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UEA’s independent student newspaper since 1992 - Issue 257, Saturday 24th September 2011
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VC speaks out against visa cut Chris King Editor UEA Vice-Chancellor Edward Acton fears a potential fall in interest from international student applications, following government decisions taken earlier this year to eliminate the two year post-study work visa. Speaking exclusively to Concrete, Acton bemoaned the inclusion of international students in the coalition government’s efforts to reduce net migration into the United Kingdom. “Attempting to limit the number of international students essentially constitutes welcoming them in with one hand pushing them out with the other,” said the Vice-Chancellor. “University slots should be lifted out of this calculation; by all means look at flows of people coming to work, flows of people coming for family reasons, maybe the flows of nonuniversity students, but university students tend to leave when their visas run out.” During the UK Border Agency’s Consultation on Tier 4 Student Immigration rules, which took place during the winter, a number of measures had been proposed which could have resulted in a significant cutback in international numbers, and greater restrictions on international students once they were at British universities. Acton believes that the consultation in the winter had an effect on how British universities are viewed abroad. “The curfuffle around the conultation and very negative foreign reporting of the government’s proposals have had quite a bad effect. “In many countries we curtailed it and the effect hasn’t
been too bad, but I expect it to have an impact.” When asked whether he believed international students would be less likely to choose British universities, Acton said he believed there would be a marginal dip in applications. “This will occur especially at Masters level and especially from the Indian subcontinent, where a very important magnet was easy access to a period of working after you graduate. That has got tighter, and as a result the reporting of the consultation was the most negative in India.” UEA has made a clear committment to increasing the number of international students at the University, particularly with the INTO Building, where 800 students are housed to complete a pre-university year, which replaces the final year of study in their home countries. Therefore it is unsurprising that the international debate is one in which Acton has campaigned heavily. “My response to the government’s proposals was parliament-based, talking to key MPs. Many Liberal Democrat back-benchers were very sympathetic, as were most Conservative back-benchers,” said Acton. “We staged various press conferences, and I wrote a pamphlet on the issue. I spoke to the Home Office Immigration Minister, and had a few interesting discussions. This contributed towards a lot of these proposals being significantly altered in a favourable direction.” With a significant proportion of universities relying heavily on international student numbers, Acton’s concerns seem to mirror those being expressed at other
British institutions. “It worries me that the British government has very specific targets, that they will reduce net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands. Looking at the bigger picture, if Britain is looking like it doesn’t really want international students that would be very dangerous. We are keen to urge the government not to do it again.” In terms of the potential
financial impact of the government’s proposals, Acton had the following to say. “International students are an important part of the university system in this country, and if they get cut, the whole thing rocks financially. The UK Council for International Student Affairs has estimated that international student contribute £2.5 billion to the UK economy in fees alone.
Concrete explains the new hubs, and where to go for academic assistance
lifestyle, p17
Continued on page 3
Popstar Pixie Lott celebrates Graduation 2011 with her brother, Stephen
What type of student do you think you are? Find out with the Lifestyle Quiz
sport, p26
Canary Corner is back, celebrity Norwich City’s return to the big time
comment, p9
Can the News of the World be defended? Turn to our big debate to find out
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Student Jobs and Volunteering Fair 2011 Local organisations with part-time paid and voluntary opportunities, looking to recruit UEA students, will be on campus on Tuesday 4 October, at the annual Careers & Employability Student Jobs & Volunteering Fair. The Fair, which is being held in the Student Union LCR from 12.00 – 15.00, is an ideal opportunity for anyone looking to gain valuable work experience during their studies. You may be looking for paid work, but voluntary work is another rewarding option. It’s not only a way to add great material to your CV, but it can introduce you to the local area and new friends. It also offers you new and exciting experiences and the chance to give a lot back to the local community.
A word from the Editor
S
Hannah Britt Deputy Editor
o here it is, a new Concrete year. After a summer full of riots, a successful English sports team (unlike 2010 and most probably 2012), I’m sitting here writing my first piece as Editor. Concrete was an invaluable part of my experience at UEA; from writing every issue for News and Sport in my second year to last year’s shenanigans co-editing the Sports section, Concrete has been brilliant. There’s no better time to get involved than now, with even more opportunities to write
contributors News: Chris King, Simon Grinstead, Susanna Wood, James Dixon, Danny Collins, David Murphy Comment: Beth Wyatt, Jess Collett, Oliver Sanham, Harry Jones, Jack Brinded, Richard Law, Kieron Macmahon, Joshua Resoun Features: Alex Ross, Lauren Razavi, Fran Roberts Lifestyle: Eleanor Dayton, Freya Barry International: Isabelle Carty, Clement Chew Turf: Becky Hazlewood, Joey Innes-Hopkins Sport: Chris Teale, Oli Platt, Alex Ross, Matt Scrafton, Mike Tomkins, Lewis Dalton, Sam Tomkinson, Doug Patient
news
Editors: James Dixon and Susanna Wood Email: concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
Through either paid or voluntary work you will gain experience and transferable skills that will help your CV stand out from the crowd. Whether it’s for money, fresh skills, a challenge or ways to make a difference whilst finding new friends, come along to the annual Student Jobs & Volunteering Fair, on Tuesday 4 October. This popular fair is one of the not-to-be missed career events happening this autumn. Further details, about this and other careers events and services can be found at www.uea.ac.uk/careers. If you want some feedback on your CV or application before you apply, or you would like some career guidance, you can always visit Careers & Employability, found at the end of the walkway next to the Library, or call 01603 593452.
than ever before, thanks to our brilliant new website – www.concrete-online.co.uk. Don’t feel you don’t have enough writing experience, as we all had to start somewhere! With the journalism job market as difficult as it gets, Concrete provides an opportunity it’ll be hard to find anywhere else, and the website means that the worlds of live blogging, breaking news, and online writing are available to all students at UEA for the first time. We don’t exactly have a scarcity of sections, either. With seven in Concrete and another eight in our culture pull-out, ‘Venue’, you’ll definitely find something to your taste. It doesn’t end there, however. We are always looking for suggestions from you, the UEA
write for news So you think you can write? Fancy yourself as a bit of a reporter? Concrete News are looking for writers who have a good eye for a story, can spot an exclusive and don’t mind putting the effort in to get a good scoop. To get involved with News this year, come and visit our stand at SocMart, and sign up to attend our Big Meet. News Editors James Dixon and Susanna Wood will be running a “Write For News” workshop sometime in the first fortight, so follow and ‘like’ us on Twitter and Facebook to remain in the loop on what we’re up to here at Concrete HQ. You don’t need experience to write for Concrete, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved, so why not give it a go?
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students, as to what we should put in Concrete. After all, Concrete is your newspaper, and the voice on campus for UEA students, no matter whether they write for us or not. So come find us at Socmart, say hi, grab a copy of Concrete, sign up, and come along to our big meet where you’ll hear varyingly embarrassing speeches from our various section editors, as well as yours truly. With famous Concretians including The People’s Showbiz Editor Katie Hind, and founder of the Daily Mirror 3am Girls column Polly Graham, there’s no telling where UEA’s independent student newspaper will take you.
Chris King
news NORWICH
Literary Festival comes of age The 28th September sees the return of UEA’s feted International Literary Festival, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary. With a wide range of speakers including authors, scientists and historians, this anniversary season promises to be the most diverse yet. The festival is taking place at dates over the course of the Autumn semester, with novelist Wilbur Smith beginning the festival on the 28th. The first festival, in 1991, featured Salman Rushdie and Doris Lessing. Tickets are £6, with season tickets available for £42/£36 (concessions) and are available online and from the UEA box office.
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Students have been left in despair by the lack of private sector housing in Norwich. With house prices on the increase, more people in Norwich are renting rather than buying their houses, leaving arriving students in a difficult situation as they search for housing for this academic year. By 5pm on 22 September, there were only 6 rooms available on the Home Run list, leaving some students panicking about where they were going to live for the year. This problem has particularly affected international students, who can’t get accommodation when the Home Run list is released in January and often have to find a place to stay in Norwich whilst still abroad. Concrete spoke to one postgraduate international student, who came from India to study for an MSc in Computational Biology. The student spoke of the difficulty he faced in being accepted onto his Masters course on September 2nd, when postgraduates have a guaranteed accommodation deadline of July 31st. The student was pointed towards the Union’s advice centre, but admitted that if he was unable to locate accommodation quickly in the private sector he would
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RAG society climb Kilimanjaro Simon Grinstead News Reporter This Summer, 44 members of UEA's charitable Raise & Give society set off in a bid to climb the world's highest free-standing mountain - Mt. Kilimanjaro. Having each raised £2440 for development charity ChildReach International, the students left in June and July. On arriving in Tanzania, the two expeditions began with a visit to one of the charity's current projects - a new school in the Moshi region - to meet some the children influenced by the funds raised. The six day climb went through rainforest, alpine
Housing hiccups Susanna Wood News Reporter
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simply have to return home. Communications Officer of the Union of UEA Students, Matt Myles, was keen to emphasise that both Home Run and the UEA Accommodation Office have been working tirelessly to help students. He added: “I would also like to commend Hannah Evans for her efforts in finding these desperate students somewhere to live; she has been fantastic and many students have acknowledged this.” The Home Run website has had 2,000 hits a week, since clearing began in August. Evans, of the Union’s Home Run service said: “The Union has been doing its best to assist these students but the amount of private housing can’t meet demands. Subsequently, many international students have arrived at university with nowhere to live.” The University has said: “Students who aren’t guaranteed accommodation or who have missed application deadlines are advised to contact home run and keep in touch with the accommodation office. If a student is unfortunate enough not to secure accommodation by the time they arrive there is emergency accommodation available in Broad View Lodge.” If you have had any issues attaining your accommodation this year. Email concrete.news@ uea.ac.uk with your stories.
desert, volcanic rock and glaciers, culminating in a midnight ascent to the summit - 19,341 feet above sea level to watch the sun rise. After the climb, the majority of students took the option to extend the trip to 20 days, enjoying safaris and relaxing on the beaches of Zanzibar. The Kilimanjaro climb was just one of many events organised by the RAG society last year, contributing towards a massive fundraising total of £112,000 for the year and the 'Outstanding Achievement' and 'Volunteering Society of the Year' accolades at the Union Awards 2010/11. To get involved with RAG visit www.uearag.co.uk, or sign up at Socmart.
Continued from front page With the initial government proposal having been to rule that no prospective students could come to study in the UK without having language level B2, defined as a considerable, clear mastery of English. Whilst these proposals haven’t been adopted, they would have, in Acton’s words, “decimated Photo by Laura Smith
the flow of those coming into pre-university colleges detrimentally, and therefore decimated the numbers entering at degree level.” With UEA’s INTO Centre constituting the above, it is clear to see why the campaign has raged in Parliament against the proposals. Estimates put international fees at constituting between two and 14 per cent
of the income of 80 per cent of British universities. With the two-year work visa not impossible to get, but significantly harder, it remains to be seen whether UEA’s targets of increasing international intake year-onyear will be met, or whether the watered-down government proposals will have the feared impact after all.
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Ban on homosexual blood donation is lifted James Dixon News Editor A blanket ban on homosexuals donating blood will be lifted on 7th November 2011. This comes after 30 years of exclusion from donating due to fear of the spread of HIV and AIDS. The ban excluded any male who had experienced homosexual relations from donating blood for life, even if it was only one time. Whilst blood donation is not a human right, it can be seen as a moral responsibility which has led facets of society such as the NUS to oppose the ban with their Donation Not Discrimination campaign. The
NUS believes that a blanket ban for homosexuals “perpetuates the myth that AIDS is a gay disease” and that ‘selection criteria should not be based on sexual orientation, but on participation in high-risk behaviour’. The government ordered a scientific review of blood donation legislature by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO). As a result of their study, SaBTO recommended a change in policy to health ministers whereby homosexuals will be allowed to donate blood after a 12 month deferral period since their last engagement in sexual intercourse with another man.
A deferral period of one year is also in place for people who have sex with prostitutes, sex with intravenous drug users, sex in parts of the world where AIDS is common and also women who have sex with bisexual men. LGBT rights groups Stonewall has reacted positively to the repeal of the ban, with their Chief Executive, Ben Summerskill, labelling the move as a “step in the right direction.” Stonewall have raised questions as to the fairness of the new system, as they believe it still discriminates low risk homosexuals, such as those in longterm monogamous relationships. Summerskill states: “Stonewall will continue to push
for a donation system based on the real risks a potential donor poses”. The Union of UEA Students participated in the NUS Donation Not Discrimination during the previous academic year. UEA’s branch of the campaign was led by the then Ethical Officer, Danny Keillor. The campaign saw a drive in blood donations and featured t-shirts with ticks and crosses displaying who was able to donate blood and who was not. Imprinted on the t-shirts were the words “Donate for a gay mate”. The current LGBT Officer, Hayley Kearns, labelled the recent repeal as “baby steps” towards a fully equal service of blood donation.
