Issue 263 | Tuesday 17th January 2012 | Fortnightly | Free
UEA’s Independent Student Newspaper concrete-online.co.uk
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COMMENT Page 7
Not for the First time, we aren’t happy
Sherlock nudity: why all the fuss?
>> First’s decision to prevent the 21/22 service stopping at the University has angered both students and residents >> A petition has been launched to combat the changes going through, and has garnered hundreds of signatures
TRAVEL
Richard Joslin News Reporter Plans to change the route of the 21/22 First bus services, scrapping the West Earlham, Bowthorpe, Hospital, UEA connection, were met by a community outcry last week as students and faculty members of the University concerned about the changes spoke out against them. Over 220 people have signed a petition against the planned changes, with many comments on the petition expressing anger at bus company First for doing this after many had bought their £200 annual season tickets. There have also been complaints about the apparent lack of a suitable replacement. Lois Catterall, a second year UEA student with a part time city-
Susanna Wood
centre job living in Bowthorpe, called the changes “completely unacceptable.” She told Concrete: “If the service to the campus is stopped getting to work is going to take a lot longer, and giving up an hour and a half of my day to commute a 6 mile journey is completely ludicrous. I paid £250 for a bus pass that I believed would give me access to a fully functioning service, and now, half way through the academic year, First want to deny me the service to campus.” The Union of UEA Students has expressed its concern in a statement, echoing concerns about the students who bought a bus pass specifically for the 21/22 route to campus only to have it removed halfway through the year. Continued on page 4
Three Hindu chaplains appointed Chris King Editor Following a campaign by UEA Hindu Society, three Hindu chaplains have been appointed by the Chaplaincy to offer advice and spiritual guidance to Hindu students at the University. The appointment of the three chaplains, two of whom, GopalLila Das of Imperial College,
London and Dr. Suresh C. Vasishtha, are based in London, and the other, Shaunaka Rishi, in Oxford, marks a significant victory for the Hindu community at UEA, which has increased significantly in size over the past few years. An article featured in Concrete last year documented a motion passed at Union Council, which criticised the University for appearing not to welcome
students of a Hindu faith. The appointment of the chaplains, whilst appearing to be a concerted move by the University to provide equal facilities and services for Hindu students at the University, was spearheaded by staff at the Chaplaincy. According to UEA chaplain, Marion Houssart: “The Chaplaincy, frustrated that this matter did not move forward, approached several chaplains in the London area.”
Das described the support he would be able to provide to Hindu students at UEA: “On behalf of the other newly-appointed Hindu chaplains, we are honoured to be asked to serve the community of UEA. Our role is to support students in the practice of their faith to ensure they can focus on their studies and contribute fully to University life.” Continued on page 2
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Party hard in vibrant Budapest Chris King
LIFESTYLE Page 17
Will 2012 be your year? SPORT Page 22/23
BUCS clubs: the season so far Laura Smith
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Three Hindu chaplains appointed Address Concrete Newspaper Union House UEA NR4 7TJ Email concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.advertising@uea.ac.uk Contact 01603 593 466 Concrete is published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2011 Concrete BMc. ISSN 1351-2773
Continued from front page: Houssart continued: “We made contact with Shaunaka Rishi Das, Chaplain at Oxford University as well as Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Gopal-Lila Das, Hindu chaplain at Imperial College, London. Later we heard of a Hindu chaplain from London, part-time chaplain to Norwich Prison - Dr Suresh Vasishtha - and we approached him about taking on the role as
chaplain here. None of the above could commit to taking on the role, certainly not full time, but all were prepared to be a Hindu contact in times of need.” Some Hindu students have called for the use of flames in the Chaplaincy building to be permitted, and launched a petition aimed at securing the creation of a Hindu-Buddhist shrine on campus. The petition, which had nine pages of signatures reads: “We the undersigned would be
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Letters should be addressed for the attention of the Editor, Chris King. Letters must include contact details, but we will consider anonymous publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity as necessary. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper.
James Dixon
No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the Editor, Chris King. Printed by Archant.
Susanna Wood
Editor | Chris King >> concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor | Hannah Britt >> concrete.deputyeditor@uea.ac.uk News Editors | James Dixon & Susanna Wood >> concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment Editor | Joshua Resoun >> concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Travel Editor | Greg Lewry >> concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Turf Editor | Becky Hazlewood >> concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk International Editor | Rachael Lum >> concrete.international@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle Editors | Hasina Allen & Rianne Ison >> concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sport Editors | Matt Scrafton & Chris Teale >> concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk >> concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy Editors | Amy Adams & Harry Slater >> concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk
International Isabelle Carty, Rachael Lum Comment Richard Law, Jess Collett, Rebecca Goodacre, Beth Wyatt, Amelia Edwards, Ciara Jack, Greg Manterfield-Ivory,
NEWS
A word from the editor With a new year, comes a new start, as the time-honoured cliché goes. Concrete has the opportunity to go from strengthto-strength this semester, but it relies on the same involvement, dedication and enthusiasm which you, our contributors, have shown to date. Whether you’re writing a feature piece, investigating breaking news stories, or proofing our pages on a Saturday to the cloying, unbearable sound of the Spotify Top 100 playlist, you are vital to our future. If you’re interested in a future in journalism, now is the time to write and consider section editorship. Sadly, as much as we love Concrete, the current cohort won’t be around forever. Finally, Concrete would like to apologise to Michael Drummond, who was incorrectly credited as Mark Drummond in Issue 261. Chris King Editor-in-chief
Contributors/Editorial/Contacts
News Richard Joslin, Chris King, Susanna Wood, Catherine Hardy, Charlotte Cox, Michael Drummond, James Dixon
grateful for a shrine on campus for the traditional practices of meditation and bhakti-yoga, including the use of naked flames.” Houssart said: “We have been approached by the UEA Student Union’s Hindu Society President, Pavrita Chotai, and will be having a meeting later this week to see what we can offer in terms of time and space for worship, and possibly storage space for a few items, but always within our constraints.”
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Chief Photographer | Laura Smith Deputy Chief Photographer | Harriet Jones >> concrete.photographers@uea.ac.uk Distribution Manager | Stephanie Gover >> concrete.distribution@uea.ac.uk Advertising Manager | Chris King >> concrete.advertising@uea.ac.uk
Joshua Resoun Travel Chris King, Cameron Tucker, Lauren Cope, Oscar Hameenaho-Fox, Tom Linton-Smith, Jonathan Stuart Features Beth Wyatt, Lauren Cope Turf Becky Hazlewood, Chris Teale
If you are interested in placing an advertisement in Concrete, visit www. concrete-online.co.uk to view our media pack and advertising regulations, which contain details including sizes and prices. To arrange an advertisement, email Editor Chris King at concrete. editor@uea.ac.uk or call 07515005090. Lifestyle Hannah Britt, Lauren Cope, Bethan Williams, Rianne Ison Sport Matt Scrafton, Kris Nelson, Doug Patient, Chris Teale, Emma Webb, Lewis Dalton, Billy Sexton Copy Editors Amy Adams, Harry Slater, Matthew Weddig, Susanna Wood, Hannah Britt
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New year’s detox for the UEA Library Susanna Wood News Editor UEA students have reacted positively to the Library’s new 24/7 opening hours. A trial period of the 24/7 opening will run from 16 January to July 2012, and will include bank holidays and the Easter break. The initiative should help to ease pressure on Library resources during periods of heavy use. The Library will also be open continually at weekends in response to complaints about the late opening time of 11am on Saturdays and Sundays. The changes come a year after the “techpocalypse,” when information and Library services crashed in December 2010 causing much disruption for UEA students and staff.
Nicholas Lewis, the Director of Library Services, told Concrete: “The Library 24/7 trial has been initiated by the University in response to student feedback through various surveys including the NSS and postgraduate surveys. It should help all those who prefer to study uninterrupted at night and early morning, for example. In particular, it aims to support students who may find it difficult to access the Library during standard hours, perhaps owing to work placements, family or work commitments.” The Library has also unveiled several new initiatives to help students make the most of its resources. One of these, the “more books” initiative, is designed to make it easy for students to let the Library know if they need books which are currently unavailable. The Library is making forays into
social media as students can now tweet the books they want, along with the hashtag #UEAlibrary. The Library is also publicising its wireless printing facilities, which allow students to print work on the Library printers from their laptops. The Union of UEA Students has also responded enthusiastically to the improvements, with Academic Officer Meg Evans telling Concrete: “The new Library opening times could be really positive for students. The Union is pleased that the Library has responded to feedback from students and we’d love to hear what students think about the changes.” Mr Lewis added: “Whether 24/7 will continue depends on how much the service is used during the trial period, so please do use it and give us your feedback.”
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Costa prizes galore Catherine Hardy News Reporter Not one, but two graduates of UEA’s prestigious Creative Writing Programme have won Costa Book Awards. Paedriatric nurse Christie Watson took home the Costa First Novel Award for her book Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, which the judges described as a “vibrant gem of a novel” . Christie said: “I’m shocked and delighted at the news - and my children were jumping up and down in the kitchen last night listening to the radio announcement!” Meanwhile, Andrew Miller won Best Novel with Pure,
“a gripping story, beautifully written and emotionally satisfying”. The two graduates each received £5,000 and are among the five winners from which the overall Costa Book of the Year will be selected. Creative writing graduate Martyn Bedford was also shortlisted for the Children’s Book Award with Flip. Professor Jean Boase-Beier, head of the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, said: “It is wonderful when our graduates receive recognition. We know that they are brilliant, but awards like these are such an honour. Congratulations to Christie, Andrew and Martyn.”
Laura Smith
Graduate job prospects set to improve Charlotte Cox News Reporter A new report on the graduate jobs market published on Wednesday, 11 January revealed that, despite the unsettled economy, there will be considerably more graduate vacancies available for university leavers in 2012. This will be the third consecutive year that the number of graduate jobs has increased. The research shows that
employers, on average, will hire 6.4% more graduates in 2012 than they did in 2011. However, the report forewarns that graduates of the class of 2012 who have had no work experience whilst at university have an incredibly slim chance of getting a job from the country’s most prestigious graduate employers. Furthermore, a considerable 36% of this year’s graduate vacancies are expected to be filled by applicants who have already worked for the organisations
during their studies. Despite the lack of recruitment at many government departments and agencies, graduate vacancies in the public sector are anticipated to increase by a fifth this year, partly as a result of the Teach First scheme which is set to hire 1,000 graduates for the first time in 2012. The majority of employers are not planning to increase their graduate remuneration in 2012; the average graduate salary remains at £29,000 for the third year running. Fields
that are expected to employ a higher percentage of graduates in 2012 are: engineering and industrial companies, IT and telecommunications firms, high street banks, investment banks and retailers. Although these recruitment targets for 2012 are encouraging, graduate recruitment statistics remain below pre-recession levels at the UK’s leading employers. Across all the organisations featured within the report, graduate recruitment in 2012 is
still 6% below the figures recorded in 2007. Moreover, an extra 50,000 new graduates are expected to leave university in the summer of 2012, compared with those who graduated five years ago. Therefore, although the statistics compared to those in 2010 and 2011 seem to be looking brighter, the graduates of 2012 and the following years will almost definitely have difficulty finding full time employment, especially those with little or no work experience.
With the imminent release of the Home Run list, Concrete is keen to hear your housing stories. Email concrete.news@uea.ac.uk with feedback on your letting agents
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NEWS
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Student Library fines nearly top £100,000 James Dixon News Editor Concrete has discovered that UEA students paid more than £90,000 in library fines last year. With tuition fees set to rise, the issue of library fines recently surfaced in the national media. No one enjoys slotting their money into the ravenous withdrawal machines when they are demanding loose change. Library fines however, are an integral part of the borrowing system the University maintains. A recent freedom of information request was sent to all of Britain’s universities by the Press Association. 101 universities responded to the request which saw the University of Leeds come out on top with an annual sum of £1,869,340. The grand total paid by UEA students in fines totalled £92,847.93 between August 2010 to July 2011. Nicholas Lewis, Library Director, commented on the matter: “UEA Library, like all UK higher education institutions, charges fines for overdue items. The main reason for fines is to ensure that books are returned in a timely
fashion so as not to disadvantage other students.” He went on to state: “The income of fines tends to be used to enhance a broad range of services according to current priorities. We are working to contain fines by introducing pre-
overdue courtesy notices from this January, another response to student requests.” UEA has a fine limit of £20 and will permit students to borrow a maximum of 10 books at a time for students in their first and second
years. Students in their third year may take out 15 books at a time. All members of the Library staff also have the power to impose on the spot fines of £5 for the failure to comply with Library rules and regulations.
