1\'h,ll
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Stat Box • 3kg of meat • lkgofbun • One pint of milkshake • £200 pound cash prize h.!ppciwd just .lltt•r t ht• hour n1.1rk wht•n I hcg.111 to Sl\'t'.ll lil<t• <Ill Fngli shm.m in till' mids umml'r sun. Throughout tht r h.tl lv ngt•, th v sl.lll ll'l're l'l'l'\' it'!l'ntll\' ,l\ld l'I'L'n othe r l'U StOilll' rS l <l lll l' to oile r lhL'J t' support. One spoke ol hu\\' he previouslv undetlool· lh t• th.!llvnge .md only madv tt .thoul h tlt \\',lV, .1s \ l'l'll ,1s mt•n ti on ing hm1 ht s 20 ·s to m• lt ll nd - .md lonnvr llrit.1i n's stron gest m.1 n it \'lll t ht•lit•\'l' l'l't' l) thtn g th e lor.tl s Lt• ll yo u - 11'<\S Hll ) .thiL· to gl'l thm ugh ,tllllu l 1•. tilt~! tltt Ill 11 \J\ I l,\1 ll td ht'L 'I to ,\l'oid Lhl hu•1, wl tL 1 11 1' 1 't' 1t l\1 • tlw ltn 1 m lt•n· nn· ol 1111 I.H' JtH' t tlllt t' tll .t ll' on I\ o n till t"t'.tt, hut .thout 'h 11'1 h !t•s n llt•lt .ts 11 I\\ 1s dtlnl, on nt,ll 1~1! •.Jd' .11d •'l-''1'\ htt I l,\1 kd to \\OtHILI' I I t 1.1101 si\ U'lll '.Jst \Vrth .thout I "i tl'Jllllll's o till' tt tlll' t't't\l.ll lling I tli t·e\\ the ( 0\\el ,\1 1\1 1 tit• •' lh,• tt l.ilt th• I'IL',\t 'on dllll'd .md I 1.1lln't 'l'l'n 1'1,\dt• 11 ro.u ls 1111o till' 1\'hLel st::ul 11111 .tnd stZL thl t po rtion ol rhips. Till' rh.illt•tt gv 11.1s gn'.tt Jun .md I'd sugges t it to .tnvont• \\·ho I. nl'ies it , th1 plt•.J sun· 1s 1\'ortlt the pain ,\tHI the h.m tLr 1\',\S gre.1ttoo. Own e t ol the n •st.t ur;mt, <;udt'L'P Ile, in lornwd 11 s la ter· in thL' yt•<Jr he ll'ill .1t tempt lo !Jrc.!k till' (;Uilllll'SS \\'orJd J{el'OI'll for lhe l.trgest hurgt•r l'l'l'r nl.HIL•, so kel'p your l'\'l'S open lor Lht s 111 th e luturc. OI'L' I lk Fl .lllll'S ,l\'L' .tl so looking to ol! t• r t'<lllng r h.tllcngt•s in the luturc, 11 tth supe r- hot chill it•s, 1H rnrh hotdogs .111d oVl'rs1zed dcsst•t'ls all possthilittL'S. 11 you h.tvt• .Ill\ stt ggl'slion s lot· Jutur·L· l h.tlll'ngcs lint! the Over De Fl.1mes F<Kl'hook p.1ge ,md ll'lt hem kt\01\ I
Staring i n lo the nolh i ngncss of fai lure. Most oft he burger I ic s ou I of shot.
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la n eyeo., hi <> c h a llc n gt• 11ith a fitti n g knife and a mini a ture fork .
J\ s mall bite for la n ; a g reat bite for mankind .
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J\fter a prolonged battle to consume it, the burge r almos t sll'allows !an .
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Concrete is your student newspaper. If you have a story you want to share, an opinion you want to get off your chest or a band you want to review, get in touch. Any UEA student can write for Concrete, and we want you to get involved! Email concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk with the sections you would like to write for, or any article ideas you have. Remember, we'll be recruiting next year too. Come and see us at Socmart in September.
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• 26 INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE 255
www.concrete-online.co.uk
con crctc. i11 tcrn;J t ion<ll @lue<l.;JC. Uk
The Japanese Tsunami and Earthquake This issue, Concrete lnlernolional explores how the devastating tsunami and earthquake in Japan has affected our very own UEA s tu den ts a nd highlights the nu m erous charitab le efforts around campus
The tragedy's impact on UENs students lnes Guita lnte l'll<ltional Writer On March 1 1th, the biggest l'<trlhquake ever in Japanese history struck the country. it was even more devastating because of the terrible tsunami and the explosion <~t thl• Fukushima nuclear power plant. The whole world is current ly try1ng to help the people who live in the <lreas alfected by this natural disaste1; with <~ctions such as lundr<~ising and artists' col l<1horations. At lJEA, there reside a lot ol Japam•se studen ts and their react ions and feelings to the tragedy a re quite simi lar. They <1re all shocked and worried about who were directly affected, for examp le in the region of Osaka, Sho Ueda's family is safe, but he has no news from so me fri ends even though he has tri ed to contact them. Another girl has not managed to co nta ct her friends either, so she checks everyday on the Internet for any news of their situation. Seve ra l of these Japanese students first hedrd of the ea rthquake either through the news or their fri end s, and only afterwards th ey were able to contact their • family.