UEA chews over new Hubba Bubba Susanna Wood News Editor The organisation of administration at the University has been dramatically altered in time for the new academic year. Replacing the Taught Programmes Offices and School Offices are the brand new ‘hubs’. Each school is assigned to one of four hubs from which they receive support for timetables, registration, module enrolment, student handbooks, coursework submission and course information. The hubs are located in the Edith Cavell building, the Elizabeth Fry building, the ZICER building and the Arts building and each houses a number of undergraduate and postgraduate schools. Designed to be spacious and student-friendly, the hubs are supposed to be places where staff and students alike, can congregate. The hubs are connected with the university’s integration project, a planned restructuring by the University to cuts in funding. The University has
stated that the previous method of administration for the faculties was unnecessarily complex and expensive, and the new structure should focus skills together to make the University work more effectively. Some have seen this new arrangement as a response to issues with timetables that occurred in the 2010-11 academic year. With the new system, timetabling will be centralised to avoid problems. One big change for students will be that coursework will no longer be handed in to their school office, but instead to their assigned hub. This is leading to some concern that coinciding deadlines will cause a backlog of students trying to hand in their work, but the hubs have been designed to handle a large amount of students efficiently. The University has been keen to reassure students that support from advisers and other academic staff will remain within the school of study, and that there are no changes to services provided by the Dean of Students’ Office, Finance Office or the Library.
Creative Writing duo make prestigious shortlist A pair of UEA graduates have made the exclusive BBC National Short Story Award shortlist which only features five writers in total. The award comes with a £15,000 prize and the winner will be announced
on 26 September. The two graduates featured are DW Wilson, a graduate of the 2010 Prose Fiction MA and Katherine Orr, a graduate of the 2007 Prose Fiction MA.
Photo by Laura Smith
THE BIG QUESTION Would you have paid £9,000 a year to study at UEA? “University is not worth £9000 a year ... £3225 is a fair contribution but asking £9000 will put lower income students off.” JAMES MCAVOY International Relations and Politics “Yes, because im going into a career that needs a degree. If I was going for a Science or Englsh type degree which doesnt typically end up in great pay then I probably wouldnt have.” ANDREW GRIMSON Accountancy 3rd Year “I would if it was my only option. I’d be pissed off, but a degree is a degree. It’s still a hell of a lot cheaper than the states...” GERALDINE MORIZET English & Philosophy, 2nd Year “I want to become a lawyer and I feel that I’ll be able to pay the money back if I become a lawyer so yes, of course I would pay 9,000 for that opportunity.” TOM HADDEN Law 2nd Year
Prospective Paralympian attains Sponsorship Prospective Paralympian, 18 year old Amy Conroy, has been granted free access to the Sports Park’s basketball courts; from which she can spend hours honing her chosen sport:Wheelchair Basketball. Amy aims to participate in
2012’s London Paralympics after already having competed in the U25 World Championships. She lost part of her left leg after a bout of cancer in 2006. Currently part of the Team GB team, she is aiming to maintain her place in the squad.
“Yes, but for that amount it might be an idea to change the contact hours for some subjects, 6 hours of contact time per week for £9000 is an awful lot!” ANNABEL COPE English Literature 3rd Year
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Have you ever wanted the opportunity to speak one to one with a professional working in the career sector you aspire to work in? This year sees the launch of the brand new Career Mentors Scheme, which is giving you the opportunity to do just that. The scheme is a fantastic opportunity for you to be linked with either a member of UEA’s alumni, or a local business man/woman. Not only will this allow you the opportunity to ask a business professional all about their industry, it is also a chance for you to be supported and guided as you start to develop your own employability skills. Once matched, as a Mentee you will be allowed to have at least six hours of contact time with your Mentor over six months. During this period, you will hopefully be able to meet your mentor in person at least once and perhaps even visit your Mentor’s place of work. This scheme is a real chance for you to learn from the people who have firsthand experience in the world of business. Of course, the Career Mentors Scheme is not just for those who know exactly what they want to do in the future. If you have no idea what you want to do after graduation yet, or, you feel overwhelmed by the options available this scheme is a great way to begin exploring the possibilities and understand more about all the different jobs available within each career sector. We are currently recruiting Mentees for the 2011/12 scheme, so if you would like to be mentored or just want more information on the Career Mentors Scheme then there are a number of ways you can get in touch. Come visit us in person at our stand at the Freshers Fair or Jobs Fair. Or, alternatively, come to one of the short lunch time information sessions we’re running. The details will be available via our Facebook page (Career Mentors Scheme : University of East Anglia) or you can e-mail us at careermentors@uea.ac.uk.
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UEA climbs the world rankings ladder Danny Collins News Reporter UEA has continued its ascent up the QS World University Rankings, placing 261st in the annual survey, released earlier this month. Such has been UEA’s improvement in the rankings, that since 2007 it has risen almost 100 places, from 356th to its current position. It proved to be a fruitful year for British universities as Cambridge consolidated its position at the top of the table, taking first place from Harvard
University, which had held the position for the previous six years. Oxford (5th), Imperial College (6th) and UCL (7th) were also included in the top ten, with 31 British universities named in the top 300. With the threat of reduced government funding and the emergence of a number of elite universities in the developing world, however, the list’s compiler warned that Britain’s institutions faced a daunting challenge to remain in such an esteemed position, amongst prestigious competitors.
UEA
Guest speaker to lecture on Japan’s future Prof. Katsuyuki Yakushiji, professor of social and international relations at Tokyo University, in Tokyo will be leading a lecture on Japan’s future six months on after experiencing the
recent enviromental disaster. The lecture will be held on 28 September and also commences the opening of UEA’s new Centre for Japanese Studies (CJS).
Neuro Nurse takes to the road for charity Susanna Wood News Editor A UEA lecturer has raised almost £800 for charity by completing a 5000 mile motorbike ride across Europe. Steve Smith, a lecturer in neurological conditions, currently studying for his PHD in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, completed the journey along with his two sons. The money raised is going to the Huntington’s Disease Association (HDA), with additional money raised by his sons going to Scope and MIND. The route, which took a month to complete, went from France across Eastern Europe and finished in Romania. Despite breakdowns, thunderstorms and a bout of food poisoning in Slovenia, Smith was ecstatic to have raised money for a worthwhile cause and to have spent some quality time with his sons. Smith added: “We saw some amazing things. My highlights were the Transfargasan Highway in Romania, which we’d seen
before on Top Gear, and the Gross Glockner pass, which is a high mountain pass in Austria.” Talking to Concrete, Smith explained why he chose to support to HDA: “It was back when I was caring for a small group of people with rare neurological conditions when I began to get worried that there was not enough information out there about Huntington’s disease. It’s a degenerative neurological disorder which often starts with psychiatric and cognitive problems, which can be really hard for the sufferer and also for their family.” Smith has been featured in Concrete before when he brought attention to neurological conditions by singing about them at medical conferences. When asked if he had any advice for people wanting to go on a similar trip, he urged students to “just do it … don’t let yourself be talked out of it. There are always a thousand reasons not to do something but if you feel the impulse to do it, you have to do it, or you’ll get to 90 and have regrets!”
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NORWICH
Who’s making a tweet of themselves?
Twitter addicts have been left perplexed by rather odd statements coming from the University’s “official” Twitter feed (@uniofeastanglia). With comments ranging widely from rude remarks about Norwich’s Marks and Spencer to excitement about the “amazing” rainbows over UEA this summer. The question is: who is this mysterious voice of UEA? WORLDWIDE
Hacking lacking
Concrete is disappointed to report that after a summer where news websites were being hacked left, right and centre, Concrete Online remained untouched. This may be due to there not being one. Regardless, www.concreteonline.co.uk is now up and running and ripe for hacking.
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University leaves students satisfied... again David Murphy News Writer The University of East Anglia has once again ranked highly in the National Student Survey. However, its low scores in areas such as feedback on work and IT resources show it still has room for improvement. The University welcomed the results which showed over 90 per cent of students agreed that their course was intellectually stimulating and that their tutors showed a deep understanding and enthusiasm for the subject. Meg Evans, Academic Officer for the Union of UEA Students, said ‘These scores are fantastic and once again, UEA has achieved high levels of student satisfaction’. Encouragingly, the latest results in satisfaction with feedback do show an improvement on last years
but they are still low. Only 65 per cent of students thought the feedback they received on work was prompt and even less felt that this feedback helped them clarify things they did not understand. Students voted for the Hungry for Feedback campaign as one of the Union’s Priority Campaigns last year. The University’s other weak area of the survey came in IT resources. Just 74 per cent of students said they could access general IT resources such as computers and printers when they needed to. The ‘techpocalypse’ which saw almost all of the University’s networked systems crash in December 2010, likely contributed to this poor mark and the Union wants to see contingency plans put into place if an event like it should happen again. Meg Evans said: “The University was widely criticised
for its slow response to the network failure last year and has looked to how the Union dealt with it in order to improve if such an event happens again.” The National Student
Survey is completed by final year students at most Higher and Further Education institutions across the UK. The full results for this year’s survey can be found at Unistats.com.
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New gymnastics centre springs into action New Dean for School of Science Chris King Editor A new gymnastics centre has opened at the Sportspark, transforming the facilities available to students. Opened to the public earlier this month, the centre cost £2.8 million to build and is located at the back of the Haydn Morris Hall, completed in 2009. Measuring 648 square metres, it is fully equipped to Olympic standard, with pits for vaulting, asymmetric bars, beams, tumble track, sprung floor area and floor level trampoline. Keith Nicholls, Director of the Sportspark, said of the development: “The new Gymnastics Centre will give UEA students a fantastic range of
Photo courtesy of the Sportspark
Susanna Wood News Editor
Opened in early September, the centre is fully-equipped to Olympic standard
exciting new opportunities. UEA Trampolining and Cheerleading clubs will be able to train there and we’ll have to wait to see if a new student gymnastics club is set up. “There will also be opportunities for students to
gain qualifications in coaching courses we hope to run, which will benefit their CVs and open new avenues of employment. Of course, those students studying sport and on PGCE courses will also have access to this brilliant facility.”
The University of East Anglia welcomes a new Dean to the Faculty of Science. Prof. Philip Gilmartin comes to UEA from Durham, where he was a professor in the school of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. He is taking over from Prof. David Richardson, who is staying on at the University as the proVice-Chancellor for research and knowledge transfer. Prof. Gilmartin is distinguished in the scientific world; specialising in gene regulation and flower development, he gained a personal chair in Plant Molecular Genetics in 1999 and in 2004
CarbonCrew makes an impact on UEA’s campus James Dixon News Editor UEA’s CarbonCrew will be holding an informal lunch on 28 September in the Thomas Paine Centre, 1.5. The aim of the lunch is to discuss CarbonCrew’s involvement with UEA’s campus and also to highlight the 2011 Green Impact Awards. CarbonCrew exists to assist UEA’s Sustainability Team in raising awareness of environmental issues that are relevant to UEA. CarbonCrew work via a system
called CReds, which stands for the Community Carbon Reduction Programme. This programme aims to reduce the UK’s current Carbon emissions by 60% by 2025. One CRed policy is an online pledge campaign where people pledge to make small but important lifestyle changes which will offload part of their carbon footprint. The idea is that people can make a number of subtle but high impact changes to their lives in order to help combat climate change. At the time of writing, the CarbonCrew’s pledge system has received 1400 pledges which have
helped reduce carbon emissions by 76.8795 tonnes. This, however, is nowhere near the desired figure, as the Low Carbon Innovation Centre state that “each year, about nine tonnes of CO2 is released for every person in the UK.” To achieve this 60% reduction, each person needs in the UK needs to reduce their carbon footprint by 5.4 tonnes. The Green Impact Awards is a scheme aimed at university student unions to “nurture, reward and celebrate environmental good-practice.” The awards work through universities meeting certain environmental criteria laid
out by Green Impact, which earns the university a number of points between one and ten depending on the value to the enviroment. There are four levels for the university to progress through: Working Towards Accreditation, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The union that achieves the highest Gold award will win the Green Impact Union of the Year Award. The lunch invites students to find out how they can make a difference to climate change and carbon emissions whilst at university. For more information, contact Matt Taylor on matt. taylor@uea.ac.uk.
Sainsbury Centre put forward for listing status James Dixon News Editor The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts has been put forward for listing by the 20th Century Society. The building was conceived by Norman Foster between 1974 and 1976; resulting in its opening in 1978. The building has evolved over the years due to a number of additions and enlargements made by Foster with the Crescent Wing, built in 1991, a visible example. The Centre houses a large range of artworks donated by Sir Robert and Lady Lisa Sainsbury with notable artists including Henry Moore and Francis Bacon.
Listed buildings are ones that have been placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, offering them protection from demolishment, alteration and extension, thus preserving their future in a rapidly changing world. Paul Greenhalgh, Director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, commented: “The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is housed on one of the most important Late Modern buildings in Europe – in the world – and so its listing is both logical, and a good thing. It is one of Norman Foster’s greatest buildings and one of his first works of public architecture. We are all immensely proud of it, and committed to keeping it in
pristine order”. The Twentieth Century Society, who submitted the application, was founded as The Thirties Society in 1979. The Society’s primary focus is the conservation of important buildings that represent innovative and ground breaking design during the
Twentieth Century. An application for listing is put forward to English Heritage, a public body of the government, who assess the building’s merits and subsequently advise the Secretary of State, who ultimately decides whether the building is listed.
became Pro-Dean for research in the faculty of Biological Sciences before moving to Durham. He said: “I am excited to have joined UEA in a leadership role where I will be able to contribute to the further development and promotion of research and the student experience within the Faculty of Science.”