Laura Smith
UEA excels in national survey Some say that UEA is wonderful, and now the rest of the UK does too. In the recent WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2011, the University gave a knockout performance, appearing in the top eight of every single one of the nine categories. UEA beat all other universities in the UK to claim first place for overall rating, student union and accommodation. In addition, our University achieved an impressive second place for clubs and societies, courses and lecturers and the all important eye candy, as well as coming third for uni facilities. The two remaining categories, which the University came fifth and eighth in respectively, were job prospects and city. UEA is sure to offer all the students that voted in the awards a massive thank you. The award resonates through the University and more importantly, the students themselves. To view the full award results visit www.whatuni.com/ degrees/home.html. Catherine Hardy
Not for the First time, we aren’t happy Continued from front page The Union also pointed out that a third of landlords in the Home Run student housing programme operate in the affected area, NR5, as well as criticising the lack of consultation with students by First. Tash Ross, Community and Student Rights Officer at the Union, described the changes as “really worrying. There seems to have been little thought of the students who use the service, especially given that many of them will have bought a yearlong pass expecting to be able to use the services for all of the academic year. We call on First Bus to review their decision, and consult with students, especially those who have already paid for their bus pass for the year.” Norwich city councillor Samir Jeraj has also protested against the changes. “Public transport is vital and serves
a wide range of people. It is important people have access to the University and to the hospital, and that those routes run all year.” First buses have cited “rising fuel and insurance costs, changes to concessionary fares and reimbursement procedures, as well as reductions in BSOG payments (fuel duty rebate) and council funding” as reasons for cancelling the service, claiming that the planned change is driven largely by lack of demand. A spokesperson for First defended the changes, saying that: “A recent full and thorough review of the 21/22 service revealed that very few passengers are carried between the University and the N&N, and that this particular section of the route is no longer financially viable to operate. It is with regret that the decision was taken to withdraw this part of the service. Despite this withdrawal, there are still two half-hourly services from Earlham Road to
the hospital (Konectbus services three and four).” However, most of those affected remain unconvinced. Alexander George, a UEA law student, told Concrete: “I am a second year, and am having to change my house because of the bus. It’s completely impractical for us to stay in Bowthorpe. First claimed they researched user’s habits, and said that most users were going to the hospital, but in my experience there were just as many people getting off at the University as at the hospital. Everyone I know in Bowthorpe is looking to move for next year, and apart from anything else, it’s going to make competition for houses near campus even harder than it already is, and landlords in Bowthorpe are going to end up with lots of empty houses next year. It just seems to me like a really badly thought out plan by First.” The changes take effect from Monday 16 January.
YouTubed News This issue’s video allegedly depicts four men from the US Marine Corps urinating on deceased Taliban fighters. The marines are heard laughing during the act and appear very relaxed. Since the video surfaced, all four of the marines have been identified bytheNavalCriminalInvestigativeService.Afghanpresident,Hamid Karzai, deemed the video “simply inhuman and condemnable.” Got any suggestions? Contact concrete.news@uea.ac.uk.
NEWS
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Have your say: National Student Survey 2012 If you are a final year undergraduate, make sure you take part in the 2012 National Student Survey, which launches at the end of this month. Ipsos, the company conducting the survey, will email all students in the target group during the week commencing 30 January 2012, inviting you to complete an online questionnaire at www. thestudentsurvey.com. Completing the questionnaire should take no longer than five minutes but by doing so you can make a real difference. “The survey gives us a picture of how students view UEA and its staff, and helps us to pinpoint and spread best practice,” said Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Tom Ward. “It also has a powerful impact on the reputation of the University.” It is very important that as many students as possible take part in this year’s survey. For the data to be deemed sufficiently robust to publish, each subject area must achieve a response rate of at least 50%. Students will be asked to judge the performance of their course in the following areas: teaching quality; assessment and feedback; academic support; organisation and management; learning resources; personal development; and overall satisfaction. UEA has fared particularly well in previous survey, ranking in the top 10 mainstream English universities since the survey began. Make sure you have your say this year. For further information, contact Barrie Osborne (ACAD) x2122 or nss@uea.ac.uk.
Postgraduate open day
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Wonga loan campaign Earlham pub closed again criticised by NUS Michael Drummond News Reporter Following criticism from the National Union of Students (NUS), short term loan company Wonga has removed material from their website which appeared to be targeting students. Pete Mercer, NUS Vice President (Welfare), had said: “It is highly irresponsible of any company to suggest to students that high-cost short-term loans be a part of their everyday financial planning.” He described Wonga’s targeting of students as “predatory marketing”. Wonga had been advertising as an alternative to government backed student loans. Like many other payday loan companies, Wonga make their money by loaning money to customers whose payday comes after any bills need to be paid. Like any loan, the company’s profit is derived from the interest they charge when the customer pays the money back. Currently, government loans are paid back after your income surpasses £15,000. 9% of your salary above this figure goes towards repaying your debt. For courses starting in September
2011, the high street banks’ interest rate was around 1.5%. By contrast, Wonga’s interest rates are infamous, currently 4,214% APR. This, in real terms, would mean if you borrow £1 for a day you will have to pay back £6.56. Considering that tuition fees are currently £3,375, soon to be raised to £9,000, the NUS was responding to student concerns about how dangerous these payday loans companies could be. The page has now been taken down permanently and an apology from Wonga has been put in its place. They have put the criticism down to “misunderstandings,” stating: “We would like to clarify that Wonga does not target students. Yet we do not discriminate against working, adult students who may choose to apply either, because all applications are assessed in the same robust and completely objective way.” However, the statement also pointed out that the main purpose was meant to be to optimise their position on search engines. This gives rise to the question: are thousands of students potentially spiralling into mountains of debt, and is this a fair trade for a better ranking on Google?
The Earlham Arms pub has once again been closed amidst fresh difficulties, despite being recently rebranded. As reported in South Norwich News this week, the Earlham Road pub stopped trading on Thursday, 12 January. The pub has undergone several refurbishments in the last few years. It briefly tapped into the student market in 2010 when it was renamed The Schoolhouse. Its popularity with students also brought trouble as neighbours complained about noise and reported rowdy behaviour, which put the pub’s license at risk. Rebranded as The Earlham Arms five months ago, it was hoping to attract back locals and provide a traditional pub feel. However, dwindling trade has forced the current closure. It has been rumoured that the pub will re-open as a restaurant. Susanna Wood
Arty party at the SCVA
Laura Smith An open day will be held on 18 January to advertise postgraduate opportunities and scholarships. The event will run from noon until 4pm and will feature guided tours around the campus for students from outside of UEA. The University has around 3,000 post-graduate students who make up a 1/5 of UEA’s 15,000 strong population. There will be 40 scholarships offered in the faculty of Arts and Humanities, offering the possibility of full or part coverage
of course fees with a number of scholarships including a maintenance payment of up to £13,590. The faculty of Social Sciences is also offering more than 25 grants to prospective students. A number of project-specific PhD positions in the faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences are also available for prospective students to apply for. For more information, visit www.uea.ac.uk/ study/postgraduate/finance.
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A new café/bar is set to be unveiled at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, which will be open all day and into the evening. To celebrate this addition, the centre is hosting the Modern Party, an event which will feature live music, pop-up bars and an exhibition series dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The event will be held on Saturday, 4 February, from 7.30pm till midnight. All students from UEA and the Norwich University College of Arts (NUCA) are invited to attend. Entry is free, as are opinions on art. This opening promises to add a new colour to the SCVA’s already impressive palette of events and dsiplays. James Dixon
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INTERNATIONAL
Taking it to the world Concrete looks into why the chance to live abroad is relished by some, while others see it as a cause for concern
A home away from home Isabelle Carty International Writer “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is a well-known phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence. For many people it may explain the emigration from their home country with the intention of forging a life for themselves in another one. There are a multitude of reasons why someone may voluntarily or involuntarily leave their birth nation, ranging from fleeing persecution to simply seeking a better life elsewhere. Expatriates (people temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their
upbringing) may initially have been searching for better job opportunities, seeking exciting new cultures, looking to achieve religious or sexual freedom, better educational opportunities or simply joining members of their families who have already built a life elsewhere.
“Indeed, many find themselves adapting to and enjoying a variety of new cultures, even learning new languages, leading to cultural fusion” Essentially, choosing to switch between countries does not equate to a change in
identity. Many people will bring their homes and indeed parts of their home countries with them, whether it is in the form of physical trinkets or a more innate cultural identity that guides their actions and their lives. In this way, their homes are never lost. However, this is not to say that they need to be limited to only one culture. Indeed, many find themselves adapting to and enjoying a variety of new cultures, even learning new languages, leading to cultural fusion. Eventually, communities filled with like-minded people, perhaps from their home country, form around the first settlers in an area, creating a home away from home.
A leak detected: the great brain drain Rachael Lum International Writer As geographical boundaries are broken by transportation technology, it is easy for anyone to travel or migrate to places all around the world. Good as it may be for an individual’s quality of life, this is often an anxietyprovoking thought for every country. Human capital flight, or brain drain, refers to the large outflow of skilled manpower leading to a nation’s loss of intellectual and technical resources. The majority of the emigrating human capital are made up of educated students eager to find better opportunities. African countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia and Kenya often suffer the worst hit as they are subjected to high unemployment rates and better working conditions elsewhere. According to a report by the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa, since 1990 at least 20,000 African professionals have left the continent every year. Inadequate education and
health facilities as well as human rights abuse also force youths out of these nations. The Network of African Science Academies recorded that onethird of African scientists worked in developed countries in 2009.
“Ironically, the knowledge transfer that unites the global fabric and meets the countries’ occupational demands buys these potential graduates their ticket to the world” “The brain drain is putting a huge strain on the continent,” claimed Deputy Director of the International Organization of Migration, Ndioro Ndiaye. He has estimated that Africa pumps in around $4bn to replete this shortage. Iran, Malaysia and China are among the other top countries experiencing severe brain drain. Given the choice, students are avid to pursue their higher education overseas. Ironically, the knowledge transfer that unites
the global fabric and meets the countries’ occupational demands buys these potential graduates their ticket to the world. The International Monetary Fund recorded Iran as the country with the highest brain drain of the 90 countries observed. Similarly, China saw 70% of its students studying abroad opting not to return to their home country. Another dominant factor of
the brain drain is the political uncertainty within the countries. Rigid social restraints and oppressive conditions influence the diaspora of politically active youths in Iran. Likewise, the lack of religious freedom and corruption pose a similar threat to Malaysia. What can be done to aid the brain drain is to narrow the gap that leaves graduates yearning
to move abroad and nurture their talents elsewhere. African governments have recognized the devastating effects of the situation and taken efforts to reverse this phenomenon. Fundamentally, the desired improvement of this issue depends on whether the governments of the respective countries are able to make changes to attract and keep their valuable capital assets.