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Many do not really have enough inform ation on what happe ned ex;1ctly or regarding he I p efforts from the government. Chika Urakawa thinks the government io;; not spend in g enough money to help to build new houses. According to he1; the evacuation effort is proving even more stressfu l due to the fear over radiation leaks. She thinks it is very hard to mount a rl•scue opl•ration in a nu clear contamination area, so she thinks nuclear power pldnts should he banned.
"lt was eve n more devastating bee a use of th e terrible tsunami and the explosion of the Fukushima nuclear power plant with all its racli a tions" On the con trary, Sho Ueda didn't know about the nucl ea r iss ue before this earthquake, and even though he recognizes it was a mistake to put plants on fault lines, he beli eves Japan needs nuclear power plants. As well, he strongly thinks that the government is providing enough help to the affected peo pl e, but must take steps to better prepare the
public for future natural disasters. f-rom now on, ''I'm more afraid of the earthqu akes," he says. lie and Chika Urakawa both apprecia te the donations a nd
the worldwide charitable efforts to <lid the disaster victims. They parti cularly "thank the British population very much" and they are happy that everyone helps together.
There are funclraising events in UE/\'s INTO building, so please otTer
your help and bring your money and thoughts to th e Japanese studen ts, their fi11nilies and th e whole co untry.
A penny for your thought Rachae l Lu m Inte rnation a l Writer
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When Japan was hit hy <In earthquake in Ma rch , the world was utterly shocked hy th e tragic event. At UEA the student Community decided to set up 'Cha rit y for Nippon to aid the situatio n. Under the umbrella of this char ity gro up , th e re has been a co ll a boration of clubs and socie ti es such as the )<lpanese, Sou th East Asian, Malaysian and Th <li soc ieties, to rai se fund s for the Japan ese Red Cross. Coinciding with UEA's Charity Week, va riou s eve nt s have been carr ied out s in ce the March 13th to collect donations. Students were encouraged to add to the relief fund by approaching socie ty members who were dressed in kigus (Japanese anima l suits). INTO has ;il so been running
severa l donation drives in the Centre; while in the Union Pub origami cranes, a sym bol of wor ld peace, we re distributed to those who had donated.
"The total amount co ll ected by the group so far is estimated to be over £6000." This project co ntinu ed in a ll departments of th e University, lasting past the Charity Week. With the he lp of keen students, each School was able to make their co ntribut ions. Other large-scale events have been promptly organised to su pp ort the charity. Over th e weeks, th e re has been a Japanese goods and food sale, a b;1ke sa le a nd a barbeque social. An invitation lo s port s enthusiasts
came in the form of a badminton and football tournament on the 26th and 29 th March respectively for reasonable entry fees. The total amount collected by the grou p so f<1r is estimated to be over £6000, which wou ld go entirely to the Japanese Red Cross to aid the situation in Japan. Yuuka Matsumae, th e president of 'Charity for Nippon', would like to thank those "who have donated ;1nd coo per;1led with our chari ty group". Nonetheless, th e initiatives are s till ongoing, w ith don a ti on boxes se t up arou nd ca mpus . A meet a nd greet event will he held o n the April 6th in the Congregation Hall at ?p m. There will also he food booths in the llive selling Japanese food <1 nd demonstrating traditional paper crafts. Those who are sti ll looking to maintain this spirit of giving arc able to do so until April 8 th .