New Dean of the School of Science, Professor Philip Gilmartin
PRINCE OF WALES ROAD
Mercy to reopen The University as a whole, eagerly anticipates the opening of Mercy Nightclub, which has been closed since the end of Spring semester 2011. The refurb is splitting the club in four, so that means there will now be four different sections for you to dance the night away in. COUNTRYWIDE
Measles poses a spotty threat The Health Protection Agency is warning that a greater number of students than ever may catch measles this year. Concrete therefore advises you to take care of yourself, get the vaccination, and don’t sleep with anyone who looks too spotty. SCOTLAND
St. Andrews to deepen students’ pockets The University of St Andrews has revealed that it will be charging £9,000 a year for non-Scottish students; 4 years in the University will now cost £36,000. So that’s maybe a tenth of what their most famous graduates’ wedding dress cost. Nice.
The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts stands proudly on a rolling hillside
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History: who cares? We do! Given the dearth of students studying History, and a perception that the subject is slightly moribund, Beth Wyatt defends her academic choice With many universities preferring to enlist students who’ve taken more academic A-Levels such as the humanities, as opposed to ‘softer’ options, you’d be forgiven for believing that the popularity of subjects such as history was assured. However, this summer’s exam results indicate a worrying decrease in history students. As a history undergraduate myself, it could be argued that I have a bias towards the discipline I love, however, I believe it is absolutely essential for everyone to learn about history. After all, what could be more important than studying the past? For a start, it’s fascinating to know what happened to
previous civilisations, how our ancestors lived, how they faced the obstacles of their time, and how they set us firmly on the road to modernisation. It is humbling to know that you, and your predecessors and ancestors, are just one small piece of an everexpanding picture. History gives you that warm sense of belonging, you learn where you are from.
“I believe it is absolutely essential for everyone to learn about history” There is an even better reason for delving into the past. We all know humans make mistakes, some greater than others, and the oft-said remedy for that is to
learn from them. Many horrifying events of the twentieth century posed questions of morality. The First World War, a bloodbath with no purpose or meaning; the Vietnam War, same answer on a smaller scale; the Holocaust, an unimaginable occurrence in which humans sank to their lowest depths. The world would be a far worse place if people failed to heed these warnings, but is there any hope when a substantial portion of children today, when asked, said that Adolf Hitler was a German football coach? We can only hope that schools work to reverse this ignorance, and restore this country’s passion for history.
A new semester, a new X-Factor As the new season of the X-Factor approaches, Jess Collett gives her opinion of the talent show It’s that time of year again folks. The most important time of the year. The time that changes your life irreparably and improves it for the better. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wish it’ll never end. I am, of course, referring to the return of the X-Factor. The plastic dream factory has returned to our screens, with all its exploitative goodness for us to feast upon. Yay! It’s time for rubbishy news headlines detailing how much the judges hate each other, talking to wronged contestants, wronged contestants ex-partners and that kid they kissed once at a party when they were twelve! It’s the gift that just keeps on giving. Well, until boot camp. You see, I only watch the auditions because for some reason, I have as of yet to be as entranced with the whole process of taking some raw ‘talent’ and melding into the perfectly marketable profit that melds perfectly with the modern concept of Christmas. Somehow,
I just don’t know why, I find the whole process a bit, dare I say it, fake and uninteresting? You may react with shock and horror, but I don’t actually care about the competition or the contestants. I know how the live shows are going to go; there’ll be an early favourite who won’t win, a band who get to the live final and actually get a career, some jokey act that has no hope of winning, and the actual winner who you won’t know in six months time. Add a steaming dollop of controversy, some predictable over-used phrases and you’ve got popular television. It’s a very predictable pattern.
“I find the whole process a bit...dare I say it...fake and unintersting” Truth is, I’m a heartless bItch and I don’t actually care about contestants. The contest isn’t about talent and it never has been.
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Editor: Joshua Resoun Email: concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk
It’s about entertainment and profitability, first and foremost. And exactly why should I care? It doesn’t affect my life and it sure as hell won’t affect the entrant’s life – until I recognise them working at our local HMV after their career has completely failed. (Hey, remember Leon Jackson? People actually bought his single!) If I am to watch some vacuous television, I don’t want to help people realise their dreams of five minutes of fame while paying £3 a minute. That’s why I watch the auditions - so I can laugh at people and feel a smug sense of self-satisfaction. While I may constantly doubt myself, at least know I haven’t sunk to their level. And isn’t that why we all watch X-Factor? We watch it because it’s the modern equivalent of a Victorian freak show, small wonder why it has a small amount of actual talent, and a large amount of silently (or vocally) judging strangers.
Your Comment. Your View. Your Paper.
Disagree with something said? Got an opinion you want heard? Want to voice a complaint? Email concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk
the riots: one month on
Oliver Sanham asks: “Can we really blame a rioter if rioting isn’t really a conscious decision?”
The riots: In figures • 1,715 - The total number of alleged rioters taken to court in the aftermath • 70% - Had previous convictions or cautions • £200+ million - The estimated cost to insurers • 30,000 - Estimated trading hours lost by retailers
It is said that riots are an act of a collective mind. According to the world of psychology, we lose our identity as we commit mass acts of aggression. Certainly an individual can be held responsible for the looting, burning or other mindless acts we saw this summer, but is that in any more than just a legal sense? Two looters were heard on BBC News declaring they were “taking back their taxes. The cost to the taxpayer for policing and compensation: £132 million. A flawed logic then, that this was some great Marxist struggle rather than anything more primal. Perhaps, in a moment of pent up anger, a single person decides to kick a bin. The idea of violence spreads fast because it is so compelling, and it is for this reason that it seems that the events of August were not a conscious reaction to cuts or unemployment, but rather symptomatic of a great national sickness: so many people have such little identity to lose, conditions are perfect for a mindless riot. The demographic of the collected rioters was overwhelmingly young working class males, precisely the kind of individual that suffers from a feeling of purposelessness. After all, one –in-five of them is unemployed and job opportunities are scarce in many regions. As a nation of people that often define ourselves by our work
(“And what do you do?”), what exactly do we make of ourselves when we have no output? The young male moving from the care of the mother to the care of the welfare state must make a marked transition, sometimes into a state of being in which one is merely sustained but not fulfilled. Sustainment comes from benefits or from a minimum wage; either way it is easy to feel disenchanted when you come to feel unvalued. So, we should not convict
“We cannot convincly suggest that every man and woman involved made a conscious decision to be bad that day” the people who were on our then-burning streets in a moral sense, even if we shall do so in a legal sense. Acts which are harmful to the livelihood and often to the health of the everyday man should not go unpunished, but we cannot convincingly suggest that every man and woman involved made a conscious decision to be bad that day. When you find yourself down on your luck, you will take whatever means you can to achieve the gratification suggested by better-paid lifestyles, especially when you find yourself in a collective rioting mass, collectively getting away with it, and collectively giving up identity.
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Saturday 24th September 2011 - Issue 257
THE BIG DEBATE
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In the wake of the closure of the News of the World, Concrete asks:
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Harry Jones
Were the journalists providing a public service despite the illegality of their actions? Or did they go too far in pursuing actions designed to meet their own ends?
Jack Brinded
It wasn’t phone-hacking that closed the News of the World after 168 years in print, but a giant national tantrum - spurred on by the scent of Rupert Murdoch’s blood in the water - that conflated scattered instances of illegality. The tipping point came in 2002 – and was later brought to public attention in 2011 – when murdered school girl Milly Dowler’s voicemail messages were hacked, listened to, and in some instances, deleted. Such egregious acts, at a time when the Dowler family were grieving for their daughter, can never be justified. Not only did the journalists involved seriously infringe upon the family’s privacy at an unimaginably difficult time, they also gave the Dowler’s false hope by making it seem as if Milly herself had been using the phone.
“These journalists never set out to destroy lives or knowingly rake over the voicemail messages of dead school girls” But to many people, the strikingly small number of “rogue” journalists engaged in phone-hacking were seen instead as an ever-encroaching army of grave-robbing bogeymen, listening in to every private conversation and intimate moment for the sheer fun of it. These journalists, seen as utterly reprehensible by the majority of the British public, never set out to destroy lives or knowingly rake over the voicemail messages of dead school girls. There was a little too much madness in the methods they used, but their intentions were always pure. Nevertheless, and because of regrettable instances such as this, it is very easy to understand why phone-hacking terrifies the public. But in reality, it isn’t that likely to happen to you or I, and it only happened on the occasions
when important information could be brought to light to either help catch Milly’s killer, or, at the very least, identify him. Lest we forget, the News of the World has a long and rich history of bringing the guilty to account. And let’s not pretend to care about the privacy of the affected celebrities, royals and politicians who made up the overwhelming majority of phone-hacking victims. Such people have built up lives and careers that are wholly co-dependent on their larger-than-life media personas. Indeed, for Hugh Grant to lead the charge as moral arbiter after being caught with his pants around his ankles, whilst still in a relationship with Elizabeth Hurley, is beyond ridiculous. If, unlike Hugh, you can separate yourself from the hysteria for a moment you can start to appreciate just how isolated these instances of gross professional misconduct were. And, as horrific and hurtful as their actions proved to be, the culpable and thoroughly overzealous journalists – who were nevertheless in a minority were only ever trying to do their job. Yet they were treated with only marginally more affection than a paedophile ring. Ironic, considering that the News of the World spearheaded a popular campaign that saw Sarah’s Law passed in the UK, greatly tightening child sex offence laws and police measures. And even as it emerged that Sarah Payne’s voicemail messages may have been hacked, the media campaigner and mother of 8-year-old Sarah wrote a letter of thanks in the final issue. As far as the loyal readers were concerned, the journalists and correspondents behind these exposés and undercover reports were doing a service to the Great British public. Through the regrettable medium of phonehacking, undercover reporting, snooping and digging, these journalists were able to inform, entertain, and protect for many, many years.
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Published from 1843 - 2011 Criculation of 2.5 million First phone hacking allegations emerged in 2006 Over 10 senior editors arrested Policemen bribes totalled £100,000 Over £250,000 compensation paid Phone hackings of grieving families, British soliders, celebrities, politicians and sports stars On-going investigations in a dozen countries
In a democracy, there are three supposedly sacred roles the press should fulfil: it should inform the electorate, hold people in power accountable and represent public views. If it fails to do that, it is damaging to the democratic process. Unfortunately, the economic motives of most newspapers seem to get in the way of this, as cheap scandal sells better than political scrutiny. Over the summer, the scandal that developed from the News of the World was the story on everyone’s lips as sordid revelations of treachery, betrayal and lies emerged. And, ironically, there was very little sex involved, for a scandal involving a Murdoch paper. The abuses actually uncovered were far more severe: police bribery and phone-hacking on a massive scale. Meanwhile, News of the World writer Paul McMullen, while staring coldly into the camera on Newsnight, claimed that all he’d ever done as a “journalist” (I use that term generously) was to try and tell the truth, and that phonehacking helped him to do that. This completely airbrushed what had really been uncovered by official investigations. The paper had paid bribes of up to £100,000 to up to five Met officers, as well as hacking the phones of a number of vulnerable individuals, including the murdered school girl Milly Dowler, victims of the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks, and deceased British soldiers. In effect, NotW was shown to be one of the biggest crime syndicates in the country. The victims were not powerful people, and it was in no way the public’s interest to defile the dead, yet McMullen went on to claim this was a necessary evil to catch politicians “with their trousers down, fiddling with their expenses.” They didn’t seem to be particularly interested in their former editor Andy Coulson’s
exploits, spinning a story about George Osborne’s past links to a drug-taking dominatrix, allegedly preventing severe damage to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s political career, before being invited into a cushy position at Downing Street.
“The victims were not powerful people - and it was in no way in the public’s interest to defile the dead. McMullen went on to claim hacking was a necessary evil to catch politicians” The News of the World did however pursue a personal vendetta against Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan. The problem was the News of the World disagreed with his politics, but couldn’t dent his popularity - he was elected to the Scottish Parliament for two consecutive terms - so they pursued him on an ad hominem basis instead, digging up adultery allegations. Now, in amongst this information, it becomes clear something is fundamentally wrong with the Murdoch press: they will pursue a man who tries to change the world like dogs on the trail of a fox, but they will move mountains to cover up a friend in a government’s misdemeanours. They pursued a frankly undemocratic agenda under the guise of “freedom of the press”, doing the very opposite of what any paper should do: they misinformed the public, they held the powerless to ransom and assisted the powerful, and I have an inkling it is not representative of the public’s view that murdered children and casualties of terrorism should be stalked by the Murdoch press. The News of the World is gone, closed to preserve News Corp’s empire. It should not be mourned.
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Why the sudden fuss?
Richard Law examines the cultural phenomenon that is the celebrity death. If, like me, you have feared for Apple’s finances during the recession you can now stop worrying; thankfully, the company has managed to monopolise the rock star death. But before we confirm Apple as the sole enemy, let us, to quote Mozza, paint a vulgar picture of the media. The death of celebrities has become a cultural phenomenon in its own right, as confusing and often disturbing as that of celebrity itself. The routine of the public ritual is recognisable to the point of cliché. The ritual culminates with the public – in genuine good grief - flocking to iTunes to download the latest digital shrine to the latest fallen star, shooting them back up the charts a final time.
“The commodification of death has the undesired effect: it takes away any of the glamour that attracted the audience’s interest to begin with. But more importantly, it takes away the humanity of the life in question” The only memorable interruption to the routine was an infamous instance in which the media had begun the procession before the body was even in the coffin. In 2009, OK! magazine released as its 666th edition a black border lined tribute to Jade Goody, purporting to contain her “final words”. This wouldn’t have been so deprecating had Goody not been alive to read her own obituary, dying just days later.