COMMENT
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The end is nigh With the end of the world approaching, Richard Law is still yet to be convinced by the soothsayers of the Mayan prophecy “In the beginning, God created the Maya calendar and saw that the Earth would be utterly dependent upon it and doomed once the calendar ends.” I think we can all agree that this is the most devastating omission from Genesis since the discovery of dinosaur fossils. Oh, speaking of omissions, the fruitcakes at the conspiracy factory forgot to mention that
the Mayan calendar is not really ending at all. The date of the supposed coming apocalypse, 21 December 2012, is actually when the current baktun cycle ends and the 14th cycle begins. A baktun is a period of 394 years, and, uncannily, it was in 1618 that the world last ended. Funny how we’re still here. Of all the apocalyptic visions our thumbless friends have been
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would imagine that an object supposedly four times the size of earth and frolicking about in our atmosphere would be a little bit conspicuous. Call me misanthropic, but some part of me wishes these
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nutty masochists could be right just so they’d go back to where they came from. At least that way the rest of us could continue to use the good old Gregorian calendar, and, dare I say it, get on all right.
salivating over, my favourite is the theory that Earth will collide with a large planetary object called Nibiru. Nibiru was booked to collide with us in 2003, but unfortunately couldn’t make it and instead is coming back later this year for a second go. Now, I don’t wish to appear cynical and I’m all for a free fireworks display, but I
A scandal in sexism The state of truth With the second series of Sherlock just finished, Jess Collett laments the outrage directed towards the nudity of episode one The jewel in the otherwise uninspired Christmas scheduling was the return of Sherlock, the BBC modern re-imagining of the classic Victorian detective. The first episode, entitled A Scandal in Belgravia, saw Irene Adler play a dominatrix femme fatale who beats Sherlock into submission … with a riding crop. It was funny, it was clever, and it had lots of nudity, both male and female. Of course, I couldn’t enjoy it for long before “the sisterhood” began to kick up a fuss. “The sisterhood” is what I like to call a small group of modern feminists who are outraged at anything that offends the very notion of
femininity. If you can read between the lines, I don’t like these women very much. They seem to take a perverse pleasure in ruining the things I enjoy and making me feel like a lesser being because I disagree with them, as if I am “letting the side down” and every female icon in the annuals of history is staring at me with a disapproving look and tutting while doing so. The problem seems to lie in the fact that Ms Adler uses her body to get what she wants from the men around her and uses sex as a weapon. Uh, why not? Why can’t she use what she was given
to gain advantage over some very powerful and dangerous men? If I want to be very pedantic, I could claim this whole scenario is sexist to men. Look at the strong minded detective: his brain has turned to mush because of a woman. Men are so easily manipulated by women! All a woman needs to do is flirt with a guy, and he’ll stumble his way through the world just to get a text from her. Is the feminist idea that men must always be driven by the physical and women only by the intellectual? Let’s put the ‘sexism’ goggles away ladies and put them away for good.
in journalism
With questions being raised about the quality of news reporting, Rebecca Goodacre asks the ultimate question: What is the role of the press? This week, the public editor of the New York Times, Arthur S Brisbane, offered a question to its readers: “Whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge ‘facts’ that are asserted by newsmakers they write about”. Then, the Guardian reported the overwhelming response from the readers was a rather indignant “yes”, pointing out that surely this was a journalist’s job in the first place. To a certain extent they were right. A journalist should be expected to go in search of the truth and make it public. The average man and woman have a right to access information, and it is a journalist’s duty to provide this. However, this is in many ways an overly-romanticised and overly-simplistic approach to the role and art of journalism. Although we deserve to know what’s happening in the world around us, there needs to be a line drawn as to what constitutes “challenging facts”, and where it becomes outright accusatory and skewed reporting. Brisbane’s main focus for his article is politics, and whether the statements of politicians should be questioned for truthfulness
when reported. I can imagine that playing “spot the lie” in political speeches would be an endless game, and doing so would distort the newspaper by whose faults they most readily examine. This would inevitably result in mainstream American newspapers, much like their television networks, becoming politically charged and openly biased. If the reporting quality of Fox News is anything to go by, this type of shift will do nobody any good.
“The average man and woman have a right to access information, and it is a journalist’s duty to provide this” So, where does that leave us for balanced and impartial facts? With the massive flaws uncovered in modern journalism in 2011, it is time we start asking questions much like that of Brisbane’s. What role should the journalist play? Are they there to uncover the facts and relay them to us as they are presented to them, allowing members of the public to decipher them as they wish?
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The Big Debate
For Beth Wyatt
Against Amelia Edwards
With the Olympics drawing closer, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee set for June, and the economy having yet to recover:
Is 2012 the year things finally get better? Yes, 2011 may have been a tumultuous year, with the instability of the Euro, the government’s cuts beginning to bite and the unforeseen chaos of the August riots in London, but the country can persevere and enjoy a successful 2012. Forget the foreboding that the world may end and instead revel in the hope that this year may be the year that brings us together. The royals are set to expand on 2011’s successes, notably the spectacular wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, by embarking on a tour to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Queen is a fantastic figurehead for this country, carrying out her duties admirably, and it will be the perfect time for everyone to show their respect for her. From March, the Queen and Prince Philip will be visiting as much of the UK as they can and other royals, such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will be journeying abroad. Highlights in England will include special exhibitions, jubilee lunches and a massive concert at Buckingham Palace.
“Forget the foreboding that the world may end and instead revel in the hope that this year may be the year that brings us together” The Queen’s 60 years on the throne is a wonderful thing to celebrate, but the event everyone is anticipating most is the Olympics. London has hosted the Games twice before, in 1908 and 1948, and both were triumphant spectacles. The 1908 Olympics were originally to be held in Rome, but Mount Vesuvius erupted in 1906 and London stepped in, with only two years to prepare. Despite this, the Games were widely praised and Great Britain finished first with 145 medals (a lot to ask for these days). The success of the 1948 Olympics was even more surprising, given
that London again stepped in at the last minute and of course the more significant fact that the Second World War had only ended three years previously, a war during which London was bombed heavily.
“London has hosted the Olympics twice, and both were triumphant spectacles” The 1948 Games brought the world back together after it was ruptured by Nazi tyranny. Great Britain performed less admirably that year, coming in 12th place (23 medals) with the USA (84), Sweden (44) and France (29) topping the table. However, after the success of the British team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (4th with 47 medals) could a comeback be on the cards? The indications are all there that we have some great contenders. Athletes such as Rebeeca Adlington (swimming), Chris Hoy (cycling) and Victoria Pendleton (cycling) all gained gold medals at the Beijing Games, with Adlington doing the double and Hoy the triple. Other British favourites also competing at the London Olympics include paralympian Ellie Simmonds who won two gold medals at Beijing for swimming, triple jumper Phillips Idowu, former world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis, gymnast Beth Tweddle and Andy Murray, who may stand a good chance if he can conquer Nadal and Djokovic. The subject of who will be in Britain’s football team will no doubt induce a vast amount of coverage. The main question is, will the team be wholly English or will Wales give up and let Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale play? The Olympics is set to be the British event of the century, despite the fact that the tube will be horrific. My only complaint is that tug of war (which was an Olympic event from 1900-1920) has not been resurrected. Spoilsports.
The number of doom and gloom prophesies concerning 2012 have been growing steadily in preparation for the year itself. From being hit by another planet to devastating earthquakes which will kill-off most of the Earth’s population; from being hit by solar flares to a reversal in the rotation of the earth, if the end-of-the-world pedlars are to be believed, our planet is irrevocably doomed. Not being a scientist, however, I cannot comment on the possibility of us all dying. I merely mention it to show that, well, you never know. Back in the world of the more predictable and everyday, will 2012 be the year things get better? I think not.
“The UK will either go into or stay in recession for the first half of the year. All told, it looks as though, in terms of the economic situation, not only is 2012 unlikely to be an improvement on 2011, it might even be worse” We can look back on 2011 as an awful year: a year of cuts, rioting and phone-hacking, but you have to remember that, at the beginning of the year, it was easy to be optimistic. It’s always easy to be positive at the beginning of each new year, and it has to be remembered that the end of 2011 was particularly bad, which makes it all the easier approach 2012 with optimism. One of the things which made 2011 seem so bad was the economy, which didn’t pick up as much as was hoped. At the moment, it looks like 2012 is only due to get worse. The NIESR (National Institute of Economic and Social Research) has predicted a 70% chance of a double-dip recession while the OECD (Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development) and Standard Chartered have both
predicted that the UK will either go into or stay in recession for the first half of the year. It looks as though, in terms of the economic situation, not only is 2012 unlikely to be an improvement on 2011, it might even be worse. “But the UK is going to be hosting the Olympics,” I hear you cry. This is true, and it will probably bring many small businesses a long-awaited boost. However, the question is: will the Olympics be good? Will they bring us national pride? Hopefully the games will run smoothly, but there have already been a few worrying jolts. Ticket sales have been confusing and tickets have been extremely difficult to come by. There has also been talk of spot fixing, with Olympics organisers being worried that the credibility of the games could be called into question. In 2011, on the other hand, the Royal Wedding – smaller than the Olympics but still an occasion for Britain to show off – went very smoothly, with donations of over £1m being made to UK charities.
“The UK may be hosting the games, and they will probably bring many small businesses a longawaited boost. However, the Olympics have already yielded a few worrying jolts” Ultimately, the events of next year are impossible to predict accurately. Nonetheless, it is naive to think that, just because 2011 seemed bad the next year must be better. 2012 is likely to be as bad as 2011, and it could just possibly be worse – and after all, when you think about all the little details, 2011 wasn’t so bad. But you probably don’t have to worry about it being the end of the world. Just check out Nasa’s website, and rest assured that it probably won’t happen … just yet.
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Ready, steady, crook With the economic situation having affected us all, including celebrity chefs, Ciara Jack isn’t too worried Earlier this month, police arrested the hobbity chef, Antony Worrall Thompson, for pilfering cheese and wine in Tesco, in what has to be the most middle class offence of the year so far. Presumably, he was in a hurry to transport the goods to Isengard. Frodo, I mean, Antony said: “I am of course devastated for my family and friends, whom I’ve let down and will seek the treatment that is clearly needed.” His tone suggests that the insensitivity of what he’s done is the moral equivalent of kicking the family rabbit over the garden fence or punching a stranger in the face. The numerous breathless reports of the incident seemed to paint the
image of a man in chef’s whites exiting wildly through an open set of chiming supermarket doors with a plasma screen television wedged under his arm. Whilst shoplifting should never be condoned, when in the public eye, if one slips somebody will see. It shouldn’t affect his career, and it will probably be soon forgotten, if not parodied and mocked on comedy shows. He can still bring a £5 bag onto Ready Steady Cook, and present his choice of food, and then take out all the items he’s concealed in his pockets and shirt sleeves. At least he hasn’t careered off the rails in the same style as Charlie Sheen. Whilst he isn’t bi-winning, he does know how to bi-one-get-one-free.
Diane’s dilemma With Diane Abbot’s Twitter comments causing a stir, Greg Manterfield-Ivory looks at the underlying issue of freedom of speech in the public realm Diane Abbott’s comments on Twitter recently provoked controversy, largely because she used the phrase “white people” (enough to make any Daily Mail reader scream about doublestandards) but also because she added that they “love playing divide and rule.” Regardless of whether she is right or wrong (and an examination of history indicates that she is probably right), the reactions to her tweet were frighteningly severe. Politicians on the right and the left came out to say that a liberal society could not tolerate such racism. But what they failed to address was society’s approach to free speech. Abbott was not calling for racist action against white people, she simply condensed a historical observation to fit the medium of a Twitter discussion. If people feel that they can accurately interpret Abbott’s 140 character message as one of prejudice, then they should do so without calling for that message to be retracted. She
should be afforded the same freedom of speech, especially on her personal social networking account, that anyone else would expect. By all means take offence, but understand that Abbott’s right to freedom of speech overrules any right you feel you may have to not be offended. Disagree with her and debate her, but if in doing so you call for an apology, a retraction (or in the case of Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi) a resignation, on the grounds of “having caused offence,” then please understand the paradox of using your own freedom of speech to silence someone else’s.