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ISSUE 255
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www.concrete-online.co.ul<
concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk
A tax on the aviation industry? In the face of heavy spending cuts the aviation industry continues to avoid the chop. Becky Hazlewood reports. Becky Hazlewood Turf Reporter The world is becoming hungrier and hungrier for air travel. Last minute weekend get-aways for a spot of sun on are becoming next to normal and, with ludicrously cheap seat prices being offered by the budget airlines, a weekend in Majorca may end up cheaper than a night at the LCR. A quick Google search for cheap flights can be rewarded with a trip from Birmingham to Barcelona for ÂŁ11 return - even the delights of Birmingham in early spring might not be enough to resist prices such as these. As heart warming as the constant availability of an escape route from our cold and dreary dayto-day routine may be, in the same way that chocolate doesn't come without calories, nor does cheap and readily available air travel come without a price; although unfortunately, the hidden price of air travel is irreversible and dangerous. Emissions from air transport are contributing significantly to global warming. This poses the question: Why is the aviation industry allowed to avoid tax? Recent protests at Heathrow
Airport highlighted growing public objection towards the aviation sector. Whilst VAT has increased across the board, the air industry is still exempt from paying tax on aircraft and fuel, a condition still in place from the birth of the industry when tax exemption was needed for initial growth. lt has been suggested that if aviation fuel was taxed at the same rate as petro l this would contribute ÂŁ10 billion a year to the Treasury, enough to build 25 new hospitals. Some view the industry's contribution to greenhouse gas emiSSions as minimal: They account for only 7% of the UK's carbon emissions and 3% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. However, aviation emissions are even more dangerous than emissions produced at ground level and they continue to increase at an alarming rate. Whereas other sectors are managing to stabilise or reduce their emissions, the industry is responsible for an 87% increase in carbon emissions since 1990. Various strategies to regulate the industry in the past have been used, but they have mainly focused on passenger duty tax. The cost is passed to the passenger rather than the industry, flights go ahead
without any penalty to the airline and the same level of pollution is produced. A more efficient means of reducing em issions wou ld be to impose a tax on emissions from fuels used for flights . This would encourage airlines to make aircraft more efficient and incentivise research and development into less environmentally harmful fuels . Frustratingly for environmentalists, there already exists great potential for increasing efficiency in the aviation sector, by changes in engine and airframe technology and simple measures for better traffic control practises and more direct flight paths. These achievable changes could increase efficiency of the sector by up to 50 %. The probability of imposing these measures boils down to political will, public pressure and industry compliance. Giving up cheap weekend breaks and business trips that could be replaced with internet conferencing would help ensure the future sustainability of travel and reduce the social and environmental costs resulting from global warming. Whether this is a sacrifice we are willing to make may become less of a choice and more of an obligation.
Radioactive limelight on Japan The humanitarian crisis in Japan is overlooked as paranoia over a nuclear meltdown grips the agenda Drew Senior Turf Reporter Over 2,000 bodies have been washed u p onto the beaches of north east japan since the tsunami struck on March 11th. 17,000 have been reported as dead or missing, a figure that is certain to rise, while over 500,000 people have lost their homes. The reaction to this devastation from politicians and large segments of the world's media is, however, one of worry over fi nancia l ma rke ts an d the safety of nuclear power. The people of japan are in danger of being overlooked for a situation that, at present, is under control, and is unlikely to become the disaster
Hollywood would have us believe. from two of Exp los ions the three reactors after the earthquake fuelled fears of another environmental disaster similar to the devastation Chernobyl. However, the explosions affected the outer cas ings designed to protect the plant from weather damage. Despite only limited damage to the reactor, an eighteen mile exclus ion zone was established as radiation levels around the Fukushima plant reached llmSv per hour. In co m parison, background radiation is averaged at 2.2mSv per year. Ultimately, the incident constituted a 'limited re lease' of radiation. No recorded hea lth effects outside the plant grounds
were reported. Despite the situation reportedly being under control, Switzerland and Germany have temporarily halted the ir nuclear programmes and Friends of the Earth are pressing the UK Government for similar action, o n the grounds that if japa n's acclaimed safety systems are being stretched, European systems should be reviewed . The authorities in japan, however, have succeeded thus far in avoiding a nuclear disaster. The plant was protected sufficiently to ensure the earthquake made little impact, and the majority of the damage was a result of the tsunami preventi ng power reaching the cooling systems,
causing the reactor to over-heat. Six days later and power cables have been reconnected to restart the main cooling process and avoid a meltdown situation whereby uranium and plutonium would be exposed . At present, therefore, fears over the safety of a nuclear power appear premature, as despite the promise of nuclear disaster, the response to the hazard has ensured the effects have been reduced. Attention to the nuclear turmoil ensured a rapid response and quelled the risk to the popu latio n surrounding Fukushima. The focus now needs to be on those who have lost everyth ing, and repairing the damage for the sake of japan's future generations.
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ISSliE 255
28
Thursday
Seeking the centre of Atnerica Emma Gala I sea rches for th e bea uty spots of Central/\merica, typifi ed by tropica l forests, gli ste nin g seas, trembling volcanoes and exotic beaches- hut discovers that the turtles ha ve got there first... Whether your interest !ies in vo lunteeri ng, acqui ring a language, zip-lining through the jungle at seventy miles per hour or simply in lopping up your ta n on a secluded su n-kissed s hore, Cen tral Amerie<l is a traveller's paradise. Often ovcrsh<1dowcd from north and sou th , this relatively sm.1 ll region co mprises of eight marve ll ously diverse and inspiring countries. Guatema la is a vibrant and eclectic coun try, whic h has prese rved its cultu re mu ch more success full y than most others wit hin Ce ntral America. Alllwugh relatively untouched by the pitfalls of modem tou ris m, what one will find in 'Guatc'- as it is a iTcctionatc ly deemed by loca ls- is an abu nd ance of lang uage schools and co untl ess in s titutions and NGO's for those wis hing to spend some ti me vo luntee ring. Although English is wide ly s poken in Centra l America, allc<lSl so me knowledge of Spanis h is desirable whil s t travelling the region, particu larly if ve nturin g off th e bea te n tra ck. A trip wou ld not be comp lete without visitin g the tranquil zo nes of Pa n;:Jjac hel and Lake Atillan. The town of Chi ch icastena ngo transfo m1s itse lf into a co lourful ma rketp lace every Thursday a nd Sunday, whe re touris ts ca n purchase souven irs whilst co ntending wit h eld erly Guate malan women hu stlin g abo ut th eir dai ly lives. Th e beautiful zone of Flores a nd the Rio Du lee arc
short trip away from the mystica l Mayan ruins of Tikal w hi ch are com parab le to the sights of Macchu Pichu. Guatemala is a n unexploited home from home, where money goes fa r, which exp lain s w hy so many people end up staying. Adrena lin e junkies wi ll struggle to sample ;1ll of th e ac ti vities Costa l~ i ca ha s to offer in jus t one trip. As one of th e largest cou ntri es wi thin Ce ntral America, English is wid ely s po ke n a nd trade is via the dollar.