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Are we safer now? With 9/11’s anniversary having passed, Kieran McMahon asks: is the world a safer place? It is hard to believe that Iraq ever posed us a credible threat. Saddam, mad as he was, would surely have known that attacking Britain or the USA would have been the last thing he ever did while in power. The defeat of Saddam’s regime in 2003 took just 21 days and no WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) were found. Afghanistan is different, the Taliban are well documented to have co-operated with al-Qaeda before the war while no such link has been found for Iraq, and the removal of the Taliban has damaged the capability of al-Qaeda to launch attacks. The future of these countries, however, is so much in the balance that it’s impossible to know what will happen when our troops withdraw fully. The growth of counterterrorism is an easily measurable improvement to security, as The real question at stake here is does the media have its finger on the nation’s pulse or its purse? Perhaps as tragically inevitable as Amy Winehouse’s death was her inability to escape the tabloids’ posthumous hyperbolic ramblings (known in the real world as grovelling). One of the finest voices of her generation? No doubt. Hugely influential? No question. A genius? It’s getting slippy. It’s suspicious that these venerations are crafted by the same clutch of yellow-bellied journalists who spent a hefty portion of their pitiful careers harassing her whilst she was alive. That said it would be naive to suggest that these amoral journalists are not simply meeting the demands of a similarly amoral readership, who insist that the lives and indeed deaths of their fellow -but famous - primates become their property. But why? The crass commodification of death has the undesired effect: it takes away any of the glamour that attracted the audience’s interest to begin with. But, more importantly, it takes away the humanity of the life in question. If the media has its finger on the nation’s pulse, mine must be beating silently.
dozens of plots have been foiled and thousands arrested. Counterterrorism is better funded and prioritised, public security and transport safety are dramatically tightened and there can be little doubt that such vigilance make us safer. Herein a question lies, however, and that is who ‘us’ is. Is the world a safer place for non-whites and Muslims since 2001? Are you more likely to be discriminated against? To be intimidated, harassed, or even attacked? Just look at the case of Jean Charles de Menezes, who would surely not have died without anti-terror paranoia. Look at the increased possibility of arbitrary detention or detention without trial, wrongful arrests and over-zealous police operations. Perhaps as a nation we are safer from global terrorism, but some of us are more vulnerable to the heavy hand of our own government.
There is, of course, an enormous amount of speculation and hysteria surrounding September 11th, which ranges from the plausible to the absurd on both sides. What’s clear from any breakdown of events though, is that there was a chain of catastrophic failures and flukes
Is the European Union dead? With the looming crisis in Europe, Joshua Resoun discusses the chances of the EU breaking apart The Eurozone faces a debt crisis which threatens to end the European dream. Another bailout looms on the horizon for Greece, which requires £96billion in order to avoid defaulting on its national debt one month from now. The Eurozone countries along with the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank have promised loans to Greece on a set of strict conditions to achieve austerity and balance their budget. These are measures which make ours here in Britain seem warm and fuzzy in comparison. However, the danger lies in Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel currently leads a coalition government in a country which is increasingly asking
itself the question: why should we bail them all out? The latest wave of elections has damaged Merkel badly, and if Germany was to decide that Greece - and the other debt-ridden countries of Spain, Italy and Ireland - are not worth saving, well, the Eurozone would be at an end. In the past, Greece has simply devalued its currency in order to stave off economic c r i s i s . However, with the Eurozone, and the adoption of the Euro, Greece no longer has this option as the Euro is controlled by the European Central Bank. This is where the difficulty lies. You cannot have a feasible economic union without having a strong, political union.
comment which allowed the hijackings to wreak such devastation. It was so shocking and has become so indelibly etched into the minds of those who witnessed it, that it will probably never happen again because it will never be unexpected again. People see bearded men getting onto planes, andyoung men with rucksacks on trains, in a way that they did not see them before. We live in a culture of suspicion and it is up to us as citizens to ensure that vigilance is not allowed to slide into prejudice.
Recently the ECB president, Jean-Claude Trichet, has called for a stronger political union to overcome this very problem. But with an ongoing economic crisis, and a growing feeling of Eurosceptism, political union seems unlikely. Despite the vice-president of the IMF, Min Zhu, warning that the current financial crisis is “the biggest concern Europe is facing”, I would not put money on the European Union breaking apart. The big hitters in the EU - Germany and France - seem unlikely to back down after investing so much time, energy, and money, into creating the supra-national organisation. Greece, along with the other failing economies across the poorer region of Southern Europe, will be forced to accept the strict regulations which accompny the bailout. The knock-on affects of the collapse of the euro, let alone the EU, would be catastrophic. Sure, Britain may lose some of that red tape if the EU were to collapse, but we would also lose a significant portion of our global influence. The EU is wounded, bleeding, and gasping for breath, but it is not dead.
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10. Highest Mountain in Antarctica 11. Winner of 1970 Football World Cup 12. Practitioner of modern economics 17. Winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2011 22. Chart topper with a sold out gig at UEA
1. A crime involving the wrongful acquisition of the personal property of another person 4. To degrade to the status of a mere object 5. Currency of Afghanistan 6. Collective noun for ant 7. Famous ecosystem between Tanzania and Kenya 9. Fastest production car 13. James Joyce epic 14. Symbol of Scotland 15. 2003 Academy award winner for best picture 16. Name for the internationally accepted civil calendar 18. Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 19. Number 92 on the periodic table 20. English model, actor and artist 21. 2008 X Factor winner 24. Venue of the World Snooker championship 23. Radio DJ and former UEA student 25. Presenter of the US X Factor 26. Most recent England cricket debutant 27. Singer of notorious song Heartbeats
Competition - WIN Bombay Bicycle Club tickets! Indie rockers Bombay Bicycle Club are heading to the LCR on October 20th, and despite the gig being sold out we can offer 4 free tickets to those who manage to complete our inaugural crossword of the year. If you’re interested bring your completed crossword to the Concrete office by 5pm on Friday October 7th. Good luck!
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Saturday 24th September 2011 - Issue 257
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The wonders of Toronto Concrete Travel explores the natural and the manmade wonders of Canada’s largest city Even after an eleven and a half hour bus journey from New York and a tedious stop at the border, the drive along Lake Ontario and into the cluster of Toronto’s skyscrapers is certainly worth the wait. Sitting next to the glistening lake, Toronto seems to have everything. Suburban sprawl starts miles before you hit the imposing buildings that dominate the city centre, but whilst you speed past the Greater Toronto Area on your left hand side, the lake follows you all the way to your right. Eventually you hit the very centre of this vast city and its iconic marker, the CN Tower. Built as a communication and observation tower, the CN Tower was, for 34 years, the world’s tallest free-standing structure. It’s still an incredible building, dominating the Toronto skyline and offering tourists an unbeatable view of the city and beyond. A lightning fast lift with a glass-panelled floor whisks you up to the first observation point, 350m above the ground. In the day time the whole of Toronto is spread out below like a map and at night the twinkling lights of the city stretch out for miles into the darkness. Those with a daredevil spirit can go beyond the glass, walking around a ledge 116 storeys up whilst attached, of course, to a safety rail. Those who don’t fancy leaning backwards with nothing but an 1168ft fall between them and the ground can watch from various TV screens around the observation deck. Although the top of the CN Tower offers a bird’s eye view of the pitch below, grabbing a seat for a Blue Jays baseball game is the best way to experience America’s pastime. The Roger’s Centre is an impressive stadium, but unfortunately the resident baseball team is less so. Nevertheless tickets can be purchased for around $15, and all the paraphernalia of an American baseball game is on show, from vendors walking up and down the steps balancing hot dogs and cans of beer, to the cheerleaders who try to raise the atmosphere. The night is still young when the baseball games finish and Toronto has plenty of clubs and bars. In particular the appropriately-named Clubland
area has the highest density of nightclubs in North America and with three universities, Toronto’s clubs are always busy. Adelaide and Queen Streets are also loaded with pubs and clubs but places to party can also be found close to the harbour front, although these tend to be more expensive. Toronto is also home to a number of microbreweries and the best of these, the Steamwhistle brewery, can be toured for $8 including free samples and a gift. Remember that the drinking age in Ontario and in most of Canada is 19, compared to 21 across the border in the USA. Toronto’s biggest tourist attractions are mostly manmade, but Torontonians are lucky enough to live just an hour away from one of the wonders of the natural world – Niagara Falls. The most powerful waterfalls in North America attract 28m tourists a year and can be reached close up on the Maid of the Mist boat tour, which has been taking tourists into the storm of the Falls since 1846. Every passenger is handed a blue poncho to wear and once you pass the Horseshoe Falls you are thankful for it. The boats go right into the mist, drenching those on the top deck amidst the terrific noise of the Falls. Once safely back on dry land the rest of the town is open to be explored, but to avoid the crowd of tourists buying souvenirs it’s best to head to the tranquil town of Niagara-on-the-lake which has an abundance of ice cream shops. The Niagara peninsula is also famous for its vineyards which are known for producing one of the sweetest and most expensive wines in the world – ice wine. Tours of wineries are widely available and allow visitors to find out how ice wine is produced as well offering samples and winetasting events. Toronto’s wonders don’t stop at just the Tower and the Falls. The city brims with exciting things to see, from street festivals such as the annual Buskerfest to ice hockey which the city thrives on. From sky high towers that look like a pin stuck in the earth, to thundering waterfalls that are among the most spectacular natural sights in the world, Toronto really is wonderful.
Essential Toronto Population: 5.1 million Demonym: Torontonian Motto: “Diversity our strength” Where to stay? HI Toronto on Church Street is centrally located with the main shopping mall just a few streets away. They run an excellent range of excursions including a day trip to Niagara Falls, a ride up the CN Tower and city tour for CAD$75. Rooms from CAD$25. Getting around Toronto’s public transit system is the third largest in North America after New York and Mexico City. Subway and streetcar are the most popular way to get around but Toronto is also an easy city to walk around as well. When should I go? Toronto enjoys warm, humid summers in contrast to most of Canada but suffers perishing winter tempretures that can plummet to below zero degrees. Late spring and early autumn are considered by many to be the best times to visit as summer is the main tourist season. Top tip Visit Toronto’s islands. Like New York City, Toronto’s islands are secluded places to take a break from the bustling city. The views of the skyline make for a great photograph and the beaches are never crowded so you can be guaranteed a relaxing afternoon. Boats from the city are cheap and run regularly.
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Take a break from Norwich Cromer (23 miles north of Norwich; 55 minutes train £6.80) is a popular seaside town and is famous for its crabs caught by the local fishermen. Once a resort for rich Norwich families in the summertime, Cromer is still a beautiful place with a sandy beach and a pier. Cromer is home to the Royal Norfolk Golf course and also to the Amazona Zoo on the outskirts of the town. Great Yarmouth (20 miles east of Norwich; 33 minutes train £7.00) was for many years a major fishing port, but today relies on tourism. Somewhat gone to seed, The “Golden Mile” still has twelve amusement arcades and Yarmouth two piers that hold entertainment events as well as one of England’s largest markets. Cambridge (60 miles south-west of Norwich; 1 hour 15 mins train £14.60) is of course famous for its University, but take the time to try out the ever-popular activity
of Punting on the River Cam. The city is both beautiful and historic, and well worth a look for a weekend away. Sheringham (27 miles north of Norwich; 58 minutes train £7.00) is a small seaside town with a rich history of fishing . Known as the ‘Jewel of the Norfolk coast’ , Sheringham has a youth hostel which is a great base to explore the coastline. Amsterdam (246 miles driving and boat; approx 6 hours; Stenaline ferry £59 for a car, £34 for a foot pasenger; KLM flights from approx £100 return) is one of Norwich International Airport’s most prestigious destinations and also accessible from Harwich to the Hook of Holland are by air from Norwich International to Schiphol Airport. Perfect for a weekend city break or lads holiday, Amsterdam’s world-class nightlife is the biggest draw. Hire a bike to cycle along the canal
“Wish you were here?” “This picture was taken just a few days after the MLK memorial opened to the public in America’s capital. King now becomes the first African-American to be honoured with a memorial on the National Mall. The memorial is less than a 10 minute walk away from the Lincoln Memorial from which he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech in 1963. King’s memorial is based upon
his quote “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope” with a stone walkway to the memorial representing the mountain and the statue of King pictured representing the ‘stone of hope’. The memorial came at a huge expense, costing $120 million , but it is a fitting tribute and celebrates King’s abilities as an orator as well as an inspirational idol for many Americans.”
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Concrete Travel’s guide to
Norwich
By far the largest city for miles around, Norwich offers everything in abundance art, music, sport, history and shopping. Allegedly boasting a pub for every day of the year and a church for every Sunday, Norwich is the region’s hub.
Ancient cobbled streets lined with eclectic independent shops, bustling market squares next to impressive modern architecture, renovated churches showcasing the best arts entertainment in the region; Norwich seamlessly combines the medieval with the modern to form a vibrant, creative city.
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The city houses two cathedrals, but Norwich Cathedral is the more impressive. Built over 900 years ago, its spire stands at 96 metres and is one of the tallest in Britain. The cathedral also holds exhibitions and festivals throughout the year. Even if you don’t fancy going inside, the grounds are well worth a visit, even if it is just to relax on a Sunday afternoon.