Ode to the tyrants With the age of the dictator fast coming to an end, Joshua Resoun looks back on the more interesting tyrants of history Dictators are an enigma. They have come in all shapes and sizes. They have risen to, and fallen from, power all over the world, in every region, in every part of history. And they have always drawn criticisms. They are, on the whole, known as tyrannical, oppressive, controlling, and downright insane. And yet, there is just something about absolute power, about having total reign to do whatever you want whenever you want, that has always drawn curiosity and fascination from democrats, intellectuals, and average citizens alike. In May this year, the latest in the mockumentary series from Sacha Baron Cohen, entitled The Dictator, will grace our screens with what is sure to be 90 minutes of entertainment gold. The film parodies the recently fallen leader of Libya, Col. Muammar Gaddafi, as well as current events in Syria, and the regime style of Saddam Hussein, the former tyrant dictator of Iraq. In true Baron Cohen fashion, the film doesn’t hold back on the controversy. It tells “the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.” However, until the film is
released, let’s take a quick look at the last few centuries of human history and highlight some of the more interesting tyrants who have “lovingly oppressed” their countries … To start off, the founder (and first and only president) of North Korea, the one, the only, Kim-II Sung. He is easily one of the most intriguing figures of the 20th century, outliving both Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong (his fellow communist dictators in the mid-20th century), and he is enshrined within North Korea’s constitution as the Eternal President. His birthday is a public holiday, and because of his constitutional position, even after his death in 1994 he is still the country’s president. Not bad. Plus, unlike his successor, he did not spend his days looking at things. Next on our flash tour of history, is the exception to the tyrannical rule. He is a national hero, a great general, and most importantly, he possessed one of the best beards to have ever grown in Italy. If you haven’t guessed it, his name is Giuseppe Garibaldi. The leader of the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, and one of the great contributors to Italy’s union, he was, by self-proclamation, the Dictator of Sicily. Despite this he was not only hugely popular in Italy, but also on an international
scale. Clearly not all dictators are bad. Back to the 20th century now though for our final dictatorial highlight. He was, by all rights, democratically elected in one of the world’s most praised electoral systems. He was elected not for one decade, not for two, but for three. That’s right, a whole 30 years of being prime minister. Although not a true tyrant, Lee Kuan Yew has been described as a “benevolent dictator” by some. He transformed the island nation of Singapore into a world class “Asian tiger,” and the trade for the entire South Pacific flows through Singapore’s ports. Who says elective dictators cannot be progressive? The word dictator is such a harsh word. It was never a bad word before Julius Caesar refused to give up power way back when. Before you cry out that I’m endorsing despotism, I’m not. The world would be a better place without tyrants, but if I were given the opportunity to call myself Supreme Leader and rule forever, I think I would. Such a title would certainly spruce up my gravestone and the giant statue of myself that I would obviously build would make an impressive landmark. If I did become a dictator, I would dominate somewhere sunny. After all, who wants to rule in the shade?
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Budapest: the new centre of Europe Chris King
Chris King ventures to the Hungarian capital Budapest, finding a city swaying between the painful memories of its past and its party-mad present, while providing visitors with some of the most stunning vistas in Europe The Danube glows in the piercing yellow light of the castle on the hill, standing majestically above, and reflected in, the serene river running gently below. You are in Budapest, a city where beer flows more freely than water, and a handsome lifestyle is within the reach of even the most modestly endowed traveller. Commodity prices are almost a throwback to another epoch; cigarettes cost just £1.70 a pack, and in some of the more obscure, hidden gem bars located in the Sixth District, beer can be purchased for 100 forint (the incumbent Hungarian currency), or just 25 pence. Once the troublesome, rebellious second city of the imperious Austro-Hungarian empire, Budapest now attracts backpackers and travellers from
all over the Commonwealth, notably Australians and Canadians in their droves. Its nightlife is legendary, and rightly so. It ranges from the ultra-cool ruin bars (run-down from the outside but buzzing within), to basement clubs and even a “retro disco” open 24 hours adjoining Nyugati station, for those who prefer to rave whilst the city sleeps. You’ll never want to stay in. The city gets you drunk, and keeps you so. With the plethora of hostels owned by fun-loving English speakers, you won’t struggle to find somewhere homely, wild and central to bed down. If you sleep much at all, that is. The temptation to stay out all night, for those who can handle a drink or two, can be overwhelming. But fear not, Budapest has
plenty of hangover cures. A trip to the ancient baths at Szechenyi, taking in the magnificence of the Heroes’ Square monument along the way, is a must. Heated to 38C, and located outdoors, they are the ultimate means of relaxation. Also vital is a visit to the Citadel for a panoramic, breathtaking vista of the Danube, its several bridges and the city skyline. In general, Budapest can be explored at your own leisure. It is hard to ignore the city’s many scars; the House of Terror offers a particularly harrowing insight into the hidden evils of the Hungarian regime, which collaborated with Nazi Germany in World War Two, and the Communist dictatorship which followed. In a similar vein, the memorial on the Danube Promenade memorial, made up of the shoes of Jews killed by
the government during the war, is easily the city’s most poignant feature. Shoes, scattered and cast in iron along the banks of the river, lie with flowers and candles located beside. It is a sobering sight in this city of excess and wanton enjoyment. Budapest was always the riotous, badly-behaved brother to clean, safe, sophisticated Vienna. Enslaved by the Communists in 1944, it rose up 12 years later, only to be subdued by the statesponsored brutality of the USSR. Nowadays, just one monument to the Red Army’s “liberation” remains, and it could yet be removed. Put down for so long, Budapest now enjoys the sort of international renown normally reserved for its more illustrious western European neighbours. So go on, what is your excuse?
Getting there > Flights from Gatwick or Luton cost around £150 for an Easter visit.
Stay for > A week is more than enough time to see the city and get used to having a perpetual hangover.
A place to stay > CarpeNoctem hostel offers a unique experience, costing around £10 per night. If it is fully booked, try its sister hostels, CarpeNoctem Vitae, or the aptly-named Grandio Party Hostel.
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Shop and party like the king of Hong Kong Cameron Tucker checks out the party scene in Hong Kong, sampling some of the best bars and clubs that the Asian city has to offer Arriving off the plane at the world’s busiest airport, Chek Lap Kok, one is hit with the stifling humidity of one of the most cosmopolitan, vibrant and diverse places on earth. Hong Kong’s biggest appeal is its abundant, and relatively cheap, shopping scene. Markets to malls, HK has it all. Like so many of its south-east Asian neighbours, HK is home to a number of street markets and by day and night the streets of Mong
Kok and Stanley are lined with hundreds of stalls selling a wide variety of garments and novelty souvenirs. More upmarket products can be purchased at one of the many shopping centres that are scattered across the region. From Pacific Place in Central, to Festival Walk in Kowloon, HK presents any tourist with a choice of worldclass boutiques and the finest luxury stores. HK is also renowned for its
lively party scene. The names Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) and Wan Chai (the Wanch) are notorious for the seasoned partygoer. Though constantly revamped and reshaped, these two places have been the centres of HK nightlife since the colonial days. A night out in the Wanch will undoubtedly bring you to Carnegies, with its hallowed bar which you can dance upon as the night progresses. A trip to HK’s red light district is not complete
Travel writer Lauren Cope runs down her best, first and worst holidays
Best Rome
First Menorca
Worst Anglesey
Perhaps a variety of factors, such as the boiling hot weather, made this holiday so good. Or maybe it was just Italy’s captivating capital, but Rome was my best holiday. Seeing famous landmarks such as the Colosseum was fascinating, and Via Condotti catered to the shopaholic inside me. The Italian food is amazing, especially Baffetos: Rome’s best pizzeria. Only well-researched travellers know it, but go early to avoid queues and Baffetos will serve the best pizza you’ll ever have. I had the special, the one with egg and bacon on top.
My family went to Menorca once and returned six times. It’s more low-key than neighbouring Majorca, putting the spotlight on relaxation with stunning beaches and beautiful taverns serving delicious tapas. My recommendation for food is the fishing town Fornells; the King of Spain regularly dines there! We mainly stayed in Son Parc, which has Menorca’s only golf course, its famous beach and a beautiful swimming pool. It’s a very social place; I even went donkey riding in the forest with a friend and her family one year!
Although peaceful and steeped in history, the island just off Wales lacked entertainment and I have memories of walking through forests, across fields, around lakes. Beautiful, but not very scintillating. Add the constant pouring rain and haunted Henlly’s Hall Hotel where we stayed, and it’s clear that this was not the ideal holiday for a child. Our bedroom had a locked door which apparently lead to a room that had been destroyed and was now just full of bats. Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep there.
Travel Memories
without a visit to Swindlers, Typhoon and Xperience, all places that will promise you an enjoyable time. While the Wanch does have its highlights, LKF is really the place to go. Begin your night at Marlin, with its wide selection of HK$20–60 (£1.50–5) shots, and at Stormies, where rock’n’roll classics belt out and HK$40 (£3) vodka jelly syringes are always on offer. If you are feeling competitive, you can also participate in Marlin’s famous 10 shot challenge. It’s pretty selfexplanatory: down 10 different shots in as fast a time as possible. All 10 shots are for free if you get on the leader board. As you continue to soldier on, make sure you party it up in the stylish Likuid, schmooze in China Bar, and dance the night away in Club 97 or Graffiti. HK is also a playground for the young, and the young at heart. One of the territory’s massive draws is HK Disneyland. With a total area of 22.4 hectares, HK Disney is the smallest in
the franchise, and provides an intimate all-ages experience, in which you can meet all your childhood heroes. The region’s other theme park, Ocean Park, is a jewel in the HK crown. Recently revamped so as to compete against her Disney counterpart, Ocean Park has adrenalinepumping rides, thousands of exotic animals and world famous cable cars which transport you across the grounds. Last, but by no means least, the city skyline is a truly spectacular, must-see attraction. By far the pièce de résistance of HK culture, the harbour front is unlike anywhere else on earth. Consistently displaying one of the best New Year fireworks displays anywhere in the world, the HK cityscape provides an unforgettable experience for all. Whether you are observing the TST side of the harbour, or the island side, the skyline is testament to the ingenuity and innovation of the Hong Kong people, and helps explain why Hong Kong is Asia’s World City.
Top 3 places to go in 2012 1) London, United Kingdom
Always in the “best places to visit” list, 2012 promises to be truly special for the city. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Dickens’ 200th anniversary and some big sporting event proclaimed to be “the greatest show on Earth.”
2) Santiago, Chile
Chile’s capital city is starting to emerge as a hot destination in South America, with a growing economy and the freedom to go from snowy slopes to the beach in the same day.
3) Pyongyang, North Korea
With the death of Kim Jong-Il, media interest in this secretive country has sky-rocketed, and so too has the independent traveller’s intrigue. You’ll need a guide to get around, but North Korea presents a unique challenge.
“I spent three weeks travelling around eastern Europe, starting in Budapest then moving onto Serbia. I saw Jamiroquai at Exit Festival in Novi Sad and even met one of the Gorillaz who bought me multiple beers!”
“This summer I went on a grand tour of Europe taking in cities such as Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Warsaw and a few in Germany and France. I then rounded off August with a beery week at the Edinburgh Festival.”
“I was fortunate enough to visit Yangshuo, Guangxi Province in China. If natural beauty ranks high on your list of travel must-haves then you can’t go far wrong in visiting Yangshuo: a truly awe-inspiring destination.”