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"... vi s it a n ac tive vol ca no by ni ght a nd bath e in na t ura l hot spr in gs ." H owcve1~ this does come ;:J l a cost. In co mpari son to oth er Pan-American co untri es, Costa Rica is so mewhat devo id of cul ture, with ex pen<; ive tou ri s m functioning in its place. it is not un co mmon for street vendors and tour compa ni es to op t for the ha rd se ll , so do not be offended if traders are ove rly fo rwa rd. Des pite this, one thing th at Cos ta Rica does offer is fun. Th e cou ntry appears to hold every act ivity poss ible on the endless ly generic Iisls of'thin gs yo umu st do before you die' a nd mos t ventures are not for th e faint-hearted. Professional tour co mpanies offer th e opportunity to go wh ite wa ter rafting in leve l fi ve wa te rs, zi p-lin e hi gh a bove th e tree
tops, visi t .1n active volcano by nig ht and bathe in natural hot springs . A spectac ul ar sight is affo rd ed wi th the opportunity to sec giant turtles return to their pl ace of birth during the s umm e r month s, to rea r th eir own yo un g on moonlit shores; a truly cap tivating occas ion. On the Ca ribbea n coas t is the hidd e n treas ure of Pu erto Viejo, wi th its clear waters and coconut palms whi ch instantly welcomes yo u into the Ca ribbea n vibe. Rock ing j's is a memorab le loca tion to s tay a nd be at one wi th nature, with sloth s a nd monkeys casually gr;1z in g th e a rea. This hostel offe rs hamm ocks, te nts, s hared ca bin s and lu xu ry s uites at back packer pri ces and is itse lf partially biodeg radab le. Th e Caribbean Coast of Cos ta Rica parti cul a rly embodies th e national motto 'P ura Vida' trans lati ng as 'th e good life' w hich has beco me a form of greeting, th a nks or s imply ac knowledgement amongs t nati onal s an d touri sts alike. Eve ry co untry wit hin this regio n has something unique to offer vis itors a nd the Greyhound and Tika buses enable trave ll ers to roam quickly an d easi ly between co untri es at a fracti on of the airfare. If one see ks a distinc ti ve trave lling ex perie nce, fusing la nguage, history and culture with a n a romatic blend of food a nd peo pl e - ven turing to the heart of the Americas in search of yo ur own pura vid a wi ll not di sappo int.
31st
M;u-ch
Home is where the Yurt is Tom Hunt Trave l Edi tor it's been called 'glamping', but there is nothing glamorous about sitting in a smoky yu rl, sharing your sleeping space with creepy crawlies while the damp trickles in. You're sti ll in the woods. Traditionally, the sturdy yurt consists of a wooden frame, bl;111ketcd in thi ck woolly felt a nd inhabi ted by nomad peo pl es of the Mongolian steppes, but the structu res are becoming ever more popular in wa rm er parts of th e Ul<. For those who W;:J nt a more comfortable experience than a fragil e lent canvas can provide, the thicker walls and larger dome of a yurt allow for s pacious s nugness through the col desl winter nights. it would, indeed, be a struggle to fit a bunk-bed inside a flim sy tent, but in here there is sti ll room for a so fa, a bookshelf and, best of all, a cosy littl e log- burn er. Th e logs must he se lf-s upplied, h oweve1~ which is a bit of a prob lem if yo u have no expe rience with an axe. llea rty chops are not encou raged, unless you want to take a chip out
of your ankle. Lighting fires is then another m<lller entirely and, pending success, the smoke will begin to billow merrily out oft he chimney. Inevitably not <111 of it wi ll . So me prefers to hang around in th e yurl, cre;:Jling <1 murky miasma and making everyth ing, from yo ur socks to your ha ir, stin k of woodsmoke. Nevertheless, the wa rmth is welcome and th e mercury can rise up to a concern ing 52 degrees Celsius inside, even if it is s nowing ou tside' The hea l will brin g the bugs scuttl ing in through any ava ilab le crevice, so be sure not to sleep with you r mouth open, unless you like munching millipedes. ll may not be glamorous but at least you wake up wa rm whatever the weather an d ca n ste p out of yo ur hobbit-s ized wooden door at dawn for a blast of forest fres hn ess to start yo ur day.