Havanas Don’t want to go home yet? No worries, Havanas is always open after everywhere else has closed up and offers great cocktails until the birds start singing. Lola Lo’s Bringing the South Pacific to Norwich, Lola’s has been a popular favourite with students since its renovation. Watch out for the shark buckets though they’re lethal! Project Norwich’s newest nightclub is slightly outside of the gaggle of clubs surrounding Prince of Wales Road, but offers some of the biggest nights out, as well as Calvin Harris in October.
Situated in the UEA grounds is the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, a world class public art museum whose collections span 5000 years of human creativity. As well as holding a host of talks and workshops, the centre has an ever-changing round of exhibitions that showcase art and artefacts from all over the world. Norwich’s newest and most stunning landmark is The Forum which houses the Millennium Library, BBC East studios and Fusion - Europe’s largest digital gallery. The building itself is jawdropping and a great place to meet friends for lunch, as it’s in the very centre of the city. Fusion is, in layman’s terms, a huge TV screen and holds many events throughout the year, putting Norwich at the forefront of digital technology.
pubs/clubs
shopping Chapelfield Norwich’s largest shopping centre with over 90 shops and restaurants. Major stores include House of Fraser, Apple, Hollister, Superdry and H&M. The Mall Norwich Brands and independent retailers on four levels. Norwich’s Vue cinema is also housed here. Shops include T.K. Maxx, Boots and New Look. For a less mainstream shopping experience, the Norwich Lanes are well worth a wander with 200 independent shops lined along cobbled streets and alleyways. St Benedict’s Street specialises in independent record shops
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restaurants
takeaways
Pedro’s Mexican Cantina Popular with couples and students with an excellent range of Mexican food and drink. Generous portions and a scenic setting in the middle of Chapelfield Gardens makes this one of Norwich’s most-loved.
Neptune Fish Bar The typical offerings of an independent takeaway but with excellent pizzas at decent prices.
Sweet Chilli Superb Thai food is served in this cosy establishment. Visit on Wednesdays to try the £10 Thai Tapas which will fill you up and give you an all round taste of Thai cuisine.
sightseeing in the city One of Norwich’s most prominent attractions, Norwich Castle is 900 years old but doesn’t look it thanks to extensive refurbishments and a modern museum that attracts visitors from around the world. Tours of the dungeons and battlements are available seven days a week and give a great view of the city from the top of the castle at 125 feet above street level. For those wanting a quick look around, the Castle offers £1 admission from one hour before closing every day.
Editor: Greg Lewry Email: concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk
Mercy Following extensive and lengthy refurbishment, former favourite Mercy is back on the Prince of Wales Road, ready to re-establish itself as Norwich’s premier club. Once a firm favourite with students, Mercy will do battle with Lola’s and Project to attract the UEA masses. The LCR UEA’s very own club, centrallylocated and hosting club nights every Saturday and Tuesday. Perhaps not for everyone, the LCR will either become your first-choice destination for nights out, or a place where, in occasional fits of nostalgia, you visit to rave to 90’s classics and the “current” chart-toppers. For those wanting a different type of night, the LCR is split into two parts. The best thing - you’ll always see someone you know.
and other places like Elm Hill house small businesses selling original gifts, vintage clothes and antiques. Norwich Market’s multicoloured roofs attract shoppers looking for fresh fish, meat and cheese as well as specialist items.
Rice and Spice Indian and Bangladeshi delivered fast. Plenty of dishes with special offers every Wednesday. Domino’s Pizza A bit obvious perhaps, but Domino’s do great student offers and hand out free pizza at the Freshers’ Fair, so don’t miss out!
sport Norwich City Football Club Two promotions in two seasons means that the Canaries are now in the highest level of English professional football. Accordingly ticket prices have risen and start at around £30.
Norwich Rugby Club Amateur rugby club who run four senior teams.
Norwich is also a top city for department stores with more major stores like Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis and Marks and Spencer than anywhere outside of London. Jarrolds is the local department store.
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Editor: Lauren Razavi Email: concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Identity Parade
With a new year upon us, Concrete’s Alex Ross takes a look at some of UEA and Norwich’s famous faces, and perhaps a couple you might not be expecting Norwich and Los Angeles don’t have a lot in common. While some of the city centre apartments are particularly glamorous, the city twinned with Koblenz and Novi Sad doesn’t have its own version of Beverley Hills. That isn’t to say that Norfolk’s largest city doesn’t boast a plethora of celebrities, ranging from the high-profile, nationwide stars to the moderately obscure, and many variations in between. UEA, meanwhile, has its own fairly impressive roster of famous faces, many of whom will have trodden the same paths, drank in the same bar (minus some cosmetic changes) and sat in the same lecture theatres as you.
Some tend to have negative perceptions of Norwich as a marginal, mostly rural city with not much going on. This is hardly fair, and it’s worth remembering as well that Norwich isn’t all about a football club which plays in yellow and green and a TV chef prone to rather embarrassing gaffes. The face perhaps most commonly associated with Norwich is that of Stephen Fry. Eminently intelligent, and a staple in intellectual comedy programming, he has been the host of QI since it began in 2003. His role as General Melchett in celebrated television series Blackadder set Fry on the path to fame and respect, and gained him
a place in the nation’s heart. Known for his passionate devotion to the city, Fry joined the board at Norwich City last year telling Concrete that “Norwich City is one of the truly great exemplars of a true community club.” He had a point. City, now a Premier League club, can proudly boast to have a man on their board who, whilst claiming to have “loathed all forms of sports” as a child, defends the city and the county at every turn. Whilst Fry is perhaps the most recognisable and charming faces of academia in the country, it’s fair to say that UEA can rival his intellectual prowess. Kazuo Ishiguro, Booker prize winner
for The Remains of the Day and author of novel-cum-blockbuster Never Let Me Go, is just one of a host of great authors to have passed through the prestigious Creative Writing MA course at the University. Rose Tremain, whose career has taken in an Orange Prize for best novel and a Whitbread Award, both studied and taught in the Creative Writing department. Speaking to Concrete last year, Tremain described her first enrollment at UEA as “incredibly exciting” and recalled that the experience at UEA was “something completely different”. She did, however, recommend that UEA students “burn effigies of the late Denys Ladsun for giving you such miserable buildings”. If, however, you really want to brag to your friends at clearly inferior universities, it might be worth bringing up Matt Smith, the current Dr Who. The fresh-faced, pointy-haired, time-travelling Dalek killer graduated from UEA with a degree in Drama and Creative Writing. And if you’re a budding actor holed up in the Drama Studio feeling the crippling weight of the world on your thespian shoulders, console yourself with the thought that John Rhys-Davies trod the
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same boards as you. Famous for playing Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sallah in Indiana Jones, Rhys-Davies is a man with incredible potential during Movember and one of the first crop of UEA students in the 1960s. Away from epic trilogies, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson spent their first year at UEA skipping lessons and playing guitar in a punk rock band. Whitehouse then dropped out and lived in Hackney for a while. Whitehouse, famous for his collaborations with Harry Enfield and his lead role in The Fast Show, has been described by Jonny Depp as “the greatest actor of all time.” So skipping class and forming a punk band is not formally endorsed by this newspaper. But it did work for him. Of course, UEA fresher, you will be wondering how many famous sportsmen and women have passed through the doors of the Sportspark on the way to the World Cup or jogged past Norwich Cathedral in preparation for that Olympic Gold. How many of these superhuman athletes were once amongst our ranks? Well, none. But Jake Humphreys is from Norwich and he presents F1 on the BBC.
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The One That Got Away It may surprise you to know, but UEA was once home for a woman dubbed “Doctor Germ” by the United Nations, and was allegedly involved in Iraq’s unsuccessful program to develop chemical weapons, the much referred to “weapons of mass destruction.” Amidst all the upstanding citizens pictured above, Rihab Taha certainly stands out. She rose to prominence after being named in a 2003 British intelligence dossier, which was released to the public by then Prime Minister Tony Blair. The report suggested that Taha, who received her PhD in plant toxins from UEA in the School of Biological Sciences in 1984, played a key role in the manufacture of anthrax and other biological agents. In a report commissioned
by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 1999, Taha was described as one of the world’s most dangerous women. So for those of you studying in the School of Biological Sciences, remember that many successful, law-abiding people have come though before you, but don’t forget Dr. Taha. Weapons inspectors who met her described Dr. Taha as “difficult and dour”, but it’s hard to believe that someone so close to Saddam Hussein, widely acknowledged by the Western media as the epitome of evil for this generation, couldn’t warrant a more damning assessment. After all, not everybody makes it onto the US list of the 55 most-wanted Iraqi officials.
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features
9/11: Ten Years On The attacks on the World Trade Center defined the decade and led to two separate wars. Ten years on, Lauren Razavi looks at how the world has changed This September marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the set of coordinated terrorist attacks which devastated in New York City and Washington DC on September 11, 2001. A tremendous number of people lost their lives that day; many others lost precious loved ones. The impact was far-reaching, beyond the confines of the two cities in which the attacks occurred, and even beyond the confines of the United States as a country. The world has changed in an unprecedented way over the past ten years, and in a lot of different respects, perhaps most notably in our perspective on the evil of terrorism Ten years later, terrorism remains a buzzword in politics and the media. Since September 11th, the United States has been defined almost as the antidote to global terrorism. Former President George W. Bush based his entire political direction around dealing what he readily
dubbed ‘the war on terror.’ Ten years on and this is a phrase the world is all too familiar with. Terrorism is, without a shadow of doubt, a political game changer. Equally, newspapers sell in significant numbers for their 9/11-based editorial every September, and more people than ever flock to the television to watch the now all-so familiar and shocking images of that day unfold again each year. This year even saw a Twitter trending topic start up wherein members of the public ‘reenacted’ the events of that tragic day through the social media forum. Needless to say this didn’t garner a lot of support, and was soon stopped. For the print, broadcast and online media internationally, 9/11 marks a ‘key date’ in the calendar year; special features and extra pages open up to allow readers to engage with this disturbing but somehow still fascinating piece of history.
Travel is another aspect of life that has been undeniably changed by terrorism. From public transport announcements that you must report any suspicious items to a member of staff, to the restrictions on the amount of liquid that can be taken onto a plane, you are reminded at every turn of the genuine, looming threat of terrorism in all its forms. It’s almost sad to imagine there will soon be a day when the new generation won’t remember the days when this wasn’t the case, but this demonstrates the overriding way in which the world has changed since terrorism publicly reared its ugly head in 2001. Undoubtedly, the most significant way in which life has changed since 9/11 is in terms of awareness. Almost anyone you speak to – no matter their age – will remember exactly what they were doing on September 11, 2001 when they heard the news
Norwich’s secret hideaways Fran Roberts takes Concrete on a tour featuring the hidden gems of Norwich culture Wander through the city centre and you’ll find a collection of chain stores, pubs, and eateries that can be found in most towns
around the country. Dig a little deeper though and you can unearth some true gems that may surprise you.
The Tea House in Wrights Court is one such find. This charming shop opened in April and while the rest of Elm Hill may stretch the average student budget, a pot of tea and a slice of homemade cake is less than a pint in many pubs across the city. The large selection of loose teas may seem a bit overwhelming to those who don’t care so long as it’s brown, but the guys running the place really know their stuff and are more than happy to recommend a brew depending on your mood. For something a little stronger than tea, look no further than Bedford Street, where two of the best venues in Norwich neighbour each other. First off is Frank’s Bar, a café bar with an extensive range of nibbles, board games, and whisky recommendation from The Whisky Shop. Next door, set back into a little yard,
of what was unfolding across the pond. Children are being raised to remember a tragedy they did not witness, in the same way that events such as Guy Fawkes Night and Remembrance Sunday are acknowledged by the public each year without question. With terrorism still presenting
such an important, unavoidable and current political and social issue all over the world today, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that ten years on, 9/11 is already part of our history, memorable in the same way as any World War and the tragedies they inflicted upon previous generations.
is Bedford’s. There are three areas to Bedford’s, the upstairs restaurant and bar, the crypt which is often used for gigs, and the outdoor area. When at Bedford’s, be sure to order a Spider, a legendary cocktail rumoured to contain eight different spirits! For those of you seeking more than liquid refreshment to revive you and relieve some stress, The Rub on Upper St. Giles offers several treatments, including a fully clothed seated Shiatsu backrub. The rubs can last for as little as ten minutes or as long as thirty, with prices rising accordingly. As an added bonus, there is no need to book in advance, you can just walk in for a rub. If you’d prefer to indulge fully, the treatment room offers various hour long sessions for just £30.
a good bet. Home to Rainbow Wholefoods, with Pulse restaurant located above it, this little corner of Norwich is heaven for vegetarians, vegans, and those with special dietary requirements. It also attracts a fair number of people eager to buy organic or keen to try new ingredients in their cooking. Another great organic food shop is The Green Grocers on Earlham Road, behind the CoOp. There are still some purists out there who prefer their music to come in solid rather than digital form. Soundclash on St. Benedicts is the perfect place for those wishing to escape to a world where the prices are right, the staff knowledgeable, and you can find something that interests you without having to fight your way through the latest pile of reality TV nonsense. Soundclash is also your one-stop place in the city for all your ticketing needs, with tickets available for gigs at both the LCR and the Waterfront, as well as further afield. The city is there for you to discover your own gems, happy exploring!