Oscar Hameenaho-Fox
Tom Linton-Smith
Jonathan Stuart
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Should international students be wary of studying in the UK? Features writer Beth Wyatt looks into an issue which has attracted media attention following the murder of an Indian student in Salford, but which had previously remained largely hidden below the surface As millions of families across the globe were celebrating the beginning of a new year, the relatives of Anuj Bidve were attempting to come to terms with his senseless death. Anuj, 23, an engineering student from Pune, India, was shot dead at point-blank range in what was believed to be a racially-motivated attack whilst visiting Salford, Manchester, with a group of Indian friends on Boxing Day. His killer was Kiaran Stapleton, 20, who has described himself as “Psycho Stapleton” in court. Bidve was laid to rest in India on 7 January and that same week, hundreds of people paid their respects at a candlelit vigil in Salford. Later this month, his university, Lancaster University, will hold a memorial ceremony and a memorial book has already been set up. Anuj’s father Subhash, who discovered his son had been murdered on Facebook, praised Anuj’s qualities when Chloe Hashemi
outside Westminster on 5 January 2012. He described his son as “really straightforward, very disciplined, very softly spoken and very friendly to everyone, and a very good son to me. “I wanted to give him the best. As a father that’s what I wanted. He was a very great asset not just to India but the whole globe. That was the kind of work he was doing.” Mr Bidve also spoke of his concerns that other international students may be in danger whilst studying in the UK. He said: “It was really unfortunate that I lost my son. But I feel myself, as a father, this should not happen again because a lot of Indian students come here for their education and they go back to their own countries. “I humbly request to you all, kindly do justice for Anuj and kindly make sure that students who come here for their studies ... they have their own studies and go back to
their own countries.” Mr Bidve’s comments have been echoed by the Indian press, which is fearful for the thousands of Indians studying in the UK. In 2009-10 there were 38,550 Indian students and they still form a third of all non-EU students in Britain with China, which boasts 57,000 students. After a series of racist attacks and murders were carried out against Indian students in Australia in 2009, formerly a popular university destination, the Indian press leapt into a frenzy which has been attributed to the 46% drop in Indian applications that year. After Anuj’s death, an Indian website published an article stating “How Indians can avoid getting attacked in the UK.” This newspaper coverage prompted the president of Universities UK, vice-chancellor Eric Thomas of the University of Bristol, to speak out on 6 January. Professor Thomas
sent a letter to popular English-language newspapers such as the Hindustan Times and the Times of India stressing that Bidve’s death was a “loss for us all” and a “terrible event.” Thomas attempted to reassure the Indian press that British universities take active steps to ensure the safety of their foreign students, offering “induction and orientation sessions for international students which includes advice on safety. We at Universities UK would want to reassure current and future Indian students and their parents that this kind of incident is, thankfully, exceptionally rare. Compared to other countries, the UK remains a safe and tolerant country with low levels of violence and street crime.” Nevertheless, the concern remains for universities that overseas students in general may now house fears about the discriminatory treatment they could receive
in this country. This begs the question, are the international students studying at our institutions in danger? In 2011 there were cases of attacks on international students other than Anuj Bidve. One defining image of the August riots in London was of Malaysian student Asyraf Haziq being mugged by a gang of youths. The men falsely offered Haziq assistance, as he had facial injuries, before stealing items out of his bag. Haziq’s ordeal was uploaded onto YouTube, where it was viewed over one million times. Another incident occurred on Boxing Day when an Israeli student was set-upon by four men in Brighton. The gang, who allegedly used racist terminology, punched and kicked their victim before following him to his home and then throwing a bottle at the house. The student experienced minor injuries including a deep cut to his jaw. Detective Constable Emily Hoare said: “This is being investigated as a hate crime, as racist language was used during the assault and we believe the victim’s evident ethnicity motivated the suspects to commit this offence.” In October 2011, two of Bournemouth University’s academics, Dr Lorraine Brown and Dr Ian Jones, compiled an investigation into racism levelled at international students. They gave 153 individuals, all postgraduate students enrolled at a university in the south of England, questionnaires. 49 individuals assented that they had been exposed to racism, with 11 students of this figure Indian and 11 Chinese. The most frequent examples of discrimination aimed at the students were being sworn at and told to go back to their own country. Physical assault and aggressive laughter were also cited, in lower quantities. This minority of the students questioned were left frightened after their experiences, but it is important to note that many participants acknowledged that racism was a global problem and that actually Britain was safer than some of their countries of origin. A study from ForeignStudents.com conveys the brighter side of living for international students. All of the London students quizzed confessed that they had settled into the city quickly and loved its busy vibe. The obstacles that they had encountered were mostly problems relating to the language barrier and the fact that they found it difficult to meet British people. This evidence is crucial at this time to remind international students that the majority of Britons welcome their presence. The tragic murder of Anuj Bidve should not serve to frighten overseas students. Rather it is a sad testament to simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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A headline was all it took Features writer Lauren Cope analyses the impact of professional journalism on the outcome of a landmark legal decision The Stephen Lawrence case has been described as the biggest, racially-motivated, unsolved murder of our generation, taking 18 years to come to a conclusion after police incompetence and a lack of evidence. So, why have we recently seen a successful end to the case? As well as new evidence and persistence by the Lawrence family, it has a lot to do with a man named Paul Dacre and a headline that “paved the way to justice.” At the time, the murder wasn’t a focus in the media. Although a brutal stabbing that resulted in the loss of a young man’s life, most newspapers stood away from what was reported as a “tragedy that the south London press chronicles week in, week out.” But one editor, Paul Dacre, and his newspaper separated itself from the others and carried a torch for the case: the Daily Mail. It didn’t start quite so positively. After the death, Doreen and Neville Lawrence began their own fight for justice, resulting in a protest riot. The Daily Mail, when reporting on this, used a photograph that seemed to imply that they “had caused the riot,” which was completely false. Rectifying this mistake started with an absurdly coincidental link. Neville Lawrence had done some building work at the house of Paul Dacre and was able to contact him and ask: “How could you do that, and you know me?” This seemed to spark something in the editor and the Daily Mail quickly became supportive of the Lawrence campaign. It seemed the actual human contact had bought the murder closer to home. “The human spark had turned into a flame.” This was epitomised by a headline the Daily Mail published in 2007: “Murderers. The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us.” A bold statement, making the case impossible to ignore and reinforcing the democracy in journalism. Commentator Jonathan Freedland wrote: “It was, without question, the Mail’s finest hour.” It’s undeniable that Paul Dacre’s campaign was a tower of relentless support for the Lawrence family, but throughout the convictions the role was downplayed by various media outlets, including the BBC. The
Guardian and the Telegraph, however, gave it the credit it deserved. David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Jack Straw amongst others also saluted the Mail’s battle. This is helpful in a Leveson context, fighting some of the bad vibes with good journalism. But it is perhaps significant on a more basic level.
“It had a lot to do with a man named Paul Dacre and a haedline that “paved the way to justice” It is touching that the editor of a national newspaper remembered the nice guy who did some building work at his house and used his position to help him, even sending £1,000 to the charitable foundation that Doreen set up. It is poignant that despite false stories, celebrity gossip and rumours, this campaign shows that journalism, at the end of the day, is still a people’s profession.
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Durban deliberations decide our climatic future Turf editor Becky Hazlewood looks at the mixed outcomes following the December 2011 Climate Conference Global climate change is a global problem and one that requires global action for a global solution. It was with this in mind that world leaders met in Durban last month to battle it out in a two week climate conference. The event concluded in an all-night showdown, when an agreement was finally made at 5 o’clock in the morning. The conference was needed to determine countries’ commitments to carbon emissions reductions to replace those laid out by the 1997 Kyoto protocol. Unfortunately, said protocol had a limited impact in reducing global warming, seeing as the USA failed to ratify, Australia managed to wrangle an
actual increase in emissions and developing countries escaped scot free without having to make any reductions. This is a moral dilemma which had to be addressed this year, with China and India becoming world leaders in carbon pollution. The last two years’ conferences have left many scientists and the environmentally aware tearing their hair out over the nature of political debating, which usually results in outcomes that allow governments to carry on with business as usual, while the planet slowly continues to fry. Last year in Cancun, two weeks of deliberating ended in the issue being “parked,” an easy way of not having to worry about
climate change for another 12 months, and an escape from the harsh reality that emissions are showing greater annual increases than ever before, and we are experiencing some of the warmest years on record. This year’s conference also looked doomed from the outset. China and India were set on renewing Kyoto, which would allow them to continue to emit freely while their economies develop, leaving the developed world to shoulder the burden. It also seemed highly unlikely that Japan, Canada or Russia would agree to any level of cuts to their emissions, all three not wanting to risk any dent to their economies. It was the EU commissioner for climate change, Connie Hedegaard, and the Indian minister for affairs, Jayanthi Natarajan, who managed to save the day and prevent another Cancun-style disaster. The two made a deal in which India agreed to join the emissions reductions treaty. This was of great importance, as India’s emissions are currently increasing by 9% a year, making them the world’s third highest emitter of greenhouse gases. The success of the conference was largely accredited to the strategy of the EU, which entered the debate with clear goals for what it wanted to achieve: a new legal treaty to be signed by 2015
to replace Kyoto, which will be implemented by 2020. However, the glimmer of hope that followed the end of the negotiations was tragically short lived, as Canada decided to pull out one day later. Canada’s environment minister, Peter Kent, criticised the whole notion of the protocol and saw withdrawing as a way of saving Canada from $14bn of debt, forecasting that targets would never be met. The worldwide problem of climate change requires participation from all countries if there is to be any hope of avoiding dangerous levels of global warming. Once one powerful country refuses to sign, the probability of others following suit increases, as governments cling to short term economic interests. Whether or not other reluctant nations will follow suit and leave the treaty has yet to be seen. There are still many barriers to implementing the agreement, monitoring emissions and avoiding dangerous climate change. While governments continue to deliberate, NGOs and scientists argue greater cuts are needed and worry that we may be locked into a catastrophic four degree rise in global temperatures. The only thing certainty is that we are already in a frantic race against climate change and more needs to happen, and faster, if we are to have any hope of winning.
Climate chaos The risk to Britain, France, Spain, Australia, Turkey and Kenya: in figures
24%
will experience water shortage
72%
more at risk from river flooding
160,000
affected by coastal flooding
55%
cropland damaged for agriculture
120,000
affected by coastal flooding
99%
cropland less suitable for agriculture
97%
cropland likely to become degraded
375%
increase in those at flooding risk
Double success for researchers in ENV Chris Teale Turf Writer Two lecturers in UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences have received prestigious awards. Professor Bob Watson was given a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours list, while Professor Ian Bateman received a Wolfson research merit award. Professor Watson is also the director of strategic development at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, based at UEA, and chief scientific adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In addition to this, he chaired the UN’s Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 1997 until 2002, with his work on climate change being recognised. After news of his knighthood was made public, Professor Watson said: “I am delighted and humbled by this honour, which implicitly recognises the value of scientific knowledge in national and international environmental policy formulation. Of all the honours I have received this is very special, not only to me but also to my family and friends.” Professor Bateman’s Wolfson research merit award from the Royal Society makes him just one of 18 holders of the award nationally, which provides up to five years of funding for the
recipient. He was chosen having been one of the main authors of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment report, published in June 2011. This looked to estimate the value of the natural world by analysing the benefits humans gain from nature. Professor Bateman was full of praise for the Royal Society, the national academy of science in the United Kingdom, saying: “I am delighted and feel very privileged to receive this honour from the most important institution for scientific progress in the world. The Royal Society has been at the forefront of research and innovation for more than 350 years. It’s wonderful that they are leading the way in
bringing together research from multiple disciplines to address
the complex real world problems facing society.”