The Lights and Lows of Los Angeles Kathryn Deighan Travel writer Los Angeles; Ci ty of Angels; the land of the rich. and fa mous. This ci ty comes with a hefty amount of stereotypes. Yes, so me of these are based on truth. it does house the cast of The Hills- nonetheless do not be fooled. All cities have their own little quirks; this does not mea n yo u have to go anywhere near th em. LA is such an enormous place it can acco mmodate anyo ne and anything, and this includes stude nts. Primarily LA is known for Hollywood and it is worth goi ng to see. You can not go to LA without glimps in g th e ll ollywood si gn, Walk of Fame or l<odak Th eatre (home of the Oscars) while stopping <1l Mel's Drive-In, an amazing 1950s diner. These do not take long to complete, espec ially considering as Hollywood is nota particularly nice place, un less you enjoy sex shops and tourists. If yo u wish to be th e ultim<Jte tourist yo u ca n go on a star toll!; take a trip to Rodeo Drive an d crui se along Sunset Boulevard. it is LA afte r all , so how ca n you not'! Definitely take a trip to Disneyla nd,
but mo re importantly save up to visit Unive rsa l Studios. Where else C;:Jn you witness America's hottest TV shows and film se ts while being at a th e me park? ll oweve1; if you want to find fame but cannot afford Universal, fame is everywhere. Options range from Alcove Cafe and Bakery in Los Feliz w here th e Grey's Anatomy cast go on their filmin g break (that was a s urprise) or Sa nta Moni ca where you ca n wa lk along the beach, s hop or exp lore the pi er, while keeping your eyes peeled for stars. For those stud ents who like a night out, LA is not short of clubs and bars. LA has eve rything - and yo u would be missi ng out if yo u did not take a trip th ere'
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c: ISSUE 255
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Wednesday 30th March
BUCS League Football Worcester W2 Worcester M3
3-2 2-0
Golf UEA 1
1.5-4.5 Lincoln 4
Hockey UEAWl
2-0
L'borough W4
Lacrosse UEAW1
2-6
Notts Trent Wl
Rugby UEAW1
5-7
Nottingham W2
Tennis UEAW1
0-12
WarwickW2
UEAW1 UEAM2
UEA Futsal finished runners up in the national finals trophy, making them the tenth best team in the country. After losing their opening game 6-4 to a strong Brighton side, the team went on to defeat Hertfordshire 7-3 in their second match of the first day. The last two group games were played on the second day, and after securing a well earned 4-4 draw against Leeds Met in the morning. UEA defeated Bournemouth 4-2 in the afternoon with two late goals from Matthew Wedlake. With Leeds Met edging past Brighton, it meant that UEA had finished a very
respectable third in their group, and qualified for the trophy competition. In Wednesdays quarter finals they met Birmingham and after scoring. early the team eased through, winning by a convincing 7-1 score line. The semi finals were a much sterner test - against a physical and well drilled Brunei side - the game was close and competitive but UEA defended faultlessly and put in a solid performance, winning 3-1 and earning them a place in the trophy final. The final was UEA's third game of the day, against UWE Hartpury, the 2009 national champions. After starting well and holding
SPORT 29
the team for a long period, the experience and squad depth of Hartpury began to show as UEA were edged out by four goals to two. With UEA having been regarded as one of the underdogs in the competition, the team should be extremely proud of their performance, especially given that many of the sides have Futsal coaches and a substantial amount of money invested in them. The team were unlucky not to qualify for the last eight of the competition, but will take a lot of positives from their display and representation of the University.
BUCS Conference Cup Final -fencing UEAM1
94-131 Warwick M1
----------------~-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2
75.00%
3
75.00% N.36~o
73.33% 70.000;0 7 8
WuerPolo M1
9
WuuPoloWl
10
T~blt Ttnrus
Ml
11 Ru1byM2
12
Footb~I W l
13
L~c:rosst
H
Badminton M1
15
La~rosse
16
25 Nttball2
Ml
Wl
57.140.~
54.55% 48.48%
The UEA Equestrian A-team has had a particularly successful season, finishing joint second overall, as the mini-league competitions draw to a close. The new academic year saw three new members appointed to the team, and exciting results soon followed. As well as team success, Equestrian member Hannah Witheridge has seen success on an individual level, with several high placings during the season meaning she has qualified for the regionals later this month. The team has, over the course of the year, travelled to a variety of places, including Cambridge, Slough and Maidenhead. In the process they have built up a good reputation for UEA and had an enormous amount of fun, forming good friendships and a strong team spirit. The team would like to thank the UEA Equestrian Club Committee for all the support they have received. Congratulations to all involved on a highly successful season.
Laura Witheridge
ISSliF 2SS
30
concretc.sport {!lluc,J.ac.u k
Introducing: The Norfolk Cafu
U:EA ....