When at Bedford’s, be sure to order a Spider, a legendary cocktail rumoured to contain eight different spirits!” For food, Labour in Vain Yard just off of Guildhall Hill is
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What type of student are you? Are you destined for a first or failure? Find out with our Lifestyle Quiz 1. What is your idea of the perfect student night? A: In the library doing extra reading B: Doing your required reading before heading to the LCR C: Pre-drinks in halls followed by a night exploring the clubs in Norwich D: Chilling in the kitchen at a house party
2. Would you ever miss a lecture? A: No! What a sin B: Only if it was necessary C: Lectures? What are they? D: I never intend to
3. What time of the day is your alarm set for? A: A: The crack of dawn so I can get a seat in the Library B: 9am ready for a productive day C: I’ve forgotten what mornings look like! D: I don’t own a clock
4. How many societies are you planning to join this year? A: I am going to concentrate on my studies this year B: Any that take my fancy, I can’t wait to get stuck in C: Cocktail society! D: I always plan to join a lot of things
5. When you hear “Norwich” you think... A: The place where I will study for the next three years B: The perfect city- so many interesting things to do. C: Party central D: I never really leave campus
6. Your student cuisine is? A: Fresh wild salmon; the perfect brain food! B: Something quick and tasty, I’m too busying with societies C: A burger from outside the LCR at 1am D: Whatever is left in the cupboard, usually dry cereal
7. Your bedroom walls are covered in:
A: My timetable, an academic calendar and a tasteful poster B: Movie/band posters and gig tickets C: Photos from my holiday in Kavos D: Some posters I’ve been given and whatever the last tenant left up
8. Your ideal partner is:
A: I’m already in a relationship, with someone as focused as I am B: Anyone with a good sense of humor and an interesting take on life C: Someone with a really good fake tan, so I can feel like it’s summer all year round D: Someone sweet who lives close by
Mostly A’s: FIRST CLASS STUDENT
Mostly B’s: PERFECT BALANCE
For you it’s all work and no play, studying comes first and you are passionate about your degree subject. Just like former UEA student and present Doctor Who, Matt Smith, you are determined, hard working and if you continue you will be heading straight to the top of your field. But university isn’t just about studying. Try and inject some fun into your routine, even if it is just for stress relief.
Your motto is “work hard and play hard.” You understand that University is about studying and relaxing, and have mastered the art of doing both! Greg James loved UEA because he struck the right balance between studying and getting involved in other aspects of university life, such as UEA’s radio station; Livewire.
Mostly C’s: PARTY ANIMAL
Mostly D’s: THE SLOTH
You are eager to embrace at least one aspect of university life; partying! You would do it all day, every day for the entirety of your degree. However, you need to remember that you are here to study and although it is great to let off some steam now and again, you still need to hit up the library sometimes too! Study hard and then party hard!
The word that sums you up is “chilled.” You are usually found soaking up the sun in the Square, or if it’s raining – in bed. People love being around you because of your easy-going attitude to life. You don’t seem to mind too much about anything and sometimes it seems like the academic side of university life just passes you by. Relaxing is important but don’t sleep away your time at university.
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SocMart and SportsMart: Spoilt for choice Eleanor Dayton Lifestyle Writer One of the best ways to make the most of your time at UEA is to get involved with the sports clubs and societies on offer. In the first week you’ll be invited to SocMart and SportsMart in the LCR, where you can choose from over 150 societies to join. It’ll be packed with hundreds of students desperate to sign up for their favourite sport or activity, so you won’t want to miss this. At SocMart you’ll find a huge range of different societies, including those related to your degree course, charity societies such as RAG (Raising and Giving) and KAOS (Kids Action Overseas) and numerous societies for all your eccentric hobbies and the simple pleasures in life. Anything you can think of will be here at Socmart, including the highly esteemed Cocktail Society, Glee Club and plenty more – you’ll be spoilt for choice. SportsMart is the place to sign up for your favourite sporting club. As well as the big clubs like UEA Football and Rugby, there are a variety of snow and water sports to get involved with. There are clubs to join that you wouldn’t even have thought of but that could become one of the best aspects of your university experience. You can even try your hand at a new sport such as korfball and compete against other students and universities. To join a sports society at UEA you will need to purchase a SAM insurance card, for £30 during SportsMart. SAM covers you for the whole year and gets you 20% off many drinks at the Union’s sports night, held in the Blue Bar on campus every Wednesday. It’s a great chance to celebrate or commiserate with your fellow teammates at a great price. If all this still doesn’t convince you to make the most of SocMart and SportsMart, then surely the number of freebies you’ll receive will do, including the ever-popular Domino’s Pizza and numerous sweets from different stalls. SocMart is on the 27th September 12pm until 7pm and Sportsmart is 11am to 4pm on the 28th.
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Lifestyle’s Freshers’ Guide Campus Tour: A mini selection of the best that campus has to offer The Sainsbury Centre: best for family An impressive collection of modern and world art, free exhibition entry to all UEA students and a decent selection of lunchtime treats (including incredible cream teas) make the Sainsbury Centre the place to spend time with any parents/ aunts/grandparents/under-age siblings who may pop up on
The perfect balance: Remember the academia
campus expecting entertainment over the year. The Sainsbury Centre is classy and cultured but cheap enough that you can afford to offer to pay and not be caught out if for some reason your guests
While having fun and getting to know as many people as possible is what Freshers W e e k is all about, m o s t people d o n ’ t choose to go to university to party. For many degree courses the first year doesn’t count but it is still worth trying your hardest and getting
into good habits because bad habits are hard to break. Stay on top of your reading and coursework by making sure to find the balance between work and play. The jump between A-level or equivalent study and studying at degree level can seem quite intimidating. The biggest change for most courses is a greater level of responsibility for your learning. Independent study requires self-motivation and good time management. Don’t panic if you find the adjustment hard. Take advantage of all the help offered to you. All students at UEA are assigned an academic advisor and many schools of study operate a buddy system to connect you with an older student who can share their experiences.
Welcome to your second home: housewarming tip
peanut butter and offer it to your housemates. The ensuing conversation will reveal a lot about the personalities of the people you will be sharing your kitchen with for the next years. You’ll discover who has a nut allergy, who is a fussy eater “I only eat x brand” and the crunchy vs smooth debate will get everyone talking. Peanut butter can be substituted for other controversial foods that everyone has an opinion about such as Marmite or Jaffa cakes. Give our icebreaker a try and watch the tension evaporate.
Lifestyle favourite because: It is far away from any of the places on campus where you might bump into a bad memory from the LCR
Café Direct: best coffee The best coffee selection on campus, as proven by our Lifestyle secret shopper last year. Settle down on the comfortable black sofas and choose from the standard selection of good quality Fairtrade coffees you’d expect from any self-respecting café. There’s a frothy flavourful
caffeine concoction to suit every sweet tooth, including the Mocha Bianca and Nutty Professor. Definitely worth a look.
Lifestyle favourite because Close enough to the lecture theatres to make a dash for coffee
The Lake: best for first dates Completely free and close to home the lake is the perfect place to take the potential someone special in your life. If you search hard enough you might even find the adored ponies that live on the side
of the lake furthest from the centre of campus. It’s the perfect setting for
Lifestyle favourite because This romantic setting turns awkward silences into intimate moments of contemplative quiet
The INTO Centre: best for food The white building next to the main entrance of campus that you walk, bus and bike past on a daily basis is also home to some of the tastiest food on campus. While primarily for international students the INTO Centre
cafeteria is open to all and is definitely worth a visit. Roasts overflowing with sides for £4.50 served until 4pm every Sunday, along with a great range of international inspired (and often Halal) food.
Lifestyle favourite because: Incredibly generous servings
Moving into a brand new home, indeed for most freshers a brand new city, can be a daunting experience and although you will probably have been told this a thousand times it doesn’t make it any less true – everyone is in the same boat. To make that first morning a little easier here is a handy icebreaker that can help you on
the way to turning a flat full of strangers into your second family.
THE PEANUT BUTTER ICEBREAKER Get out a jar of smooth, or if you are so inclined, crunchy,
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Hey Big Spender: money and budgeting Loans
The majority of students studying at university live off of them and while the triple figure sum that is deposited into your account at the beginning of every month may seem like a lot it can quickly d i s a p p e a r. Taking the time out to make a budget may seem like a lot of effort but knowing exactly how much you will need for essential expenses, like rent, each month early on in the semester means you know exactly how much money you have to play around with and can save you from getting into any tight spots. If you ever should be low on funds the interest free overdraft that is included with most student accounts can be a good tide over, while you pay the Employability Job Shop a visit. Work out a weekly budget to keep on track, only
eating pasta for the last few weeks of a semester because you have run out of
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Staying Safe: sex and the city While Norwich is a relatively safe city, it is still unwise to become complacent about basic safety precautions; only using licenced cabs and try to avoid walking alone late at night, especially if you have been
drinking heavily. The university provides 24 hour security services on campus, and encourage students and staff to get in contact with the security lodge if they have any concerns. The security lodge is situated near the SportsPark and the contact numbers are displayed prominently in ever flat kitchen on campus. If you have any serious concerns about your own immediate safety, or that of any one else, do not hesitate to call 999. Sexual health is another equally important area of personal safety. Anyone who has been through the British education system will have endured enough PHSE, ‘personal social health and economic’, lessons to know how to operate a condom and the potential consequences of not using one. Even if an alternative method of birth control is being used it is important to remember that only condoms
offer protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Pick them up for free at the Medical Centre all year round, carry a few with you and use them at the right times.
Beating fresher’s fl u money is not fun. Save money throughout the year by learning to cook, buying books second hand, flashing your student card whenever you’re on spending on the high street and taking advantage of all the charity and vintage shops around the city.
You’ve had a fantastic first week, have a host of new friends and tomorrow’s first Ultimate Frisbee meeting may well launch your future career. Then it happens: your throat starts to hurt, your head starts to pound, your temperature
soars and you lose the ability to get out of bed. Fresher’s Flu is as much a part of the university experience as losing a shoe to the LCR floor. Keep hydrated, eat healthily and get as much rest as possible and you will be back on your feet in no time. Fresher’s Flu, the diagnosis given to almost
any illness contracted by new students during the early weeks of university, is rarely even actually flu; however if your symptoms don’t improve after a week get an appointment at the Medical Centre just in case you are suffering from something more serious and need a hand speeding up the recovery.
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lifestyle
Speedy Six: quick and easy recipes Spot the
Forget pot noodles and beans on toast. These six step recipes are quick, easy to follow and much tastier!
Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Brunch Omelette:
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Bringing the Mediterranean to Norwich! • 2 packets of Golden savoury rice Red Onion, finely chopped • Chorizo Sausage • 2 chicken breasts, diced • A handful of prawns 1. Cook the rice in a large pan following the instructions on the back of the packet 2. In another pan fry the slices of Chorizo Sausage, keep stirring
3. Add the chicken and the diced red onion to the pan and cook until thoroughly cooked 4. Once rice is cooked add the prawns and cooked ingredients from the other pan 5. Heat for a few minutes, mixing all the ingredients together 6. Serve immediately
Tip: For extra flavour add peas!
Bomber
The healthy alternative to an English fry-up • • • •
2 eggs 2 rashers of grilled Bacon, chopped finely A handful of grated cheddar cheese Oil (for the pan)
1. Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk. Pour a small amount of olive oil onto nonstick frying pan 2. Pour the egg mixture in to the heated pan 3. Ensure that you are cooking
all of the mixture by tilting the pan so that it all cooks 4. Once the mixture has cooked add the bacon and the cheddar cheese to one side of the pan 5. Fold the omelette in half and move to the centre of the pan 6. Cook until golden brown and ensure the cheese has melted and serve immediately
Tip: Cream cheese can be used as a sophisticated alternative to cheddar
Bombs away in snap attacks Freya Barry Lifestyle Writer Urban Dictionary defines ‘photobombing’ as the action of ‘dropping in on a photo unexpectedly’ or even more specifically: ‘The act where one or several persons ruin (sometimes improve) a photo by performing funny acts in the background which may include a dry gangbang, holding stick like objects up to your crotch or raising your clothing.’ This act, or indeed artistic movement whereby ordinary photos are transformed into pastiches revealing the complex nature of photography itself is one that requires timing, poise and guts. Capturing the exact likeness of a human being was once expensive and time consuming. Now we can take hundreds of photos, upload them onto the internet, and turn these significant
moments into mere commodities. A night out isn’t a night out unless it’s been recorded in perfect detail. From the first game of ring of fire played in halls to the last jägerbomb downed at graduation, nights out at university are all about the photos. But with so many standard snapshots of girls posed in cocktail dresses and boys breaking out the bass face in Lola Lo’s, we have begun to seek more from our photos and have become increasingly inventive at grabbing that brilliant image, that incandescent shot that illuminates what it means to feel young and alive. In this quest for the most poignant snaps that retain a high LOL factor, we have become increasingly creative. The art of ‘photo-bombing’ is a great example of this. See a group of people you know, or ideally don’t, posing for that special ‘start of the night’ or ‘barbeque by the
Photo-bombing trend explodes onto campus
Take up a new hobby this semester
lake’ photo? It is your duty - nay obligation - as a human being to at least form rabbit ears with your fingers behind their head or merely leap into frame at the last second pulling the kind of face that
induces annoyance from the photographer and the photographed but ultimately earns you their respect as a ‘photoLAD’ the more inappropriate the gesture the better.