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 17th January 2012 - Issue 263
Second semester, second chance We’ve probably all had a very lazy, laidback, turkeyfilled four weeks off, with plenty of time to reflect on the fun packed winter term of 2011. Perhaps in some cases we weren’t as focused on assignments as we could have been, spent more time in the pub than the library, or felt that secretly we could have done better. But it isn’t too late, another term is still ahead of us, and there is enough to get back on track. The same thing happens at the beginning of each term. We tell ourselves that we will work much harder this time, not go out as much, not drink as much, not spend as much and instead spend more time in the library. However, while we have every intention of doing this, the temptation of that cheeky night out can easily triumph over a night in spent reading. After weeks of our once good intentions slipping, the inevitable mid-term lull will hit around week five and six when the reading and assignments slowly creep up on us. The key is not to put too much pressure on ourselves, because at the end of the day the university experience is as much about enjoying yourself as preparing for the big bad world outside of UEA. Staying focused can be hard, but it will pay off in the end. Setting targets of completing an assignment, spending an extra hour in the library, and attending all lectures can all be reasons to justify enjoying yourself. We are paying a lot of money to put ourselves here, so we might as well take advantage of what we can learn. At the end of the day, we are here to give ourselves the best start in life, which begins with hitting the books. Bethany Paxman
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LIFESTYLE
Take a weight off your mind this year Hannah Britt Lifestyle Writer I was in Marks & Spencer the other day purchasing some milk. As I stood in the queue, my eyes glanced over the magazine covers on the cleverly placed stand near the tills. “The diet secret Victoria Beckham can’t live without,” yelled Woman’s Weekly. “How Jen Hudson lost 8 stone,” Now retorted. As I was looking at those front covers, it occurred to me that the two things they assume that women are most interested in are celebrities and weight, especially the weight of said celebrities. Heat magazine had a particularly nasty cover: “The best and worst beach bodies of 2011,” it read. The words left a sour taste in my mouth. How dare they? I thought. I bet the editors of Heat aren’t all size 0 with double Ds and cheekbones you could chisel ice with ... The thing is though, we do care about this stuff. We want to know the diet secret that Cheryl Cole can’t live without. We strive for perfection. We want to know how to achieve it. We laugh at those who fall short because it makes us feel better about ourselves.
I am no exception to the odd fad diet. I’ve tried many, from running in a bin bag, to eating nothing but cabbage soup for a week (well, that’s a lie, I didn’t quite make it to a week before giving up ...) As far as I can tell, they all have one thing in common: they don’t work. Take the cabbage soup diet. What the glamazons in charge of the glossy pages at Woman’s Weekly won’t tell you is that eating only cabbage soup gives you chronic gas. And it makes your breath smell like a foot that’s not been washed in several years. A girl cannot live on cabbage and cabbage alone, so try this diet at your peril. For those who dare, you can expect to remain ravenous at all times and fart every time someone makes you laugh. Not very fabulous. I also once tried the Atkins diet, for which I wasn’t allowed to eat potatoes. For the Irish in me this was, as you can imagine, a nightmare. I began to hallucinate potatoes. My housemate would talk to me about her day and her head would morph, before my very eyes, into a potato. It was only a matter of time before I crept into her room at night with a knife and fork ... Needless to say, I didn’t last very long on
that diet either. For 2012, my explorations into the world of the fad diet have been put on hold. This year, my resolution is not to get thin,
to diet or to find out what Alexa Chung eats for lunch. It is to be happy in the skin I am in and to encourage others to feel the same way. Starting with you.
“UEA is wonderful”: highlights of 2011 Lifestyle writer Lauren Cope reflects on some of the most memorable campus moments during the past year
Keep Cups
Pimp My Barrow
Derby Day
The Hubs
Last year saw the arrival on campus of a new eco-friendly initiative: Keep Cups. The reusable cups are perfect for not only keeping your hot drink warm, but also giving you a discount each time you purchase a beverage on campus. The first batch of these brightly coloured thermal cups sold out before many could get their hands on one, but they’re back in stock for 2012.
The annual charity event, where students get creative with a themed wheelbarrow and costumes, returned this year bigger than ever with nearly 2,000 taking part and £10,000 raised. It made newspaper front pages in the city, and we saw some incredibly creative ideas, including a Teddy Bear’s Picnic theme.
This year students from Essex came to UEA to attempt to beat us on our own turf. Beautiful sunny weather made it an enjoyable day for everyone, particularly UEA students, who won by a resounding 41-10. This year we will travel to Essex campus to retain our title.
Last semester saw the much anticipated opening of the Hubs. The new administrative system, which replaced the school offices, caused some confusion at first. Love them or hate them, most people can at least now navigate them.
Closure of the School of Music Although not a “highlight” in itself, the controversial closure brought about a strong and determined protest by UEA students, which was supported by the Union of UEA Students. They occupied the Registry and battled for what they believed in … a brave and admirable display of loyalty to their school and University.
Coldplay One of the best highlights of 2011 was Coldplay coming to our very own LCR. Students queued overnight to get their hands on these exclusive tickets. Not only did Coldplay perform their biggest hits to a sell-out crowd, but they also took part in a Radio 1 Live Lounge hosted by Fearne Cotton, which was broadcast from our very own Blue Bar. Some lucky third years even won a competition and had Fearne round their house for breakfast! It was an amazing event for UEA and a bragging point for us all.
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Aquarius
Gemini
Libra
January 20 - February 18
21 May - 20 June
23 September - 22 October
Pisces
Cancer
Scorpio
20 February - 20 March
21 June - 21 July
23 October - 21 November
Aries
Leo
Sagittarius
21 March - 19 April
22 July - 22 August
22 November - 21 December
Taurus
Virgo
Capricorn
20 April - 20 May
23 August - 22 September
22 December - 20 January
The coming year will be one of your best, Aquarius! Due to your intelligent and sociable nature you will not only have a fantastic academic year but also a thriving social life. You love to be with your friends, but you will discover in 2012 that you can also be hugely independent and this is when you tend to produce your greatest work. Why not try a morning by the lake to spend some time working on your coursework? That way you can focus on the task at hand and see the great results.
Just because your star sign is a wet fish doesn’t mean you have to be! Neptune’s presence in your sign this year means that you will find more direction in life than ever before. Indecisiveness about how to spend the long summer will cause some stress but try not to get too worked up as the summer will sort itself out. Put more effort than usual into your costume for a fancy dress LCR in March as you will meet an interesting person who could make a major difference to your university experience.
2012 is your year and as the moon conjoins with Uranus, the planet of luck, you will be witnessing a considerable amount of change, which will result in both love and money. Don’t waste time sitting in the library procrastinating and wondering when your lucky break might come. Instead, be patient and work hard: that’s your only way to the top. This year may present some obstacles, but as long as you remain positive and upbeat the end of the academic year should be fantastic!
Last year was tough at times for you, Taurus, but don’t worry, 2012 is set to be a much better one. On New Year’s Day, Jupiter, the planet of joy and happiness, entered your sign and will stay there for six months. An unexpected boost to your bank balance in February will brighten the cold winter months, but be careful not to spend it all at once! Luck is on your side for the first half of this year so consider popping into one of the banks on campus and opening a savings account and watch the interest build. Be wary of rabbits in June.
Geminis are renowned for being extremely strong characters, even in the face of adversity. Routine is not a word often connected with Geminis as they like to seek out the unusual and unexpected. In 2012 you’ll change: at times you will be adamant about one idea, whereas the next day it will bore you senseless. However, with your upbeat attitude you will combat any problem that comes your way and some exciting nights out in Norwich’s hotspots will cause the boredom to subside and allow fun to take over!
You’ll be a lot happier in 2012 and as one of the kindest signs you deserve to be. Cancers have a way of blowing things out of proportion, and so what you think is a major disaster may only require a small effort to set straight. Take advantage of the beaches close to Norwich during the early summer months for a break after a busy spring. The new moon in Cancer falls in July, so if there are going to be any major changes in your life, like moving or starting a new job, this is the right time to start. Just enjoy the good times and go with the flow.
This is your year, Leo! You have an advantage that other signs don’t have in the upcoming months. You will feel motivated and on your way to reaching your goals. However, you have to remember to be dedicated and avoid distractions, especially during August as some grand plans will commence. This is a year to work hard, but also to play hard; you will have a fantastic day at fun in the sun in the Square. Sometimes you will have to go slowly, but whatever you’re wishing for will come true this year!
Virgo, can expect your bank account to grow in 2012! At the start of the year, Jupiter, the planet of abundance, will be in Taurus, the sign of money, and both of these things will be coming your way. You’re destined to complete some interesting projects this year, which will open up new and exciting opportunities. September is a pivotal month and whether or not you’re satisfied with your present situation, your planets are creating better prospects for you so your circumstances are going to get better. However, don’t think this means you can slack, you still need to take notes in Lecture Theatre 1.
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Libra is the sign of balance and members of this sign are said to have impeccable manners. This year, however, Saturn, the planet of obstacles, will be passing through your sign, therefore you may experience frustration. However, do not be alarmed as along with a challenge comes success and you will resolve these issues. Make sure you make the most of July: work hard but take days to relax in the sun with your friends. It’s also time to get creative so you can use this time to work on a masterpiece.
This is the year for you to embrace the new! You’ve been stuck in the same old habits for too long. Try sitting at a different table in Zest, or drink in the Red Bar instead of the Blue. Remember: changes can be good for you, even if they don’t work out as originally planned. The new moon in Scorpio falls in early November, so you can expect some interesting developments around your birthday. Don’t turn down a surprise offer from an old friend over the summer months. Saying yes could result in an unforgettable event.
As always, Sag, your curiosity knows no end. You’re probably desperate to know what is in store for you in 2012. Well, for one thing, you may do a lot of traveling. You like to go on adventures, especially to places you haven’t yet had a chance to explore. A casual walk through Socmart this week will lead you to discover a new interest. You thrive on learning new skills, so whether your new hobby is hula-hooping or portraiture, don’t waste any time in becoming an expert and making a new group of like-minded friends in the process.
Congratulations Capricorn, you are a member of perhaps the most practical sign, but be careful not to always think with your head. How you react to a secret that will be revealed to you in the Hive during the spring could change one of your relationships forever. So make sure you think through decisions. Although you hate to show any weakness, don’t let pride stop you from asking for help if you need it in September; this is not a sign of weakness! Remember: if your friends and family don’t have the answer, you can always get in touch with me, as I’m happy to help!
“Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and New Year’s Eve with family and friends. My top three tips for success in 2012 (apart from reading your horoscope) are: work hard, play hard and enjoy your time making friends with some of the kindest people you could ever wish to meet. I wish you all every happiness for the future. Love to you all and take care, Clive.” Contact Clive at: clivecaresconcrete@gmail.com
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LIFESTYLE
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End of the world? A likely story... Is the end really nigh? Hannah Britt shares her opinion on whether the world will end and what we should do about it This year, 21 December 2012 to be precise, is allegedly the end date of a 5125 year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. I know right, what? Let me explain. Some say that this date marks the start of time in which Earth inhabitants undergo a spiritual transition. Some say it will be the beginning of a new era. Some say the world will simply end as the Earth collides with a bloody massive black hole. It all sounds pretty dark, doesn’t it? So, the world is meant to end in 2012. Well, don’t put down your issue of Concrete just yet. I wouldn’t rush out right now in a mad panic to bulk-buy bottled water and Spam. Did you know that the world was also allegedly supposed to end on 21 May 2011? Oh you’d forgotten about that hadn’t you? It’s alright, I’ll let you off. So have most people. Unless the world actually began to end on 21 May last year and it is just ending really slowly, taking its sweet time to selfdestruct, I think it’s safe to say that particular prediction was false. As for the next planned doomsday of 21 December, I for one am sure not on the edge of my seat. I do wonder though, if perhaps it will end in Australia first? Perhaps we will mutter how terrible this end
of the world malarkey is in into our morning bagels as we watch the Australian apocalypse on Sky News. The fact is though, that if the world does end, no amount of Spam will save us. What are you going to do: build a bomb shelter out of Spam tins? Instead of mumbling darkly about the end of the world, maybe we should get off our arses and do something to ensure that “our last year on earth” is a good one. How annoyed would you be if the world ended and you had never gone cliff jumping in southern Thailand? If you’d never told that person how you felt? If you’d never tried Quorn instead of beef mince? You would be fuming. In a world full of conspiracy theories and doom-mongerers (I may have just made that word up, but hey why not, the world might be ending soon) this is not a how-to article on how to survive the end of the world. Instead, it’s an order to get off the sofa and do something, anything. Ronan Keating got it spot on when he sang “loving each day as if it’s the last, dancing all night and having a blast.” Such an inspirational guy. So, perhaps this time next year, all that’ll be left of the world
will be cockroaches, a couple of tins of Spam and Justin Bieber. However, I very much doubt this will be the case.
Regardless of the rumoured impending doom though, and aiming wholeheartedly to sound just like Oprah, let’s make 2012
the best year of our lives! And, if I’m wrong and the world does end on 21 December ... well, you can shout at me the day after.