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Rob Schatten Spo rts Edi to r The only ga me in th e IJs t for tnight saw Norwich City travel to llurnberside, securing a credi ble 1- 1 away drawat l-lu ll. A fi rst- half header from centre-hacl< Zak Whithread (right) gave No rw ich the adva ntage. The Ca nari es mai nta in ed the lead until the 65th mi nute, when Ilull ve terJ n Nicky Bar mby broke th ro ugh the back fou r to equ<~lise. The poi nt he lped preserve No rwich's second place in the Championship 1 standings. With just eight / games to go, Norw ich's rema ining fix tures suggest a fairly straight- ' forward ru n-in in the / pro motion stakes, with '
one obvious exception. The visit to Swansea on Apr·il 9 may well make or break Nor-wich's seaso n. Hrendan Hodgers' side play some of the best football in the Championship .md, lying just one poi nt be hind City most serious challengers in the race for second place. Pau l Lambert has bee n maki ng comprehensive efforts of late to his squad's strike force. After the club were unable to agree a deal Peterboro ugh in-form target Craig MackaiiSrni th, L<llnhert opted instead to bring in
two lo<ln players from the Premier League, young strikers Dani Pacheco (Liverpool) a nd Sam Vokes (Wolves). Meanwhile, American defender Whitbread was forced to pull out of the USA squad filr the week's intern<ltiona ls d ue to a niggli ng injury. Ipswi ch Town continued their stro ng form in the seco nd half of the season with a solid 2-0 home win over Scunthorpe. Goals from Carlos Edwards (right) <l nd the on-tire jimmy Bullard sca led the result for Ipswich, who dominated throughout the game. Town have now lost just six of I 5 games under Paul jewelI. Bullard was effusive after the match in his pr<lise of Tow n
debutant josh Carson, who pl<~yed seventy minutes on the left side of rnidfield. A gus hing 13ul lard told 1313C Sport: "I think he did a blinding job and we'll sec a lot more of josh." Another youngster who has been earning praise of late is striker Connor Wickham, who was recently named the Football League's Young Player of the Year: With no players selected internation.1l duty, for Ipswich will he well rested for their next fixture, at Burnley on Saturthly. out-ofMeanwhile, favour fi>rward Tarnas Priskin is ·a loan target tor highflying Swansea, who arc keen to bring him to Wales on <ln emergency' de,1l.
Rugby miss out on promotion I
Chris Teale Sports Co rres po nd e nt
UEA Men's Rugby I Oxford Brookes 11
25 20
UEA Mens Rugby 1st XV sealed a 25-20 victory over rivals Oxford 13 rookes 2nd XV, bu t narrow ly missed out on promot ion from HUCS Midlands Conference 213 Div isio n, havi ng previously looked like pro ba bl e ca nd id a tes. in <l hardfought game against 13rookes, UEA looked the better team throughout and a lways see med li ke ly to score.
The somewhat frantic nature of the ga me a ll owed for Ox ford Brookes to figh t h<lck in the second ha lf to within two points but UEA prevailed. They went into the game wit h as close to a ful l squad as they have had this season; centre Mark Pcrkins returned on the be nch, seco nd row As hley Lcwis joined the starting team following a two month absence <llld winger Do min ici< Baron returned with a n im pressive dis pl ay of strong running and aggressive defence. UE/\ took the early lead with two una nswered tries, the first of
which saw forwards and backs linki ng to re lease dead ly winger Steve llyde into corner. Minutes later trademark UEA catch .1nd drive from the lincoul muscled Stephen Wilson over for UEA's second. Oxford Brookes soon back with a try from an interception and UEA's indiscipline led to them being reduced to th i r·teen men. Wit h the ir pack down to six men, UEA showed their conceding and even ma nagi ng to pu t
H y d c over for
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Close: UEA were well ahead before a second half Oxford Brookes fightback
his
stretch lead to I 9-5. UEA returned to their full complement of players in th e
half and added another three points through Golding's boot but Brookes came back to tries from their rampaging flankers. llowever, UEA continued to look classy on the break and Baron almost bundled over for a try despite the attentions of most of the 13rookes pack. Ul~A inte ll igently kept the ball until another penalty under the posts gave Colding the chance · to provide the finis hi ng touches. Despite this tight victory, Oxford
he past few years have witnessed the inexorable rise of Norwich City defender Russell Martin. After capta ining Peterbo rough Un ited to promotion in 2009, Martin joined the Cmaries last yea1; becoming an integral pa rt of Paul Lambert's side as they spectacul;1rly overhauled Leeds United to claim the title. With City just eight g<1mes ,1\vay from .1 possible re turn to the 'promised l;md', Martin spoke to Concrete about his, and the Canaries' incredible season, .JrHI the fantastic team spiri t at the club.