Spotted any photobombing? Send your pictures to concrete. lifestyle@uea.ac.uk
try one today The RED STRIPE words and assosiated logos are trade marks. Š Diageo 2011
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Editor: Rachael Lum Email: concrete.international@uea.ac.uk
Finding that ‘home’ in Norwich Isabelle Carty International Writer Norwich presents a plethora of delights to students seeking distractions, the primary cure for homesickness. Whether it is in the form of fine dining, entertainment and attractions or night life, concerts and festivals, Norwich has something for everyone. Those new to the area will be delighted to find old favourites such as Pizza Hut and other common fast food chains as well as a vast variety of other enticing eateries among which international students may even find a little taste of home. Everything from Thai, Indian and Japanese food to Mexican tapas is represented in town. For those interested in
art and culture, there is an abundance of artistic hubs for students to explore. Indeed one need not travel far as the UEA campus itself boasts the fantastic Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. In the city centre, there are a host of theatres, cinemas, museums, arts venues and churches which cater equally to families, couples and singles of all ages. Bird-watching and fishing are popular pastimes in the district but for those less interested in nature, Norwich presents a complete shopping experience with a number of shopping centres, markets and chain stores as well as quaint side streets packed with small shops that sell one-of-a-kind items. In addition, the night life
Summer 2011 - it’s a riot Clement Chew International Writer The recent riots in England targeting major cities have led to the Malaysian Deputy Police Chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, claiming that these incidences warrant the crackdown on any street rallies or protests in Malaysia. He stated that the rioting and looting in British cities were “nightmares that we are fighting hard to avoid and prevent in Malaysia” and that protests “should always be avoided, as we will never know what it can turn into.”
“What happened in England and Malaysia are two completely different things” Malaysia possesses public order laws which require the approval of police permits for an aforementioned rally, regardless of the motives and political skewing of the parties. The police have full autonomy over these permits. They are able to approve or reject calls for rallies at their discretion. The Malaysian police came to prominence earlier this year for their harsh handling of a rally on the July 9th known as BERSIH
2.0, led by 62 NGOs which called for free and fair elections in the country. Tear gas, water cannons and baton charges formed a significant proportion of their tactics against a largely peaceful crowd. However, what happened in England and what happened in Malaysia are two completely different things. The Malaysian rally was pre-planned as long as
six months beforehand, in which preliminary route-planning and rally points were put on paper and submitted for approval. They were quickly rejected. The riots that occurred in the UK were a haphazard and immediate response to an alleged murder by the Metropolitan Police. It is clear from the subsequent upheavals that these riots were the result of bored youths
international is not to be missed with a vast number of possible activities ranging from clubbing and dancing the night away at the University’s own LCR to salsa dancing classes and karaoke. Every activity invites interaction allowing the rapid formation of new friendships
which will certainly enhance the experience of being away at university. No city could ever truly replace home but Norwich definitely has the charm and the appeal to keep even the most indifferent student entertained until it becomes a second home.
Concrete takes a look at a riot that may perhaps have escaped your attention - BERSIH 2.0 in Malaysia jumping onto the bandwagon. It was said from the earliest of preparatory stages that the BERSIH 2.0 rally would be a peaceful occurrence. Despite that, the Home Minister, Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, repeatedly branded the rally “illegal”, stating that the Registrar of Societies under the General Attorney had advised him to take such action. While the
direct impact of the London riots included buildings being set on fire, fatalities, injuries to police officers and citizens, and loss of businesses, the fact remains that no such events but the sudden heart attack of an activist had occurred in Malaysia. It is yet to be seen what the Malaysian police will do should another “peaceful” rally be announced in the near future.
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Editors: Rebecca Hazlewood Email: concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk
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Climbing the Sustainability Ladder UEA awarded a ‘first class’ in the University Green League after a drastic rise up the tables Becky Hazlewood Turf Editor UEA has secured its place in joint 8th position in the 2011 People and Planet Green League, a dramatic improvement from its 2010 placing in joint 43rd. The league table ranked 142 Universities from across the UK, assessing their Environmental and Ethical performance. Out of a possible 70 points, Nottingham Trent University achieved the highest overall score of 53.5, followed closely by the University of Gloucestershire who were just half a point behind. UEA shared 8th position with three other Universities, enjoying an overall score of 45.5. So how closely do the rankings reflect a university’s sustainability? The assessment looked at thirteen different criteria which were broadly split into two categories; Policy and Environmental Management and Policy Performance. The University scored exceptionally well on Environmental Policy, Environmental Management Staff, Auditing and Management
Systems, Ethical Investment and Staff and Student Engagement. Not so impressive were some of the performance scores, suggesting the university is not meeting all of its policy targets. Particularly noticeable were the scores for Water Consumption (0/6) and Sustainable Food (0.5/2). The University doesn’t currently use any ‘grey’ or rainwater, and has no publicly available sustainable food policy. According to the data used for the league table, the University hasn’t committed to using freerange eggs or sustainable fish. Another criticism was that menus on campus don’t change according to seasonal produce. Norfolk has an abundance of quality local produce and in light of Norwich’s reputation as a ‘foodie’ heaven this is perhaps a disappointing revelation, but possibly one that could be improved as part of the University’s sustainability drive over the coming year. Although the Green League may not be the first league table potential students consult when choosing a university, further improvements remain vital to fighting climate change and
maintaining a reputation as a green and responsible institution. People and Planet is a national organisation made up of university, college and school groups, as well as individuals, which works towards environmental protection, ending poverty and defending human rights. If you’re interested in getting involved in the green scene on campus, there are a number societies to get involved in. Look out for the Conservation and Wildlife society, ENV Soc and of
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The People and Planet Green League Table 2011 - Top 10 1. Nottingham Trent - 53.5 2. Gloucestershire - 53.0 3. Worcester - 50.0 4. Plymouth - 49.5 5. Bournemouth - 47.0 6. Greenwich - 47.0 7. Bath Spa - 46.0 8. UEA - 45.5 = Hertfordshire - 45.5 = Leeds Metropolitan - 45.5
The Zuckerman Institute for Connective Environmental Research scored well
Smart and Sexy. Not only will it save you money, it could also save the rainforest. Turf Reporter Joey Innes-Hopkins investigates PLA, a natural and renewable alternative to plastic, and are fully compostable. But it doesn’t stop there. Two weeks ago saw the launch of the Keep Cup at UEA, available across campus. Now for just £5 you can be the proud owner of a reusable, recyclable, transportable and good looking coffee cup. Plus you get a free cup of coffee when you purchase it and a 15p discount whenever you buy a hot beverage in your Keep Cup. Designed and manufactured in Australia, the Keep Cup is the first reusable cup that fits barista standards. It’s also freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe. They even claim you can poach an egg in it. These are just some of the new initiatives to be launched by UEA Catering, so look out for news of more exciting environmental developments in future issues!
turf sport
course People and Planet at Soc Mart on Tuesday.
Breaking news: the Keep Cup hits UEA The above news shows that UEA is clearly an environmentally aware place to be. What you might not know, however, is that the UEA Catering team has been hard at work coming up with new ideas to reduce our impact on the environment. Last year a total of 163,000 cups from The Blend ended up in landfill sites. With each cup taking 0.09 square feet of rainforest to make, that’s 14,670 sq. feet of rainforest thrown in the bin. That’s before adding in the cups sold in Cafe Direct, The Hive and other venues across campus. The Blend is making a concerted effort to reduce that amount of waste in the future. They have recently introduced a product from a company called Bare by Solo; new disposable cups which use a coating of
23 A word from Will Lacey
features lifestyle international
The environment is a great way of sorting out your ‘big picture interests.’ These are things that are important to us, but slightly beyond the scale of “which mealdeal do I choose today?” Many students I’ve met consider the environment “too big for them” and “too much work,” but happily vote for differing political parties based on who will pursue their views on law and order and the economy most effectively. The environment is a similar case, but doesn’t only come round once every election. In the same way that you wouldn’t have anyone litter in your room, not sorting the rubbish between recycling and landfill is essentially littering the whole of the UK. Equally, our fuel supplies won’t last forever, so for people to burn through crazy amounts of electricity needlessly puts our economic and fuel security under needless pressure. We all want low bills, and a nice countryside, with living wildlife. These aren’t things that can get done in a day, but they’re important and worth doing something about, alongside the laundry. With a bit of green awareness and a bit of effort in the little areas where collective action yields some good results, such as light switch-offs, common sense with water usage, and waste sorting, your big picture priorities can be served. You don’t have to be a government minister to have impressive priorities; after all, it’s my priority that while I do the things I love, I have nice surroundings to do them in. With a bit of forward thinking, the environmental cause puts these things within reach. For additional help, Student Switch-Off offer all kinds of extra goodies for being energy conscious in Halls, and will happily advise those in houses and flats outside of campus on how to get what you want by helping the environment.
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Saturday 24th September 2011 - Issue 257
Sudoku Easy
Editor: Sam Tomkinson Email: concrete.competitions@uea.ac.uk
Intermediate
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Word Wheel U
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It couldn’t be easier. Find your way from the left to the middle on the first maze, and left to right on the second
sport Editor’s Column Ever since they happened, the whole country has felt the effect of the summer’s riots, particularly in badly hit areas of London. One of the lesser effects that the disturbances caused was an impact on the world of sport. While this may not be the most important or pressing issue surrounding the events in August, it certainly affected many people’s enjoyment of part of the summer. It has also raised some interesting questions for the future, particularly with the 2012 London Olympics being less than a year away. For some, these riots bring into question whether this country is fit to host the self-styled “Greatest Show on Earth.” They suggest that the police and security forces can no longer guarantee the safety of spectators, athletes and the international media that will descend on our nation’s capital next year. Chinese state-run television has even suggested that Britain is unfit to host the 30th Games, due in part to its refusal to control the social media that played such a leading role in the riots spreading. This is despite similar accusations being levelled at the Chinese before the 2008 Olympics after they raised security to almost unparalleled levels. This raises the obvious question: should we still host the Olympics next year? Perhaps the best answer comes from the British Olympic Association’s director of communications Darryl Seibel, who told Sky Sports News during the riots: “We need a reason to come together”. London needs to show these rioters and looters that their actions will not be rewarded. Yes, our security was breached, and our police were uncertain about what to do. However, we have been waiting since 1948 for another chance to host the Olympic Games, and we absolutely cannot let those difficult few days instigated by a minority ruin what has been nearly seven years of planning. Chris Teale
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Editors: Matt Scrafton and Chris Teale Email: concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk
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Baseball look forward to new challenges Sports Correspondent Oli Platt assesses the new opportunities for one of UEA’s most successful sports clubs New challenges await the UEA Blue Sox in the 2011/12 season as the baseball club look to regain their status as national champions. For the first time the Blue Sox will test themselves against non-university competition, as part of a new combined league featuring both university and British Baseball Federation sides. The Nottingham Rebels and the Birmingham Maple Leafs join university outfits Oxford Kings, Imperial College Falcons and Nottingham Thieves alongside UEA in the new league, with weekend tournaments and fixtures planned between October and March. “We are very excited about the new league format this year, and are looking to play a number of fixtures and tournaments, and these usually take the form of a weekend away at the host club,” explained the club’s President, Sam Rounce. “Such is the number of tournaments through the year that we try and give a good percentage of our players a chance at playing competitive baseball against other universities and teams,
particularly if those people regularly attend training and are enthusiastic about the sport.” UEA will also compete in the British Universities’ Baseball Association Fall Cup. The weekend tournament pits the country’s top university teams against each other, with the Blue Sox emerging as champions in 2009. The club are keen to recruit new players for the season ahead and welcome players of all abilities and experience, male or female. “UEA Baseball club has enjoyed a great deal of success over the years, and this is down largely to people coming along who have previously never played the sport before,” continued Rounce. “We also have a good number of socials throughout the year, and we pride ourselves on having an excellent team spirit.” The Blue Sox train three times a week, in Hall 1 of the Sportspark on Mondays between 3pm-4.20pm, and at Colney Lane on Wednesdays and Fridays between 1pm-4pm. Prospective new players will be able to find
Radcliffe snubbed by rule change Alex Ross Sports Correspondent British distance runner Paula Radcliffe has been stripped of her World Record of 2:15.25, set in the 2003 London Marathon, due to a rule change from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Radcliffe, 37, saw her record denied following a rule change which states that only records set in all-female events can be considered world records, with Radcliffe’s effort being considered a world best. Talking to World Sport, Radcliffe branded the changes “unfair” and claimed that the new stipulations would make the system “messy.” “In my two mixed races it was not my decision to have male runners with me, but that of the
race organisers. In each case I very consciously ran alongside them rather than ever behind,” said Radcliffe. The changes, announced by the IAAF in South Korea recently, do mean that Radcliffe’s time of 2:17.42, set during the 2005 London Marathon, is now the world record. The Association of International Marathons and World Major Marathons released a joint statement on Wednesday disputing the change, claiming “the current situation where the fastest time is not now recognised as a record is confusing and unfair and does not respect the history of our sport.” Radcliffe has recently stated that without the “carrot” of the 2012 Olympics, she would have ended her career, which began at a national level in 1986 aged just 12 years old.
the club at SportsMart, on Wednesday 28th, and can learn
more through Facebook.