Home Run: let the hunt commence Lifestyle writer Bethan Williams welcomes you to the mind-numbing tedium and absolute panic of house hunting There are several things that all students should know about house hunting. Not the sensible bits of advice like: “always ask to see the gas certificate” and “remember that there really are enough houses to go around” (though those are important and correct) but rather the cold, hard facts. The truth is, looking for somewhere to live will be one of the most miserable experiences of your student life. You will get stressed out. You will want to cry. You will begin to think that your future housemates are idiots. You will want the house that nobody else likes. You will see perfectly nice people from your course looking at the same house as you and
you will want them to fall down the stairs so that they can’t sign the contract first. You will listen to a dozen landlords trying to lie about the damp patches on the wall. It will only last for a week or two, but it will feel like an eternity. The only words of advice I can offer to help any prospective house hunters through the fear and the panic are these: take a deep breath. When you walk into the Hive following the release of the Home Run list, and see hoards of people furiously searching through it and shouting about the fifteenth viewing they’ve just booked, take a deep breath. When you go to your seminars and the usual awkward first seminar silence is replaced with
someone gleefully informing you that they actually found a house before Christmas, take a deep breath. When the landlord
of your chosen abode asks you for an astronomical amount of money in order to seal the deal, take a deep breath (and pay up).
House hunting is not fun but once it’s over, it’s over and you never have to think about it again. That is, until it’s time to move in …
LIFESTYLE
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Detox recipes for 2012 Lifestyle editor Rianne Ison shares recipes that will give you a healthy kickstart for the new year
Smoothie Raspberry and blueberry Everybody’s in the same boat at the start of the new year, having eaten far, far too much and probably treated themselves to the odd tipple too. New year, new start and the most popular resolution is to get fit and shift those dreaded Christmas pounds. So, why not try this delicious smoothie? Rich in antioxidants, it will help you to detox naturally and will aid you in your quest to get fit and healthy for 2012. Follow this simple step by step guide and if you feel particularly inventive, create your own smoothie recipe. Ingredients > 1/3 cup of blueberries > 1/3 cup of raspberries > 1/3 cup of pomegranate kernels > A banana > Water to thin
Recipe 1. Prepare and wash the fruit. 2. Place the blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate kernels into a blender. 3. Blend thoroughly until smooth. 4. Cut the banana into small chunks and add to the mixture, before blending once more. 5. Add water to thin the mixture. 6. Serve immediately.
Salad Carrot and apple Salads are often thought of as boring and tasteless, however this salad is one with a twist. Inject some excitement into your new detox diet with this flavoursome and unique dish. It’s ready to eat in no time at all and is the perfect quick bite. You can make it as your packed lunch for university or simply serve as part of a healthy dinner. This recipe serves 2-4 people as either a snack or a meal, so it is the perfect choice for you and friends. With minimal ingredients you can just grab them from your cupboard and voila! Ingredients > 1/2 cup of raisins > 2 red apples > 2-3 baby carrots > Mayonnaise > Lettuce leaves
Tip: To make your smoothie on a student budget, take a trip to the frozen section of the supermarket and buy frozen berries. They are much cheaper than fresh ones.
Recipe 1. Simmer raisins for five minutes in water. 2. Core, peel and dice the apple in to small bitesize pieces. 3. Grate the baby carrots and add these to the bowl, along with the raisins. 4. Blend with two tablespoons of mayonnaise. 5. Serve chilled on lettuce leaves and enjoy.
Tip: For a change, serve with a baked potato and chicken, the perfect accompaniments to complement this salad.
Sweet Guilt free carrot cake Ingredients For the cake: > 175g dark brown soft sugar, sifted > Two large eggs > 120ml sunflower oil > 200g wholemeal self-raising flour > 1½ level teaspoons bicarbonate of soda > Three rounded teaspoons of mixed spice > Grated zest of an orange > 200g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated > 175g sultanas
For the topping: > 250g low fat soft cheese > Two teaspoons vanilla extract > One rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon For the syrup: > 20g caster sugar > 40g dark brown soft sugar > Juice of ½ small orange > One dessertspoon lemon juice
Recipe 1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3 (170C). 2. Begin by whisking the sugar, eggs and oil together in a bowl for 2-3 minutes. 3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the mixed spice into a bowl. 4. Stir the mixture and then fold in the orange zest, carrots and sultanas. 5. Pour the mixture into a prepared tin and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes until well risen. 6. While the cake is cooking, make the topping by mixing the ingredients until light and fluffy, then cover with clingfilm and chill for 1-2 hours. 7. Now you need to make the syrup glaze. To do this, whisk together the fruit juices and sugar in a bowl. 8. When the cake is done, quickly spoon the syrup over it as evenly as possible. 9. Leave the cake aside to cool, giving the syrup time to be absorbed. 10. When the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the tin and spread the topping over. 11. Dust lightly with cinnamon and cut into square pieces.
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SPORT
A preview of sport in 2012 Sports editor Matt Scrafton looks at some of the biggest sporting events this year has to offer, and gives seven reasons to tune in if you can’t be there
Six Nations 4 February-17 March
Despite being the current holders of the Six Nations Championship, England will have a lot to prove after their World Cup debacle that ended in a quarter-final exit last October. France and Wales will probably be the tournament favourites after their successful World Cup campaigns, which saw Warren Gatland’s side finish fourth, while the French were narrowly beaten by New Zealand in the final. England have a lot to prove, but this tournament could be used as a transitional period in which new head coach Stuart Lancaster can get to grips with the position.
UEFA European Championships 8 June-19 July
15 of Europe’s elite international sides have the almighty task of stopping Spain winning the European Championships for the second time in a row in Ukraine and Poland this summer. Also the current World Cup holders, Vicente Del Bosque’s men meet Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Croatia in the group stages. For England, they qualified for the tournament without too much trouble, but will have to do without Wayne Rooney for their opening two games in a group that includes France, Sweden and Ukraine.
Wimbledon 25 June-8 July
After a supreme 2011 for Serbian Novak Djokovic, he will return to Wimbledon in the summer hoping to regain his title. The usual culprits, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, will certainly be hot on the tail of the current number one, while Briton Andy Murray is still hunting for his first major trophy. While a Wimbledon win would be the ultimate victory for the Scotsman, he might be better off concentrating on the US Open, where his style is more suited to the hard courts.
Tour de France 30 June-22 July
After a highly successful year that saw Mark Cavendish win the Green jersey at the Tour de France whilst helping Britain to World Championship gold, the Manx rider is hoping to go one better in 2012 by securing a Tour de France and Olympic double. With his new team Sky, Cavendish will ride alongside fellow Briton Bradley Wiggins, who has every chance of competing in the general classification in this year’s tour. However, he will face tough competition from last year’s winner Cadel Evans, as well as the Schleck brothers and Alberto Contador. But for Cavendish, the Sports Personality of the Year winner, the sky really is the limit.
London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics 27 July-12 August
After seven long years, it’s finally here. Undoubtedly, the 2012 Olympics will be the highlight of this year’s sporting calendar. The likes of Usain Bolt, Paula Radcliffe, Roger Federer, Jessica Ennis and Tom Daley will grace some of London’s best sporting facilities in their quest for Olympic gold, the pinnacle of any athlete’s career. Lucky enough to get hold of a ticket? Or will you have to settle for a place in front of your television screen? Either way, make sure you don’t miss it.
Ryder Cup 15-20 September
After Europe’s sensational win at the Celtic Manor resort back in 2010, they travel to Illinois, America in September in search of a second consecutive victory. The side, who will be captained by Jose Maria Olazabal, will hope to avoid a repeat of the thrashing they received the last time the tournament was held in the States. Despite being on foreign soil, Europe will probably start as favourites after a stunning year for some of their leading players, most notably Darren Clarke, winner of The Open, Rory McIlroy, who triumphed at the US Open, and world number one Luke Donald, who leads the money lists in both Europe and the US.
ICC World Twenty20 18 September-7 October
After an incredible 2011 for the England cricket team, they will travel to Sri Lanka in September to begin the defence of their World Twenty20 title. Paul Collingwood led England to their first ever global trophy last year when they beat Australia in a one-sided final in Barbados. Now captained by Stuart Broad, England will hope to build on a year that included a first Ashes victory down under for 24 years, and a whitewashing of India on home soil that elevated them to the number one test side in the world. Aside from the Twenty20 competition, England will also be kept busy with a host of test matches and one-dayers against the likes of Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
SPORT Editors’ Column
With his appointment of eight-time grand slam winner Ivan Lendl, Andy Murray has taken a decisive step towards winning that elusive first major title. While Lendl is relatively inexperienced as a coach, his playing pedigree and the similarities between his career and Murray’s will surely be of great benefit to the Scot. Lendl won his first grand slam in 1984 at the French Open, in his fifth major final, a run that began in 1981. In a golden era of men’s tennis similar to that of today, Lendl suffered defeats at the hands of greats such as Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors, before finally overcoming John McEnroe at Roland Garros in a five set thriller. This in itself means he will truly understand the heartache that accompanies defeat in a grand slam final, and will have a better understanding of what Murray requires to overcome the three greats that stand in his way: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Lendl’s training methods and honest approach will also be of enormous benefit to Murray, who has been criticised by journalists, fans and former players for sometimes being too negative on court, in playing style, and demeanour. He may be untested as a coach, and it may take more than a change in personnel to deliver Murray a grand slam victory. However, this is a crucial step towards this goal, and gives fans of the Scot renewed optimism going into the four grand slams in 2012. Chris Teale
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So You Think You Know Taekwondo?
www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 17th January 2012 - Issue 263
People often claim the Olympics to be such a great event due to the opportunity to check out the often overlooked sports that you normally wouldn’t get the chance to watch. So, I’m putting it out there: make sure you tune in and catch taekwondo during London’s summer spectacle. The term taekwondo loosely translates as “the way of the fist and foot.” It is a discipline that combines many soughtafter qualities, namely combat techniques, self-defence, exercise and general feel-good factors. It was made an official Olympic event in 2000 at Sydney, Australia, proof of the highly competitive nature that can be witnessed at the top echelons of the sport. Here at UEA, the taekwondo club has over 40 members, and is expecting more to sign up during this semester. Despite the competitive nature of the sport, the club haven’t featured in any major competitions for a few years now, preferring to focus on changing people’s attitudes and their way of life for the better. In this aspect, club captain Luke Cotsicoros suggests the
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society have been extremely successful, stating that the art “can be very therapeutic and a release for tension and worries.” Having said that, Taekwondo do hold an annual in-club competition, where anyone is welcome to join. The event has proved to be a big success in the past, something that is typical of the welcoming and friendly atmosphere within the club, noticeable during their training sessions, that are directed by a team of fantastic instructors. Whilst the trainers have a great sense of humour and make the sessions as enjoyable as possible, they know how to keep tabs on the group at the same time. UEA Taekwondo train on Tuesdays and Fridays, starting at 8pm and finishing at 10pm both nights in the Sportspark. They have some of the lowest joining and session fees of all UEA sports clubs. Why not come and have a look and see if you like it? You can find the club on Facebook by searching for UEA Taekwondo. Matt Scrafton
FA score own goal with Suarez decision Sports correspondent Kris Nelson examines the legal implications of the FA’s conviction of the Liverpool star Before writing any article on Luis Suarez and the incident that occurred in the Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester United, it is important to make clear that the Uruguayan striker deserves his eight game suspension. Whether it is acceptable in Uruguay to use the derogatory term he directed towards Patrice Evra, in the context that he did, is irrelevant. The bottom line is that it is not acceptable in our culture and Suarez, a player with a history of controversy, must again face up to the consequences of his actions. However, with that said, the Football Association (FA) must also learn from this unfortunate set of events. The way they have conducted their investigation falls below the standards which would be deemed acceptable within a court of law and begs the question: why should the arena of an FA hearing be any different? For instance, it has transpired that the FA conducted an interview with Patrice Evra on 20 October, which was recorded. However, not only was no
transcript made, Suarez’s legal team was not provided with a copy of the tapes before the hearing went to trial. The question of the substance of the interview is besides the point. The omission alone implies that the two parties were not on an even footing from the outset. Again, the fact that Suarez was later given an opportunity to examine the material is irrelevant. By that stage the horse had
already bolted and Suarez was facing an uphill battle to prove his innocence. More importantly, when deciding whether there was a breach of the infamous E3 rule, the FA adopted an objective test. This is illogical as it imposes a stricter standard than expected within criminal law, which operates under a subjective mantra for similar offences under the Public Order Act.