T
- Firs t Choice When asked whether he fe lt he had made the right-back position his own this season, following a great deal of positive press, Martin replied: "I don't tend to read much press about myself, I don't think ,1lot of lads do really. It's been' great though, the fa ns have rea lly take n to me th is year <llld I've got a good relationship with them. I've just got more confident as the se,1son's gone on. A few of us had to prove that we were able to play in this league and hopefully we've clone that. To pl<lY every minute so far has been a great ach ieve ment fo r me and is somethi ng I'm rea lly proud of" Yl't it hasn't just been M.1rtin's defensive prowess that has been picked up on by supporters and commentators alike. f-ollowing a string of eye-catching attacking displays, Martin has earned himself the f~1vourable moniker of The Norfolk Cafu' amongst Canaries supporters. Concrete asked it he was aware of this title: "If that's the case it's a massive compliment! My brother said he'd seen someone with a t-shirt saying that, but at the momL'n l I haven't yet been ca ll ed it! llopefully I've earned the right to that nickname, but it really just shows that things are go ing well on th e pitch for the team." - Man Management -
wa lkover agJ in s t UEA. which SdW Men's Rugby I de ducted three po ints, and afte r Bedford won a ll their rema ining games, LJEA were pushed out by both tea ms to fin is h up the season in third, disappointed to have lost out on a major opportu nity to progress up the leagues.
Anot her key facto r in the Canaries' pursuit of success ive promoti ons has bee n manage r Paul Lam bert. Taken from Colchester after their 7-1 annihilation of the Canaries in August 2009, he has fo rged a win ni ng menta li ty at Carrow Road, as Martin explains: "I think his greatest strength is man-management - he makes the playe rs wa nt to play fo r him.
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ISSUE 255
31
Thursday 31st March
Introducing: The Norfolk Cafu He was a leader when he played, and he's won the best things you can in football, including the Champions' League. So he's a winner and that rubs off on the players. He demands really high standards in training every day, and if those standards slip then he's not going to be happy. He continued: "Training's always really high-tempo and everyone who comes to the club comments on that; it's not like that everywhere. I think that's why he gets the best out of his players - they know they have to be on their game every day to keep
...r. - A
Martin responded: "Hopefully we've played every team in the league now at least once, and I don't we've been outplayed; we're really hitting form at the right time." With fond memories from City's promotion last year; Russell clearly has a passion for further glory: "Last year was massive. I'd only been at the club a short space of time and playing in front of these fans was certainly special. The day of the open-top bus parade, the celebrations at Carrow Road on the final day, those were things I'll remember for a long time:·
career snapshot - _ "
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•Marti 1 :st V ·, pn:>mo ion m1 1 whom he']otnea1m" 20 m ead the teaml tb t,h • He Join 'd N6r .... c C1 16a 1 [n November 2009, signing for the club on a penMi!l · t basis a fe.w months later • He quickly establisne:d him~eff a$ a reg1,.1 lar in the Canaries side a they clinched tl1e.League One mre in the same year • Martin s ored his fir$1:' goBl ' for Nqr.wich against Don caster in September,a l ye~ also netting a crucial winner against QPR an9.' a' la -w ·,~l,lt equatise_ again t Cardiff City, leading 1 fans to riicknarne him1Tbe Norfol Cafu' impressing him. He says sometimes, "We can make mistakes, as long as we give lOO%: and I think that's what he gets out of his team. He improves you as a player because he gets every last ounce out of you that you can give." - A Season of Highlights-
Asked for his view on whether Norwich City could be joining the Premier League elite very soon,
In an incredible season of many highlights, Martin was able to identity one in particular: "The goal against QPR was my first goal at Carrow Road, so it was a special moment for me. As long as someone's scoring and we're winning games I don't mind, but to get a couple of goals this year, I have to admit that's been a highlight for me - and hopefully I can carry on nicking one or two here and there."
- Norfolk Passio n With the East Anglian Derby on the horizon, and Russell a relative newcomer to proceedings, Concrete asked if he had managed to get into the competitive spirit of the game: 'J.\11 the boys are well aware of how big a game it is - playing in it at Carrow Road and winning like we did that day was amazing. one of the highlights of the season so far. The intensity and the atmosphere were better than anything I've played in front of before, and I'm sure it's the same for a few of the lads, which is why we're looking forward to it already." Asked to identify the best player he's ever faced, Martin was quick to respond: "The biggest challenge in my career was probably Arjen Robben when he was at Chelsea I was at Wycombe and we played them in the Carling Cup. He was really on song at that time and I'd o nly been playing right-back for about six months, so he taught me a bit of a lesson really! lt's then that you realise i how far you need to go to play against top players every week."
"We've sold over 20,000 season tickets for next season already and people don't even know what league we're going to be in! lt's a really big club and I knew that when I came, but it took actually playing in that first
the best league in Europe, if not the world, in the Premier League. We're third in the Championship and the next step is the Premier League, so it can be a realistic aim. As a team we might not get another chance to get there, so we'll give it a good go." Asked to assess City's main rivals at the top of the Championship, Russell identified the frontrunners as he saw them: "I thmk Swansea play
\
• really good football, they're probably one of the best passing sides in the league. I don't know really, as long as we go I wouldn't mind! I guess that QPR have been really consistent, although we've got four points off them ourselves, they've got matchwinners in their team and they've keep a lot of clean sheets:'
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- StatureWith childhood footballing heroes including Tony Adams and Stuart Pearce, both captains during their long careers,
Concrete asked Russell if he would be interested in one day captaining City permanently: "lt's not something I've thought about to be honest. I've captained once this season, against Leyton Orient, and that was a real honour. But I haven't thought about it really, Holty's the captain and he's a good leader on and off the pitch. However; to captain a club of this stature and size and fan base would be an amazing achievement:' With Norwich enjoying one of the highest average attendances in the Championship, many believe the club ought to be gracing the Premier League: "The passion that the city has for the football club is unbelievable."