Interested in getting involved with Concrete Sport? /concretesportuea @concretesportuea Are you a big sports fan? A keen follower of football? Perhaps you prefer rugby? Or maybe you have a penchant for more peculiar sports, like korfball or ultimate frisbee? Moreover, is writing something that interests you and you’d like to take more seriously? Maybe you’re looking at taking up a career in journalism, or you just enjoy putting pen to paper (or words on screen) and would like to help us out with a few articles here at Concrete Sport. Don’t worry: you don’t need
any previous experience or qualifications. All you need is an interest in sport, an enthusiasm to write and to be willing to meet deadlines. If this is something that interests you, then don’t hesitate to contact us at Concrete Sport by sending us an email at concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk or concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can follow us @concretesport on Twitter, or ‘Like’ our page on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/ concretesportuea to keep up-todate with all the latest on UEA sports clubs and Norwich City FC. Matt Scrafton Chris Teale
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Saturday 24th September 2011 - Issue 257
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sport
Canary Corner Hockey look to stick it to opponents by Matt Scrafton Norwich City have begun life back in the Premier League in steady fashion with a respectable five points from five games, leaving them sitting content in mid-table. City earned their first Premier League victory of the season last weekend thanks to a dogged display away to top flight stalwarts Bolton Wanderers. Summer signings Anthony Pilkington and Bradley Johnson found the net for the visitors in the first half, when it seemed as if Norwich would cruise to their first Premier League away victory for 17 years. Conversely, the visitors conceded their fifth consecutive penalty of the season midway through the second half, which was converted by Martin Petrov, and struggled to hold on despite the home side being reduced to 10 men following Ivan Klasnic’s needless dismissal. The final half hour of the match saw both sides come close on several occasions, but the Norwich faithful were left buoyant at the final whistle, with the game
finishing 2-1 to the Premier League newcomers. Paul Lambert’s men have acclimatised well to the demands of England’s top flight. However, the Canaries stalled somewhat with two draws in their opening couple of fixtures.
“Following on from two successive promotions, Paul Lambert’s men have acclimatised well o the demands of England’s top flight”
UEA Hockey Club are looking forward to another season of success in both the BUCS and Norfolk Hockey Association league, where they have men’s and women’s teams competing on a regular basis during the week. This year, the men’s BUCS side will be competing in Midlands Division 2A, while the women will be in Midlands Division 3B, and they play against other university sides every Wednesday afternoon. In addition, the men have four teams and the women three competing in the Norfolk Hockey Association, with games being played on a Saturday afternoon
City battled to a point away at Wigan on the opening day of the season, failing to emulate the 4-1 victory of Blackpool on the opening day of last season. The East Anglian outfit will also be frustrated with games against Stoke and West Brom, where they failed to pick up vital victories. Nevertheless, Lambert will be hoping that his side do not share the same fate that Blackpool suffered and find themselves back in the Championship next season.
throughout the academic year. Last season, the men’s BUCS side were particularly impressive in gaining promotion from Midlands Division 3B after defeating the University of Bedford 4-0 in their final game of the season. In all they won 11 games, and were unfortunate to lose on 3-1 penalties to the University of Essex in Derby Day 2011. Meanwhile, the women’s BUCS team were relegated from Midlands Division 2B, but made up for some of the pain of relegation by winning their tie on Derby Day by a score of 2-1 in a very hard-fought match. At the same time, UEA are well represented in the Norfolk Hockey Association leagues,
with their various teams travelling across the region on a weekly basis, meaning that there are a number of opportunities for as many people as possible to play hockey for UEA. Both teams train twice a week. The men’s training is from 8.30-10pm on a Monday and 5-7pm on a Friday. The women train at 7-8.30pm and 7-9pm, also on a Monday and Friday respectively. Look out for the club’s stall at Sportsmart, but if you would like more information, you can email either lewis.wilkins@ uea.ac.uk for the men and sophie.simpson@uea.ac.uk for the ladies, or just turn up to a training session.
England all but assured of Euro 2012 qualification missed an open goal, spared
Sports correspondent Mike Tomkins looks at how England England's blushes. That leaves fared in the recent qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales “If England’s victory in Sofia seemed straight England edged closer to the Euro the score sheet was Gary Cahill forward, they were to 2012 finals with back-to-back wins who looked to stake a claim for a find the challenge of over Bulgaria and Wales. Despite regular starting place. Wales a few days later a England picking up maximum If England's victory in Sofia lot harder” points, both matches saw seemed straight forward, they contrasting performances from Capello's men. England resumed qualification with relative ease, a comfortable 3-0 win over Bulgaria. Capello, who gave opportunity to the likes of Chris Smalling, saw his side control the game throughout with Bulgaria offering little in response. Wayne Rooney replicated his club form for his country in grabbing a brace, while a less familiar name on
were to find the challenge of Wales a few days later a lot harder. A solitary goal from Ashley Young gave England the points but it was Wales who were the more admirable of the two. England struggled to break down a stubborn Welsh side who clearly were performing a lot better than their FIFA ranking suggests. Only the inaccuracy of Wales' striker Rob Earnshaw who somehow
England at the top of the group which they have all but won,
needing only a point from their final game to ensure qualification. Elsewhere, the usual qualifying suspects seem to be winning their groups with relative ease. The Netherlands helped themselves 11 against minnows San Marino, whilst Spain and Germany both maintained their 100 per cent records. Scotland's slim hopes of reaching the playoffs suffered a blow with defeat to the Czech
Republic. However Republic of Ireland kept in touch of Russia at the top of Group B.
How it stands Group C 1 Italy P8 22pts 2 Serbia P8 14pts 3 Estonia P9 13pts 4 Slovenia P9 11pts 5 N. Ireland P8 9pts 6 Faroe Isles P10 4pts Group G 1 England P7 17pts 2 Montenegro P6 11pts 3 Switzerland P6 8pts 4 Bulgaria P7 5pts 5 Wales P6 3pts Group I 1 Spain P6 18pts 2 Czech Republic P6 10pts 3 Scotland P6 8pts 4 Lithuania P7 5pts 5 Liechtenstein P7 4pts
sport
concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk
So You Think You Know Lacrosse?
Lewis Dalton Sports Correspondent With the brutality of American football, the speed of ice hockey and the skill of basketball, this is lacrosse.
First played by the American Indians, lacrosse began life in the fifth century as part of a ceremonial ritual to give thanks to ‘the creator’. Its role in the community, along with this spiritual involvement, was to allow young warriors to prove
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themselves and for opposing tribes to settle scores without directly going to war. Up to a thousand men would play on a pitch that was sometimes miles long. Nowadays, lacrosse enjoys a reputation as one of the fastest growing sports in America, with college lacrosse players often moving into the National Lacrosse League or Major League Lacrosse. It is played between two teams of ten players: a goalkeeper; three defenders who wield six foot sticks; three midfielders and three attackers, using three-and-a-half foot sticks. Played with a rubber ball, the aim is, like most team sports, to get the ball in the goal. However, with lacrosse being a full contact sport for men (noncontact for women), a crease around the goal which attacking players can’t enter and the rule that there must always be at least three players in each half, not including the goalkeeper, this isn’t the easiest of tasks. Players have to think fast, as well as being nimble and brave. However, at UEA, there is
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more to lacrosse than simply the sport. Socials are a very regular occurrence, with the men’s and women’s teams going out together, meaning making friends could not be easier. Both men’s and women’s teams have a mixture of players, from those who haven’t played before, to those who are quite experienced, meaning people new to the game are able to learn from those around them. In essence, all are welcome. Practice is at the Colney Lane playing fields from 1-4pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, for both men and women (games against other universities are played on Wednesdays in the BUCS league). There is also an hour-long training session on Thursday evenings from 5-7pm. However, everyone meets up to half an hour before training starts, before moving down to the fields. Lacrosse is a high pace, intense sport, whose popularity is growing fast in popularity in the UK, so feel free to find us on Facebook and get in touch or come to training.
Djokovic’s dominance continues in New York
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England enjoy Indian summer Sam Tomkinson Sports Correspondent Having previously written how this summer would be a test for England’s finest cricketers, it is hard not to state that it was in fact the polar opposite. Spare a thought for the avid Indian spectators, who had to witness their side being savagely torn apart by England’s ruthless and incessant drive to become the world’s number one ranked test side. England can largely put their rise down to a finely tuned and highly efficient bowling unit. Andy Flower’s side have developed an impressive depth of fast bowling options who rotate into the side with consummate ease. Add the best spinner in the world, in Graeme Swann, and there is no doubt as to the reason why India only reached 300 once. India’s bowling display was lethargic and lacked potency; their main strike bowler could hardly reach speeds of 80mph
Favourites Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams stunned as Djokovic and Stosur take the honours at Flushing Meadows Doug Patient Sports Correspondent For the fourth and final grand slam of the year, New York took centre stage from 29th August to 12th September. As in recent years at the US Open, rain caused much disruption to the schedule. For the fourth year running the tournament was to be extended an extra day, the two weeks culminating in a breath-
taking victory for the irrefutable form-man of the year, Novak Djokovic. He beat last year’s winner, Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1 in a reversal of the 2010 Final result. In the women’s final, ninth seed Samantha Stosur remarkably beat veteran Serena Williams, 6-2 6-3, to win her maiden grand slam. The match was soured by a series of outbursts towards the umpire from Williams, herself winner of 13 grand slams. This
was triggered by Eva Asderaki’s decision that Williams caused an intentional hindrance when shouting in celebration, before her opponent had a chance to return the ball. Williams was later fined $2,000. As always, Andy Murray was carrying the weight of British expectation. Once again it was heartbreak for the British number
one as he lost 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, against second seed Nadal. It is the third time this year that Murray has lost to Nadal in the semi finals of a grand slam, a painfully familiar story as the Scot continues to seek his first major victory. The brilliant world number one Djokovic, however, remains the man to beat as the 2011 tennis season nears its end.
Injuries to key players, especially Zaheer Khan, did not help their cause but one would expect cricket’s largest nation to be able to provide adequate cover. This, however, takes the shine off what was an impressive batting display by all English batsmen, especially Ian Bell, who continues to grow as a test match player, though question marks still remain over his involvement in the one-day side. The One Day Internationals (ODIs) have also exemplified the gap in confidence between the two sides. This England outfit has demonstrated the ability to win games, something that has eluded England teams of the past (circa 2003 World Cup versus Australia). England may have won the series but this new breed of Indian batsman look like potential world beaters, their only problem is finding pace bowlers who can match the standard set.
WELCOME TO YOUR UNION!
DEMOCRACY & REPRESENTATION
YOUR UNION
SHOPS
ENTERTAINMENT
ADVICE CENTRE & HOME RUN
ACTIVITIES
UEASTUDENT.COM
DEMOCRACY & REPRESENTATION S
Represent: Be a Faculty Convenor, Course Rep, Council Rep, Halls Rep or a Community Rep. Last year there were 399 active representatives, and this year we need more!
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Vote in elections, polls and referenda, and help campaign for them! If you want to change anything to do with your life as a student, we can speak as one big voice.
SHOPS We run four shops: The UFO, for your weekly shop; the Travel Shop, to book tickets for all kinds of travel; the Post Office, for sending your letters and currency exchange; the Paper Shop, for your newspapers, stationery & make-up. Last year our shops saved students over
£2,200,000…seriously!
Hello, welcome to your Students’ Union! You are automatically a member when you enrol on a UEA course, and we are run by students for students. You’ve just started here, and you should know this: these will be the best years of your life. We will try our best to make sure of that! This page is a broad overview of what your Union does. Browse it. Browse it until you know everything. And when you know everything, browse it again. Twice! We are here to make your time at UEA amazing, so tell us if we can do more to help you enjoy your time here. Have a great Welcome Week!
Facebook: ‘Union Of UEA Students’
Twitter: @UnionUEA
ADVICE CENTRE & HOME RUN
The Union’s Advice Centre should be your first port of call when you have a problem – whether it’s about your course, your house, or you just want some free condoms. The Advice Centre has over 8800 visitors a year. The Union’s Advisors are expert at helping out when you have academic issues – In 2009/10 66% of academic appeals submitted by students with assistance from the Advice Centre were upheld, compared to 28% from students who went it alone. The Union’s Home Run service provides you with a list of accredited landlords each year. Last year we provided nearly 2500 bed spaces for students - our landlords charge no fees meaning that we saved students over £125,000. Our Landlords have to adhere to a set of minimum standards. Last year Home Run filled 99% of the bed spaces it advertised for students - so make sure you look out for the list in January
ACTIVITIES
The Union runs clubs (for sports) societies (for everything else) and volunteering projects. Whether you like playing football or knitting, we have a club and society for you – and if we don’t you can start one up yourselves! Last year we had 1020 committee members running 170 clubs & societies – for students. Our sports clubs spent 99,983 days playing sport, & travelled 41,382 miles to fixtures last year. We rewarded 112 volunteers in our first year of accreditation and this year our target is 500. If you’re volunteering within the Union or outside, make sure you pick up a volunteering logbook and get accredited!
ENTERTAINMENT
If you don’t like something, or if you have some great ideas or suggestions, or if you just want to say “well done”, then we want to hear from you! This is YOUR Union - everything we do is for you, so we need to know what you’re thinking. Wherever you see these monkeys, leave us a comment!
Last year we hosted over 2090 hours of events, so there are lots of fun things to do here: enjoy our gigs, comedy and club nights at the LCR and the Waterfront; hang out in the Union Pub and the Hive; and watch great films at our Film Club…have fun!
This year we’ll be trying to speak to more of you than ever before, so that the changes we make are truly the changes you want!
Union of University of East Anglia Students (UUEAS) is a registered charity England and Wales no 1139778