Putting all arguments of being a role model in the public eye aside, it seems highly unfair to hold Suarez to a higher standard on a football pitch than expected of the general public in everyday life. As critics of our game often say, footballers are still people behind the glitz and the glamour, something which must be reflected in the standards they are to abide by. Even more so, as evidence infers that Suarez knew what he was saying would be considered insulting to Patrice Evra (ignoring the flimsy culture barrier explanation), the same result would have been reached under a subjective test, with the added benefit of safeguarding the rules for future incidents. Overall, the FA’s handling of the whole affair just isn’t good enough. As John Terry is likely to be subjected to a similar commission for his alleged racial abuse of QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, it will be interesting to see whether the FA can rectify this with a strong showing or sink further behind with more lapses in logic.
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 17th January 2012 - Issue 263
Canary Corner
by Doug Patient
The busy Christmas period is traditionally seen as an opportunity to guage whether a newly-promoted side has what it takes to survive in England’s top division. Games come thick and fast, with no time to recover before the next test. This year’s festive period was no different, but Norwich City have emerged with from it with pride. To start with, two tough trips away, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers on 17 and 20 December respectively, both of which generated two creditable draws (1-1 and 2-2). A week later came a home match against high-flying Tottenham Hotspur, and it proved to be a disappointing evening. Norwich lost 2-0, with Gareth Bale in irrepressible form. New Year’s Eve then saw the visit of Fulham to Carrow Road, with Simeon Jackson scoring a stoppage time equaliser to earn the Norfolk side a 1-1 draw. City completed a superb double over Queens Park Rangers this season, with a 2-1 win on 2 January, a game most notable for Joey Barton’s controversial sending-off. The magic of the FA Cup then arrived in the city, as Championship side Burnley visited on five days later. There was no upset this time as
s
the Canaries showed their class, demolishing the Lancashire club 4-1.
“Norwich will surely achieve their goal of staying in the division” Finally, the Canaries made light of a tricky away tie against West Bromwich Albion, which ended in a hard-fought 2-1 win, Steve Morison bagging the winner. This leaves Paul Lambert’s side in ninth place, remarkable considering they were in languishing in England’s third tier in 2009. If the first half of the season is anything to go by, Norwich will surely achieve their goal of staying in the division without too much difficulty. It is, however, widely regarded to be the strongest league in the world, and as Hull City can testify, a good first half of the season does not necessarily make survival inevitable. The Tigers had been pushing for a European place at Christmas, but one win in the second half of the season meant they only stayed in the division by one point. Examples such as this need to be taken note of as City seek to consolidate their position in the league table.
concretebucsindex
Pl. Team
P W D L
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
5 5 4 3 6 3 3 6 4 4 7 7 5 5 5 5 3 5 4 4 5 5
Hockey W1 Lacrosse M1 Table Tennis M1 Tennis W1 Tennis M1 Fencing M1 Golf Netball W2 Badminton M1 Badminton W1 Rugby M1 Rugby M2 Football M1 Football W1 Football M2 Netball 1 Lacrosse W1 Tennis M2 Squash M1 Futsal 1 Hockey M1 Rugby W1
5 4 3 2 4 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
0 1 1 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 4 4
SPORT
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Diff.
Win %
23 11 22 16 8 5 1 -5 -4 -2 60 -24 -6 -3 -1 17 -9 -2 -10 -6 -24 -117
100 80 75 66.67 66.67 66.67 66.67 50 50 50 42.86 42.86 40 40 40 40 40 33.33 25 25 20 20
Review: Men’s Football I Emma Webb and Billy Sexton look at the year for Men’s Football and Table Tennis Currently sitting in fifth position in the BUCS MARS Midlands 1A league, UEA Men’s Football I have begun the 2011/2012 season with an equal mix of dominant wins and hard losses. They kicked off the season with a last minute victory over newly promoted Warwick back in October. Men’s Football have book-ended a turbulent first half of the year with triumphs and earned seven points from five games to date. Along with three points against Warwick and a hardfought November draw at home to Nottingham Trent, UEA maintained a very successful away record at the beginning of the season, beating the first team from floundering Oxford 2-1, and Canterbury Christ Church 4-2 two weeks later. Their winning streak could not hold up against formidable top of the table Loughborough II, however, resulting in a 3-0
loss at Holywell. The devastation carried over to the following week, where Men’s Football suffered a tumultuous 5-0 defeat at home to Nottingham. As a result of these two losses, UEA currently have a goal difference of –6, presently the worst figure in the league. The tables turned for UEA in the BUCS MARS Trophy third round, with a truly satisfying 4-1 victory at home against local
Greg Mann
rivals Essex. This success puts them through to the quarterfinals, where UEA will be pitted against Brighton Men’s II away on 1 February. With five more league games to look forward to, in addition to the promise of progression in the Trophy, there is no doubt that UEA Men’s I can learn from last year’s losses and move on to enjoy a repeat of the series of victories secured at the beginning of the season. With a vast difference in points between them and lastplaced Oxford, and having shown the potential for great success at home and away, Men’s Football I have everything to play for in the next three months. There is also a chance of repeating the victory against Essex at the annual Derby Day, due to be held this year in early March. Don’t miss it. Emma Webb
Review: Men’s Table Tennis After narrowly missing out on promotion to the BUCS Premier Division last season, Men’s Table Tennis have had a close to perfect start to the 2011/12 campaign, as they lie third in the Midlands 1A table. Having lost just one game to league-leaders Nottingham Trent I, UEA look to continue their impressive run into the new year. They’ve had strong results against a number of teams, defeating Birmingham
II 12-5 and thrashing Nottingham II, 15-2. UEA also find themselves in the quarter-finals of the BUCS Table Tennis Championship after a remarkable 12-5 result against Imperial College, London I, a BUCS Premier South Division outfit. Table Tennis now face a tough fixture against St Andrews I, a team they beat in a play-off encounter last season, who currently top the Laura Smith
Scottish 1A Division and have won all eight of their matches this season. So long as the team steer clear of injury, they have a real chance of succeeding in both the league and cup this season. Progression into the semi-finals of the BUCS Championship is a real possibility and UEA are more than capable of mounting a challenge in the league against Nottingham Trent I and Birmingham I. This season has the potential to be the best for UEA Table Tennis for some years. However, of the eight teams left in the Championship, six are teams who play their matches in the premier divisions, and thus UEA could have their work cut out. Yet we should not be too pessimistic. Among the men’s teams at UEA, Table Tennis are on one of the best runs of form, which we hope to see continue in their first game of 2012, an away tie against Warwick II. Billy Sexton
SPORT
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 17th January 2012 - Issue 263
UEA sport: the season so far Concrete’s Billy Sexton and Lewis Dalton look back at the past few months of action for two of UEA’s leading clubs
Review: Women’s Hockey Women’s Hockey are able to boast after having the best start to the 2011/2012 BUCS season among all 30 UEA teams. They currently have a 100% record, and are sitting comfortably at the top of Midlands 3B division. Club captain Chantelle Farrell hopes that the ability to field a strong team in remaining games and remaining lethal in front of goal will result in the continuation of a fantastic winning streak. Hockey have had a number of fantastic results so far, demolishing Warwick II 9-0, breezing past Leicester I 7-0 and scoring four without reply against Nottingham Trent II. Yet the highlight of the season came in their 6-2 win over Harper Adams. With a horrendously early start and many players having to attend lectures, UEA headed off with just nine players. Couple this with a broken finger for one player and another
taking a hit to the head, hockey were pleased to start and finish the game strongly. Grace Day deserves a mention for scoring her first goal and inaugural hattrick in a BUCS game. Despite good progression in the BUCS Midlands Conference Cup, the league remains the
focus for Women’s Hockey, and if they maintain their form, they can look forward to certain promotion and playing a higher standard of hockey next season. League rivals Nottingham III have a game in hand and are set to visit the Sportspark on 29 February, in a game that looks
set to determine who will be crowned league champions. UEA will be looking to take confidence from their previous encounter with Nottingham, in which they were 3-2 victors in November. Farrell applauds the whole team for their dedication this season, especially due to the amount of hours hockey have spent travelling. As well as being top of the league, Women’s Hockey have a fantastic goal difference, Milou de Bour and Felicity Williams pivotal in attack and scoring five goals each. Sophie Simpson deserves a mention too, conceding just seven as ‘keeper. Women’s Hockey play their first game of 2012 away to Oxford Brookes III on 25 January and ought to be confident in their ability to maintain their winning streak.
Laura Smith
Billy Sexton
Review: Men’s Lacrosse It would be fair to say that UEA Men’s Lacrosse have had a sterling start to the season. With wins against notable opponents like Loughborough and Nottingham, the Eagles currently sit in second place, and will be promoted if they can hold on to their current position. They have established themselves as a team to fear, with a never say die attitude and an aggressive streak which often sees bodies broken by the end of games. This season has seen a shuffle in positions with the departure of several players, meaning a new, inexperienced goaltender holding the fort between the pipes. However, with arguably the strongest defence in the league, run by Josh Sutton, the rest of the team are able to play free-flowing lacrosse, switching from the rapid aggression of a tenacious midfield, to an attack
which for what it lacks in size, it makes up for in its ability to dodge through numbers. The Eagles have seen a new captain step up in the form of Lewis Dalton, while a number of the old guard have come to the forefront of the team’s game, with the likes of the Ben Dickson and Rob Gale raking in the most goals so far.
Meanwhile, experienced freshers Alex Watt and Steven Van de Put have immediately fought for a place in the first team, as new recruits Ross Field and George Tucker show themselves to be future elites. The second half of the season pits UEA away to Lincoln in the first round of the cup, a team they have already beaten this season.
Meanwhile in the league, the Eagles look to hold on to second spot, with their last game of the season being a home tie against league leaders Leicester, a very winnable match. Men’s Lacrosse has blossomed in recent years, but 2012 looks set to be the year of promotion. Lewis Dalton
Laura Smith
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Khan granted rematch Matt Scrafton Sports Editor The World Boxing Association (WBA) has ordered a rematch between Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson after their first fight was won by the American fighter on 10 December in contentious circumstances. The decision was made due to “questionable decisions” on the part of the match referee, as well as the intrusion of a mystery figure during the scoring process in the original bout. Bolton-born Khan lost the first fight along with his WBA and International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-welterweight titles thanks to a split decision. Khan was also docked two points for pushing, in an evenly-contested fight that caused controversy for weeks. The WBA said the end result was “impacted by referee Joseph Cooper’s questionable failure to credit Khan with a knockdown in round one, and his questionable decisions to deduct points from Khan in rounds 7 and 12.” Khan himself queried the presence of a mystery man who seemed to be distracting the judges at ringside and was also seen handling scorecards. The previously anonymous character was later revealed as Mustafa Ameen, who has previously provided voluntary work for the IBF. Ameen was later seen celebrating with Peterson’s team at the end of the bout, and his actions will be investigated in a hearing on 18 January. The WBA also declared that Ameen’s appearance was unlawful but he “seemingly communicated with fight officials throughout the fight.” In response to the decision to re-play the bout, Khan said: “I’m pleased that justice has been done. All we ask as sportsmen is for a fair and level playing field when we compete.” However, the rematch may not be straightforward. So far only the WBA have agreed to the rematch, while there has been no official word from the IBF. If the IBF fail to agree to the rematch, Peterson may be able to relinquish his WBA title rather than give Khan a second chance.