game in front of 25,000 to 1 realise how special a club this is. "We all appreciate how lucky we are because there's Premier League clubs who don't get anywhere near that amount. Quite a lot of teams come here to try and get a point rather than the game, but they have to keep the crowd quiet as well as stop us playing because once they get going it's a real tough place to be." - The Only Way Is Up The Premier League is clearly on everybody's mind at Carrow Road, including Russell's: "I think it'd be any player's ambition to play at the top level, and we're fortunate that in this country that we've probably got
"We've played every team in the league at least once, and I don't think we've been outplayed; we're really hitting form at the right time" -City Players at UEAWith a number of famous Canaries having visited the LCR, Russell is no stranger to the venue and UEA itself: "I came up once with the lads to watch a Champions League game and then I was there recently watching Angel os Epithemou at the LCR. I'm sure I will be up there again in the future to see a few shows- it's a really good venue actuallY:' With promotion looming. Concrete's suggestion that the City players should hold their end of season party at the LCR appeared to go down well: "That's a good idea, I'm sure the lads wouldn't be opposed to that happening." he joked.
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Flawless hockey promoted UEA ll ockey e nd th e seaso n as BUCS di vis io nal cha mpi o ns afte r see in g o ff titl e co nte nd e rs Bed fo rd in a grippin g cl as h a t th e po rtspar k Chris Tea le Sports Co rres pond ent UEA Me n's Hockey 1 Bedfo rd Me n's I
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lJE/\ managed to defe<1L Bedford in a nerve-w r-ac kin g g<l nle th a t secured promo ti on for th e team in the 13UCS league. /\fler a s uperb seaso n, UEA we re Lop o f the BUCS Midla nd s Co nfe rence Men's 313 Di vision before th e game, with Bedford a point behind .!\ w in for eith er team wo ul d have see n them becom e cha mpion s. 'T'h e firs t half sta rted, dnd remain ed, relati ve ly qui el. A s ho r·t corner to UE/\ early on end ed w ith jose ph Broad bent hittin g th e post afte r firing off a dea d ly drag ni ck. Th e rest of the ope nin g period was nervy s tuff, with Bedford at one poi nt havi ng a s uccession of short cor ners, al l of whi ch we re ha ndl ed ex tremely well by a de fence led by Will Oa tes and Simon ll am mond . Minutes before full time Broadbe nl ma na ge d to bury a s hot from the ti ghtest ofa ngles to make the score 1-0 to UE/\ at the interval. Whilst the first half was relatively sedate, the ~econd was a nythin g bul. Early on a Bedford pl aye r picked up a ye ll ow e<1rd a fter multiple stick tack les, and this w;rs foll owed by Ol iver Ruffl e pi cking up a ye ll ow ca rd for UE/\ after s hou lder- ba rgin g a Bedfo rd playe r ofT th e ball. So me great attacking chances ca me to UE/\ with ins pi red run s from Ja mes Fanger who was ha ppy Laking on as ma ny Bedford playe rs as he cou ld fi nd , ba ll on s ti ck. Bedford s ta rted to crumbl e under th e im mense press ure UE/\ imbued, a nd to make thin gs worse a furt her ye ll ow was s hown to a Bedford playe r after cha ll enging
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A season to remember: UEA only na rrowly missed out in the BUCS National Semi -Finals but have sealed promotion to ca p a brillia nt league ca mpa ign th e match um pires. s ho uld have Broadb e nt doubled his tally afte r Stuarl Gagen found him in s pace, but th e goa l was deni ed a fte r so me qu a lity defending by Bedford. UEA were reward ed for their efforts after Tom ~.
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Ross safe ly put away a goa l fr om a we ll worked side lin e ball to put UE/\ 2-0 up . Minutes later, a mu el johnso n took a s hot at goa l w hi ch de fl ec ted off a Bedford playe r; to ma ke th e sco re 3- 0, at which point Bedfo rd looked co mplete ly ou t of
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th e ga me. Shortly a fter, Adam Wed lake co nfid e ntl y fed the ba ll to Gagen who had no p rob lems fini s hin g off a n exce ll ent pi ece of pl ay off with a goa l to make the fin a l sco re 4-0, a nd e nsure promotion .
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Concrete speaks;to Russell Martin •
With a fantas ti c seaso n now ove r for th e BUCS tea m, eve ryo ne is lookin g to next yea r a nd hopin g th at UE/\ II C ca rry forward th e ir· winning ways into the hi ghe r di vis io ns, a ntl co nt inu e to set th e BUCS league alig ht.
• Turn to pages 30 and 31 for the full interview with Norwich City's talismanic defender
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